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Fairbanks Morse to supply engines for US Navy ships
Written by: Erica Pennington
Tags: Beloit, Fairbanks Morse, ship engines, U.S. Navy
BELOIT — Fairbanks Morse will supply the main propulsion diesel engines for the T-AO 208 Robert F. Kennedy. The ship represents the fourth of the new John Lewis Class of fleet replenishment ships designed to service ships and aircraft at sea.
“When the U.S. Navy needs to deliver fuel to its global fleet, it trusts our engines for power, reliability and the ability to get the job done,” said Fairbanks Morse President, Deepak Navnith. “We are pleased to continue our partnership and help ensure that the new fleet of replenishment ships will live up to the Navy’s standards of strength and excellence.”
The ship will be powered by two FM | MAN 12V 48/60 CR engines, which will be built at the Fairbanks Morse facility in Beloit. The engines, rated at just over 19,000 bhp each, will be equipped with a common rail fuel injection system, engine control systems, and will meet the latest emission requirements with an exhaust after-treatment system. Fairbanks Morse will also provide auxiliary equipment and commissioning services.
The Robert F. Kennedy is part of a $3.2 billion Navy contract for the design and construction of six John Lewis Class Fleet Replenishment Ships. The engines are scheduled to be delivered in 2021 to General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego. The Fairbanks Morse engines will serve as critical elements in ensuring that the ships operate safely and reliably and will aid in fueling critical missions over the long term. The Navy’s 30 year shipbuilding plan indicates intent to potentially procure an additional 15 ships of the John Lewis Class in future contract awards.
Fairbanks Morse engines are installed on approximately 80 percent of U.S. Navy ships that have a medium speed power application.
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Storage Solution Guys
Storage Solutions in Hawaii
Have skilled service for Storage Solutions in Hawaii with Storage Solution Guys
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We would like you to get the best possible Storage Solutions in Hawaii. You'll find our customer support staff to be insightful and instructive. Feel free to address any concerns that you may have, and we are glad to respond to them. We're invested in guaranteeing your success with any Storage Solutions in Hawaii task. We always show up on time and finish each mission fast with remarkable work. Prior to getting started out, we provide you with a detailed quote so that you will not be surprised at unexpected expenses. You spend less costs via relying on us to finish your job properly the first time. Once you give us a call, we will reply to your questions and provide you with a totally free estimate.
Aiea, HI Anahola, HI Barbers Point N A S, HI Camp H M Smith, HI Captain Cook, HI Eleele, HI Ewa Beach, HI Fort Shafter, HI Haiku, HI Hakalau, HI Haleiwa, HI Hana, HI Hanalei, HI Hanamaulu, HI Hanapepe, HI Hauula, HI Hawaii National Park, HI Hawi, HI Hickam Afb, HI Hilo, HI Holualoa, HI Honaunau, HI Honokaa, HI Honolulu, HI Honomu, HI Hoolehua, HI J B P H H, HI Kaaawa, HI Kahuku, HI Kahului, HI Kailua, HI Kailua Kona, HI Kalaheo, HI Kalaupapa, HI Kamuela, HI Kaneohe, HI Kapaa, HI Kapaau, HI Kapolei, HI Kaumakani, HI Kaunakakai, HI Keaau, HI Kealakekua, HI Kealia, HI Keauhou, HI Kekaha, HI Kihei, HI Kilauea, HI Koloa, HI Kualapuu, HI Kula, HI Kunia, HI Kurtistown, HI Lahaina, HI Laie, HI Lanai City, HI Laupahoehoe, HI Lawai, HI Lihue, HI M C B H Kaneohe Bay, HI Makawao, HI Makaweli, HI Maunaloa, HI Mililani, HI Mountain View, HI Naalehu, HI Ninole, HI Ocean View, HI Ookala, HI Paauhau, HI Paauilo, HI Pahala, HI Pahoa, HI Paia, HI Papaaloa, HI Papaikou, HI Pearl City, HI Pearl Harbor, HI Pepeekeo, HI Princeville, HI Pukalani, HI Puunene, HI Schofield Barracks, HI Tripler Army Medical Center, HI Tripler Army Medical Ctr, HI Volcano, HI Wahiawa, HI Waialua, HI Waianae, HI Waikoloa, HI Wailuku, HI Waimanalo, HI Waimea, HI Waipahu, HI Wake Island, HI
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Storage Solution Guys - Copyright © 2015
Storage Solutions Experts in Hawaii
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The Playing Fields are home to our cricket and football clubs and used for other events. The field also has a fitness track for use by all ages, sometimes simply for some rehabilitative walking or more energetic exercise.
The Stradbroke Charitable Trust was given a legacy of £25,000 by Reggie Elvin which he wanted to be spent on sport and sporting activities for the village, especially for the benefit of young people. The money was divided into three parts, the first to help with the drainage of the playing field, the second to help with the MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) at the High School and the third with some extra donations to provide a Fitness Track around the outside of the newly drained playing field.
The track is 516 metres long and has a special baked clay surface so it can be used in all weather conditions. Three times round this track is close to a mile and this is useful for those who need to exercise in a measured way during convalescence or after an operation. It is helpful that it is away from traffic and public roads. For those who seek something more demanding, there are six items of fitness equipment spaced out around the track which offer the chance to climb, do pull-ups and balance exercises while running round and round the track.
When it was completed, the Fitness Track was donated to the Parish Council and was opened by Dr Jim Morris to a fanfare played by the Stradbroke Brass Band and during an extremely heavy shower of rain!
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"My life may not be perfect, but my hair is." -Timothy Willy
Timothy Willy is quickly gaining recognition in the beauty Industry as an up and coming Artist. His journey began at a very young age.
"When I grow up I want to be a beautician" I'd say. But, because of society, bulling in school, and the fear of being a disappointment at home, I was ashamed to admit it. I always kept my cousin's beauty school mannequin head in my closet. I would lock my bedroom door to play with it in the evenings, trying to hide it from my dad and brothers. I was a closeted hairdresser!
It didn't take long to realize hiding wasn't enough and something beautiful began to happen! I had cousins, aunts, their friends, and my own friends lined up and were thrilled to let me play with their hair. At that very young age, I learned that as hairdressers we have the power to touch and the power to heal. I have many people to thank for allowing me to be myself as a child, and for their patience. You taught me to love what I do and supported me in all that I can become."
Following Cosmetology school at Lafayette Beauty Academy, IN, Timmy's passion for the industry was recognized when titled as a Spread the Love Ambassador. Starting in January 2012, Timmy and five other cosmetology school graduates set off for the journey of their lives as they visited salons, stores, beauty schools and shows to soak up as much industry knowledge and experience as possible. In each state, they participated in various charity events, to appreciate how hairdressers can give back to their communities and the world. Along with these duties, Timmy was provided an apprenticeship with Celebrity Stylist Ammon Carver. Ammon trained Timmy on how to create perfect hair by assisting Ammon in large trade shows, on stage, and behind photo shoots.
Directly after his role as an Ambassador, Timmy was brought onto Matrix, a Division of L'oreal, as the youngest Artistic Educator within the brand, at age 22. He started educating across the nation, working primarily with national accounts, but has expanded his role to promotional work and international education, within just two years of being hired. He consistently assists the Matrix Artistic Directors with shows and events.
Along with education, Timmy has spent countless hours behind the chair. In Chicago, he worked primarily at Slade's Barbershop (one of Chicago's top barbershops), but also at Blow by Blow (a blow-dry bar with makeup in the Gold Coast), and at Fuss Salon. During this time, he also collaborated with photographers and created editorials for publication.
Timmy recently relocated to Los Angeles to further his career as Stylist for Productions. Timmy's work regularly appears on stages across the nation, as well as in various national publications, recently featured on Cosplay Melee, RuPauls Drag Race, Logo's "Gay For Play" and Bravo's "The Peoples Couch."
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Fall 2017:
GE 30305 – Introduction to Contemporary Germany: Society, Politics, and Culture
This course provides an introduction to the society, politics, and culture of contemporary Germany. Our main focus is on Germany after 1989, but we will also look back as far as 1945 and draw comparisons to other German-speaking countries, as well as the United States. Topics include social values and the German Basic Law, government and media, as well as issues currently in the news. We will also look at selected literary works, essays, and films in German in order to become familiar with fundamental techniques of interpretation.
GE 30112 – Germany and the Environment
Germany is globally recognized as a leader in the fields of renewable energy, sustainable development, and environmental protection. But how did this come about? In this course, we will examine the roles that culture and history play in shaping human attitudes towards the environment. Our case studies will range over two centuries, from damming projects in the Rhine valley at the start of the nineteenth century to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster at the end of the twentieth. Over the course of the semester, students will develop a richer understanding of German environmentalism that also includes an awareness of its dark sides, such as the role that nature conservancy played within Nazi ideology.
Spring 2017:
[as above]
GE 20201 – Intermediate German I
The goal of this class will be to improve the four linguistic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as students’ understanding of German culture. To accomplish this task, we will create an immersive environment in which we speak exclusively German, and also use an all-German textbook.
GE 40106 – Law, Rights, and Justice on the German Stage
Germany and the United States take a strikingly different attitude towards publicly funded theater. One of the reasons for this is that Germans have long regarded the theater, whether in its spoken-word or musical varieties, not as a luxury, but rather as an essential foundation for civic life and national identity. Put in its simplest terms, Germans believe that without theater, there can be no just society. In this class, we will examine the history and contemporary status of this belief, and read some of the greatest German-language plays that deal with questions of civic responsibility, human rights, and the power of the law.
[On Leave 2015]
Engl 44347 – Imagining Europe: From the Age of Enlightenment to the Age of the Euro
(Taught at Notre Dame’s Study Abroad Campus in London)
In this seminar, we will examine how poets, novelists, and filmmakers have imagined Europe over the course of the last 200 years. How do you give an imaginative shape to something that is too vast to ever be encompassed in its entirety, and too complex to be reduced to any uniform vision? Throughout the semester, we will make use of local resources in London to support our studies.
Engl 44427 – Remembering the Great War in Britain and Germany
August 2014 marks the centenary of the Great War, an event that will be commemorated throughout Europe over the course of the following year. The London Undergraduate Program gives Notre Dame students a unique opportunity to observe these commemorations and learn about the various ways in which the war contributed to the formation of modern European identity. Our course will focus on two case studies drawn from opposite sides of the conflict and will investigate the various ways in which poets, artists, historians, and ordinary people have tried to make sense of these cataclysmic events over the course of the last 100 years.
Lit 73894 – From Philology to World Literature
This course, one of two required classes for every student in the Ph.D. in Literature Program, offers an overview of different models that have been used to justify the comparative study of literature. While the course readings are arranged chronologically and touch on many of the major schools of academic criticism of the last century, the class is not intended as a “theory survey.” Instead, we will try to outline several different ways in which we might conceptualize the relationship between literature and the extra-textual world, and will then ask what role these various models still play in what has sometimes been called our present “post-theoretical” era.
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U2 tour history » Songs » Bad » Ruby Tuesday snippets
Ruby Tuesday snippets in Bad
Ruby Tuesday has been snippeted 100 times in Bad.
1985-02-05 - Bologna, Italy - Teatro Tenda (18 songs)
1985-02-08 - Zurich, Switzerland - Hallenstadion (17 songs)
1985-02-10 - Paris, France - Palais Omnisports De Bercy (17 songs)
1985-02-27 - Houston, Texas, USA - The Summit (17 songs)
1985-03-01 - Phoenix, Arizona, USA - Compton Terrace (17 songs)
1985-03-04 - Los Angeles, California, USA - Sports Arena (19 songs)
1985-03-19 - Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA - Minneapolis Auditorium (17 songs)
1985-03-21 - Chicago, Illinois, USA - University Of Illinois Pavillion (17 songs)
1985-03-23 - Detroit, Michigan, USA - Joe Louis Arena (17 songs)
1985-03-25 - Richfield, Ohio, USA - Richfield Coliseum (17 songs)
1985-03-27 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Montreal Forum (18 songs)
1985-03-28 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Maple Leaf Gardens (18 songs)
1985-04-01 - New York, New York, USA - Madison Square Garden (18 songs)
1985-04-03 - Uniondale, New York, USA - Nassau Coliseum (17 songs)
1985-04-08 - Landover, Maryland, USA - Capital Centre (17 songs)
1985-04-09 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA - Civic Arena (17 songs)
1985-04-10 - Hampton, Virginia, USA - Hampton Coliseum (17 songs)
1985-04-12 - East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA - Brendan Byrne Arena (17 songs)
1985-04-18 - Worcester, Massachusetts, USA - The Centrum (19 songs)
1985-04-23 - Hartford, Connecticut, USA - Civic Center (18 songs)
1985-04-24 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - The Spectrum (18 songs)
1985-04-30 - Jacksonville, Florida, USA - Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum (17 songs)
1985-05-02 - Tampa, Florida, USA - Sun Dome (17 songs)
1985-05-25 - Adenau/Koblenz, Germany - Nurburgring Racecourse (16 songs)
1985-05-26 - Stuttgart, Germany - Neckarstadion (13 songs)
1985-05-27 - Muenster, Germany - Freigelaende Halle Muensterland (14 songs)
1985-06-01 - Basel, Switzerland - St Jakob's Stadion (14 songs)
1985-06-22 - Milton Keynes, England - Milton Keynes Bowl (17 songs)
1985-06-29 - Dublin, Ireland - Croke Park (18 songs)
1985-07-06 - Torhout, Belgium - Torhout Festival (17 songs)
1985-07-07 - Werchter, Belgium - Festival Grounds (18 songs)
1985-07-13 - London, England - Wembley Stadium (3 songs)
1987-04-04 - Tempe, Arizona, USA - Arizona State University Activity Center (19 songs)
1987-04-10 - Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA - Pan American Center (19 songs)
1987-04-12 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - Thomas And Mack Arena (19 songs)
1987-04-14 - San Diego, California, USA - San Diego Sports Arena (19 songs)
1987-04-24 - Daly City, California, USA - Cow Palace (18 songs)
1987-04-29 - Rosemont, Illinois, USA - Rosemont Horizon (20 songs)
1987-04-30 - Pontiac, Michigan, USA - Pontiac Silverdome (18 songs)
1987-05-27 - Rome, Italy - Stadio Flaminio (18 songs)
1987-05-30 - Modena, Italy - Stadio Comunale Braglia (19 songs)
1987-06-02 - London, England - Wembley Arena (22 songs)
1987-06-03 - Birmingham, England - NEC Arena (19 songs)
1987-06-12 - London, England - Wembley Stadium (20 songs)
1987-06-15 - Paris, France - The Zenith (22 songs)
1987-06-17 - Cologne, Germany - Muengersdorfer Stadion (19 songs)
1987-07-01 - Leeds, England - Elland Road Stadium (21 songs)
1987-07-08 - Brussels, Belgium - Vorst National (19 songs)
1987-07-10 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Feyenoord Stadium (19 songs)
1987-08-01 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Murrayfield Stadium (22 songs)
1987-09-14 - East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA - Giants Stadium (21 songs)
1987-10-26 - Kansas City, Missouri, USA - Kemper Arena (19 songs)
1987-11-01 - Indianapolis, Indiana, USA - Hoosier Dome (20 songs)
1987-11-04 - Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA - Saint Paul Civic Center (20 songs)
1987-11-07 - Denver, Colorado, USA - McNichols Sports Arena (22 songs)
1987-11-14 - Oakland, California, USA - Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (20 songs)
1987-11-17 - Los Angeles, California, USA - Memorial Coliseum (18 songs)
1987-11-23 - Fort Worth, Texas, USA - Tarrant County Convention Center (20 songs)
1987-11-28 - Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA - Charles M. Murphy Athletic Center (19 songs)
1987-12-03 - Miami, Florida, USA - Orange Bowl (18 songs)
1987-12-05 - Tampa, Florida, USA - Tampa Stadium (19 songs)
1987-12-08 - Atlanta, Georgia, USA - The Omni (18 songs)
1987-12-19 - Tempe, Arizona, USA - ASU Sun Devil Stadium (20 songs)
1989-09-22 - Perth, Western Australia, Australia - Entertainment Centre (19 songs)
1989-09-27 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - Entertainment Centre (19 songs)
1989-10-03 - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - Entertainment Centre (19 songs)
1989-10-07 - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - National Tennis Centre (20 songs)
1989-11-10 - Auckland, New Zealand - Western Springs Stadium (19 songs)
1998-02-27 - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - Sydney Football Stadium (23 songs)
1998-03-05 - Tokyo, Japan - Tokyo Dome (22 songs)
2000-12-05 - New York, New York, USA - Irving Plaza (14 songs)
2001-02-07 - London, England - Astoria (16 songs)
2001-03-26 - Sunrise, Florida, USA - National Car Rental Center (19 songs)
2001-03-29 - Charlotte, North Carolina, USA - Charlotte Coliseum (19 songs)
2001-04-02 - Houston, Texas, USA - Compaq Center (21 songs)
2001-05-03 - Cleveland, Ohio, USA - Gund Arena (22 songs)
2001-05-07 - Columbus, Ohio, USA - Nationwide Arena (22 songs)
2001-05-09 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA - Bradley Center (22 songs)
2005-04-25 - Seattle, Washington, USA - Key Arena (23 songs)
2006-11-19 - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Telstra Dome (23 songs)
2006-12-04 - Saitama, Japan - Saitama Super Arena (22 songs)
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Home»Reports of the...»Reports of the...»Report of ...»Action on Climate...
The Chair noted that in the Millennium Development Goals Summit outcome, Member States had recognized the synergies between the Millennium Development Goals and the climate change agenda, and acknowledged that climate change
presented a key obstacle to achieving the Goals. He also recalled that the Committee, at its nineteenth session, had agreed that the Working Group on Climate Change should continue its work with a short-term focus on preparations for the
United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancún, Mexico (29 November-10 December 2010) and a long-term focus on a coordination framework for discussing strategic issues related to the implementation agenda. The Committee had also asked for greater precision and operational perspectives in the focus and cross-cutting areas under the CEB Climate Change Action Framework, and had agreed to establish a separate cross-cutting area on the social dimensions of climate change.
The Director of the CEB secretariat, in his capacity as Chair of the Working Group on Climate Change, presented the report of the Group (CEB/2010/HLCPXX/CRP.2).
The Committee took note of the briefings, and proposed that the Working Group build on the momentum created in Copenhagen, while refraining from further expanding the scope of its work. Committee members also highlighted a number of
key issues that were important to the system’s further work on climate change.
These included supporting local and domestic resource mobilization, linking climate change with human rights, increasing focus on the green economy, technology transfer and access to energy, agriculture for mitigation and adaptation, the central
role of cities as well as local-level inclusion in adaptation and mitigation strategies.
The Committee noted with appreciation the progress made in its Working Group on Climate Change. It endorsed the Group’s recommendations, including with respect to its continued work with a focus on responding to the emerging implementation architecture leading up to Cancún.
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Narcos: Netflix Original Series REVIEW
by Nicolas Pinzon
Why are we so fascinated by the life and death of Pablo Escobar? As much as we’d love to deny it, we have always been more interested in evil than in good. Both Gandhi and The Godfather won the Oscar for best picture in their year, but which film do we continue to watch as time goes by and which one has more or less been forgotten?
Understandably, Hollywood directors like Oliver Stone have been trying to tell Escobar’s story for decades, but Probably the best representation of the drug lord that Americans have been exposed to came in the form of the documentary 30 for 30 - The Two Escobars. Yet a documentary tells us the facts; our curiosity wants to see the methods. We want to see the man at work: thinking, laughing, killing, living. That is the first place where Narcos goes terribly wrong.
In the Netflix original series, Escobar’s story is not told through his eyes or through the eyes of the people around him, but through the eyes of a dreadful American DEA agent. This very uninteresting man will narrate about 30% of what you see on screen, spelling out for you what a ten year old would probably not understand, but most of us over that age would be fine with. If what we’re all curious about is Escobar, why did Netflix decide to filter it all through the perspective of an unremarkable DEA agent? I don’t get it.
In all fairness, Narcos can be very interesting for someone who isn’t familiar with the Pablo Escobar story, but this is simply because the source material is so over-the-top. The series begins with a paraphrased statement from Colombian writer and Noble laureate, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who said that Colombia was a country in which the truth was stranger than fiction. This statement is very true for the series as well. Admittedly, Narcos only claims to be 50% based on truth, and that is the only percentage that works in the show. There is nothing wrong with changing the story a bit for dramatic purposes, but Narcos doesn’t do that, Narcos changes the story simply to be able to fit 20 years of war into 10 episodes. As a result a complex story of multiple struggles and twists is turned into a shallow, voiceover frenzy of telling and not showing.
Undoubtedly, the Netflix series is trying to appeal to three very specific markets at once: the American market (by telling the story through the eyes of an American,) the Colombian/Spanish market (by setting the story in Colombia and using Spanish throughout,) and the Brazilian market (by casting a famous Brazilian actor as Pablo Escobar, using a Brazilian director, and flavoring the series with mostly Brazilian music.) In my opinion, this preference of internationality over authenticity is another major mistake. Though I have no problem with Brazilian Jose Padilha directing the series, as a Spanish speaker, I must confess that Wagner Moura’s performance as Pablo Escobar greatly affected my experience with the show and I would equate it to hearing a young Arnold Schwarzenegger voice Al Capone. Yes, German is similar to English like Portuguese is similar to Spanish, but the idea that someone who has only been studying the language for a few months will sound like a native speaker is laughable. Netflix should have concentrated more in making a good narrative story than in check marking every major group in the Americas. Taking into account all the nationalities of the actors attempting the Medellin accent, I’m surprised more Canadians weren’t involved. Maybe for season 2. If you don’t speak Spanish, you’re in luck, but if you do, the inconsistency in accents throughout Narcos will probably be very distracting.
Ultimately, Narcos doesn’t commit to anything. Though the story surrounding Colombia in the time of Escobar is one of, passion, loss, greed, bravery, hate, love, and numerous other powerful emotions, Padilha’s Narcos is totally impersonal and distant. Great Mafia films such as The Godfather, Goodfellas or Scarface are all grounded in strong emotional backbones of friendship or family or love, but the Netflix original series remains stale through the narration of an outsider who rarely seems connected to the core of the story. If you happen to speak Spanish or know much about what happened in Colombia during the 80s and 90s, the experience watching this show will probably be terrible, but if you are just learning about the subject, this show will likely be an average one. Either way, taking into account the quality of the source material, Narcos should receive a failing grade for missing such a clear opportunity. Pablo Escobar: El Patron del Mal, is a very good though not perfect Colombian series also on Netflix that explores the same story in over 70 episodes and gives a much more authentic picture of who Escobar was, his complexities, his cheerful personality, and all the tragedies he brought upon a people who, like the rest of us, only wanted to live in peace. If you really want to know the man, I recommend you watch that instead.
I give Narcos 2 out of 5 stars for its great cinematography.
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theLogBook.com
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Future Cop
The Kansas City Kid
Cleaver and several other cops have invested money in a benevolent trust fund, and Cleaver is angered to the point of distraction when he discovers by accident that this money has been spent rather than invested…and the caretaker of the account, the son of one of Cleaver’s oldest friends, begs Cleaver to cover for him. Not long afterward, Cleaver is summoned to the site of a car accident that has left the caretaker of the benevolent fund in serious condition. With time running out, and now on his own, Cleaver decides to put Haven’s unique talents to use in winning back the money that should be in the account. But can an android ever hope to handle the intricacies of poker?
written by Harold Livingston
directed by Robert Douglas
music by Thomas Talbert
Cast: Ernest Borgnine (Cleaver), Michael Shannon (Haven), John Amos (Bundy), Irene Tsu (Dr. Tingley), Herbert Nelson (Capt. Skaggs), Joan Collins (Eve DiFalco), Joshua Bryant (Andrew), Don Reid (Tom Geary), Bill Zuckert (Fisk), Angela May (Peggy), Zachary A. Charles (Monroe), Alvah Stanley (Doctor), Michael MacRae (Nolan), Victor Izay (Phillips), Regis J. Cordic (Dugan), Sharon McGee (Bank Teller)
Notes: This was the last episode of Future Cop aired by ABC; no doubt aided by slapdash scheduling, the series had failed to stick its landing with the viewing public. In a very unusual move, Future Cop would be “re-piloted” on NBC a year later under the title Cops And Robin.
LogBook entry by Earl Green
Future Cop ABC
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Drivers in France must carry a breathalyser
From July all drivers in France must carry a breathalyser
From 1st July 2012 all drivers visiting France will need to carry a breathalyser kit in their cars, as French drivers will have to and from November 2012 there will be an €11 fine for non compliance.
With a start date for the new measure of 1 July 2012, the rules will apply for anyone travelling to or through France by car in the summer holiday season, even just for a day trip.
Single-use breathalyser kits will satisfy the requirement. The legal limit in France is 50 mg per 100 ml of blood, lower than in the UK (the UK limit is 80mg). They cost between £1 and £2 and they will be available at ferry and tunnel terminals for crossings to France. It is intended that people will be able to test themselves to check whether or not they are over the French limit.
Anyone driving in France is already required to carry a warning triangle and a fluorescent safety vest to use in an emergency. Additionally UK motorists must display a GB plate and have their headlights adjusted to the right.
The new French rule is a genuine attempt to reduce the number of alcohol related-crashes.
The lower limit in such countries as France means it’s very easy to be over the limit the morning after as well.
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Manufacturing Slowdown... What Does It Mean for the Economy?
In September 2019, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) — which measures a wide variety of manufacturing data — fell to 47.8%, the lowest level since June 2009.1
A reading below 50% generally means that manufacturing activity is contracting. The August reading of 49.1% had signaled the beginning of a contraction, and the significant drop in September suggested that the contraction was not only continuing but accelerating.2 Shortly after the ISM report was released, nearly two-thirds of economists in a Wall Street Journal poll said the manufacturing sector was already in recession, defined as two or more quarters of negative growth.3
The PMI — which tracks changes in production, new orders, employment, supplier deliveries, and inventories — is considered a leading economic indicator that may predict the future direction of the broader economy. Manufacturing contractions have often preceded economic recessions, but the structure of the U.S. economy has changed in recent decades, with services carrying much greater weight than manufacturing. The last time the manufacturing sector contracted, during the “industrial recession” in 2015 and 2016, the services sector helped to maintain continued growth in the broader economy.4
That may occur this time as well, but there are signs that the services sector may also be slowing down. In September, the ISM Non-Manufacturing Index (NMI) dropped suddenly to its lowest point in three years: 52.6%. Although this still signaled service sector expansion — for the 116th consecutive month — it was a significant decline from the 56.4% reading in August 2019 and the 12-month high of 60.4% in November 2018.5
Global Weakness and Trade Tensions
The slump in U.S. manufacturing is being driven by a variety of factors, including a weakening global economy, the strong dollar, and escalating tariffs on U.S. and imported goods.
In October 2019, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded its forecast for 2019 global growth to 3.0%, the lowest level since 2008–09. The IMF pointed to trade tensions and a slowdown in global manufacturing as two of the primary reasons for the weakening outlook.6 Put simply, a weaker world economy shrinks the global market for U.S. manufacturers.
The strong dollar, which makes U.S. goods more expensive overseas, reflects the strength of the U.S. financial system in relation to the rest of the world and is unlikely to change in the near future.7 Tariffs, however, are a more volatile and immediate issue.
Originally intended to protect U.S. manufacturers, tariffs have been effective for some industries. But the overall impact so far has been negative due to rising costs for raw materials and retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports. For example, tariffs on foreign steel, which were first levied in March 2018, enabled U.S. steel manufacturers to set higher prices. But higher prices increased costs for other U.S. manufacturers that use steel in their products.8 Retaliatory tariffs by Canada and Mexico contributed to a $650 million drop in U.S. steel exports in 2018 and a $1 billion increase in the steel trade deficit.9 (In May 2019, the United States removed steel tariffs on Canada and Mexico, which dropped retaliatory tariffs in return.)10
U.S. manufacturers in every industry may pay higher prices for imported materials used to produce their products. An average of 22% of “intermediate inputs” — raw materials, semi-finished products, etc., used in the manufacturing process — come from abroad.11 Tariffs paid by U.S. manufacturers on these inputs must be absorbed — cutting into profits — and/or passed on to the consumer, which may reduce consumer demand.
The Uncertainty Factor
Along with specific effects of the tariffs, manufacturers and other global businesses have been hamstrung by trade policy uncertainty, which makes it difficult to adapt to changing conditions and commit to investment. A recent Federal Reserve study estimated that trade policy uncertainty will lead to a cumulative 1% reduction in global economic output through 2020.12
On October 11, 2019, President Trump announced that he would delay further tariff hikes on China — including an increased tariff on intermediate goods scheduled for October 15 — while the two sides attempt to negotiate a limited deal. Although a deal would be welcomed by most interested parties, past potential deals have collapsed, and it’s uncertain how any agreement might affect the $400 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods already in place, or the tariffs on goods from other countries.13
Will the Slowdown Spread?
Manufacturing accounts for only 11% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and 8.5% of non-farm employment, a big change from 50 years ago when it accounted for about 25% of both categories.14–15 However, the manufacturing sector’s economic influence extends beyond the production of goods to the transportation, warehousing, and retail networks that move products from the factory to U.S. consumers. The final output of U.S.-made goods accounts for about 30% of GDP.16
Even so, a continued slowdown in manufacturing is unlikely to throw the U.S. economy into recession as long as unemployment remains low and consumer spending remains high. The key to both of these may depend on the continued strength of the services sector, which employs the vast majority of U.S. workers. It remains to be seen whether the service economy will stay strong in the face of the global headwinds that are holding back manufacturing.
1–2, 5) Institute for Supply Management, 2019
3) The Wall Street Journal, October 10, 2019
4) The New York Times, July 28, 2019
6) International Monetary Fund, 2019
7) National Review, August 22, 2019
8) Bloomberg, March 24, 2019
9) The Wall Street Journal, March 18, 2019
10) Bloomberg, May 17, 2019
11) Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 2018
12) Federal Reserve, 2019
13) USA Today, October 11, 2019
14) U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2019
15–16) The Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2019
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What will stop these self-driving lorries colliding?
Scania believes 5G could improve communications between “platooning” lorries
What impact could 5G – the new high-speed mobile technology being trialled around the world – have on the way we work and play?
Swedish transport company Scania believes lorries could use far less fuel if they drove much closer together, controlled by wirelessly communicating onboard computers.
But to prevent these “platooning” lorries crashing into each other, you’d better be sure your communications are fast and reliable.
So Scania is working with Ericsson on trials of the new 5G (fifth generation) wireless broadband technology, due to be rolled out globally in 2020.
It promises much faster data transfer speeds, greater coverage and more efficient use of the spectrum bandwidth.
“Platooning works very well with wi-fi, but in dense traffic situations with many vehicles communicating, 5G is designed to offer more reliable communication,” says Andreas Hoglund, Scania’s senior engineer for intelligent transport systems.
This is because 5G direct communication is designed to handle fast moving objects and congestion more efficiently, he says.
“Faster communication will make it possible to reduce the distance between vehicles in the platoon, which might further reduce the air drag and give positive effects on fuel consumption,” he explains.
This could help create “a more efficient, greener” world.
Media captionWATCH: What is 5G?
5G is designed to accommodate the growing number of devices reliant on a mobile internet connection – from fridges to cars – and is 10 times faster than the highest speed 4G can manage.
“It will enable a lot of applications which were unthinkable before,” says Mischa Dohler, professor in wireless communications at King’s College London.
South Korea has plans to implement 5G for the Winter Olympics in February 2018, giving visitors access to virtual reality (VR) content on their mobiles.
One of the UK’s first 5G test-beds is in Brighton, where non-profit innovation hub, Digital Catapult Centre, has just completed a series of workshops for small businesses.
“Hypothetically, 5G is fast enough to download a 100GB 4K movie in two-and-a-half minutes,” says Richard Scott, innovation manager at Digital Catapult.
“But it isn’t just about speed – [5G] has specific features that will unlock and enable new technologies.”
Chiefly, these include fewer dropped connections and lower latency – the time it takes for data to be stored or retrieved.
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“Wi-fi is fine if you are sitting with a few people in a meeting, or moving slowly around indoors,” explains Rahim Tafazolli, head of Surrey University’s 5G Innovation Centre.
“However, once you start to move quickly and the number of people increases to more than 10 – at Waterloo Station, for example – you need to have a system that can hand over connection between radio cells without causing a drop in signal, and which can accommodate several people simultaneously.
“Wi-fi can’t do that.”
This is because every wi-fi signal has a defined range, whereas 5G will be flexible, enabling mobile devices to switch automatically between the various newly available frequencies.
One frequency will be for long-range connections, across rural areas for example; one will be for urban environments, providing high numbers of users with high-speed connectivity; and there will also be a high-capacity frequency for densely populated areas, such as sports stadiums and railway terminals.
This flexibility will lead to “an ever-expanding array of new business services”, Mr Tafazolli believes, and could be critical to the success of autonomous vehicles and the internet of things.
Faster wireless connectivity should also give VR and augmented reality (AR) technologies a boost, argues Digital Catapult’s Mr Scott.
Faster mobile connectivity could greatly improve virtual reality experiences
“If you have a very detailed, immersive VR experience and you try to run it over a mobile headset currently, there is enough latency… that it makes you feel sick,” he explains.
So high-quality VR experiences rely on headsets being “tethered” to a computer, which provides the necessary computing power.
5G offers the opportunity to recreate high-quality experiences on the move.
“It could enable you to have an experience comparable with home gaming on your mobile,” says Mr Scott, “allowing you to compete or collaborate with other people in real time.”
Andy Cummins of Brighton-based digital agency, Cogapp, says 5G will allow his firm to create much more exciting AR and VR content for visitors to museums and galleries.
“Without [5G] these types of experiences… would at best seem laggy and unintuitive,” he says.
And Tim Fleming, founder of Future Visual, another Brighton company preparing to trial 5G, says: “We are very interested in in-store retail VR experiences, and creating a flagship VR experience that can be taken to any location.
“At the moment we have to use a dedicated PC, but with 5G you just need a headset and a mobile device. The heavy lifting is done in the cloud. That’s very interesting.”
5G enthusiasts say it could underpin smart cities and augmented reality services
Of course, 5G roll-out is not without its technical challenges.
Installing all the base stations and antennae is very expensive, and many of today’s devices will not be compatible with the new technology.
It is not clear at the moment who is going to pay for it.
But Ericsson’s head of 5G commercialisation, Thomas Noren, is confident that 5G services will be cheaper to run because the network will be more energy efficient and production and operational costs will be lower.
There is clearly still much detail to iron out, but research consultancy Ovum predicts that there will be 389 million 5G subscriptions globally by the end of 2022.
Users still struggling with patchy 4G coverage maybe forgiven for being a little sceptical about the ambitious claims being made for 5G.
But the potential to transform a number of businesses – and create many new ones – is clearly there.
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Source : [1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41467871
Author adminPosted on October 20, 2017 October 23, 2017 Leave a comment on What will stop these self-driving lorries colliding?
Can ice structures solve a Himalayan water crisis?
Media captionEngineers in the Himalayan Desert are coming up with solutions which could help the world’s water crisis. Credit: Natural History Unit
It’s midnight at 3,500m (11,000ft) above sea level, the coldest time of the day, in one of the coldest places on the planet. In the middle of winter, temperatures here plunge to -30C (-22F).
A group of 10 volunteers are gathering; putting into place a plan to solve a water crisis in Ladakh, the northern most region of India, in the high Himalayas.
They are building manmade ice structures, more than 30m tall, that they hope will melt early in the spring and give villagers and their farms the water they need.
The ice structures are the brainchild of engineer Sonam Wangchuk. Born in Ladakh, he has worked for several years to find innovative solutions to everyday problems facing the local communities.
“We tend to get the solutions created in New York or New Delhi, but they don’t work for us here in the mountains. I believe mountain people have to find solutions for themselves,” he says.
Rolex/ Stefan Walker
Sonam Wangchuk is the inventor of the ice structures
Villagers in Ladakh face harsh living conditions. Road blockages in the winter months mean they are cut off from the rest of the country for most of winter.
Mr Wangchuk says the effects of climate change are adding to the problem. He says there are signs that global warming is damaging the delicate climatic water balance in the Hindu Kush Himalayan range.
“We can see that the glaciers are receding, to higher altitudes. There is less water in spring, but in the summer months we have experienced dangerous flooding. The water flow in the valley has become erratic,” he explains.
Mr Wangchuk was inspired by a fellow engineer working in the region, Chewang Norphel. Mr Norphel had created flat artificial glaciers at heights of 4,000m (13,123ft) and above. But the villagers were reluctant to climb up to those levels.
Life in Ladakh has always depended on glacial melt-water
Mr Wangchuk says he was crossing a bridge when the idea for his ice structures crystallised.
“I saw that there was ice under the bridge, which at 3,000m (9,842ft) was the warmest and lowest altitude in the whole area,” he recalls.
“And this was in May. So I thought – direct sunlight makes the ice melt, but if we protect it from the sun, we can store ice right here.”
Remote villages at an altitude of 2700m (8860ft) to 4000m (13,123ft) above sea level
Population of almost 300,000
Winter desert temperatures as low as -30C (-22F)
Meagre rainfall of on average only 100 mm annually
And so, in 2013, he and his students from the Secmol Alternative School began to create prototypes of the ice structures near the village of Phyang.
They call the structures “stupas” because they bear resemblance to Tibetan religious stupas – elegant hemispherical or conical structures with pointed tops that contain relics, such as the remains of Buddhist monks.
The technology behind the ice structures is simple. Pipes are initially buried under the ground, below the frost line, before the final section of the pipe then rises vertically.
Due to the difference in height, temperature, and the gravitational force, pressure builds up in the pipe. The stream water eventually flows up and out from the pipe’s raised tip like a fountain.
The sub-zero air freezes the water to gradually form a pyramid like structure.
Sonam Wangchuk
In late spring, the melting ice stupa provides water for the crops
“We are freezing water that goes unused in winter and, because of the geometric shape it doesn’t melt till late spring,” says Mr Wangchuk.
In late spring the artificial glacier starts to melt and water can be used for drip-irrigation of crops.
The BBC’s Innovators series reveals innovative solutions to major challenges across South Asia.
Ever heard of the concept of “jugaad”? It’s a Hindi term meaning cheap innovation.
If you have created a life hack or innovation that you are proud of, or spotted one while out and about on your travels, then share your picture with us by emailing [email protected], use the hashtags #Jugaad and #BBCInnovators and share your picture with @BBCWorldService, or upload your submission here.
Learn more about BBC Innovators.
As the ice structures look like the familiar religious stupas, Mr Wangchuk believes that this leads to a better sense of ownership amongst the locals.
After some initial success with one ice structures in 2014 the nearby Phyang Monastery got involved. The Buddhist monks asked the team to build 20 ice stupas. A successful crowd funding campaign raised $125,200 (£96,500).
This money funded a 2.3km (1.43 mile) pipeline which brought water down to Phyang. Mr Wangchuk claims this pipeline can support at least 50 ice stupas.
Mr Wangchuk is also now helping to build ice stupas near the winter sports resort town of St Moritz in Switzerland.
The ice stupa team are working to made many more of the structures
After an initial prototype is built and tested, the Swiss want to expand the project to counter the phenomenon of fast-melting glaciers in the upper reaches of the Swiss mountains.
“In exchange for the ice stupa technology, the Swiss will share their expertise and experience in sustainable tourism development with the people of Phyang, to revive the dying economy of the village,” says Mr Wangchuk.
But he feels positive about the future.
“We want to train enthusiastic youth through our university, and eventually we are hoping to create a whole generation of ice or glacier entrepreneurs.”
Author adminPosted on October 19, 2017 October 23, 2017 Leave a comment on Can ice structures solve a Himalayan water crisis?
100 Women: Do women on boards increase company profits?
“Having women on company boards leads to better financial performance” came the headlines from report after report, highlighting a business statistic guaranteed to capture the imagination and prompt debate.
What better way to encourage companies to focus on equality and diversity than to make them think of their bottom line?
In the UK, the 30% Club was set up in 2010 with the aim of having women make up at least 30% of the members on every board.
In the US, the Thirty Percent Coalition – a group of people who are chief executives and chairs of their companies – was created to achieve the same thing.
Of course, there are many other – and some say better – reasons to argue for gender equality, but we wanted to look at whether this broadly accepted claim is true – does having more women on the board really mean the company makes more money?
Academics have warned against jumping to simple conclusions.
A report published by Credit Suisse last year said companies with at least one woman director received a better return on their investments compared with companies with all-male boardrooms.
They say companies where women made up at least 15% of senior management were 50% more profitable than those where fewer than 10% of senior managers were female.
But Prof Alice Eagly, at Northwestern University in the US, says many of the studies commissioned by corporations are “naive” as they don’t consider other variables.
Some European countries have introduced quotas for female board members
She explains that more sophisticated pieces of analysis carried out by academics have shown very small positive correlations between female board members and financial success. But this is an average – in some companies the relationship was neutral and in some it was negative.
And proving causation is far harder. It is difficult to say that it is having more women on boards that makes companies do better, rather than other factors – something corporate reports acknowledge.
This is because companies with more women on boards are different in other ways, too, according to Prof Eagly.
For example, firm size seems to be one of the most significant factors in determining profitability. And larger companies are likely to employ more women at every level.
More innovative companies were more likely to use their talent effectively, regardless of gender. And companies that were already more profitable may have been more able to focus efforts on diversity, she says.
A study looking at the gender make-up of the top management of the US’s biggest firms, not only their board members, found female representation in top management improves firm performance but only in companies that are “focused on innovation”.
‘Add women and stir’
And, interestingly, female board members appear to have more of a positive impact on their company’s performance in countries where women have more equal rights and treatment overall.
It looks like there is a relationship between more successful companies and those with more women in senior positions in general, but it’s not enough to simply “add women and stir”, as Prof Robin Ely at Harvard Business School puts it.
Another study from a group of German, Dutch and Belgian researchers found “the mere representation of females on corporate boards is not related to firm financial performance if other factors are not considered”. It relies on there being a good company culture too.
If women are in the minority in a room that is hostile to them, they are unlikely to be able to have a positive effect and that applies to other kinds of diversity too, the study suggests.
Focusing on numbers without also addressing structural diversity issues is not enough, according to Prof Ely.
In the biggest US companies on the stock market, around 16% of board seats are held by women
Looking at how many spaces on a board are filled by women doesn’t tell you how influential the board is, and it doesn’t tell us whether those women are being listened to and allowed to have an impact, Prof Ely points out, as “not all spots on a board are created equal”.
There is some evidence that having three women on a board of 12 to 15 people is the tipping point for them to actually be heard and able to have an influence at all. So there are good arguments for the 30% rule – it just doesn’t necessarily translate directly to profits.
In fact Corinne Post, a professor of organisation management at Lehigh University, says that board members don’t have a direct influence on the bottom line of a company, but they do have a greater influence on corporate social responsibility.
She found that there was a five times stronger correlation between a company having female board members and stronger performance when it comes to ensuring they are environmentally friendly as a company, or involve themselves in philanthropy for example, than the correlation between female board members and profits.
Profitability is highly complex and there’s even evidence that chief executives might not have much of an influence on company profits.
“In companies with any women on their board at all, they tend to have between one and three – are you really saying the gender of three people on a board is going to have an impact on the bottom line?” Prof Ely asks.
For Northwestern’s Prof Eagly, the most pertinent question is why we would need evidence women bring in more money than men, before they are given equal status on boards.
“Why should you rule out 50% of the population from important jobs. It’s about social justice not about profits.”
Read more from Reality Check
Source : [1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/41365364
Author adminPosted on October 18, 2017 October 23, 2017 Leave a comment on 100 Women: Do women on boards increase company profits?
The man who built a drinks empire… twice
Greg Steltenpohl was a pioneer of the whole foods movement
Greg Steltenpohl was a pioneer of the “whole foods” movement in the 1980s. But he almost lost everything after his first company faced a major corporate crisis.
After creating not one but two highly successful natural drinks companies, Greg Steltenpohl is “not one for regrets”.
However, the former jazz musician does rank the sale of his first business, Odwalla, to Coca-Cola back in 2001 as a “pretty big disappointment”.
He co-founded the firm, now one of America’s best-known juice and smoothie brands, with some friends back in 1980, simply as a way to support his career as a musician.
It became an early pioneer of the “whole foods” movement, priding itself on its all natural ingredients, quirky branding and independent ethos.
But after an outbreak of E. coli was associated with one of its juices in 1996, sales dried up.
Jason Tester Guerrilla Futures
Mr Steltenpohl co-founded Odwalla, one of America’s best-known smoothie brands
The founders had to take on new investment to stay afloat and lost control of the board.
Within five years Mr Steltenpohl had quit, and Odwalla was sold to Coke for $181m (£134m).
“I’m not evangelising against ‘evil corporate empires’,” the genial Californian says over coffee in London.
“But these big firms tend to target smaller ones like Odwalla because they can’t innovate those ideas internally.
“The problem is they end up destroying what make those brands unique.”
The 62-year-old is trying to set the record straight with his latest venture, the plant-based food company Califia Farms.
Launched in 2010, its main line is in almond and coconut milks, which come either plain, or in flavours like matcha green tea, or ginger and turmeric.
Mr Steltenpohl’s new firm, Califia Farms, makes plant-based milks and cold coffees
The Los Angeles-based firm also sells bottled coffees and natural juices, with all its products low in sugar, dairy free and ethically sourced.
Whereas Mr Steltenpohl’s first company was launched at time when natural and organic foods were a novelty, the sector is now well established, with industry-wide sales of $69bn in the US alone last year.
Large food companies are also losing market share to smaller ones that offer more artisanal, niche products.
Califia already has sales of more than $100m a year, and is the number one premium bottled coffee brand in the US.
However, Mr Steltenpohl says big corporations have been “jumping into” the whole foods market, and smaller companies like his face competition.
“They have much better supply chains, distribution and marketing. At the moment we’re just a fly on the back of an elephant.”
Califia Farms makes more than $100m in sales annually
Mr Steltenpohl fell into the drinks business by chance after studying at the Creative Music Studio, a renowned music school in upstate New York, in the late 1970s.
He and two friends moved to Santa Cruz, California to seek fame and fortune with their “avant garde jazz” band The Stance. But they quickly ran out of money.
“We were broke and we weren’t that good! So I came up with this idea that we could squeeze fresh orange juice every morning, sleep during the day, and play music all night.”
The juice company took off, and the music tapered out. Under the brand Odwalla – named after a song by experimental jazz group Art Ensemble of Chicago – the trio started selling to restaurants and health food shops, but were soon stocking grocery stores across the US.
By 1996 Odwalla was listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange and sales were approaching $100m a year.
Califia’s cold coffees include a nitrogen-infused variety
Then disaster struck.
A child died and scores were sickened after drinking a batch of the firm’s apple juice; Odwalla had to issue a huge product recall, and its sales dived by 90%.
Jeffery Kline, editor of drinks industry website Bevnet, says Mr Steltenpohl has been “very open about how painful the experience was”.
Mr Kline adds: “People in the industry believe Greg acted respectably throughout the crisis. And he never talks about it in terms of what he went through, but in fact what an incredibly devastating impact it had on others.”
Within two years Odwalla had rebuilt its reputation, thanks in part to its loyal customer base. The problem, says Mr Steltenpohl, was the new backers wanted a “quick return” on their investment by selling the firm.
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“In hindsight I think we could have found investors who shared our values and stayed independent. But we had to move fast to protect people’s jobs.”
Not long after Coca-Cola swooped, and Odwalla soon “lost its ethos”, he says.
“We were a local brand, but Coke shut our plant and shifted the main staff to Atlanta. It also replaced the key managers with their internal people who all had two year rotations, and you can’t run a passion brand that way.”
A spokeswoman for Coca-Cola says it is keen to nurture new brands, and Odwalla remains an “important part” of its natural health drinks portfolio.
Mr Steltenpohl says he has learnt from the experience, as well as from several other unsuccessful ventures he launched after leaving Odwalla.
Califia’s plant in Bakersfield, California
He now wants to keep Califia Farms “independent” for as long as possible. But is that realistic?
Phil Howard, an associate professor at the Department of Community Sustainability at Michigan State University, says that only a “small number” of values-driven firms manage to stay independent and be successful.
“As big distributors and retailers consolidate it becomes difficult to compete, so many smaller firms sell up to multinationals,” he explains.
“And a lot depends on the small firm’s ownership structure, for instance whether they need to repay investors.”
Califia Farms has already sold a minority stake to a private equity firm, but Mr Steltenpohl says the investor fully shares its values. Califia is also majority owned by the farm that produces its oranges, while Mr Steltenpohl is its boss and a founding shareholder.
Tellingly, he has hired people with experience of working in bigger firms to help guide the business.
These include a plant manager who trained at Danone, and a head of human resources who worked for Virgin boss Richard Branson.
Mr Steltenpohl says he is determined to strike a better balance between keeping the firm on track, and upholding his “starry eyed” ideals than he did at Odwalla.
That said, he hopes business culture is changing to accommodate different notions of success.
“It is partly the fault of the business media and business schools,” he says, “but we tend to celebrate a firm’s growth and quarterly reports above all else.
“But wouldn’t it be great if we were saying, ‘Wow, they managed to stay independent for 20 years, stayed true to their values, and they grew their sales too.'”
Author adminPosted on October 17, 2017 October 23, 2017 Leave a comment on The man who built a drinks empire… twice
How market research revolutionised advertising and shopping
In the early years of the 20th Century, US carmakers had it good. As quickly as they could manufacture cars, people bought them.
By 1914, that was changing. In higher price brackets especially, purchasers and dealerships were becoming choosier. One commentator warned that the retailer “could no longer sell what his own judgement dictated”. Instead, “he must sell what the consumer wanted”.
That commentator was Charles Coolidge Parlin, widely recognised as the world’s first professional market researcher and, indeed, the man who invented the very idea of market research.
A century later, the market research profession is huge: in the United States alone, it employs about 500,000 people.
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy highlights the inventions, ideas and innovations that helped create the economic world.
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Parlin was tasked with taking the pulse of the US automobile market. He travelled tens of thousands of miles, and interviewed hundreds of car dealers.
After months of work, he presented his employer with what he modestly described as “2,500 typewritten sheets, charts, maps, statistics, tables etc”.
Better adverts?
You might wonder which carmaker employed Parlin to conduct this research. Was it, perhaps, Henry Ford, who at the time was busy gaining an edge on his rivals with another innovation – the assembly line?
But no: Ford didn’t have a market research department to gauge what customers wanted.
Perhaps that’s no surprise. Henry Ford is widely supposed to have quipped that people could have a Model T in “any colour they like, as long as it’s black”.
In fact, no carmakers employed market researchers.
The Parlin Family
Charles Parlin was charged with investigating markets to facilitate more effective advertising
Parlin had been hired by a magazine publisher.
The Curtis Publishing Company was responsible for some of the most widely read periodicals of the time: the Saturday Evening Post, The Ladies’ Home Journal, The Country Gentleman.
The magazines depended on advertising revenue.
The company’s founder thought he’d be able to sell more advertising space if advertising were perceived as more effective, and wondered if researching markets might make it possible to devise better adverts.
‘Constructive service’
In 1911, he set up a new division of his company to explore this vaguely conceived idea, headed by Charles Parlin. It wasn’t an obvious career move for a 39-year-old high school principal from Wisconsin – but then, being the world’s first market researcher wouldn’t have been an obvious career move for anyone.
Parlin started by immersing himself in agricultural machinery, then tackled department stores. Not everyone saw value in his activities, at first.
Department stores such as Selfridges also had a massive influence on the way people shopped
Even as he introduced his pamphlet The Merchandising of Automobiles: An Address to Retailers, he still felt the need to include a diffident justification of his job’s existence.
He hoped to be “of constructive service to the industry as a whole,” he wrote, explaining that carmakers spent heavily on advertising, and his employers wanted to “ascertain whether this important source of business was one which would continue”. They needn’t have worried.
‘Consumer-led’ approach
The invention of market research marks an early step in a broader shift from a “producer-led” to “consumer-led” approach to business – from making something then trying to persuade people to buy it, to trying to find out what people might buy, and then making it.
The producer-led mindset is exemplified by Henry Ford’s “any colour, as long as it’s black”.
From 1914 to 1926, only black Model Ts rolled off Ford’s production line: it was simpler to assemble cars of a single colour, and black paint was cheap and durable.
Henry Ford famously began by selling one type of car available in one colour
All that remained was to persuade customers that what they really wanted was a black Model T. To be fair, Ford excelled at this.
Few companies today would simply produce what’s convenient, then hope to sell it.
A panoply of market research techniques helps determine what might sell: surveys, focus groups, beta testing. If metallic paint and go-faster stripes will sell more cars, that’s what will get made.
Where Parlin led, others eventually followed.
By the late 1910s, not long after Parlin’s report on automobiles, companies had started setting up their own market research departments. Over the next decade, US advertising budgets almost doubled.
George Gallup pioneered opinion polls in the 1930s
Approaches to market research became more scientific. In the 1930s, George Gallup pioneered opinion polls. The first focus group was conducted in 1941 by an academic sociologist, Robert K Merton.
He later wished he could have patented the idea and collected royalties.
But systematically investigating consumer preferences was only part of the story. Marketers also realised it was possible systematically to change them.
More from Tim Harford:
How department stores changed the way we shop
TV dinners: The hidden cost of the processed food revolution
How the barcode changed the retail world
How a razor revolutionised the way we pay for stuff
Robert K Merton coined a phrase to describe the kind of successful, cool or savvy individual who routinely features in marketing campaigns: the “role model”.
Manufacturing desire
The nature of advertising was changing: no longer merely providing information, but trying to manufacture desire.
Sigmund Freud’s nephew Edward Bernays pioneered the fields of public relations and propaganda.
In 1929, he helped the American Tobacco Company to persuade women that smoking in public was an act of female liberation. Cigarettes, he said, were “torches of freedom”.
Adverts began to portray smoking and smokers as liberated and modern
Today, attempts to discern and direct public preferences shape every corner of the economy.
Any viral marketer will tell you that creating buzz remains more of an art than a science, but with ever more data available, investigations of consumer psychology can get ever more detailed.
Where Ford offered cars in a single shade of black, Google famously tested the effect on click-through rates of 41 slightly different shades of blue.
Google carried out exhaustive tests on which precise shade of blue performed best
Should we worry about the reach and sophistication of corporate efforts to probe and manipulate our consumer psyches?
The evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller takes a more optimistic view.
“Like chivalrous lovers,” Miller writes, “the best marketing-oriented companies help us discover desires we never knew we had, and ways of fulfilling them we never imagined.” Perhaps.
Miller sees humans showing off through our consumer purchases much as peacocks impress peahens with their tails.
Such ideas hark back to an economist and sociologist named Thorstein Veblen, who invented the concept of conspicuous consumption back in 1899.
Charles Coolidge Parlin had read his Veblen. He understood the signalling power of consumer purchases.
“The pleasure car,” he wrote in his address to retailers, “is the travelling representative of a man’s taste or refinement.”
“A dilapidated pleasure car,” he added, “like a decrepit horse, advertises that the driver is lacking in funds, or lacking in pride.”
What should be the 51st Thing?
Tim Harford has discussed 50 things that have made the modern economy. Help choose the 51st by voting for one of these listener suggestions:
The credit card
The spreadsheet
You can vote on the 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy programme website. Voting closes at 12:00 GMT on Friday 6 October, and the winning 51st thing will be announced in a podcast on 28 October.
In other words, perhaps not someone you should trust as a business associate – or a husband.
Signalling these days is much more complex than merely displaying wealth: we might choose a Prius if we want to display our green credentials, or a Volvo if we want to be seen as safety-conscious.
These signals carry meaning only because brands have spent decades consciously trying to understand and respond to consumer desires – and to shape them.
By contrast with today’s adverts, those of 1914 were delightfully unsophisticated.
The tagline of one, for a Model T, said: “Buy it because it’s a better car.” Isn’t that advertisement, in its own way, perfect? But it couldn’t last.
Charles Coolidge Parlin was in the process of ushering us towards a very different world.
Tim Harford writes the Financial Times’s Undercover Economist column. 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy is broadcast on the BBC World Service. You can find more information about the programme’s sources and listen online or subscribe to the programme podcast.
Author adminPosted on October 16, 2017 October 23, 2017 Leave a comment on How market research revolutionised advertising and shopping
Why the big banks are saying goodbye to suburbia
Two banks are closing branches in this Manchester suburb this year
Next week the boss of one of the UK’s largest banking groups will descend on Manchester, to celebrate the opening of the first of Lloyds’ new super-size branches.
At more than 15,000 sq ft (1,394 sq m) – and at a cost of £3m – it is the bank’s most expensive branch ever, and a likely blueprint for other British cities.
But while Antonio Horta-Osorio will be all smiles, some of his customers may have mixed feelings.
Banks may be investing heavily in mega branches in the centre of cities, but those in the suburbs are disappearing fast.
In Manchester at least 23 suburban bank branches have closed – or will close – in 2017 alone.
Here, as elsewhere, it is the least prosperous places that appear to suffer the worst.
Droylsden has a number of empty shops
A short tram ride east from the centre of Manchester is the town of Droylsden.
Its economic imagery is stark.
Even at lunchtime, the 1960s shopping precinct has just a handful of customers, mostly visiting the chip shop.
Lloyds closed its branch here this summer, and NatWest is about to follow suit.
Looking at the empty shops and deserted pavements, it is evident that the banks weren’t the first to leave.
Nevertheless, local councillor Anne Holland closed her Lloyds account in protest.
“It’s making the area look poverty-stricken,” she says.
“I’m really upset about it. They’re no longer a service for people. They don’t care about people like us.”
Lloyds points out that in one of its smaller branches in Manchester last year there were just 20 regular customers a week. And that number was down by a third on the year before.
Lloyds to shrink hundreds of branches in size
Bank branches take on a new fragrance
Lloyds names locations for 100 branch closures
But not everyone is unhappy about suburban branch closures.
Along the Oxford Road, to the south of Manchester city centre, all three banks are due to close their doors before the end of the year: NatWest, Lloyds and TSB.
However a shortage of customers – known as “footfall” in the industry – is not the problem, as the streets are packed with students from two universities.
This NatWest branch is closing, but few students are worried
Most in the internet generation are not particularly bothered about losing their local branch.
“I don’t go into banks that often,” says student James Charnley.
“I try to do most things online. However it’s nice when you’re desperate to have an actual branch.”
“With online banking it’s not that much of a problem,” says another.
Bye bye suburbia
The branches closing in Manchester this year:
NatWest: New Moston, Denton, Royton, Hale, Uppermill, Timperley, Marple, Eccles, Ramsbottom, Manchester Univeristy, Droylsden
Lloyds: Mosely Street, Manchester University, Tyldesley, Droylsden
TSB: Ashton Old Road, Cross Street, Stockport Street
HSBC: Manchester University
Santander: Atherton
RBS: Little Lever
While branches are closing in Manchester’s suburbs, the city centre is another story.
Walk amongst the crowds in Market Street, outside the Arndale shopping centre, and you can appreciate why the banks are apparently so besotted with the spending power of visitors to the centre of the city.
The new Lloyds branch in Manchester city centre is its most expensive yet
It’s not just Lloyds.
NatWest, TSB and Nationwide are all in the process of opening new or refurbished branches. Their shiny new buildings jostle competitively within 200m of each other.
The trend towards city centre banking is now pretty well established.
“It’s been going on for some years,” says banking analyst Chris Skinner.
“In the States they’ve been doing it for a long time. They call it a ‘hub and spoke’ strategy, where you have a large hub in the centre of the main city, and then micro-branches and self-service operations for the satellites around the city centre.”
He blames the culture of free banking, introduced by the Midland Bank in the 1970s, which has left banks struggling to make good profits.
Both NatWest and TSB are opening new branches
While Lloyds admits that the new city centre branch in Manchester is the model for the future, it denies that it is turning its back on the suburbs.
“We are considering opening a small number of these flagship branches in the largest city centres across the UK, under the Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland brands,” says Jakob Pfaudler, Lloyds director of community banking.
“But our investment goes way beyond city centres. We are investing in a number of what we call anchor branches – existing branches in large towns and cities – and community branches in smaller towns and villages.”
Lloyds also has more than 27 mobile branches, particularly operating north of the border under the Bank of Scotland brand.
The new Lloyds branch is the first to have a coffee bar
For those happy to use a city centre branch, the facilities can be much better thank a typical bank.
The new Lloyds branch in Manchester has free wi-fi and recharging facilities for laptops. And local businesses are encouraged to drop in and use the first floor for meetings – whether or not they are Lloyds customers.
If you want to withdraw a valuable item from a safety deposit box, such as a piece of jewellery, there is no need to speak to a member of staff.
Instead, with the help of fingerprint recognition, a robot will find your deposit box down in the vault, and deliver it to you in a private and secure viewing room.
The concept has been described as being more like an Apple store than a bank.
Black horse with your coffee?
But perhaps what will attract the most attention is the coffee bar.
If you ask nicely they’ll even make a black horse out of chocolate to sit on top of your cappuccino.
Author adminPosted on October 15, 2017 October 23, 2017 Leave a comment on Why the big banks are saying goodbye to suburbia
How would an interest rate rise of 0.25% affect me?
The governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has suggested that interest rates could rise “in the near term”.
Many experts think that could mean as early as November.
So how would a rate rise of 0.25%, to 0.5%, affect borrowers and savers?
We know there are more savers than borrowers, so more people are likely to be pleased at the prospect of rising rates, than those who will be disappointed.
Will my mortgage be affected?
According to the Bank of England, 43% of homeowners are on variable or tracker rates. In theory most of those will see their mortgage repayments rise when the Bank of England raises rates. By contrast 57% of borrowers are on fixed-rate deals, and will not be affected immediately.
Currently 90% of new home-owners are on fixed deals, and they tend to have the largest loans. But depending on when their two or five-year term finishes, borrowers will inevitably face higher repayments eventually.
How would a rise affect repayments?
According to the Nationwide Building Society, a 0.25% rise in base rates would have a modest affect on anyone on a standard variable rate (svr). On the average mortgage of £125,000 an increase of 0.25% would increase monthly payments by £15 to £665. That would amount to an extra £185 per year.
The following table assumes there is 20 years left on a mortgage, and that the rate rises from the current average of 2.56% to 2.81%.
Affect of a 0.25% rise in base ratesMortgage balance
Monthly increase
Annual increase
source: Nationwide
As Mark Carney is fond of reminding us, the rises in base rates will be small, and the pace will be gradual.
So while the impact of the first hike may be small, someone with a mortgage advance of £150,000 could eventually find themselves paying as much as £161 a month more, according to figures supplied by the Halifax, Britain’s largest lender.
How subsequent rises could affect mortgage paymentsAverage monthly repayment
% rise in mortgage rate
Increase in monthly payments
£679.74 (current average for new mortgages)
source: Halifax
Base: Repayment mortgage for £150,000 loan
The average easy-access savings account is currently paying 0.35% in annual interest. Some banks accounts are paying as little as 0.01%. So any rise in base rates could be a welcome boost for savers, even though any increase would be small.
One other problem in recent years has been that banks and building societies have been able to borrow money from the Bank of England very cheaply, so they haven’t needed to compete for deposits from savers.
The Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) and the Term Funding Scheme (TFS) have therefore helped to depress returns for savers.
“The good news for savers is that both the FLS and TFS are ending at the beginning of 2018, so perhaps providers will start to need funds from savers once more,” said Anna Bowes, a director of Savings Champion.
“This, as well as a Bank of England base rate rise, will hopefully really make a difference.”
How a 0.25% rise in base rates might affect my savingsCategory
Current best buy rate
Best buy after 0.25% rise
Notice Account
Easy access ISA
Notice ISA
1 year fixed rate bond
source:Savings Champion (Sept 17)
Author adminPosted on October 14, 2017 October 23, 2017 Leave a comment on How would an interest rate rise of 0.25% affect me?
Could wood pulp make cars lighter and more efficient?
This replica Citroen 2CV was crafted out of fruitwood. Could future cars contain wooden parts?
Car parts of the future could be made out of a surprising material. Wood.
Researchers in Japan are working to create a strong material out of wood pulp that could replace steel parts in vehicles within a decade.
Work is also charging ahead in the country to develop plastics that can withstand high temperatures, to replace metal for parts near the engine.
These innovations are part of a wider industry push to make cars lighter.
“There is a rush to try and cut as much weight as possible, especially on cars which will pollute more, like SUVs [sports utility vehicles] or pick-up trucks,” says Paolo Martino, principal automotive components analyst at IHS Markit.
Slimmer cars consume less fuel. The US Department of Energy says a 10% reduction in vehicle weight can improve fuel economy by up to 8%.
Manufacturers also want to make electric models as light as possible so they can travel further on a single charge, and help resolve the battery “range anxiety” faced by car owners, Mr Martino says.
And that’s where the humble tree could come in. After all, wood has been used to build ships, homes and furniture for millennia.
Researchers at Kyoto University in Japan say a material made from wood pulp could be as strong as steel, but 80% lighter.
Wood was often used for some car parts, but never near the engine
The team chemically treats wood pulp, which consists of millions of cellulose nanofibres (CNFs), and disperses these CNFs into plastic.
Blending CNFs with plastics creates a strong, hybrid material that could replace steel in auto parts, they say.
Prof Hiroyuki Yano, who leads the work at Kyoto University, says the material could be used to make door panels, fenders and car bonnets. The researchers are working with the Japanese government, carmakers and other manufacturers to develop the material.
Cellulose nanofibres are already used in a range of products, from ink to transparent displays.
While the material faces plenty of competition from more commercially established lightweight options, like carbon fibre, Prof Yano believes CNF-based parts could be viable alternatives.
But Vivek Vaidya, senior vice president at consultancy Frost & Sullivan, has some doubts.
Wood has been used as a building material for millennia
He thinks it’s feasible that “non-performance” parts – anything but the engine, transmission and wheels – could be mass-produced from wood pulp-based materials, but that parts manufacturers might struggle to keep pace with auto production lines.
“Most components are supplied on-demand, [so] whether a wood or organic material can be made available in a just-in-time way is definitely a question mark,” he says.
Separately in Japan, researchers are working on specialised plastics for car parts.
Prof Tatsuo Kaneko, from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, is developing plastics made with biological molecules.
The new material is also lighter than steel and can tolerate temperatures of up to 300C, the researchers say.
“Plastics haven’t been used in car parts requiring higher heat resistance around [the] engine block because they haven’t been able to withstand the heat,” Prof Kaneko says.
“But the bioplastics I have produced can withstand higher temperatures.”
Researchers in Japan say bioplastics could replace metal for parts near the engine
He’s working with a number of Japanese carmakers, auto part and electronics makers – as well as foreign companies – on the research.
And one of the biggest advantages of using the material, which he says could be a viable alternative to steel in around five years, would be a drop in vehicle weight.
While lighter plastic car parts might help cut vehicle emissions and increase the range of electric cars, doesn’t their manufacture bring other environmental risks?
Prof Kaneko acknowledges that substituting materials like glass for bioplastics could increase pollution, as the waste is non-biodegradable.
But he argues that his materials are kinder overall to the environment than traditional plastics.
The manufacture of conventional petroleum-based plastics results in large amounts of carbon dioxide, whereas bioplastics, made from micro-organisms, produce lower volumes of waste, he maintains.
The drive to use “greener” materials is gathering speed among automakers more broadly.
Frost & Sullivan’s Mr Vaidya says manufacturers are trying to shrink the total carbon footprint of a vehicle and “not just the emissions that come out of the tailpipe”.
The push serves tightening regulations and consumer demand. Both the UK and France plan to ban new diesel and petrol vehicles by 2040, to reduce pollution and carbon emissions.
China, the world’s biggest car market, wants electric battery cars and plug-in hybrids to account for at least one-fifth of its vehicle sales by 2025.
Lightweight carbon fibre is prized in high-performance sports cars
“There’s definite movement towards improving the green credentials of the car by using materials that are more environmentally friendly,” Mr Vaidya says.
To shed weight BMW has focused on carbon fibre, and last month unveiled a new slimmed down M5 sedan with a carbon fibre reinforced plastic roof.
Toyota uses the same material for parts in its Prius Prime and Lexus LC 500 models, cutting weight and boosting battery range in the Prius.
For Jaguar, aluminium is a big focus. The company says the metal weighs about one third of the equivalent amount of steel.
“Every 100kg saved with an aluminium chassis helps to reduce the vehicle’s CO2 emissions by 9g per km, and fuel usage during its life by up to 800 litres,” Jaguar says.
And niche component makers like Corning, which markets its toughened Gorilla Glass for use in windshields and other glass-components, says its high-tech glass is a third lighter than conventional car windows.
Author adminPosted on October 13, 2017 October 23, 2017 Leave a comment on Could wood pulp make cars lighter and more efficient?
The firms that donate as many goods as they sell
Hayley Besheer (bottom right) donates lingerie in countries such as Ecuador
More businesses are embracing the “buy one, donate one” model. But can they turn a profit while doing good?
New, clean underwear is one of the most under-donated items to charity, and domestic violence refuges and homeless shelters for women often face shortages.
So American Hayley Besheer came up with an unusual way to tackle the problem.
The 20-something founded lingerie company Make a Difference Intimates (Madi), which donates a pair of its trendy knickers, or other items of underwear, for every one that it sells.
Ms Besheer is following in the footsteps of other entrepreneurs motivated to do good, including US shoemaker Toms, which pioneered the “buy one, donate one” model in the early part of this decade.
And like Toms, her business fully intends to grow its profits while achieving its social mission.
Madi’s lingerie is made of sustainable bamboo cloth
“Consumers are attracted to the buy one, donate one model because it helps them give back,” she tells the BBC.
“The market is leaning more and more towards brands that offer quality products with a social purpose.”
Before starting Madi, Ms Besheer had no experience of designing fashion or running a business, and faced many challenges as she learned to do both.
For instance, a friend who was originally meant to help run Madi, backed out after deciding it was too risky. Ms Besheer understood her dilemma.
“She didn’t want to put any money into the business,” Ms Besheer says. “But you have to be fully committed, and you need to take out a lot of loans in the beginning.”
Madi’s underwear costs more than $30 (£23) per pair – considerably more than what lingerie retailer Victoria’s Secret charges for many of its premium-brand knickers.
Consumers want brands to have a social purpose, Ms Besheer says
Ms Besheer says her panties are fairly priced, because they are made from bamboo cloth – a material that is “more comfortable than cotton, more sustainable, and longer-lasting”.
People are also happy to pay more to support a good cause, says one customer, Lauren Cimpl.
“While one pair of Madi underwear may cost more than a similar panty in a department store, I feel you’re buying two pairs of underwear for the $30-or-so price tag,” Ms Cimpl says.
“Shopping is usually a self-focused activity, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but being able to give back while you’re shopping makes it even better.”
Brands with a social justice agenda can enjoy a powerful “halo effect”, say some experts.
According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers thought red wine tasted better, and other products – such as running shoes and hair loss treatments – performed better if they knew about a company’s charitable donations.
Toms’ founder and boss, Blake Mycoskie, lists his official title as “chief shoe giver”
However, there are critics of the buy one, donate one model.
In the developing world, Toms was accused of fostering dependency and unfairly competing against local businesses by giving away its products.
Mindful of the criticism, the Californian company revamped its philanthropy, and now produces many of the shoes it donates in partnership with local manufacturers.
It also supports access to eye care, safe water initiatives, and anti-bullying programmes.
More stories from the BBC’s Business Brain series looking at interesting business topics from around the world:
How do you like your wine – with a cork or screw-cap?
Are changeable heels the end to women’s sore feet?
Do the colours you wear at work matter?
Turning the dead into vinyl records
“Our original goal was to produce one-third of the shoes we donated in these regions, and we have since exceeded that with local factories in Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Vietnam,” says Amy Smith, the company’s “chief giving officer”.
Although Toms’ founder and boss, Blake Mycoskie, lists his official title as “chief shoe giver”, he keeps a close eye on the company’s sales and profits.
In 2014, Mr Mycoskie sold half of his business to private equity giant Bain Capital in a deal that reportedly valued the firm at $625m.
Gary S. Chapman
Toms donates one pair of shoes for every one it sells
But Toms, which is profitable, says it isn’t looking to make an easy buck at the expense of its mission.
“Toms has proven that conscious capitalism is a viable business model,” Ms Smith says. “But without our mission, the ‘why’ of Toms would be lost.”
Warby Parker, which sells fashionable glasses online, has also proved that the buy one, donate one model can work.
The privately held company has attracted deep-pocketed investors, such as General Catalyst, and has a valuation of more than $1bn. It may also be headed for an initial public offering, various media reports have suggested.
Warby Parker takes a different approach to its philanthropy than Toms. For every pair of glasses it sells, it makes a donation to a non-profit which will produce a pair in the country where it operates.
The non-profit also trains local people in how to conduct eye exams and fit glasses. According to Warby Parker, its system makes more sense than just donating goods.
Warby-Parker
Two of the Warby Parker founders, David Gilboa (left) and Neil Blumenthal
“Donating is often a temporary solution, not a lasting one,” the firm says on its website. “It is rarely sustainable.”
Back at Madi, Ms Besheer says its sales have grown by 25% every quarter since it was founded three years ago.
The company started to make a profit from the end of 2016, and has no debt thanks to successful crowd-funding campaigns and partnerships with local retailers.
It also has donated more than 4,500 pairs of underwear in eight countries including Haiti, Panama, Cuba and Ecuador.
Ms Besheer now wants to set up a production line in Kansas City, where her company is based, so she can continue to produce Madi garments in the US. Currently the firm relies on subcontractors in the city.
She says it is important to manufacture in America, so she can ensure workers are paid fairly, and to reduce the firm’s carbon footprint.
As for the buy one, donate one model, she feels it strikes the right balance.
“I feel that if we don’t address the underwear issue at refuges, no one else will. And if we can grow a successful business at the same time, that’s even better.”
Author adminPosted on October 12, 2017 October 23, 2017 Leave a comment on The firms that donate as many goods as they sell
Why UK exporters are set for a sugar rush
Media captionSugar gets sweeter for UK farmers
The UK’s sugar beet industry is looking to ramp up production, as European Union quotas come to an end this week after nearly 50 years.
For the first time since 1968 the UK can produce and sell as much sugar around the world as it would like.
The end of the quota also means that French, German and other EU producers can sell more sugar into the UK.
Experts predict that could result in lower prices – but the British industry is confident it can compete.
What will the sugar changes mean?
Two years ago Paul Kenward, the boss of British Sugar, had a problem.
Under the EU’s quota he was only allowed to sell 1.056 million tonnes of sugar beet, but it had been a particularly bumper harvest and he’d produced more than 1.4 million tonnes.
British Sugar
British Sugar has four factories in the UK, including this one at Newark, Nottinghamshire
“Customers wanted to buy from me, but I wasn’t allowed by European Union rules to sell it,” Mr Kenward tells the BBC. “We had to store it for two years – that was very expensive.”
From this weekend, those limits will come to an end after years of lobbying by the UK government.
The 3,500 British farmers that grow beet – which looks like a big turnip – and British Sugar, which is the main processor of British-grown beet, see the change as a huge opportunity.
UK beets account for approximately 60% of British sugar consumption
British Sugar – which also makes Silver Spoon sugar – plans to step up production immediately and is looking to sell 1.4 million tonnes next year, up from 900,000 this year.
It’s also planning to export sugar to the world market for the first time in at least a decade.
“The UK is one of the most efficient producers worldwide,” says Jane Clark, who farms sugar beet in Lincolnshire. “It should put us in a good place to be competitive.”
The changes are not linked to Brexit – and the industry is hopeful it will still be able to compete after the UK leaves the EU.
Britain’s other big sugar producer, Tate & Lyle Sugars, processes sugar cane, and so is not directly affected by the changes.
How big is the UK sugar beet industry?
There are nearly 10,000 workers in the industry’s UK supply chain
The UK consumes 2 million tonnes of sugar a year
60% of that comes from UK beets
Another 15% comes from EU beets and 25% from imported sugar cane
Source: British Sugar
How will it affect sugar prices?
Analysts say the increased supply of sugar – not just from the UK, but from other major EU producers – should ultimately lead to lower prices.
At the moment, white sugar sells for about 500 euros (£440) a tonne in the EU, compared with just over 300 euros a tonne on the international market, according to EU figures.
Analysts say the price of sugar could fall – but it’ll have little impact on sponge cakes
Prices will become more volatile after the end of the quota, says Carlos Mera, a sugar analyst at Rabobank. “Whether consumers benefit or not, I think they probably will.”
However, the effect on sugary products, like cola and sponge cake, will be more muted, because the cost of sugar only makes up a small part of the overall price of those goods.
For example, if the cost of sugar fell by 40%, that might lead to a saving of less than 1% on the price of a Victoria sponge cake.
So far, though, sugar supply contracts in the EU are still much higher than international prices, says Callum Macpherson, head of commodities at financial services firm Investec. There is also the effect of the sugar tax on soft drinks to take into account.
The Food and Drink Federation says it is difficult to predict how prices will be affected.
A wide range of factors, including world market prices, beet sugar exports, cane sugar imports, the price of other ingredients and raw materials, influence the price of sugary goods, it says.
Will the industry be able to cope?
Although the end of the quota enables UK firms to sell more sugar abroad, it will also allow EU producers to sell more in the UK.
French beet producers will also be able to produce more and could target the UK
When EU milk quotas were scrapped in 2015, it flooded the market with oversupply and put some dairy farmers out of business.
So will beet farmers suffer a similar fate?
“I don’t think there are any sugar beet producers in the country that just grow sugar beet,” says Jane Clark. “We all grow a range of crops, whether it be wheat, barley, or oats.”
Mr Kenward says the industry learnt a lot from what happened with milk. “We prepared for this for the last few decades, and can change production more easily than dairy farmers,” he says.
There’s also the uncertainty around what trade terms will be in place after Brexit.
British Sugar says that if the EU starts charging tariffs on its sugar beet after Brexit, the firm would ask the UK government to charge the same tariff on EU beet.
As for trade with the rest of the world, British Sugar accepts that dropping sugar tariffs might be part of the deals struck with other countries.
But it’s still confident it can compete, as the UK is “the most cost-efficient producer in the world”, Mr Kenward says.
Is there a difference between sugar beet and sugar cane?
Brazil, Thailand and India are the world’s biggest sugar cane producers
When it comes to flavour, beet farmer Jane Clark says there is no difference between sugar from beets or cane.
The climate and soil conditions in the UK, France, Germany, and the Netherlands suit sugar beet. Its production took off after an English blockade during the Napoleonic wars hit French cane-sugar imports.
In comparison, sugar cane tends to grow in the tropics, with Brazil, Thailand and India the main producers.
“You can refine sugar down to various levels,” Jane says. “White sugar is the most refined, your brown sugar is less refined.”
Ultimately, it’s all the same chemical formulation: “Sugar is sugar”
Author adminPosted on October 11, 2017 October 23, 2017 Leave a comment on Why UK exporters are set for a sugar rush
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Elderly couple kicked out of Culpeper Va. McDonald's for sitting too long -
An elderly couple got the boot from their local McDonald's for sitting too long. However, management and the owner are not answering the question if there really is a 30-minute sitting limit at the Culpeper fast food restaurant?
Carl Becker, 87, a World War II veteran, and his wife Barbara Becker, 81, say they both were at the Culpeper McDonald's on Feb. 21, 2014 about 2:30 p.m. The location is a place the pair has frequented for years when they were approached by the manager.
"And he says you two are going to have to leave. He said your half hour is up and we need to clean this floor," says Barbara Becker. The restaurant was not crowded at the time, she says, and that the two were stunned. This was the first time they had ever been asked to leave a McDonald's.
"We've never, ever, ever been kicked out of a McDonald's," she says adding that they've have been patrons of the fast food chain for decades and since their own children were kids. The couple has six children ranging in age from 43-61 and 14 grandchildren with one on the way due March 10.
"Now our grandchildren are McDonald's lovers," she says adding that they spend lots of time at McDonald's because they are on a fixed income and it's affordable. Her husband loves getting the chicken sandwich, she says and that it's a treat for the both of them to just eat, talk and enjoy each other's company.
Carl Becker wrote a letter to the editor of the Star Exponent about the incident.
But Barbara Becker says, "We were kicked out unnecessarily and we're just not that kind of people." The couple has been back to a McDonald's since the incident but not the Culpeper location. The restaurant owner has reached out to the couple.
Bob Drumheller, the owner of the McDonald's Culpeper franchise, issued a statement:
"I care deeply about the comfort and satisfaction of my customers. My organization takes these matters seriously, and is investigating the customer's claims. I have also reached out to the customer to extend my apologies for this misunderstanding. Our focus will continue to be on serving our customers and providing them a welcoming experience."
http://www.wtop.com/41/3577900/How-long-is-too-long-to-sit
China's Pollution Problem (In 1 Stunning Chart) -
The disgusting images of face-mask-wearing Chinese going about their daily business in minimal visibility and lung-busting conditions are strewen across the interwebs. However, even fake sun-rises pale into significance when the full dismal reality of China's pollution problem is put in context. Perhaps the following chart is why China's latest round of reforms appear to 'declare war on pollution'.
And it seems that has finally tipped the Chinese over the edge to do something about it... (via Charles Kennedy via OilPrice.com)
On March 5th China’s Premier Li Keqiang declared war on pollution, outlining significant steps the Chinese government will take to improve air quality. China has suffered from truly epic smog over the last two winters, choking its cities’ inhabitants and cutting off visibility. The pollutants in the air have surpassed hazardous levels, at times jumping beyond the index that measures particulate matter.
"We will resolutely declare war against pollution as we declared war against poverty," Li Keqiang told the legislature, according to Reuters. The central government’s top concern has always been social stability, and the Premier’s announcement that China will take some drastic measures to improve the environment indicates that the government is beginning to worry that air pollution may spark unrest around the country.
Among the measures the government will take, Li said the government’s focus will be on reducing particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10). The government will shut down 50,000 small coal-fired furnaces in 2014, and overhaul power plants in high intensity industries. China will also reduce steel production by 27 million tonnes in 2014 – equivalent to the total output of Italy. Also, the government will look at reforming energy pricing in an effort to pave the way to greater use of renewable energy and nuclear power. The government also hopes to remove six million high-emissions vehicles from the nation’s roads.
The speech comes after an announcement last month by the powerful National Development and Reform Commission (NRDC) that the government will spend $330 billion to reduce water pollution. Much of China’s agricultural land and rivers are contaminated with heavy metals.
Over the last several decades, China has succeeded in lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty, often described as the greatest achievement in poverty reduction in human history. China hopes to continue to grow, but now with a greater pro-environmental focus.
Of course this all sounds great until growth is affected - or a coal plant is shutdown causing contagious defaults across the shadow banking system... at which time we will see just how committed the Chinese government really is...
We believe that coal mine trusts are the most likely to default over the coming months because 1) coal price has dropped sharply in recent quarters; 2) most of the issuers are private enterprises; and 3) they tend to be from provinces whose governments rely heavily on resources related income, e.g., Shanxi and Inner Mongolia.
Elderly couple kicked out of Culpeper Va. McDonald...
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https://www.nyu.edu/
Since its founding in 1831, NYU has been an innovator in higher education, reaching out to an emerging middle class, embracing an urban identity and professional focus, and promoting a global vision that informs its 19 schools and colleges.
Today, that trailblazing spirit makes NYU one of the most prominent and respected research universities in the world, featuring top-ranked academic programs and accepting fewer than one-in-five undergraduates. Anchored in New York City and with degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai as well as 11 study away sites throughout the world, NYU is a leader in global education, with more international students and more students studying abroad than any other US university.
NYU students come from nearly every state and 133 countries, and the university draws upon the diverse backgrounds of our faculty, staff, and students, ensuring its scholarship and teaching benefit from a wide range of perspectives. NYU takes seriously its role as an engine of social mobility, and stands out among the top US universities in its representation of low-income and first-generation students within its community.
Now among the largest private universities in the US, NYU provides a rigorous, demanding education to more than 50,000 students and undertakes nearly $1 billion in research annually. It counts among its faculty recipients of the highest scholarly honors and is a top producer of patents and revenue from licensing among US universities. NYU has a vast network of alumni who have gone on to succeed across professions, from the sciences to the arts and government, throughout the world.
Assistant Dean, Career Development
New York University New York, NY, USA
Overview The NYU School of Professional Studies is seeking an Assistant Dean to provide strategy and leadership for the NYU School of Professional Studies career development for students and alumni. Partner with Associate Vice President for Career and Leadership Development on strategic alignment between NYUSPS and NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development. Participate as a member of the Dean's Leadership Team in strategic planning and long-term forecasting; identify job trends and emerging market needs. Develop policy for school-wide career development services. Develop strategic relationships and partnerships with industry to recruit talent, as well as engagement with the School. Other responsibilities include: develop and maintain relationships with School leadership and academic program areas that further the mission and goals of the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development at the School of Professional Studies. Ensure that these partnerships and relationships with employers, both domestically and abroad achieve the goal of a high-placement yield. Direct and oversee the development and implementation of programs and services and major events. Evaluate program and service effectiveness outcomes and revise and enhance as required. Collaborate with School leadership regarding strategic planning and long-range forecasting efforts. Approve budgets for programs and events. Determine staffing needs, hire, develop and supervise professional and office support staff. About NYU School of Professional Studies For 85 years, the NYU School of Professional Studies has been a deeply respected institution of higher education that is grounded in applied learning. From its early years, training returning World War II veterans to fulfill the nation's urgent need for skilled technical workers, it has evolved into a professional education powerhouse that offers 20 graduate degrees, 14 bachelor's degrees for traditional and post-traditional students, four associate's degrees, and a plethora of non-degree courses and credentials. NYUSPS is a thought leader, and serves as an incubator for new ideas in industries that are constantly changing, including real estate, real estate development, and construction management; hospitality, tourism, travel, and event management; global affairs and global security, conflict, and cybercrime; global sport and sports business; publishing; marketing; public relations; project management; executive coaching and organizational consulting, human resource management and development, and human capital analytics and technology; management and systems; translation; and professional writing. It is focused on building skills that open doors to opportunities in emerging fields and global markets. NYUSPS faculty members are leading experts in their areas of discipline, with a hands-on approach that encourages students to push beyond their limits and to break new ground. Home to some of the largest and most prestigious industry conferences in the world, including the Schack Institute of Real Estate's Capital Markets Conference, REIT Symposium, and National Symposium of Women in Real Estate; and the Jonathan M. Tisch Center's International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, the School's invaluable connections to industry leaders is a truly distinguishing factor in the education that it provides. Through career development services and resources provided by the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development at NYUSPS, guest lecturers, site visits, participation in numerous conferences and events, and Global Field Intensives, students benefit from an NYU education that will set them apart. In addition, they have the opportunity to learn from and network with more than 27,000 NYUSPS alumni who live, work, and contribute to innovation in industry around the world. NYU aims to be among the greenest urban campuses in the country and carbon neutral by 2040. Learn more at nyu.edu/sustainability.
Email me jobs from New York University
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Episodesxmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"External Link
Be part of the show
'I Am Patrick Swayze' director says the actor became a 'true hero' after cancer diagnosis
Digital Staff
Friday, 23 August 2019 11:44 am
I Am Patrick Swayze
A new documentary, I Am Patrick Swayze, aired in the US last Sunday, on what would have been the late actor's 67th birthday.
The star was honoured by his wife, brother, agent and manager - as well as a whole host of his celebrity friends and former co-stars.
Watch the full story above.
Almost 10 years on from his death, the film - directed by Adrian Buitenhuis - is a loving tribute to the cinema icon.
"We always start with the family. In this film, we reached out to Don Swayze initially, and Lisa (Niemi, Patrick's widow) as well," Buitenhuis said.
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Get more entertainment news here
"It took a bunch of time for Lisa to come on board and feel comfortable about doing the film. We had a lot of conversations and talked a lot about what the film would be. And we spent time together before we went on camera.
"It's a process. We find these subjects that we want to approach, and then the execution takes over a year to put together and get the right people involved."
Patrick Swayze's demons
"Patrick really didn't like being the centre of attention," Buitenhuis said.
"He loved what the fame and the fortune gave him and the life he was able to lead - but given any single day, he'd rather be on the farm with his horses and his wife working on something.
"It made him want to be alone, but I don't think it was the reason for his demons.
"I think maybe he suffered from a bit of bipolarity already, and that might have led to the demons. I think he was a conflicted person and that's what made him such a great actor.
"But he didn't like being in the limelight, that's for sure."
Devastating diagnosis
Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008 - and despite the grim diagnosis, the actor was determined to put up a brave fight.
"He went and worked, and he worked in Chicago in the middle of winter," Buitenhuis said.
"That was a way of really showing people that he wasn't ready to die. He wanted to live. And the only thing he needed to do was to live and to express ... and showed a lot of people suffering from pancreatic cancer that willpower takes you a long way.
"In the film, Lisa talks about how he was a hero in his films - but when he was diagnosed, the way he fought cancer, that was when he was a true hero.
"He went to the next level in her eyes. It was an incredible thing to see."
I Am Patrick Swayze is coming soon to Channel 7.
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Meghan Markle's brother says he's hopeful for a family reconciliation
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Scouts Australia apologise to victims of sexual abuse
October 5, 2018 WorldScouts Asutrilia, Sexual abuseFaisal Waqas
05 Oct, 2018 8:15 am
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Scouts Australia apologised on Friday to victims of sexual abuse in its organisation after an official inquiry found widespread abuse in religious and state-run institutions.
The apology came in response to a five-year, government-appointed inquiry into child sexual abuse that delved into more than 8,000 cases of sexual misconduct.
“We failed you, and we apologise for the pain that this has caused,” Scouts chief commissioner Phil Harrison said in a video message.
“It’s a genuine and heartfelt admission that for some young people, their time in Scouting was a negative experience, and we are truly sorry for this,” said Harrison.
Scouts Australia has more than 54,000 members under 18 years old.
The inquiry did not reveal the numbers of children harmed by Scouts Australia workers, but it heard evidence that a former scout leader in New South Wales state indecently assaulted two boys in the 1990s. He was convicted of the offences in 2013.
As well as offering an apology, Scouts Australia said it will adopt all recommendations from the inquiry, unlike the Catholic Church in Australia which said in August it would oppose a recommendation that priests be forced to report child abuse when they learn about it in confessional.
The Catholic Church has apologised to abuse victims and paid A$276 million ($276.00 million) in compensation to thousands of child abuse victims since 1980, the inquiry heard.
The Australian government this year established a redress scheme that offers abuse victims up to A$150,000. (81,431.54 pounds)
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is scheduled to deliver a rare national apology to abuse victims on behalf of the government later this month.
In 2008, then Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to members of the “Stolen Generation” of indigenous Australians, who were forcibly taken from their families and communities when they were young under assimilation policies.
Indian SC declines calls to suspend implementation of new citizenship law
← Sponsors EA and Nike say concerned about Ronaldo rape claims Mercedes dominate first in Japan practice, Vettel fifth fastest →
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Florida Man Allegedly Chops Off Penis of Wife's Lover
posted by R.J. Johnson - @rickerthewriter - Jul 17, 2019
A Florida man was taken into custody on Sunday after he allegedly used a pair of scissors to cut off the penis of a man he believed was sleeping with his wife, police said.
According to the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office, Alex Bonilla, 49, was arrested after one of his neighbors informed deputies that Bonilla had tied him up at gunpoint and used a pair of scissors to remove his penis. Bonilla then allegedly fled the victim's home still holding the severed organ, the neighbor said.
The victim, who was not identified by police, told authorities that Bonilla had come over to his house, threatening to kill him using a handgun if he resisted. Bonilla then forced the victim upstairs to his bedroom and tied down by Bonilla before having his penis severed with a pair of scissors. According to the police report, Bonilla had caught the neighbor and his wife having sex in Bonilla's home last May.
Two of the victim's children were present at the home at the time of the alleged attack, the report added.
Bonilla was charged with two counts of cruelty toward a child, plus one count each of burglary, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, and the use of a firearm, inmate records from the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office showed. His bond has been set at $1.25 million.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office stressed that the alleged attack had been an isolated incident and there was no danger present to any citizens. The statement added that the victim's family was asking for privacy, as he recovers at a local hospital.
Photo: Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office
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Tag Archives: Toronto
Historical Timeline of Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
2017.09.24 General, Resourcesasylum, CAMH, Canada, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, mental health, timeline, TorontoJacy Young
A timeline detailing the history of what is now the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada is now available to explore online. First opened in 1850, the mental health centre has been known variously throughout its 167 year history as the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, Toronto Lunatic Asylum, “999 Queen Street”, and the Queen Street Mental Health Centre. Explore the timeline in full here.
Call for Papers: Techniques of the Corporation, Toronto May 4-6, 2017
2016.11.08 Conferences, Generalcall for papers, corporation, techniques, TorontoJacy Young
Call for Papers: Techniques of the Corporation
4-6 May 2017, University of Toronto
How do corporations know themselves and their world? Over the last 150 years, corporations, like universities and laboratories, have generated an abundance of knowledge-making techniques in the form of psychological test, efficiency technologies, scenario planning, and logistical systems. As dominant forms of the last century, corporations are assembled with instruments, infrastructures, and interventions that arrange and rearrange the dynamics of capitalism. These techniques of the corporation have filtered into our daily lives, influencing everyday understandings of self, inequality, environment, and society.
Techniques of the Corporation will assemble an interdisciplinary network of established and emerging scholars whose work contributes to the critical study of the techniques, epistemologies, and imaginaries of the 20th century corporation. This conference aims to foster a timely conversation between Science and Technology Studies (STS) approaches and the recent histories of capitalism. We treat the corporation in the same way that historians of science and STS scholars have approached science, colonialism, and militarism as generative sites for knowledge production, value-making, and technopolitics. The conference takes as its starting place North American corporations with the understanding that corporations are multinational forms with complex transnational histories. Building from the recent history of capitalism, we attend to the entangled genealogies of corporations with slavery, exploitation, environmental destruction, colonialism, and inequality.
Hosted by the Technoscience Research Unit at the University of Toronto, this event will be an intimate multi-day conversation between established and emerging scholars in the fields of STS, history of science, and the history of capitalism. Techniques of the Corporation will be headlined by keynote speaker Joseph Dumit, and features invited talks by Dan Bouk, Elspeth Brown, Deborah Cowen, Orit Halpern, Louis Hyman, Michelle Murphy, Martha Poon, and Elise Thorburn. The conference will be an immersive experience in the Greater Toronto Area with meals and cocktails provided.
We invite emerging and established scholars in diverse fields (including business history; labour history; anthropology; geography; economic sociology; media studies; critical race studies; architecture studies; feminist and sexuality studies; environmental studies; and cultural studies) to explore the techniques, epistemologies, and imaginaries of corporations. Our overall goal is to crystallize a new field, culminating in a field-defining publication. We welcome work on corporate practices that exceed calculative logics, such as work on social relations, affective and psychological states, and speculative futurities. In addition to traditional papers, the conference encourages creative methods to query corporate forms, including art installations, videos, interactive multimedia projects, and role-playing games. Applications for travel assistance will be arranged after acceptance.
Corporate practices, include, but are not limited to:
infrastructure logistics
racial surveillance
affective labor
transnational capital
Please submit abstracts of no more than 300 words and a CV to the conference organizers (Justin Douglas, Bretton Fosbrook, Kira Lussier, and Michelle Murphy) at corporatetechniques@gmail.com by 13 January 2017.
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Flashdance: Darkest lit mainstream movie ever?
I caught most of Flashdance on TV the other night, and was struck by how dark the lighting is. Not just a scene here or there, but the whole movie. See the gallery at the end of this post, and many more pictures in a post about Pittsburgh in film from What Price Glory.
The plot, dialog, and character development are nothing to write home about, but it is worth checking out for its look and sound.
Some scenes are evenly dim to convey the cloudy and dingy atmosphere that the characters are struggling to emerge from. On the other hand, many scenes have high-contrast lighting to make their lives look more stylized. This chiaroscuro can heighten the tone of romance or intimacy, as well as suggest the almost other-worldly nature of the nightlife environment.
Filmed in 1983, it represents a bridge between the gritty naturalism of the '70s and the stylized music-video look of the '80s. Just six years earlier, the similar movie Saturday Night Fever doesn't feature many scenes with high-contrast lighting, strongly back-lit shots that make people look like shadows, smoke giving the light a hazy quality, and so on.
I don't recall any shots from Flashdance that are destined for the cinematography hall of fame, but I appreciated the effort to sustain a dark look from one scene to the next for the entire duration. It does give the movie a distinct sense of place and time, aside from being shot on location in Steel City during the recession of the early '80s.
The iconic shot of an exotic dancer in a prop chair being doused with water shows how much the movie's look and feel depends on dark and high-contrast lighting. You can find many re-creations of this shot on Google Images, but they all tend to have brighter and more even lighting, so that the girl doesn't look like a shadow in profile. It just looks like a cheesecake photo from any random lad mag. The shadowy look of the original shot obscures the details of her body, so it doesn't come across quite as pornographic as it would have with standard lighting.
It's rare to find such an unusual visual approach in such a popular movie (it ranked 3rd at the box office for 1983). Can anyone think of another hit movie that is so distinctly dark, for both interior and exterior shots, and for daytime as well as nighttime shots?
Here are 20 images that show how broadly the dim and chiaroscuro look is throughout Flashdance.
Categories: Movies
Higher suicide rates out West due to rootlessness?
From Wikipedia's article on the epidemiology of suicide by region, here's a map of suicide rates among white men during the peak of the violent crime rate circa 1990:
This map left out Alaska, but it has a very high rate as well.
The main effect is being out West, which I interpret as a symptom of rootlessness and transplant living. Not only does being rooted in your place give you more support to cope with life's troubles before you even began thinking about suicide, it also reminds you how disrespectful it would be to others to just off yourself. When roots are shallow, removing yourself from the local social web doesn't feel like you'd be inflicting such a great loss on them.
There are pockets of relatively lower rates along the Pacific coast, particularly away from its major cities. Sure enough, the West Coast is relatively more rooted than the Intermountain West -- once you reach California, you tend not to want to leave (especially before the '90s), whereas nobody feels like staying in Nevada for very long.
That still wouldn't explain why Utah's rates are so high. They are more deeply rooted than others in the region, and they are more religious.
Back East, there's a noticeable line between higher rates in the South and the southern Midwest, and lower rates farther north (aside from a pocket of higher rates in northern New England). Perhaps this reflects ethnic diversity, with whites more likely to kill themselves when they leave near large black populations -- Missouri, western Tennessee, and most of the Deep South.
If so, that would be another influence of rootedness, because even if your own group's roots go back as far as they do among Southern whites, they aren't rooted in the entire local region because that territory is occupied by the roots of the region's historically large black population.
Black roots are shallow in the industrial Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and southern New England, so perhaps that's why they don't crowd out the feeling of rootedness among whites in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston (at least back in 1990). Whites don't like living next to black populations that just showed up within some residents' own memories -- the Great Migration that began in the 1920s -- but the sense that blacks are recent transplants from slave-land allows whites to still claim the whole region as the land of their own roots.
Categories: Crime, Geography, Health, Human Biodiversity, Psychology, Violence
Were the original domestic cats not so defiant?
I came across a series of these "cat shaming" pictures that show a cat with a note explaining what trouble it got into, and why it's not sorry.
One thing stood out about these cat mugshots -- hardly any natural looking cats (tabbies). The few that were shown, had not crossed much of a boundary with their owner -- licking some butter, for instance, rather than tearing up a roll of toilet paper. At one site that had a sample of 30, 10 of them were either black or black-and-white. Orange ones were there, too, including calicos. The ones with tabby coloring almost always have large swaths of white as well, not fully natural looking tabbies.
Today's tabby cats look like the wildcats that were domesticated thousands of years ago, so I'm guessing that those first however-many generations did not steal and hide sharp objects around the yard, did not sneak their way into the granary and treat it like a great big litter box, and did not climb up on the roof and start shredding the thatching.
If they were wary of human beings, they must have still had a more helpful and submissive attitude, at least compared to the terrorists in the cat-shaming pictures. It's hard to imagine hardscrabble farmers continuing to domesticate an animal that only wanted to flop down on their work space so they couldn't get anything done.
The mischievous ones look more like what you'd see, not in nature, but in an artificial urban environment where feral colonies form. There are plenty of black, black-and-white, orange, and heavily white-spotted cats there, much more so than tabbies. These are the cats that have evolved to thrive in a setting where human feeders and caretakers can be taken for granted, hence where good manners aren't very necessary.
In fact, it must have paid off in Darwinian terms to be a little more pushy toward their adopters, who had begun to take care of them out of a sense of duty or stewardship (and so, more likely to thrive among a pastoralist group). They would therefore care for the creatures on a more unconditional basis, compared to the early domesticaters who tolerated cats on a quid pro quo basis, such as keeping the mice away from the grains. If your relationship with the semi-wild animal is conditional, you won't find it difficult to shoo it away if it starts acting too big for its britches and assuming an air of authority and entitlement.
Appearance and temperament are linked in all animals, so that selecting for certain personality traits will alter their looks as well (see Belyaev's foxes for the classic case study). As cat adopters shifted from farmers who allowed barn cats to hunt the mice on their land, to the urban crazy cat lady who takes care of the feral colony no matter how bad they misbehave, the tabby coloring has been slowly weeded out.
Black coloring is generally associated with aggressiveness in animals (including homo sapiens), so it may not come as a surprise to see the change move in a darker rather than lighter direction. I'm not sure why it's also selected for heavy patches of white as well -- perhaps to increase visual contrast and be more attention-getting in a dense, competitive urban setting.
Whatever the reasons, it's worth bearing in mind if you decide to adopt in the future. Tabby color looks like a good predictor of not acting like a dictator around the home.
Categories: Evolution, Pets
'70s snapshot: Booze and drugs at a middle school hangout site
You ever wonder what the characters from Fast Times at Ridgemont High were like in middle school? Was little Jeff Spicoli already stoned out of his mind in seventh grade? It looks like he was.
The middle school age group isn't as exciting to study as high school, so there tends to be very little record left in the public imagination, only personal memories. But suburban archaeologists can still re-visit the original scene of the crime and see if there are any traces left of what the kids were up to way back when.
I always keep my eyes peeled when strolling around trails for signs of the good ol' days, especially when they're near schools, where young people would have been hanging out. The good weather this afternoon brought me to a wooded area behind a middle school and adjacent to residential housing.
I've seen plenty of relics from the wild times when wondering around near high schools, but they could have been near the age of majority. Middle schoolers should have had a lot more difficulty getting their hands on beer, pot, and the like. Then again, times were different back then.
As it turned out, there were at least half a dozen beer cans lying around the middle-school hangout. Every time there's a brewery so old I've never even heard of it -- this time it was Ballantine ("premium lager beer"). It was a can with the old pull tab, so it must have been from the '70s, and this label from 1977 looks like the one it had:
There was a Budweiser can still in colorful condition nearby, also with the old pull tab. There were a few push-in type cans by Coors, Milwaukee's Best, and Red Bull, though they all had the narrow mouth opening and anti-litter warnings on the top like you would have seen in the later '70s and '80s. If you find ones with the narrow mouth but no anti-litter warnings, those are from the '80s and '90s. You may never have paid any mind to these details of beer can design, but when you're trying to date a hangout site, they can give you a very close estimate.
Atypically, there were no collections of cans of the same type, as though they had all come from the same six-pack. It's not uncommon to find the remnants of an entire six-pack behind a high school or off of a trail where older teenagers and young adults would have gone. Near the middle school, I didn't find two cans by the same maker. My hunch is that each of the kids lifted a single beer from their home's fridge, or shoplifted a single can, or found a sympathetic older person to get them "just one" can of beer. That would keep the pre-high-school drinkers under the radar and account for the mismatched assortment of cans.
As usual, there were tree carvings with initials, dates, etc. "PARTYED HERE," read one of them, with the misspelling being an honest sign of the barely maturing, and barely literate make-up of the site's habitual occupants. A large graphic carving showed a bong with a stylized plume of smoke wafting up.
Unusually for what I've seen around high schools, most of the dates were from a narrow range -- the mid-to-late '70s, whereas those near a high school would have gone into the '80s and early-mid '90s. One kid left his full name and the three academic years he was at the school. (I'm not sure just how academic those years were for him, given the big-ass pot leaf engraving that he also left.) He was there from, I think, '74 to '77.
Few or no dates from the '80s -- that really struck me. The middle school opened in 1965 and is still packed with students. There were signs that students still walk through and around the area -- a recent wide-mouth lemonade can, bags from Lays chips (chip bags degrade quickly and must be recent), a notice from the principal to parents dated December 2014, and so on.
This recent stuff looked like trash that somebody chucked to the side while walking straight through, though, not collections of cans or bottles that would have been left over from students hanging out for a little while before moving on.
The period when the middle schoolers actually made the site their own hangout area, drank beer, and occasionally got high, was a small blip in the 50-year history of the school. Who were those students? They would have been born mostly in the first half of the '60s -- the late Boomers who would go on to a Fast Times kind of high school.
Their wild upbringing shows up just about anywhere you look, and it has had lifelong effects: they have always been over-represented among the homeless, for example, whether it's at the beginning of the homelessness phenomenon in the '80s or today. Anecdotal reports from early Gen X-ers suggest that the late Boomers were way more heavily into drugs during college, when the two may have shared a fraternity.
And it's reflected in the pop cultural record, where teen movies of the mid-'80s portray high schoolers who are noticeably more introspective and wary of just doing whatever feels good, man, in contrast to the uninhibited teenagers of Fast Times earlier in the decade.*
Now it looks like that lack of inhibition began earlier than their high school years, at least by the start of adolescence. I wonder how their wild attitude showed up in elementary school, when they were still too young to score beer.
* This may be one pathway from the outgoing to the cocooning mindset. The first generation that's born and raised entirely within outgoing / rising-crime times is going to turn out a little too wild, so that the next cohort after them, when looking up to what the older kids are like, are going to decide that maybe that's too far, and we should dial it down just a bit ourselves. And to not take being cool as the be-all end-all of youth, if that pursuit could lead to disaster. Make fun of trying to act cool.
This more self-aware and ironic mindset and behavioral style is already evident by the late '80s in the quintessential mock-ethnography of Generation X, Heathers, whose characters would have felt out of place at Ridgemont High.
Categories: Age, Archaeology, Cocooning, Generations, Health, Movies, Pop culture, Psychology
Homo population size across metro areas (Gallup survey)
Gallup surveyed 50 major metro areas to uncover what percentage of residents identify as not heterosexual. Here are their results (scroll to bottom for the full list of 50).
No surprise that the West is the gayest region. The rootless inheritance of the Frontier makes it attractive for people who want to erase their personal history and associate only with folks who don't know who you are. Gays won't have bad memories of bullies if they uproot themselves from the community that shunned them. The laissez-faire norm of the Wild West also weakens any attempt to contain deviance.
For those following along with the bizarre nature of Mormon culture, you won't be surprised to see Salt Lake City landing in the top 10, at #7, edging out their regional rimjob rival of Denver, CO, as well as Los Angeles. I wonder if that'll be the next big thing for the Utah tourism commission -- "Salt Lake: More gay than LA! (It's official)"
Also not shocking to see how many queers there are in New England, although there aren't quite so many farther down the Bos-Wash corridor.
What might upset your expectations is how gay the plantation South is. New Orleans is all the way up at #4; Virginia Beach and Jacksonville land in the 11-20 spot. Atlanta is a bit more upland than the plantation plains, but still part of the Deep South. Miami, Orlando, and Tampa are also above the median in this list. The only low-ranking metros are Richmond, Raleigh, and Charlotte (although it's fairly upland).
The least gay region is in fact Appalachia, not the Deep South. The most fag-free metros in the nation are Birmingham and Pittsburgh, the southern and northern poles of hillbilly country. Other nearby but lower-elevation areas that rank pretty low include Memphis, Cincinnati, Nashville, and Charlotte. The only nearby areas that rank somewhat high are Louisville, Indianapolis, and Columbus (we've got to do something about that).
Much to the disappointment of Midwestern strivers, the region is about as devoid of homosexuals as Appalachia. The only somewhat high spots are those three sites on the border between the Heartland and Appalachia (Louisville, Indianapolis, and Columbus). In order to appear relevant to the homocentric media, SJWs from wholesome flyover country would have to result to hoaxes a la "my dead gay son" from Sherwood, Ohio.
It's worth comparing the ranking of how gay the population is with the ranking in this earlier post about how prevalent gay culture is. In other words, two cities may have the same concentration of homos in the population, but one may have a much more in-your-face gay culture.
Those differences would reflect the relative strength of enabling vs. containing forces from the surrounding normal population. They would not reflect differences in the dispositions of the gays themselves, since they are everywhere attention whores by inclination. Like how two cities may have similar fractions of the population being black, yet different crime rates, reflecting differences in the strength of the surrounding whites to contain black violence.
For the degree of gay culture, some metro areas rank about where you would expect based on how gay the population is. Salt Lake City is full of fags and has a "vibrant" gay culture, while Cincinnati has few of them and not much of one.
But other places have a much less palpable gay culture than you'd expect from their somewhat high ranking on percent of the population being queer. Boston, Providence, Columbus, and Las Vegas, for example. Las Vegas is too steeped in the commercialization of hetero vice to allow much room for gay culture. Boston's surrounding culture is sober and Puritanical, ditto for Providence. In their classical liberal view, as long as you don't let it show in public, what you do behind closed doors is no one else's business. And Columbus is too happily Middle-American to encourage its weirdos to fly their freak flags. (It didn't make the ranking of gay culture at all.)
On the other hand, several places in the Midwest are host to gay cultures that are far outsized for the tiny gay populations that live there, such as Minneapolis and St. Louis. Madison, Wisconsin was not surveyed by Gallup, but would probably not prove to be very much gayer than nearby Milwaukee. Yet it ranks sixth among cities for signs of gay culture, above San Francisco and Long Beach.
I doubt this is due to the reported gay populations being smaller than the actual size because of self-censorship. These are all liberal bastions that support gay marriage, so respondents would have little reason to lie about who they are.
Rather it seems like another case of Nordic permissiveness run amok, along with Scandinavian insecurity about how others view them, and exaggerating their credentials so that the elites will accept them. "We have pride parades, too!" "Des Moines in the new Brooklyn!" Pathetic.
So, in trying to figure out what factors make for a wholesome regional culture, we need to consider not just how common in the population deviants like homosexuals are, but also how enabling or containing it is of abnormality. This clearly tips the balance in favor of Appalachia over the Midwest as the beacon of cohesion to the rest of the nation that still cares.
Categories: Gays, Geography, Human Biodiversity, Politics, Pop culture, Psychology
No more clingy girlfriend songs in our cocooning age?
Still poking around the Billboard Year-End charts to see how things have changed since the '90s. Society had already entered the cocooning phase, but it was only several years into it, rather than 20-odd years into it.
Also, change doesn't always affect every individual -- it's not as though every pop star of the '90s was a watered-down version of their counterpart from the '80s. Some individuals still showed signs of the '80s climate, they were just fewer and fewer in number each year.
Looking over the charts from '93-'95, you can still see a remnant of the outgoing and socially connected world of the '80s -- the clingy girlfriend song. Torch songs wouldn't be popular if young people didn't really care that much about connecting, whether due to mousiness and celibacy or glibness and promiscuity.
Some examples, whether traditionally sentimental or with a then-contempo indie / alternative dressing. I wasn't very into rap or R&B, so won't remember any examples from that growing domain of pop music.
"I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
"I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)" by Expose
"Again" by Janet Jackson
"Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Loeb
"Linger" by the Cranberries
"Take a Bow" by Madonna
"You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette
Musically these aren't as catchy as the clingy girlfriend songs from the New Wave heyday like "Goodbye To You," "Only the Lonely," and "Johnny Are You Queer". I'm just talking about the tone of the lyrics revealing that there was still a residual sign of people wanting to connect with each other, and feeling loss if that bond were broken.
Twenty years further into the cocooning phase, female singers don't even talk about the aftermath of a relationship, since everyone in the audience is too socially awkward and frightened to "reach out" in the first place.
The most popular songs all convey a profound fear and dread about the very beginning when you're only asking someone out on a date, getting to know them, and so on. Merely dating somebody has become this looming apocalyptic scenario, where if the other person rejects you outright or it fizzles before anything happens, you'd be so mortified that the world might as well explode.
It sounds like the singer is a 6th-grader blasting "Carmina Burana" in her room to pump herself up to ask her girl friend if she'll ask her crush if he likes her back. "Dark Horse," "Boom Clap," "Blank Space," etc etc etc. It's all middle school apocalypse music.
Where the torch song showed a level of maturity that allowed a relationship to fully run its course, and a desire to trust others and keep them close even afterward, the emo anthems of today show how stunted the audience is in the stage of development when you're still too awkward to open up to the opposite sex, as well as a distrust of others (MUST NOT EVER BE REJECTED), including your peers, who you feel like keeping a safe distance from, except to scratch the occasional lust itch (or maybe not even then).
Keep your ears open for signs that the cocooning phase is winding down. By the latter half of the '50s, when folks were leaving their Midcentury drive-in cocoons, they were in the mood for a sincere torch song like "Making Believe" by Kitty Wells (#2 on the Country charts). I prefer the version from further into the outgoing phase, performed more tenderly by Emmylou Harris:
Categories: Age, Cocooning, Dudes and dudettes, Music, Psychology
With emphasis on good looks, pop music in cocooning periods has few black women
An earlier post showed that audiences in cocooning times prefer singers to be attractive, while in outgoing times it's whoever can sing well. Quite a few stars of the '80s, like Phil Collins and Bonnie Tyler, could never have made it today, when pop stars are chosen more for looks, as they were during the '50s (see the post for pictures of Midcentury pop singers).
With the unabated attempt by the cultural Powers That Be to get a '90s nostalgia movement going, I decided to look into where 1995 stood on this shift, judging from the Billboard Year-End singles chart. There were some attractive singers (Madonna, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow), but still a fair showing of homely women as well.
Something struck me about the homely ones, though: a good number were black. Rap and R&B were big at the time, were dominated by blacks, and featured about as many women as men. So, homely black female singers were a core part of pop music back in the mid-'90s.
Fast-forward to 2014, when there were only three black women on the Year-End charts -- Rihanna, Beyonce, and Nicki Minaj. Compared to most blacks, they are lighter-skinned, mulatto / exotic-looking, with the kind of mixture you'd find in the Caribbean. They're not bombshells, but they're clearly more attractive than their homely predecessors in the '90s -- TLC, Da Brat, Monica, Brandy, Des'ree, etc.
In this way, pop music has returned to the cocooning Midcentury, when there weren't many black female singers before the '60s. It wasn't until 1963 that the black girl-groups really took over R&B. And although they could sing, they were homely -- the Chiffons, Martha and the Vandellas, the Ronettes.
How about during the so-called image-obsessed decade of the '80s? Black female singers were well represented, and as usual were on the homely side. Several were also middle-aged. From '83-'84, there was Patti Austin, Donna Summer, Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack, Tina Turner, Deniece Williams, the Pointer Sisters, and Shannon. Irene Cara was the only exotic Caribbean-looking mulatto. Back then, it was still "can she carry a tune?" rather than "how much sex appeal does she have?"
You might think it's odd that these changes haven't been noticed before, especially given the potential angle of "dat's raciss!" and "dat's sexiss!" But it would require black women admitting in public that they aren't very good-looking, so that trends toward good-looking pop culture stars will have a "disparate impact" on them.
Or white liberals risking ostracism in trying to explain the lack of black women in sex-appeal sectors, by pointing out that they aren't very attractive. White conservatives don't pay much attention to any of these matters to notice.
Categories: Cocooning, Dudes and dudettes, Human Biodiversity, Music
Picture of grandparenting Appalachian style from the early '80s
How many signs of the good ol' days can we count here? This is me and my Pap at his home in Jefferson County, Ohio around 1981.
- Absence of helicopter parenting (not just from the grandfather in the picture, but also from the mother standing by who's taking the picture).
- Grandparents being a part of their grandkids' growth, teaching them about important things, eventually imparting valuable skills (although I had to wait until I was about 9 before he would teach me how to fire that gun).
- People in their late '60s being retired and freed up to play these grandparental roles, rather than still trapped in the workforce in order to strive-and-spend until death.
- Children dressed in distinctly children's clothing, not as mini-teenagers.
- Encouraging kids to walk on their own as soon as possible, not carting them around in strollers well into elementary school.
- Unpretentious, home-y kitchen.
Categories: Age, Design, Economics, Kinship, Over-parenting, Pop culture
WaPo reporter shocked that gay rights bill passed by new-age cult out West
Still can't keep herself from insulting flyover hicks' aping of bi-coastal political fashions:
"Utah — yes, Utah — passes landmark LGBT rights bill" (link)
None of this will be news to readers here (search earlier posts for gay Utah).
People not familiar with the region assume that having your state colored red means more or less the same thing no matter where you are. But the entire West used to be colored red, despite its Frontier inheritance of footloose novelty-seeking. It has never been a place that valued tradition and rootedness. But hey, they voted for Nixon and Reagan, so that's all we need to know.
The inter-mountain West is rapidly being absorbed by the West Coast, largely through attitude changes from within, although being exacerbated by all the West Coast refugees colonizing the cheaper land away from the beach.
(I think the shift from the surf culture to the outdoors / ski / snowboard culture over the past several decades stems from West Coast culture-makers rationalizing their exodus out of their suntanned paradise and into the snowcapped Rockies. Framing it as a life mission to discover the most epic peak to ski down must alleviate cognitive dissonance better than admitting that your old panoramic shorelines got too over-crowded, over-priced, and over-spicked.)
So, which regions does that leave as relative sanctuaries for common sense and deafness to the call toward status-striving? Check out two maps showing gay anti-discrimination laws by state: one for employment and one for housing.
The Plains states are still in the clear, although you worry about the Dakotas being pulled within the orbit of their Scandinavian weenie center-of-mass next door in Minnesota. Nebraska is also home to too many indie record labels to be confident that it won't drift within the orbit of their "please love us" farmer-striver neighbors in Iowa. Kansas and Oklahoma seem safer, although Texas is a bit too materialistic and libertarian to view it as a bastion of conservatism.
The good ol' Deep South is holding out very well for now, but the pro-homo marriage ruling in Alabama points to the difficulty in maintaining solidarity among like-minded folks in the midst of toxic diversity levels in the environment.
That leaves Appalachia, which has ignored the legal trend in housing, and in employment has allowed no special treatment, or special treatment only for state employees rather than all employees, and in Ohio only for fags and not trannies. If you review the history, several states in this region have actually repealed earlier successes of pro-homo legislation, resulting in more of a tug-of-war rather than the final defeat in the flanking regions of the East Coast and Midwest.
States to watch are those torn between the core of the Midwest that runs from the Twin Cities to Milwaukee to Chicago to St. Louis, and those with much of their land in the Appalachian chain that runs from Pittsburgh to Knoxville to Birmingham.
Indiana and Michigan are not as airheadedly desperate for acceptance as the area farther west, whose main football teams are thinly veiled promotions of homosexuality -- the Packers and the Bears. But then they're not as ornery and ready-to-fight as the hillbillies to their south and east. Ohio so far has been leaning more toward its hillbilly and Amish side than to its defeatist Midwestern side.
The good thing to result from this national assault on common sense, normality, and tradition is that it is putting each locality to a test and revealing their inner nature as they choose one reaction or another. This will facilitate the de-nationalization of our over-bloated economy and polity into more sensible regions. Showing their true colors makes it simple to identify who your people are, and who are not.
Categories: Gays, Geography, Human Biodiversity, Morality, Politics, Pop culture, Religion
Campus protests as sibling rivalry among infantilized Millennials, whining for intervention by surrogate helicopter parents
Here's a comment I left at Uncouth Reflections about the campus protests at Oklahoma over some frat bros singing a song with "nigger" in it.
The radically different climate on campuses these days compared to the Vietnam War era is a sorely overlooked change. People see a campus protest and write it off as the legacy of the Vietnam era, but they're too different these days to lump into the same phenomenon.
Youth activism sure has come a long way since the ’60s. Back then, it was students protesting actions by the government. And they tried to enlist as many of their peers in the movement as they could.
Now it’s one subculture of students protesting against another group of their peers. And it’s over speech rather than actions. And they’re eager to receive the help of the government, the school administration, and other authority figures, in their so-called struggle.
It goes to show how infantilized the Millennials are. These gay college slapfights are sibling rivalries, with the whinier sibling squealing as loud as possible to the parents to intervene and make the mean sibling stop saying mean things because their very self-esteem is at stake.
If we run into Marty McFly this year, we must go back to 1985 and abort the Millennial generation.
Categories: Education, Generations, Over-parenting, Politics, Psychology
"It Follows": The anti-'80s horror film about not trusting anybody and only looking out for Number One
There's a lot of buzz about the retro vibe of a new horror film, It Follows, but its variations are inversions on the classic themes of the slasher movies of the '70s and '80s.
I don't think I'll be seeing it, and so can't say whether it succeeds on its own terms. I'm more interested in how people, especially so-called film buffs, perceive the past and how it compares with the present. With all the talk about it being a radically fresh incarnation of the '80s slasher flick, it looks like they've totally missed the message.
Here is the movie's trailer, and a full plot synopsis from Wikipedia. Let's look at just how opposite its treatment is of the major themes of the slasher / horror genre during its heyday in the '80s.
Who or what is the danger? Ultimately, it's some supernatural stalker that kills you once it slowly reaches you. But the stalker has no direction of its own, unlike Freddie Krueger who wanted to get revenge on the children of the adults who fire-bombed his house after the justice system failed to lock up the serial child rapist-murderer. Or unlike a psycho who picks victims on a whim, where it's still his choice, however lacking in motivation the choice may strike us.
Instead, the stalker is passed along from one victim to the next like a curse. After the current victim has sex with someone, the stalker drops the current target like a hot potato and turns single-mindedly toward the person they had sex with. In order to escape the stalker, your only hope is to pass it along to someone else after the most intimate kind of encounter. Since even hinting at your ulterior motives would make it impossible to make it with the next victim, your goal is to dupe them.
Thus, the true danger is not a supernatural entity, but anybody who might possibly be interested in you sexually, including all of your opposite-sex peers. You can never know which ones are just trying to dupe you into becoming the next victim in order to save their own skin.
With time being of the essence, you'll choose the quickest and easiest victim to dupe. Since that means somebody who already trusts you, you will naturally go after one of your own friends and acquaintances to pass it along to, rather than a stranger. A stranger would be wary of a random horndog guy trying to get into her pants, or a too-good-to-be-true case of a cute girl you don't even know throwing herself at you.
The real enemy, with a real motive, is therefore a close insider rather than an outsider. In the '80s slasher movies, it was someone within the neighborhood or community, but not within your most narrow and intimate social circle. That made it possible to band together with your peers against a common enemy. That left a fairly large social circle that could be trusted as a sanctuary from evil.
In the world of It Follows, there is no minimal social circle that you can trust. You are utterly on your own, and if you find yourself stalked by the entity, you are only going to look out for Number One by cynically and deceitfully passing it on to someone else.
According to the movie's rules, you cannot even sacrifice yourself to spare others, as the stalker will continue backward along the chain of transmission once it claims its first victim. Trying to take one for the team by allowing it to kill you would spare potential future targets, but would not protect those who came before you in the chain.
In the movie's logic, cooperation and altruism are pointless.
These are not minor, nitpick-y differences. They get at the fundamental themes of the horror genre -- what is the source of danger, how can we prepare for it before it finds us, how can we deal with it when it does show up, and how can we cope with its aftermath? In the classic slasher movies, these themes all led to pro-social solutions. In the Millennial version, they are anti-social.
Taking a broader objective view of the history of horror, is this really such a new inversion anyway? Not really: the classic '90s anti-slasher movie Scream had already placed the source of danger from within one's most intimate social circle.
However, It Follows has turned up the dial. In Scream, the idea that evil was so close that you couldn't trust your closest friends and partners was only revealed in a shock ending. Throughout most of the movie, you felt as though it were another case of a psycho killer coming from outside the circle of friends. It Follows lays out the anti-social paranoia from the get-go. Also, in Scream the killer's motive was revenge for his mother, which is at least somewhat pro-social. Mindless, cynical self-preservation is the only motive in It Follows.
During the bridge of the early '90s, Twin Peaks left it an open mystery who the killer was, for the captivating episodes anyway. The teenagers may have suspected one another, but they may also have suspected an adult from the community, an outsider, or a supernatural force. Unlike straight horror movies where the evil entity is known from early on, the unresolved mystery in Twin Peaks led to a tension between trusting and suspecting your closest friends and community members.
Lurid plots involving the closest of friends coldly and psychopathically killing each other have also long been a staple on Law & Order: SVU.
The main innovation of It Follows is the logic of how the evil entity "selects" its targets, but that's just a gimmicky plot device. It's still largely of a piece with the Scream-and-after era of horror movies.
The change in approaches to these themes follows straightforwardly from the phases of the social cycle, which alternates between a outgoing / trusting phase (roughly the '60s through the '80s) and a cocooning / suspicious phase ('90s through today).
I find it mind-boggling that film nerds compare stuff like this to classic slasher movies, all because it has an eerie synth soundtrack. In narrative substance, It Follows could not be any more of a bizarro '80s movie.
Categories: Cocooning, Dudes and dudettes, Morality, Movies, Mythology, Pop culture, Psychology
Thrift store finds rather than family hand-me-downs
One unusual sign of the status-striving climate is the boom in the thrift store sector. Shouldn't their success be interpreted as a signal of, well, thriftiness and preserving traditions, rather than going into debt up to your eyeballs to afford showy new stuff?
But all that stuff on the shelves of thrift stores came from somewhere. Someone decided to throw out a bunch of old stuff, and left it out for a charity group to collect, instead of the garbage truck. Why throw it out? Because they were upgrading to something newer and showier. That the new stuff doesn't function as well as the old stuff, and breaks down faster, doesn't matter -- the point is to stay on the fashion treadmill, so you trade off quality for novelty.
Why not pass it on to someone in your family? Possibly they're strivers as well, and wouldn't welcome a gift of old stuff. But your average thrift store shopper isn't wealthy enough to look a gift horse in the mouth. They may want a brand new microwave, but getting a free one from a family member beats paying retail, and it even beats buying second-hand since the used item comes free from family.
It seems like the root cause has more to do with the abandonment of stewardship in status-striving times. No time to take care of people, places, and things when we're each super busy advancing our position on the totem pole. Just drop off any unwanted stuff at a third party, and let them deal with it. Commercial interests will find a more efficient way to collect your stuff than a church or school, but again what do you care if some company makes money off of your old stuff?
The libertarian, laissez-faire norms that undergird the status-striving climate also make it awkward to redistribute things among family members. Notions about the highest bidder, the price that the market will bear, and so on, are foreign to family relationships. So, just donate them to a commercial enterprise, and let them allocate your things to unseen and unknown buyers according to the market rate.
Weird as it may seem, perhaps the only way a person today could come into possession of the things that their parents owned is by scouring the thrift stores to see if someone their parents' age has recently donated such things, and make a payment.
Most of those things won't even be very expensive, so it's not as though the major weirdness comes down to paying an arm and a leg vs. getting it for free. Thrift store finds might as well be free. It's that you have to navigate a cryptic web of donors and re-allocators in a commercial setting, rather than interact with folks you know, likely face to face, as part of the gift culture, where receiving a gift puts you in the donor's debt somehow.
Relationship duties are a drag on uber-efficient status-striving, though, so forget giving and receiving gifts. We'll just pay a nominal finder's fee and come away with not only the item, but a completely blank slate of obligations afterward. Your only obligation is to pay the thrift store the stated amount; after that, you're in the clear, and they expect nothing further from you.
This parallels the lack of indebtedness that the charity owes you after giving them your second-hand stuff. You don't have to monitor them and see if they're behaving like a gracious gift recipient. They give you a voucher to get a tax write-off, and that's the end of it.
However much we may appreciate the kind of stuff that we can easily and cheaply score at the thrift store, we should bear in mind how symptomatic they are of the frayed social fabric, and try to go through family relationships before commercial transactions.
Categories: Economics, Kinship, Morality, Pop culture, Psychology
License plate design and status striving
Came across this collection of license plates by state, from the late '60s through today.
The designs were simple and functional when status striving was falling, and turned toward show-off-y and bragging styles once the striver impulse set in during the '80s.
There's still variation in the timing across the states, though, with the Plains and Mountain states tending to adopt striver plates as early as the '70s. Partly it's an effort to distinguish themselves to the rest of the nation that regards them as indistinct Flyover Country. But it's also a reflection of their Frontier inclination toward novelty and razzle-dazzle rather than tradition and simplicity.
In fairness, fancy plates also reflects the difference between wealth-based striving vs. lifestyle striving. The least pretentious plates are actually found in the most viciously competitive lands, along the Bos-Wash corridor. There, regional status contests focus on displays of power and wealth -- our state has more Fortune 500 companies than yours, more media control, more political control. We don't need to advertise how powerful our state is on our license plates, since wealth and power speak for themselves.
Out West, license plates serve as tourist brochures, with one or more advertising slogans, a claim to fame, gaudier typefaces, and scenic depictions of what makes us awesome. In Utah, it's "Life elevated," home to the "greatest snow on Earth".
The Midwest, Appalachia, and the South stayed unpretentious for a longer period, and didn't adopt brochure plates until the '90s and 2000s.
The less elite parts of New England like Maine and New Hampshire, beyond Greater Boston, have adopted brochure plates as well.
California has kept relatively simple plates, akin to the power centers of the East Coast.
The overly encrusted look and the whiff of desperation must be starting to grate on the nerves by now, as "retro" simplified plates have popped up here and there (Texas, Montana). Who knows if they'll catch on as options, or become standardized as the base plate, but it's a hopeful development that was not out there in the 2000s.
The online collection also has Canadian and Mexican plates to browse through. Overall, Canada has simple plates like the Midwestern US, except for gaudy brochure plates along the Atlantic coast, similar to the backwoods New England plates of Maine and New Hampshire.
Mexican plates are almost universally gaudy, outside of the power center around Mexico City.
Categories: Design, Economics, Geography, Pop culture, Psychology
No more interest in portraits for wall adornment
Browsing through old stuff at thrift stores can reveal how much tastes have changed over the past several decades. When the change has gone against your own preferences, thrift stores offer an oasis of things that you'd buy if only retailers still sold them.
In the "wall decor" section, you're bound to find portraits, whether original works by a local painter or photographer, or mass-produced prints. Two that I recently picked up were a print of Senora Sabasa Garcia by Goya, and a wooden plaque with The Carpenter by folk religious artist Frances Hook.
The plaque with The Carpenter is from the early-mid '80s, and the Goya print looks to be made in the '70s (judging from the dark, faux-grain wooden frame). Back then, portraits were in high enough demand among the public that mass-produced copies sold well. Now they're stuffing the shelves at thrift stores. Each of the pick-ups was under five bucks, a sign of how little demand there is today.
Interest in people wanes in cocooning times, so it's no surprise to see autistic contemporary shoppers ignoring portraits when choosing what to put on their walls. If you browse the best-selling items at art.com or allposters.com, you'll see very few portraits. It doesn't matter whether you search all categories of posters, art, photography, etc.
When human subjects are shown at all, it's usually as part of an activity, where their animation is determined by the action they're engaging in, rather than a more probing look into their personality and inner nature. Then there are the scenes where they look like lifeless dolls, an emo approach to glorify or glamorize passivity and fatalism. See these two top-sellers from allposters.com:
These are in the same vein as other popular dorm-room high art, such as The Kiss by Klimt and any Pre-Raphaelite work.
Also popular are landscapes and cityscapes (suitably devoid of people), abstract or impressionistic buildings and flowers, personality-free animals (owls, ostriches), and the odd piece of technology (vintage cameras).
For a look into how dorm room walls used to be adorned, see this image-packed post at Business Insider for pictures from the 1890s through today, all at the same university. Portraits were a staple on dorm room walls in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Even when animals rather than people are the animate subject, they are shown in an attempt at a character study, as though the animal had its own personality and nature.
Pictures from the previous cocooning phase of the Midcentury do not show anything at all on dorm room walls, perhaps a sign of the "don't show off" norm of the time. But I already covered the decline in portraits on the covers of the Saturday Evening Post (see here). There was a peak during the 1910s and '20s, then a decline through the '50s, when they were replaced by the types of scenes that have become popular again today (activity scenes, landscapes, technology, etc.).
This investigation shows the comfort around vs. distrust of strangers in outgoing vs. cocooning times. But I think you see the same mindset applying to people you know and are even related to by blood. Back in the '80s, every living room had a full array of photographic portraits on the walls (some of them must have been hanging there since the '60s and '70s, since they were taken back then).
Now it's considered cheesy to see close-up pictures of people in someone's living room. It's not a reaction against over-sharing, since these are your own private domestic spaces, and in cocooning times you are very rarely going to be visited by guests, let alone for a long time or on a frequent basis. It's you yourself who are weirded out by close-up pictures of your own flesh and blood.
Again, you may be comfortable displaying action / activity scenes -- here I am, touring Rome; here I am, skydiving for the first time; here I am, having drinks on my birthday; and here I am, building a house with Habitat for Humanity. Actual portraits, whether of you or someone you know, trigger the intimacy alarm.
It's such a strange mindset compared to 30 years ago, when the living room had portraits of many different individuals, and multiple portraits of a given individual to capture the full richness of their personality.
Related: a three-part look at how Seventeen magazine covers have changed between the '80s and the 2010s (here, here, and here). The covers from 1985 are all portraits, while the girl on the current covers is only meant to display clothing and to wear a kabuki face that shows how epically you'll be crushin' it if you buy These 8 Must-Have Smartphone Accessories.
Categories: Art, Cocooning, Design, Media, Pop culture, Psychology
Was disco the least gay genre, on the creation side?
Rappers and boy band members are the most likely types in pop music to be gay, usually closeted.
It sounds like an odd kinship: rappers try to project a persona of machismo, thug life, etc., while boy banders try to project a sensitive, non-threatening image. Rap targets more urban, lower-class, and less-white audiences, boy bands target suburban middle-class whites. Rap is a staple at night clubs, boy bands never are.
The strongest similarity between the two genres is the reliance on vocals rather than instrumentation. Boy banders sing, and rappers merely talk, but it's still all about vocals. Nobody plays an instrument, and they don't bother hiring session musicians either.
This seems to be another symptom of gay Peter Pan syndrome.
Playing an instrument requires a certain level of maturity -- not only the time necessary to practice and master it well enough to make a living from playing it, but from having the mindset of wanting to practice in order to improve. Small children are more trapped in the present, and are more apt to say "forget this, I hate this" and melt down if they aren't immediate experts.
Small children must be bossed around by parents into practicing an instrument. By the time they're adolescents, they pick up their own internal motivation to keep at it, assuming they're musically inclined to begin with.
Trapped in the "eww girls are yucky" stage of development, gays never develop that level of motivation to master an instrument (other than the skin flute). If they join a musical group, it will almost always be as a singer -- that comes naturally to children, and doesn't have to be learned and practiced just to get the basics down. Practicing singing is to refine native talent.
This leads to one of the great ironies of pop music history: the near absence of homos in disco. Disco instrumentation was the most diverse and complex in popular music since the Big Band era, so if you didn't play an instrument, you were out.
I checked Wikipedia's list of gay musicians with those whose entry mentions "disco" somewhere, and only two matched -- The Village People (obviously), and Sylvester. No surprise that they were more campy novelty acts than a serious band like Chic or KC and the Sunshine Band.
Like disco, heavy metal is oriented more toward mastery of instruments than vocals, and is also relatively fag-free, other than Rob Halford from Judas Priest, but then he's a singer. The only gay instrumentalist I could uncover is Roddy Bottum (real name), the keyboardist from Faith No More (more alterna-metal than heyday metal).
Hard rock only had Freddie Mercury from Queen, again a singer. Rock music in any of its forms has almost no homos in it.
Synth-pop and dance pop have lots of gay singers, although they're paired with hetero instrumentalists. New wave was more instrumental than vocal, and wasn't nearly as gay as synth-pop.
The mainstream view is that the descendants of disco were the synth-pop groups, but just like the name says, it was more like pop music with synthesizers. Disco's true inheritors were the new wavers, with Nile Rodgers from Chic passing the baton to John Taylor from Duran Duran. As in disco bands, it was common for there to be black and white members in a new wave band, but not so much in synth-pop groups.
Disco gets a bum rap, in no small part because of its popularity with gay audiences -- at least back then, not so much these days since gays are too slave-to-fashion to conserve what is good from the past. Whit Stillman tried to portray how normal and mainstream the New York disco crowd was, although I don't think he convinced anyone who was already committed to the view of disco as only for gays and gals.
The other source of its bad reputation is people only remembering "Y.M.C.A." and therefore thinking that half or more of the disco groups must have been gay. This little investigation shows how off-base that is, and provides a good reason why -- gays don't play instruments, and disco was one of the most heavily instrumental genres then or now.
Categories: Gays, Music, Psychology
Teens react to the Apple IIe
Categories: Pop culture, Technology, Television
Are Boomers as grandparental as their own parents were in that role?
A recurring theme in the rise of the Me Generation is their benefiting from an established set of rules, and then altering them -- even reversing them -- once they could no longer benefit, and would be expected to play the role of the benefactor.
The series of posts I wrote on incumbency highlight this pattern the best. Boomers went all "don't trust anyone over 30" when they were upstarts, insisting that their superiors be cast aside to make way for new blood. After all, those old fogies didn't have a fancy ass degree like an MBA like we do.
The older Greatest Generation largely went along with the coup, seeing it as in poor taste yet still necessary to keep social mobility going for the next generation.
Of course, once the Boomers became the Establishment, their credo switched to "beware everyone under 30," and if the upstarts have fancy little MBA's, well, big whoop, so do us Boomer incumbents. If they have more education than us, that's just pointless over-qualification. If they want good jobs, they should only have the level of education that we had, but back when we had it, not now, because we are already as educated as we are.
They've been all "boo taxes!" since their 20s, yet now that they're set to start collecting Social Security retirement checks (without retiring), "we" are going to have to tax-and-spending to meet our promise to our nation's senior citizens (or aging Americans, or whatever the Boomer euphemism for it is).
I wonder how this dynamic is playing out in the kinship realm. Boomers received loads of help from their parents when they had kids. Greatest Gen grandparents like mine consisted of a grandmother who was a homemaker, and perhaps had been so for decades and decades, and a grandfather who was a man-of-the-house. The grandmother donated endless time minding the grandchildren, freeing the Boomer mother to do whatever else, and the grandfather donated time and effort instructing and passing along know-how.
Some summers as children, my brothers and I would spend entire weeks at my grandparents' home in the middle of nowhere, nearest city Wheeling, West Virginia. Our grandmother watched over us, cooked us meals, made us take baths, and all the other maternal duties of a typical day. My grandfather would teach us how to hold someone in a full nelson, chop firewood, find your way around the woodland trails, shoot a .22, steer a tractor, and all the rest of the things you need to teach a growing boy how to do.
I don't think my parents spent the whole time in frivolous vacation mode. They just had more time to take a breather, and to finally get to all those millions of little things that need to be done around the house, at their jobs, and planning for the near future, that are hard to do while also trying to tame three wild kids.
Are the Boomers now taking on the burden of grandparenting their children's children in the same way? It doesn't look like it. No data to check from the General Social Survey, unfortunately, this is personal observation. You just don't see your Gen X friends posting pictures of dropping off their kids at Camp Grandma for weeks on end during the summer, or pictures of their excitement when they get to return home with mom and dad. No status updates to that effect.
They post all sorts of kid pictures on Facebook, so if they don't include lots of ones with children and grandparents, it's because they aren't really there. The only exception is if the Gen X-er or Millennial is living with their Boomer parent.
Now, some of the distance between today's grandkids and grandparents could be deliberate on the part of the Gen X parents, most of whom either have trust "issues" with their parents, or at least recall the lack of supervision of their own childhoods, and don't want grandma to behave that way again around her grandkids.
Still, it seems like most of the distance is from a lack of will from the Boomer grandparents. Parents today, as cocooning and paranoid as they are about other people being around their kids, are still stretched too thin for time, and would enjoy a break of sanity during the summer. And grandparents don't need to be researched, checked-out, and paid.
My sense is that Boomer grandparents play more of an absentee role, not spending as much time and effort nurturing them and teaching them know-how. My grandmother never ordered a pizza or went out for fast food when it came time to feed us. We got home fries straight from a cast iron pan that must have been a pain to clean afterward. With the Me Generation being so single-mindedly focused on their careers, they have little time and energy left to spend on caring for grandkids.
Boomers were happy to ask for and receive grandparental help, but are loathe to give it now that it's their turn. It's another case of re-writing the rules to benefit them in whatever life stage they're currently in. Being tight-fisted is one thing, but when you yourself benefited so much from asking for generosity when you were an upstart, it makes the hypocrisy unbearable.
Not that it's the most serious consequence, but it's also serving to widen inequality. When the established sacrifice in order to free up the status-insecure to work and earn more money, the extremes move more toward the middle. When the established are reluctant, the gap remains wide. Boomers have enjoyed a double boost to their status -- they got lots of free help when they were young, and they aren't doling much out when they're old.
Categories: Age, Cocooning, Economics, Generations, Kinship, Morality, Over-parenting, Psychology
Will Smith never could act
With yet another flopperino from the Fresh Prince (Focus), critics are starting to realize maybe this actor isn't all he's cracked up to be, y'know, acting-wise. Their unironic, "Where did it all go wrong?" post-mortems of his career are more puzzling, though, than the fact that this one-note goofus is still taken seriously as an actor.
Back in the '80s, closeted gay funnymen like Eddie Murphy were limited to prankster roles, and it worked fine. Can you imagine, after his comedic success in Beverly Hills Cop, casting Murphy as the detective in Basic Instinct? The idea that somebody green-lit an erotic thriller starring a crypto-homo joker just goes to show how desperate Hollywood studios have become by 2015.
I still remember how mind-bending it was to see Smith land all those big roles in the '90s, when his only talent was mugging for yuks as the Fresh Prince. Did audiences really take him seriously? Or was his appeal a meta- kinda thing, like they realized he couldn't play any other role than Will Smith (TM), but how hilarious is it to see Will Smith (TM) cosplaying as a caricature of a soldier, a g-man, or a lover of women?
Nothing says stoic badass like kabuki-esque face-scrunching
Gay adopter Peter Pan-ishly mirrors his toddler's expression
"The Greatest" as a brooding gay bullycide victim
His case generalizes to all closeted homo actors: lacking grown-up empathy, they can only play one role -- themselves -- and it will therefore be one variation or another on the theme of Peter Pan (the defining trait of gay men).
Eddie Murphy and Will Smith are adorable lil' stinker pranksters. Cary Grant and George Clooney are mirror-gazing playboys who, for whatever reason, can never be charmed into a long-term relationship with a woman. Tom Cruise plays a bit more grown-up of a role, as 12 year-old ultra-intense ultra-panicky action LARPer.
Fortunately for Hollywood, audiences these days don't care how hamfisted the on-screen performances are, as long as the star has instant brand recognition. Indeed, the fundamental appeal of these stars is that their brand of acting is so limited that you know exactly what to expect. Hence the box office bomb when Will Smith isn't doing Will Smith (TM).
Viewers no longer want to go in with an open mind and feel like being pleasantly surprised, accepting the characters on their own terms. Nope: the actors are only meant to be action figure dolls who do exactly what the spectators had already wanted them to do before entering the theater.
It used to be said that contemporary video games were a pale imitation of film, but now we see that film has become a pale imitation of video games. No controller required, folks -- we already know what actions you'd make the characters perform. Just sit back and enjoy the game playing itself.
Categories: Gays, Movies, Pop culture, Psychology
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Archives de Tag: Woman
For first time at ISAW, ancient objects are joined by modern and contemporary art
Posted by alaintruong2014 in Antiquities, Post-War and Contemporary Art
'Cup with Nude Hero, 'Seated Gudea: After a Sumerian Sculpture', 'The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist: Seated statue of Scribe Dudu', 1953-54, Alabaster, Alberto Giacometti, and Lions', Bitumen, Black Limestone, Bronze, Bulls, ca. 1935, ca. 2000 bce, ca. 2500-2350 bce, ca. 2500–2300 bce, ca. 2650-2550 BCE, ca. 2900–2600 bce, ca. 3000-2650 bce, Cylinder Seal, Eshnunna, Eshnunna (Tell Asmar), Gold, gypsum, Half Figure II, Henry Moore, Iraq Expedition House, Jananne al-Ani, Khafajah (Nintu Temple), Kish, Lapis Lazuli, Léon Legrain, Leonard Woolley, May 1991 [Gulf War Work], Michael Rakowitz, Mother Of Pearl, Ostrich Egg, Ostrich-Egg Vessel, Pencil on paper, Puabi's headdress and cloak, Shell, Standing Male Figure, Tell Agrab (Shara Temple), Tell Asmar, Ur, Willem de Kooning, Woman
Standing Male Figure. Alabaster, Shell, Lapis Lazuli, H. 23 cm; W. 8 cm; D. 7 cm. Khafajah (Nintu Temple), ca. 2650-2550 BCE. Khafaje Expedition. Penn Museum: 37-15-28 © Bruce White.
NEW YORK, NY.– A major exhibition at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World examines the fascinating process through which archaeological objects are transformed from artifacts to artworks and, sometimes, to popular icons, as they move from the sites in which they were discovered, to mass media, to museum displays. From Ancient to Modern: Archaeology and Aesthetics includes some 50 outstanding ancient Mesopotamian objects and more than 100 illuminating documents, photographs, and drawings, with a focus on excavations from the 1920s and 30s, when many important finds were unearthed at sites in present-day Iraq. It reveals the role of archaeologists, art historians, journalists, museum curators, and conservators in constructing identities for ancient artifacts that not only resonated with Western popular and artistic culture, but that also positioned the finds as integral to the history of Western civilization.
In a first for ISAW, From Ancient to Modern includes ten works of modern and contemporary art, demonstrating the evolving influence that archaeological artifacts, and the way they were presented, had and continue to have on artists of our day.
The exhibition has been curated by Jennifer Chi, ISAW’s Director of Exhibitions and Chief Curator, and Pedro Azara, Professor of Aesthetics and the Theory of Art at Polytechnic University of Catalonia. It will remain on view through June 7, 2015.
Dr. Chi states, “From Ancient to Modern: Archaeology and Aesthetics proposes some provocative ideas about the way that archaeological artifacts have been presented to and perceived by the public. With ancient artifacts, related material, and a selection of modern and contemporary art, the exhibition creates an unprecedented and multi-layered view of some of the most famous sites in the history of archaeology, and, importantly, illustrates the ongoing life of ancient objects. ISAW is grateful to the Penn Museum for its extremely generous loans to the exhibition. We also owe many thanks to the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago for its ongoing support, which included opening the doors to its rich permanent collection and archive.”
From Ancient to Modern opens with a gallery devoted to a number of Mesopotamian archaeological sites. Concentrating on Ur, perhaps best known as the birthplace of the biblical figure of Abraham, and several sites in the Diyala River valley, the display includes many nowiconic objects. These are shown alongside documentation that opens a window onto day-to-day life at the excavations while illustrating the ways in which the finds they uncovered were carefully described and presented to the press and public in order to garner maximum appeal. Select objects are followed as they are strategically presented to an international audience, effecting their transformation from archaeological item to aesthetic object.
The most comprehensive archaeological exploration of Ur began in 1922, with a team led by British archaeologist Charles Leonard Woolley. As seen in a number of photographs that illuminate life at the site, Woolley was a dashing figure, sometimes sporting a fedora, a tight jacket, and even dress shoes amid the dust and dirt of an active dig. His team of international archaeologists included one woman, the widow Katharine Keeling, whom he would marry. (Another archaeologist there, Max Mallowan, would later marry Agatha Christie, whom he met on the site. Christie’s mystery Murder in Mesopotamia provides a rich picture of life at the dig.)
Leonard Woolley brushing an artifact, Ur. Photograph, H. 11.5 cm; W. 15.3 cm, ca. 1925. Courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Penn Museum © Courtesy of Penn Museum
The most spectacular of Woolley’s discoveries was the tomb of Queen Puabi, represented in the exhibition through exceptionally well preserved, 4,500-year-old artifacts on loan from the Penn Museum. The tomb contained a remarkably rich concentration of jewelry, found on and with the queen’s body. Much of this was discovered as masses of gold and semi-precious beads, pendants, and other individual components with which the expedition team worked to re-create the original jewelry. The exhibition includes Puabi’s richly beaded cloak and belt, re-created from extraordinary numbers of carnelian, lapis lazuli, and gold beads, and a dazzling headdress comprising lavish gold components that include a massive floral-shaped comb, fillets of pounded sheets of gold, and botanical wreaths.
Jewelry in situ, Ur. Photograph, H. 13.3 cm; W. 15.5 cm, 1929. Courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Penn Museum: 1363 © Courtesy of Penn Museum
An especially interesting example of the ways in which Woolley and his team re-created Puabi’s jewels is the so-called Diadem of Puabi, which the excavation team assembled from a pile of thousands of lapis beads and gold pendants found in the tomb. In its original reconstruction, represented in the exhibition through photographs, the piece has striking similarities with headbands worn during the 1920s and 30s, including a contemporaneous example designed by Cartier, though Woolley indicates in his note cards that he was reconstructing it as he felt the archaeological evidence indicated. In fact, although the Woolleys’ version of the headdress was aesthetically pleasing, more recent research by the Penn Museum indicates that it was not in fact a single ornament but most likely a series of beaded strands with pendants.
Léon Legrain adjusting Puabi’s headdress. Photograph, H. 11.5 cm; W. 15.3 cm, 1929. Courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology © Courtesy of Penn Museum
Presented to the public at an exhibition at the British Museum and via strategically cultivated, widespread media coverage, Puabi and her astounding dress assumed an aesthetic aura that radiated the apparent power of its original owner and ignited a frisson of identification with the onetime queen that helped gain visibility for the excavation at Ur. A selection of newspaper and magazine clippings document the overwhelming popular response to the reconstructed image, revealing that Queen Puabi soon became something of a fashion and lifestyle sensation, the subject of articles with such titles as “Ancient Queen Used Rouge and Lipstick.”
Puabi’s headdress and cloak. Gold, Ur, ca. 2500–2300 bce. Joint Expedition of the British Museum and of the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania, 6th season, 1927-1928. Penn: B16992A (Hair Ring), B17709 (Wreath), B16693 (Decorative Comb), B17710 (Wreath), B17711 (Wreath), B17711A (Hair Ribbon), B17712A, B (Earrings), 98-9-9A, B (Hair Rings), B17708 (Frontlet), B16694 (Necklace), 83-7-1.1–83-7-1.89 (Cloak) © Bruce White
“A Princess of 3000 bc”, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Sunday Magazine, September 28, 1930. H. 59.3 cm; W. 45.6 cm. Courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology © Courtesy of Penn Museum
Diyala River Valley
If the jewels from Ur largely existed for the public within the aesthetic of popular design and culture, the statuary found in the Diyala region, north of Ur, constituted the first early Mesopotamian artifacts to be studied and presented as works of art. Between 1930 and 1937, four expeditions on behalf of the Oriental Institute led by Henri Frankfort, a Dutch-born, London-educated archaeologist and historian of classical art, uncovered hundreds of Sumerian statues located in architectural contexts, many identified as temples. Dating from the mid-third millennium BCE, the statues included standing male and female figures with hands clasped in front, perhaps in worship, and seated cup-bearing males, all considered the paradigms of their types.
Interior of the Iraq Expedition House, Tell Asmar. Photograph, H. 17.9 cm; W. 13 cm, January 29, 1934. Courtesy of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. OIM: As. 1098 (P. 24084) © Courtesy of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago
Standing Male Figure. Gypsum, Alabaster, Shell, Black Limestone, Bitumen, H. 29.5 cm; W. 12.9 cm; D. 10 cm, Eshnunna (Tell Asmar), ca. 2900–2600 bce. Fletcher Fund, 1940. MMA: 40.156 © The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image source: Art Resource, NY
Archaeology and Aesthetics contains ten of these exquisite statuettes, representing both the traditional types and variations within them. They are juxtaposed with articles, letters, field cards, notebooks, photographs, and other complementary material.
Viewed together, the archival material sheds light on the ways in which these artifacts were approached from an aesthetic perspective and placed within an art historical context. For example, Frankfort (who would become director of the Warburg Institute, in London) was among the first archaeologists to use the word “sculpture” to describe ancient statuary, and his descriptions frequently used the vocabulary of art historical formalism. In articles, letters, and books, he stated that the creators of the figures had “followed abstraction to its utmost limits,” and repeatedly described the statues with such terms as “form,” “mass,” and “space”—all associated with the description of early- and mid-twentieth-century art. In the introduction to his well-known book More Sculpture from the Diyala Region, for example, he stated that the statuary was marked by “a vigorous and inventive stylization with obvious traces of experiment.” The focus on form was also used to link these Sumerian objects to so-called “primitive” art, from which many contemporary artists had drawn inspiration, and to describe them as “universal,“ a term often used in association with fine art and one that helped to position the statues as the origin point of Western art.
Cup with Nude Hero, Bulls, and Lions. Stone, H. 15.2 cm; W. 7.9 cm, Tell Agrab (Shara Temple), ca. 3000-2650 bce. Iraq Expedition of the Oriental Institute, 1930–1937. OIM: A17948 © Courtesy of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago
Like the written materials, the expedition’s visual documentation of the sculptures was meticulous, scholarly, and focused on the aesthetic. Images of the objects drawn on field cards, for example, were carefully placed vis-à-vis the white space of the card, with brief descriptions positioned so as to balance the image. Similarly, many expedition photographs isolate a single statue against a dark backdrop, with no indication of the temple, palace, or tomb in which it was found, giving the image the timeless quality that imbues so much art photography.
Ostrich-Egg Vessel. Ostrich Egg, Bitumen, Mother-of-Pearl, H. 22.5 cm; W. 11 cm; D. 11 cm, Kish, ca. 2500-2350 bce. Lent by the Field Museum of Natural History. Field: 156986 © Photo: John Weinstein
The ramifications of Frankfort’s aesthetic perspective can hardly be overstated. It had lasting impact not only on ongoing scholarship on material from Ur, but also on the entire discourse on the origins of Western art, as well as on modern artists who were inspired by the objects displayed in European and North American museums, where they were generally installed in vitrines, without visual or didactic reference to their contexts.
Cylinder Seal, with inscription to Bilalama and modern impression. Gold, Lapis Lazuli, Bronze, H. 4.3 cm; Diam. 1.5 cm, Eshnunna, ca. 2000 bce. Iraq Expedition of the Oriental Institute, 1930-1937. OIM: A7468 © Courtesy of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago
The Past as Present:
Modern and Contemporary Art From Ancient to Modern continues with a gallery devoted to twentieth- and twenty-first century artistic responses to ancient Mesopotamian objects. As the artifacts began to make their way into museums across pre-War Europe, Alberto Giacometti, Georges Bataille, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, and others drew inspiration from Sumerian figures, while later in the United States, artists including Willem de Kooning, David Smith, and the poet Charles Olson saw in Sumerian objects and poems a kind of energy and vision they believed had been lost.
For Giacometti, who strove in his work to express the human condition, the Sumerian heads he saw at the Louvre represented a time when humans were integrally related to, rather than alienated from, both the visible and spiritual worlds. Archaeology and Aesthetics includes four drawings (both ca.1935) in which the artist explores the image of the Sumerian ruler Gudea, emphasizing the geometric planes and patterns in ancient sculptural portrayals of the king, an example of which is on view in this gallery.
Alberto Giacometti, ‘Seated Gudea: After a Sumerian Sculpture’. Pencil on paper, H. 26.9 cm; W. 21 cm, ca. 1935. Courtesy of the Alberto Giacometti Estate. GF: 1994-0704 © Alberto Giacometti Estate/Licensed by VAGA and ARS, New York, NY 2014
Moore, too, was inspired by Sumerian sculptures, which he saw at the British Museum. Like Giacometti, he felt that they contained something essential about the human condition. Moore was especially fascinated by the relationship between the head and clasped hands, as seen in the statuary unearthed by Frankfort, finding there, as he put it, “a wealth of meaning.” The exhibition includes Moore’s Seated Figure and Half Figure II (both 1929), each depicting, with simple, powerful forms, a female figure with clasped hands.
Henry Moore, Half Figure II. Cast concrete, H. 39.4 cm, W. 23 cm; D. 17 cm, 1929. The Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, SCVA: UEA 79 © Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, UK
Later, the strongly frontal pose and staring, hypnotic eyes of de Kooning’s iconic “Woman” series, represented here by two oil-on-paper works (1953–54 and 1967), also evoke Sumerian sculpture. Indeed, the artist, who saw artifacts from the Diyala Valley site of Tell Asmar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, noted that the grins on the faces of his “Woman” paintings are “rather like the Mesopotamian idols.” The examples here are shown next to an iconic Tell Asmar worshipper statue that de Kooning had surely seen at the Museum.
Willem de Kooning, Woman. Oil on Paper Board, H. 90.8 cm; W. 61.9 cm, 1953-54. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alastair B. Martin, the Guennol Collection. TBM: 57.124 © The Willem de Kooning Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Reflecting contemporary viewpoints, many artists today return archaeological artifacts to their role as windows onto human history and cultures rather than as aesthetic objects. Archaeology and Aesthetics highlights this with work by Jananne al-Ani, who was born in Kirkuk, Iraq, and lives and works in London, and the Chicago-based Michael Rakowitz, who is of Iraqi-Jewish heritage. Both al-Ani and Rakowitz create art expressive of the traumatic loss of human heritage caused by wars and spreading conflict in the Near- and Middle East.
Al-Ani’s subtle and moving Untitled May 1991 [Gulf War Work] takes the form of a grid of photographs of subjects ranging from family members, to Sumerian artifacts, to news images of what has become known as “the first Gulf War.” The work mixes individual with collective histories, evoking the loss of the artist’s family history and cultural heritage while providing the personal perspective of inhabitants that is so often missing from media portrayals of war.
Jananne al-Ani, Untitled, May 1991 [Gulf War Work]. Silver gelatin prints on paper, 20 units: H. 20 cm; W. 20 cm (each), 1991. Courtesy of the artist. IWM: ART 16417 © Courtesy of Jananne al-Ani Estate and the Imperial War Museums.
Rakowitz’s powerful, eloquent installation The Invisible Enemy Should not Exist (Recovered, Missing, Stolen) (2003) comprises lifesized reproductions of Mesopotamian artifacts that are missing (or were in 2003) from the collection of the National Museum of Iraq, in Baghdad. The work varies in size depending on where it is installed; at ISAW it comprises 25 reproductions. With each object made of a mass-produced, readily available Iraqi product, including packaging of Middle Eastern foodstuffs and Arab newspapers, The Invisible Enemy draws a parallel between their cheap disposability and the treatment of the priceless evidence of human heritage that was looted or treated as waste after the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Michael Rakowitz, ‘The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist: Seated statue of Scribe Dudu’ (IM55204), Middle Eastern Packaging and Newspapers, Glue, H. 54 cm; W. 24.5 cm; D. 34.5 cm, 2014. Courtesy of the artist and Lombard Freid Gallery: 12183 © Courtesy of the artist and Lombard Freid Gallery
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Suvarna Home
Suvarna Garge (Editor)
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet whats in a name - William Shakespeare
Canaan (village), Connecticut
Updated on Feb 10, 2018
Architect Lorrain,E.R.
Area 38 ha
Added to NRHP 13 December 1990
NRHP Reference # 90001800
Location Roughly bounded by W. Main, Bragg & Orchard Sts. & Granite Ave., North Canaan, Connecticut
Architectural style Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Vernacular Picturesque
Canaan is a village and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of North Canaan in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Formerly known as Canaan Depot, the village is more commonly known as Canaan Village to distinguish it from the Town of Canaan located to the south of North Canaan. The Canaan Village Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 1,212.
The historic district comprises about 93 acres (380,000 m2), covering the central business district and surrounding residences of the village that preserve the period from the mid-19th to early 20th centuries. Canaan village developed as a regional commercial center, first by the construction of the north-south Housatonic Railroad, and then by the arrival of the east-west Connecticut Western Railroad. This junction made the village a major transit point for bringing the area's commercial goods to market. The district includes the Canaan Union Depot, built in 1872 to serve the two railroads.
The Canaan Fire Company was established in 1911.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.5 km² (1.7 mi²). None of the area is covered with water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,288 people, 597 households, and 337 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 289.1/km² (750.6/mi²). There were 622 housing units at an average density of 139.6/km² (362.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.96% White, 1.48% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. 4.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 597 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $30,438, and the median income for a family was $44,000. Males had a median income of $31,861 versus $23,375 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,816. 6.7% of the population and 5.2% of families were below the poverty line. 3.5% of those under the age of 18 and 6.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Canaan (village), Connecticut Wikipedia
Cracked Nuts
Edwin Bollier
Julian Pettifer
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Robert H. Christie
bob.christie@alibaba-inc.com
Alibaba Group Appoints Jodee Kozlak as Global Senior Vice President of Human Resources
Hangzhou, China, February 12, 2016 - Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) announced today the appointment of Jodee Kozlak as Global Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Ms. Kozlak will be responsible for helping to build Alibaba Group's international leadership team as the company continues to expand globally. Jodee will jointly report to Alibaba Group Deputy Chief People Officer, Jane Jiang and to Alibaba Group President, Michael Evans.
Ms. Kozlak's appointment highlights Alibaba Group's strong commitment to globalizing its business. The company has made growing its business outside of China a top priority, and is also committed to significantly increasing cross-border trade between China and key markets.
Ms. Kozlak previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Target Corporation. She was a member of Target's executive leadership team for ten years, and she helped set the strategy for Target's global workforce of nearly 350,000 team members. While at Target, she had oversight for all leadership activities, enterprise talent management, organizational design and alignment as well as team culture, labor and employment law and employment brand. Ms. Kozlak originally joined Target in 2001 and before joining Target, Ms. Kozlak was a partner in the litigation practice of Greene Espel, PLLP, specializing in corporate governance, complex business litigation and employment issues. She was also an associate at the global law firm Oppenheimer, Wolff & Donnelly and a senior auditor at Arthur Andersen & Co. both in the Minneapolis offices of these firms.
"Jodee is a proven leader who brings world-class business building experience, strategic talent management and leadership skills to Alibaba," said Mr. Evans. "She is an important addition to Alibaba as we continue to internationalize our company, and her deep experience across a diverse set of disciplines will be invaluable as we continue to build our global team. Jodee will help to promote and preserve Alibaba's proven winning culture."
Alibaba Group's mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. The company is the largest online and mobile commerce company in the world in terms of gross merchandise volume. Founded in 1999, the company provides the fundamental technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help businesses leverage the power of the Internet to establish an online presence and conduct commerce with hundreds of millions of consumers and other businesses.
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Coach Ken Kelley remembered for a life dedicated to swimming
Kenneth “Ken” Kelley, who coached generations of swimmers at Apex Park and Recreation District, passed away in late November. His career in aquatics spanned over 50 years and began in 1957 when he was the first lifeguard at North Jeffco Pool. Soon afterward, he started coaching, and in that capacity, touched thousands of lives.
After the lifeguard job and his entry into the swim coaching business, Ken became more instrumental in the newly-formed park and recreation district. He helped make two indoor pools happen: McFadden Pool at the former Ralston Recreation Center, and about a decade later, George J. Meyers Pool, currently a regional venue for competitive swimming and diving, as well as headquarters for a wide variety of community aquatic programs.
All that aside, when talking to those who knew Ken well, the swimmers he coached and worked with were foremost in his mind and heart. He had the reputation for being a tough, no-nonsense coach, which he admitted with pride. “I’m a taskmaster, still am. If you’re going to do it, do it well,” Ken said in the book Arvada Profiles: Stories of the People Who Most Influenced Our First 100 Years. But beneath the gruff exterior was the proverbial heart of gold. “With Ken, you had to prove yourself, and he had extremely high expectations,” said Nate Christianson, manager of Meyers Pool.
Nate worked with Ken from the time he started working for the district in 2000. Ken’s background in coaching competitive swimming, along with his knowledge of the operational aspects of pools, made him a very valuable co-worker and mentor. Nate also has many memories of former swimmers coached by Ken, and children of swimmers coached by Ken, stopping by to visit. “He trained several generations of swimmers,” Nate said, “and several of them made it to the Olympic trials.”
Betsy Sauter, Aquatics Office Manager for Apex Park and Recreation District, also had a long working relationship with Ken, beginning in 1991 when she joined the district. She underscored his “tough guy with a heart of gold” reputation and his long-time devotion to the swimmers he coached. “He started the suburban swim league in the 1950s and coached thousands of kids. He also had a lot of expertise about pool operations and oftentimes fixed things himself.” Like Nate, Betsy often witnessed Ken’s “Let’s see what you’re made of” attitude. But overall, she said, “he was in it for the kids.”
Despite his long and successful coaching career, Ken lived a modest life in Arvada – but he wasn’t alone. A group of friends and colleagues, calling themselves “Kelley’s Heroes” reached out to help him in recent years, after he retired from coaching and subsequently underwent some physical challenges.
Overall, he was truly dedicated to the sport, referring to it as “more of a hobby than a job.” But he also took his responsibility seriously; when asked about his impact on the community for the Arvada Profiles book, he said “I hope it’s all been good. I would say my impact has been an effort to drown-proof Arvada.”
6 Comments on "Coach Ken Kelley remembered for a life dedicated to swimming"
Victoria L Daugherty
Ken coacbed my grandson,Deion and made him an outstanding swimmer. He will be missed.RIP
Bill Easter
Thank you APEX for recognizing this amazing man and coach. He taught me how to be a great swimmer, and a success in life.
Thank you apex for this wonderful article. Those who knew him understood work ethic.
I knew Kelly when he organized the North Jeffco Ski Club in the early 1960’s. We would take a bus to Loveland and Breckenridge with an overnight that even included Vail. He was a remarkable skier also!
Jeanne Bacheldor
I worked with Ken at the former Ralston Pool (it became McFadden Pool), then at Geo. Myers Pool. Ellen Wilkinson and I were, most of the time, the only swim instructors. Then we were instructor/trainers along with lifesaving. Ken was very generous with his time and always willing to answer questions and give swimming stroke suggestions/improvements. This all began in the late 1960’s. Ellen is deceased but I’m still swimming. Thanks for almost 30 years of great “water” times with North Jeffco, as I still call it. Jeanne Bacheldor
Tari (Wonderly) Crowder
Glad to see an article about Ken. He made the biggest impact in my life. He taught me work ethic, self respect as well as respect of others. I was one of his first National caliber swimmers and will remember him always. I went on to coach for 27 years promoting the values he taugh me. Sorry to hear of his passing.
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Home » News » Startups in Asia: Indonesia’s eFishery aims for more efficient aquaculture
Startups in Asia: Indonesia’s eFishery aims for more efficient aquaculture
by Administrador web|Published October 27, 2017 |1 comment
Startup’s high-tech approach to feeding fish reduces waste and hassle
It was the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in 2007. Gibran El Farizy, a student at the Bandung Institute of Technology in West Java in Indonesia, was starving.
Farizy’s parents were late sending his monthly allowance of 600,000 rupiah (about $45 at the current exchange rate), and he barely had enough money to buy the cheap soft drink he wanted to break his fast with. For three days, he relied on a few dates and water to break the fast, and just water before dawn prior to resuming his fast the next day.
He eventually received the money from his parents, but his experience, along with an article he read in a local paper about children dying of starvation, inspired him to try to tackle the problem of world hunger.
Farizy went on to establish eFishery, an Indonesian startup aimed at making fish farming more efficient, and, crucially, more productive. He founded the company, which primarily produces automatic fish-feeding machines, in 2013.
HANDS-FREE FARMING
The company’s device allows fish and shrimp farmers to schedule feeding times using a smartphone app. Say a farmer wants to release 150 grams of feed at 7 a.m., 50 grams at 3 p.m. and 100 grams at 11 p.m. This information is plugged into the app, and the motorized feeder disperses the appropriate amount of food pellets evenly across the pond at the designated times.
The feeder comes in two sizes and can cover ponds of up to 100 sq. meters. The smaller one, with a 12kg feed container, costs 6.7 million rupiah ($495), while the larger 65kg container version costs 7.9 million rupiah, including the price of the monitoring software. EFishery also offers a rental option for 300,000 rupiah a month.
“[The autofeeder] is good,” said Petrus Rumambi Gumantio, a low-ranking civil servant in Lampung Province who began farming catfish as a side job seven years ago. He uses six small ponds in his backyard to raise the fish, a process he said used to take three or four months. Since he began using eFishery’s feeder less than a year ago, Gumantio said he has been able to use less feed — 700kg from the previous 1 ton — and that the catfish can now be harvested in a shorter amount of time.
“I only had to arrange [the feeding schedule] using a smartphone once, and now I don’t have to rush home from the office every time to feed [the fish],” he said.
Employees at eFishery test its products at a research center in Bandung. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
The company is now developing an in-pond sensor to track how hungry fish are by monitoring their movements and the ripples in the water. According to eFishery, fish swim “more aggressively” when they are hungry, creating more waves. The sensor, which the company hopes to release this year, will be activated during feeding times and automatically stop the feeding process if the fish are no longer hungry.
The company hopes that its technology will eventually help fish farmers optimize their breeding and rearing regimens. “We call eFishery the IoT for shrimp and fish farmers,” Farizy said, using the acronym for the internet of things.
Farizy, 27 years old, came up with the idea for a feeding system after encountering problems with his own small catfish farming business, which he ran during his second year of college. “The biggest problem that happened to me … [was] actually the feeding cost. That is a very simple problem, but no one [could] solve it.”
According to eFishery, feeding accounts for 70-80% of the total cost of aquaculture. Moreover, it is often done by unskilled workers, which in many cases leads to overfeeding or uneven distribution. This means that larger, more aggressive fish tend to get most of the food while the rest go hungry.
“There was no technology to enable monitoring. That makes the business less profitable — uncontrollable — because your biggest cost is just spread on the water,” Farizy said. “The idea is to solve the main problem, to make the feeding more efficient and controllable.” Efishery says its system can reduce the cost of feeding by up to 21% and improve the growth of the fish because the water is less polluted by overfeeding.
FISHING FOR BUYERS
It has not been entirely smooth sailing for the startup. At first, Farizy approached farm managers at big agribusiness companies, thinking that if large companies used the product, it would then be easier for eFishery to sell to small-scale fish farmers. But, as is often the case with startups lacking a track record, he was repeatedly turned away.
He persevered, however, building up contacts and perfecting his product. The company says it now has more than 500 customers raising freshwater fish and shrimp in Indonesia, mostly in West Java and Lampung provinces.
The company declined to disclose its financial data, but it has raised more than $1.2 million in funding from the likes of Aqua-Spark, a Dutch aquaculture investment fund, and Indonesian venture capital company Ideosource, according to online database Crunchbase.
The mission of eFishery — to make fish farming more efficient — is becoming more relevant by the day. The United Nations projects the world’s population will reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, up from 7 billion today. To feed everyone, it is estimated the world will need to double food production, and fish are undeniably a valuable source of protein.
The emphasis on aquaculture in particular comes in response to overfishing. According to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, 31.4% of world marine fish stocks were overfished — defined as being harvested at biologically unsustainable levels — in 2013. A further 58.1% were fully fished.
Fish farming is also more economical than other types of animal husbandry, such as raising cattle, poultry or pigs. One reason is that land is scarce, and clearing forests to make more available is not always feasible or sustainable.
Fish are also more efficient at turning feed into meat. The FAO calculates that a chicken requires 2.5kg of feed to gain 1kg, while pigs require 5kg and cattle 10kg in a typical U.S. production system. Nile tilapia, a favorite fish in Southeast Asia, only requires around 1kg to 2kg.
“This is an important issue, as well as water scarcity and land scarcity,” Farizy said. “If we can produce a protein source that is affordable and easy and needs less resources, that will be the future we want to pursue.”
The company says its own research has shown that after a fish farm has deployed eFishery’s automatic feeder, the feed conversion ratio — that is, the amount of feed provided versus the amount of weight the fish gained — was reduced to 1.14 compared with 1.39 for the traditional manual method of feeding. That translates to a 12% lower production cost per kilogram and ultimately a 92% increase in profits, according to the company.
According to the FAO, Asians consumed 99 million tons of fish in 2013, or about 70% of the 140 million tons that were available for human consumption. Asia is also the center of aquaculture: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations accounted for 22.7% of global aquaculture production in 2015, and China 58%.
There are competitors providing similar solutions, such as Eruvaka Technologies in India, but eFishery’s proximity to both of these huge markets gives it an advantage, in terms of both access and understanding their needs. Farizy said the company will focus on Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, China and India over the next three years, as they are major exporters of aquaculture products, as well as big consumers.
The startup has received numerous honors, including the Indonesia ICT award from the country’s Ministry of Communication and Informatics and, most recently, the Tech4Farmers Challenge from the U.S. Agency for International Development. It was also a part of Google’s Launchpad Accelerator program, which focuses on startups in emerging markets.
Although eFishery’s goal is to “decrease hunger in the world,” according to Farizy, he thinks it can achieve much more. As with other internet of things companies, he thinks the real value of his business will be in the statistics it gathers.
“EFishery is a channel to getting data,” he said. “The data would be the most interesting part of the business because from the data, we can do a lot. We can do prediction. We can connect farmers to the buyer. We can connect the farmers to manufacturers, and we can even build some kind of credit scores.”
He noted that one of the difficulties fish farmers face is a lack of credit because aquaculture in its current form is an unpredictable business. “There is a lot of potential for things to go south,” Farizy said. He envisions his company using the credit scores it compiles to help banks and insurers provide loans and insurance products for fish farmers.
“We will be the only company that will get the feeding data, the production data, fish behavior data. And there is no other company that can do that,” he said. “That will be our advantage … to hold the market share and maintain our market leadership. We want to be a platform for fish farmers … the Google of aquaculture.”
Source: https://asia.nikkei.com/magazine/20171026/Business/Startups-in-Asia-Indonesia-s-eFishery-aims-for-more-efficient-aquaculture?page=2
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One thought on “Startups in Asia: Indonesia’s eFishery aims for more efficient aquaculture”
1 comment
Narciso Sanidad Jr
How to download the technology or the application.
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My British railtours since 1983
Borders Railway, 25 September 2016
32 photos of a trip over the new Edinburgh - Tweedbank line behind 46100 Royal Scot. The railway runs in the course of the northern end of the Edinburgh - Carlisle Waverley route, closed in 1969. it is 35 miles long, single track with three crossing loops and opened on 6 September 2015. Reinstatement has cost £294 million, or nearly £1 million per mile. I have also included three photos of the Waverley route fragment still in use near Carlisle, and one of 66528, named after a veteran Borders Railway campaigner.
Milepost, Sun 25 September 2016 - 1042
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Stephen Hawking Just Released A Music Video And It's Pretty Cool
Reach for the stars.
Melanie Rainone
Stephen Hawking is famous for making us think about the universe and its intricacies, but now he's doing it in a new way.
Hawking released a cover of "The Galaxy Song" from comedy group Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life." The accompanying video may not be the most scientifically accurate thing Hawking has ever shared with the world, but it's definitely an entertaining take on an old classic.
The song is available for download on the iTunes store and a limited number of physical copies will be released for Record Store Day on April 18th.
Tags: music videos, stephen hawking, monty python, tech & science category
Connect K.S. Anthony
Artist Perfectly Captures The Essence Of New Motherhood In Beautiful Photo Project
Connect Justina Bakutyte
Video Shows The Dramatic Changes Of Women's Makeup Throughout History
K.S. Anthony
Here's What Your Upstairs Neighbors Are Doing Right Now
You've probably lived under these people at one point.
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Stax Records And A Paranormal Connection!
The Memphis sound intrigued me so much that Stax Records became the first stop on my publishing tour of the south. When I was general manager of Warner Brothers Music in 1970, my longtime friend and sometime collaborator, Steve Cropper, who co-wrote “In The Midnight Hour”, “Dock Of The Bay”, “Knock On Wood”, etc., took me around his town, winding up at the offices and studios of the legendary record and publishing organization, East-Memphis music
The company occupied an old movie theater in the ghetto, with a markee that simply said STAX.The reception area, was the place where refreshments were sold, and the recording studio was where the second run movies were once shown.
I was humbled to be in the same studio where Booker T. & The M.G.s, Otis Redding, The Mar-Keys, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, The Barkays, Eddie Floyd, Johnny Taylor and Isaac Hayes made all of those mega-hits!
I’ve always believed that every studio has its own flavor, due to the collective consciousness and spiritual vibrations from all those who have poured out their hearts and souls within its walls. This place was no exception. I walked around mesmerized with the sounds of the late Al Jackson, Jr.’s solid drumbeat from, “Hold On I’m Comin'” running through my head. I even had the urge to yell out, “Play it, Steve!”, but I restrained myself!
Before I had to leave for my next stop, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Steve invited me into the control room to hear some remixes he was doing on the late Otis Redding. It was a spectacular ending to a day I’ll never forget.
Since I became interested in music, I always believed that more than just music is captured in the recording process. Primitive tribes correctly believed that a photographic image of them takes a piece of their soul forever…I believe a recording essentially does the same thing. More than sound and musical content are recorded, retained and reproduced…so are the inaudible vibrations, thoughts, emotions and energy of the lead performer as well as every participant in the studio.
I accepted the psychic fact years ago, that each of us carries with us spirits of our family, friends and ancestors…who carry with them the spirits of their family, their friends and their ancestors. Some of these entities that surround the artists, musicians, and other contributors to the process, mingle with other entities they encounter there. Some like their new environment so much, they stick around and become part the studio’s collective creative consciousness.
As a songwriter/ singer/ producer and publisher, I’ve had the chance to visit recording facilities all over the world where historic sessions have taken place…including Allegro, Associated, Bell sound, Olmstead, Sound factory, Mirasound, A+ R and Atlantic studios in New York, The Sound Factory, A+M, Gold Star, American, M-G-M studios and Cherokee studios in Hollywood, Apple, Trident, Rak studios, EMI studios in Abbey Road, London, the legendary Motown studios, The Record Plant in New York and L.A., Stax, Hi and Sun studios in Memphis, RCA and Columbia recording studios in Nashville, London, New York, and San Francisco to name a few.
Although most studios are routinely cleaned, few, if any are spiritually cleansed. Like a well – used grill at a restaurant, there is a spirit buildup over time that gives each studios end product a distinct flavor.
I’ve been asking artists, musicians, producers and engineers, if they ever experienced any paranormal phenomena in the studios where they worked. If you have any first hand experience please let me know about it.
Thanks and regards, Artie
For another article about the paranormal click onto
https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/07/13/michael-piller-from-the-other-side/
Filed in a and m studios, a and r studios, al jackson jr., allegro studios, american recording studios, amigo studios, apple studios, associated, atlantic recording studios, bell sound, booker t. mg's, cherokee studios, columbia studos, dock of the bay, eddie floyd, emi recording studios, gold star studios, hi studios, hold on i'm comin', in the midnight hour, isaac hayes, johnny taylor, knock on wood, m-g-m- studios, mar-keys, memphis sound, motown studios, muscle shoals studios, olmstead studios, otis redding, rak sudios, rca studios, sam and dave, sound factory, stax recording studios, stax records, steve cropper, sun studios, trident, Uncategorized, warner brothers music, wilson pickett
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Got it! More information
offline projects
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°1956, Santiago de Chile (CL) – lives and works in New York (US)
Alfredo Jaar is an artist, architect, and filmmaker. For over 30 years, Jaar has used photographs, film, installation, and new media to examine complex socio-political issues and the limits and ethics of representation. By using a hybrid form of art-making, Jaar has consistently provoked, questioned, and searched for ways to heighten our consciousness about issues often forgotten or suppressed in the international sphere, while not relinquishing art’s formal and aesthetic power. Over his career, Jaar has explored significant political and social issues including genocide, the displacement of refugees across borders, and the balance of power between developing and industrialized nations.
(courtesy of Galerie Lelong)
Jaar has had solo exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum, New York; Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; MoMA, New York; Whitechapel Gallery, London; MCA, Chicago; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Roma; MFA, Houston; Musée des Beaux Arts, Lausanne; and Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin. His work has also been included in the Venice Biennale (1986, 2007, 2009 and 2013, the last time as Chile’s representative); São Paulo Biennial (1985, 1987, and 2010); Istanbul Biennial (1995); and Gwangju Biennial, South Korea (1995 and 2000). He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1985 and a MacArthur Fellowship in 2000.
Alfredo Jaar is represented by the following galleries;
click through to discover more of his work.
Galerie Lelong & Co, New York /Paris
Galerie Luisa Strina, São Paulo
Galerie Thomas Schulte, Berlin
You can also discover more of Jaar’s work on his own website.
works by Alfredo Jaar
A Logo For America
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FM Qureshi refuses to rule out ‘accidental war’ with India over occupied Kashmir
AFP On Sep 12, 2019 Last updated Sep 12, 2019
GENEVA: Pakistan´s foreign minister warned Wednesday that the situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir risked sparking an “accidental war”, and urged UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet to visit the troubled region.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he believed both Pakistan and India “understand the consequences of a conflict.”
But with tensions soaring since New Delhi revoked occupied Kashmir´s autonomy last month, he warned that “you cannot rule out an accidental war.”
“If the situation persists… then anything is possible,” Qureshi said.
India imposed a military clampdown on occupied Kashmir from August 5 to prevent unrest as New Delhi revoked the disputed region´s autonomy. Mobile phone networks and the internet are still cut off in all but a few pockets.
Tensions over Kashmir, split between India and Pakistan since 1947, have sparked two major wars and countless clashes between the two nuclear-armed arch-rivals.
Qureshi, who on Tuesday appealed to the Human Rights Council to launch an international investigation into the situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir, told reporters he had spoken with Bachelet and had invited her to visit both the Indian and Pakistani parts of the region.
“She should visit both places and report as objectively as she can so that the world knows what the true… situation is,” he said.
The minister said Bachelet had said she “was keen to visit”. Her office could not immediately be reached for confirmation.
Qureshi meanwhile ruled out the possibility of bilateral talks to resolve the tensions.
“In this environment and with the mindset that we see in New Delhi today, I do not see any room for bilateral engagement,” he said, adding that a multilateral forum or a third-party mediator would likely be needed.
“If the US plays a role, that can be important because they have a considerable influence” in the region, he said.
New Delhi, meanwhile, has insisted that the situation in occupied Kashmir is an internal Indian affair, rejecting all international interference in the region.
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DIY Divorce Anyone? Australia urged to consider robot lawyers for DIY divorce
2016-07-08 IvyChang
CANBERRA: Groups in Australia are urging the government to adapt technologies to reduce the length and cost of legal proceedings.
According to Australasian Lawyer, such technologies are already being used in countries like the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Canada.
Bevan Warner of National Legal Aid said Australians had embraced technology for shopping, communicating, dating, house hunting, work and leisure. Why not for legal proceedings, he argued.
“Let’s face it: lawyers can be expensive, and court proceedings can be slow, confrontational and painful.”
One such technology showcased at the RMIT University Storey Hall Building was helping couples in the Netherlands negotiate their own divorce and parties would only call in lawyers when needed.
However, the Australasian Lawyer reporter that it might also be applied to bring about DIY processes for legal issues relating to debt and consumer matters, landlord-tenant disagreements, family law, and employment disputes.
Being exhibited was the Dutch government-operated Rechtwijzer which had been online since 2007 and cost a nominal €100 to use.
According to data from the ABS, this could help reduce the cost of and duration of over 45,000 divorces that happened in Australia every year.
Though it allowed for mediation, legal review and adjudication if needed, the system enabled couples to comprehensively deal with their legal problem via a mediated settlement process, Warner said.
Rechtwijzer asks about the couples’ details such as age, income, occupation and education and then finds out their preferences and options as part of a negotiation involving both parties.
“Agreements reached through collaboration tend to be more effective than decisions imposed by judges,” Warner said.
The service – developed in cooperation with various companies including those who made the dispute resolution system at eBay which deals with about 60 million disputes every year – is seen as a tool to bridge what’s being called the “justice gap”.
“Technology offers the opportunity to help Australians who fall into the justice gap,” said Rob Hulls, director of RMIT’s Centre for Innovative Justice.
Those who often fall into this “justice gap” are people who cannot afford to pay a lawyer but aren’t poor enough to qualify for legal aid, Hulls explained.
“It is time to think differently. We must draw on innovative design, and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, to dramatically improve access to justice. This will not only make existing services more efficient and effective, but empower people to resolve their own disputes,” he said.
“Over the years, there have been numerous inquiries to find ways to improve access to justice - with little overall impact. And we know that while there is no shortage of legal information, information is often not enough to help those in need”.
“I see no reason why well educated people of goodwill, operating in the sixteenth largest economy in the world, with a proven record in oil and gas and mining innovation, cannot lead the world in rethinking how we use adaptive technologies to close the justice gap,” Warner told Australasian Lawyer.
Noting that one technology alone won’t solve access to justice, he said it would greatly contribute to broaden access to legal processes.
Pic credit: news 18
About the Author IvyChang
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Home Reviews
Chris Young: Neon
(RCA Nashville)
[Rating: 3.5 stars]
Neon is the third album by 2006 Nashville Star winner and Grammy-nominated country vocalist Chris Young. On the verge of scoring his fourth consecutive number one single with “Tomorrow,” Young, who hails from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is acutely aware that now is the perfect time to up the musical ante, and it appears he’s done just that. This time out, Young co-wrote seven of the album’s ten tracks with some of the best tunesmiths Nashville currently has to offer, making this his best and most ambitious album yet.
Neon gets kick-started with the fast-paced, sexual innuendo laden “I Can Take it From There,” written by Young, Rhett Akins, and Ben Hayslip. The upbeat ditty comes on strong and immediately sounds like the obvious choice for his next single. “Grab a couple glasses and a bottle of wine/Walk down the hall and turn down the lights/Baby, while you’re at it you might as well let down your hair/And I can take it from there,” sings Young in a deep, throaty, baritone that is 100% genuine country.
Keeping things flowing along in a playfully romantic mood is “Lost,” which was co-written by Young and Brad Paisley’s key songwriting partner Chris DuBois. “No I ain’t got no plan in mind/It’s such a perfect night/So I just thought we could get lost.” The lyrics may not sound like Shakespeare, but they make one hell of a great country hook.
Slowing things down is the previously mentioned romantic ballad and lead off track “Tomorrow,” which is Young’s fastest rising single to date and really highlights the vocalist’s country chops, while demonstrating he can deliver a ballad with both ease and sincerity.
Neon’s pace quickens again with “Save Water, Drink Beer,” which unfortunately follows the current country trend of less than spectacular formulaic beer drinking anthems. Although it sounds a bit unoriginal and redundant, it’s sure to raise a crowd’s energy level during live sets on Young’s upcoming tour.
The album’s title song, written by Shane McAnally with Josh Osborne and Trevor Rosen, is another standout. This mid-tempo number focuses your attention onto the real star attraction of the album, which is Young’s superb voice and undeniable vocal skills. “Neon, the light they always leave on/A weekend on the rocks/An old school jukebox/It’s the buzz I love to be on/The light at this end of the tunnel is neon.” Also not to be missed is the bouncy “You,” co-penned by Young and ace songwriter Luke Laird, which already sounds like it’s destined for country radio playlists and honky tonk dance floors.
Book Review: ‘Dylan & Me: 50 Years of Adventures’ by Louie Kemp
There’s never been a book about Bob Dylan like this one. Because there’s never been a friend as close to Bob Dylan...
Book Review: Tom Waits by Matt Mahurin
Lee Zimmerman - January 18, 2020
MATT MAHURIN | Tom Waits By Matt Mahurin | (Abrams Publishing) 3.5 out of 5 A...
Yamaha FGX5 Acoustic Guitar Review
Nick Ryan Piescor - December 27, 2019
The original Yamaha FG Red Label series of acoustic guitars were built in the 1960s and revered for their high-end Japanese craftsmanship...
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Beef Feedlot Handbook, 1964
Brief Description: Duplicated materials for the Beef Feedlot Handbook prepared by the Cattle Division for distribution to cattle farmers and farm youth, concerning cattle nutrition and feedlot management. The series includes beef feedlot school materials.
Record Series Number: 8/7/818
Created by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Department of Animal Science
Acquired: 3/65
Arrangement: Chronological
Biographical Note for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Department of Animal Science :
The Animal Science Department traces its origins to the Animal Husbandry Division of the Agriculture College which was established in 1895. 1 Animal Husbandry's curriculum was revised in 1899, 2 and the Department was organized in 1903.3 In 1908 a committee of the Board of Trustees recommended the establishment of a Veterinary College.4 The Trustees changed the name from Animal Husbandry to the Department of Animal Science in 1947.5 The Department, in addition to teaching and research responsibilites, supervises the care and management of the University herds and flocks.
In 1985, the Dairy Science and Animal Science departments merged and formed the Department of Animal Sciences. It was decided that the merger would create a "consolidated and coordinated instructional program" that would be beneficial to the students. A new building would be built to house the new department and the merger would also increase efficiency in building planning. 6
This unit covers:
Animal Genetics Laboratory
1. Board of Trustees Transactions, 18th Report, September 4, 1895, p. 159.
2. Board of Trustees Transactions, 20th Report, August 16, 1899, p. 139.
3. Board of Trustees Transactions, 22nd Report, June 8, 1903, p. 82.
4. Board of Trustees Transactions, 25th Report, December 8, 1908, p. 37.
5. Board of Trustees Transactions, 44th Report, August 5, 1947, p. 494.
6. Board of Trustees Transactions, 63rd Report, May 16, 1985, p. 268.
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ARPLAN
Left meets Right, East meets West
← ‘Fascism of the First Hour’
Proclamation of the Spanish Falange of the J.O.N.S. →
‘The Commercial Absurdity of Financial Democracy’
Posted by Bogumil
Chapter V of William Joyce’s book on British National Socialism, ‘Twilight Over England’
William Joyce, ex-Propaganda Director of the British Union of Fascists and leader of the tiny National Socialist League, is more infamously known by his sobriquet ‘Lord Haw Haw’, a name given him by the British public in response to the jeering propaganda broadcasts he made to the United Kingdom on behalf of the German government during World War II. In 1939 Joyce, anticipating internment by the British government, fled to Germany with his wife, the Reich offering them asylum in exchange for English-language propaganda work. It was in 1940 that Joyce’s book ‘Twilight Over England’ was first published in both German and English. Intended in part for distribution to British prisoners-of-war, it is a striking book. Its cynical, informal, self-effacing tone is typical of Joyce’s writing and speaking style, and helps both disarm the reader’s defenses while seeking to inflame their sense of injustice. The book serves as an overview of UK history, politics, and economics from a National Socialist perspective, critiquing all three in service of the lambasting of the British government for its hypocrisy regarding Germany’s foreign policy and treatment of minority ethnic groups. The foundation of the book is Joyce’s passion for economic reform and issues of social justice – the book is redolent with the evisceration of Britain for its treatment of its poor, its disenfranchised, and its laboring industrial and agricultural workers. In chapters such as the fifth, ‘Finance’, which is reproduced in full below, Joyce contrasts the deficiencies of British capitalism with what he regards as the more socially conscious ideals of National Socialist economic ideology.
In the last chapter, some account, however sketchy, was given of the deplorable economic condition into which the majority of British men and women had sunk in recent times. It must not be forgotten, however, that there was a rich and contented minority. Whereas the state of the masses of the people was unworthy of any civilized nation, above all unworthy of a nation which had such resources as England, there was in the land a ruling class which was probably more prosperous than any similar class in the world. Attached to this sacred caste was an “upper-middle-class” stratum which certainly had no good reason to complain. There were, in fact, two Englands, each ignorant of the other’s existence. If nine or ten people were crowded into a little damp basement in Hoxton Market, there were 550 persons in Britain whose personal wealth had passed the million mark.
The plain fact of the matter is that Jewish Law ruled in England. Those who merely produced wealth were the lowest caste. The path to splendour was the path of exchange. To make the soil yield up a few more turnips was to attract the highly suspicious attention of Government servants. To sit on the fattest rump that good living could provide and wait for foreign dividends to come in was the qualification for national approval and membership of the Order of Sacred Beasts. The soundest advice that a business-man could give to his son, unless destined for the Guards, would be: “Produce nothing, my boy — not even children. Buy something in the way of shares, if you can, and wait till you find some bloody fool who will pay you more than you gave for them. Also, join the Craft. Above all, do nothing extraordinary. Otherwise people won’t trust your judgement.”
Now it is the system of international finance that is entirely at the root of all the troubles we have described. But a treatise on finance must be either very long or very short: and this is going to be very short. There is no compromise between the barest outline and the most exhaustive, and possibly exhausting, thesis.
The motto of that Oriental market of Ancient Theories, the London School of Economics, is: Rerum cognoscere causas — “to know the causes of things. ” Let us begin, then, with an informative quotation from the good old News Chronicle , never-failing source of damning information. In its issue of December 12, 1938, it blandly relates:
The story of the gold-fixing has often been told. How every week-day at 11 a. m. the representatives of five firms of bullion brokers and one firm of refiners meet at the offices of Messrs. Rothschild (except on Saturday . . .) and there fix the sterling price of gold. There is, however, a great deal of activity which lies behind this final act — this centralization of the demand for and the supply of gold in one office and the fixing of the price of gold on that basis … A price of gold is at first suggested, probably by the representative of Messrs. Rothschild, who also acts for the Bank of England and for the Exchange Equalization Account.
Oy! Oy! Out with the old Equalizer! Really, vulgarity apart, this little description is very rich in unconscious humour. On Saturday, of course, the crook who has to represent the Bank of England and the Treasury wraps himself up in his prayer-shawl and plays the “Kol Nidre” on his sensuous violin, and lusciously meditates on the nature of his operations for the following week. It is somewhat terrifying to think that this fellow will decide the cost of living, the wages, the prices, and every other economic element in the life of the British people. The ordinary man does not even know that there is such a person, much less who he is or what he does with himself on a Saturday morning. Indeed, if you were to tell many otherwise well-informed English people that the Jews controlled finance, they would not believe you. The News Chronicle , however, is not exactly a Nazi source of information. And, whatever Britain’s external relations may be, it is inevitable under the present system that the control of gold must mean the economic control of British national life: and the Treasury does not even think it worthwhile to have a representative of its own at this Ritual Murder which takes place every weekday except Saturday at 11 a.m.
To be clear on the whole matter, we must realize that, fundamentally, there can be only two views as to the purpose of money. There may be a thousand intermediate shades of opinion: but, eventually, one is forced back into the position of having to decide whether money exists for man or man for money, whether money is merely a symbol of real wealth enabling commodities and services to be exchanged or whether it is the determinant of all industry by the criterion of which production and distribution must be regulated. The former is the concept of National-Socialism, the latter is the theory of Liberal Capitalism and International Finance.
Consider the commonest case of commercial absurdity found in Financial Democracy. It is well known that a great mass of people want far more of this world’s goods than they have, far more to eat, far more clothes, let us say. But the industrialist does not produce enough. Ask him why, and he will say: “Because if I do produce any more, the merchant will not pay me.” Go, then, to the merchant and ask him why he does not order more goods. He will say: “Of course I would order them if only I could sell them. Heaven knows, I want a bigger market badly enough.” Then tell him that Mrs. Smith wants more bacon, Mrs. Brown more butter, Mrs. Jones more beef, in fact recite a list of the wants of all those in the neighbourhood, and ask him whether all these people could not constitute a market for him. He will reply: “My dear sir, do you really think that I am giving my stocks away ? Good Lord! People are no use to me unless they have cash.”
Thus, within a few hundred yards of his stores, there may be thousands of people longing to form the market that he wants. They are willing to work and work hard. The raw materials and the machinery are not lacking. They lack one thing only the money. Thus, raw materials, engineering prowess, mechanical efficiency, plentiful labour, organizing ability all count for nothing, because this impertinent factor money intervenes and cries “H a l t !”.
A market consists merely of people who want to buy and have the money to effect the purchases. This fact, however, is hard to bring home to those who habitually think in terms of money, and that is the vast majority of the English people today. Of course, the whole object of the system’s propaganda is to encourage the population to think in this way. So long as men and women look up to money as the supreme determinant of economic conditions, so long will they be easy to cheat. So long will they fail to analyse the contents of the gulf between consumption and production.
As soon as industrialism established itself, the majority of people lost touch with the production of the primary necessities of life. A man might make screws, for example, but he could not eat them. Food he must get. Somewhere or other was a group of persons who determined how many screws went to the pound of bread. Who they were, the worker knew not. Even their locality remained a mystery to the ordinary man. Then, when the pound of bread set out on its travels, everybody who handled it took a slice so that by the time it reached the screw-maker, it had lost a certain amount of weight. Of course, bakers and carriers had to live: but apart from those honestly engaged in the making and carrying, there was a series of persons called middlemen, whose sole function was to pass the loaf from one to another and take a slice: indeed most of them never saw the loaf at all, but got the slice just the same.
Now the most immoral part of these transactions was not that all these useless people had their whack at the loaf, but that the poor screw-maker never knew and never had any means of knowing what exact relation prevailed between his screws and his bread. The mystery of this relationship remained in the hands of those who controlled the monetary system or who left it uncontrolled in the knowledge that the pirates and jugglers would make the best of the financial anarchy which went by the name of “individual liberty” and which meant the individual liberty of one man to rob another, if he could do it respectably. Now these conditions were not limited in duration to the early days of the Industrial Revolution. In England, they reign supreme today. Such, moreover, is the force of the propaganda which international finance can afford to conduct that the supposedly cultured classes in England can see nothing monstrous in the fact that every year enormous quantities of wheat are burnt and great masses of fish flung back into the sea, whilst there are 13 ½ million undernourished persons on the island. If you say to them: “This thing is done merely to keep prices high,” they will cordially agree and smile their approval, as they think of their foreign dividends. Of course, when a ruling class can sink to this depth of moral perversion, it is not very far from its end.
The notion that the level of production should be controlled by monetary considerations belongs to a very primitive and superstitious stage of social evolution. Indeed, there are few savage tribes that would accept it as it is accepted in Britain today. Suppose that in some very backward island, a shell standard of money prevailed. Assume also that some malicious or half-witted creature managed to acquire half the shells in the island and to drop them into the water beyond recovery. The chiefs and witch-doctors would have to hold a council of emergency. But if the rulers of that island decreed that because half the money of the community had been lost, hunting and fishing and tilling must now be reduced by fifty per cent, there’d be a hot time in the old town that night. In such a simple state of society, the criminal absurdity of the proposal would be obvious to the meanest and most untutored intellect. Yet a policy which the most undeveloped savage tribe would reject as nonsense has been accepted by the British people as a sacred ritual for many years. Thus, of course, international finance, by restricting supplies and causing shortage, can produce whatever conditions of marketing that may be most profitable to itself.
If there is one truth against which the Old School of Finance is fighting today, it is the supreme verity that production of goods should be based on the needs of the people, the only limit being the limit of natural resources and raw materials. Since the dawn of human history, the great struggle of man has been to wrest from Nature by force and cunning the means of life and enjoyment. It was only when the blessings of modem democracy made their appearance one hundred and fifty years ago, that he was told, in an arbitrary manner, that his efforts must be slackened and regulated henceforth by the private interests of an infinitesimal proportion of the world’s population.
Five minutes’ honest thought devoted to the whole matter should be enough to clear away the myths, the obscurities, and the mysteries that have been deliberately built up around the system to conceal its inherent wickedness. National-Socialist Germany realized from the first day of its existence that the main problem of economics was maximal production of the commodities the population required. All questions of distribution must be contingent on the existence of something to distribute, the more the better. Once an adequate level of production is reached, it is only a matter of totalitarian administration to secure that the money system shall give the people the purchasing instruments whereby they can establish a title to possess and enjoy what they have produced.
Of course, a certain amount of the wealth produced must always be set aside to serve as the basis for further production. Hence the people can never at once consume the whole of what they have produced: but the part that they can consume will be perfectly adequate, so long as the level of production is sufficient and a proper proportion is maintained between capital goods and consumers’ goods. Quite naturally, the operation of a managed currency, whereby purchasing power is equated to the people’s needs, must depend upon the absolute power of the state to control all economic elements, including prices, wages, rents, dividends, and profits in the service of the whole people, with no respect to class prejudice. Such a control is, of course, incompatible with the conditions of democracy: hence the frenzied efforts of the British plutocrats to preserve this democracy, which excludes the only form of organization that could compel the individual to respect the freedom of others as much as he respects his own.
Of course, the moment that Germany revolted against the conception that production should be restricted in the interests of a few High Financiers, she created in the minds of all well-informed democrats the fear that Central Europe would break away altogether from the system of international finance. That fear was amply justified: but it rendered war between England and Germany inevitable, unless some hundreds of Jews were to swing in timely fashion from the lampposts of Westminster. It would have been cruel to hang them: but the consequences of not doing so will be very much more serious for the world than would a transient act of limited violence. This language may seem strong: but the casualties in this war have already far exceeded the number of persons responsible for causing it. War is both unpleasant and brutal: but the Jewish control of international finance over all these years has been infinitely more brutal than any war could be. To know that one will be shot or blown to bits is distinctly unpleasant: but any man worthy of the name would be far less dismayed by this thought, if he had no dependents, than by the thought that he might be unemployed for years. If he had dependents, the experience of seeing his wife sinking into tuberculosis and his children growing up with rickets should be much more intolerable than the prospect of a brief agony and a world where democracy is not to be found.
Of course, not one of the men who control capitalist finance today knows how it feels to wait month after month for a job that never comes, to see one’s few pence disappearing, and to experience the spiritual hopelessness and the physical illness which come from the thought: “In the whole of this wide world, nobody wants me, nobody wants my brain or my hands. I must go and beg.” The well-to-do who read these lines will sneer. Their derision will receive its ample compensation in the recognition granted by those who have been unemployed in mighty England. Unfortunately, so many of the unemployed do not understand that the arbitrary restriction of production and the control of the monetary system for the benefit of the rich can never mean anything but unemployment. Lack of purchasing power in the hands of the people means lack of effective demand. Lack of effective demand means less work and more unemployment.
There is another important aspect of the question. One machine today, minded by two men, can do as much work in ten hours as one hundred men could do a few decades ago. But surely the human race will not wait until ten thousand men can produce its entire needs by the aid of machinery before introducing some reasonable system of labour. When the stage is reached at which enough and more is being produced by machinery, there will be enough to distribute, and the solution of the unemployment problem will lie in shorter hours. Whether a man works ten hours a day or five is immaterial so long as maximal production of needed goods is secured. What is vital is that every citizen able to work should be given the chance and thereby earn the ethical right to participate in the distribution.
As a matter of fact, although Germany has raised her production in the last few years from 100 per cent in some industries to 2000 per cent in others, she still finds it necessary to import labour. Indeed that necessity existed before the present war. Work begets work. In any case, Adolf Hitler’s solution of the unemployment problem was a challenge which international finance could not ignore. The success of the international Jewish conspiracy, supported also by corrupt and selfish non-Jews, depended on the magnitude of its scope. More than 80,000,000 of the most industrious and able people in the world were lifted by Hitler right out of the domain of the Hebrew system. The whole conception, moreover, of international finance is repugnant to the National-Socialist. He can see no argument for investing his country’s capital abroad to the detriment of home industries. It may well be that the latter yield a lower dividend. In many cases, it is desirable that they should. The fair distribution of wealth is quite incompatible with unlimited profits. But, even if an extreme case be taken, a National-Socialist would prefer to draw 2 per cent from a useful home industry rather than take 20 per cent from a foreign concern which competes with the labour of his fellow- workers.
The National-Socialist, conscious of race and tradition, deems it his duty to think, work, and spend for his country. The German National-Socialist, for example, finds it hard to understand why British financiers should have injured England’s coal trade by placing their resources at the disposal of Polish coal mines in which sweated labour was employed. In general, then, the National-Socialist theory is that the “money” which is made in a country should go to its further development, and that any temporary sacrifice is justified by the ultimate benefit that it should bring to his nation. This view is so diametrically opposed to the whole thesis of international finance that there should be no difficulty in understanding why a conflict between the two could not be avoided. Whether or not the conflict was to be armed was a matter that the international financiers had to decide. They did not reach the decision to employ military force until every other method of beating Germany and frustrating Hitler had been tried and exhausted. Patiently they waited for the predicted collapse of the new German economic system. It never came, because their influence was ruled out from the first day. Then when unemployment vanished and production rose by leaps and bounds, they knew that waiting was useless. Just as scores of previous wars were fought in the interests of their order, so a new war was launched. The Hebrews and their creatures had set out on the last desperate expedition to keep the world in bondage. The real masters of Britain had played their last card.
Article sourced from William Joyce’s Twilight Over England (1940), Internationaler Verlag
The People's Receiver:
Posted in Articles, National Socialism, William Joyce
Tagged anti-capitalism, British Fascism, economics, National Socialism
“…a hybrid Left-Right organization devoted to the study of Soviet planned economics (the Arbeitsgemeinschaft zum Stadium der Sowjetrussichen Planwirtschaft, or Arplan)… exceptional for including a sizeable contingent of conservative revolutionaries and fascist intellectuals…” David Michael-Fox, Showcasing the Experiment (2009)
Rummaging
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Conservative Revolution
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A Taste of Modernity
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The National Committee for a Free Germany
Merry Christmas for 2019!
Hitler Purges the ‘Salon Bolsheviks’
National Socialists Before Hitler, Part VI: Drexler’s Political Awakening
Monthly Fragebogen: Prisoner of the Allies
The Battle of Neumünster
National Socialists Before Hitler, Part V: The German Socialist Party
East Germany Welcomes the ‘Little Nazis’
Monthly Fragebogen: Prisoner of the Reich
Hauptarchiv
The Comfortable Life
Essays and articles posted on ARPLAN, except those written by myself personally, are not representative of my own personal opinions. They are presented for the purposes of education and illumination, not as an endorsement of any particular political philosophy.
Word and Deed
“The world revolution, however, will not be that which Marx envisaged; it will rather be that which Nietzsche foresaw.” Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, Das Dritte Reich (1923)
“Currently, owing to a 19th century habit of overestimating the economic factor, we characterize the conflict by the superficial terms “socialism” and “capitalism.” What is actually taking place behind this verbal façade is the last great struggle of the Faustian soul.”
Oswald Spengler, Preußentum und Sozialismus (1919)
“The revolutionary use of force by the masses is an expression of immediate life, often wild and barbaric, but never systematically horrible and inhuman.” Carl Schmitt, Die geistesgeschichtliche Lage des heutigen Parlamentarismus (1923)
“Russian Bolshevism and Italian fascism are kindred phenomena, they are signs of an epoch. They hate each other like brothers. They are both messengers of ‘Caesarism’, which sounds somewhere in the distance in the nebulous ‘music of the future’.” Nikolai Ustrialov, Pod znakom revolutsii (1927)
“Here, in architecture, the peculiarity of our time is strikingly evident: hitherto the artistic structures had been the tombs of kings or the places in which they held their courts or the community hall, or they served sacred purposes… today the artistic building serves as a business office or it has no meaning at all…” Werner Sombart, Deutscher Sozialismus (1934)
The World’s Only Hygiene
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Posts Tagged ‘Up Against the Wall’
Listen: ‘Up Against the Wall’ by Live Skull
Posted: 7 April 2019 in Recommended Streams and Videos
Tags: Audio Stream, BC35, Come, Glen Branca, Live Skull, Martin Bisi, New Old Skull, New ork, No Wave, Of Cabbages and Kings, Sonic Youth, Swans, Thalia Zedek, Up Against the Wall
Reunited NYC noise-rock royalty Live Skull have revealed new song "Up Against the Wall" – the song was written and recorded under the alias New Old Skull, as part of the "BC35" project honouring the legacy of producer Martin Bisi and his Brooklyn studio, BC Studio.
Stream the song here:
‘Up Against the Wall’ appears on BC35: Volume Two, the second instalment in the "BC35" series, due out April 19th on Bronson Recordings. In addition to New Old Skull (Live Skull), the album contains live performances of songs (some written, some improvised) by current and former members of Sonic Youth, Swans, Cop Shoot Cop, Blind Idiot God, Alice Donut, Lubricated Goat, and more.
Pre-order: https://bc35anniversary.bandcamp.com/album/bc35-volume-two-the-35-year-anniversary-of-bc-studio
Of the first "BC35" album, released last year, Pitchfork wrote: “The credits read like a who’s who of New York’s experimental underground… It’s a sonic embodiment of risk-taking, rule-breaking, and antithesis that celebrates the endurance of a man and a space tied directly to New York’s noise, art-rock, punk, free jazz, hip-hop, and alternative movements…”
With the release of "BC35: Volume Two" coming up, celebrating BC Studio and the ethic it represents, the future of the studio where Bisi has operated since the early 1980’s is unknown. A new rezoning proposal seeks to reshape the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, incentivizing residential development and tall buildings. Meanwhile, a grassroots push to landmark certain historic buildings, including the former factory where BC Studio is located, is in motion.
Bisi gave this statement to BrooklynVegan: “The looming rezoning feels like floodgates are about to burst. The City estimates 18,000 new residents, 8,200 new units. Their premise goes beyond the need for affordable housing, it’s based on the expectation of tens of thousands of jobs coming to NYC, and those people needing housing. It’s a vision similar to when the City wooed Amazon. Gentrification begets more gentrification. So the net shift will be grossly unaffordable. In carving out space for the arts in Gowanus, the rezoning encourages my building to expand, potentially up to 17 stories, to accommodate about 1,000 artists. My space was established at a time when I could utilize a large space, and I do, and depend on it. My fear is that I’m in the way of all this – that I could be sacrificed in the interest of a higher number of incoming artists, likely fairly affluent – and the character of the arts themselves gentrifying.”
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Protected, A to Z, Earth Kingdom,
This article is about the organization. For the episode with a similar name, see "The Warriors of Kyoshi".
"The Kyoshi Warriors are a skilled group of fighters. Trustworthy, too. They're good friends of ours."
— Sokka to Earth King Kuei.[1]
Leader(s)
Sokka (temporary)
Ty Lee
Kyoshi Island
Fire Nation (post-War)
Defend Kyoshi Island
Defend the Earth Kingdom (spring - summer 100 AG)
Security detail for the Fire Lord (since 101 AG)
Chronological information
"The Warriors of Kyoshi"
Last Appearance
The Kyoshi Warriors are an order of female warriors named after Avatar Kyoshi, who founded them to protect her homeland, Kyoshi Island.[2] Each village of the island had its own band of warriors.[3] With their unique and individual fighting style, these elite fighters ensured the safety and isolationism of their homeland during the Hundred Year War. However, when Avatar Aang visited the island in late 99 AG, he inspired a group of warriors, led by Suki, to travel to the Earth Kingdom and help the defenseless there.[4] Even though most members of this group were imprisoned by the Fire Nation after a lost fight against Princess Azula's team, Suki was later freed and helped to end the war as part of Team Avatar. After the war, Suki's Kyoshi Warriors continued their service, and in 101 AG, they volunteered to become the Fire Lord's bodyguards.
Though their fighting style and clothing mimic those of Avatar Kyoshi, they seemingly did not implement any of the bending arts in their physical movements. They are clad in ornate, armored, green kimonos, metal headdresses, and white-faced makeup designed to intimidate opponents. The Kyoshi Warriors used metal fans as their main weapons like Avatar Kyoshi, but also implemented katanas and retractable shields. The warriors' most prominent fighting style was not about strength, but rather about using their opponents' force against them. Primarily, the warriors dealt with the disorderly traders and travelers who, after a night of carousing in the port of Kyoshi, often stumbled into the village and caused trouble.[3]
Prior to Kyoshi Island's separation from the Earth Kingdom mainland, Avatar Kyoshi witnessed women being mistreated by rowdy men. She had often defended the women in the village's seaside marketplace and endeavored to teach them defensive combat. Within a few years, Kyoshi had gathered a small band of disciples consisting of fisherwomen, weavers, and homemakers who eventually developed into the first Kyoshi Warriors.[5]
The female warriors do not take kindly to training outsiders or men in their unique methods of fighting. However, Sokka was admitted to the group despite possessing both of the aforementioned qualities on the condition that he had to adhere to all of the traditions of the female Kyoshi Warrior, including wearing their style of armor and traditional make-up. In the organization's history, there have been only a few male warriors. The only other known outsider to join them is Ty Lee, who was born in the Fire Nation.[6]
Hundred Year War
The Kyoshi Warriors cornered Prince Zuko during his invasion of Kyoshi Island.
Although the Kyoshi Warriors had long remained neutral in the Hundred Year War against the Earth Kingdom, their ideals changed after Avatar Aang arrived on the island in late 99 AG. Chasing the Air Nomad, Prince Zuko and his troops attacked Suki's village and forced the warriors to defend their home. After repelling the attack with the aid of Team Avatar,[4] Suki's band of Kyoshi Warriors decided to assist the Earth Kingdom military in its attempts to fight against the Fire Nation. The warriors did not enter the front lines but instead served as guards for the ferries to Ba Sing Se.[7]
Desiring to do more, they started roaming the Earth Kingdom and stumbled upon Appa, who at that point had gotten separated from Aang and had grown fearful of humans. The Kyoshi Warriors worked together to gain the flying bison's trust and clean him up, intending to reunite him with his owner. Before they could do so, however, they were discovered by Azula's team. The Kyoshi Warriors immediately grouped to defend Appa, sacrificing their own freedom in order to buy Appa enough time to escape capture at the hands of Princess Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee.[2]
In Ba Sing Se, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee infiltrated the city disguised as members of the Kyoshi Warriors.[1] The real Kyoshi Warriors were imprisoned following their defeat.[8] The Kyoshi Warriors were sent to the Capital City Prison, with the exception of their leader Suki, who was taken to the Boiling Rock Prison.[9] Suki was eventually freed by Sokka and Zuko with the help of Mai.[10]
Ty Lee joined the Kyoshi Warriors near the end of the Hundred Year War.
The rest of the Kyoshi Warriors were finally freed after the Hundred Year War ended, and Suki resumed her role as their leader. They were in full uniform at Zuko's coronation and even contained a new member: Ty Lee. She noted the bond that she had formed with the warriors while they in prison. Ty Lee also provided the Kyoshi Warriors with some lessons in the art of chi blocking.[6]
As the Fire Lord's bodyguards
A year after the end of the Hundred Year War, Mai asked Suki's Kyoshi Warrior band for help with the security of the Fire Nation Royal Palace following a series of assassination attempts, most notably by Kori, the daughter of Yu Dao's mayor, which had put in evidence the inefficiency of the palace bodyguards.[11]
The Kyoshi Warriors were tasked by Zuko to oversee Azula when she was conversing with her father, and they were quick to intervene when she attacked her brother. They left their post on Zuko's inquiry, however, as he wanted to give his family some privacy. They continued escorting the Fire Lord, ensuring his safety on the palace grounds, and followed his orders. After Zuko left with Azula and part of Team Avatar, they remained at the Fire Nation Royal Palace to assist the interim Fire Lord, Iroh.[12] While in the Fire Nation, Suki's band of Kyoshi Warriors grew in numbers, expanding to include at least ten members.[13]
Suki and her Kyoshi Warriors defended Zuko and his family from an ambush by the New Ozai Society.
After warning Zuko of an impending ambush by the New Ozai Society mere hours before his return to the capital, Suki rendezvoused with the Fire Lord and his family near a secret route leading to the Royal Palace. From there, Suki and several other Kyoshi Warriors escorted the royal family to their destination while Iroh acted as a decoy on the main road. Their plan failed, however, as Ozai loyalist, who had given the Kyoshi Warriors false information about their plans, surrounded the Fire Lord's entourage and attacked. While initially overwhelmed by the society, the Kyoshi Warriors and Zuko were able to tip the scale in their favor when reinforcements in the form of another squad of Kyoshi Warriors led by Ty Lee came to their aid. Following the battle's end, the warriors were formally thanked by the Fire Lord.[14]
The Kyoshi Warriors guarded the Fire Nation Royal Palace during the Kemurikage crisis.
Afterwards, Suki and her companions continued to guard the Royal Palace amid the growing crisis of puported kidnappings by the Kemurikage. When the latter broke into the palace to abduct Zuko's sister Kiyi, the Kyoshi Warriors along with the Fire Lord and Aang attempted to stop them.[15] Though they could not rescue Kiyi, it was revealed that the alleged Kemurikage were in fact a militant group led by Azula. Suki, Ty Lee, and Aang subsequently investigated the Royal Palace, discovering a secret passageway to the Garden of Tranquil Souls. After the crisis was solved, the Kyoshi Warriors were present at Zuko's speech to his people in which he apologized for his mistakes in handling the Kemurikage incident.[16]
"The silk threads symbolize the brave blood that flows through our veins. The gold insignia represents the honor of the warrior's heart."[4]
The Kyoshi Warriors dressed in adorned metal headdresses and heavily armored green kimonos and wore face paint while on duty. This uniform was designed to resemble the attire that Avatar Kyoshi wore during her life, as well as her face paint that was meant to intimidate opponents.[3] In turn, Kyoshi's face paint was associated with the Flying Opera Company, a crime group which she belonged to during her early life. The colors had a deeper meaning: White stood for treachery, suspicion, and the readiness to visit "evil deeds" upon others; this was the side which Kyoshi's gang showed to outsiders. In contrast, red symbolized honor, heroism, and loyalty; these were virtues that were usually hidden to the uninitiated, but shown to the group's sworn members.[17]
The Kyoshi Warriors' golden insignia represented the "honor of a warrior's heart", and the silk threads symbolized the "brave blood that flows through [their] veins".[4] Wearing such attire is a high honor for the Kyoshi Warriors. Regardless, Ty Lee once expressed the feeling that the getup was stifling one's movement.[14]
Metal headdress
Initially, all warriors besides Suki wore a simple green headband. Following the spring of 100 AG, the warriors wore distinct, individualized headdresses, allowing one to discern specific warriors.[6] At times, however, the warriors would switch back to the simple headband such as during training exercises.[13]
The Kyoshi Warriors utilized a wide range of weapons in combat, varying from simple fans to deadly katanas.
The Kyoshi Warriors are known to use fans for offensive purposes.
The Kyoshi Warriors used a set of two metal fans in imitation of Avatar Kyoshi.[18] They wielded these fans in conjunction with a specialized fighting style that was based on the concept of turning an opponent's energy against them and exploiting openings. These implements were used for defense, but they could also be thrown elliptically as boomerangs or propelled as projectiles. These fans were the primary weapons of the Kyoshi Warriors and usually the first to be used in battle. Later, when teaching Sokka about the way of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki said that it was like an extension of the arm.[4]
The Kyoshi Warriors each carried a round retractable shield that could be combined to protect the entire unit. The combined shields were capable of withstanding a fire blast from Azula.[2] They bear a likeness to the Earth Kingdom's emblem.
Suki attempted to use a katana against Princess Azula during their fight.
Each of the Kyoshi Warriors also carried a katana, which is a long, thin sword. The blade is moderately curved and single edged. Although rarely used in combat, the Kyoshi Warriors did employ katanas when battling Azula and her elite team,[2] where they proved to be well-suited for both self-defense and offense, as evidenced by Suki, who used hers to keep Azula at bay and nearly struck a deadly blow that the princess barely dodged.
While in the Fire Nation, the Kyoshi Warriors adopted Komodo rhinos as mounts.[14]
related to Kyoshi Warriors.
With the white face, red lips and accents, and black eye and brow streaks, their makeup is a cross between two traditional Japanese styles, Geisha and Kabuki, more dramatic than the former but less than the latter.
The green kimonos are inspired by Kabuki theater.
Sokka is the only known male to be trained, to any extent, by the Kyoshi Warriors. He is also the only known male to have ever worn their uniform.
Their makeup is water resistant.[7]
The Kyoshi Warriors' use of fans is similar to Tessenjutsu, a martial art that is characterized by the use of war fans.
Their weaponry is similar to that of the samurai warrior, making them one of the few groups in Avatar: The Last Airbender to be based on Japanese culture; for example, katanas are primarily used by the samurai.
All known members of the Kyoshi Warriors are nonbenders, except for Avatar Kyoshi, their founder.
Each village on Kyoshi Island has its own band of warriors,[3] though only the division that protected Oyaji's village, led by Suki, and the original group trained by Kyoshi herself have been featured.[5]
↑ 1.0 1.1 O'Bryan, John (writer) & Spaulding, Ethan (director). (November 17, 2006). "The Earth King". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 18. Nickelodeon.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ehasz, Elizabeth Welch (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (October 13, 2006). "Appa's Lost Days". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 16. Nickelodeon.
↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 From older Avatar: The Last Airbender official site, originally on Nick.com (link). No longer updated, encyclopedia now broken though archived here.
↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Malis, Nick (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (March 4, 2005). "The Warriors of Kyoshi". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 4. Nickelodeon.
↑ 5.0 5.1 Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Hicks, Faith Erin (artist), Peter, Cris (colorist), Heisler, Michael (letterer). "Shells" (May 3, 2014), Dark Horse Comics.
↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 DiMartino, Michael Dante, Konietzko, Bryan (writers) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director). (July 19, 2008). "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 21. Nickelodeon.
↑ 7.0 7.1 DiMartino, Michael Dante, Hamilton, Joshua (writers) & Spaulding, Ethan (director). (September 15, 2006). "The Serpent's Pass". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 12. Nickelodeon.
↑ Ehasz, Aaron (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director). (November 30, 2007). "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 11. Nickelodeon.
↑ Chan, May (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director). (July 16, 2008). "The Boiling Rock, Part 1". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 14. Nickelodeon.
↑ Hamilton, Joshua (writer) & Spaulding, Ethan (director). (July 16, 2008). "The Boiling Rock, Part 2". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 15. Nickelodeon.
↑ DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Promise Part One (January 25, 2012), Dark Horse Comics.
↑ DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Search Part One (March 20, 2013), Dark Horse Comics.
↑ 13.0 13.1 Yang, Gene Luen (writer), McNeil, Carla Speed (artist), Lee, Jenn Manley (colorist), Heisler, Michael (letterer). "Sisters" (May 2, 2015), Dark Horse Comics.
↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). Smoke and Shadow Part One (September 23, 2015), Dark Horse Comics.
↑ DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). Smoke and Shadow Part Two (December 16, 2015), Dark Horse Comics.
↑ DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). Smoke and Shadow Part Three (April 12, 2016), Dark Horse Comics.
↑ Yee, F. C. (author), DiMartino, Michael Dante (author). (July 16, 2019). Chapter Twenty-Four, "The Face of Tradition". The Rise of Kyoshi. Amulet Books.
↑ O'Bryan, John (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (April 28, 2006). "Avatar Day". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 5. Nickelodeon.
Military of the Earth Kingdom
Organizations in the World of Avatar
Start a Discussion Discussions about Kyoshi Warriors
Why did Ty Lee join the Kyoshi Warriors?
She wants to be part of a set. 2019-03-08T22:57:12Z
Bersarker
The better question should be this. Why did the Kyoshi Warriors let Ty Lee joined them after she helped Azula beat them up and have them imprisoned? 2019-08-26T03:11:09Z
Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors should make a comeback in the future Korra comics.
Avatar Beta
I agree:} It would also be nice for Asami to learn from them,maybe? 2018-12-06T21:56:08Z
O-kei Dou-kei
Yes and no. No, in the sense that there'd be a lot of wank in the sense that there'd be a lot of wank in explaining "Oh, tu... 2018-12-16T23:42:07Z
Retrieved from "https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Kyoshi_Warriors?oldid=2763985"
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The Green Gold Rush
(Source: dasolar.com)
Investors, companies, governments and scientists around the world have invested significant resources to create a next generation biofuel that reduces dependencies on fossil fuel, opens up new business opportunities and helps protect the environment. While the early generations of biofuels needed agriculture (e.g. sugar cane) and thus competed with food and feed, next-generation microalgae do not require arable land or freshwater to grow and thus do not compete with food crops. They also produce higher yields of oil per hectare of land, produce a higher-quality fuel product and can produce non-fuel high-value products (HVP), such as biopolymers, proteins, animal feed (Spolaore et al., 2006, Waltz 2009). If technological processes can be developed, the potential benefits of engineered algae include the production on non-arable land of biodiesel, methane, butanol, ethanol, aviation fuel, and hydrogen using waste or saline water as well as CO2 from industrial or atmospheric sources.
This promising outlook led to a number of government subsidies and regulatory changes favouring the production of algae biofuels in the US and Europe.[1] Seen as a kind of green gold, a number of companies rushed in to claim their stakes.
Company Capital investment (US$, millions)
Aurora Biofuels (now Aurora Algae) 25+
Algenol 70+
Sapphire Energy 300
Solarvest BioEnergy Publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange
Solazyme 70+
Synthetic Genomics 300+
Companies tout their scientific capacity to resolve major challenges dealing with algae genomics, metabolism and harvesting. While this is important, another maybe even bigger challenge comes form the markets. Initial calculations by Waltz (2009) predicted that algae production systems will be economically feasible only if the price for one barrel of oil remains consistently above $70 and if the production systems entail an area of at least 200 ha (about 500 acre). Economically successful algae biofuel production facilities thus have to be large scale by definition. Such limitations do rapidly reduce the number of algae biofuel companies. While companies like Solazyme and Sapphire Energy are still on track, others dropped out. In 2010 Aurora Biofuels changed its name to Aurora Algae indicating that it would no longer pursuit the production of biofuels, since they were not able to increase production efficiency to an acceptable level.[2] In 2012 another “hot” biofuel company, Amyris, declared that it would shut down its biofuel R&D for lack of progress[3], sending its stock quote down.
The decision to leave biofuel production was clearly brought about by extremely ambitious aims for productivity increases colliding with the tough economic limitations mentioned above. The message sent to bioentrepreneurs seems obvious: unless you have access to world-class science combined with massive private and public financial support there is hardly any opportunity in the algae biofuel market. Plus, those players who continue to focus on large-scale algae biofuel production facilities will encounter uncertain public and regulatory pressure.
While many high-tech pilot plants are realised as fancy and expensive closed-circuit photobioreactors, these can hardly be lucrative in a real-world 200ha plus scale-up. Instead, cheaper and less maintenance-intensive open ponds will have to be used, which raises the issue of environmental risk assessment. It turns out that little is known about the interaction of heavily engineered algae strains with the environment. In a recent Nature article by the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars (WWCIS) together with Alison Snow, a four-step plan was presented to avoid a synthetic biology disaster through environmental release of heavily re-engineered strains, reflecting the regulatory uncertainties[4]. Environmental organisations such as the ETC Group also are gearing up to raise public pressure against open production systems.
Does that mean the green gold rush is over? Not really. Microalgae production systems still hold great promises for bioentrepreneurs. While biofuels are clearly in the “bulk chemical/small margins” category, fine chemicals and HVPs bring much higher margins. Production and extraction of one or more HVPs – for example, ß-carotene at 0.1% of biomass, which brings $ 600/kg, and selling the remaining biomass as feedstock (e.g. soymeal or fishmeal substitute) – remains a lucrative bio-business opportunity. Such undertakings will need only small or medium-sized plants, and can afford the use of precision instruments like photobioreactors, conveniently avoiding the uncertainties with respect to environmental release of engineered super-algae. Aurora Algae is doing it, and Amyris, too. The envisaged product list ranges from pharmaceuticals to food additives and even products for the beauty industry. While the window for successful algae biofuel start-ups is closing, there is plenty of room in the HVP sector.
These comments are taken in part from the upcoming book, Synthetic Biology, which can be found here.
[1] http://blogs.nature.com/tradesecrets/2012/03/20/and-algae-shall-inherit-the-earth
[2] http://gigaom.com/cleantech/aurora-drops-biofuels-for-greener-algae-markets/
[3] http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/energy/27570/
[4] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v483/n7387/full/483029a.html
ARTIFICIAL HEART AND LVAD: TRANSCENDING THEIR LIMITATIONS
ALFRED RAPHAEL BABICH
Nature Biomed Eng
Alternatives to Heparin for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
One of the most promising medical advances of recent times has been extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. However, its use has been severely limited by the need to use heparin to avoid coagulation. There are now a number of possible alternatives which would permit safe long term ECMO use.
Entrepreneurial Events
Bioentrepreneur
Entrepreneurial intangibles
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Brownlees launch £5m cycling and triathlon facility
Faculty of Biological Sciences news Friday 28 April 2017
A new £5m University of Leeds sports facility launches this week, named after its most successful sporting alumni.
The Brownlee Centre, chosen in honour of Olympic heroes Alistair and Jonny, sits alongside a new 1 mile (1.6km) cycle circuit – one of the longest in the country – at the University’s Bodington Playing Fields in north Leeds.
The brothers will officially launch the centre and cycle circuit on Friday 28 April. The facilities, open to sports enthusiasts of all ages and abilities, will be available to use and book from Tuesday 2 May and include changing rooms and a café.
The circuit has a full programme of activity including “pay and pedal”, HSBC UK Breeze Rides for women and girls and special training sessions for elite athletes, University and local clubs. Bikes for children and adults are available to hire, along with hand cycles, trikes and tandems for use by riders with disabilities.
Partnership funding from British Cycling, British Triathlon and others is contributing £1million to the project, with the remaining funding provided by the University of Leeds.
It will also be a new National Elite Training Centre for Triathlon, home to Leeds Triathlon Centre. The UK’s first purpose-built triathlon training base, it will combine a strength and conditioning training suite, physiotherapy, medical and other support services, to provide world-class facilities to enhance triathlon training in the region.
Alistair said: “This day marks a great day for cycling in Yorkshire. The start of the Tour de Yorkshire builds on a fantastic legacy and, thanks to these new facilities, Leeds continues to be a real centre for excellence when it comes to cycling and triathlon.”
Alistair studied sports science and physiology at Leeds and won gold in the triathlon competition at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
His brother Jonny, a Leeds history graduate who took silver in August, added: “A big thanks to the University and all of the supporters, because this centre and circuit will inspire everyone, from beginners through to elite athletes.”
Yorkshire's legacy
The new facility helps mark some significant weeks for cycling and triathlon in the region: the Tour de Yorkshire takes place across the coming weekend, while the Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds returns to the city in June.
Sir Alan Langlands, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds, said: “We are very proud of the Brownlee brothers’ achievements and it’s an honour to have these brand new facilities named after two of our most successful sporting alumni.
“The Brownlee Centre and the new cycle circuit offers students, staff and the wider cycling and triathlon community a truly inspiring, world-class training facility.
"It rightly puts the University of Leeds at the forefront of providing one of the best sport and physical activity environments in the UK.
"It also builds on the excellent cycling legacy provided by Welcome to Yorkshire’s leadership in securing the Tour de France’s Grand Depart in 2014.”
“ It rightly puts the University of Leeds at the forefront of providing one of the best sport and physical activity environments in the UK”
SIR ALAN LANGLANDS
Jonny Clay, British Cycling’s Director of Cycling, said: “One of British Cycling’s key aims is to ensure that everyone – regardless of age or ability – has access to high quality facilities in order to get on a bike for the first time, to get back into cycling after time away from the sport, or to develop their skills on a bike.
“This facility will deliver exactly that for the people of Leeds – a region which has produced several successful elite sportspeople over the years who will have inspired countless local residents to take up cycling.
“We are delighted to see the circuit open and we look forward to seeing the local community truly embrace the facility.”
JONNY CLAY, BRITISH CYCLING
Jack Buckner, Chief Executive of British Triathlon, said: “The Brownlee Centre is a fantastic new facility in Leeds and continues our focus on ensuring our elite triathletes have the world-class facilities they need to deliver medal-winning success."
He continued: “With the Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds coming to the city in June, the centre also provides the opportunity for locals to develop their cycling and triathlon skills as they get ready for race day and provides the perfect platform for triathlon fans of all abilities to get inspired and give the sport a try.”
“[It] provides the perfect platform for triathlon fans of all abilities to get inspired and give the sport a try.”
JACK BUCKNER, BRITISH TRIATHLON
Joe Krasinski, from thriving Leeds cycling club albaRosa, said the importance of the new facilities for local clubs could not be understated: “This is a fabulous addition to the flourishing Leeds cycling landscape for youth and adult club members.
“Having had a session on the circuit, we were simply blown away by the professional facilities, the size and challenge of the circuit, its flexible use potential and welcoming staff. Our youth riders, coaches, volunteers and parents were all buzzing – and aching – afterwards!”
albaRosa will be providing youth coaching on Thursday evenings and race skills and fitness training in partnership with Ilkley, Valley Striders and Bronte Tykes cycling clubs on Monday evenings.
Sport at Leeds
Suzanne Glavin, Head of Sport and Physical Activity at the University of Leeds, said: “We really value our continuing relationship with the Brownlees. The dedication and commitment they demonstrate through regular training sessions on campus and their continued global success really inspires our students and staff.
“They enable us to showcase to students how we can tailor degrees to allow athletes to train and compete at the highest level.”
Leeds University Union’s Activities Officer, Taiwo Ogunyinka, added: “The Brownlee Centre and cycle circuit signify another positive step by the University towards raising the experience of sports and physical activity for students.
“Not only does this further cement the position of the city and the University as a hub of elite triathlete development, but also widens participation and offers a resource of world-class standards to all students.”
The University is one of the UK’s leading sports institutions, with the Brownlees following in the footsteps of a number of Olympic champions.
At last year’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games, four University of Leeds alumni were part of the TeamGB squad. All three of the men’s triathlon team were Leeds alumni, with Gordon Benson joining the Brownlee brothers.
Four of the six Team GB Rio games triathlon competitors will be based at the new facilities.
The Bodington Playing Fields have hosted numerous national standard cross country competitions. Its running routes are also used weekly by Leeds Triathlon Centre’s elite training squad, which includes the Brownlees.
The site will also continue to be used for grass sports including football and rugby. The next phase of development will see three additional grass pitches, with work scheduled for completion in autumn 2017.
The University has invested more than £25m in new sports facilities over the past 10 years, including a new £1m boat house. The latest improvements complement nearby Sports Park Weetwood, the University’s flagship 100-acre facility used by students and members of the community for hockey, football, rugby, cricket, lacrosse, American football and more.
For full details of how to use the new facilities, visit www.leeds.ac.uk/cyclecircuit
For media enquiries, email pressoffice@leeds.ac.uk
Olympic image: Credit David Pearce
See all Faculty of Biological Sciences news
EU invests 10 million euro in unlocking technologies for key research in structural biology
Faculty of Biological Sciences - Wednesday 18 December 2019
Leeds PhD featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 list
Faculty of Biological Sciences - Friday 6 December 2019
University opens National Pig Centre in Yorkshire
Faculty of Biological Sciences - Thursday 28 November 2019
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Black Belt At 50 Century Martial Arts Ceo Mike Dillard And Olympic Judoka Pat Burris Discuss Black Belt Magazines Place In Martial Arts History
history of japanese martial arts
June, 2011,
Century Martial Arts CEO / Chairman of the Board Mike Dillard and two-time Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee Pat Burris (1974, 1976 Judo Player of the Year) remember the early days of their favorite martial arts magazine and the parallel paths of influence Black Belt and Century Martial Arts have had on the world of traditional and mixed martial arts since their respective inceptions. Mike Dillard is featured on the cover of the August 2011 issue of Black Belt, on sale June 21. The issue will feature his cover story, nutritional and conditioning considerations for mixed martial artists, part 2 of Harinder Singh's article on jeet kune do as the ultimate fighting system (Watch new behind-the-scenes video of jeet kune do, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kina mutai expert Harinder Singh in action!), an exclusive interview with Frankie Edgar, the latest opinions in the ongoing "shoes vs. soles" debate, and 10 steps for executing a first-place competition form! As Black Belt's executive editor Robert Young writes in the 50th Anniversary Issue's editorial (June 2011): "I wasn't around in 1961 when Mito Uyehara was solidifying his vision for Black Belt Vol. 1 No. 1, but it must have been an exhilarating time. Small as the martial arts in America were, I doubt he had any idea he was about to make history by launching a magazine that not only would survive half a century but also would be the industry leader its entire life." Black Belt, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011, has remained the world's leading magazine of martial arts by, as Young goes on to write, "[covering] all the arts, even those that don't award black belts... [by focusing] on the positive---the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of training and not just self-defense and competition. That formula continues to guide us as we select and present content." And as the magazine moves forward, it continues its development of martial arts multimedia through martial arts books, martial arts DVDs and online martial arts videos! Black Belt thanks Mr. Dillard and Mr. Burris for sitting down to share their thoughts on the magazine's history, influence and 50th anniversary for this special video:
MARTIAL ARTS HISTORY VIDEO: Mike Dillard and Pat Burris Recall Black Belt Magazine's Early Days
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Difference between revisions of "Chapter 27"
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==Page 288==
'''Prairie du Chien or Fond du Lac'''<br/>
cities in Wisconsin
'''as Ace Ventura sez'''<br/>
Jim Carrey played the whacky character Ace Ventura in two movies (1994 and 1995). His signature catch phrase was "allllll righty then."
'''Floyd's Knobs, Indiana'''<br/>
A real city with a Pynchonesque name.
'''Merc ... CME'''<br/>
Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Although New York City is the center of stock and bond trading in the U.S., the main locus of futures and options trading is in Chicago, with activity split between the CME and the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT).
'''double trading'''<br/>
Double trading is an options strategy that experienced traders use to (hopefully) double their profits. After they have purchased a contract, if traders notice that price of the asset is on a continued upward (or downward) trend, then they will buy more of the asset. (At least that's the only definition I could find. I can't imagine why the strategy would be banned, and couldn't find any instance of such a ban ever taking place, at CME or anywhere else.)<br/>
:The passage makes a much better sense if one assumes that by "double trading" Pynchon actually means "dual trading", i.e. the practice whereby futures traders trade for customers as well as for themselves at more or less the same time, which was banned at CME, for high-volume futures contracts executed on the same day, in May 1991 (see CME Rule 552).
'''...They sing her the Hy-Vee commercial. More than once.'''<br>
'''at the CBOT, and to the Brokers Inn, where they ate the legendary giant fish sandwich'''<br />
This is all true....
:Years ago, before the new 10,000 CBOT floor was open, and the CBOT was only one building, there used to be a restaurant in the building just to the east. It was called Broker's Inn. [...] As a tradition, on Ash Wednesday and every Friday, Broker's Inn would serve "the fish sandwich". The fish sandwich was a large yellow bun, served open-faced, with fried whitefish piled as high as the plate could hold before falling off. The fish was light, tender on the inside, and crisp on the outside. This was served with their famous tartar sauce and fresh wedges of lemon. One person could never finish this sandwich if they ordered anything else. This was all before the new floor was installed. [http://www.yelp.com/biz/chicago-board-of-trade-building-chicago]
'''Maid-Rites'''<br>
Here's a recipe for a [http://iowagirleats.com/2010/11/01/you-know-youre-from-the-midwest/ Maid-Rite].
'''Scooby-Doo shades'''<br />
Another Scooby reference to go with chapter 18's "Daphne and Wilma's."
'''Hydro Thunder'''<br />
As with the other arcade games mentioned in the chapter, Hydro Thunder really exists. [http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydro_Thunder Wiki]
'''covering a margin call'''<br>
Horst has purchased some derivatives (options or futures) with a significant fraction of the purchase price loaned to him by his broker ("purchased on margin"). Since the time of purchase, the price of the derivative has gone down, and the broker has given Horst a "margin call", ie a couple of hours to put up some more cash to limit their level of exposure. If Horst fails to do so, and the price keeps dropping, the broker stands to lose money. To prevent this possibility, the broker will just sell the derivatives at the going price, which would generate an instant loss for Horst. In this case, Horst believes the price drop is just temporary, so he deposits the extra cash as requested ("covers the call") and the derivatives don't get sold. It looks like he has a number of other positions open, so this margin call is not necessarily a big deal. It does indicate that Horst is engaging in high risk trading though: leveraging his capital in a market that is already very volatile and risky.
'''Berghoff longnecks'''<br />
Beer made by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Huber_Brewing_Company Joseph Huber Brewing Company,] second oldest brewery in the United States. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeungling Yuengling] is the oldest.
Berghoff is also a German restaurant in a West Adams near the financial district. In the window, Berghoff displays Chicago liquor license #1.
Berghoff is also a German restaurant on West Adams near the financial district. In the window, Berghoff displays Chicago liquor license #1.
There's also "Twork It Out," a tune on Usher's third studio album, ''8701'' which was originally intended for an October 31, 2000 release but was delayed numerous times following the leak of several tracks onto the online music store Napster and finally released in July 2001. The title is derived from Usher singing for the first time in his local church in 1987 and the album's release date of 2001. From [http://www.metrolyrics.com/twork-it-out-lyrics-usher.html the lyrics], "tworking" is pretty much having sex.
{{#ev:youtube|EVi5Kyucy5E}}
{{#ev:youtube|IezNzO7asCg}}
'''End of the World As We Know It''' <br />
A reference to the song "It's the End of the World as We Know It" (1987) by R.E.M.
Or more pointedly, it means, The Dapper Man.
''you mean 'Dude'?''
'''Johnny Pacheco'''<br>
Johnny Pacheco is a Dominican musician, arranger, producer, and bandleader of Cuban music. He is one of the most influential figures in Latin music, best known for being the creator of the Fania All-Stars, and for coining the term "Salsa" to denote the genre. From [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Pacheco WIKI].
'''A barstool, named Sven?'''<br/>
Maybe a bit of poetic license here? IKEA has a stool named "Svenerik", but it's more of a piano stool. The max height is 58 cm, so it's too short to be much good as a bar stool.
'''Jemima, Keziah, and Kerenhappuch'''<br>
Job's three daughters, as in, from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Job Book of Job].
Classic song by Mr. Barry Manilow.
{{#ev:youtube|D8955_YASoQ}}
{{#ev:youtube|uZejMyIrghc}}
{{Bleeding Edge PbP}}
Please keep these annotations SPOILER-FREE by not revealing information from later pages in the novel.
How to Format Entries
Explanation or analysis of Quoted Text
Individual opinions or discussion. Sign by writing "~~~", if you like.
To add a page: Type ==Page xx==
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Prairie du Chien or Fond du Lac
as Ace Ventura sez
Kum & Go
A chain of convenience stores popular in the Midwest. Hard to believe Pynchon didn't make up that name!
According to WIKI, the name is "a play on the phrase "come and go" using the initials of founders Krause and Gentle."
Floyd's Knobs, Indiana
Merc ... CME
double trading
Double trading is an options strategy that experienced traders use to (hopefully) double their profits. After they have purchased a contract, if traders notice that price of the asset is on a continued upward (or downward) trend, then they will buy more of the asset. (At least that's the only definition I could find. I can't imagine why the strategy would be banned, and couldn't find any instance of such a ban ever taking place, at CME or anywhere else.)
The passage makes a much better sense if one assumes that by "double trading" Pynchon actually means "dual trading", i.e. the practice whereby futures traders trade for customers as well as for themselves at more or less the same time, which was banned at CME, for high-volume futures contracts executed on the same day, in May 1991 (see CME Rule 552).
...They sing her the Hy-Vee commercial. More than once.
Appears Horst was successful in giving the boys a crash Iowa-childhood experience.
at the CBOT, and to the Brokers Inn, where they ate the legendary giant fish sandwich
Years ago, before the new 10,000 CBOT floor was open, and the CBOT was only one building, there used to be a restaurant in the building just to the east. It was called Broker's Inn. [...] As a tradition, on Ash Wednesday and every Friday, Broker's Inn would serve "the fish sandwich". The fish sandwich was a large yellow bun, served open-faced, with fried whitefish piled as high as the plate could hold before falling off. The fish was light, tender on the inside, and crisp on the outside. This was served with their famous tartar sauce and fresh wedges of lemon. One person could never finish this sandwich if they ordered anything else. This was all before the new floor was installed. [1]
Maid-Rites
Here's a recipe for a Maid-Rite.
Louisville Hot Brown
Wow, WIKI has a page on this sandwich.
Founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese.
Scooby-Doo shades
As with the other arcade games mentioned in the chapter, Hydro Thunder really exists. Wiki
covering a margin call
Berghoff longnecks
Beer made by the Joseph Huber Brewing Company, second oldest brewery in the United States. Yuengling is the oldest.
Rachel . . . Green
Rachel Green is the character played by Jennifer Aniston on the TV show Friends. She had an on-again, off-again love affair with Ross.
ha ha only serious
A phrase from "nerd"-ier circles and mentioned in the Jargon File:
[from SF fandom, orig. as mutation of HHOK, ‘Ha Ha Only Kidding’] A phrase (often seen abbreviated as HHOS) that aptly captures the flavor of much hacker discourse. Applied especially to parodies, absurdities, and ironic jokes that are both intended and perceived to contain a possibly disquieting amount of truth, or truths that are constructed on in-joke and self-parody. This lexicon contains many examples of ha-ha-only-serious in both form and content. Indeed, the entirety of hacker culture is often perceived as ha-ha-only-serious by hackers themselves; to take it either too lightly or too seriously marks a person as an outsider, a wannabee, or in larval stage. For further enlightenment on this subject, consult any Zen master.
Tworkeffx
Could be an abbreviated form of "network effect," where a good or service becomes more valuable when more people use it, which is the case for many websites such as YouTube, Amazon.com, Wikipedia &c &c.
There's also "Twork It Out," a tune on Usher's third studio album, 8701 which was originally intended for an October 31, 2000 release but was delayed numerous times following the leak of several tracks onto the online music store Napster and finally released in July 2001. The title is derived from Usher singing for the first time in his local church in 1987 and the album's release date of 2001. From the lyrics, "tworking" is pretty much having sex.
End of the World As We Know It
As Labor Day approaches
which, in 2001, was on Sept. 3rd
"Atildado" is Spanish for elegant, stylish
you mean 'Dude'?
Johnny Pacheco is a Dominican musician, arranger, producer, and bandleader of Cuban music. He is one of the most influential figures in Latin music, best known for being the creator of the Fania All-Stars, and for coining the term "Salsa" to denote the genre. From WIKI.
A barstool, named Sven?
Jemima, Keziah, and Kerenhappuch
Job's three daughters, as in, from the Book of Job.
Merengue is a style of Dominican music and dance. Partners hold each other in a closed position. The leader holds the follower's waist with the leader's right hand, while holding the follower's right hand with the leader's left hand at the follower's eye level. Partners bend their knees slightly left and right, thus making the hips move left and right. The hips of the leader and follower move in the same direction throughout the song. Partners may walk sideways or circle each other, in small steps. They can switch to an open position and do separate turns without letting go each other's hands or releasing one hand. During these turns they may twist and tie their handhold into intricate pretzels. Other choreographies are possible. From WIKI.
"Copacabana"
pp. 1-7 Chapter 2
pp. 8-19 Chapter 3
pp. 20-29 Chapter 4
pp. 87-95 Chapter 10
pp. 112-120 Chapter 12
Retrieved from "https://bleedingedge.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_27&oldid=2638"
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Growing our workforce
Amazon to create record 15,000 new full-time jobs across Europe in 2017
By Day One Team
Amazon plans to grow its European-based workforce from over 50,000 today to over 65,000 by the end of the year.
Over 2,000 European employees have now participated in Amazon’s innovative “Career Choice” program that pre-pays 95% of tuition for degrees in high-demand occupations such as information technology, mechanical and electrical trades, nursing, accountancy and transport planning
In addition to direct full-time employment, Amazon businesses such as Marketplace, Amazon Web Services and Kindle Direct Publishing continue to create thousands of jobs for people across Europe who want to start and run their own business
We continue to invest heavily across Europe in fulfillment, customer service, cloud technology, research and development, machine learning, advanced logistics and much more.
Xavier Garambois, Vice President, Amazon EU Retail
Last year, Amazon created more than 10,000 jobs in Europe, growing its workforce from 40,000 employees at the beginning of 2016 to more than 50,000 by the end of December. Today, the company announced that it plans to create more than 15,000 additional full-time jobs in Europe by the end of the year. These new job opportunities are for people across many European countries and with all types of experience, education and skill levels—from engineers and software developers to those seeking entry-level positions and on-the-job training. Many of the roles will be in new fulfillment centers that have been announced over the past several months and are currently under construction in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and UK. In addition to direct job creation, Amazon businesses like Marketplace, Amazon Web Services and Kindle Direct Publishing continue to create thousands of jobs for people across Europe who want to start and run their own business. For more details on Amazon’s economic impact in Europe, click here.
“We continue to invest heavily across Europe in fulfillment, customer service, cloud technology, research and development, machine learning, advanced logistics and much more,” said Xavier Garambois, Vice President, Amazon EU Retail. “With these investments comes an ever-increasing number of new job opportunities. We look forward to welcoming a record number of new team members who will join our existing talented workforce in focusing every day on innovating and inventing to continually raise the bar on customer experience.”
Amazon operates a pan EU business with over 100 corporate offices, fulfilment centres, seller and customer service centres, and AWS datacenter regions. This number also includes a European network of 15 development centres which are inventing in areas across the company including the Amazon retail website and mobile apps, digital media, devices and device software such as voice recognition technology, Prime Air, and cloud services.
“Across Europe, Amazon is continuing to invest in new infrastructure and employment opportunities to ensure we continue to grow and meet the needs of our customers,” said Roy Perticucci, Vice President Europe Customer Fulfillment. “We are creating job opportunities with choice and flexibility that appeal to the widest range of individuals, from those that want a full working week to those that just want to work for a few hours. All our jobs offer competitive salaries and benefits packages and I am pleased to be welcoming more people to our operations in 2017.”
Amazon’s Career Choice program helps train employees for in-demand jobs at Amazon and other companies. The program pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a future career at Amazon. Over 2,000 European employees have participated in Career Choice and more are signing up every day.
Empowerment Programs and Indirect Job Creation
In addition to empowering its own employees to innovate and achieve their professional and personal dreams, Amazon offers a series of programs that empower people outside the company and create thousands of additional jobs in Europe. Amazon’s Marketplace business fuels more than 175,000 jobs in Europe for people who’ve started or are growing their own businesses by selling on Amazon. Examples of Amazon Marketplace success stories can be found click here.
Kindle Direct Publishing enables anyone to self-publish eBooks and paperbacks for free and reach millions of readers. Authors earn up to 70% royalty on sales to customers, keep control of their book rights, and set their own list prices. KDP has empowered thousands of authors to achieve their dreams and make a living writing books for readers around the world to enjoy. Find out more here.
Amazon Web Services gives anyone – from startups to fast-growing businesses like Airbnb and Pinterest to established enterprises like GE and McDonalds – access to virtually unlimited compute power, storage, and other IT resources, making it faster and less expensive to launch and grow new businesses. Since its inception, AWS has empowered millions of businesses, like these launch, grow and create jobs across Europe and around the world.
To learn more about working at Amazon, visit amazon jobs.
If you have any comments about the site or there's something at Amazon you'd like to learn more about, please send us your feedback at aboutEU@amazon.lu.
ExpansionJob creation and investmentDevelopmentNew officesEuropeEULuxembourgAmazon headquartersCareer Choice Devices
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Cy Wood March 30, 2018 8:42 am October 19, 2018
National parks get a lot of love in the United States. They also get a lot of the crowds and a lot of the expensive entry fees. State parks, on the other hand, offer a glimpse into a state’s own, personal views of beauty and nature. Here are ten that you should put on your list as you’re planning your next getaway.
Lime Kiln Point State Park, Washington
In the upper, can’t-really-get-much-farther-northwest corner of Washington State, there sit the San Juan Islands. They’re known as a great vacation spot for the beauty that comes with the Pacific Northwest. Lime Kiln Point State Park, a daytime-use park, is a favorite spot among travelers to catch a view of Orcas, Gray Whales, sea lions, porpoises, and other sea life. Best of all, ferries can take your RV (with size restrictions, obviously) across the water to the island.
Adirondack Park, New York
Perhaps more forest preserve than state park, Adirondack Park is unique in that a bulk of the land is privately held—albeit strictly controlled by the Adirondack Park Agency. That said, the park contains multiple towns and villages. It’s particularly well known for its stunning views of the Adirondack Mountains, especially in the fall. Plus, there’s a significant chance you catch sight of a moose, black bear, or a number of other critters that call the area home.
Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee
Some state parks do get their share of love, and one of those is Fall Creek Falls State Park. In the heart of Tennessee, it’s got a total of six waterfalls across its 26,000 acres, including one that’s so spectacular (it drops 256 feet) they named the park after it. This park is somewhat of a resort, and also offers golfing, a pool, and tennis courts, in addition to amazing hiking and fishing. Plus, you can go for a nice, cool dip in some of the many swimming holes.
Itasca State Park, Minnesota
Ever wish you could walk across the Mississippi River? Crazy though it seems, it’s possible. You just have to go up north to Itasca State Park in Minnesota, where shallow water begins its journey down to the Gulf of Mexico. Itasca is the country’s second oldest state park, and draws thousands of visitors every year to wade roughly 30 feet across the headwaters. After you’ve done that, you can hike or ride a bike through the rest of the 32,000 acre park.
Gulf State Park, Alabama
Though Gulf Shores may be better known as a hot spring break location, it’s also home to Gulf State Park. This little strip of land doesn’t get run over by the college kids. Instead, it’s a beautiful, two-mile run of white sand beach that’s perfect for people who’d rather use nature to get away from other people. That said, there’s still a golf course, plus a large pier where some locals spend the day fishing.
Eldorado Canyon State Park, Colorado
No list of parks would be complete without one from Colorado. Located not far from Boulder, Eldorado Canyon State Park is a rock climber’s dream with over 1,000 technical courses. Not a climber? Not to worry: there are 11 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, plus streams and creeks for fishing. If nothing else, stop by for a while just to take in the amazing scenery.
Smith Rock State Park, Oregon
Another rock climbing destination, Smith Rock State Park in Oregon also features plenty of easy hiking—or more aggressive hiking, if you’re into that. This park is full of amazing scenery, and massive, jagged mountain formations and outcroppings that will catch your eye again and again. Lush greenery and even a few streams make this place one of the most picturesque on this list. And when you factor in the high odds of seeing a few river otters playing, then you know exactly why you need to get there now.
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, California
The beaches in California, let alone in Big Sur, hardly need an introduction. But Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park isn’t just a beach. There’s scuba diving. There are 300-ft. redwoods. And there’s McWay Falls, an 80-ft. waterfall that flows directly into the ocean. The land was originally leased by the daughter of one of the first settlers of Big Sur, and it’s she who the park is named for. There are still two homes on the property that can be hiked to via two hefty trails.
Ludington State Park, Michigan
The big coasts aren’t the only places with amazing beaches. Michigan, with its great lakes, also has a fair share of beaches. Ludington State Park, northwest of Grand Rapids, is home to an amazing beach—but also a total of 5,300 acres that also sees dunes, wetlands, marshes, and the Big Sable Point Lighthouse. There are a total of 21 miles worth of hiking trails, and canoeing and kayaking are both quite popular as well.
An hour away from the glitz and glamor of Vegas, you’ll find some eye-catching scenery of a different kind. In the middle of the Mojave Desert sits the Valley of Fire State Park. The park is a whopping 40,000 acres, and is most well-known for its Aztec sandstone outcrops. Plus, find petrified trees and ancient rock carvings, and you’ll be happy you escaped the rat race of the strip.
Ready to see the best of what states have to offer? Then hit the road. You can find a Camping World nearby, wherever you are, to help you find the RV that will take you everywhere.
Tips for Adjusting Your RV Budget in the New Year
Very nice information knew of year to the market looking forward to traveling
How about Arizona
Iris Eng says:
I absolutely LOVE Lima Mountain! Make sure you don’t miss it while you are RV’ing. What a spectacular site and such a feeling…..to be able to go skiing in the morning and then go back down and go swimming in the afternoon/evening or visa versa! So many GREAT places to go in AZ!
Odeh S. says:
I am very glad you are encouraging people to get outdoors and experience what we have in our own backyards. I purchased my first camper from you and took it out over 125 times. All fun and great time with family and friends.
Judy Richardson says:
Missing Grayson Highlands state park in Virginia on the side of our highest mountain, Mount Rogers. Beautiful!
Steven Petarra says:
Grayson Highlands rocks!
Carolyn Simmons says:
Many state parks are just as magnificent as our national parks!
Gwyned Hill says:
Petit Jean State Park just a short drive south of Morrilton, ar in central Arkansas is a fantastic state park with hiking, boating, swimming, dining, camping, waterfalls and spectacular views…come see us!!
Larry Walters says:
Ssshhh…… I don’t like to tell folks about Petit Jean
Betty Spotts says:
Understand that, too many can spoil an otherwise beautiful and abundant area. My in-laws operated the camp on Petit Jean in the 90’s and we enjoyed many great fishing and camping trips on the mountain and in the area. Met many wonderful people while there also.
Judith Railey says:
Too late we found Petit Jean on our way West in 2016!! We Georgians loved it!
MICHAEL P. GLEASON, SMSgt (Ret) USAF says:
The farthest Northeast these go is New York – what is New England, “chopped liver”? Maine’s Camden Hills State Park on U.S. 1 is right on the ocean and just a few miles from what is reputed to be “the most-heavily photographed harbor in the U.S.”! As for your closing comment, “You can find a Camping World nearby, wherever you are”, they’re nowhere in the State of Maine!
Lucky Maine!!!
Gerald Long says:
You left out Letchworth State Park In Western New York voted the #1 State Park in the Country in 2015.
Ludington SP is a beautiful park but has the tightest, busiest, jammed campground I’ve ever experienced.
It would be nice if available camping arrangements were mentioned for each place.
… and you left out Custer State Pk. in South Dakota which is AMAZING and can handle all sorts of camping from boondocking to full hookups. If you’re gonna see Rushmore…ya gotta stop at Custer.
David Caruthers says:
Fall Creek Falls is just one of the many state parks in that part of Tennessee that have spectacular waterfalls. TN runs several waterfall tours based out of one state park or its neighbor, look them up they are worth the cost. I also nominate Harriman R.R. State Park in Idaho as a good park for beautiful views and enjoyable hiking. The entire Island Park area of Idaho is a wonderful destination.
Information needed -A lot of these parks have max length, max stay, what type hook ups, easy to navigate etc
Kim Walker says:
Fort Robinson is a former U.S. Army fort and now a major feature of Fort Robinson State Park, a 22,000+ acre public recreation and historic preservation area, located 2 miles west of Crawford, Nebraska on U.S. 20 in the Pine Ridge region of northwest Nebraska.
Fort Robinson is rich with history, from the Indian Wars to WW II.
There are hiking trails, horse trails, Jeep rides, a swimming pool, tubing, camping, cabins, a museum, a restaurant, a playhouse and so much more!
Go to https://outdoornebraska.gov/fortrobinson/ for more information.
Wade Thiel says:
Thanks for the recommendation, Kim. Sounds like a perfect spot to stop!
Sue Maley says:
You can’t go wrong with SC State Parks. They are well maintained, especially the ones off Hwy 11. The scenery is beautiful all year round: waterfalls, rivers, and lakes. Edisto Beach and Hunting Island are awesome.
Martin Corbett says:
How could they leave out Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison CT
Leave a Reply to Gwyned Hill Cancel reply
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Bernd Pulch in BERND PULCH, CONFIDENTIAL, CRYPTOME, SECURE September 26, 2012 688 Words
Unveiled by Cryptome – InfoSecurity and Privacy Advisory Board Meet
Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board Meet
http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2012-23608_PI.pdf
[FR Doc. 2012-23608 Filed 09/24/2012 at 8:45 am; Publication Date: 09/25/2012]
Billing Code 3510-13
Announcing an Open Meeting of the Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce
ACTION: Notice
SUMMARY: The Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB) will meet Wednesday, October 10, 2012, from 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, Thursday, October 11, 2012, from 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, and Friday, October 12, 2012, from 8:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time. All sessions will be open to the public.
DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, from 8:00 A.M. until
5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, Thursday, October 11, 2012, from 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, and Friday, October 12, 2012, from 8:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time.
ADDRESS: The meeting will take place at the Courtyard Washington Embassy Row, General Scott Room, 1600 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC, 20036.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Annie Sokol, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8930, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930, telephone: (301) 975-2006, or by email at: annie.sokol@nist.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C. App., notice is hereby given that the Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB) will meet Wednesday, October 10, 2012, from 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, Thursday, October 11, 2012, from 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, and Friday, October 12, 2012, from 8:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time. All sessions will be open to the public. The ISPAB is authorized by 15 U.S.C. 278g-4, as amended, and advises the Secretary of Commerce, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Director of NIST on security and privacy issues pertaining to federal computer systems. Details regarding the ISPAB’s activities are available at http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/ispab/index.html
The agenda is expected to include the following items:
– Presentation relating to SP 800-53 Revision 4,- Panel discussion with members of the Office of Inspector General relating to NIST guidelines to advance security,
– Panel discussion on the latest development of FedRAMP,
– Panel discussion/updates on privacy and security risks for medical devices and the Government Accountability Office (GAO),
– Presentation on healthcare information technology security,
– Cybersecurity Updates from Director of Cybersecurity, White House,
– Presentation on Security, Privacy and Information Sharing,
– Discussion/presentation on information sharing, cyber and communications across federal agencies with the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC, DHS) Director,
– Presentation/Discussion on Radios used by federal civilian agencies, and
– Update of NIST Computer Security Division.
Note that agenda items may change without notice because of possible unexpected schedule conflicts of presenters. The final agenda will be posted on the Web site indicated above.
Seating will be available for the public and media. No registration is required to attend this meeting.
Public Participation: The ISPAB agenda will include a period of time, not to exceed thirty minutes, for oral comments from the public (Friday, October 12, 2012, between 10:00 A.M. and 10:30 A.M.). Speakers will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Each speaker will be limited to five minutes. Questions from the public will not be considered during this period. Members of the public who are interested in speaking are requested to contact Annie Sokol at the contact information indicated in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
Speakers who wish to expand upon their oral statements, those who had wished to speak but could not be accommodated on the agenda, and those who were unable to attend in person are invited to submit written statements. In addition, written statements are invited and may be submitted to the ISPAB at any time. All written statements should be directed to the ISPAB Secretariat, Information Technology Laboratory, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8930, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930.
Dated: September 19, 2012
Willie E. May Associate Director for Laboratory Programs
magister bernd pulch
magister pulch
Unveiled by Cryptome - InfoSecurity and Privacy Advisory Board Meet
TMZ – Kim Kardashian — Worst Bathing Suit EVER?
The FBI – Undercover Women Agents
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Campaigning for better support for mothers who choose to breastfeed
Better Breastfeeding committee
Join our campaign
Government consultation: Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s
The Department of Health has produced a Green Paper on “Prevention”, including a consultation asking the public for their views.
You’ve got until the end of today 14 October to tell them what you think. You don’t have to answer every question. The two questions that we’re asking breastfeeding advocates to respond to are:
Eating a healthy diet, which asks “How can we do more to support mothers to breastfeed?” and Taking care of our mental health, which asks “How can we support the things that are good for mental health and prevent the things that are bad for mental health?”
You can read Better Breastfeeding’s response below, but if you are responding as an individual then it’s best to tell them about your personal experiences, either as a mother or as someone who supports mothers to breastfeed. You might want to talk about:
Were services cut in your area? What was the impact on you or local mothers?
Were you given poor support from someone who did not have the time or skills to help?
Did you have to pay to see a lactation consultant?
Was your baby’s tongue tie not diagnosed or did it take a long time to get it treated?
Were you unable to get to a breastfeeding group in the early weeks? What was the impact of this?
If you had good support at home, what difference did this make to you?
Were you given inconsistent advice about breastfeeding from health professionals?
Were you wrongly told to stop breastfeeding by a health professional for any reason?
Were you or your baby admitted to hospital while you were breastfeeding? What was your experience?
Were you prevented from expressing milk at work or did you find it difficult to do so? What was the impact of this?
Were you told to stop breastfeeding in a public place? How did this affect you?
Did you experience postnatal depression? Do you feel that stopping breastfeeding contributed to this? (Please respond in the section Taking care of our mental health)
Better Breastfeeding’s responses
Q: Which health and social care policies should be reviewed to improve the health of: people living in poorer communities, or excluded groups? Please restrict your answers to 250 words.
Breastfeeding rates among younger, poorer and less-educated mothers are much lower than those among older, more educated and better-off mothers. While breastfeeding rates are on the whole higher in BAME groups, they are very low among gypsy and traveller communities. These low breastfeeding rates compound the existing health and social inequalities experienced by these groups. A national Infant Feeding Strategy should be developed that includes targeted efforts to encourage and support mothers who are least likely to breastfeed.
Q: How can we do more to support mothers to breastfeed?
A mother’s decision to stop breastfeeding is not always a “choice”. As the last national Infant Feeding Survey (in 2010) reported, 8 out of 10 mothers who stopped breastfeeding in the early weeks said they had wanted to carry on for longer. Even among those who breastfed past the early weeks, most (6 out of 10) said that they stopped before they wanted to. This translates to hundreds of thousands of women every year who are pushed unwillingly into a decision to stop breastfeeding. We know that mothers who stop breastfeeding before they were ready are at double the risk of developing postnatal depression, and they and their babies are also denied the many health protections that come from breastfeeding (Borra et al. 2015).
There are many factors that influence a mother’s decision to start or stop breastfeeding and it is therefore essential for the government to work with breastfeeding organisations and mothers’ groups to develop a comprehensive national Infant Feeding Strategy. Such a strategy must be fully funded, and local authorities and the NHS must be held fully accountable for implementing it. The current system of commissioning is not fit for purpose and has exacerbated a postcode lottery of breastfeeding support across the country. Better Breastfeeding conducted research in 2018 that found that at least 44% of local authority areas in England have seen cuts to breastfeeding support services in recent years. We also surveyed 1500 mothers about their experiences of these cuts to services, and many reported that they were devastated by the lack of breastfeeding support following these cuts.
The first days and weeks of breastfeeding are the most challenging time for new mothers. If breastfeeding does not get off to a good start then it becomes very difficult to continue. Conversely, when mothers are well supported in the early days it is possible to avoid problems from developing, and breastfeeding goes on to be a very rewarding experience for many mothers. In the intense early days and weeks, when breastfeeding is getting established, mothers should not be expected to leave their home with a newborn to seek out help. All mothers must have access to high-quality, one-to-one breastfeeding support at home from people who have the time and skills to deliver it. This includes midwives, health visitors and maternity support workers, but also peer supporters, breastfeeding counsellors and certified lactation consultants. These lay practitioners are highly trained and highly skilled at supporting mothers to breastfeed and they must play an essential role in the effective delivery of a national Infant Feeding Strategy.
The Baby Friendly Initiative is an important foundation of such a strategy. It ensures that midwives and health visitors have the basic training to help mothers with breastfeeding and give consistent advice. It should be implemented in all maternity, community and neonatal settings, and a paediatric pathway should also be developed and implemented. The NHS as a whole also needs to become breastfeeding friendly. All health professionals who come into contact with mothers and babies should have the knowledge and skills appropriate to their role. At present that is far from the case, and all too often doctors actually undermine breastfeeding with incorrect advice to stop breastfeeding. In some cases, this advice can put mothers at serious risk (e.g. incorrect management of mastitis can lead to sepsis). When breastfeeding mothers or their babies are admitted to hospital, they rarely get the support they need, and an Infant Feeding Strategy needs to consider the needs of these groups.
What does good breastfeeding support look like? Tower Hamlets is one of the few areas in the country that has consistently invested in breastfeeding and maintained this commitment over many years. It is no surprise therefore that it has the highest breastfeeding rates in the country and the rates of any breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding have steadily increased since the service was introduced. The hospital has Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation in both the maternity and neonatal units, and the local health visiting and children’s centres are also fully accredited. Each service works well together and there are specialist lactation consultants to refer to when needed. The Baby Feeding service is well staffed, and all mothers are contacted the day after they return home from hospital. They are offered home visits by highly trained breastfeeding counsellors for as long as needed. There is also comprehensive support in the community, with breastfeeding drop-ins open 6 days’ a week, year round. Peer supporters help mothers on the postnatal ward and help is also available to mothers and babies in other parts of the hospital when needed.
The national 5-yearly Infant Feeding Survey that is quoted above provided very valuable information about rates of breastfeeding and mothers’ experiences, as well as important demographic data that gave insight into inequalities around breastfeeding. Since the survey ended there has been very poor data collection, and no qualitative information about mothers’ experiences. We welcome the decision to conduct an infant feeding survey. It is essential, however, that this survey provides data that is comparable with past surveys and a commitment is made into the future to continue to capture this information. We call on the government to consult closely with breastfeeding organisations on the content of the proposed infant feeding survey.
Other essential elements of any national Infant Feeding Strategy include:
Families must be protected from aggressive marketing by formula manufacturers through fully enacting in UK law the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent, relevant World Health Assembly resolutions.
The Equality Act protects breastfeeding mothers from harassment and discrimination but this is not well known about or enforced. There must be much better information for businesses about their obligations, and those who break the law should be fined.
Mothers need access to much better quality information online. A single national website is needed, with comprehensive and reliable information on all aspects of breastfeeding and access to the National Breastfeeding Helpline/webchat and details of face-to-face support. (Similar to the NHS Smoke Free website.)
Employers should be required by law to provide breaks to breastfeeding mothers to allow them to breastfeed or express milk at work.
Q: How can we better support families with children aged 0 to 5 years to eat well?
A national Infant Feeding Strategy should include measures to encourage and support mothers to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months and then to continue breastfeeding alongside solid food for as long as possible. Fully implementing the WHO Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes would also go a long way towards protecting parents who are currently bombarded with aggressive marketing of unhealthy and unnecessary baby foods.
Q: How else can we help people reach and stay at a healthier weight?
Children who are obese almost always go on to become obese adults. Any prevention strategy should focus on preventing obesity from developing in the first place. As mentioned above, nearly one quarter of children are already overweight or obese by age 4. We were disappointed that previous government plans to reduce childhood obesity did not mention the early years, and we therefore welcome the new focus on breastfeeding and infant feeding in the child obesity plan. Some studies indicate that breastfeeding to one year could reduce rates of childhood obesity by as much as 25-50%. Any breastfeeding reduction strategy must begin with improving support for mothers to breastfeed, including support for breastfeeding for 12 months or more. Given the impact of breastfeeding in reducing childhood obesity, it would also make sense for a proportion of future sugar tax revenues to be used to help fund a national Infant Feeding Strategy.
There is some evidence that breastfeeding helps mothers to return to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly. The impact of breastfeeding on maternal risk of diseases that are closely associated with obesity is very substantial. Breastfeeding can reduce a mother’s lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes by almost 50%, and it reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by around 20%. Breastfeeding also reduces a mother’s risk of breast cancer (by 4% with each month of breastfeeding) and ovarian cancer (by 30-50%).
Q: How can we support the things that are good for mental health and prevent the things that are bad for mental health, in addition to the mental health actions in the green paper?
When a mother wants to breastfeed but does not do so her risk of postnatal depression is double (Borra et al. 2015). We know that hundreds of thousands of women who want to breastfeed stop in the early weeks due to lack of good breastfeeding support. If all mothers had access to high-quality, one-to-one breastfeeding support in the home in the early days from someone with the time and skills to provide it, this could potentially have a huge impact on preventing postnatal depression.
When breastfeeding mothers do develop postnatal depression, the act of breastfeeding can help to alleviate the symptoms for some. Many mothers with postnatal depression report that breastfeeding “was the one thing keeping me going”. All too often, however, GPs wrongly assume that antidepressants are not compatible with breastfeeding and advise mothers to bottlefeed instead, exacerbating their illness.
The responsive nature of breastfeeding means that when breastfeeding mothers have postnatal depression their babies are protected from its harmful effects on them. As well as protecting infant mental health, children who are breastfed have a reduced risk of psychiatric problems as adults. An effective Infant Feeding Strategy is likely to have a wide-ranging impact on protecting mental health for mothers and babies in the short and long term.
Q: Have you got examples or ideas for services or advice that could be delivered by community pharmacies to promote health?
There is very poor understanding among pharmacists about the safety of medicines while breastfeeding. Many wrongly assume that breastfeeding mothers cannot use medications that are in fact perfectly safe. The Breastfeeding Network charity has a Drugs in Breastmilk service that is available to pharmacists, GPs and mothers. This vital service should not be reliant on charitable funds. The Department of Health or NHS should fund and expand this service and ensure that all pharmacies are aware of it. Pharmacists themselves should also have much better training on the safety of medicines while breastfeeding.
Q: What could the government do to help people live more healthily: in homes and neighbourhoods, when going somewhere, in workplaces, in communities?
In the workplace, breastfeeding mothers do not currently have all the rights that they should, as outlined in the WHO Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding. Employers should be required by law to provide breaks to breastfeeding mothers to allow them to breastfeed or express milk at work. The government should be proactive in ensuring that employers are well informed of their responsibilities towards their employees who are breastfeeding.
Despite the Equality Act protecting breastfeeding mothers from discrimination and harassment in public places, this continues. Hardly a month goes by without a story of a mother in the UK being told to stop breastfeeding in a cafe, shop or swimming pool. Yet, to our knowledege, not a single establishment has ever been prosecuted under the Equality Act for preventing a mother from breastfeeding. Mothers of young babies are very unlikely to have the time or resources to bring such cases. There needs to be much better guidance for businesses and public places about the rights of breastfeeding mothers, and authorities should be proactive in going after those who discriminate against mothers rather than simply relying on individuals to do so. Some areas of the country have Breastfeeding Welcome schemes, and these should be expanded and promoted as part of the a national Infant Feeding Strategy.
The WHO Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes should be fully enforced so that families are not exposed to adverts for formula milk on bus stops, billboards, in magazines and on television. Instead, national and local advertising campaigns in support of breastfeeding should be developed to help normalise breastfeeding and encourage mothers to feel confident to breastfeed in public.
In schools, children should be taught about breastfeeding as the normal way to feed babies. This should be taught from the early years, in an age-appropriate way, and as part of the PSHE curriculum.
Q: How can we make better use of existing assets – across both the public and private sectors – to promote the prevention agenda?
In recent years over 1000 children’s centres have closed. These buildings were often purpose-built and many have simply been mothballed. If they were re-opened they could be used very effectively to promote the prevention agenda. For example, many breastfeeding support groups were run out of children’s centres, so when the centres closed the groups also closed. These support groups were sometimes run by voluntary groups who were unable to relocate because of lack of funding for venue hire.
Those who were trained as breastfeeding peer supporters and breastfeeding counsellors by children’s centres or through Sure Start funding, and who have years of experience in helping mothers, are themselves an untapped community asset. For example, the NCT had nearly 100 Baby Cafes in 2015. This number had fallen below 50 in 2017 and continues to fall. The highly trained counsellors who ran these Baby Cafes could be mobilised once again if children’s centres were re-opened and funding made available to restore these breastfeeding groups once again.
Q: What more can we do to help local authorities and NHS bodies work well together?
The separation of NHS and public health responsibilities has been detrimental to the provision of breastfeeding support across England. It has been a key driver of the cuts we have seen across the country, with at least half of local authorities reducing their provision of breastfeeding support. The shift to Integrated Care Systems could help to improve decision making, but this is by no means guaranteed. The governance and accountability to local communities must be well defined and there must clear incentives to pool budgets. Health and Wellbeing Boards could potentially play an important role, but only if they are given the powers to direct CCGs and Local Authorities on how to spend their money on prevention and public health.
We are pleased that ICSs are now being asked to develop system-wide breastfeeding strategies as part of the NHS Long Term Plan and through the Maternity Transformation Programme. However, these local strategies will require targeted and adequate funding for improving breastfeeding rates. Without this clear funding model, internal tensions between CCGs and LAs will prevent them from taking responsibility for increasing breastfeeding rates and spending the money required to deliver the solutions needed.
Posted in: Policy | Tagged: breastfeeding cuts, consultation, postnatal depression, prevention, public health
Cuts to breastfeeding support reported in 44% of English council areas
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An Excerpt From The Book In Progress
For an example of the progress on the book, an excerpt is presented in this post. It comes from the chapter: How Bedford County Came To Be and the section titled: Bedford County: The Beginning Of The Historic Period. Notice that the text is fully footnoted where necessary. Also, the maps provided to augment the text have been created by Larry D. Smith specifically for this book.
Excerpt. . .
As already noted, a crucial goal of William Penn, in regard to governing his colony, was to encourage peaceful accord with the Amerindians who inhabited the land. To that end, he insisted that treaties be ratified with the tribes who actually occupied the lands he wished to purchase. Although not authenticated by written record, the acquisition of land from the Amerindians by Penn as soon as he landed (as represented in Benjamin West’s famous painting, Penn’s Treaty With The Indians) is believed to have, in reality, occurred.37
Treaties for the transfer of lands from the Amerindians to the Euro~Americans were negotiated in the years 1682, 1683, 1684, 1718, 1732, 1736, 1737, 1749, 1754, 1768 and 1784.38 Such negotiations were conducted by members of the Pennsylvania Provincial Council with the assistance of Indian traders who could speak the Algonquian and Iroquoian languages.
The fallacy of the treaties was that the Amerindians held the belief that no individual could personally ‘own’ any portion of the land; it was there for everyone to use (for hunting, fishing, travel and so forth).39 They did not fully comprehend the Euro~American concept that ownership implied being able to prohibit others from using the land. The Amerindians assumed that despite the formality of signing the treaties, the use of the land would still be available to them. They were understandably upset when the Euro~Americans began to build permanent farmsteads (often enclosed by fencing) upon those lands acquired by treaty.
Each successive treaty ‘legitimized’ the Euro~Americans’ claim to more land west and northward from the Delaware River.40
As noted above, the treaty of 1682 was negotiated for a thin strip of land parallel to the Delaware.
In 1683, two treaties purchased the land between the Neshaminy and Pennypack Creeks and between the Chester and Schuylkill Rivers.
During the following year, 1684, a treaty brought lands encompassed by the present-day counties of Bucks, Lehigh, Berks and Montgomery into the province.
In 1718, a treaty purchased the lands which make up York and Lancaster Counties today. This tract encompassed valuable farming lands on either side of the Susquehannah River, which would be put to good use by German farmers emigrating from the Rhineland region of Germany and Switzerland.
The treaties of 1732, 1736 and 1737 acquired lands as far north and westward as the Blue Mountain range. The acquisitions, along with those from the prior treaties, brought into the control of the Euro~Americans the entire land area known today as the Pennsylvania Piedmont. The tract acquired in 1737 was known as the Walking Purchase; it has the dubious distinction of being one of the first instances of subterfuge being used to con the Amerindians out of more land than originally agreed upon.41
On the 10th of May 1729, the county of Lancaster was the fourth county to be erected in the province. It was created primarily out of the lands acquired in the treaty of 1718, and extended the western frontier of the province to the east side of the Susquehanna River.
Euro~American settlers were steadily moving into the lands farther west ~ to those drained by the Juniata River. Homesteads were springing up in the Big and Little Conolloways, the Great and Little Coves, and through the Tuscarora Valley. The Euro~American families who were encroaching on those lands, as yet unpurchased from the Amerindians, were primarily Ulster-Scots (i.e. immigrants from the Ulster Plantation in northern Ireland, and variously called Scots-Irish).42 Whether inability or unwillingness to pay for the land, or impatience with the land office, was their motivating force, the settlers chose to ignore the laws of the province. Anger and revenge were, understandably, the response of the Amerindians to the intrusion.43 The provincial authorities believed that if they made an example of some of the intruding settlers, it would appease the Amerindians. So to that end, they ordered the inhabitants of one such village, that had grown to eleven families by 1750, to vacate their homes and move back east. All of the buildings in that village (located west of the Susquehanna in the region that would eventually become Bedford County, and later Fulton County), were burned to the ground, giving the name Burnt Cabins to the vicinity. Similar burnings were conducted at Path Valley, Sherman’s Creek, Aughwick and the Big Cove.44
Lands defined by, and to the southeast of the North Branch of the Susquehanna River were acquired in 1749. On July 1st of that year sachems from the Seneca, Onontago, Tutato, Nantycoke and Conoy tribes met with James Hamilton, then Lieutenant Governor, along with others at Philadelphia.
The Amerindians brought complaints that the Euro~Americans were settling on lands not yet purchased. They noted: “As our Boundaries are so well known, & so remarkably distinguish’d by a range of high Mountains, we could not suppose this could be done by mistake…” By the 16th of August, an agreement was achieved. The tribal leaders announced that they were “willing to give up the Land on the East side of Sasquehanna from the Blue Hills or Chambers’ Mill to where Thomas M’Gee the Indian Trader lives…”45
New treaties were conducted, and new counties continued to be erected. On 19 August 1749, the county of York was erected out of Lancaster from lands acquired in the treaties of 1718 and 1736. Soon after, on 27 January 1750, the county of Cumberland was erected. The lands from which the sixth county was created came partially from the land acquired in the treaty of 1736, with the bulk coming from as-yet-unacquired lands to the north and west.
During June 1754, in response to the maneuverings of the French in the western frontier of the Province of New York and southward into the Ohio Valley, New York governor, James DeLancey called for a congress to be held at Albany.46 The French were constructing a series of fortifications along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and the English colonies needed to neutralize the threat they implied. Delegates from the various English colonies were invited to the conference. Seven responded. In addition to delegates from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York and Maryland, five members of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly and Supreme Executive Council attended the congress. Sachems from the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy were invited also, and 150 of them attended the conference. The colonial delegates and the Iroquois sachems met in council from 19 June to 11 July 1754. One outcome of that conference was that the Six Nations sold another large tract of land to the Province of Pennsylvania.47
It stretched between the summits of the Blue and Allegheny Mountain ranges from east to west, and from Penn’s Creek (known by the Iroquois name, Kayarondinhagh), just south of the forty-first latitude to the southern boundary line of the province (which, until the Mason-Dixon Line was completed in 1768, was in dispute between Pennsylvania and Maryland). The actual tract of land was described as follows:
Beginning at the Kittochtinny or Blue Hills on the West Bank of the Sasquehannah River, and thence by the said River to a mile above the Mouth of a certain Creek called Kayarondinhagh; thence North-West and by West as far as the said Province of Pennsilvania extends to its Western Line or Boundary; thence along the said Western Line to the South Line or Boundary of the said Province; thence by the said South Line or Boundary to the South Side of the said Kittochtinny Hills; thence by the South Side of the said Hills along the said Hills to the Place of Beginning.
The newly acquired territory included a large portion of the region that would, nearly twenty years later in 1771, be erected into the county of Bedford. The present-day counties of Blair, Huntingdon, and Fulton, which were erected out of Bedford, along with present-day Bedford County itself, trace their genealogy directly back to this purchase of land in the year 1754. Therefore, the year 1754 could be considered the ‘legitimate’ beginning of the Euro~American occupation of present-day Bedford County.
Posted by Naftzger at 10:39 AM No comments:
In 2021, just seven years away, Bedford County, Pennsylvania will celebrate its 250th Anniversary. This blog has been set up to serve as a collection point for information, articles and whatever submitted by members of the 250th Anniversary Book Committee. Although established for the use of those members, anyone reading the blog, who feel they can contribute to the information they read, may do so by clicking on the 'comments' button. Our primary goal is to produce a history book that will be accurate and useful to generations to come.
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TicketNetwork Blog
Our take on pop culture, live events, and whatever else we can think of...
Whether Its in the Studio or On Tour, Post Malone Always Delivers
December 19, 2019 by Nate
An Unsuspecting Star
Post Malone may be one of the least suspecting pop stars of this decade. I still remember when his first single, “White Iverson” had just been released and I instantly fell in love with the hybrid pop-rap sound. His initial stardom was questionable because of the commonality of one-hit wonders in the current internet landscape where everyone and anyone is releasing music. Whether its trash or not doesn’t seem to matter to most of these “artists”. With plenty of winning awards from music outlets like iHeart Radio, Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards and more, his uncanny ability to write catchy hits is undeniable at this point. His more recent single, “Rockstar” featuring 21Savage was another satisfying win for the young artist as the track garnered #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified 8x Platinum in sales (over 8 Million sales).
With all this wind in Posty’s sails, there’s no surprise that the singer has extended his tour (featuring Swae Lee) into 2020. When an artist extends their already huge tour into something even bigger you know they’re doing something right. The demand to see him is even greater than what he and his team predicted! An artist this large has a strong team behind him, so to know they miscalculated the popularity of their event this heavily just shows how much love this artist is getting from fans around the world. It also shows that there’s still a lot of room for this 24-year-old artist to grow his fanbase and music’s popularity even further.
Post Malone tickets have turned into quite the commodity over the past few years. Every single or album release garners the artist a larger and larger fanbase – at this point, tickets are skyrocketing in demand and can be expected to continue following this trend.
If you have any interest in seeing Post Malone live, I must seriously recommend you get your tickets sooner than later. The longer you wait on an artist like Post Malone, the more the tickets will increase in value. Check out TicketNetwork.com for Post Malone’s 2020 Tour. We have a great selection of seats and all orders are 100% guaranteed as always.
Harry Styles Bringing “Love” On Tour to a City Near You
December 4, 2019 by Nate
Harry Styles New Tour Announcement
Harry Styles is coming to a concert venue near you all over the globe. If you are a fan of this former member of One Direction, then you’ll want to get your tickets right away for his 2020 world tour. His sound is a blend of pop and rock with a look that’s all his own. As a talented singer and songwriter, his star is expected to rise even brighter over the coming year when he hits the road for his highly anticipated tour.
Harry Styles Music
Harry Styles burst onto the pop scene in the boy band, One Direction, and quickly became one of the biggest selling pop groups in the world. The other members of the band were, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Liam Payne. Some of their most famous songs were, “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Best Song Ever,” and “The Story of My Life.”
Fans were quite disappointed when the band broke up in 2016 but were happy to see Harry Styles pursue a solo career with his gorgeous voice and interesting style. He’s 25-years-old now and his career isn’t just limited to music. He transitioned into an acting role in the movie, “Dunkirk” which was a war movie that did very well at the box office. S
Harry Styles Biggest Hits
In 2017 Harry released his first solo album which was self-titled and featured the song, “Sign of the Times.” It was number four on the Billboard Hot 100, but did even better in other countries, like the UK. Other songs on the album include, “Two Ghosts” and “Kiwi.”
His next album is called “Fine Line” and will be released on December 13th, 2019. Some of the new songs are “Watermelon Sugar” and “Lights Up” both of which he sang when he did double duty as the host and musical act of Saturday Night Live in mid-November.
Harry Styles Love On Tour 2020
Love On Tour 2020 kicks off during April in Birmingham, England with Harry’s opening act being King Princess. That includes 26 shows all international in places like Belgium, Russia, Germany, Spain, and Italy. Then he comes to the United States on June 26 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a new opening act. Jenny Lewis will open for Harry in 36 shows all over the United States.
Jenny Lewis is a singer and songwriter with an indie rock vibe to her work. As a former child star, Jenny branched out into music as part of the band Rilo Kiley in 1998. They broke up in 2014, but she continued to produce her own music. She’s 43-years-old now and has released four solo albums to her credit that have done well on the music charts.
Styles is going to end the tour with three dates in Mexico with the performer Koffee as his opener. This show promises to be a highly entertaining mesh of pop, rock, and eclectic music that Harry is known for with vocal styling that is sure to please his fans.
There is no doubt this Harry Styles show will be must-see. Be sure to secure your Harry Styles tickets before its too late!
Korn and Breaking Benjamin Break Out New Albums on Upcoming Tour
November 8, 2019 by Nate
As a metal fan, I won’t want to miss the Korn & Breaking Benjamin tour coming next year! Check out the tour schedule and get tickets for 2020’s Korn and Breaking Benjamin co-headlining tour, celebrating Korn’s 2019 album The Nothing and Breaking Benjamin’s Ember. Starting on January 23, shows will run for 24 dates through March 1.
Korn’s first studio album came out in 1993, and still to this day, no one else sounds like them. We look for and are rewarded with, the grinding, demanding ardor from plenty of bands across the metal genre, but the coming together of each of the talents of Korn’s band members give us a weighty catalog of potent songs that demonstrate why audiences have kept coming back for decades.
Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu’s bass treatment, a clicky, percussive sound present throughout so many of their songs, stands out as one of the things that make a Korn song instantly identifiable. In many outfits, the bass can get lost in the shuffle, but the distinct reverberations from strings that sound as if they’ve been loosened can’t be ignored. And while we might well be thoroughly satisfied with a group of skilled musicians giving us the dark, aggressive sound we ask of metal, Jonathan Davis’ talents don’t stop at a single style of singing but run the gamut of pitch and timbre.
Tickets to this show will treat fans to an electrifying live experience of new material from The Nothing, pieces which bring a heavy dose of all the things we already love about Korn plus nuanced touches. In “You’ll Never Find Me” we hear again the seamless shifts between thundering and drifting, and “This Loss” comes barreling out of the gate with a heavy pounding but then gifts us with a lot more wistful melody than we could have possibly expected.
Look for your older favorites in the setlist, like the tense, anticipatory “Blind”, and “Somebody Someone” which displays Davis’ range from heavier growling to the strong and emotive middle ground all the way to high-pitched and mincing.
Breaking Benjamin offers a great match as a co-headliner; like Korn, they don’t shy away from opening themselves up lyrically for an audience and laying bare the process of working one’s way through anguish. Listen for “Torn in Two” and “Red Cold River”: hard yet melodic, both center around loss and its aftermath.
Korn have long shown themselves very generous to their fans, quick to host fan question sessions, autograph signings, and personal interactions that we can only imagine would exhaust most longtime tour veterans. This being the rule and not the exception says a lot about their personal ethics as a band, especially in conjunction with the anything-but-cagey lyrics.
The thing about Korn is that they don’t change their formula; they don’t need to. Whereas some bands may feel the need to reinvent themselves, Korn never really changed their sound much over time, and I for one am grateful. They’re so distinctive, to begin with, packing multiple stylings into a single song, that we love what we get and we just want more of it.
Check out TicketNetwork for your Korn Tickets on this upcoming tour.
Dan and Shay is The New Duo Set to Dominate Country Music
October 23, 2019 by Nate
Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, better known as their stage name, Dan and Shay, are rising in the charts and in the minds of country music fans everywhere.
Like most successful country acts the duo got their start in Nashville. For five years Dan and Shay have been grinding, releasing music and touring the world with some of the biggest country acts in a supporting role. Now it is their time to shine.
Breakout Success
Songs such as “Tequila” and “Speechless” in 2018 helped put the duo on the map. Both songs hit number 1 on the US Country charts and the country music scene was hooked. Armed with a piano, an acoustic guitar and two superb voices, Dan + Shay is enjoying a trajectory much like other current country superstars. Their rise to fame was justified at the 2019 Grammy Awards when they were nominated for Best Country Song and won Best Country Duo Group Performance.
10,000 Hours ft. Justin Bieber
A recent boost to their stardom came about when they recently released a song with pop icon Justin Bieber. The song, “10,000 Hours” made streaming history.
“10,000 Hours” peaked at No. 3 on this week’s Billboard chart, where it racked up 33.3 million streams. Before the release of “10,000 Hours,” the highest-charting non-holiday single from a country duo on the chart was Florida Georgia Line‘s, “Cruise,” which featured rapper Nelly. The song reached a peak of No. 9 in 2013.
Following the success of that song, Dan and Shay immediately announced a 2020 arena tour. The tour kicks off with two shows in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena before moving to every major city in the US. Fans can also see Dan and Shay in a headlining capacity at the epic country festival, Stagecoach. Don’t miss the chance to be a part of Dan and Shay’s meteoric rise! Find your Dan and Shay tickets today at TicketNetwork!
Billie Eilish Is Changing The Game Quicker Than She Changes Outfits
October 7, 2019 by Nate
Billie Eilish is a big deal right now. Her meteoric rise to fame is amazing considering she’s only 17-years-old. The sound of her music has been described as brooding with a combination of genres that touch on pop, EDM, and even jazz. She’s one of the youngest people to ever make the charts on the Billboard 200. Her song, “Bad Guy” was a number one hit. Let’s look at where the newest darling of the music scene comes from and how you can see her perform live at a festival or concert site near you.
Billie Eilish’s Rise to Fame
In 2016, a 14-year-old Billie Eilish was just a kid that liked to sing and dance in her hometown of Highland Park, Los Angeles. One night she decided to upload one of the songs she had written and performed on the music streaming service, SoundCloud. The song was called “Ocean Eyes” and she immediately gained a massive following from it. She co-writes and collaborates many times on musical projects with her older brother, Finneas O’Connell, who is 21-years-old. Both of them were homeschooled by their parents which allowed them to spend more time together to strengthen their bond. This sibling duo is creating classics every time they step in the studio.
From there she released her first EP, Don’t Smile At Me, in 2017. She only got more popular. Billie does have a very unique fashion sense with looks that lean towards punk with a distinctly British vibe. Her clothes are baggy and she often changes her hair. Most recently she had shockingly bright neon green roots with black ends for her musical appearance on Saturday Night Live. However, even though her outfits are always outlandish they can never overshadow her musical talent.
When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
When she released her first full album, five of the singles were in the top 40. Those include the songs, “Wish You Were Gay,” and “When The Party’s Over.” The sound of her voice is whispery and high, with a musical style that many people can’t quite put their finger on except to describe it as “different.” It’s a compliment to Billie to be able to come onto the music scene to completely reinvigorate the genre. Her fans are very excited about the future of her music.
Tickets for an Extended World Tour
Billie has basically been on tour since April 13, 2019, with the When We All Fall Asleep Tour. This is a global tour that had Billie in Europe, Australia, and various parts of North America. It started at the Empire Polo Club that was a venue for Coachella performances. This tour is scheduled to go through November 17, 2019, with an end date in Mexico City. Before that, you can catch her in cities like Dallas, Houston, Boston, and Austin during the month of October, including two dates at the Austin City Limits Festival Weekend on October 11 and 12th.
The Where Do We Go World Tour is scheduled for 2020. The starting date is March 9, 2020, in Miami, Florida and ends July 27, 2020, in London, England. Clearly, this is a musician that aims to get as much notoriety and success as possible by touring extensively to reach her fans all over the world. Her live shows are engaging and just as unique as she is!
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Hoffman Files
Nerf…Nerf… Nerf…Nerf is all you need.
By Rob Hoffman on November 25, 2019 at 5:26 AM
As a history teacher, the idea of inventors and their inventions comes up a lot in class. Sometimes students will ask me how come we don’t hear about famous inventors or inventions anymore. My answer to that is Nerf. You see, while you were getting yourself all charged up over all matters great and small such as football, the holidays, and impeachment, right under your very noses a tragic happenstance has taken place. The inventor of the Nerf ball, Dr. Fred Cox, and one of the last of the so-called “straight-ahead” kickers in the NFL, died this past week at the age of 80.
Before we can discuss the impact of the Nerf ball upon our collective consciousness, let us first take a look at the man who made all things Nerf possible, Dr. Fred Cox. Fred Cox was raised in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Pittsburgh in that part of Pennsylvania known to many affectionately as “Alabama.” Fred Cox would go on to have a marvelous career in the NFL as a place-kicker for the “Purple People Eaters,” a.k.a., the Minnesota Vikings. For much of Fred Cox’s career with the Vikes, his kicking made up the majority of their offense. A great defensive team in their day, the Vikings, at least before the arrival of Fran Tarkenton, were offensively challenged. Their ultra conservative coach, a man who para-trooped into Normandy by the name of Bud Grant, could walk away most satisfied with a 6-3 victory courtesy of Freddie Cox’s big toe. Unlike every kicker in the NFL today, as well as college and high school, Cox kicked straight away, not “soccer style.”
This was the last time football was truly great. A straight ahead kicker trying to boot one from the ungodly distance of 35 yards with a single bar facemask in the freezing cold of Metropolitan Stadium. (Getty Images)
While I could wax poetic, or at least semi-poetic all day long about the accolades and lost magic of Fred Cox the placekicker, there’s far more to the story than that. Fred Cox’s contribution to football such as it was is dwarfed by his real contribution to mankind, and that is the part of the story that you really need to Nerf. You see, this throwback football player from a more rugged age, a time when the NFL’s version of the concussion protocol was, “How many fingers do I have up?” would end up affecting the childhoods of millions of Americans with one simple idea, one simple experience, one simple word…Nerf.
1972 was a watershed year in these United States. The Oakland A’s won the first of their three straight World Series titles. The Miami Dolphins would embark on their perfect season. The 1972 Summer Olympics would feature the awful attacks on the Israeli Olympic team by Palestinian terrorists. Bobby Fischer would battle Soviet chess champion Boris Spassky for cold war supremacy in the “sport,” before realizing his inner anti-semite. The Watergate break-in would take place in order to placate Richard Nixon’s paranoia that he might not win every state in the 1972 presidential election, (Which he almost did anyway) and the Nerf football was invented. While practically everybody’s life in America would be touched in one way or another by this auspicious innovation, for one not-so-athletically oriented eight year old, it would be a game changer.
The Nerf football, in its modern incarnation. Grips, stripes, color enhanced, these kids today, heaven forbid they have to grab a foam football armed with only their limited physical skills and low muscle tone, and have to actually drive their “team” down field with a Nerf football that has a chunk taken out by a dog or some other obstacle. (Getty Images)
Cox’s genesis as an inventor began with a meeting with a local Minneapolis football coach by the name of John Mattox who was looking to develop a kicking game for kids. Mattox had proposed using a heavier football so the ball wouldn’t travel so far, but Cox however, a man who knew something about keeping his legs healthy since he never missed a game due to injury during his illustrious 15-season career suggested a lighter football so as to alleviate any stress on the children’s legs. Thus, the lab work had begun. They came up with the innovation of pouring hot liquid foam into a mold which solved the problem that Parker Brothers was having in their attempts at developing a soft rubber football. They had already succeeded in their design of a “puff” basketball, but they couldn’t get a “skin” to stay on the football which would allow it to travel through the air. Cox and Mattox’s design cured all of that, and a generation of backyard Tarkentons and Bradshaws were born.
The good people at Parker Brothers already had the Nerf basketball, and the hippie inspired, psychedelic Nerf frisbee, but it was the hard work and due diligence of Fred Cox and John Mattox that made the Nerf football legendary. (flickr, labeled for reuse)
Because Cox sold his “invention” to Parker Brothers, he never had the opportunity to be able to gloat about having his product named after him. I’m not sure that would have been a good idea since parents may not have wished to hear their pre-teen children say things such as…
“Who wants to throw around the Cox?”
“Anybody seen my Cox?”
“Mom, Timmy kicked my Cox?”
“Tinmy, get your hands off of my Cox!”
“Dad, my Cox got stuck in the tree!”
I could go on, but you get the picture. Still, it would have been nice for the now very recently deceased Fred Cox to enjoy having his greatest, and to the best of my knowledge only invention named after him. He could have then joined such other luminaries who had their inventions named after them such as the….
Heimlich Maneuver – Named after Henry Judah Heimlich who only named it after himself since he didn’t know what to call it. I can’t help but wonder how many poor souls have been lost as their friends and families searched in vain to find their choking friend or family member’s “Heimlich” in order to save their lives.
Mason Jar – John Landis Mason invented the large mouthed jar in 1858 after working as a tinsmith. Its success is all in the hermetic seal. Think of all of the hillbillies who wouldn’t have anywhere to store their moonshine if it weren’t for John Mason, and his jar.
Saxophone – Adolphe Sax changed music forever with his famous woodwind, and would have made the name “Adolphe,” or “Adolf” a popular name if it weren’t for that Hitler fellow who couldn’t even play a damned glockenspiel or even an Alpine horn. (Actually, this is a good thing since nobody would have ever wanted to say, “I’m going to go blow on the old “Hitler.”)
Salisbury Steak – James Salisbury was actually a physician from the 19th century, and he believed that vegetables and starches were unhealthy for the human body, and that meat was the only true sustenance that people needed. Over 100 hundred years later, cafeteria ladies across the country have done their best to make sure that Dr. Salisbury’s “meat” and gravy combo makes its way into as many school children as possible.
Apple Computer – Tim Apple has changed the way we live our lives thanks to his inventions and innovations. Oh wait, never mind, that’s what Trump called him, his name is Tim Cook. I’m so used to believing that everything the president says is true. My bad.
You know what I loved about Fred Cox?He didn’t even pretend to try and look like a football player like these modern punk kickers who workout and make their arms look all muscular. Cox looked like a guy dressing up for Halloween as a football player. Would it have been so terrible to name his balls, “Cox” in his honor? (Wikimedia Commons, Labeled for reuse.)
It’s funny how something that somebody does whom you’ve never met could have such a profound influence on your life. I spent literally countless hours in my backyard growing up in North Massapequa on Long Island throwing and kicking around the Nerf football. I used to punt it back and forth, practice my “field goal” kicking as well as throw it, and then try to catch up to it and make the grab. (Not too far, I was pretty slow.) I even invented my own tackle football game when nobody was around. I have fond memories of playing tackle football not only in the snow, but on the frozen ground with my neighbors using the Nerf. Sometimes the cold wet ball would hit you in the face, but you could always recover quickly, unlike if you had been hit with a real football, which would have been followed by crying and a trip into the house, where hopefully my mother would be around to comfort me since my father would have yelled at me and said, “You’re supposed to have things like this happen when your mother is around!”
The Nerf football was only one-half of the grand Nerf experiment. The Nerf basketball, or Puff ball, or Puff basketball allowed the joys of the Nerf to be enjoyed indoors. The Puff ball was made for inside use. It literally couldn’t break anything, and believe me, when you grow up in a house where the furniture in the living room is covered in plastic, you have a lot of breakables. I would play Puff basketball for hours, whether I was alone, or with my brothers. You could dunk, do reverses, play H-O-R-S-E, and if your friends were over, you could play what essentially became “tackle basketball,” or at least that’s what the Puff ball game would devolve into.
Sure it’s all fancy and realistic looking today, but it worked just fine when it was a little puffy ball that came with a backboard that didn’t work nearly as well as the door it was attached to by masking tape, and a net that trapped the ball half the time. (You Tube)
Thanks to the Nerf football and basketball I could be Joe Namath, Fran Tarkenton, Norm Snead, Bob Lanier, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, John Gianelli, Hawthorne Wingo, Lew Alcindor, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Like the offensively challenged Minnesota Vikings of the early 1970s, so much of my enjoyment and success could be traced to Fred Cox. Let’s see Pete Gogolak invent something as awesome as the Nerf ball.
Rob Hoffman
Edgar on Another year, another group of the dead to bring out.
F Robinson on Another year, another group of the dead to bring out.
Pete on What’s in a name? Go ask Moses.
Jim K on What’s in a name? Go ask Moses.
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Specific Ministry Pastor: To Meet a Special Need
by Roland Lovstad
Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) is the newest LCMS program for preparing pastors to fill an identified need in a congregation, cultural setting, or other ministry. SMP uses distance education, local pastors as mentors, and an annual week of study on a seminary campus.
Last fall the two LCMS seminaries enrolled their first students in the program, which involves close collaboration between congregations, districts, and the seminaries. Beginning with an identified need, a congregation, a circuit, or a district may invite a man with the scriptural qualifications to apply for the SMP program. The district examines the application and submits a completed application package to the seminaries.
Before being admitted, a man must demonstrate basic competencies in the Old and New Testaments, Lutheran doctrine, worship, preaching, teaching, and Christian witness. These competencies can be acquired through lay training offered by districts, our Concordia universities, and our seminaries.
Once admitted, an SMP student serves as a vicar during his first two years in the program. He takes instruction (mostly by Internet) and meets with an assigned pastor-mentor. After completing eight seminary courses during that period, he will be eligible for ordination and a call to his vicarage site. During the next two years, he completes eight more courses while continuing under the supervision of a mentor pastor. Even after completing the program, he continues under the supervision of a general pastor.
Earlier this year, both seminaries received preliminary approval from the Association of Theological Schools for a comprehensive distance-education program and may now offer courses for academic credit. This enables SMP students to receive credit for their work if they choose to continue study toward a master of divinity degree.
For more information, see our seminary Web sites: www.csl.edu or www.ctsfw.edu.
Clarence Riley: Taking Another Plunge
As a young Navy hospital corpsman, Clarence Riley jumped from helicopters to rescue people at sea. At 54, he’s taking another plunge—into the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
“I figured that having earned a Ph.D., I was through. I rather enjoyed not being a student,” says Riley, an assistant professor of health and physical education at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Ga.
Another confession: Twelve years ago, he basically attended church on Sunday—until his family joined Mount Calvary Lutheran Church near their home in Warner Robins. “I went through a metamorphosis. I got to know the people, the genuineness, the love, and the caring,” he says. Realizing that Christian faith was more than a Sunday activity, he became an evangelism caller, an elder, and a hospital chaplain.
Discovering his gift for evangelism, he also sensed God was calling him to be a pastor. For six months, he didn’t even tell his wife, Carrie. “I wanted to be sure this was God calling me and not me trying to make that decision,” he explains. Finally, he told his pastor, and within 24 hours, three people suggested he become a pastor—which, he says, helped confirm his sense of calling.
Riley started with biweekly trips to Atlanta to complete 10 courses that were preliminary to entering our Synod’s Distance Education Leading to Ordination program (DELTO, now being phased out). With the advent of SMP, Mount Calvary fully supported Riley and sponsored his application.
As a vicar, with Rev. David Brighton as his mentor-supervisor, Riley preaches and teaches at Mount Calvary and Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in Macon. “My ministry is to help revitalize a congregation whose numbers have dwindled over the years and to motivate them to grow both spiritually and in membership,” he says.
Riley is enthusiastic about SMP: “I think this is a tremendous opportunity to match the needs of congregations with the gifts of people who have been selected by God to fill those needs.”
Discipline is required, he says, to work 40 to 50 hours at the university, spend 15 to 20 hours on SMP courses, five to 10 hours on vicarage, and still find time with family. He and Carrie have two teenage sons at home, and he also has four adult children.
Riley says he feels “a tremendous sense of community” with his fellow students. “I can truthfully say the professors in the SMP program are shining examples of what educators are all about,” Riley says. “None of the SMP guys are slackers either.”
Rennie Kaufmann: Answering the ‘Tugs’ to Pastoral Ministry
“The office has been pursuing you.”
Rennie Kaufmann recalls those words from his pastor, Rev. Randy Duncan, when they talked about the new SMP program. Comparing himself to Jonah, Kaufmann, 48, says he’s felt the “tug” to pastoral ministry since his 20s. Twice, he enrolled in seminary programs, but circumstances kept him from continuing his studies.
“I am blown away by the servant hearts I have witnessed in those implementing and teaching this new program,” says the now-seminarian in the SMP program at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. “The seminary staff is extremely accommodating and show their care and servant hearts by consistently being available. They are open to suggestions for making this program better.”
The son of a U.S. Army officer, Kaufmann spent his high school years in Iran (before the revolution), walking or hitch-hiking to find a Bible study, youth group, or worship service. During 18 years traveling the world as an “Army brat” with parents who loved history and archeology, he lived in Thailand, backpacked in Egypt (at 16), went on digs in Iran, and visited Israel.
Kaufmann’s home was always filled with music, and that became his secular career. “I grew up singing and playing. I played piano at officers clubs and eventually did private and corporate events,” he says. “In addition, I was always in worship arts—music and drama.”
In the past year-and-a-half, Kaufmann was hired twice by the U.S. State Department as a cultural envoy to Azerbaijan, bringing music, magic tricks—he calls them “Gospel illusions”—and stories to refugee camps, orphanages, entertainment centers, and embassies. “I also had a chance to minister to the very active ‘underground church’ there,” he adds.
Today, he is an SMP vicar, elder, and pastoral assistant to Duncan at Living Word Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Mich. He preaches occasionally and conducts visitation, local and cross-cultural evangelism, and helps with the music ministry. He and his wife, Karen, also lead junior-high ministry. (He and Karen have five children, ranging in age from 22 to 13.)
“The knowledge I am gaining is immediately useful in the context of my life and ministry,” Kaufmann says. “It has helped me clarify my ministry calling, and I have gained new friends for life in the teachers and students. I feel part of a team of teachers and students who are united in storming the gates of hell together.”
FOCA, taxes, abortion, and Caesar’s due
Shedding Some Light
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Category: Space
Study: Trip to Mars Could Weaken Astronaut’s Immune System
Some of the biggest challenges NASA faces, if it is to meet its goal of sending humans to Mars, is making sure its astronauts are kept healthy and safe from harm. Unlike current space flights, a round-trip mission to Mars could take up to 3 years. Cosmic and solar radiation and a weakening of muscles and bones […]
NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft Ends 11-Year Mission
NASA has concluded that the 11-year mission of the Dawn Spacecraft and its exploration of Vesta and Ceres, two of the largest objects in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, has come to an end. According to the space agency, the spacecraft missed scheduled communications sessions with NASA’s Deep Space Network not only on […]
Mars In The News
Two new studies about Mars made news this week. Liquid Water Lake Detected on Mars First, a group of Italian scientists announced that they detected a 20-kilometer-wide lake of liquid water located about 1.5 kilometers beneath the ice of the southern polar ice cap of Mars. The scientists analyzed more than three years of data […]
Building Blocks of Life Discovered on Saturn Moon – Enceladus
NASA’s Cassini mission, which provided a close look of Saturn, its moons, and famous rings came to a blazing end on September 15, 2017. But the data gathered by the 13-year mission continues to provide scientists with new insight into the ringed planet. One of the highlights of the Cassini mission was its discovery of geysers […]
Oumuamua: It’s a Comet, It’s an Asteroid, No, wait, It’s a Comet
An odd rocky cigar-shaped object called Oumuamua made news late last year when it was determined to be of interstellar origin. It was touted as the solar system’s first visitor from another star system. Some scientists first pegged Oumuamua as a comet soon after its discovery. A few months later studies indicated that it was […]
Volcanic Activity Created Martian Geological Oddity
Scientists have long been puzzled by a mysterious formation located near the equator of Mars called Medusae Fossae. A new study from a pair of scientists – Lujendra Ojha and Kevin Lewis – at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore suggests that the large deposit of soft rock was probably formed as a result of violent volcanic eruptions that […]
Pre-Solar System Dust Found in the Atmosphere
A research team led by the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology say they have discovered the remains of the formation of the solar system in some interstellar dust. The dust particles, which were gathered in Earth’s atmosphere by NASA aircraft, are thought to have been cast off from […]
Asteroid May Have Immigrated From Another Solar System to Ours
An odd cigar-shaped object name Oumuamua made news late last year when it was determined to be of interstellar origin. It was touted as the solar system’s first visitor from another star system. A new study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters details the discovery of what scientists are calling the […]
NASA Plans to Fly Helicopter on Mars
There are two robotic rovers traversing and exploring the surface of Mars – NASA’s Opportunity and Curiosity rovers. These rovers, along with two others (Sojourner & Spirit) from past missions, use(d) specially made wheels to get around the Red Planet. Instead of just wheels NASA now wants to try a different way to travel around Mars. […]
How Will Our Sun Die?
Scientists say our Sun has been shining for about the last 4.6 billion years. They also say the Sun is expected to have enough hydrogen to fuel nuclear fusion in its core to allow it to continue shining as it has for about another 5 billion years. Along with creating solar energy, the Sun’s hydrogen […]
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DOUGLAS A. COX
Douglas A. Cox is a “Dreamcatcher.” Unlike so many dreamers, he turns his dreams into realities. Having lived through the most incredible tragedies that life can deliver, he has turned these challenges into raw power and accomplished amazing things with his life. He is an author, executive, songwriter, singer, poet and an inspirational speaker who has touched the lives of thousands of people throughout the world.
Born in Hollywood, California, Doug has traveled a path that has shaped him into one of the world’s great storytellers. His experiences in the corporate world have added a clear purpose to his presentations. He speaks clearly from experience. He has run two radio stations, presided over The Smothers Brothers Record Company and promoted iconic artists including Bobby Darin, Aretha Franklin and Eric Clapton.
Along with his executive skills, Doug has written a hit song, sung the theme song in a movie, appeared in films and currently conducts seminars throughout the world. A Douglas A. Cox presentation is as much a one-man show as it is bright, insightful and focused. With a host of character voices that rival the best Las Vegas show, you might find yourself listening to and watching Katherine Hepburn, Martin Luther King, Dudley Moore, Yogi Bear or Steven Wright.
Your audience might be lucky enough to be serenaded by George Strait, Neil Diamond or John Denver. Doug has a unique ability to hear the needs and goals of his clients and audiences, and he informs and entertains them thoroughly and eloquently. These audiences include Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, IBM, The Miss Universe Pageant, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casinos, Redken 5th Avenue and many more.
Doug Cox makes heroes of the event planners who choose to book him.
MERRILL AND JUSTIN OSMOND
Contact us today to book your next speaker!
Bruce Merrin’s Celebrity Speakers © 2018
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Convicted Russian hacker Anikeyev released from prison
MOSCOW — The leader of a hacker group that targeted prominent Russian officials has been released from prison.
Vladimir Anikeyev, who headed Shaltai-Boltai (Humpty-Dumpty) hacker group, was sentenced to two years in prison a year ago. His lawyer said Monday that Anikeyev was set free in line with a new law that makes one day spent in pre-trial detention equivalent to 1 1/2 days in prison.
Anikyev’s group hacked the accounts of several government officials, including a spokeswoman for Russia’s prime minister.
Anikyev was arrested in November 2016, but his arrest only became known after Russian news outlets reported that two officials of the Federal Security Service’s cybercrime unit had been arrested on treason charges.
Some reports suggested the officials had connections to the hacker group or had tried to control it.
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Free Initial Consultation Call: (480) 413-1499
Arizona DUI & Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
Published By The Law Office of James E. Novak
Published on: November 8, 2017
Arizona Defendant Appeals Convictions for Dangerous Drug Charges
By James E. Novak, P.L.L.C.
In a recent Arizona drug crime decision, the defendant was convicted of transporting a dangerous drug for sale, possessing a dangerous drug, possessing a dangerous drug for sale, possessing drug paraphernalia, and possessing a deadly weapon while committing a felony drug offense. He was sentenced to presumptive, minimum, and concurrent prison terms. The longest of these was five years.
On appeal, he argued that the trial court incorrectly denied his motion to suppress, his convictions for transporting and possessing dangerous drugs violated the double jeopardy rule, and the court had miscalculated his entitlement to pre-sentence incarceration credit.
The case arose when a DEA agent got involved in a group surveillance of a stash house in a Tucson neighborhood that had a reputation for drug trafficking. The police saw two cars with out-of-state license plates involved in suspicious behavior at a convenience store. People with those license plates didn’t come there frequently. There was a lot of back and forth activity between the vehicles, and they left at the same time, which is a common sign of prohibited drug activity.
That evening, an agent said he’d seen a vehicle parked in a stall at a nearby car wash. The DEA agent was dressed in plain clothes and came around the car wash and looked at the defendant’s codefendant, who was driving the car. He approached after she left her car in a hurry to put tokens in the car machine. He told her he was a law enforcement officer and asked to talk to her. She seemed nervous. He was wearing a recording device.
She talked to him after he told her there was heavy criminal activity in that location. She continued to wash her car, and the DEA agent saw his contact with her as consensual. He didn’t block her car with his body or car while talking to her. She told him that one person in the car was Ian, who towed cars, and they were going back to their state where they lived. Meanwhile, a Border Patrol Agent, also in plain clothes, came to the car and tapped on the tinted passenger window. The passenger rolled down the window of her own accord. The defendant was in the backseat, shirtless, with a pocketknife. He told the officer he had a gun when asked.
The Border Patrol agent told the DEA agent there was a gun in the car. The defendant was removed from the car, and the DEA agent cuffed him for safety. In a pat-down search, crystal meth was found, as was a knife. The passenger was asked to get out of the car. They saw in plain view a ceramic pipe, which was commonly used to smoke meth. The DEA agent also opened the rear door and found digital scales, another pipe, and a handgun. Other drug-related items were also found.
The DEA agent would later testify that once a gun was involved, the stop was not consensual. The female driver being questioned seemed to be high and under the influence of crystal meth. The defendant and the woman were arrested.
The defendant moved to suppress the meth found in his pocket and the things found in the car. He argued that the pat down was unwarranted and that the evidence was seized illegally. Without consent, an officer can frisk someone only if an officer has a reasonable suspicion the person was engaged or about to be engaged in crime, and the person was armed and dangerous. The court found that the defendant’s own statement of having a gun generated a reasonable fear for officer safety.
The defendant appealed the trial court’s decision not to suppress. He argued that possessing a knife or gun by itself didn’t generate a reasonable suspicion that a crime was underway or had occurred. Once he put the knife away, there wasn’t a reason to conclude he was armed and dangerous.
The appellate court explained that an officer can’t do protective searches without a reasonable suspicion of a crime. Pat-downs during a consensual encounter are illegal even when officers have a basis to believe the individual is armed and dangerous. However, there was a reasonable suspicion in this case before the encounter. One factor was his holding an open knife while sitting behind a passenger in an out-of-state vehicle and admitting he had a gun. The court upheld the ruling on the motion to suppress.
However, the court did find that there was a violation of the double jeopardy rule in charging the defendant with possession for sale of a dangerous drug. It also modified the sentence to provide more pre-sentence incarceration credit.
If you are charged with a drug crime, contact criminal defense attorney James Novak at (480) 413-1499 in Tempe, Arizona.
A.R.S. section 13-3408
A.R.S. § 13-3407
A.R. S. § 28-1381(A)(3) (Driving while under the influence)
Other Articles of Interest from The Law Office of James Novak’s Award Winning Blog:
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Arizona Court of Appeals Provides Affirmative Defense for Medical Marijuana Patients Charged with DUI
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About James E. Novak
James E. Novak participates in several legal organizations including The Arizona Attorneys For Criminal Justice, The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and others. As well as:
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Copyright © 2017 – 2020, The Law Office of James E. Novak
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Goldstone Report and Dore Gold
I first met Dore Gold, the former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations and foreign policy adviser to Bibi Netanyahu, a few years ago at a Jewish National Fund event. I was very impressed with what he had to say and how articulately he said it. Therefore, I was excited when I was invited to hear Ambassador Gold speak about the Goldstone Report this past week at a private lunch for local rabbis.
The Goldstone Report is the independent fact-finding mission created by the United Nations Human Rights Council and led by a South African jurist to investigate international human rights and humanitarian law violations related to the Gaza War. I had read several articles about the report and had seen Dore Gold debate Justice Richard Goldstone (video below), but was interested to ask him some questions about how Israel will respond to the report. Sure enough, at the luncheon arranged by AIPAC, Mr. Gold didn't disappoint. He was able to translate the 575-page report full of legalese into easy-to-understand language. (Even he admitted that getting through the report in preparation for his debate against Justice Goldstein required much coffee and Advil.)
Ambassador Gold characterized the report as a way to de-legitimize Israel (the report says that the Israeli Defense Forces deliberately killed innocent Palestinians). He pointed out that the report doesn't merely state that the IDF used excessive force or ignored the laws of proportionality, but that the Israeli Army intentionally targeted civilians (as part of its program). The report, he explains, attacks Israel's very foundations. Some might be surprised that a Jewish judge (Goldstone) who has a daughter living in Israel would come to such conclusions. However, based on the history of the United Nations' relationship with Israel over the past six decades, the report should not come as a shock.
Goldstone cites eleven cases where there was "no fog of war" and yet Israeli soldiers killed innocent Palestinians. In perhaps his best refutation of the Goldstone Report, Dore Gold points out that early in the report, Goldstone admits that it was difficult to obtain information about these questionable attacks through Palestinian testimonies because the Palestinian civilians were afraid to talk about it because they were scared of retribution. Later in the report, however, Goldstone cites individual testimony from these Palestinians as proof of the eleven cases where there was "no fog of war."
Further, Gold points out that Hamas was using Palestinians as human shields and storing weaponry in the basements of schools during Operation Cast Lead. Contrary to what Goldstone reports, the IDF went above and beyond to warn the Palestinian civilians of impending attacks on locations where they knew weapons were being kept (leaflets were dropped and even phone call warnings were made to home and cell phones).
There will be debate among Israelis (and the world) as to how Israel should respond to the Goldstone Report. The New York Jewish Week interviewed Moshe Halbertal, co-author of the Israeli military code of ethics, who said that Israel's refusal to conduct an independent, thorough probe of its military’s handling of last winter's 22-day war against Hamas in Gaza as demanded by the United Nations is a "missed opportunity."
The article stated that "Israel has said its Gaza incursion occurred in response to a nearly incessant barrage of rocket fire by Hamas terrorists in Gaza on Israeli civilians. It said the large number of Palestinian civilian casualties was because Hamas terrorists fought Israeli troops from civilian areas. Israeli media reported this week that Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi favored a limited review of the war by a committee of senior Israeli jurists. They would be permitted to question political and military leaders, as well as Israeli military officials who investigated UN allegations of war crimes, but would be barred from interviewing officers and soldiers who took part in the war."
Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz published a lengthy rebuttal of the Goldstone Report in the January 31st Jerusalem Post online issue in which he calls the report a "study in evidentiary bias" and refers to Goldstone as an "evil, evil man" and a traitor to the Jewish people.
However the Israeli government ultimately decides to respond to the Goldstone Report, after listening to Dore Gold discuss the inherent problems and factual errors of the report, I'm glad the Israeli prime minister is consulting with him. He really seems to understand what was underlying such a one-sided UN report. Here is the video of Dore Gold responding to Justice Goldstone at the Brandeis University debate:
Labels: AIPAC, International Relations, Israel, Politics, World Events
Excellent report, Rabbi Jason. Take a look at Dore Gold's website for some top notch material on Goldstone and the Gaza War. http://jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/showpage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=84&FID=452&PID=3131
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this remedy is completely effectual. The migration from the older parts of the American Confederation to the new territories, which is to all intents and purposes colonization, is what enables population to go on unchecked throughout the Union without having yet diminished the return to industry, or increased the difficulty of earning a subsistence. If Australia or the interior of Canada were as near to Great Britain as Wisconsin and Iowa to New York; if the superfluous people could remove to it without crossing the sea, and were of as adventurous and restless a character, and as little addicted to staying at home, as their kinsfolk of New England, those unpeopled continents would render the same service to the United Kingdom which the old states of America derive from the new. But these things being as they are— though a judiciously conducted emigration is a most important resource for suddenly lightening the pressure of population by a single effort—and though in such an extraordinary case as that of Ireland under the threefold operation of the potato failure, the
poor law, and the general turning out.
of tenantry throughout the country, spontaneous emigration may at a particular crisis remove greater multitudes than it was ever proposed to remove at once by any national scheme; it still remains to be shown by experience whether a permanent stream of emigration can be kept up, sufficient to take off, as in America, all that portion of the annual increase (when proceeding at its greatest rapidity) which being in excess of the progress made during the same short period in the arts of life, tends to render living more difficult for every averagely-situated individual in the community. And unless this can be done, emigration cannot, even in an economical point of view, dispense with the necessity of checks to population. Further than this we have not to speak of it in this place. The general subject of colonization as a practical question, its importance to old countries, and the principles on which it should be conducted, will be discussed at some length in a subsequent portion of this Treatise.
§ 1. The principles which have been set forth in the first part of this Treatise, are, in certain respects, strongly distinguished from those, on the consideration of which we are now about to enter. The laws and conditions of the production of wealth, par. take of the character of physical truths. There is nothing optional, or arbitrary in them. Whatever, mankind produce, must be produced in the modes, and under the conditions, imposed by the constitution of external things, and by the inherent properties of their own {i, and mental structure. Whether they like it or not, their productions will be limited by the amount of their previous accumulation, and, that being given, it will be proportional to their energy, their skill, the perfection of their machinery, and their judicious use of the advantages of combined labour. Whether they like it or not, a double quantity of labour will not raise, on the same land, a double quantity offood, unless someimprovement takes place in the processes of cultivation. Whether they like it or not, the unproductive expenditure of individuals will pro tanto tend to impoverish the community, and only their
roductive expenditure will enrich it.
he opinions, or the wishes, which may exist on these different matters, do not control the things themselves. We cannot, indeed, foresee to what extent the modes of production may be altered, or the productiveness of labour increased, by future , extensions of our knowledge of the laws of nature,
suggesting new processes of industry of which we have at present no conception. But howsoever we may succeed in making for ourselves more space within the limits set by the constitution of things, we know that there must be limits. We cannot alter the ultimate properties either of matter or mind, but can only employ those É. more or less successfully, to ring about the events in which we are interested. It is not so with the Distribution of Wealth. That is a matter of human institution solely. The things once there, mankind, individually or collectively, can do with them as they like. They can place them at the disposal of whomsoever they please, and on whatever terms. Further, in the social state, in every state except total solitude, any o whatever of them can only take place by the consent of society, or rather of those who dispose of its active force. Even what a person has produced by his individual toil, un, aided by any one, he cannot keep, unless by the permission of society. Not only can society take it from him, but individuals could and would take it from him, if society only remained passive; if it did not either interfere en masse, or employ and pay people for the purpose of preventing him from being disturbed in the possession. The distribution of wealth, therefore, depends on the laws and customs of society. The rules by which it is determined, are what the opinions and feelings of the ruling portion of the community make them, and are very different in different ages and countries; and might be still more different, if mankind so chose. The opinions and feelings of mankind, doubtless, are not a matter of chance. They are consequences of the fundamental i. of human nature, combined with the existing state of knowledge and experience, and the existing condition of social institutions and intellectual and moral culture. But the laws of the generation of human opinions are not within our present subject. They are part of the eneral theory of human progress, a ar larger and more difficult subject of inquiry than political economy. We have here to consider, not the causes, but the consequences of the rules according to which wealth may be distributed. Those, at least, are as little arbitrary, and have as much the character of physical laws, as the laws of production. Human beings can control their own acts, but not the consequences of their acts either to themselves or to others. Society can subject the distribution of wealth to whatever rules it thinks best; but what practical results will flow from the operation of those rules, must be discovered, like any other physical or mental truths, by observation and reasoning. We proceed, then, to the consideration of the different modes of distributing the produce of land and labour, which have been adopted in practice, or may be conceived in theory. Ong these, our attention is first claimed by that primary and fundamental institu. tion, on which, unless in some exceptional and very limited cases, the economical arrangements of society have always rested, though in its secondary features it has varied, and is liable to vary. I mean, of course, the institution of individual property.
show, that tribunals (which always precede laws) were originally established, not to determine rights, but to repress violence and terminate quarrels. With this object chiefly in view, they natur ally enough gave legal effect to first occupancy, by treating as the aggressor the person who first commenced vio. lence, by turning, or *#. turn, another out of possession. The preservation of the peace, which was the original object of civil government, was thus attained; while by confirming, to those who already possessed it, even what was not the fruit of personal exertion, a guarantee was incidentally given to them and others that they would be protected in what was so. In considering the institution of property as a question in social philosophy, we must leave out of consideration its actual origin in any of the existing nations of Europe. We may suppose a community unhampered by any previous possession; a body of colonists, occupying for the first time an uninhabited country; bringing nothing with them but what belonged to them in common, and having a clear field for the adoption of the institutions and polity which they judged most expedient; required, therefore, to choose whether they would conduct the work of production on the principle of individual property, or on some system of common ownership and collective agency. If private property were adopted, we must presume that it would be accomanied by none of the initial inequaities and injustices which obstruct the beneficial operation of the principle in old societies. Every full-grown man or woman, we must suppose, would be secured in the unfettered use and disposal of his or her bodily and mental faculties; and the instruments of production, the land and tools, would be divided fairly among them, so that all might start, in respect to outward appliances, on equal terms. It is possible also to conceive that in this original apportionment, compensation might be made for the injuries of nature, and the balance redressed by assigning to the less robust members of the community advantages in the distribution, sufficient to put them on a par with the rest. But thedivision, once made, would not again be interfered with ; individuals would be left to their own exertions and to the ordinary chances, for making an advantageous use of what was assigned to them. If individual property, on the contrary, were excluded, the plan which must be adopted would be to hold the land and all instruments of production as the joint property of the community, and to carry on the operations of industry on the common account. The direction of the labour of the community would devolve upon a magistrate or magistrates, whom we may suppose elected by the suffiages of the community, and whom we must assume to be voluntarily obeyed by them. The division of the produce would in like manner be a public act. The principle might either |. that of complete equality, or of apportionment to the necessities or deserts of individuals, in whatever manner might be conformable to the ideas of justice or policy prevailing in the community. Examples of such associations, on a small scale, are the monastic orders, the Moravians, the followers of Rapp, and others: and from the hopes which they hold out of relief from the miseries and iniquities of a state of much inequality of wealth, schemes for a larger application of the same idea have reappeared and become popular at all periods of active speculation on the first principles of society. In an age like the present, when a general reconsideration of all first principles is felt to be inevitable, and #. more than at any former period of history the suffering ortions of the community have a voice in the discussion, it was impossible but that ideas of this nature should spread far and wide. The late revolutions in Europe have thrown up a great amount of speculation of this character, and an unusual share of attention has consequently been drawn to the various forms which these ideas have assumed : nor is this attention likely to diminish, but on the contrary, to increase more and more. The assailants of the principle of in
dividual property may be divided into two classes: those whose scheme implies absolute equality in the distribu tion of the physical means of life and enjoyment, and those who admit inequality, but grounded on some principle, or supposed principle, of justice or general expediency, and not, like so many of the existing social inequalities, dependent on accident alone. At the head of the first class, as the earliest of those belonging to the present generation, must be placed Mr. Owen and his followers. M. Louis Blanc and M. Cabet have more recently become conspicuous as apostles of similar doctrines (though the former advocates equality of distribution only as a transition to a still higher standard of justice, that all should work according to their capacity, and receive according to their wants). The characteristic name for this economical system is Communism, a word of continental origin, only of late introduced into this country. The word Socialism, which originated among the English Communists, and was assumed by them as a name to designate their own doctrine, is now, on the Continent, employed in a larger sense; not necessarily implying Communism, or the entire abolition of private property, but * to any system which requires that the land and the instruments of production should be the property, not of individuals, but of communities or associations, or of the government. Among such systems, the two of highest intellectual pretension are those which, from the names of their real or reputed authors, have been called St. Simonism and Fourierism; the former, defunct as a system, but which during the few years of its public promulgation, sowed the seeds of nearly all the Socialist tendencies which have since spread so widely in France: the second, still flourishing in the number, talent, and zeal of its adherents.
§ 3. Whatever may be the merits or defects of these various schemes, they cannot be truly said to be impracticable. No reasonable person can doubt that a village community, composed of a few thousand inhabitants cultivating in joint ownership the same extent of land which at present feeds that number of people, and producing by combined labour and the most improved processes the manufactured articles which they required, could raise an amount of productions sufficient to maintain them in comfort; and would find the means of obtaining, and if need be, exacting, the quantity of labour necessary for this purpose, from every member of the association who was capable of work. The objection ordinarily made to a system of community of property and equal distribution of the produce, that each person would be incessantly occupied in evading his fair share of the work, points, undoubtedly, to a real difficulty. But those who urge this objection, forget to how great an extent the same difficulty exists under the system on which nine-tenths of the business of society is now conducted. The objection supposes, that honest and efficient labour is only to be had from those who are themselves individually to reap the benefit of their own exertions. But how small a part of all the labour performed in England, from the lowest paid to the highest, is done by rsons working for their own benefit. }. the Irish reaper or hodman to the chief iustice or the minister of state, nearly all the work of society is remunerated by day wages or fixed salaries. A factory operative has less personal interest in his work than a member of a Communist association, since he is not, like him, working for a partnership of which he is himself a member. It will no doubt be said, that though the labourers themselves have not, in most cases, a personal interest in their work, they are watched and superintended, and their labour directed, and the mental part of the labour performed, by persons who have. Even #. however, is far from being universally the fact. In all public, and many of the largest and most successful private undertakings, not only the labours of detail, but the control and superintendence are entrusted to salaried officers. And though the “master's eye,” when the master is vigilant and intelligent, is of
roverbial value, it must be remem
ered that in a Socialist farm or manufactory, each labourer would be under the eye not of one master, but of the whole community. In the extreme case of obstinate perseverance in not performing the due share of work, the community would have the same resources which society now has for compelling conformity to the necessary conditions of the association. Dismissal, the only remedy at present, is no remedy when any other labourer who may be engaged does no better than his predecessor: the power of dismissal only enables an employer to obtain from his workmen the customary amount of labour, but that customary labour may be of any degree of inefficiency. Even the labourer who loses his employment by idleness or negligence, has nothing worse to suffer, in the most unfavourable case, than the discipline of a workhouse, and if the desire to avoid this be a sufficient motive in the one system, it would be sufficient in the other. I am not undervaluing the strength of the incitement given to labour when the whole or a large share of the benefit of extra exertion belongs to the labourer. But under the present system of industry this incitement, in the great majority of cases, does not exist. If Communistic labour might be less vigorous than that of a peasant proprietor, or a workman labouring on his own account, it would probably be more energetic than that of a labourer for hire, who has no personal interest in the matter at all. The neglect by the uneducated classes of labourers for hire, of the duties which they engage to perform, is in the present state of society most flagrant. Now it is as admitted condition of the Communist scheme that all shall be educated: and this being supposed, the duties of the members of the association would doubtless be as diligently performed as those of the generality of salaried off, cers in the middle or higher classes who are not supposed to be neces sarily unfaithful to their trust, becauso so long as they are not dismissed, their pay is the same in however lax .
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for a part only, if for any part, of their actual maintenance, can afford to work for a less remuneration than the lowest rate of wages which can permanently exist in the employments by which the labourer has to support the whole expense of the family. Working, as they do, not for an employer but for themselves, they may be said to carry on the manufacture at no cost at all, except the small expense of a loom and of the material; and the limit of possible cheapness is not the necessity of living by their trade but that of earning enough by the work to make that social employment of their leisure hours not disagreeable.
§ 4. These two cases, of slave labour and of domestic manufactures, exemplify the conditions under which low wages enable a country to sell its commodities cheaper in foreign markets, and consequently to undersell its rivals, or to avoid being undersold by them. But no such advantage is conferred by low wages when common to all branches of industry. General low wages never caused any country to undersell its rivals, nor did general high wages ever hinder it from doing so.
To demonstrate this, we must return to an elementary principle which was discussed in a former chapter.* General low wages do not cause low prices, nor high wages high prices, within the country itself. General prices are not raised by a rise of wages, any more than they would be raised by an increase of the quantity of labour required in all production. Expenses which affect all commodities equally, have no influence on prices. If the maker of broadcloth or cutlery, and nobody else, had to pay higher wages, the price of his commodity would rise, just as it would if he had to employ more labour; because otherwise he would gain less profit than other producers, and nobody would engage in the employment. But if everybody has to pay higher wages, or everybody to employ more labour, the loss must be submitted to; as it affects everybody alike, no one can hope to get rid of it by a change of employment, each therefore resigns himself to a diminution of profits, and prices remain as they were. In like manner, general low wages, or a general increase in the productiveness of labour, does not make prices low, but profits high. If wages fall, (meaning here by wages the cost of labour,) why, on that account, should the producer lower his price? He will be forced, it may be said, by the competition of other capitalists, who will crowd into his employment. But other capitalists * Supra, book iii. ch, iy.
are also paying lower wages, and by entering into competition with him they would gain nothing but what they are gaining already. The rate then at which labour is paid, as well as the quantity of it which is employed, affects neither the value nor the price of the commodity produced, except in so far as it is peculiar to that commodity, and not common to commodities generally.
Since low wages are not a cause of low prices in the country itself, so neither do they cause it to offer its commodities in foreign markets at a lower price. It is quite true that if the cost of labour is lower in America than in England, America could sell her cottons to Cuba at a lower price than England, and still gain as high a profit as the English manufacturer. But it is not with the profit of the English manufacturer that the American cotton spinner will make his comparison; it is with the profits of other American capitalists. These enjoy, in common with himself, the benefit of a low cost of labour, and have accordingly a high rate of profit. This high profit the cotton spinner must also have: he will not content himself with the English profit. It is true he may go on for a time at that lower rate, rather than change his employment; and a trade may be carried on, sometimes for a long period, at a much lower profit than that for which it would have been originally engaged in. Countries which have a low cost of labour, and high profits, do not for that reason undersell others, but they do oppose a more obstinate resistance to being undersold, because the producers can often submit to a diminution of profit without being unable to live, and even to thrive, by their business. But this is all which their advantage does for them: and in this resistance they will not long persevere, when a change of times which may give them equal profits with the rest of their countrymen has become manifestly hopeless.
§ 5. There is a class of trading and exporting communities, on which a few words of explanation seem to be required. These are hardly to be looked upon as countries, carrying on an exchange of commodities with other countries, but more properly as outlying agricultural or manufacturing establishments belonging to a larger community. Our West India colonies, for example, cannot be regarded as countries, with a productive capital of their own. If Manchester, instead of being where it is, were on a rock in the North Sea, (its present industry nevertheless continuing,) it would still be but a town of England, not a country trading with England; jt would be merely, as now, a place where England finds i£ convenient to carry on her cotton manufacture. The West Indies, in like manner, are the place where England finds it convenient to carry on the production of sugar, coffee, and a few other tropical commodities. All the capital employed is English capital; almost all the industry is carried on for English uses; there is little production of anything except the staple commodities, and these are sent to England, not to be exchanged for things exported to the colony and consumed by its inhabitants, but to be sold in England for the benefit of the proprietors there. The trade with the West Indies is therefore hardly to be considered as external trade, but more resembles the traffic between town and country, and is amenable to the principles of the home trade. The rate of profit in the colonies will be regulated by English profits; the expectation of profit must be about the same as in England, with the addition of compensation for the disadvantages attending the more distant and hazardous employment; and after allowance is made for those disadvantages, the value and price of West India produce in the English market must be regulated, (or rather must have been regulated formerly,) like that of any English commodity, by the cost of production. For the last twelve or fifteen years] this principle has been in abeyance: the price was first kept up beyond the ratio of the cost of production by deficient supplies, which could not, owing to the deficiency of labour, be increased; and more recently the admission of foreign competition has introduced another element, and some of3 the West India Islands are undersold, not so much because wages are higher than in Cuba and Brazil, as because they are higher than in England: for were they not so, Jamaica could sell her sugars at Cuban prices, and still obtain, though not a Cuban, an English rate of profit.
It is worth while also to notice another class of small, but in this case mostly independent communities, which have supported and enriched themselves almost without any productions of their own, (except ships and marine equipments,) by a mere carrying trade, and commerce of entrepot; by buying the produce of one country, to sell it at a profit in another. Such were Venice and the Hanse Towns. The case of these communities is very simple. They made themselves and their capital the instruments, not of production, but of accomplishing exchanges between the productions of other countries. These exchanges are attended with an advantage to those countries
1 [So since 6th ed. (1865); replacing " ten or twelve " in 1st ed. (1848).]
2 I" Some of " inserted in 5th ed. (1862).]
—an increase of the aggregate returns to industry—part of which went to indemnify the agents for the necessary expenses of transport, and another part to remunerate the use of their capital and mercantile skill. The countries themselves had not capital disposable for the operation. When the Venetians became the agents of the general commerce of Southern Europe, they had scarcely any competitors: the thing would not have been done at all without them, and there was really no limit to their profits except the limit to what the ignorant feudal nobility could and would give for the unknown luxuries then first presented to their sight. At a later period competition arose, and the profit of this operation, like that of others, became amenable to natural laws. The carrying trade was taken up by Holland, a country with productions of its own and a large accumulated capital. The other nations of Europe also had now capital to spare, and were capable of conducting their foreign trade for themselves: but Holland, having, from a variety of circumstances, a lower rate of profit at home, could afford to carry for other countries at a smaller advance on the original cost of the goods, than would have been required by their own capitalists; and Holland, therefore, engrossed the greatest part of the carrying trade of all those countries which did not keep it to themselves by Navigation Laws, constructed, like those of England, for that express purpose.
OF DISTRIBUTION, AS AFFECTED BY EXCHANGE
§ 1. We have now completed, as far as is compatible with our purposes and limits, the exposition of the machinery through which the produce of a country is apportioned among the different classes of its inhabitants; which is no other than the machinery of Exchange, and has for the exponents of its operation the laws of Value and of Price. We shall now avail ourselves of the light thus acquired, to cast a retrospective glance at the subject of Distribution. The division of the produce among the three classes, Labourers, Capitalists, and Landlords, when considered without any reference to Exchange, appeared to depend on certain general laws. It is fit that we should now consider whether these same laws still operate, when the distribution takes place through the complex mechanism of exchange and money; or whether the properties of the mechanism interfere with and modify the presiding principles.
The primary division of the produce of human exertion and frugality is, as we have seen, into three shares, wages, profits, and rent; and these shares are portioned out to the persons entitled to them, in the form of money, and by a process of exchange; or rather, the capitalist, with whom in the usual arrangements of society the produce remains, pays in money, to the other two sharers, the market value of their labour and land. If we examine, on what the pecuniary value of labour, and the pecuniary value of the use of land, depend, we shall find that it is on the very same causes by which we found that wages and rent would be regulated if there were no money and no exchange of commodities.
It is evident, in the first place, that the law of Wages is not affected by the existence or non-existence of Exchange or Money. Wages depend on the ratio between population and capital; and would do so if all the capital in the world were the property of one association, or if the capitalists among whom it is shared maintained each
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Bouquets & Brickbats
Theatre – Film – Comedy – Food
Amélie: the Musical
My first thought on hearing that Jean Pierre-Jeunet’s 2001 movie had been turned into a stage musical was ‘how the hell are they going to pull that off?’ The answer? With charm and élan. Unlike so many recent ‘film-to-stage’ adaptations, which are merely attempts to slavishly copy the look and feel of the original, Amélie: the Musical is an accomplished theatrical experience in its own right.
It is, off course, the story of Amélie Poulain (Audrey Brisson), a shy loner who lives her life vicariously through the experiences of others. As a child (where she is adorably portrayed by a puppet), her eccentric parents convince themselves that their little girl is suffering from a rare heart condition and subsequently deny her all contact with the outside world. Little wonder she turns out as she does.
After her mother’s bizarre death and her father’s increasing isolation, Amelie realises she needs to seek new horizons. She packs a bag and heads off to Paris, where she takes a job as a waitress in a little café and becomes increasingly involved in the lives of her colleagues, customers and neighbours. She also bumps into Nino (Danny Mac) on the Metro, a young man who has a strange preoccupation with public photo-booths. She immediately feels a powerful attraction to him – but how will she ever overcome her shyness and summon up the courage to speak to him?
There’s an ensemble cast of sixteen actors, all of whom play musical instruments and most of whom are onstage throughout, providing a haunting accompaniment to the action. The songs by Nathan Tyson and Daniel Messé are memorable – I particularly enjoy the sequence where Amélie fantasises that she is the recently deceased Princess Diana, and Elton John (Caolin McCarthy) delivers a heartfelt elegy to mark her passing. Special mention should also be made of Madeleine Girling’s ingenious set design, which, with a few minor adjustments, manages to transform itself into a whole series of locations, as the cast troop back and forth with military precision. As Amélie, Brisson is an extraordinary presence, whether she’s slinking around in pursuit of some new objective or zooming effortlessly up to her circular lair above the action.
Amelie: the Musical comes closer than most film adaptations to achieving the best of both worlds. Fans of the movie will feel that it has been shown exactly the right amount of respect, while lovers of theatre will enjoy this as a gloriously eccentric theatrical event.
Win-win!
Philip Caveney
Posted in Theatre and tagged Amélie: the Musical, Audrey Brisson, Caolin McCarthy, Daniel Messé, Danny Mac, Elton John, Jean Pierre-Jeunet, Madelaine Girling, Nathan Tyson on June 26, 2019 by Bouquets & Brickbats. Leave a comment
Rock star biopics are big business of late. The rather pedestrian (and factually flawed) Bohemian Rhapsody absolutely cleaned up at the box office and even garnered some ill-deserved awards into the bargain. Rocketman has the same director as Bo Rhap – or, at least, Dexter Fletcher steered the former film to fruition after Bryan Singer was obliged to step away from it. But Rocketman almost serves as an object lesson in how entertaining this genre can be when the filmakers have the balls to step away from the obvious and offer up something infinitely more experimental.
This is a fantasia, in its purest form, something that dares to take Elton John’s life story and play around with it. Ironically, in the process, it manages to get closer to the truth of the man behind the myth than Bo Rhap ever managed with Freddie Mercury.
When we first meet Elton, he’s attending a therapy session, dressed as a bright red devil, having just walked away from an important gig – and then, in flashback, we encounter young Reginald Dwight (Matthew Illesley), strugglng to obtain affection from his distant parents, Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Stanley (Steven Mackintosh), establishing a distance between them that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Reginald learns he has an aptitude for playing the piano and an ability to effortlessly pick up any tune he hears. Pretty soon, he is older Reg (Kit Connor) and, in the space of one breathless fairground dance routine, he’s grown up to be Taron Egerton. We follow his career: his meeting with kindred spirit, Bernie Taupin (Jaimie Bell), his signing with hard-nosed business manager, Dick James (Stephen Graham), and his love affair with the cruelly manipulative John Reid (Richard Madden).
There’s his career making gig at LA’s Troubador Club and then all the manic excesses of rock hedonism are unleashed – alcoholism, drug and sex addiction, bulimia, that disastrous attempt at marriage… you name it, it’s all encompassed in a series of inventively staged scenes, backed by a seemingly endless collection of solid gold songs. Ironic then, that the film’s most effective moment has Elton belting out a cover version of The Who’s Pinball Wizard, while his piano spins giddily around and he goes through a whole collection of iconic costume transformations.
This film doesn’t attempt to cover EJ’s entire career, ending after his long spell in rehab and his triumphant return with I’m Still Standing, but it’s endlessly entertaining and doesn’t drag for a moment, not even through the inevitable nods to redemption at its conclusion. I am properly engaged from start to finish. Oh, and importantly – I think – that’s actually Taron Egerton singing all the songs, uncannily nailing EJ’s distinctive phrasing, without it ever feeling like an impersonation.
With so many reasons to go and see it, Rocketman is in serious danger of giving the rock biopic a good name. And Dexter Fletcher is now clearly the go-to man for musicians with a story to tell.
Posted in Film and tagged Bohemian Rhapsody, Bryce Dallas Howard, Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Jamie Bell, Kit Connor, Matthew Illesley, Richard Madden, Rocketman, Stephen Graham, Steven Mackintosh, Taron Egerton, The Who on May 26, 2019 by Bouquets & Brickbats. Leave a comment
Kingsman: the Golden Circle
Marmite movies – you wait for ages and then two come along at once.
No sooner has the Twitterverse stopped ranting about Darren Aronfsky’s mother! than they are virtually foaming at the mouth over this sequel to Kingsman: the Secret Service. The way people talk about it, you’d think the original was some kind of cinematic masterpiece. It certainly wasn’t that, but it was, in my opinion, great fun – an adrenalin-fuelled Bond spoof. This first film covered the induction of straight talking street-kid, Eggsy into the suave and sartorially elegant ranks of the Kingsmen, a secret society pledged to defend the world from evil.
Inevitably perhaps, the sequel is bigger and flashier, with such a starry cast that Taron Egerton finds himself in the uncomfortable position of being third-billed in what is ostensibly his movie. Director Matthew Vaughan and writer Jane Goldman have clearly decided, this time out, to pursue an even more audacious plot line, cranking the old silly-o-metre up to maximum override – in the process, I’m afraid, making the whole thing a tad too ridiculous even for my taste.
Drug kingpin, Poppy (Julianne Moore), based in a secret hideout in the South American jungle (aren’t they all?), is seeking to enslave the world with her own brand of opiates. She even inserts a special ingredient into her produce that turns its users into blue-veined freaks with a life expectancy of just a few days. While she’s at it, she also unleashes a series of vicious attacks on the Kingsman headquarters, killing off most of its key operatives. The only two survivors, Eggsy (Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong), head off to Kentucky and the headquarters of Statesman, the American equivalent of their own organisation. There, they team up with Tequila (Channing Tatum), Ginger (Halle Berry) and Whiskey (Pedro Pascal) in a bid to find an antidote to Poppy’s drugs and save millions of people from an untimely death…
As I said, the plot is so borderline-deranged, it’s hard for an audience to feel any sense of jeopardy – and no amount of guest appearances from the likes of Elton John, Jeff Bridges or Poppy Delevingne can prevent this from feeling like an over-inflated soufflé, all style and very little substance. It’s not a total write-off, mind you. Vaughan still has a winning way with an action set-piece and there are several here that periodically ramp up the excitement, but all too soon we’re back to robot dogs, people being made into hamburgers, Eggsy knocking around with a princess and introducing her to all his mates on the estate… and then there’s the little matter of a character who was murdered in the previous film still being alive. How do they explain that one? Well, they do try. I can’t help feeling that a storyline that kept a little closer to some kind of reality would help no end.
Look, here’s the bottom line. If you didn’t like the first film, you’ll hate this – and if, like me, you enjoyed the first one, you might just be willing to accept everything being ramped up to number eleven. But as far as I’m concerned, this is where I bale out.
(By the way, what’s with the John Denver thing? Here’s yet another movie that employs Take Me Home, Country Roads for one of its key scenes – about the fourth or fifth I’ve seen in as many months.)
Posted in Film and tagged Channing Tatum, Elton John, Halle Berry, Jane Goldman, Jeff Bridges, John Denver, Julianne Moore, Kingsman:the Golden Circle, Mark Strong, Matthew Vaughan, Pedro Pascal, Poppy Delevigne, Taron Egerton on September 24, 2017 by Bouquets & Brickbats. Leave a comment
Billy Elliot: The Musical – Live
Live cinema linkups may not be quite the same thing as actually being there, but when the reality of seeing a show involves a return trip to London and a night in a hotel, it clearly make commercial sense to nip down to the nearest multiplex. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of musicals but I saw Billy Elliot at the Victoria theatre in 2007 and thought it one of the best stage shows I’d ever seen, so here was an opportunity to revisit it, some ten years later.
Based on Stephen Daldry’s superb movie (released in 2000) this is a canny adaptation that incorporates many of the film’s best moments and throws in some ideas of its own. It’s 1984 and the men of a small County Durham mining town are out on strike. Teenager Billy (played in this performance by Elliott Hanna, but the role is shared with three other young actors) is coping with the recent death of his mother. Dad (Deka Walmsley) is struggling to hold the family together, while Billy’s older brother, Tony (Chris Grahamson) is a committed militant, and Grandma (Ann Emery) is rapidly succumbing to dementia. Sent to the local gym for boxing lessons, Billy finds himself much more interested in the ballet classes run by local dance teacher, Mrs Wilkinson (Ruthie Henshall), but he knows that Dad won’t approve of him swapping one class for another…
It has to be said that the musical version has a somewhat unsteady start, featuring overheated jokes about meat pasties and a kitchen invasion by striking miners, that are both clumsily handled, but it quickly settles into its stride and once Billy reports for boxing training, it becomes truly engaging. There are some superbly staged routines – a scene where a ballet class becomes entangled with a face-off between striking miners and truncheon-wielding police is a particular highlight, as is Billy’s anger-fuelled tap-freakout in front of a row of riot shields. Only the stoniest hearts will resist shedding tears in several scenes here, particularly the one where Billy and Mrs Wilkinson share a reading/singing of his Mother’s last letter. Young Elliot Hanna demonstrates such breathtaking talent that you cannot take your eyes off him. When a seasoned trouper like Ruthie Hensall pales in comparison alongside him, you know he surely must have a bright future ahead.
The figures speak volumes of the show’s success. It’s run continuously in the West End since 2005, has toured worldwide and has been seen by a total audience of more than 9.5 million. People love this show and I am no exception.
Posted in Theatre and tagged Billy Elliot: The Musical, Elliot Hanna, Elton John, Ruthie Henshall, Stephen Daldry on September 29, 2014 by Bouquets & Brickbats. Leave a comment
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Written by calenhenry March 13, 2008
‘Super Smash Bros. Brawl’ is great fun
“Super Smash Bros. Brawl” is here and if you liked previous games in the series, stop reading and go buy it now.
“Brawl” is really just more of what we’ve had before, but it’s much, much more and it’s just what players have wanted.
The premise of “Smash Bros.” is as simple as it is ingenious: take a large roster of Nintendo game characters and let players battle in 2D arenas. The characters come from most of Nintendo’s franchises, Zelda, Mario, Metroid, Pokemon, etc.
Players select a character and fight against three other computer or human controlled opponents. The mechanics are slightly different from other fighters; the objective is to knock your opponents out of the level until they’ve lost all their lives, or time has run out. Every time a character lands a blow, the victim’s damage percentage goes up. The higher a character’s damage, the farther they fly with each blow landed until eventually they fly out of the level, scoring a point for the attacker.
Various weapons and power ups appear randomly, replenishing health or adding temporary weapons for you to use.
The games have worked before because the stages and characters are fun and creative, the controls are simple but the gameplay has hidden complexities, and it’s tons of fun to play with friends. None of that has changed for “Brawl”, and that’s good.
There’s the core “Brawl” mode where you battle your friends or the computer in matches. There’s a minigame mode and some objective based fights (both of which are playable with one or two players simultaneously). There’s online play with random strangers or friends via friend codes. There are all sorts of screens to look at all the goods you’ve collected from playing. Lastly there’s a new adventure mode, which is very neat, and a welcome addition.
“Brawl” controls amazingly. I found it the easiest to get into of all the games. The controls are simple but elegant. There are no convoluted combos; every character’s attacks are pulled off almost the same way. This makes it really easy to jump into, but taking the time to learn the controls is very helpful. It rewards both button mashing and skill, but skill is more rewarding in the end.
The gameplay is great, all the older modes are still fresh and the new ones are at least fun if not as fun as the classic modes. The only new addition to the core fighting is the “Final Smash” move for each character. At random intervals a rainbow ball appears on screen. The player to break it gets to unleash a devastating attack that has the potential to knock out all the other players. It’s a great new feature that complements the core game play very well. Apart from that it’s worth mentioning that there is a lot of gameplay here, especially taking into consideration all the things to collect. You get trophies for everything and it keeps track of all the collectibles quite nicely, letting you browse them at will.
Adventure mode: The adventure mode is completely new to the series and is pretty neat. It tells a grand story revolving around all the characters, which you play through in “Double Dragon”-style sidescrolling levels. The story is told through great looking cutscenes and the production values are very high all the way through. As you progress you collect stickers to power up your characters. The gameplay doesn’t quite match up to the rest of adventure mode. It can get repetitive and the controls, which work wonderfully for a fighter, are not the best for a sidescroller. That said, adventure mode is fun and a worthy inclusion, especially because through it you can unlock all the characters in the game (37 in total).
Classic mode: Just what you’d expect, great fun. Fight your way to the final boss (same as the other games) a giant hand. This mode is unchanged from previous games and is still lots of fun. My only complaint is after beating it and being challenged by a character that you have to defeat to unlock, it’s very disheartening to lose to that character. Good thing they can all be unlocked in adventure mode.
There is also a challenge and minigame mode in single player, but I’ve yet to delve into them. They look fun though.
Local: There’s not much to say about this, “Smash Bros.” was the ultimate party game before and this one only ups the ante. If you have a few friends to play with the game is worth picking up for local multiplayer alone.
Online: Online is essentially good, but held back by Nintendo’s Wi-Fi service. You can jump into random games with strangers, but there are no options to customize, just what the game gives you. You can play with people you know, but you need their friend code and they need yours. That said, once you’ve got the friend business setup online is a blast, and relatively lag-free.
You can also play various parts of the single player game co-operatively with two players. I’ve only tried the adventure mode and it’s essentially one player following the other and having limited control of the game. Fun, but not essential.
“Super Smash Bros. Brawl” is great. There is enough crammed on the game disc to keep you playing for the life of the system. However, if you’re not much for multiplayer games, don’t buy this one for the single player.
Calen Henry is a fourth-year student of Japanese studies and multimedia at McMaster University. He grew up in Owen Sound, has been a gamer since childhood and is also interested in music and film.
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Digital Transformation: A Focus on Creativity, Not Tools
Microsoft and Aspect Team on Unified Communications
Microsoft and Aspect Software Inc. this week initiated a global strategic alliance focused on better enhancing communications between contact centers and the broader enterprise. Under the agreement, Chelmsford, Mass.-based Aspect will integrate its contact center software into Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, a unified communications platform that supports instant messaging, voice over IP (VoIP) and Web conferencing for the enterprise.
The five-year deal is not exclusive but it is renewable, explained Gurdeep Singh Pall, corporate vice president of the Unified Communications Group at Microsoft. However, Microsoft considers Aspect's contribution to be a leading option for new and existing enterprise customers, he added, speaking as part of a teleconferenced meeting with the press.
In addition, Microsoft is investing in Aspect as part of the deal, although Pall refused to say how much.
"Contact centers are an extremely important category when we talk to customers," Pall said. "And more and more decisions around voice depend on a very rich contact center solution also being available. So we are very excited about this alliance, and we also believe that the innovation of unified communications with contact centers is a great way to realize the target value that lies there."
Specifically, Aspect will integrate its .NET-based Unified IP contact center solution with Microsoft's software-powered voice (or VoIP) engine, according to Jim D. Foy, president, CEO and director of Aspect Software. He added Aspect will also recommend Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 as "the leading option" to Aspect's customers.
The integrated solutions will aim to solve a basic problem: enabling better communications between contact center personnel and experts within an enterprise. So Aspect's solution will add an "ask-an-expert" capability to make that happen.
"More than 10 percent of all contacts within the contact center do not get resolved inside the contact center," Foy said. "In fact, they require the involvement of other parts of the enterprise. What the 'ask-the-expert' or 'click-to-the-expert' mechanism does is provide that instant access to experts while maintaining the whole context of the customer call to the contact center."
Microsoft already has a relationship with Nortel called the "Innovative Communications Alliance" that addresses the integration of Nortel's PBX solutions with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. Pall characterized Microsoft's server product as an open solution that enables any vendor to add enhancements.
Aspect, in addition to having a strategic alliance with Microsoft, is also a competitor with Nortel in the unified communications space.
"We already are competitively competing with Nortel in the context of this space, and we would expect that to continue," Foy said. "And the competitive advantages that we at Aspect believe we have against Nortel would apply within both the UC [unified communications] environment and the more conventional environments that exist today."
Foy identified Aspect's focus on enhancing communications between the contact center and the enterprise as one of those competitive advantages.
Sometime this year, Aspect plans to release a new version of its Unified IP product that will interoperate with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. The company also will provide services and systems integration associated with Microsoft's solution.
Kurt Mackie is online news editor, Enterprise Group, at 1105 Media Inc.
Application Monitoring for On-premises, Hybrid, and Multi-cloud Environments
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Carla Lee Suson, Novelist
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Tiangong-1’s Death Throes
March 29, 2018 / Carla Lee Suson, Novelist / Leave a comment
The astronomy news sites, like Space.com, have been filled with information about Tiangong-1, a Chinese space station tumbling out of control towards Earth this weekend. On the one hand, space trash entering the atmosphere and burning up is not really news. It happens all the time, particularly since estimates put orbiting debris at around 170 million items smaller than a centimeter, 670,000 bits between 1 and 10 cm, and about 29,000 larger bits (Wikipedia par 2). These small bits of shielding, tools, a lost glove, and other small bits burn up when they renter the atmosphere. It is scary to realize that these numbers do not include the 17,852 objects being tracked by the United States Strategic Command, of which only 1,419 are operational satellites.
Credit CMSA. An artist’s rendition of the space station. From Space.com
For example, Tiangong-1 (Heavenly Palace in English) is not small. This station is a smallish 9.4 tons and the rough size of a school bus, so is possible that some fragments might make it all the way to the ground even after it breaks apart upon re-entry. People shouldn’t worry about these fragments though, since experts say the chances of getting hit with the debris is extremely unlikely. One fun fact though is that a popular television show, Dead Like Me, was based on the comedic premise that the main character was killed by a re-entry toilet seat from space. And this space station isn’t even the largest thing to streak earthward. The Russian space station Mir came down in 2001 and weighed 120 metric tons. The biggest difference is that Mir was controlled when it hit the atmosphere whereas Tiangong-1 will not be.
Space Station History
Tiangong-1 was China’s first small station. It was launched in 2011 with the purpose to perform docking practices and living in space tests in 2012 and 2013. It orbited the earth at an altitude of 217 miles. Although it provided useful planetary data for the Chinese space agency, this station’s service ended in 2016 (Howell).
Waste of Resources
An object of this size coming down from space is an unusual event but not necessarily a dangerous one. What strikes me as the real crime here is that, when it flames out of existence, so will so much steel, glass, gold, aluminum, platinum, and other elements. Yes, some of them, particularly the more valuable ones, might only be a few grams in weight but they will no longer be recoverable. Such a small amount may seem like less than a drop of water in an overflowing bucket that represents Earth’s resources, but we all know even that bucket has limits.
We are drilling deeper for oil and gas and digging deeper for coal. We know Helium is running out, and there is no alternative to its use in industry or medicine. For most folks, this means using MRI machines may eventually become rare or stopped altogether because the users don’t have enough helium to cool the superconducting magnets (Quora). We use up and destroy resources because they have always been plentiful but some day they won’t be, a lesson we seem to keep having to learn over and over.
Computer generated image of Earth with her trash. Credit: NASA. From Wikipedia.com
In that regard, this means rarer metals like platinum, gold, iridium, palladium that are put into spacecraft will never make it back to the Earth to be recycled. Picture a world in the not too distant future where we can’t go to space anymore because we lack some kind of specialized wires or rare-earth semi-conductors to run the equipment. In addition, we can’t make any more since they are elements. This potential future grows even more likely every time a spacecraft, satellite, or station disintegrates as it returns to its mother planet.
Being Better Resource Managers
The wiser move for reducing space trash in the future is two-fold. Consider an international standardization of space equipment so old stations can form parts of new stations. Perhaps this is already in place. It just seems to me that having a five-year mission for a station, such as for Tiangong-1, represents a waste of resources when it could be somehow shifted and attached to future, larger endeavors.
The second part of the plan is to look into research to clean up our heavens and bring the debris down for recycling. It may initially be costly, but it would save money in protecting our operational satellites as well. According to Wikipedia, five satellites have collided with space trash as of December 2016, resulting in more debris. One can’t help but wonder if that number will rise as we continue blasting new projects skyward.
Bringing the debris down would allow us to extract valuable metals and help preserve what limited resources we have. It would also create safer zones of operation as man continues to press forward through the solar system. To make these changes though, humanity has to get rid of the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality on space garbage and begin to create plans to reduce or reuse our resources better. One possibility of that is using reusable rockets, which many agencies and companies are pursuing.
In addition, more than one man’s fortune was made in garbage historically. It is easy to imagine a world where the Earth’s orbit is just a stepping stone to the Moon and Mars. During that time, it might become cheaper and more feasible for a company to rake in all that junk, sort it, reprocess the elements and become wealthy doing so. I can even picture a recycling center in space since lifting things in and out of Earth’s gravity well is part of the overwhelming cost of space exploration.
Heavenly Show
Tiangong-1’s predicted fall path. Credit: Aerospace Corporation. From Space.com
On the other hand, Space.com predicts that this first Chinese space station will make quite a show as it hurls downward. They offer live coverage which started on March 28th at The Virtual Telescope Project. The big show will be somewhere between March 30th and April 1st. The flight path covers the southern part of the US, most of South American and Africa (Howell 2).
So if you are out watching the night sky and notice a a thin streak much like a large meteor crossing the sky, give a moment of silence to this complex distant machine as it goes through its death plunge. It represents yet another step taken in the path leading man to the stars.
“Space Debris” Wikipedia.com 25 March 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_debris.
Letzter, Rafe. “China’s Out-of-Control Space Station is Nowhere Near the Biggest Thing to Fall From Space” Space.com 26 March 2018. https://www.space.com/40097-china-space-station-tiangong-crash-how-big.html.
Quora. “Why We are Running out of Helium and What we can do About It.” Forbes.com 1 Jan 2016. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/01/01/why-we-are-running-out-of-helium-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/#71c825b157ad
Howell, Elizabeth. “Tiangong-1: China’s First Space Station” Space.com 26 March 2018. https://www.space.com/27320-tiangong-1.html
Howell, Elizabeth “Watch China’s Tiangong-1 Space Station in Real Time as It Nears its Demise” Space.com 28 March 2018. https://www.space.com/40111-watch-chinese-tiangong-1-space-station-demise.html
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CHARLES DERECK ADAMS v. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
CHARLES DERECK ADAMS, Petitioner v. MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD, Respondent DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, Intervenor
Before NEWMAN, DYK, and REYNA, Circuit Judges. CHARLES DERECK ADAMS, Herndon, VA, pro se. KATRINA LEDERER, Office of the General Counsel, Merit Systems Protection Board, Washington, DC, for respondent. Also represented by BRYAN G. POLISUK. CHRISTOPHER L. HARLOW, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for intervenor. Also represented by BENJAMIN C. MIZER, ROBERT E. KIRSCHMAN, JR., DEBORAH A. BYNUM.
Charles D. Adams appeals pro se a final order of the Merit Systems Protection Board (“Board”) dismissing his claims for lack of jurisdiction. The U.S. Department of Defense purportedly transferred Mr. Adams from one position to another, and then reassigned him back to his former position. We conclude that substantial evidence supports the Board's findings that both the alleged transfer and reassignment occurred without reducing Mr. Adams's grade or pay. We further conclude that the Board was correct in determining that the reassignment did not result in justiciable, non-frivolous claims. We affirm the Board's final order dismissing the case for lack of jurisdiction.
Mr. Adams worked as an information technology specialist for the Department of Defense. According to the evidence submitted by Mr. Adams, the Department of Defense transferred Mr. Adams to a position at the Pentagon, effective February 1, 2009. Mr. Adams claims that he out-processed from his former position with the Missile Defense Agency (“MDA”) in late January, and began working at his new position at the Pentagon on February 2, 2009. Shortly after starting the new position, Mr. Adams asserts that he was reassigned back to his former position with the MDA. Mr. Adams argues that he suffered from a hostile work environment while at the MDA and was the target of discrimination on the basis of age and race. Mr. Adams asserts that the agency acted unlawfully by returning him to this environment. While working at the MDA—either before the purported transfer to the Pentagon or after returning to the MDA following that transfer—Mr. Adams contends that he was denied a pin and certificate for recognition of 30 years of government service, could not take use-or-lose leave, was denied certain benefits others were receiving, was subjected to internal investigations, was terminated for charging his cell phone,1 and was lied to about his going-away party.
On May 26, 2015, Mr. Adams filed an appeal with the Board. Mr. Adams alleged due process violations, denial of the right to a jury trial, discrimination, and various other regulatory and statutory violations. Mr. Adams sought damages and reinstatement.
An administrative judge ordered Mr. Adams to submit evidence and argument showing that the Board had jurisdiction over his claims arising from the reassignment. The order also directed Mr. Adams to submit evidence and argument showing that his appeal was timely filed, or that there was good cause for the delay. In response, Mr. Adams alleged that the reassignment to the MDA violated his rights, and that bad faith by the MDA nullified the Board's timeliness and jurisdictional requirements. He also alleged his prior appeals to the Board had engendered prejudice against him among the Board's administrative judges. The Department of Defense moved to dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction and timeliness.
In July 2015, the administrative judge issued an initial decision, dismissing the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. The administrative judge found that no reduction in grade or pay had occurred, and that the claims were frivolous because Mr. Adams failed to support his allegations. In October 2015, the Board affirmed the administrative judge's initial decision and entered a final order dismissing the case for lack of jurisdiction.
Mr. Adams appeals. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(9). See also Conforto v. Merit Sys. Prot. Bd., 713 F.3d 1111, 1120-21, 1123 (Fed. Cir. 2013) (holding that Fed. Cir. retains jurisdiction over appeals from the Board's final orders dismissing for lack of jurisdiction).
We may hold unlawful and set aside an agency action found to be “(1) arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law; (2) obtained without procedures required by law, rule, or regulation having been followed; or (3) unsupported by substantial evidence.” 5 U.S.C. § 7703(c). Whether the Board has jurisdiction to adjudicate an appeal is a question of law, which we review de novo. Forest v. Merit Sys. Prot. Bd., 47 F.3d 409, 410 (Fed. Cir. 1995). We are bound by the Board's factual findings on which a jurisdictional determination is based unless those findings are not supported by substantial evidence. Bolton v. Merit Sys. Prot. Bd., 154 F.3d 1313, 1316 (Fed. Cir. 1998).
An appellant bears the burden of establishing the Board's jurisdiction by preponderant evidence. Fields v. Dep't of Justice, 452 F.3d 1297, 1302 (Fed. Cir. 2006); see also 5 C.F.R. § 1201.56(a)(2). The appellant establishes jurisdiction by making “non-frivolous allegations of jurisdiction supported by affidavits or other evidence.” Nichols v. Merit Sys. Prot. Bd., 625 F. App'x 987, 991 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (citations omitted).
We conclude that the Board lacked jurisdiction over Mr. Adams's appeal because Mr. Adams failed to present a justiciable claim supported by affidavits or other evidence. Mr. Adams did not present—then or now—any allegation or evidence that his purported reassignment resulted in a reduction in grade or pay. Mr. Adams also failed to proffer competent evidence or sufficient argument to support his various theories in support of his claims. Mr. Adams has the burden to establish jurisdiction through non-frivolous allegations, which he failed to carry in this case.2
The Board's final order is supported by substantial evidence, not arbitrary or capricious, and in accordance with law. We affirm the Board's final order.
No costs.
1. The circumstances of the revocation of Mr. Adams's security clearance and his subsequent removal were considered by this court in Adams v. Dep't of Def., 371 F. App'x 93 (Fed. Cir. 2010).
2. Mr. Adams also raises various arguments that have been disposed of in other cases. Our 2010 decision held that the agency did not err in declining to retain Adams or transfer him to another position. Adams v. Dep't of Def., 371 F. App'x at 96. A discrimination claim originally brought at the EEOC has been transferred to district court. Adams v. Dep't of Def., No. 15-3161 (Fed. Cir. Sep. 3, 2015) (order transferring case to E.D. Va.). A petition for writ of mandamus directing the Board to rule on Adams's Voluntary Early Retirement Authority request was denied. In re Adams, No. 16-101 (Fed. Cir. Dec. 22, 2015) (order).
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Jackie Kirkwood Seeking Election as Justice of the Peace Precinct 4
Posted about two years ago by Jackie Kirkwood
Jackie Kirkwood is seeking election as justice of the peace for Precinct 4 in the Republican Primary.
“I would like to announce my candidacy for the office of justice of the peace for Shelby County Precinct 4. I have spent most of my adult life in a servant leadership role in which allowed me to serve the public, helping and caring for others. I spent almost forty years in public education as a teacher and principal forming the lives of young people and assisting parents in the education of their children. I served in the United States Military for over 28 years with the last 17 years as a chaplain assistant that afforded me the incredible opportunity to serve my country and my God at the same time. That service provided me the opportunity to care for the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of many military members during a time of war. For twenty years, I also served the public as a reserve police officer. The last 12 years of my law enforcement career was spent as a Deputy City Marshal for the City of Tenaha. The rewarding experience of protecting the property and lives of the citizens will be cherished and forever remain a memory.
All my experiences mentioned were endeavors embarked upon because of a great heart for serving others. I have been retired from those wonderful opportunities that God provided for me and now feel the calling to again serve others. I believe that as the justice of the peace, I will have the opportunity to once again serve my fellow man. As a judge, I know that the decisions made have very important and sometimes great consequences on people’s lives. Careful thought must be placed in every decision. The job must be done with fairness, integrity, and a genuine compassion for others. I believe that with my servant’s heart that I can fulfill the duties of this office with dignity and pride, delivering the justice that is expected from the esteemed office of justice of the peace. I would be greatly honored for the votes of the citizens of Precinct 4.
Graduate of Tarleton State University
Graduate of Sam Houston State University
Attended University of Texas-Tyler
Graduate of the Basic Reserve Police Officer Course of East Texas Police Academy-Kilgore College
College training included agriculture education, agriculture and educational administration, pre-law and criminal justice
Completed security police training through the United Air Force Security Forces School at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas
Served four years as a security forces member for the 917th Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana
Served as a chaplain assistant for the 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, served as the non-commissioned officer in charge of the Chaplains Office, and served seven years as an instructor for chaplain candidates for the Air Force Reserve Command
Awarded numerous military awards which included the Air Force Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Medal and Navy Achievement Medal.
In 2013, awarded the chaplain assistant of the year award for the Air Force Reserve Chaplain Command.
Once again, it would be an extreme pleasure to place my name on the ballot for the job of justice of the peace Precinct 4. When elected, I will pledge to serve as a fulltime judge for the court and do the job to the best of my ability. I will make myself available to the citizens of Precinct 4 and will cooperate with other elected officials to the best of my ability. I want to support our law enforcement officers as they carry out the duty of enforcing the laws. Cooperating with the school officials in juvenile issues will be a priority as well. Land owner and tenant rights will also be of utmost importance in the execution of the office of the justice of the peace.
I am in hopes that the citizens of Precinct 4 will evaluate my education, experience and training along with my enormous heart for serving others and place their vote for me as their next justice of peace.
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Survey: Colorado youngsters fitter, safer
By Rebecca Jones
Colorado youngsters tend to be a bit healthier, a bit fitter and a bit safer than students nationwide, and they seem to have gotten better in some areas than they were four years earlier.
That’s according to results, released Tuesday, of a survey of more than 1,500 Colorado students from 36 high schools around the state.
But there’s no reason for exultation, since the prevalence of risky and unhealthy behaviors is still alarmingly high, and in some cases it’s getting higher, state health and education officials say.
“I think one of the positives that people should take away from the report is that in terms of physical activity, nutrition and obesity, Colorado youth are really doing better than the national average,” said Paula Gumina, a program coordinator for the Colorado Department of Education.
“But there are some things we really need to pay attention to,” she said. “Schools can use this data to really help make strategic decisions about programs and how they allocate resources based on what the youth are telling us they need.”
The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey was administered to ninth- to 12th-graders at randomly selected high schools in the fall of 2009. Parts of the same survey were distributed to more than 16,000 teens nationwide in 42 states and 20 large urban school districts. This national Youth Risk Behavior Survey allows officials to compare Colorado students to their peers nationwide.
Key findings among the survey results:
Alcohol, tobacco and substance abuse
Tobacco, alcohol and other substance use overall was down slightly in 2009. Just over 72 percent or teens reported having tried alcohol, down from 76 percent; 43 percent reported trying cigarettes, down from 49 percent.
Marijuana use remained stable, at just over 42 percent of teens reporting having tried it. Since the survey was taken in 2009, it does not reflect potential effects of the state’s growth in medical marijuana usage. “But we are ramping up now to conduct this survey in the fall of 2011, so that will give us more updated information on tobacco, alcohol and other substance abuse,” Gumina said.
Colorado students in 2009 were less likely to report driving after drinking than in 2005, down from 11 percent to 7 percent. Yet a quarter of them reported riding with a driver who was drinking within the past 30 days. However, that’s still less than the national averages: 10 percent who have driven while drinking and 28 percent who have recently ridden with a driver who was drinking.
Depression remains a problem for just over a quarter of Colorado teens, just as in 2005, and nearly 14 percent reported seriously considering suicide in both years. Eleven percent actually made a suicide plan and 7.6 percent did attempt suicide, up slightly from 2005.
More significant was the growth in the number of teens who sustained an injury that required medical attention while attempting suicide: 3 percent, up from 1 percent in 2005. Nationwide, the number of suicide-related injuries has declined, from 3 to 2 percent. In other mental health-related areas, Colorado mirrored national trends.
Close to 90 percent of Colorado students say they got at least one hour’s worth of physical activity at least one day a week in 2009, up from 80 percent in 2005. And 47 percent said they got a good workout at least five days out of seven, up from 37 percent in 2005. The national average remains 37 percent.
But the number of Colorado students who report attending a PE class at least one day a week has fallen, from just over 50 percent in 2005 to 45 percent in 2009. That’s far below the national average of 56 percent.
Only 20 percent of Colorado students were classified as overweight or obese in 2009, roughly the same number as in 2005, but significantly less than the nearly 28 percent of teens nationwide in those categories. However, far fewer reported exercising or eating less to lose weight than in 2005, and nationwide teens are far likelier to change their diets to lose weight than they are in Colorado.
Not surprisingly, while boys were slightly more likely to have a weight problem than girls, girls were far more likely to describe themselves as overweight, and vastly more likely to exercise or eat less to lose weight. This is true nationally as well.
From a nutrition standpoint, salad consumption is down slightly – 71.5 percent in 2005 ate at least one salad a week, compared to 67 percent in 2009 – but the percentage who report eating at least five fruits or vegetables every day is up, from 19 to 24 percent. Colorado teens do exceed the national averages in their consumption of fruits and veggies, while their milk and soda consumption is comparable.
Differences by ethnicity
A number of ethnic differences emerged in regards to risky behaviors among the teens. In Colorado, as well as the rest of the nation, Hispanic students were more likely to report being involved in a physical fight in the past year, and more likely to report being threatened with a weapon and missing school because they felt unsafe.
Unlike the rest of the country, Colorado Hispanic students were no more likely to experience relationship violence or forced sexual intercourse than were other students.
Bullying in Colorado also appears to be spread more evenly, with no significant differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic youths reporting it, whereas nationwide, white non-Hispanic youth are more likely to be bullied.
Cigarette use is markedly higher among Hispanic students than non-Hispanic whites in Colorado, 55 percent to 39 percent, though that drops to 21 percent and 17 percent respectively when asked about smoking in the past 30 days, the survey shows. Nationally, those differences are even more pronounced.
Sexual behavior remained pretty consistent between 2005 and 2009. Forty percent of high school students reported having had sex at least once in their lives, with close to 30 percent having a current sexual partner. That’s similar to national trends.
Violence and relationship abuse
Violence continues to plague a significant number of Colorado’s young people. Nearly a third of students reported engaging in a physical fight in the 12 months before taking the survey – roughly the same percentage as in 2005. And nearly a fifth, or 19 percent, reported having been bullied at school in the previous year. The bullying question was new so there is no point of comparison.
One behavior that appears to be up significantly is relationship violence. Just over 9 percent of youths reported having been hit by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the previous year, up from 6 percent in 2005, and 7.7 percent report having been forced to have sex, up from 5.1 percent. These results parallel findings nationwide.
Read the full Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2009.
See the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance 2009 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About our First Person series:
First Person is where Chalkbeat features personal essays by educators, students, parents, and others trying to improve public education. Read our submission guidelines here.
More stories in First Person
My high school sent a counselor to visit me in college. I repaid the favor by running a marathon.
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This Supreme Court case could deliver a win for school choice advocates. What might happen next?
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By Laura Faith Kebede
bullying childhood obesity depression drugs exercise Healthy Schools high school mental health nutrition Parent physical education School safety substance abuse suicide prevention underage drinking
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Ethan Wiseman World History Period 3 May 22
Ethan Wiseman
Imagine you are being sent to an internment camp by the US Government. You have
been given 48 hours to evacuate your home, leaving everything you own and have worked for
all your life behind. The only possessions you may take with you is what you can carry. What
would you pack? Food, clothing, your most prized possession? How would you feel? Anger,
fear, or a sense of safety? Would you go along freely, or would you fight for your rights and all
that you have worked for? This is probably just a few of the emotions that we’re running
through the Japanese-Americans minds when they were told to do so on December 7, 1941.
Japan had just performed a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The US military began
rounding up individuals of Japanese descent within hours of the attack. They were to be
arrested and temporarily housed in holding cells and jails until internment camps could be built.
This brings to mind an important yet controversial question. Was the evacuation and
internment of people of Japanese Ancestry during World War II necessary and Justified?” Many
would say, “yes” it was. It was needed to keep everyone safe during this trying time. But, in my
own opinion, it goes against everything this country stands for and was built upon. People of all
nationalities and race immigrate to America for the pursuit of freedom and the hopes of making
their lives better. This was not the case for the Japanese-Americans when they were sent to
internment camps. They were not treated fairly and their rights as an American citizen were
taken away. So, I say “no”, the evacuation and internment of people of Japanese Ancestry
during World War II was not necessary and justified.
On February 19, 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of
American, signed what is known as the Executive Order 9066. This order was brought about
due to the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor. With the attack on Pearl Harbor, this caused the
United States to enter into the second World War. It also prompted the US Government to
take action in order to make America safe within. “In an atmosphere of World War II hysteria,
President Roosevelt, encouraged by officials at all levels of the federal government, authorized
the internment of tens of thousands of American citizens of Japanese ancestry and resident
aliens from Japan. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, dated February 19, 1942, gave the military
broad powers to ban any citizen from a fifty- to sixty-mile-wide coastal area stretching from
Washington state to California and extending inland into southern Arizona.” (History Matters,
Executive Order 9066, P. 1) The Executive order was thought to protect against espionage and
sabotage of our national defense. The US thought it was possible that those of Japanese
descent would be loyal to their ancestral country. Rather than take a chance, the US thought it
would be wise to round them up and place them in internment camps. A place where they
would be safe and the military could keep an eye on them. However, many people of Japanese
descent didn’t see it this way. Fred Korematsu being one of them. Instead, he refused to be
detained in one of these camps. As President Bill Clinton said in the YouTube video, “an ordinary
American took an extraordinary stand. Fred Korematsu boldly opposed the forced internment
of Japanese Americans during WWII”. (Bill Clinton, Fred Korematsu – YouTube Video) Fred
went to great lengths to avoid being sent to the internment camps. He went as far as to have
surgery on his eyes to make him look less like a Japanese person and more like a Spanish one.
Because Fred Korematsu refused to relocate to an interment camp, he was arrested by
the FBI and charges were brought upon him. They charged him with failing to follow the
Civilian Exclusion Order No. 34, which was part of the Executive order 9066. He was tried and
convicted in September 1942 in Federal Court and found guilty. Not willing to accept his
conviction, Mr. Korematsu appealed to the Supreme Court. On December 18, 1944 the
Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the Executive Order was needed and therefore the decision
stood. Almost 40 years later, on November 10, 1983, the ruling was overturned by a Federal
In the case Korematsu v. United States, on December 18, 1944, the judges were not
unanimous in their decision. The judges against internment felt that the US Government had
not supplied enough proof to strip an American citizen of their freedoms indefinitely. While
most the judges agreed that the US had the ability to protect its borders and the ability to
detain individuals as a matter of national security. As stated by Justice Murphy, “the fact that
conditions were not such as to warrant a declaration of material law adds strength to the belief
that the factors of time and military necessity were not as urgent as they had been represented
to be”. (History Matters, Korematsu v. United States, P. 5) The fourth amendment protects US
citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures. However, those of Japanese ancestry were
relocated, their possessions taken, all without proof of any wrong doing. Mass paranoia led to
a violation of their basic constitutional rights. In the You Tube Video, XXX, Mr. X, was forced to
sell his shop that he had put his life savings into. He had no choice but to sell his shop for
fifteen Hundred dollars when he put well over twenty thousand dollars into it. This was one
example of a hardship that violated the fourth amendment.
Mr. Justice Black who delivered the opinion of the court wrote “that all legal restrictions
which curtail the civil rights of a single racial group are immediately suspect. That is not to say
that all restrictions are unconstitutional. Pressing public necessity is sometimes justify the
existence of such restrictions.” (History Matters, Korematsu v. United States, P. 1) The country
was at war. Panic and distrust of Japanese ancestry was immediately suspect. Public officials
used the excuse to intern Japanese-Americans for their safety. The initial intent of the
internment camps from a military stand point was to remove the threat from borders and
places military importance. Anyplace that contained planes and boats such as airports and
VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND DIPLOMACY DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Violet Andrew Saliu THE EFFECT OF INTERNATIONAL ELECTORAL OBSERVATION ON ELECTORAL INTEGRITY IN NIGERIA
The Syrian Refugees in JordanCarolangel Zorrilla Middlesex Community College When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace
This of Japanese art which thrived from the 17th
Article Review Urbanization in Southeast Asia during the world War II Japanese Occupation and its Aftermath by Gregg Huff and Gillian Huff Nur Syafiqah Binti Mohd Sobran
291Manual on Human Rights Education with Young People – Council of Europe aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Background Information on Human Rights The evolution of human rights Promises
Comparative Study on China and Japan After World War II
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES SECURING CIVILIANS THROUGH PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS IN AFRICA
Triple Talaq – Islamisation of Women and Global Perspective Talaq is the unilateral right of the man to divorce his wife
Exellent Students Essays
Slavery ended in 1865
In many ways economic freedom Is an antidote to poverty in the past two decades during which the EFI has been charting the advances of economic freedom
You can then develop a plan that fits
Africa comes a very diverse continent with many histories and many events that happened which have influences in other continents
The story The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick is focused on a sixteen years old name Billy Luckett
The story’s first line
According to the Amazon Aid Foundation
Introduction The cold war era has seen a multitude of human right violation and human atrocities especially in the last decade of twenty first century
Unit 1 questions 1
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The historical library and museum board shall consist of nine members. Such members shall be appointed by the mayor, subject to the confirmation by the common council for terms of three years, three members to be appointed annually. They shall receive such compensation as shall be determined by the council from time to time.
Duties of the Historical Library and Museum Board
The Board is responsible for the operation, management, and supervision of the City's Historical Museum.
The Board is also responsible for the restoration and on-going maintenance of the Columbus Street Water Tower. Such restoration and on-going maintenance is accomplished through fund raising activities and donations. The board shall perform the following duties relating to the Columbus Street Water Tower:
Conduct fund raising activities for the restoration, preservation, and on-going maintenance of the Columbus Street Water Tower;
Administer the escrowed and donated funds for the restoration, beautification and ongoing maintenance of the Water Tower.
The Board is also required to keep the Mayor and City Council advised on the status of both the Historical Museum and Columbus Street Water Tower.
See a full description of the Historical Library and Museum Board in Chapter 2.76 of the Sun Prairie Municipal Code of Ordinances.
The Board meets as needed at the discretion of the Board Chairperson, which is usually scheduled for the 2nd Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Helen Wirka
Sun Prairie Historical Library and Museum
Email Helen Wirka
Open Hours: Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 12 PM - 4 PM;
Saturdays from 10 AM - 2 PM
Winter Hours: The Museum will be closed from Dec. 22, 2019-March 3, 2020. During this time, staff and volunteers will be working behind the scenes on research and inventory projects.
The Museum will reopen on March 4, 2020 with regular business hours: Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 12-4pm and Saturdays from 10am-2pm.
Beginning January 6th, tours will be offered by appointment only. Visitors are asked to please schedule these tours two business days ahead of time.
Appointments for research should be submitted two business days in advance to allow staff time to locate materials.
February 1st, 2020: Special Open House Day, 10AM - 2PM
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Published on April 13th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
Air Race E (Electric Airplane Race) Launching In 2020
April 13th, 2019 by Nicolas Zart
Air Race E Series Wants To Rekindle Old Airplane Races With Electricity
What a wild first year it’s been for the highly entertaining electric Air Race E, which is gearing up for its first year of races — targeted for 2020. My last conversation with Jeff Zaltman, Air Race E’s CEO, showed me that the group is about as dynamic as its airplanes maneuvering in the sky.
After announcing its innovative partnership with Airbus and the University of Nottingham, Air Race E got to work on the prototype of the electric race airplane. Zaltman said:
“It has been an amazing 12 months for all the team at Air Race E and we are working like crazy in the background to make the world’s first all-electric airplane race a fantastic spectacle.
“The project has gained support from across the globe and the huge partners that have come on board in the last year serve to highlight the significance of the electric aviation industry and its development for the future.”
This past year was spent grouping the airplanes, race pilots, aviation engineers, and all sports associations involved while opening a test center in Europe. Finally, a “plug and play” electric motor, battery, and electric propulsion system was designed which can be retrofitted onto existing conventional Air Race 1 plane.
Jeff told me that the original gas-powered Air Race 1 started in 2013, picked up in 2015, and continues to grow bigger. He said that Air Race E became a possibility once he and his team realized all the ingredients for a race were there already — sanctioning bodies, engineers, PR teams, and overall expertise to deliver it. They just needed to be put together into an international airplane race series.
The idea behind the open series lies with early air races in the ’20s and ’30s, which were followed by hundreds and thousands of people in a rather informal manner. Air Race E is re-launching this with the electric open platform drivetrain.
The Reno Air Show already has an official relationship with Air Race 1 with 6 different races, which means Air Race E would be 7th.
Lastly, I asked Jeff if there was anything going on with the Rolls-Royce ACCEL e-plane racer, but he told me there was nothing formal with them — although, he welcomes a future collaboration. He concluded by saying that excitement of the race would be captured by the various configurations in the race, which means that some planes will be faster on straight lines, other more maneuverable. Let the racing begin!
This last point is of particular importance, as it means a lineup of different electric airplanes each good at a specific task will have to duke it out between pylons. In the end, launching an electric flight series when the technology is still in its infancy is daunting but will accelerate sustainable aviation and motorsports in the future. So far, Air Race E is the world’s first and only all-electric airplane racing championship.
Jeff told me he decided to base Air Race E on the well-proven Motorsport format, such as formula one air racing or Air Race 1. This high-adrenaline, very fast-paced, multi-plane race on a closed circuit around six pylons meters above the ground is faster than any land-based sport you can witness. It is spectacular! Each plane will be driven by a propeller powered by an electric motor.
We’ll leave the last words to Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer of Airbus.
“We want to motivate manufacturers to showcase their technologies across the full spectrum of electric propulsion systems and components.
“This partnership enables us to demonstrate our commitment to staying at the leading edge of electric propulsion and developing a new ecosystem.”
Tags: Air Race 1, Air Race E, Airbus, airplane race, electric air mobility, electric air race, electric aircraft, electric airplanes, Grazia Vittadini, Jeff Zaltman, Pylon racing, racing, Red Bull, Red Bull Air Race, Reno Air Show, rolls royce, Rolls-Royce Accel
Nicolas Zart Nicolas was born and raised around classic cars of the 1920s, but it wasn't until he drove an AC Propulsion eBox and a Tesla Roadster that the light went on. Ever since he has produced green mobility content on various CleanTech outlets since 2007 and found his home on CleanTechnica. He grew up in an international environment and his communication passion led to cover electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, renewable energy, test drives, podcasts, shoot pictures, and film for various international outlets in print and online. Nicolas offers an in-depth look at the e-mobility world through interviews and the many contacts he has forged in those industries. His favorite taglines are: "There are more solutions than obstacles." and "Yesterday's Future Now"
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R. Kelly Charges: Singer Faces Two Federal Indictments: Child Porn, Enticement, And Obstruction Charges In Chicago; Sex Trafficking Case In New York
By Charlie De Mar July 12, 2019 at 10:17 pm
Filed Under:Chicago, Chicago News, child pornography, Enticement Of A Minor To Engage In Criminal Sexual Activity, Local TV, Mugo Odigwe, New York, Obstruction Of Justice, R. Kelly, racketeering, sexual abuse, sexual assault
CHICAGO (CBS) — R. Kelly was back behind bars on Friday, charged in two separate federal indictments in Chicago and New York; including allegations accusing him of a scheme to recruit and sexually abuse girls and to pay off victims and witnesses to cover up his crimes.
The charges also include allegations he paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to recover tapes of him sexually abusing the girl at the center of his 2008 child pornography trial and coerced the victim to lie about what happened.
A federal judge ordered Kelly to remain in federal custody at least until a detention hearing next week. His arraignment has been scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.
Federal prosecutors said Kelly “threatened, intimidated, physically abused, and used violence, threats of violence, and other controlling behaviors against victims and witnesses so that he could abuse, manipulate, and control them.”
According to the charges in Chicago, Kelly sexually abused five girls in the late 1990s, made videos of four of the victims, and then paid hush money and made threats to cover up his sex crimes.
“Defendant’s psychological abuse and control of the young girls, who are now adults, is real and ongoing,” prosecutors wrote in a memo supporting their request to keep him in jail for now. “Further, defendant and his co-conspirators used defendant’s fame, power, and financial resources to go to great lengths to obstruct justice, cover-up evidence, and tamper with witnesses. For years, defendant used threats, intimidation, and pressure to cause victims, their family members, and witnesses to provide false information to law enforcement regarding defendant’s sexual abuse of young teen girls.”
In Chicago, federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Friday morning, charging him on 13 counts including child pornography, enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and obstruction of justice.
Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York filed a separate five-count indictment, charging Kelly with racketeering, transporting for prostitution and coercion or enticement to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Kelly, 52, was arrested around 7 p.m. Chicago time while walking his dog and was being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Chicago.
Defense attorney Steve Greenberg said he believes Kelly should be granted bail when he appears for a detention hearing next week.
“The man is not a flight risk. The man never missed a court date in the 2000s when he was charged with a case. He hasn’t missed a court date on the state case that’s pending now,” he said. “It’s the worst-kept secret that he was going to get charged federally, and he hasn’t fled. So he’s certainly not a flight risk. He’s not a danger to anybody at all.”
https://twitter.com/MeganHickeyTV/status/1149764225360912384
Greenberg called the new charges “the worst case of piling on I’ve ever seen.”
“I’m amazed that he hasn’t had a complete breakdown in the face of all of this pressure and the pressure on his career,” Greenberg said.
Federal Charges In Chicago
The Chicago indictment accuses Kelly and former manager Derrel McDavid of conspiring to cover up videotapes Kelly allegedly made of himself sexually abusing children. Another Kelly employee, Milton “June” Brown, faces child pornography charges for allegedly helping ship videotapes of Kelly’s sexual crimes in the U.S. mail.
The indictment accuses Kelly of abusing five girls:
A 12- or 13-year old girl in 1996 or 1997
A 17-year-old girl in 1997
A 13- or 14-year-old girl in 1997 or 1998.
Federal prosecutors allege Kelly videotaped himself abusing four of those girls. According to the indictment, Kelly, McDavid, and Brown schemed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to recover those tapes when the singer discovered them missing from his collection.
One of the girls Kelly allegedly abused, identified in the indictment only as “Minor 1,” is the same girl who was at the center of a child pornography case filed against Kelly in 2002. He was acquitted in that case in 2008.
The feds said Kelly coerced the girl and her parents to lie to police and a Cook County grand jury about Kelly’s sex crimes. McDavid allegedly instructed the girl’s father to deny she was the girl on the video, and Kelly allegedly persuaded the girl to falsely deny that he’d abused her, and to falsely deny that it was her on the tape.
Kelly also allegedly made payments and bought gifts for that victim and her parents from 2000 to 2015 to keep them quiet about the videos.
Kelly and McDavid also allegedly paid off others so they wouldn’t cooperate with the investigation, and would help cover up evidence, including the videos.
In 2007, Kelly and McDavid allegedly agreed to pay another victim $250,000 to return a tape showing Kelly abusing her and “Minor 1”, and paid her and another unnamed individual another $100,000 each to help return other tapes.
In June 2008, Kelly allegedly learned an unnamed individual was planning a press conference to announce he had tapes of Kelly sexually assaulting children. Kelly allegedly paid that person $170,000 to cancel the press conference.
Kelly also allegedly used physical abuse, threats of violence, and blackmail to maintain control over his victims and prevent them from talking to law enforcement.
McDavid pleaded not guilty Friday morning, and he was released on $500,000 bond.
R. KELLY: Kelly’s former manager, Derrel McDavid, surrendered this morning and has been released.
Won’t pay $500,000 bond today…security will be determined at next hearing. @cbschicago https://t.co/dyuiYULVBm
— Tara Molina (@TaraMolinaTV) July 12, 2019
Brown is due to make his first court appearance on July 19.
Sex Trafficking Charges In New York
The federal indictment unsealed Friday charges Kelly with five felony counts, including racketeering and Mann Act violations, which involve transporting a person across state lines to engage in illegal sexual activity. The racketeering case also accuses him of kidnapping, sexual exploitation of a child, and forced labor.
Federal prosecutors said Kelly and his managers, bodyguards, and other employees acted as a criminal enterprise to recruit women and girls to engage in illegal sexual activity with Kelly. Kelly and his enterprise would pick out women and girls who attended his concerts and other events; and arranged for them to travel to see Kelly. He would later hold them against their will, according to the feds.
Once the women and girls Kelly had picked started staying with him, he and his employees would set rules his victims had to follow, including not leaving their rooms without Kelly’s permission, even to eat or go to the bathroom; not looking at other men; to wear baggy clothing whenever they weren’t with him; demanding absolute commitment to Kelly; and calling the singer “Daddy.”
Kelly allegedly coerced some of the girls he’d abused to engage in sexually explicit conduct on video, which he later had shipped across state lines. The feds also said he didn’t inform his victims that he had a sexually transmitted disease.
The indictment alleges that the criminal acts date back to 1999. Through the recent documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly,” federal authorities in New York realized some of his acts happened there.
“It wasn’t until the docuseries put again a spotlight on this type of activity that our agents assigned to the trafficking in persons unit – that are very experienced – decided to take a hard look at it,” said Angel Melendez, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York. “One of the victims that was included in the indictment, as recent as last year, was brought here to New York so he could carry out his nefarious sexual acts with her, including not informing her of a sexually transmitted disease.”
WATCH: R. Kelly Says All Of His Sexual Abuse Accusers Are Lying
Cook County Charges
Kelly has already been charged with over 20 counts of sexual abuse in Cook County. He was first charged in February with 10 counts of sexual abuse involving four females, including three children. In May, he was charged with an additional 11 felony counts involving one of those victims, identified only as JP.
According to the May indictment, R. Kelly engaged in sex acts with JP in January 2010 “by the use of force or threat of force and … acted in such a manner as to threaten or endanger the life of JP.”
The Cook County charges include aggravated criminal sex assault, criminal sex assault and aggravated criminal sex abuse. The four aggravated criminal sex assault charges are class X felonies and carry prison terms of up to 30 years if he’s convicted.
Kelly pleaded not guilty to the most recent Cook County charges in a June court hearing.
In the February indictment, prosecutors said Kelly sexually abused four females, including three girls. Kelly allegedly had a witness make sex tapes of him abusing one of the victims, a 14-year-old girl.
Allegations of Kelly’s sexual abuse go back decades and have prompted a recent nationwide protest called #MuteRKelly to boycott his music, in the wake of a Lifetime documentary, “Surviving R. Kelly,” featuring interviews with the music artist’s alleged accusers.
In 2008, Kelly was acquitted of child pornography charges connected to a videotape of him allegedly abusing an underage girl. It took six years from the time Kelly was charged with the offense to the end of the trial. It took the jury less than a day to deliberate.
WATCH: R. Kelly Exclusive: Singer Angrily Denies Sex Charges
Charlie De Mar
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Booking/Contact Us
Promo & Tech
Tom is the band's banker by day but in his off hours can be found in various churches, banquet rooms, bars and parks around Chicago, often with his trombone in hand. As a youngster, he was fascinated with the drums, but in third grade he picked up the trombone and has never looked back.
He has played with a number of concert and jazz bands during his school years and beyond. For many years he was a member of wedding and rock bands with the occasional brass ensemble mixed in. As a horn player growing up in Chicago during the 70's, bringing you the music of Chicago is tantamount to throwing a block for Walter Payton or playing shortstop next to Ron Santo. He hopes you enjoy listening to Chicago's music as much as he enjoys playing it!
Paul Bata
Paul was born in Chicago and began studying classical piano at age eight before taking up percussion at age twelve. Paul played his first professional gig at fifteen. From there, he's participated in virtually every style of music: rock; jazz; symphonic; theater; ethnic; funk; rhythm and blues.
Paul has been a member of several notable bands on the Chicago circuit, including: arena; Farewell; Deja Groove; Battlefield; Take 5; and the Stanley Paul Band. Paul's musical heroes include: Chick Corea; Keith Emerson; Stevie Wonder; Frank Zappa; Tony Williams and Buddy Rich.
Terry Geraci
Terry has played keyboards professional late for the last 20 years in a myriad of bands/genres, from jazz, to pop, to classic/progressive rock, to funk/R&B, and has composed many original works in the same genres.
Terry is also an accomplished saxophonist and flautist who studied under Bill Sears, Shelley Yoelen, and Jim Massoth and was the recipient of the 1988 Elmhurst College Jazz Festival's "Best Saxophonist" award, given by judges and jazz greats Clark Terry. Pat LaBarbera and Ed Soph.
Paul Mabin
Paul Mabin is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan but has lived in Chicago for over 25 years. He began singing professionally in Detroit, Michigan at the age of 12 yrs old while singing on several song demos in the late 1970s for a record deal under the vocal coaching/mentoring of legendary R&B singer Ron Banks of The Dramatics.
He then continued performing with several local bands and then went on to study vocal music performance at Western Michigan University after receiving a vocal performance scholarship under their vocal jazz studies program.
After graduating, he made his move to Chicago where he formed an a cappella group called The Sound opening for artists including: The Beach Boys, Chubby Checker, Al Green, All 4 One, Mark Lindsey of Paul Revere and the Raiders, Dion and the Belmonts and many more.
Paul Mabin then toured as one of two background vocalist with the four-time Grammy Award winning artist Seal throughout Europe and the U.S. while also making appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brian, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Motown Live and many others.
As a background vocalist, Paul's voice can also be heard on several hit songs by Grammy Award winning artist R. Kelly. You can also see him singing on Fox Television's hit TV show "Empire" as part of a 6 piece vocal ensemble in their second series season finale performing live with renowned actor/singer Jussie Smollett.
Paul is currently a SAG/AFTRA professional vocalist/arranger/songwriter.
You may have also heard his voice on several national radio and TV commercials including Kmart, JC Penny, McDonald's, Subway, Celebrex, SC Johnson, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Bob Evans and several others.
Paul currently leads his own society band The Paul Mabin Band performing locally and nationally. He is also contracted as a freelance singer and drummer working for other Chicago area society bands and tribute bands.
Paul Mabin currently continues to write, arrange and produce his own original material while being contracted to sing lead and background vocals for commercials, albums and many other projects.
Chuck Parrish
Prior to arriving in Chicago, Chuck toured as the lead player with Ray Charles, Mel Torme and the Woody Herman Orchestra. Since 1992 he has been an active freelance player at area theaters, performing with artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder to Tony Bennett, Marie Osmond to Aretha Franklin, the Illinois Philharmonic to the New York Ballet Theatre Orchestra. He enjoyed a seven year association with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, led by the lat Bill Russo, playing either the lead trumpet or the Cat Anderson/Maynard Ferguson books.
In addition to performing, he is active as a teacher and clinician, currently on staff as trumpet instructor at Glenbrook South High School, the 2008 National Grammy Signature School Gold Meal Winner, and several inner city schools. Chuck was recently on a panel with Marcus Belgrave, Dr. Mabel Johns, Stanley Crouch and others as the Genius Without Borders: A Symposium in Honor of the Genius of Ray Charles, held at The Center for Black Music Research at Cllumbia College. He has a Masters in Jazz Trumpet Performance from DePaul University and is co-lead trumpet player with the legendary rock band, Chase.
Reed Pauley
Reed has played guitar and bass in and around the Chicago area for the past 30 plus years. Some of the bands he has played with are: Legacy; Take 5; Fanfare; and The Four Man Acoustical Band. Reed loves cheeseburgers and is willing to play for them.
Dan Peters’ roots-rock power trio, The West Side Winders, has two critically acclaimed, AMA charting, independant albums, “Come and Get It” and “Snaken Not Stirred.” They have toured the U.S. & Europe and supported the likes of Bon Jovi, Sammy Hagar and many other big name acts.
Dan starred in the debut run of Dee Snider’s Rock n Roll Xmas Tale in Chicago, played lead guitar on Broadway in the hit rock musical Rock of Ages (as well as productions in Texas & Illinois) and starred in Blue Man Group Productions’ “EMO” project workshop in NYC.
His performance credits also include work with PBS concert acts Under The Streetlamp & Rocktopia Live, singer/actress Kristin Chenoweth, keyboardist Jools Holland of Squeeze, blues legend Otis Rush, Andy Kirk of Bad Company, a TV pilot with actor/comedian Joe Piscopo, the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the touring production of Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues, ABC’s “Cupid” with Jeremy Piven, the Chicago Children’s Choir, the Steppenwolf Theater Co. and a performance with Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider of the Star Spangled Banner & Oh Canada in 2014 at United Center for the Chicago Bulls.
His playing is featured on several video games from Zynga and Incredible Technologies (including the popular arcade game “Golden Tee”) as well as various jingles including work for The Travel Channel, Warren Miller, Chevy and Special Olympics.
In addition to live performance and recording sessions, Dan is also a private guitar instructor.
Dan is an honors graduate of Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA.
John Springbrunn
John began his formal study of instrumental music in 1970 and has played woodwinds and piano/keyboard for rock, jazz, and classical ensembles including: Park Avenue; Take 5; The Dana Legg Big Band; Fox Valley Concert Band. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in music education and has been a high school band director for the past 31 years. In this capacity he is active as composer, clinician, and adjudicator.
Copyright © 2018 Chicago Tribute Anthology - All Rights Reserved.
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Deflation : Determinants, Risks, and Policy Options
Taimur Baig, Jörg Decressin, Tarhan Feyzioglu, Manmohan Kumar, and Chris Faulkner-MacDonagh
Deflation can be costly and difficult to anticipate, and concerns of a generalized decline in prices in both industrial and emerging market economies have increased recently. This paper investigates the causes and consequences of deflation, the risk of deflation globally and in individual countries, and policy options. The authors discuss issues related to the measurement, determinants, and costs of deflation and examine previous episodes of deflation. They compute an index of deflation vulnerability, which they apply to the 35 largest industrial and emerging market economies. Finally, the paper offers several policy options for protecting against deflation and for coping with it should it strike.
I Overview
II Measurement, Determinants, and Costs
III Historical Experiences of Deflation and Policy Lessons
IV Risks of Deflation
V Policy Response
Analytical Framework and Historical Experience
Policy Response
Concerns of a generalized decline in prices in both industrial and emerging market economies have increased markedly since last fall. With Japan, China, and several other Asian economies already experiencing declining prices, the worry has been that deflationary pressures could deepen, and even spread more widely. This concern comes amid massive declines in global equity markets; significant excess capacity and widening output gaps; repeated disappointments over the pace of global recovery; geopolitical uncertainties; and the impact on activity of higher oil prices.
This is the second time in the past five years that widespread concerns about deflation have come to the fore—the first being during and in the aftermath of the Asian crisis. Public discussion in many countries, including the United States and Germany, has centered on risks of the onset of deflation, with increasing attention levied to such risks by policymakers. These developments are notable given that for over four decades markets and policymakers have been more concerned about inflation than deflation.
In light of the above, an IMF task force investigated issues related to the causes and consequences of deflation, the conjunctural risks in individual economies and globally, and policy options. This paper presents the findings of the task force and focuses on four areas:
Analytical framework (Section II), which discusses issues related to the measurement, determinants, and costs of deflation.
Historical experiences (Section III), which evaluates deflation in the nineteenth century and during the Great Depression, along with the recent experience of Japan and China.
Risk assessment (Section IV). A central part of the paper focuses on developing and implementing a framework for assessing deflation risks using three complementary approaches. First, it computes an index of deflation vulnerability based on a set of indicators for each of 35 of the largest industrial and emerging market economies—accounting for over 90 percent of global GDP. The index reflects developments in aggregate prices, outputs gaps, asset markets, and credit and financial markets. Second, an expectations-augmented Phillips curve provides an estimate of the size of the deflationary shock (increase in output gap and unemployment gap) that would be required for the onset of deflation, or persistent deflation. Third, a case study examines China’s role in transmitting a deflationary impulse.
Policy response (Section V). This section reviews options available to policymakers both before and after the onset of deflation.
Both demand and supply shocks can lead to deflation. However, with demand shocks declining prices are likely to accompany falling demand for goods and services, while with supply shocks, declining prices might be accompanied by increases in output. Nonetheless, deflation is seldom benign. Regardless of its source, deflation leads to a redistribution of income from debtors to creditors. In addition, credit intermediation can be distorted as collateral loses value. Given the zero interest-rate floor, the effectiveness of conventional monetary policy is curtailed, and this is of particular concern when output is weakening. Persistent deflation risks turning into a deflationary spiral of falling prices, output, profits, and employment.
Deflation can be costly and difficult to anticipate. Deflation was not uncommon in the nineteenth century, but even then its duration was often unanticipated. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, U.S. policymakers exacerbated deflation by underestimating its consequences and by failing to take aggressive action. In contrast, countries that exited the gold standard earlier—such as Sweden and Japan—recovered from deflation relatively quickly. Historically, deflation generally muted growth prospects, although it was mainly during the Great Depression that the most severe effects of deflation were felt.
Based on the Index of Deflation Vulnerability, the risk of an onset of deflation in a number of economies is seen to be relatively high and has drifted upward over the past several years. The risk occurs against a background of postwar low inflation rates; large output gaps; the bursting of the equity price bubble; rising banking sector stresses in some economies; and declining credit growth.
Asian economies, Japan in particular—but also Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan Province of China—are at risk of worsening deflation. Deflationary expectations appear to be entrenched, and in Hong Kong SAR, policy is constrained. In China, the strong pace of activity and policy stimulus already in the pipeline are likely to contain deflation. However, strains may arise in China from the large pool of underutilized labor and excess capacity in many sectors.
In the euro area, core inflation has been slow to decelerate, and, except for Germany, risk of deflation remains low in the major countries. Germany suffers from a weak macroeconomic environment, a large and increasing output gap, high unemployment, and banking-sector strains, with limited policy options. Outside the euro area, Switzerland appears to have a moderate risk but—unlike Germany—there is greater scope for policy measures.
In the United States, despite the lingering effects of the bursting of the equity price bubble, risk of deflation appears relatively low. The lower risk reflects an expected narrowing in the output gap; relief provided by a recent depreciation of the U.S. dollar; the resilience in the financial sector; the availability of policy stimulus; and the explicit willingness of policymakers to take preemptory action.
The task force did not find evidence to support strong concerns of generalized global deflation.1 It also did not see any compelling evidence of widespread international transmission of deflation. However, the high correlation of business cycles across countries creates a non-zero, but still low, probability of a simultaneous decline in prices.
What can be done to protect against deflation?
Policies can be effective in warding off deflation, but only if preemptive, forceful, and sometimes unconventional steps are taken. Correspondingly, deflation is more likely, or more likely to be persistent, when policy is constrained, or not sufficiently forward-looking, or when policymakers are too dismissive of their ability to act.
It is better to prevent deflation than to try to cure it, and monetary policy must take the lead. Since the risks of deflation are asymmetric, policy must be attuned to deflationary impulses in a low inflation environment. Further, because these impulses can also impede the monetary transmission mechanism, aggressive action is required. At the zero bound on nominal interest rates, additional unorthodox measures may be needed. Stimulatory fiscal policies can play an important complementary role; their beneficial effects could be enhanced if measures are adopted to raise the rate of return to the economy, so as to spur investment and output. Structural reforms, particularly those improving credit intermediation, could also be beneficial.
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A Huge Thank You to Reddit
Jack Gardner posted an article in Fundraising
2019 is the 8th year Reddit has partnered with Extra Life to raise money and heal kids. This year marked the first time the company has been able to form a Super Team, an umbrella team that allows large organizations to bring their many communities into the fold. Together with some of the biggest internet communities around, Team Reddit was able to raise almost $150,000 USD for kids in Children's Miracle Network Hospitals across the United States and Canada! One of the special drives Reddit pushed in the lead up to Game Day was a special Extra Life trophy and award. The award, purchased with 500 Reddit Coins, cost the same as giving Reddit Gold and conferred the same benefits upon the recipient. Those who donated the Extra Life Charity Award were given a special Extra Life themed trophy to display on their Reddit profiles. As part of this initiative, Reddit matched the first $15,000 USD of Reddit Coins purchased during that time. In total, Reddit was able to bring over 400 people together across 38 teams to almost reach their goal of $150,000 USD. The top three teams among those 38, excluding Reddit itself, were Reddit Remotes!, Fortnite, and Team Soraka (the r/leagueoflegends community). Thank you so much to Reddit for organizing their Super Team this year and thank you to all of the Redditors who supported Extra Life this year to help sick and injured kids at their local hospitals. You're really making a differences in the world. Extra Life might have one main Game Day per year, but we accept donations and support at all times! If you would like to sign up and fundraise under the Team Reddit umbrella or donate to help them reach their goal, you can do so before the end of 2019. Just head to the Team Reddit Extra Life page and go from there. It's never too late to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! Donations for 2019 are accepted year-round!
Fundraising: A Huge Thank You to Reddit
Jack Gardner posted a topic in Announcements
2019 is the 8th year Reddit has partnered with Extra Life to raise money and heal kids. This year marked the first time the company has been able to form a Super Team, an umbrella team that allows large organizations to bring their many communities into the fold. Together with some of the biggest internet communities around, Team Reddit was able to raise almost $150,000 USD for kids in Children's Miracle Network Hospitals across the United States and Canada! One of the special drives Reddit pushed in the lead up to Game Day was a special Extra Life trophy and award. The award, purchased with 500 Reddit Coins, cost the same as giving Reddit Gold and conferred the same benefits upon the recipient. Those who donated the Extra Life Charity Award were given a special Extra Life themed trophy to display on their Reddit profiles. As part of this initiative, Reddit matched the first $15,000 USD of Reddit Coins purchased during that time. In total, Reddit was able to bring over 400 people together across 38 teams to almost reach their goal of $150,000 USD. The top three teams among those 38, excluding Reddit itself, were Reddit Remotes!, Fortnite, and Team Soraka (the r/leagueoflegends community). Thank you so much to Reddit for organizing their Super Team this year and thank you to all of the Redditors who supported Extra Life this year to help sick and injured kids at their local hospitals. You're really making a differences in the world. Extra Life might have one main Game Day per year, but we accept donations and support at all times! If you would like to sign up and fundraise under the Team Reddit umbrella or donate to help them reach their goal, you can do so before the end of 2019. Just head to the Team Reddit Extra Life page and go from there. It's never too late to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games! Donations for 2019 are accepted year-round! View full article
Feature: Faith in the Cosmos: The Strange Optimism of No Man's Sky Fandom
Daniel Jones posted a topic in Announcements
Another Friday, another fifty dollars. The first time Ron Carpenter received the generous donation to his PayPal account, he figured it was just a courteous one-time gift from a viewer of his YouTube channel, Cobra TV. Then week after week, the same donation continued to pop up in his account. Another Friday, another fifty dollars. Carpenter – like most YouTube personalities – started his channel on a whim, without much of a plan or very high expectations. Wearing a mask to retain anonymity, he ranted about games in stream of consciousness videos on a crude, but functional, webcam set-up. “I was depressed, and I was making videos,” he tells me over Skype. Those early videos featured Carpenter farting and making crude, offensive jokes about games. He doesn’t harbor much pride for those early days. As he recalls, “I guess you could say I was a troll back then.” Soon after, he discovered No Man’s Sky, a game that at that point remained a mysteriously intriguing space exploration title from an inconspicuous independent developer. Hello Games had made a splash at the 2013 VGX awards when it released a trailer for its procedurally generated space exploration game. Like many people in the games industry, Carpenter took notice right away. The budding influencer’s curiosity piqued further when Hello Games director Sean Murray came onto Sony’s E3 stage in 2014 to show more of No Man’s Sky in a demo that has since become infamous. Carpenter watched as Sean Murray explored a planet full of dinosaurs and other creatures, hopped into his spaceship, launched through the atmosphere, and immediately started dogfighting in outer space. “It blew my mind away,” says Carpenter of the stage demo, which would prove to be a slight exaggeration of what the final product turned out to be. Misrepresentation or not, the demo was enough to hook Carpenter. “After that,” he says, “I searched for anything I could find on the internet about this game. I didn’t even know what Reddit was at the time. I started taking down notes just because I wanted to learn more.” His excitement for the game fueled his content from that point on; a commitment that proved infectious. Carpenter doesn’t look back fondly on his early videos covering the game. “My first No Man’s Sky video, I’m sitting there in a mask and burping and farting through the thing,” he recalls, “when I realized I had such a passion for this game, those videos just seemed really disrespectful.” It might be strange for current followers to hear that Carpenter’s early videos contained such vulgarity, when he’s built a reputation for objectivity and candor. But regardless of quality, he eventually realized he wasn’t alone in his passion for the game. His viewership and subscription numbers began to reflect that fact. “People were taking me seriously finally. So I thought, ‘they deserve respect and I need to be better.’” As his audience grew, he began to accept donations through PayPal, to help improve the overall quality. He earned just enough to buy a new computer, webcam, and microphone. As his channel found an audience, Carpenter’s Cobra TV became a prominent outlet in the burgeoning No Man’s Sky community. He began to see his videos pop up on Reddit and in Facebook fan groups for the game. In hopes of cultivating and providing a voice for that community, he soon began inviting fellow fans onto his shows to pontificate about the seemingly infinite possibilities of Hello Games’ universe. As such, he became the sort of de-facto leader of the word-of-mouth hype surrounding the game prior to launch. Carpenter had become the pope to god, Sean Murray – preaching to the flock for an increasingly capricious deity. Hyping No Man’s Sky had itself become a popular pastime on the internet, and a burgeoning cottage industry for content creators like Carpenter. While the information that Hello Games released to the public was vague at best, Carpenter found himself filling a need. As he explains, his motivation had less to do with exploiting the game as it did with satiating his own desire to learn more about this mysterious universe. He tells me that what captivated him most about No Man’s Sky was the sheer creativity of it all. “It was the overreaching of the entire game as a package. I say overreaching now, not because of what happened, but because that’s what I wanted to find,” says Carpenter, alluding to the underwhelming state of the final product, “I wanted to find a game where the developers did overreach. They went out of the box and pulled out what was normal. They pulled out something special, put it into the limelight and tried to do something that nobody else has done. That’s what drew me in. The fact that somebody for the first time in a long time, was overreaching.” As a kid, growing up in the marshlands of Florida, some of Carpenter’s most vivid memories are of long walks in the woods near his childhood home. As a child, he would join his father on exploratory walks through the swamps, with little intention other than to observe nature. “I would just look and see, and I was so amazed,” recalls Carpenter. These trips consisted of no hunting, no taking pictures, but just being in the moment and seeing what there was to see; an activity that would sound more than a little familiar to any diehard No Man’s Sky devotee. Later in life, he would take his dog Jasper, a mix of pit bull and German shepherd for long walks through those same marshes. Once in awhile, when Jasper began to snarl and sneer at the water, Carpenter says, “a gator would come out and my dog would sit there, run away a little bit and just bark and bark.” He recalls with a nostalgic chuckle, “I would stand on the top of the hill and yell at [the gator] to get back in the water.” For those anticipating the game, the potential in No Man’s Sky wrested on the promise of finding metaphorical gators in that digital universe’s water; the potential of encountering epic space battles, long-necked dinosaurs, and giant sandworms. Even now, months after launch, and with the release of the Foundation update – a long-awaited content dump of new modes and gameplay tweaks – a common refrain can still be heard around the community: But where’s the giant sandworm? For fans and detractors, so much of what makes No Man’s Sky’s story intriguing, even months after a failed launch, is best exemplified by that one question: But where’s the giant sandworm? Promotional materials and early footage showed a giant sandworm. Common sentiment among the community is that it must be in there somewhere. This is a near-infinite universe full of eighteen quintillion planet-sized planets, after all. Due to the sheer size of this world, it’s quite possible that simply nobody has found it yet. Not for lack of trying; Reddit and dedicated Facebook groups are full of fans posting videos and screenshots of worm-like creatures that could be long-removed cousins to something that might vaguely resemble a giant sandworm. However, not one player has recorded an instance of encountering such an animal. It’s much more likely that the beast just doesn’t exist. But it’s also possible (if infinitesimally so) that it does. And that’s all that matters for some fans. No Man’s Sky fandom is a strange place. Prior to release, fans of the game scoured the internet for any information they could find on Sean Murray’s creation, including Cobra TV videos. They created fan art, bought t-shirts, took to reading old science fiction novels (the Asimovs and Clarks that Murray likes to name-check in interviews), and even made fan videos thanking Hello Games for its time and effort in creating this procedural universe that none of them had yet experienced. On August 9th, 2016, the game released and that fandom grew even stranger. When No Man’s Sky failed to live up to expectations, the community split into two camps: those shouting “Sean Murray is a liar,” and those defending the developer even as they acknowledged the product’s imperfections. The angry voices rang the loudest though, and hating on No Man’s Sky soon became just as sporting as anticipating No Man’s Sky had been just weeks earlier. Here’s where this story gets weirder for me, as the author. I’m going to break a cardinal rule and insert myself into it a bit. I was one of those people who hyped No Man’s Sky far more than it may have deserved. I was one of the people playing gameplay trailers for family and friends, evangelizing the gospel of Sean Murray. I was one of the people that considered themselves a fan of a game that I hadn’t even played yet. Heck, I even found myself re-reading Frank Herbert’s Dune in the weeks before the game’s launch, because, well… giant sandworms! Prior to release, many people would say that anticipating No Man’s Sky was already fun enough, that the game itself didn’t even need to be any good. They had already gotten their money’s worth. Oh… if only that were the case. As I began to research this story, I started to suspect that it was far beyond my scope of practice. I reached out to a few prominent individuals in the community, which soon became a depressing exercise in futility. One source, for example, would only speak to me off the record for fear of being ostracized for his criticisms of the game. Some other people who openly disliked the game declined to comment, and just quietly retreated from the imploding community. When the subreddit was abruptly deleted overnight on October 5th, I reached out to the moderator responsible only to find that he had deleted his own account, my only means of contacting him, due to the overwhelming backlash. That same subreddit, with over 150,000 members at the time, would soon be replaced with another dedicated page for the game, before finally being turned into a Mr. Robot subreddit as a sort of joke at the expense of Hello Games. Did I say this story was strange? I began to get the sense that I was working on uncovering some deep government conspiracy, when in reality, I was simply trying to talk to people about a video game. Even the game’s developers seemed to be susceptible to the drama. After having been silent on Twitter for months, the Hello Games official Twitter account tweeted out that “No Man’s Sky was a mistake.” It would turn out to be the work of a hacker, but it only further demonstrated just how divisive this game had become. Having started my research in October, I began to wonder if I should ever write this article at all, for fear that this story – like the game’s universe – was never ending. And it most certainly isn’t over yet. Hello Games recently released the Foundation Update, which adds base building, freighters, survival mode, creative mode, an online message system, and more. The game finally resembles what it probably should have been from the start, save for a few major features including full online support, factions, and, as far as anyone can tell, giant sandworms. Despite selling millions of copies at launch, No Man’s Sky’s player numbers had since dwindled to the hundreds. Those numbers have seen a minor surge with the update, and the game’s most ardent fans have seen their faith rekindled and rewarded, but it’s still not the smash hit that so many people expected it to be. Those same fans never stopped watching Cobra TV and talking about the game, even if they stopped actually playing the game. Carpenter remains a spokesman for that community, despite never really aspiring to that label. With his smooth baritone and casual dialect, he has a voice for radio, something he’s aspired to since his youth. Although he never wanted to just be known as the guy that talks about No Man’s Sky, he appreciates the experience the game has afforded him. He just wanted to talk about fascinating games, but for Carpenter and his followers, the most fascinating game remains the one that earned him all this recognition in the first place. Another Friday, another fifty dollars. During Hello Games’ self-imposed sabbatical, many people wondered how Carpenter could continue making videos about a game while the developers themselves remained silent. But those same people were still watching. Just as 130,000 people re-subscribed to the new No Man’s Sky Reddit during that time, Carpenter’s viewers kept coming back. “Lots of people on my YouTube channel comment saying, ‘I feel sorry for this mother f___er for wasting his life talking about this game. He’ll never get these years back,’” reflects Carpenter. “I get comments like that all the time.” Another Friday, another fifty dollars. Carpenter had no intentions of accepting this money week after week. So he decided to email the donor to inquire, thinking that maybe it was a mistake, or maybe a glitch with PayPal’s system. It wasn’t. The donor wrote him back to explain. “I received back, this email. [The email] said that one night he was sitting on his couch and he had a gun in his mouth, and he said that one of my No Man’s Sky playlists was playing on his computer,” Carpenter’s voice cracks ever so slightly over Skype. “He never told me what I said, but something that I said in one of my sub-casts, made him yank the gun out of his mouth and reevaluate his situation. He said fifty dollars is nothing compared to what I made him feel like his life was worth. He tried paying me that fifty dollars every week. Finally, I told him that if you continue to keep paying me fifty dollars I’m going to refund it to you every single time.” “That,” he says, “That’s made it worth it.” View full article
cobra tv
hello games
ron carpenter
Faith in the Cosmos: The Strange Optimism of No Man's Sky Fandom
Daniel Jones posted an article in Features
Another Friday, another fifty dollars. The first time Ron Carpenter received the generous donation to his PayPal account, he figured it was just a courteous one-time gift from a viewer of his YouTube channel, Cobra TV. Then week after week, the same donation continued to pop up in his account. Another Friday, another fifty dollars. Carpenter – like most YouTube personalities – started his channel on a whim, without much of a plan or very high expectations. Wearing a mask to retain anonymity, he ranted about games in stream of consciousness videos on a crude, but functional, webcam set-up. “I was depressed, and I was making videos,” he tells me over Skype. Those early videos featured Carpenter farting and making crude, offensive jokes about games. He doesn’t harbor much pride for those early days. As he recalls, “I guess you could say I was a troll back then.” Soon after, he discovered No Man’s Sky, a game that at that point remained a mysteriously intriguing space exploration title from an inconspicuous independent developer. Hello Games had made a splash at the 2013 VGX awards when it released a trailer for its procedurally generated space exploration game. Like many people in the games industry, Carpenter took notice right away. The budding influencer’s curiosity piqued further when Hello Games director Sean Murray came onto Sony’s E3 stage in 2014 to show more of No Man’s Sky in a demo that has since become infamous. Carpenter watched as Sean Murray explored a planet full of dinosaurs and other creatures, hopped into his spaceship, launched through the atmosphere, and immediately started dogfighting in outer space. “It blew my mind away,” says Carpenter of the stage demo, which would prove to be a slight exaggeration of what the final product turned out to be. Misrepresentation or not, the demo was enough to hook Carpenter. “After that,” he says, “I searched for anything I could find on the internet about this game. I didn’t even know what Reddit was at the time. I started taking down notes just because I wanted to learn more.” His excitement for the game fueled his content from that point on; a commitment that proved infectious. Carpenter doesn’t look back fondly on his early videos covering the game. “My first No Man’s Sky video, I’m sitting there in a mask and burping and farting through the thing,” he recalls, “when I realized I had such a passion for this game, those videos just seemed really disrespectful.” It might be strange for current followers to hear that Carpenter’s early videos contained such vulgarity, when he’s built a reputation for objectivity and candor. But regardless of quality, he eventually realized he wasn’t alone in his passion for the game. His viewership and subscription numbers began to reflect that fact. “People were taking me seriously finally. So I thought, ‘they deserve respect and I need to be better.’” As his audience grew, he began to accept donations through PayPal, to help improve the overall quality. He earned just enough to buy a new computer, webcam, and microphone. As his channel found an audience, Carpenter’s Cobra TV became a prominent outlet in the burgeoning No Man’s Sky community. He began to see his videos pop up on Reddit and in Facebook fan groups for the game. In hopes of cultivating and providing a voice for that community, he soon began inviting fellow fans onto his shows to pontificate about the seemingly infinite possibilities of Hello Games’ universe. As such, he became the sort of de-facto leader of the word-of-mouth hype surrounding the game prior to launch. Carpenter had become the pope to god, Sean Murray – preaching to the flock for an increasingly capricious deity. Hyping No Man’s Sky had itself become a popular pastime on the internet, and a burgeoning cottage industry for content creators like Carpenter. While the information that Hello Games released to the public was vague at best, Carpenter found himself filling a need. As he explains, his motivation had less to do with exploiting the game as it did with satiating his own desire to learn more about this mysterious universe. He tells me that what captivated him most about No Man’s Sky was the sheer creativity of it all. “It was the overreaching of the entire game as a package. I say overreaching now, not because of what happened, but because that’s what I wanted to find,” says Carpenter, alluding to the underwhelming state of the final product, “I wanted to find a game where the developers did overreach. They went out of the box and pulled out what was normal. They pulled out something special, put it into the limelight and tried to do something that nobody else has done. That’s what drew me in. The fact that somebody for the first time in a long time, was overreaching.” As a kid, growing up in the marshlands of Florida, some of Carpenter’s most vivid memories are of long walks in the woods near his childhood home. As a child, he would join his father on exploratory walks through the swamps, with little intention other than to observe nature. “I would just look and see, and I was so amazed,” recalls Carpenter. These trips consisted of no hunting, no taking pictures, but just being in the moment and seeing what there was to see; an activity that would sound more than a little familiar to any diehard No Man’s Sky devotee. Later in life, he would take his dog Jasper, a mix of pit bull and German shepherd for long walks through those same marshes. Once in awhile, when Jasper began to snarl and sneer at the water, Carpenter says, “a gator would come out and my dog would sit there, run away a little bit and just bark and bark.” He recalls with a nostalgic chuckle, “I would stand on the top of the hill and yell at [the gator] to get back in the water.” For those anticipating the game, the potential in No Man’s Sky wrested on the promise of finding metaphorical gators in that digital universe’s water; the potential of encountering epic space battles, long-necked dinosaurs, and giant sandworms. Even now, months after launch, and with the release of the Foundation update – a long-awaited content dump of new modes and gameplay tweaks – a common refrain can still be heard around the community: But where’s the giant sandworm? For fans and detractors, so much of what makes No Man’s Sky’s story intriguing, even months after a failed launch, is best exemplified by that one question: But where’s the giant sandworm? Promotional materials and early footage showed a giant sandworm. Common sentiment among the community is that it must be in there somewhere. This is a near-infinite universe full of eighteen quintillion planet-sized planets, after all. Due to the sheer size of this world, it’s quite possible that simply nobody has found it yet. Not for lack of trying; Reddit and dedicated Facebook groups are full of fans posting videos and screenshots of worm-like creatures that could be long-removed cousins to something that might vaguely resemble a giant sandworm. However, not one player has recorded an instance of encountering such an animal. It’s much more likely that the beast just doesn’t exist. But it’s also possible (if infinitesimally so) that it does. And that’s all that matters for some fans. No Man’s Sky fandom is a strange place. Prior to release, fans of the game scoured the internet for any information they could find on Sean Murray’s creation, including Cobra TV videos. They created fan art, bought t-shirts, took to reading old science fiction novels (the Asimovs and Clarks that Murray likes to name-check in interviews), and even made fan videos thanking Hello Games for its time and effort in creating this procedural universe that none of them had yet experienced. On August 9th, 2016, the game released and that fandom grew even stranger. When No Man’s Sky failed to live up to expectations, the community split into two camps: those shouting “Sean Murray is a liar,” and those defending the developer even as they acknowledged the product’s imperfections. The angry voices rang the loudest though, and hating on No Man’s Sky soon became just as sporting as anticipating No Man’s Sky had been just weeks earlier. Here’s where this story gets weirder for me, as the author. I’m going to break a cardinal rule and insert myself into it a bit. I was one of those people who hyped No Man’s Sky far more than it may have deserved. I was one of the people playing gameplay trailers for family and friends, evangelizing the gospel of Sean Murray. I was one of the people that considered themselves a fan of a game that I hadn’t even played yet. Heck, I even found myself re-reading Frank Herbert’s Dune in the weeks before the game’s launch, because, well… giant sandworms! Prior to release, many people would say that anticipating No Man’s Sky was already fun enough, that the game itself didn’t even need to be any good. They had already gotten their money’s worth. Oh… if only that were the case. As I began to research this story, I started to suspect that it was far beyond my scope of practice. I reached out to a few prominent individuals in the community, which soon became a depressing exercise in futility. One source, for example, would only speak to me off the record for fear of being ostracized for his criticisms of the game. Some other people who openly disliked the game declined to comment, and just quietly retreated from the imploding community. When the subreddit was abruptly deleted overnight on October 5th, I reached out to the moderator responsible only to find that he had deleted his own account, my only means of contacting him, due to the overwhelming backlash. That same subreddit, with over 150,000 members at the time, would soon be replaced with another dedicated page for the game, before finally being turned into a Mr. Robot subreddit as a sort of joke at the expense of Hello Games. Did I say this story was strange? I began to get the sense that I was working on uncovering some deep government conspiracy, when in reality, I was simply trying to talk to people about a video game. Even the game’s developers seemed to be susceptible to the drama. After having been silent on Twitter for months, the Hello Games official Twitter account tweeted out that “No Man’s Sky was a mistake.” It would turn out to be the work of a hacker, but it only further demonstrated just how divisive this game had become. Having started my research in October, I began to wonder if I should ever write this article at all, for fear that this story – like the game’s universe – was never ending. And it most certainly isn’t over yet. Hello Games recently released the Foundation Update, which adds base building, freighters, survival mode, creative mode, an online message system, and more. The game finally resembles what it probably should have been from the start, save for a few major features including full online support, factions, and, as far as anyone can tell, giant sandworms. Despite selling millions of copies at launch, No Man’s Sky’s player numbers had since dwindled to the hundreds. Those numbers have seen a minor surge with the update, and the game’s most ardent fans have seen their faith rekindled and rewarded, but it’s still not the smash hit that so many people expected it to be. Those same fans never stopped watching Cobra TV and talking about the game, even if they stopped actually playing the game. Carpenter remains a spokesman for that community, despite never really aspiring to that label. With his smooth baritone and casual dialect, he has a voice for radio, something he’s aspired to since his youth. Although he never wanted to just be known as the guy that talks about No Man’s Sky, he appreciates the experience the game has afforded him. He just wanted to talk about fascinating games, but for Carpenter and his followers, the most fascinating game remains the one that earned him all this recognition in the first place. Another Friday, another fifty dollars. During Hello Games’ self-imposed sabbatical, many people wondered how Carpenter could continue making videos about a game while the developers themselves remained silent. But those same people were still watching. Just as 130,000 people re-subscribed to the new No Man’s Sky Reddit during that time, Carpenter’s viewers kept coming back. “Lots of people on my YouTube channel comment saying, ‘I feel sorry for this mother f___er for wasting his life talking about this game. He’ll never get these years back,’” reflects Carpenter. “I get comments like that all the time.” Another Friday, another fifty dollars. Carpenter had no intentions of accepting this money week after week. So he decided to email the donor to inquire, thinking that maybe it was a mistake, or maybe a glitch with PayPal’s system. It wasn’t. The donor wrote him back to explain. “I received back, this email. [The email] said that one night he was sitting on his couch and he had a gun in his mouth, and he said that one of my No Man’s Sky playlists was playing on his computer,” Carpenter’s voice cracks ever so slightly over Skype. “He never told me what I said, but something that I said in one of my sub-casts, made him yank the gun out of his mouth and reevaluate his situation. He said fifty dollars is nothing compared to what I made him feel like his life was worth. He tried paying me that fifty dollars every week. Finally, I told him that if you continue to keep paying me fifty dollars I’m going to refund it to you every single time.” “That,” he says, “That’s made it worth it.”
24hr Stream Advice
Shamanom posted a topic in Buffalo, NY
I found a nice guide to help for prepare for the 24 hour event. This is a good read imo. Let me know what your thoughts are ! https://www.reddit.com/r/Twitch/comments/2iz2h1/guide_how_to_do_marathon_24_hr_streams/
nov5th
extralifebuf
Announcing Super Teams
Super Teams are HERE! We are very excited to announce the launch of Super Teams! This new feature presents a way for incredibly large, user-driven teams like Twitch or Rooster Teeth to give their communities more identity and tools to mobilize more effectively. “What are Super Teams?” I hear you ask. Good question! Basically, a Super Team is one large team composed of many smaller teams. You can kind of think of it as the Extra Life equivalent of inception, except, you know, with teams. Team-ception! We are rolling out Super Teams for the following community partners during the initial test run: (Currently with 659 players and 48 sub-teams) (Currently with 260 players and 16 sub-teams) (Currently with 139 players and 1 sub-team) (Currently with 128 players and 18 sub-teams) This new form of team will help large teams break up into more personalized sub-teams while remaining under the umbrella of their organization and contributing to the collective Super Team fundraising goal. For example, if you were feeling lost in the crowd as part of a massive team like Reddit last year, you can now create your own sub-team within the Reddit Super Team or join a specific subreddit sub-team (and then eat a delicious sub sandwich). We see Super Teams as a win for both our larger community partners and the Extra Lifers within those extensive communities who can now organize more effectively in their social circles. The new team structure aims to facilitate community building on a larger scale than was possible for the incredibly massive teams that have participated in years past. Want to Join a Super Team? If you are wondering how to get involved in a sub-team, creating or joining one couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is head over to one of the Super Team pages and browse the existing sub-teams or click the ‘Create a Sub-Team’ button to start the process. If you have no interest in the sub-teams and just want to join the Super Team’s core team, that’s still a valid option, too! If you’ve already created a team and want to merge it into an existing sub-team, fill out this form and we’ll have your team moved over as soon as we can. Looking toward 2017 and beyond, Super Teams will be an option available to community partners. We have a vision of Super Teams uniting major companies and industry giants across the United States and Canada to harness their reach for the kids in hospitals who can’t help themselves. Comment below and tell us what Super Teams you would like to see join!
super teams
Fundraising: Announcing Super Teams
Super Teams are HERE! We are very excited to announce the launch of Super Teams! This new feature presents a way for incredibly large, user-driven teams like Twitch or Rooster Teeth to give their communities more identity and tools to mobilize more effectively. “What are Super Teams?” I hear you ask. Good question! Basically, a Super Team is one large team composed of many smaller teams. You can kind of think of it as the Extra Life equivalent of inception, except, you know, with teams. Team-ception! We are rolling out Super Teams for the following community partners during the initial test run: (Currently with 659 players and 48 sub-teams) (Currently with 260 players and 16 sub-teams) (Currently with 139 players and 1 sub-team) (Currently with 128 players and 18 sub-teams) This new form of team will help large teams break up into more personalized sub-teams while remaining under the umbrella of their organization and contributing to the collective Super Team fundraising goal. For example, if you were feeling lost in the crowd as part of a massive team like Reddit last year, you can now create your own sub-team within the Reddit Super Team or join a specific subreddit sub-team (and then eat a delicious sub sandwich). We see Super Teams as a win for both our larger community partners and the Extra Lifers within those extensive communities who can now organize more effectively in their social circles. The new team structure aims to facilitate community building on a larger scale than was possible for the incredibly massive teams that have participated in years past. Want to Join a Super Team? If you are wondering how to get involved in a sub-team, creating or joining one couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is head over to one of the Super Team pages and browse the existing sub-teams or click the ‘Create a Sub-Team’ button to start the process. If you have no interest in the sub-teams and just want to join the Super Team’s core team, that’s still a valid option, too! If you’ve already created a team and want to merge it into an existing sub-team, fill out this form and we’ll have your team moved over as soon as we can. Looking toward 2017 and beyond, Super Teams will be an option available to community partners. We have a vision of Super Teams uniting major companies and industry giants across the United States and Canada to harness their reach for the kids in hospitals who can’t help themselves. Comment below and tell us what Super Teams you would like to see join! View full article
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Anniversaries, Cover Stories, Editorials,
Interviews, Lists, and Comprehensive Rankings
Merchandise’s Carson Cox: The New Thread
On 21st century culture and personalizing a stunning new song.
by Lior Phillips
on September 02, 2014, 12:00am
Carson Cox has that giddy, slightly menacing, machine-gun clatter of a laugh that’s ever so charming and endearing. But if you’re not super alert, he’ll use it to dangerous effect. When he’s a little flustered by an answer, embarrassed about something he said, or just passionate (the latter of which comes in like a steamroller spewing “fucks” and “shits”), there comes that laugh. If you don’t keep up, the conversation will move very quickly toward safer ground. It’s fascinating, because it’s not what you’d expect from a man who made a name for himself in the punk scene.
Just two years ago, Merchandise were a bunch of lo-fi, scratchy Florida DIY musicians. What the critics who dismissed them as a “punk band” didn’t see was that among the more rebellious songs were moments of honest yearning and tender confession, such as “Become What You Are” from their second album: “Oh, make me young again/ And find a way to mend this broken heart,” Cox chants. The fact that the band managed to catch and keep this subtle balance was remarkable. If being a Merchandise fan means steeling yourself for the odd revelation, it’s not hard to fathom how most will react to the new album, After the End.
Merchandise aren’t the same band that made Children of Desire. In fact, they’re a real band now with a new expressive and rhythmic driver; drummer Elsner Nino injects authority and texture, while Chris Horn lends presence and a delicate weight to the – yeah, you guessed it – horn section. They’re signed to 4AD now, and this new record reflects a modest new warmth without abandoning the ambiance that makes them so distinctive.
After the End is their makeover record, with that quality of a painfully bright summer day, the one that induces seeing spots from staring at the sun for hours. They manage to thread a feeling of violent joy and crippling pain into a few notes, a delicate balance that Cox and that laugh share. He opens up alright, and it’s spectacular.
So, I believe you live in Tampa, Florida. Has that had any effect on your career? Have you ever thought, “Shit, I need to get out of this town”?
[Laughs] I don’t think I’ve thought of myself as ever having a career. I do sort of have a career in music because this is what I’m making my living doing. I feel like we party all the time, so it’s kind of beneficial to be in a place that’s sort of cut off from a 24-hour party scene. There’s been plenty of times when I’ve thought of getting out, especially this week. We’ve been doing a lot of press, and we’ve gotten a lot of hate mail from people in Tampa, because in interviews we talk about how backwards this place is culturally. Everyone here is like Christian business people who are afraid to die [laughs]. It’s weird … I never saw us being this indie rock band that toured in a circuit, so we’ve been comfortable separating ourselves from it and isolating ourselves here.
But After the End does seem like your most accessible record, and even when the opportunity to speak to you came up, I thought, “What? He does?” You haven’t done much press over the past few years.
There has to be a time, a place, and the right mood, otherwise press is weird. I guess it’s more accessible, but I still think of it as “old man music.” When I play, it’s like the old man at the bar that’s playing acoustic guitar. I’m already working on the next record. I’m already tired of this one.
Well, good thing I plan on talking about it a lot with you then. Were there certain points during recording when you thought to yourself, “I’m still improving”?
Oh, yes! Absolutely! To make music, you have to be willing to make a mistake. Some of my most brilliant friends that make music or visual art don’t put it out because they’re afraid of making a mistake; I don’t know if it’s fear of failure. When we were young, we put out horrible-sounding records that were all fucked up and distorted.
I kind of liked them.
I liked them, too, you know, but someone left a comment on one of our songs saying that it isn’t as good as their masterpiece first record, and I thought it was so funny, because it’s audio that is not mastered and barely mixed. This is the first record that we put lyrics in; normally, I don’t do that because I’m too embarrassed. Dave wrote a lot of the music, so I wanted to point out the things that he has written.
I can’t say I’ve looked for meaning in your lyrics before, but there is this fixation on looking for a narrative meaning or logic, which seems extraordinary to me that in the 21st century we’re still doing that.
The record to me is like a psychological environment. That’s the whole point of a Rorschach test: your brain responds to stimuli, and it tries to make sense out of it. I don’t give a shit about how well I play something or what I do; if I can translate what I hear in my head to the record, then that’s the record. We recorded this record and didn’t play any of the songs live beforehand. It was really difficult actually if I’m being honest. It was really hard. Man, part of me wishes we could have recorded the record right now because we can play all the songs like crazy. But also that’s the fun of recording; we were discovering what the songs were while we were doing it.
That’s a big thing for writers; sometimes they don’t know what they’re trying to say until they start the process.
It’s a total Ouija board; it reveals itself. When it was nearly completed, I was like, “Oh, this is what it sounds like?” I could also have just been stoned. Inebriation is a big part of our house, and it seems like we’re never straight; we’re always foggy and always fucked up. We weren’t trying to control anything.
I’ve always felt that to be completely spontaneous you almost have to be incredibly prepared.
So, I believe that you went in and figured it out as you went along, but there must have been something that triggered that fundamental core talent. I don’t believe that a person who’s nervous and shaky could be as spontaneous as someone who’s confident.
I think spontaneity has to do with time. We produced the record at our house. I woke up, ate breakfast, and worked on the record. I have to spend six months or a year on it. If you don’t test it over time, I feel like it doesn’t work. I can never be serious because I think spontaneity is also reliant on playfulness and having fun. I’m producing something right now on my computer that I didn’t expect to be anything, and now I’m thinking this is the next big idea.
You know, I feel like I understood some of this record better on headphones. The one thing that struck me was your vocal and the production. Was it intentional to put focus on the vocals?
Well, I can’t stop smoking cigarettes. I’m not addicted to them really, but I can’t stop. I always get compared to fucking Morrissey, which I don’t get. Like, I have a lot of weird personal feelings about The Smiths. I love them, but I kind of hate Morrissey, and I think he’s an asshole. The idea of controlling what your fans think and what they eat is just offensive to me. So now, if I keep smoking cigarettes, eventually I’ll end up sounding like Leonard Cohen, and that would be way cooler.
Are you waging a war against Morrissey one cigarette at a time?
I don’t really give a shit. At some point, I just have to stop reading the press because I don’t really like celebrity culture, and I can’t stand Jack White, and I can’t stand Kanye West, and Morrissey is becoming the same thing. At some point, the media culture just doesn’t think, and I cant imagine an adult reading some of the stuff that the music world prints just because it seems so silly.
Like a cultural merry-go-round?
I don’t get it, and it’s not for me, which I think is part of the old man misery thing. I feel like an alien, and I just don’t understand celebrity culture. Even when I was young, all the music I knew was from the ’50s and ’60s. I feel like I’m suffering from a 21st century psychotic problem. Do you know Ed Sanders? He sang for The Fugs. He was a New York City poet, and he talks about the muse for the retained image and calls the muse “retentia.” I always think it’s fucking me. But, I also think it’s okay, too, because I’m also sick of looking at interviews where I’m complaining about everything, because [laughs] it seems all I do is complain.
I was trying to give you a compliment earlier, and you turned it around on me, so yeah, cut it out!
It’s just my fucking brain! I don’t know what my problem is? I’m just a negative guy. Like, even when I try to be nice, I just end up being negative.
I don’t think it’s healthy to classify oneself as either positive or negative. It’s great you’re bouncing around. You have a lot of ideas, but you’ve come out with a really upbeat-sounding record, too. The opener, “Corridor”, with all its tinkles and chimes, is like the opening of a Disney movie.
Yeah! Dave wrote that song, and I produced the arrangement with him. By the end of it, I was like, “This sounds just like a Disney song, a cartoon from 1960.” But it’s not like, what’s that Sleeping Beauty song? [Starts singing it] “I know daaa na na na”
So, is “Looking Glass Waltz” an intentional reference to Lewis Carroll?
That song is a warning, because I suffer from crippling nostalgia. I become so nostalgic that I’m not a part of reality anymore. I’m just smoking a cigarette out on the porch by myself, and it’s kind of the most dangerous time for me, because it gives my brain time to think about the past, the future, and all my obsessions. It’s dangerous. Ultimately, it’s hurting me, and it’s hurting my feelings, you know?
They always say that the same amount of passion that you put into love, you also put into hate, so when you’re thinking of past pain, you’re using a similar intensity that you would if you saw someone in front of you who you were madly in love with. It’s also kind of comfortable in that darkness.
That is me. I don’t like movies with happy endings. I hate them. While we were making the record, there were certain movies that I was really keen on, and most of them were totally weird, freak-out London movies. I’ve seen the Blowup by Antonioni [Michelangelo] probably about a 100 times. Also watched Identification of a Woman, but it’s a dangerous movie for someone like me, because it romanticizes this old guy chasing two women, and he ends up totally lonely.
Have you done that before?
Chased two women and ended up with neither of them? Yes, many a time. [Laughs] Not recently, I’m living a pretty domestic life, because I was making the record.
Are you bored of routine?
We just need to get out of town and go on tour before the chamber of commerce burns our houses down and makes us move away.
You caused all of that!
Yeah, because we don’t like them, and we’ve spent years not liking them, and this is the first time they’re like, “Oh well, an English magazine wrote about us, so now the whole world knows how shitty we are.” It’s like, no one gives a shit about you or our fucking band; no one gives a shit about us. They’re like, “This band magically deceived the world into liking them, and now they’re going to spend all of their notoriety destroying us.” To me, it’s a fucking Tuesday. [Laughs]
What’s that famous saying? Opinions are like nipples, everybody has them?
Opinions are like assholes, everyone has them!
I was trying to be a lady, you old man.
[Laughs] You know you can never be a prophet in your hometown. People always ask me why I’m so angry. It’s not that; it’s just that I come from a circle of people, a collection of fucking weirdos that didn’t have anything in common, but there was no judgment. I don’t think that notion is understood in mainstream music culture.
Do you think it’s possible for an artist to approach contentment in their personal life?
Totally. Absolutely, I really do. That’s the belief that I’m living for now. To me, the dream that I’ve been living for is to create my own universe because society is rotten to the fucking core. America is too fucking big, and something is not right about it. I don’t think they control; I think it’s spinning out of control. I’m fine with inviting the world to listen to what I have to say and being a part of my dream, but I don’t want to be a part of theirs. I don’t want to listen to music that they like. I don’t want to see movies they like. I don’t want to date the girl that they have dated. I don’t want to make friends with anybody. I’m living to live in my own society.
Is your dream to leave society for good?
Yeah, like living on the fucking moon.
It sounds all very dystopian
I think it’s just post-modern sickness. The enemy is all around me throughout my life. I never viewed making music as a way to make money; it was just a way for me to meditate and reflect on my own life. I don’t ever feel comfortable. Everyone wants to simplify my ideas, but I’m not blaming other people for misrepresenting me. I just don’t know when I’m going to make it to that point where I’m living in my own bio dome. It’s not like this is an isolationist thing. If anything, I’m inviting other artists to me, but like they have to be righteous, humble, and virtuous. The idea of this record is that you don’t have to read the lyrics; I really want people to appreciate the record for what it is, and that’s the beauty of pop music. That’s another fear I have, though: I feel like they are gonna tear it apart. If they wanna, that’s cool, but they don’t have to.
Tell me about the song “Telephone”, then.
Perfect example. I wrote that in five minutes, and I was like, “This song works because I didn’t fucking think about it.” Being willfully ignorant is a big part of my life. Listening to really overly intelligent music is sometimes not healthy, because it makes you feel fucking horrible.
What sort of music would you define as “intelligent”?
Like Scott 3, the Scott Walker record.
He’s also on your new label, 4AD.
Yeah, that was a big trump card when we signed to them. He’s the only other person who could hold a candle to Bowie.
I love Diamond Dogs. Do you like Bowie?
Especially Diamond Dogs! Maybe that’s why you like our record, because it’s schizophrenic like that one? “Enemy” and “Rebel Rebel” are almost the same song.
At least the guitar line, and you Bowie-d out with a whole bunch of makeup during your video for “Little Killer”. The other day I was thinking if you had to do a cover, he would be perfect. I also was going to say Morrissey, but you may shoot me or smoke me to death.
I’m working on a cover right now, actually. It’s a Stranger Cole cover. It’s like a rocksteady song; reggae music is a huge part of my brain.
The Wailers actually did an amazing reggae Nina Simone cover for “Sinner Man”.
This has been a really fun chat! I’m glad you said Nina Simone; I listened to a live Nina record last night. I’ve always been really into her. She is a super stoic badass bitch and super influential.
I haven’t even gotten into your record yet.
If you wanna ask me a few, I promise not to talk about art and hatred. I grew up in intensive learning classes with learning disabilities, so I’ve been raised by public schools to think that I was dumb. That was always really painful as a kid. That was also the best thing that ever happened to me, because all my notions became personal and independent. After being a little kid and crying about it too many times, at some point you become an adult, and you’re like, “Well, what the fuck. I have a totally fucking cold heart now?” Sometimes I feel like a heartless person because people will say something to me, and I just don’t feel anything.
Do you get anxious doing press?
Not the way you do it; this has been really easy and fun. Most of the time it’s really clinical, and they want to talk to me about Joy Division. Not all journalists are created equally, which I’m sure you understand.
You mentioned earlier the conservative side of things, which reminds me that there are loads of religious references across this record.
There were a couple of songs that I didn’t put on the record, because they were too religious. You’re very smart for picking out those things. I feel like they were hidden really well, dammit. So, you must have actually listened to the record.
Of course, particularly during the track “Exile and Ego”.
That’s my mom’s favorite track! Every time there’s press, my mom will call me and be like, “Hey! I saw you in this. I’m very proud of you. I love you, goodbye.” She’ll send me a voicemail saying, “Hi, are you there? I love you, goodbye.” That’s her thing. Long after she’s dead, she’ll be with me.
It really is a standout track for me, but I feel there’s a deeper story behind the lyrics?
That was the second song I wrote for this record, and I almost didn’t put it on. It was a weird time. One of my sister’s best friends had just died from cancer, and she was 27; it was terrible. The girl who died, Sarah, is in a lot of our old music videos. She was dying of cancer, and we knew it for years, and we thought she was in full remission, and then she had a really difficult last year of her life, and I don’t know how much of it was health or psychological. There’s a choice in everyone’s brain when they’re in a traumatic situation. I’m prone to giving in, like when I was young, to depression or sadness.
I basically saw this circle of people fall apart, and it was fucking tragic. I was on tour and traveling the world at the time, so there was this bizarre thing where I came home and it was like, Sarah is gone, and she’s never coming back. It felt like a dream. I’m playing and people are excited about our music and you want to be happy, but you just feel so fucked up. Its also a part of life; death is a part of life. So, the lyric about the “angel of death” is for her.
I cannot imagine how hard it is to talk about this still, so thank you for sharing this with me.
No, I feel like I should tell you that, because I’ve been really honest with you, and it’s worth saying. It doesn’t ever matter how successful or happy you are; that trauma, there’s no god in it. There’s no benevolent, saving, healing force. The only healing force is love, and it’s really hard to make that work in an emergency.
Dave’s guitar on that song is so beautiful. Are you planning on playing that live? I’m not sure how I would feel singing something so personal to strangers.
We’ve only ever played it once live in front of an audience. It was hard the first year of the band trying to do it professionally [2012], always thinking how the fuck am I going to do this in front of people all the time? Especially where I was mentally; I shaved my head, and I had a nervous breakdown. There’s never been a stasis in my life. The only thing that’s been steady is producing music and making records.
Carson Cox
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Happy Gilmore actor Christopher McDonald arrested for drunk driving
The actor who portrayed Shooter McGavin crashed his Porsche into a highway embankment
on October 29, 2017, 2:00pm
Christopher McDonald, best known for portraying Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore, was arrested for drunk driving after crashing his Porsche into a highway embankment. The incident occurred in Lake Arrowhead, California on Saturday night.
According to TMZ, McDonald actually told police about his role in Happy Gilmore in hopes of avoiding arrest. Officers responded by taking him into custody and charging him with drunk driving.
McDonald, 62, was previously arrested and charged with a DWI in 2013.
Drunk Driver
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Home BUILDING TECHNOLOGY Challenges Of Low Cost Housing Delivery In Nigeria (A Case Study Of Imo State)
Challenges Of Low Cost Housing Delivery In Nigeria (A Case Study Of Imo State)
The world of building Industry is very wide and reaches which covers all areas like production, Building maintenance, project management, project monitoring and evaluation, facilities and viability studies and building surveying etc. and there is room in its for every person who want to learn, experience and practices to see above all how to provide good shelter for the good of humanity and the occupants of that house. The field of building need builders who are experienced to carry out the duties, responsibilities and challenges of the profession and its vital role in the economy and growth of a nation to be able to produce building for sell or rent it to the people who needs them. This project aim at providing fact and information for meaningful study and understanding of the myriads of factors that influence low-cost housing delivery which is the center point of the Second Republic housing policy in Nigeria. In the design and methodology of this study primary and secondary data were sued. This project surveys the low-cost housing delivery in the second housing policy of Nigeria has fared, a case study of Imo State. Also what led to the promulgation of the low-cost housing policy during Nigeria’s Second Republic is another point of focus.
Public policy emerges from decision-making, which is the most deliberate aspect
of social conduct. Policy deals with a variety of sectored issues ranging from defence, health and agriculture to education, among others. One of its components is housing policy.
In the past, in Nigeria, the provision of housing has traditionally been the
responsibility of the private sector. Public housing has for a considerable period been limited to the provision of housing for the senior staff in the secluded area called Government Reservation Area (GRA), provision of barracks for soldiers, police and quarters for clerks usually called clerks quarter. Public involvement in housing became only noticeable in the late 1950.
Nigeria is a rapidly developing country with enormous need for the provision of
housing for the teeming populace. It is therefore not surprising to find in the world
today, that government in order to become popular and be acceptable among their
citizenry usually places as top priority housing development in their National
Development Plan. The United Nations Organisations “such as United Nation
Conference on Human Settlements (UNCHS) otherwise called Habitat 11 have over the years pursued a variety of programmes and policies aimed at resolving the issue of inadequacy and shortfall of housing stock” (Oyejide, 2001). The need for housing policy in Nigeria became an important issue only when the country achieved independence in 1960. An attempt will be made to understand the policy by studying various governments’ actions and public pronouncements on housing.
As governments and individuals struggle to improve the economic, educational
and social condition of their communities, households find the need to recondition their family affairs, and to readjust their living situations. These circumstances would under conditions of accelerating economic growth for all, dictate a steady pattern of shift either from the occupation of single rooms to flats or from older and dilapidated flats to more modern ones, or to even modern bungalows. It is perhaps in full recognition of this crucial role of the human habitat in individual and national development that part of the economic objectives under the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, entrenched in Chapter II of the Nigerian Constitution required the State to direct its policy towards ensuring that suitable and adequate shelter is provided for ALL
citizens, (FMI, 1979:9).
The Federal Government, aware of the importance of housing, has encouraged
the establishment of Housing Authorities, Institutions and Agencies charged with the responsibility of housing the citizens of this nation. Such institutions and agencies set up by the Federal Government are “the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Environment, the Federal Housing Authority, the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, among others” (Bamai, 1988), The Housing Policy in Nigeria became necessary in order to provide housing accommodation affordable to the general public. It was formulated and enunciated in 1980 after a Ministry of Housing and Environment was set up and it was to accord priority for those in the low-income groups. An adequate understanding of the Housing Policy therefore depends on the prior mastery of the concept of policy itself.
Policy, characterized as instrument for the use of some form of centralized
planning which government protects its attributes is significant for development. It is a proposed course of action of a person, group or government within a given
environment, providing obstacles and opportunities which the policy was proposed to utilize and overcome in an effort to reach a goal or realize an objective or a purpose (Friedrich, 1963). It is the official actions or course of actions that are goal-oriented, taken with the aim of solving problems that led to its initiation, adoption and implementation. In the formulation of policy, all relevant information and recommendations are usually passed upwards, and even after a given policy has been promulgated, there should be a regular feedback of results to confirm that policy as being right or suggest a need for revised policy.
The second democratic experiment in Nigeria began on October 1,1979 as an
earlier experiment failed on January 15, 1966, following the seizure of power by the Army after five years of chaotic civil political administration. In September 1978, the military government lifted the ban on partisan politics imposed since August 31,1966. The pre-election resulted in the formation of five political parties, namely: the National Party of Nigeria (N.P.N.), the Unity Party of Nigeria (U.P.N.), the Nigeria People’s Party (N.P.P.), the Great Nigeria People’s Party (G.N.P.P.) and the People’s Redemption Party (P.R.P.). “The election resulted in the N.P.N. as the Fulani party winning an overall plurality of votes in nineteen (19) States. The U.P.N. as the Yoruba party came second, the N.P.P. as the Igbo party came third, the P.R.P. and the G.N.P.P. represented the Kanuri and Hausa parties respectively trailed behind” (Njoku, 2004).
It was on that note that Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria
assumed office on October 1, 1979 as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. This was a democratic regime. Powell Jnr listing the features of democracy states that “the legitimacy of the government rests on a claim to represent the desires of its citizens, that is, the claim of government’s obedience to its laws is based on the government’s assertion to do what the people want; and that citizens and leaders enjoy basic freedom of speech, press, assembly and organization” (Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences, (1829). The desire of the federal and state governments in Nigeria to “improve housing conditions and ownership is now well orchestrated by their public announcement. Provision of ‘shelter for all’ has also become a cardinal point of the NPN federal government” (Mohammed, 1980).
In April,1980, following the National Council on Housing and Environment Conference in Port Harcourt, the government of Shehu Shagari embarked on a ‘housing for all’ programme for the country.
All governments in Nigeria since independence highlighted housing as a major priority. Unfortunately for over 47 years of its independence, Nigeria is yet to develop a vibrant mortgage market and houses continue to be provided through the tortuous traditional method of buying land and building over some years, which could be an individual's entire life time. In many cases such buildings are left uncompleted or individuals have to deplete their entire life savings in order to
build a home.
One of the major housing policy initiatives was the Policy on Affordable Housing that was initiated in 1979 by the Shehu Shagari Administration. The policy though laudable was unable to meet the nation’s housing needs because it was based on the unsustainable tenet that houses will be provided by government (this remains the anomaly that we must resolve). The implementation of the 2002 housing policy reforms was a promising beginning, but a lot remains to be done.
In a recent news report on the Nigerian Housing Sector aired on African Independent Television (AIT), it was stated that between 1973 and 2006, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) built only 30,000 housing units nationwide. According to Mr. Tunde Ipinmosho of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), the current housing deficit is about 12 million homes. If we take the current population of 140 million Nigerians as reported by the National Population Commission after last year's census exercise and assume 30 percent of the population as working adults we have 42 million estimated working adults; assuming about 45 percent or 18.9 million of the working adults qualify for mortgage loans, and assume an average house final selling price at about Naira 2.8 million for a 2-bedroom flat, the possible size of the mortgage market is close to Naira 53 trillion.
Imo State, my case study, is one of the then nineteen States of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, (see Appendices I and II – maps of Nigeria and Imo State).The State was created when the former East Central State of Nigeria was split into Anambra and Imo State on 3rd February, 1976 by the Murtala/Obasanjo regime. It has a population density of 590 persons per square kilometer” (MOF, 2000). Its population at the end of 2006 National Census was 3.9 million. With the inception of the Second Republic in 1979, the Federal Government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari decided to construct low cost houses throughout the federation. According to the President, the goal of his administration in the area of housing was to, as much as possible, make sure that every Nigerian had access to a decent and affordable accommodation in a clean environment(Imo, 1985). The decision was borne out of the desire to provide affordable houses to low-income earners in various parts of the country.
In Imo State, the Federal Low-Cost Housing Scheme was located at Egbu and
Umuguma in Owerri Local Government and the eleven other Local Governments in Imo State (excluding nine local Governments that are now part of Abia State). Out of the 8,000 housing units slated for Imo State by the Shagari Administration, a total of seven hundred and eighty-one (781) houses were constructed. Those in the rural areas were one bedroom bungalows while those at Owerri – the capital of Imo State consisted essentially of three housing types – one-bedroom, two bedroom and three-bedroom, all semi-detached bungalows. “The Estate covered about 25 hectares and each house was designed to accommodate two families separated by a party wall “(Igbozuruike, 1988). A total of twelve contractors were employed to execute this housing programme while the Federal Ministry of Housing and Environment engaged the services of two firms of architects to supervise the project on its behalf. The form of tender adopted was ostensibly open tender but in reality, the contractors were awarded to members of the defunct National Party of Nigeria.
The low cost houses on completion were allocated by the Presidential Liaison
Officer in the State, on behalf of the Federal Government to the occupants not on rental but on owner-occupier basis. In the allocation exercise, “only the indigenes of Imo State and non-indigenes that have been resident in the State for at least three years were entitled to apply for the houses. This was on the condition that their annual income did not exceed N5000 (five thousand Naira)” (Igbozuruike, 2004).
The one-bedroom single family unit was sold for N6,000.00 (Six thousand
Naira) while the three-bedroom single family dwelling was sold for N15,000.00 (fifteen thousand Naira). This is against the sums of N6,077.68 and N14,714.14 which these two units cost the government to erect. The allotees were required to pay an initial deposit of ten percent of the cost of the houses and subsequent monthly installment payments for twenty years until the cost was defrayed. The occupants made these payments by cheque or cash to the government through the Federal Mortgage Bank, Owerri Branch. It was discovered that many of the allotees sublet their houses to tenants who paid them rent. The two-bedroom housing units which were abandoned but completed much later in the year 2003 were sold at N200,000.00.
Policy evaluation, as a functional activity, is as old as policy itself. Policy makers
and administrators have always made judgments concerning the worth or effects of
SIMILAR BUILDING TECHNOLOGY FINAL YEAR PROJECT RESEARCH TOPICS
1. AN APPRAISAL OF THE COST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THE DELIVERY OF CAPITAL PROJECTS IN NIGERIA
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2. ASSESSMENT OF CONTRACTOR TENDER DURATION IN ANAMBRA
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52 pages | 539 hits | Source: BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
3. INVESTIGATION ON THE CAUSES OF PAVEMENT FAILURE ALONG HILLVIEW OFF ESBS ROAD ENUGU
» CHAPTER ONE 1.1 INTRODUCTION The site under investigation is Hillview of ESBS Road Enugu. Along the site failures are observed especially depress on p...Continue Reading »
40 pages | 64 hits | Source: BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
4. DELAY ANALYSIS IN INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS BY USING RELATIVE IMPORTANCE INDEX METHOD.
» TABLE OF CONTENTSApproval pageDedicationAbstractAcknowledgementTable of contentCHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION1.1 Relevance of project1.2 Site inspection1.3 E...Continue Reading »
5. A QUALITY ANALYSIS OF THE THICKNESS OF PART AND CORRUGATED ASBETES ROOFING SHEETS OF EMENITE LIMITED ENUGU
» ABSTRACT Calcium is the most important mineral in the body. The body needs calcium for normal functioning of nerves and muscles including the most imp...Continue Reading »
6. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
» CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTIONBackground of the studyToday‘s construction projects become more complex in nature. The complex,relational and lengthy proces...Continue Reading »
7. APPLICATION OF GEOINFORMATIC TECHNIQUES IN CONTROLLING FLOODING IN VULNERABLE ROADS AND BUILDINGS IN NIGERIA
» CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study The acronym GIS stands for geographic information system, it is a system which allows a capture, ...Continue Reading »
8. EVALUATION OF INCENTIVE SCHEMES ON LABOUR PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
» CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION1.1 Relevance of project1.2 Site inspection1.3 Evolution of road network in nigeria1.4 Motor vehicle characteristic that affect...Continue Reading »
9. RESIDENTIAL BUILDING COLLAPSE IN NIGERIA: CAUSES, EFFECTS AND SOLUTIONS(A CASE STUDY OF AKURE,ONDO STATE)
» CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Since independence, the Nigeria government has desperately continued to make concerted effort in ...Continue Reading »
10. EFFECTS OF AGGREGATE SIZES ON THE CONCRETE STRENGTH
» ABSTRACT In the sense that the materials involved in this project were capital intensive more especially cement, so in carrying out the work one must ...Continue Reading »
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Sheltered workshops being closed in MA despite protective budget language
November 16, 2015 David Kassel 3 comments
Despite the passage of protective language in the state budget last year and this year, the Department of Developmental Services appears to be moving rapidly to shut down all remaining sheltered workshops in the state for people with developmental disabilities.
“Can’t believe after all the hard work so many people put in, it (the workshop closures) is still happening,” one workshop supporter wrote in an email, referring to grassroots lobbying efforts mounted in the past two years to keep the workshops open.
The protective language that was inserted by State Representative Brian Dempsey in the past two years into the DDS community day line item in the budget seemed to be definitive. The language states that DDS “shall not reduce the availability or decrease funding for sheltered workshops serving persons with disabilities who voluntarily seek or wish to retain such employment services.”
At the same time, however, Dempsey’s House Ways and Means Committee supported the appropriation of $1 million last year and $3 million this year in a separate DDS line item to fund the transfer of people from sheltered workshops to community-based day or employment programs. So, even while the language in one line item has appeared to protect the workshops for those who want to remain in them, the other line item has funded the removal from the workshops of everyone whose guardians haven’t formally objected to moving them to the day programs.
Sheltered workshops around the country have become an ideological target of the federal government and of many states, which contend that the workshops “segregate” people with developmental disabilities from their peers in the mainstream workforce. But many families of the sheltered workshop participants have countered that the programs are fully integrated into the surrounding communities and provide the participants with meaningful activities and valuable skills.
Sheltered workshops provide developmentally disabled persons with a range of assembly jobs and other types of work, usually for a small wage.
In 2013, the Massachusetts DDS and the state’s major lobbying organizations for corporate DDS providers issued a plan to close all sheltered workshops as of last June, and to transfer all of the participants to either DDS day programs or to “integrated individual or group employment at minimum wage or higher.”
Sheltered workshops are defined by the Social Security Administration as “a private non-profit, state, or local government institution that provides employment opportunities for individuals who are developmentally, physically, or mentally impaired, to prepare for gainful work in the general economy. These services may include physical rehabilitation, training in basic work and life skills…”
Integrated employment is defined by the federal Labor Department as “jobs held by people with disabilities in typical workplace settings where the majority of persons employed are not persons with disabilities, where they earn at least minimum wage, and where they are paid directly by the employer.”
Our concern regarding the DDS/corporate provider plan to close sheltered workshops is that there appears to be a limited number of opportunities in Massachusetts for persons with developmental disabilities to find jobs in “typical workplace settings” where the majority of the people employed are not disabled. Unless and until these integrated workforce opportunities exist in sufficient quantities, we don’t think sheltered workshops should be eliminated as options.
Unfortunately, the state’s attitude concerning care for the developmentally disabled has long been to close facilities that are considered expensive or that otherwise don’t fit an ideological mold, without having a plan or sufficient resources to adequately replace those facilities.
The director of one sheltered workshop program I talked to said that while there hasn’t actually been a directive from DDS to transfer everyone out of his workshop by a particular date, DDS recently indicated that transfer funding had become available and that his workshop should “determine who would move at this time.”
The workshop director said he planned to transfer more than half of the program’s current participants out between next month and March of next year. While the protective language in the budget would appear to allow the guardians of the workshop participants to object to the transfer plans, the workshop director said no one had yet voiced an objection. It’s possible, he said, that people will begin to object once the transfers start. But he said he sensed less resistance among families and guardians to the prospect of leaving his workshop program than was the case two years ago.
One of the existing integrated work settings in Massachusetts is MicroTek in Chicopee, an electronic cable manufacturer. The company employs 130 people, 15 of whom have disabilities, according to Cynthia Piechota, the company’s program director. Piechota said she knew of only a handful of other integrated work programs in the state.
A workplace program that is smaller than MicroTek, but similar to it, is Interface Precision Benchmarks (IPB) in Orange, where six people are employed in manufacturing electronic cables. The IPB workforce is currently divided evenly between disabled and nondisabled employees (3 disabled and 3 nondisabled); thus it’s not clear that IPB actually fits the Labor Department’s definition of an integrated workplace.
Ed Orzechowski, whose sister-in-law, Carol Chunglo recently retired as an IPB employee, said he and his wife, Gail, “can’t say enough about what a positive experience it was for Carol to work at IPB. There should be more places like it.” Ed Orzechowski is a COFAR Board member and president of The Advocacy Network, an affiliated advocacy organization for people with developmental disabilities in Massachusetts.
A University of Massachusetts report noted that in 2010, there were 3,700 people with intellectual disabilities in sheltered workshops in Massachusetts and about 3,500 people in “integrated employment.” However, there were about 9,500 people in “non-work” settings, which appear to include DDS day programs.
COFAR has filed a Public Records Law request with DDS to try to determine how many people the Department anticipates will be transferred over the next five years to integrated workplaces, and how many will be transferred over that time to DDS day programs.
It’s unfortunate that sheltered workshops appear to be going the way of so many other previous high-quality programs and services for people with developmental disabilities in Massachusetts. The potential elimination of these services is usually vigorously opposed by families and guardians who understand how critically important they are. But DDS has long perfected a wait-them-out strategy.
The Department understands that grassroots resistance to new, untried policies, can be worn down over time.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: congregate care, developmental disabilities, sheltered workshops
Andy and Stan McDonald gain a small victory in a system that has been pitted against them
November 3, 2015 David Kassel 1 comment
In a Middlesex Probate Court hearing last Monday (October 26), Andy McDonald, an intellectually disabled man, finally got the opportunity to tell a judge his long-sought wish — that he be allowed to visit his aging parents in their Sherborn home.
As we have reported, Andy, who is 48 and lives in a group home in Westborough, has been denied permission since 1996 to visit his parents. Andy’s father, Stan, is now 80. In a ruling in 2006, former Probate Judge Edward Rockett concluded that Andy was sexually dangerous and should never be allowed to return to his childhood home.
Not only were Andy’s parents never to discuss with Andy the prospect of his ever visiting his home, but Rockett ruled that Stan must personally tell his son, in the presence of clinicians, that he would never be allowed to go home again. McDonald said he has refused to say something like that to Andy.
I will discuss Rockett’s ruling more fully below. We have noted previously that a key claim made in the ruling — that Andy was arrested in 1990 for sexually assaulting three young girls — is untrue. Andy has never been charged with a sexual offense.
Yet Rockett’s decision, and the claim in it that Andy was arrested for sexual assault, is the basis for the Department of Developmental Services’ longstanding position that Andy should never be allowed to return to Sherborn, and that the matter of visits there should never be discussed with him.
Rockett’s ruling
We think it is important to expose what we see are misstatements and a lack of a factual basis in Judge Rockett’s ruling. Rockett decision, and an appeals court ruling upholding it, were repeatedly cited during a break in the court hearing last week by a DDS attorney as reasons to oppose ever lifting the ban on home visits.
Stan was even told he would be in contempt of court if he mentioned to the judge his own wish that Andy be allowed supervised visits home. As it turned out however, it was Andy himself who brought up the subject of home visits before the judge.
Beyond that, there is a larger reason for examining Rockett’s decision, we think. Someday, Andy will be on his own; and if the conclusions in Rockett’s decision are never challenged, he may be locked up somewhere for good. One attorney contacted by Stan about his case termed Rockett’s decision “devastating.”
It therefore seemed somewhat extraordinary that there were no objections last week when Andy asked to speak to Middlesex Probate Judge Megan Christopher during the October 26 hearing. When Christopher assented to his request to speak, Andy politely asked that he be granted a supervised visit home “for a couple of hours.”
Judge Christopher didn’t flatly deny Andy’s request, but said she would schedule a new trial date in which that issue may be considered. She told Andy that what he wanted “was complicated and required more looking into.” She pointed out that “it’s not always possible to have everything you want. You understand that,” she added.
The October 26 probate hearing was held to consider the appointment of attorney Marie Dunn as Andy’s new guardian, replacing Dennis Yeaw, an attorney who had opposed home visits for Andy, also citing Rockett’s decision. In 1986, Stan and his former wife agreed to the appointment of a guardian for Andy as part of the settlement of a longstanding custody battle over him. Stan has been unsuccessful since that time in regaining his guardianship, even though his former wife, local legislators, and other supporters have publicly expressed support for that.
Andy’s arrest
Andy was arrested in Sherborn in May of 1990 for threatening an unidentified person during a telephone call, according to the district court record. The nature of the threats was not disclosed. In July of that year, he was charged with disturbing the peace in downtown Sherborn, according to a police department report. In that incident, he allegedly followed a young woman and threatened to kill her father. That same day, he was charged with assault after he punched Ellen, his stepmother. Stan and Ellen say the punch was accidental.
Andy has not exhibited any significant behavioral problems in close to a decade and has been taken on community outings to many places other than his home without any behavioral incidents, according to Stan and to his yearly clinical care plans. He is described in his latest clinical care plan as “kind and friendly to others,” and as “a polite man.”
According to the plan, Andy enjoys going to the library, going out to dinner, and seeing his father’s jazz band play. He regularly goes into the community to shop for program supplies and volunteers at Meals on Wheels.
Yet, Andy has in the past told clinicians that he has had sexual fantasies about children; and that, combined with the mistaken claim that he was arrested for sexual offenses in Sherborn in 1990, led to Rockett’s lifetime ban on him from visits home. Stan maintains that the ban on visits has caused Andy emotional harm. His latest clinical care plan states that Andy’s rapid speech and eating habits are related to anxiety, although the plan attributes that anxiety to a fear of death and bees.
One-sided view
Rockett’s decision appears to take a selective view of the history of the case.
In his ruling banning Andy from Sherborn for life, Rockett concluded that Stan “should never be considered for appointment as guardian of his son,” and that Stan “lacks common sense and has poor judgment skills.” Rockett stated that Stan and other family members, who he didn’t name, “wish to usurp the authority over the program and introduce their own ideas for clinical treatment for Andrew…”
Rockett further banned Stan from ever directly contacting any doctor, clinician, or service provider providing care to Andy.
Rockett’s decision, however, said nothing about Stan’s long-time personal advocacy on behalf of Andy, in particular his successful fight to discontinue the use on Andy of Stelazine, an anti-psychotic drug, which appears to have caused Andy’s disruptive behaviors prior to 2006. Rockett also did not mention the fact that clinicians had misdiagnosed Andy in the early 1990’s as mentally ill when, in fact, he is intellectually disabled, and that, as a result, Andy was inappropriately placed in Westborough State Hospital, a facility in which he was first put on Stelazine.
The Stelazine caused Andy to develop Tardive Dyskinesia, a disorder resulting in involuntary, repetitive body movements. Because the court-appointed guardians did little or nothing to address that problem, Stan said he personally got a court order and paid for an independent evaluation of Andy’s medications. This resulted in discontinuing the Stelazine and replacement of the prescribing doctor.
Among those who have written DDS in support of Stan’s bid for guardianship since that time has been State Representative David Linsky, who earlier this year was joined by State Senator Richard Ross in calling for a new, independent clinical evaluation of Andy.
John Carroll, a former residential counselor to Andy at the Cardinal Cushing School, wrote to DDS in 2013 to say that he had frequently observed visits to Andy by Stan and Ellen, and that “Stanley’s and Ellen’s dedication to Andy’s care and treatment in all circumstances leaves no question in my mind that Stanley McDonald is the sole individual with the knowledge, experience, and love, deserving to have responsibility for major decisions in Andy’s life as guardian.”
But Rockett didn’t see it that way. In his 2006 decision, Rockett accused Stan of failing to cooperate with Andy’s court-appointed guardians and with clinicians, and stated that Stan failed to “recognize the seriousness of Andrew’s fantasies.” He also implied in his decision that Stan had a drinking problem. He offered no evidence for that, however.
Failure to specify prohibited materials
In support of the former accusation regarding the seriousness of Andy’s fantasies, Rockett stated that “Andrew uses pictures of children as sexual stimulants,” and that Stan had provided Andy on a number of occasions with “prohibited materials.” But Rockett did not state what those prohibited materials were.
According to Stan and Ellen, the prohibited materials consisted of the following items: A piece of beach glass (which Westborough State Hospital considered dangerous), a sparkler that was lit on a birthday cake, a drawing of a baby from a Family Circus cartoon, and a photo of Andy’s niece and nephew. Ellen said a poster-sized version of the photo of Andy’s niece and nephew had been on the wall in his room in his group home with the staff’s full knowledge. “The poster seemed to us to indicate explicit authorization for Andy to have pictures of his niece and nephew,” Ellen said. “Stan did not show or give anything to Andy believing Andy would use them for any inappropriate purpose.”
Regarding the drinking issue, Rockett wrote that “Andrew has stated that his father’s drinking bothered him.” Rockett offered no further explanation of that claim, other than two follow-up statements concerning Stan’s visits to his son. One statement was that “Mr. Burch (the clinical director of Andy’s group home) had instructed Stanley McDonald not to drink during the visits.” The next line stated: “They (Stan, Andy, and Burch) went to a restaurant and Stanley McDonald immediately ordered wine. Andrew became very agitated and went to the restroom, where Mr. Burch had to quiet him down.”
In our view Rockett’s statements imply, without actually stating it, that Stan brought alcohol to Andy’s group home, and that Andy was bothered because Stan must have been drinking excessively during the visits. In fact, here is Stan’s wife, Ellen’s, explanation of the drinking issue:
Stan has never brought alcohol to Andy’s (group home) program. Andy does not like to be around Stan when he is drinking. Andy worries about the effects on Stan of alcohol and tobacco. He doesn’t want Stan to drink or smoke. He is very influenced by ads he sees on TV about the danger of drinking and driving. After that incident where Stan ordered a glass of wine in a restaurant he never again ordered an alcoholic beverage in Andy’s presence – until once very recently, when Andy didn’t express any objection. Stan does drink at Primavera (in Millis) while he is playing (in his Blue Horizon Jazz Band), and nobody has raised this as an issue – neither Andy nor staff who accompany him. Andy loves to be at Primavera when Stan is playing. He goes from table to table and talks with all of the guests and band members. Many have known him since he was a child. Nineteen years ago when Andy last visited at home Stan did not have a drink while Andy was there. Stan honors Andy’s wish and orders iced tea when we go out to supper. Stan smokes in Andy’s presence but tries to minimize it. It’s a tough habit for him to give up.
No support for statements about alleged dangerousness
Rockett’s decision also included a lengthy discussion of Andy’s alleged sexual dangerousness, starting with the mistaken claim discussed above that Andy was arrested in 1990 for sexual assault. Rockett referred three times to the arrest, and, in one instance, stated that Andy had “stalked the three neighborhood children.” As noted, there is no evidence in police or court records that anyone was sexually assaulted in those incidents, that any young children were involved, or that Andy stalked anyone.
(Even the appeals court, which upheld Rockett’s decision in 2009, stated in a footnote that “some of the fact findings adopted by the judge (Rockett) were not supported by the evidence…” The appeals court footnote specifically stated with regard to Rockett’s claims about the arrest for sexual assault and stalking three girls, “the specific facts (of the incidents in Sherborn) and the charges are not clear from the record.”)
Rockett also claimed in his decision that Andy had confessed to having “bizarre sexual fantasies” about children; yet Rockett noted that Andy “will always say what people want to hear.”
In addition, Rockett included what appears to be an unsupported and inflammatory statement by Burch that Andy was “the most dangerous person he has ever treated.”
But there is no evidence cited or presented in Rockett’s decision that Andy ever sexually assaulted anyone. Rockett stated, for instance, that in the 1990’s, when he was first admitted to his group home, Andy “attempted to attack female staff” in both his residential and day programs. But Rockett provided no details about those alleged attempted assaults.
Rockett’s decision also included two accounts about Andy’s alleged fantasies and about Andy engaging in masturbation; but while the accounts were graphic, nothing that Rockett described could be said to constitute crimes or prove that Andy was dangerous.
Ellen and Stan maintained that at least some of the statements given by clinicians regarding Andy’s alleged sexual fantasies may have stemmed from statements Andy made while participating in a group therapy program in the 1990’s in Andy’s group home, which is run by Community Resources for Justice. Participants were reportedly encouraged to discuss their sexual fantasies in the sessions.
“As I recall we were told at least some of the group members had actually offended,” Ellen said. “We weren’t told details of these sessions.”
Questions remain
Marie Dunn, the new guardian appointed last week for Andy, was not present at the October 26 court hearing. But both Andy’s court-appointed attorney and the DDS attorney encouraged Stan and Ellen to meet with Dunn. Stan is hopeful that Dunn will agree to a new, independent evaluation of Andy, and that she will support supervised home visits for him.
We hope things will finally move in a positive direction for Stan, Ellen, and Andy. We think it was a good sign that Judge Christopher allowed Andy to state his wish in open court to visit home. We also think it is a positive thing that Andy finally has a new guardian.
We strongly support at least a co-guardianship for Stan; and we hope the day comes soon when Andy can have supervised visits home once again, and that common sense will finally prevail in this case.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: abuse and neglect, community-based care, developmental disabilities, guardianship
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Board index General Discussion Aviation-related Politics
Report on BVI Airways will be publicised ‘soon’ - Gov Jaspert
News and information which is politically-based and directly or indirectly relevant to Caribbean aviation
Unread post by bimjim » Sat Nov 02, 2019
http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/ ... ov-jaspert
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI
His Excellency Governor Augustus J.U. Jaspert has said members of the media and the public would soon be privy to the Auditor General’s report on the scandalous BVI Airways deal.
“The Auditor General has been working very hard on her report into the BVI Airways,” Governor Jaspert said to members of the media during a press conference at his residence today, November 1, 2019.
“That report is now concluding, and it will be given to me, and after that point, I believe up to a period of three months… it will become public. So that will be coming forward shortly,” he added.
While the governor did not divulge any further, he noted that the report was undertaken because of the questions that surrounded it.
BVI Airways deal
During the Dr D. Orlando Smith’s administration, the agreement created a controversy when more than $7 million was placed into the airline that never took off.
The deal was to provide direct flights between the USA and the VI and became one of the largest scandals to rock that administration.
Almost exactly one year earlier, the Governor announced there was an ongoing audit.
Fahie administration suing
Meanwhile, the new administration under the leadership of Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) said the VI Government is suing its former legal counsel in the USA, Mr Lester Hyman, who it is alleged secretly received monies from BVI Airways.
Hon Fahie confirmed to members of the press that the matter is before a court in the United States and he was asked to refrain from making comments on it, “But, I would just like to say that there is no secret that the BVI has a strong interest in retrieving its $7.2 million.”
Re: Report on BVI Airways will be publicised ‘soon’ - Gov Jaspert
Unread post by bimjim » Sun Nov 03, 2019
https://www.islandsun.com/opposition-as ... i-airways/
Opposition asks more questions about BVI Airways
No more official announcements will be made in relations to the BVI Airways court matter as Premier and Minister for Finance Hon. Andrew Fahie disclosed that he was cautioned about speaking or commenting on the matter.
Of recent BVI Airways has been back in the headlines as it was revealed that the Attorney General filed a case in the US District court of Columbia in an effort to take discovery from former BVI Government Attorney and BVI Airways Director Lester Hyman who is based in Washington DC.
The recent revelations spawned various questions; chief of which was whether the Attorney General was instructed by this current or the former administration to turn to the US court. However, the answer could not be provided by the Premier when two members of the Opposition brought the matter up in the 17 October sitting of the House of Assembly.
In noting that the matter was off limits the Premier declared to both Leader of the Opposition Hon. Marlon Penn, and Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser that he could not provide answers to the questions about the matter.
Hon. Fahie declared, “Mr. Speaker this entire matter regarding BVI Airways…is a matter before the court and is therefore prohibited from public comments and discussions. Meaning I cannot tell you anything about it. I cannot talk about it at this time.”
The Premier was further prompted to give some information to which he responded: “It is in the court and it is in hot pursuit.”
The Premier’s approach to the matter caused Hon. Fraser to boldly question whether Hon. Fahie was guarding his response because he was now Premier. Hon. Fraser said: “Mr. Speaker this is becoming a norm where one administration keeps covering for the other.”
This comment caused the Premier to rise on a point of order stating that he is seeking answers about the matter too: “Mr. Speaker, the Member for the Third knows better. I was over there with him looking for the plane, the plane. I started to ring the bell like Tatoo looking for the plane. Now I am over here looking for the plane. So, I don’t understand what cover up. I trying to get the $7.2M. I cannot say anything else, it’s in the court. The reason it is in the court they looking for the plane or the money.”
In noting how sensitive the matter is Hon. Fahie mentioned that he was cautioned before arriving in the House of Assembly: “Before coming today I was advised to answer this way,” he said.
The Premier speaking further about the caution he received said: “Mr. Speaker what they tell me is watch your mouth because the thing is in the court … The member knows that it’s in court. I have to leave this thing alone; let it take its course and then Barry say we will hear if we will get back the money or not. I cannot comment on the plane nor the court case, nor the files nor anything with BVI Airways. It’s in the courts.”
Meanwhile Hon. Fahie said that he is eagerly awaiting the outcome of the matter to note what will happen next: “When the time comes whatever it is to be revealed will be revealed. If we can get back the money or not I don’t know. I can’t say who innocent or who guilty or if anything went wrong or it was just procedural errors I don’t know. The Member for the Third could rest assured that when that time comes he would know and so would I and everyone else. So please member don’t feel like anything is being covered up,” the Premier added.
Return to “Aviation-related Politics”
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Africans Dial Up Innovation
A New Paradigm for Development in the Sub-Saharan
The people of the Sub-Saharan region are participating in an historic shift in the ways they relate to science and technology. From Accra to Nairobi, from Lusaka to Bamako — Africans have gone from concentrating almost wholly on absorbing new technologies created by distant innovators to energetically and optimistically creating some of their own technologies, developed to an unprecedented degree by home-grown African innovators.
The people of the Sub-Saharan region are participating in an historic shift in the ways they relate to science and technology. From Accra to Nairobi, from Lusaka to Bamako — Africans have gone from concentrating almost wholly on absorbing new technologies created by distant innovators to energetically and optimistically creating some of their own technologies, developed to an unprecedented degree by home-grown African innovators. The shift from absorption to home-grown innovation is happening across a range of areas:from agriculture and health-care to media, communications and commerce. This historic shift profoundly alters the terms of development assistance to the sub-Saharan, and yet few donors, multinational corporations and multi-lateral agencies are prepared to address the new African reality. Along with sketching out the extent and character of the techno-scientific shifts in this much-misunderstood region, ASU professor Gregg P. Zachary will also describe a set of tools how to shift away from one-dimensional mechanistic forms of technology towards a more robust program of support for home-grown African techno-science that reflects the distinctive character of the emerging urban centers and educated middle classes in the region.
On Innovation and the Mobile Phone: Africans Dial Up Innovation: No longer content to import technology, Africans are using cellphones to spur indigenous innovation
On Electricity and the State: Giving Up on Grids
On Emerging Science in East Africa: Vast and Fertile Ground in Africa for Science to Take Root
On Development Aid and Agriculture: Global media and the development story
G. Pascal (Gregg) Zachary
Professor of Practice
Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes and ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Gregg Zachary joined the CSPO faculty in 2010. He works at the intersection of history, technological change, globalization and communications. He tracks science and technology policy at the national level and charts the relationship between technoscience, political economy and development…
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Home / Appointments & Resigns / S Ramesh appointed as Chairman of CBIC
S Ramesh appointed as Chairman of CBIC
Unknown June 28, 2018 Appointments & Resigns
The Union Government has appointed senior bureaucrat S Ramesh as chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
It must be noted that the CBIC is the apex policy making body for indirect taxes in the country.
He has been appointed as chairman of CBIC with the status of special secretary to the central government.
He will succeed Vanaja N Sarna who retired on June 30, 2018.
About S Ramesh:
S Ramesh is 1981 batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise).
Prior to this appointment he was member in CBIC, mandated with responsibility of implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC)
CBIC is the nodal national agency responsible for administering Customs, GST, Central Excise, Service Tax & Narcotics in India.
It is part of the Department of Revenue under Union Ministry of Finance.
It is headquartered in New Delhi.
It was renamed to present name from Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) in March 2017.
It is one of the oldest government departments of India (established in 1855 by the then British Governor General of India, to administer customs laws in India and collection of import duties / land revenue).
CBIC deals with tasks of formulation of policy concerning levy and collection of customs and central excise duties and service tax, prevention of smuggling and administration of matters relating to customs, central excise, service tax and narcotics.
It is administrative authority for its subordinate organizations, including Central Excise and Service Tax Commissionerates, Custom Houses and Central Revenues Control Laboratory.
S Ramesh appointed as Chairman of CBIC Reviewed by Unknown on June 28, 2018 Rating: 5
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The State of Tech: Teaching Tech
Click here for a PDF version of this article
Several years ago, Connie Hartman was in a meeting when she had an interesting idea. What if two groups with different strengths and similar challenges could help each other while engaging socially? Hartman, an assistive technology specialist for the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities, then established Tech Connect, a program that brings together senior citizens and people with developmental disabilities to exchange social and technological skills.
Tech Connect is one of many educational programs throughout Ohio meant to break down barriers to technology and positively impact lives. According to Hartman, education and training are critical access points to digital participation and closing the digital divide.
“You could hand somebody the coolest piece of something, and if they don’t have practice and they don’t have ways that it’s useful to them, it’s a piece of junk,” said Hartman. “It will not work. And for people with intellectual disabilities, it requires a lot of practice. It may be months until they really can do lots of different things that make life easier.”
Tech Connect meets twice monthly, and it’s been successful in Medina County. People with disabilities practice communicating with technology like iPads in a social environment, and because the program focuses on conversation and collaboration, the incorporation of technology feels more natural. Other resources for information and education exist online, such as The Arc’s Tech Toolbox and the Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) My Technology Handbook.
Across the state of Ohio, there are also lending libraries available for those with disabilities. These libraries have different types of assistive and off-the-shelf technologies, typically available for checkout periods of 30 days. These programs are often free, and allow people to try out new types of technology and start learning how to use them on their own time, before they purchase a device.
On the West Campus of The Ohio State University, Bill Darling runs Assistive Technology of Ohio (AT Ohio), which includes a demonstration space and statewide lending library. AT Ohio is the state’s designated Tech Act program, and it serves Ohioans with any type of disability.
“One of our programs that we have is a computer refurbishing program that is set up so that people with disabilities can get a computer,” said Darling. “We have this because people with disabilities are the least likely to own a computer and know how to use it, and we think it’s so incredibly important that they be part of that world, that they be on the internet and be a part of social media. In the world of computers maybe more than any other area of life, you don’t know what you don’t know—until you get on there and start messing around and learning things yourself. It opens up a whole new world for them.”
Sometimes, people with developmental disabilities aren’t aware that technology exists that could be useful to them. When they find a device, they also have to learn how to use it. Educational programs that teach technology are one way to make sure people with developmental disabilities aren’t left behind due to the fast pace of technological development.
“The training aspect of accessing technology is difficult because when you’re given a piece of technology, you need training to learn how to use it,” said Robert Shuemak, an advocacy support advisor for the Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services. Robert also served as a member of the Technology First Council. “It’s easy to get the initial training, but then six months later there are things that have changed. Just think about your use with a cellphone and how often they turn over. You know, it’s a new iPhone out every year. So, you’re always upgrading with non-traditional technology and traditional technology. Things are always changing.”
In addition, findings from a Request for Information (RFI) by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) about Ohio’s digital infrastructure states that companies who have done work to expand broad access in other states have experienced issues with “digital literacy.” Specifically, AT&T emphasized the issue of “If you build it, will [emphasis added] they come” with broadband in rural areas. One solution AT&T suggests is “developing a digital literacy program that would educate rural communities about the services being provided to increase adoption rates.” InnovateOhio, in a press release from the Governor’s Office, will work with ODOT and other partner agencies to develop the statewide broadband strategy with a particular focus on addressing the challenges identified in the report, including digital literacy.
Conclusion of The State of Tech information series
The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, through its Public Awareness grantee, began writing “The State of Tech” series in mid-2019. As each part of the series was released, each part had to be updated due to the continual progress and positive changes that continue to happen with technology and its use by people with developmental disabilities. The information provided in this series is up-to-date as of October 2019.
People with developmental disabilities, families, advocates, and professionals are encouraged to express their support to government agencies, organizations and advocacy groups to help continue the momentum to increase the use of technology by people with disabilities so they can lead more independent and self-determined lives.
The articles in this series were written by Clay Voytek of O'Neill Communications. O'Neill Communications is Ohio DD Council's Public Awareness grantee. The articles in this series were funded by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act.
"The State of Tech: Teaching Tech" is the fourth in a four-part series that aims to educate and inform people about the impact of technology advances and the digital divide for Ohioans with developmental disabilities. This article was published in October 2019.
Clay Voytek of O'Neill Communications wrote the articles for this series. O'Neill Communications is the Ohio DD Council's Public Awareness grantee. The articles in this series were funded by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act.
For more information about the series, including links to all articles, go to The State of Tech.
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Nationwide Events
Democracy Awakening Speakers, Performers & More
Sunday, April 17: Rally for Democracy Emcees
Sunday, April 17: Rally for Democracy Speakers
Sunday, April 17: Rally for Democracy Performers
Sunday, April 17: Faith Rally Speakers
Saturday, April 16: Teach-In Panelists
Movement leaders risking arrest on Monday, April 18
Maryssa T. Hall, Fellowship Program Manager, Young People For (YP4)
Maryssa T. Hall is the Fellowship Program Manager at Young People For (YP4). In that capacity, Maryssa oversees all aspects of the Fellowship Department including recruitment and selection efforts, supporting Fellows on their leadership development and Blueprints for Social Justice, as well as organizing all YP4 Regional Trainings and National Summit. Originally from the Bay Area, she graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Afro-American Studies and Political Science in 2014. While at UCLA, Maryssa was involved in a number of progressive student organizations that focus on increasing access and retention of students of color to the University and addressing inequalities in our local and global community. From 2012-2013, she served as the External Public Relations Coordinator for the Afrikan Student Union at UCLA while simultaneously serving on the United States Student Association Board of Directors as the People of Afrikan Descent Caucus Chairperson. In May of 2013, she was elected as the Undergraduate External Vice President at UCLA and was charged with representing all 29,000 undergraduates at a local, state and national level. In addition, she served on the University of California Student Association (UCSA) Board of Directors where she represented all 250,000 UC students. During her term as EVP, she brought the 25th Annual UCSA Student of Color Conference to UCLA and organized an action surrounding breaking the school-to-prison pipeline with over 1600 students from across California. After graduation, Maryssa moved back to the Bay Area and joined the San Francisco/Silicon Valley Public Allies AmeriCorps program where she served as a College Success Academic Counselor for a non-profit in East Palo Alto to increase access to higher education for low-income students of color in the surrounding community.
Brendien Mitchell, President, Florida State Conference NAACP Youth and College Division
Brendien Mitchell is a Senior, Political Science and Economics double major at Howard University in Washington, DC. A native of Ocala, FL, he has been an active member of the NAACP since the age of 10, traveling the country advocating for civil rights. He has represented the NAACP before thousands from the steps of the United States Supreme Court in favor of the Voting Rights Act to the platforms of the Sanford Police Department for Justice for Trayvon Martin. Brendien proudly represents the NAACP’s young voices in the mighty Southeast Region 5.
Additionally, Brendien is the President of the Florida State Conference NAACP Youth and College Division, President of the Howard University Student Association, and an alumni of the Young People For fellowship. Brendien has also worked for the Andrew Goodman Foundation and served as a legislative intern in the office of United States Senator Bill Nelson. As the new leader of the 11,000 person student body on one of the nation’s most historic and socially active campuses, he hopes to combine his talents in grassroots organizing, which he gained from the NAACP, with his experiences in student leadership to be an advocate for equality and opportunity.
Rebecca Price, Chair, NC PIRG
Rebecca Price is a rising junior at The University of North Carolina, studying Political Science and Global Studies and minoring in Public Policy. She has been involved in the establishment of an NCPIRG chapter on UNC’s campus, and will serve as the club’s first Chair next year. Through NCPIRG, she has worked on issues surrounding young voter mobilization, ranging from poll monitoring to educating voters about North Carolina’s ID laws to helping with voter registration drives.
More to come! Check back soon.
Reverend Dr. William Barber II, Pastor & Moral Monday Architect
“Fifty years after the signing of the Voting Rights Act, we have seen the Supreme Court nullify its preclearance protections while congressional leadership has refused to fix it for more than two years. This is immoral, an attack on our democracy, and a threat to the furtherance of every other progressive ideal – we cannot stand quietly by. We must now stand up all over the country and reawaken the spirit of true democracy.”
The Rev. Dr. William Barber II is Pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Goldsboro, North Carolina which has a deep social justice ministry and has engaged in more than 12 million dollars of community development. He is the architect of the Forward Together Moral Movement first born in 2006 that gained national acclaim with its Moral Monday protests at the North Carolina General Assembly in 2013. These weekly actions drew tens of thousands of North Carolinian’s and other moral witnesses to the state legislature. More than 1,050 peaceful protesters were arrested, handcuffed and jailed. In February 2014 more than 80,000 people showed up for a Moral March and Peoples Assembly some say was the largest civil rights fusion gathering since the Selma to Montgomery march.
A highly sought after speaker, he has keynoted hundreds of national and state conferences. He has spoken to a wide variety of audiences including national unions, women’s groups, economic policy, voting rights, LGBTQ groups, environmental and criminal justice groups, small organizing committees of domestic workers, fast food workers, Christians, Muslims, Jews, and others. He has served as president of the North Carolina NAACP, the largest state conference in the South, since 2006 and sits on the National NAACP Board of Directors.
A former Mel King Fellow at MIT, he is currently a Visiting Professor of Public Theology and Activism at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York and is a Senior Fellow at Auburn Seminary. Dr. Barber has been arrested numerous times for non-violent civil disobedience and is regularly featured in media outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, New York Times, Washington Post and The Nation Magazine, among others. He is the 2015 recipient of the Puffin Award and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award. His two most recent books include Forward Together (Chalice Press) and The Third Reconstruction (Beacon Press).
Cornell William Brooks, President & CEO, NAACP
Cornell William Brooks is the president and CEO of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 2014, he became the 18th person to serve as chief executive of the Association, whose members in the United States and worldwide are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities.
A graduate of Head Start and Yale Law School, Brooks considers himself “a grandson, heir and a beneficiary” of the landmark decision Brown v. Board of Education argued by legendary NAACP litigator Thurgood Marshall.
Prior to joining the NAACP, Brooks led the Newark-based New Jersey Institute
for Social Justice as president and CEO. There, he directed the Institute’s successful efforts to win the passage of three landmark prisoner reentry bills in 2010, hailed by The New York Times as, “a model for the rest of the nation.” Additionally, Brooks successfully led the passage of a precedent-setting “Ban the Box” statute, as well as laws combating foreclosures during the housing crisis.
Brooks previously served as senior counsel with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where he led efforts to increase financing available to small, minority- and woman-owned businesses through regulatory and industry initiatives. Earlier as a U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney, Brooks secured the then largest government settlement for victims of housing discrimination based on testing, and filed the government’s first lawsuit against a nursing home alleging housing discrimination based on race.
His civil rights experience includes serving as Executive Director of the Fair Housing Council of Greater Washington and as trial attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Tefere Gebre, Executive Vice President, AFL-CIO
Tefere Gebre, born in Gondar, Ethiopia, was a political refugee who emigrated to the United States as a teenager. While in college, Tefere worked his first union job as a night shift loader at UPS (and member of Teamsters Local 396). Since, Tefere has devoted his entire life to the values of hard work and a voice at the workplace.
Work and the Labor Movement
After working for Laborers Local 270 and as the executive director of Frontlash, the former youth and college arm of the AFL-CIO, Tefere went on to work for the statewide labor movement as the Southern California political director of the California Labor Federation, and then as political director of the Orange County Labor Federation from 2006 to 2008. His leadership earned him the role as executive director for the labor federation in 2008.
Tefere contributed tremendous change in redefining the growing labor movement in Orange County, California. As executive director, he doubled the political capacity of the labor movement in the county. In 2008 and every year thereafter, the federation was honored by the state federation’s Strategic Planning Committee as one of the highest-performing labor councils, and was singled out as an “agent for change” by the California Labor Federation. In less than a year as executive director, Tefere increased the federation’s membership by more than 15,000 new members, established a communications division, expanded the political operations and grew the program staff.
Through Tefere’s leadership, the federation built strong coalitions with faith and civil rights organizations throughout the county to advocate and support policies that improve the lives of all workers. In 2012, the federation created and took on the first 10-week leader initiative program at local schools to educate parents and students on city government, boards and commissions, public speaking, civic engagement and policy change, while also giving participants an understanding that work connects us all.
When he was elected to the position of executive vice president of the AFL-CIO in 2013, joining Rich Trumka and Liz Shuler as the elected leadership team for the national labor federation, it was a clear recognition of Tefere’s leadership skills and of the focus on building strong labor-community partnerships at the local level through the movement’s central labor councils and state federations.
Tefere has continued to demonstrate leadership by example. He has focused his attention on building strong partnerships between labor and community groups, immigrant rights advocates and civil rights organizations. He has placed particular emphasis on building the labor movement in the South, where conditions are most oppressive for millions of workers. Based on his own experience as a child refugee, Tefere has brought a passionate and personal perspective to bear in the labor movement’s fight for comprehensive immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrant workers and their families. In the end, it is Tefere’s experience as an immigrant labor activist and local labor council leader that makes him a great complement to President Trumka, of the Mine Workers, and Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler, of the Electrical Workers, to lead the AFL-CIO.
Before joining the labor movement, Tefere worked for then-Speaker of the California State Assembly Willie L. Brown Jr. as a legislative aide. Never hesitant to lead, Tefere twice was elected as president of the California Young Democrats—and he was the first African American and first immigrant elected to serve in that position. Tefere received a bachelor’s degree in international marketing from Cal Poly Pomona and an MBA from the University of Southern California. Tefere and his wife, Jennifer Badgley have relocated from California and live in Maryland.
David Goodman, President, Andrew Goodman Foundation
David Goodman is the brother of Andrew Goodman and the President of The Andrew Goodman Foundation and its Board of Trustees. At the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Andrew (Andy) Goodman joined Freedom Summer ’64 to register African-Americans to vote. On Andy’s first day in Mississippi, he and two other civil rights workers, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. The story of these three young men struck a public chord that galvanized support for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Goodman Foundation recruits, trains and supports emerging leaders at America’s colleges and universities in order to strengthen democracy by leading long-term voter engagement, public policy and social justice initiatives.
Representative Raúl Grijalva, Congressman, Arizona's 3rd District
Raúl Grijalva began his career in public service as a community organizer in Tucson. Four decades later, he continues to be an advocate for those in need and a voice for the constituents of his home community. From 1974 to 1986, Raúl served on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board, including six years as Chairman. In 1988, he was elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, where he served for the next 15 years, chairing the Board for two of those years. Raúl resigned his seat on the Board of Supervisors in 2002 to seek office in Arizona’s newly created Seventh Congressional District. Despite a nine-candidate primary and the challenge of being outspent three-to-one by his closest competitor, Raúl was elected with a 20-point victory, thanks to a diverse coalition of supporters that led the largest volunteer-driven election effort in Arizona.
Throughout his career, Raúl has always fought for underrepresented voices. The passions that drove him as a School Board member to fight for and succeed at implementing bilingual education in Arizona are the same passions that motivated him to help pass the first bond package containing a $10 million commitment to reinvest in older, poorer neighborhoods while he was a County Supervisor. Likewise, they are what drive him today as he fights to reform our broken immigration system, ensure livable wages for American workers, and create vital land protections to safeguard our nation’s natural treasures for the next generation.
In 2014, Raúl was elected Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee by his Democratic colleagues on the committee. He also serves on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and is a Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, as well as a long-standing member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director, Food & Water Watch
“Environmental rights, civil rights and democracy go hand in hand. That’s why we’re part of Democracy Awakening, where the progressive movement will come together, take on big moneyed interests and prepare to take back our democracy.”
Wenonah Hauter has worked extensively on food, water, energy and environmental issues at the national, state and local level and is the founder and Executive Director of Food & Water Watch.
Due in bookstores on June 7, Wenonah’s new book Frackopoly: The Battle for the Future of Energy and the Environment shines an unapologetic light on the fracking industry, the policies that threaten our global climate and the powerful grassroots movements that has emerged to ban fracking and demand a future powered by clean, sustainable energy.
Wenonah’s earlier book, Foodopoly: The Battle Over the Future of Food and Farming in America, examines the corporate consolidation and control over our food system and what it means for farmers and consumers.
Experienced in developing policy positions and legislative strategies, she is also a skilled and accomplished organizer, having lobbied and developed grassroots field strategy and action plans. From 1997 to 2005 she served as Director of Public Citizen’s Energy and Environment Program, which focused on water, food and energy policy. From 1996 to 1997, she was environmental policy director for Citizen Action, where she worked with the organization’s 30 state-based groups. From 1989 to 1995 she was at the Union of Concerned Scientists where, as a senior organizer, she coordinated broad-based, grassroots sustainable energy campaigns in several states.
She has an M.S. in applied anthropology from the University of Maryland.
Jim Hightower, Radio Commentator & Activist
“Democracy Awakening is us – grassroots people rising up to restore our sovereignty over big money. Progress on every one of our issues is hopelessly walled in by corporate bribery funds, K Street lobbyists, crony capitalism, Koch-headed ideology, and nefarious voter suppression. This is the start of something big, and we want you to be there to help make democracy happen again.”
National radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author, Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow, Jim Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be – consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
A popular public speaker who is fiery and funny, he is a populist road warrior who delivers more than 100 speeches a year to all kinds of groups. He is a New York Times best-selling author, and frequently appears on television and radio programs, bringing a hard-hitting populist viewpoint that rarely gets into the mass media. In addition, he works closely with the alternative media, and in all of his work he keeps his ever-ready Texas humor up front, practicing the credo of an old Yugoslavian proverb: “You can fight the gods and still have fun.”
Dolores Huerta, co-founder, the United Farm Workers union with Cesar Chavez
“Without a strong democracy movement, we won’t be able to make progress on the biggest issues we face: climate change, immigration reform, protecting workers’ rights, raising the minimum wage, empowering women and so much more. I’m coming to D.C. this month to demand that Congress listen to the American people and stop blocking democracy reforms. Si se puede!”
Dolores Huerta is a civil rights activist and labor leader who has fought all her life for the rights of working people and immigrants. Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers union with Cesar Chavez. In 2012 President Barack Obama awarded Huerta the highest civilian award in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Currently, Huerta serves as President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation and Board Member of People For the American Way.
Carlos Jimenez, Executive Director for the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO
Carlos Jimenez is the Executive Director for the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO. He came to the council after more than a decade of union, political, community, and student organizing. He was previously a regional field organizer at Jobs with Justice, where he had the privilege of supporting local leaders and organizations as they built long term relationships and coalitions committed to building powerful organizations and movements for social and economic justice.
Annie Leonard, Executive Director, Greenpeace USA
A lifelong environmentalist, Annie Leonard is currently the Executive Director of Greenpeace USA. She has over 25 years experience investigating, organizing and communicating about the environmental and social impacts of all our stuff: where it comes from, what it is made out of, and where it goes after we get rid of it. Her 2007 online film, The Story of Stuff, has been viewed over 40 million times making it the most watched online environmental film to date. In 2010, she authored a book of the same title which takes a deeper dive into the issues in the film.
Leonard earned her undergraduate degree at Barnard College, Columbia University and has a Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University. She began her career at Greenpeace in Washington, DC in 1988 and now leads the organization’s U.S. office out of San Francisco.
Aaron Mair, President, Sierra Club
Aaron Mair is the Sierra Club’s 57th president. Mair became a Sierra Club member in 1999, following a decade-long battle that he led to shut down a polluting solid waste incinerator in an inner-city community in Albany, New York. His efforts ultimately led to a commitment by the state to shut down the facility and a $1.6 million settlement award to that community. Mair was also a key figure in leading the fight and securing the Sierra Club’s participation in the Clean Up the Hudson campaign, which resulted in a settlement between the EPA and General Electric to dredge toxic PCB sediments from the Upper Hudson River.
Mair has held more than three dozen leadership positions within the Sierra Club’s Hudson Mohawk Group and Atlantic Chapter, including chapter chair (2002-2003), chapter executive committee (2002-2004) and environmental justice chair (2009-present). He was elected to the national Sierra Club’s Board of Directors in 2011.
Throughout his tenure with the Club, Mair has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to grassroots action, environmental justice, and transforming the culture of the Sierra Club to make it – in his words – “a more welcoming environment to all people, regardless of their race or socio-economic status.”
Kai Newkirk, Co-Founder, 99 Rise
Kai Newkirk is a progressive organizer and activist. Before helping to launch Democracy Spring and serving as Campaign Director, he co-founded 99Rise, a grassroots organization fighting to get big money out of American politics through nonviolent civil resistance. Kai first gained national attention for interrupting the US Supreme Court and demanding the Justices overturn Citizens United in February 2014. Following the SCOTUS disruption, he led 99Rise activists in the California March for Democracy and the subsequent sit-ins at the state capitol in the summer of 2014 – resulting in the passage of two democracy reform bills in the California Legislature. Most recently, Kai made news when he disrupted the first South Carolina Republican Presidential Debate with a demand for free and fair elections that give all Americans an equal voice. Before deciding to devote himself to the nonviolent struggle to save our democracy in the wake of the Occupy movement, Kai worked as a field deputy for a member of the Los Angeles City Council after working as a community organizer. He grew up in West Virginia and is currently based in Washington D.C.
Chris Shelton, President, Communications Workers of America
Christopher Shelton was elected president of the Communications Workers of America by acclamation by delegates to the union’s 75th convention on June 8, 2015.
Prior to his election as president, Shelton served as vice president of CWA District 1, representing 160,000 members in more than 300 CWA locals in New Jersey, New York and New England.
He served as the Verizon Regional Bargaining Chair in 2000 and 2003, and overall Chair of Verizon bargaining for CWA District 1, District 2-13, IBEW New Jersey and New England in 2008 and 2011. He also chaired negotiations in New Jersey for 40,000 State Workers in 2008 and 2011.
Shelton started his union career when he went to work for New York Telephone in 1968 as an outside technician. He was elected a CWA Local 1101 shop steward in 1968 and served Local 1101 in various positions until December 1988 when he joined the CWA national staff.
He is a native of the Bronx, N.Y.
Sandra Steingraber, Biologist & Anti-Fracking Activist
Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D. is a biologist, Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, and an internationally recognized authority on the environmental links to cancer and human health.
A leader in movement to abolish fracking, she helped lead the successful campaign to ban fracking in New York State. Sandra co-founded New Yorkers Against Fracking and Concerned Health Professionals of New York, and currently serves as science advisor to Americans Against Fracking.
Reverend Ezra L. Tillman Jr., Pastor in Flint, Michigan
“As a father, husband and pastor in Flint, Michigan, I have experienced personally and through the lives of my members and friends, the kind of tragedy that can happen when democracy is threatened. When elected persons place non-elected persons in positions to value cost-cutting budgets above the health and well-being of everyday people, democracy is threatened. I’m coming to D.C. for the Democracy Awakening because democracy is not for some but for all. This is a Humanity Matters issue. We stand united, with a unified message, that it’s time to choose the well-being of People over Politics.”
Pastor Ezra L. Tillman Jr. is a native of Detroit, Michigan. His childhood education began within the Detroit Public School System, in which he later completed his education in the Ferndale Public Schools.
In 2005, Pastor Tillman graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College with a Bachelors of Religious Education (B.R.E.). Pastor Tillman is currently a student at Andersonville Theological Seminary in the Master of Divinity- Pastoral Leadership program. In addition, he has also studied at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, California; and later at Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois.
Pastor Tillman was spiritually nourished at The New Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church under the pastoral leadership of the late Dr. John L. Webb, and was baptized in June of 1989. Pastor Tillman accepted the call of God into the Gospel ministry in 2002. In 2009, Pastor Tillman was asked to serve as Assistant Pastor at the Greater Middle Missionary Baptist Church in Royal Oak Township, Michigan. During his tenure there over 100 souls were added to the Kingdom of God within a year timeframe. In 2011, he was elected as the Pastor of Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio and served there until being called to Pastor at First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Flint, Michigan in May of 2014. Since then, he has recently been appointed as Vice Moderator of the Great Lakes Baptist District Association.
During his time at First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, Rev. Tillman has been a leader in responding to the Flint water crisis through both direct support of affected communities and public advocacy. Under his leadership, the church routinely sends volunteer teams to deliver water to senior homes, daycares, and other locations. The church has also served as a distribution site for water, baby wipes, and other supplies; opened its doors to town hall meetings about the water crisis, with over 500 people in attendance; and held a large-scale environmental justice rally.
Pastor Tillman is married to the former Ms. Catrina Jones and has been blessed with three sons: Ezra Lee Tillman III, Micah Nathaniel Tillman, and Isaac Christopher Tillman. He is a member of the Micah Leadership Council, a program of People For the American Way Foundation.
Kathleen Turner, Director and Award-winning Actress
Kathleen Turner is a director and award-winning actress whose body of work spans film, TV, and Broadway. She is the author of Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles.
A tireless advocate for a woman’s right to choose, she has served as chair of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Board of Advocates and testified before Congress about family planning and contraception coverage. She serves on the boards of People For the American Way Foundation and Citymeals-on-Wheels NYC.
Ellen L. Weintraub, F.E.C. Commissioner
Ellen L. Weintraub (@EllenLWeintraub) has been a commissioner on the United States Federal Election Commission since 2002 and twice chaired the Commission, in 2003 and 2013. Prior to her appointment to the FEC, Commissioner Weintraub was Of Counsel to the Political Law Group of Perkins Coie LLP and was Counsel to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for the U.S. House of Representatives (the House ethics committee). She is a native New Yorker who graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School.
Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen
“Fundamental reform to expand and deepen our democracy, we know from America’s history, follows from one thing and one thing only: mass movements. With our democracy in crisis, now is the time for Americans to mobilize to ensure the right to vote and to get Big Money out of politics. Democracy Awakening is the start of something, not the end, as the democracy movement enters a new phase of intensity, mobilization, aggressive activism and disruption of business as usual.”
Robert Weissman is a staunch public interest advocate and activist, as well as an expert on a wide variety of issues ranging from corporate accountability and government transparency, to trade and globalization, to economic and regulatory policy.
Leading Public Citizen since 2009, Weissman has spearheaded the effort to loosen the chokehold corporations and the wealthy have over our democracy. Since 2010, two U.S. Supreme Court rulings opened the floodgates to unlimited election spending by corporations and the wealthy. Weissman has been outspoken about what these rulings mean to Americans and how We the People can fight to restore our democracy. Immediately after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United, Weissman established the Democracy Is For People campaign, a project of Public Citizen, specifically to fight for a constitutional amendment to overturn the ruling and curb money in politics. In just a few years, support for amending the Constitution has blossomed.
Weissman also has been a strong voice in the fight against the Wall Street greed and recklessness that caused the global financial crisis and recession. After the 2008 financial collapse, Weissman pushed for strong legislation and regulatory action, specifically through the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to stabilize the financial system, hold corporations and big banks accountable and help Main Street.
In 2010, Weissman led the charge to hold corporate oil giant BP responsible for the Deepwater Horizon explosion that killed 11 workers and set off the worst corporate-made ecological disaster in our nation’s history. Through a rigorous campaign, headed by Weissman and Public Citizen, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned BP from obtaining federal contacts during a probation period. Over the years, Weissman has pushed Congress to pass meaningful legislation to hold the oil industry accountable, reform the regulatory process, and protect workers and the environment.
Weissman also has expanded Public Citizen’s work to curb climate change and push for a single-payer, Medicare-for-all health care system. He is an expert in intellectual property issues associated with drug patents.
With a wide variety of expertise, Weissman has used his knowledge and skill to challenge abusive corporate practices in many different arenas with the common goal of protecting consumers and fighting for a government that works for the people.
Aztec Sun, Funk Band
AZTEC SUN is an 8-piece, “Funk with Soul” band that blends a strong sense of groove and eclectic improvisation in their live performances. Their upbeat and infectious melodies inspire high-energy, albeit soulful, dance parties no matter what the venue. If James Brown and Sly Stone had a late night talk show, this would be the house band. Since its inception in 2013, AZTEC SUN has been captivating audiences in Washington, D.C. and making strides out of market in New York, Virginia and Maryland, often playing to sold-out, encore-clamouring audiences. With a studio E.P. in the works, AZTEC SUN will look to make a name for itself in 2016 and will continue to push the mantra behind their infamous live performances: “Whatever makes you dance”.
Rochelle Rice, Vocalist & Songwriter
Rochelle Rice is a dynamic and compelling vocalist and songwriter, and has been named Best Jazz Vocalist by Washington City Paper Jazzy Awards (Washington, DC). Fresh from her residency at the prestigious arts center, Strathmore, her profound and flawless sound joins the singer/songwriters of the 1960s and the contemporary jazz vocalists of today.
As a consistent voice on Washington DC’s music scene, Rochelle has performed at some of the area’s top venues and events including The Kennedy Center, The Filmore, Twins Jazz Club, Amp by Strathmore, DC Jazz Festival, Strathmore Mansion, Capitol Bop’s Jazz Lofts, and the Hamilton.
Dedicated to social justice and music education, Rochelle has performed at protest rallies, and recently sang in honor of the work of Congressman John Lewis.
Rochelle received her B.M. in classical voice from East Carolina University, and attained her Master’s degree in jazz studies from Howard University. While at Howard University, Rochelle was a member of the multiple DownBeat Magazine award winning premiere jazz vocal ensemble, Afro Blue, and was the graduate teaching assistant to the award winning and well noted arranger, clinician, and jazz vocalist, Connaitre Miller. She is featured on the group’s recording, The Best is Yet to Come. Stepping outside of her jazz and soul background, Rochelle was the lead singer of DC’s only live house music band, House of Soul, and is featured as a vocalist and songwriter on the band’s album, Let’s Move.
Rochelle’s sound is a woven tapestry of jazz influenced contemporary pop and soul. Her highly personal, yet relatable original music reflects her deeply rooted love of jazz and singer/songwriters. While continuing to perform, write, and educate, Rochelle is preparing for her debut CD release, Wonder.
Sweet Honey in the Rock, Grammy Award-Winning A Capella Ensemble
Sweet Honey In The Rock® remains among the most vibrant, versatile and ever relevant musical collectives in music today; both as a performance ensemble and as an ambassadorial African American organization founded on the triumvirate missions of empowerment, education and entertainment.
Currently consisting of members Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, Nitanju Bolade Casel, Aisha Kahlil, American Sign Language interpreter Shirley Childress (who continues the group’s distinct and long-standing commitment to the deaf community), and featured musician Romeir Mendez on upright acoustic bass and electric bass, Sweet Honey In The Rock is a powerful and unique concert entity.
The Grammy Award® nominated female a cappella vocal quartet has a history of over four decades of distinguished service. They have created positive, loving, and socially conscious message music that matters as it pertains to spiritual fortification, and have consistently taken an activist stance toward making this planet a better place for all in which to live. Thus, the theme of the group’s 24th recording, #LoveInEvolution, Sweet Honey In The Rock’s first studio album in nine years, and most contemporary project to date.
#LoveInEvolution (released on Appleseed Recordings, (January 2016) in partnership with the group’s own She Rocks-5 label and distributed by Entertainment One) meshes Sweet Honey In The Rock’s finely honed a cappella, world, gospel, and folk roots with elements of hip hop, jazz and Rhythm & Blues. Many of the 14 songs are literally ripped from the headlines of today’s world news, railing against systemic injustice as it pertains to people of color—past and present—police brutality, gun control and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The album’s stark second single, “Second Line Blues”, roll calls the names of innocent people such as Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland and the children of Sandy Hook Elementary School that have fallen victim to murder. Oh, Sankofa”, details the 1920s Black Wall Street story of Greenwood, Oklahoma and its destruction at the hands of racists. ” The Living Waters”, speaks fluidly on the ravaging pollution of the world’s waterways and the senseless destruction of natural resources (such as the recent tragedy in Flint Michigan in which polluted water poisoned thousands of people and ruined the DNA of children there for generations to come).
Since its inception in 1973 in Washington, DC (founded by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon as part of the D.C. Black Repertory Theater Company ) Sweet Honey In The Rock has performed in many of the world’s most prestigious venues on almost every continent for royal command concerts and festivals.
In 2015 alone, they embarked on four U.S. Embassy tours with performances and community outreach in, Ethiopia, Peru, Jamaica and Swaziland (and also toured Belize in 2014). In Swaziland, they were one of the headliners of the internationally acclaimed 9th Annual Mountain Bushfire Music Festival (which attracted 20,000 people). They were also featured at the 11th Annual Festival of Voices, in Hobart, Tasmania as part of an Australian tour that included concerts in Launceston, Melbourne and Sydney. Earlier this year, they made their 32nd appearance at New York’s historic Carnegie Hall (with noted guest artists trumpeter Terence Blanchard and violinist Regina Carter).
“We are constantly reevaluating how we can express concepts to uplift and create change through our music and concerts,” says founding member Carol Maillard.
Sunday, April 17: Faith Rally
Dennis J. Coker, Principal Chief, Lenape Indian Tribe
A lifelong resident of Kent County, Delaware, Dennis J. Coker has been honored to be elected Principal Chief of the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware since 1996. During his term successful collaborations with the Delaware State Historic Preservation Office and the Federal Census Bureau, his Tribe was awarded a Census Designation Area allowing Tribal members to include their ethnicity as Lenape on the 2010 Census for the first time in history.
Chief Coker’s service as current Chairman of the Confederation of Sovereign Nanticoke-Lenape Tribes of the Delaware Bay has allowed him to effect progress towards recognition of the Indigenous human rights of all member Tribes. His membership in the National Congress of the American Indian (NCIA) and founding membership in the Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes (ACET) has brought recognition, furthered understandings, and developed collaborations for the betterment of Delaware’s Indigenous population.
As a well respected public speaker and story teller, Chief Coker has helped educate diverse leadership as well as the public leading to Delaware’s General Assembly proclamation that all residents celebrate November as Native American Heritage Month and learn to honor “The First People of the First State.” In his well received keynote address at Delaware’s First Annual Environmental Justice Conference, Chief Coker challenged educators to learn and pass on the Lenape view of the interconnectedness of all living things, the sanctity of place, and the concept that man is but one small part of the web of life, not the center of it.
Collaborating with the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Delaware Renewable Energy Task Force and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of the Oceans (MARCO), Chief Coker’s rare sensitivity for the balance of ecology, economy and ethnicity makes him a valued member of many committees and task forces where he continues to work diligently with federal, state and local governments to improve the health and wellbeing of the Lenape People remaining in their original homeland, now known as the State of Delaware.
Imam Yahya Hendi, Chaplain, Georgetown University
Imam Hendi is the Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University, the first American university to hire a full-time Muslim Chaplain. Imam Hendi is also the Imam of the Islamic Society of Fredrick and is the Muslim Chaplain at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. He servers as a member and the spokesperson of the Islamic Jurisprudence Council of North America. He is an adjunct faculty member at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. Imam Hendi holds a Master’s degree in Comparative Religions from Hartford Seminary in Connecticut and is currently working on his Ph.D. in Comparative Religion. In May 2002, Imam Hendi was selected by Hartford Seminary to receive its annual “James Gettemy Significant Ministry Award” for his dedication to his Ministry and for his work to promote peace-building between people of different religions.
Imam Hendi has written numerous publications on many topics, including women in Islam, women and gender relations in Islam, the coming of the Messiah, and religion and Islam in the United States. He has presented a multitude of interfaith and general lectures in the United States, Asia, Europe, central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East in the last eight years. He was one of the Muslim leaders who met with the President of the United States in the aftermath of September 11 tragedy. Hoping to create positive relationships between the followers of the three Abrahamic religions, Imam Hendi often visits and lectures at churches and synagogues. He also serves on national and international interfaith councils.
Imam Hendi offers Muslim retreats. He often leads Qiyamul-lail prayer and Jum’ah (Friday services). He also counsels students on academic, professional, and social issues. Imam Hendi believes that only with love and education can the world be a better place to live in.
Rev. William H. Lamar IV, Senior Pastor, Metropolitan A.M.E. Church
The Rev. William H. Lamar IV was appointed Senior Pastor of Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in Washington D.C. by Bishop William P. DeVeaux, Presiding Prelate, on April 11, 2014, at the conclusion of the 64th Session of the Washington Annual Conference. Rev. Lamar had served previously as Senior Pastor of Turner Memorial A.M.E. Church in Hyattsville, Maryland, since 2011, after serving congregations in Monticello, Orlando, and Jacksonville, Florida.
As a pastor, Rev. Lamar is credited with strengthening disciples and communities through ministry development and community outreach and with successfully organizing for social justice, financial growth, and property acquisition.
Born in Macon, Georgia, Rev. Lamar grew up in the A.M.E. Church and as a child attended St. Paul A.M.E. Church, his family’s home church. He was educated in Catholic school from kindergarten through sixth grade. The Lamar family moved in 1986 to Jacksonville, Florida, and then in 1988 to Tallahassee, Florida, where Lamar graduated from high school in 1992. In 1996, Pastor Lamar graduated with magna cum laude honors from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, earning a degree in Public Management with a minor in Philosophy and Religion and a Certificate in Human Resource Management.
Rabbi Gilah Lagner, Educator
Rabbi Gilah Langner serves as a rabbi and educator in Washington, DC. She also serves as a Jewish Social Service Agency chaplain in area hospitals, and co-director of the Washington Jewish Healing Network, where she leads bereavement support groups and mikveh healing workshops. She teaches at George Washington University, the Catholic University of America, and is co-editor of the journal Kerem: Creative Explorations in Judaism. Rabbi Langner leads meditation sessions at the Jewish Mindfulness Center of Washington at Adas Israel, and works as a rabbinic resource with Shoreshim in Reston, Virginia. She received rabbinic ordination in 2003 and is affiliated with the Jewish Renewal movement.
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, Founder & Director, the Social Justice Organizing Program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling has worked throughout his career toward tikkun olam, repair of the world. He is the first to direct RRC’s unique Social Justice Organizing Program; he leads the College’s initiative to invest rabbinical students with the clarity of purpose, vision and voice to become uniquely effective, spiritually strong leaders in the drive toward social justice and environmental sustainability.
Through his own experience, Liebling came to realize that spiritual leaders hold unique power to demonstrate and inspire ethical choices, and to lead a pursuit of justice fueled by caring rather than rage. Most recently he served as the executive vice president of Jewish Funds for Justice; prior to that organization’s merger with The Shefa Fund, he held the title Torah of Money Director at TSF, providing guidance to help people apply Jewish laws and values to how they spend, invest and donate. For 12 years he was the executive director of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, and he later served there as senior consultant. Before entering the rabbinical program at RRC, he worked as a community organizer.
Liebling was a member of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations for 12 years. He has served on the boards of various national and international non-profit organizations; currently he serves on the boards of the Faith and Politics Institute and Rabbis for Human Rights-North America. Liebling also is the president emeritus of the Shalom Center.
He has received awards from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility and Mazon. Liebling also has spoken out for justice for people with disabilities, and his family was the subject of the award-winning documentary film Praying With Lior.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in government from Cornell University and Master of Arts in the history of American civilization, specializing in American progressive movements, from Brandeis University. Liebling is a 1985 graduate of RRC.
He has published articles in many publications, including Tikkun, Israel Horizons, Jewish Currents and The Reconstructionist.
Rev. Dr. Linda Olson Peebles, Minister of Faith in Action, Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington
The Rev. Dr. Linda Olson Peebles was called to join the ministry team of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington in May 2001. She now serves as its Minister of Faith in Action.
She was ordained at the Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church in Alexandria, Va., in 1997. Before coming to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Va., she served as Minister of Religious Education at Mt. Vernon.
Linda is a supporter of families and children, and has been a leader for education reform, women’s health rights, peace education, and sexuality education. She was instrumental in founding and supporting the growth of a broadbased power organization working for justice for poor and immigrant people in Northern Virginia – VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement). She feels honored to connect with the UUCA leaders who support the Mayan people in Guatemala, through visits to that country, support of “accompaniers” to keep the people there safe, and contributions to the education of youth through scholarships and mentorships.
Nationally, Rev. Peebles has been a leader for Unitarian Universalism. She has served LREDA, the Liberal Religious Education Association, in a number of roles. She was elected to serve two 4-year terms on the denominational Board of Trustees of the UU Association. She has led in the work of anti-racism, serving on the national Journey Towards Wholeness Transformation Team. Her seminary, her professional organizations, and her denomination have all called on her to help nurture excellence in religious leadership. She has been a faculty member of UU Leadership Schools, at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, and at Wesley Seminary in Washington, DC; she has served on the national UU credentialing committees for religious educators and for ministers; and she now serves on the Board of the 1,800-member UU Ministers Association, currently as its President.
Linda holds a BA from the College of Wooster, in Ohio, and a Masters of Divinity and Doctor of Divinity from the Meadville Lombard Theological Seminary.
David Shneyer, Founder & Director, Am Kolel
Rabbi David Shneyer, founder and director of Am Kolel, studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary and in Israel, earning degrees in Judaic studies from Rutgers Unversity and Baltimore Hebrew College. Rabbi David received his “semicha” ordination from the Aleph Seminary founded by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shlomi. The past president of Ohalah, the Rabbinic Association of Jewish Renewal Rabbis, Rabbi David is also accomplished musician and composer of new liturgical music. He is a founder of Jews United for Justice, active in the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Rabbis for Human Rights. Rabbi David is also the spiritual leader of Kehila Chadasha a havurah-fellowship community based in Bethesda, Maryland.
Johnny Barnes, Trial Attorney, Living with the Law
Johnny Barnes is the self-described “People’s Lawyer” who spent more than a quarter of a century in various Congressional staff positions, including service as Chief of Staff for three Members of Congress. In addition, he has taught law and college courses at area schools and has practiced law in the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Of his time spent in the Virgin Islands as a trial lawyer, Barnes unapologetically states, “Someone had to do it. So I made the sacrifice.” Other related experience includes his appointment as the first male Member of the D.C. Commission for Women; a Member of the D.C. Commission on Residential Mortgage Investment; a Member of the D.C. Human Rights Commission; and an attorney on a Special Task Force that addressed ill treatment of small Minority farmers, resulting in a resolution supported by the Congressional Republican Leadership in which billions of dollars was slated to flow to the Minority farmers. Barnes is particularly proud of the role he played in helping to create the “Street Law” Program at Georgetown University Law Center; a program that began in two D.C. High Schools and is now taught throughout the United States in schools and prisons and in thirty-five foreign countries.
A Distinguished Military Graduate, Commissioned and Honorably Discharged, Regular Army, Combat Engineer Officer, Barnes graduated, Cum Laude, from Central State University and received his Juris Doctor Degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He is the Father of two grown sons, a grown daughter and four grandchildren; one who is named in part after his Mother, Pinkie, who Barnes believes was a modern day Saint on earth. Barnes recently retired after serving a decade as the Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union for the Nation’s Capital. He is currently in private law practice as a trial lawyer, taking and litigating select “cause” cases. During his time at the ACLU-NCA, he led several successful efforts to conserve the Constitution and preserve the Bill of Rights. Among those efforts were resisting the proliferation of video surveillance cameras in D.C.; fighting against proposed warrantless searches by the D.C. Police; standing up against unconstitutional police checkpoints in the Trinidad Neighborhood; and pushing back against the Secure Communities program in behalf of D.C.’s Immigrant population. Barnes worked with several interns in updating and completing a law review article on D.C. Statehood, the unfinished human rights business in America. He continues to devote much of his time to the quest for D.C. Statehood and predicts it will happen in our lifetime. In private practice, as a young lawyer, Attorney Barnes filed and with the help of other lawyers won the very first TOPA Case (Tenant Opportunity to Purchase). Barnes successfully represented one of the D.C. Statehood Protesters facing two criminal charges. He also successfully represented Dick Gregory who was arrested and charged for protesting against BP’s failure to reimburse small, minority business owners after the Gulf Coast disaster. Fighting many lawyers for the Government and a private law firm, Barnes stopped the construction of a Bus Parking Lot in Ivy City. Recently, Barnes successfully represented the Washington Informer Newspaper when the Government refused it an advertising Contract because the Newspaper “appealed primarily to one ethnic group.” He is Editor and Publisher of Living with the Law, an online periodical found at livingwiththelaw.com that seeks to provide ordinary people with information about the law. And, Attorney Barnes was Lead Counsel in the case seeking to stop the ill-advised school closings affecting people of color and the disabled.
Medea Benjamin, Co-founder, CODEPINK & Global Exchange
Medea Benjamin is the co-founder of the women-led peace group CODEPINK and the co-founder of the human rights group Global Exchange. She has been an advocate for social justice for more than 40 years. Described as “one of America’s most committed — and most effective — fighters for human rights” by New York Newsday, and “one of the high profile leaders of the peace movement” by the Los Angeles Times, she was one of 1,000 exemplary women from 140 countries nominated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the millions of women who do the essential work of peace worldwide.
Since the September 11, 2001 tragedy, Medea has been working to promote a U.S. foreign policy that would respect human rights and gain us allies instead of contributing to violence and undermining our international reputation. She has organized many protests against the U.S. interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria. Medea has also been on the forefront of the anti-drone movement. Her direct questioning of President Obama during his 2013 foreign policy address, as well as her trips to Pakistan and Yemen, helped shine a light on the innocent people killed by US drone strikes.
She is the author of eight books, including Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control,and her articles appear regularly in outlets such as The Huffington Post, CommonDreams, Alternet, The Other Words, and TeleSUR.
Phyllis Bennis, Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies
Fellow Phyllis Bennis directs the New Internationalism Project at IPS, working as a writer, activist and analyst on Middle East and UN issues. She is also a fellow of the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam. In 2001 she helped found and remains active with the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. She works with many anti-war organizations, and writes and speaks widely across the U.S. and around the world as part of the global peace movement. She has served as an informal adviser to several top UN officials on Middle East and UN democratization issues.
Phyllis has written and edited eleven books. Among them are her new Understanding ISIS & the New Global War on Terror: A Primer, the 6th updated edition of her popular Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, as well as Before & After: US Foreign Policy and the War on Terror and Challenging Empire: How People, Governments and the UN Defy U.S. Power.
Lindsey Berger, Grassroots Campaign Strategist, UnKoch My Campus
Since graduating from Missouri State University in 2009, Lindsey has been supporting students across the country in launching and running strategic grassroots campaigns to bring about positive change. Through skills trainings and direct support, Lindsey has equipped hundreds of students on dozens of campuses with the campaign, research and organizational skills needed to achieve short-term goals, while also building sustainable networks for the long haul. While most of Lindsey’s energy has been devoted to transitioning the aging fossil fuel fleet to renewable energy sources, she has recently taken an interest in issues of higher education (putting to use her education degree more and more each day). Lindsey’s greatest passion is empowering young leaders to find the courage to stand up and take action in creating the change they want to see. <="" div="">
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Ari Berman, Senior Contributing Writer, the Nation
Ari Berman is a senior contributing writer for The Nation magazine and a Fellow at The Nation Institute. His new book, Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, was published in August 2015 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. He has written extensively about American politics, civil rights, and the intersection of money and politics. His stories have also appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian, and he is a frequent guest and commentator on MSNBC and NPR. His first book, Herding Donkeys: The Fight to Rebuild the Democratic Party and Reshape American Politics, was published in 2010 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Emma Boorboor, Election Reform Campaign Director, U.S. PIRG
Emma Boorboor is the Election Reform Campaign Director for U.S. PIRG. In this role, she develops and coordinates federal and state level campaigns for election modernization to ensure voting is easily accessible for every American so every voice is heard.
Prior to coming to U.S. PIRG, Ms. Boorboor learned firsthand about the importance of representative and responsive democracy with Green Corps, the field school for environmental organizing, on campaigns for the Sierra Club, Food & Water Watch, and Environment New York.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude from American University where she majored in Anthropology and International Relations.
John Bonifaz, Co-Founder & President, Free Speech For People
John Bonifaz is the Co-Founder and President of Free Speech For People. Mr. Bonifaz previously served as the Executive Director and then General Counsel of the National Voting Rights Institute, an organization he founded in 1994, and as the Legal Director of Voter Action, a national election integrity organization. Mr. Bonifaz has been at the forefront of key voting rights battles in the country for more than two decades: pioneering a series of court challenges, applying political equality principles, that have helped to redefine the campaign finance question as a basic voting rights issue of our time; initiating and leading a legal strategy for revisiting Buckley v. Valeo in the courts; leading the fight in the federal courts in Ohio for a recount of the 2004 presidential vote in that state; and prevailing in federal court in Pennsylvania on the eve of the 2008 election to ensure that Pennsylvania voters would receive emergency paper ballots when they faced long lines caused by voting machine breakdowns.
In addition to his work in the field of voting rights and democracy advocacy, Mr. Bonifaz has also served as co-counsel in international human rights and environmental litigation, including litigation to hold the Chevron-Texaco oil company accountable for its widespread destruction of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Mr. Bonifaz is a 1992 cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and a 1999 recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.
Brenda Brink, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
Brenda Brink – a member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI) is a dietician from Huxley, Iowa. Brenda lives half a mile from the proposed Bakken Pipeline, which would pump over 500,000 barrels of fracked Bakken crude underneath Iowa’s farm fields and waterways every day. Brenda has been a leader in fighting to stop the pipeline, helping organize landowner and community resistance. She also is a member of Iowa CCI’s citizen lobby team, where she works to take on big ag and big oil by pushing for small dollar public financing legislation as well as other People & Planet First Policies.
Daniel Carillo, Executive Director, Enlace
Daniel has over a decade of experience organizing in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Chicago, New York, and Internationally. He has organized workers, negotiated contracts, researched and led campaigns for AFSCME, SEIU, and CWA. Daniel has worked in his community around issues of immigration, mass incarceration, LGBTQ, and environmental justice. He is currently the Executive Director for Enlace and based out of New York City.
John P. Comer, Lead Organizer, Communities United
John P. Comer, MPA is the Lead Organizer for Communities United, a grassroots, membership organization of low income Marylanders building power to win transformative change for social, economic, and racial justice.John’s many years of organizing include canvassing and community organizing with ACORN in NY and NC, directing a North Carolina effort to organize exonerees and murder victims’ families against the death penalty, and field organizing for the National NAACP. John is the creative force and chief strategist behind Communities United’s organizing campaigns, most recently the successful effort to expand voting rights to all Maryland citizens on release from prison. He has successfully recruited, trained, and continues to mentor many of CU’s core leaders and organizing staff.
Derek Cressman, Author, When Money Talks
Derek Cressman began working professionally to reduce big money in politics in 1995 with such nonpartisan organizations as Common Cause and the Public Interest Research Group. As US PIRG’s democracy program director, he was the first professional advocate in Washington, DC, to support a constitutional amendment to limit campaign spending.
As director of Common Cause’s Amend 2012 campaign, Derek was the architect behind voter instruction measures in Montana, Colorado, Massachusetts, and California, where voters demanded Congress pass an amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.
In 2014, Derek Cressman ran for California secretary of state. Though he didn’t win his election, the legislature responded to his campaign, and the efforts of others, by referring a question to the ballot instructing Congress to overturn the Citizens United ruling—the central plank of Derek’s campaign platform. Both during and after his campaign, Derek joined the March for Democracy from Los Angeles to Sacramento, culminating in a nonviolent civil disobedience where many activists were arrested for staging a sit-in at the state capitol.
Derek has testified before committees of the United States Senate, California State Assembly and Senate, and California Fair Political Practices Commission; served as an expert in federal litigation; and authored and coauthored numerous reports as well as one previous book, The Recall’s Broken Promise: How Big Money Still Runs California Politics. Derek has appeared extensively in the media, including the Associated Press, Roll Call, The Hill, National Journal, USA Today, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Times, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Sacramento Bee, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Austin American-Statesman, Orlando Sentinel, Albuquerque Journal, and Kansas City Star.
Damon L. Daniels, Campaigns & Outreach Associate, Demos
Damon joined Demos in November of 2013. Before Demos, Damon worked for the New York Times, moderating online reader feedback for articles, blogs and interactive forums throughout the paper’s website. Prior to this, Damon served as a New York City Teaching Fellow for the city’s Department of Education. In his spare time, Damon also serves as a College Readiness Instructor for educational enrichment organization Creative Connections.
Damon holds dual B.A. degrees in Psychology and American History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.S. in Education from Mercy College, and is working towards completing a M.A. from the Gallatin School at New York University, with concentrations within Politics, Public Policy and Media Studies.
Jerame Davis, Executive Director, Pride at Work
Jerame Davis is a long-time LGBTQ and labor rights activist. His first campaign was in 1999 when he led a coalition of labor unions and social justice organizations – including Pride at Work, the organizations he now leads – to develop a successful campaign against an employer who fired him and two other workers because they are gay.
Just a year later, Davis staged his hometown’s first LGBTQ rally and through that effort co-founded and led the city’s first LGBTQ rights organization. Davis’ activism and influence expanded when he moved to the state capital in 2001. After co-founding another activist group, he joined the board of Indiana Equality, a statewide coalition of LGBTQ and civil rights groups and led their communications strategy for nearly two years.
He was also a leader in the Democratic Party as an officer of the Indiana Stonewall Democrats and was appointed to represent the state as a member of the Rules Committee for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. In 2010, he moved to Washington, DC to lead the National Stonewall Democrats where he helped make history once again by working with the Democratic National Committee to coordinate efforts of Stonewall Democrats around the country to send a record number of openly LGBTQ delegates to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
Davis’ personal papers and mementos from his career in activism have been archived by the Smithsonian Museum of American History. He continues his activism for LGBTQ equality and labor rights in his current role as the Executive Director of Pride At Work, the only national group dedicated to bringing together the LGBTQ and labor movements.
Tam Doan, Research and Policy Director, Every Voice Center
Since joining Every Voice Center in 2011, Tam’s research and analysis have supported communications, policy development, and campaigns. Prior to Every Voice Center, she worked at the Center for Community Change where she analyzed policies for health care, immigration, and job creation campaigns, and managed a low-wage worker financial services project. She has also worked in the Vietnamese immigrant community in Boston and taught eighth grade math and science. She is a graduate of MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning and Swarthmore College. Tam lives in New Mexico with her partner Brian.
Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, Legal Mobilization & Strategic Campaigns Manager, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights
Chris Melody Fields joined the Lawyers’ Committee in December 2011, serving as the Election Protection campaign manager to ensure the successful execution of the 2012 program. She continues to work with the Voting Rights Project to combat efforts to curb access to the ballot box, expand voting rights and create tools to educate and empower voters. As the Lawyers’ Committee’s lead organizer, she works with the organizing and tech team to develop strategies to address critical civil rights issues and implement other programs like the Parental Readiness and Empowerment Program (PREP).
Prior to joining the Lawyers’ Committee, Fields worked in the government affairs division for a local biological resource center on their global health and biosecurity agenda. Before that, Ms. Fields spent two years as the Outreach Director for Common Cause working to advance their democracy reform agenda and pass the Fair Elections Now Act that would create publicly financed campaigns for members of Congress. She got her start in community organizing and issue advocacy as a Program Specialist for DC ParentSmart, a nonprofit working to help DC parents navigate the DC public and charter school education system. A seasoned campaign organizer, she has served in numerous roles for different political campaigns across the country including as the Iowa Deputy Political Director for a 2008 presidential campaign, campaign manager for an Iowa State Senate race in 2006, and a field organizer for a 2004 U.S. Senate campaign in South Carolina.
Born in Venezuela and raised in Texas, she graduated from Austin College with a B.A. in English Literature and Anthropology.
Franklin Garcia, US Representative (Shadow) for the District of Columbia
Franklin Garcia was elected US Representative (Shadow) for the District of Columbia on November 4, 2014. He is working to bring full democracy to more than 650,000 people in our nation’s capital by helping make the District of Columbia the 51st State in the union. He is part of a Statehood Congressional Delegation that includes two Senators and one US Representative.
Representative Garcia is the former President and founder of the DC Latino Caucus, and current President of the non-profit DC Latino Leadership Council. He has held key positions in the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, former DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, Dominican President Leonel Fernandez, and other politicians. Representative Garcia serves on a number of Boards and Committees and served on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington Host Committee.
Representative Garcia came to live in Washington, DC with his parents and sister at the age of 10. He attended public school in Montgomery County, Maryland where he graduated from Montgomery Blair High School. He holds an undergraduate degree in Finance from the George Washington University and a Master of Arts degree in Financial Economics for Public Policy from the American University. He is the founder of the DCiReporter TV Show, writes for a Spanish language newspaper and is a Huffington Post and Examiner blogger. He is an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and lives in the Woodrige neighborhood in Ward 5
April Goggans, Core Organizer, Black Lives Matter
April Goggans is a sociologist, organizer, disrupter, mother of one, proud southeast DC resident and a Core Organizer with Black Lives Matter DC. Her organizing work focuses on community power building, affordable housing and tenants rights, direct action organizing, policing and police brutality. She recently launched #KeepDC4Me, a coalition working to confront, disrupt and dismantle systems of oppression and state sanctioned violence that displace Black people and incite intra-community violence in southeast DC through political education, building community power, and direct action.
April currently serves as a Management Analyst at a federal agency. Previous to that she interned for the National Association of Blacks for Reparations in America and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. She also served on the board of directors of the National Association for Ethnic Studies. Additionally, April served as a charter school administrator and vocational specialist with vulnerable and dropout populations, and as a residential counselor for the care of pregnant and parenting, teens and their children.
As Tenants’ Association president at Marbury Plaza Apartments in southeast DC, April led a two-year rent strike resulting in a historic settlement with the owners, Attorney General of DC, and the Director of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs securing $5 million in property repairs and a 50 percent rent abatement.
April is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a Union chapter Vice- President At-Large, Steward and Legislative Coordinator. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Black Studies, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, and a master’s degree in Clinical Sociology from the University of Northern Colorado. She is a Stryker Scholar and the recipient of two Departmental Scholar awards. She works and plays in Washington D.C. with her 18-year-old daughter.
Rebecca Green, DC Outreach Coordinator, CODEPINK
Rebecca Green is the DC Outreach Coordinator for CODEPINK. She has worked to build the peace contingent within the greater Democracy Awakening movement. She writes on a multitude of social justice issues ranging from war and peace to gendered violence to mass incarceration. She is currently working as an editor on Medea Benjamin’s book about Saudi Arabia that will be released in late May. She is working towards a degree in sociology with a minor in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at Northeastern University.
Emilia Gutierrez, Director of Digital Strategy, Center for Community Change
Emilia Gutierrez is the Director of Digital Strategy at Center for Community Change. She serve as digital point of contact for CCC’s economic justice, childcare, and environmental justice campaigns. Previously, as a Campaign Manager at Change.org, the world’s largest petition platform, Emilia works to empower citizen activists and non-profit organizations to use Change.org’s tools and platform to successfully launch and win campaigns.
Courtney Hight, Director, Sierra Club's Democracy Program
Courtney Hight is the Director of the Sierra Club’s Democracy program. She began organizing around environmental issues as a student at the University of Oregon, where she helped develop a campaign to make her campus more energy efficient. Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, Courtney has worked with the Oregon Student Association, the United States Student Association, the Obama campaign, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Energy Action Coalition.
As Director of the Democracy program for Sierra Club, Courtney currently implements the Democracy Initiative program by working closely with NAACP, Communication Workers of America, and Greenpeace to engage a broad base of labor unions, women’s organizations, environmental organizations, civil rights groups and money-in-politics organizations to address root problems facing our democracy.
Erik Lampmann, Public Affairs and Policy Manager, Young People For
Erik Lampmann is Young People For’s Public Affairs and Policy Manager. In that capacity, he directs all of YP4’s communications and policy products. He also serves as the primary liaison to YP4’s 1,600+ member network of grassroots organizers, working with them to hold the progressive movement accountable for creating lasting, meaningful change. Erik recently served as the Klagsbrun Fellow in the Alliance for Justice’s (AFJ) Outreach Department. His principle responsibility at AFJ was building a national campaign around AFJ’s “First Monday” film, Lost in the Fine Print. Before AFJ Erik served as one of six student thought-leaders within the nation’s largest student think-tank, the Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network. Erik has conducted grant-funded research on democratic theory, spent time at the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at UC Berkeley, and completed an honors thesis project on the changing French legal landscape for LGBTQ people. Erik has sat on the Board of GLSEN for Richmond, won honors for his LGBTQ organizing from Virginia Pride, and worked as a 2011 Young People For (YP4) Fellow. His writing has appeared in The Nation, [Young]ist, The Indypendent, The NextNewDeal, and Mic.com. Erik graduated Phi Beta Kappa summa cum laude from the University of Richmond with majors in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law (PPEL) and French. You can reach Erik at [email protected]
Katy Kiefer, Activist Network manager, Food & Water Watch
Kathy Kiefer is the Activist Network Manager at Food & Water Watch. She uses online tools to engage volunteers across the country around key issues affecting our food and water. Katy has worked to develop a program of scalable leadership development, with a focus on providing remote trainings and opportunities to take impactful actions beyond clicktivism.
Michael D. Knox, Ph.D., Chair and Founder, US Peace Memorial Foundation, Inc.
Michael D. Knox grew up on Grosse Ile, Michigan and earned his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Michigan in 1974. A Distinguished Professor Emeritus; Affiliate Distinguished Professor, Department of Internal Medicine; and Affiliate Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Global Health at the University of South Florida (USF), he is currently Chair of the US Peace Memorial Foundation and Editor of the US Peace Registry.
Spanning over 40 years, his academic career has focused on issues of peace, ethics, disease prevention, death, and mental health. He has been elected to a variety of leadership positions nationwide and authored over 125 scholarly presentations and publications, including several books and book chapters.
His long-standing peace and antiwar activities began in 1965 in opposition to the war in Vietnam. As a delegate to the 20th National Student Congress, he introduced a successful resolution to hold an antiwar demonstration in August of 1967 in front of the White House. In 1970, Knox co-founded a draft counseling center and, in 1971, he blew the whistle on classified weapon systems research at the University of Michigan. Since then, he has continued to engage in speeches, debates, interviews and other actions regarding peace. He is an invited speaker nationwide on the topics of “building a culture of peace” and “honoring peace leadership”.
Dr. Knox was awarded the 2007 Anthony J. Marsella Prize for the Psychology of Peace and Social Justice at the 115th Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association. The award is presented annually by Psychologists for Social Responsibility and recognized him for more than four decades of outstanding contributions to peace and humanitarian assistance. His work promotes cultural change, raising our awareness of past efforts towards peace and increasing future opportunities to challenge the promotion of war.
Delvone Michael, Executive Director, DC Working Families
Delvone Michael was named Executive Director of DC Working Families in May 2013. Previously Delvone was Program Director and Market Data Coordinator at OurDC. While at OurDC, he headed the organizations work with low-wage workers demanding higher wages from federal contractors and played an intricate role in their corporate accountability campaigns.
Delvone has worked for national nonprofit and political communications organizations, including USAction and Mack/Crounse where he oversaw national public education and voting rights programs and worked with federal, state, and local candidates.
Delvone received his B.A from Norfolk State University. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas School of Law. In 2013 Delvone earned a dual Master’s Degree in Applied Politics and Campaign Management at George Washington University.
Greg Moore, Executive Director, NAACP National Voter Fund
As Executive Director, Mr. Moore is responsible for the overall coordination of national programs designed to promote voter rights, election reform and issues that are critical to the NAACP and its branches, while also increasing voter education and participation among African Americans and communities of color throughout the US.
Mr. Moore has a long history of political empowerment and advocacy, serving in a number of leadership positions throughout his 28 years of issue advocacy. Most recently, Mr. Moore served five years as the Chief of Staff to the Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, US Representative John Conyers (D-14, MI). He served as Deputy Political Director for the Democratic National Committee, where he was instrumental in developing the Voter Registration and outreach programs while also overseeing Base Vote Constituency programs and activities nationally. While at the DNC, he also served as the Liaison to the Training division and targeted Coordinated Campaigns, strategic planning and implementation of the 1996 Clinton-Gore re-election campaign.
Mr. Moore has also served as the Executive Director of the Citizenship Education Fund, the civic educational arm of the National Rainbow Coalition. Private sector involvement includes the founding of GTM Consulting Services, a political consulting firm, where he served as its President and CEO, and TriCom Associates Advertising Firm, where he served as Senior Vice President for Government Relations. Mr. Moore received his Bachelor of Science Degree from the College of Communications, Ohio University.
Jessica Newman, Coordinator of Democracy Programs, Communications Workers of America
Jessica Newman is the Coordinator of Democracy Programs at the Communications Workers of America. In this role she advocates on behalf of CWA in front of Congress and the Administration on a portfolio of issues including campaign finance reform, voting rights, and family economic policies. Jessica received her Bachelors degree in Social Relations and Policy from James Madison College at Michigan State University, and holds a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.
Nick Nyhart, President, Every Voice Center
A three-decade veteran of social change politics, issue advocacy, grassroots organizing, and nonprofit management, Nick brings a wealth of experience to the national reform movement. Following the 1992 elections, Nick became the director of the Northeast Action Money and Politics Project, a six-state venture that laid the groundwork for Maine’s 1996 breakthrough victory for public financing. In 1997, Nick joined scores of state and national money-and-politics activists to found Public Campaign (which later became Every Voice Center), where he served as national field director and deputy director before assuming the group’s helm in 2000. At Every Voice Center, Nick has worked to win cutting edge state reform efforts and has organized a number of innovative national collaborations to promote publicly financed elections at the federal level.
Elise Orlick, Democracy Associate, U.S. PIRG
Elise is the Democracy Associate for U.S. PIRG, based in Washington, D.C. She has been working with campus PIRG chapters and other students to bring hundreds of students to the Democracy Awakening. During the rest of the year, she works on campaigns to get big money out of politics by overturning Citizens United and requiring disclosure of corporate political spending.
She graduated cum laude from the College of William & Mary in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Government and French.
Will Roberts, Legislative Director, Every Voice Center
Will Roberts helps craft and gain support for various campaign finance reform proposals at the state and national level. Will primarily conducts legislative outreach and advocacy activities with congressional staff in addition to members of national organizations and key constituent groups. Having served as a legislative assistant and legal advisor in the House of Representatives, his knowledge and understanding of the legislative process, as well as his relationships with congressional staff, help advance Every Voice Center’s legislative goals. In his spare time, Will enjoys cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles and civic engagement. Will earned a J.D. and a B.A. in Political Science from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Zachary Roth, National Reporter, MSNBC
Zachary Roth is a national reporter at MSNBC, focusing on voting and democracy, and is the author of “The Great Suppression: Voting Rights, Corporate Cash, and the Conservative Assault on Democracy,” to be published by Crown in August 2016. Since 2012, he has produced hundreds of online, video, and TV stories on the erosion of voting rights in America. Many of his feature stories have highlighted the inspiring grassroots efforts of ordinary Americans to protect and expand democracy, from Texas to Iowa to North Carolina.
Zack has also written for The Atlantic, The New Republic, Slate, Salon, The Daily Beast, and Guardian America, and has previously worked at Talking Points Memo, Yahoo News, The Washington Monthly, and Columbia Journalism Review. In addition to appearing frequently on MSNBC, he has also been a guest on CNN, Fox News, C-SPAN, and Al-Jazeera. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.
Rep. John Sarbanes, U.S. Representative for Maryland's 3rd Congressional District
Congressman John Sarbanes has represented Maryland’s Third District in the United States Congress since 2007. With big money influencing politics and the American government more than ever before, Congress’ growing dependence on campaign contributions from the wealthy and well-connected is drowning out the voices of everyday Americans. As a result, the public’s trust in government is eroding. To counter the influence of big money in politics, Congressman Sarbanes is leading the effort in Congress to build a democracy of the many, not the money. The Government By the People Act (H.R. 20), which was authored and introduced by the Congressman, would establish a citizen-led alternative to the current big-money-dominated campaign financing system.
Hilary O. Shelton, Washington Bureau Director and Senior Vice President for Advocacy, NAACP
Hilary 0. Shelton, presently serves as the Director to the NAACP’s Washington Bureau / Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy. The Washington Bureau is the Federal legislative and national public policy division of the over 500,000- member, 2,200-membership unit, national civil rights organization. In this capacity, Hilary is responsible for advocating the federal public policy issue agenda of the oldest, largest, and most widely recognized civil rights organization in the United States to the U.S. Government. Hilary’s government affairs portfolio includes crucial issues such as affirmative action, equal employment protection, access to quality education, stopping gun violence, ending racial profiling, abolition of the death penalty, access to comprehensive healthcare, voting rights protection, federal sentencing reform and a host of civil rights enforcement, expansion and protection issues.
Prior to serving as director to the NAACP Washington Bureau, Hilary served in the position of Federal Liaison/Assistant Director to the Government Affairs Department of The College Fund/UNCF, also known as The United Negro College Fund in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, Hilary worked with Senate and House Members of the U.S. Congress, Federal Agencies and Departments, college and university presidents and faculty members, as well as the White House and various government agencies to secure the survival, growth and educational programming excellence of the 40 private historically black colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Prior to working for The College Fund/UNCF, Hilary served as the Federal Policy Program Director to the 8.5 million-member United Methodist Churches’ social justice advocacy agency, The General Board of Church & Society. In this capacity, Hilary advocated for the national and international United Methodist Churches’ public policy agenda affecting a wide range of civil rights and civil liberties issues including preserving equal opportunity programs such as affirmative action, securing equal high quality public education for all Americans, guaranteeing greater access to higher education and strengthening our nation’s historically Black colleges and universities, abolition of the death penalty, reforming the criminal justice system, voting rights protection and expansion, gun control and a host of other social justice policy concerns.
Hilary serves on a number of national boards of directors including, The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, The Center for Democratic Renewal, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute among many others.
Playing an integral role in the crafting and final passage of such crucial federal legislation as the Civil Rights Act of 1991, Hilary was also instrumental in ushering through to passage, The Civil Rights Restoration Act, The Violence Against Women Act, The Hate Crimes Statistics Act, The Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act, The National Voter Registration Act, The National Assault Weapons Ban, The Brady Handgun Law, Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, the Help America Vote Act and many other crucial laws and policy measures affecting the quality of our lives and equality in our society.
Hilary has humbly received a number of awards and recognitions for his unwavering dedication to the mission and goals of the NAACP. Among the many awards to which he is most grateful for receiving, Mr. Shelton is the proud recipient of the National NAACP Medgar W. Evers Award for Excellence, the highest honor bestowed upon a national professional staff member of the NAACP for Outstanding Service, Sincere Dedication and Commitment to the Mission of the NAACP, the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’s Excellence in Advocacy Award, the Religious Action Center’s Civil Rights Leadership Award in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Religious Action Center awards the Civil Rights Leadership Award to outstanding leaders in the black and Jewish communities, 2006 NCADP 30th Anniversary Award as well as the Congressional Black Caucus’ Chairman’s Award In Recognition and Appreciation for Dedication, Leadership and Commitment to Advancing the Cause of Civil Rights for All Americans.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a family of 6 brothers and sisters, Hilary holds degrees in political science, communications, and legal studies from Howard University in Washington, D.C., the University of Missouri in St. Louis, and Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, respectively.
Hilary presently lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife Paula Young Shelton and their three sons, masters Caleb Wesley, Aaron Joshua, and Noah Ottis Young Shelton.
Stacey Long Simmons, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, National LGBTQ Task Force
Stacey’s the Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs department, and works to advance LGBT equality through a progressive social change agenda that includes among other things ending discrimination in employment, housing, health care and education; expanding marriage equality; and pursuing protections from violence or hatred. Stacey is active in numerous civic and community groups including past chair of the DC Commission for Women.
Andrew Snyder, Campus Outreach Lead, TurboVote
Andrew Snyder has worked in the public sector, on campaigns, and in digital political communications professionally since 2010, with a pit stop to get a Masters in Public Policy in 2015. He now works as the TurboVote Campus Outreach Lead at the Brooklyn non-profit civic tech shop Democracy Works, where he manages the TurboVote College Partnership program.
Francoise Stovall, Digital Director, Every Voice Center
Francoise oversees content and strategy for web and social media, online advocacy, and online fundraising. Before joining Every Voice, she spent five years at NDI working to support democracy around the world. Before that, she was a field organizer and campaign manager for candidates in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Florida, and DC.
Ericka Taylor, Executive Director, DC Fair Budget Coalition
Ericka Taylor is the Executive Director of the DC Fair Budget Coalition. Prior to joining FBC, she served as the Development Director for The Other 98%, a netroots organization dedicated to ending the corporate control of the U.S. political system. She worked as a community organizer with the Washington, DC chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and trained young people and youth organizers as the Southeast Regional Program Coordinator for YouthAction, based in Albuquerque, NM. Beginning in 2000, Ericka joined the philanthropic community, working as a Program Officer at the Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, DC, where she directed funding to organizations working on issues that included low-wage worker organizing, living wages, affordable housing, homelessness, predatory lending and fair taxation. Ericka left Public Welfare to return to grassroots work and became the Organizing Coordinator for ONE DC. In 2012, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree, with a concentration in fiction, from the Inland Northwest Center for Writers, and she holds a BA in English from Cornell University. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors or Steering Committees of the National Organizers Alliance, Progressive Technology Project, and Youth Education Alliance and is currently a board member of the National Priorities Project and Western States Center.
Who’s Risking Arrest?
For a complete list of who got arrested during the action, click here.
Andy Bichlbaum, The Yes Men
May Boeve, Executive Director, 350.org
May Boeve is the Executive Director of 350.org, an international climate change campaign. 350.org’s creative communications, organizing, and mass mobilizations strive to generate the sense of urgency required to tackle the climate crisis. Previously, May co-founded and helped lead the Step It Up 2007 campaign, and prior to that was active in the campus climate movement while a student at Middlebury College. May is the co-author of Fight Global Warming Now. She lives in Brooklyn.
Patrick Carolan, Executive Director, Franciscan Action Network
Patrick has been executive director of the Franciscan Action Network since 2010. He is also a co-founder of the Global Catholic Climate Movement, an organization working on global climate justice issues as well as Faithful Democracy, a faith coalition focused on the issue of Money in Politics, working to educate on the corruptive influence of big money on our democracy. He is a recipient of the 2015 White House Champion for Change Award for his work in the Climate Change arena, a Senior Fellow at the Center for Earth Ethics and is personally dedicated to social justice to bring about individual and societal transformation.
Jeff Furman, Chairman of the Board, Ben and Jerry's Homemade, Inc.
Jeff has been an activist for over 50 years. He has worked on many social justice issues including worker rights, land issues, and racial equity. He has been connected to Ben & Jerry’s since its inception. He is credited with helping to write the first business and has been involved with management and/or the Board of Directors for more than 35 years. He is the Board’s current chair. He also serves on the board of the Oakland Institute and Edge Funders Alliance. His work often entails connecting the business world with the activist’ world.
Jerry Greenfield, Co-founder, Ben and Jerry's
Jay Harris, Editor & Publisher, The Hightower Lowdown
Jay Harris is editor and publisher of The Hightower Lowdown, the monthly populist newsletter written by Jim Hightower, with 95,000 print subscribers and a large digital following. Jay also serves on the boards of Free Speech TV, the First Amendment Coalition, and the communications advisory board of Human Rights Watch. From 1991 to 2009, Jay was the publisher and CEO of Mother Jones. He has been publisher of The American Prospect; on the governing board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; on the board of IMAG, the independent magazine group of the Magazine Publishers of America; and vice chair of the Independent Press Association. In 2006 Jay helped found The Media Consortium, an alliance of independent, progressive media working together across media platforms to extend the reach and impact of their journalism. Before joining Mother Jones, Harris was an executive with Newsweek International in New York and Hong Kong. He lives in San Francisco.
Reverend William H. Lamar IV, Pastor, Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church
The Rev. William H. Lamar IV is pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. He previously served Turner Memorial AME Church in Maryland and three churches in Florida: Monticello, Orlando and Jacksonville. He is a former managing director at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity. Lamar is a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Duke Divinity School.
Susan Leslie, Congregational Advocacy and Witness Director, UUA
Susan Leslie is the Congregational Advocacy and Witness Director in the Multicultural Growth and Witness staff team for the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). She serves on the UUA Public Witness team and has also served as a Director in the UUA’s Advocacy & Witness staff team and Associate Director in the Faith in Action department that launched the UUA’s anti-racism multicultural initiative. She represents the UUA on the national board of Interfaith Worker Justice and on the Steering Committee of the Interreligious Organizing Initiative and other multi-faith coalitions and advocacy partnerships. Prior to her service at the UUA, Susan worked in publishing at Harvard University Press and Banner Press and has a long history of community organizing. She has held staff positions with Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), the New Hampshire People’s Alliance, the New England Municipal Center—an agency fostering regional government, and the Refuse and Resist Campaign. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of New Hampshire.
Susan grew up in a family that was very involved in electoral politics and public policy. Her father is an attorney and her mother was the Assistant Minority Leader in the NH legislature. She has been an active campaigner since her elementary school years. Susan has an eighteen year-old son named Kieran and is married to Bruce Pritchard who is a Systems Analyst for the MA Department of Mental Health. They reside in Cambridge, Massachusetts and are members of First Parish Cambridge, Unitarian Universalist. Bruce serves on the congregation’s Religious Education Committee, Susan serves on the Social Justice Council and Immigrant Justice group, and Kieran is an active member of the Youth Group.
Eli McCarthy, Director of Justice and Peace, Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling is the founder and director of the Social Justice Organizing Program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College of which he is a graduate. Prior he was Executive Vice-President of Jewish Funds for Justice. Earlier he was Executive Director of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation. He serves on the boards of T’ruah: A Rabbinic Call for Human Rights; The Shalom Center and of the Faith and Politics Institute. He was the founding chairperson of Shomrei Adamah: Guardians of the Earth. He has been a Spiritual Director for 15 years; has been trained in The Work that Reconnects by Joanna Macy; and has completed the Jewish Meditation Teacher Training program. He has published numerous articles. He is married to Lynne Iser, they have five children and their family was the subject of the award winning documentary Praying With Lior.
Phil Radford, Co-founder, Democracy Initiative
Phil Radford is an American clean energy, environmental, and democracy advocate who serves as the President of Membership Drive, was the youngest CEO of Greenpeace USA and the CEO of Power Shift, co-founded the Democracy Initiative, and is a board member of both the Mertz Gilmore Foundation and Green Corps.
Sandy Sorenson, Director, DC Office, United Church of Christ
Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow, Ph.D., Founder & Director, The Shalom Center
Rabbi Waskow, Ph.D. has since 1969 been one of the leading creators of theory, practice, and institutions for the movement for Jewish renewal. In 1969 he created the original Freedom Seder, which transformed the celebration of Passover for thousands of American Jews. He founded (1983) and directs The Shalom Center, a prophetic voice in Jewish, multireligious, and American life – speaking for peace, eco-social justice, and healing of the Earth.
Miya Yoshitani, Executive Director, Asian Pacific Environmental Network
Miya is the Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, APEN. She has an extensive background in community organizing, and a long history of working in the environmental justice movement. APEN has been fighting – and winning – environmental justice struggles for the past 23 years and remains one of the most unique organizations in the country explicitly developing the leadership and power of low-income Asian American and Pacific Islander immigrant and refugee communities. Through many years of leadership, Miya has supported APEN’s growth and expansion from a powerful local organization in the Bay Area, to having a statewide impact through an integrated API voter engagement strategy, a statewide Asian Pacific American Climate Coalition, and winning transformational state policy for equitable climate solutions and transitioning the state to a clean energy economy for all Californians. A movement leader in many key local, state, and national alliances, APEN is helping to shift the center of gravity of what is possible when the health and economic well being of working families, immigrant and communities of color are put at the center of solutions to the economic and climate crises. Miya has been Executive Director since November 2013 and proudly supports APEN to be a leading force for climate justice for all communities.
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Home page photo: "Civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala" by Peter Pettus (Library of Congress, Public Domain)
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Nonprofit Crosses House Cleaning Off Chore Lists Of Cancer Patients
By Makenzie O'Keefe January 13, 2020 at 11:57 pm
Filed Under:Cleaning for a Reason, Fort Collins News
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) – When someone is being treated for cancer, everyday tasks can become exhausting. That’s why one cleaning company in Fort Collins has teamed up with the nonprofit, Cleaning for a Reason, to provide free house cleanings for cancer patients undergoing treatment.
“All you have to do is jump in for an hour or two, and it changes somebody’s life,” explained Lindi West, the co-owner of Hot Mess Cleaning, LLC.
For about three years, West and her husband have been cleaning homes in northern Colorado. When they came across the Cleaning for a Reason program, they knew they wanted to join in.
On Monday, they had their first program clean. They were at Jill Bernardino’s home in Loveland, who found out last January, she has stage four breast cancer.
“I was going to die tomorrow. That was what was going through my head,” Bernardino told CBS4. “I didn’t think I would be here a year later to be quite honest with you.”
After undergoing treatments and chemotherapy throughout the past year, Bernardino doesn’t have much extra energy for cleaning. Her husband and 12 year old had taken up the task, until they recently found out about Hot Mess Cleaning.
“It’s not just for me, but it’s for them,” she explained, talking about her family. “It could be silly, but in that extra 10 minutes or that extra hour, we’re making memories instead.”
West says including her business there are only two cleaning companies in northern Colorado that participate in the Cleaning for a Reason program, compared to dozens in the Denver metro area. She hopes more companies in the community will step up and participate.
“We could use all the help up here,” West told CBS4. “There are a lot of people who would benefit from this.”
If you know someone fighting cancer who could benefit from the program, or are a company that would like to take part in the cause you can visit Cleaning For a Reason or Hot Mess Cleaning.
Makenzie O'Keefe
Makenzie O'Keefe joined the CBS4 team as a reporter in 2017.More from Makenzie O'Keefe
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Scrolling Headlines
Marc Osten fondly remembered by student activism community
By Hayley Johnson
(Jong Man Kim/ Daily Collegian)
A bright face in the Amherst activism community, Marc Osten had a passion for educating society on environmental issues and getting people involved on a local level.
The 55-year-old father, husband and Amherst resident died Wednesday, April 19, due to critical injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident on April 17, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
Many students at the University of Massachusetts remember him fondly in their own activism work.
“Marc was a very silly, playful person, but he was so incredibly dedicated and passionate about all of the work that he did…He’s one of the most thoughtful and considerate people I’ve worked with in terms of organizing,” said Giovana Castro, a sophomore social thought and political economy major.
Castro first met Osten in December 2016, when the two spent about six hours chained to the doors of the TD Bank in Amherst alongside in a protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline.
“It was very intense, but I think that one of the things that I knew when I met him was that I could definitely trust him,” she said.
“He was just so kind—one of the kindest—and just so aware of everyone else. He holds so much empathy in his heart for everybody around him. He was the kind of leader and mentor that we really need in our society today,” said Brandon Curtin, a junior sustainable food and farming major.
James Frank, a senior BDIC major admired Osten’s wealth of knowledge within the activism community.
“He came to the actions that we organized together with just so much experience, so much more experience than I have of course,” Frank said. “He had worked for a lot of organizations, he used to work for Greenpeace.”
According to Osten’s blog, for 25 years he worked as “an activist, educator, community organizer, consultant, change agent, risk taker, organizational therapist, author, coach, entrepreneur and provocateur” all with the goal of making the world a better place.
Osten strived to make the world a better place through educating others on how to do so.
“I helped with a few different actions with him and spent many hours with him and other activists in the community discussing tactics, all of the different approaches to educating the public around Standing Rock mostly,” said Curtin.
He added, “He was definitely a big leader…he came with so much experience and he really listened to everybody, he listened to people whose first time it was doing activism and treated every word as if it was as important as his.”
“The last message he sent me was, ‘Is there anything I can do to be supportive right now for you?’ And I think that kind of exemplifies how he is as an organizer, friend, as a comrade,” Castro said.
For Frank, Osten was nothing but optimistic.
“In the wake of his passing and just reminiscing on his general attitude, I’ve been thinking a lot about this lightness about him,” Frank said. “It didn’t ever seem like he held grudges or he was overly upset for any longer than he needed to be and he always had this very comical and passionate kind of theatrical nature about him.”
This theatrical nature about him was evident in the actions he organized.
In March, Osten sat chained between large barrels covered in fake oil with two other demonstrators outside of a Bank of America in Amherst to protest Bank of American and other large banks funding of various pipelines.
Despite the freezing temperatures, Osten was not discouraged.
Frank played a considerable role in the execution of this action as the stage manager.
“I remember the chief of police coming over to Marc and just with this great big smile and light nature about him, he was like, ‘Hello! Hello officer! Will you tell us about what you’re doing here today and what you’re seeing?’ The police just didn’t know how to interact with him because he was just so friendly, but also so powerful,” said Frank.
“He was not afraid of authority and I think he really held himself and walked in the world in a way where he really embodied what he believed,” he added.
Osten is survived by his wife Colleen Osten, his two children and extended family and friends, according to his obituary.
“In his physical absence and with his sudden passing, I think he leaves a very strong and clear message. That, in my mind, is one of the most beautiful things about the life that a person can live. He’s leaving us all, everyone who knew him and even people who didn’t know him, with this clear message to stay engaged and to become involved and to really engage with life in meaningful ways,” Frank said.
“I can just hear his voice so clearly saying ‘Be sad, mourn, take time, heal and get out there. Get out there and take on these resistance efforts and really challenge the way things are. Don’t just take life as this thing that people have no power over,’” he said.
Hayley Johnson can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @hayleyk_johnson.
Brandon Curtin
Daily Hampshire Gazette
Giovana Castro
James Frank
Marc Osten
Hayley Johnson, Editor in Chief
Hayley is the editor in chief of the Daily Collegian for the 2018-19 academic year. She joined her sophomore year, starting as a news assistant and served...
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Anger over unmet expectations - Daily News Egypt
Opinion Anger over unmet expectations
Anger over unmet expectations
It was as if the clock had turned back to those fateful days last November when youth revolutionaries had battled with security forces on Mohamed Mahmoud Street in downtown Cairo, in protests demanding an end to military rule. This week’s clashes between activists and riot police on the very same street were reminiscent of last …
Shahira Amin November 21, 2012 Be the first to comment
Shahira Amin
It was as if the clock had turned back to those fateful days last November when youth revolutionaries had battled with security forces on Mohamed Mahmoud Street in downtown Cairo, in protests demanding an end to military rule. This week’s clashes between activists and riot police on the very same street were reminiscent of last year’s bloody skirmishes that left more than forty people dead.
The protesters had returned to the street on Monday to commemorate the first anniversary of what has since become known as The Battle of Mohamed Mahmoud. Monday’s rally turned violent when a few rowdy youths started wreaking havoc. They hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails at police who responded by firing tear gas and birdshot at the demonstrators. Scores have been injured in the current clashes.
Anti-Muslim Brotherhood sentiment ran high at Monday’s protest with demonstrators chanting “down with the rule of the supreme guide” and “No to Morsy Mubarak!” Many of the activists said they were angry that to date there has been no retribution for the martyrs of the revolution.
A series of acquittals of police officers charged with the killing of protesters during and after the 18 day uprising in January 2011 has increased the level of frustration among youth revolutionaries, many of whom say they feel that “the revolution has been stolen by the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Many of the pro-reform activists who led the mass protests in Tahrir Square last year hoped the “new” Egypt would be a secular, civil state. Their hopes were dashed by the rise of Islamists to power in the post revolution parliamentary and presidential elections. A precarious security situation, high unemployment and economic decline have all fuelled the anger over unmet expectations.
Differences between liberal and Islamist members of the Constitutional Assembly (tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution) have widened the rift between secularists and leftist forces on the one hand and conservative Islamists on the other. The debate over the role Islamic Shari’a Law will play in the “new” Egypt has further polarised a country already deeply divided along ideological lines.
Meantime, the train collision in Assiut this week, the latest in a series of similar disasters in Egypt in recent years, came as a chilling reminder that little has changed in the country since former President Hosni Mubarak was toppled. 51 people, mostly children, were killed in the crash making it the worst tragedy since President Morsy was elected.
The resignation of Egypt’s transport minister in the wake of the tragedy did little to ease the anger of a distraught public, grown accustomed to blaming all its woes on the government.
Add to all of this, the simmering tensions across the border in neighbouring Gaza and Israel. Egyptians watched with horror this week, scenes on their TV screens of the latest Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Many were concerned that the violence would spill over the border into Egypt, dragging the country into a conflict the country neither desires nor can afford.
Moreover, rumours of an influx of Palestinians into the Sinai, to escape the Israeli shelling, added to worries that “Hamas and Israel both have their eye on Sinai.”
The truth is that President Morsy handled the crisis well. He swiftly recalled his ambassador to Israel but stopped short of severing ties. He also ordered the partial opening of the Rafah border crossing to allow humanitarian convoys in and wounded Palestinians out of Gaza.
Yet, he did not give military aid to Hamas and entered into serious consultations with international leaders and diplomats (including the emir of Qatar and the Turkish prime minister) to broker a long term truce agreement so as to avert an Israeli ground offensive into Gaza.
His efforts to mediate a ceasefire agreement between the conflicting sides have surprised many sceptical observers who had anticipated a call to arms from the Islamist President.
Hamas has demanded the lifting of the Israeli siege on Gaza once and for all, and an end to the targetted killing of Palestinian military officials. Israelis meanwhile want guarantees that Hamas will not fire rockets into Israel from Gaza or the Sinai Peninsula.
Weighed down by so many heavy challenges, the activists who went to Mohamed Mahmoud Street on Monday had actually gone to vent their anger at the security forces. Indeed, the last two years have been extremely difficult for most Egyptians.
There are those who feel that for every step forward there are several back. However, as in many of the other recent protests, a sizeable part of the population has stayed away. Many Egyptians are tired of the emotional upheavals and political turmoil and simply want to move on.
Unlike the January 2011 mass uprising that toppled the former president (which was an all-inclusive people’s movement), this latest rally did not enjoy much popular support. The taxi driver who drove me past the street just before the clashes broke out, told me “People have grown tired. The time for protests is over. We need to get back to work.” I fully agree.
Topics: Gaza Mohamed Mahmoud molotov Morsy opinion shahira amin
Shahira Amin is an award-winning freelance journalist and former Deputy Head of Nile TV. She quit her job at the height of last year’s uprising in Tahrir Square in protest at State TV’s biased coverage of the revolution. Amin is also a longtime contributor to CNN International.
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https://dailyfeed.dailynewsegypt.com/2012/11/21/anger-over-unmet-expectations/
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Network Analyzer makes it easy to view information about all of the Wi-Fi networks nearby. With a few taps, you can see the strength of networks in the area on a dynamic graph and view detailed information about your connection, such as your IPv4 Address, MAC Address, and Default Gateway IP. You can even run a network query from within the app; it lets you Ping an IP/Domain Name or even check the DNS Server settings. It's the perfect companion to our article on how to find your IP address.
Tracking your period isn't just about knowing the cycle, but also the other factors surrounding it. Eve by Glow lets you track physical and emotional states, which can lead to some important insights when you take the time to interpret your own data. Eve also boasts a vibrant community and a wealth of information about sexual health built right in. New Droid Apps
Mint is a fantastic online service to keep track of your finances, and it really shines on Android. Once you've entered all your information, you can easily check up on your finances on the fly. Mint keeps you on track for your goals and a new bill paying feature make sure that you never miss a payment. Be sure to try out the app's excellent widgets, too. Droid App
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You now know how to download Google Play Store to ensure you have the latest version. This method will work on almost any Android device, but there may be slight variances depending on your Android version and OEM. Do keep in mind that this will not work on Amazon Kindle Fire devices. That’s an entirely different process which may also require you to root your device. Droid Apps
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If you use a Mac or iPad on top of your Android phone, you may be better served with Apple Music over Google Play Music or Spotify. Apple Music offers access to Apple’s massive library of music, as well as Apple’s Beats 1 radio station, which plays both current hits and up-and-coming music. The celebrity DJs and exclusive album streams are just a plus. Droid App
Network Analyzer makes it easy to view information about all of the Wi-Fi networks nearby. With a few taps, you can see the strength of networks in the area on a dynamic graph and view detailed information about your connection, such as your IPv4 Address, MAC Address, and Default Gateway IP. You can even run a network query from within the app; it lets you Ping an IP/Domain Name or even check the DNS Server settings. It's the perfect companion to our article on how to find your IP address. Android App
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This calorie counter and exercise tracker aims to help you lose weight the old-fashioned way—expending more calories than you take in. With its smart design and an extensive library of foods, it makes quickly logging the calories you take in and what you burn while exercising a snap. A barcode scanner makes it even easier to log that post-workout snack. This fitness app also plays nice with other such apps, so your data won't be tied up in just one place. MyFitnessPal won't give you a whole workout regimen, but it can make you more aware of your habits. PCMag has a full review of MyFitnessPal for the iPhone. Droid App
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Forever More House Music By Sami Dee
By Sami Dee - France
Over the course of a musical career which has spanned over 20 years, Sami Dee, aka “Le Flamant Rose” or “The Flamingo”, has been a champion of House Music in numerous capacities.
As a DJ, he’s showcased his unique & energetic style in the best clubs in France ( 287, Rex, Les Bains, Queen) but also worldwide in cities such as Montréal (Stereo, Circus, Beach Club), Miami, London, Prague, Geneva, and Algiers. Another key stop in his vast career was at the legendary Red Zone in New York City, where he had the advantage of meeting the “Boss” himself, David Morales, who tutored the young DJ in the early 1990s.
If Sami Dee is deemed a true master in the art of mixing records, it is also thanks to the radio. He reached this hard-to-earn legendary status first on NRJ Radio, co-hosting “Better Days” with Bibi, during a classic four-year run which saw the show broadcasted in France, Switzerland, and Belgium, and then, on FG Radio, for over nine years. Today, he’s pleasing his worldwide followers through his podcast," Forever More House Music By Sami Dee" releasing unique mixes like only he can.
Furthermore, Sami Dee may be an even more recognizable name as a producer & remixer, with over a hundred original productions and remixes on his résumé with the likes of Grammy Award Winners David Morales, Frankie Knuckles & Gregory Porter, Kenny Carpenter, Todd Terry, Dimitri From Paris, Lisa Pure & CeCe Peniston for various labels such as Warner, East West, Atlantic Records, Def Mix, Stereo Productions, In-House records, Ultra, Nocturnal Groove, Tony Records, Mjuzieek Digital & Poole Music. After more than 20 years in the game, Sami Dee is still one to be reckoned with, both in the DJ booth and in the studio. Having gained accolades from some of the biggest names in the business and having worked for legendary artists, Sami Dee is still pushing his music forward, while paying homage to the roots, producing new gems in his unmistakable style.
April 4, 2016 at 5:27am
Sami Dee's Stereo Zone, Pt. 100 February 1, 2016 Paris, France
Sami Dee's Stereo Zone Pt. 102_For My Sweet M_March 6, 2016_Paris, France
December 17, 2015 at 7:06am
Sami Dee's Lessons In Love Happy Flamantic Holidays '15 Paris, France
October 27, 2015 at 9:48am
Sami Dee In Better Days Pt.37 Celebrating Live Better Day's 18th Anniversary on NRJ Radio October 25, 2015 Paris, France
June 26, 2015 at 8:24pm
Sami Dee's Flamantic Time Machine Pt.3_Sami Dee Guest Mix on Skyrock Radio_December 93_France
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An oven is heading to space so astronauts can bake cookies
ValueAct says Ubben to give up chief executive role
An upgraded Northrop Grumman Antares rocket roared to life and vaulted into orbit Saturday for a flight to deliver 3.7 tons of crew supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. The Cygnus supply ship launched atop the Antares is carrying gear needed for up to five complex spacewalks to revive an ailing $2 billion particle physics experiment.
It is also carrying a wide variety of research hardware and experiment samples, 14 small satellites, and a prototype vest designed to shield astronauts on deep space missions from dangerous space radiation.
Also on board: a compact oven that will be used to bake the first cookies in orbit.
The stated goal is to find out whether baking is even possible in the weightless environment of space, looking ahead to eventual multi-year missions to Mars and beyond when astronauts will no doubt welcome more variety in their menus.
Only one cookie at a time can be baked in the compact oven, and no one knows what the chocolate chip treats will look like when they’re done. In the absence of gravity to hold a cookie on its baking sheet, the dough on board the station will be suspended in a special holder and mounted in the center of a cylindrical oven chamber.
“When you bake here on the ground, you put the cookie on the tray, the bottom is flat and the top is a little bit curved based on the ratio of your ingredients,” said Mary Murphy, an engineer with Nanoracks, which worked with Zero G Kitchen to develop the oven. “But obviously, nobody’s done this in space, so we don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like.”
“It could come out more like a cylinder, it could actually create a sphere. We really don’t know, and I think that’s one of the more exciting things we’ll find out.”
No matter what shape the morsels might take, the chance to bake up a batch of chocolate chip cookies – using dough provided by Hilton’s DoubleTree hotel chain – will be a clear treat for the space station’s six-member crew. They will be treated to the taste – and smell – of fresh-baked cookies.
“Everyone loves cookies,” said Murphy. “There are some preferences between types of cookies, but the vast majority of people, I think, are really on board with the chocolate chip.”
Liftoff on Saturday from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Island, Virginia, flight facility came on time at 9:59:47 a.m. ET, the moment Earth’s rotation carried Virginia’s Easter Shore launch site into the plane of the station’s orbit.
Streaking away from pad 0A on a southeasterly trajectory, the Antares’ twin Russian-built RD-181 engines fired for about three minutes to boost the vehicle out of the thick lower atmosphere. A two-minute 43-second firing of the rocket’s solid-fuel upper stage propelled the Cygnus into a preliminary orbit about eight-and-a-half minutes after launch.
From there, the flight plan called for the unpiloted cargo ship to carry out an autonomous rendezvous with the space station, catching up early Monday and then standing by while astronaut Jessica Meir, operating the lab’s robot arm, locks onto a grapple fixture. From there, flight controllers operating the arm by remote control from Houston will pull the Cygnus in for berthing.
The mission is the 12th station resupply flight carried out by Northrop Grumman and the first under a new NASA contract calling for at least six flights through 2024.
To carry more cargo, the company beefed up the Antares first stage, allowing its engines to fire at full power throughout the climb to space instead of throttling back to reduce stress when powering through the regions of maximum atmospheric pressure.
Engineers also reduced the weight of both stages and increased the capacity of its Cygnus spacecraft. Additional storage lockers with power and cooling for active experiments were added and the capsule was modified to allow engineers to load short-shelf-life biological samples the day before launch.
A major objective of the latest flight is to deliver more than two dozen custom tools and a cooling pump module needed to extend the life of an instrument known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. Mounted on the station’s solar power truss, the AMS is by far the most expensive single science experiment aboard the station and one of the most expensive ever launched.
Designed to operate for three years, the AMS, launched in 2011 on the next-to-last shuttle mission, has been capturing high-energy cosmic rays to help researchers resolve fundamental questions about the nature of anti-matter, the unseen “dark matter” that makes up most of the mass in the universe and the even-more-mysterious dark energy that is speeding up the expansion of the cosmos.
In the eight years the AMS has been in operation, the instrument has captured more than 145 billion electrically charged cosmic ray particles shooting away from distant suns, stellar collisions, supernovas and other extreme energy events, detecting particles with energies as high as 3 trillion electron volts.
Such cosmic rays cannot be studied from the ground because they collide with atoms and molecules in Earth’s atmosphere, creating showers of secondary particles. The AMS is the most advanced cosmic ray detector ever placed in space and so far, the data it has collected does not fit accepted theory.
“The AMS results contradict cosmic ray theories and require the development of a comprehensive theory of the universe,” said Nobel Prize-winning physicist Sam Ting, the AMS principal investigator.
With a successful repair, he said, “AMS will continue to collect and analyze data for the lifetime of the space station. Whenever a precision instrument such as AMS is used to explore the unknown, new and exciting discoveries can be expected.”
But it will not be easy. Three of the four pumps needed to circulate carbon dioxide coolant through the AMS detector have failed, and the fourth is working intermittently.
To fix it, astronauts Drew Morgan and Luca Parmitano plan to carry out four and possibly five spacewalks, tentatively planned for Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Dec. 2, Dec. 7 and, if necessary, Dec. 11.
The repair work is especially challenging because the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer was not designed to be serviced in orbit. The overhaul will require the astronauts to cut and splice multiple coolant lines while plumbing in a new pump module. The spacewalks are considered the most complex since shuttle astronauts serviced the Hubble Space Telescope.
“We’ve been working for the last several years to put together a plan to go out and repair the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer,” said Kenny Todd, a senior space station manager at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. “It’s going to be a challenging set of spacewalks.”
Along with the AMS spacewalks, the station’s crew expects to welcome two more cargo ships before the end of the year – a SpaceX Dragon capsule on Dec. 6 and a Russian Progress on Dec. 22 – along with a visit by Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner.
Scheduled for launch Dec. 17 on an unpiloted test flight, the Starliner is expected to dock with the space station on Dec. 18, remain attached until Christmas Eve and then descend to a landing in the western United States.
Boeing and SpaceX, which already has carried out an unpiloted station docking with its Crew Dragon capsule, both plan to begin operational crew rotation flights in 2010, ending NASA’s sole reliance on Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
The post An oven is heading to space so astronauts can bake cookies appeared first on CBS News.
Tags: international space stationNASA
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Capt. Robert Quigley
Mercy Coleman
Bef 1767 - Yes, date unknown
Birth Bef 1767
Father ??? Coalman
Family Capt. Robert Quigley
Married Abt 18 Jun 1767 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America
1. Achsah Quigley
+ 3. Daniel Quigley
b. 1775, Trenton, Burlington, New Jersey, British America
Achsah Quigley
- Yes, date unknown
Father Capt. Robert Quigley
Mother Mercy Coleman
Aaron Quigley
Birth 1775 Trenton, Burlington, New Jersey, British America
Died 5 Mar 1860 Mobile, Mobile, Alabama, USA
Married Trenton, Burlington, New Jersey, USA
1. Albert M. Quigley
b. Bef 1824, Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania, USA
2. Margaret E. Quigley
3. Stephen B. Quigley
Name Robert Quigley [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47]
Prefix Capt.
Born 1736 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America [48, 49, 50]
Residence 1762 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America [54, 55, 56, 57]
Taxed as a householder, 4 shillings; Aug 24, 1762.
Residence 1767 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA [58, 59]
Residence 1770 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America [60]
Householder.
Occupation 1772 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America [61]
May have been a tavern keeper because multiple town meetings were held at his house.
Listed as a town resident; town committee scheduled to next meet at his house.
Residence 1773-1774 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America [66, 67, 68]
Residence 1775-1776 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA [69]
House was used as Winter Quarters by French officers in Revolutionary War.
Military Service 22 Oct 1777 Red Bank, Gloucester, New Jersey, USA [70]
- Battle of Red Bank
Trenton Evening Times, NJ - New Jersey Officers in the Battle of Redbank; 1777 [5778]
Jun 26, 1906 [from Genealogy Bank]
Military Service 1776-1778 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA [71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82]
1st. Lieut. & Capt., 1st Regiment, Burlington Co. Militia.
Captain of a company in the regiment of Colonel Joseph Borden, prior to Jun 22, 1776.
On Jun 23, 1778, when the British army was on its march to Monmouth, he was on guard at Watson's Ford, being then with Col. Shreve's Burlington County Regiment.
Certificate of Service during the Revolutionary War - Robert Quigley [5777]
Nov 25, 1895 [from Ancestry.com]
Occupation 1778 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA [83]
Newspaper Article 7 Jan 1778 Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA [80]
Capture of British Vessels
Captain of 24 militia who boarded and took the transport brigantine, John, and the armed schooner, Industry.
New Jersey Gazette, Trenton, NJ - Capture of British Vessels [5770]
Jan 7, 1778 [from Genealogy Bank]
Land 2 Sep 1778 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA [84, 85]
0.25 acres on Broad St.
Purchased for £500.
Deed of Conveyance, NJ, Burlington Co. - William & Sarah Watson to Robert Quigley [5773]
Sep 2, 1778 (abstract) [from Trenton Historical Society]
Map of the City of Trenton - Mary Quigley Property on Broad Street [5775A]
1849 [from Library of Congress]
Map of the City of Trenton [5775]
Residence 1779 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA [86]
4 cattle.
Story 1776-1781 , , , British America [88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96]
Revolutionary War Service (from Pension Applications)
These accounts of Robert Quigley's service during the Revolutionary War are taken from pension applications after 1832 by men who said they served under his command. Much of this information cannot be verified and so must be considered as speculative and not necessarily true. It is only presented for its potential historical value.
Revolutionary War Service of Robert Quigley (from Pension Applications) [5762]
Jan 2019 [from Donald W. Quigley]
Name on petition; Mar 3, 1786.
June tax list.
On List of Rateables for the Township (Householder).
Residence 1800 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA [100]
Died 1813 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA [102, 103]
Married Abt 28 Sep 1733 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America [106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118]
This marriage was very distasteful to the Pearson family, and there was afterwords but little intercourse between them. [104, 105]
Family Mercy Coleman
Married Abt 18 Jun 1767 Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America [121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129]
Ref. 5720 shows Charles Coleman as Mercy Colemen's father. I believe he is more likely to have been her brother and signed his name as Charles Coalman, a bondsman on her marriage bond, per Ref 5772. [119, 120]
New Jersey Marriages - Robert Quigley & Mercy Coleman; 1767 [5772]
Jun 18, 1767 Marriage Bond [from FamilySearch]
d. 5 Mar 1860, Mobile, Mobile, Alabama, USA (Age 85 years) [biological]
Born - 1736 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America
Residence - 1762 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America
Residence - 1767 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA
Married - Abt 18 Jun 1767 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America
Occupation - tavern keeper - 1772 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America
Residence - 1773-1774 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, British America
Child - Daniel Quigley - 1775 - Trenton, Burlington, New Jersey, British America
Residence - Mill Hill - 1775-1776 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA
Military Service - - Battle of Red Bank - 22 Oct 1777 - Red Bank, Gloucester, New Jersey, USA
Military Service - 1st. Lieut. & Capt., 1st Regiment, Burlington Co. Militia. - 1776-1778 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA
Occupation - blacksmith - 1778 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA
Newspaper Article - Capture of British Vessels - 7 Jan 1778 - Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Land - 0.25 acres on Broad St. - 2 Sep 1778 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA
Story - Revolutionary War Service (from Pension Applications) - 1776-1781 - , , , British America
Died - 1813 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington, New Jersey, USA
Name Robert Quigley.
[S3926] Revolutionary War Pension Application (transcr.) - Isaac Quigley, New Jersey; 1847 [0092], Donald W. Quigley (transcriber), (Escondido, CA; 1989), 0092.
Name Capt. Robert Quigley.
p. 3, 8, 9, 14, 17, 24, 26, 34
[S3532] New Jersey Rateables; 1773-1774 - Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ [0096], Kenn Stryker-Rodda, (The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, Vol. 36, No. 2, May 1961), 0096.
Name Robert Quigley,
[S3533] Revolutionary Census of New Jersey - Quigleys [0099], Kenn Stryker-Rodda, (Polyanthos, New Jersey; 1972), 0099.
[S538] Revolutionary Census of New Jersey - Quigleys [0100], Kenn Stryker-Rodda, (Polyanthos, New Jersey; 1972), 0100.
p. 98, 102
[S3927] Revolutionary War Records for New Jersey - Isaac Quigley, Jr. [0119], (Transcriptions of NJ Militia documents for the Revolutionary War - Isaac Quigley (Jr.)), 0119.
Name Cpt. Robert Quigley.
p. 12, 40
[S3542] Nottingham Township, New Jersey, Minute Book: 1692-1710, 1752-1772 [0151], Charles R. Hutchinson (1876), (Reprinted from the Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society, January=April-July, 1840, Issues for the Trenton Historical Society), 0151.
p. 36, 48, 49
[S4291] History of Burlington & Mercer Counties, NJ; 1883 [0152], Major E. M. Woodward & John F. Hageman, (1883; Everts & Peck; Philadelphia, PA), 0152.
[S3543] Abstract of US Census Information (1620-1819) - Quigleys [0180], 0180.
[S4296] Revolutionary War Pension Application of John Clutch, New Jersey; 1832 [0219], (1832; New Jersey), 0219.
p. 4, 5, 8, 11, 21, 23,
[S3546] Calendar of New Jersey Wills, Vol. 4; 1761-1770 [5566], New Jersey., (Internet Archives. archive.org.), 5566., Will of Jonathan Knipe (Nipe); 1769; (archive.org : accessed Sep 26, 2018).
[S736] Calendar of New Jersey Wills, Vol. 13, 1814-1817 - Isaac Quigley; 1817 [5575A], New Jersey., (Internet Archives. archive.org.), 5575A., Isaac Quigley; 1817; (archive.org : accessed Sep 26, 2018).
[S565] Genealogical and Personal Memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey; 1907 [0222], Francis Bazley Lee, Ed., (The Lewis Publishing Company; New York, NY, & Chicago, IL; 1907), 0222., Vol. I.
p. 2, 3
[S3540] Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War [0118], William S. Stryker, (Wm. T. Nicholson & Co, Printers, Trenton, NJ; 1872), 0118.
[S4297] Revolutionary War Pension Application for Samuel Wooley; 1852 [5763], (Fold3. fold3.com : 2007.), 5763., (fold3.com : accessed Jan 17, 2019); Revolutionary War Pension Application for Samuel Wooley; 1852.
p. 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 31
[S4298] Revolutionary War Pension Application for John Bell; 1832 [5764], (Fold3. fold3.com : 2007.), 5764., (fold3.com : accessed Jan 17, 2019); Revolutionary War Pension Application for John Bell; 1832.
[S4299] Revolutionary War Widow's Pension Application for Asa Adams; 1842 [5765], (Fold3. fold3.com : 2007.), 5765., (fold3.com : accessed Jan 17, 2019); Revolutionary War Widow's Pension Application for Asa Adams, W133; 1842.
p. 3, 4, 10, 15, 16, 20, 21
[S4300] Revolutionary War Pension Application for William Trout; 1833 [5766], (Fold3. fold3.com : 2007.), 5766., (fold3.com : accessed Jan 17, 2019); Revolutionary War Pension Application for William Trout, S2567; 1833.
[S4301] Revolutionary War Pension Application for Joseph Reed; 1832 [5767], (Fold3. fold3.com : 2007.), 5767., (fold3.com : accessed Jan 17, 2019); Revolutionary War Pension Application for Joseph Reed, S742; 1832.
p. 5, 10, 13, 16
[S4302] Revolutionary War Pension Application for John Coleman; 1834 [5768], (Fold3. fold3.com : 2007.), 5768., (fold3.com : accessed Jan 17, 2019); Revolutionary War Pension Application for John Coleman, R2163; 1834.
p. 4, 5, 13
[S601] Revolutionary War Records for New Jersey - Robert Quigley; 1939 [0122], (Jul 19, 1939; New Jersey), 0122.
[S539] New Jersey Marriages - Robert Quigley & Mercy Coleman; 1767 [5772], New Jersey. Burlington., (FamilySearch, familysearch.org. 2017.), 5772., 173, Quigley-Coleman, Abt Jun 18, 1767, accessed Jan 31, 2019.
[S4303] New Jersey Gazette, Trenton, NJ; Jan 7, 1778 - Capture of British Vessels [5770], New Jersey. Trenton., 5770., "Capture of British Vessels," Jan 7, 1778, p. 3; digital images, Genealogy Bank (genbank.com : accessed Feb 3, 2019).
[S4304] Deed of Conveyance, NJ, Burlington Co.; 1778 - William & Sarah Watson to Robert Quigley [5773], New Jersey. Burlington., (Trenton Historical Society. trentonhistory.org/), 5773., MS 84, William & Sarah Watson to Robert Quigley, Sep 2, 1778, Trenton Historical Society (trentonhistory.org/ : accessed Feb 6, 2019).
[S4305] 1779 New Jersey Census (Reconstructed), Trenton - Robert Quigley [5776], Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., ((ancestry.com : 2011)), 5776., accessed Feb 8, 2019), Robert Quigley.
[S4306] Certificate of Service during the Revolutionary War; 1895 - Robert Quigley [5777], Ancestry, (Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2014.), 5777., (ancestry.com : accessed Feb 8, 2019); Robert Quigley.
[S4307] Trenton Evening Times, NJ; Jun 26, 1906 - New Jersey Officers in the Battle of Redbank; 1777 [5778], New Jersey. Trenton., 5778., "Jersey Officers in Red Bank Fight," Jun 26, 1906, p. 5; digital images, Genealogy Bank (genbank.com : accessed Feb 8, 2019).
[S4308] 1770 New Jersey Census (Reconstructed), Burlington Co., Nottingham Twp. - Robert Quigley [5780], Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., ((ancestry.com : 2011)), 5780., accessed Feb 11, 2019), 1770 New Jersey Census (Reconstructed) - Robert Quigley.
[S4309] 1772 New Jersey Census (Substitutes), Burlington Co., Nottingham Twp. - Robert Quigley [5781], Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., ((ancestry.com : 1999)), 5781., accessed Feb 11, 2019), 1772 New Jersey Census (Substitutes), Burlington Co., Nottingham Twp. - Robert Quigley.
[S4310] 1780 New Jersey Census (Reconstructed), Burlington Co., Nottingham Twp. - Robert Quigley [5782], Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., ((ancestry.com : 2011)), 5782., accessed Feb 12, 2019), 1780 New Jersey Census (Reconstructed), Burlington Co., Nottingham Twp. - Robert Quigley.
Born 1736; Trenton, NJ.
[More likely to have been Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ].
Born abt. 1736 in Burlington Co., NJ.
Born in Trenton, NJ.
p. 2, 3 [More likely to have been Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ].
Witness to the will of Richard Saltar of Burlington Co., NJ.
Taxed as a householder, 4 shillings in 1762.
Residence Burlington Co., NJ; 1762.
Residence Nottingham, NJ.
... of the township of Nottingham, (NJ).
Residence Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ; householder.
Appears that he kept a tavern because multiple town meetings were held at his house in 1772.
Town committee met at his house (Nottingham).
Listed as a town resident; Mar 10, 1772. Town committee scheduled to next meet at his house.
September, 1772, tax list.
Residence Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ; 1773; householder.
Residence Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ; 1773-1774.
Residence Mill Hill, Trenton, NJ; [abt 1775]. House was used by French officers in Revolutionary War [1776].
[Mill Hill is south of Assumpink Creek and in Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ, in 1776].
Served with Burlington County militia. On list of New Jersey officers who, with their commands, were on duty in the campaign resulting in the battle of Red Bank, either actively engaged therein or stationed as supporting forces at Woodbury, Haddonfield or Gloucester, NJ.
Captain in New Jersey Militia during the Revolutionary War.
Captain in New Jersey Militia during Revolutionary War; Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ.
Saw service in the war of the revolution.
... a captain in the Revolution.
Robert was a soldier in the revolution from its beginning, being captain of a company in the regiment of Colonel Joseph Borden, prior to June 22, 1776. On the 23rd of June 1778, when the British army was on its march to Monmouth, he was on guard at Watson's Ford, being then with Col. Shreve's Burlington County Regiment.
Capt. Robert Quigley.'s Company, First Regiment, Burlington Co. Militia, attached to Major Trent's Battaliion.
Lieut., Capt., First Regiment, Burlington Co.
Saw service in the Revolution.
Served in the Battle of Monmouth, NJ; Jun 28, 1778.
Certificate from State of New Jersey, Office of Attorney General, dated Nov 25, 1895, stating that Robert Quigley was in commission as Lieutenant in the First Regiment, Burlington County New Jersey Militia and was promoted to Captain in the same, during the Revolutionary War
Occupation blacksmith.
Purchased 0.25 acres on Broad St. in Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ, for £500; Sep 2, 1778.
[S4315] Map of the City of Trenton; 1849 - Mary Quigley Property on Broad Street [5775A], J. C. Sidney, ((Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: M. Dripps, 1849) (loc.gov).), 5775A., Feb 8, 2019.
Shows location of property owned by Mary Quigley on Broad Street in 1849.
[I have not been able to confirm that she was related to Capt. Robert Quigley or that this is the property he purchased on Broad Street in 1778].
Name on a petition, May 27, 1779, from the inhabitants of Trenton and parts adjacent who are seeking for the town to be incorporated.
["Parts adjacent" would have included the area of Nottingham Twp. where he lived].
Residence Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ; (4 cattle).
[S4316] Revolutionary War Service of Robert Quigley (from Pension Applications) [5762], Quigley, Donald, (Safety Harbor, Florida: n.p., January 2019), 5762.
Multiple references to company commanded by Capt. Robert Quigley.
p. 4, 5, 8, 11, 21, 22
[S4297] Revolutionary War Pension Application for Samuel Wooley; 1852 [5763], (Fold3. fold3.com : 2007.), 5763., (fold3.com : accessed Jan 17, 2019); Revolutionary War Pension Application for Samuel Wooley, R11,850; 1852.
[S4298] Revolutionary War Pension Application for John Bell; 1832 [5764], (Fold3. fold3.com : 2007.), 5764., (fold3.com : accessed Jan 17, 2019); Revolutionary War Pension Application for John Bell, S22,642; 1832.
Residence Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ; Name on petition; Mar 3, 1786.
Residence Nottingham Twp., Burlington Co., NJ; June tax list.
Died 1813; Trenton, NJ.
Died in Trenton, NJ.
Ref. 5720 shows Charles Coleman as Mercy Colemen's father. [I believe he is more likely to have been her brother and signed his name as Charles Coalman, a bondsman on her marriage bond, per Ref 5772].
[Ref. 5720 shows Charles Coleman as Mercy Colemen's father. I believe he is more likely to have been her brother and signed his name as Charles Coalman, a bondsman on her marriage bond, per Ref 5772].
Married Jun 18, 1767.
Married Jun 8, 1761.
Marriage license Jun 18, 1767; New Jersey.
Marriage license dated Jun 18, 1767; Robert Quigley & Mercy Coleman.
Married Jun 18, 1767; Nottingham, NJ.
Marriage Bond Jun 18, 1767; Monmouth Co., NJ.
[Monmouth County is referenced in the database, but the bond is more likely to have been signed in Burlington County, which was written as the residence of the groom and bondsman].
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Professionals .... bah
Having just paid close to 100k in legal fees, I say shoot the lawyers.
My problem with the legal profession is almost that it exists to ensure that the legal profession exists.
The law, by definition should be simple (ignorance of the law is no defence).
Similarly, it should not be exclusive (anyone should be able to decide what level of legal representation they want even if it is my Uncle Guber).
The law however, says that to have your day in court, you need a lawyer.... GUARANTEED DEMAND. In certain courts, you need certain types of lawyers (who cost even more). The only folk that determine who can become a lawyer (read how many qualify) are other lawyers... LIMITED SUPPLY. Most politicians are lawyers, so the folk writing the laws have a vested interest to ensure the need for legal professionals.
The exact same scenario with accountants.
The law says that every company needs to have its books signed off by a Chartered Accountant... again DEMAND GUARANTEED by LEGAL STATUTE. The folk who determine who qualifies as an accountant are existing accountants....
Before you talk about the level of professionalism in either industry, I just want to make a couple of points.
1. If the value in the services was self evident, they would not need protection through legal statutes. eg. As an investor, I might not invest in a company that did not have its books audited by a big five firm. MY decision!! If a business thought there was value to be derived from association with a Chartered Accounting firm, they would do so without prodding from the law.
2. Enron anyone?? There was an article in the FT not too long ago about one of the big international legal firms padding their billing to clients. These are the big ones that the press pick up on... A lot of small firms and small folk getting shafted daily.
3. I am not convinced that accreditation by these bodies is all that. What would you rather have freshly minted MSCE or someone with 3 years on the job.
Read "Next: The future just happened, by Michael Lewis" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393323528/qid=1050059977/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/103-0280361-3040607
and I quote "... Markus, a bored adolescent stuck in a dusty desert town and too young to even drive, becomes the most-requested legal expert on Askme.com, doling out advice on everything from how to plead to murder charges to how much an Illinois resident can profit from illegal gains before being charged with fraud"
Given my issues with all these closed shops (ahem industry bodies), and protectionist cries how can I then condone certain sentiments expressed on this forum like "do not export our jobs to India ..... we are so much better than Indian coders ... we need to form a Developers Union" ?
True professionals do not need the law to coerce people to use their services or products. The value of their service is self evident to those who use it.
Some food for thought....
ON why they exist
"It has become fashionable in some quarters to argue that women ought to be able to make such [breast implant] decisions on their own. If members of our society were empowered to make their own decisions about the entire range of products for which the FDA has responsibility, however, then the whole rationale for the agency would cease to exist.
-- FDA head David Kessler, New England Journal of Medicine, quoted in the Wall Street Journal 6/24/92"
ON govt thinking for us
"But Lisa, that's why we have government officials, so
we don't have to think.
-- Homer Simpson"
tapiwa
Yeah, having no standard accounting practices would do wonders for the market.
Wow, it must have been one bad day in court.
IANAL, and you have some valid points. Enron did show the system can fail. However in the absence of making certain they do not, what alternative would we have.
You said, "an investor, I might not invest in a company that did not have its books audited by a big five firm. "
What is my recourse if they just "say" they did?
On David Kessler's comments, his point is slightly out of context. We are empowered to make decisions, however we need someone with near unlimited resources to ensure we get the proper information to make them.
If you owned a Pinto, or a Ford Explorer and legal options were not available what incentive would exist for a company to correct the issue? While it might be "they may not sell more cars" who is to say? It may be they pay the 200 people killed and require a non-disclosure. What about those of us who own them and still haven't been killed?
The issue you touch on is merely a symptom of our problem past. Many of these were put in place to protect us from people who did real damage. Some were put in for really dumb reasons, no doubt. Which side of the line depends on your point of view on the issue.
Mike Gamerland
The lack of standard accounting practices should not in itself be a reason for Govt to mandate them.
Industry bodies would establish their own. Do you recall the ISO9000 craze a little while back?? Hotel rating?? (5 stars anyone?) Michelin rating for restuarants??
All I am saying is that I do not want anyone dictating what I can or cannot do, even if it is supposedly for my own good.
Recommend something. Highlight the dangers inherent in others, but do not make it illegal for me to disagree with you.
If someone says their books are audited by the big five, and they are lying, then that is fraud aka theft. Then you have legal recourse. But to force everyone to use the same standard is silly. It almost says that this is as good as it gets, and that any other competing standard is sub-standard. :)
Consumers vote with their $$ when not compelled to use one product by the law.
People talk of the technical merits of Betamax..... Should the govt have mandated that as the standard instead of VHS, which (for reasons I will not go into here) was a commercial success. Would we have been happier then?
Extend this argument to the EU directives on banana's (what curveture and size can be imported into the EU) on the one extreme, accounting standards on the other.
The govt does know better than Tapiwa, what is good for Tapiwa.
The worst thing about lawyers is that they create spiraling demand for other lawyers (because the poor shmucks they sue need to hire lawyers, too).
Maybe the Indian gov't should open a U.S. law school in Bangalore ;-)
GiorgioG
Tapiwa, the point is that - at the serious study and work level - everyone is protected except software developers.
If we're going to have global competition, let's do it for everyone, including the people who get extra bonuses by sacking their software developers.
Let's remove all borders so that Mr CEO has to sit in traffic jams for three hours and knows his house could be raided by armed gangs. That's equality.
The reason there are mandated standards for these things is make life easier for the non experts. If every company could audit their figures any way they wanted, everyone would. Maybe a 'de facto' standard would emerge, but maybe it wouldn't. And without any legal backing anybody could say they followed the standards when they didn't. Or maybe they say they follow their own standards, which are just as good as the industry ones. But to check that that is really true you would need an accountant, and how to you know that the accountant is any good?
The big difference this would make to us is that no small investor would ever invest in a company, because the risk would be too high.
Doctors is another good example. Do you really want a situation where anybody can set themselves up as a doctor, and the only way you can find out if they know anything is by doing extensive research into their background.
On another topic, where are you required to have a lawyer to get your day in court? In Canada and the UK I believe everybody has the right to defend themselves if they want (and I have a personal example of someone doing just that against a serious charge)
David Clayworth
100k legal fiees are quite common in civil cases in the UK.
There are numerous cases of a houseowner taking a nuisance case out against the neighbour and one or both parties losing their house at the end of the process to pay the lawyers fees.
This doesn't happen anywhere else in Europe, but the ant-Europe lobby, to which tapiwa so clearly belongs, consider this, like unsafe convictions and deaths in custody to be one of the defining glories of the Anglo-Saxon legal system.
An acquaintance of mine had a court case in Barcelona he had inherited, and asked me to translatate to his lawyer over the phone. He was amazed to find that the lawyers fees for taking the appeal to the Supreme Court (in Spain almost all cases go to appeal as a matter of course) was around one thousand pounds sterling all inclusive!
The main reasons that civil legislation in the UK is a mnefield are firstly the fact that you are normally obliged to pay the loser's costs, so that even if you can afford to handle the case yourself, and most cases can be taken as far as the Lords by a reasonably intelligent layman (look at the McLibel case for example), you are still facing financial ruin if you lose.
The second fact is the stupidity of Anglo-Saxon Common Law which gives the most importance in any decision to judicial precedence. That means you can have a clearly won case but if the other side can come up with a decision based on a case from an entirely diferent field of law two hundred years ago, then you had better be able to answer it or the rest of your case won't be taken into account. This is why junior lawyers at big firms in the States spend 12 hour days looking up case law in the libraries for the big corporate clients.
You won't get anywhere by mixing up the issues of legal malfeasance (overcharging clients is standard among all country and market-town solicitors) and having regulations in the first place. Definitions are particularly important where they effect the distribution of public money (in the case of bananas there is a special EU regime intnended to protect Carribean smallholders against competition by exploitative giants such as United Fruit), but are needed everywhere (if you work in drawing up software contracts you should know this). And do bear in mind that all European governments, including the French, Spanish and German, attempt to pass the blame for their own decisions on to Brussels or Strasbourg.
"Industry bodies would establish their own"
They have. The govt let's them establish what is acceptable. Google FASB, GAAP, et al.
next question please....
"Tapiwa, the point is that - at the serious study and work level - everyone is protected except software developers."
Any other form of engineering, any science, mathematics, and any humanities graduate has probably LESS job security than a software developer. And, there already IS global competition for executives.
Yes, law is a self-policing profession...BUT unless you go to the right law school and make the right connections to get into the right law firm, and then bill 4000 hours a year to get a fat bonus, your salary is going to be LESS than that of a decent software developer.
Medicine also is self policing, but again, unless you go to right school and become head of neurology, you are not going to be making astronomical sums. In fact, the best paid doctors are probably elective surgeons (plastic surgery) and dermatologists...and at that point, you are more of a businessman than a doctor anyway.
The number of whiners in this industry is sometimes amusing, and sometimes annoying. You are basically being paid to goof off. And, this is one of the only industries where you can essentially make money out of thin air...the redistribution cost of software has become $0. Write a $30 game or shareware program and sell 2000 copies of it a year and you have an annual salary greater than 99% of the world's population.
choppy
Actually, lawyers and accountants (and to a lesser extent architects) are very vulnerable to losing much of their bread and butter work to the web.
For example in the UK a solicitor normally pays the rent through conveyancing work, which he charges for at solicitor's rates but has done by lowly paid clerks. You can download packs from the web to do this; the same goes for tax returns and other basic accounting stuff.
Now maybe I ought to bulid that house in Sri Lanka and then advertise my services over the web. $25 an hour for fillng in forms on the laptop by the swimming pool doesn't seem so bad!
Lots of messages in this thread seem to assume that professional certification or accreditation is meant to protect the profession itself.
This is wrong. Actually, the accreditation is intended to protect the consumers!
I do say "intended" because I'm not sure that it always works out that way.
But in may cases I think it does.
A few random thoughts:
1. Someone suggested accreditation in itself wasn't worth much: "Would you rather hire an MCSE with no experience or someone without an MCSE with 3 years experience?" On that question I'm not so sure. But I'm pretty sure I'd hire an MCSE with 3 years experience over either of them. And it doesn't take a genius to know that you're better off hiring a lawyer with experience than a lawyer fresh out of law school.
2. Someone suggested that lawyers create a "spiralling" need for other lawyers, because when one lawyer is hired the other side needs to hire a lawyer, too. I fail to see how this creates a true "spiral", which would require a never-ending succession of legal-employements, one after another after another, all related to the initial hiring. Sure, the employment of one lawyer will often prompt an opposing party to hire one of their own (and there may even be lots of opposing parties who get dragged in), but there is no such thing as an unending spiral. All this is just related to the fact that law disputes are adversarial. Of course lawyers will often need to be employed in pairs, with representation for each side.
3. I don't believe there is any court in the U.S. where you are required to be represented by a lawyer. You can always represent yourself, and this goes for corporations as well as individuals. What you aren't allowed to do is to HIRE someone other than yourself (or an employee of your corporation) to represent you. If you are a corporation, though, you can hire a person as a permanent employee, and this person can provide legal services without being accredited (unless the person needs to appear in court, which is often not required for corporate counsel). Would anybody care to guess how many people hired for corporate in-house counsel are nonaccredited or haven't attended law school, even though corporations can hire anyone they want?
4. I don't have any numbers on this, but my guess is that among major professions law is near the top for professions where individuals who have received a degree and accreditation are no longer working within that profession. Lots of lawyers practice just a handful of years and leave for other jobs to run business, be teachers, program (I'm one of those), etc. If law were the boondoggle lots of you assume it to be, don't you think people would want to stay with it once they worked themselves into that privileged position?
All of this isn't to say there aren't problems with the legal profession. But I do think that many of the criticisms of it are misguided.
Herbert Sitz
Herbet, next-question-please and others... My biggest criticism with these professions is not that they are closed shops.... anyone can and should do as they please, including the freedom to associate.
What I have a problem with is govt regulation compelling me to use the services of XYZ in an matter especially a legal one.
Accreditation is fine. There are a lot of competing computer qualifications. Still, there is no law stating that "if you are running a server facing the public you should employ an MCSE".
That alone is my biggest gripe with the law. If someone hits me with a nuisance lawsuit, I want to be able to get Uncle Gruber, who is a retired comedian, spends his days in courtrooms listening to cases, and is probably more competent to argue my case than some £300 per hour QC.
Unfortunately the law, in all its infinite wisdom, deems that this would be a BAD thing.
Sounds like your uncle should go to law school, or you should be looking to hire a better caliber of lawyer...
to the best of my knowlledge a solicitor can appear in all cases where a barrister was previously required. You still can't have a barrister without going through a soliicotor first though.
One of the reasons for insisting on accreditation is to avoid too much of the court's time being wasted. Though it doesn't always work that way. My favourite time in court was when the employer took us all to the labour court to get the union elections overturned and his in-house "lawyer" (who had just got his degree after 25 years of studying and had not yet joined the college and thus couldn't wear the toga) said to the judge who was tearing his case to pieces with some tactful prompting from myself and our lawyer, "It isn't as easy as it seems, your worship".
"No case is as easy as it seems," the judge shot back. "Next time get yourself an lawyer."
"If someone hits me with a nuisance lawsuit, I want to be able to get Uncle Gruber, who is a retired comedian, spends his days in courtrooms listening to cases, and is probably more competent to argue my case than some £300 per hour QC."
It's not that the law is stopping YOU from getting Uncle Gruber to represent you, but the prohibition is against Uncle Gruber offering legal services (although that essentially brings the same result). Without that regulation, there would be thousands of "Uncle Grubers" around the place offering legal services to people and landing them in jail or bankrupt from lost lawsuits, after which they would move on to their next money-making scheme.
Anyway, you could still represent yourself and have Uncle Gruber sit in court watching you, giving you advice between sessions (as long as he isn't getting paid to do it).
T. Norman
That reminds me of 'General Contractors'. You know, the guys that build houses. These guys aren't regulated in my area, and all sorts of con men abound. To get a good one, you have to KNOW the references that they provide. If you're good, you can get a lot of business by word of mouth. If your a client though and you don't know anybody, it's a crap-shoot.
Frank Fellowes, III
tapiwa said, "What I have a problem with is govt regulation compelling me to use the services of XYZ in an matter especially a legal one."
tapiwa -- Nobody's compelling you to use anybody's services. You can act as your own lawyer, or you can hire any accredited lawyer you want. If you have no money at all, in most U.S. cities you can find nonprofit organizations offering legal services for free.
Because of the requirement of legal accreditation, you and everyone else can approach someone who holds themselves out as a lawyer and be confident that their service will meet at least some minimum standard of quality. That standard may not be terribly high. But it's far better than having no standard at all. At least that's the argument, and nothing you've said has anything to do with whether that argument is valid or not. You don't like the idea of requiring accreditation. That's fine, but unless you have evidence that consumers would be protected as well without it, then your feelings aren't worth much.
Also, the need for accreditation has nothing to do with quality of legal services being "self evident". Actually, it's the exact opposite. Absent accreditation, it would not be self-evident to consumers what lawyers were capable of satisfying certain minimum standards of representation. With accreditation, it does become self-evident, i.e., all lawyers are certified as satisfying the minimal standard.
By the way, there are lots of lawyers around. Why did you hire one who charged so much? I can virtually guarantee that if you shopped around you could have found one for less than half the cost. Would that have been a wise hire? Would eliminating the requirement of accreditation lower the hourly fees of the good lawyers?
"Would eliminating the requirement of accreditation lower the hourly fees of the good lawyers?"
I think it would decrease the fees of lawyers in general, but increase the fees of those who are good and known for being good ... because they would be overstocked with clients, while unknown lawyers (even if they are good) would have hell trying to attract clients at even $15/hour.
May I suggest, tapiwa should consider visiting Iraq this spring - I hear the lawlessness is quite invigorating.
The Enron debacle is an argument for *less* regulation? Is today Upside-Down Day?
Hardware Guy
I say "professionals - YEAH!" Where can *I* get a slice of that Amurrican dream?
I think it's interesting to read techies lambasting the law occupation - they wind up trying to impose the same commoditizing crap and lack of explicit standards on lawyers that we face.
Our problem as techies is that we believe almost like a folk religion in the self-affirming meritocracy of free enterprise. So we believe that just as we are commoditized and shoved into a little "skill set" box and made to perpetually push the boulder up the mountain like Sisyphus, we expect every other profession to suffer the same fate.
Our problem as a "profession of sorts" is that we don't want to learn from the examples of history, from other professions, or even from each other all that much. Coders want to believe that they invented it all right now. Each of us wants to stand on our own laurels. So each of us negotiates and gets screwed over individually.
My strong feeling is that the immaturity and ego that is endemic in this industry is our downfall. If programmers as a group had any street smarts, H1B and offshoring vogue would not be the factors that they are today.
Flame on.
Bored Bystander
" If programmers as a group had any street smarts, H1B and offshoring vogue would not be the factors that they are today."
Well, the individual programmers with street smarts tend to make bank even when the market trend is against them, and let the herds of wanna-be teamsters whine about protectionism and professionalism. Joel seems to be moving in to new manhattan office space, doesn't he?
With respect to reasons for professional accreditation, I don't see programming as very different from engineering, which is a controlled profession where certification is required. But I don't think salaries for engineers are much different from those for programmers. (Programming has a wider range of pay, though, I think: in general, I would say that low end programming jobs pay less than most low-end engineering jobs and high-end programming jobs pay more than most high-end engineering jobs.)
The engineering career cycle seems very similar to that of programming: (1) initial salary out of school is decent, higher than almost any other bachelor's degree; (2) pay goes up fairly quickly but also reaches a ceiling fairly quickly; (3) people with more than a few years experience end up going into management to make more money.
If professional accreditation requirements haven't given engineers the same salaries as doctors and lawyers, why would anyone think they would do that for programmers?
I think requiring accreditation for programmers would protect consumers of programming services because it would guarantee a minimum competence level. And to some extent it would protect people with accreditation against losing out on jobs to people without accreditation who would otherwise be able to bamboozle employers or clients. But I'm not confident it would make a big difference in average salaries.
Accreditation is actually something different from the protection that other professional groups have acquired for themselves. It's part of it, but not the whole picture.
Engineering comprises several groups. Civil engineering does indeed require that people who build bridges know what they're doing, and for this reason that discipline forms into partnerships like law and accounting, and the partners do reasonably well. Another factor is that a lot of civil engineering jobs are in government, and this holds pay down a bit.
Electrical engineers are actually suffering much the same downward pressures as software developers.
Re representing people in court, which I mentioned in connection with the restrictions on practising law, I was referring to representing other people, not yourself.
Compare software development with the law. In software, someone often with inadequate expertise briefs the developers and also tells them how long to take and everything else. The developers often suffer stress because of this and do a job they know is poor.
In law, the lawyer tells you how long it will take and how much and makes sure you pay it.
In software, a manager who doesn't like the salary or fees demanded by good people simply hires much cheaper people, generally with very little regard for expertise. Then when things go wrong, they slam software development.
Here's an article about accountants writing software:
http://www.cioinsight.com/print_article/0,3668,a=38859,00.asp
Nothing will change until those who use software development services are legally required to meet certain minimum standards.
This means banks and others will be legally required to use knowledgeable people to develop and protect their web systems and databases, and so on.
At the moment, they can cause all sorts of damage, and then just throw their hands in the air.
Note the important distinction - the legal requirements must be on those who USE the software development services, not those who provide them. The first will create the latter but without the first, good software developers will always be undercut by incompetents.
How much innovation would you say there is in these regulated and certified industries like accounting and bridge building where things are sufficiently standardized to be able to test in the ways proposed?
Dennis Atkins
Hmmm... free people from all government restrictions, just listened to the french news, it seems to be working just fine in Iraq right now.
Daniel Shchyokin
Accreditation in law and medicine is just an excuse for a closed shop. A closed shop means high wages. In the UK the print industry was a closed shop until a few years ago. Only the very lucky and relatives of existing print workers got print jobs. Their wages even during recessions were at least 3 times the national average. Thatcher smashed that closed shop. Many of us wanted her to do the same to the doctors and lawyers but they were too powerful. Can you imagine what the wages of computer programmers would be if they decided how many new people each year could become computer programmers?
>"Accreditation in law and medicine is just an excuse for a closed shop."
Actually, it's the *lack* of accreditation in software that has now caused it to become a closed shop. A new college graduate probably has an easier time getting into medical school than being hired as a programmer.
Think about it this way ... suppose they remove all the standards and restrictions for being a doctor, so anybody can call themselves a doctor and do surgery and diagnose people. The market floods with self-called doctors who read things like "Teach Yourself Knee Surgery in 24 Hours". For some number of years, patients have horrible experiences all over the place.
Eventually, most patients refuse to go to a doctor unless they're vomiting blood. Hospitals lay off doctors and decide to hire only those who have at least 5 years experience and numerous references. Others only hire those who have experience in all of brain surgery, heart surgery, eye surgery, orthopedics, and dermatology.
After all that has happened, a bright 22 year old arrives on the scene and wants to be a doctor. Do you think he/she will stand much of a chance of getting hired by a hospital or running a practice that attracts enough patients to earn a living? In such a scenario, the lack of accreditation causes the medical field to become MORE difficult for newcomers to enter.
As I just explained, all high-paying professions eventually become closed shops with or without regulation by government or an industry body. The problem with the software industry is that it has become a closed shop with power on the side of the employers, as opposed to the regulated professions where the balance of power is somewhat in favor of the practitioners.
Well done Bored Bystander!
Johnny Simmson
I disagree that all high-paying professions become closed shops of their own accord. Most efforts to regulate minimum standards come from existing professionals, and one strong reason is to stop competition from those who haven't invested the same time and effort in achieving certain capabilities.
Society generally considers this OK. We do a deal with doctors. They do seven years study. We agree that, in return for being sure of having good doctors, we let them exclude untrained competition ( via legal statutes.)
In the case of lawyers and accountants, the deal has swung too far in their favour, without return to society.
Teachers and journalists have strong unions in most countries, and they represent another social contract.
In software, there is no deal and so other people - businesses - profit from our years of expertise and work, and actually farm us, in a sense. That's what recruiting is.
"I disagree that all high-paying professions become closed shops of their own accord. "
They all ultimately become closed shops, but not always of their own accord. It could be society at large (without government intervention) that closes the doors to newcomers -- such as the doctors scenario described above in which people refuse to be treated by new doctors.
Software has now become a closed shop, with the employers being the ones who slam the doors to keep newcomers out, instead of developers controlling the gates.
Since there is going to be a closed shop anyway, we would be better off if developers were the ones controlling the door instead of mindless corporations and HR drones.
If there were no restrictions on who practised medicine, this is what would have happened by now:
1. Non-medical businessmen would set up heavily marketed medical centres and hire cheap 1 and 2-year trained staff at bargain rates. If they occasionally needed a real doctor, they would be able to hire one cheaply.
2. Pharmaceutical companies would provide 10-week courses specific to their products, and heavily promote the worth of the resulting certification to hospitals and the managers of the medical centres. Completion of the courses would be denoted by heavily marketed 4-letter acronyms.
3. Large recruitment businesses would arise to find cheap staff for the medical centres. These recruitment businesses would market the pharmaceutical company courses to young people, and then place them in jobs afterwards.
4. Job ads for doctors would call for experience operating certain types of stethoscope and administering certain brands of anti-biotic.
5. Hospital financial officers would sack medical officers who questioned hospital medical policy, and business magazines would carry stories about uppity doctors.
British Medical Schools generally limit the number of doctors to many less than necessary. That is why the UK is always importing doctors from other countries, though it is also why British Medical Schools have a very high reputation.
The basic problem with the law in Britain is that the system is intended to make it so outrageously expensive that as few people as possible go to court. It is actually quite easy in the UK to become a barrister or a solicitor - you do not need a law degree.
Incidentally, I think you will find that the median computer science graduates salary is higher than that of the average law graduate in the US or Europe. It's simply that people only think of the high flyers.
And, oh, I forgot:
6. Lots more people would become more sick or die because of lower quality health care and the inability to rely on the skills of their doctors.
7. People would become very, very afraid to go to the doctor, which would drag down the number of employment opportunities for doctors, probably to even less than the limited opportunities that exist with official standards in place.
The claim by Stephen Jones that anyone in the UK can become a solicitor or barrister is not quite true. To become a solicitor or barrister, regardless of what qualifications you have gained, you need to be taken on as a kind of apprentice by an existing solicitor or barrister. This is how our lawyers maintain their closed shop and restrict the number of people entering the legal profession.
Doctors, Lawyers and Chartered Accountants all restrict the number of people entering their professions in order to keep their fees or wages high.
I do not object to accreditation I object to the way it is being abused. In the UK there are only a few medical schools. Far more people would like to become doctors than there are places in these medical schools. All that is needed is to stop the BMA, the trade union of the British doctors, determining how many people should train as doctors. This could be done by opening private medical schools and allowing the number of doctors to be determined by the market.
In the UK IT world accreditation is not very important. Many of the best IT consultants I have worked with had failed at university. They got work by showing what they could do rather than telling someone what they knew.
I think there's a big difference between vendor certification and independent certification.
Sort of like the difference between being a 'licensed professional civil engineer' vs. being certified in 'canam steel joist construction'.
Dear Taffu,
I have never met anybody who wanted to become a barrister or solicirtor but was prevented from doing so by not finding a "sponsor". The problem with taking the bar exams is that they are incredibly difficult; you really need to have money saved up to pay for a year to eighteen months off in order to study for them. And the barristers who live off legal aid work are hardly better paid than code monkeys.
Many solicitors are badly paid. The small firms are in general dependent on conveyancing and other property related work, and in the medium to large firms it all depends on your position in the hierarchy. A salaried solicitor will probably earn considerably less than a salaried programmer, whilst the senior partner can take skiing holidays in Switzerland and drive a Rolls, particularly if like one famous Bury solicitor he can persuade all the old dears whose wills he's executor for to leave him a nice juicy legacy.
The situation with doctors is strange, since the consumer does not directly pay for health care. Certainly there are excellent reasons for increasing the number of medical places, though that would require Central Government funding, and the government may decide it is cheaper to plunder the products of Third World Medical Schools than train more native doctors, who may go off to the States anyway.
Dentists is another thing, and a total scandal. Dental care is actually cheaper, and much more convenient, in countries where it is completely private than in the UK where it is nominally under the NHS. And let's not start with opticians!
This is departing from the topic a bit, but as I mentioned, "accreditation" is only a minor part of the way established professions protect themselves.
However if we're going to mention it, then it's important to realise that accreditation would not necessarily be synonymous with university degrees, and in fact shouldn't be in software development. Other professions use this approach, but software is quite different.
A useful accreditation scheme would probably be based on deep peer assessment, like the awarding of Ph D's. (Even though they're degrees, the process for obtaining and assessing them is different.)
Sounds to me like Tapiwa (and some others on this thread) has NO idea what it takes to become a lawyer and then practice law. They charge a lot of money because it's damn hard work to a) become a lawyer and b) to practice law.
You think all law should be simple? Have you any idea what that means? Do you mean tort law? What about criminal law? Shipping law? Environmental law? Have you considered that each law is probably fairly simple, but there are thousands (millions?) of them, and each has a huge volume of case history shading its interpretation.
I have an idea, go to your local university and buy yourself a 1200 page legal textbook on, say Corporations. Read that whole book and memorize it. Great! Now, you done some of the work of exactly 1 class in 1 semester of 1 year of law school. You're about 1/30 of the way there. Oh, and after that, you'll need to learn more to get that cheap accreditization you blather on about.
ps. No, I'm not a lawyer, but I do sleep with one.
Tapiwa,
I agree, the law seems to exist just to prepetuate itself. What a great racket.
Rather than being a "closed shop" I think law is different in that it seeks to artificially expand the viable supply of lawyers. Of course, the difficulty and expense of law school and the bar exam has the effect of driving away many from the profession, but if anybody could call themselves a lawyer, people would rarely use lawyers.
Lawyers love ambiguous and controversial laws like the DMCA, and will actively participate in helping to get them created. They are especially happy with the Patent Office's attitude of "rubber stamp everything and let the courts sort it out." And of course, many of the politicians who passed those laws were or still are lawyers.
I'm not sure lawyers do love especially ambiguous and/or controversial laws. On the one hand they do bring in business for some lawyers. On the other hand, a lot of lawyers don't like to deal with them. As one example, asbestos cleanup and related litigation has been literally a mini-industry within the law profession for quite a while, and has made lots of lawyers rich. But most lawyers I know would have no interest in working on those cases.
Regarding ambuity itself, I get the impression that many non-lawyers think laws should (and could!) be more carefully crafted to leave less ambiguity and therefore less work for lawyers. I think this view is almost entirely mistaken, and that laws by their very nature will always have a fairly high level of ambiguity and/or vagueness, no matter how hard legal-drafters work to get it out.
I think the essence of the problem with legal ambiguity relates to what programmers think of as "orthogonality." Programmers work hard to make sure that all modules of a program are independent of one another, so that actions taken in one module will have no effect on other modules of a program. This is difficult for programmers to do, even when they have complete control over their program/system. It is virtually impossible for legal drafters to do: lawmakers and law-appliers work in a system of rules that is far more complex than any computer system out there, where there is not even any definite answer to what the laws currently are since the interpretation of existing laws is always changing as they're brought to bear on new fact-patterns, and where new laws will always interact with existing laws (formerly thought to be "orthogonal") in ways completely unforeseeable to the drafters. It is the job of lawyers representing their clients' best interests to point out any ambiguity or vagueness in laws that favors their client, and the job of judges to resolve these ambiguities or vagueness. I don't see any way around it.
I do see how people outside the law could be suspicious and see ambuity and vagueness as left in the law to create work for lawyers. Perhaps that does happen on some few occasions. But trust me, the nature of law is that there will always be plenty of ambiguity and vagueness no matter how much care is taken in lawmaking. It's largely because (1) laws are written by human beings in a natural language that is not as conducive to clarity as something like a computer language, (2) these laws must be interpreted by judges, who are fallible, and (3) laws interact with other laws within an unbelievably huge and complex non-orthogonal system.
There will always be some amount of ambiguity and controversy in laws, but it doesn't have to be nearly as much as it is in America. Other First World countries operate successfully without nearly as much controversy, complexity, and ambiguity in their laws and have far less litiguous societies.
Maybe, but that doesn't mean their laws are any less ambiguous or vague. I doubt there's any correlation between the degree of litigiousness in a society and the ambiguity or vagueness of its laws. I think degree of ambiguity/vagueness is roughly constant between most modern legal systems, including "civil" law systems in Europe that appear to be cleaner than our own because they depend to a lesser extent on case law. The degree of litigiousness, on the other hand, is more of a cultural thing.
Again, I ask
and I quote "... Markus, a bored adolescent stuck in a dusty desert town and too young to even drive, becomes the most-requested legal expert on Askme.com, doling out advice on everything from how to plead to murder charges to how much an Illinois resident can profit from illegal gains before being charged with fraud...."
If the legal profession is so hard that not anyone can dole out legal advice, how did the above happen?? Similarly, how many lawyers are later discovered to be 'frauds' and not qualified/certified, after years of successful practice?
Come on tapiwa. All that story proves is that people shouldn't rely on bulletin boards for reliable, professional information. Just like I'm sure that unqualified people give out medical info on the medical boards, tax info on the tax boards, programming info on the programming boards...
"If the legal profession is so hard that not anyone can dole out legal advice, how did the above happen?? "
In the states , I don't think anyone can claim that the legal profession is very "hard" in the intellectual sense. Certainly it takes more thought than breaking bricks but any moderately intelligent human can get into law school somewhere. A friend of mine is studying for the LSAT and I took a practice exam with her, and scored in the mid 170s (180 is the highest score.)
Most people I know who went into law did so because they trained as scientists or engineers and didn't think they would ever see more than $50,000 a year in the field they trained in. For them, law was an easy and stable field to get into.
There is some statistic bandied about that over 70% of people going to Yale law school decided to go into law because they couldn't think of anything better to do.
If you don't go to a good school (top tier), lawyer jobs suck.
Al, YOU are missing the point. Read the book. The point they were making was that this little kid was matching the heavyweights pound for pound.
I think all the advice was peer reviewed, and this kid was in HOT. I think issues only came to head when it was somehow discovered that it was just a kid on the other end of the keyboard, and not some hot shot $$$$ per hour big office lawyer.
I don't want to buy the book. I googled Markus Arnold and the only reference I found for him was in the book. If he made any news stories, and surely he did, could you please point them out so that I may read them?
I checked out askme.com, and it looks like they sell to companies. They don't have an online bbs. Who was employing this kid?
Lastly, I know nothing of the nature of the questions, but I know that if more people knew how to use a library or the internet, about 99% of them are easily answered.
It's the 1% that gets you.
Just did a google search on Marcus Arnold. Here are some excerpts .....
"So highly-rated was his advice, that the users of one prominent website voted him the best legal expert out of a field of over one hundred offering advice, many of them much better legally qualified." - bbc.co.uk
"soon became the number one ranked lawyer on the site, even beating qualified lawyers. Arnold had never read a book on the law, and had gleaned all of his information from television (Court TV and the like). However, the advice he was giving was correct, and the legal profession obviously wasn't happy about this state of affairs." -- FinanceAsia.com
"Because questioners rank the answers and "experts" get star ratings, the message board seems to have become very competitive, rewarding speed, clarity and frequency of responses. LawGuy--whose real name is Marcus Arnold, but who signed his messages "Justin Anthony Wyrick Jr."- became well-regarded, in the Top 10 of the 150 or so lawyers answering questions in the law division." -- wendytech.com
"When he finally revealed his true identity, a few of the actual professionals revolted, but a tremendous groundswell of support from Arnold's clients suggested that the information was more important than the source." -- theonionavclub.com
"Another teen, Marcus Arnold, incurs the wrath of lawyers by setting himself up as a legal expert on the Web site AskMe.com and offering advice solely from what he learned watching court television shows. Yet his "clients" largely didn't care; they apparently found the advice sound." -- businessweek.com
Why did I pick on the lawyers ?? Because the law says I am not allowed to get this kid to represent me in court. The ratings show that he can match punches one for one with the Bar certified lawyers.
That alone is the problem I have. The protected market that lawyers have. The fact that the law says that I cannot choose whom I want to argue in my defence, except from a pool of qualified lawyers.
Boss Tweed once said --
"I don't care who does the voting, as long as I get to do the nominating."
Same story with all these professional qualifications mandated by the law as the only ones allowed to practice a specific activity. Do all the voting you want (pick any lawyer from all the competing firms), but only from my nominees (only the folk we have deemed worthy of being lawyers).
Oh yes, we are doing this for your own good :)
tapiwa, check your results again, all of those are plugs for the book. None of them are actual news stories.
Or, since I already did it...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22marcus+arnold%22+site%3Abbc.co.uk
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22marcus+arnold%22+site%3AFinanceAsia.com
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22marcus+arnold%22+site%3Awendytech.com
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22marcus+arnold%22+site%theonionavclub.com
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22marcus+arnold%22+site%3Abusinessweek.com
Wait a minute, you're griping because you don't think there's ENOUGH lawyers?!
Al, what's your point???
Are you saying that the fact that you could not find it in popular media makes it any less real?? Remember Sklyarov and the DMCA ... did not see much of that in the popular media.
Are you disputing the facts in the book??
The WendyTech article begins thus ....
"In what is either a wonderful or horrifying development, a New York Times Sunday magazine article describes a 15-year old who has been answering legal questions online on a site called askme.com" ... and continues to take a pot shot at the journalist, Michael Lewis.
They still concede that the facts as stated about Marcus Arnold are true.
NOT A PLUG.
Lexisone, the resource for small law firms', writes "A recent front page story in the New York Times featured a fifteen-year old boy who was answering legal questions on a Web site called Askme.com, with knowledge he gleaned solely from Court TV and Judge Judy's televised courtroom." http://www.lexisone.com/practicemanagement/pmlibrary/pm121201b.html
Can we please not be pedantic, and have an adult discussion.
OK, fine, Tapiwa. You win. One 15 kid duped a bunch of non-lawyers into thinking he was a lawyer. I'm sure his advice was very well received because all he had to go on was his "common sense, " so his answers were very simple.
Fine, if you want very simple legal advice that's easy to understand, watch TV. If you want to make sure that the advice is correct and complete, you're probably going to have to pay someone who actually knows what they're talking about.
choppy: And how many people go into schools other than Yale for degrees other than law because they couldn't think of anything better to do? I'd bet it's at least 70%. My classmates would've agreed.
Brent P. Newhall
Why did you waste your 100k when you could have asked around the internet and then gone in and repeated the advice yourself? Shit, you could have posted here and I could probably have answered you.
All that the actual story you refer to shows is that the poor in the States get crap lawyers, and that in the real world Perry Mason doesn't spend his time answering questions for free on an internet chat board.
Another lawyer student of mine once told me the standard lawyer's story which happens to all lawyers at least once in a lifetime. The client came with a question and he went to his bookshelf, got out the book, glanced at the appropriate paragraph, and answered the question. His client complained that he was being charged a small fortune for two minutes work. The next time the client came my lawyer student reminded him of the previous conversation and told him he could get the answer to the question for free this time. "There," he said, "are the books. You look up the answer." The client never complained again.
In Spain they have a kind of half-lawyer called a "graduado social" who has done three years of law instead of the five a full lawyer does. They often take advantage of a loophole in the law and represent people who don't know any better (nearly always cheapskate employers) at the labour courts. I've been on the other side twice with top class labour lawyers, and it was a real pleasure to watch them squirm as we set about dissecting them.
Here's a link where you can read the actual NYTimes article that talks about Marcus Arnold.
http://cybercon98.harvard.edu/stjohns/NYT-internet.html
Anybody who thinks this provides a good argument for abandoning requirements that laywers pass the bar is seriously misguided, in my opinion.
Still, it's an interesting story. And I don't doubt the truth of any of it. It just doesn't show that certification of lawyers is a bad thing.
My point is that I wanted more 'facts' from a news source rather than 'spin' from an author. Thanks Herbert.
Very interesting. I think the quote from lexisone probably sums it up:
"The need to distinguish between ANY legal information, which LawGuys can provide, and GOOD guidance, which knowledgeable lawyers can provide, remains paramount. "
"choppy: And how many people go into schools other than Yale for degrees other than law because they couldn't think of anything better to do? I'd bet it's at least 70%. My classmates would've agreed."
brent, point taken. indeed, if when i was 19, I knew that what i really wanted to do in life was become a bazillionaire music producer and fashion mogul like Puff Daddy, i probably would have not majored in math.
i guess the point i was trying to make, was that most people who go into law don't really have any burning desire for law, they just go into it because it looks like it is stable and pays a lot.
Some people seem to be saying that because this kid gives his legal advice for free it is no good. A lot of people give free advice on this site. Is that advice no good as well ? I've learned a lot on this site. I've just learned something about Stephen Jones. What a man! There seems to be no country he hasn't lived in and no occupation he doesn't know about. I've learned that Stephen Jones is a pseudonym. He read my name as Taffu instead of Taffy and no one with the surname Jones would not know what a Taffy is.
"A lot of people give free advice on this site. Is that advice no good as well ?"
It's worth every penny you paid for it.
Some of it is no good, just plain wrong (I know; I've given some of it). Some of it is okay. And some of it is very good.
That brings up one of the big problems with getting information advice over the internet. The people getting the advice often aren't in a position to judge whether the advice they're getting is good, bad, or mediocre.
A similar thing would happen if professions like lawyers and doctors were completely unregulated. Many consumers would be unable to judge the quality of service they were getting. There might be a few (like tapiwa?) who perhaps could tell who was good and who wasn't without outside guidance. Many others wouldn't fare as well.
Dear Taffy,
Apologies for misreading your name; put it down to a combination of the fonts Joel chooses, the underlining for the hyperlink, and presbyopia. On the other hand there might be a psychological explanation - when I first moved to England it was the unfriendly nickname I was given and possibly I am trying to cut out the bad memories.
I don't know that many countries; apart from the UK I have only lived in France, Spain, Saudi, Kuwait and have spent many long vacations in Sri Lanka. The States of course one gets as part of one's birthright as Nyere remarked when he said that the people of Tanzania got so much news about the American Presidential election rammed down their throat that they ought to be allowed to vote in it.
I worked closely with lawyers as a union rep in England and Spain, and also taught a fair number English so that is one occupation I do have some knowledge of. I don't think you'll find me laying claims to know a lot about optimetiricians, garbage disposal experts, spies, accountants or even computer programmers.
I may add that any knowledge I have is more the patina of age than any talent for acquiring wisdom.
It's a dead argument for those crazy libertarians - they think laws are bad news anyway, the whole thing is just a scam, so who needs legal advice from anyone? No matter how cheap and internet based they may be? Just make it up yourself as you go along - someone owes you money, take their car. Someone takes your car, burn down their house... What a whacky world that'd be.
Getting back to internet legal advice - yeah, that'd work about as well as internet medical advice. Innocuous symptoms like 'a sore throat' always turn into a deadly cancer as soon as you type it into google. How much FUD would internet lawyers start creating once they needed to compete with one another?
Here is my personal reason for hating lawyers. Back when the WWW was new, I registered a common word as a domain name. Eventually, due to the policy of Network Solutions at the time, people thought that if they had a trademark for a word, it meant they had the right to own a domain name. One person keep contacting me and claiming they had the right to the domain, blah, blah, blah. I did research into the current law about domain names, and found that the guy was full of it. Now, I don't know if he knew he was full of it, or really believed he had a claim. Anyway, I played dumb, I didn't want to give him any information, so I offered to sell the domain to him. He never replied. At this time if you had a registered trademark you could make NS shut down a domain if you presented the registration to them. Fortunately for me, he didn't have a registered trademark. So about a year goes by, he gets his registration for the trademark, contacts me again, I reply that he is wrong, and he contacts a lawyer. I get a letter from the lawyer saying that they have a trademark, they want me to turn over the domain to him, etc. At no point in the letter do they actually accuse me of committing trademark infringement or dilution. It is obvious to me that they know I am not doing anything wrong, but are hoping I don't know enough and will be scared. I wrote them a very formal letter citing recent court cases, various facts about trademark law, and the fact that this guy brought up the issue over a year ago and didn't do anything about the implied infringement. I told them, if you really think I am infringing or diluting the trademark, tell me and we can talk, otherwise this is all a just a waste of time. I never heard from them again.
The part I hate is that his lawyer knew I wasn't doing anything wrong, but rather then telling this to the client, they hoped that I was ignorant and would cave in to scare tactics. If they had even a tiny thread of an idea to hang a case on, I might have had some respect for them trying to represent their client, but they didn't even do that. To me, this is on the same level as a doctor taking out your appendix when there is nothing wrong with you, because they need the money.
Bill, you just don't get it.
HIS lawyer is working for HIM. His job is to represent his client and short of sending the mob round, anything goes.
Now if he was YOUR lawyer who had given you the bad advice you would have a case.
The law as it is practiced in the UK is a scam.
This was well documented in "Lawyers can seriously damage your health" a book written and privately printed in 1984 by Michael Joseph, a lawyer who wanted to come clean. He wrote another book called "Conveyancing Fraud." I think The Law Society, the lawyer's trade union, stopped him practicing law after he spilled the beans. Joseph died when he was quite young.
In the first book Joseph describes some of the scams practiced by tradesmen like publicans and caterers and then he mentions the scams practiced by lawyers. The latter usually consists of paying a lot of money for things which are not really needed or if they are needed you could easily do them yourself. The difference between the scams of the tradesmen and the scams of the lawyers are :
1.If you think a tradesman is cheating you then you can go to another tradesman but in the UK all solicitors use the same cheating practices.
2.You can sue a tradesman if he has cheated you. In the UK you have to make a complaint to the lawyer's trade union.
3.You can go without a tradesman's goods but you can't get away from lawyers. When you buy a house or even whey you die they come looking for their money.
Stephen Jones talks about “sending the mob around.” Well in the UK some of our lawyers are mixed up with some very bad people. The son of the man in charge of our legal system – Lord Irvine – has just been released from an American prison for a rather unpleasant crime. The UK's most famous lawyer – George Carman - died a year or two ago. His main trick was to reduce to tears witnesses who committed some minor sexual indiscretion. When Carman died his son wrote a book exposing him as a cocaine snorting, wife bashing, cross dressing, bisexual nutter.
I'll tell you about a scam - 'Financial Services'. You can't avoid them in the UK. No bank account=no wages (cash? you're joking right). No mortgage=no house (or no bank account=no home rentals either in most cases). No insurance=no car. No shares=no company pension. No shares=less untaxed savings. The list goes on.
If only we actually *could* keep all our money under the bed...
Taffy, you got it in one.
Mr Blank, why is it such a hardship to have a bank account? In the UK, unlike a lot of countries, setting up a personal bank account costs you nothing. If you keep pretty much any amount of money in it, normal transactions cost you nothing. If you want your wages in cash, go down to the bank the day they are paid in and withdraw them. If getting all these services for free is a scam, people can scam me more often.
Taffy,
The duplicity of some lawyers has been documented since the time of Chaucer, and I am sure we can find examples in classical Sanskrit literature if you want to go back far enough.
I mentioned conveyancing fraud in another post. In fact you can do your own conveyancing, and it has become commoditized to a large extent as a result of the internet. As I said above solicitors are one of the branches of professionals most affected by the internet because their routine work can now be outsourced, and because if you simply want legal information as opposed to advice on a specific case you can get it from many places, including from clued up 15 year olds on chat boards.
However big a scam you may consider certain aspects of the law to be there is one scam that is much greater, and that is IT. Customers are routinely charged for what they don't want, held to ransom in order to get their data back, made to pay for vaporware and sold things that are manifestly unfit for the task and run double over budget anyway. Most if not all of the participants on this board willingly bankroll their lavish consumer lifestyles as a result of this scam and I am sure you can find a forum of lawyers where a lawyer has just be stung to the extent of 100k or more by some kind of sleazy IT consultant and wants to know why the law protects these kind of sharp practises.
To give the example of the son of a lawyer as proof of mob connections is well a..err..-cheap lawyer's trick- :) and anyway whenever they do a bust of child pornograhpy and paederast rings you can be sure to see loads of computer programmers up there in the headlines.
David Clayworth, I could say I resent banks investing my money and therefore making a profit in return for a service (which you could do yourself, but who wants all that cash under the bed?).
But I could just own up and admit, I was just being sarcastic about this thread - some people complaining about lawyers, who make a profit in return for a service (which you could do yourself, but who has room in their house for all those law books?).
> HIS lawyer is working for HIM. His job is to represent his client and short of sending the mob round, anything goes.
You seem to be saying that lawyers put their clients wishes ahead of the law, and that this is expected of them. I think lawyers would get more respect if they put the law slightly above the wishes of their clients.
Legal Paternism disussion in Joel's forum. Very interesting. If we could get Joel Feinberg here...
There is limited supply of lawyers. But I don't see a big problem here -- it's not like rental price ceiling or minimal wage.
There is market failure after all, otherwise we won't have microsoft or the asian stock market crash.
Rick Tang
I think you might be making the mistake of assuming that the law is a fixed, unchanging, unmalleable entity.
Bill -- All lawyers are "officers of the court" and are duty bound to put the follow the law in everything they do.
Given that lawyers also have a duty to represent their clients' best interests, these duties can sometimes conflict.
There is no question that a lawyer's duty to follow the law is paramount, and that they may represent their clients' interests only within the bounds of the law.
The bounds of the law are often unclear, though, and some lawyers come closer than others to those bounds. It's often a difficult call, though. Being way too conservative means that you're not representing your clients' interests to the extent to which you're bound, not being careful enough means you violate your paramount duty as officer of the court.
In any case, I don't see that the lawyer who contacted you regarding the trademark did anything illegal. In fact, you yourself say, "At no point in the letter do they actually accuse me of committing trademark infringement or dilution." If you were using a mark identical to theirs, they certainly could have accused you of that and filed suit against you, so long as they had a "colorable claim". "Colorable claim" doesn't mean a winning claim, just that they have some legal grounds up on which to base a suit that isn't purely frivolous. A smart and creative lawyer can often make an apparently crummy cause-of-action into one that's winnable.
It's entirely possible that the lawyer involved said to the client, "You don't have a very strong claim here against Bill. You'd almost certainly lose if we went to court and I wouldnt' advise it. It might be worth sending a letter, though, and seeing if we can scare Bill into abandoning use of your mark. It's your call." Failing to give the client that option would likely be a violation of the duty to his client. There is nothing illegal in the letter you describe. The client considers the trademark to be their own, even if they have a weak case against you. The lawyer is duty bound to do whatever the client wants within the bounds of the law.
I think one of the main reason lawyers are disliked (among several) is that in addition to working for someone (their clients), lawyers are also usually working _against_ someone else (people with interests adverse to their clients). So lots of people feel like they've been screwed over by lawyers. Contrast this with doctors, who serve a purely helpful role, and it's easy to see where part of the dislike for lawyers comes from.
Still, that's no reason for not having your own lawyer (or for disliking your own lawyer, if you have a good one). Used wisely, a good lawyer can be very helpful to you and your business. They work as your agents and are duty bound to serve your best interests. That's a good thing to have, if you ask me.
Another reason people don't like lawyers is that at least half the time you are paying them and on top of it you get nothing out of it as you lose the case. If more than half the time you bought a consumer good such as a car or washing machine it didn't work and often trashed the house as well you certainly wouldn't be happy.
Andi it's well known that when you win a case it's because you were in the right, but when you lose it's because you had a lousy lawyer.
I once asked a highy successful commerical lawyer acquaintance of mine what proportion of cases he won in court. He looked at me as if I'd mentioned an unspeakable vice. "Court?", he said. "Don't ever want to go there! I think I had a case in court once when I just started. Lost it and vowed never to get into that kind of mess again!" I suspect that if Tapiwa's lawyer had his attitude Tapiwa would be less annoyed.
Fog Creek Home
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Years in Disney history
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Mickey Mouse Disco
January - Take Down
February 9 - The North Avenue Irregulars
April 13 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks (re-issue)
June 8 - One Hundred and One Dalmatians (re-issue)
June 29 - The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
July 6 - The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (Bismarck, North Dakota)
July 27 - Unidentified Flying Oddball
September 28 - Sleeping Beauty (re-issue)
December 20 - The Black Hole (premiere)
December 21 - The Black Hole
May 1 - Understanding Alcohol Use and Abuse
September - The Footloose Fox
Character debuts
December 20 - Hans Reinhardt, Dan Holland, Charlie Pizer, Kate McCrae, Harry Booth, S.T.A.R., V.I.N.CENT, B.O.B., Maximilian, Sentry Robots, Humanoids
August 14 - Sherrill Anne Hoffman slips into a coma after riding Space Mountain.
September 2 - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opens at Disneyland.
October 1 - Groundbreaking begins on EPCOT Center.
Disney Children's Favorite Songs 1
January 6 - Cristela Alonzo (comedian, actress, screenwriter, and producer)
January 25 - Christine Lakin (actress)
January 26 - Sara Rue (actress)
February 5 - Gil McKinney (actor)
February 8 - Josh Keaton (actor, singer, and music producer)
February 11 - Brandy Norwood (actress and singer)
Tituss Burgess (actor and singer)
Jennifer Love Hewitt (actress and singer)
Jordan Peele (actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director)
March 5 - Riki Lindhome (actress, voice actress, comedian, and musician)
March 9 - Oscar Isaac (actor and singer)
March 10 - Danny Pudi (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
March 14 - Chris Klein (actor and comedian)
March 19 - Dan Fogelman (producer, screenwriter, and director)
March 24 - Lake Bell (actress, director, and screenwriter)
March 25 - Lee Pace (actor)
April 4 - Natasha Lyonne (actress)
Claire Danes (actress and producer)
Jennifer Morrison (actress, model, and film producer)
April 15 - Luke Evans (actor and singer)
April 19 - Kate Hudson (actress)
April 21 - James McAvoy (actor and voice actor)
April 22 - Laura Williams (actress and singer)
April 23 - Jaime King (actress and model)
May 4 - Lance Bass (singer, actor, and voice actor)
May 9 - Rosario Dawson (actress, voice actress, singer, and writer)
May 26 - Elisabeth Harnois (actress)
May 28 - Nonso Anozie (actor)
June 5 - Pete Wentz (bassist)
June 20 - Julie Fowlis (singer and broadcaster)
June 21 - Chris Pratt (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
June 24 - Mindy Kaling (actress, voice actress, comedian, director, producer, author, and writer)
June 25 - Busy Philipps (actress and voice actress)
July 14 - Scott Porter (actor)
July 15 - Laura Benanti (actress, voice actress, and singer)
July 18 - Jason Weaver (actor, voice actor, and singer)
August 3 - Evangeline Lilly (actress and spokesperson)
August 10 - JoAnna Garcia (actress and voice actress)
August 23 - Clare Grant (actress, voice actress, producer, model, and singer)
August 27 - Aaron Paul (actor and voice actor)
September 9 - Nikki DeLoach (actress and singer)
September 15 - Amy Davidson (actress)
September 18 - Alison Lohman (actress and voice actress)
September 23 - Laura Dickinson (actress, voice actress, and singer)
September 24 - Erin Chambers (actress and voice actress)
September 28 - Anndi McAfee (actress, voice actress, and singer)
October 4 - Rachael Leigh Cook (actress, model, voice artist, and producer)
October 7 - Shawn Ashmore (actor)
October 9 - Chris O'Dowd (actor and voice actor)
October 10 - Mýa (singer, songwriter, and actress)
October 20 - John Krasinski (actor, voice actor, comedian, film director, and writer)
November 5 - Romi Dames (actress and voice actress)
November 28 - Daniel Henney (actor, voice actor, and model)
December 5 - Nick Stahl (actor)
December 7 - Eric Bauza (voice actor and animation artist)
December 11 - Rider Strong (actor, voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter)
December 12 - Sandro Corsaro (animator, writer, storyboard artist, and producer)
December 28 - André Holland (actor)
December 29 - Diego Luna (actor, producer, and director)
December 30 - Catherine Taber (actress and voice actress)
January 5 - Billy Bletcher (voice actor)
January 27 - Dick Wesson (announcer)
April 1 - Barbara Luddy (actress and voice actress)
April 6 - Norman Tokar (prolific director)
May 29 - Mary Pickford (Canadian-American motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
July 2 - Anthony Eustrel (actor)
September 12 - Les Clark (animator)
November 30 - Dick Huemer (animator)
Artists joined
Tim Burton - Director for The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, and Alice in Wonderland.
John Lasseter - Current CEO for Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disneytoon Studios. Has directed films such as Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Cars.
Mike Gabriel - Director/Animator on Oliver & Company, The Rescuers Down Under, and Pocahontas.
Doug Krohn - Animator on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Tarzan.
Jay Jackson - Animator for The Little Mermaid, Hercules, Tarzan, and Treasure Planet.
Shawn Keller - Animator on The Little Mermaid, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
Michael Cedeno - Animator on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
Hendel Butoy - Animator on The Fox and the Hound, The Great Mouse Detective, and Oliver & Company and Director on The Rescuers Down Under.
Cyndee Whitney - Animator on The Great Mouse Detective, Oliver & Company, and The Little Mermaid.
Patricia Peraza - Effects Animator on The Fox and the Hound, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
Don Paul - Effects Animator on The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Pocahontas.
Guy Vasilovich - Art Director/Layout Artist on The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
Kathleen Swain - Background Designer on The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Gilda Palinginis - Animator on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
Joe Lanzisero - Animator on The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
Fujiko Miller - Assistant Animator on The Fox and the Hound, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
Bill Berg - Lead Key Assistant on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
Jane Baer - Assistant Animator on Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Black Cauldron, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Cofounder of Baer Animation Studios and spouse of animator Dale Baer.
Rusty Stoll - Assistant Animator on The Fox and the Hound, Mulan, and Lilo & Stitch.
≪ 1978 Timeline 1980 ≫
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Browse articles by keyword:chief executive officer
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EU, Greece and Israel: Challenges and Future prospects for the Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation
On the 6th of March 2018, the seminar "EU, Greece and Israel: Challenges and Future Prospects for Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation", was held at the University of Piraeus, which was co-organized by the Department of International and European Studies of the University of Piraeus, the Jean Monnet Chair on “European Union’s Education, Training, Research and Innovation Policies” of the University of Piraeus and the Jean Monnet Chair ad Personam in European Studies of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The event was attended by students from the University of Piraeus and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
In the first part of the event, the students had the opportunity to interact and collaborate by participating in the Floor Game ''Learning EU through Cooperation''. Then undergraduate students of the University of Piraeus held a presentation on "Greece & EU", while the students of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev also presented a study "Israel & EU". In this context, the students of the two Universities exchanged views on the approach of the two countries to the European Union.
Τhe students and the professors were welcomed by Professor Pantelis Pantelidis, Vice Rector on Academic Issues of the University of Piraeus, Professor Aristotle Tziampiris, Chair of the Department of International & European Studies of the University of Piraeus and Assistant Professor Foteini Asderaki, Jean Monnet Chair on “European Union’s Education, Training, Research and Innovation Policies. Mr. Miltiadis Kirkos, Member of the European Parliament and Substitute of the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with Israel delivered a speech on the relations between the European Union and Israel. Then, followed the presentations of Dr. Spyridon Roukanas, Assistant Professor of the Department of International and European Studies of the University of Piraeus and Professor Sharon Pardo, Jean Monnet Chair ad Personam of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Finally, some space was given for a discussion on what the students were given at the event, but also on the role that the two countries can play in the Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation.
Daily Seminars
"Universities4EU" Teachers' Network
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Sister cities are well-represented at music festival
By Chris Sykes on August 11, 2019 Comments Off on Sister cities are well-represented at music festival
Photo by Chris Sykes
East Orange and Orange’s own hip-hip ambassador Donnie Don, right, stands with fellow East Orange natives Mike Jones, center, and Tone Magic, left, on Sunday, July 28, during the last day of the three-day 14th annual Lincoln Park Music Festival in downtown Newark. The festival began on Friday, July 26, with a gospel music and rhythm and blues concert, continued on Saturday, July 27, with a house music concert and concluded on Sunday, July 28, with a hip-hop concert featuring legendary old-school rapper Slick Rick the Ruler.
NEWARK, NJ — The sister cities of Orange and East Orange were on the scene in Lincoln Park in downtown Newark on Sunday, July 28, for the third day of the 14th annual Lincoln Park Music Festival, courtesy of local hip-hop entrepreneur Donnie Don.
“We’re just chilling, trying to support the festival like we always do. It’s something to do. We try to support,” said Donnie Don on Sunday, July 28. “Back in the day, we used to say that ‘hip-hop would never die’ and it’s nice to see that we were right. Hip-hop is the biggest music in the world right now and it’s been that way for years and that’s a very good thing, because hip-hop has changed lives and hip-hop has saved lives and I’m down with that.”
Donnie Don was happy to be at the event with his friends, East Orange natives Mike Jones and Tone Magic, as they watched old-school rapper Slick Rick the Ruler and others perform.
“My name is Tone, coming straight from Illtown East Orange,” said Tone Magic, who was wearing a Naughty By Nature T-shirt, a world-famous band straight out of East Orange. “I’m just chilling enjoying the festivities. I think it’s pretty good. I love the local talent.”
Jones, not to be confused with the rapper Mike Jones from Houston, agreed.
“I’m the original Mike Jones,” said Jones on Sunday, July 28. “It’s a blessing to be here. I go way back with this hip-hop thing. I’m like 30 years in the game with this hip-hop. It’s good to see that it’s still going on. It’s all peace.”
“It’s lovely because you know Jersey, we always had a lot of talent,” Tone Magic added. “We just needed to combine ourselves together and just make it happen and stop being separate from everyone else, because we’re all one great family.”
Tone Magic also praised two local rap crews, the Rottin Razskals and Cruddy Click, which are based in East Orange and associated with fellow native Anthony “Treach” Criss from the Naughty By Nature rap group. He also mentioned the Outlawz rap group, proteges of deceased rapper Tupac Shakur, who was also a friend of Criss.
Donnie Don said the long list of outstanding musical artists and performers who hail from Orange and East Orange is proof the sister cities are an epicenter of talent in the Garden State.
“Jersey is in the house, period,” said Donnie Don. “That’s how it always was and that’s how it’s always going to continue being. You can’t talk about the history of hip-hop without talking about Jersey. We here and we always have been here and we always will be here. Peace.”
Donnie Don, Lincoln Park Music Festival
Sister cities are well-represented at music festival added by Chris Sykes on August 11, 2019
View all posts by Chris Sykes →
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Stephen M. Gavazzi | Professor of Human Development and Family Science, Ohio State University
Current Position and Past Experience
Dr. Stephen M. Gavazzi is Professor of Human Development and Family Science at The Ohio State university, a position he has held since 1991. Concurrently, he is Founder and President of College Town Assessment LLC, a company designed to take the guesswork out of building more harmonious campus-community relationships. He is also President of Great Thinker Productions LLC.
From 2011 to 2017, Gavazzi was Dean and Director of The Ohio State University at Mansfield, where he led a campus of over 40 tenure track faculty, 20 full time non-tenure track faculty, and 85 staff members.
Education, Honors and Achievements
Stephen M. Gavazzi holds a Ph.D. in Family Studies from the University of Connecticut, and a B.A. in Psychology from Penn State University.
You can connect with Stephen M. Gavazzi on LinkedIn .
Placing 4-H Within The 21st-Century Land-Grant Mission
Cooperative Extension Services and the 21st Century Land-Grant Mission
Lifelong Learning Starts Young: The Virtual Lab School and the 21st Century Land-Grant Mission
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Alan Dawley
Alan Dawley (December 18, 1943[1] – March 12, 2008) was a professor of history at The College of New Jersey.
Dawley was a 1965 graduate of Oberlin College, and completed his M.A. (1966) and Ph.D. (1971) at Harvard University.[1] He then joined the faculty of The College of New Jersey.
He received the Bancroft Prize in 1977 for his book Class and Community.[2]
He wrote mainly on the US Progressive Era. He died in Mexico on March 12, 2008 of a heart attack.[3]
Selected bibliographyEdit
Class and Community: The Industrial Revolution in Lynn. (Harvard University Press, 1976) Winner of the Bancroft Prize.
Working for Democracy: American Workers from the Revolution to the Present. (co-editor with Paul Buhle) (University of Illinois Press, 1985)
Struggles for Justice: Social Responsibility and the Liberal State. (Harvard University Press, 1991)
Changing the World: American Progressives in War and Revolution, 1914-1924. (Princeton University Press, 2003)
^ a b Alan Dawley. Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale. 2004.
^ "The Bancroft Prizes". Columbia University Libraries. Archived from the original on 2007-07-14. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
^ "Alan Dawley, historian and activist, dies at 64". April 7, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
Dawley's Home Page where you can find a complete (as of 2003) bibliography.
Dawley's Page at the TCNJ History Dept.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alan_Dawley&oldid=916040835"
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Alpha Cephei
"Alderamin" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Aldebaran or Alderaan.
Alpha Cephei (α Cephei, abbreviated Alpha Cep, α Cep), officially named Alderamin /ælˈdɛrəmɪn/,[9][10] is a second magnitude star in the constellation of Cepheus near the northern pole. The star is relatively close to Earth at 49 light years (ly).
α Cephei
Location of α Cephei (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000
21h 18m 34.7715s[1]
+62° 35′ 08.061″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)
2.5141[2]
A8Vn[3]
U−B color index
+0.12[4]
B−V color index
Variable type
suspected δ Sct[5]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv) −10[1] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +150.55[2] mas/yr
Dec.: 49.09[2] mas/yr
Parallax (π) 66.50 ± 0.11[2] mas
Distance 49.05 ± 0.08 ly
(15.04 ± 0.02 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV) 1.57[6]
Mass 1.74[6] M☉
Radius 2.3[7] R☉
Luminosity 17[7] L☉
Surface gravity (log g) 3.99[7] cgs
Temperature 7,740 ± 170[7] K
Rotational velocity (v sin i) 246[8] km/s
Other designations
Alderamin, 5 Cep, 2MASS J21183475+6235081, AG+62° 1226, BD +61°2111, CCDM J21186+6236A, FK5 803, GCTP 5139.00, Gl 826, HD 203280, HIP 105199, HR 8162, SAO 19302.
Database references
SIMBAD data
1 Nomenclature
2 Visibility
2.1 Pole star
4 Etymology and cultural significance
4.1 Namesakes
NomenclatureEdit
α Cephei (Latinised to Alpha Cephei) is the star's Bayer designation. It has a Flamsteed designation of 5 Cephei.
It bore the traditional name Alderamin, a contraction of the Arabic phrase الذراع اليمين al-dhirā‘ al-yamīn, meaning "the right arm". In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)[11] to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016[12] included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included Alderamin for this star.
VisibilityEdit
With a declination in excess of 62 degrees north, Alderamin is mostly visible to observers in the northern hemisphere, though the star is still visible to latitudes as far south as −27°, albeit just above the horizon. The star is circumpolar throughout all of Europe, northern Asia, Canada, and American cities as far south as San Diego. Since Alderamin has an apparent magnitude of about 2.5, the star is easily observable to the naked eye, even in light-polluted cities.
Pole starEdit
Alderamin is located near the precessional path traced across the celestial sphere by the Earth's North pole. That means that it periodically comes within 3° of being a pole star,[13] a title currently held by Polaris. Alderamin will next be the North Star in about the year 7500 AD.[14]
Pole Star
Iota Cephei circa 6,800 BC Deneb
PropertiesEdit
Alderamin is a white class A star, evolving off the main sequence into a subgiant, probably on its way to becoming a red giant as its hydrogen supply runs low. In 2007, the star's apparent magnitude was recalibrated at 2.5141 along with an updated parallax of 66.50 ± 0.11 mas yielding a distance of 15 parsecs or approximately 49 light years from Earth.[2]
Given a surface temperature of 7,740 Kelvin, stellar models yield a total luminosity for the star of about 17 times the luminosity of the Sun. Alderamin has a radius of 2.3 times the Sun's radius and boasting a mass that is 1.74 that of the Sun.[7] Like other stars in its class, it is slightly variable with a range in brightness of 0.06 magnitude, and is listed as a Delta Scuti variable.
Alderamin has a very high rotation speed of at least 246 km/s, completing one complete revolution in less than 12 hours, with such a rapid turnover appearing to inhibit the differentiation of chemical elements usually seen in such stars.[8] By comparison, the Sun takes almost a month to turn on its axis. Alpha Cephei is also known to emit an amount of X radiation similar to the Sun, which along with other indicators suggests the existence of considerable magnetic activity—something unexpected (though not at all unusual) for a fast rotator.
Etymology and cultural significanceEdit
This star, along with Beta Cephei (Alfirk) and Eta Cephei (Alkidr) were al-Kawākib al-Firq (الكواكب الفرق), meaning "the Stars of the Flock" by Ulug Beg.[15][16]
In Chinese, 天鈎 (Tiān Gōu), meaning Celestial Hook, refers to an asterism consisting of α Cephei, 4 Cephei, HD 194298, Eta Cephei, Theta Cephei, Xi Cephei, 26 Cephei, Iota Cephei and Omicron Cephei.[17] Consequently, the Chinese name for Alpha Cephei itself is 天鈎五 (Tiān Gōu wu, English: the Fifth Star of the Celestial Hook.).[18]
NamesakesEdit
USS Alderamin (AK-116) was a United States Navy Crater class cargo ship named after the star.
List of nearest bright stars
Dwarf star
^ a b c "alf Cep". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
^ a b c d e van Leeuwen, F (November 2007). "Hipparcos, the New Reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. 474 (2): 653–664. arXiv:0708.1752. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
^ Gray, R. O.; Corbally, C. J.; Garrison, R. F.; McFadden, M. T.; Robinson, P. E. (2003). "Contributions to the Nearby Stars (NStars) Project: Spectroscopy of Stars Earlier than M0 within 40 Parsecs: The Northern Sample. I". The Astronomical Journal. 126 (4): 2048. arXiv:astro-ph/0308182. Bibcode:2003AJ....126.2048G. doi:10.1086/378365.
^ a b Mermilliod, J.-C. (1986). "Compilation of Eggen's UBV data, transformed to UBV (unpublished)". Catalogue of Eggen's UBV Data. Bibcode:1986EgUBV........0M.
^ Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007–2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/gcvs. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
^ a b Pizzolato, N.; Maggio, A.; Sciortino, S. (September 2000), "Evolution of X-ray activity of 1–3 Msun late-type stars in early post-main-sequence phases", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 361: 614–628, Bibcode:2000A&A...361..614P
^ a b c d e Malagnini, M. L.; Morossi, C. (November 1990), "Accurate absolute luminosities, effective temperatures, radii, masses and surface gravities for a selected sample of field stars", Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 85 (3): 1015–1019, Bibcode:1990A&AS...85.1015M
^ a b Hoffleit; et al. (1991). "Bright Star Catalogue". VizieR (5th Revised ed.). Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
^ Kunitzsch, Paul; Smart, Tim (2006). A Dictionary of Modern star Names: A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations (2nd rev. ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Sky Pub. ISBN 978-1-931559-44-7.
^ "IAU Catalog of Star Names". Retrieved 28 July 2016.
^ "IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)". Retrieved 22 May 2016.
^ "Bulletin of the IAU Working Group on Star Names, No. 1" (PDF). Retrieved 28 July 2016.
^ Kaler, James B. "ALDERAMIN (Alpha Cephei)". Stars. University of Illinois. Archived from the original on 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
^ Our Monthly, 4, Presbyterian Magazine Company, 1871, p. 53.
^ Allen, R. H. (1963). Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.). New York: Dover Publications Inc. p. 157. ISBN 0-486-21079-0. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
^ Davis Jr., G. A., "The Pronunciations, Derivations, and Meanings of a Selected List of Star Names,"Popular Astronomy, Vol. LII, No. 3, Oct. 1944, p. 16.
^ (in Chinese) 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 978-986-7332-25-7.
^ (in Chinese) 香港太空館 – 研究資源 – 亮星中英對照表 Archived 2008-10-25 at the Wayback Machine, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.
Kaler, James B. "ALDERAMIN (Alpha Cephei)". Stars. University of Illinois. Archived from the original on 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
NASA's: History of Precession
Crystallinks: Precession of the Equinoxes
21h 18m 34.8s, +62° 35′ 08″
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Telecommunications relay service
(Redirected from Telecommunications Relay Service)
The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (September 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
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A typical relay service conversation
A telecommunications relay service, also known as TRS, relay service, or IP-relay, or Web-based relay service, is an operator service that allows people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, or have a speech disorder to place calls to standard telephone users via a keyboard or assistive device. Originally, relay services were designed to be connected through a TDD, teletypewriter (TTY) or other assistive telephone device. Services gradually have expanded to include almost any real-time text capable technology such as a personal computer, laptop, mobile phone, PDA, and many other devices. The first TTY was invented by deaf scientist Robert Weitbrecht in 1964. The first relay service was established in 1974 by Converse Communications of Connecticut.
1 Types of services available
1.1 TTY to voice/voice to TTY
1.2 Voice carry over
1.2.1 VCO with privacy
1.2.2 Two-line VCO
1.3 Hearing carry over
1.3.1 HCO with privacy
1.3.2 2-line HCO
1.4 Speech to speech
1.5 Deafblind variation
1.6 Captioned telephone
1.6.1 IP CTS
1.6.2 Two–line captioned telephone
1.6.3 Web-based captioned telephone
1.7 Other variations
1.8 IP relay service or Web-based text relay services
1.9 Video relay service
1.10 Video remote interpreting
3 Requirement
4 Fraudulent uses in the United States
Types of services availableEdit
Depending on the technical and physical abilities and physical environments of users, different call types are possible via relay services.
TTY to voice/voice to TTYEdit
Once the most common type of TRS call, TTY calls involve a call from a deaf or hard-of-hearing person who utilizes a TTY to a hearing person. In this type of call, typed messages are relayed as voice messages by a TRS operator,[1] (also known as Communication Assistant (CA),[2] Relay Operator (RO),[3] Relay Assistant (RA),[4] or relay agent (agent)), and vice versa. This allows callers who are unable to use a regular telephone to be able to place calls to people who use a regular telephone and vice versa. When the person who is hearing is ready for a response, it is customary to say "go ahead" or "GA" to indicate that it is the TTY (teletypewriter) user's turn to talk and "stop keying", "SK", or "ready to hang up" when ending the call and vice versa. This mode of communication has largely been superseded by other modes of communications, including the utilization of IP relay, VPs, VRS, and VRI.
Voice carry overEdit
A common type of call is voice carry over, VCO. This allows a person who is hard of hearing or deaf but can speak to use their voice while receiving responses from a person who is hearing via the operator's typed text. There are many variations of VCO, including two-line VCO and VCO with privacy.
VCO with privacyEdit
The operator will not hear the VCO user's voiced messages and the VCO user does not need to voice GA. The operator will hear the person who is hearing, and the person who is hearing must give the GA each time to alert the operator it is the VCO user's turn. The VCO user does not need to voice GA, because the VCO user types it or presses the "VCO GA" button on the VCO phone when it's the voice user's turn to talk.
Two-line VCOEdit
Two-line VCO allows a VCO user using a TTY or computer to call a TRS operator, who in turn calls the VCO user on a second telephone line, which serves as the voice line. The user puts the operator on a brief hold to initiate a three-way call with the hearing person. This method is frequently used by people who are hard of hearing and like to use some of their residual hearing as well not having to say "go ahead". With two-line VCO, the VCO user and the voice user can interrupt each other. VCO with Privacy cannot be used with two-line VCO, because the operator, VCO user, and hearing person are on a three-way call.
Hearing carry overEdit
A less common call type is hearing carry over (HCO). HCO allows a person who is speech-disabled but can hear to use their hearing while sending responses to a person who is hearing via the HCO user's typed text. The operator voices the HCO user's typed messages, and then the HCO users picks up the handset and listens to the other voice user's response. There are many variations of HCO, including two-line HCO and HCO with privacy.
HCO with privacyEdit
The operator will not hear the voice user's voiced messages and the voice user does not need to voice GA. The operator will voice for the person who is Speech-Disabled, and the person who is Speech–Disabled must give the GA each time to alert the operator it is the voice user's turn. The voice user does not need to voice GA, because the HCO user can hear when the voice user finishes talking.
2-line HCOEdit
Similar to 2-line VCO, 2-line HCO allows an HCO user using a TTY or computer to call a TRS operator, who in turn calls the HCO user on a second telephone line, which serves as the voice line. The user puts the operator on a brief hold to initiate a three-way call with the hearing person. This method is frequently used by people who are Speech-Disabled and like to use some of their residual speech as well not having to type "GA". With 2–Line HCO, the HCO user and the voice user can interrupt each other. HCO with Privacy cannot be used with 2–Line HCO, because the operator, HCO user, and hearing person are on a three–way call.
Speech to speechEdit
Main article: STS Relay
Speech to speech (STS) exists for people who have speech disabilities. A specially–trained STS TRS operator revoices what the person with a speech disability says. STS is often used in combination with VCO for people who are deaf and have somewhat understandable speech, as well as two–Line HCO users. STS enables people with speech disabilities to call others (able-bodied speakers and other people with speech disabilities). It also enables people without speech disabilities to call people with speech disabilities. Anyone can call 711 in the U.S. and ask for Speech to Speech. STS is also available in Australia, New Zealand and Sweden.
Many STS users have Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, ALS, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy or stroke. Other users stutter or have had a laryngectomy. STS also helps speech synthesizer users, users of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC.) AAC users can set their device next to a speakerphone. They ask the STS CA set up the call, negotiate the menu, introduce the call explaining AAC and then go into the background. This enables AAC users to communicate independently once the other party is on the line. For more information visit [1].
Deafblind variationEdit
Telebraille also exists for people who are deafblind with the use of a TTY with a braille or regular keyboard and a refreshable braille display or LVD (Large Visual Display). A relay call of a user who is deafblind is directly related to a relay call of a TTY user, however, the text transmission speed is often reduced to increase the ability of the user who is deafblind to comprehend the moving braille on the braille TTY or large print on the LVD. Telebraille relay operators must be familiar with Braille contractions that users who are deafblind may use. Some TTY users with mobile disabilities may prefer to use a Telebraille, due to the smaller keyboard, regardless of a sight disability or lack thereof.
Captioned telephoneEdit
Captioned telephone is a hybrid communication method that enables people who are hard of hearing, oral deaf or late–deafened to speak directly to another party on a telephone call.[5] Typically, a telephone that displays real-time captions of what the hearing party speaks during a conversation. The captions are displayed on a screen embedded in the telephone base. A captioned telephone can also function exactly like a VCO by switching the device to VCO mode, for example, to communicate with an HCO user directly, without relay. Captioned telephone services can be provided in traditional telephone environments as well as in VOIP environments.
Captions are created by a communications assistant using a computer with voice recognition software. The communications assistant listens to and revoices the hearing party's side of the conversation into the microphone of a headset. A voice recognition program creates the captions and they are sent out to the captioned telephone where they are read by the user.
IP CTSEdit
Prior to 2005, captioned telephone service was only available to people in states that had captioned telephone service as part of their state relay program. In 2005, the FCC made IP CTS a part of the federally mandated services.
IP CTS Requires an internet connection to deliver the captions to the user. Most also rely on their regular land-line telephone for the audio portion of the call, but some configurations of IP CTS allow the use of VOIP to carry the call audio. IP CTS has allowed captioned telephone service to be provided on smartphones and tablets.
Two–line captioned telephoneEdit
Captioned telephone can also be used with two lines. This is especially useful for users who prefer to give out their home phone number alone, instead of both the captioning service number and the toll-free captioning service number or for users who prefer to turn captions on and off anytime during the call. 2–Line captioned telephone can also be used with other relay services. For example, STS can be used with a 2–Line captioned telephone, for captioned telephone users with speech disabilities. 2–Line captioned telephone is only available to people in states that have 2–Line captioned telephone as part of their relay service or federal employees/contractors and American Indians.[6][7]
Web-based captioned telephoneEdit
Web-based captioned telephone enables telephone calls to be placed with captions, by utilizing the World Wide Web browser window of a computer or smart phone. It is similar to a traditional captioned phone call except the user's own telephone equipment is used, whilst the captions are viewed online instead of in the captioned telephone display screen.[8]
Other variationsEdit
Many other call type variations are possible, including VCO to VCO, HCO to HCO, HCO to TTY, and VCO to TTY. Fundamentally, relay services have the ability to connect any two callers with different abilities over the telephone network. Voice callers in the United States can now access the service with a universal number: 711.[9] After the number is dialled, the caller will receive instructions to complete the call to reach deaf callers.
IP relay service or Web-based text relay servicesEdit
IP relay services are also called Web-based text relay services in Europe. These services provide functionality similar to TDD/TTY relay services, replacing the telephone line and TDD/TTY devices with an Internet connection and software running on a computer or smartphone .
When using an IP relay service for an emergency call like 911 or 112, the relay operator will ask for the street address, city, and state from which the call is originating. If this information is not provided then the relay operator will be unable to complete the emergency call.
Most IP relay services support many types of technologies, such as Web browser, mobile phone app, text messaging, WAP, instant messaging, and Text over IP (ToIP). Support for many technologies has made it possible to use almost any generic connected device to use a relay service, such as a personal computer, laptop, mobile phone, PDA, or other device capable of utilizing the connection methods provided by an IP relay provider.
Video relay serviceEdit
Main article: Video Relay Service
Video relay service (VRS) allows people who use sign language to place phone calls by signing instead of typing. The VI (video interpreter) uses a webcam or videophone to voice the deaf, hard-of-hearing or, speech-disabled person's signs to a hearing person and sign the hearing person's words to the deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech-impaired person.
Video remote interpretingEdit
Main article: Video Remote Interpreting
Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) allows deaf or hard-of-hearing people who use sign language to communicate with hearing people in the same room. VRI addresses one limitation to VRS, which is that VRS cannot be used if the hearing person is in the same room with the deaf or hard-of-hearing person. VRI has proven to be useful for deaf or hard-of-hearing people in business meetings, doctor appointments, minor surgical procedures, and court proceedings.
AccessibilityEdit
In Canada and the United States, the 711 telephone number is used for the Telecommunications Relay Service. As much of the TRS system, particularly the Internet Relay Services, is open for public use; it is possible for anyone with the proper equipment to place calls. This includes people who are not members of the original intended user group, who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired. Some such users have noted its usefulness in making long-distance or local calls free of charge and without a telephone. Some providers have implemented long-distance billing, which bills long-distance calls just like a regular telephone. Providers defend the accessibility even to people who have neither hearing nor speech disabilities as a necessary evil. This is because the principle of "transparency" — the belief that the operator and the mechanics of relay should generally go as unnoticed as possible in the call — requires that relay be as easy to use as a normal telephone, which does not require any kind of verification for hearing people to use. Leaders in the deaf community defend this decision and generally retain strong support among service users with hearing and speech disabilities.[citation needed]
RequirementEdit
In the U.S., every phone company is required to connect persons who dial 711 to a TRS call center from a working number.[10] In July 2007, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that the 711 requirement extended to VOIP telephony.[11]
Fraudulent uses in the United StatesEdit
The open structure of relay services has led to a number of complaints regarding its use as a vehicle for fraud. In 2004, news outlets, such as MSNBC,[12] and several newspapers, including the Baltimore City Paper,[13] ran stories of reported abuse of the relay system, such as users from international locations calling businesses in the United States to fraudulently purchase goods. This has also generated numerous complaints, particularly by those who were employed as relay operators, that so-called "prank calls," where neither user requires the service and the caller is just attempting to have fun with a novel mode of communication. In December 2006, NBC ran another story[14] where former operators alleged that "85 to 90 percent" of calls were scams. Since it is illegal for relay service companies to keep records,[15] fraudulent users can operate with impunity. Fraudulent calls of both types have been cited as reasons for further relay regulation, and as causes for long hold times that must be endured by many legitimate users. Most businesses legally cannot have relay calls blocked due to the need for legitimate users to be accommodated, although businesses that are repeatedly victimized by pranks and/or scams often stop trusting relay calls or hang up on them because it is difficult to distinguish legitimate users from illegitimate ones; this is another way that the abusers of the service ultimately victimize the legitimate users, in addition to tying up the service from them.
In 2006, the FCC launched a campaign to gather feedback from the various Internet Protocol relay-certified companies operating within the United States to fight the wave of relay scams and pranks being made over the service. As brought up in the FCC's released document,[16] users on the IP-based relay services can thus place their calls anonymously, which cannot certify that the user in question really needs operator assistance or not. Furthermore, fraudulent calls of any nature cost millions to the American people yearly (based on the $1.293 per minute fee[17] that is being paid for completed IP-based relay) to various relay providers for successfully completed calls.
Starting in November 2009, to help counter the problem of fraudulent use, the FCC began requiring all users of IP Relay to register their screen names with a default IP Relay provider. This, along with many IP Relay providers working to educate hearing users of the risks of fraudulent users (making it less lucrative for fraudulent users who no longer have an uneducated population to target), and other efforts has greatly reduced the amount of fraudulent use of the IP Relay system.
In March 2012, the United States federal government announced a lawsuit against AT&T. The specific accusations state that AT&T "violated the False Claims Act by facilitating and seeking federal payment for IP Relay calls by international callers who were ineligible for the service and sought to use it for fraudulent purposes. The complaint alleges that, out of fears that fraudulent call volume would drop after the registration deadline, AT&T knowingly adopted a non-compliant registration system that did not verify whether the user was located within the United States. The complaint further contends that AT&T continued to employ this system even with the knowledge that it facilitated use of IP Relay by fraudulent foreign callers, which accounted for up to 95 percent of AT&T’s call volume. The government’s complaint alleges that AT&T improperly billed the TRS Fund for reimbursement of these calls and received millions of dollars in federal payments as a result."[18]
Telecommunications device for the deaf
^ (FCC) (2015-01-28). "Telecommunication Relay Service (TRS)". Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Guide. Federal Communications Commission. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2014-10-19. Retrieved 2015-02-01.
^ (Hamilton Telecommunications) (2006-11-16). "Hamilton Relay - TTY (Text Telephone)". Hamilton Relay. Hamilton Relay. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2006-10-30. Retrieved 2007-02-01. Communication Assistant (CA)
^ (MCI) (2006-08-24). "Verizon Relay Services". Verizon Global Relay Services. Verizon. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2007-02-01. Relay Operator (RO)
^ (Sprint) (2006-05-28). "New Zealand Relay". New Zealand Relay. New Zealand Relay. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2007-02-10. Retrieved 2007-02-01. Relay Assistant (RA)
^ Verizon information brochure GT016707SS-WS
^ (GSA) (2004-10-27). "www.federalrelay.us". www.federalrelay.us. U.S. General Services Administration. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
^ (Ultratec) (2005-03-16). "CapTel - The Captioned Telephone". Ultratec, Inc. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2007-01-26. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
^ (Ultratec) (2006-05-08). "CapTel - WebCapTel". Ultratec, Inc. p. 1. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
^ "711 for Telecommunications Relay Service". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original on July 17, 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2015. CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
^ "FCC MANDATES NATIONWIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF 711 ACCESS TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICES (TRS)". U.S. Federal Communications Commission. July 21, 2000. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
^ "DISABILITY ACCESS REQUIREMENTS EXTENDED TO VOIP SERVICES" (PDF). U.S. Federal Communications Commission. May 31, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
^ https://web.archive.org/web/20121104211527/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15937817/ns/nightly_news-nbc_news_investigates/
^ Edward Erickson Jr. (May 5, 2004). "After News Reports Reveal Widespread Fraud by Users of IP Relay Systems for the Deaf, Companies Mull Changes to the System". City Paper. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
^ http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-4475.html
^ http://www.fcc.gov/guides/ip-relay-fraud
^ http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-58A1.doc
^ TRS History Docket
^ http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/March/12-civ-357.html
CapTel
FCC Consumer Facts
"How to purchase a CapTel phone" - February 9th, 2009
"Hamilton WebCapTel" - February 9th, 2009
"Sprint WebCapTel" - February 9th, 2009
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Deejay (Jamaican)
(Redirected from Toasting (Jamaican music))
Not to be confused with Disc jockey.
For the Street Fighter character, see Dee Jay.
In Jamaican music, a deejay (DJ) is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and "toasts" to an instrumental riddim.
Music of Jamaica
Dub poetry
Niyabinghi
Reggae fusion
Ska jazz
Nationalistic and patriotic songs
Jamaica, Land We Love
Aruba and the Dutch Antilles
Deejays are not to be confused with DJs from other music genres like hip hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors. Deejays whose style is nearer to singing are sometimes called singjays.
The term deejay came about as a result of the act of some selectors of the 1960s and 1970s such as U-Roy or King Stitt toasting to the version side of popular records of the time. The version came about when the record company produced the 45 record with an instrumental version of the song on the flip side. This gave the deejays the chance to make up on-the-fly lyrics to the instrumental music. This occurrence gave rise to deejay toasting and the term has been used in that context ever since.
ToastingEdit
Toasting, chatting (rap in other parts of the Anglo Caribbean), or deejaying is the act of talking or chanting, usually in a monotone melody, over a rhythm or beat by a deejay. Traditionally, the method of toasting originated from the griots of Caribbean calypso and mento traditions.[1] The lyrics can either be improvised or pre-written.
Toasting has been used in various African traditions, such as griots chanting over a drum beat, as well as in the United States and Jamaican music forms, such as ska, reggae, dancehall, and dub; it also exists in grime and hip hop coming out of the United Kingdom, which typically has a lot of Caribbean influence. Toasting is also often used in soca and bouyon music. The African American oral tradition of toasting, a mix of talking and chanting, influenced the development of MCing in US hip hop music. The combination of singing and toasting is known as singjaying.
In the late 1950s deejay toasting was developed by Count Matchuki.[2] He conceived the idea from listening to disc jockeys on American radio stations. He would do African American jive over the music while selecting and playing R&B music. Deejays like Count Machuki working for producers would play the latest hits on traveling sound systems at parties and add their toasts or vocals to the music. These toasts consisted of comedy, boastful commentaries, half-sung rhymes, rhythmic chants, squeals, screams and rhymed storytelling.
Osbourne Ruddock (a.k.a. King Tubby) was a Jamaican sound recording engineer who created vocal-less rhythm backing tracks that were used by DJs doing toasting by creating one-off vinyl discs (also known as dub plates) of songs without the vocals and adding echo and sound effects.[3]
Late 1960s toasting deejays included U-Roy[4] and Dennis Alcapone, the latter known for mixing gangster talk with humor in his toasting. In the early 1970s, toasting deejays included I-Roy (his nickname is in homage to U-Roy) and Dillinger, the latter known for his humorous toasting style. In the early 1970s Big Youth became very popular and had three very successful albums, Screaming Target, Dreadlocks Dread and Natty Cultural Dread. In the late 1970s, Trinity became a popular toasting deejay.
The 1980s saw the first deejay toasting duo, Michigan & Smiley, and the development of toasting outside of Jamaica. In England, Pato Banton explored his Caribbean roots, humorous and political toasting[5] while Ranking Roger of the Second Wave or Two-Tone ska revival band The Beat from the 1980s did Jamaican toasting over music that blended ska, pop, and some punk influences.
The rhythmic rhyming of vocals of African American toasting influenced the development of toasting in Jamaica and development of the dancehall style[5] (e.g. hip-hop pioneer and Jamaican expatriate DJ Kool Herc and Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest). Jamaican deejay toasting also influenced various types of dance music, such as jungle music and UK garage. Dancehall artists that have achieved pop hits with toasting-influenced vocals include Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, Lady Saw, Sean Paul, Terror Fabulous and Damian Marley.
DJ (disambiguation)
Singjay
Rapping
Voice instrumental music
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Deejay (Jamaican)
^ "Roots 'N' Rap". Ric.edu. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
^ Lloyd Bradley. This is reggae music: the story of Jamaica's music . ISBN 978-0802138286
^ Charles R. Acland. Residual media, p. 104, at Google Books
^ "DJ/Toasting". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
^ a b "Deejay Toasting". Rhapsody.com. Retrieved 2006-08-04.
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Tropfest
Find sources: "Tropfest" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival. It has also become known as the world's first global film festival.
tropfest.org.au
Tropfest in Sydney, February 2011
Founded by actor/director John Polson, Tropfest began in 1993 as a screening for 200 people at the 'Tropicana Caffe' in Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia, but has since become the largest platform for short films in the world. Tropfest Australia usually takes place in February each year in Sydney and it has been broadcast live via free-to-air television as well as global streaming and catch up. Sydney Tropfest 2015 was cancelled less than a month before it was scheduled to run. After much support on social media, Tropfest founder Polson announced in early December 2015 that extra funding had been sourced, and the festival took place in Centennial Park on Sunday, 14 February 2016. In August 2016 it was announced that from February 2017 Sydney's Tropfest would be held in Parramatta in western Sydney, in Parramatta Park.
1 Entry requirements
4 Festival
5 2015 cancellation
5.1 Financial difficulties
6 Signature item
Entry requirementsEdit
Tropfest differs from other cinema events by being a "content generation" platform, rather than an exhibition platform. Filmmakers are required to create new works for the festival which must include an item, known as the "Tropfest Signature Item" (TSI) and which changes each year. The films must be less than 7 minutes (including titles and credits) and be world premieres at the Tropfest event.
The festival's name is derived from the first year's location—the Tropicana Caffe in Darlinghurst, an inner-eastern suburb of Sydney.[1] Created by Australian-born filmmaker John Polson, the first festival was held in 1993 and was originally called the Tropicana Short Film Festival.
The support and involvement of film personalities from around the world has become one of the trademarks of the festival. Selection of the winning Tropfest film takes place live on the night of the festival by a panel of high-profile industry and celebrity judges, in addition to the previous year's winner. Past judges have included Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, Toni Collette, Rose Byrne, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, John Woo, Samuel L. Jackson, Baz Luhrmann, Keanu Reeves, Sam Neill, Ewan McGregor, Jane Campion, Salma Hayek, George Miller Susan Sarandon and Gabriel Byrne. Judges in 2018 included Eric Bana, Aaron Pedersen, Marta Dusseldorop, David Michôd, Jess McNamee and Michele Bennett. Corporate supporters have included Intel, Sony, Qantas, Cointreau and MadFish Wines. Movie Extra used to be the primary sponsor of Tropfest Australia, which is now supported by CGU, Holden, Parramatta City Council, Screen Australia, WSU, Parramatta Park and Melrose Park, New South Wales|Melrose Park.
The festival attracts a wide degree of media coverage but it is the casual, grassroots nature of the event, rather than its high profile, which ensures the continued support of its patrons and guests. Notable alumni include filmmakers and actors such as Alister Grierson, Rowan Woods, Clayton Jacobson, Alethea Jones, Joel Edgerton, Daina Reid, Nash Edgerton, Peter Carstairs, Rob Carlton, Rebel Wilson, Sam Worthington, Robert Connolly, Leon Ford, Justin Drape, Tim Bullock and Elissa Down.
Tropfest now includes the popular Trop Jr, a short filmmaking competition and festival for youngsters under 16.
Other Tropfest programs have included:
APRA TROPSCORE, a film scoring and synching competition, and
Nikon DSLR Film Category, a category in the competition awarding short films created using DSLR technology
Holden 7 second Challenge, a 7-second film competition
LocationsEdit
The main event from 1993 to 2016 took place in Sydney[2] but live satellite events have also been staged in Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Perth and other cities. The event has been broadcast live on television by ABC Comedy, Movie Network, SBS and other networks and webcast to viewers around Australia and the world. In August 2016 it was announced that, beginning in February 2017, the venue would be moved to Parramatta in western Sydney.[3]
Tropfest has expanded to locations around the world including Japan, Turkey, Africa, Abu Dhabi, London, Berlin, Toronto, Bangkok, and New York City. The inaugural Tropfest Arabia, encompassing approximately 33 countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, took place in Abu Dhabi in November 2011. Tropfest launched into the United States in June 2012, with a weekend-long event in Las Vegas and a fully-fledged Tropfest New York competition in New York on 23 June 2012 at Manhattan's Bryant Park. Tropfest New Zealand launched in 2013 and Tropfest South East Asia at Penang, Malaysia in 2014.
FestivalEdit
Tropfest 2009 at MadFish Winery Margaret River, Western Australia
Each year there are hundreds and hundreds of entries featuring the TSI and every year 16 finalists are screened in public to a huge live audience in Sydney. Annual audiences of around 100,000 people The Domain have been recorded, to watch the finalists on large video screens. With a television and on-line audience, this number swells to hundreds of thousands.
The Sydney screening of Tropfest 2006 was abandoned after 13 films due to severe electrical storms. Screenings in other cities were not affected. With the judges located in Sydney it was necessary to announce the winners two days later at a press conference.
Each film must be no longer than seven minutes, have never been shown publicly before and contain the "Tropfest Signature Item", which changes each year, to show that the film was made specifically for the festival.
In April 2007, Tropfest formed a partnership with PBL Media which would see festival content archived and screened across various PBL properties and brands.[4]
For Tropfest 2009, pay television channel Movie Extra replaced Sony as the naming rights sponsor for the next seven years. A new feature in 2009 was the live national broadcast of Tropfest and screening of the finalist films on the Movie Extra channel.[5]
Tropfest Australia 2011 was the largest Tropfest ever staged, and reached a national audience of approximately 1,000,000 people (not including the internet).
Prior to the first full Tropfest New York competition in June 2012, Tropfest held annual New York screenings between 2006 and 2008. Signature items were a manhole cover, a slice, and a sunflower respectively. In November 2011, ahead of the 2012 competition, filmmakers were invited to "grab a camera, start shooting and tell their story through film", using the Tropfest NY 2012 Signature Item of "Bagel".
Over a weekend in June 2012, The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas celebrated Tropfest's 20th anniversary, culminating in a screening of the best 16 films from the past two decades in the Tropfest All Star Competition. With judges Toni Collette (President of the Jury), Tobey Maguire, Rebel Wilson, James Woods, Anthony LaPaglia, Trevor Groth and Charles Randolph presiding over the competition, The Story of Bubble Boy, directed by Sean Ascroft, ultimately took out the top prize.
A few weeks later, on 23 June 2012, Tropfest New York had its debut in Bryant Park. Hosted by Hugh Jackman and including musical performances by Alexi Murdoch and Milagres, the festival attracted a crowd of approximately 10,000. Judges Rose Byrne, Judah Friedlander, Jennifer Westfeldt, Scott Foundas and Ted Hope awarded the $20,000 first prize to director Josh Leake for his film Emptys. Tropfest NY 2013 festival was held on 22 June in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, with a bridge as the signature item. In 2014 Tropfest postponed its New York event. The festival planned a 2015 event, using a kiss as the signature item, which was originally announced for 2014.
Tropfest has one of the most successful channels on YouTube, having attracted more than 45,000,000 video views for its films in a relatively short time period.[clarification needed]
In February 2013 festival founder John Polson announced a change of date to 8 December and a change of venue from the Domain to Centennial Park.[6] We feel like we are changing gears, we are growing every year and Centennial Park is in some ways the emotional heart of Sydney
The winner of the December 2013 festival, Bamboozled, was accused of homophobia and transphobia.[7] It is a comedy in which a man sleeps with a man he believes to be his transitioned ex-girlfriend.[7]
2015 cancellationEdit
On 11 November Polson announced that the 2015 Sydney Tropfest had been cancelled. He said "... I have been made aware that the company contracted to raise the funding and administer the Tropfest event is unable to move forward for financial reasons.".[8][9] CEO of Tropfest Festival Productions, Michael Laverty, has been unavailable for comment.[10][11]
Tropfest Australia Centennial Parklands, Sydney 6 December 2015 Rescheduled for 14 February 2016[12]
Tropfest South East Asia The Esplanade, Penang 1 February 2015
Tropfest New Zealand TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth 14 February 2015
Tropfest United States Prospect Park, New York City TBC
Tropfest Arabia TBC TBC
Financial difficultiesEdit
Polsons said he had discovered to his “surprise” Tropfest was facing a financial crisis and could not proceed due to a lack of funds.[13] It emerged the management company Polson had fallen out with over the alleged “mismanagement” of Tropfest funds was managed by Laverty, his long-time Tropfest partner and its managing director.
Over the following days it emerged suppliers and contracted partners of Tropfest have been experiencing payment delays for several months. As of 14 November Laverty was un-contactable for any comments.[14] Commercial entertainment services agency The Intersection, who was retained in 2014 by Tropfest issued a statement on Facebook stating its relationship with Tropfest ended in 2014 over a pay dispute.[14]
An outpouring of support for Tropfest quickly appeared over social media, including Twitter and Facebook, with calls for generous benefactors, state or federal government support, or crowd-funding.[15]
On 6 December Polson announced that the Sydney festival would be held in its intended venue, Centennial Park on Sunday, 14 February 2016. CGU Insurance is the source of the necessary extra funding.[12]
Signature itemEdit
Each year, Tropfest requires that entries include a particular "signature item" or action to ensure that they are unique and are made specifically for the festival. No TSI was required for the 1993 festival. The following are TSIs by year:[16]
2019 – Candle
2018 – Rose
2017 – Pineapple
2015 – Card
2014 – Mirror
2013, December – Change
2013, February – Balloon
2012 – Lightbulb
2011 – Key
2010 – Dice
2009 – Spring
2008 – The Number 8
2007 – Sneeze
2006 – Bubble
2005 – Umbrella
2004 – Hook
2003 – Rock
2002 – Match
2001 – Horn
2000 – Bug
1999 – Chopsticks
1998 – Kiss
1997 – Pickle
1996 – Teaspoon
1995 – Coffee Bean
1994 – Muffin
1993 – No TSI
List of festivals in Australia
2006 Tropfest finalists
^ "Tropicana Cafe - History". Tropicana Cafe. 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
^ "Sydney Events". Sydney.com. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
^ "Parramatta to host Tropfest". ABC News u. ABC Australia. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
^ Bodey, Michael (19 April 2007). "PBL's long-term plan for Tropfest shorts". The Australian. Retrieved 19 April 2007.
^ Tropfest loses Sony and gains Movie Extra - B&T Today, 7 Aug 2008 Archived 20 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^ Hardie, Giles (17 February 2013). "It's time to leave home as Tropfest turns 21". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
^ a b "Tropfest winner Bamboozled accused of transphobia". News Corp Australia. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
^ "Tropfest short film festival cancelled over 'terrible mismanagement' of funds". ABC News. ABC. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ "2015 Tropfest Cancelled". Facebook. Tropfest Pty Ltd. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ "Michael Laverty (@mlaverty18) - Twitter".
^ Maddox, Garry (11 November 2015). "Exclusive: Tropfest cancelled after 'huge hole' in funding".
^ a b "Tropfest film festival set to return after securing financial lifeline, organisers say". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC. 6 December 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
^ "Tropfest founder launches legal action as festival cancelled".
^ a b The Daily Telegraph
^ "Tropfest cancellation sparks outpouring of support". 12 November 2015.
^ "TSI". Tropfest. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
Tropfest YouTube Channel
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India's Climate Change Identit...
India's Climate Change Identity Between Reality and Perception
This book presents a new and innovative approach to understanding the dynamics of international climate change negotiations using India as a focal point. The authors consider India’s negotiating position at multilateral climate negotiations and its focus on the notion of ‘equity’ and its new avatar...
Saran, Samir, Jones, Aled (Author)
Cham Springer International Publishing 2017, 2017
Climate Change Management And Policy
Climate Change/climate Change Impacts
This book presents a new and innovative approach to understanding the dynamics of international climate change negotiations using India as a focal point. The authors consider India’s negotiating position at multilateral climate negotiations and its focus on the notion of ‘equity’ and its new avatar ‘climate justice’. This book delves into the media’s representation of India as a rural economy, a rising industrial power, a developing country, a member of the 5 emerging economies (BRICS), and a country with severe resource security issues, in order to examine the diverse and at time divergent narratives on India’s national identity in the context of policy formulation. Those researching such diverse fields as international development, politics, economics, climate change, and international law will find this book offers useful insights into the motivations and drivers of a nation’s response to climate change imperatives. Samir Saran is Vice President at the Observer Research Foundation, India. He is honorary Director of the centre for peace and conflict studies at the Sardar Patel Police University (SPUP) and faculty at a number of other schools and programs. His research interests include: the representation of Islam and mediation of radicalism, climate change, internet governance and cyber security, and the emergence of BRICS in the international order. Aled Jones is Director of the Global Sustainability Institute (GSI) at Anglia Ruskin University, UK. His research focusses on the finance sector and government and how they will respond to the impacts of global resource trends and climate change
XVII, 144 p. 10 illus online resource
Global Climate Change Policy and Carbon Markets Transition to a New Era
by: Rosenzweig, Richard H.
Climate Change Adaptation in Pacific Countries Fostering Resilience and Improving the Quality of Life
Climate Change Signals and Response A Strategic Knowledge Compendium for India
Climate Change and Renewable Energy How to End the Climate Crisis
by: Bush, Martin J.
Combatting Climate Change in the Pacific The Role of Regional Organizations
by: Williams, Marc, et al.
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Rhapsody in Blue – Breakthrough Moment in American Art & Culture: Feb. 12, 1924
By Edith Hathaway ©2017
There are cultural flashpoints in every era. And since musical tastes typically take the longest to develop, flashpoints may be recognized at the time as such. But they can also take many more decades before their impact is fully understood. One such moment was on Feb. 12, 1924 at a concert in New York City, now referred to as “a defining event of the Jazz Age and the cultural history of New York City.” (Wikipedia: Aeolian Hall) The concert became known as a “jazz concert” only years after the event. It was also the world premiere of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Up to that time, Gershwin was largely unknown to the classical music world.
In late 1923 Paul Whiteman (“King of Jazz”) announced he would present a concert called “An Experiment in Modern Music” in New York City. Paul Whiteman and his Palais Royal Orchestra were the best known and most successful dance band of the 1920s. Whiteman’s musicians were both highly accomplished and versatile, each of them often playing several instruments. He preferred classically trained musicians, with an average of 12 and up to 35 of them in his group. Whiteman offered them four times the salary they made with a symphony orchestra, even in prestigious positions. Some were gifted arrangers and orchestrators who could exploit the virtuosity of the group. Among them was composer/pianist Ferde Grofé. When Gershwin was commissioned to compose a new piece for piano and jazz band for the Feb. 1924 concert, it was Grofé who orchestrated Rhapsody in Blue.
Gershwin worked on ideas for the piece in late Dec. 1923, including on a train trip to Boston, where previews were held for the show, Sweet Little Devil, for which he had written the music and Buddy De Sylva the lyrics. The show was in final rehearsals and set to open on Broadway Jan. 21, 1924. According to some accounts, Gershwin was so occupied with that production that he had forgotten about the Whiteman commission until his brother Ira spotted an announcement of the concert in The New York Tribune, Jan. 4, 1924. Ira, George, and Buddy DeSylva were relaxing in a billiards parlor at the time when Ira read it aloud. The final paragraph surprised Ira: “George Gershwin is at work on a jazz concerto, Irving Berlin is writing a syncopated tone poem and Victor Herbert is working on an American suite.”
Gershwin started notating the original score on Jan. 7th and completed it in three short weeks, leaving little time for orchestrating the 16-minute piece. Grofé made daily trips to the Gershwin household to gather pages, and completed the orchestration just eight days prior to the concert. He scored the piece for an expanded Palais Royal Orchestra of 23 musicians plus solo piano (Gershwin), with many musicians doubling on numerous instruments. He later did orchestrations of Rhapsody in Blue for larger orchestras (1926 and 1942).
The full concert consisted of 26 individual segments by leading jazz and classical composers, including Gershwin. Whiteman said it would be a largely educational concert – especially to determine what was American music; and to challenge the notion that jazz music had no place in the concert hall, since up to then jazz music was known strictly as dance music. To prove the point, Whiteman booked one of the premiere classical music concert halls in New York City. The Aeolian Hall was normally home to the New York Symphony and its conductor Walter Damrosch. Whiteman invited many distinguished guests from across the cultural spectrum. Among them were pianist/composers Sergei Rachmaninoff and Leopold Godowsky, composers Igor Stravinsky, Ernest Bloch and John Phillip Sousa, violinists Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Kreisler, conductors Walter Damrosch and Leopold Stokowski, actress Gertrude Lawrence, and dancers Fred and Adele Astaire. Many people at the time thought it was a preposterous idea to bring together jazz, popular music, and concert music in the same program. In the U.S. this was still an unconventional and novel combination, frowned on by most arbiters of good taste in the classical music world: music critics, composers, and music conservatory stalwarts. But American jazz was beginning to interest and inspire some composers in Europe (including Maurice Ravel and Béla Bartók, who were Gershwin fans); and Whiteman had an excellent sense for what would interest and excite the public. Jazz afficionados in the U.S. were further emboldened by the concert, especially as it was scheduled for Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. They called it “The Emancipation Proclamation of JAZZ.”
“… If I’d been willing to wait a few centuries for a verdict on my work, I wouldn’t have been so wrought up over the Aeolian Hall concert. But here I saw the common people of America taking all the jazz they could get and mad to get more, yet not having the courage to admit that they took it seriously. I believed that jazz was beginning a new movement in the world’s art of music. I wanted it to be recognized as such. I knew it never would be in my lifetime until the recognized authorities on music gave it their approval.” Paul Whiteman, excerpt from his 1926 autobiography Jazz, with co-author Mary Margaret McBride.
Click here for a brief review on how to read the South Indian charts.
SOURCE: http://bixbeiderbecke.com/ReviewRecreationAeolianHallConcert.html The cover of the original concert program is shown, with date and time given: Feb. 12, 1924, 3 pm, Aeolian Hall, New York City. The hall seated 1100 people and they were fighting to get in the door on a cold, snowy day. Hundreds of people were turned away at the box office. In her 1993 biography, The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin (p. 83), author Joan Peyser says the concert began at 2:45 pm (29:17 sidereal Gemini Ascendant). But this is unlikely, in my opinion, especially as the original concert program confirms the start time was 3:00 pm, and many people were vying to get in the hall. Paul Whiteman writes in his 1926 autobiography, Jazz, that he delayed starting the concert for a short time while he dealt with his anxieties of taking on such a major project, and with all the distinguished artists and patrons in the audience, many of whom he had personally invited. He writes that he slipped out of the hall to check on the box office: “There I gazed upon a picture that should have imparted new vigor to my wilting confidence. It was snowing, but men and women were fighting to get into the door, pulling and mauling each other as they do sometimes at a baseball game or a prize fight, or in the subway. Such was the state of my mind by this time that I wondered if I had come to the right entrance. And then I saw Victor Herbert going in. It was the right entrance, sure enough, and the next day the ticket office people said they could have sold out the house ten times over.” (Paul Whiteman quoted in Gershwin: A Biography, 1987, by Edward Jablonski, pp. 68-69)
THE CONCERT – WHAT THE PLANETS TELL US
Watery planets, along with a watery Ascendant lend themselves to a musical event, but to have a musically stunning, even historical event, the chart should have the strong influence of the classical benefic planets: Venus and Jupiter. At 3:00 pm there is a watery Ascendant (Cancer) as well as three planets in water (Mars and Jupiter in Scorpio, and Venus in Pisces). Music is especially linked with the watery element, as it connects people to their emotions and memories (Moon), and has a potentially transformative effect.
Moon has the ability to connect with all things and all people. As Ascendant lord, Moon is in the 10th house at 29:59 Aries, and at 3:01 pm it shifts into Taurus, its sign of exaltation. The Moon gains strength here in two ways. At 3:00 pm tr. Moon is in a kendra (angular house) at the highest degree of celestial longitude, giving it Atmakaraka status. The Atmakaraka planet has power in the chart, especially as Ascendant lord. Once tr. Moon shifts into Taurus, it resides in its sign of exaltation, which is further empowered due to its sign lord Venus in turn being also exalted. Venus rules over music and the arts, and the Moon rules over the people, the public, and the receptivity to emotional and/or mental content. Once tr. Moon shifts into Taurus at 3:01 pm, it is undoubtedly within the time period when the concert actually began, according to Whiteman’s autobiography. We then have three planets in exaltation, the first two being classical benefic planets: waxing Moon in Taurus, Venus in Pisces, and Saturn in Libra. But the Moon about to change signs so quickly telegraphs the message of a shift that occurs during this concert, or perhaps even because of this concert.
Both Moon and Saturn reside in signs ruled by exalted Venus, ruler of music. Venus in turn is situated in the auspicious 9th house from the Ascendant. Further, Saturn has added strength being at its exact Stationary Retrograde (SR) degree, having turned SR two days earlier at 9:32 Libra. This feature contributed to the longevity of the concert program itself, whose conception was so successful that Whiteman gave seven more “Experiments in Music” concerts, the last one in 1938. A strong Saturn also helped to compensate for the speed at which everyone was working, especially in order to bring Rhapsody in Blue to the concert stage for its world premiere performance. With Mars losing the Graha Yuddha (Planetary War), and a Total lunar eclipse coming 8 days after the concert at 7:58 Leo, within two degrees of Rahu in the concert chart, it would have been easy for many components to spin out of control, including Gershwin completing the work at all, or the musicians not having enough time to rehearse it. But Ferde Grofé, among others, worked with discipline and precision to scrupulously honor Gershwin’s intentions. Tr. Mars is also greatly modified here by tr. Jupiter, as we shall see.
The Cancer Ascendant is reinforced by 1) being in its Vargottama segment (repeats in the Navamsha chart), 2) by receiving benefic Jupiter’s aspect, and 3) by having a strong Ascendant lord (Moon). Cancer as the 4th astrological sign naturally rules over classic 4th house matters, which include family, home, and education. Paul Whiteman grew up in Denver, Colorado, where his father was supervisor of music in the Denver public schools for 50 years and his mother, a former opera singer, sang in choral societies. His music education was rigorous; he played violin and viola in classical orchestras in Denver and San Francisco before moving into the jazz medium, which in the 1910-1920 era was still in its infancy in the U.S. Inheriting some of his father’s pedagogical skills, and with his own publicity instincts, Whiteman billed this concert as “an educational concert.” He included an expensive 14 pages of educational material within the Feb. 12, 1924 concert program, and hired a narrator to introduce each piece. He also invited some of the most esteemed New York music critics.
Tr. Mars and Jupiter are in Graha Yuddha (Planetary War) on a Tuesday, a Mars-ruled day. Normally Mars would be crushed by Jupiter, but because these are two great good planetary friends and both of them Raja yogakarakas for Cancer Ascendant (Jupiter rules the 9th house, a trinal house; Mars the 10th house, an angular house), Mars does not do badly. Mars and Jupiter together produce a Maha Raja yoga in the 5th house: a Dharma Karmadhipati yoga. This is exceedingly fortunate for matters of career and status. When tr. Moon moves into Taurus at 3:01 pm, tr. Jupiter and Mars also become Atmakaraka and Amatyakaraka planets respectively, giving them Jaimini Raja yoga status. (Again, Atmakaraka is the planet at the highest degree of celestial longitude, and Amatyakaraka is the next highest degree of celestial longitude.)
Since the Cancer Ascendant is Vargottama, (repeats in the Navamsha), this auspicious yoga appears again in the Navamsha chart, this time in the 7th house in Capricorn. This is also a Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga, since Navamsha Jupiter is debilitated in Capricorn, but is corrected by its contact with exalted Mars also in Capricorn. In both the birth chart of the concert and in the Navamsha we see how a potential defeat is turned into a triumph. The 10th house lord (Mars) is lifted up by Jupiter in the birth chart, and in the Navamsha chart the 9th house lord (Jupiter) is lifted up by exalted Mars (10th house lord). The concert is on a Mars-ruled day, Mars is in its own sign, and though Jupiter defeats Mars in the Graha Yuddha, in this case it lifts it up beyond where it might be expected to go. Both planets also do well together in the Navamsha. In the concert birth chart they reside in Jyestha nakshatra, ruled by Mercury, who is well placed in Capricorn in an angular house (the 7th house of the birth chart). From Cancer Ascendant Mercury also rules the 3rd house, which is associated with music.
Repeating this theme of gaining success after a disadvantageous start (public opinion challenging the premise of the concert, even if mightily curious to attend), the Navamsha chart contains three debilitated planets (Sun, Venus, Jupiter) and one exalted planet (Mars). Navamsha Sun debilitated in Libra is corrected by Venus in an angular house from Navamsha Moon, thus Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga. Navamsha Venus debilitated in Virgo is corrected by Jupiter in a kendra from the Navamsha Ascendant, thus Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga. Navamsha Jupiter debilited in Capricorn is corrected by Mars also in Capricorn, as mentioned, thus also Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga. This yoga often refers to a person or a situation (as in this case: an event chart) which starts out with disadvantages and becomes even stronger somehow, possibly because of the initial uphill conditions and determination to triumph over the odds.
Cancer is associated with families, and Paul Whiteman was at times called “A Great Big Family Man,” a double entendre, as he was a big man size-wise and he was devoted to his many fine musicians all across the country. He encouraged them and persuaded many of them to leave their jobs in symphony orchestras, in part because he knew their quality and could pay them far more for it. He and his band moved to New York City in 1918 and began recording with the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor) in 1920, giving Whiteman and his band national prominence. He was the best known dance band leader in the 1920s in the U.S., with a decline only by the late 1930s. Whiteman went on to bring many musicians to national prominence, including George Gershwin, and also singers Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore. He worked with many black musicians behind the scenes, but due to the segregation era his managers vetoed his working with them publicly. (See Whiteman’s birth chart further below.)
SOURCE: Tuesday, Feb. 12, 1924, 4:45 pm EST, Manhattan, NY, USA. This time for the exact moment when Rhapsody in Blue was performed at its World premiere concert is my speculative rectification, based on numerous factors, including a start time estimated to be sometime between 3:01 and 3:15 pm. The scheduled and announced start time was 3:00 pm, Feb. 12, 1924, as given in the previous chart. Gershwin’s piece was 25th on a program of 26 individual pieces. Music critics reported that the audience responded to it with “tumultuous applause” and demanded three curtain calls. Rhapsody in Blue is estimated to have lasted ca. 16 minutes. The next and last piece was Edward Elgar’s 1921 march Pomp and Circumstance (the one most often played at graduation ceremonies). A recent recording of that piece cites its duration as 8 min. 47 secs. Paul Whiteman, in his 1926 autobiography Jazz (co-authored with Mary Margaret McBride) says: “ …[A]t half past five, on the afternoon of February 12, 1924, we took our fifth curtain call.” With a minimum of two minutes per curtain call, plus three curtain calls after Rhapsody, that makes a minimum 16 minutes of curtain calls, and does not include time to announce either piece. With 16 to 20 minutes of curtain calls after 5 pm, this fits more accurately with the duration of the last two pieces ca. 16 min. and 9 minutes, respectively, and reaching the 5th and final curtain call by ca. 5:30 pm. This differs from Joan Peyser’s account in her 1993 book The Memory of All That… (p. 83) that by 5:05 pm Gershwin’s piece had still not been played. I would disagree with this account and with Peyser’s statement that the concert began at 2:45 pm. This is based on other sources, including Whiteman himself, and the strength of the astrological chart as of 4:45 pm. Tr. Jupiter is exactly aspecting the Ascendant, further enhancing the Raja yogas described in the previous chart, and improving the Navamsha chart, whose Ascendant has moved to Capricorn, now containing Moon, Mars and Jupiter.
RHAPSODY IN BLUE – WORLD PREMIERE
Most people came to this concert because of Paul Whiteman, not George Gershwin, though he had some publicity draw – mainly as a song writer (“Swanee,” “Stairway to Paradise,” and “Do it Again”). Nevertheless, Rhapsody in Blue would turn out to be the highlight of the Aeolian Hall concert on Feb. 12, 1924. Victor Herbert’s Suite of Serenades preceded Gershwin’s on the program of 26 pieces, and though masterful, it was greeted only with polite applause. Some accounts of the event report that the audience was starting to file out, as the ventilation system in the building was broken and people were uncomfortable and impatient. The musicians and members of the audience were said to be bathed in sweat. Other reports, including from Paul Whiteman and from music critics who attended said there was enthusiastic applause after every number. So it is not clear whether conditions in the hall were becoming more and more challenging, but astrologically it is clear that Jupiter’s aspect to the Ascendant was coming closer and closer. And that was highly favorable.
Then came Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, which he originally titled An American Rhapsody. The new title was suggested by George’s brother Ira, calling attention to the E major blues themes, and also influenced by titles from a recent exhibit of paintings by James McNeill Whistler, with titles such as Nocturne in Blue and Silver, and Symphony in White.
“I had already done some work on the rhapsody. It was on the train [to Boston], with its steely rhythms, its rattle-ty-bang that is often so stimulating to a composer… I frequently hear music in the very heart of noise. And there I suddenly heard—and even saw on paper—the complete construction of the rhapsody, from beginning to end. No new themes came to me, but I worked on the thematic material already in my mind, and tried to conceive the composition as a whole. I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America—of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our metropolitan madness. By the time I reached Boston I had a definite plot of the piece, as distinguished from its actual substance. George Gershwin, quoted in Robert Kimball and Alfred Simon, The Gershwins, 1973, p. 35.
The Rhapsody’s opening clarinet glissando was considered “outrageous” by the music critics, in part because they had never heard such a thing in a concert hall, and indeed – it came as a result of reed player Ross Gorman, who at rehearsal deliberately smeared the passage from how it was written, perhaps as joke. But only a virtuoso clarinetist could have pulled off such a feat. Gershwin liked it so much he kept it in and immediately incorporated it into the piece. Gershwin’s own pianistic talents were mentioned even by critics who were more negative and questioning about the construction of the piece. And up to the present time, music experts have concurred that no one has played Rhapsody in Blue with more brilliance and verve than George Gershwin himself.
“… When Gershwin played the Rhapsody, he played it in a much freer, more open, more heavily accented and contrasted—yes, even jazz-like—style than has been achieved by subsequent performers. The two abridged recordings Gershwin and Whiteman made together of the Rhapsody have a dash and sparkle that virtually every later performance has lacked.” Ibid., p. 36.
One of the key differences between this chart for 4:45 pm and the start of the concert at 3:00 pm is of course the transiting Moon, which again repeats the themes of weakness . Though Moon in Aries is well placed in the 10th house, 10th lord Mars is defeated in Planetary War by Jupiter. When tr. Moon moves into Taurus, that weakness is replaced by sign lord Venus exalted in Pisces in the 9th house: the most fortunate house. As 4th lord in the 9th house, Venus forms a Raja yoga, and as 11th lord in the 9th house Venus forms a Dhana yoga of wealth. Though Whiteman spent $11,000 on the concert and only made $4,000 – it proved to be a shrewd investment. The concert elevated his status and had the caché of being the World Premiere of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. It was also the moment when Gershwin, the songwriter, became known as a composer. As his contemporary Irving Berlin said: “George Gershwin is the only song writer I know who became a composer.” (quoted in The Gershwin Years, by Edward Jablonski and Lawrence D. Steward, 2nd edition, 1973, p. 16).
Another way to see how the initial financial loss for Whiteman was not fateful is the condition of the Sun, lord of the 2nd house of finances. Though it resides in the 8th house with Ketu and on the eclipse axis, it is surrounded on both sides by classic benefic planets: a Shubha Kartari yoga. Mercury is in House 7 and Venus is in House 9. This is a protective yoga, and tends to fortify and shield matters of the 8th house, along with those things associated with the Sun, such as leadership. Whiteman’s leadership status was only enhanced, as was Gershwin’s in his realm.
As mentioned, by the time Rhapsody in Blue was performed, the 25th out of 26 numbers on the program, some of the audience had begun to leave because of the non-working ventilation system, according to some accounts. (Saturn in the 4th can bring some challenging conditions to the real estate.) But they watched as a confident George Gershwin strode on to the stage, sat down at the piano and gave a nod to the conductor to begin. Then came the wailing of the clarinet opening glissando. They decided to stay, hurrying back to their seats.
With the 4:45 pm chart, Jupiter has gained power, and its exact aspect to the Cancer Ascendant enhances the entire chart. In the Navamsha chart, Capricorn Ascendant contains Moon, Mars and Jupiter, another formidable Raja yoga, with Navamsha Moon having moved from its initial 6th house position (at 3:00 pm) with Saturn and Ketu. The 6th house Moon shows the many worries that were associated with this concert, along with the excitement and intense anticipation, in large part set up by Whiteman’s superior publicity sense. Jupiter is Digbala in the Navamsha Ascendant, its best angular house, and though debilitated it receives correction from now two sources: exalted Mars and Moon in the Navamsha Ascendant. This adds momentum to the three Neecha Bhanga Raja yogas in the Navamsha chart: Venus, Sun and Jupiter. These yogas in such abundance provide the possibility of elevating the status of a person or person(s) connected with this event.
The exact Jupiter aspect to the Ascendant is THE MAJOR astrological feature describing the climactic effect Gershwin’s Rhapsody would have at this juncture of the program. The potentially out-of-control energy of Mars losing a Planetary War on a Tuesday, a Mars-ruled day, is contained but not totally constrained by Jupiter. Tuesday is not the best day for a concert and is more suited to a competitive event – which this was in many ways. It was a contest to see if Whiteman and his musicians could prove the pundits wrong. Would he embarrass himself in a big way? Or would he prove something new? He strove for an educational platform to provide a learning experience if not genuine excitement about the intermingling of popular and classical music.
One headline the next day in the New York Evening Post read “Jazz Invades Aeolian Hall.” A reviewer from The Sun and the Globe confessed that he “ached to dance up and down the aisles.” Another reviewer, Olin Downes of The New York Times described the relative abandon and spontaneity of the musicians by recalling this maxim: “An Englishman entered a place as if he were its master, whereas an American entered as if he didn’t care who in blazes the master might be.” This echoes the response of conservative Russian composer Alexander Glazunov after hearing Rhapsody in Blue for the first time in 1932: “It’s part human and part animal!” (The New York Philharmonic Orchestra performed it with George Gershwin at the piano.)
Not all music critics were enthusiastic about the Feb. 1924 concert and some major critics attacked Gershwin’s work, including Lawrence Gilman, chief music critic of the New York Tribune: “Recall the most ambitious piece on yesterday’s program [Rhapsody in Blue] and weep over the lifelessness of its melody and harmony, so derivative, so stale, so inexpressive.” However, he did note Gershwin’s pianistic gifts.
On the positive side Henrietta Strauss of The Nation magazine, cited “… the spectacle of an American boy playing with extraordinary ease an original composition of terrific rhythmical difficulty and of individual power and beauty, and winning immediate recognition for his achievement.”
The public was enthralled, especially with Rhapsody in Blue. Accordingly, Whiteman scheduled repeat concerts on March 7, 1924 at Aeolian Hall and at Carnegie Hall on April 21, 1924. Following the Carnegie Hall performance, Whiteman and his orchestra went on a two-week tour to Canada as well as an extensive U.S. tour. Gershwin was the piano soloist up through June 1924, when Milton Rettenberg replaced him. The Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor) noted the concert’s success and took advantage of it by recording Paul Whiteman’s orchestra numerous times in 1923 through 1928, including in June 1924 the first recorded performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, with Gershwin at the piano and Paul Whiteman and his Palais Royal Orchestra.
This started the piece on its way to being possibly the best known concert work of the 20th century, even if it took some decades to be fully accepted in the classical music community, helped also by graduating to a full symphony orchestra from the original jazz band score. Gershwin performed the Rhapsody for the first time in Britain in June 1925, and in 1926 Paul Whiteman and his orchestra’s successful tour all across Europe further popularized the piece. Even more worldwide attention came at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, when 84 pianists performed Rhapsody in Blue. Then on Feb. 12, 2014, at the 90th Anniversary celebration in New York City, Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks Orchestra recreated the full 1924 Aeolian Hall concert program. A rich performance history by some of the leading classical pianists and orchestras of the world are a tribute both to Gershwin’s masterpiece and also to his own pianistic gifts, with no one surpassing his own performances from the 1920s.
SOURCE: Monday, Sept. 26, 1898, 11:00 am EST, Brooklyn, King’s county, NY, USA. Class A data (from memory) from AstroDataBank was formerly listed as 11:00 am, which is my preferred time. Marion March quotes the time in a biography as 11:00 AM. ADB has since changed this birth time to 11:09 am (13:38 Scorpio sidereal Ascendant), though the source is not clear, and 11:09 am could have been rectified from the original 11:00 am. From ADB Source notes: Mark Edmund Jones quotes Augusta Wiley, “verified,” in Guide to Horoscope Interpretation. (Same in Sabian Symbols No.384.) Huggins in The Astrology Magazine gives 11:15 AM LMT. The time may have been rectified from an original 11:00 AM.
GERSHWIN & THE WORLD PREMIERE OF RHAPSODY IN BLUE
Prior to the Aeolian Hall concert on Feb. 12, 1924, Gershwin was known primarily as a song writer and composer of a few Broadway musicals, starting with La La Lucille in April 1919. His first major song hit was “Swanee” (1919) for which he wrote the music and Buddy DeSylva the lyrics. It brought Gershwin fame and riches after Al Jolson heard it and recorded it in Jan. 1920.
Gershwin first met Paul Whiteman in 1922 and worked with him and his orchestra on a Broadway show: George White’s Scandals of 1922. Gershwin’s one-act opera, Blue Monday was part of the show, but was withdrawn after opening night. The producers thought the subject matter too depressing for a vaudeville show with mostly lighter fare, but others, including Whiteman thought the 25-minute piece showed Gershwin’s ability to write what they called a “serious” work. The themes revolved around love and jealousy, with a tragic end. Reviewers mostly panned it, some very badly, but Whiteman could see in it Gershwin’s true range. Indeed, it would foreshadow later works, including his opera Porgy and Bess (1935). Whiteman admired Gershwin’s abilities and encouraged him to write an orchestral work using a jazz-derived language. Blue Monday would lead eventually to Whiteman’s commission 15 months later that became Rhapsody in Blue.
With his own watery Ascendant, Gershwin’s destiny was well-meshed with this concert chart. His birth chart contains a Mars-ruled Scorpio Ascendant, and Gershwin stood to gain from events during the year that Jupiter passed through Scorpio: Oct. 22, 1923 to Nov. 15, 1924. Fortuitously, on Nov. 1, 1923, Gershwin made his debut on the concert stage at Aeolian Hall. Canadian mezzo-soprano Eve Gautier gave A Recital of Ancient and Modern Music for Voice, consisting of classical and popular music, an innovation in concert programming for the times. Gershwin was invited to accompany her on the popular music only, with two of his songs: “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise” and “Do it Again,” both from Broadway shows. They collaborated on several more concerts in 1924, 1925, and 1926. Paul Whiteman was present at the concert and was excited with the innovation of the classical/jazz combination. Conceiving of his “Experiment in Music” concert at Aeolian Hall around that time, he booked it for Feb. 12, 1924.
Gershwin was in the 16-year Jupiter Dasha starting March 30, 1921, and in the sub-period of Jupiter-Saturn on Feb. 12, 1924. The best planets for Scorpio Ascendant are Sun, Moon and Jupiter. They also have high status as Nadi yogakarakas, and work well here: Natal Jupiter contacts the Sun and aspects the Moon in the 3rd house of music. Thus, Jupiter Dasha is undoubtedly his best life-time Dasha. And while Jupiter is Dasha lord, the transits of Jupiter become extremely important. So we see the many multiplying benefits tr. Jupiter in Scorpio would bring Gershwin.
Another resonance to this concert chart and its tight Mars-Jupiter conjunction comes from Gershwin’s Nadi yoga between Mars and Jupiter: Mars is in Jupiter-ruled Punarvasu nakshatra, and Jupiter is in Mars-ruled Chitra nakshatra. This gives the two planets a great deal of close interaction in the chart and in the life. They also aspect each other: Mars aspects Jupiter in the birth chart, and Jupiter aspects Mars in the Navamsha chart. Since Mars is Ascendant lord, Jupiter gives an expansive, energizing effect to this already very active Mars. Gershwin’s ongoing nervous, electrical energy and his non-stop work and play schedule made him highly productive, but also may have caused mental and physical burnout. However, during Jupiter Dasha, he was able to go full throttle, and indeed he did.
Gershwin’s destiny for fame and fortune is already contained within the birth chart. He benefits from having these yogas: 1) Amala yoga: A classic benefic is in the 10th house from natal Moon or Ascendant. Ideally the benefic should not be afflicted by a malefic associated with it or aspecting it. Gershwin has this yoga both from the Ascendant (Mercury) and the Moon (Venus). 2) Maha Parivartana yoga: The Sun in Virgo in the 11th house is in mutual exchange with Mercury in Leo in the 10th house, benefiting his status, career, and moneys made from his career. Fortifying this yoga are two other very positive yogas: 3) Shubha Kartari yoga: Classic benefic planets straddle the 11th house Sun and Jupiter, benefiting the affairs of the 11th house, along with Sun and Jupiter. Next is 4) Ubhayachari yoga: Planets are situated in the 12th and 1st houses from the Sun, supporting the Sun and reiterating the theme of Gershwin’s large network of friends and supporters. Fortunately, Jupiter is two degrees beyond the classical range of combustion and benefits vicariously from the Sun’s Parivartana yoga with Mercury.
Less fortunate yogas include: 1) the Arishta yoga: Ascendant lord Mars is in the 8th house, a Dusthana house, with classic malefic Ketu opposite Rahu. He died at age 37, just a few months into his Saturn Dasha; and 2) Kemadruma Bhanga yoga: Moon with no physical planets on either side of it, but corrected twice, by an angular planet from the Moon (Venus, also creating the Amala yoga) and by an aspect from benefic Jupiter.
Against the larger planetary backdrop and coinciding within five months of the start of his 16-year Jupiter Dasha (March 30, 1921), Gershwin’s destiny benefited from a Jupiter return to its natal sign and house in late August 1921, and from the 20-year Jupiter-Saturn conjunction cycle. A JU-SA conjunction occurred at 3:49 Virgo on Sept. 9, 1921 (Uttara Phalguni nakshatra). This conjunction occurred in his 11th house with natal Sun and Jupiter in Virgo already participating in several auspicious yogas. Natal Sun is at 11:07 Virgo, close to exactly on the 11th house cusp from the Ascendant at 11:49 Scorpio. With the 11th house defined by financial gains, large networks of friends and also elder brother, we see the huge importance of George’s ever-widening social network as well as his older brother Ira Gershwin. Ira was his biggest supporter within the family and became his business partner and chief lyricist/collaborator after 1924. This in turn benefited the well-being and financial fortunes of the entire extended Gershwin family. Not only is 11th house the older sibling but Mars is karaka of sibling, as well as being lord of Scorpio Ascendant.
SOURCE: Friday, March 28, 1890, 4:00 am MST, Denver, Colorado, USA. Class C Data from AstroDataBank. (Class C = Original source unknown).
Even with Class C data, this chart is notable for repeating many of the patterns of the concert chart for Feb. 12, 1924: Mars in Scorpio, a prominent Jupiter, and Venus in Pisces. As with the concert chart, Whiteman has several planets in watery signs: in this case four planets: Mars in Scorpio, and Mercury, Sun and Venus in Pisces. Venus is within 2 degrees of her maximum exaltation degree at 27:00 Pisces.
Jupiter’s expansive influence makes this Capricorn Ascendant chart a real possibility. Aside from his large physical stature (and he grew more rotund with the years), Whiteman made this statement about his intentions for the Feb. 12, 1924 concert, An Experiment in Music: “I intend… to sketch, musically, from the beginning of American history, the development of our emotional resources which have led us to the characteristic American music of today.” (Edward Jablonski, Gershwin: A Biography, 1987, p. 62)
His planets in Scorpio (Mars), Capricorn (Jupiter) and Pisces (Mercury, Sun, and Venus) resonate well with both the concert chart and with Gershwin’s chart. His natal Moon at 16:04 Gemini is close to Gershwin’s Ascendant lord Mars at 21:18 Gemini, both on the eclipse axis. Note too that Whiteman has two debilitated planets (Mercury and Jupiter, both Neecha Bhanga Raja yoga), one exalted planet (Venus), and a planet in its own sign, swakshetra (Mars), all of which add strength to the chart. The debilitated condition of both natal Mercury and Jupiter continues the themes from the 3 pm concert Navamsha chart of rising up out of some initial disadvantages.
If his Ascendant is correct, at 28:42 Capricorn (Dhanishta nakshatra), it is very close to Gershwin’s natal Moon at 28:05 Capricorn. This would support a close emotional and/or intuitive bond between them. Both men also had marital issues, a characteristic of Dhanishta nakshatra: Whiteman was married four times, and Gershwin had numerous romantic connections, usually with unavailable married women. In any case, there was a close link between the two men that served to make the Aeolian Hall concert of Feb. 12, 1924 one of the major concert events of the 20th century.
Jablonski, Edward, Gershwin: A Biography, 1987.
Jablonski, Edward & Lawrence D. Stewart, The Gershwin Years, 2nd edition, 1973.
Kimball, Robert and Albert Simon, The Gerswins, 1973.
Peyser, Joan, The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin, 1993.
Pollack, Howard, George Gershwin: His Life and Work, 2006.
http://bixbeiderbecke.com/ReviewRecreationAeolianHallConcert.html
https://edithhathaway.com/graha-yuddha-testing-the-parameters-of-astrology-and-astronomy/#more-88
http://www.gracyk.com/whiteman.shtml
http://www.jerryjazzmusician.com/2016/08/revisiting-an-experiment-in-modern-music/
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/15/arts/recordings-the-whiteman-concert-of-1924-lives-on.html
[This article also appears in the Feb. 2017 issue of Astrologic magazine, an on-line magazine.]
Copyright © 2017 by Edith Hathaway. All rights reserved.
Posted in: Art & Culture, Astrology, Vedic Astrology
PRINCE OF BROADWAY – LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA brings Alexander Hamilton to (musical) life
FROM INFORMATION AGE TO SURVEILLANCE STATE – HOW DID WE GET HERE?
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