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School Holiday Events
Creative Kids at Stockland Birtinya
Sunshine Beach State School students who are part of the school’s Academic Talent program recently visited Helitak Firefighting Equipment, a local design and manufacturing company based in Noosaville.
Helitak has developed a unique water tank which fits on the underbelly of various helicopters without modifications to the aircraft itself. The lightweight tanks, with a capacity ranging from 1000 to 10000 litres, have a special drop pattern which allows for more efficient firefighting. This design won ABC's New Inventors and People's Choice award in 2009. The tanks are now sold nationally as well as to North America and Europe.
Students spent an hour with pilot, engineer, inventor and director Jason Schellaars, touring the manufacturing floor, learning about the design process, the use of 3D printing and advanced materials such as carbon fibre. The students got an in-depth look at the micro-controller and code used to control the fill pumps and pneumatic drop mechanism. The highlight for many young inventors was to perform live testing of the actual product, by repeatedly filling the tank and dropping hundreds of litres of water into a container.
It was great to see many of the topics covered in class during the school year being used in real life products, such as 3D modelling and controlling hardware through software code. With the bush-fire season being front and centre currently, this excursion could not have come at a better time.
Sunshine Beach State School has extensively developed their technology program to cultivate the minds for our future.
Two students from St Hilda’s School were awarded first place at a statewide school science competition for a robot designed to detect signs of life underneath rubble following a destructive natural disaster event.
EDUCATION: Offering a world of difference
Nestled in the gorgeous Noosa National Park, Sunshine Beach State School offers a world of difference to learners.
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On the off chance that you are hoping to add a remark closet that you can reach in for, whenever of the year, the trucker coat is an unquestionable requirement have this year. The denim coats are incredible when there is a beginning of a slight nip noticeable all around, and are similarly as extraordinary when worn under a layer, making a mold proclamation. Choose any: simply group it with thin pants or khakis, wear it unfastened on a free tee, or like a shirt. The decision is yours. This coat is super-adaptable, and an outright basic to finish the closet.
Yves Saint Laurent started his brand in 1962 after working at the house of Dior, where he was famously appointed head designer at young age 21. Many of fashion’s most iconic creations can be attributed to YSL, including the women’s tuxedo jacket, the high-fashion peacoat, and the shirt dress. In addition to iconic clothing, he was also among the first designers to feature non-white models. Yves stayed at the brand until his retirement in 2002. He died in June 2008.
In fact, Schiaparelli’s designs were often all too simple to copy, unlike the work of her chief rival, Coco Chanel. After World War II, Schiaparelli, who had lived in New York during the war, returned to Paris and found a different sensibility among its people. The post-war desire for simplicity and practicality made the unique embellishments of her designs less popular, and the endless knock-offs also cut into her profits.
Everyone knows this guy, and I bet you do, too. He’s one of the international fashion icons. Yves Saint Laurent became popular as a designer who re-designed menswear into feminine, beautiful garments for women. His name is also closely associated with the phenomenon of ‘ready-to-wear’ fashion clothing, ‘power suits’ for women and ‘smoking jackets’ for men.
Half-way garments are an alternative to ready-to-wear, "off-the-peg", or prêt-à-porter fashion. Half-way garments are intentionally unfinished pieces of clothing that encourages co-design between the "primary designer" of the garment, and what would usually be considered, the passive "consumer"[5]. This differs from ready-to-wear fashion, as the consumer is able to participate in the process of making and co-designing their clothing. During the Make{able} workshop, Hirscher and Niinimaki found that personal involvement in the garment-making process created a meaningful “narrative” for the user, which established a person-product attachment and increased the sentimental value of the final product.[5]
Halston’s association with Jackie Kennedy was a crucial factor in his rising fame; she generally eschewed hats until she became charmed by Halston’s distinctive pillbox styles during the Sixties. She wore one of his designs to the Presidential Inauguration in 1961; she was also wearing a pillbox hat (in pink) on the day her husband, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated.
Thomas Burberry was born in 1835 in Brockham Green, Surrey. Burberry opened his own small clothing outfitters in Basingstoke in 1857. At that time Basingstoke was a small country town. Nowadays, the Burberry Group is a leading global fashion brand which now sells womenswear, menswear, non-apparel and children’s wear. It is famous for its iconic trademarked check design and British heritage branding.
I don't think I've ever seen so many trends! The autumn/winter 2019 fashions are, to say the least, varied, vast and very much going to suit your style, whatever that may be. If you're a minimalist, there's much to love. If you're a maximalist, this is an epic time for you too. If you like colour, great. If you hate colour, fabulous! Want to dress like you're permanently at a party? That's an entirely legitimate planned, backed by many big industry hitters, including Marc Jacobs and Versace.
To develop a successful design, balance and fitting garment, three dimensional prototypes are essential. Prototypes are also known as toiles. It is the correct distribution of the waist suppression. This method is used in order to cut or smooth away the excess fabric at the waist. Get a perfect shape of the garment to follow the natural curves of the figure, make darts, side seams and the hollow of the back.
The trench coat is so a year ago! This winter, beat the cruel winter icy with the all new form patterns for ladies, i.e. the cape. It nearly takes after a poncho, and is sufficiently adaptable to beat the various types of winter dressing. It can be worn with either sides up or down, will even now run well with some other winter piece, from over the-knee boots to the pajama style. These are best when the nonpartisan hues are picked. The poncho itself offers a layered appearance. Try not to miss this winter slant.
The puffer jackets is rarely off-the-menu right now, but just as it looked set to become a slightly stagnant market the off-duty look is entering new realms as next season it becomes a viable dressed-up option. Whether it's cropped and metallic, wrapped and tonal or mid-lenth and cinched, freezing temperatures will pose no problem on nights out next winter and we already can't wait.
One of the world’s most successful fashion designers, Diane von Fürstenberg impressed the fashion world when she introduced her now-iconic “wrap dress” for the working woman in 1972. Elegance, ease, and accessibility have always been the core of her design philosophy, which has allowed her to turn DVF into a global luxury lifestyle brand. In 2005, she became the recipient of the CFDA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Concurring Opinion on University of the Cumberlands Case
Case Type: Univerity of the Cumberlands v. Reb. Albert M. Pennybacker, et al (#2008-SC-000253-TG); and Vernie McGaha, Senator, Etc., et al v. Univerity of the Cumberlands, et al (#2008-SC-000285-TG)
CUNNINGHAM, J., CONCURRING: I write to concur with the excellent work of Justice Abramson, mindful that my writing can neither add to nor improve upon her well-written opinion.
Our majority opinion today deals primarily with the spending provision of Section 189 of our state constitution. But that provision is seeded in a religious context. That is why the trial court also based its findings on the guarantee of religious freedom in Section 5 of the Kentucky Constitution. The overarching principle guiding our enforcement of these constitutional directives is that of separation of church and state.
Therefore, I deem it needful for me to write in an attempt to dispel any abiding notion that courts, such as this one, in marking clearly the divide between church and state, are taking a legalistic swipe at religion.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Decisions like that endorsed by our majority here today have paved the way for religion to grow and prosper in this land of the free.
The history of religious freedom in this country can trace its steps to the embryonic days of our Republic.
It is not myth to believe that many of the original founders of our country came here seeking freedom from religious persecution. It is myth to believe that they always found it when they got here. Many of them, after weathering the tumultuous dangers of the trans-Atlantic crossing, faced governmental interference into their beliefs. The original colonial governments demanded that the early settlers support a state-sponsored religion. Virginia, for instance, originally taxed all households to support the Anglican Church, just as had been required in England.
In fact, many of the early colonies established government-run churches a great deal like the European countries from which believers had fled. Southern colonies named the Anglican Church (The Church of England) as the state church.
While the Puritans complained of the Anglican control, they did not afford religious freedoms to others. Consequently, many of the colonies of New England compelled their citizens to attend the local Puritan or Congregational Church. Dissent was stifled. Non-Puritan Christians, such as Catholics, and Quakers were sometimes fined, imprisoned, whipped and even banished.
The dissatisfaction of this type of intolerance planted the seeds for future reforms culminating in the First Amendment of our U.S. Constitution.But Roger Williams would not stand for it.
After being banished from England, he was again banished from Massachusetts in 1635. He promptly founded Rhode Island, which quickly established the separation of church and state. There, he also established the First Baptist Church in America which is still in existence on the campus of Brown University. Needless to say, Catholics, Jews, Baptists and others fled to this haven of religious freedom. It became both a refuge and example for future steps in this direction. Only fifty years later, William Penn did the same thing in establishing Pennsylvania. By the time of our Revolutionary War, that state had become home to over four hundred religious groups. The underlying force for these movements was separating government from religion. Such a notion was so popular that these colonies grew in leaps and bounds and showed to the world how peoples of divergent religious beliefs could live together in harmony. At the time of the Revolutionary War, there were still nine colonies with state-run churches. This unpopular yoke of spiritual repression was joyously thrown off by the successful rebellion which forged this country.
There has been no country since recorded time where religion has thrived and flourished as over the last 230 years in the United States of America. In addition to the Catholic Church, which claims over one-fourth of Americans as members, there are over 71 different Protestant churches self-reporting to the United States Census Bureau. These do not include the thousands of unaffiliated churches hidden in the nooks and crannies of our country, including the cinder block, “Nothing Fancy Holiness Church,” in a west Kentucky community. That is not to mention the sizable number of the Jewish faith, as well as Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and others.
All these creeds and groups, large or small, from the cinder block hovels of rural America to the gothic spires of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, make their own equal claim to ecclesiastical purity.
Where else in the world is one able to find such a kaleidoscope of faith?
This is because of our fundamental belief as a nation that religion and state should co-exist in harmony with each other, but along distinct and separate tracks. Most importantly, under our constitutional framework, religion is allowed to breathe free of the enervating drag of government regulation, taxation and control.
By all accounts, the University of the Cumberlands is nothing short of remarkable. What began as a small, struggling, Baptist liberal arts college in the mountains has evolved into a thriving, beautiful campus and university.
Unfortunately, in this country, operating a major college sometimes requires more money than can be given by its benefactors. That is why many strictly religious schools have transformed into secular institutions. Brown University in Rhode Island; George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; University of Richmond in Virginia; Wake Forest University in North Carolina; Mercer University in Georgia; Stetson University in Florida; Belmont University in Tennessee; and Georgetown College in Kentucky are some examples of these. Many would say that we are fortunate that some religious schools like the University of the Cumberlands have stayed the course and have remained strictly religious schools, free from state entanglements. Many would say it should stay that way. Those many will support our decision here today.
There is a grand irony in this case which involves a Baptist supported college seeking a state supported pharmacy school.Baptists come from a long line of “Separatists.” They fled England to Holland and later to America to escape entanglements with the state.The real battle for religious liberty and separation of church and state was in Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. In those colonies, Baptist
preachers were jailed for preaching. It is well-documented that Madison was influenced by the Baptists in drawing up the Bill of Rights – more especially the First Amendment’s separation of church and state. The Baptist vote was pivotal in the adoption of our Constitution and its subsequent Amendments.
Separation of church and state has been an axiom of the Baptists for centuries – The Philadelphia Confession of Faith (1689 & 1742); The New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith (1833); and The Baptist Faith and Message (1925).John Leland was a highly influential Baptist preacher and friend of both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Over several early decades of our Democracy, he preached fervently and eloquently for the separation of church and state. “The work of the legislature,” he declared, “is to make laws for the security of life, liberty and property, and leave religion to the consciences of individuals.”
The early Baptists, at least, believed that church and state are mutually beneficial only if they remain distinct and separate in the normal affairs of life. These deeply rooted tenets could provide the guideposts for our decision here today. They hold that the state provides a favorable atmosphere in which the church can do its work. And the churches, in turn, should produce, through their respective creeds, citizens who will contribute to a stable social order. At the same time, church and state are mutually exclusive.
Neither should seek to control the other or use it in filling its peculiar role.
Neither should propose to tell the other how to discharge its responsibility.
The church should not seek to use the state for its purposes.
The state should not commandeer the church for political ends.
The state should not favor one “religion” above another.
Taxes should not be levied against property used for religious purposes.
The church should not receive tax funds for use in discharging its educational, healing, or spiritual responsibilities.
This constitutional division of church and state has acted to save religious organizations from self-destructing from their own zeal. Religious schools are free to exist and function in accordance to their own moral and theological dogma. This includes the right to restrict their memberships and their campus academia to strict, sometimes even unpopular, religious views and activities. When state involvement and support begins to be part of their operations, this freedom goes away. We do not know what twists and turns pharmaceutical science may take over the next fifty years. It is not inconceivable that it may infringe upon the religious and moral beliefs of some – maybe even Baptists. If public funding and control creeps onto the campuses of religious colleges, the aims of those religious schools may be terminally compromised.
That is not to say that religion has not blended into our national government’s creation and experience. Marbled within the granite of this great republic is traditional reverence and respect to a Supreme Being in whatever form or name we reverently allude to this higher power. Religion, in some form, is as much a part of this country and its rich heritage as the towering pines of the northeast or the blooming magnolias of the south.
This religious faith has been woven so intricately into the whole cloth of the rich American experience that it cannot be removed without unraveling and disintegrating the rich fabric of American life.
By the very definition of our beginning, and through the arduous pilgrimage of us as a people, a certain level of religiosity legitimately exists in our public institutions and symbols. This veil between religion and government in this country is, as the late University of Kentucky law professor Paul Oberst suggested, “a homogeneous wall.” Homogenization, in dairy terms, is an intricate blending of the whey and the cream into an inseparable whole. So, in terms of a “homogeneous wall” of separation of church, the idea is that within this broad line which separates the two, there is an amalgamation where the spirit of religion co-exists with statecraft and will be given profound deference. “In God We Trust,” referencing a higher deity engraved upon coins, public buildings and images, as well as like words in songs, prose, and our Pledge of Allegiance, “Under God,” are some of these examples. Even some of our cherished national holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, are religious holidays.
But state sponsorship and support of religious schools is outside of the pale and crosses the line of this great divide.
No one takes issue with the admirable aim of the University of the Cumberlands in wishing to educate pharmacists for the southeastern part of our state. But from a political and practical standpoint, allowing public funding to flow across religious lines would create more competition between light houses than already exists today between our state and regional colleges and universities. It would provide fuel for religious wars of sorts between competing and varying religious sects and denominations. If a pharmacy school at the University of the Cumberlands, why not a veterinary school on campus at Catholic Brescia College in Owensboro?
It would appear that our religious institutions have a daunting enough task, if it is to maintain spiritual sustenance and nurturing in a bewildered and fearful world, than to go head to head with public schools for the sticks and stones of campus buildings. Such struggles would dilute the intensity of their cause and drain much needed energy and resources from their critical mission.
The poet, George Greenleaf Whittier, caught the sentiment of many in his time, as well as today: “The Lord is God! He needeth not the poor device of man.” It can readily be added, “Nor the help of the state.” To say that government or courts affect the whereabouts of the Almighty, such as “putting God in schools” or “taking God out of schools,” is not only silly, but borders on sacrilege. Such a notion banners the lack of faith, rather than the essence of faith.
This wholesome and blessed balance between church and state can only be maintained through our courts. These grand constitutional commandments speak not only to the genius and wisdom of our forefathers, but also to their astounding reverence for the soul.Our humble decision here today is one small ripple enveloped in the marching billows of the ages.
Scott, J., joins.
Filed in Opinions ·Tags: church, religion, school, separation, state
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Wyoming Senators Leery Over Tariffs; Cheney Supports President
Ty Wright/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Wyoming is landlocked, but it's not isolated when it comes to international trade including trade with Mexico.
"The more we get Wyoming's products out to the greater world, that's all new dollars coming into the state," Wyoming Business Council spokesman Tom Dixon said Wednesday.
"We're not an island, we're connected to the world as anybody else," Dixon said.
That foreign trade may be affected if President Donald Trump's proposed 5% tariff on all Mexican imports goes into effect next week in an effort to resolve the immigration issue, and Wyoming's Republican U.S. senators are skeptical of the idea.
In written statements to K2 Radio News on Wednesday, U.S. Sens. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso did not mention President Trump by name.
"Generally I’ve been concerned about how tariffs affect Wyoming businesses and consumers and believe the Administration must consider the potential negative consequences," Enzi said.
Barrasso said Republicans want to resolve the immigration issue without hurting the economy in the process, but he said new tariffs might do just that.
Rep. Liz Cheney, however, said she supports the President's "determination to do what is necessary to keep our nation safe and our borders secure."
Dixon said foreign trade is a significant part of Wyoming's economy. Mexico is the state's 13th largest trading partner, with Canada and Brazil ranking first and second respectively.
In 2018, Wyoming consumers received goods from Mexico including household appliances, computer equipment, iron and steel, Dixon said.
The prices of those imported goods may go up if Trump's proposed 5% tariff goes into effect, and that could increase to 25% over the coming months.
On the export side, Wyoming's leading exports are petroleum, natural gas and coal, followed by general purpose machinery, Dixon said. "The top three extraction industries make up over half of what we send Mexico's way."
Sometimes countries retaliate against other countries that have imposed tariffs by imposing tariffs of their own, and that could affect Wyoming's exports.
A tariff is a tax imposed by a government on goods imported from another country. The tax is paid by the importer and that cost is absorbed by the importer and/or passed along to the consumer. The tariff is not paid by the exporting country.
Because of possible major adverse impacts on the U.S. economy, some Republican senators and business leaders have denounced the proposal.
Neither Enzi nor Barrasso appear to have been among the senators who have openly pushed back on the tariff proposal, but they still have their reservations.
Wyoming U.S. Sens. John Barrasso (l), Mike Enzi. T.J. Kirkpatrick, Getty Images
Here is Enzi's statement in full:
“Generally I’ve been concerned about how tariffs affect Wyoming businesses and consumers and believe the Administration must consider the potential negative consequences. I have spoken directly with President Trump about how Wyoming industries, manufacturers, farmers and ranchers rely on trade to grow their businesses at home. I have also written to Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and the U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer expressing similar concerns. I understand there are times when tariffs might be warranted, such as for legitimate national security concerns. This is a new and developing proposal. I will continue to listen to different viewpoints and learn more about the Mexico tariff proposal.”
Here is Barrasso's statement in full:
“The border crisis is bad and getting worse. We’re at the breaking point. Republicans want to fix our broken immigration system. We need to do it in a manner that won’t harm our strong economy. New tariffs might do that."
“It’s critical that we ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). We don’t want a trade war to derail or delay it. Getting that deal done would be another victory for Wyoming. We can work constructively with Mexico to ensure the southern border is open for trade and closed for caravans.”
Here is Cheney's full statement:
“We have a humanitarian and security crisis on our southern border. Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats refuse to take necessary steps to secure our border and prevent dangerous criminals and gang members from entering our country. I support President Trump’s determination to do what is necessary to keep our nation safe and our borders secure.”
Filed Under: Casper, coal, Gas, john barrasso, Mike Enzi, Oil, President Donald Trump, tariff, tax, Wyoming Business Council
Categories: Casper News, Economy, Energy, National News, News, Politics, Wyoming News
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“My school have been involved for the past 2 years with The Priory Christmas Concerts and enthusiasm and numbers have grown each year. As an outreach activity it is excellent as families support their children by accompanying them to the concert. Also some of the girls and boys have become members of The Priory choirs. The personal experience the children gain is most valuable; they have a rare opportunity to be part of a significant professional concert. Jeremy ensures that the primary schools’ contribution is not just a small one; the children join in at least half of the numbers. Feedback has been most favourable; many people really enjoy the participation of the younger children. Rehearsals at Christ Church are greatly anticipated. Jeremy comes into school during my PPA time and as we are both there this elevates the importance of the event for the children. I can go through words and verses with the children in between rehearsals but these concerts as most definitely shaped and expertly led by Jeremy who, as the musical and creative director, must always have the opportunity to teach the children himself. The community aspect of these concerts will only work if Jeremy is allowed to continue to rehearse all pupils in each school. We look forward at Christ Church to be able to continue our link with Jeremy and The Priory in this way.”
Stephanie Edwards Music Co-ordinator Christ Church CE Primary School, Lancaster
“ I joined because my sister was a member of the choir and she said, Emily you can sing. I love it because it’s a community and it doesn’t matter who you are you all have something in common. It’s important to have somewhere to go where you can hang out with your friends.”
Emily, aged 12
“I have been associated with Lancaster Priory since 2001 when I joined the choir as a treble. Soon after I started organ lessons as a Junior Organ Scholar with Ian Pattinson, and I found myself being increasingly engaged in much more than I thought possible musically and spiritually. As I moved through the choir I was also given the chance to conduct and compose, and I still remember directing the premiere of my mass setting on Mothering Sunday in 2005.
Despite leaving Lancaster for the University of York in October 2007, I was constantly drawn back to the Priory over the next three years for the Patronal Festivals, large services at Christmas and Easter, and other special events. In fact, on completing my music degree at York I naturally rejoined the Priory, firstly as Duchy of Lancaster Organ Scholar and then Assistant Organist during my PGCE year. The opportunities I had during these two years launched me into the start of my teaching career as Head of Keyboard at Milton Abbey School in Dorset, where I am soon to take up the post of Head of Music in my third year.
It is difficult to put into words what Lancaster Priory means to me. Musically, I owe so much of my music education to Jeremy and Ian, without whom I simply would not be where I am today. Between them they lead much more than a parish church choir – music at Lancaster Priory has grown exponentially in the last decade and is now a hugely important part of the culturally life of many Lancastrians. Spiritually, the Priory has really developed my understanding of what it means to be a Christian today, and I very much appreciate the forward-thinking environment created by Chris Newlands and his team of clergy. In particular I will never forget the way in which John Rodwell found the most (seemingly) odd angles for the start of his thought-provoking sermons, and posed many more questions than he answered.
Undoubtedly Lancaster Priory has been an incredibly important part of my upbringing and education, and I am thankful for the chance to share my thoughts with others. I implore you to find out what the Priory can offer you, and what you can offer the Priory in return.”
Shaun Pirttijarvi
I count my time in the choir at Lancaster Priory as the foundation of all my subsequent efforts and work as a church musician. I had been lucky to have piano lessons from a young age, but it was only when Jeremy invited me to join the choir at the age of 10 that I really developed as a choral musician, and, as my voice broke, was caught by an interest in becoming an organist and conductor. All my years in the choir, as treble and then in the back row, gave me a wonderful grounding in the Anglican tradition and repertoire, as well as a new bunch of friends (and adult singers to admire), and the routine of rehearsals and services over several years – not to mention the high level of music-making that was achieved – gave me the solid bedrock that I was able to build on later. It was also the starting point for my longer-term musical development: through singing in the RSCM Northern Cathedral Singers and then – again at Jeremy’s suggestion and thanks to his encouragement – attending an Eton Choral Course, I gained wide experience and made new connections across the country. I became a sixth-form scholar at Eton, and later Organ Student at St John’s College, Cambridge; although I am now a full-time academic, I can still put my organ playing and conducting to use as Director of Music at Emmanuel College.
Chris Whitton, Director of Music at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
My time at the Priory set the stage for a life in music. Without that wonderful grounding I would not have gone on to a choral scholarship at Cambridge — nor to a career which has included six years at the Academy of Ancient Music, and eight as chairman of Cambridge’s practical music programme, and my current role with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
The young men and women in today’s choir are receiving a first-class musical education while maintaining the centuries-old choral tradition in our city. The choir is a jewel in Lancaster’s crown; I encourage you to support it as generously as you can.
Simon Fairclough, a chorister in the nineties. Simon joined the CBSO after six years as Head of External Relations at the Academy of Ancient Music, where he achieved a five-fold increase in fundraised income and secured regular funding from Arts Council England for the first time. From 2005-2013 he was also executive chairman of the Cambridge University Musical Society, where he doubled the number of programmes supported, launched a Great Conductors concert series enabling students to work with the likes of Sir Mark Elder, Sir Roger Norrington and Libor Pešek, and achieved financial surpluses every year. He was educated at Christ’s College, Cambridge, is an International Fellow at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and is a member of the Faculty of Music at Cambridge.
Being a boy chorister in Lancaster Priory Choir was the formative experience of my childhood; more important even than the time I spent at school. Not only was the musical training a huge gift that I continue to enjoy to this day, but the social life of the choir and being part of a team of singers were experiences which gave me more than I know how to put into words. Jeremy Truslove was the choirmaster when I joined back in 1986. The charisma, energy and artistic rigour which he brought and continues to bring to the choir and music of Lancaster Priory provide huge inspiration and value to all concerned. Being in this environment as a a boy and young man provided the foundations for me to go on to sing in wonderful choirs at university including Schola Cantorum of Oxford and as a lay clerk in the chapel choir of Magdalen College Oxford. I owe Jeremy and Lancaster Priory Choir a huge debt.
Andrew Bremner – Reader in Psychology and Head of Learning and Teaching at Goldsmith’s College. London University
“We love coming here because our Nana comes here and we love Sunday School”
Izzy and Ellie, age 6
“This is a wonderful parish church with great music that really holds the community together, We have a busy Sunday School and Priory Youth Group I love working with the kids, it’s uplifting! I love it because it’s great fun”
David Cheung
“I go to Ripley School so I was invited to join the choir. I love it because the Mayor and all sorts of dignitaries come here”
Adam, aged 12
“I love Lancaster Priory, there is something very special about it. It might seem grand but it’s really just very friendly”
Carol Kelly
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Culling The Classics: The Grapes of Wrath
Column by Brian McGackin August 8, 2014 1 comment
Culling The Classics
Cover image via libcom.org
It was bound to happen eventually, classic cullers. After 14 months and 13 successfully culled classics, I have for the first time abjectly failed in my monthly mission. It's incredible that it didn't happen sooner, with books like Anna Karenina and Moby-Dick; or, The Whale successfully culled despite their 600+ pages. It wasn't even a Russian who finally took me down, but an American, and one that I've read (and liked!) before.
All good things come to an end, however, and my run of reviews has met its match with this month's selection.
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck (The Viking Press-James Lloyd, 1939)
I don't want to read about how shitty dust is over and over and over and over again... That horse is long dead (probably from choking on a dust cloud), so stop beating it with your dusty yellow broom.
Considered one of the greatest American novels ever written; winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and cited by the Nobel Prize committee as one of their main reasons for awarding Steinbeck the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature; Goodreads rating of 3.87; #10 (board) and #22 (readers) on Modern Library's 100 Best Novels list.
The Spoiler-Free Skinny
As far as I can tell, a man gets out of jail and discovers that the world has become very dusty.
You'll Love It
When Joad heard the truck get under way, gear climbing up to gear and the ground throbbing under the rubber beating of the tires, he stopped and turned about and watched it until it disappeared. When it was out of sight he still watched the distance and the blue air-shimmer. Thoughtfully he took the pint from his pocket, unscrewed the metal cap, and sipped the whisky delicately, running his tongue inside the bottle neck, and then around his lips, to gather in any flavor that might have escaped him. He said experimentally, "There we spied a nigger—" and that was all he could remember. At last he turned about and faced the dusty side road that cut off at right angles through the fields. The sun was hot, and no wind stirred the sifted dust. The road was cut with furrows where dust had slid and settled back into the wheel tracks. Joad took a few steps, and the flourlike dust spurted up in front of his new yellow shoes, and the yellowness was disappearing under gray dust.
He leaned down and untied the laces, slipped off first one shoe and then the other. And he worked his damp feet comfortably in the hot dry dust until little spurts of it came up between his toes, and until the skin on his feet tightened with dryness. He took off his coat and wrapped his shoes in it and slipped the bundle under his arm. And at least he moved up the road, shooting the dust ahead of him, making a cloud that hung low to the ground behind him.
You'll Loathe It
There is an entire chapter devoted solely to the slow crossing of an old land turtle across a dusty paved road.
Read It Or Leave It
The Grapes of Wrath is 30 chapters long. I read five of them. It took me almost three months. An old land turtle could literally make his way across a dusty paved road faster than it takes Steinbeck to tell us about it happening. It's like some kind of old-timey joke:
Friend: "Why did the chicken cross the road, John?"
John Steinbeck: "Oh, well I'm not sure, but if you give me a couple pages, I could certainly describe how he did it. But can I make it a turtle instead?"
Friend: "Sure, John, knock yourself out."
That I read 5/30 chapters is deceiving, because it makes it sound like I read 1/6 of this book. I did not read 1/6 of this book. Those 5 chapters are only 40 of the book's 440+ pages, so I read less than 1/11 of this book. I cannot in good faith tell you whether to read it or leave it...
...but clearly that's not going to stop me from doing so anyway. Obviously there's a reason why this book felt so much like a chore, like a homework assignment. The prose is beautiful in all of its oppressive Dust Bowl seriousness, but it's just soooooo sloooooow. It was such a joyless read. Does Steinbeck perfectly describe the pitiless choking sensation that a barren environment delivers, the merciless cruelty of such a harsh landscape? Absolutely. A+ on the dust empathy, JS. The thing is, I've seen dust. I know what dust is. I know it's shitty and terrible and in general if your life is 99% dust then your life probably sucks. Life as a farmer during the Dust Bowl did, in fact, suck, so again, well done, Johnny Boy. I don't want to read about how shitty dust is over and over and over and over again, though. That horse is long dead (probably from choking on a dust cloud), so stop beating it with your dusty yellow broom.
I don't want to turn this into a Culture Thing, because I've read long books before. The Internet has perhaps eroded my patience just as much as drought, dust storms, and over-farming eroded fertile land in the Midwest in the early part of the 20th century—even this analogy feels slow and labored—but I'm not willing to concede just yet that we live in an era where books can't be appreciated primarily because of their prose. Anna Karenina is a long book filled with beautiful prose that I found incredibly enjoyable. One Hundred Years of Solitude is several hundred pages of beautiful descriptions and wordplay, and time is played with so much that it's nearly impossible to make out a plot. The Grapes of Wrath, though, is this weird amalgamation of plot and prose, a slow-motion playback of the most depressing part of the last 100 years. I liked The Pearl and Of Mice and Men, both of which are Steinbeck books that make great use of the era the author lived through, but I just can't with this dusty sadness.
We've never as classic cullers dealt with a situation where the "You'll Love It" and "You'll Loathe It" sections played such an important role. If you can read those two "You'll Love It" paragraphs without drifting off and thinking about whether you need to do laundry this weekend, then you might really enjoy The Grapes of Wrath. I hear it's a fantastic book. If you can't imagine yourself sitting through an entire chapter of a turtle crossing a road, though, then maybe this one isn't for you. It wasn't for me, and I accept that. It's sad, and maybe I'm a little less impressive as a Smug Literary Omni-Reader for not being able to make it through one of the pillars of American literature, but it's something I'll just have to live with until I'm old and bored enough to try again.
If you've made it through to the other side and found yourself having enjoyed The Grapes of Wrath, then I take my old-timey cap off to you. Brush those shoulders off—not so you can brag or anything, but because it's an incredibly dusty fucking book. Droughts really suck.
Column by Brian McGackin
Brian McGackin is the author of BROETRY (Quirk Books, 2011). He has a BA from Emerson College in Something Completely Unrelated To His Life Right Now, and a Masters in Poetry from USC. He enjoys Guinness, comic books, and Bruce Willis movies.
Follow @bpmcgackin
Culling The Classics: The Catcher in the Rye
Culling The Classics: Anna Karenina
Culling The Classics: Lolita
Culling The Classics: Frankenstein
Culling The Classics: "The Awakening"
Bookshots: 'Drawing Blood' by Molly Crabapple
Bookshots: '52 Men' by Louise Wareham Leonard
Bookshots: 'Not Funny Ha-Ha' by Leah Hayes
Culling the Poetry Classics: Langston Hughes
Culling the Poetry Classics: Sylvia Plath
SammyB from Las Vegas is reading currently too many to list August 11, 2014 - 5:16am
I teach American Literature (English 11). I hate to admit this, but Of Mice and Men was one of the slowest and most torturous reads I've ever experienced. Because I struggled to get through that tiny book, I never branched out to read anything else by Steinbeck. One of my co-workers teaches several Steinbeck works to his freshman. He always tells me I need to read these works, but I can't seem to do it. I love the films for Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. The books are on my bookshelf. Just can't bring myself to read them.
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This is the last will and testament of William Hulme of Kearsley, a well-to-do but otherwise fairly nondescript Lancastrian gentleman who died on this day (29 October) in 1691: the will is dated a few days earlier. It caused quite a flutter when it was brought to my college, Brasenose, a couple of weeks ago.
Hulme had been a student at Brasenose, and the most important stipulation of his will was designed to support scholarship here. The income of his reasonably extensive land holdings (in Heaton-Norris, Denton, Ashton under Lyne, Reddish, Harwood and Manchester) was to be used to support “four of the poor sort of bachelors of arts takeing such degree in Brazen-Nose Colledge in Oxford, as from time to time shall resolve to continue and reside there by the space of four years after such degree taken,” the students by implication originating in the North West. In other words, the money was to help scholars who had earned a bachelor’s degree to work toward a master’s, and Hulme’s intent was seemingly to ensure high-quality representatives of the Church of England in a part of the world, Lancashire, where Nonconformism was making inroads.
(The relation between Brasenose and Lancashire is not coincidental: there were connections going back to its founders early in the 16th century, Sir Richard Sutton and William Smyth, Bishop of Lincoln: Smyth, a protégé of the Stanleys at Knowsley Hall, was born at Farnworth, as it happens only a couple of miles from my own birthplace at Whiston Hospital. Meanwhile Sutton was apparently a Cheshire man, from Macclesfield. Brasenose in the 17th century was the obvious choice of Oxford college for a young man from the North West, as it had been for Hulme himself. Farnworth’s only other other claim to fame, as far as I know, is as the alleged inspiration for Paul Simon’s Homeward Bound.)*
So it was a generous but comparatively modest bequest to my college, and given with a fairly narrow aim in view. So what? I hear you cry. Well, what makes Hulme’s will of more than strictly local interest is where some of the land he bequeathed happened to be located.
Manchester in Hulme’s day was a small town clustered around the Collegiate Church, now Manchester Cathedral. In the next two centuries, as the Industrial Revolution took hold, the agricultural land that Hulme had owned on its outskirts would become some of the most valuable real estate in the country, massively increasing the original bequest.
From Fallows p. 43. Note Deansgate heading off into the countryside.
But first, Hulme’s will at the top. What we are looking at is the probate copy of the will held by its executor, his cousin William Baguley: you can just see the corner of the probate notice attached to it in the photo at the top. There is a great explainer of the process of obtaining probate in this period on the University of Nottingham website (and my thanks also to our archivist Helen Sumping and Dr Thomas Olding of the University of Winchester for making sense of this for me):
“When the will was sent to the probate court or registry to be proved, it was copied into a register. A certified copy of the entry was written out by a clerk for the executor to take away with him. Attached to it was a probate certificate, which was the official authentication and permission allowing the executor to deal with the testator’s estate.”
Our document is sealed by the Bishop’s surrogate Edmund Entwistle, and signed by Henry Prescott, deputy registrar. So this is the copy of Hulme’s will that Baguley took away with him from “the probate court or registry”, and with reference to which he realised the testator’s wishes in the shape of the Hulme Trust: a truly remarkable survival.
William Hulme’s will is now safely in the College archives, but just a few months ago it was up for sale on eBay. My eagle-eyed colleague Chris McKenna spotted it there (it had already at that stage been sold, for a princely £75) and I contacted first the vendor, and then via him the purchaser, offering to buy it from him. To our good fortune the purchaser, Mike Buckley, turned out to be a historian with a particular interest in William Hulme, and he himself had been stunned to see such an important document on sale. When I contacted Mike he spontaneously offered to present it to the College, his only concern being that it be safely preserved. All he’d let us offer him in return was dinner in College, and we’re greatly in his debt. Meanwhile the vendor was able to tell me that he’d bought the will along with a lot of other legal documents from a dealer at the Newark Antiques Fair, and that he assumed the original source was a solicitors’ office. He has promised to look out for the dealer at future fairs to find out where these documents did originate, but wherever it was must represent some kind of continuity with the executor William Baguley or his lawyers at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, and that’s an exciting idea.
At any rate, this piece of parchment kicked off something remarkable. The history of the Hulme Trust is excellently told by I.B. Fallows in William Hulme and his Trust, but it is essentially the story of a comparatively modest arrangement to support the proper education of clerics which within a hundred years was generating so much money that the trustees didn’t know what to do with it. Fallows tracks the ballooning revenues of the Trust as Manchester expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries, £95 in 1693, £280 in 1750, £1,176 in 1794, and £5,161 in 1825 (with accumulated savings and investments of £40,782). In Fallows’ words (p. 84), expressing the situation in 1770,
Suddenly large amounts of land were required for new factories and for the housing of the workers who manned them. Struggling farms in the damp, cotton-friendly estates of long-dead Hulmes could be leased or sold to the new manufacturers. Coal mining and associated heavy industry suddenly exploded. Trustees of the Hulme estates were controlling an asset whose revenues were likely to spiral beyond all their conceivable needs in the next generation. A trust which had been started with the modest aim of assisting four poor scholars and improving the quality of Anglican preachers now had far more money than it required.
The challenge for the Trust through the 19th century was to find an application for the vast sums they found themselves managing that was broadly compatible with Hulme’s wishes. The letter of his will was certainly observed: between 1691 and 1881 a total of 641 young men (not exclusively “of a poor sort”, but the trustees did on the whole observe the original purpose) were enabled to continue their studies at Brasenose, the numbers of exhibitions awarded increasing over time along with the value of those awards. Fallows tracks a representative selection of the scholars, the overwhelming majority of whom took holy orders. One example is William Webb Ellis, perhaps the most famous product of Brasenose after Michael Palin. Ellis was the son of an officer killed in the Peninsular War who attended Rugby School as a foundationer (a nob-fee-paying local resident, as his mother had moved her family to the town with that in view) and there, allegedly, invented Rugby the sport. Whether he really did is doubtful: the story seems to develop after his death, in the context of the split between Rugby Union and Rugby League in the 1890s. But he certainly was a young man of straitened family circumstances who went on to have a successful career as an evangelical rector of various parishes in London and Essex.
Funding MA’s like William Webb Ellis still left lots of money unused, however, and the Trustees tried various ways of spending it. For a long time from the end of the 18th century they attempted to persuade Brasenose College to let them use the money to build special accommodation in Oxford for the Hulme Exhibitioners, but rather to their credit the College was unwilling to introduce this distinction between the undergraduates, Exhibitioners and others. That option closed off, the Trustees set about purchasing advowsons, the right to nominate their choice as priest in a parish, thereby providing livings for the men who had benefited from the exhibitions at Brasenose. But while that could be considered a reasonable extension of the terms of Hulme’s will, as the wealth of the Trust grew so did the desperate need of the new north-western cities for an educational infrastructure, and pressure increased to direct the funds more to the benefit of Manchester in particular.
As the story was told to me years ago, the good citizens of Manchester diddled Brasenose out of its rightful inheritance, leaving only such reminders as Brazennose St in central Manchester. In fact Brasenose and its students had benefited greatly from the Trust, and might have benefited more had they agreed with the Trust’s plans at an earlier stage. A series of Acts of Parliament had extended the capacities of the Trust, and finally in 1881 the Charity Commission proposed, and an Act of Parliament confirmed, a radical new plan which saw funds directed to a range of schools in the vicinity of Manchester, including Manchester Grammar School, Manchester High School for Girls, William Hulme’s Grammar School (also in Manchester), Oldham Hulme Grammar School (Mike Buckley’s old school), Bury Grammar School (the alma mater of Fallows), and what would develop into Manchester University. Fallows estimates that 120,000-150,000 young people, female and male, between the ages of 11 and 21 have benefited “directly (through personal scholarships) or indirectly (through help given to their school or college)” since 1881. Brasenose continued to benefit, too: one corner of New Quad was built with Hulme money and we still draw income to support our educational activities, along with a collection of beneficiaries in the North West.
The corner of New Quad between the bay windows on the right and the tower was largely paid for from the surplus funds of the Hulme Trust early in the twentieth century.
A striking thing about William Hulme from the perspective of my college is how invisible he is. There’s no portrait of one of our greatest benefactors in the Hall, and when I asked the archivist what material there was related to him to show to Mike Buckley when he visited, the answer was very little. We have a long grace for special occasions which names all our benefactors: Gulielmus Hulme was apparently only added to it in 1975. The Hulme Common Room for graduate students was established in 1963. Aside from that, the only physical memorial to him in College is a Latin plaque (below) put up at one end of the Hall by Church of English priests who had benefited from Hulme Exhibitions, in 1902, when that role of the Trust was reaching its end.
The peculiar absence of Hulme from the College narrative no doubt tells us something about privileged Oxford’s relations with the country’s industrial heartlands, but it also reflects the sheer oddity of this whole story, in investment terms the ultimate “sleeper”. Everything after all hinges on a massive fluke, that a quiet backwater in an undeveloped part of the country, and that is undoubtedly what the market towns of south-east Lancashire were in the 17th century, would become the dynamic engine of the Industrial Revolution. The impression one gets is that in Brasenose the impact of Hulme’s legacy for a long time just didn’t really register, yet Fallows calculates that a total of somewhere in the region of £20,000,000 has been disbursed by the Trust since its inception. I suppose the story of Hulme’s legacy in turn is a microcosm of Britain’s story in the 18th and 19th centuries, but who could possibly have predicted the colossal impact of a minor Lancastrian landowner’s will?
*I could not be more wrong: a truckload of famous products of Farnworth thanks to @tokyodave2, here and here.
6 responses to “Where there’s a will…”
Mary Molitierno says : October 29, 2017 at 12:41 am
Fascinating, particularly extent to which education at all levels so strongly dependent upon the financial fortunes of a society. This has had interesting manifestations here in US as, in the case of William Hulme, the money is given with specific strings (often religious or political) attached. Always enjoy your blogs!
Llewelyn Morgan says : October 29, 2017 at 9:41 pm
Thanks, Mary, & yes: in this case getting the Hulme money to meet the most pressing need, secondary education in the NW, took a lot of time & political pressure by some v powerful figures in the C19th.
Ross McPherson says : October 29, 2017 at 7:34 am
If credit in Heaven is as inflationary as real estate here on earth, Mr Hulme is sitting very pretty right now. But it is a nice story of public spirit in many people.
My grandmother, Marian nee Dexter, came from Manchester, a war bride at the end of WWI, though it was some 10 years I think before my grandfather could afford her passage out to Oz and back home (in case she didn’t want to stay). She ended up staying because she loved the beaches and sunny outdoors and my grandfather wasn’t a bad catch either. Sadly, she died after only 15 years of marriage, but here I am, along with her many other descendants, another example of the inflationary effects of biggish decisions by little people.
God bless her and Mr Hulme.
Lovely comment, thank you!
Samantha Robinson says : October 11, 2018 at 8:48 pm
Confusingly there is more than one Farnworth. William Smyth was born in Farnworth (Widnes). There is a different Farnworth near Kearsley with which William Hulme is associated. Roy Chadwick (designer of Lancaster Bomber) possibly Widnes Farnworth’s most notable former resident. Being ‘one of the poor sort’ myself and previously resident in Farnworth (Widnes) I owe my own place at BNC to William Smyth and the North West connections.
Liz Crawley says : November 14, 2018 at 9:38 pm
Thank you for putting this out there. I came across it while researching a handwritten copy of the Hulme Will found in my great-grandmothers papers. She was Lilian Hulme Valentine and her brother had discovered a connection to William Hulme while researching their ancestry in 1929. It’s nice to know of the positive effect Mr. Hulme had on the area.
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/FOX NEWS/POLITICS/EXECUTIVE
189816a4-7093-45e0-a2d5-1ab5f52a3e4b
fox-news/politics/executive
Trump fires back at Puerto Rico mayor, accuses her of 'poor leadership'
President Trump on Saturday defended his administration’s hurricane recovery effort in Puerto Rico and cast blame on San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz who is criticizing the president’s effort to get supplies, electricity and other relief to the U.S. Island.
“Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help,” Trump said in a series of tweets. “They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job.”
Trump pledged Friday to spare no effort to help Puerto Ricans recover from Hurricane Maria’s ruinous aftermath even as Cruz accused the administration of “killing us with the inefficiency.”
Cruz said she wanted to “make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives,” while the president asserted that U.S. officials and emergency personnel are working all-out against daunting odds, with “incredible” results.
Trump also tweeted Saturday: “The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump.”
And he tweeted: “The military and first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job. Puerto Rico was totally destroyed,” and, “Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to “get Trump.” Not fair to FR or effort!”
Trump’s acting homeland security secretary, Elaine Duke, visited the island Friday, surveying the landscape by helicopter in an hour-long tour, driving past still-flooded streets, twisted billboards and roofs with gaping holes, and offering encouragement to some of the 10,000 emergency personnel she says the U.S. government has on the ground.
On Thursday, the U.S. military named Lt. General Jeffrey Buchanan to oversee the response effort.
Trump is expected to survey the damage Tuesday.
Duke tried, too, to move on from the remarks she made a day earlier in which she called the federal relief effort a “good-news story.” But on that front, she ran into winds as fierce as Maria.
“We are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency,” Cruz said in a news conference. “I am begging, begging anyone that can hear us, to save us from dying.”
Thousands more Puerto Ricans got water and rationed food Friday as an aid bottleneck began to ease. By now, telecommunications are back for about 30 percent of the island, nearly half of the supermarkets have reopened at least for reduced hours and about 60 percent of the gas stations are pumping.
But many remain desperate for necessities, most urgently water, long after the Sept. 20 hurricane.
Trump said Puerto Rico is “totally unable” to handle the catastrophe on its own. “They are working so hard, but there’s nothing left,” he said. “It’s been wiped out.” He said the government is “fully engaged in the disaster and the response and recovery effort.”
Trump said he was not aware of Duke’s “good-news” remark.
“I haven’t heard what she said,” he told reporters. “I can tell you this: We have done an incredible job considering there’s absolutely nothing to work with.”
Yet even in voicing solidarity and sympathy with Puerto Rico, he drew attention again to the island’s pre-hurricane debt burden and infrastructure woes, leaving doubt how far Washington will go to make the U.S. territory whole.
“Ultimately the government of Puerto Rico will have to work with us to determine how this massive rebuilding effort — it will end up being one of the biggest ever — will be funded and organized, and what we will do with the tremendous amount of existing debt already on the island,” he said. “We will not rest, however, until the people of Puerto Rico are safe.”
Earlier he tweeted: “The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!”
Speaking to the press, and taking no questions, Duke said neither she nor Trump will rest until displaced Puerto Ricans are back home, schools, hospitals and clean water are back and the island’s economy is moving again. Duke said she is aware people are suffering and “clearly the situation in Puerto Rico after the devastating hurricane is not satisfactory.”
Trump weighed in on his way to New Jersey for the weekend.
He praised his emergency management director, Brock Long, for doing a “fantastic job,” pointed out that Duke is serving in an acting capacity and said “she’s working very hard.”
Duke said before leaving Washington that the federal relief effort was a “good-news story” because of “our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths.”
“Let me clarify,” she said Friday upon her arrival in San Juan. She said she meant “it was good news that people of Puerto Rico and many public servants of the United States are working together.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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MSGHN Home
The Confederate Orphans' Home of Mississippi
A Lauderdale County Web Exclusive by Bill White
In it's first session following the War for Southern Independence, the Mississippi Baptist Convention considered the devastation brought upon the state by the recent hostilities. Not only had the "search and destroy" tactics employed by the Yankees virtually destroyed many parts of the state reducing to ash not only government facilities but homes, farms and warehouses used by the general population, but it had also ravaged the population of parents, both male and female, who left behind many dependant children.
Government estimates set the nationwide count for the number of women widowed as a result of the Civil War at 200,000. The estimate for the number of children who lost one or both parents during the war was determined to be approximately 400,000. In East Mississippi alone, according to the Reverend Dr. T. C. Teasdale (published in the New York Times on 2 March 1866) the number of orphans was approximately 10,000.
In this first post-war session the Mississippi Baptist Convention determined that it could best help the people by offering care to the many eastern Mississippi orphans and set about locating facilities and developing funding for the effort.
A Board of Trustees was appointed for the project and Rev. T. C. Teasdale was appointed agent for the organization. He traveled through the northern and western states and was able to obtain funding for the purchase of an eastern Mississippi location for the Children's Home. The property located at Lauderdale Springs, Mississippi was a former resort hotel prior to the war and housed portions of the Lauderdale Springs Confederate hospital during the war.
Professor Simeon Sebastian Granberry, formerly of Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi, was elected first Superintendent and charged with the task of organizing and carrying on the work of the Home. Professor Granberry was an experienced educator, a capable administrator and "a refined Christian gentleman, admirably fitted for the work of caring for and directing the efforts of women and helpless children. "According to the article "The Confederate Orphans' Home" by Mary J. Welsh [see below]).
Dr. Sidney Kennedy, of Lauderdale Station was hired as the resident physician.
The Children's Home opened late in the summer of 1866 and was immediately besieged by applicants. Orphans frequently just showed up at the doors of the institution without any warning at all. The initial enrollment of fifty jumped immediately to over two hundred in the course of a few months.
The residents were accepted from ages six to sixteen. Six was selected as the lower limit because the staffing did not permit the intense effort needed to attend to younger children and infants. However, occasionally exceptions were made depending on the circumstances and the availability of older children to assist in the care of infants.
The school at the home was in session year round and all residents were required to attend classes except for the week of Christmas and short periods during the remainder of the year.
The orphans were also required to work on projects befitting to their ages. Older boys helped with the maintenance of the building and grounds and managed the gardens where much of the food consumed by the orphans was grown, while older girls helped with the care and training of the younger children and assisted in the kitchens and school.
The school also published a semi-monthly newsletter called the Orphans' Home Banner and, about 1870 formed a concert band and chorus that traveled the country making appearances and generating contributions to the home.
Late in 1869, the orphanage was notified that because of legal problems with the title of the land, they must surrender the building and property at Lauderdale Springs to the heirs of the original owner. Fortunately, at the end of the war, the Federal government had built a nearby barracks to house the Federal militia charged with the preservation of law and order in the area. When the facility was abandon by the government, it was purchased by the Quakers who set about the work of educating the children of the recently freed slaves in the area. About the same time that the Children's Home was required to vacate the property, the Quakers decided to abandon the school and made that location available to the orphans.
On January 13, 1871, Superintendent, Prof. S. S. Granberry, died. His health had been on the decline but his loss was nonetheless a great tragedy to the orphanage. A secession of Superintendents followed in short order including many well known and important men of the era. However, in 1878 the home had lived out it's useful life. Many of the war time orphans had reached the age of maturity and moved out to start their own lives and the numbers of incoming children had been in the decline for a number of years.
At that time the orphanage closed it's doors and the property was sold to a private individual.
Nearly a hundred years after the closing of the Confederate Orphan's Home at Lauderdale Springs, Mississippi, a sole surviving copy of the orphanages' newsletter "The Orphans' Home Banner" surfaced. It was tattered and torn, obviously well read in its time and repaired with tape that had discolored over the years obscuring some of the underlying information.
However, "The Orphans' Home Banner: February 15, 1871 Number 3" still contained much discernable information of the time. The document was studied by Lauderdale County Department of Archives and History Volunteer Berdie Mae Rogers. Her abstract of the document is published by the Lauderdale County Department of Archives and History in book (pamphlet) form along with other interesting stories, entitled "Bits and Pieces, Volume I, Studies in Lauderdale Counties Lore by Jim Dawson.
Mrs. Rogers work has helped to preserve this last remaining piece of history. The "Banner" included stories called "Prodigals", "Mourning", "Orphans' Home", "Discourse on the Death of Superintendent S. S. Granberry", the February, 1871 Treasurer's Report and assorted advertising notes. There is also an interesting article, written by the children about the long walk from the old home west of the railroad to the new home on the eastern side of the tracks. It is well worth reading to those interested in Lauderdale County history and can be obtained from the Lauderdale County Department of Archives and History.
Also included with this story, is an abstract from the 1870 Federal Census of Lauderdale County listing the names of Rev. Granberry's household as well as the names of the two hundred or so residents of the home.
On the following page is the list of the staff, faculty, and residents of the Confederate Orphans Home. To visit the page, please click on the following link.
Confederate Orphans Home Listing.
The Confederate Orphans' Home of Mississippi, as published here, was based partially on the writings of Miss Mary J. Welsh. Her article "The Confederate Orphans' Home of Mississippi" was first presented in the Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society Volume VIII, Oxford, Mississippi, 1904, page 121. You may download and read the complete document in .pdf format below.
Click to download The Confederate Orphans' Home of Mississippi article by Miss Mary J. Welsh.
If you would like to purchase a copy of the "Bits and Pieces, Volume I, Studies in Lauderdale County Lore" by Jim Dawson, it is available though the Lauderdale County Department of Archives and History and can be obtained through their web site at:
The Lauderdale County Department of Archives and History Web Site
By accessing this web site you agree to the terms and conditions set out in the Copyright and Disclaimer statement.
The Mississippi Genealogy & History Network is managed by the MSGHN Executive Council.
Copyright © 2009, 2010, 2011 by W. L. White and MSGHN, All Rights Reserved.
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Home Kansas Douglas County Lawrence Stephen Jordan Ware
Stephen Jordan Ware
Stephen Ware is a law professor at the University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence, KS
Arbitration & Mediation, Collections, Bankruptcy...
Stephen Ware is the Frank Edwards Tyler Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence, Kansas. He is an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and serves as expert witness (consulting or testifying) on arbitration, contracts, secured transactions and other fields. Professor Ware works with a wide variety of lawyers around the US -- from sole practitioners representing individual consumers to large firms representing financial institutions and other businesses.
At KU Law, Stephen Ware teaches and researches Contracts, Bankruptcy, Consumer Law, Secured Transactions, and ADR (arbitration, mediation, and negotiation). He is the author of three books, 42 law review articles, and many other publications. His writings have been cited by the Supreme Court of the United States and in at least 30 other federal and state cases. Professor Ware coaches the KU Law bankruptcy moot court team.
Stephen Ware has testified before the United States Senate and House of Representatives, state legislatures and, as an expert witness, in court. He is a frequent speaker at academic conferences and continuing legal education programs. Ware has appeared on several television and radio stations and been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Financial Times, and many other news outlets. He an elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI) and served on the Journal of Legal Education’s editorial board.
U Chicago
Publications available at http://law.ku.edu/faculty/stephen-ware
Speaking Engagements available at http://law.ku.edu/faculty/stephen-ware
FacebookTwitterLinkedInJustia ProfileStephen Jordan Ware's Avvo ProfileStephen Jordan Ware's Lawyers.com ProfileStephen Jordan Ware's BePress ProfileStephen Jordan Ware's SSRN Profile
Stephen Ware (KU, Lawrence, Kansas) Alternative Dispute Resolution
Arbitration, by Stephen Ware, a law professor at KU, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Judicial Selection, by Stephen Ware, a law professor at KU, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Stephen Ware Medium
Stephen Ware Weebly
Battleground: Political Polarization and the Supreme Court
Recent judicial confirmations have laid bare the political divisions present in the nation’s highest court. In the Dole Institute Student Advisory Board’s spring program, two experts on judicial confirmation, law and legal institutions will examine politicization of the Supreme Court. Joining the conversation are Lee Epstein, Ethan A.H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor at Washington University, and Stephen Ware, KU professor of law. This program is hosted by the Dole Institute’s Student Advisory Board.
Stephen Ware Congressional Testimony on Arbitration, June 18, 2008
University of Kansas Law Professor Stephen Ware testifies before the United States Congress, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition and Consumer Rights and Senate Special Committee on Aging, June 18, 2008.
University of Kansas (KU) School of Law
Green Hall
Email Stephen Jordan Ware
Michael McVay
Richard W. Morefield
Jill A Michaux
Andrea Hughes
Paola, KS
John Kanaga
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What In The World Are We Doing?
“It took us 18 months to get to a place where we are just starting to ‘get it!’” reflects Norm Dyck, pastor at Listowel Mennonite Church. “If we had never been shaken out of this place of thinking that we could simply make changes and things should work, or if we didn’t have that place of feeling completely lost at first, then I’m not sure we would be where we are now.”
Listowel Mennonite had a seemingly slow start to ReLearning Community, but in fact, their experience is quite common. ReLearning Community is learning anew about discipleship. It is an intentional two-year commitment to engage in four weekend retreats, reading and learning, and working together on goals and objectives as a congregational team.
“That second weekend retreat was where we were hit with this ‘culture question’ and it was so disorienting. What had we gotten ourselves into?” recalls Norm. “We were being pushed on the fact that you can’t make a technical or easy change unless you are going to work at shifting culture first. It seemed to be too big of a task to consider.”
It was during the third retreat that the team became excited about the possibilities at Listowel Mennonite. “We started to think about ways we could shift our culture to a discipling culture,” Norm says. The team went back to the congregation and developed a series of videos entitled “I Am Living Ink.” Stories began to emerge from the congregation with a context of how God is at work in the most difficult, and equally, in the most normal of situations. More stories came to light as people became vulnerable with each other about how God is at work in their lives.
“We won’t have massive and exciting new things to announce every six months,” predicts Norm. “Shifting the culture will change things over time and hopefully in five years we will look back and say ‘Something has changed here at Listowel. We aren’t the same congregation that we were before.’”
The team now moves into the Community of Practice, a next phase which focuses on how a discipling culture actually looks in a specific context.
“Living life on life is the place where vulnerable and real conversation starts to happen about what God is doing in our lives. The only way that someone is going to learn from me is if they walk alongside me,” says Norm. “We want to grow disciples who are willing to be life on life with people in their neighbourhoods, community, and with each other in the congregation.”
Technical Change: Logistical or detail changes - e.g. time of service
Culture Shift: Changing congregational culture to an intentional discipling culture
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Leeds academics to share grant to explore use of AI to inform early palliative care for older people with chronic diseases
School of Medicine news Monday 18 February 2019
The project InAdvance is a 4-year research collaboration that aims to develop and implement effective intervention programs for early palliative care for older people with chronic diseases.
An Interdisciplinary team of academics from University of Leeds School of Computing and the School of Medicine is part of a European consortium, involving 11 partners from 7 different countries, which is awarded almost €4.1 million in funding under the EU Horizon2020 programme under the action “Novel patient-centred approaches for survivorship, palliation and/or end-of-life care”.
The project InAdvance is a 4-year research collaboration that aims to develop and implement effective intervention programs for early palliative care for older people with chronic diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The interventions will be developed in different cultural contexts, and will address some of the major challenges of conducting equitable needs analysis, improving the quality of life for patients and their families, and reducing the socio-economic impact of chronic diseases.
Work in Leeds will comprise of analysis of healthcare records utilising machine learning to identify care pathways, combined with text mining of digital online content to identify individual and contextual factors linked to quality of life. Applied health researchers will then work with patients, families and healthcare professionals to determine the best time to integrate palliative care needs assessment and then evaluate the impact of this within a clinical trial.
The Leeds team will be working closely with partners at St Gemma’s University Teaching Hospice and NHS Highlands in the UK to develop equitable needs analysis and early palliative care intervention, together with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, and the University of Valencia.
Dr Dimitrova, the Leeds principle investigator for the project, commented that ‘This is novel impact-driven research that applies Artificial Intelligence to address key palliative care challenges in order to improve health outcomes. It offers an exciting opportunity to develop cross-Faculty working between medicine and engineering, which is part of a larger European research programme.’
Professor Bennett, leading the Academic Unit of Palliative Care at St Gemma's Hospice, added ‘Our previous research has shown that patients with non-cancer diseases have much poorer access to, and duration of, palliative care than those with cancer. This major EU funding will allow us to work with other academic partners to lead work on reducing these inequalities to benefit patients in Leeds and more widely.’
Professor Panos Bamidis, visiting professor in the Leeds Institute of Medical Education, said that 'This project offers an exciting opportunity to strengthen the links between the University of Leeds and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, opening up new avenues for research on innovative use of technology to support patients, families and health professional'
The InAdvance consortium involves researchers from University of Valencia (Spain), Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), University of Leeds (UK), and Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam (The Netherlands); three healthcare providers IIS La Fe Hospital (Spain), Santa Casa da Misericordia da Amadora (Portugal) and NHS Highland (UK); two technical SMEs Salumedia (Spain) and Nively (France); and a non-profit organisation working on older people rights at European level – AGE Platform Europe (Belgium).
"This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No 825750."
See all School of Medicine news
Cancer Research UK delegation visits Leeds
School of Medicine - Monday 13 January 2020
Drug reduces disease progression but not pain in osteoarthritis
School of Medicine - Monday 30 December 2019
Walking and cycling to work linked with fewer heart attacks
School of Medicine - Thursday 19 December 2019
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Superman (1978 film)
Superman (also known as Superman: The Movie) is a 1978 superhero film directed by Richard Donner. It is based on the DC Comics character of the same name and stars Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter, Jackie Cooper, Trevor Howard, Marc McClure, Terrence Stamp, Valerie Perrine and Ned Beatty. The film depicts Superman's origin, including his infancy as Kal-El of Krypton and his youthful years in the rural town of Smallville. Disguised as reporter Clark Kent, he adopts a mild-mannered disposition in Metropolis and develops a romance with Lois Lane, while battling the villainous Lex Luthor.
Several directors, most notably Guy Hamilton, and screenwriters (Mario Puzo, David and Leslie Newman and Robert Benton) were associated with the project before Donner was hired to direct. Tom Mankiewicz was drafted in to rewrite the script and was given a "creative consultant" credit. It was decided to film both Superman and Superman II simultaneously, with principal photography beginning in March 1977 and ending in October 1978. Tensions rose between Donner and the producers, and a decision was made to stop filming the sequel—of which 75 per cent had already been completed—and finish the first film.[5]
Ultimately costing $55 million, Superman was released in December, 1978, to critical acclaim and financial success, earning $300 million during its original theatrical run. Reviewers noted parallels between the film's depiction of Superman and Jesus and particularly praised Reeve's performance.[6] It was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Film Editing, Best Music (Original Score), and Best Sound Mixing, and received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects. Groundbreaking in its use of special effects and science fiction/fantasy storytelling, the film's legacy presaged the mainstream popularity of Hollywood's superhero film franchises.
3.1.1 Casting of Superman
3.3 Effects
3.4 Music
3.4.1 2000 Rhino Complete Album
5.1 Beyond theatrical release
5.2 Broadcast television version details
6.1 Comic book continuity
On the dying planet Krypton, using evidence provided by scientist Jor-El, the Ruling Council sentences three attempted insurrectionists, General Zod, Ursa and Non, to "eternal living death" in the Phantom Zone. Despite his eminence, Jor-El is unable to convince the Council of his belief that Krypton will soon explode. To save his infant son Kal-El, Jor-El launches a spacecraft containing the child towards Earth, a distant planet with a suitable atmosphere, and where Kal-El's dense molecular structure will give him superhuman powers. Shortly after the launch, Krypton is destroyed.
Three years later, the ship lands near an American farming town, Smallville, where Kal-El is found by Jonathan and Martha Kent. (Note: the resulting impact crater in the wheat field should have been roughly 36 ft. in diameter and roughly 8 ft deep.) The Kents take the child back to their farm and raise him as their own son, naming him Clark after Martha's maiden name. At age 18, soon after the death of Jonathan, Clark hears a psychic "call," discovering a glowing green crystal in the remains of his ship. It compels him to travel to the Arctic, where the crystal builds the Fortress of Solitude, resembling the architecture of Krypton. Inside, a vision of Jor-El explains Clark's origins, educating him in his powers and responsibilities. After 12 years, with his powers fully developed, Clark leaves the Fortress with a colorful costume and becomes a reporter at the Daily Planet in Metropolis. He meets and develops a romantic attraction to coworkerLois Lane, but she sees him as awkward and unsophisticated.
Lois becomes involved in a helicopter accident where conventional means of rescue are impossible, requiring Clark to use his powers in public for the first time to save her. During the same night, he rescues Air Force One after a flameout, thwarts a jewel thief attempting to scale the Solow Building with suction cups, intercedes in a police chase where many of the robbers escape via cabin cruiser (which Superman deposits on Wall Street), and even finds time to rescue a little girl's cat in Brooklyn Heights, making the mysterious "caped wonder" a celebrity. The hero visits Lois at home, takes her for a flight over the city, and allows her to interview him for an article in which she names him "Superman."
Meanwhile, criminal genius Lex Luthor has developed a cunning plan to make a fortune in real estate by buying large amounts of barren desert land and then diverting a nuclear missile test flight to the San Andreas Fault. The missile will sink California and leave Luthor's desert as the new West Coast of the United States, greatly increasing its value. After his incompetent henchman Otis accidentally redirects the first rocket to the wrong place following the first delay on the convoy, Luthor's girlfriend Eve Teschmacher successfully changes the course of a second missile while the military is distracted by Luthor's roadblock.
Knowing Superman could stop his plan, Luthor lures him to his underground lair and exposes him to Kryptonite. As Superman weakens, Luthor taunts him by revealing that the first missile is a decoy, headed due east towards Hackensack, New Jersey. Luthor knows that even Superman cannot stop both impacts. Teschmacher is horrified because her mother lives in Hackensack, but Luthor does not care and leaves Superman to a slow death. Knowing the hero's reputation for keeping his word, Teschmacher rescues Superman on the condition that he will deal with the New Jersey missile first. After diverting the east-bound missile into outer space, Superman witnesses the west-bound missile detonating in the San Andreas Fault. Superman is able to mitigate the effects of the nuclear explosion, getting rid of the pollution from the fall-out and shoring up the crumbling earth, but the aftershocks are still devastating.
While Superman is busy saving others, Lois's car falls into a crevice that opens due to an aftershock. It quickly fills with dirt and debris and she suffocates to death. Angered at being unable to save Lois, Superman ignores Jor-El's warning not to interfere with human history, preferring to remember Jonathan Kent's advice that he must be on Earth for "a reason". He travels back in time in order to save Lois, altering history so that her car is never caught in the aftershock. Superman then delivers Luthor and Otis to prison and flies into the sunrise for further adventures.
Marlon Brando as Jor-El: Superman's biological father on Krypton. He has a theory about the planet exploding, though the Council refuses to listen. Jor-El dies as the planet explodes but successfully sends his infant son to Earth as a means to help the innocent. Brando sued the Salkinds and Warner Bros. for $50 million because he felt cheated out of his share of the box office profits.[7] This stopped Brando's footage from being used in Richard Lester's version of Superman II.[8]
Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor: An evil scientific genius armed with vast resources who would prove to be Superman's nemesis. It is he who discovers Superman's weakness and hatches an evil plan that puts millions of people in danger.
Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent / Superman: Born on Krypton as Kal-El and raised on Earth, Superman is a being of immense power, strength and invulnerability who after realizing his destiny to serve mankind uses his powers to protect and save others. As a means to protect his identity, he works in Metropolis at the Daily Planet as mild-mannered newspaper reporter Clark Kent. Reeve was picked from over 200 actors who auditioned for the role.
Ned Beatty as Otis: Lex Luthor's bumbling henchman.
Jackie Cooper as Perry White: Clark Kent's hot-tempered boss at the Daily Planet. He assigns Lois to uncover the news of an unknown businessman purchasing a large amount of property in California. Keenan Wynn was originally cast, but dropped out shortly before filming because of heart disease. Cooper, who originally auditioned for Otis, was subsequently cast.[9]
Glenn Ford as Jonathan Kent: Clark Kent's adoptive father in Smallville during his youth. Jonathan is a farmer who teaches Clark ideal skills that will help him in the future. He later suffers a fatal heart attack that changes Clark's outlook on his duty to others.
Trevor Howard as the First Elder: Head of the Kryptonian Council, who does not believe Jor-El's claim that Krypton is doomed to its own destruction. He threatens Jor-El, "Any attempt by you to create a climate of fear and panic amongst the populace must be deemed by us an act of insurrection."
Margot Kidder as Lois Lane: A reporter at the Daily Planet, who becomes a romantic interest to Clark Kent. Over 100 actresses were considered for the role. Margot Kidder (suggested by Stalmaster), Anne Archer, Susan Blakely,Lesley Ann Warren, Deborah Raffin and Stockard Channing screen tested from March through May 1977. The final decision was between Channing and Kidder, with Kidder winning the role.[10][11]
Jack O'Halloran as Non: Large and mute, the third of the Kryptonian villains who are sentenced to be isolated in the Phantom Zone.
Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher: Lex Luthor's girlfriend and accomplice. Already cynical of Luthor's increasing grandiosity and disturbed by his cruelty, she saves Superman's life after learning that Luthor has launched a nuclear missile toward her mother's hometown of Hackensack, New Jersey. She shows a romantic interest in Superman, implied by her fixing her hair before she makes her presence known to him, and then by kissing him before she saves his life.
Maria Schell as Vond-Ah: Like Jor-El, a top Kryptonian scientist; but she too is not swayed by Jor-El's theories.
Terence Stamp as General Zod: Evil leader of the three Kryptonian villains who swears vengeance against Jor-El when he is sentenced to the Phantom Zone.
Phyllis Thaxter as Martha Kent (née Clark): Clark Kent's faithful adoptive mother. A kindly woman who dotes on her adoptive son and is fiercely devoted to her husband Jonathan. She is her son's emotional support after Clark is devastated by Jonathan's death. Thaxter was producer Ilya Salkind's mother-in-law.[12]
Susannah York as Lara: Superman's biological mother on Krypton. Lara, after learning of Krypton's fate, has apprehensions about sending her infant son to a strange planet alone.
Jeff East as the teenage Clark Kent: As a teenager, Clark is forced to hide his superhuman abilities, making him unpopular among his classmates and frustrating his efforts to gain the attention of classmate Lana Lang (Diane Sherry). Following the death of his adoptive father, he travels to the Arctic to discover his Kryptonian heritage (All of East's dialogue in the film is dubbed over by Christopher Reeve).[13]
Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen: A teenage photographer at the Daily Planet. Jeff East, who portrayed the teenage Clark Kent, originally auditioned for this role.[13]
Sarah Douglas as Ursa: General Zod's second in command and consort, sentenced to the Phantom Zone for her unethical scientific experiments.
Harry Andrews as the Second Elder: Council member, who compels Jor-El to be reasonable about plans to save Krypton.
Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill have cameo appearances as Lois Lane's father and mother. Alyn and Neill portrayed Superman and Lois Lane in the film serials Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), and were the first actors to portray the characters onscreen in a live-action format. Neill reprised her role in the 1950s Adventures of Superman TV series, and also appeared as Lex Luthor's elderly wife in the opening scene of the film Superman Returns (2006).
Larry Hagman and Rex Reed also cameo; Hagman plays an army major in charge of a convoy that is transporting one of the missiles, while Reed plays himself as he meets Lois and Clark outside the Daily Planet headquarters. A then unknown John Ratzenberger briefly appears as a missile control technician. Two unknowns also have cameos, Edward Finneran and Tim Hussey, who were the teenage boys who won "The Great Superman Movie Contest", appearing as football players (in gray) during the scene with Clark as the equipment manager of the Smallville football team. David Petrou, the author of the making-of book about the film also appears briefly in that scene.
Development[edit] Edit
Ilya Salkind had first conceived the idea for a Superman film in late 1973.[14] In November 1974, after a long difficult process with DC Comics, the Superman film rights were purchased by Ilya, his father Alexander Salkind, and their partner Pierre Spengler. DC wanted a list of actors that were to be considered for Superman, and approved the producer's choices of Muhammad Ali, Al Pacino, James Caan, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood and Dustin Hoffman.[12] The filmmakers felt it was best to film Superman and Superman II back-to-back, simultaneously, and to make a negative pickup deal with Warner Bros.[10] William Goldman was approached to write the screenplay, while Leigh Brackett was considered. Ilya hired Alfred Bester, who began writing a film treatment. Alexander felt, however, that Bester was not famous enough, and so hired Mario Puzo (The Godfather) to write the screenplay at a $600,000 salary.[15][16] Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin, Richard Lester, Peter Yates, John Guillermin, Ronald Neame and Sam Peckinpah were in negotiations to direct. Peckinpah dropped out when he produced a gun during a meeting with Ilya. George Lucasturned down the offer because of his commitment to Star Wars.[9][14]
Ilya wanted to hire Steven Spielberg to direct, but Alexander was skeptical, feeling it was best to "wait until [Spielberg's] big fish opens". Jaws was very successful, prompting the producers to offer Spielberg the position, but by then Spielberg had already committed to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.[14] Guy Hamilton was hired as director, while Puzo delivered his 500-page script for Superman and Superman II in July 1975.[10] Jax-Ur appeared as one of General Zod's henchman, with Clark Kent written as a television reporter. Dustin Hoffman, who was previously considered for Superman, turned down Lex Luthor.[12][15]
In early 1975, Brando signed on as Jor-El with a salary of $3.7 million and 11.75% of the box office gross profits, totaling $19 million. He horrified Salkind by proposing in their first meeting that Jor-El appear as a suitcase or a green bagelwith Brando's voice, but Donner used flattery to persuade the actor to portray Jor-El himself.[14] Brando hoped to use some of his salary for a proposed 13-part Roots-style miniseries on Native Americans in the United States.[17] Brando had it in his contract to complete all of his scenes in 12 days. He also refused to memorize his dialogue, so cue cards were compiled across the set. Fellow Oscar winner Hackman was cast as Lex Luthor days later. The filmmakers made it a priority to shoot all of Brando and Hackman's footage "because they would be committed to other films immediately".[10][14] Though the Salkinds felt that Puzo had written a solid story for the two-part film, they deemed his scripts too long and so hired Robert Benton and David Newman for rewrite work. Benton became too busy directing The Late Show and David's wife Leslie was brought in to help her husband finish writing duties.[9] George MacDonald Fraser was later hired to do some work on the script but he says he did little.[18]
Their script was submitted in July 1976,[10] and carried a camp tone, including a cameo appearance by Telly Savalas as his Kojak character. The scripts for Superman and Superman II were now at over 400-pages combined.[7][19] Pre-production started in Rome, with sets starting construction and flying tests being unsuccessfully experimented. "In Italy," producer Ilya Salkind remembered, "we lost about $2 million [on flying tests]."[14] Marlon Brando found out he couldn't film in Italy because of a warrant out for his arrest, a sexual obscenity charge from Last Tango in Paris. Production moved to England in late-1976, but Hamilton could not join because he was a tax exile.[19]
Mark Robson was strongly considered in talks to direct, but after seeing The Omen, the producers hired Richard Donner. Donner had previously been planning Damien: Omen II when he was hired in January 1977 for $1 million to directSuperman and Superman II.[20] Donner felt it was best to start from scratch. "They had prepared the picture for a year and not one bit was useful to me."[20] Donner was dissatisfied with the campy script and brought Tom Mankiewicz to perform a rewrite. According to Mankiewicz "not a word from the Puzo script was used".[19] "It was a well-written, but still a ridiculous script. It was 550 pages. I said, 'You can't shoot this screenplay because you'll be shooting for five years'," Donner continued. "That was literally a shooting script and they planned to shoot all 550 pages. You know, 110 pages is plenty for a script, so even for two features, that was way too much."[21] Mankiewicz conceived having each Kryptonian family wear a crest resembling a different letter, justifying the 'S' on Superman's costume.[20] The Writers Guild of America refused to credit Mankiewicz for his rewrites, so Donner gave him a creative consultant credit, much to the annoyance of the Guild.[20]
Casting of Superman[edit] Edit
It was initially decided to first sign an A-list actor for Superman before Richard Donner was hired as director. Robert Redford was offered a large sum, but felt he was too famous. Burt Reynolds also turned down the role, while Sylvester Stallone was interested, but nothing ever came of it. Paul Newman was offered his choice of roles as Superman, Lex Luthor or Jor-El for $4 million, turning down all three roles.[9]
When it was next decided to cast an unknown actor, casting director Lynn Stalmaster first suggested Christopher Reeve, but Donner and the producers felt he was too young and skinny.[10] Over 200 unknown actors auditioned for Superman.[22]
Olympic champion Bruce Jenner had auditioned for the title role,[9] while Patrick Wayne was cast, but dropped out when his father was diagnosed with stomach cancer, from which he died months after the film's 1978 release.[20]
Both Neil Diamond and Arnold Schwarzenegger lobbied hard for the role, but were ignored. James Caan, James Brolin, Lyle Waggoner, Christopher Walken, Nick Nolte, Jon Voight, and Perry King were approached.[9][14] Kris Kristofferson and Charles Bronson were also considered for the title role.[23]
James Caan said he was offered the part but turned it down. "I just couldn't wear that suit."[24]
"We found guys with fabulous physique who couldn't act or wonderful actors who did not look remotely like Superman," creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz remembered. The search became so desperate that producer Ilya Salkind's wife's dentist was screen tested.[9][14]
Stalmaster convinced Donner and Ilya to have Reeve screen test in February 1977. Reeve stunned the director and producers, but he was told to wear a "muscle suit" to produce the desired muscular physique. Reeve refused,[11][25]undertaking a strict physical exercise regime headed by David Prowse. Prowse had wanted to portray Superman, but was denied an audition by the filmmakers because he was not American. Prowse also auditioned for Non. Reeve went from 188 to 212 pounds during pre-production and filming.[26] Reeve was paid a mere $250,000 for both Superman and Superman II while his veteran co-stars received huge sums of money: $3.7 million for Brando and $2 million for Hackman for Superman I.[27] However, Reeve felt, "'Superman' brought me many opportunities, rather than closing a door in my face."[28] Jeff East portrays teenage Clark Kent. East had his voice overdubbed by Reeve. "I was not happy about it because the producers never told me what they had in mind," East commented. "It was done without my permission but it turned out to be okay. Chris did a good job but it caused tension between us. We resolved our issues with each other years later."[13] East also tore several thigh muscles when performing the stunt of racing alongside the train. He applied 3 to 4 hours of prosthetic makeup daily to facially resemble Reeve.[13]
Filming[edit] Edit
Principal photography began on March 24, 1977 at Pinewood Studios for Krypton scenes, budgeted as the most expensive film ever made at that point. Since Superman was being shot simultaneously with Superman II, filming lasted for 19 months, until October 1978. Filming was originally scheduled to last between seven and eight months, but problems rose during production. John Barry served as production designer, while Stuart Craig and Norman Reynolds worked as art directors. Derek Meddings and Les Bowie were credited as visual effects supervisors. Stuart Freeborn was the make-up artist, while Barry, David Tomblin, John Glen, David Lane, Robert Lynn and an uncredited Peter Duffell andAndré de Toth[29] directed second unit scenes. Vic Armstrong was hired as the stunt coordinator and Reeve's stunt double, his wife Wendy Leech was Kidder's double. Superman was also the final complete film by cinematographerGeoffrey Unsworth, who died during post-production while working on Tess for director Roman Polanski. The Fortress of Solitude was constructed at Shepperton Studios and at Pinewood's 007 Stage.[30][31] Upon viewing the footage of Krypton, Warner Bros. decided to distribute in not only North America, but also in foreign countries. Due to complications and problems during filming, Warner Bros. also supplied $20 million and acquired television rights.[16][30]
New York City doubled for Metropolis, while the New York Daily News Building served as the location for the offices of the Daily Planet. Brooklyn Heights was also used.[32] Filming in New York lasted five weeks, during the time of theNew York City blackout of 1977. Production moved to Alberta, Canada for scenes set in Smallville, with the cemetery scene filmed in the canyon of Beynon, Alberta, the high school football scenes at Barons, Alberta, and the Kent farm constructed at Blackie, Alberta.[33][34] Brief filming also took place in Gallup, New Mexico, Lake Mead and Grand Central Terminal.[6] Director Donner had tensions with the Salkinds and Spengler concerning the escalating production budget and the shooting schedule. Creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz reflected, "Donner never got a budget or a schedule. He was constantly told he was way over schedule and budget. At one point he said, 'Why don't you just schedule the film for the next two days, and then I'll be nine months over?'."[30] Richard Lester, who worked with the Salkinds on The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers, was then brought in as a temporary co-producer to mediate the relationship between Donner and the Salkinds,[14] who by now were refusing to talk to each other.[30] With his relationship with Spengler, Donner remarked, "At one time if I'd seen him, I would have killed him."[16]
Lester was offered producing credit but refused, going uncredited for his work.[30] Salkind felt that bringing a second director onto the set meant there would be someone ready in the event that Donner couldn't fulfill his directing duties. "Being there all the time meant he [Lester] could take over," Salkind admitted. "[Donner] couldn't make up his mind on stuff."[14] On Lester, Donner reflected, "He'd been suing the Salkinds for his money on Three and Four Musketeers, which he'd never gotten. He won a lot of his lawsuits, but each time he sued the Salkinds in one country, they'd move to another, from Costa Rica to Panama to Switzerland. When I was hired, Lester told me, 'Don't do it. Don't work for them. I was told not to, but I did it. Now I'm telling you not to, but you'll probably do it and end up telling the next guy.' Lester came in as a 'go-between'. I didn't trust Lester, and I told him. He said, 'Believe me, I'm only doing it because they're paying me the money that they owe me from the lawsuit. I'll never come onto your set unless you ask me; I'll never go to your dailies. If I can help you in any way, call me."[21]
It was decided to stop shooting Superman II and focus on finishing Superman. Donner had already completed 80% of the sequel.[35] The filmmakers took a risk: if Superman was a box office bomb, they would not finish Superman II. The original climax for Superman II had General Zod, Ursa and Non destroying the planet, with Superman time traveling to fix the damage.[9] In the original ending for Superman, the nuclear missile that Superman pushed into outer spacehappens to strike the Phantom Zone, freeing the three Kryptonian supervillains. The final shot was originally going to be General Zod, Non, and Ursa all flying towards earth, in an ominous sequel hook moment. The sequence can be seen in its entirety at the beginning of Donner's edit of Superman II where it was fully restored.
Donner commented, "I decided if Superman is a success, they're going to do a sequel. If it ain't a success, a cliffhanger ain't gonna bring them to see Superman II."[20]
Effects[edit] Edit
[1]Publicity still emulating screen shot.[2]Actual screen shot for comparison. Suit has greenish hue, for use with blue-screen effects.
Superman is well known for its large-scale visual effects sequences, all of which were created before the digital age. The Golden Gate Bridge scale model stood 70 feet long and 20 feet wide. Other miniatures included the Krypton Council Dome and the Hoover Dam. Slow motion was used to simulate the vast amount of water for the Hoover Dam destruction. The Fortress of Solitude was a combination of a full-scale set and matte paintings. Young Clark Kent's long-distance football punt was executed with a wooden football loaded into an air blaster placed in the ground. The Superman costume was to be a much darker blue, but the use of blue screen made it transparent.[36]
The first test for the flying sequences involved simply catapulting a crash test dummy out of a cannon. Another technique had a remote control cast of Superman flying around. Both were discarded due to lack of movement. High quality, realistic-looking animation was tried, with speed trails added to make the effect more convincing.
As detailed in the Superman: The Movie DVD special effects documentary 'The Magic Behind The Cape', presented by optical effects supervisor Roy Field, in the end, three techniques were used to achieve the flying effects.
For landings and take-offs, wire flying riggings were devised and used. On location, these were suspended from tower cranes, whereas in the studio elaborate rigs were suspended from the studio ceilings. Some of the wire-flying work was quite audacious considering computer controlled rigs were not then available — the penultimate shot where Superman flies out of the prison yard for example. Although stuntmen were used, Reeve did much of the work himself, and was suspended as high as 50 ft in the air. Counterweights and pulleys were typically used to achieve flying movement rather than electronic or motorized devices.
For shots where the camera is stationary and Superman is seen flying towards or away from the camera in the frame, blue screen matte shots were used. Reeve would be photographed against a blue screen. While a special device made his cape flap to give the illusion of movement, the actor himself would remain stationary. Instead, the camera would use a mixture of long zoom-ins and zoom-outs to cause him to become larger or smaller in the frame. The blue background would then be photochemically removed and Reeve's isolated image would then be 'inserted' in to a matted area of a background plate shot. The zoom-ins or zoom-outs would give the appearance of flying away or towards the contents of the background plate. The disparity in lighting and colour between the matted image and the background plate, the occasional presence of black matte lines (where the matte area and the matted image — in the case Superman — don't exactly match-up) and the slightly unconvincing impression of movement achieved through the use of long zoom lenses is characteristic of these shots.
For shots where the camera is tracking with Superman as he flies (such as in the Superman and Lois Metropolis flying sequence) front projection was used. This involved photographing the actors suspended in front of a background image dimly projected from the front on to a special screen made by 3M that would reflect light back at many times the original intensity directly in to a combined camera/projector. The result was a very clear and intense photographic reproduction of both the actors and the background plate with far less of the image deterioration or lighting problems than occur with rear projection.
A technique was developed that combined the front projection effect with specially designed zoom lenses.[36] The illusion of movement was created by zooming in on Reeve while making the front projected image appear to recede. For scenes where Superman interacts with other people or objects while in flight, Reeve and actors were put in a variety of rigging equipment with careful lighting and photography.[36] This also led to the creation of the Zoptic system.[37]
The highly reflective costumes worn by the Kryptonians were the result of an accident during Superman flying tests. "We noticed the material lit up on its own," Donner explained. "We tore the material into tiny pieces and glued it on the costumes, designing a front projection effect for each camera. There was a little light on each camera, and it would project into a mirror, bounce out in front of the lens, hit the costume, [and] millions of little glass heads would light up and bring the image back into the camera."[20]
Music[edit] Edit
Jerry Goldsmith, who scored Donner's The Omen, was originally set to compose Superman. Portions of Goldsmith's work from Capricorn One were used in Superman's teaser trailer. He dropped out over scheduling conflicts and John Williams was hired. Williams conducted the London Symphony Orchestra to record the soundtrack.[38] The music was one of the last pieces to come into place. Williams liked that the film did not take itself too seriously and that it had a theatrical camp feel to it.[9] Kidder was supposed to sing "Can You Read My Mind?," the lyrics to which were written by Leslie Bricusse, but Donner disliked it and changed it to a composition accompanied by a voiceover.[6] Maureen McGovern eventually recorded the single, "Can You Read My Mind?," in 1979, although the song did not appear on the film soundtrack. It became a mid-chart hit on the Billboard Hot 100 that year.
2000 Rhino Complete Album[edit] Edit
[show]Disc One
Themes[edit] Edit
See also: Christ figure
"You will travel far, my little Kal-El. But we will never leave you, even in the face of our deaths. The richness of our lives shall be yours. All that I have, all that I've learned, everything I feel—all this and more I bequeath you, my son. You will carry me inside you all the days of your life. You will make my strength your own, and see my life through your eyes, as your life will be seen through mine. The son becomes the father and the father the son. This is all I, all I can send you, Kal-El."
— Jor-El
Superman is divided into three basic sections, each having a distinct theme and visual style. The first segment, set on Krypton, is meant to be typical of science fiction films, but also lays the groundwork for analogy that emerges in the relationship between Jor-El and Kal-El. The second segment, set in Smallville, is reminiscent of 1950s films, and its small-town atmosphere is meant to evoke a Norman Rockwell painting. The third (and largest) segment, set mostly in Metropolis, was an attempt to present the superhero story with as much realism as possible (what Donner called "verisimilitude"), relying on traditional cinematic drama and using only subtle humor instead of acampy approach.[6]
In each of the three acts, the mythic status of Superman is enhanced by events that recall the hero's journey (or monomyth) as described by Joseph Campbell. Each act has a discernible cycle of "call" and journey. The journey is from Krypton to Earth in the first act, from Smallville to the Fortress of Solitude in the second act, and then from Metropolis to the whole world in the third act.[39]
Many have noted the examples of apparent Christian symbolism. Donner, Tom Mankiewicz and Ilya Salkind have commented on the use of Christian references to discuss the themes of Superman.[6][9] Mankiewicz deliberately fostered analogies with Jor-El (God) and Kal-El (Jesus).[19] Donner is somewhat skeptical of Mankiewicz' actions, joking "I got enough death threats because of that."[6]
Several concepts and items of imagery have been used in Biblical comparisons. Jor-El casts out General Zod from Krypton, a parallel to the casting out of Satan from Heaven.[6] The spacecraft that brings Kal-El to Earth is in the form of a star (Star of Bethlehem). Kal-El comes to Jonathan and Martha Kent, who are unable to have children. Martha Kent states, "All these years how we've prayed and prayed that the good Lord would see fit to give us a child," which was compared to the Virgin Mary.[6]
Just as little is known about Jesus during his middle years, Clark travels into the wilderness to find out who he is and what he has to do. Jor-El says, "Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and power are needed. But always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, and they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you, my only son."[6] The theme resembles the Biblical account of God sending his only son Jesus to Earth in hope for the good of mankind. More were seen when Donner was able to complete Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, featuring the fall, resurrection and his battle with evil. Another vision was that of The Creation of Adam.[6]
The Christian imagery in the Reeve films has provoked comment on the Jewish origins of Superman. Rabbi Simcha Weinstein's book Up, Up and Oy Vey: How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero, says that Superman is both a pillar of society and one whose cape conceals a "nebbish", saying "He's a bumbling, nebbish Jewish stereotype. He's Woody Allen."[40][41] Ironically, it is also in the Reeve films that Clark Kent's persona has the greatest resemblance to Woody Allen, though his conscious model was Cary Grant's character in Bringing Up Baby. This same theme is pursued about 1940s superheroes generally in Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero by Danny Fingeroth.[40][41]
In the scene where Lois Lane interviews Superman on the balcony, Superman replies, "I never lie." Salkind felt this was an important point in the film, since Superman, living under his secret identity as Clark Kent, is "telling the biggest lie of all time." His romance with Lois also leads him to contradict Jor-El's orders to avoid altering human history, time traveling to save her from dying. Superman instead takes the advice of Jonathan Kent, his father on Earth.[9]
Release[edit] Edit
Superman was originally scheduled to be released in June 1978, the 40th anniversary of Action Comics 1 which first introduced Superman, but the problems during filming pushed the film back by six months. Editor Stuart Baird reflected, "Filming was finished in October 1978 and it is a miracle we had the film released three months later. Big-budgeted films today tend to take six to eight months."[30] Donner, for his part, wished that he'd "had another six months; I would have perfected a lot of things. But at some point, you've gotta turn the picture over."[21] Warner Bros. spent $7 million to market and promote the film.[16]
Superman premiered at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC on December 10, 1978. Three days later, on 13 December, it had a European Royal Charity Premiere at the Empire, Leicester Square in London in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew. It went on to gross $134.21 million in North America and $166 million internationally, totaling $300.21 million worldwide.[4] Superman was the second highest-grossing film of 1978 (behind onlyGrease), and became the sixth-highest grossing film of all time after its theatrical run. It was also Warner Bros.' most successful film at the time.[30] Based on 53 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of reviewers enjoyedSuperman, with the consensus "Superman deftly blends humor and gravitas, taking advantage of the perfectly cast Reeve to craft a loving, nostalgic tribute to an American pop culture icon."[42] By comparison, Metacritic collected an average score of 88, resulting in "universal acclaim", based on 12 reviews.[43] The film was widely regarded as one of top 10 films of 1978.[44][45][46][47] Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster gave a positive reaction.[12] Shuster was "delighted to see Superman on the screen. I got chills. Chris Reeve has just the right touch of humor. He really is Superman".[7]
Roger Ebert gave a largely positive review. "Superman is a pure delight, a wondrous combination of all the old-fashioned things we never really get tired of: adventure and romance, heroes and villains, earthshaking special effects and wit. Reeve is perfectly cast in the role. Any poor choice would have ruined the film".[48] Ebert placed the film on his 10 best list of 1978.[49] He would later go on to place it on his "Great Movies" list.[50] James Berardinelli believed "there's no doubt that it's a flawed movie, but it's one of the most wonderfully entertaining flawed movies made during the 1970s. It's exactly what comic book fans hoped it would be. Perhaps most heartening of all, however, is the message at the end of the credits announcing the impending arrival of Superman II."[51] Harry Knowles is a longtime fan of the film, but was critical of elements that didn't represent the Superman stories as seen in the comics.[52] Dave Kehr felt "the tone, style, and point of view change almost from shot to shot. This is the definitive corporate film. It is best when it takes itself seriously, worst when it takes the easy way out in giggly camp, When Lex Luthor enters the action, Hackman plays the arch-villain like a hairdresser left over from a TV skit."[53] Neal Gabler similarly felt that the film focused too much on shallow comedy. He also argued that the film should have adhered more to the spirit of Mario Puzo's original script, and referred to the first three Superman films collectively as "simply puffed-up TV episodes".[54]
Beyond theatrical release[edit] Edit
The Salkinds prepared a three-hour-plus version for worldwide television reincorporating some 45 minutes of footage and music deleted from the theatrical cut, and specially prepared so that networks and stations can re-edit their own version at their discretion. American Broadcasting Company aired the broadcast television debut of Superman in 1982, with a majority of the unused footage. A syndicated version of the film aired in local television stations in Los Angeles, California and Washington, D.C. in the 1990s included two additional scenes never seen before, in addition to what had been previously reinstated.[8] When Michael Thau and Warner Home Video started working on a film restoration in 2000, some of the extra footage was not added because of poor visual effects. Thau felt "the pace of the film's storyline would be adversely affected. This included timing problems with John William's musical score. The cut of the movie shown on TV was put together to make the movie longer when shown on TV because ABC paid per minute to air the movie. The special edition cut is designed for the best viewing experience in the true spirit of movie making."[55] There was a special test screening of the Special Edition in 2001 in Austin, Texas, on March 23 with plans for a possible wider theatrical release later that year, which did not occur.[56] In May 2001, Warner Home Video released the special edition on DVD.[57] Director Donner also assisted, working slightly over a year on the project. The release included making-of documentaries directed by Thau and eight minutes of restored footage.[58]
Thau explained, "I worked on Ladyhawke and that's how I met Donner and Tom Mankiewicz. I used to hear those wonderful stories in the cutting room that Tom, Donner and Stuart would tell about Superman and that's how I kind of got the ideas for the plots of Taking Flight and Making Superman.[58] Donner commented, "There were a few shots where the Superman costume looked green. We went in and cleaned that up, bringing the color back to where it should be."[59] Thau wanted to make the film shorter, "I wanted to take out the damn flying sequence where Lois is reciting a poem ["Can You Read My Mind"] when they're flying around. I also wanted to take out where it was just generic action. It was like a two-minute car chase. Donner protested and the stuff stayed in."[58] It was followed by a box set release in the same month, containing "bare bones" editions of Superman II, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.[60] In November 2006, a four-disc special edition was released,[61] followed by a HD DVD release[62] and Blu-ray.[63] Also available (with other films) is the nine-disc "Christopher Reeve Superman Collection"[64] and the 14-disc "Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition".[65]
Broadcast television version details[edit] Edit
When the rights to the first Superman film reverted to the Salkinds in 1981, it was their intention to prepare a television cut longer than what was released theatrically, for the aforementioned reasons. The so-called "Salkind International Extended Cut", which ended up running 3 hours, 8 minutes, was shown internationally on television, and it is from this cut that later domestic TV versions were derived.
The first network American television broadcast of Superman: The Movie took place in February 1982 on ABC.[66][67] The principal sponsor for the telecasts was Atari. At the time, ABC had a contract with Alexander Salkind for the television rights to his films. ABC's 3 hour-2 minute cut[68] of Superman was broadcast over the course of two nights.[69] On the first night it premiered, the film stopped when Lois Lane was falling from the helicopter (the picture froze, creating a cliffhanger-type of ending for part one[70]). The next evening, there was naturally a recap before the film continued.[71] This expanded version was repeated in November of the same year,[72] only this time, shown in one night.[69] The next two ABC showings after that were the original theatrical version. Apparently, in their contract with ABC, the Salkinds were able to get money for every minute of footage shown on TV. So as a result, they crammed in as much footage as possible for the TV networks in order to maximize their revenues. During production of the film, Alexander and Ilya had been relegated to having to sell more and more of their rights back to Warner Bros. in exchange for financial help. Director Richard Donner was not consulted[69] on any of the extended versions. However, due to a clause in his contract, Donner's name remains in the credits.
Also as previously mentioned, some 40 minutes of footage were reinstated for the initial ABC-TV telecasts of the film.[69] Among the highlighted moments:
A subplot of an Executioner (a Kryptonian security officer) being sent by the council to hunt down and capture Jor-El (while the beginning of the scene is shown in the 2000 director's cut restoration, the "payoff" [with him getting killed] is not in the latter version).
When Superman is trying to get to Lex Luthor's underground hideout, he is subjected to machine gun fire, a giant blow torch, and is frozen in ice. A tiny fraction of this footage was used in the theatrical version Superman II (directed by Richard Lester), in the scene where Superman's powers are stripped away by the molecule chamber in the Fortress of Solitude.
Lex Luthor plays the piano in several scenes; when he has Otis drop Eve Teschmacher into the lions' den at the end he is singing "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby".
After Superman saves Lois at the end and flies off, he's seen rescuing Eve Teschmacher from the lions' den, in which Lex had previously dropped her; he pointedly notes for Luthor to hear, "By the way, Miss Teschmacher, your mother sends her love," a reference to Luthor's boast about Hackensack, NJ.
The little girl who sees the teenage Clark Kent running faster than the train is revealed to be Lois Lane, a fact revealed when her parents talk to her by name. This revelation scene is not present in the shorter theatrical release. Only in the ABC version are young Lois Lane and her father seen in the train. Also in the ABC version, Otis' walk down the street is longer.
Nearly all of John Williams' score is restored (some of which was dialed out of the theatrical cut).
However, at least one noticeable removal occurred: the recording of "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets, heard in the original film in the minutes before the death of Glenn Ford's character, is replaced with a generic piece of instrumental music in the ABC cut.
When the rights reverted to Warner Bros. in 1985, CBS aired the film one last time on network television in its theatrical version. When Superman: The Movie entered the syndication[73] market in 1988 (following a play-out run on pay cable[69][74]) TV stations were offered the extended cut or the theatrical cut. The stations that showed the extended cut[69] edited the second half to squeeze in commercials and 'What happened yesterday flashbacks'.
In May 1994 (following a pay cable reissue and obligatory run on USA Network), Warner Bros. offered the aforementioned "Salkind International Extended Cut" (a 3-hour, 8-minute version, prepared by the Salkinds, and from which the ABC version was derived), which was shown in Los Angeles on KCOP.[69][75] This version also surfaced outside of Los Angeles. For example, WJLA Channel 7, an ABC affiliate out of Washington, D.C. aired the "Salkind International Extended Cut" on Saturday, July 27, 1994. Part one aired from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. before breaking for 30 minutes of news. Part two was then aired from 12:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
The extended version of Superman: The Movie has never been broadcast in the United Kingdom. The first showing of the theatrical version on UK television appeared on 4 January 1983 on ITV. In 1985, Ireland's RTE television aired the extended versions of Superman: The Movie and Superman II in one night. The films ran from roughly 3:00 until 9:00 including the odd commercial and a break for the 6:00 news.
The quality of the extended network TV version is inferior to any theatrical or current home video release because it was mastered in 16mm (using the "film chain system") and a mono sound mix done as by the time the extended cut was prepared in 1981, stereo was not available in television broadcasts. Eight of the 45 minutes of extended scenes that were used in the later 2000 director's cut restoration were taken from restored elements.
There are various extended TV versions each broadcast in various countries. Most of these are in pan and scan, as they were made in the 1980s, when films were not letterboxed to preserve the theatrical aspect ratio on old TVs. None of the various extended versions have ever been made available officially on home video/DVD, although they have been widely bootlegged.[citation needed]
Legacy[edit] Edit
Superman was nominated for three Academy Awards (Best Film Editing – (Stuart Baird), Best Music (Original Score) – (John Williams) and Best Sound Mixing – (Gordon K. McCallum, Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier andRoy Charman)),[76] and received a Special Achievement Academy Award for its visual effects. Donner publicly expressed disgust that production designer John Barry and cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth had not been recognized by the Academy.[20]
Superman was successful at the 32nd British Academy Film Awards. Reeve won Best Newcomer, while Hackman, Unsworth, Barry and the sound designers earned nominations.[77] The film won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.[78] At the Saturn Awards, Kidder, Barry, John Williams and the visual effects department received awards, and the film won Best Science Fiction Film. Reeve, Hackman, Donner, Valerie Perrine and costume designerYvonne Blake were nominated for their work as well.[79] In addition, Williams was nominated for the 36th Golden Globe Awards and won the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.[80][81] In 2007, the Visual Effects Society listed Superman as the 44th most influential use of visual effects of all time.[82] In 2008, Empire magazine named it the #174 greatest film of all-time on its list of 500.[83] The film also received recognition from the American Film Institute. Superman was selected as the 26th greatest film hero of all time.[84] The film was considered for the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers list, but didn't make it past the ballot.[85] In 2009, Entertainment Weekly ranked Superman 3rd on their list of The All-Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture.[86]
With the film's success, it was immediately decided to finish Superman II. Ilya and Alexander Salkind and Pierre Spengler did not ask Donner to return because Donner had criticized them during the film's publicity phase.[9] Donner commented in January 1979, "I'd work with Spengler again, but only on my terms. As long as he has nothing to say as the producer, and is just liaison between Alexander Salkind and his money, that's fine. If they don't want it on those terms, then they need to go out and find another director, it sure as shit ain't gonna be me."[21] Kidder, who portrayed Lois Lane, was dissatisfied by the producers' decision,[30] and also criticized the Salkinds during publicity. As a result, Kidder was only given a cameo appearance for Superman III, and not a main supporting role.[87] Jack O'Halloran, who portrayed Non, stated, "It was great to work with Donner. Richard Lester was as big an asshole as the Salkinds."[88] Two more films, Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), were produced. Superman Returns was released in 2006. Director Bryan Singer credited Superman: The Movie as an influence forSuperman Returns, and even used restored footage of Brando as Jor-El. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut also was released in 2006.[31]
The film's final sequence, which features Superman flying high above the Earth at sunrise, and breaking the fourth wall to smile briefly at the camera, featured at the end of every Superman film starring Reeve, and was re-shot withBrandon Routh for Superman Returns.
Because Superman went into production prior to the releases of Star Wars (May 1977) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (November 1977), some observers credit the three films collectively for launching the reemergence of a large market for science fiction films in the 1980s. This is certainly the view of Superman producer Ilya Salkind and some who have interviewed him,[9][14] as well as of film production assistant Brad Lohan.[89] Other observers of film history tend to credit the resurgence of science fiction films simply to the Lucas and Spielberg productions, and see Superman as the first of the new cycle of films launched by the first two.[90] Ilya Salkind denies any connection betweenSuperman—which began filming in March 1977—and the other films, stating that "I did not know about 'Star Wars'; 'Star Wars' did not know about 'Superman'; 'Close Encounters' did not know about 'Superman.' It really was completely independent — nobody knew anything about anybody."[14] Superman also established the superhero film genre as viable outside the world of Saturday matinee serials, although it was a decade before the comparable success of theBatman series and two decades before that of X-Men and Spider-Man.[9]
American Film Institute Lists
AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains:
Superman – #26 Hero
Lex Luthor — Nominated Villain
AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
Can You Read My Mind — Nominated
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:
"I'm here to fight for truth, justice, and the American way." – Nominated
AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores – Nominated
AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – Nominated
AFI's 10 Top 10 – Nominated Fantasy Film
Comic book continuity[edit] Edit
Many elements of the Superman mythos which were once unique to the film have since been incorporated into the regular continuity of the DC Comics universe:
the crystalline-based technology of the planet Krypton
Superman's "S" logo originates as the El family crest
Ursa and Non—characters created specifically for the film—are imprisoned in the Phantom Zone with General Zod.[91]
A computer-generated simulacrum of Jor-El survives in the Fortress of Solitude to advise his adult son Kal-El.[92]
Clark Kent commences his public superhero career as the adult Superman, rather than the teenage Superboy.[93]
Lois Lane first meets Superman when he rescues her as she falls from a disabled helicopter in Metropolis.[94]
In one version of this encounter, the characters greet each other using the same dialogue from this scene in the film (Superman: "Easy, Miss, I've got you." Lois: "You've got me ... who's got you?").[95]
Lois is the one who first names the hero "Superman".[96]
Jonathan Kent dies of a heart attack, but Martha survives as his widow.[97]
Although she is an excellent reporter, Lois frequently misspells words.
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Review - Practical Autonomy and Bioethics
by James Stacey Taylor
Routledge, 2009
Review by Robyn Bluhm, Ph.D.
Mar 16th 2010 (Volume 14, Issue 11)
The heart of the book is Taylor's theory of practical autonomy, which he outlines in the first chapter. The remainder of the book is spent putting his theory into the context of contemporary discussion of autonomy in moral and political philosophy and then considering the implications of his view for key discussion of autonomy in bioethics.
Taylor begins by noting that personal autonomy, that is, the ability to guide one's decisions and actions based on one's own values and desires, plays a central role in contemporary bioethics. Yet, he claims "there has been no concerted effort made by either bioethicists or autonomy theorists to develop and defend an account of personal autonomy that is both theoretically defensible and captures the contours of the concept as it is discussed in contemporary bioethics and contemporary moral philosophy in general" (p. xiv). Moreover, the term "autonomy" appears to be used in many different ways in both literatures.
Taylor's attempt to address these problems is to develop a theory of practical autonomy that involves three conditions which must be met in order for an agent to be autonomous with respect to a decision. The first is the Threshold Condition, which requires that the agent not make a decision that has been affected by another agent who has provided her with information that was meant to lead her to that particular decision. If the decision has been so affected, then in order to the decision to be made autonomously, the agent must be aware of the way in which it has been affected, or (if she is not aware) must make a decision other than the one that the second agent had intended for her to make.
Taylor notes that the Threshold Condition is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition, for the agent to be autonomous with respect to her decisions, so he adds a second condition. The Degree Condition states that "the maximum degree to which a person will be autonomous with respect to a decision that she makes will be determined by the degree to which it is the result of a decision-making procedure that she is satisfied with as being her decision-making procedure for making the type of decision that is in question" (p. 8). Thus, on Taylor's account, decisions may be made more, or less, autonomously. A third condition acknowledges that agents' decision-making procedures are open to change; the "Tracing Condition" applies in cases in which a person has decided to use a different procedure than usual and requires that in these cases, the degree of autonomy a person has with respect to a decision depends on "the degree to which she was autonomous with respect to the decision-making procedure that she used to make the choice to use an alternative decision-making procedure' (p. 9).
Having set out his theory of autonomy, Taylor argues that it captures the way in which the concept is used by other autonomy theorists (Chapter 2). He also argues (Chapters 3 and 4) that Harry Frankfurt's influential theory of autonomy, which is in some important respects different from Taylor's own, is actually concerned primarily with identification, rather than with autonomy. Whereas on Taylor's account, autonomy is an externalist concept, because the extent to which an agent is autonomous depends on other factors than his own beliefs, desires (etc.), identification is a purely internalist notion, having to do with the relationship among the agent's mental states. Taylor points out that one can identify with a decision that is not autonomous, if that decision does not meet Taylor's threshold condition (i.e. is the result of manipulation by another agent). In Chapter 5, Taylor again emphasizes the relationship between manipulation and autonomy, arguing that his theory is a "minimally" substantive theory of autonomy because the Threshold Condition places constraints on the kinds of beliefs that can influence an autonomous decision.
In Chapters 6 and 7, Taylor discusses the relationship between the scope of the choices available to an agent and her ability to act autonomously. He argues that, contra the view that having more choices is better for autonomous decision-making, it may sometimes be the case that having certain choices available can diminish an agent's ability to at autonomously, though he notes that his analysis differs from other arguments for a similar conclusion. He also argues that some constraints are necessary for the exercise of autonomy.
Chapters 8 and 9 consider the implications of Taylor's theory of autonomy for key debates in bioethics, specifically the relationship between autonomy and privacy/confidentiality (Chapter 8) and autonomy and informed consent (Chapter 9). Taylor argues convincingly that respect for privacy and respect for autonomy are distinct issues, but also shows that, because of the potential effects of loss of confidentiality on patients' relationships with their healthcare providers, and thus potentially on their ability to exercise their autonomy effectively, confidentiality is a key issue in bioethics. Similarly, despite the tendency in bioethics to equate the provision of informed consent with the exercise of autonomy, Taylor demonstrates that these two concepts are distinct and that the purpose of informed consent is to help an agent to enhance the instrumental value of her autonomy, not to protect her autonomy itself. How satisfying a reader finds Taylor's analysis of these issues will depend on the extent to which he is willing to accept Taylor's view that an agent's autonomy can only be compromised by others if his decision is the result of deliberate manipulation or deception by another agent.
The final chapter expands on a theme that has recurred throughout the volume, which is that autonomy is of instrumental, not intrinsic, value to its possessor. Taylor noted early in the book that the rise of autonomy in bioethics coincided with a move away from Christian morality as a guiding force in bioethics and the recognition that individuals may have very different value systems. Thus, the purpose of respecting autonomy in healthcare settings is to allow for individuals' freedom to pursue their own goals.
Despite the title, which may seem to suggest that the book is concerned primarily with autonomy in bioethics, the bulk of the discussion centers on Taylor's theory of autonomy, developing the theory in the context of contemporary moral and political theory. As such, it may be most beneficial to readers who are well-versed in this literature, though Taylor does do an excellent job of explicating the positions against which he develops his theory. Taylor's dense style of argumentation makes the book most suitable for professional philosophers, rather than for most students or for an interdisciplinary audience.
One notable exception to Taylor's thorough overview of theories of autonomy is the almost total lack of discussion of relational accounts of autonomy developed by feminist scholars and which are particularly influential in bioethics. It would have been interesting to see how Taylor sees the relationship between his theory of autonomy and feminist accounts. The former emphasizes the negative effects of manipulation on an agent's autonomy, whereas the latter emphasize that the negative effects of other individuals on an agent's decisions need not be overtly coercive.
In summary, Taylor's book is based on an impressive knowledge of contemporary theories of autonomy and it clearly and thoroughly situates his own theory of autonomy in this context. His main message with regard to bioethics is that autonomy has only instrumental, rather than intrinsic, value. Taylor suggests that recognizing this fact will, at least prima facie, "justify greater limitations on third-party interference in persons' medical choices" (p. 156). Whether this conclusion is justified, however, will depend on other moral issues in addition to the question of the value of autonomy.
© 2010 Robyn Bluhm
Robyn Bluhm, Ph.D., Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Old Dominion University
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DDP Yoga
Michael Cavacini
An award-winning arts and culture blog.
Archive for the tag “Author”
Interview: James Patterson MasterClass Winner Kecia Bal
Kecia Bal won the first James Patterson MasterClass Co-Author Competition. Her proposed topic and outline for a book she hoped to write with the world’s best-selling author was chosen by the man himself. In June 2016 she received a fateful call from James Patterson telling her that out of the thousands of submissions, hers was the best and she’d have the opportunity to bring that idea to life working side-by-side with the foremost writer in the thriller genre. Together they wrote and published The Dolls, an imaginative and compelling entry in James Patterson’s BookShots series of bite-sized thrillers that clock in around 150 pages. Below is my interview with Bal, who was kind enough to share her thoughts on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Posted in Books, Interview, Writing and tagged Author, Books, Interview, James Patterson, Kecia Bal, MasterClass, Michael Cavacini, The Dolls, writing
Author Interview: Jason Pinter
Jason Pinter is one of my favorite authors. He’s an excellent writer who has written numerous internationally best-selling books. And, he’s also the founder and publisher of Polis Books, an independent publishing company he launched in 2013 following positions in editorial and marketing at Warner Books, Random House, St. Martin’s Press and Grove/Atlantic and the Mysterious Press.
Posted in Books, Interview and tagged Author, Books, Henry Parker, Interview, Jason Pinter, Michael Cavacini, Reading, The Castle, writing | Leave a comment
A Conversation with John Lescroart
John Lescroart is an exceptional author who I had the good fortune of meeting at ThrillerFest last July. He is a New York Times best-seller with more than 25 books to his name, and his latest novel, The Fall, which came out in May, has been receiving phenomenal reviews.
Below is an interview John was kind enough to do with me. I hope you enjoy it.
Posted in Books, Interview, Novels, Writing and tagged Author, Books, Dismas Hardy, Interview, ITW, John Grisham, John Lescroart, Michael Cavacini, Novels, T. Jefferson Parker, The Fall, Thrillers, Wyatt Hunt
Book Review: The Stranger by Harlan Coben
I recently finished reading The Stranger by Harlan Coben, and I really enjoyed it. As always, Harlan pens a tightly-woven, unpredictable thriller better than anyone. But that also means the reader goes into his books with very high expectations. I found this standalone novel to be superior to his previous one, Missing You, and I highly recommend it. And don’t forget to check out my interview with Harlan, where he talks about his inspiration for this book.
Posted in Books, Review, Writing and tagged Author, Book Review, Fiction, Harlan Coben, Michael Cavacini, Missing You, The Stranger, Thriller | Leave a comment
A Conversation With Harlan Coben
I’ve interviewed many authors over the past few years, but it wasn’t until recently that I got to interview my all-time favorite: Harlan Coben. With over 60 million books in print and his last seven consecutive novels debuting at #1 on The New York Times bestseller list, you could say Harlan is a favorite among many readers, and with good reason. His thrillers are unpredictable and compelling, and they feature fully-realized characters that stay with you after the final page has been turned.
Harlan’s newest novel, The Stranger, is being released in the U.S. on March 24. Stay tuned for my review of the book, which I’m sure is fantastic. Until then, check out my interview with Harlan below, where we discuss everything from Governor Chris Christie to driving in the fog with your headlights on. Enjoy!
Posted in Books, Interview, Novels and tagged Author, Chris Christie, Dan Brown, Harlan Coben, Interview, John Waite, Michael Cavacini, Missing You, The Stranger, Thrillers
Book Review: Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline
Yesterday I finished Keep Quiet, the latest novel by one of my favorite authors, Lisa Scottoline. This book is about Jake, a father who’s looking to get closer to his son. Despite his good intentions, he makes a decision that could tear his family apart.
Posted in Books, Review, Writing and tagged Author, Book, Keep Quiet, Lisa Scottoline, Michael Cavacini, Mystery, Review, Thriller, writing
Author Interview: Ken Sharp
Gene Simmons, Ken Sharp and Paul Stanley.
I met Ken Sharp, the New York Times best-selling music biographer, on KISS Kruise III and I recently finished his latest book: Nothing’ to Lose: The Making of KISS (1972-1975). It was fantastic and easily the most in-depth biography I’ve ever read. If you’re a KISS fan, a lover of pop culture or just someone who’s interested in fascinating origin stories, I highly recommend you read the book.
Below is my interview with Ken. We discuss Nothin’ to Lose, his love for KISS and we even talk about how John Waite brought us together, among other interesting topics. It’s a great interview and I hope you enjoy it.
How did you get into KISS? What’s your first memory of becoming a fan?
There was a neighbor down the street and he played guitar. I remember being at his house one day and he put on this record, which was KISS Alive! I believe it had just come out and he was showing me the cover and playing it. And I was blown away by the aggression and the melodic hooks and the fact that he was playing his electric guitar along with it. I think it was the whole package that inspired me, not only to become a KISS fan but also to start playing guitar. So, it was definitely a good introduction to the band and to the world of playing guitar.
When did you first meet KISS?
The first time I met them was in December of ’76. I was backstage at a show on the Rock and Roll Over tour at the Spectrum in Philadelphia – I have a poster that was signed by them, it was amazing.
My mom was the first woman professional boxing judge in the world so she had contacts at the Spectrum and I begged her to call someone there to see if she knew someone that could introduce me to the band. She was able to coerce someone that she knew. She put me on the subway. I went to the show myself and I met someone around four in the afternoon and they brought me backstage, and I basically just waited in the backstage area till the band came. Not only did I meet them, I got to watch them do the soundcheck without makeup – this is all completely true. And I got them to sign autographs. I didn’t get pictures and I kind of regret that, but obviously they were without makeup so that wasn’t gonna’ happen.
I met Bill Aucoin that night, and I befriended Carol Kaye who was a publicist for KISS in the ’70s. She worked at a place called Press Office in New York, and she invited me up one day to visit her and the day I went to see her Paul came into the office. So I met with Paul and got autographs, and another time when I came back in the ’70s I met Gene. I got to hang out with him, so that was a pretty amazing experience. I was young and impressionable so it really blew my mind. I first interviewed them, probably, in the early ’80s. But in terms of meeting them, I met them in ’76.
I was mainly interviewing a lot of people that worked with them. Gene found out about that and he and Paul made themselves available. It was something that came together because of that – because of my idea of, hey, let me start interviewing as many people that worked with them. Whether it was Vinnie Poncia, who produced Dynasty and Unmasked or people that worked on the road crew and things like that, and it started there.
In addition to writing about KISS, you have books about John Lennon and Elvis. How did you get involved in the music business and in writing?
It’s interesting. I went to Temple University and got a degree in Communications and I got a chance to work as an intern at a local Philly radio station called WYSP. And from there I befriended people at the station and the music director, Mark DiDia. He was a really good guy, and later turned out to be a really powerful guy in the business who worked with Capital Records and Geffen in real high-up positions and now he’s working in management.
I was part of the hard rock show called the Metal Shop and I played a character on there called “Killer Ken” (laughs). And I wasn’t much of a killer but we had to take on these roles and I was about to do some interviews for that show and Mark DiDia really didn’t like doing interviews. He knew I was passionate about music so he had me interview people like Glen Tilbrook or Ozzy Osbourne or Bob Geldof, when Live Aid happened. I interviewed Yoko Ono over the phone. So, that basically started it up.
I also started contributing articles to the music magazine Goldmine, and from there it kind of took off and has since resulted in me working on a lot of book projects. Obviously, my latest book being Nothin’ to Lose, but beyond KISS I’ve done books on everyone from John Lennon to Elvis to Cheap Trick to the Raspberries, people like that. That’s kind of how that fired my interest.
Speaking of Nothin’ to Lose, how did it come to be?
Well, I’ve always been really fascinated with the beginning of things with artists. I’m a huge Beatles and Elvis fan – they’re actually my favorite artists – and I’ve always been really fascinated with Elvis’ early days. He was signed to a local label called Sun Records and played all the juke joints down south, and I was always really fascinated with those formative years. And the same thing with the Beatles – when they played Hamburg or were starting out in Liverpool, and I thought the same thing about KISS. I thought, wow, there’s never really been a book that’s really gone into great depth about that and let me see if I can do it. I started putting together some new interviews and things like that, and tracking down some people. I put 25,000 words together and I sent it to Gene with my proposal. He thought it was a good idea and it took off from there.
How was it working with Gene and Paul for this book? Did they give you complete creative control or did you have to get their approval on the final manuscript since they were listed as co-authors?
Yeah, they were absolute princes about everything. Initially I was made a little worried that perhaps there’d be a lot of censorship but there was absolutely nothing like that. They wanted the story to be told, and they wanted it to be told not just with their voices but with the voices of the rest of the band, as well as all the different people that worked with them, whether it was producers, record company executives, publicists, concert promoters, costume designers, journalists, or engineers. It’s a wide swath of people that are telling their story and I think that’s what makes it unique and different. A lot of people know the story and I can’t reinvent what happened to them but what I can do is re-contextualize it and present it in a manner that creates a much larger tapestry so people can get a greater understanding of what happened. And there are even things that happened to the band in their career that they weren’t privy to. They weren’t there for every event that happened and there were things that happened, business-wise or with concert promoters, that they weren’t privy to, and them reading about it in the book was an eye opener.
They were absolutely complete gentlemen and certainty made themselves available all the time for interviews and things like that, and they really let me take the lead to shape what I was able to accomplish.
This is the most detailed KISS book I’ve ever read, and perhaps the most detailed music book I’ve ever read.
Yeah, some reviews said, “I’m surprised he didn’t interview the custodian at Electric Lady” (laughs). The reason why is because I couldn’t track him down. I’m just joking. I certaintly could have stopped a lot earlier (laughs). I interviewed over 200 people for the book. I could have stopped after 75 people, but it’s kind of like when you’re working on a song, you kind of know when you’re done. It was at that point that I felt like I’d exhausted people from that era. But there’s always going to be people that pop out of the woodwork after a project is done. There have been a few people that popped up since I worked on the project but overall I think I did a pretty admirable job of digging up plenty of people from that time period to present the most complete portrait of the band. It was satisfying to track down all of these people. I almost had to be a detective in a way.
From start to finish, how long did it take to complete Nothin’ to Lose?
Probably about four years, I would say. Yeah, it was a lot of work, and people have asked me in interviews or otherwise, “So, you’re obviously starting on the follow-up?” That’s actually not true. I thought about it, but to throw myself back into that and shut out the world for a few years at a time to do that, I’m not sure I’m ready to do that. But I’m working on other projects that are not KISS-related. But it was a really time-consuming and exhausting project, and I feel really satisfied with the results.
Nothin’ to Lose is filled with comments from nearly every person that came into contact with the KISS during this era. Some of this content is pulled from previous interviews and articles but a good portion of it was gathered first-hand by you. How did you go about speaking with so many musicians, producers, and everyone in between, about KISS?
Having been a part of the music business since the early ’80s and dealing with publicists, I did what I had to do to track down people, and one person would lead to another. It certainly wasn’t a case of someone presenting me with a list of 200 people to talk to. It was a really a case of being a detective and tracking down people, especially people outside of the norm. It really required a lot of legwork and a lot of hours of endless digging through a variety of sources to track people down and gain a lot of confidences. There were people that may have been not initially wanting to talk or not interested, and I had to persuade them that this wasn’t a hatchet job the band was doing – it was really me trying to capture the essence of what the band was doing at that time as best as I could.
I would say 90% of the interviews in the book were done first-hand by me, and I pride myself on that. But there are a few instances where I had to tap into interviews from the past.
Speaking of interviews, Ace and Peter’s thoughts are featured throughout the book. Are all of these comments from previous interviews or did you speak with them for this book?
I went to both of them requesting interviews and they were both working on their own book projects, so it’s understandable why they couldn’t participate. But I wanted to give them as much of a voice as I could. I interviewed them before – quite a few times – and they’re a part of it. Their input is not as great as Paul and Gene’s but they’re certainly not ignored. What’s interesting to me is before the book came out people saw that Gene and Paul’s names were on it and they thought it was going to be a complete bashfest of Ace and Peter. But that was completely not the case.
This was a much more positive story because this was a period of time when everyone was getting along and they were aligned with the same ambition. If I jump into doing a part two, the next period, where the band broke through – from ’76 to ’79 – that was a pretty difficult period for the guys in the band. While they achieved huge heights of success, the excess and divisions started to form. The problems with Ace and Peter, with drinking and drugs, came to the fore. So, while a book about that era would be interesting, it would be a bit more depressing than the era that I covered.
How did it feel to become a New York Times best-selling author with Nothin’ to Lose?
That was an amazing feeling. It’s kind of a like a one-hit wonder breaking into the top 10. People can forget about them but they can always say they made the top 10. If it’s only one time for me, I’m fine with that. It was quite a surprise and certainly one that I celebrated. I’ve done over 15 books and I’ve never had one make the New York Times bestseller list, let alone in the top 10. So to break in at number nine was really, really satisfying. I certainly have to give Paul and Gene the major props for that because with them being kind enough to go out and do some book signings, I’m sure that certainly helped us. It was quite a surprise and definitely something that put a smile on my face.
Knowing how long Nothin’ to Lose took to complete, if Gene and Paul came to you asking for a second book would you be open to it?
Yeah, possibly. But it was so much work, and I’m the world’s worst typist. I type with two fingers. So, you can imagine, to transcribe interviews – that in itself is torture. An interview that is an hour could take me five or six hours to transcribe (laughs). And by the time I’m done, my fingers are numb. Just that amount of work was difficult. If I could have someone transcribe my interviews then I could begin work on the narrative, and that would certainly make things easier. But still, it would require such a huge amount of work. I’m shocked I was able to pull this book off because I was still working a full-time job at that time.
I really did work hard to track down as many photos as I could that were previously unseen or rare. I really wanted to make every image count as best as I could in the book, and that was also a difficult proposition working with ’73 to ’75 because it’s an era that’s less documented than ’76 onward, obviously, as the band became more popular. So that was a great challenge, but I’m real pleased with the images in the book and there’s an additional 22 images in the e-book version.
You also wrote KISS: Behind the Mask and KISS Army Worldwide: The Ultimate Fanzine Phenomenon with Gene and Paul. Do you have a favorite among the three?
Not because it’s the newest book, but I think I would say Nothin’ to Lose because I think it hangs together really well. I love that period of time of KISS’ career. It was for me, from a selfish point of view, a way to live vicariously through those times by doing this book. In a way, the book was for me as much as it was for other KISS fans. I would definitely say that Nothin’ to Lose, by far, is my favorite book out of all the KISS projects.
When you and I met on KISS Kruise III, you were wearing a Babys t-shirt and we chatted briefly about John Waite, a fantastic musician and vocalist.
(laughs) Yeah, I love that Babys shirt and I even wore it during my meet and greet photo with KISS (laughs). I’m a big fan of the Babys and John Waite, who I recently interviewed for a Goldmine cover story.
Speaking of John Waite, I saw a couple videos online of you jamming with his band on guitar last fall. How did that come about what was it like being on stage?
Talk about an amazing moment. I got to play three songs with him at a private show in the valley in California. And I got to play two Babys songs with him – “Midnight Rendezvous” and “Head First.” Then we ended with a cover of “Money,” which was a song the Beatles used to do and, actually, the Babys covered it. I came up with the idea of doing that. When we were doing the soundcheck I started playing that riff and John just started singing along and we ran through it, and I didn’t think anything else of it. Then, later that day, I saw the set list and saw that they added “Money” as the encore.
My god, I saw the Babys only once in 1980 and it was, probably, one of my top three concerts of all time – them at the Tower Theater in Philly for the Union Jacks tour. It was such a spectacular show. And for me to be able to be on the same stage, even for just a small period of time, playing guitar on classic Babys songs with John Waite – one of my musical heroes – was certainly a mind-blower (laughs). I’m not sure I’m worthy of it, but it was great.
What’s your connection with John and how did you two meet?
The first time I met him was in 1982 for his first solo album Ignition, and I met him at the location where I’d later work as an intern: WYSP. It’s really interesting how that all ties together. I found out that he was doing an interview that day and he was opening a show at the Tower – that was his first solo tour – for 38 Special. I had front-row tickets and went with a friend, and we waited in the lobby of the radio station. Eventually the elevator opened and there was John Waite with a guy from Chrysalis Records and he couldn’t be nicer. We took a bunch of photos with him, and that was the first time I met him. The first time I interviewed him was probably two years later.
Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like fans to be aware of?
I’m finishing up a book on 60 session players in LA known as The Wrecking Crew. They played on all the popular records from the ’60s, everything from “Good Vibrations” to “Be My Baby” to “I Think I Love You.” It’s an oral history about that whole music explosion in LA and Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys did the forward, and Glen Campbell, who’s part of The Wrecking Crew, did the afterward. It’s a really cool book with a ton of color photos throughout. It’s probably the most visually appealing project I’ve done. I’m working on that and I have a few other ideas in mind.
Posted in Books, Music, Writing and tagged Ace Frehley, Author, Bestseller, Bill Aucoin, Book, Gene Simmons, Interview, John Lennon, John Waite, KISS, KISS Kruise, KISS Kruise III, Michael Cavacini, New York Times, Nonthin' to Lose, Nothin' to Lose, Nothing' to Lose: The Making of KISS (1972-1975), Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Philadelphia, Temple University, Tower Theater, WYSP, Yoko Ono
Author Interview: Stuart Woods
Stuart Woods is one of the first thriller writers whose work I fell in love with. His characters have fantastic names like Felicity Devonshire, Vance Calder and, my all-time favorite, Stone Barrington. I’m constantly impressed by the fluidity of his prose, as well as his wonderfully descriptive romantic scenes. There have been countless occasions when I stopped reading one of his books to recite a passage to a friend because I was so impressed by the use of adjectives, verbs and metaphors. Simply stated, he’s a terrific writer everyone should read. Speaking of which, Stuart Woods has a new Stone Barrington novel available: Standup Guy. Make sure to pick up a copy after reading my interview with the author below.
After graduating college, you started out working at several advertising agencies. What made you realize advertising wasn’t for you, and how did your time in the industry influence your future writing?
I found the advertising business to be a wonderful preparation for writing professionally. I always advise young people who want to write for a living to find a job in advertising, journalism, PR – any profession that requires you to sit down and write a thousand words a day, whether you feel like it or not. Advertising did that for me, and in addition, I had to satisfy some very demanding bosses – some of the best writers in the business – who wanted persuasive writing and every word to count. I left because I felt I had gone as far as I was going to go in that business, and because I had wanted to write fiction since I was a child, and leaving advertising forced me to finally write the novel I had been thinking about since I was ten.
Your first novel, Chiefs, earned you an Edgar Award. How did it feel to be honored by your peers for your first novel?
I didn’t know the Mystery Writers of America were my peers, since I had never heard of the award, though I was very happy to receive it. I thought I had written a novel about how small towns worked, but I was delighted that they found it to be mysterious.
Chiefs was turned into a TV miniseries with a stellar cast of actors, including Charlton Heston, Danny Glover, Billy Dee Williams, and John Goodman. Did you have an active role in the creation of the miniseries, and did it live up to your expectations?
I didn’t write the screenplay, but the producers were kind enough (and smart enough) to send me every draft of the screenplay and solicit my comments and suggestions. I made a lot of those, and they even accepted some of them, particularly in casting. Heston’s character, Hugh Holmes was based on James S. Peters, a father of my home town, and I interviewed him at length about the town’s history. I loaned the tapes of that interview to Heston, and he used them to create his character and his accent. I was delighted with the miniseries; I thought it true to both the plot of the novel and its intent. I played a small part in the mini-series, and they made me travel to New York to read for it. I had a two-minute scene with Billy Dee Williams, a fine actor who, for some reason, could not remember his lines. We rehearsed at length, shot it, then rehearsed some more and shot it a couple of more times. He finally got his lines right, whereas I was perfect throughout. I thought, “This acting thing isn’t so tough; after all I knew my lines.” Then I saw the series at a screening: Billy Dee was wonderful, and I came off as a blithering idiot. I thought, “Maybe there’s something to this acting thing, after all.”
I thought your standalone thriller, Under the Lake, was one of your best. It’s very different from your other work but just as captivating. It even attracted the attention of Stephen King, who lauded the book by saying, “it scared the living hell” out of him. More than 25 years later, what’s your opinion on the novel?
I reread it when someone was writing a screenplay (ultimately unproduced) from it, and I liked it a lot. I tried to get Simon & Schuster to use King’s comment, which was one line in a fulsome letter he wrote about the book, and they wouldn’t. They wanted to say, “It scared the living heck out of me.” (!)
For the past several years you’ve been providing fans with a steady flow of Stone Barrington novels. Do you plan on revisiting any of your other series or writing any new standalone thrillers?
My publisher persuaded me to write only Stone novels in a new contract (he offered me money, and I can be bought). I think he meant that he wanted the words, “A Stone Barrington Novel” on every cover. I tricked him by including all the other series characters in the various novels. Anyway, my readers who write to me like Stone best.
Having written 28 Stone Barrington novels, how do you keep your books fresh?
I have a fevered imagination and a rich fantasy life, which helps with the sex scenes.
Your memoir about sailing, Blue Water, Green Skipper, was re-released in 2012. How did the fans of your thrillers respond to Blue Water, Green Skipper when it was, once again, made available to the public?
I’ve had a great deal of mail about the book from readers – most of them, yachtsmen, and they were all warm in their praise. Reading it allowed me to revisit a happy time in my life. One day, I’ll write a full-blown autobiography, and I’ve reserved the right to plug the old book into the new one. I don’t think I can write about that time of my life any better.
Many popular writers, including James Patterson, have increased their productivity by collaborating with other authors on novels. Some readers don’t care for this practice because they feel having a co-author dilutes the end product, while others are perfectly fine with it. What’s your opinion on the matter, and would you ever collaborate with another author on a book?
I’ve never done that, though my publisher says he would like it. I’ve instructed my widow-to-be to call my agent as soon as I’m dead and hire a few writers, and I’ve explained to her that Jim Patterson makes more money than God.
Since you’re working on and releasing multiple books a year, how do you go about keeping track of all the characters and details from novel to novel?
My characters exist for me in an alternate universe; I know exactly what’s happened to them, though they know nothing about me. Apparently, they don’t read. I seem to have a gift for keeping their stories in memory.
What are you working on now and what’s next for Stone Barrington?
There are two Stone novels completed and awaiting publication, and I’ll finish another this week. Standup Guy is coming out on January 7th.
Posted in Books, Interview, Novels, Writing and tagged advertising, Author, Billy Dee Williams, Blue Water Green Skipper, Charlton Heston, Chiefs, Danny Glover, Felecity Devonshire, Interview, James Patterson, John Goodman, Michael Cavacini, Novels, persuasive writing, Standup Guy, Stephen King, Stone Barrington, Stuart Woods, Thrillers, Under The Lake, Vance Calder, Writer
Author Interview: Steven James
I met Steven James at ThrillerFest VIII. In addition to seeing him moderate several panels, I attended his workshop on organic writing and was very impressed. Following the conference, I read Placebo, his first book in the Jevin Banks series, and I’m currently reading his newest novel, Singularity, the follow-up to the aforementioned title. Below is my interview with Steven James; I hope you enjoy it. And don’t forget to pick up a copy of Singularity – it’s a great read.
Your newest novel, Singularity, is receiving even better reviews than the first book in the Jevin Banks series, Placebo. For those that have yet to read it, what’s the premise of Singularity and what inspired it?
Jevin Banks, one of the world’s greatest illusionists and escape artists, ends up stumbling onto a sweeping conspiracy while looking into the suspicious death of one of his friends. As far as what inspired the story, I’d say a growing interest that I have in emerging technology and the uncharted waters it’s taking us into.
Do you write a specific amount of words every day, and how do you keep stay motivated to stick to your timeline?
That’s a good question. I find that when I go by word count I get easily discouraged since I might fly and write several thousand words one day and then the next day delete everything I worked so hard on. Typically, I go by time. I set a certain number of actual manuscript hours that I would like to work in a given day and then as I write I keep a timer and take scheduled breaks, but keep track of the time down to the second (I know, it’s a bit fanatical, but it keeps me on track).
Some writers have said they barely edit their work while others put their drafts through several revisions. How do you handle the editing process?
There are very few people who can pull off writing great stories with very little editing and revising. I’ve read some of the work of people who say they barely edit their work and, honestly, you can tell. Personally, I go through a lot of drafts (with Placebo, I went through the prologue at least fifty times tweaking it until I was happy with it).
For fans that haven’t read your work, how does the Jevin Banks series differ from your bestselling Bowers Files books, and do you prefer one over the other?
Ah, so you’re going to make me choose between my children, are you? Well, the Bowers books are more police procedurals, darker, more suspense than anything else. The Banks books are a little more light-hearted and conspiracy/science thrillers.
Speaking of Patrick Bowers, what’s next for the FBI Special Agent?
I’m currently working on Checkmate, the eighth and final book in the chess series. After that, we’ll see what happens. I’m nowhere near running out of ideas for Patrick’s storylines.
One of the characters from your Jevin Banks novels is Charlene Antioch. Did you choose her last name, Antioch, because it means the “cradle of Christianity”? Additionally, what inspires other character names in your Bowers and Banks books?
Huh, I had no idea about that meaning. I don’t choose names that have hidden messages in them because because I don’t want anything to get between my readers and my stories. Decoding what different names might mean would be a distraction for readers. Instead, I just choose names that sound cool to me. Now my secret is out. But I shouldn’t admit that, should I? Yes, there is a master plan at work. I just don’t know what it is yet.
Do you use any tools like Scrivener or Scapple while writing? What are your thoughts on software designed for authors?
It’s funny you should ask that. I do use both of them—mainly Scrivener. I don’t think I could write a novel without it. I’ve abandoned Word and Pages, they’re just too slow and the features don’t help me with a big, complex project like a novel.
Kurt Vonnegut once shared the following piece of writing advice:
“First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.”
Some writers, like Vonnegut, despise semicolons while others think they’re perfectly acceptable. What are your thoughts on this never-ending debate?
I avoid them, but you will find a few in my books if the pace, flow and context call for them. My editor seems to like them and it’s a back and forth thing of me deleting all the ones she adds. I have a friend who says before you write you need to perform a semicolonoscopy on your writing.
Your stories are filled with characters and multiple plots. Since you’re an organic writer that doesn’t plot everything out ahead of time, how do you keep track of what’s going on while writing a story?
I find myself reviewing the story from the beginning—not necessarily reading through it all, but at least trying to keep the context in my mind as I write. I’m a big believer in context determining content and it boggles my mind that people can write a book without that constant scrutiny of what is happening in the story and what that means for the direction of the narrative.
Your Jevin Banks novels feature a considerable amount of scientific information. Do you gather this information prior to writing? When it comes to this information, how do you know when you’ve struck a healthy balance of showing and telling?
I had to do a ton of research for this novel on transhumanism, the hypothetical singularity, robotics and cybernetics, consciousness and nanotechnology. As you mention, it’s always a balance. As I edited the book if I found myself getting bored, I knew that readers would as well. When I was working on Placebo I needed to research quantum mechanics. Talk about confusing. I finally realized I knew as much as I needed to about physics to write my book. I think I included maybe one page of explanation in the final draft. So, you can over-research stuff. Most of the time the best bet is just sitting your butt down and writing.
In May 2014 you have an instructive book for writers coming out called Story Trumps Structure. Can you give us a preview of what’s inside?
Too many writers straightjacket their novels by trying to follow a certain structure—three acts or plot outlines and so on. That stuff can so easily get in the way of telling a great story. I couldn’t find any books that talked through how to break the rules to tell unforgettable fiction, so I decided to write one.
What made you decide to pursue an M.A. in storytelling and would you recommend other aspiring writers do the same?
At the time, I was doing a lot of speaking and working as a family entertainer. It was helpful to learn stage presence, how to come up with stories and tell them orally. Looking back would I do it again? I’m not sure. I think getting an M.A. in any creative writing field can be a big waste of time and money. We learn best by writing. I’d tell aspiring writers to read the books on writing craft that are out there, check out Writer’s Digest magazine, and write. That’s where the education happens. That’s how you become a writer.
At ThrillerFest VIII you moderated numerous panels and gave a presentation on organic writing. What did you enjoy most about the conference?
I’d say the organic storytelling workshop. It’s just so different from so many of the other seminars on plotting out your novels and following a certain structure and template that it was fun to get the word out there on how to write organically. It rocked the boat a little bit and that’s always a good thing.
Steven James leading a workshop about organic writing at ThrillerFest VIII.
When you’re not writing, what genres and authors do you enjoy reading?
I tend to go against the common advice that’s out there in which published authors tell aspiring writers to write in the genre they read. I read some thrillers, but for the most part I avoid them so that my writing doesn’t subconsciously mirror the writing or plot lines of other authors. I read books on the craft of writing as well as poetry and philosophy. When I have time I might pick up a literary novel. I wish I had more time to read recreationally, but I’m pretty consumed in my own projects and don’t get out of my writing corner in my basement much—either mentally or physically.
Did you have any mentors that helped you cut your teeth in the writing industry? If so, what were the most important lessons they taught you?
I had an editor fifteen years ago who called me a writer. I’d had a few things published, but no books. When he said that to me I told him, “No I’m not.” But he looked me in the eye and said, “Yes. You are.” That encouraged me and kept me going. Advice? Well, he once told me not to fall in love with my first draft and I’ve found that to be some of the most advice for my fiction.
Posted in Advice, Books, Novels, Writing and tagged Advice, Author, Author Interview, Books, Interview, Jevin Banks, Michael Cavacini, Opening Moves, Patrick Bowers, Placebo, Singularity, Steven James, writing
Author Interview: Douglas Preston
Douglas Preston (left) and Lincoln Child.
Douglas Preston is the best-selling author of 30 books, including the upcoming novel, White Fire, with his longtime collaborator Lincoln Child. I met Preston and Child at ThrillerFest VIII and learned a great deal from both of them. Below is my interview with Preston; I hope you enjoy it. Make sure to pick up a copy of White Fire, coming out November 12.
Many bestselling authors – Lee Child, James Patterson and Steve Berry, just to name a few – weren’t always writers; it was something they pursued later in life. In what field were you working prior to your first book being published, and what inspired you to take a chance at being an author?
My first job out of college was editing the throwaway newsletter published by the American Museum of Natural History. I found that editing other people’s work was not all that much fun. I wanted to write my own stuff. So I started writing for the newsletter, and then I was given a column in Natural History magazine to write about the Museum. Finally, I got a call from an editor at St. Martin’s Press named Lincoln Child, who suggested I write a book about the Museum. That was my first book, Dinosaurs in the Attic. Linc suggested we collaborate on a thriller set in the Museum, which became Relic, and the rest is history…
Many of us have fond memories of books that changed us in some way. Are there any books or authors that have greatly influenced you over the years?
Very much so. The books that profoundly affected me are, in no particular order, The Sirens of Titan, War and Peace, The Woman in White, Asimov’s Foundation series, Abbey’s Desert Solitaire, Charlotte’s Web, A Wrinkle in Time, the “Yes I will yes” chapter of Ulysses, The Andromeda Strain, and Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series of novels.
In your free time, what kinds of books do you like to read and who are your favorite authors?
These days, I like to read nonfiction, mostly in the areas of science and biography. Right now I’m reading The Mind of the Raven by Bernd Heinrich. I recently read a fascinating biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb, called American Prometheus. One of the greatest nonfiction books ever written, in my view, is The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes. And on the same subject, another superb book on the Manhattan project is 109 East Palace by Jennet Conant.
In addition to novels, you’ve written non-fiction work as well. Do you prefer one over the other and how does the writing experience for each differ?
They’re so very different. When I’m writing a novel I curse the fact that there’s no structure and I have to pull it all out of thin air and wish I were writing nonfiction. When I’m writing nonfiction, I feel imprisoned by the facts and wish I could just make it all up or bring in a serial killer to spice things up.
Your first book with Lincoln Child, Relic, was critically acclaimed and a New York Times Bestseller. How was it writing the first novel with Lincoln, and how has your collaborative writing process evolved over the years?
A writing partnership is like a marriage, except with Linc the sex is nonexistent… It can be difficult, but Linc and I over the years have learned how to disagree. The important thing is we trust each other implicitly. If Linc says to me, “This thing you wrote stinks,” I may get upset, but I have to believe him. That’s why we have a partnership—to tell each other the hard truths.
Your popular protagonist, Aloysius Xingu L. Pendergast, debuted in Relic and he’s going to be in your new novel, White Fire, coming out in November. What’s the premise of the new book, and what do you have in store for your readers?
White Fire opens with an historical event: a real (and fateful) dinner at the Langham hotel in London during which Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle met each other for the first and last time. What they discussed has been lost to history, but it seems Wilde made crucial suggestions to Doyle about his newly invented character of Sherlock Holmes, and Doyle for his part told Wilde all about police procedure, which inspired Wilde to write The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Then our novel moves to the present-day. Pendergast has to rescue Corrie Swanson from jail in an upscale Colorado ski resort, but just after he arrives, a serial arsonist strikes the town, burning down multimillion dollar mansions with the people still inside…
You’ve written trilogies and stand-alone thrillers. Do you find one more satisfying than the other? And when writing a trilogy, how do you keep track of all the details?
They both satisfy in different ways. With a trilogy we can go deep and spin out a vast, complex story with many subplots. It is a daunting task to keep track of everything. A solo novel is shorter and sweeter, and perhaps punchier in some ways. The middle novel in a trilogy is always difficult…
Meeting Douglas Preston at ThrillerFest VIII.
One of the hot topics at ThrillerFest this year was whether or not to outline a book. What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you plot out your novels in advance or do you simply have an idea and start writing?
Linc and I outline. We first create a general, narrative of the novel: how it opens, what happens, where it ends up. Then we outline maybe ten to fifteen chapters ahead, lengthening the outline as we write. I don’t know how writers can just start writing without knowing where they’re going, but some outstanding novelists do work that way. Tony Hillerman, one of my favorite mystery writers, never knew the ending of his books when he started, and yet he pulled off one great novel after another. I think every writer needs to find their own way of doing things.
According to Goodreads, there’ve been nearly 125 books set in Maine – everything from John Irving’s The Cider House Rules to It by Stephen King. Being a resident of the Pine Tree State, why do you think this is the case?
Maine is dark and cold and beautiful and mysterious, with resolutely independent people. It has everything a writer might ask for in a vivid setting and compelling characters.
If you could offer aspiring writers once piece of advice, what would it be?
Write every day, seven days a week, if only for an hour at a time. And keep that hour sacred. Warn your friends and family to stay away. A writer must write, just as violinists must practice and Olympic athletes must train. That sounds obvious but you would be surprised at how many people want to be writers but don’t write very much.
Posted in Books, Novels, Writing and tagged American Museum of Natural History, Arthur Conan Doyle, Author, Books, Douglas Preston, Interview, James Patterson, Lee Child, Lincoln Child, Michael Cavacini, Novels, Oscar Wilde, Pendergast, Preston & Child, Preston and Child, Relic, Thrillers, White Fire
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The Great Vancouver Fire of 1886
Comments 6 by Rebecca Bollwitt Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 — 9:15am PDT
It was 124 years ago last Sunday (June 13th, 1886) that Vancouver was completely destroyed by fire. It began as a controlled fire to clear brush on the land, however it quickly spread out of control.
Vancouver before the Great Fire, Water Street 1886. Archives item #Str P8
The entire city (only a few months old at the time) was engulfed in flames within 45-60 minutes.
Day after the Great Fire, June 1886. Photo by Louis Denison Taylor. Archives item #CVA 1477-416
880 buildings were destroyed in Vancouver and 20 people lost their lives. Due to the wooden construction and lack of a fire brigade with equipment to battle the blaze, only stone or brick buildings in Gastown, Yaletown, and parts of the West End survived.
After the Great Fire the City of Vancouver passed a by-law that all buildings be made of brick and stone only1.
Through fundraising afterward, Vancouver purchased its first fire engine and it was brought to town July 30th, 1886.
In 1929 Vancouver City Council named June 13th as “Vancouver Day” — a time of remembrance and thanksgiving2.
St. James’ Anglican Church at Gore and Cordova is the third church of this name. The very first burned down during the Great Fire and its melted bell now resides in the Museum of Vancouver.3
“In 20 minutes, Vancouver had been wiped off the earth. In 12 hours, it was rising again.” Chuck Davis, Vancouver History
Businesses in Gastown rebuilt 1 month after the Great Fire, July 1886. Archives item #Str P7
While only a few buildings from the original Vancouver townsite still exist today, it’s amazing to hear about how the city was rebuilt so quickly. Even today it seems as though Vancouver is in a constant state of construction. 124 years later we’re still a fairly young city but at least we are building our own history as we go.
1 Vancouver History
BC, history, vancouver
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rachael chatoorTuesday, June 15th, 2010 — 9:40am PDT
Awesome post Rebecca. Fascinating to see the photos. As a Vancouver born and raised girl, it’s fantastic to see the history. Interesting how they came to pass the bylaw that only brick/stone buildings were allowed.
D BoothTuesday, June 15th, 2010 — 10:07am PDT
Great work Rebecca,
It is difficult to believe how quickly the city grew after this tragic event. In less than twenty years, Vancouver had become a big city. There are many 1920’s Vancouver photos on my site, (and only to be found on my site). There are almost fifteen hundred one of a kind original photos @ historicphotos.ca., with a few hundred soon to be added. These will be of 1950’s Vancouver, all by a prominent photographer of the era. A new website is under construction. I also present one hour slide show lectures on these collections.
Corey Allan HawkinsFriday, June 18th, 2010 — 1:19pm PDT
The Warehouse Recording Studio and its basement was supposedly used as a temporary morgue for the 20 dead. If you go into the basement you can see the black lines on the walls as to where the fire was. People have often spoke of the warehouse being haunted. I myself along with my band members had some funny situations occur their.
Also, The Cambie would have you believe that they are the oldest bar in the city. Not true. The file reached the Yale, stopped at its walls and turned the other way. The Yale is Vancouver’s oldest pub.
EVENT: June 12, 125th Anniversary Celebration | Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services BandMonday, June 6th, 2011 — 12:15pm PDT
[…] to start out with), and then they lost everything when the city caught on fire and essentially burned to the ground (June 13), costing the lives of at least 21 people and leaving 2,000 others […]
Two For The Show (June 13)Sunday, June 12th, 2011 — 10:26pm PDT
[…] this as an omen or not but, on this day in 1886, the City of Vancouver is nearly destroyed by a devastating fire. Thanks to the recent arrival of the CPR into the city, recovery went very quickly (see cool, […]
Tom McCaffertyWednesday, February 8th, 2012 — 9:48pm PST
“In 1929 Vancouver City Council named June 13th as “Vancouver Day” — a time of remembrance and thanksgiving.”
Why has there not been a, “Vancouver Day,” since. Lets have one this year. In 2012.
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On Jared Kushner’s Palestinophobia
Haidar Eid on November 1, 2019 12 Comments
Senior White House advisor Jared Kushner. (Photo: AP/Evan Vucci)
Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s Middle East adviser and son-in-law is at it again. In June, he cast doubt about the ability of the Palestinian people to govern themselves. And, as if that was not enough, he made it absolutely clear this week that Israel is not responsible for Palestinian hardship.
“Israel is not the cause of all the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Kushner told the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. He went on: “If you want to go and invest in the West Bank or Gaza, the issue that’s holding you back is the fear of terrorism and that your investment could be destroyed.”
In my response to his previous racist remarks, I argued that it was racism 101. His biologist approach to race and ethnicity cannot be separated from the orientalist ideology that drove the classical colonialism of the 19th century. Here you have a colonial envoy, not unlike the British and French envoys of the heydays of colonialism, blaming the victims, as Edward Said would put it. Brown, native Palestinians are backward so much so that they should be appreciative of the generosity of apartheid Israel and Zionism and welcome Israeli peaceful soldiers with open arms. Any act of resistance on their side is deemed to failure and amounts to a form of terrorism that destroys any investment made by foreign businesses.
Forget about Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, forget about the more than 600 military checkpoints slicing what remains of the West Bank, and the more than 60 discriminatory laws against Israel’s Palestinian citizens. Forget about the blockade of Gaza described as “incremental genocide” by Ilan Pappe, and the fact that Gaza, according to a UN report, will become “unlivable” by 2020. Forget about the thousands of deaths in three genocidal wars described by mainstream human rights organizations and UN fact-finding missions as “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” carried out by the Israeli military against the 2 million civilians of Gaza within a period of six years. Forget about 71 years of dispossession and ethnic cleansing and the fact that there are 7 million Palestinian refugees entitled to their right of return in accordance with UN resolution 194. And of course you have to forget about the increasing number of Jewish-only settlements, that all come with the unconditional support of the United States of America.
But doesn’t Mr. Kushner know this?
What did he think of the white rule of South Africa under the apartheid regime? Did he also think that “black terrorism” was responsible for the suffering of the majority of the population there? That Africans were to blame for their own suffering?
But you don’t even have to leave the United States. What did he think of the suffering of African Americans under the Jim Crow laws? Judging by the way he has been ranting about brown, native Palestinians, he must have had similar views of the likes of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Obviously his role models are Hendrik Verwoerd, P. W. Botha, Ariel Sharon, Menachem Begin—to mention but a few fanatical defenders of racism and settler-colonialism.
Actually, I imagine Mr. Kushner claims to respect Mandela, King, and even Mahatma Gandhi. And that leaves us Palestinians in a completely separate category where our non-violent, peaceful resistance to occupation, apartheid and settler-colonialism is considered a form of terrorism. Any act of defiance on our part is rejected outright. Unlike Mandela and King, we are Palestinian Arabs with an intrinsic tendency for terrorism. And this, in short, exemplifies Jared Kushner’s Palestinophobia, a combination of racism, orientalism, and colonialism directed toward Palestinians who, for him, should not have been there from the beginning.
Haidar Eid
Haidar Eid is Associate Professor of Postcolonial and Postmodern Literature at Gaza's al-Aqsa University. He has written widely on the Arab-Israeli conflict, including articles published at Znet, Electronic Intifada, Palestine Chronicle, and Open Democracy. He has published papers on cultural Studies and literature in a number of journals, including Nebula, Journal of American Studies in Turkey, Cultural Logic, and the Journal of Comparative Literature.
Other posts by Haidar Eid.
just on November 1, 2019, 11:58 am
” “If you want to go and invest in the West Bank or Gaza, the issue that’s holding you back is the fear of terrorism and that your investment could be destroyed.””
As if Israel would ever allow good folks to invest in Palestine or Palestinian entrepreneurs or anything Palestinian, for that matter. And, by the way, the terrorism that plagues the West Bank and Gaza is purely Israeli and Israel’s alone. Look at how they destroyed over and over again the infrastructure in Gaza with nary a thought toward rebuilding or even lifting the criminal blockade or giving them their own money. Kushner’s father-in-law slashed all help to the Palestinians and UNRWA, too~ probably on Kushner’s Palestinophobic urging. The house/home demolitions are done by the Israelis. All of it is Israeli terrorism. When countries try to help with infrastructure and other projects, the Israelis destroy them and sometimes steal them. They shoot fishermen and steal their destroyed boats, destroy venerable olive trees, steal water, pollute what little is allowed to trickle, steal land and access, and terrorize people on the land and in their beds. Then there is another grave issue: the flotillas and other boats striving to bring aid to Gaza~ they are always stopped and some crew have been killed, beaten and summarily brought to Israel and deported. Sickening piracy/terrorism at sea.
Now I will channel my inner child: One of the best things that can come to pass with Trump’s defeat is that he’ll take his spawn and Kushner with him to Mar a Lago and live in faux splendor with his bedbugs.
Thanks for further exposing this Palestinophobic, Zionist miscreant, Haidar.
Ossinev on November 1, 2019, 2:49 pm
Zioptics are much of a muchness with Afrikaneroptics and Jim Crow optics. Kushner,Friedman and co are irretrievably brainwashed and are nothing more than arrogant t…ds currently blocking the system. As with Apartheid they will in due course be flushed away into the sewer of history where they belong.
Hopefully their children and grandchildren in the internet age will grow up to be humane and civilised people who will loath them for the part which played in the barbaric oppression of the Palestinian people.
for-peace on November 2, 2019, 12:53 am
The article is clear in its best intentions. Nevertheless, I would like to express reservations about the use of the phrase “phobia” in this context as well as its more commonplace form “Islamophobia”. There is no phobia. These people are clearly not suffering from an irrational fear of Palestinians. Quite the contrary, they feel empowered to freely victimize them. The condition is one of irrational hatred not different than antisemitism, white supremacy or any other example of racism. Injecting the word “phobia” into Palestinian hatred or Muslim hatred serves as a euphemism to relieve the burden of the hater and shed a cloud of doubt on the victim. This would be similar to referring to slavery as “negrophobia” or antisemitism as judeophobia.
RoHa on November 2, 2019, 3:03 am
“he cast doubt about the ability of the Palestinian people to govern themselves.”
I have doubts about the ability of the Palestinian people to govern themselves. But the only way to gain that ability is to practise it.
And even people with plenty of practice can cock things up.
(Cough)Brxt(cough)
Misterioso on November 2, 2019, 10:04 am
@Roha
Indeed! And Americans are a classic example, e.g., the election of Trump as president.
As for Jared Kushner, Trump and Bibi’s errand boy, he will prove to be an obnoxious blip.
just on November 2, 2019, 7:07 am
South Africa’s Springboks just won the Rugby World Cup!!! Yay! This team is led by captain Siya Kolisi. I am jumping for joy and gladness. It was a sound and amazing trounce. True champions in every sense of the word. England 12, SA 32.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2019/nov/02/england-v-south-africa-rugby-world-cup-2019-final-live
Elizabeth Block on November 2, 2019, 10:42 am
“If you want to go and invest in the West Bank or Gaza, the issue that’s holding you back is the fear of terrorism and that your investment could be destroyed.”
Well, it could. Remember the greenhouses in Gaza, donated by Germany, bombed by the Israelis?
Let’s call the way Israel treats Palestine what it is: Terrorism. State terrorism. No better than any other kind. Worse, because it has greater resources, and greater international acceptance.
Anyway, countries develop their economies best not with foreign investments, but with investments by their own people. And the Palestinians are not allowed to do that. Remember the Wanted 18, the dairy cows who were deemed a threat to Israel’s national security?
mondonut on November 3, 2019, 1:14 am
What a pack of lies…
Kushner did not make it absolutely clear this week that Israel is not responsible for Palestinian hardship, he made it clear that Israel is not responsible for ALL Palestinian hardship. And yes, it is absolutely correct that the Hamas’ control of Gaza is antithetical to investment.
As for the Palestinians ability or not to govern themselves, it has nothing to do with race (or brownness) and everything to do with the existing evidence on record.
And no, there are not 600 military checkpoints in the West Bank, nor does Adalah’s list have anything to do with reality. The blockade is not genocide and neither were the Hamas inspired wars. And for the millionth time, UNGA resolutions do not confer rights.
bcg on November 3, 2019, 9:43 am
@Mondonut: ” In September 2011, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said there were 522 roadblocks and checkpoints obstructing Palestinian movement in the West Bank, up from 503 in July 2010. That number does not include the temporary checkpoints known as “flying checkpoints,” of which there were 495 on average per month in the West Bank in 2011, up from 351 on average per month in the previous two years. ”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_checkpoint
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
You might also like to check out Btselem’s interactive map “Conquer and Divide”:
https://conquer-and-divide.btselem.org/map-en.html
You may also want to read some books on life in the West Bank, such as David Shulman’s “Freedom and Despair: Notes from the South Hebron Hills”.
mondonut on November 3, 2019, 1:14 pm
@bcg, In September 2011…
Really? An eight year old statistic? What is that supposed to prove? In case you were not aware of what year it is, we are now less than 60 days from when Gaza becomes totally unlivable.
Vera Gottlieb on November 3, 2019, 12:14 pm
Why is so much attention being paid to this nobody? Were it not for the fact that Trump is his father-in-law…
@Mondonut
“he made it clear that Israel is not responsible for ALL Palestinian hardship”
OMG was he admitting that Israel was responsible for SOME Palestinian hardship ? If so I may have to consider revisiting my previous assessment of this non – event self serving p…k and upgrade him to being just a non – event self serving pillock.
Wouldn`t it be great if he were to elaborate on the hardships which he admits ? the Israelis have visited on the Palestinians. Not holding my breath.
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What was the first film adaptation of a comic?
I've been watching Danger: Diabolik (1968) and when I read the Wikipedia article I realise it's actually an adaptation of a comic book character called Diabolik which made it one of the earliest comic adaptation I had heard of.
After more research I found this article which claimed the oldest was Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941), however there are some I found which are even older, like Flash Gordon (1936).
Can anyone provide an authoritative answer as to what the first feature-length (more than 40 minutes) film adaptation of a comic was?
first-appearance comic-adaptation
Crow T RobotCrow T Robot
I think this will depend on your definition of "comic". It's my understanding that Flash Gordon was initially a newspaper comic strip, adapted to serial films, and not a full-fledged comic book until later. – JoshDM Jul 29 '14 at 20:03
@JoshDM Good point, I hadn't thought of that distinction. I just mean the most liberal definition of "panels of images and text". – Crow T Robot Jul 29 '14 at 20:06
Do you also accept animated cartoons? – knut Jul 29 '14 at 20:09
@knut Yep, as long as it's feature length (more than 40 minutes). – Crow T Robot Jul 29 '14 at 20:10
Tarzan, based on pulp fiction books, first appeared on film in 1918 and was incredibly popular during the silent era, but I don't think it was adapted to comic books until much later. – Jeff-Inventor ChromeOS Aug 6 '14 at 6:29
As far as I can make out, the first feature length film based off a comic strip was Little Annie Rooney (1925) starring Mary Pickford.
There were certainly other shorts made before then, going back as far as 1898, but you specified over 40 mins in length.
NobbyNobby
The Little Annie Rooney comic strip was based on the Pickford film, not the other way around. – Bavisdlair40 Apr 28 '19 at 20:49
@Bavisdlair40, right. The film was 1925, the comic two years later in 1927. – Ray Butterworth Nov 22 '19 at 13:57
It is hard to say definitively, mostly because (a) much of the early film record is lost and/or incomplete and (b) because there doesn't appear to be any exhaustive directory chronicling the relative order that comic-based films were released.
However, the earliest known feature film I could find based on a comic (not vice versa) is a 1926 live-action silent film called 'Ella Cinders', by American director Alfred Green.
Starring Colleen Moore, its 75 minutes long, and the comic (of the same name) the film is adapted from launched in 1925, itself being heavily inspired by Cinderella. It is among the few comic-based films inducted into the (US) National Film Registry.
Angus St.Angus St.
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You are here: Home / Art / The American Sign Museum
The American Sign Museum
May 11, 2015 /in Art /by Zachary Edwards
If you think about all the technological innovations in the past 150 years, probably one of the most prevalent and generally unnoticed is the sign. Signs are incredible little devices: they have to hit people immediately, grab their attention for less than a second, and leave the person with a feeling that makes them associate with whatever the sign is indicating. Take the simple stop sign as an example: you instantly recognize one on more than a few levels: its shape, its colour, the word itself, and in that recognition, you bring your vehicle to a stop (or, if we’re being honest, a rolling stop) really before you’re conscious that you read the sign. In many ways, the world of sign making is all about being highly visible and almost invisible, and there’s a place in America that you can visit where they explore all that’s great about the wonderful world of signage.
The American Sign Museum first opened its doors in 1999. A self-proclaimed mid-life crisis, the museum was more a display of founder Tod Swormstedt’s collection of signs in a place that wasn’t his house. As a former editor and publisher of Signs of Our Times magazine, he knew a lot about the wide and ever-evolving world of signage, and decided to share it with the world. After about 6 years, the museum relocated, and then in 2012, it moved to its permanent location in the Camp Washington area of Cincinnati. The permanent location boats 19,000 square feet of space with 28 ft. ceilings to house some of the biggest signs in the collection. And with another 20,000 sq. ft. left to develop, The American Sign Museum is only getting bigger and more impressive.
There’s plenty to do at the museum besides just walking around and looking at signs (which, by the way, is fascinating in and of itself). The museum is surprisingly affordable, and every ticket of admission comes with a free guided tour of the facility, letting you and your family wander through the halls with someone who can tell you all about the history, technology, and psychology of sign making. IN a lot of ways, it’s more than just learning about how we use signs, it’s a lot about how America developed as a nation.
And when you’re done the tour, you can poke around and take in whatever you might have missed, but you can also see sign making in action. Not only is the facility a museum, it’s also a fully working neon sign shop, so you can witness first hand how neon signs are made. It’s all quite fascinating, combining an art gallery of sorts with real working artists.
The great thing about The American Sign Museum is not just its impressive collection, but how that collection charts the changes in culture, technology, aesthetics, and more in American culture. From early painted signs to elaborate neon displays (some of which can be made in the museum itself), this museum is not only a walk through an often ignored part of American life, but also a walk through America’s most recent developments as a nation.
Tags: american sign museum, neon signs, signage
https://muralform.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/american-sign-museum.jpg 386 856 Zachary Edwards https://muralform.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/muralform-logo-2-300x137.png Zachary Edwards2015-05-11 17:54:562015-05-11 17:54:56The American Sign Museum
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Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus (Best of Both Worlds In Concert) Hannah Montana
Rock Star (Live)
Life's What You Make It (Live)
Just Like You (Live)
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This Compilation ℗ 2008 Walt Disney Records
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Hall and Oates could emulate the emotive blue-eyed soul of the Righteous Brothers with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” but the duo’s true strengths were letting it fly with the AM radio funk of “Rich Girl,” “You Make My Dreams,” and “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” the euphoric rush of “Kiss On My List,” the brainwashing hook of “Maneater,” and the exquisitely over-produced keyboard wash of “Out of Touch.”
The Very Best of Daryl Hall & John Oates (Remastered) Daryl Hall & John Oates
Sara Smile
Rich Girl
It's a Laugh
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
Kiss On My List
I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)
Did It In a Minute
Method of Modern Love
Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid
℗ This compilation (P) 2001 Sony Music Entertainment
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Rhino Hi Five: Ambrosia - EP
One Hit Wonders - 18 Pop Classics from the Stars That Time Forgot (Rerecorded Version)
Greatest Hits & More
Bob Welch
Live At 25
Silk Degrees (Bonus Track Version)
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Willing to Serve
.. :
BY KAREN MAHONEY
Kenosha News correspondent
During his half century in religious life, Thomas Kraus spent 30 years as pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Racine. Since then, he has filled vacancies at churches in three states and in two countries, serving mainly in intervals of three months to a year as he provided spiritual guidance.
After retiring from Epiphany in 1996, Kraus and his wife, Lois, moved to Paddock Lake and renovated a little cottage they had there. Then he was contacted by a church official, touching off a decade of church-to-church ministering.
“The district president called and asked me to help out with some church vacancies,” Kraus said, recalling how that segment of his religious life began.
Today, the retired minister has gone from interim pastor back to a more permanent role. For the past two years, the 77 year old has served on the staff at Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church, 5038 19th Ave., primarily to provide spiritual support to people who are homebound, hospitalized and in nursing homes.
“I also do some preaching, about once every two months, and serve as the chair of the worship committee,” Kraus said.
For the Rev. Thomas Meissner, the addition of Kraus to the Friedens staff has allowed him and the Rev. David Rockhoff to accomplish more work in the growing congregation of more than 1,000 communicants.
“A lot of people say that he feels like their grandpa,” Meissner said, adding that Kraus has a very comfortable way of dealing with people.
“He’s also very wise and always has a spiritual and timely word for them,” Meissner said.
After retiring from Epiphany, Kraus, a graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, served for six months at First Lutheran Church in Elkhorn, then took a three-month post at a church in Ohio before going to New York for a two-month stint. Those assignments were followed by another four months in Ohio before the opportunity to head overseas came his way when he heard from the chairman of the Special Ministries Board for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
“They needed some help with the chaplaincy in Europe. The European Synod has civilian chaplains who work on the military bases,” Kraus said. “In 2001, I spent three months in Germany and did the same thing in 2002.”
The following year, Kraus and his wife spent a year in Germany on the Ramstein Air Base in the rural district of Kaiserslautern where they held services and tended to wounded soldiers brought to the hospital.
“It was very interesting to be there because that is where my ancestors were from,” Kraus said. “I never imagined I would be able to travel like we did, but I had always wanted to see where my family came from. A family member gave me an old certificate written in German that turned out to be my grandpa’s army discharge from Bavaria and it gave his place of birth. We managed to find all of the family records going back to 1620 from a church archive. It was so interesting to be in all those different places and to serve the Lord in a very special way.”
Upon returning from Germany, Kraus accepted a 10-month position at another Ohio church. In 2006, he stepped in to fill the gap at Friedens following another pastor’s resignation.
While he isn’t sure he will be staying put forever, Kraus is content with the work he does and enjoys traveling around the country to visit his children and grandchildren.
Somehow through all of his travels he also found time to serve his Paddock Lake community, having held a trustee position on the village board from 2000 to 2003.
“I like working with people, and for me that is most important over anything else,” he said. “I think way back somewhere I made the decision between people or things, and I’m glad I chose people.”
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Joke Silva Jacobs has revealed to us that she and her husband Olu Jacobs still do the sex thing in a way that is suitable for the old.
the actress made this known during her appearance as a guest on TVC’s show, Your View.
See what she said below;
“Yes, we still do the do, but in a way that is suitable for our age”, the actress said.
The actress also spoke about how she was sexually harassed by a university professor after given both the two children.
“This issue of sexual harassment does not have anything to do with how you dress. I didn’t want to go to university because I just wanted to do my acting thing and my parents allowed me.
“I already had two children before going to the university, yet, I got harassed by a professor,” she added.
READ ALSO Patoranking Confesses To Be in Love As He Flaunts and Shares Photos Of His Woman
An entertaining portal for movies, TV shows, Pop Culture, Lifestyle and Family. Stay with us Today.
Lil Wayne Revealed Nigeria And Egypt Are Places He Would Love To Visit
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US, Afghan forces clear Islamic State from eastern district
Published July 9, 2018, 8:46 AM
DEH BALA, Afghanistan – US and Afghan Special Forces are completing an operation to clear Islamic State fighters from a remote district in Nangarhar, the eastern province where they have their main stronghold in Afghanistan, officials said on Saturday.
Smokes rises after U.S airstrike hit the site of insurgent activity in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan July 7, 2018. Picture taken July 7, 2018.REUTERS/James Mackenzie/ Manila Bulletin
The operation in Deh Bala, on the border with Pakistan, began at the end of April and was largely complete in early June but final mine clearance operations are still under way, said Lt. Col. Josh Thiel, from the U.S. First Special Forces Group.
“This was one of the main green zones that did two things. One, it provided money, finance, logistics to ISIS (Islamic State) and we’ve taken that away from them,” he said. “Additionally, ISIS was using this as a site to prepare and move high-profile attacks on Kabul and Jalalabad.”
Afghan village elders sit at an Afghan and U.S. Special Forces base in Deh Bala district, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan July 7, 2018. Picture taken July 7, 2018.REUTERS/James Mackenzie
The operation, involving three companies of Afghan commandos supported by U.S. air strikes and American Special Forces teams, began with troops arriving by helicopter and setting up an operations base near the village of Gargari, where the Islamic State fighters were trying to establish a local capital.
Several days of heavy fighting ended in early June with 167 Islamic State fighters killed and large quantities of equipment captured.
The fight against Islamic State and other militant groups including Al Qaeda is at the heart of the U.S. counterterrorism mission being conducted alongside the NATO-led Resolute Support operation that trains and advises Afghan security forces.
Intended to prevent Afghanistan being used as a base for future attacks against the United States, it is in large part fought against irregular forces in remote valleys on the far eastern edge of the country, an area crisscrossed by smuggling routes into the tribal areas of Pakistan.
Militants loyal to Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the movement’s local affiliate, first started appearing in Nangarhar around four years ago. Since then, the movement has gained a reputation for brutality extreme even by the standards of the Afghan conflict, making a trademark of executions by beheading or explosion.
The fighters in Deh Bala, next to Achin district where the U.S. military dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb last year, were funding themselves by illegal logging and talc mining, as well as exploiting local villagers.
However a clear link between fighters in places like Gargari, a mudbrick village down the road from Deh Bala’s district capital, and the militants behind a series of sophisticated suicide attacks in Kabul or Jalalabad is elusive.
“The network is very fungible…,” said Brigadier General John Brennan, Resolute Support commander in eastern Afghanistan.
“I wouldn’t say the actual suicide bombers came from Deh Bala, but facilitation runs all along the border and part of it used to come through here.”
Tags: Afghan security forces, Afghan special forces, Afghan village, Afghanistan, Deh Bala, eastern Afghanistan, eastern province, Islamic State, Nangarhar, special forces
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Friday 20 November 2015 by Neil Tollfree
‘You’re So Vain’ is about Coronation Street’s Albert Tatlock says Carly Simon
After keeping quiet for more than 40 years, Carly Simon has admitted that her song ‘You’re So Vain’ is about Coronation Street’s curmudgeonly school crossing warden, Albert Tatlock.
The song about a self-assured man who has women falling at his feet was a hit in 1972.
“There was something so masculine, so charismatic about Albert,” revealed Simon.
“I remember Albert reciting ‘The Girl I kissed on the stairs’ for the Mission Hall players in 1962 as one of the most powerfully sexual moments of my teenage years.”
It has long been suspected that the song was actually about Warren Beatty, but Simon laughed this off.
“Warren? God, No. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he was a sweetheart and all, but Albert Tatlock was like a wild animal in spectacles.”
“He could have any woman he wanted. I’ve never seen anyone quite like him.”
It is not the first time that Albert Tatlock was the inspiration for a popular song, with the Rolling Stones’ ‘Sympathy for the Devil, Eminem’s ‘My Name Is…’ and Haddaway’s ‘What is Love,’ all suspected to be about the much-loved grumpy old man.
Simon is now expected to confirm that her James Bond theme ‘Nobody does it better’ is actually about Stan Ogden.
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Third World First
By Jeremy Khan
Bapi Das, seated next to an open sewer in a teeming slum on the outskirts of this Indian city, combs his hand through his hair, smooths his moustache, and prepares to enter the global financial system.
Das, a 42-year-old commercial painter, grins as a worker for a local micro-finance group frames his face with a digital camera and zooms in. It is an important moment. His photo will adorn a smart card that, with help from a mobile phone and a fingerprint reader, will allow Das to store money electronically, make small cash withdrawals, and send money to his family on the other side of the country. It is the first bank account he has ever had.
This might seem like a classic example of the Third World struggling to catch up with the First. After all, people in the United States and Europe have been using ATM cards and the Internet for years to perform the simple banking tasks Das is only now able to do. But look again: The technology used to bring slum-dwellers like Das their first bank accounts is so advanced that it isn’t available to even the most tech-savvy Americans – at least not yet.
Soon, however, it may help you purchase groceries, withdraw cash from an ATM, or ride the T. Already in the past year, Citigroup has taken a mobile banking system it pioneered in India and brought it to the United States. And a host of other companies, from Ford to Microsoft, are following suit: piloting new technologies and ways of doing business in the developing world, and only then bringing these products and services to wealthier consumers in more mature markets.
This represents a stunning reversal of the traditional flow of innovation. Until recently, consumers in the Third World also had to tolerate third-rate technology. Africa, India, and Latin America were dumping grounds for antiquated products and services. In a market in which some people still rode camels, a 50-year-old car engine was good enough. Innovation remained the exclusive domain of the developed world. Everyone else got hand-me-downs.
But today, some emerging economies are starting to leapfrog ahead. Why build a network of telephone wires out to remote areas when you can go straight to a cutting-edge mobile network at a fraction of the cost? Why burn fossil fuels for electricity and cooking if cleaner – and in some cases cheaper – alternatives, like solar and biogas, are available? Why electrify rural villages with incandescent bulbs if longer-lasting, environmentally friendly options like LEDs or new fluorescent bulbs exist? In many cases, it is mature markets like the United States and Europe, tethered to older systems, that find themselves playing catch-up.
There are numerous industries in which the new new thing is being designed for the developing world, and only later reaching the United States or Europe. Motorola’s Motofone, designed with emerging markets in mind, is thinner than its popular Razr, gets up to 400 hours of standby on a single battery charge, and has a screen specially designed for text messaging that works using reflected light, with no need for an internal lamp. Oh, and it will retail for just $30. Intel has begun field tests of a new wireless broadband standard that could connect billions in the developing world to the Internet cheaply – and, if it works, will probably become the standard for the rest of us. Cheap combination drug therapies that are easier for poorer, less educated patients to follow are pioneered in the developing world before arriving in our medicine cabinets. Improvements in water treatment and clean energy – for instance, producing biogas from household waste – are also emanating from the developing world.
To achieve the growth rates and returns their shareholders demand, companies have increasingly begun chasing what C.K. Prahalad, a business professor at the University of Michigan, has called “the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid” – the vast aggregate purchasing power locked away in the 4 billion people who make up the world’s poor. And as they do, companies are confronting the unique challenge of making high-tech products cheaply enough to make a profit. In some cases, this means shifting jobs for talented designers and engineers to the developing world – not just to save labor costs, but in order to better understand the markets they are now trying to reach.
“Developing markets offer the best opportunity for global firms to discover what is likely to be ’next practice,’ as contrasted with today’s best practice,” Prahalad has written. “The low end is a new source of innovation.”
Kanta, a stooped, middle-aged woman in the Delhi slum of Harsh Vihar, works part-time helping her children in their shop. What little she earns is mostly spent on food. Any money she manages to save, she hides in her apartment or on her person, where it could easily be lost or stolen. She earns no interest, of course. There are no commercial bank branches or ATMs in Kanta’s neighborhood. (Like many Indian women in this area, she uses only one name.) Most banks wouldn’t want her business anyway: it would cost them more to service her account than they could make off her small transactions.
The same is true for most of Kanta’s neighbors, many of them migrant laborers from rural parts of India. Some have no documents to verify their identities and current addresses; others are illiterate, unable to fill out even simple account application forms, deposit slips, and checks.Throughout India and the developing world there are at least 2.5 billion people like Kanta without any access to financial services – the “unbanked,” as they are known in the business. They exist in an all-cash economy, where savings are hidden in mattresses, loans are available only from black-market money lenders at exorbitant interest rates, and sending money to relatives back home means paying high fees or entrusting cash to unreliable, informal networks.
The Harsh Vihar slum may not have banks, but it does have cellphone coverage. And that has made its residents ideal candidates for a novel experiment in combining microfinance and mobile banking. Basix, an organization that specializes in bringing microloans and other financial services to India’s poor, has teamed up with Axis, an Indian commercial bank, to begin offering accounts to workers in Delhi’s slums. Its approach relies on a combination of high technology and old-fashioned shoe leather.
Kanta got a bank account after meeting with a Basix field agent who scouts for potential customers. The field agent helped her fill out a simple application. With help from a colleague, he also scanned her fingerprints and took her picture. All this information winds up on a smart card that Kanta can then use for banking.
To make a deposit or withdrawal, the agent checks Kanta’s fingerprints as a form of ID, then uses a specially equipped mobile phone to access the account information on the card. If she wants to make a withdrawal, the agent enters the amount on the phone, gives her the cash, and uses a hand-held printer to spit out a receipt.
Kanta’s neighbors, migrant workers who come from the rural Indian state of Bihar, located some 600 miles east of Delhi, can also use this system to send remittances back to their families. Most banks in India charge a 5 percent fee for remittances and people in rural areas often have to travel long distances to collect the money. Basix does it for less than 2 percent, and its workers will visit homes in villages to complete the transactions, said Preeti Sahai, who heads the Basix pilot project in Delhi.
Beyond the 4,000 people that Basix has registered in the first four months of its pilot project, burgeoning numbers elsewhere in India and throughout the developing world now rely on some type of cellphone system for much of their banking.
In the Philippines, Kenya, and South Africa, hundreds of thousands of cellphone customers can already deposit and withdraw cash at the same shops where they buy airtime for their prepaid cellphones. They can also send money to other people through text messages – a service that is only just beginning to arrive in the United States.
Mobile banking is a prime example of the way in which the flow of technological innovation has been reversed, and its potential is vast. There are now more than 3 billion cellphone subscribers on the planet – the last billion having been added in just the past two years, largely due to explosive growth in India, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. More than half of all cellphone users now live in developing countries, making it the first electronic technology to garner more users in the Third World than the First.
“The mobile telecom revolution has gone out to far more people far further down the income stream than the banking system ever has,” said Stephen Rasmussen, who manages a mobile banking pilot project in Pakistan for the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, a public-private partnership focused on expanding financial services to the poor.
As mobile banking expands, many of the innovations that make it possible are starting to find a place in systems targeted at the world’s rich as well.
Take the use of biometric data instead of signatures or PIN codes for banking security. Citibank experimented with a biometric ATM first in India – where a customer uses a fingerprint instead of a PIN for security. Then in Singapore, it introduced a biometric credit card. A customer simply registers his or her fingerprint with the bank and uses the print to make transactions, without any need for a card at all. Now this technology is likely to see use in the United States and Europe, said Satish Menon, who runs the Asian operations of Citigroup’s growth ventures and innovation team.
India is also becoming the proving ground for mobile phones equipped with what’s called near-field communications, the system that lets the Basix phone share information with the smart card. Citibank is starting a pilot project in Bangalore this month that will enable workers in business parks to pay for meals and purchase items from shops using their mobile phones. This system, too, may eventually find its way to New York or Boston.
Ironically, the developed world has fallen behind in adopting new technologies precisely because its existing systems work well. Mobile banking is less attractive in a world where there are plentiful bank branches and ATMs, not to mention Internet access for online banking. In America, mobile banking is just another channel. For the world’s poorest, it may be the only channel.
“Necessity really is the mother of invention in this case,” Menon said.
Nowhere are the needs greater than in the Third World, and serving those needs is forcing companies to radically rethink how they design products and services.
In a globalized world, people in emerging markets want first-class products – but at prices they can afford. Meeting that demand, particularly in countries where basic infrastructure is weak, requires more creativity than designing a product for a more advanced, affluent market. As a result, companies are shifting not only their marketing focus, but their engineers and designers, toward places like India, Indonesia, and Brazil.
For example, to produce the Nano, the groundbreaking $2,500 car India’s Tata Motors unveiled two weeks ago, Tata had to discover ways of removing costs from every part of the car’s design. It’s a feat no other car company in the world has matched. No surprise that Ford has announced it will soon move its worldwide small car development hub to India, where the market for inexpensive, small cars is greatest. GM, Suzuki, and Hyundai are also moving more design and engineering jobs to India – not because the engineers are cheaper, but because they better understand the needs of developing world consumers.
Two of Unilever’s six global research centers are now in the developing world (China and India). Similarly, two of Microsoft’s five worldwide research labs are also in India and China. Cisco just signed an agreement with Indian networking integrator Wipro to work jointly on penetrating markets in India, Africa, and the Middle East. As part of the deal, Cisco is opening a new engineering facility in Bangalore.
This is not to say that technological innovation in the developed world will cease. Consumers here continue to demand more and better products and services. This is particularly true for luxury items, where the First World is unlikely to relinquish its lead any time soon. And the developed world is likely to continue to lead the way when it comes to customization and specialization – anywhere in which selling at vast scale in less important to the business model.
Continue Reading “Third World First“
Source: Boston Globe (link opens in a new window)
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Watch The Mountain Goats Play "Sicilian Crest" on The Late Show, Sing "This Year" Live with Stephen Colbert
By Marissa Matozzo | July 17, 2019 | 2:08pm
Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS Music News The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats visited The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Tuesday night, playing a song off their most recent album, as well as a fan favorite from their past.
Colbert himself joined in, surprising the audience and contributing vocals to the second performance.
The acclaimed indie-folk group, composed of frontman John Darnielle (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Peter Hughes (bass, backing vocals), Jon Wurster (drums) and Matt Douglas (flute, saxophone, clarinet, guitar, keyboard, backing vocals), kicked off their set with a spirited and soulful live rendition of “Sicillian Crest” off In League With Dragons.
The Mountain Goats released In League With Dragons, their 17th full-length studio album, via Merge Records in April.
In a web-exclusive extra performance, Colbert sang along with The Mountain Goats on their song “This Year.” Before joining in with the band, Colbert said to the audience:
The Mountain Goats’ new album is called In League With Dragons. This next song is not on that album. It’s a great album, but this song is not on that album. I asked them to play this song for me because it’s one of my favorite songs of theirs. Ladies and gentlemen, The Mountain Goats.
The folk-rockers then began strumming the intro chords to “This Year,” off their 2005 album The Sunset Tree, a beloved fan-favorite song that now has over 13 million Spotify streams.
A little over one minute in, Colbert jumped onstage, harmonized with Darnielle and danced to his favorite Mountain Goats track, garnering cheers and applause from the crowd.
Watch both performances below and revisit a 2009 Mountain Goats performance from the Paste archives further down.
in league with dragons
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State and Local Lawmakers Nationwide are Pushing Back Against Extreme Anti-Abortion Laws
5/20/2019 by Ashley LeCroy
Dangerous abortion bans are being pushed through state legislatures at an alarming pace—and local and state officials from across the country are pushing back.
2017 Women’s March attendees in Washington took to the state capitol. Local and state lawmakers nationwide are now using their positions to push back on the extreme anti-abortion laws being pushed through legislatures in Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Louisiana. (mikemates / Creative Commons)
After Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the nation’s most restrictive abortion ban last week, at least two state governments announced retaliatory measures. Maryland comptroller Peter Franchot announced in a statement on Facebook that his 1,100 staffers will be prohibited from traveling to the state on official business, and that he hopes to divest the state’s $52 billion pension fund from all Alabama-based companies; Colorado Secretary of State Jenna Griswold announced later that she, too, was halting business travel by her staff to the state.
“I obviously have no direct control over the behavior of Alabama lawmakers who would thrust their religious interpretations upon those they are paid to represent,” Franchot said. “However, I can work to ensure that Maryland’s taxpayer dollars are not used to subsidize extremism.”
For Griswold’s team, which had previously attended trainings and seminars conducted by the nonprofit organization Election Center in the Alabama city of Auburn, the declaration was more than symbolic. “I will not authorize the spending of state resources in travel to Alabama for this training or any other purpose,” Griswold declared. “This is one action that I can take in response to this egregious law against women.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis echoed the sentiment in a motion filed Friday and which passed unanimously Tuesday that bans all official travel by county employees to the state of Alabama for one year. She also plans to deliver a five-signature letter to the governors and legislatures of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Utah—all states with extreme abortion bans now on the books or headed to a Governor’s desk for final approval—to call for the immediate repeal of the anti-abortion laws recently passed in those states.
“Imposition of the laws may hinge on legal changes, but the repercussions are being felt across the country in the perpetual fight for the right to equitable reproductive health,” Solis explained in the motion. “People are taking a stand nationwide—for example, people are donating to the Yellowhammer Fund in Alabama and using social media as a platform to demonstrate why abortion is a human right. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against Ohio’s ban on abortion. Alabama Women’s Center and the ACLU have similar lawsuits against Alabama, and other challenges are anticipated.” (Click here to learn how to help patients impacted regionally.)
It isn’t just the impact of new anti-abortion laws, which criminalize doctors and patients, that reverberate across the country—it’s also the national intent of new policies which worries Solis. “The enclave of new laws seeks to erode access to legal and safe abortion,” she declared. “Without question, this is a medieval attempt to control and limit the ability of individuals to make personal decisions about their health. It treats more than half of the population as second class.”
For Solis and her constituents with uteri, that makes this political fight personal. “Los Angeles County continues to lead in ensuring access to reproductive health,” she explained, “and that leadership must extend across state lines to maintain and enhance the constitutional right to safe and legal abortions. This right should not be determined by a person’s zip code, income level or any other factor.”
Tagged: Abortion, Anti-Abortion Laws
About Ashley LeCroy
Ashley LeCroy is an editorial intern for Ms. and a passionate self-identified feminist who aims both to advocate and make space for the world's most marginalized communities. Ashley is currently pursuing a dual degree in Political Science and English with a minor in Anthropology at UCLA—where she writes for FEM, the student-run feminist news magazine, and works on the Art Series staff for the Cultural Affairs Commission.
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Showing results for tags 'customers'.
Air canada adds year-round montreal-lyon
YMQ posted a topic in General discussion
Air Canada Adds Lyon, London-Gatwick to its Growing Global Network New mainline service between Montreal and Lyon will be only year-round flight between North America and France's second largest metropolitan area New Air Canada rouge route to London-Gatwick complements and builds on the success of Air Canada flights to London Heathrow, Air Canada's largest international gateway MONTREAL, June 25, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today further expanded its extensive global network with the announcement of new non-stop services to Lyon, France and London's Gatwick airport beginning in summer 2016. The two new routes will provide customers even more convenient options when travelling to Europe for business or leisure. "Pursuing our ongoing strategy to expand internationally, Air Canada is pleased to offer customers non-stop, year-round service between Montreal and Lyon, heart of the second largest metropolitan area in France. Air Canada continues to serve Paris Charles de Gaulle and this new Air Canada mainline route will further increase convenience for customers travelling to France as well as provide the only year-round service between North America and Lyon. It also complements our Air Canada rouge Nice-Côte d'Azur service," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines, at Air Canada. "Our new seasonal Air Canada rouge service between Toronto and London's Gatwick airport will complement our extensive operation at London Heathrow, our largest gateway outside Canada with non-stop service from eight Canadian cities. Air Canada rouge is ideally-suited to serve London-Gatwick, with its focus on leisure travel and provide easy access to southern London. This new service will also make us the only Canadian carrier serving multiple airports in the London region and complements our Air Canada rouge service to Manchester and Edinburgh. Both new routes offer customers convenient connection times with our extensive domestic, U.S. transborder and international network." James Cherry, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aéroports de Montréal said: "This new scheduled service between Montreal and Lyon, France's second-largest urban area, is excellent news that further supports Montreal–Trudeau's positioning as a hub between North America and Europe, particularly French-speaking Europe." Howard Eng, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority said: "As Canada's largest gateway hub airport, we welcome Air Canada's announcement of a new rouge service from Toronto Pearson to London's Gatwick airport starting next summer. This new service will offer our passengers even more choice and convenience when it comes to planning their travel schedule – and that's an important part of how we're working to put our passengers first." Tickets for both routes will be available for purchase starting July 2, 2015 and service between Montreal and Lyon will begin June 16, 2016 and operate up to five-times weekly with an Airbus A330-300 aircraft with 37 International Business Class lie-flat suites and 228 Economy class seats. Air Canada rouge's summer seasonal service between Toronto and London-Gatwick will begin May 19, 2016 and operate up to seven-times weekly with a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with 24 Premium rouge seats and 256 rouge seats. All flights are timed to optimize connectivity through Air Canada's Montreal and Toronto hubs respectively. Air Canada Montreal-Lyon Flight From To Depart Arrive Frequency AC828 Montreal Lyon 21:10 10:20 (+1 day) Up to five times a week AC829 Lyon Montreal 12:00 14:00 Up to five times a week
extensive
london-gatwick
londons
Air Canada Adds Daily Montreal-Washington Dulles (IAD) Flights to Growing Transborder
couz posted a topic in General discussion
PR Newswire MONTREAL, March 15, 2017 MONTREAL, March 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Air Canada announced today the return of daily year-round service between Montreal and Washington Dulles (IAD) starting May 1, 2017, offering more choice for customers travelling between Montreal and the Washington, D.C., Metro area. In addition to well-timed connections to Air Canada's extensive network to Europe and North Africa, flights will also offer one-stop service to/from Quebec and Eastern Canada including Bagotville, Sept-Îles, Quebec City, Fredericton, Moncton, Bathurst, Saint John and Halifax. Special introductory fares start as low as $191 one-way, all in, and tickets are now available for purchase at aircanada.com or through travel agents. "We are happy to once again operate Montreal-Washington Dulles (IAD) flights that complement our existing twice daily flights to Washington National Airport and strengthen our market presence in the Washington, D.C., Metro area," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines, at Air Canada. "We continue to strategically grow our transborder network in support of our commitment to expand our global reach from Montreal-Trudeau reinforcing it as a hub that offers convenient connections from points throughout Quebec and Eastern Canada and to Air Canada's extensive international network including Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt and Casablanca." The daily non-stop Air Canada Express service will be operated with 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-100 aircraft. All flights provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption, Star Alliance reciprocal benefits and, for eligible customers, priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access, priority boarding and other benefits. Flight # Depart Time Arrive Time AC8172 Montreal (YUL) 13:25 Washington (IAD) 15:09 AC8173 Washington (IAD) 15:40 Montreal (YUL) 17:15 So far in 2017, Air Canada has launched new non-stop U.S. services from Montreal to Dallas-Fort Worth and now to Washington Dulles; Toronto to: San Antonio, Memphis and Savannah; Vancouver to: Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver and Boston. About Air Canada Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 200 airports on six continents. Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2016 served close to 45 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 64 airports in Canada, 57 in the United States and 91 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,330 airports in 192 countries. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax. For more information, please visit: www.aircanada.com, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook. Internet: aircanada.com SOURCE Air Canada Copyright © 2017 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved
aircanada.com
Place Vertu Renovations
GDS posted a topic in Completed
A $45-million investment by Ivanhoe Cambridge - Place Vertu Gets a Makeover MONTREAL, Nov. 29 /CNW Telbec/ - Place Vertu, owned and managed by Ivanhoe Cambridge, is happy to announce a $45-million investment (including all related fees) in the shopping centre, located in the borough of Saint-Laurent in Montreal, to carry out a large-scale redevelopment project. Construction work for this much-anticipated undertaking, designed to revitalize the property and its retail mix, began in the summer of 2007 and will wrap up in the spring of 2009. "We are very enthusiastic about renovating Place Vertu. This project is in keeping with our strategy to continuously enhance our properties and strengthen their market position and share," said Jean Laramée, Senior Vice President, Eastern Region, Ivanhoe Cambridge. "This is excellent news for Place Vertu and its customers!" said Michael Bonetto, General Manager of Place Vertu. "The project will enable Place Vertu to take full advantage of its strategic location in the heart of Saint-Laurent, one of the fastest-growing communities on the Island of Montreal. Naturally, we will be doing everything we can to minimize any inconvenience to our tenants and ensure that our customers can continue to shop undisturbed." The main highlights of the project are as follows: << - Closing of The Bay, and relocation of Zellers into the vacated premises, with its brand-new Zellers + concept (120,000 square feet over two floors). Official opening scheduled for December 1, 2007. - Expansion, reconfiguration and renovation of the food court to make it more cosy and appealing. Expected completion: Spring 2008. - Expansion of several stores and arrival of new retailers. - Indoor and outdoor renovations and addition of decorative elements to complement the centre's overall design. Construction of new entrances and modernization of the façade along Côte-Vertu Boulevard. >> The project is already generating a great deal of interest among retailers, and talks are currently under way with a number of potential tenants. Leasing agreements were recently signed or scheduled to be signed very shortly with Winners, which will occupy some 25,000 square feet as of summer 2008, Browns Shoes Outlet, Lace Canada (a high-end women's fashion retailer), La Vie en Rose/Aqua, Urban Planet and a 25,000-square-foot specialized grocery store. About Place Vertu Located in the borough of Saint-Laurent in Montreal, a stone's throw away from one of Canada's largest industrial parks, Place Vertu opened for business in 1975. Today, it features four anchor tenants and some 155 stores and services. Its gross leasable area, including an office component, is nearly 924,000 square feet and it greets close to 6.5 million shoppers every year. Place Vertu is owned and managed by Ivanhoe Cambridge.
bonetto
Amazon fucked in France
jesseps posted a topic in Off Topic
(Courtesy of Ars Technica) I wonder if something like this will happen in Canada or Quebec lol
The Restaurant Scene in Montreal
ScarletCoral posted a topic in Entertainment, food and culture
via The Gazette : The Restaurant Scene in Montreal : Boom Equals Bust Lesley Chesterman Montreal Gazette Published on: November 21, 2014 Last Updated: November 21, 2014 9:14 AM EST Le Paris-Beurre is an excellent neighbourhood bistro that Outremont residents are lucky to have called their own for more than thirty years. The braised leeks with curry vinaigrette, the goat’s cheese salad, the famous gratin dauphinois and côte de boeuf for two, plus the best crème brûlée in town, make this restaurant a sure bet. Yes, the wine list has been on the predictable side for a decade too many and maybe the soup has a tendency to be a little watery, but the terrasse is divine and the dining room offers the ideal out-of-a-Truffaut-film bistro setting. If Le Paris-Beurre were located in Paris, it would be frequented by both locals and tourists looking for that fantasy French bistro. In Montreal, Le Paris-Beurre has relied on locals to fill its 65 seats. And increasingly, those locals are often grey-haired, owner Hubert Streicher said in a recent interview. Now after 30 years in business, Le Paris-Beurre will be serving its last bavette and duck confit on Dec. 23. Streicher still hopes the restaurant will be sold, yet he’s not holding his breath. “Our sales fell over the last three years,” he said. “We have a very loyal customer base, but those customers are aging. And younger customers are now heading to bistros on Avenue Bernard.” Normally, the closing of this Montreal institution would come as a surprise, but considering the number of iconic Montreal restaurants that have shuttered this year – big players including Le Continental, the Beaver Club, Globe, Le Latini and Magnan’s Tavern – Le Paris-Beurre is just another establishment to give up on the increasingly volatile Montreal restaurant scene. Driving around the former popular restaurant neighbourhoods of our city, and seeing locale after locale with rent signs in the windows, it’s obvious the restaurant industry is hurting. It’s one thing when the bad restaurants close. A regular purging of the worst or the dated is to be expected. But now the good restaurants are hurting as well. There are too many restaurants in Montreal and not enough customers” – Restaurant owner Sylvie Lachance Upon closing, restaurants like Magnan’s Tavern and Globe issued press releases that raised many of the same issues: road work, tax measures, staff shortages, skyrocketing food costs, parking woes, the increasing popularity of suburban restaurants and changing tastes. Add to that list a shrinking upscale tourist clientele, and there are sure to be more closings on the horizon. People have less cash to spend and more restaurants to choose from. Competition is fierce. Tourism Montreal notes that ours is the city with the largest number of restaurants per capita in all of North America. According to François Meunier of the Association des Restaurateurs du Québec, the number of new restaurants with table service increased by 31 per cent from 2005 to 2012 in Montreal. Yet people are spending less. “Sales are down 4.2 per cent in full-service restaurants from last year,” Meunier said. “People don’t have money to spend. We don’t always like to admit it, but Quebec is a poor province.” There’s a definite shift taking place on the Montreal restaurant scene and for many restaurateurs, the obstacles are looking insurmountable. Up the street from Le Paris-Beurre is the restaurant Van Horne. Owner Sylvie Lachance was so discouraged by how the restaurant scene is evolving that she sent an open letter outlining her exasperation to various media outlets last May. “There are too many restaurants in Montreal and not enough customers,” her letter began, before outlining several trends she believed were holding her back from garnering the attention she deserved. Of her chef, Jens Ruoff, she wrote: “(He) is not a hipster, has no tattoos on his arms and does not serve homemade sausage on wood planks.” Of Van Horne’s marketing approach, she said: “We do not have cookbooks for sale, nor a sugar shack, much less a television show. We do not personally know Anthony Bourdain or René Redzepi.” She closed with the final thought: “We are not dying at Van Horne but it is unfortunate, given all the hard work we do, to be forgotten so often.” Now, six months later, Lachance is still discouraged. “Are there too many restaurants in Montreal? Yes!” she said without hesitation. “Everyone is looking for staff. It has become the biggest problem. I have young chefs here who say, ‘I could go to you, Toqué! or Boulud.’ They can go anywhere. And I also see restaurants that open up that are constantly looking for chefs, waiters, bus boys. They don’t even staff their restaurants properly before opening. And as for chefs, they have to be everything these days: creative, good at marketing, eager to meet with suppliers, manage employees, calculate food cost. Good luck finding one who can do all that.” Across town, Carlos Ferreira is facing many of the same concerns at his famous Peel St. restaurant, Ferreira Café. The restaurant’s lunch scene draws the elite downtown crowd. Dinner is equally popular. Now going on 18 years in business, Ferreira should be leaning back, counting the profits, happy with his multi-restaurant empire. Not quite. “Montreal has become a restaurant city focused on fashions and trends,” he said between bites of grilled octopus at lunchtime recently. “New restaurants invest a lot in decor and ambience. In the past, the food in trendy restaurants like Prima Donna and Mediterraneo was very good. But today, it’s not serious. The ambience is exaggerated, the markups on alcohol too. A lot of those restaurants took their clients for granted and now they’re all closed. And today there is this new Griffintown phenomenon. If you don’t go to eat there, you are a loser!” When asked if he thinks there are too many restaurants in Montreal, Ferreira nodded. The problem, he said, is a lack of direction. “We’re losing sight of what a restaurant should be,” Ferreira said. “People are opening restaurants without knowing the business.” Ferreira does know the business – he’s been drawing in customers to enjoy his modern Portuguese food coming up on 20 years. Next year, though, he will be re-evaluating his entire business. “In 2013, we served 1,800 fewer customers,” he said. One of the problems now is that with the ongoing erosion of the high-end restaurant genre and the increasing popularity of casual dining, the middle ground is getting crowded. To Ferreira, restaurants can be divided into four categories: high-end (gastronomic), casual (bistros), cafés and fast-food. “The high-end restaurant is condemned,” he said, matter-of-factly. “They are too expensive and people say they’re very good but … boring. And if people go into a half-full restaurant, they don’t want to return.” Another highly successful Montreal restaurant, Moishes, celebrated its 75th anniversary this year but has faced its share of challenges. Yet owner Lenny Lighter is not willing to blame the lack of business on the booming number of new restaurants. “Competition always makes me nervous,” Lighter said. “And not just another steakhouse but anyone in my price category. But where is that ‘too many restaurants’ statement going? We live in a free society. Anyone can open a business. It’s not for us to tell people what to do. You know what’s not good? Not enough restaurants. The more choices people have, the more interesting the game gets for everyone.” To Lighter, there’s too much going on in Montreal lately to curtail entrepreneurial spirit. Young people willing to raise the capital and take the risk should do it, he said. “Some will close, there will be heartbreaks. But the ones that survive might just be the next big thing. We never know what the next Joe Beef will be or who the next Costas Spiliadis will be. Only the strong will survive. Competition is good. It raises the stakes.” And yet the hurdles in the game may also make for an uneven playing field. Next August, Ferreira will face a lengthy construction period on Peel St. and the makeover of Ste-Catherine St., both of which he is dreading. “I understand it has to be done,” he said. “But it must be done intelligently, so that there is still access to businesses.” The fear of being barricaded by a construction site is a prime concern for many a restaurateur. Even at arguably the city’s most popular restaurant right now, Joe Beef, construction worries loom large. “If the city ripped up the street in front of me here for three weeks,” said co-owner David McMillan, “I’d go under.” At Thai Grill on the corner of St-Laurent Blvd. and Laurier Ave., owner Nicolas Scalera watched his business come to a halt when the sidewalks were widened. For four months, the entrance to his restaurant was accessible only by a small plank set over a mud pit. Construction, estimated to last a month, started in August yet only finished in early November. Scalera said customers not only petered out, many called to see if he was closed. “I paid $68,000 in taxes to the city last year. It would have been nice to see a break during construction.” “I’ve been here for 17 years. I have some rights as well. But they don’t care,” Scalera said. “I had (city councillor) Alex Norris (for the Jeanne-Mance district) tell me right to my face that they don’t want people coming in from other areas or Laval to eat in restaurants in this area. He told me the Plateau is for the Plateau residents. I’d like the city to promote our restaurants instead of doing nothing to help us. Instead, I’ve seen a major decline in business. I will never open anything or invest in the Plateau again. It’s too risky. You could lose everything.” Norris, the city councillor in question, disagrees. “The Plateau gets hundreds of thousands visiting our streets,” he said. “We encourage people from all over the city to frequent our businesses. It’s a densely populated neighbourhood, so we’ve had to manage the relationship between commercial endeavours and residents. To suggest we don’t want people to visit our neighbourhood is absurd.” Inflated taxes didn’t help Le Paris-Beurre’s Streicher in Outremont, either. “I was charged $2,500 in taxes (this year) for my terrasse alone, and my terrasse is part of my restaurant, in the back courtyard, not on the street.” Van Horne’s Lachance is also disheartened by the lack of interest from the people who collect her tax dollars. “In Outremont where I am,” she said, “not one elected municipal representative has been to my restaurant. They go to the cheap restaurant down the street. I’ve served Tony Accurso, but I’ve never had any mayor or elected official in my restaurant. There is a lack of appreciation for our restaurant scene. People don’t talk about what show they went to anymore, but what restaurant they ate at. Restaurants are part of our culture now.” When asked if he frequents restaurants in his neighbourhood, Norris could name only one, L’Express. “There are others,” he said. “I’ll have to get back to you.” We’re losing sight of what a restaurant should be.” – Carlos Ferreira Even at the internationally acclaimed Joe Beef, Montreal officials have been scarce. “I’ve served three former prime ministers,” McMillan said. “The governor of Vermont has eaten at my restaurant four times, but not one Montreal mayor or one municipal councillor from my area has eaten at Joe Beef. The last five times I ate in restaurants in New York, three of the times I saw the mayor eating there, too.” “I have taken note of the comments, and I am pleased to see that the people at Joe Beef’s want to see more of me,” Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said via email on Thursday. “I was happy to see them recently at the Corona Theatre, where they catered an event celebrating David Suzuki. Unfortunately, the last time I was near Joe Beef’s restaurant, I was in a hurry and went to eat at Dilallo Burger.” “The city doesn’t understand how important the restaurants are in Montreal,” Ferreira said. Lighter is less dismissive, though he does see a lack of interest from above. “They’re not understanding the risk people take,” Lighter said. “There are payroll taxes, property taxes, operating taxes, school taxes. Government should be supporting you, not always policing you. And ultimately, with more sales, they get more taxes. Good business is profitable for them, too.” Despite the many factors hindering business, Montreal restaurateurs are not blaming customers. Client fidelity is at an all-time low, they say, yet they understand the desire to go out and eat around. “Montrealers follow the buzz,” Lachance said, “but they come back.” And yet there is one clientele all restaurateurs would like to see more of: tourists. “There is gigantic work to be done,” Ferreira said. “The summer of 2014 was the worst summer for tourists. Tourism Montreal says it was a record year, but they are drawing in the cheap tourists. These people aren’t spending.” Ferreira would like to see the city attract high-end conventions and tourists with money to spend by focusing more on the luxury market. “But no one will talk about that,” he said, discouraged. Pierre Bellerose, vice-president of Tourism Montreal, agrees the restaurant scene is hurting but with about 6,500 restaurants in the city, that’s to be expected. “We have more restaurants per capita than New York,” he said. “But we’re a poor city. Many close, many open. It’s a lot to ask the population to support the industry.” According to Bellerose, tourism is up 50 per cent from 20 years ago, and drawing visitors to the restaurant scene is one of the agency’s priorities. Bellerose said: “There is a good buzz about Montreal. It’s estimated that between 20 to 25 per cent of the clientele at high-end restaurants are tourists. There’s a lot of interest in food. But that interest varies. Some people just want smoked meat and poutine. And tourists are mostly circulating in the central areas of the city. We can’t follow them around and tell them where to go.” McMillan thinks Tourism Montreal could find better ways to promote our restaurant scene. “Tourism Maine and Tourism New York follow me on social media, but not Tourism Montreal,” he said. “And they keep paying for these bloggers to come in and discover the city. Instead, why not send some of us chefs out to promote Montreal restaurants abroad at food festivals or even in embassies? I’ve never been asked to promote my city or cook in an embassy – and if asked, I would do it.” And there is plenty here to promote. The New York-based website Eater.com recently dropped both their Toronto and Vancouver pages yet held on to their popular Montreal site. Though low on the high-end restaurant count, Montreal has an impressive number of chef-driven restaurants, with an increasing number of them drawing international attention to our scene. Plus, Montreal remains a far more affordable restaurant city than the likes of Paris, London or even Toronto – although the down side of being an affordable dining destination means less money in restaurant owners’ pockets (the ARQ estimates profits at a paltry 2.6 per cent). “We should be a premier destination,” Lighter said. “We have a unique culture, a great reputation. But Montreal has suffered economically. We’re highly taxed. There’s not a lot of disposable income and it’s expensive to eat out. I sense there is a certain defensiveness restaurateurs have with customers, but we have to learn from customers, too. We always have to have our eyes and ears open, ready to adjust.” Restaurants in Montreal: 6,500 People per restaurant in Montreal: 373 People per restaurant in New York City: 457 Increase in the number of new restaurants in Montreal from 2005 to 2012: 31 per cent Decline in sales at full-service restaurants in 2013: 4.2 per cent Sales at high-end Montreal restaurants from the tourism industry: 20 per cent End-of-year profit margin on all sales for Montreal full-service restaurants: 2.6 per cent Restaurants closing this year : Le Paris-Beurre : The bistro on Van Horne Ave. in Outremont will close on Dec. 23 Le Continental : Closed in May Le Latini : Closed in September Beaver Club : Closed in March Magnan Tavern : Will close on Dec. 21 Globe : Closed in September
paris-beurre
AT&T buys T-Mobile USA
jesseps posted a topic in Current events
(Courtesy of The New York Times) Holy crap! The new AT&T going to have 129.23 million customers. It would be like Bell buying out Telus.
at&t’s
Air Canada Launches New Non-Stop between Montreal and San Juan
_mtler_ posted a topic in General discussion
Air Canada Launches New Non-Stop Service between Montreal and San Juan, Puerto Rico MONTREAL, Dec. 17, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today inaugurated a new non-stop service between Montreal and Puerto Rico. This morning's departure of Air Canada flight AC958 marks the beginning of weekly flights from Montreal to San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, which will operate as a seasonal service this winter. "This new route from Montreal will make it easier for customers to travel to Puerto Rico from eastern Canada and complements our existing twice-weekly services between Toronto and San Juan. It also strengthens Air Canada's Montreal hub, which is playing a significant strategic role in our ongoing global expansion. Our capacity in Montreal is up nearly 20 per cent over the last two years and in the past year alone we have launched or announced 13 new destinations from the city, including Shanghai, Algiers, Lyon, and Marseille," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada. "I would like to congratulate and thank Air Canada for adding San Juan, Puerto Rico to its already impressive list of non-stop destinations served from Montreal," said James Cherry, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aéroports de Montréal. "This new service will offer one more option to our passengers seeking to diversify their sun destinations." Air Canada's Montreal-San Juan flights will operate with a 146-seat Airbus A320 featuring two classes of service with 14 Business Class seats and 132 seats in Economy Class. The aircraft features a personal seatback In-Flight Entertainment system and a power outlet available at every seat throughout the aircraft. Flights are timed for convenient connections through Air Canada's extensive international network and provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption and, for eligible customers, priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access in Montreal, priority boarding and other benefits. FLIGHT DEPARTS ARRIVES DAY of the WEEK* AC958 Montreal at 8:00 San Juan at 14:00 Saturday AC959 San Juan at 14:45 Montreal at 18:59 Saturday * Service operates until April 22, 2017
Tesla Motors - Montreal
(Courtesy of BIDNESS ETC)
The bagel war of Montreal
MTLskyline posted a topic in Outside point of view of Montreal
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8681796.stm
shlafman
viateur
younian
SAQ closing 2 shops
(Courtesy of The Montreal Gazette) Sucks to be them. Guess the SAQ doesn't want to waste tax payers money to wait and see if all will get better, with people moving into the condo being developed next door. I guess the people complaining are just going to have to cab it or take the metro. I just wonder who will take over the 7000 sq.ft at the Pepsi Forum
merizzi
Cogeco to pay $1.36 billion for Atlantic Broadband; shares dive
WestAust posted a topic in Current events
(Reuters) - Cogeco Cable Inc, a Canadian company that serves mostly rural customers in Ontario and Quebec, said on Wednesday it will pay $1.36 billion to buy U.S. cable operator Atlantic Broadband in a move aimed at gaining a foothold in the larger U.S. market. The deal, however, quickly triggered a 15 percent decline in Cogeco's share price, with investors skeptical of Cogeco's success in foreign deals following an unsuccessful foray into Europe. In February, Cogeco sold its struggling Portuguese cable unit, Cabovisao, at roughly one-tenth the price it paid for it in 2006. Cogeco was unable to weather a harsh pricing war and the broader economic malaise in the country. Montreal-based Cogeco, which provides cable-TV, high-speed Internet and telephone services, said the Atlantic Broadband acquisition will give it sizable opportunities for growth. Atlantic Broadband is owned by private equity firms ABRY Partners and Oak Hill Capital Partners and has operations that service about 250,000 customers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, Delaware and South Carolina. "This acquisition marks an attractive entry point into the U.S. market for Cogeco Cable," said Chief Executive Louis Audet. Analysts, though, sounded dubious on a hastily arranged conference call in which Audet and other executives had to fend off tough questions about the price being offered, Cogeco's ability to succeed outside its home market, and Atlantic Broadband's growth prospects. CASH AND DEBT Cogeco said it would finance the deal with a combination of cash and debt. Cogeco plans to use $150 million in cash, along with $550 million of a $750 million credit facility to fund the deal. Bank of America Merrill Lynch is also arranging a $660 million committed debt facility to fund the deal. In a note to clients, Canaccord Genuity analyst Dvai Ghose said the sell-off in Cogeco shares might also be prompted by some investor concerns that Cogeco may have to issue equity to reduce its debt load further down the road. Cogeco Cable's share price fell 15.5 percent to C$37.60 on the Toronto Stock Exchange after the deal was announced on Wednesday morning. Shares of its parent Cogeco Inc fell 11.6 percent to C$37.50. Ghose said the offer values Atlantic Broadband at 8.3 times its estimates 2013 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). That he noted is well in excess of Cogeco Cable's own enterprise value of five times estimated fiscal 2013 EBITDA. Canada's largest mobile phone company, Rogers Communications Inc, which owns significant interests in both Cogeco Inc and subsidiary Cogeco Cable, could not be immediately reached for comment on the proposed deal. CANADA SATURATED "There is room for further U.S. growth, either through an increase in penetration ... or through tuck-in acquisitions, a number of which are available in the United States, in contrast to Canada, where the consolidation is essentially over," Audet said on the conference call. Cogeco Cable warned last week that its Canadian business would slow as tough competition makes it more difficult to sign up customers. It cut its customer growth forecasts by 10 percent as it lost television customers and recorded slower growth in Internet and telephone services. Larger rivals such as BCE Inc and Quebecor Inc operate in the same markets and are expanding into Cogeco's rural heartland. Audet said Atlantic's low penetration rate - the number of customers divided by the number of homes it would be possible to service in existing markets - means it has promising growth potential. "This transaction at this stage is not about synergies. It's about establishing a healthy, promising base from which to grow in the United States," he said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/18/net-us-cogecocable-atlanticbroadband-idUSBRE86H0VC20120718
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Microsoft ouvrira 2 centres de données au Canada en 2016 (Québec et Toronto)
ScarletCoral posted a topic in Around the province of Québec.
via le site de Microsoft : Press Release MICROSOFT CLOUD TO TOUCH DOWN IN CANADA Locally deployed Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online will help power Canadian business Toronto, June 2, 2015 – Microsoft today announced plans to deliver commercial cloud services from Canada. Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online will be delivered from Toronto and Quebec City in 2016, further strengthening Microsoft’s footprint in Canada’s competitive cloud landscape. “Soon, the Microsoft Cloud will be truly Canadian,” said Kevin Turner, Worldwide Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft, who travelled to Toronto to make the announcement. “This substantial investment in a Canadian cloud demonstrates how committed we are to bringing even more opportunity to Canadian businesses and government organizations, helping them fully realize the cost savings and flexibility of the cloud,” said Turner. According to IDC, total public cloud spend in Canada is projected to grow to $2.5B by next year. The fastest growth will be from Public cloud infrastructure with a strong 45 per cent increase by 2016. These new locally deployed services will address data residency considerations for Microsoft customers and partners of all shapes and sizes who are embracing cloud computing to transform their businesses, better manage variable workloads and deliver new digital services and experiences to customers and employees. General availability of Azure is anticipated in early 2016, followed by Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online later in 2016. Janet Kennedy, President of Microsoft Canada, says delivering cloud services from data centres on Canadian soil opens up significant new cloud-based possibilities for organizations who must adhere to strict data storage compliance codes. “We’re very proud to be delivering the Microsoft Cloud right here in Canada, for the benefit of Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs, governments and small businesses. Delivering the flexibility of hyper-scale, enterprise grade, locally deployed public cloud services is the ultimate Canadian hat trick.” Canadian Customers Already Using Cloud Today Canadian customers of all sizes are already in the Microsoft Cloud. Even today, Microsoft delivers cloud-based email, Office 365, and CRM Online to more than 80,000 Canadian businesses. Companies like Air Canada, Quebecor and Hatch are saving money while empowering their employees to collaborate, be more productive and mobile with Office 365, Yammer, and Skype for Business. “Information systems and technology continue to be a differentiator for Hatch as it helps us to gain advantages in the marketplace – our use of Microsoft cloud is an integral part of this success. We are now able to focus on our business while benefiting from all the innovation Microsoft offers with a Service Level Agreement we can count on.” Christopher Taylor, Global Director, Hatch. Diply.com is a great example of an Ontario-based start-up leveraging Microsoft Azure, the company’s cloud-based infrastructure. The company delivers 850M page views per month on Microsoft Azure and owns no servers. Diply.com is able to rent servers from Microsoft by the hour based simply on the demand they receive. “We only pay for what we use,” said Gary Manning, CTO and co-founder at Diply.com. “We estimate our cost per 1,000 users is only $0.07! We’d never be able to build that back-end infrastructure ourselves.” Governments in Canada Welcome the Microsoft Cloud Ontario’s Deputy Premier and President of Treasury Board, Deb Matthews, applauded Microsoft’s commitment to enabling Ontario businesses to compete globally. “This commitment by Microsoft will further enhance the ability of Ontario’s innovative business sector to thrive and compete with the best in the world,” said Matthews. “To date more than 3,200 Canadian startups have benefited from joining the free BizSpark program, many of which are based in Ontario. By bringing the power of the cloud to Canada and providing free access through BizSpark, our entrepreneurs can truly compete with the best in the world.” John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, praised the announcement as a significant boost to Toronto’s digital infrastructure. “Together with Microsoft, we’re bringing Toronto into the 21st Century,” said Mayor John Tory. “Toronto is home to a skilled and talented work force that is ready to bring ideas to life. The City is committed to investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure that’s needed to attract good jobs and fuel innovation.” Tory noted that it’s estimated that more than 14,000 jobs in Toronto are connected to cloud computing. To learn more about Microsoft’s cloud touching down in Canada visit reimagine.microsoft.ca Additional Quotes “Microsoft gives us the high-performance infrastructure we need to handle major fluctuations in traffic and demand for a majority of our media websites,” said Richard Roy, Vice President of IT and Chief Technology Officer, Quebecor. “We only pay for what we use, eliminating the need for costly up-front investment in hardware. Microsoft has completely transformed the way we build new IT environments – what used to take days or weeks can now be done in a matter of minutes. Our move to Microsoft’s cloud with has enabled us to innovate rapidly in response to changing forces in our industry.” “We decided to move to the cloud with the Office 365 suite because of the globalization of CDPQ’s investment activities and our need for simplified collaboration among our teams around the world”, said Pierre Miron, CDPQ’s Executive Vice-President, Operations and Information Technologies. “CDPQ also welcomes Microsoft’s decision to establish two data centers in Canada, one in Quebec City and the other in Toronto,” added Miron. “The City of Regina partnered with Microsoft Canada in 2013 to become one of Canada’s first public sector organizations to embrace Office365,” said Chris Fisher, Director of IT, City of Regina. “That strategic decision, which raised eyebrows amongst our peers, continues to pay dividends as the product matures. It is helping the City find cost-effective ways for employees to efficiently communicate with each other and the public.” “As proud Canadians and creators of the world’s first 100% cloud-based digital asset management system, we’re eagerly awaiting the new Canadian data centres coming online next year,” said David MacLaren, President & CEO of MediaValet. “Since launching the first version of MediaValet in late 2010, we’ve had opportunities to work with healthcare, government and higher education organizations in Canada, but been hampered by their rigorous data compliance needs. Microsoft’s investment in a Canadian cloud will open up doors to significant sectors of the Canadian market and help us grow our market share on home soil.” About Microsoft Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Inc. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq "MSFT") the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. Headquartered in Mississauga, Microsoft Canada has nine regional offices across the country dedicated to empowering people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. For more information on Microsoft Canada, please visit www.microsoft.ca. For further information, please contact: Natasha Beynon Veritas Communications [email protected] 416.640.4660
Is this the new face of fine dining?
jesseps posted a topic in Entertainment, food and culture
(Courtesy of The Montreal Gazette)
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Managing the world's air travel from Montreal
LindbergMTL posted a topic in Current events
Date: 25 May 2010 Location: Montreal SITA opens unique command centre to manage the global operations of 3,200 air transport customers The world's first global command centre dedicated to the air transport industry was launched today in Montreal. This unique facility, operated by SITA, the specialist provider of air transport communications and IT solutions, will monitor and manage mission-critical systems for the industry that transports over two billion passengers each year. SITA's Command Centre is manned 24/7 by teams of IT experts who have real-time visibility of the IT and communications systems in use at airports, in airlines and aircraft by SITA's 3,200 customers. This real-time visibility enables SITA to proactively monitor and manage the systems so that issues can be mitigated before they arise, or resolved quickly and efficiently. Just about every airport or airline in the world does business with SITA and from Montreal the operations of more than 300 airports and 2,000 airlines will be supported. Francesco Violante, SITA CEO, said: "IT systems and communications are the backbone of the industry's business activity supporting mission-critical operations. Now, for the first time, in this centre in Montreal, we at SITA have brought air-to-ground, airport, data centre and network support together under one roof. We have invested in this centre to ensure the most integrated and proactive operational management possible for our customers around the world. "Here we have gathered our teams of operational experts and invested in the most advanced automation, monitoring and process management tools. Together these will improve agility and effectiveness of our customer service delivery. Our team in Montreal will work with our 1,500 customer service staff based around the world at, or near, our customer operations." Through the use of more than 10,000 routers, which have been installed at each of its customer airline and airport sites worldwide, SITA now has unique visibility at the edge of the air transport industry's communications network allowing its specialists to monitor activity and to be aware of issues where customer connections are impacted. SITA's extensive visibility involves the management of more than 300 vendor relationships with service providers globally. SITA can not only rapidly inform the customer of any possible disruption but can also work with the vendors to quickly resolve any issues. In particular, Orange Business Services, as the industry's primary network provider, will have a team based in SITA's Command Centre in Montreal to ensure a unified level of service and enhanced responsiveness globally. "SITA's major investment in Montréal once again highlights our city's leadership in aerospace and telecommunications," said the City of Montréal executive committee member responsible for economic development, infrastructures and roads, Richard Deschamps. "Montréal's position at the crossroads of Europe and North America places it in a unique strategic geographic location that greatly influences the decisions of large corporations such as SITA, which chose Montréal to establish its first global Command Centre for the air transport industry. This is big news for Montréal," added Mr. Deschamps. Violante added: "This command centre is visionary and will support our customers' globally distributed complex IT systems and networks. Our investment here, and in a second command centre which we will open in Singapore later this year, will provide "follow-the-sun" operational support. This will ensure more consistent, responsive and proactive service support and reduce disruptions or downtime for our 3,200 customers." All of SITA's operations for its customers worldwide will be managed from Montreal including; airport check-in services; self-service web, kiosk and mobile applications; baggage management and tracking; passenger management solutions including reservations, inventory and ticketing; messaging and network operations. In addition, SITA's AIRCOM services which are used by more than 220 airlines worldwide for air to ground communications will be monitored from here. Dave Bakker, Senior Vice President, SITA Global Services, said: "The opening of this, the first of our two Command Centres, is a significant step in our strategy to provide the highest levels of continuous service and management to our global customers. With our real-time visibility and management of all applications and infrastructure through one unified global team we can provide "best-in-class" service." More than 90 staff will operate SITA's Command Centre bringing the SITA staffing in Montreal to over 220. The team will consist of network and infrastructure specialists, process and quality assurance analysts and customer service technical support representatives who between them have hundreds of years experience in the air transport industry. The 24/7 operation is a true centre of excellence and strengthens the long-established relationship Montreal, which is the home of the headquarters of IATA and ICAO, has with the air transport industry. http://www.sita.aero/content/managing-world-s-air-travel-montreal
Nissan Rolls On With Its Electric Car
LindbergMTL posted a topic in General discussions
APRIL 2, 2009, 7:57 AM Nissan Rolls On With Its Electric Car By BRADLEY BERMAN Nissan is using the Cube as a test mule for its electric drivetrain. The design for its electric car, due in 2010, will be original. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — President Obama’s auto task force cast doubt this week on the business case for the Chevrolet Volt, the extended-range electric vehicle from General Motors. The task force’s written assessment said big cost reductions were needed to make the vehicle “commercially viable.” Nissan, however, is gushing with confidence about the business case for its pure electric car, which goes on sale to fleets in 2010 and to retail customers in 2012. “This is not a test or demonstration,” Mark Perry, a product planner for Nissan said here on the second stop of a 12-city tour. “We’re ready for mass production.” The company won’t reveal the name of the electric car, and it won’t reveal what it will look like. For the company’s dog-and-pony show, it is using a Japanese-market Nissan Cube outfitted with the same electric drivetrain that will go into a newly designed electric car. The only similarity between the Cube and Nissan’s mystery electric car is the size — something similar to a four-door Nissan Sentra. Mr. Perry told me the car will have an “iconic electric vehicle” look, without being “Jetsons or Blade Runner.” Driving range will be 100 miles, with a full recharge time of four hours from a recommended 220-volt charger (and eight hours for 110v). My three-minute spin around the parking lot of the Cal Expo was completely unremarkable. And that is Nissan’s point — to prove that its E.V. is just like a normal car. To show that its E.V. is as a viable alternative to a gas-powered sedan, Nissan is pricing it just like one. The company is targeting a price of around $25,000-$30,000. A $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles with at least l6 kilowatt-hours of energy storage — the Nissan EV will exceed that — could drop the cost below $20,000. The company said it believed the lower cost of electricity versus gasoline will create an instant payback for customers. “Batteries are a lot of the expense. But we’re moving to mass production as fast as we can to reach economies of scale,” Mr. Perry said. Nissan has a 51 percent share in the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, a joint venture to produce batteries with Japan’s NEC Corporation. Nissan said this experience will help it reduce expenses. The lithium-ion battery for a $25,000 electric vehicle could cost $10,000 or more. “We’re confident in the battery, because it’s our battery,” Mr. Perry said. “Our engineers developed it.” Copyright 2009 The New York Times CompanyPrivacy PolicyNYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/nissan-rolls-on-with-its-electric-car/?pagemode=print
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Ottawa weighs 'net benefit' of allowing Amazon to set up shop
(Courtesy of The Globe and Mail)
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Twice-Weekly, Non-Stop Service between Montreal and San Jose, Costa Rica
Air Canada Inaugurates Twice-Weekly, Non-Stop Service between Montreal and San Jose, Costa Rica - MarketWatch MONTREAL, Dec. 22, 2016 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- New seasonal service to be operated by Air Canada Rouge Air Canada today inaugurated new twice-weekly flights between Montreal and Costa Rica. This morning's departure of Air Canada Rouge flight AC1844 begins non-stop service from Montreal to Costa Rica's Juan Santamaría International Airport that will operate until April 23, 2017. "Air Canada is very pleased to inaugurate this new, seasonal service between Montreal and Costa Rica, providing customers even more options when travelling to this popular Latin American vacation destination. The new flight complements Air Canada's existing Toronto-San Jose service and our flights from Toronto and Montreal to Liberia in Costa Rica. It also serves to further support Air Canada's ongoing global expansion, which has seen capacity grow from its strategic Montreal hub by 20 per cent over the past two years," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada. –– ADVERTISEMENT –– Air Canada's San Jose flights will be operated by Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada's vacation carrier, with a 282-seat Boeing 767-300ER featuring two classes of service with 24 Premium Rouge seats and 256 seats in Economy Class. Flights provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption and, for eligible customers, priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access in Toronto, priority boarding and other benefits.
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Air Canada: Montreal-San Francisco a l'annee longue
preuve que les opportunites rentables seront prises par Air Canada au depart de Montreal "MONTREAL, Aug. 8, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today announced that its current seasonal flights between Montreal and San Francisco will be extended to year-round flights beginning in November 2013. All flights will be operated with Airbus A319 aircraft featuring Executive Service, complimentary seatback entertainment, the ability to collect Aeroplan miles and lounge access for qualified customers. Air Canada's Montreal-San Francisco flights are timed to offer convenient connections with the carrier's international flights from Montreal-Trudeau airport to London, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, and Geneva, as well as its domestic network including Ottawa, Québec City, and Halifax. "Demand for year-round Air Canada flights between Montreal and San Francisco has been strong from business and leisure travelers and we look forward to being able to maintain a year-round schedule with the support of Montreal's business and tourism communities. With the extension of our San Francisco flights on a year-round basis, in addition to our daily Los Angeles service, Air Canada is solidifying its position as the only airline offering non-stop service between Montreal and California, with up to five flights per day," said Marcel Forget, Air Canada's Vice President, Network Planning. "Both our San Francisco and Los Angeles flights have been scheduled to enable easy connections to Air Canada's extensive domestic and international network via Montreal." "This decision to offer the Montréal-San Francisco service all year long should not only please the Montréal community but also travellers connecting through Montréal-Trudeau between Europe and the U.S. West Coast," said James Cherry, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aéroports de Montréal. "Clearly, we are reaping the benefit of our investments in making Montréal-Trudeau a more efficient hub." Montreal-San Francisco daily year-round Flight Depart Arrival AC 781 Montreal at 17:35 San Francisco at 21:00 AC 780 San Francisco at 08:10 Montreal at 16:29 " Montreal-Trudeau Airport (YUL) is an important Air Canada hub serving more than 6.2 million of the airline's customers in 2012. Air Canada, together with regional airlines operating under the Air Canada Express banner, operates more than 100,000 flights to/from YUL and 67 destinations: 21 destinations in Canada, 16 in the United States, 23 in the Caribbean and Mexico, and seven European gateways
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'Mousetrap' can detect when graffiti vandals are tagging trains
Malek posted a topic in Urban tech
New technology that can detect when graffiti vandals are tagging train cars is being heralded in Australia as a major breakthrough in crime prevention. The electronic sensor, called a "mousetrap," has been tested across the network and has so far led to the arrest of 30 people. It works by detecting the vapours of spray cans and markers while they are in use and alerting transport authorities and police. Australian Transport Minister Andrew Constance said it was a useful tool. "What this means is that those who commit graffiti can now be caught immediately, with can in hand, marker in hand, doing the damage," he said. "[Mousetrap] provides real-time information, triggering closed-circuit TV back to Sydney Trains staff and also real-time information provided directly to the Police Transport command." Sydney Trains declined to say how many of the devices would be rolled out across the network but indicated they would be randomly moved from different train lines. Removing graffiti cost taxpayers $34 million last financial year, up from $30 million the year before. Sydney Trains chief executive Howard Collins said it was a big problem. "Our customers hate it – it's one of the top customer complaints and cleaners work hard to remove about 11,000 tags from trains each month," he said. "We know customers feel unsafe when they are using a train which is covered in graffiti and offenders often place themselves and others in danger by trespassing on the railway or being somewhere they shouldn't. "When I came to Sydney 10 years ago most of the trains had graffiti inside and out. We now work on keeping our trains clean." http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/mousetrap-can-detect-when-graffiti-vandals-are-tagging-trains-1.3066838?cmp=rss
‘Cheap’ Quebec customers hit with special ‘tax’ in Burlington, Vt. restaurants
jesseps posted a topic in General discussions
Read more: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1247988---cheap-quebec-customers-hit-by-special-tax-in-burlington-vt-restaurants Cute Thing is, how can you tell someone by their accent? When I go to Vermont, people think I am a local because I sound like them, but if I am somewhere else in the US, people know I am not from around there.
--- (Courtesy of The Montreal Gazette)
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The day John Taylor gave me heat stroke
In 1985, Duran Duran splintered into two side projects. John and Andy Taylor worked with
Robert Palmer and the guys from Chic to create Power Station, a down-to-earth rock band.
Simon le Bon and Nick Rhodes went to Paris and spent a million dollars on their side project,
Arcadia. Guess which one made huge pots of money? (Hint: not the pretentious, arty-farty
album that was recorded in Paris.)
To be honest, I enjoyed the Arcadia album more than the Power Station because I am not really that much of a rocker. Power Station was “rawk and roll” with actual guitar solos and stuff!
Poor Andy Taylor. He was so repressed in Duran Duran, and finally he could let it out and be himself.
The fans worried that the band was going to break up forever. I was especially worried, because I hadn’t seen them play in concert yet, and it was my life’s goal to see them in person. That
summer, my mind was set at ease a bit, because Power Station was coming to Phoenix!
My friends and I were extremely excited and immediately began drawing up battle plans. The concert was at an outdoor venue, with no reserved seating. Even though seats were not reserved, we all decided we needed to camp out at the box office in case the show sold out. We were absolutely positive that the tickets would be gone in a few minutes.
Buying a concert ticket in the pre-Internet era was a huge pain in the ass. The ticket box office closest to my house was inside a Diamond’s department store in Phoenix. Every Saturday at 10 a.m., the box office would open up to sell tickets. This was the on-sale date for every new show in town. We weren’t sure if there was another event we’d be competing against to get a ticket, so camping was the best alternative.
Lisa and I met up with a few other people there to sleep for the night. We told our mothers that we were sleeping over at each other’s houses because there was no way they would approve of us sleeping in the parking lot of a mall like hobos.
We brought blankets, snacks, boom box radios, packs of cards, and other things that would
amuse us while we were waiting. Of course, we weren’t the only fans who had thought of doing this. We weren’t even the first in line! There were probably about thirty people there altogether. The group formed a quick bond through Duran Duran singalongs. We also looked at photos of the band that the other girls had brought with them, and we screamed bloody murder when we saw one that we liked. I can only imagine how annoying that was to anyone who happened to pass by. I can’t remember if we actually slept or not. I am sure we did, eventually.
Finally, the magic hour of 10 a.m. rolled around. Lisa and I linked arms and started praying for a ticket. The line seemed to move so slowly. Five whole minutes had passed, and we were still in line. I worried that it was going to be sold out. My senses were highly attuned to any signs that the tickets were gone, but people were streaming out of the store with smiles on their faces. In what seemed like eternity, but was probably just a few minutes, it was our turn. We bought our tickets and ran out of the store shrieking with joy.
I knew how Charlie Bucket felt. I had a golden ticket.
Sometimes the best part of going to a show is the planning and anticipation that goes on
beforehand. Since it was July, and school was out, Lisa and I had plenty of time to plan things
out. The show was at Compton Terrace, a large outdoor venue that was about 30 miles out of
town, on the Indian Reservation. We knew our friend Christine had a driver’s license so we were going to ride with her. There were about six of us going to the event together. None of us had ever been to a general admission outdoor show, so we weren’t sure what it would be like. The decision was made to get to the venue at 10 a.m. and wait all day for the show to start, so that we could be right up front.
Being naive teenagers, we had no idea what was in store for us on a sunny July day in Phoenix, with the predicted high temperature of 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
The six of us piled into Christine’s car. None of us had brought any water or food along. There was no way we’d be able to eat – we were going to see John Taylor in the flesh! If you want to see God, you have to fast.
We were the first people to arrive at Compton Terrace for the show. I realize this was not a huge surprise to anyone but the six of us. We were overjoyed that we were the only people smart enough to plan ahead so well. We were goddamn geniuses!
The six of us walked triumphantly to the gate, which was closed. Doors didn’t open until that
evening. We had imagined that we’d be let in and then we could roam the grounds freely, and that they would have water and food for sale. This was reality check number one. At this point, a sane person would have left and perhaps gone to lunch, returning later that night.
We were not sane. We were Duranies. We had carried all the gifts we wanted to throw on stage at the band – teddy bears, letters, flowers, etc. etc. I don’t think any of us had panties to throw to them; we weren’t those types of girls. We sat down in the dirt in front of the gate and examined each other’s gifts approvingly. It was going to be mind-blowing to actually interact with John Taylor! (At this point you should realize that none of us really gave a hoot about Andy Taylor, although I was always one of his greatest defenders. He just wasn’t as cute as John.)
By the afternoon, we were hungry, thirsty, and hot. It was probably around 3 p.m. when I staggered over to a corner and vomited, then passed out from heat exhaustion. Luckily by then there were actually some employees around who gave me some water. In fact, the employees were really concerned about our group, most of whom were about to suffer my fate. By the time the gates opened, we had all either fainted or thrown up. That did not dampen our determination to see John Taylor up close and personal.
As soon as the gates opened, everyone rushed to the stage and staked out their territory. It was like Pa Ingalls staking his claim for the Little House on the Prairie. We had claimed our turf, and nothing was going to keep us away. I knew from seeing Power Station perform on TV that John would be standing at stage right, so we all huddled in that section. As the hours passed, we noticed a huge crowd assembling behind us, and we were smug in the knowledge that we had the perfect viewing spot.
The opening act was Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark (or OMD, as they were better known). I was fully prepared to hate them for making me wait for John Taylor. Instead, we all became huge fans of their music and I developed a crush on Paul. (It was just a minor distraction from Duran Duran, who held the lock and key on my heart.) Their sound was very loud, though, and I did get a huge headache.
If you’re keeping track, I had a headache, a stomachache, dehydration and heat exhaustion. I think I was starting to hallucinate at this point, but there was no way I was leaving my perfect viewing spot to go to the medical tent.
Approximately one hundred years later, Power Station took the stage. Robert Palmer wasn’t able to tour with the band, so the replacement singer was Michael Des Barres, who is better known for his role as Murdoc on MacGyver. I’m glad he decided to become an actor later in his career, because his voice sounded like the cries of a wounded cat after a bad Halloween. The songs sounded terrible, and I was deeply disappointed.
Despite the shitty sound, the crowd began pressing in closer and closer to the band. I could look up and almost touch John Taylor (at this point when you read his name you should imagine glitter and flying hearts, and hear angels singing) himself, as he loomed over me. I watched in fascination as his fingers played the bass, and imagined those fingers touching me. It almost made me forget how terrible the music was.
Soon enough the crush of the crowd was becoming very painful. I was having trouble breathing and my knees were buckling. John Taylor noticed the way everyone was pushing and asked the crowd to take “four steps back” so that the people up front could breathe. As soon as this happened, I suddenly felt myself being sucked into the crowd by some law of physics, and ended up much further back. I had also lost my friends.
Just then, the band launched into “The Reflex”. I burst into tears. How dare they play this song without any keyboards — it’s as if Nick Rhodes had never been born! I made my way to the back of the crowd and sat down in the grass, crying hysterically. This is how I spent the rest of the concert.
Eventually we all found each other in the parking lot and had a somber drive home. Each of us had our own personal nightmare: fainting and being carried to the medical tent and missing the show, losing everyone in the crowd and spending the night looking for them, getting stepped on by strangers, throwing up on the stage barrier, and so on.
Looking back, it was one of the best nights of my life. I had seen John Taylor (cue glitter, flying hearts, and angels) live and in person!
This entry was posted in Music and tagged 80s, andy taylor, concerts, duran duran, john taylor, michael des barres, nostalgia, power station, robert palmer on October 22, 2012 by mekkalekkah.
The day I was kicked out of the mall
The clip above showcases the mall where I spent most of my youth. Metro Center Mall – yes that’s where they filmed the mall scenes for the Bill and Ted movies! Before I got a job in the mall, I spent many hours loitering there. I got a two-dollar-a-week allowance and I could only spend it all in one place!
If you think that Bieber and One Direction fans are annoying online, imagine how it would be if they were inescapable while you were trying to do your Christmas shopping. Yes, Duranies roamed the mall like brainless zombies…wandering from one end to the other in search of Duran Duran lookalikes.
There was always at least one boy at the mall who did his best to look like John Taylor or Simon leBon. (No one ever tried to look like the other guys – isn’t that weird?) My friends and I would find one and trail him around the mall from store to store, giggling and elbowing each other. I am sure he enjoyed the attention. Why else would he dress up like that, right? (We were totally creepy.)
The best store at the mall was called The Merchant. They sold posters, tee shirts, and photos of your favorite bands. They would also turn your photos into buttons (badges) that you could wear on your jacket.
If you didn’t have at least 20 badges on your person at all times, you had failed as a Duranie. I had hundreds of them that I put on a rotation schedule. I bought sets of badges, as shown above, but the coolest ones were the ones I had made from magazine photos or photos I bought at The Merchant.
Yes, it’s pretty sad, but we didn’t have tumblr, so we had to actually buy pictures. I was my own walking tumblr page if you think about it.
The Merchant had huge photo books out on their counters, and we fans would page through them and plan our future purchases. We would giggle, and sigh, and squeal as we discovered a photo we hadn’t seen before.
One day, when I was feeling particularly hopped-up on Nick Rhodes obsession, my friends and I headed to The Merchant once again. I made a beeline to the photo albums and feverishly thumbed through to the new photos.
I saw some concert photos that actually showed Nick’s FLESH. This man was usually covered up from head to toe. He even wore hoods and scarves to cover his face. Seeing his actual ARMS and CLAVICLE was like a glimpse into the gates of heaven. I reacted like a Victorian gentleman who glimpsed a shapely ankle.
From deep within me came a roar of delight…a scream so raw I tore my throat up. I screamed as if Freddy Krueger had just appeared before me. It was better than feeling myself up in the store, right? (Probably not)
The next thing I knew, security was escorting me out of the mall. I had taken the bus there, so they walked me out to the bus stop. I was probably banned from The Merchant but the staff turnover was so high, it was never really enforced.
I didn’t even get to buy the picture! It would have taken my entire allowance, but it would have been worth it.
This entry was posted in Music and tagged 80s, bill and ted's excellent adventure, duran duran, malls, metro center mall, nick rhodes, nostalgia on October 15, 2012 by mekkalekkah.
That time I crashed my car because of Scritti Politti
The year was 1985. I had just gotten my driver’s license and was terrorizing the streets of Phoenix, Arizona in my beige Dodge Omni. (My dad always bought the most Al Bundy-esque cars…)
Yes, the Dodge Omni was ugly. No, it was not the most reliable car I would ever drive. Yes, it had a cassette tape deck. That was all I cared about. My cassette collection was impeccable. If a band was featured in Star Hits magazine or on MTV, I most likely had their cassette. I joined the Columbia House record and tape club, and then quit, and then rejoined, so I could keep getting 12 records or cassettes for A PENNY.
However, sometimes a band was so important, I had to actually go to the record store and buy it on the release date. Scritti Politti was one of these bands. I had a very dangerous crush on the singer, Green Gartside. (Now that I think about it, he kind of looked like Nick Rhodes, who was my scary obsession in the 80’s.)
My parents had gone out of town to Las Vegas (some of you may remember my dad’s gambling problems, as mentioned in my earlier post about the the time I went to Las Vegas to see Barry Manilow with my parents). Since I was the oldest child, it was my responsbility to be a grown up and so I was allowed to drive the car in case of an emergency.
What could be more of an emergency than buying a brand new cassette of the new Scritti Politti record? Plus, the record store was only a couple of miles away, I rationalized to myself.
I headed to Zia Records, where all of the clerks would give you a hairy eyeball if you bought disposable 80’s pop, such as Scritti Politti. It was very much a “John Cusack in High Fidelity” atmosphere. At sixteen years old, I really didn’t care what a bunch of old hairy dudes thought of my dodgy record-buying habits.
Shiny new cassette in hand, I headed back to my car and ripped the wrapper off. I popped the cassette in and listened through the car’s tinny speakers. The sound of Green Gartside’s voice was like a balm for my soul. He sounded like he had been filled with helium. He sounded like the aural equivalent of spun sugar, and I was bursting with joy. I sat in the parking lot and listened to the first song, and then I decided to head home.
You know those ads that say “Don’t text and drive”? Well, I should have been told not to listen to music and drive. I was so absorbed in what I was listening to, I didn’t realize that the car in front of me had stopped. This car was driven by a little old lady and she had stopped in the middle of the road for NO REASON. There was no light, no stop sign, nothing.
BANG! I rear ended her car with the old Dodge Omni. I didn’t have my seat belt on (Wear your seat belts, kids) and my chin slammed against the steering wheel.
I was freaking out because I had only gotten my license a few weeks earlier, and now I already was going to get a ticket. The car was not too bad, at least, but I knew my parents were going to be so disappointed and angry. I started crying, and I threw the door open to take a look at the situation.
The old lady was already out of her car. As soon as she saw me, she pointed at me and started screaming. I looked around. She told me to look in the mirror. I sat in the driver’s seat and looked in the visor’s mirror, and there was blood dripping down my chin. It didn’t hurt, probably because I was in shock.
I WAS WEARING MY “FEED THE WORLD” LIVE AID SWEATSHIRT AND THERE WAS BLOOD ON IT. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Then I realized I was bleeding because my teeth had cut through my chin and punched a big old hole in it. Hooray!
The police came and gave me a ticket. I tried to act brave, but then the cop said they were going to bring the paramedics and that I should go to the hospital. They asked me for my parent’s phone number to get medical consent.
This is when I started crying really hard, because I didn’t have a number for them. They were in Vegas, and this was WAY before cell phones were invented. I told the cop what was going on and he told me that he couldn’t leave until he knew I had medical attention. I told him maybe we could go to my friend’s house, because her mother would be at home.
I remember that I was shaking, freaking out, and bawling as I headed to my friend Sue’s house, which was just down the block. Her parents were home because they weren’t degenerate gamblers that were enslaved to the one-armed bandit. (Thank God this was before Indian casinos, because we would probably have been homeless.) The cop told Sue’s mom what happened, and she hugged me, cleaned me up, and took me to the emergency room. She told the docs that she was my aunt so I could get stitches. She also gave me a ride home afterward, and got my car back to me the next day. Sue’s mom was the best.
I had stitches that looked like giant black hairs growing out of my chin like an old Russian lady, which is just what you want in your junior year of high school.
I decided that I wanted Green to send me a letter or a card or something. I had no idea how to reach him. (Remember, no Google back then)
Who could help me? Oh yeah, Star Hits magazine! I should write to Jackie and ask her! And I did. And it got PRINTED! I was printed in Star Hits! My first publishing credit…under an alias…which is how I prefer to live my life.
I never heard back from Green. Maybe he will see this post and send me a note…
This entry was posted in Music and tagged 80s, cassettes, columbia house, green gartside, live aid, nostalgia, scritti politti, star hits, wood beez, zia records on October 11, 2012 by mekkalekkah.
David Byrne and St. Vincent
During the 1980’s, I was into new wave and pop music. I regarded the Talking Heads as arty farty bullshit for people who were older than me, although I did like the hit songs such as “Burning Down the House”. Up until the other day, I regarded David Byrne as one of the most pretentious bastard in the world, except for perhaps Lou Reed.
Well, my opinion has changed. I got a chance to see David Byrne and St. Vincent because a friend had an extra ticket. I didn’t have to pay for it, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. I hadn’t bought a ticket to see them because I had those aforementioned prejudices against David Byrne, although I love St. Vincent.
I listened to their album on Spotify (Love This Giant) and I liked it. I am a sucker for anything with a horn section. I was also hoping he would play a few Talking Heads songs – the ones I like
After getting lost (as usual), I found the venue. I missed all of my freeway exits, because the freeways in Austin are marked for people who already know where they are going….I was really frustrated and stressed out because I was half an hour late to meet my friend. Finally, I found my seat and I was immediately soothed by the sounds of birdcalls and rain, which was playing before the show started. I liked that a lot.
David Byrne made an announcement over the loudspeakers before the show saying that photos and videos are allowed, but asking people to please not take photos with their iPads and to please not view the entire show through a gadget. This announcement should be made before every concert EVER.
Everyone walked out on stage, and it was so low key that I didn’t even realize that David and Annie (St. Vincent) were also on the stage. There were a lot of people, as you can see from the photo above. I knew that they were not fucking around because they had a guy playing a sousaphone on stage.
The show was really visually interesting, because there was choreography from everyone on stage and it was different for every song. At one point everyone was lying down on the stage and playing, including the horns! Lying on the floor playing a horn!! I have never seen that before.
Annie would do this little dance where she’d stutter-step across the floor. It reminded me of something Prince used to do, but she was less filthy about it:
David Byrne was really gracious and would step back when Annie sang. He would blend into the background and maybe do a funny dance but he let Annie have the spotlight. It was the most generous and gracious thing I’ve seen someone do on stage, and I was very impressed by that. He didn’t seem pretentious at all – he seemed humble.
I was pretty annoyed that everyone was sitting down during the show. I kind of figured this would happen since it was mostly greybeards and hipsters. After a pretty subdued number, everyone spontaneously erupted into a standing ovation, and the band just stood there. The longer it went on the more awkward it was, so they started bowing. You could tell that they weren’t sure what to do, so they walked off stage like it was time for an encore break. I am not sure if we missed out on some songs because of this affectionate outburst.
Then when the band came back, everyone was standing up and stood up for the rest of the night. Fucking finally!
I have to admit that when they played “Burning Down the House”, I lost my shit. I mean, I danced like no one was watching – I did the pogo, I sang along, I might have had a tear in my eye. That song was my JAM back in the day. (“The day” being my freshman year of high school.)
They ended the set by singing “Road to Nowhere”, and everyone marched off stage. All I could think about was that the people in the horn section were probably all in marching bands when they were kids and that was why they could remember all the crazy choreography for every song. It was kind of a heartwarming thought.
My advice to you is that if David Byrne and St. Vincent come to your town, you should go see them. My heart grew three sizes that day, and I no longer harbor an irrational hatred of David Byrne.
This entry was posted in Music and tagged annie clark, austin, burning down the house, concert review, concerts, david byrne, hipsters, st vincent, talking heads on October 8, 2012 by mekkalekkah.
Rocky Horror Dreamcast
Thank you to @thetorontokid (twitter.com/thetorontokid) for this hilarious mockup of a Rocky Horror recast!
The other day, I was entertaining myself by wasting time on Twitter, as usual, when I came up with a (brilliant?) idea. Halloween is fast approaching, and I was wishing for a Rocky Horror tribute or recast, starring my favorite actors.
Just think about these guys strutting around in their scanties:
Benedict Cumberbatch as Frank N Furter – with that voice, those legs, and that ass, there is no doubt in my mind who would be perfect for the sweet transvestite. And we know he’s willing to dress in drag:
Tom Hiddleston as Brad Majors – Some people wanted Tom to play Frank, but I think he’s perfect as Brad. He’s so smiley and somewhat dorky, it would be great. Also, just think about him in those tighty whities…and then in the fishnets at the end. I think he would look super cute in glasses…you know I’m right.
Martin Freeman as Riff Raff – Look, we all know that Martin is a pent-up ball of rage and frustration at all times of the day and night. He could portray the seething butler, Riff Raff, to perfection. I also would love nothing more than to see him give the angry speech at the end…”YOU DIDN’T LIKE ME! YOU NEVER LIKED ME!”
Chris Hemsworth as Rocky Horror – I really can’t think of anyone with a better physique than Chris Hemsworth. He’s right out of a Charles Atlas ad, am I right? I bet he could ride a feather boa like nobody’s business. He wouldn’t have any lines, though….not that I would care…
I haven’t cast everyone, because I’d like to hear your suggestions. Who would you cast in this version of Rocky Horror? And would you donate to a kickstarter to get this made? (just kidding…I think)
This entry was posted in Movies, TV and tagged benedict cumberbatch, brits, chris hemsworth, don't dream it be it, drag, dreamcast, martin freeman, rocky horror picture show, tom hiddleston on October 3, 2012 by mekkalekkah.
The night I prank called Andy Taylor
Because I grew up in the dark ages of the 1980’s, and had no internet, I found other means to connect with fans. A free weekly local newspaper had become the Duranie communication hub for Phoenix, AZ. Duranies posted meet-ups, pen pal requests, and held general fan conversation through their free personal ads. It was the equivalent of what would now be a message board on the internet. I invented an alias and joined in.
I’m sure that the publishers of “City Life” weekly were extremely excited that a frightening group of teenage girls had taken over their personal ads section. It went on for pages and pages…messages about Duran Duran, Culture Club, Prince, Van Halen and more. Instead of publishing ads similar to Craigslist missed connections (as was the original intention, I am sure), the paper published ads that read, “John’s Red Gloves is looking to meet up with other DEVOTED DURANIES! Did you see the new video for New Moon On Monday? ONLY TRUE DURANIES NEED REPLY!”
Thanks to Duran Duran, I had just made a whole new set of friends who went to other schools. I would have never met them if we hadn’t all been bananas for the band.
My new friend Amy had invited a gaggle of girls to her house for a sleepover. Amy was a
little bit older than the rest of us, and had a driver’s license. She also had a basement, which was unheard of in Phoenix due to the rocky ground. We all gathered in the basement and watched Duran Duran videos on TV, and screamed to our heart’s content.
The usual sleepover shenanigans occurred, and of course we ended up playing Truth or Dare. I
was dared to make a phone call to Andy Taylor’s restaurant in London, which was called Rio
Wine Bar, of course. We had all read about it in Star Hits magazine. I can’t remember how we got the phone number – I’m sure I had done some sort of scary stalking for the number. I think I was bragging that I had it, and that’s why they dared me.
Amy said she’d drive me to the Circle K so we could call from a pay phone. We got some
quarters from the clerk and dialed the restaurant. Amy and I were giggling our little teenage butts off. We wondered if Andy would actually be there or not.
“Rio Wine Bar.”
I put on a terrible British accent. “Toodle-oo, old chap, is Andy Taylor there?”
You could tell that this person had gotten a million crank calls from a million insane Duranies.
Wearily, he replied, “Mr. Taylor is rarely on the premises.”
“Well, then, may I ask you a question, kind sir?” I paused for effect. “Are you hungry like the
wolf?”
I hung up the phone, as Amy and I screamed with laughter. We literally doubled over, we
were laughing so hard. Okay, I’ll admit, I still think it’s pretty funny.
I figured that was the closest I’d ever come to speaking with a member of the band in person. I
was wrong about that, but it would be many years before that wish came true…
This entry was posted in Music and tagged 80s, andy taylor, duran duran, rio, star hits on October 1, 2012 by mekkalekkah.
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Posts Tagged ‘AEG’
John Hrabe: Quirk-Silva Received $292K in 18 Days via Democratic Central Committees from Blue Shield, Disney, AEG, Aecom, Tom Daly, CSEA, AFSCME Local 685, UDW, CAHP, CDF Firefighters, SW Regional Council of Carpenters, or How AD-65 Really Was Won
Posted by Newsletter Reprint on November 29, 2012
John Hrabe published this piece on his blog and republished it on the Flash Report.
Regardless of your opinion on the propriety of these donations, it’s clear Quirk-Silva’s monetary infusion led to her victory. $292,000 via Democratic Central Committees overwhelmed $50,000 via Republican Central Committees.
(Note: This article may be republished, provided it is attributed to the author, John Hrabe, with a link to its original url.)
Democrat committees funneled special interest money to O.C. candidate
Special interest groups circumvented state campaign finance laws by using Democrat Party committees to funnel more than a quarter-million dollars to a crucial Orange County assembly candidate, an investigation has found.
In a span of 18 days, late in the campaign, six Democratic county central committees contributed $292,200 to the Assembly campaign of Sharon Quirk-Silva, who defeated Assemblyman Chris Norby, R-Fullerton, by fewer than 5,400 votes. The hundreds of thousands of dollars in last-minute campaign funds secured Quirk-Silva’s election and helped Democrats gain their first super-majority in both houses of the state legislature since 1883.
Irony Alert: Quirk-Silva accused Norby of supporting special interests.
The county party committees made the contributions to Quirk-Silva’s campaign within days and, in some cases, within hours of accepting contributions from the state’s most powerful special interest groups, including labor unions, corporations and a Los Angeles development group.
The Quirk-Silva campaign denies any wrongdoing or coordination of campaign finances between special interest groups and county party committees.
“The Sharon Quirk-Silva for Assembly campaign never requested more than the legal limit from any donor,” said Jason Mills, Quirk-Silva’s campaign manager. “The campaign had no discussions with any of the outside groups listed seeking to arrange contributions larger than what is required under California state law.”
State Campaign Finance Law Allows Parties to Serve as Cash Conduits
Individuals and businesses are limited each election to a maximum contribution of $3,900 per candidate. However, political party committees can accept substantially more than state candidates — $32,500 per election. Political parties can also transfer unlimited funds to state candidates. This system of campaign finance regulations allows parties to function as the middleman for interest groups seeking to support state campaigns.
The state Fair Political Practices Commission, which is responsible for enforcing the California Political Reform Act, has described this strategy as “money laundering” in a similar case involving two Republican legislators. In October, the FPPC alleged that Tom and Bill Berryhill circumvented state campaign finance rules by transferring funds through two Republican central committees during the 2008 campaign.
An FPPC spokeswoman said that the agency “cannot comment on a specific situation,” but confirmed no complaints have been received in the Quirk-Silva case.
Quirk-Silva’s victory has been called the “key to achieving the coveted supermajority” for state Democrats. When asked by the Voice of OC about the significance of Quirk-Silva’s upset, Assembly Democratic spokesman Steven Maviglio said, “This was the prize that made it happen.”
Given the state’s strict campaign finance limits, how could Democrats funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to a candidate in the final weeks of the campaign?
Same-Day, Same-Dollar Contributions to Central Committees
Campaign finance records show a pattern of large campaign contributions from special interest groups to party committees that were quickly transferred to Quirk-Silva.
On November 2, healthcare giant Blue Shield of California sent $25,000 to the Del Norte County Democratic Central Committee. The very same day, the party transferred the same amount, $25,000, to Quirk-Silva’s campaign.
On October 17, the Del Norte committee also accepted a $25,000 check from PACE of CA School Employees Association, a labor union that represents 215,000 bus drivers, janitors and other school employees. On October 19, the Del Norte Democratic Party sent $10,000 to Quirk-Silva’s campaign.
Could there have been coordination between the school employees’ union and Blue Shield to send $50,000 to the same Democratic central committee?
Del Norte Contribution: Blue Shield, School Employees Shared Lobbyist
In September, the Los Angeles Times reported that both the school employees association and Blue Shield share the same influential Sacramento lobbyist, Dave Low. At the time, health advocates questioned whether Low’s dual role posed a conflict of interest.
“The question is, does Blue Shield have access to insider information through these unions?” Gerald Kominski, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research told the Times. “It doesn’t look right.”
According to state campaign finance records, the Del Norte County Democratic Central Committee had accepted $204,524 in campaign contributions from January 1 to October 20. Based on this figure, the combined Blue Shield and school employees’ contributions represented a quarter of the committee’s total annual receipts. Yet, 70 percent of the funds were immediately transferred to a candidate more than 750 miles away.
Neither Low nor the Del Norte County Democratic Central Committee responded to email requests for comment.
Same-Day, Same-Dollar Donation from Disney to Democrats
In addition to the Del Norte County Democratic Central Committee, another county party processed same-day, same-dollar contributions. On October 19, the same day that Del Norte Democrats sent funds to Quirk-Silva, Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. contributed $10,000 to the Democratic Party of Orange County. The very same day, the party contributed the exact same amount, $10,000, to Quirk Silva’s campaign. The state’s campaign finance laws would have precluded Disney from making a five-figure contribution directly to Quirk-Silva.
Representatives for Disney and the OC Democratic Party deny that there was any coordination of campaign contributions for Quirk-Silva’s benefit.
“There was in no way any coordination regarding this contribution and to my knowledge Disney did not support or endorse Sharon Quirk-Silva’s race for Assembly,” said Nick Anas, executive director of the Democratic Party of Orange County. “Disney Worldwide Services was a platinum sponsor for the 2012 Annual Truman Awards Dinner on Monday, September 17th, in which they agreed to a Platinum sponsorship of $10,000, which is detailed in our program book.”
A Disney spokeswoman corroborated the OC Democratic Party’s version of events— that the funds were for an event more than a month earlier. Anas added that the county party also contributed $10,000 on October 19 to the Yes on Measure BB campaign in Irvine, which passed and allowed city funds to go toward schools. And Anas said that on the same day the party also kicked in $10,000 to the campaign opposing Measure V in Costa Mesa. Measure V would have made the city a Charter City, allowing more leeway in limiting union power. Measure V lost. However, he confirmed, “No funds were earmarked.”
A.E.G. Had Financial Incentive to Defeat Libertarian Norby
More campaign finance irregularities can be found with a Los Angeles development group’s contributions to two Democrat central committees.
Anschutz Entertainment Group Inc., the Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment mogul that owns the Staples Center, contributed $25,000 to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party on October 18. Four days later, on October 22, the Los Angeles party sent a check for the same amount, $25,000, to Quirk-Silva’s campaign.
A.E.G. wasn’t limited to one county party committee contribution. On October 19, the day after it sent $25,000 to the L.A. County Democrat Party, the party sent the same amount, $25,000, to the Kern County Democratic Central Committee. On the same day, the Kern County party committee sent $15,000 to Quirk-Silva in Orange County.
“There was no coordination,” claimed Candi Easter, the chair of the Kern County Democratic Central Committee. “We did not even know of the AEG contribution until after we had approved the donation to the Quirk-Silva Committee.”
Why would a Los Angeles-based company contribute thousands of dollars to party committees in the Central Valley and Los Angeles, which would in turn benefit an Orange County candidate? The answer may be found with redevelopment reform.
Norby, Quirk-Silva’s libertarian-minded opponent, has been a vocal critic of redevelopment agencies, which commonly benefit wealthy development companies at the expense of taxpayers and small businesses. In 2011, Norby was one of only a handful of state legislators to oppose SB 292, which was hurried through in the final days of the legislative year. The legislation created a special process for reviewing environmental challenges to a privately financed Los Angeles stadium, a project that would financially benefit the Anschutz Entertainment Group.
Los Angeles County Democratic Party: A Reliable Campaign Conduit
The Los Angeles County Democrat Party proved to be a reliable conduit for special interest contributions. Within days of accepting $137,250 in campaign contributions from seven special interest groups, the Los Angeles County Democratic Party distributed $127,200, or 93 percent of these received contributions, to Quirk-Silva’s campaign.
On October 10, the L.A. County Probation Officers Union, AFSCME Local 685, contributed $10,000 to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. One week later, the Los Angeles County central committee contributed $11,700 to Quirk-Silva’s campaign in Orange County.
On October 17, Aecom Technology Corporation, a Los Angeles-based technical support services firm that specializes in environmental services, contributed $10,000 to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. The day prior, the party contributed the same amount, $10,000, to Quirk-Silva’s campaign.
On October 24, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen contributed $25,000 to the Los Angeles County Democrat Party. Five days later, on October 29, the party delivered $10,500 in campaign funds to Quirk-Silva.
On October 26, the CDF Firefighters, which represents the state’s 4,000 members of the state’s firefighter union, contributed $25,000 to the Los Angeles County Democrat Party. Three days later, on October 29, the party contributed $30,000 to Quirk-Silva’s campaign.
On October 31, the L.A. County Firefighters Local 1014 gave $25,000 to the LA County party, a contribution that was followed two days later by a $17,250 contribution from the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters. On November 2, the Los Angeles Democratic Party sent a $40,000 check to Quirk-Silva’s campaign.
The incoming contribution from the carpenters’ union was filed on the same disclosure report as the outgoing funds to Quirk-Silva’s campaign. And 95 percent of the combined contributions from the firefighters and carpenters unions made their way to Quirk-Silva’s campaign via the Los Angeles Democratic Party committee.
State Candidates Funded Party Committees
In addition to financial transfers by special interest groups, state candidates provided cash infusions to both Quirk-Silva and Norby via party committees. In one instance, campaign funds were sent from one Orange County legislative candidate to Marin County and then back to a different Orange County candidate, all within seven days.
According to state campaign finance records, the Norby campaign accepted a $50,000 contribution from the California Republican Party on the same day that the party accepted a $50,000 contribution from state Senator Bill Emmerson’s campaign committee.
This mailer accused Norby of supporting big business.
That contribution mirrors a legislative transfer to the Quirk-Silva campaign.
On October 24, Orange County Assembly candidate Tom Daly contributed $32,500 to the Democratic Central Committee of Marin County. On October 26, the party funneled $15,000 back to Orange County for Quirk-Silva’s campaign.
The Quirk-Silva campaign believes that the transaction by the California Republican Party proves there were no financial irregularities in the race.
“It can’t be a ‘finance irregularity’ as you allege, if our opponent was receiving similar contributions,” Mills said.
Both the Daly and Emmerson contributions, unlike the other party central committee transfers, were not preceded by five-figure contributions from special interest groups. State law precludes legislative candidates from accepting such contributions.
However, another Marin County Democratic Party contribution raises questions.
The same day that O.C.’s Daly sent funds to Marin County Democrats, the United Domestic Workers of America, which is based more than 500 miles away in San Diego, sent a $25,000 contribution to the same committee. Once again, the Marin County party held the funds for less than a week before sending it back to Southern California. On October 31, the Marin County party sent $30,000 to Quirk-Silva.
Ironically, all of this special interest money helped fund negative attacks on Norby. The charge: Norby has “special interest donors.”
Posted in 65th Assembly District, Democrat Central Committee, Republican Central Committee | Tagged: Aecom, AEG, AFSCME Local 685, Blue Shield, California Association of Highway Patrolmen, CDF Firefighters, Chris Norby, CSEA, Disney, Sharon Quirk-Silva, Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Tom Daly, UDW | 3 Comments »
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nancy bishop's journal
Putting a fingerprint on your imagination
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David Bowie Isn’t: My homage to Ziggy Stardust
Posted: January 11, 2016 | Author: nancysbishop | Filed under: Music, Uncategorized | Tags: David Bowie | 1 Comment
Today is a sad day. On Friday I listened most of the day to WXRT playing David Bowie’s new album, Blackstar, released on his 69th birthday. Today I was thinking about getting up when the radio went on with the news that the Thin White Duke died last night. I was stunned.
I put on my Aladdin Sane earrings and got out my David Bowie albums. And I remembered the fabulous exhibit of Bowie’s life and work at the Museum of Contemporary Art in September 2014. The title was “David Bowie Is.”
My headline was “David Bowie Is” Is Fabulous. My full review of the exhibit appeared in Gapers Block.
I wrote about how Bowie was a master of design and identity and controlled every aspect of his preparation and performance. And I noted that “David Bowie Is is not just an exhibit for fans of his music or for fans of rock and roll. It’s an exploration of history and popular culture transmuted through the vision of one artist, who probably deserves to be called a genius.”
What I didn’t mention is a key point about Bowie’s persona that is getting a lot of attention today (at least among those I hang around with on social media). He was a man of shifting identities and personas who made it possible for young people to recognize and come to terms with their roles as outsiders, others, maybe even freaks.
Ann Powers of NPR Music wrote this in her appreciation of her pop hero: “His fans were the strange, and Bowie had finally given them a way to show it. The press called them Bowie boys and Bowie girls because there was no other name for them yet: no pansexual, no bi-curious; yes freak, but that felt like a hippie term and this wasn’t a hippie thing.”
My friend June Skinner Sawyers wrote a lovely poem this morning and we’ve posted it on Third Coast Review, the new Chicago arts and culture website, as our homage to Bowie. You can read it here.
December reviews: Stage and screen
Posted: December 11, 2015 | Author: nancysbishop | Filed under: Movies, Theater, Uncategorized | Tags: Court Theatre, Mary Arrchie Theatre, Remy Bumppo Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre | 1 Comment
December is always a busy month but this one is busier than usual for me because I’m working on an exciting new venture. I’ll tell you about it in a few weeks. For now, I want to give you my theater and movie favorites for the month.
Fallen Angels at Remy Bumppo Theatre
This 1923 Noel Coward play is smart and funny, very funny, and slickly staged on Remy Bumppo’s space on the second floor at the Greenhouse Theater Center. The play and performance are delightful, partly because Coward does an interesting gender switch, unusual for the 1920s, with three outstanding female roles. My Gapers Block review tells all about it. Angels runs until January 10.
Ibsen’s Ghosts at Mary Arrchie Theatre
This very fine staging of the Ibsen play is a bit meta-theatrical and regularly breaks that famous fourth wall to interact with the audience. It’s hard for the audience not to feel that they’re interacting with the performers in this tiny space on second floor at Angel Island. (This is Mary Arrchie’s final season so do try to see one of their shows this year.) Ibsen’s Ghosts runs through December 20. My review begins this way:
“Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s new production of Ibsen’s Ghosts takes the great Norwegian playwright’s scandalous 1881 play, shakes it up and spits it out in a witty contemporary form. And then punches you in the gut with its ending.”
Photo by Michael Courier
Never the Sinner at Victory Gardens Theater at the Biograph
Every Chicagoan knows the story of the thrill murder of young Bobby Franks by two University of Chicago students, Richard Leopold and Nathan Loeb. Victory Gardens retells the crime, its aftermath and the Leopold-Loeb trial in John Logan’s 1986 script, written while he was a Northwestern University student. (Logan is known for his scripts for Hauptmann and Red, but has since become more famous as a screenwriter.) The two actors who play the criminals give excellent performances and veteran Chicago actor Keith Kupferer plays their attorney, Clarence Darrow, who saved them from execution. Never the Sinner closed this week. Here’s my review.
Agamemnon at Court Theatre
I liked last year’s Iphigenia in Aulis at Court Theatre, but this year’s segment in the trilogy is a little flat and disappointing. The rhythm and performances in general are not as riveting. The actors performing as the chorus, however, are excellent, but they take up too much stage time and detract from the central plot. Agamemnon has now closed.
Some quick movie reviews
Chi-Raq is Spike Lee’s Greek satire (his adaptation of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata) designed to send a strong message about Chicago’s gun culture and gang warfare. It succeeds in dramatizing the Chicago murder crisis — more dead bodies than the deaths of special forces in Iraq. I found the two-hour film hugely entertaining, funny and wise — but messy and incoherent. It’s wildly uneven. I loved the Greek references and the dialogue in rhyming couplets. Although I liked it and will see it again, I could only gave it three stars out of five on my Letterboxd review. Chi-Raq has received some good and bad reviews, but see if for yourself. Unless you can’t handle vulgarity. Here’s the famous trailer.
Phoenix is a 98-minute film released in 2014 by German director Christian Petzold, starring Nina Hoss (the same pair responsible for the outstanding film Barbara). In Phoenix, Hoss stars as a woman disfigured in a Nazi concentration camp; she undergoes plastic surgery but looks quite different than her original self. When she finds her husband, he doesn’t recognize her but decides she looks enough like his dead wife that she can help him carry out a fraud scheme. The Kurt Weill song, “Speak Low,” is used hauntingly throughout the film and provides a stunningly perfect surprise ending. Phoenix is streaming on many services.
Inside Out, a Pixar film, is said to be suitable for children and it’s certainly not unsuitable, but it is very much a nuanced film that adults will like too. The story, briefly, is about Riley, an 11-year-old girl whose parents move from Minnesota to San Francisco. Riley’s head and heart suffer from all the pangs and pains you can think of, missing her friends, her old house and her hockey team. The emotions that fight it out are embodied as Joy, Fear, Anger, Sadness and Disgust and are voiced by a fine set of actors.
My little grandsons were mesmerized by this 100-minute film (of course, they will watch anything on a screen, as their mother says) but my son and I thought everything but the basic story probably slipped by them. Still, it’s a good family film with beautiful animation.
Suffragette, a film about the fight for women’s voting rights in early 20th century England, was rather a disappointment. Too much attention paid to the individual angst suffered by the Carrie Mulligan character and others; not enough devoted to the suffrage question. (Or maybe I wanted to see a documentary.) Mulligan’s performance is good and Helena Bonham Carter is excellent as the chemist-activist. Meryl Streep does a cameo as Emmeline Pankhurst, overshadowed by her huge hat.
Women of Letters: Letter-writing as performance art
Posted: March 22, 2014 | Author: nancysbishop | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Mayne Stage, Women of Letters | 1 Comment
If you weren’t at the Mayne Stage in Rogers Park last night for an evening with Women of Letters, you missed a profound and theatrically moving event—for writers, performers and for women. Seven Chicago female artists sat at a table and in turn came to the mic to read the letters they had written addressed “to the moment the lights came on.”
The letter-writers were:
— Wendy McClure, author, columnist and children’s book editor
— Kate Harding, author of Asking for It: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture
— Kyra Morris, actor, physical theater artist and director
— Claire Zulkey, author and blogger
— Arlene Malinowski, solo artist, writer and instructor
— Kristen Toomey, comedian and actress
— Tavi Gevinson, writer, actress and founder of Rookie Magazine
Women of Letters started as an Australian literary salon focused on celebrating the lost art of letter-writing. This is their second US tour and first appearance in Chicago. The large and enthusiastic audience at the Mayne Stage should ensure a return visit in 2014.
One of the guidelines for Women of Letters is that events are not recorded, so that participants can feel free to write about very personal subjects. Therefore, even though I took notes, I won’t use any quotations. But I will tell you a little about the letter-writers and the event.
The moderator was Marieke Hardy, an Australian writer and co-curator of Women of Letters. She introduced each writer and later conducted a Q&A with the panel on letter-writing.
The letters verged on storytelling; they often had a confessional nature. They were in turn funny, poignant, sad—and always moving. One of the performers wrote about her disastrously disorganized life, while another wrote about disappearing into the dark as a high school drama prop master, and another speculated that people treat each other horribly because they fear scarcity. The readings lasted from a few minutes to more than 10 minutes each.
Tavi Gevinson, a teenaged celebrity who will celebrate her 18th birthday next month, has achieved renown for her blog, which focuses on issues affecting teenage girls and is written mainly by teenage girls. She has appeared on TV, acted in short films and had a role in the 2013 Nicole Holofcener film, Enough Said, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini.
After the readings, Hardy asked each performer to talk about how letters may have been important in her life. They also discussed how the WOL letter-writing process had worked for them. Audience members had a chance to ask questions of the performers.
Each audience member received a stamped WOL postcard and a stamped “aerogramme” to encourage us to do our part in restoring the art of letter-writing.
Women of Letters started with events in Melbourne, co-curated by writer/journalists Hardy and Michaela McGuire. Monthly events brought together five of Melbourne’s “best and brightest writers, musicians, politicians and comedians.” For each event, the participants were asked (in advance) to write a letter on a specific topic. The series has been so successful in Australia that three books of letters have been published as a result.
Women of Letters raises funds for the animal rescue shelter, Edgar’s Mission, a sanctuary for rescued farmed animals set on 60 peaceable acres in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range at Willowmavin, Kilmore, in the state of Victoria, Australia.
The 2014 US tour included performances in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin (during SXSW). Two performances are scheduled for next week in New York, one of which is titled People of Letters and features male and female letter-writers, including Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Hours. The New York topics are “a letter to the thing I wish I’d written” and “a letter to the night I’d rather forget.”
What would you write about?
The letter topics make me think about the letter I might write.
I’d love to know what you would write about ….
♥ The moment the lights came on
♥ The thing I wish I’d written
♥ The night I’d rather forget
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Reading, short and spicy
Posted: April 17, 2013 | Author: nancysbishop | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: George Saunders, Jennifer Egan, Junot Diaz, Stuart Dybek, TC Boyle | 2 Comments
Short stories have always been the stepchildren of the fiction family. Why is that? To me, the short story is the perfect form of reading for today’s digital, short-attention-span culture. So it should get more respect.
But that’s not the best reason to appreciate short stories. A good short story is gripping and insightful about a character, a place or a moment in time. A short story collection is perfect for commuter reading, before-you-go-to-sleep reading, or lazy Sunday afternoon reading.
Now the digital age may be changing the short story’s relationship to the fiction family. A recent issue of The New York Times Book Review (March 24, 2013) was devoted to “Fresh Voices.” Of the eight fiction works discussed, four were short-story collections. And a February article in the Times pointed out that short fiction is a “good fit for today’s little screens.” http://nyti.ms/YR01ac
My book group gave up on Henry James’ The Ambassadors (400 pages on my Kindle). We revolted en masse about finishing it. But most of us finished and enjoyed Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall (~650 pages). So I don’t think that means we are 21st century Philistines. The Mantel book is fascinating, if dense, historical fiction; with a lot of events transpiring and a lot of people named Thomas. The Ambassadors, on the other hand, is a drawing room drama that languishes.
However, among the last few books we’ve read and liked are several in the short fiction genre. I’m going to talk about those and a few of my other favorite short story writers. None of these authors are really traditional fiction writers. But I recommend any or all of them if you want to dip into contemporary short fiction.
George Saunders’ Tenth of December (2013). Saunders has been getting movie-star publicity lately. The release of this book earlier this year was treated like the arrival of the latest Batman movie. His stories are rooted in pop culture, technology and current affairs and written in various styles. One story is in the form of a corporate memo involving personal confession; another is a series of shorthand diary entries by a man who tries to bring his family’s life up to the level of affluent neighbors. In fact, most of the stories are about downwardly mobile people trying to survive. Class and status distinctions abound. Most of the stories are sad, some are jarringly violent; and most have ambiguous endings. Here’s a link to a half-hour Saunders interview, where Saunders talks about his writing. I liked his description of how he edits until he gets “jangly sentences.” http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/12757
Junot Diaz’ This Is How You Lose Her (2012). Diaz also has celebrity status as a writer; he’s a 2012 MacArthur Fellow and his 2008 novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His new book is a series of loosely linked stories about love and trying to make it work, involving the immigrant experiences of Dominican-Americans. His writing is a blend of Spanglish and streetwise slang and becomes more formal in the stories about his older characters. The stories have a strong autobiographical feel, although Diaz does not describe them that way. My favorite is “Invierno,” the story of a Dominican family’s arrival in their new New Jersey home in the middle of a snowstorm. The two brothers Rafa and Yunior yearn to be outside and play with the gringo kids, but their father does his best to keep them inside.
Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From the Goon Squad (2010). This book of short fiction is a series of interlocking stories that stand alone or read novelistically. The leading characters are Bennie, a former punk rocker turned record executive, and Sasha, the young woman he employs, who goes through several incarnations and ends up living with husband and two children in the California desert. One story, by the way, is a PowerPoint presentation on “Great Rock and Roll Pauses” by Sasha’s daughter. The stories play out over a period of 50 years or more, with characters evolving and linking back and forth. The last story ends in a mass musical event on the site known as the Footprint, where the World Trade Centers once stood. This is a really creative work of short fiction.
Stuart Dybek’s The Coast of Chicago (1990), I Sailed With Magellan (2003), and Childhood and Other Neighborhoods (1980). Dybek is my favorite short story writer and one of my favorite writers. The Coast of Chicago was the 2004 selection for One Book, One Chicago. His writing, his characters, his geography are so quintessentially Chicago that his books would make me homesick if I didn’t live here. He also has two wonderful books of Chicago poems: Streets in Their Own Ink (2004) and Brass Knuckles (1979). I’m going to devote a whole essay to Dybek in the near future, so I will save my commentary for that.
T. Coraghessan Boyle’s Greasy Lake & Other Stories (1985), and Wild Child and Other Stories (2010). T.C. Boyle is a witty and imaginative writer. His stories are rarely realistic but always fascinating. I guess I should confess that I picked up Greasy Lake in a bookstore because of the title — it’s the name of a fictional place in a Bruce Springsteen song, “Spirit in the Night,” from his first album Greetings from Asbury Park (1972). Boyle’s characters include an Elvis impersonator, a presidential staffer who facilitates Ike’s steamy affair with Nina Khrushchev (I said this was fiction, didn’t I?), and a blues musician who may be Robert Johnson. And that’s just in Greasy Lake & Other Stories. Wild Child includes many stories published in literary magazines and “Best of” compilations. His writing is colorful and often poetic. Boyle’s stories are so delicious that looking them over for this post made me want to read them all over again.
Here’s a random sample of Boyle’s prose: “Robert’s dream is thick with the thighs of women, the liquid image of songs sung and songs to come, bright wire wheels and sloping fenders, swamps, trees, power lines, and the road, the road spinning out like string from a spool, like veins, blood and heart, distance without end, without horizon.”
The Best in Rock Fiction (2005), edited by June Skinner Sawyers, introduction by Anthony DeCurtis. This is a book of short stories and excerpts from longer works by writers who have a rock and roll sensibility, as Sawyers says in her preface. “I want to capture the way rock sounds on the page, its unpredictability, the possibility that anything could happen,” she says. Some of the writers whose work is included are Nick Hornby, Don DeLillo, T.C. Boyle, Stephen King and Jonathan Lethem. Some of my favorites from this book are “White Noise” by DeLillo, an excerpt from “Eddie and the Cruisers” by P.F. Kluge, and an excerpt from Hornby’s book High Fidelity. “The Girl Who Sang With the Beatles” by Robert Hemenway is a wistful 1960s story about Cynthia, who is mesmerized by the Beatles’ music, and her husband, Larry, who prefers foreign movies and chamber music. For a while, they each listen to their own music on separate stereo headphones but at the end, Larry enters into her Beatles world.
I should acknowledge that June is a Chicago writer and a personal friend. See more about her work here http://www.illinoisauthors.org/authors/June_Sawyers.
Finally, here are some comments about short stories by an English journalist in Metro, a London version of Chicago’s Red Eye. The news peg is that the Costa Awards decided to add the short story to its traditional literary prize genres. http://nyti.ms/YR01ac
“The commercial reality is that short stories simply don’t shift as well as novels. People can argue – as many do – that the espresso-style adrenalin shot the genre offers is perfectly suited to today’s on-the-move culture and that new digital technology can support the form in the way traditional magazines used to. But the evidence remains that you are more likely to buy the new, unevenly reviewed JK Rowling for a friend for Christmas than Junot Díaz’s new, excellently received collection of short stories.”
Do you agree? Join me in becoming a short story fan.
Urban Woman Blues
Posted: October 22, 2012 | Author: nancysbishop | Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment
(Don’t Wanna Be Stuck in the Suburbs Forever)
Some years ago I was dating a charming gentleman who sealed his fate with me by insisting he could only live in the suburbs and assuming I would want to do the same. He had a beautiful house and had already planned that I would love it too. The relationship didn’t last long but I wrote this bit of doggerel at the time. It’s either a poem or a song, if someone will just compose some music to go with it.
Don’t carry me off to the suburbs.
I’m an urban woman now.
City limits are my boundaries.
Shopping malls give me agoraphobia.
Trees belong in the park and animals in the zoo.
I want my grass measured by the square inch.
I gave up flea markets, farmstands, freeways forever.
I traded them for skyscrapers, coffeehouses, used bookstores,
Taxis and sidewalks and theatres in old storefronts.
I buy my clothes on the top floor of an old mansion
Surrounded by hundreds of expressionistic paintings
By an émigré Hungarian painter.
Don‘t drag me to the suburbs, please.
Don’t tempt me with discount centers, flea markets and flower gardens.
Don’t lead me astray on the freeway of love.
I might lose my way in the geometry of strip malls and parking lots
And never again find my way back to grit, crime and all night joints.
I don’t want to be stuck in the suburbs forever.
Don‘t carry me off to the suburbs
City limits are my boundaries
Typos that make my teeth hurt
I confess that in the past I carried a marker so I could edit the signs in my local supermarket. Potatos got an e; green bean’s got an apostro-ectomy. Typos still make my teeth hurt, but technology has stymied my shopper editing. Now I have to send helpful texts or emails to serious offenders, while trying to do it with good humor or at least some grace.
Today I sat in a one-hour webinar where the speaker repeatedly described the easy-to-use software as “simplistic.” Not “simple,” which would have been correct. Simplistic means over-simplified or treating something complex as if it’s simpler than it really is. (I did take the opportunity to point out the teeth-grating error in my webinar evaluation.) Read the rest of this entry »
Springsteen at 70: A Playlist
New York Dispatch: Theater Reviews, Part 2, and the Warhol Exhibit
New York Dispatch: Live From New York City, My First Reviews
What’s a Neighborhood? Don’t Let Rahm Emanuel Make Lincoln Yards a Corporate Theme Park
High Anxiety: Without My Electronic Tether
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There we were, chugging along at our usual pace and concentrating on nothing more than seeing the holy month through. The only thought on our collective brains was how to cope with the onslaught of Eid expenses. We had very little time to think or worry about 'Irene, the hurricane that was creating havoc in another, far removed, corner of the world at that particular time. Little did we guess or know that there was a ferocious hurricane called 'Mirzene, which was hurtling towards us at breakneck speed and which would give us no preparation time Dr Zulfiqar Mirza has been in the public limelight ever since this government came to power. The primary reason of his importance stemmed from the fact that he was a childhood buddy of the all-powerful President and considered his right-hand man in the province of Sindh. That he was outspoken and dabang, ala Salman Khan, was no secret but he had, hithertofore, remained more or less within party discipline. On August 28, only three days before Eid and within the last 10 days of Ramazan, Mirza went public on several issues that have been major stumbling blocks in the way of good governance. As a dumbfounded country listened on Dr Mirza, who disclosed important national secrets, named names and called the Federal Interior Minister the biggest liar on earth and went on to explain why he did so, he did not stumble or falter anywhere in his lengthy press conference, had files and documents to support his claims and, the icing on the cake, he did it all with one hand either on the Holy Quran or while holding the Quran with both hands over his head. The brunt of his frontal attack was the person of Altaf Hussain and his party the MQM, as well as Interior Minister Rehman Malik. Like a ball of wool, he unravelled their alleged modus operandi and made some direct accusations, including the most serious one on MQM of being hand in glove to undo the federation of Pakistan. All these accusations have been made previously too, but only in the privacy of closed doors and that also in roundabout phrases. Primarily, because people are scared of the MQM and its silencing abilities. Thus, Mirzas diatribe had a freeing feel for everyone. There were no saving graces. We have reached a point in our political life where all parties will have to clean their acts to survive, if we are to survive that is. Many political analysts have described this as a master stroke by the President and they do not believe that Mirza has acted without his permission. That train of thought does not appeal to me. I, somehow, think that this is a real life example of a verse from the Holy Book that says: On the Day of Judgment your mouths will be sealed and your hands and feet will bear witness against your deeds. Best friends can be compared to ones hands and feet, would you not agree? More than what Mirza said, and the way he said it was also a real presentation of the values that we, rightly or wrongly, hold dear. We tend not to doubt anyone swearing on the Holy Quran in the manner that he did and that too in Ramazan. We think it is a sign of being well bred, if you are called a yaaron ka yaar and Mirza repeated umpteenth times how he holds the President in the highest esteem, as his childhood friend. He also disclosed his lineage and his family tree as well as his sectarian leanings, all of which could have been left unsaid. But by stating them he reveals a mindset and the importance we store by such facts. The Eid holidays have been spent in absorbing and assimilating all that we heard. The Supreme Court has its tasks all laid out before it, as it resumes its hearings on the breakdown of the law and order situation in Karachi. The holidays have in all probability given time to the political parties too, affected or otherwise, to meditate, take deep breaths and plan their strategies in the light of the reveal - all, particularly if proof can be found to substantiate Dr Mirzas serious allegations. These are interesting times indeed Postscript: After the thumping success of Shoaib Mansoors Bol more Pakistani films have been released on Eid. The industry seems to be struggling to survive and we must encourage its efforts. Reema has given us Luv main gum and Faisal Bukhari has given us Bhai log. We cannot continue to bask in the glory of a bygone cinema era, which is all that we have as reference. If we could do well previously, I am sure we can do well again. This is a country that likes its good times and remains resilient, despite best efforts to bring it down. As was visible in the holidays, the nation, particularly the cities, displayed an almost unbelievable zeal towards finding moments of joy and relaxation. The throngs of people and maddening traffic jams leading to parks, food streets and so on was a telling display of what people really want. They only want a very small part of the pie and a chance to be happy too. The writer is a public relations and event management professional based in Islamabad. Email: tallatazim@yahoo.com
Yousaf Mirza resigns as SAPM
Mirza’s 1,050 acres land ‘occupied’
All BHUs being upgraded: Dr Mirza
Dr Mirza advocates sustainable population growth
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24 Apr 2018 Free Enterprise Project’s Shareholder Season Surprise Featured in Wall Street Journal
Posted at 16:23h in Blog, Free Enterprise Project by David Almasi
On Wednesday, the National Center’s Free Enterprise Project will present Proposal #4 – “Political Lobbying and Contributions” – at General Electric’s annual shareholder meeting in Imperial, Pennsylvania.
While the content of the proposal is not new, it is making a lot of waves this shareholder season. The unique and innovative way FEP outmaneuvered prolific leftist investor groups caught the attention of the Wall Street Journal. The distinguished newspaper recently published an article about what the FEP did.
As the Journal reports in “Gadfly Pushes Conservative Spin to Shareholder Resolutions”:
Justin Danhof, a conservative shareholder advocate, is harnessing a regulatory “first-come, first-served” provision to sideline left-leaning investors from proxy ballots by lodging nearly identical proposals, but getting them in first. The tactic is helping Mr. Danhof promote and engage with company management on conservative social-policy issues.
General Electric Proposal #4 asks for an annual report disclosing company policies and procedures for direct and indirect lobbying in addition to grassroots lobbying communications, payments for such lobbying and a description of the decision-making process for authorizing such payments. It’s standard language the left has used after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case to try to force the disclosure of and then embark upon the certain demonization of a company’s support for free-market organizations.
It’s a common proposal meant to attack corporate support for groups such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. But FEP’s proposal specifically states that “the company’s membership in groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce should be applauded and endorsed by shareholders.”
While this proposal was almost identical to the one submitted by the New York State Common Retirement Fund, a $209 billion government entity largely controlled by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, the Journal noted that “[t]he statement supporting the two resolutions were polar opposites.”
The key difference is that the FEP proposal was filed two days before the Fund’s. The Journal explained:
A company can ask the Securities and Exchange Commission to exclude a resolution from its ballot if it is “substantially duplicative” of a proposal submitted earlier by another shareholder. That was the case with GE, which petitioned the regulator to exclude the state’s proposal.
“I knew the liberals were going to file their resolution blasting membership [in certain trade and lobby groups]…so I filed a resolution with the same language,” Justin – FEP’s director – told the Journal.
So that’s why, instead of asking General Electric to “fully evaluate the potential use of corporate assets” – as the Fund’s proposal advocated – shareholders are instead asked to vote on a proposal that “supports the company’s free speech rights and freedom of association with groups that advance economic liberty.” It also urges the company to “stand up for those rights.”
The left is fit to be tied.
Until FEP came on the scene, leftist investors dominated the world of political shareholder activism. And they are not adapting well to the fact that they now have competition. DeNapoli, for example, told the Journal: “It’s questionable whether these shadow proposals share the same sincerity and concern for managing risk to investors’ portfolios or are merely cynical attempts to sideline legitimate shareholder proposals.”
The same FEP proposal will be presented at the virtual shareholder meeting of Duke Energy on May 3. Beating a proposal from Mercy Investment Services and the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, the sisters have already declared they will not support the proposal identical to their own because “the philosophy of the [National] Center is quite different from ours.”
Why did Justin go to all this effort to craft a proposal for the FEP that both companies and the left will oppose? The supporting statement to be read at the General Electric meeting on Wednesday provides insight on the reasoning:
The New York Comptroller is part of a broad network of liberal groups attempting to use American corporations to silence speech and defund advocates of free enterprise. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision, this network has filed hundreds of resolutions complaining about an alleged lack of transparency and accountability in corporate lobbying and political activity. However, such groups never express concern about the billions of corporate dollars that go to fund liberal causes and politicians. Herein lies the hypocrisy of the proposal. This liberal network abhors corporate speech when it is perceived to skew to the political right. Yet it remains silent when speech supports favored leftist causes.
The As You Sow network has tried to co-opt GE’s investors into its anti-free speech effort in prior years, and its proposals received nearly 30 percent support. That’s appallingly high. Many investors were perhaps misled by As You Sow’s apparent calls for transparency and accountability. We hope investors now understand this network’s extremely partisan nature and deceptive tactics.
To read the entire Wall Street Journal article about Justin and the FEP’s “first come-first served” strategy for success, click here (warning – this article is behind a paywall).
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Costco Shareholders Counseled to Vote for Shareholder Proposal Seeking Ideological Balance on Board of Directors
Press Release / January 21, 2020
Free Enterprise Project Blasts Proxy Advisor Institutional Shareholder Services for Opposing Viewpoint Diversity Bellevue, WA/Washington, D.C. – Costco shareholders are urged to support a shareholder …
ConservativeBlog.org / January 20, 2020
The leading civil rights issue of the modern era? Challenges to the guarantee of equal access to opportunity for people of faith. In a commentary …
Left-Wing Activists Criticized for Misinterpreting Teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Washington, D.C. – In observance of the upcoming holiday devoted to the life …
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Family activities & attractions
The Outback
The Ghan rail journey
Get up close and personal with the NT's unique wildlife habitats, and see prehistoric crocs, marsupials, dingoes and hugely diverse bird species.
Discover the thousands of bird species and other native wildlife that flourish in the Northern Territory. The region’s animals include birds, insects, reptiles, marsupials and mammals. Spot them in the wild, at wildlife parks, and on wildlife tours and cruises.
Teeming with wildlife
The Territory is home to 400 species of birds, 150 mammals, 300 reptiles, 50 frogs, 60 species of freshwater fish and several hundred species of marine fish.
Most local species of birds and mammals have been comprehensively recorded, but new species of fish, frogs, reptiles, invertebrates and plants continue to be discovered.
Get up close
In some areas of the NT you’ll see unusually rich numbers of species and concentrations of threatened species. These include the stone country of western Arnhem Land and Palm Valley as well as the floodplains of the Top End, home to vast numbers of waterbirds, fish, crocodiles, and many other species.
The Territory’s prolific bird life provides some of its most spectacular wildlife experiences. Witness the massive aggregations of magpie geese and dancing brolgas in the billabongs and floodplains of the north. See the noisy flocks of budgerigars and parrots in central Australia, and even spy the threatened gouldian finch.
Crocodiles, the most famous of the Territory’s creatures, can be seen in most rivers and billabongs in the Top End or at the wildlife parks around Darwin. There is almost a one-to-one ratio of crocs to humans in the north, so you’re sure to come across them in the local waterways.
A great way to see the wildlife of rivers and wetlands in the NT is on a guided cruise. Yellow Water is a land-locked billabong in Kakadu National Park where you’ll see submerged crocodiles, wild horses, buffalo and other wildlife. During the wet season it floods and attracts millions of migratory birds.
Wildlife parks are a great way to get close to local animals in their natural habitat. At The Alice Springs Reptile Centre you’ll find a large number of reptiles, including huge perentie goannas, thorny devils and some of the world’s most venomous snakes.
Visit the Territory Wildlife Park, near Darwin, and walk through the nocturnal house, into a monsoon forest, or under the aquarium inhabited by saltwater crocodiles.
Crocodylus Park is home to Australian and exotic animals, including wombats, dingoes, lions, tigers, monkeys, and more. Join a guided tour, feed a five metre jumping croc, or hold a baby crocodile.
Wildlife experiences in the NT
Finke Gorge National Park
Discover the ancient landscapes of Finke Gorge National Park, an important wilderness reserve that protects one of the oldest rivers in the world.
Garig Gunak Barlu National Park
At the very top of the Northern Territory in Arnhem Land, the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park is remote and rugged, fringed with magnificent white...
Explore nature & wildlife by region
The Top End is teeming with exotic birdlife, mammals, reptiles and marine life. Get ready for some inspiring nature and wildlife experiences.
Get ready to experience the magnificent landscapes and unique wildlife of the Red Centre. This region ticks all the right boxes for nature lovers.
The ancient rock formations of Central Australia may steal the headlines, but look a little closer and find a world of rare beauty and colour.
Wander through the floodplains, billabongs and rugged stone country of Kakadu and Arnhem Land, home to countless animals and over 2000 plant species.
Explore one of the most diverse and dramatic natural environments in the world and discover a bountiful array of birds, animals and fish.
If you're after wildlife you'll find Arnhem Land full of surprises. Bird watching is popular here and there's many tours which get you up close and...
Discover the rich flora and fauna in Tennant Creek's national parks and reserves, and travel across open mallee scrubland and stunning rocky ranges.
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Martel, Steven J. /
Notice of Hearing: In the Matter of Steven J. Martel et al.
IN THE MATTER OF STEVEN J. MARTEL,
MARTEL GROUP OF COMPANIES INC., 8446997 CANADA INC.,
MAN CAMP MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, MAN CAMP LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP #1, MAN CAMP LIMITED PARTNERSHIP #2, MAN CAMP LIMITED PARTNERSHIP #3 and MAN CAMP LIMITED PARTNERSHIP #4
(Sections 127 and 127.1 of the Securities Act)
TAKE NOTICE that the Ontario Securities Commission (the “Commission”) will hold a hearing pursuant to sections 127 and 127.1 of the Securities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.5, as amended (the “Act”), at the offices of the Commission located at 20 Queen Street West, 17th Floor, in the City of Toronto, commencing on April 15, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. or as soon thereafter as the hearing can be held;
AND TAKE NOTICE that the purpose of the hearing is for the Commission to consider whether, in the Commission’s opinion, it is in the public interest for the Commission to make the following orders against Man Camp Master Limited Partnership, Man Camp Limited Partnership #1, Man Camp Limited Partnership #2, Man Camp Limited Partnership #3, Man Camp Limited Partnership #4 (collectively, the “MCLPs”), Martel Group of Companies Inc. (“MGC”), 8446997 Canada Inc. (“8446997”), and Steven J Martel (“Martel”) (collectively, the “Respondents”):
pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection 127(1) of the Act, that trading in any securities or derivatives by the Respondents cease permanently or for such period as is specified by the Commission;
pursuant to paragraph 2.1 of subsection 127(1) of the Act , that the acquisition of any securities by the Respondents is prohibited permanently or for such period as is specified by the Commission;
pursuant to paragraph 3 of subsection 127(1) of the Act, that any exemptions contained in Ontario securities law do not apply to the Respondents permanently or for such period as is specified by the Commission;
pursuant to paragraph 6 of subsection 127(1) of the Act, that the Respondents be reprimanded;
pursuant to paragraphs 7, 8.1 and 8.3 of subsection 127(1) of the Act that Martel resigns one or more positions that he holds as a director or officer of any issuer, registrant, or investment fund manager;
pursuant to paragraphs 8, 8.2 and 8.4 of subsection 127(1) of the Act, that Martel be prohibited from becoming or acting as a director or officer of any issuer, registrant, or investment fund manager, permanently or for such period as is specified by the Commission;
pursuant to paragraph 8.5 of subsection 127(1) of the Act that Martel be prohibited from becoming or acting as a registrant, as an investment fund manager, or as a promoter, permanently or for such period as is specified by the Commission;
pursuant to paragraph 9 of subsection 127(1) of the Act, that each of the Respondents pay an administrative penalty of not more than $1 million for each failure by the respective Respondent to comply with Ontario securities law;
pursuant to paragraph 10 of subsection 127(1) of the Act, that each of the Respondents disgorge to the Commission any amounts obtained as a result of non-compliance with Ontario securities law;
pursuant to section 127.1 of the Act, that the Respondents pay the costs of the investigation and the hearing; and
such other order as the Commission considers appropriate in the public interest.
BY REASON OF the allegations set out in the Statement of Allegations of Staff of the Commission dated March 29, 2016, and such further allegations as counsel may advise and the Commission may permit;
AND TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that any party to the proceeding may be represented by a representative at the hearing;
AND TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that upon failure of any party to attend at the time and place stated above, the hearing may proceed in the absence of that party and such party is not entitled to any further notice of the proceeding;
AND TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Notice of Hearing is also available in French, participation may be in either French or English and participants must notify the Secretary’s Office in writing as soon as possible, and in any event, at least thirty (30) days before a hearing if the participant is requesting a proceeding to be conducted wholly or partly in French; and
ET AVIS EST ÉGALEMENT DONNÉ PAR LA PRÉSENTE que l'avis d'audience est disponible en français, que la participation à l'audience peut se faire en français ou en anglais et que les participants doivent aviser le Bureau du secrétaire par écrit le plus tôt possible et, dans tous les cas, au moins trente (30) jours avant l'audience si le participant demande qu'une instance soit tenue entièrement ou partiellement en français.
DATED at Toronto, this 29th day of March, 2016.
"Josée Turcotte "
Josée Turcotte
Secretary to the Commission
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Rey Royale
About Rey Royale
In a time when R&B music is more sex than soul, more swag than sincerity, there are few artists who can create the perfect marriage of sound and substance. But Rey Royale can and does. Call him the musical matchmaker.
The singer/songwriter has been practicing and perfecting his bona fide brand of rhythm and blues for the last fifteen years, fully focused on bringing emotion, talent, and timeless music back to R&B by pairing sultry vocals and heartfelt lyrics with soulful old school stylings and steamy new school sensuality. With the impending release of his debut album journey to ecstasy Royale is coming for the crown, intent on taking his rightful place as the new king of R&B. And if his distinctive voice, unwavering dedication, and music industry experience are any indication, his ascent to the throne is evident and imminent.
Before becoming Rey Royale, a young Reynaldo Gilmore would listen to the 45s spinning on his grandmother’s record player — music by R&B icons like Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, and Michael Jackson — and become inspired to bring his heart and soul to the stage through song. Throughout middle school, he strengthened his vocal capabilities and enhanced his performance skills by participating in local talent shows in and around his hometown of Boston, MA. At the same time, he watched and listened as a new breed of R&B artists began injecting the genre with an edgier, more hip-hop-oriented sound. Boyz II Men, Dru Hill, H-Town, and Jodeci would prove influential in Gilmore’s growth as a singer, and the impact those groups had on his burdgeoning music career became even more apparent when he teamed up with a childhood friend to form the group 617 while in high school. A few years later, the duo morphed into a quartet and quickly gained respect and renown for its impressive harmonizing and cool, contemporary sound.
After opening for The Temptations, Donell Jones, Boyz II Men, and many more, A&M Records president Ron Fair recognized 617 as a diamond in the rough and signed the group to a record deal. Along with the new deal came a new name — Metro City, a moniker that more fully embodied the group’s urban appeal. An artist development deal with 55 Entertainment, a production company headed by NFL linebacker Willie McGinest and business partner Bob Francis, helped the group smooth out its rough edges, and in a matter of a few short years, they began to get some serious shine.
After befriending fellow R&B upstart Keyshia Cole, Metro City was featured on the song “Superstar” from Cole’s platinum-selling debut album The Way It Is. The group also served as the opening act for Cole’s 2006 “Love Tour,” performing in more than 30 cities and introducing R&B fans across the country to their unique sound and style. In preparation for the release of their debut, they wrote and recorded alongside some of the music industry’s most accomplished artists, including Kanye West, Keri Hilson, Polow da Don, The-Dream, Sean Garrett, Chink Santana, RL (from R&B group Next), and Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men). Though Gilmore and Metro City would part ways in early ’08, the seven-odd years he spent molding his talent and honing his craft readied him to step into the spotlight to get some shine of his own.
With the self-assurance and awareness that comes from personal and professional maturity, Royale is making the most of his seasoned voice, powerful prowess for stage performance, and stronger songwriting skills. On songs like the seductive “In My Bed,” “Why I Love You,” and lusty club hit “It’s On,” his robust tenor resonates with raw emotion, channeling his feelings into music that speaks to and for his fans, especially the fellas: “I’m the voice for men who don’t know how to tell their woman their true feelings,” he declares. His songs never shy away from authentic reflections on the ins, outs, ups, and downs of life, love, and everything in between.
Follow Rey Royale on
WWW.REYROYALEMUSIK....
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Spectroscopic validation of the pentameric structure of phospholamban
Nathaniel Traaseth, Raffaello Verardi, Kurt D. Torgersen, Christine B. Karim, David D. Thomas, Gianluigi Veglia
Phospholamban (PLN) regulates calcium translocation within cardiac myocytes by shifting sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) affinity for calcium. Although the monomeric form of PLN (6 kDa) is the principal inhibitory species, recent evidence suggests that the PLN pentamer (30 kDa) also is able to bind SERCA. To date, several membrane architectures of the pentamer have been proposed, with different topological orientations for the cytoplasmic domain: (i) extended from the bilayer normal by 50-60°; (ii) continuous α-helix tilted 28° relative to the bilayer normal; (iii) pinwheel geometry, with the cytoplasmic helix perpendicular to the bilayer normal and in contact with the surface of the bilayer; and (iv) bellflower structure, in which the cytoplasmic domain helix makes ≈20° angle with respect to the membrane bilayer normal. Using a variety of cell membrane mimicking systems (i.e., lipid vesicles, oriented lipid bilayers, and detergent micelles) and a combination of multidimensional solution/solid-state NMR and EPR spectroscopies, we tested the different structural models. We conclude that the pinwheel topology is the predominant conformation of pentameric PLN, with the cytoplasmic domain interacting with the membrane surface. We propose that the interaction with the bilayer precedes SERCA binding and may mediate the interactions with other proteins such as protein kinase A and protein phosphatase 1.
Reticulum
Calcium-Transporting ATPases
Structural Models
Lipid Bilayers
phospholamban
Ca-ATPase
Protein dynamics
Solid-state NMR
Traaseth, N., Verardi, R., Torgersen, K. D., Karim, C. B., Thomas, D. D., & Veglia, G. (2007). Spectroscopic validation of the pentameric structure of phospholamban. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(37), 14676-14681. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0701016104
Spectroscopic validation of the pentameric structure of phospholamban. / Traaseth, Nathaniel; Verardi, Raffaello; Torgersen, Kurt D.; Karim, Christine B.; Thomas, David D.; Veglia, Gianluigi.
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 104, No. 37, 11.09.2007, p. 14676-14681.
Traaseth, N, Verardi, R, Torgersen, KD, Karim, CB, Thomas, DD & Veglia, G 2007, 'Spectroscopic validation of the pentameric structure of phospholamban', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 104, no. 37, pp. 14676-14681. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0701016104
Traaseth N, Verardi R, Torgersen KD, Karim CB, Thomas DD, Veglia G. Spectroscopic validation of the pentameric structure of phospholamban. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2007 Sep 11;104(37):14676-14681. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0701016104
Traaseth, Nathaniel ; Verardi, Raffaello ; Torgersen, Kurt D. ; Karim, Christine B. ; Thomas, David D. ; Veglia, Gianluigi. / Spectroscopic validation of the pentameric structure of phospholamban. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2007 ; Vol. 104, No. 37. pp. 14676-14681.
@article{cba0de980e464a3fada6f9640f214aef,
title = "Spectroscopic validation of the pentameric structure of phospholamban",
abstract = "Phospholamban (PLN) regulates calcium translocation within cardiac myocytes by shifting sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) affinity for calcium. Although the monomeric form of PLN (6 kDa) is the principal inhibitory species, recent evidence suggests that the PLN pentamer (30 kDa) also is able to bind SERCA. To date, several membrane architectures of the pentamer have been proposed, with different topological orientations for the cytoplasmic domain: (i) extended from the bilayer normal by 50-60°; (ii) continuous α-helix tilted 28° relative to the bilayer normal; (iii) pinwheel geometry, with the cytoplasmic helix perpendicular to the bilayer normal and in contact with the surface of the bilayer; and (iv) bellflower structure, in which the cytoplasmic domain helix makes ≈20° angle with respect to the membrane bilayer normal. Using a variety of cell membrane mimicking systems (i.e., lipid vesicles, oriented lipid bilayers, and detergent micelles) and a combination of multidimensional solution/solid-state NMR and EPR spectroscopies, we tested the different structural models. We conclude that the pinwheel topology is the predominant conformation of pentameric PLN, with the cytoplasmic domain interacting with the membrane surface. We propose that the interaction with the bilayer precedes SERCA binding and may mediate the interactions with other proteins such as protein kinase A and protein phosphatase 1.",
keywords = "Ca-ATPase, EPR, Membrane protein, Protein dynamics, Solid-state NMR",
author = "Nathaniel Traaseth and Raffaello Verardi and Torgersen, {Kurt D.} and Karim, {Christine B.} and Thomas, {David D.} and Gianluigi Veglia",
T1 - Spectroscopic validation of the pentameric structure of phospholamban
AU - Traaseth, Nathaniel
AU - Verardi, Raffaello
AU - Torgersen, Kurt D.
AU - Karim, Christine B.
AU - Thomas, David D.
AU - Veglia, Gianluigi
N2 - Phospholamban (PLN) regulates calcium translocation within cardiac myocytes by shifting sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) affinity for calcium. Although the monomeric form of PLN (6 kDa) is the principal inhibitory species, recent evidence suggests that the PLN pentamer (30 kDa) also is able to bind SERCA. To date, several membrane architectures of the pentamer have been proposed, with different topological orientations for the cytoplasmic domain: (i) extended from the bilayer normal by 50-60°; (ii) continuous α-helix tilted 28° relative to the bilayer normal; (iii) pinwheel geometry, with the cytoplasmic helix perpendicular to the bilayer normal and in contact with the surface of the bilayer; and (iv) bellflower structure, in which the cytoplasmic domain helix makes ≈20° angle with respect to the membrane bilayer normal. Using a variety of cell membrane mimicking systems (i.e., lipid vesicles, oriented lipid bilayers, and detergent micelles) and a combination of multidimensional solution/solid-state NMR and EPR spectroscopies, we tested the different structural models. We conclude that the pinwheel topology is the predominant conformation of pentameric PLN, with the cytoplasmic domain interacting with the membrane surface. We propose that the interaction with the bilayer precedes SERCA binding and may mediate the interactions with other proteins such as protein kinase A and protein phosphatase 1.
AB - Phospholamban (PLN) regulates calcium translocation within cardiac myocytes by shifting sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) affinity for calcium. Although the monomeric form of PLN (6 kDa) is the principal inhibitory species, recent evidence suggests that the PLN pentamer (30 kDa) also is able to bind SERCA. To date, several membrane architectures of the pentamer have been proposed, with different topological orientations for the cytoplasmic domain: (i) extended from the bilayer normal by 50-60°; (ii) continuous α-helix tilted 28° relative to the bilayer normal; (iii) pinwheel geometry, with the cytoplasmic helix perpendicular to the bilayer normal and in contact with the surface of the bilayer; and (iv) bellflower structure, in which the cytoplasmic domain helix makes ≈20° angle with respect to the membrane bilayer normal. Using a variety of cell membrane mimicking systems (i.e., lipid vesicles, oriented lipid bilayers, and detergent micelles) and a combination of multidimensional solution/solid-state NMR and EPR spectroscopies, we tested the different structural models. We conclude that the pinwheel topology is the predominant conformation of pentameric PLN, with the cytoplasmic domain interacting with the membrane surface. We propose that the interaction with the bilayer precedes SERCA binding and may mediate the interactions with other proteins such as protein kinase A and protein phosphatase 1.
KW - Ca-ATPase
KW - EPR
KW - Membrane protein
KW - Protein dynamics
KW - Solid-state NMR
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> Home > Getty Research Institute > Institutional Archives
∞ https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8mc91q4/
Overdrive: L.A. constructs the future, 1940-1990 exhibition oral history interviews
IA40025
Contact Getty Research Institute::Institutional Archives
The resource comprises eight unedited videorecordings (with corresponding transcripts) of oral history interviews conducted with prominent Los Angeles architects from 2011 to 2012 as part of the Getty Research Institute's exhibition Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940-1990. The exhibition examined the development of Los Angeles during the postwar years; the interviewees discuss this and related topics.
The Getty Research Institute (GRI) is an operating program of the J. Paul Getty Trust, a not-for-profit educational, cultural and philanthropic organization dedicated to the visual arts. Originally established in 1983 as the Getty Center for the History of Art and the Humanities (GCHAH), the objective of the GCHAH was to foster advanced research in art, its history, diversity, and meaning in culture by engaging scholars from various disciplines in the humanities. In 1996, in order to avoid confusion with the soon-to-open Getty Center campus in Brentwood, the GCHAH was renamed the Getty Research Institute for the History of Art and the Humanities and in 2000, the program's name was shortened to the Getty Research Institute (GRI).
605.34 Gigabytes (original files: MOV and DOC; use copies: MP4 and PDF/A)
Contact Rights and Reproductions at the Getty Research Institute for copyright information and permission to publish.
The records described in accession 2013.IA.39 are available for use by qualified researchers. The original files are restricted for preservation purposes. Access copies are available online at http://hdl.handle.net/10020/ia40025.
Administrative History and Project Background
Pacific Standard Time: Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940-1990 exhibition oral history interviews
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UA College of Nursing and Banner Health Researchers Test Tool for Early Recognition of Devastating Disease Affecting Babies Born Pre-Term
UA Assistant Professor Sheila M. Gephart developed GutCheckNEC to help Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurses identify babies at risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis.
Through a unique academic-clinical partnership with Banner Health in Phoenix, Sheila M. Gephart, RN, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing, is refining a first-of-its-kind early recognition score for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a devastating and expensive gastrointestinal disease that affects premature and critically ill babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
GutCheckNEC is a 10-item risk assessment originally developed by Dr. Gephart using data from nearly 60,000 infants cared for in 284 NICUs across the United States. During her pre-doctoral fellowship funded by the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Nursing Research, Dr. Gephart found that GutCheckNEC successfully predicted neonatal risk for NEC.
Through a new research study supported by Banner Health and the UA College of Nursing Laurence B. Emmons Research Fund, Dr. Gephart and her main clinical partners, Banner Health’s Shelly Fleiner, DNP, RNC-NIC, CCNS, a neonatal clinical nurse specialist, and Karen Johnson, PhD, RN, director of nursing research, are determining how GutCheckNEC can best help clinicians diagnose NEC in real time.
“NEC is a complication where part of the intestine becomes damaged and can die,” said Dr. Gephart, who witnessed this condition firsthand during her years as a neonatal nurse. “Although we don’t know the exact cause of NEC, an immature immune system, feeding and some type of infectious agent all contribute to its development. The most severe form of NEC is when the damage is so extensive that air builds up in the bowel and it ruptures, which can be fatal.”
Dr. Gephart says the biggest challenge with NEC is that symptoms present unexpectedly, and when they do, the diagnosis often is missed or late. However, when neonatal staff members recognize the signs and intervene earlier, they can treat it without surgery, a late intervention that carries a much higher risk of complications and death.
“Surgical NEC is really what we’re trying to avoid, because it’s related to the worst long-term outcomes,” said Dr. Gephart. “We’re looking at mortality rates of up to 50 percent and extremely long hospital stays. Treating surgical NEC also is very expensive, with costs often exceeding $200,000 per infant.”
Dr. Gephart’s ultimate goal is to make GutCheckNEC fully-automated and integrated into electronic health records to alert clinicians as to when NEC is developing.
“It is life-saving work,” said Dr. Gephart. “If you can save just one baby, you preserve a whole family.”
The three clinical sites for the study are:
• Cardon Children’s Medical Center/Banner Desert Medical Center
• Banner Thunderbird Medical Center
• Banner Estrella Medical Center
Faculty at the University of Arizona College of Nursing envision, engage and innovate in education, research and practice to help people of all ages optimize health in the context of major life transitions, illnesses, injuries, symptoms and disabilities. Established in 1957, the college ranks among the top nursing programs in the United States. For more information about the college, please visit its website, www.nursing.arizona.edu
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philip@philippalmerlaw.ca
Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), c. 23, S.C. 2010
Telecommunications, Internet, Cyberlaw, and Privacy Law and Policy
Federal Government Administrative Law
Advocacy Before Administrative Agencies and Tribunals
Philip Palmer Law
Experience on your side
After 30 years of service with the Canadian federal Department of Justice, where I held senior management and practitioner positions over the last 25 years, I recently retired in order to pursue private practice. During my career with Justice, I served as senior legal advisor to the Department of Communications, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Competition Bureau and Industry Canada.
Contact Philip
A member of the Bar of Ontario, I provide legal and policy services in both Canadian official languages on communications and regulatory law, with emphasis on the following areas of expertise:
Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL, c. 23, S. C. 2010)
Telecommunications, Internet, Cyberlaw and Privacy law and policy
philip@philippalmerlaw.ca | T: (613) 809-9330 | F: (613) 728-8545
2020 © PhilipPalmerLaw.ca
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Nathan Haydon
Moral Encroachment
Can practical factors influence a subject's position to know? Traditionally this question has been answered in the negative. A subject's position to know proposition p is not thought to improve merely because the subject wants to know p or has certain practical stakes depend on whether p. Appealing to these wants and practical interests while defending a claim to know is thought to be epistemically inappropriate. We argue, to the contrary, that practical factors can influence a subject's positio…Read more
Can practical factors influence a subject's position to know? Traditionally this question has been answered in the negative. A subject's position to know proposition p is not thought to improve merely because the subject wants to know p or has certain practical stakes depend on whether p. Appealing to these wants and practical interests while defending a claim to know is thought to be epistemically inappropriate. We argue, to the contrary, that practical factors can influence a subject's position to know and can do so in an epistemically appropriate way. The argument we provide is relatively straightforward. We claim that knowledge of a certain set of propositions requires a prior action taken on behalf of the subject. This prior action can be influenced by practical factors and thus practical factors can influence a subject's position to know. Furthermore, we argue that such a move can be epistemically appropriate if it arises in an instance when the evidence and arguments favoring belief -- at least from the subject's own point of view -- are inconclusive. We conclude with an argument that the provided account offers a new framework to defend moral encroachment. The prior action taken on behalf of a subject, when it is both practically influenced and is epistemically appropriate, can be interpreted as a moral action.
Pragmatic Encroachment
The Continuity of Explanation: Peircean Pragmatism, Reason, and Developing Reasonable Behavior
Dissertation, University of Waterloo. 2017.
Charles Peirce, the founder of Pragmatism, is not known for having developed a normative and ethical theory. His remarks on ethics and normativity are scattered and sparse. There is nonetheless increasing interest in developing these aspects of Peirce’s thought. Peirce takes logic to fall under the normative sciences and the open question, as I take it here, is whether the normativity Peirce takes to be present in logic and inquiry can be generalized to form an ethical theory. Most broadly Peirc…Read more
Charles Peirce, the founder of Pragmatism, is not known for having developed a normative and ethical theory. His remarks on ethics and normativity are scattered and sparse. There is nonetheless increasing interest in developing these aspects of Peirce’s thought. Peirce takes logic to fall under the normative sciences and the open question, as I take it here, is whether the normativity Peirce takes to be present in logic and inquiry can be generalized to form an ethical theory. Most broadly Peirce takes an ethical theory to be a general guide for conduct — it is a guide for conduct in thought, action or behavior more generally, and in feeling. The question becomes whether Peirce’s theory of logic and inquiry can offer a more general guide for conduct. Peirce’s writings on the classification of the normative sciences, as well as his ‘Philosophy and the Conduct of Life,’ have led many scholars to answer in the negative. I think that an ethical theory nonetheless arises from within Peirce’s writings on logic and inquiry. In this dissertation, I lay the foundation for this alternative approach by showing how Peirce’s theory of logic and inquiry serves as a guide for behavior. The basis for the argument can be briefly summarized. Peirce’s logic and theory of inquiry provide normative standards that apply to changes in belief. Peirce takes the formation of a belief to be an inference, and Peirce’s logic and theory of inquiry give us the tools to evaluate these inferences. Peirce also supposes a connection between belief and action. According to Peirce the meaning of a belief is the mode of action the belief establishes. The conjunction of these two claims suggests how a more general guide for conduct can be motivated from within Peirce’s writings. It suggests that for the Peircean pragmatist the normative standards that apply to belief formation apply directly to established modes of action. This dissertation offers a systematic development of this connection. I show how Peirce takes normative standards to apply to belief, and then show how these standards correspond directly to changes in an individual’s behavior. I begin with a characterization of Peircean pragmatism based on what I call the Continuity of Explanation. The Continuity of Explanation is the commitment that every judgment entails consequences for action that are accountable to scientific investigation. The Continuity of Explanation captures what I take to be the core aspects of Peirce’s theory of judgment and inquiry. It follows from situating the role the pragmatic maxim serves in regulating scientific inquiry and distilling this maxim through Peirce’s theory of judgment. I go on to demonstrate how the Continuity of Explanation serves as a guide for developing more reasonable behavior. The characterization of Peircean pragmatism in terms of the Continuity of Explanation yields further advantages. It provides a unified framework to view Peirce’s metaphysics, offers a straightforward account of Peirce’s theory of action, and can account for Peirce’s increasing emphasis on the development of concrete reasonableness.
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Pat and Shelly were recently married. They both had been dedicated volunteers at their favorite charity for many years. They wanted to make certain the charity's programs continued even after they were gone.
Pat: We appreciated the organization's work. We hoped to register our commitment and support by making a gift that would last well into the future.
Shelly: A staff member at the organization asked us to consider making a gift to the endowment. We learned that the endowment was a fund that served as a permanent source of income for the organization's projects.
Pat: I liked that giving to the endowment would help the charity continue its programs on an ongoing basis.
Shelly: I also felt that the gift would provide a legacy for us. We were both thrilled that our gift would keep on giving to a cause we love.
The support of donors like Pat and Shelly makes our work possible. When you make an endowment gift, your gift is maintained in perpetuity and creates a lasting, meaningful difference. Please contact us to learn how to create your legacy through an endowment gift.
Is an endowment gift right for you?
If you would like to learn more about how you can make a gift to our endowment, please contact us. We would be happy to work with you to structure an endowment gift to meet your charitable goals.
*Please note: The names and image above are representative of a typical donor and may or may not be an actual donor to our organization.
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Quiz: Is this iconic character DC or Marvel?: HowStuffWorks
Is this iconic character DC or Marvel?
Isadora Teich
Image: Warner Bros.
DC and Marvel have created some of the most iconic characters of all time. Their comics and films have captivated audiences for generations. Test your iconic character IQ with this HowStuffWorks quiz!
Who created The Hulk?
This character was created by Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. The Hulk first appeared in 1962.
Penguin is a ________ character.
The Penguin is a deformed Gotham city mobster. He's one of the most enduring Batman villains.
Iron Man belongs to which company?
Iron Man belongs to DC and was not a major icon before the 2008 film starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. This hit film spearheaded the entire Marvel cinematic universe.
Black Panther belongs to which company?
Black Panther first appeared in comics in the 1960s. This groundbreaking character was the first black hero in mainstream American comics.
Lex Luthor is a _________ character.
Lex Luthor is a brilliant super villain and business man. He is Superman's main antagonist and considered one of the best comic book villains of all time.
Where is Batwoman from?
Batwoman is an heiress who, inspired by Batman, chooses to use her wealth to help fight crime in Gotham. She first appeared in 1956.
Poison Ivy is a _________ character.
Poison Ivy is a botanist gone bad and classic Batman villain. She appeared first in the 1960s.
Superman belongs to:
Superman is one of the most enduring heroes of all time. He was created by Ohio high school students in the 1930s.
Who does Loki belong to?
Loki is a trickster god borrowed from Norse myth. He is Thor's adopted brother and often an unpredictable and unhinged antagonist.
Batman belongs to the _________ universe.
Batman is perhaps the most iconic superhero of all time. Also known as The Caped Crusader, he first appeared as a detective figure in 1939.
Groot is a ________ character.
Groot is a sentient tree-like extraterrestrial. Despite being portrayed as rather lovable in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films," he began as a villainous invader in the 1960s.
Who owns The Joker?
The Joker made his first appearance in the 1940s. As a Batman antagonist and super villain, he has been portrayed as both wacky and campy and dark and sadistic over the years.
Where is Thor from?
Thor is a hero and god taken from Norse myth. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heroes of all time, with an over 50-year run.
Where is Catwoman from?
Catwoman first appeared in 1940. She is both Batman's love interest and one of the most enduring DC antagonists.
Star-Lord belongs to:
Star-Lord began as an interplanetary crime fighter in the 1970s. The character has recently joined the Marvel cinematic universe.
Captain America is a __________ character.
Captain America first appeared in comics in 1941. The character is a staple of the Marvel cinematic universe.
Who created Spider-Man?
Spider-Man is owned by Marvel. Stan Lee is one of the creators of this iconic hero.
Where is Nightwing from?
Nightwing most commonly refers to Robin, after he moves on from being Batman's sidekick. The character has origins in Superman stories, however, and first appeared in 1963.
Green Arrow is from:
Green Arrow first appeared in 1941. He is both a billionaire businessman and a crime fighting archer.
Where is Harley Quinn from?
Harley Quinn is a lover and villain assistant of The Joker. She first appeared in the famous '90s cartoon "Batman: The Animated Series."
Black Widow is a part of which universe?
Black Widow first appeared in Marvel comics in the 1960s. She was originally a villain before switching sides.
Flash is from:
Several characters have taken up the role of Flash. This super speedy character first appeared in 1940.
Green Lantern is a _____________ character.
Several characters have taken up the Green Lantern mantle throughout comic book history. The character fights crime throughout the universe using a magic ring.
Where is Supergirl from?
Supergirl is a cousin of Superman. She has similar powers to the iconic hero and shares his weakness for Kryptonite.
Bane belongs to which company?
Bane is one of Batman's most formidable foes. He appeared first in 1993.
Who owns Aquaman?
Aquaman first appeared in 1941 and is a founding member of the Justice League of America. He is the King of Atlantis and master of the sea.
Wonder Woman is a __________ character.
Wonder Woman was partially created by a psychiatrist in the 1940s, who was inspired by early feminists and his unconventional relationship with his wife. She is a founding member of the Justice League of America.
Deadpool originally appeared in _________ comics.
Deadpool is a crass and unstable antihero that first appeared in comics in 1991. He is famous for breaking the fourth wall and a bizarre sense of humor.
Where is Wolverine from?
Wolverine first appeared in an Incredible Hulk comic in the 1970s, before later being revamped and joining the X-Men.
Where is Jessica Jones from?
Jessica Jones is an ex-superhero turned private investigator. She first appeared in 2001.
Commissioner Gordon belongs to which company?
James Gordon is the police commissioner of Gotham and a major ally of Batman. He was the first supporting Batman character ever introduced.
Storm is from ________ comics.
Storm is a mutant and one of the X-Men. She first appeared in 1975 and is considered to be one of Marvel's most important superheroes.
Where is Luke Cage from?
Luke Cage appeared first in the 1970s. He was the first black title character and protagonist in mainstream American comics.
Mystique belongs to:
Mystique is an iconic shapeshifter known for her blue skin. She is a famous villain and has been an X-Men antagonist since the 1970s.
Daredevil is a __________ character.
Daredevil first appeared in the 1960s, but became an iconic part of the Marvel universe in the 1980s. Although blind, this hero has superhuman senses which allow him to fight crime.
Is This Character Marvel or DC?
Can You Match The Marvel Character to Their Alter Ego?
Which "Batman" Character Are You?
There Are 100s of DC Characters — We'll Be Impressed if You Can Name 40!
Can You Identify the Marvel Character From Three Hints?
There Are Over 1100 Marvel Characters — We'll Be Impressed If You Can Name 40!
The Ultimate Marvel Villain Quiz
Which Anime Character Are You?
If We Describe Their Powers, Can You ID These Superheroes?
What Combo of Marvel and DC Characters Are You?
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Justia Patents Switch Or RelayUS Patent Application for DIAGNOSIS AND MAINTENANCE DEVICE FOR A SWITCHGEAR ASSEMBLY AND CORRESPONDING SWITCHGEAR ASSEMBLY Patent Application (Application #20120262300)
DIAGNOSIS AND MAINTENANCE DEVICE FOR A SWITCHGEAR ASSEMBLY AND CORRESPONDING SWITCHGEAR ASSEMBLY
Apr 19, 2012 - ABB AG
A diagnosis and maintenance device is provided for a switchgear assembly, for example, a low-voltage switchgear assembly. The diagnosis and maintenance device includes a data processing device and at least one first, internal interface device, which is connected to at least one connected and communication-capable apparatus in the switchgear assembly in a communicating manner and polls and/or processes the diagnosis and maintenance information and/or status information of the connected and communication-capable apparatus and provides said information in an accessible manner as usable and/or human-readable information and/or outputs and/or displays said information as usable and/or human-readable information. A switchgear assembly having such a device is also provided.
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This application claims priority as a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 to PCT/EP2010/005822, which was filed as an International Application on Sep. 23, 2010 designating the U.S., and which claims priority to German Application 10 2009 049 931.8 filed in Germany on Oct. 19, 2009. The entire contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
The present disclosure relates to a diagnosis and maintenance device for a switchgear assembly, such as a low-voltage switchgear assembly, for example, and to a switchgear assembly, such as a low-voltage switchgear assembly, for example, with such a device.
In known installations and devices, diagnosis and maintenance information is generally integrated in the respective individual apparatus and can be retrieved, output and displayed via a wide variety of communications interfaces and channels externally or by means of systems which are to be installed and set up separately and with comparatively high complexity and corresponding tools, for example, systems for maintenance management, asset management systems or SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems outside the switchgear assembly.
The installation and upkeep complexity involved with such systems, for example, from a technical point of view, is comparatively high in this case. Handling and use of these systems is also comparatively complex and generally cannot be managed without special training and specialist technical knowledge.
Retrieval, in particular remote retrieval, which is as simple and efficient as possible of information available or provided in situ in a switchgear assembly, in particular diagnosis and maintenance information relating to the various switchgear assembly components or fittings, has until now not been possible, or only possible to an unsatisfactory extent, however.
An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a diagnosis and maintenance device for a switchgear assembly. The exemplary diagnosis and maintenance device includes a data processing device, and at least one first, internal interface device, which has a communications link with at least one connected and communications-ready apparatus in the switchgear assembly. The internal interface device is configured to retrieve at least one of diagnosis and maintenance information and status information of the apparatus in the switchgear assembly. The data processing device is configured to at least one of: condition the retrieved information; provide the retrieved information for callup as at least one of usable and human-readable information; output the retrieved information; and display the retrieved information.
Additional refinements, advantages and features of the present disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a switchpanel with a plurality of switchgear assemblies each having a diagnosis and maintenance device for a switchgear assembly, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved and simplified retrieval of maintenance and diagnosis information available in situ relating to a switchgear assembly.
The diagnosis and maintenance device according to the disclosure for a switchgear assembly, for example, a low-voltage switchgear assembly, includes a data processing device and at least one first, internal interface device, which has a communications link with at least one connected and communications-ready apparatus in the respective switchgear assembly and retrieves the diagnosis and maintenance information and/or status information, for example, the information stored or secured for callup in situ in the respective apparatuses themselves, of the device and/or conditions the information and provides this information for callup as usable and/or human-readable information, for example, in the form of formulated text, tables and/or lists and/or graphically, for example, as a curve diagram, and/or outputs the information and/or displays the information.
This means that control and protection apparatuses, gateways, other controllers of the switchgear assembly, for example, a low voltage switchgear assembly (LV switchgear assembly), have a communications link with this apparatus, the diagnosis and maintenance device, and/or are connected to this apparatus. The diagnosis and maintenance information is retrieved, collected and conditioned and is output and/or displayed, for example, via a man-machine interface (MMI) or a human-machine interface (HMI).
The display or representation can in this case be in list form, in continuous text form, by means of masks and/or with the incorporation of buttons for various types of filters and/or sortings. In order to provide this, the diagnosis and maintenance device can include at least one external interface device for external communication, for example, via Internet and/or Ethernet, with at least one external data processing device, for example, a computer processing device (e.g., computer) such as a desktop computer, a notebook or laptop computer, a PDA or a web-enabled cellular or mobile phone.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the diagnosis and maintenance device includes at least one data store for storing data for diagnosis or maintenance or for additional functions which are accessible and available for callup and capable of being displayed via the respective man-machine interface, for example, in list form, with filters, as text, as a graphical representation, as a curve or the like, in interaction with the data processing device.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the diagnosis and maintenance device is self-configuring.
Furthermore, provision can be made for the diagnosis and maintenance device to be temporarily or permanently or else remotely usable.
The above-described features of the present disclosure facilitate access, for example, remote access, to the information stored or secured in situ, such as diagnosis and/or maintenance information and/or status information relating to a low-voltage switchgear assembly.
By means of a diagnosis and maintenance device as specified above, the respective requirement whereby the respective user or operator needs to be an expert in respect of the respective switchgear assembly, for example, the respective low-voltage switchgear assembly, is now obsolete; even special technical training and/or instruction is no longer required. For instance, it is no longer necessary to read a handbook or to study or to interpret any specific instructions in order to be able to read or understand the maintenance or diagnosis information relating to the respective switchgear assembly, since the diagnosis and maintenance device performs all of these functions and tasks.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, corresponding help text is available or can be called up in the diagnosis and maintenance device in relation to each diagnosis or maintenance alarm and/or notification, and this help text contains and/or provides all of the necessary information/details relating to basic questions, such as
Where has it happened?
Who needs to do something?
What is the cause?
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, provision can be made for hierarchically superordinate systems to be able to gain access to the corresponding information, such as lists or data, for example, automatically or in automated fashion via filter transfer, for example, or via an integrated external OPC interface.
Access is likewise possible via the integrated man-machine interface (MMI), for example, by means of web server technology or by means of other comparable systems and technologies.
Furthermore, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a switchgear assembly, for example, a low-voltage switchgear assembly, which includes such a diagnosis and maintenance device of the above-described type.
Additional features and advantageous configurations and developments of the present disclosure will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing.
FIG. 1 shows a switchpanel with three low-voltage switchgear assemblies 1a, 1b, 1c, wherein each of the switchgear assemblies 1a, 1b, 1c has a diagnosis and maintenance device 4 for a switchgear assembly. The respective diagnosis and maintenance device 4 in this case includes at least one data processing device 6, and at least one first interface device 8, which is intended for internal communication and has a communications link with all communications-ready apparatuses and/or withdrawal-part modules which are connected and arranged in the respective switchgear assembly 1a, 1b, 1c, for example, motor control modules, motor starters, modules for power distribution, circuit breakers or the like. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the data processing device 6 is configured to retrieve, via the interface device 8, diagnosis and maintenance information, for example, information which is stored or secured in situ in the apparatuses or modules themselves. In addition, the data processing device 6 is configured to condition and/or output the retrieved information as usable and/or human-readable information, for example, as formulated text, tables and/or lists and/or output in graphically conditioned form and/or displayed.
In order to output the conditioned information, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, at least one further interface device 10 intended for external communication is provided, wherein diagnosis and maintenance information is retrieved from the individual apparatuses and/or modules, collected, conditioned by means of the data processing device 6 of the diagnosis and maintenance device 4 and output and/or displayed by means of the at least one further interface device 10 by means of a man-machine interface (MMI) or human-machine interface (HMI) on at least one further external data processing device, for example, a desktop computer 12 and/or a notebook computer and/or a laptop computer and/or a PDA 14 and/or a cellular or mobile phone.
The internal and external communication can in this case be in wired 16 or wireless 18 form, for example, incorporating and using OPC technology and related protocols or else the Internet and Ethernet technology. The use of known buses and field bus systems, such as Profibus, Modbus, CAN, CANopen, USB, SCSI, Ethernet or the like, for example, and related interfaces and protocols is also conceivable. Corresponding interfaces and tools are provided by the respective interface device 8, 10.
Wireless communication can in this case be realized by means of WLAN, Bluetooth, radio or infrared.
The display or representation and the respective callup of the corresponding information can in this case take place in interaction with the data processing device 6, interface devices 8, 10 and MMI selectively in list form, as continuous text, by means of corresponding masks and/or incorporating functional buttons for various types of filters and/or sortings. Conversion into other data formats or export of the respective information into a predetermined other data format is advantageously also possible.
The first interface device 8 and the data processing device 6 have the capacity, via the corresponding means and devices, to detect and read a large number of different data formats, for example, of the various switchgear assembly modules and/or apparatuses.
Furthermore, the diagnosis and maintenance device 4 includes at least one data store 18 (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a non-volatile memory) for storing data for diagnosis or maintenance or for additional functions and program code means, which are accessible and available for callup and can be displayed via the respective man-machine interface and in interaction with the data processing device 6.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the diagnosis and maintenance device 4 can also be designed with withdrawable-part technology in the form of one of the switchgear assembly modules such that it can be inserted temporarily or permanently into the respective switchgear assembly, as required.
Furthermore, the diagnosis and maintenance device 4 can be configured individually and can be adapted and designed, by applying corresponding program code means, for the requirements/application areas of the respective switchgear assembly and the fittings and apparatuses/modules thereof, for example, with specific to specific data formats and communications protocols.
The above-cited disclosure facilitates access, such as remote access, to the information secured or stored in situ, including diagnosis and/or maintenance information relating to a low-voltage switchgear assembly.
Advantageously, provision can be made for hierarchically superordinate systems, for example a corresponding process management system, to have the capacity to access the corresponding information automatically or in automated fashion by means of file transfer, for example, and/or via the at least one integrated external interface device.
In addition, information can be output or access can be gained to the available maintenance and diagnosis information in interaction with an MMI provided directly at the switchgear assembly (in situ) as well, for example a touchscreen 20 or a control panel.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.
1. A diagnosis and maintenance device for a switchgear assembly, comprising:
a data processing device; and
at least one first, internal interface device, which has a communications link with at least one connected and communications-ready apparatus in the switchgear assembly,
wherein the internal interface device is configured to retrieve at least one of diagnosis and maintenance information and status information of the apparatus in the switchgear assembly, and
wherein the data processing device is configured to at least one of: condition the retrieved information; provide the retrieved information for callup as at least one of usable and human-readable information; output the retrieved information; and display the retrieved information.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface device at least one of (i) provides a communications link to and (ii) connects the diagnosis and maintenance device with at least one of control and protection devices, gateways, and controllers of the switchgear assembly.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processing device is configured to retrieve, via the interface device, diagnosis and maintenance information, and collect and condition the retrieved diagnosis and maintenance information.
4. The device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:
at least one further, external interface device configured to provide external communication, via at least one of Internet and Ethernet, with at least one external data processing device.
at least one data store configured to store data for at least one of diagnosis, maintenance and status analysis.
6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device is self-configuring.
7. A switchgear assembly comprising a diagnosis and maintenance device as claimed in claim 1.
8. The switchgear assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the switchgear assembly is a low-voltage switchgear assembly.
9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switchgear assembly is a low-voltage switchgear assembly.
10. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the data processing device is configured to retrieve, via the interface device, diagnosis and maintenance information, and collect and condition the retrieved diagnosis and maintenance information.
11. The device as claimed in claim 2, comprising:
13. The device as claimed in claim 11, comprising:
14. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said device is self-configuring.
15. A switchgear assembly comprising a diagnosis and maintenance device as claimed in claim 13.
16. The switchgear assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the switchgear assembly is a low-voltage switchgear assembly.
17. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the switchgear assembly is a low-voltage switchgear assembly.
Applicant: ABB AG (Mannheim)
Inventors: Hans-Peter MERKEL (Schriesheim), Matthias Forstbach (Einhausen), Ralf Graf (Mannheim)
Current U.S. Class: Switch Or Relay (340/644)
International Classification: G08B 21/18 (20060101);
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PM: (PM to visit Uzbekistan on Nov 17-18)
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif will pay an official visit to Uzbekistan on November 17-18, 2015. The visit is part of the regular high-level exchanges between the two brotherly countries.
Relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan are marked by cordiality, warmth and close cooperation in many fields. The two countries share similar views on major regional and international issues and collaborate closely in multilateral forums including the UN, OIC, ECO, and SCO.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Adviser to the Prime Minster on National Security and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Aviation and senior officials.
Pakistan attaches high importance to its deep historical bonds with Central Asia and is committed to expanding mutually-beneficial cooperation with all the countries in the region. The Prime Minister’s visit to Uzbekistan is reflective of this high priority and broader commitment to further deepen Pakistan’s engagement with Central Asia.
The visit would provide an important opportunity to strengthen and consolidate cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, regional connectivity, culture, tourism and people-to-people contacts, while also exploring new areas of collaboration. The two leaders would also review the evolving regional peace and security scenario and discuss ways in which the two countries could work together and better coordinate to confront terrorist threats in the region.
During his stay in Tashkent, the Prime Minister would have meetings with President Islam Karimov, covering all aspects of bilateral relations. The leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. A Joint Declaration and a few documents will be signed during the visit, for enhancing bilateral ties.
Free hand for street encroachers on holidays
FO: (Pakistan conveys concern to Afghanistan over cross-border shelling)
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Our theory of very nearly everything: the particles
Elias Riedel Gårding
Submitted by Rachel on February 15, 2019
What is everything made of? Even asking this question may seem a bit naive, let alone expecting a sensible answer. But one of the big miracles of science is that we know the answer to a spectacular (albeit not quite perfect) level of detail.
Atoms and beyond
In school, we learn that ordinary matter is made of atoms. Atoms were originally considered the smallest building blocks of matter (the word atom means "indivisible") and the 100 or so different types of atoms are collected in the periodic table that hangs on the walls of chemistry classrooms in every corner of the world.
The periodic table of elements (Image from PubChem blog at the National Institutes of Health.)
But atoms are not the end of the story. You will remember that an atom consists of electrons orbiting a central nucleus made up of protons and neutrons. The electrons arrange themselves in shells around the nucleus and get stuck to the electrons in other atoms to form complicated arrangements; this is the basis of chemistry and of all the variety in the different kinds of matter we see around us. In fact, protons and neutrons are themselves composed of tiny constituents called up-quarks and down-quarks (a proton consists of two up-quarks and one down-quark, a neutron of one up-quark and two down-quarks).
A proton is made of two up quarks and one down quark. Image Arpad Horvath.
This is certainly worth pondering. All the matter in our everyday lives – the air, the oceans, rocks and metal, trees, ducks, human resource managers, our friends and enemies, every planet and every star – is made out of just three particles: the electron, the up-quark and the down-quark. All the differences between these various types of matter stem from how those particles are arranged together.
The particles of our universe
Is there anything in the Universe that is not made out of quarks and electrons? It may be difficult to think of such a thing immediately, since I eliminated most possibilities in the previous paragraph. But there is one familiar substance that eventually springs to mind: light.
It may seem strange to refer to light as a "substance", but modern physics has firmly established that light is in fact quite similar to matter. It moves at a finite speed (the famous number c, which is approximately 300 000 km/s), it is affected by gravity (as predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity) and it even consists of tiny particles, called photons.
If even light is made of particles, it seems a fair guess that everything is made of particles. Apart from the four we know of so far, can we find any more? The answer is yes; since the birth of modern particle physics, we have discovered a whole slew of them in cosmic rays and in particle colliders. Fortunately, after much head-scratching, it has turned out that they are all different combinations composed from a small set of particles that are – as far as we know today – fundamental (ie, truly indivisible). There are seventeen of them, as shown in the table below.
The known fundamental particles (Image MissMJ)
First, we have three families (we call them generations) each consisting of four matter particles: two quarks and two, so-called, leptons. In the first family we find our by now familiar up-quark, down-quark and electron, as well as a fourth particle, the electron neutrino. This is an almost massless particle that is produced in huge quantities in the sun but mostly passes right through ordinary matter. The pattern of two quarks and two leptons is repeated twice more, so that there are twelve matter particles in total, grouped into three generations. Apart from being heavier, the particles in the latter two generations have exactly the same properties as those in the first. This is a rather strange state of affairs, but it seems to just be that way.
Next, there are four, so-called, gauge bosons, of which the photon is one. The gauge bosons are associated with three of the four fundamental forces of nature: the gluon corresponds to the strong nuclear force, the photon to the electromagnetic force, and the W and Z bosons to the weak nuclear force. (The fourth fundamental force is gravity – more on this in the followup articles.)
Finally, there is the Higgs boson, world-famous since its discovery at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in 2012 . The Higgs boson is perhaps the strangest of the known fundamental particles (even stranger than the aptly named strange quark). If you followed its discovery, you may recognize the claim that particles gain mass through their interactions with the Higgs boson.
The particles shown in the table above, together with Einstein's theory of gravity, account for every observation ever made in physics, with only a small handful of exceptions (mostly in astronomy, you can read more in the final article). In particular, all of the things we encounter in our regular lives ultimately arise from these particles interacting with each other; the interactions individually are rather simple, but together adding up to all the complexity we observe, like a complex machinery where each component on its own behaves according to simple rules. In the next article I will tell you about these rules in a little more detail.
Elias Riedel Gårding grew up in Stockholm and chose physics instead of programming for his undergraduate degree because his secondary school physics class was frankly not very good, and he wanted to see what he was missing. He has always been interested in the most basic laws of nature – those of fundamental physics – but it wasn't until his master's degree in theoretical physics that he got to study them properly. He thinks quantum field theory, the basic paradigm of particle physics, deserves to be more widely known, hence this article series.
Well written, easy to understand
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Mexican Prisoners
Joni's Story
In this little Gospel tract, Joni shares her testimony of how God worked in her life so powerfully after becoming quadriplegic in July 1967. She underwent overwhelming physical and emotional trials, but through continual prayer and support of family and ...
Lisa’s ministry provides eye exams and eyeglasses to Mexican prisoners who lack basic medical and vision care.
Download: Eye Health Information
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to Joni and Friends.
Just recently I was reading an article that stated how the U.S. prison population has recently quadrupled. And with it, has surfaced issues regarding prison health care. Now, we all have differing opinions on where our tax dollars should go and whether a person who has committed a crime should have access to health care, but regardless of where we stand, we should be proud that we live in a nation that does have a pretty good prison medical system. But not all nations are the same.
Take Mexico. Although there is a prison medical system in that country, health services in Mexican prisons are woefully lacking. A publication by the Human Rights Watch explains that part of the problem is related to sanitation problems in prisons. Often, Mexican prisons simply do not have the staff to provide proper patient care. Now normally, such an issue would not interest me. But my good friend and coworker Lisa, has visited many Mexican prisons on church mission trips; she gives medical support and share God’s word. Lisa and her team from church do eye exams on qualified prisoners and provide custom-fitted eye-glasses to the prisoners in need. Believe me, she has seen a lot of inmates with eye problems. She has also seen firsthand how many Mexican prisoners go without medical care. But what was most astonishing to her were the extraordinary number of prisoners in Mexico who are blind, far more many than in the U.S. The blindness is most often due to glaucoma or cataracts, eye conditions that in the United States can be easily treated. But in Mexican prisons, there are no regular eye exams. There isn’t treatment or medication readily available. As a result, thousands of prisoners are blind, mostly due to a lack of basic (and I mean really basic) care. What’s more, many of these inmates don’t even have access to eyeglasses, which, of course, Lisa and her team are happy to provide. Once prisoners can read, they readily receive the Good News of Jesus.
Shortly after Lisa returned home from one of her mission trips to Mexico, she shared Luke chapter 4 with me. There, Jesus says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind.” Wow! Right there, Jesus makes much of the poor, those who are prisoners, and those who are blind. And although Jesus is drawing a spiritual analogy, this passage really means something personal to Lisa. I think this is why she is so dedicated to her church’s mission to provide good eye care to prisoners in poor countries. Yes, these men are incarcerated and yes, many of them have sinned greatly, but to Lisa, the prisoners are no different from you or me when it comes down to our desperate need of Jesus. We are all poor and blind and imprisoned without Him.
Thankfully, we live in the most developed nation in the world where access to good eye care is readily available, and so on this being Glaucoma Awareness Month, I want to provide you with a downloadable resource sheet on eye health – it’s so practical, even explaining in detail what you should expect out of a good eye exam. So, download your free gift on eye health by visiting my radio page at joniandfriends.org. And pray for prisoners everywhere who need to have their eyes opened to the glories of the Gospel.
Photo: Wikipedia.org
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Events > July 31, 2018
#33 Dispatches from the Grassroots - Ocasio 2018
On June 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history. Her victory in the Democratic primaries last month rocked the political world – and it all happened at the heart of Queens and the Bronx. Hundreds of people who believed in her message of racial, economic, and social dignity for all volunteered in different ways: from canvassing, texting, and phone-banking, to applying their skills in photography, design, and data.
The work of the grassroots heavily contributed to Alexandria’s win. At her victory party, Ocasio-Cortez said “this win belongs to each and every one of you”, speaking to the grassroots movement she has started. Who are the grassroots activists that propelled her victory? Where did they start, how were they able to create change, and how can we contribute to actions that affect our community?
We will be joined by Virginia Ramos-Rios, campaign manager of Ocasio 2018; Corey Torpie, campaign photographer; Aaron Taube, DSA Queens Field Coordinator; Ingrid Gomez, volunteer and activist from Corona, Queens; Scott Starrett, Principal at Tandem NYC, the firm behind Alexandria’s posters and design assets. They will share their individual stories, the lessons they’ve learned, and how all of these contributed to the biggest political upset of the year.
Progressive HackNight is hosting a series called “Dispatches from the Grassroots” - a focus and celebration of the grassroots movement whose works behind the scenes affects positive change in their communities.
Note: Progressive HackNight is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. We are legally not allowed to participate in electioneering and coordinating with campaigns.
6:15 - 6:35: Registration / Check-in / Happy Hour
6:35 - 6:45: Introductions / Announcements
6:45 - 7:15: Dispatches from the grassroots - Ocasio 2018
7:15 - 9:30: Breakout
If you want to bring your project remember to fill out a GitHub issue in our Project Ideas repo!
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The Bamboo Stalk
Arabic Literature, book reviews, Fiction, Foreign Literature, International Prize for Arabic Fiction, Jonathan Wright, Kuwati Literature, Novels, Philippine LIterature, Reading Suggestions, Saud Alsanousi, The Bamboo Stalk, Translated Literature, World Literature
“My name is José. In the Philippines it’s pronounced the English way, with an h sound at the start. In Arabic, rather like in Spanish, it begins with a kh sound. In Portuguese, through it’s written the same way, it opens with a j, as in Joseph. All these versions are completely different from my name here in Kuwait, where I’m known as Isa.”
This novel by Saud Alsanousi started off a little slow for me, but after about sixty pages it caught hold and became compelling. It is an émigré novel: about cultural displacement and the failure of socio-economic acceptance. José or Isa, is a mulatto. The son of a wealthy Kuwaiti father and his Philippine maid mother, who while in the employ of this leading Kuwati family, unusually, but temporarily, becomes a wife. As the marriage would create a scandal, there is a quick divorce, forced by his father’s mother. His father vows to support Isa and to have him return to Kuwait when he is older. Like the author, Isa’s father was a journalist and activist. He is killed during Iraq’s invasion and temporary conquest of Kuwait.
” I was more like a bamboo plant, which doesn’t belong anywhere in particular. You can cut off a piece of that stalk and plant it without roots in any piece of ground. Before long the stalk sprouts new roots and starts to grow again in the new ground, with no past, no memory. It doesn’t notice that people have different names for it – kawayan in the Philippines, khaizuran in Kuwait, and bamboo in many places.”
At first Isa believes he can find comfort and acceptance through religion. He explores Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. He found that he did not need icons or miracles to find faith.
“Religions are bigger than these adherents. That’s what I’ve concluded. Devotion to tangible things no longer matters as far as I’m concerned. I don’t want to be like my mother, who only pray to a cross, as if God lived in it. I don’t want to be like one of the Ifugao and never take a step unless it is sanctioned by anito statues, which help my work prosper, protect my crops and save me from evil spirits at night. I don’t want to be like Inang Choleng, tying my relationship to God to a favourite statue of Buddha. I don’t want to seek baraka from a statue of a white horse with wings and the head of a woman, as some Muslims do in the Philippines.”
The novel is not flattering to Kuwait, particularly its upper social strata. They are trapped more by their maintenance of their social status than by their religion. The author does not paint them with one brush. There are differences, but in the end, the country remains insular. It suffers from passively created wealth. There is a secular shallowness from drilling, in spite of, or compounded by, strong religious beliefs. José ultimately finds his humanity in himself, despite Isa’s disillusionment with his Kuwaiti dream.
This novel was the recipient of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. It was translated by Jonathan Wright. It is worth your time.
A God in Every Stone
A God in Every Stone, Archaeological Fiction, Baileys Womens Prize, Burnt Shadows, Colonialism, Foreign Literature, historical fiction, Indian LIterature, Kamila Shamsie, Novels, Pakistani Literature, Women's Literature, World Literature
Kamila Shamsie’s A God in Every Stone is a beautifully crafted work of literature that captures the history of conquest, exploration, and colonialism from Darius to Gandhi. The venue is Peshawar, prior to and after the First World War, when it was part of India and under British colonial rule. For Vivian Rose Spencer, an intrepid English young woman who has been taught archaeology by her much older Turkish/Armenian mentor and subsequent surreptitious husband, the holy grail becomes the search for a circlet of figs given by Darius to the ancient Greek explorer Scylax and lost to history since 334 B.C. According to Herodotus, Darius I had Scylax explore the Indus river to determine where it reached the sea. Scylax set out from Caspatyrus, which is now near Peshawar, but then Pactyike. Upon reaching the sea he sailed across the Indian Ocean, up the Red Sea and then returned to Darius. Southwestern Turkey, called Caria at the time of Scylax, was captured by the Hecatomnids. They treated the Circlet as a prized possession and stamped its image on their coins. In 334 B.C. Alexander the Great conquered Caria.
Separated during the First World War, Tahsin Bey, Ms. Spencer’s husband, writes her that the Circlet might be in Peshawar. She travels there and develops a life-long relationship with a young boy, Najeeb, who becomes her local guide and secret archaeology student. His education by Ms. Spencer becomes problematic for Najeeb’s mother, as a Pathan would not be alone with a woman and Najeeb was ignoring his Islamic teachings. Najeeb’s brother Qayyum, a loyal soldier to the Crown as a member of the 40th Pathans, returns home from England where he learned the prejudice of colonial Britain toward its Pashtun, Dogras and Punjabis soldiers while recovering in an English hospital after a war injury. The drama of the novel is captured by the disintegration of colonial India through the peaceful revolution of the Congress Party under Gandhi, as played out in Peshawar by Ms. Spencer, Najeeb and Qayyum.
The author imparts the cultures, prejudices, and landscape of Peshawar throughout the novel. On his initial guide through Peshawar Najeeb takes Ms. Spencer down all the lanes of the city: the famed Street of Storytellers, the Street of Dentists, The Street of Potters, The Street of Money-Changers, the Street of Partridge Lovers.
“The Street of Englishwomen?’
“They buy and sell Englishwomen there. We will try to avoid it”
“Take a detour through the Street of Inventive Guides if you must”
“He looked delighted to be caught out, and she found she was delighted to have been teased.”
She learns that he speaks Pashto, but at home they speak Hindko.
“We are more Peshawari than Pathan, but we’re also Pathan. Buy everyone here speaks both Hindko and Pashto and many people Urdu and also English and every language of the world someone here can speak. This is Peshawar.”
Ms Shamsie’s novel is a tapestry upon which a page-turning story rests. It was shortlisted for Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2015, because it has a bevy of strong English and Peshawari women breaking free from the mores of their time and religion.
I was originally searching for Ms. Shamsie’s previous novel Burnt Shadows which was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for fiction. I will look for that novel even more now. This exquisite novel is a very worthwhile read.
Parrot & Olivier in America
Alexis de Tocqueville, American Fiction, American Literature, book reviews, Fiction, historical fiction, immigration, Novels, Parrot & Olivier in America, Peter Carey, Reading Suggestions
Peter Carey employs Parrot, an orphan boy saved by servitude to French nobility, and Olivier, a fictionalized Alexis de Tocqueville, to recreate his life and to create a vignette from his Democracy in America. It juxtaposes the cultural and religious prejudices of French aristocracy with that of the nascent American mercantile and gentleman farmer class of the 1830s. Olivier, a product of inborn status in France, becomes supplicant to the entrepreneurial Parrot, who ostensibly acts as his Secretary, while being paid to spy on Olivier by Olivier’s mother in France. The overriding theme is that America offers upward mobility, while France can’t evolve from the upheaval of the French Revolution, Napoleon and the Second Revolution. Olivier, like de Tocqueville, came to America on the pretext of examining America’s penal system. This permits a peak at the underbelly of America, through its prisons and Parrot and his painter wife’s climb up the economic ladder.
Carey captures the aristocratic ambivalence of de Tocqueville toward the will of the majority in America. For him, it creates a race to the bottom, both politically and culturely. He feels that Parrot’s wife’s art is plebeian, unworthy of some acclaim she receives in America. Politically, he presages the Age of Jackson. Parrot, on the other hand, sees America, like himself, as a work in progress. America of the 1830s is optimistic, France is not.
“Yes, and you will follow fur traders and woodsmen as your presidents, and they will be as barbarians at the head of armies, ignorant of geography and science, the leaders of a mob daily educated by a perfidious press which will make them so confident and ignorant that the only books on their shelves will be instruction manuals, the only theatre gaudy spectacles, the paintings made to please that vulgar class of bankers, men of no moral character, half-bourgeois and half-criminal, who will affect the tastes of an aristocracy but will compete with each other like wrestlers at a fair, wishing only to pay the highest price for the most fashionable artist. Do not laugh, sir. Listen. I have traveled widely. I have seen this country in its infancy. I tell you what it will become. The public squares will be occupied by an uneducated class who will not be able to quote a line of Shakespeare.”
There is some truth to Olivier’s soliloquy, but it was too early to for him to witness the impact of immigration on America.
The novel is an entertaining read, that remains as truthful to the portion of de Tocqueville’s life that it captures. Through well-drawn characters it reflects the time and place of the period in France and America. It would be a good companion to Democracy in America.
Ancient Rome Triology, book reviews, Cicero, Dictator, Fiction, historical fiction, Literature, Novels, Political Fiction, Reading Suggestions, Robert Harris
In the last book in Robert Harris’ Ancient Rome Trilogy, Dictator, captures the House of Cards that was Rome in the period beginning in the last half of 1 BC. The Dictators are Gaius Julius Caesar, Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius) and Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian (aka Augustus), following the failures of the first (Caesar, Pompey and Marcus Crassus) and second (Octavian, Antony and Marcus Lepidus) Triumvirates. The novel is drawn from Cicero’s secretary Tiro imagined biography of Cicero during the final fifteen years of his life. It is principally political fiction, focusing on Cicero as statesman and lawyer and not as philosopher. The focus is on Cicero, the Republican savior. The biography is after Cicero served as Consul and instituted martial law to avert the overthrow of the Republic and his assassination by the Catiline conspirators. In an ironic twist, it is Caesar who argues for life imprisonment of the conspirators, fearing the precedent that Cicero and the Senate would set by instituting the death penalty without any judicial intervention.
History is replete with familiar and political intrigue, so the backdrop for this historical fiction makes the novel a political thriller. The prose is modern prose. This is not literary fiction. The intent is to reveal the history and the politics in a fast paced novel, and in this it succeeds. The historical base for the biography is Plutarch’s Parallel Livers (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Cicero*.html
Plutarch drew upon the discovery of Cicero’s letters. Dictator adds imagined dialogue to the history. As with Plutarch’s Lives, this novel is also a study of human characters on a world stage.
The novel is a reminder that hypocrisy is a function of power. It would be an excellent companion to a secondary school course covering ancient history. If you enjoy history or politics, you will find it entertaining.
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Racial Geography Tour
Explore the history of the University of Texas campus
Neo-Confederate University
201 W 21st St, Austin, TX 78705
This stop provides a view of the entire South Mall, a moment of reflection on the celebratory vision behind the architectural and commemorative landscape of this iconic part of campus, and insights into the continuing legacy of this space.
Info: The South Mall's Allegiance to a New Nationalism
Littlefield Fountain panorama, 1933, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
As supplementary material for this stop we provide a video analysis of the complex meaning of the entire South Mall and its statuary. In many ways this analysis can be extended to the entire UT campus, because up to the 1970’s the campus continued to be shaped in the image of its Neo-confederate legacy. As we can be seen through others of the supplemental essays, this legacy maintained its patriarchal, militaristic, and white supremacist core as it changed in subtle but important ways over time.
Correspondence, Mr. William J. Battle to Dr. R.E. Vinson, 22 of September 1921. Box VF/15/C.b, President’s Office Records. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Mendoza, Alexander. “Causes Lost but not Forgotten: George Washington Littlefield, Jefferson Davis and Confederate Memories at the University of Texas.” In The Fate of Texas: The Civil War and the Lone Star State, edited by Charles D. Grear, 155–179, Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press, 2008.
——–“The Vision of Littlefield Preserved: Memorializing the Confederacy at the University of Texas at Austin. “The Journal of the West 51, No. 2 (2012), 49-59.
Images appearing in 360 video:
BlazerMan. “UT Tower Burnt Orange,” Wikimedia, 6 Jan. 2006. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UT-Tower-BurntOrange.jpg
So having said all that, we’re now standing looking towards the tower from Littlefield Fountain. And I think the thing that… This is, again, a site that people have used as the backdrop for thousands of photographs, graduations and otherwise. It’s where we appreciated our national championship from the tower lit up, et cetera.
But one of the things that it tells me when I look up at this configuration of statuary and architecture and all that, is the fact that at least when it was constructed, this university was a Neo-Confederate university. And, importantly, it’s a Neo-Confederate university, not necessarily a Confederate university. So, it’s not one that necessarily has as its objectives a reconstitution of the Antebellum South. And, in fact, it left that behind, but it has as its… It is a celebration and has as its objective the consolidation of a New South and of a new Texas, of a Neo-Confederate one which sees, again, patriarchy, authoritarianism, militarism and white supremacy and a certain kind of predatory industrial capitalism at the center of its project.
Effect: None Desaturate Saturate Lighten Darken Sepia
1. Littlefield Mansion
2. Women's Campus
3. Gearing Hall
4. Painter Hall
5. Steps of West Mall
6. South Mall
7. South Plaza Architecture
8. Jefferson Davis and George Washington Statues
9. Albert Sidney Johnston Statue
10. Robert E. Lee Statue
11. Right Side of Littlefield Fountain
12. Neo-Confederate University
13. PCL and Alumni Center
14. Campus Confederate Flags
15. Texas Cowboy Pavilion
16. Simkins and Creekside Residence Halls
17. Robert Lee Moore and Jim Bob Moffett Buildings
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Here at Power to Decide, we are committed to uplifting the many individuals who are on the ground doing the work that matters most. Each month we highlight an individual or organization who is championing the effort to give young people the power to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child. Check out this month's Power Player profile.
Elise Schuster
Co-Founder, okayso
What work have you done to ensure that young people have access to high-quality sexual health information or high-quality contraceptive services so that they can decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child?
Young people often turn to Google when they have questions about sexual health, but they’re also savvy enough to know that can't always trust the results they get. okayso is an app that gives users access to experts they can trust who provide accurate, personalized answers, information, and support. Through okayso, we're able to talk with users to clarify exactly what's happening and give them the most accurate response. We're also able to follow up and see how they're doing later on. It's like having your very own health educator in your pocket, available at all times.
How did you get started in your field? What is your driving force?
I grew up in a conservative family in the Midwest and I wasn't allowed to take sex education in high school. I had to find out everything for myself. We live in a world where all the shame, stigma, and misinformation associate with sexual health can cause people to live their entire lives thinking they're broken or not good enough. My goal is to see an entire generation of young people grow up knowing about consent, communication, safety, and pleasure - I think that has the power to change the world.
What advice would you give to someone looking to effect change in the field that you currently work in?
All of us are trying to be "seen" in some way. Providing information is great but the more we can connect with the fears, insecurities and self-beliefs that are motivating people's questions, the more effective we will be. Some questions we receive are straightforward, but most are really fears about not being normal or whether we're worthy of love or other deeply human insecurities. Without addressing these underlying issues, true behavior change is almost impossible.
Why should someone care about ensuring that all people—regardless of who they are or where they live—have access to the information and contraception they need to live their best life story?
During my years in this field I've talked with thousands of people about sexuality. Most of them were convinced there was something wrong with them. All of them felt alone. Our most basic human need is to feel connected and loved and all people deserve to experience this in all aspects of their lives.
Is there a highlight of your work in conjunction with our organization that you’d like to share?
We are the fortunate recipients of one of Power to Decide's Innovation Next grants. We are so grateful for Power to Decide's commitment to okayso's mission and love getting our users connected to Bedsider whenever they have questions about contraception!
*Responses have been edited for clarity
U.S. TEEN BIRTH RATES DOWN 72% — ANOTHER RECORD LOW
Chemistry over Contraceptives—How School Sex Ed Fails Students
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The I’m-trying-to-get-around-you dance explained
Two people walk towards each other, both try and get out of the way - before you know it, they’re doing the ‘sidewalk salsa’
By Erin Munro, University of Melbourne
Here’s a familiar scenario: you’re walking down the street, and you see someone heading straight toward you. You step to the left to get out of their way – but they step to their right to do the same, you both step the same way again, laughing awkwardly. Before you know it, you’re both hopping from foot-to-foot in an odd dance attempting to dodge the other person, almost butting heads every time.
Most of what we experience as ‘now’ is actually what our brains are predicting will happen. Picture: Shutterstock
Let’s call this the I’m-trying-to-get-around-you dance or, as one researcher noted with a laugh, the “sidewalk salsa”. It might not be a daily phenomenon, but it’s common enough that most of us have experienced it.
But why does it happen? And are some of us more susceptible taking part in this ‘dance’ than others?
According to some University of Melbourne experts, it all comes down to the complex ways the human brain makes sense of the world around it. For a start, most of what we experience in the ‘now’ is actually what our brains are predicting will happen.
Every day, we're actually seeing into the future
Dr Hinze Hogendoorn, a senior research fellow at the Melbourne School of Psychological Science, studies visual time perception - namely, how the brain interprets visual stimuli, how long it takes to interpret what we’re seeing and what happens over time as it works to make those interpretations.
“By the time we become aware of things that are happening in the world, that information is old,” Dr Hogendoorn explains.
“For example, when you’re playing tennis and you’re receiving the ball, if the brain weren’t pulling some fancy tricks then the place where you’d see the tennis ball is actually behind where it is in the world.”
The fact that we’re able to accurately judge where a moving object is – like a ball – suggests the brain has some tricks up its sleeve to compensate for this lag, Dr Hogendoorn says.
“I think, implicitly, you’re forming a prediction of not just the delay that your own brain will have but the time that it takes to move your entire body to reach that object.”
When we’re walking down a busy sidewalk, that is a lot of information to process. Picture: Shutterstock
Where this can get tricky is when you’re moving towards a moving object that has its own mind, like another person. In this situation, we can be tripped up – sometimes literally – by the other individual’s anticipation of, and their response to, our movement.
“Because it takes time to detect what the other person is doing, and the other person needs time to detect what you’re doing, then you can end up sort of zig-zagging towards each other because you’re both making the same correction at the same time; repeatedly,” Dr Hogendoorn says.
That these run-ins often occur in busy environments adds another layer of complexity.
So, you understand the brain ... now what?
“Those situations can become incredibly dense,” says Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, an educational neuroscientist who specialises in human learning, memory and brain stimulation.
“When we’re walking down a busy sidewalk, that is a ton of information to process – but most of us have been there enough times in the past to navigate it.
“Kids bump into people all the time because they haven’t had the prediction of how sidewalks are supposed to work. But once they get older and they get enough experience, they start to go, ‘Okay, cool, when there’s a lot of people you slide to the left, the other person slides to the left, you pass each other’.”
In order for our brain to make a prediction about what the person coming towards us will do, and then act accordingly, we need to know that the other person has come to the same conclusion. This is where something interesting comes into play – empathy.
If you can’t read people or imagine someone else’s perspective, then you won’t pick up on the cues that indicate what they’re going to do next. These cues range from eye contact, to the sort of steps someone is taking and the direction their shoulders are angled.
We can predict someone’s movement based on cues like eye contact and the angle of their shoulders. Picture: Shutterstock
Ordinarily, a split-second glance is all it takes for a person to read another’s signals and to make an assessment instantly and subconsciously.
And when two people do this together, it’s called “neural synchrony”; what Dr Horvath describes as an “empathetic and resonant moment”.
“We can actually see what people are thinking in the split second when they look up; we glance at each other and see what each of us is doing,” he says.
Why smells trigger your memories
“Both brains will fire off almost exactly the same, which is a sure sign we just read each other and we’re going to play the same game. Versus people who don’t look at each other or haven’t made that connection – their brains don’t synch up and that’s usually when you get people dancing in the same way or bumping into each other.”
Though factors such as cultural background also play a role in these situations – for instance, someone from the US is more likely to go right to avoid another person, while Australians will opt for the left – empathy can help people avoid each other.
“In this case, what empathy kind of means is the ability to resonate with another person really quickly and easily,” Dr Horvath explains.
“Even with all the practice in the world, some people will still struggle with it because they can never quite tie themselves to the person they’re walking towards.”
For example, some forms of autism make it difficult for an individual to imagine themselves in someone else’s shoes, “so they just kind of walk and assume the world is going to walk with them”, says Dr Horvath.
Empathy can help people avoid each other. Picture: Shutterstock
As to why two people can end up locked in a back-and-forth dance, that’s due to both individuals running the same sequence simultaneously in their minds in an attempt to fix the situation.
“Because we’ve learned prediction, and it’s worked enough in the past, then if I almost bump into somebody, I’ll step one way, they’ll go the other,” Dr Horvath says. “But if you just accidentally run the same program in your minds, you can run it all day until somebody breaks the program and just says, ‘Stop’.”
Further, the time it takes to correct our direction can exacerbate “the dance”, adds Dr Hogendoorn.
Are redheads with blue eyes really going extinct?
“One thing that plays an important role is simply the time it takes: once you’ve detected that someone’s going a certain direction, you have to plan how you’re going to go, and then you have to make your muscles change. And more time passes in doing that than we think.”
Given the constant assessing and snap decision-making going on behind the scenes of something seemingly as simple as a walk down the street, perhaps the real mystery of these awkward, inadvertent encounters is why they don’t happen more often.
The way Dr Horvath sees it, the I’m-trying-to-get-around-you dance – or the “sidewalk salsa”, as his brother so aptly coined it one day – is something of a microcosm; a quirky phenomenon that illustrates just how deep the human brain goes.
“If you think about it, the ability to walk safely down a street with thousands of other people – you can tell where everyone’s going, what they’re doing, what they’re thinking – that is an incredibly difficult thing,” he points out.
“And that’s how powerful our ability to think is.”
First published on 7 January 2019 in Go Figure
Dr Hinze Hogendoorn
Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne
Dr Jared Cooney Horvath
Educational Neuroscientist, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne
Dr Hinze Hogendoorn and Dr Jared Cooney Horvath
Why are Australians linguistically lost?
In the 1960s, the structured teaching of English grammar was taken off the Australian curriculum, so many of us left school without knowledge of it. But it’s being phased back in, and that’s going to help a lot of students as the world gets smaller
Would cockroaches really survive a nuclear apocalypse?
Cockroaches have a reputation for resilience, even when it comes to surviving a nuclear bomb and radiation - but would they really outlive us all?
What are 21st century parents concerned about?
Slowing wage growth, the increasing cost of education and the fast pace of social change make it difficult for parents to prepare their children for uncertain futures
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By Judith Weisenfeld Archive, New Books, RD10Q, RD10Q January 9, 2018
New World A-Coming: How Black Religion Helped Shape Racial Identity
What inspired you to write New World A-Coming: Black Religion and Racial Identity During the Great Migration?
I have been fascinated by the black new religious movements of the Great Migration era since I read Arthur Huff Fauset’s 1944 Black Gods of the Metropolis: Negro Religious Cults of the Urban North as an undergraduate. There has been a renewed scholarly interest in many of the groups he profiled that had emerged or expanded in the early twentieth-century urban North—Black Jews, the Moorish Science Temple, Holiness and Pentecostal churches, and Father Divine’s Peace Mission, for example—and attention to other groups he did not include in his study, such as the Nation of Islam. I thought the time was right to do a comparative study like his and revisit the period in which he conducted his ethnographic work, thinking across the groups about commonalities and differences.
New World A-Coming: Black Religion and Racial Identity During the Great Migration
Judith Weisenfeld
NYU Press
I chose to focus on the Moorish Science Temple, the Nation of Islam, Father Divine’s Peace Mission, and congregations of Ethiopian Hebrews, all early twentieth-century urban black religious movements in which founders, leaders, and members embraced new ways of thinking about the relationship of religion to racial identity. Like Fauset, I was interested in how migration and urbanization shaped the religious worlds of African Americans and Afro-Caribbean immigrants, but questions about the intersection of religion and racial identity frame my project.
What’s the most important take-home message for readers?
I want readers to come away with an understanding of the complexity with which religion and racial identity have been intertwined for people of African descent in the United States. Religious ideas, practices, and institutions have contributed to the production and maintenance of racial categories across American history and, with these groups—which I call religio-racial movements—we have rich cases of black people challenging and reformulating racial identity through religious means.
These were flamboyant, performative movements in which people took spiritual names, adopted new styles of dress and food practices, and ordered their families and communities in ways that sometimes chafed against social conventions.
By looking at how members of these groups understood religio-racial identity, we see that black people were not only subject to racial construction—that is, that white people produced and imposed categories and hierarchies—but contributed to racial thinking in American history, and religion was often central to these contributions. I also hope the book inspires readers to ask questions about the intersections of religion and race for other groups and at different moments in American history.
Is there anything you had to leave out?
I had to cut a good deal of material to get the book down to a reasonable length. Most of what I left out were short narrative sections that offered supporting examples supplementing other examples in the book, and the streamlining benefited the flow. Nevertheless, editing out stories of average members of the groups, even though many remained, was difficult for me because I was especially interested in highlighting their experiences.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions about your topic?
The characterization of these groups in earlier literature and in popular discourse as deviant “sects and cults,” their founders and leaders as fakers and charlatans, and the members as gullible dupes has obscured the complexity of the religious and social worlds participants created. Critics at the time and some scholars since have characterized leaders and members of the movements as pretending to be something they were obviously not: Asiatic Muslims, Ethiopian Hebrews, Moorish Muslims, or raceless children of Father Divine. When we focus on the religio-racial theologies and practices of the movements, we see their argument that Negro, the prevailing racial category of the time, is an invention and a product of slavery and how they sought new religious frameworks for understanding the black past and future.
Did you have a specific audience in mind when writing?
I want the book to be of interest and useful to a scholarly reader, but I had my undergraduate students in mind, particularly those I have taught in courses on African American religious history and religion and race in America. I wanted to engage them with a readable text that offers new theoretical insights about the co-constitution of race and religion in this period and that locates these religious groups, that highlight religious diversity, in a prominent place in the narrative of African American religious history.
Are you hoping to just inform readers? Entertain them? Piss them off?
My hope is that readers will be engaged by the stories of the leaders and members of these groups who were striving to remake the landscape of possibility for black flourishing. These were flamboyant, performative movements in which people took spiritual names, adopted new styles of dress and food practices, and ordered their families and communities in ways that sometimes chafed against social conventions. There’s a lot of playfulness on their part, mixed in with their serious work, and I hope I conveyed this as well.
What alternative title would you give the book?
Apostles of Race was the working title throughout the years of research and writing, drawn from a chapter title of journalist Roi Ottley’s 1943 New World A-Coming: Inside Black America in which he discussed culture, politics, religion, and social life among African Americans and Afro-Caribbean immigrants in Harlem. I used Ottley’s work as a primary source because of his interest in questions about black history and “the Negro’s future” in transnational perspective.
I came to think of the people I was writing about as “apostles of race” in offering new ways of thinking about the relationship between religio-racial identity. When I submitted the manuscript, my editor, Jennifer Hammer, and her colleagues at New York University Press, encouraged me to go with a title that emphasized the dynamic change the leaders and members wanted to effect, so we settled on New World A-Coming.
How do you feel about the cover?
I’m very happy with the cover, which features a mural by Charles White with major figures from African American history.
Is there a book out there you wish you had written? Which one? Why?
So many to choose from! I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Toni Morrison’s Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination (which she published 25 years ago) and James Baldwin’s The Devil Finds Work. Both are beautifully written and offer penetrating analysis of race, the arts, and American identity.
What’s your next book?
I’m just getting started on a book about the intersections of race, African American religions, and psychiatry in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century United States. I’m interested in the way that psychiatric theory framed African and African diaspora religious practices in relation to ideas about normal and disordered minds, and in the treatment black people deemed to be suffering from religiously grounded mental illness received in communities, courts, and mental institutions.
Judith Weisenfeld is the Agate Brown and George L. Collord Professor of Religion at Princeton University. In addition to New World A-Coming: Black Religion and Racial Identity during the Great Migration, she is the author of Hollywood Be Thy Name: African American Religion in American Film, 1929-1949 (University of California Press, 2007) and African American Women and Christian Activism: New York’s Black YWCA, 1905-1945 (Harvard University Press, 1997).
Latest Posts By Judith Weisenfeld
Previous articleReligious Freedom Historian John Ragosta on “Religious Freedom”
Next articleChristians of Color Are Rejecting “Colonial Christianity” and Reclaiming Ancestral Spiritualities
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Diel flight activity of wild-caught Anopheles farauti (s.s.) and An. hinesorum malaria mosquitoes from northern Queensland, Australia
Duffield, Giles E., Acri, Dominic J., George, Gary F., Sheppard, Aaron D., Beebe, Nigel W., Ritchie, Scott A., and Burkot, Thomas R. (2019) Diel flight activity of wild-caught Anopheles farauti (s.s.) and An. hinesorum malaria mosquitoes from northern Queensland, Australia. Parasites & Vectors, 12. 48.
View at Publisher Website: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-018-3271-...
Background: Species in the Anopheles farauti complex are major malaria vectors in the Asia Pacific region. Anopheline mosquitoes exhibit circadian and diel rhythms in sugar- and blood-feeding (biting), flight activity, oviposition, and in some species, a short-lived dusk/early night associated swarming behaviour during which mating occurs. A behavioural study of wild-caught mosquitoes from Queensland, Australia was conducted to investigate the differences in diel rhythmic flight activity between two cryptic species in several reproductive states.
Results: The 24-hour flight activity of individual adult female mosquitoes under light:dark cycle conditions were monitored with a minute-to-minute time resolution using an infrared beam break method. Mosquitoes were analyzed for reproductive state (insemination and parity) and identified to species [An. farauti (s.s.) Laveran and An. hinesorum Schmidt] by PCR analysis. We compared daily total flight activity, timing of activity onset, the peak in early nocturnal activity, and patterns of activity during the scotophase (night). Species-specific differences between An. farauti and An. hinesorum were observed. Compared to An. farauti, An. hinesorum had an earlier onset of dusk activity, an earlier peak in nocturnal activity, and a higher level of activity at the onset of darkness. Small differences between species were also observed in the pattern of the dusk/early-night bouts of activity. A second nocturnal peak in inseminated nulliparous An. hinesorum was also observed during the middle of the scotophase.
Conclusions: The behavioural differences between these two sympatric species of the An. farauti complex might contribute to subtle differences in habitat adaptation, the timing of host-seeking and/or sugar-feeding activity. This study provides baseline data for analysis of populations of mosquitoes from other geographical regions where these species are malaria vectors, such as in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. This is important as selective pressures due to long-term use of indoor residual spraying of insecticides and insecticide-treated bed nets are shifting the nocturnal profile of biting behaviour of these vectors to earlier in the night.
© The Author(s). 2019 Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
University of Notre Dame (UND), UND NIGMS R01-GM87508, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC)
Projects and Grants:
UND Eck Institute, BMGF 45114, NIH Award No. SU19AI089686, NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship 1044698
06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0608 Zoology > 060808 Invertebrate Biology @ 100%
96 ENVIRONMENT > 9604 Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species > 960499 Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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New ‘Approachable Luxury’ Apartments Coming to West Greeley
Over the next five years, Greeley is expected to be adding over 5,500 housing units; this 264-unit complex is a part of that plan.
The Greeley Tribune reports that by the beginning of 2021, there'll be a new apartment complex covering 10 acres in the area east of 10th Street Street and 71st Avenue. The complex will be called 'Ten West.'
What does 'approachable luxury' mean? According to the Trib, the builder, Saunders Development, says that these apartments will be very nice but not terribly expensive. They won't be 'ultra high-end.'
Take that for what you will.
They'll have studios, one, two and three-bedroom options, along with the usual amenities. One that did stand out to me was the 'outdoor kitchen;' that sounds pretty neat.
Get more on 2021's Ten West from The Greeley Tribune HERE.
Categories: Best of Colorado, Best of Greeley, Colorado News, Dave Jensen's Blog, Featured, Greeley News, Heard On TRI 102.5, Local News
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Stuff. - Old Dreams New Planets
Gondwana Records
One of the most exciting acts in Europe, STUFF. Is a five piece band that creates a mighty groove, spanning from broken hip-hop grooves to more electronic and jazz influenced future funk. They defy easy categorization. Utilising lesser-used instruments like the wind synth, alongside the familiar array of drums and electric bass, synthesizers and turntables, they're able scatter rhythms, melodies and electronic effects across their canvas with a Pollock-like abandon, creating music that while heavy in groove has great depth and intrigue. Championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson and Phil Taggart said "This is what I imagine Flying Lotus' band to be like" on BBC Radio 1.
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Some of these academic articles or book chapters are accessible from this site on open access, but most will need to be looked up in the books or journals concerned.
‘Britain and China, and India, 1830s-1947’, chapter in Robert Bickers and Jonathan J. Howlett, eds, Britain and China: Empire, Finance and War (Routledge, 2015 ).
‘Moving stories: Memorialisation and its legacies in treaty port China’, Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 42:5 (2014), pp. 826-56. DOI: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03086534.2014.959716
‘Loose ties that bind: British empire, colonial authority and Hong Kong’, in Ray Yep (ed.), Negotiating Autonomy in Greater China: Hong Kong and Its Sovereign Before and After 1997, (Copenhagen: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Press, 2013), pp. 29-54. ISBN: 978877694119 2.
‘Infrastructural Globalisation: The Chinese Maritime Customs and the Lighting of the China Coast 1860s-1930s’, Historical Journal 56:2 (2013), pp. 431-458. DOI: 10.1017/S0018246X13000010
‘British concessions and Chinese cities, 1920s-1930s’, in New Narratives of Urban Space in Republican Chinese Cities: Emerging social, legal, and governance orders, Edited by Billy K.L. So and Madeleine Zelin (Leiden: Brill, 2013), pp. 157-96. ISBN: 9789004249905. PDF available here.
‘The Challenger: Hugh Hamilton Lindsay and the rise of British Asia, 1832-1865’, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 6th series, 22 (2012), pp 141-169. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0080440112000102
‘The lives and deaths of photographs in early treaty port China’, in Visualizing China 1845-1965: Moving and Still images in Historical Narratives, edited by Christian Henriot and Wen-hsin Yeh (Leiden: Brill, 2012), pp. 3-38. ISBN: 9789004228207.
‘Incubator city: Shanghai and the crises of empires’, Special issue of Journal of Urban History, 38:5 (2012), pp. 862-878. DOI: 10.1177/0096144212449139
‘‘Good work for China in every possible direction’: the Foreign Inspectorate of the Chinese Maritime Customs, 1854-1950’, in Bryna Goodman and David Goodman (eds), Twentieth Century Colonialism and China: Localities, the Everyday, and the World (London: Routledge 2012), pp. 25-36.
‘British travel writing from China in the Nineteenth Century’, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 54 (2011), pp. 785-793. Review article.
‘Shanghailanders and others: British communities in China, 1843-1957’, in Bickers (ed.), Settlers and expatriates: Britons over the seas, (Oxford: OUP, 2010), pp. 269-301). Also wrote introduction, pp. 1-17.
‘Anglo-Japanese Relations in China: the case of the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, 1899-1941’ in Antony Best (ed.), The International History of East Asia, 1900-1968: Ideology, Trade and the Quest for Order (Routledge: 2010), pp. 35-56.
‘Citizenship by correspondence in the Shanghai International Settlement, 1919-43’ in Yves Chevrier, Alain Roux et Xiaohong Xiao-Planes (eds), Citadins et citoyens dans la Chine du XXe siècle. Essais d’historie sociale. En homage à Marie-Claire Bergère (Paris: EHESS/MSH, 2010), pp. 227-262.
‘On not being Macao(ed) in Hong Kong: British official minds and actions in 1967’, in Bickers and Yep (eds), May Days in Hong Kong, pp. 53-67, 2009.
‘1932年的石碑山: ——灯塔阴影里的生与死’ (Breaker Point 1932: Life and death in the shadow of the lighthouse’, in Provincial China 1:1 (e-journal, January 2009, http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/ojs/index.php/provincial_china/article/viewFile/977/987 ), and in Sun Lixin and Lu Xixu (eds) 殖民主义与中国近代社会——国际学术会议论文集Colonialism and modern China: papers from an international symposium (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2009), pp. 8-43.
‘The Chinese Maritime Customs at War, 1941-45’, Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 36:2 (2008), pp. 295-311. DOI: 10.1080/03086530802180643 Also in this issue: ‘Revisiting the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, 1854-1950’, pp. 221-226. Introduction to a special section, which I edited. DOI: 10.1080/03086530802180676
‘Drink Ewo Beer’, in Thistle and Jade: A Celebration of 175 years of Jardine, Matheson & Co, ed Maggie Keswick, revised ed. Clara Weatherall, Frances Lincoln Publishers, 2008.
‘Paul Cohen, the Boxers, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson’, The Chinese Historical Review, 14:2 (2007), pp. 192-195.
‘Transforming Frank Peasgood: Family photographs and Shanghai narratives’, European Journal of East Asian Studies 6:1 (2007), pp. 111-122.
New Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004). New entries on Sir Edmund Backhouse, John Otway Percy Bland, James Duncan Campbell, Sir Reginald Fleming Johnston, William Lavino, Jessie Kemp Pigott, Sax Rohmer, John Samuel Swire and G. W. Swire. Revised entries on T. T. Cooper, William Medhurst, Robert Morrison, J. K. Swire, and Alexander Wylie.
‘Purloined letters: History and the Chinese Maritime Customs Service’, Modern Asian Studies 40:3 (2006), pp. 691-723. DOI: 10.1017/S0026749X06002083
‘Ordering Shanghai: Policing a treaty port, 1854-1900’ in Maritime Empires: British Imperial Maritime Trade in the Nineteenth Century, ed. by David Killingray, Margarette Lincoln and Nigel Rigby (The Boydell Press in association with the National Maritime Museum, 2004), pp. 173-194.
‘Settlers and Diplomats: the end of British hegemony in the International Settlement’ in In the shadow of the rising sun: Shanghai under Japanese occupation, 1937-45, edited by Christian Henriot and Wen-hsin Yeh (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), pp. 229-56.
‘管理上海维持通商口岸的治安 Guanli Shanghai: weichi tongshang kouan de zhi’an’ (Ordering Shanghai: Policing a treaty port’ in Changlin Ma (chief ed.), Zujie li de Shanghai (title given in English as ‘Shanghai in the Foreign Concessions’) (Shanghai: Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Publishing House, 2003), pp. 271-92.
‘“The Greatest Cultural Asset East of Suez”: the History and Politics of the Shanghai Municipal Orchestra and Public band, 1881-1946’, in Chi-hsiung Chang, chief ed., Ershi shiji de Zhongguo yu shijie (China and the world in the twentieth century) (Taibei: Institute of History, Academia Sinica, 2001), pp. 835-75. Chinese translation published as ‘上海工部局乐队与公共乐队的历史与政治’ in: Xiong Yuezhi et al (eds), Shanghai de waiguorren 1842-1949 (Foreigners in Shanghai, 1842-1949) (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe, 2003), pp. 40-63. PDF available here.
‘The business of a secret war: Operation ‘Remorse’ and SOE salesmanship in wartime China’, Intelligence and National Security 16:4 (2001), pp. 11-37. DOI: 10.1080/02684520412331306280
‘Who were the Shanghai Municipal Police, and why where they there? The British recruits of 1919’, in Bickers and Henriot (eds), New Frontiers: Imperialism’s new Communities in East Asia 1842-1952 (2000), pp.170-91. Chinese translation published as ‘谁是上海的巡捕,为什么他们在那里? 1919 的新募英国巡捕’in: Xiong Yuezhi et al (eds), Shanghai de waiguorren 1842-1949 (Foreigners in Shanghai, 1842-1949)
‘Shanghailanders: The Formation and Identity of the British Settler Community in Shanghai, 1843-1937’, Past and Present, No.159 (May 1998), pp. 161-211. (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe, 2003), pp. 64-85.
‘Hong Kong’s Transitions: The Shifting Roles of the Colony in the British informal empire in China’, in Judith M. Brown and Rosemary Foot (eds), Hong Kong’s Transitions (London: Macmillan, 1997), pp.33-61.
‘To Serve And Not To Rule: British Protestant Missions and Chinese Nationalism, 1927-1931’, in Bickers and Seton (eds), Missionary Encounters (1996), pp.211-239.
‘Death of a Young Shanghailander: The Thorburn Case and the Defence of the British Treaty Ports in China in 1931’, Modern Asian Studies, 30: 2 (1996), pp. 271-300.
‘通商口岸与马加尔呢使团 ‘Tongshang kou’an yu Majiaerni shituan’ (The Treaty Ports and the Macartney Embassy) Jindaishi yanjiu (Modern History Research) (Beijing), 85:1 (1995), pp. 44-61. Also published in Zhang Zhilian ed., ZhongYing tongshi erbai zhounian xueshu taolunhui lunwenji (Proceedings of the Chengde Conference on the Bicentenary of Sino-British Relations 1793-1993) (Beijing: Zhongguo kexue chubanshe, 1996), pp. 314-331.
“Coolie work’: Sir Reginald Johnston at the School of Oriental Studies, 1931-1937’, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Series III, 5:3 (November, 1995), pp. 383-401.
(With Jeffrey Wasserstrom) ‘Shanghai’s ‘Chinese and Dogs Not Admitted’ Sign: History, Legend and Contemporary Symbol’, The China Quarterly, No.142, (June 1995), pp. 444-466. PDF available here.
‘History, Legend, and Treaty Port Ideology, 1925-1931’, in Bickers (ed.), Ritual and Diplomacy, pp.81-92.
‘New light on Lao She, London, and the London Missionary Society, 1921-1929’, Modern Chinese Literature, 8:1-2 (Spring/Fall 1994), pp.21-40
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John Birch Society — They’re Back — Eagles Rising — Videos
Posted on February 12, 2018. Filed under: American History, Blogroll, Books, Business, College, Congress, conservatives, Constitution, Corruption, Crime, Culture, Documentary, Economics, Economics, Education, Elections, Employment, Faith, Family, Farming, Federal Government, Federal Government Budget, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy, Fraud, Freedom, Friends, government, government spending, history, Language, Law, liberty, Life, media, Money, People, Philosophy, Photos, Political Correctness, Politics, Psychology, Radio, Raves, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Regulations, Strategy, Success, Talk Radio, Tax Policy, Television, Welfare, Wisdom, Work, Writing | Tags: America, articles, Audio, Breaking News, Broadcasting, capitalism, Cartoons, Charity, Citizenship, Clarity, Classical Liberalism, Collectivism, Commentary, Commitment, Communicate, Communication, Concise, Convincing, Courage, Culture, Current Affairs, Current Events, economic growth, economic policy, Economics, Education, Evil, Experience, Faith, Family, First, fiscal policy, free enterprise, freedom, freedom of speech, Friends, Give It A Listen, God, Good, Goodwill, Growth, Hope, Individualism, JBL, John Birch Society (JBL), Knowledge, liberty, Life, Love, Lovers of Liberty, monetary policy, MPEG3, News, Opinions, Peace, Photos, Podcasts, Political Philosophy, Politics, prosperity, Radio, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Representative Republic, Republic, Resources, Respect, Robert Welch, rule of law, Rule of Men, Show Notes, Talk Radio, The Pronk Pops Show, They're Back, Truth, Tyranny, U.S. Constitution, Unbalanced Budget, United States of America, Videos, Virtue, War, Wisdom |
Mind blowing speech by Robert Welch in 1958 predicting Insiders plans to destroy America
The Neoconservative Agenda | John F. McManus
National Review’s Neoconservative Agenda
Deep State Plotting Trump’s Removal
Seth Rich Murdered for DNC Leak to WikiLeaks, Says Roger Stone
Roger Stone giving a speech to the Republicans Overseas
The Problem With Voting for ‘Conservatives’
The Problem With Voting for ‘Conservatives’: Part II
What You’re Not Supposed to Know About America’s Founding
Why Does Rural America Vote More Conservative (Trump)? – Tucker Carlson
Want to understand why Trump has rural America feeling hopeful? Listen to this Ohio town.
Freedom of Speech is Dead! What Are You Going to Do About It?
William F. Buckley, Jr.: Pied Piper for the Establishment | Book Discussion
How We Got So Involved In the Middle East
The Neocons: Who They Are, and What They’re Up To
Neocon Says Word Neoconservative Is Outdated Now; I Remain Unmoved
What Trump Didn’t Say at U.N.
Trump’s Big Government Rollback
Eye on ANTIFA: November 4th
Let’s Drain the Swamp in 2018!
Is Obama Leading a Shadow Government to Torpedo Trump?
Trump’s Immigration Move: What Are We Missing?
If Not Trump or Cruz, Then Who?
GOP Establishment and the Left Coming Together
G. Edward Griffin Interviews the John Birch Society (1984)
This is The John Birch Society
What is The John Birch Society?
Ron Paul’s Keynote Speech at the 50th Anniversary of JBS
John Birch Society on the Illuminati and the New World Order
John Birch Society Song
John Birch Paranoid Blues {Live at Town Hall 1963} – Elston Gunn
Formed by Robert Welch in December 1958, The John Birch Society takes its name from the legendary World War II Army Captain John Birch. The organization’s overall goal, never altered in the 50-plus years of its existence, has always been to create sufficient understanding amongst the American people about both their country and its enemies, so that they could protect freedom and ensure continuation of the nation’s independence.
Always an education and action organization, the Society has never deviated from its opposition to communism and any other form of totalitarianism, certainly including the steady drift toward total government currently arising from within our own shores. But the positive promise of what can be built in an atmosphere of freedom has always been more of a motivation for members than any negative fear of what must be opposed.
While the Society has always focused on combating — or occasionally applauding — actions taken by government, the organization was also built on a moral foundation. Its motto proclaims the long-range goal of “Less government, more responsibility, and – with God’s help – a better world.” How much “less” government? Officials point to the U.S. Constitution and claim that adherence to its many limitations on power would result in the federal government being 20 percent its size and 20 percent its cost.
As for “more responsibility,” the Society insists that the Ten Commandments should guide all personal and organizational conduct. Agreeing with numerous pronouncements of our nation’s Founders, Society members believe that national freedom cannot long endure without moral restraint.
Soon after its creation, enemies discovered the Society’s potential to arouse and inform a generally sleeping population. At that point, there arose a totally unfair and withering smear campaign painting the organization and its members with an array of nasty and completely false charges, none of which ever had any validity.
With a membership made up of Americans of all races, colors, creeds, and national origins, the Society is currently enjoying a surge in activity, a large growth in acceptance, and increased hope for a future marked by less government and more responsibility. It is that combination that surely will, with God’s help, lead to the better world desired by all men and women of good will.
https://www.jbs.org/about-jbs/history
The John Birch Society Is Back
Bircher ideas, once on the fringe, are increasingly commonplace in today’s GOP and espoused by friends in high places. And the group is ready to make the most of it.
By JOHN SAVAGE
Robert Welch, founder and president of the John Birch Society, in a May 1961 photo. | AP Photo
In an unseasonably warm Saturday in January, Jan Carter, a short, graying, 75-year-old retiree, appears pleased. The Central Texas Chapter of the John Birch Society, which Carter leads, is conducting a workshop titled “The Constitution Is the Solution” in the farming town of Holland—home to 1,200 residents, three churches, one stoplight and an annual corn festival. Carter was unsure if anyone would drive to such a remote area early on a weekend morning to get lectured about the Constitution, but, one by one, people are showing, renewing Carter’s “hope that the country can be saved.”
In the Holland Church of Christ, around the corner from a main street lined with abandoned buildings, Carter sits down to talk. She says that the John Birch Society—a group she was convinced could save the nation from a global conspiracy of leftists and communists more than half a century ago—has come roaring back to life in the nick of time. The more she thinks about the situation, the more she sees parallels to the 1950s and 1960s: evil domestic and international terrorists threatening to undo all that is good and holy in the United States.
These days, to the extent that most people know of the John Birch Society—that far-right group founded in the thick of the Cold War to fight communists and preach small government—it’s purely as a historical relic of a bygone era of sock hops and poodle skirts. But the John Birch Society lives. And though it is not the same robust organization it was in its 1960s heyday—when, by some counts, it had as many as 100,000 dues-paying members around the country and 60 full-time staff—after decades of declining membership and influence, the Birchers insist they are making a comeback. And they point to Texas as the epicenter of their restoration.
“There definitely is an increase in [our] activity, particularly in Texas, because Americans are seeking answers, but they can’t quite put their finger on what some of the real problems are,” says Bill Hahn, the John Birch Society’s vice president of communications, who spoke to Politico Magazine on the phone from the Society’s headquarters in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Carter, the head of the Central Texas Chapter, says that statewide, the group’s membership has doubled over the last three years (she declined to disclose exact numbers, as did Hahn, citing Society policy). “State legislators are joining the group,” she says, citing it as proof that their ideas are gaining salience as “more and more people are ready to fight the liberals who preach globalism and want to take away our freedom, our guns, religious values and our heritage.”
In that quest, they have common cause with powerful allies in Texas, including Senator Ted Cruz, Representative Louie Gohmert and a smattering of local officials. Recently at the state level, legislators have authored Bircher-esque bills that have made it further through the lawmaking process than many thought possible in Texas, even just a few years ago—though these are less the cause of the John Birch Society’s influence than an indication of the rise of its particular strain of politics. These include bills that would forbid any government entity from participating in “Agenda 21,” a UN sustainable development effort which JBS pamphlets describe as central to the “UN’s plan to establish control over all human activity”; prevent the theoretical sale of the Alamo to foreigners (since 1885 the state has owned the former mission, Texas’ most visited historic landmark, where the most famous battle of the Texas Revolution occurred); and repeal the Texas DREAM Act, which allows undocumented students who graduate from Texas high schools to pay in-state tuition at public colleges. And last month, Governor Greg Abbott signed the “American Laws for American Courts” Act into law, guarding against what the society has called “Sharia-creep” by prohibiting the use of Islamic Sharia law in Texas’ court system.
This is what the 21st-century John Birch Society looks like. Gone is the organization’s past obsession with ending the supposed communist plot to achieve mind-control through water fluoridation. What remains is a hodgepodge of isolationist, religious and right-wing goals that vary from concrete to abstract, from legitimate to conspiracy minded—goals that don’t look so different from the ideology coming out of the White House. It wants to pull the United States out of NAFTA (which it sees as the slippery slope that will lead us to a single-government North American Union), return America to what they call its Christian foundations, defundthe UN, abolish the departments of education and energy, and slash the federal government drastically. The John Birch Society once fulminated on the idea of Soviet infiltration of the U.S. government; now, it wants to stop the investigation into Russia’s 2016 election meddling and possible collusion with the campaign of President Donald Trump.
The Society’s ideas, once on the fringe, are increasingly commonplace in today’s Republican Party. And where Birchers once looked upon national Republican leaders as mortal enemies, the ones I met in Texas see an ally in the president. “All of us here voted for Trump,” says Carter. “And we’re optimistic about what he will do.”
The John Birch Society formed on a frigid Monday morning in December 1958, when 11 of the nation’s richest businessmen braved single-digit temperatures to attend a mysterious meeting in suburban Indianapolis.
They had arrived at the behest of candy magnate Robert Welch, who had made a fortune with his caramel-on-a-stick confection known as the “Sugar Daddy,” and now intended to spend that money defeating the wide-slung Communist conspiracy he was certain had infiltrated the federal government. Welch had invited these men to Indianapolis without giving a reason, and asked them to stay for two days.
After exchanging firm handshakes in the breakfast room of a sprawling, Tudor-style house in the tony Meridian Park neighborhood, Welch explained why he had brought this group together: The United States faced an existential threat from an “international Communist conspiracy” hatched by an “amoral gang of sophisticated criminals.” The power-hungry, God-hating, government worshipers had infiltrated newsrooms, public schools, legislative chambers and houses of worship. They were frighteningly close to total victory—Welch felt it in his gut. “These cunning megalomaniacs seek to make themselves the absolute rulers of a human race of enslaved robots, in which every civilized trait has been destroyed,” Welch wrote in The Blue Book of the John Birch Society, the organization’s founding history.
The chosen few gathered here would form the vanguard of a new political movement, an army of brave American patriots dedicated to preserving the country’s Christian and constitutional foundations. Welch christened the group the John Birch Society—named in memory of a U.S. soldier-turned-Baptist missionary killed by Chinese Communists in 1945—and laid out its goal: Destroying the “Communist conspiracy … or at least breaking its grip on our government and shattering its power within the United States.”
Among the John Birch Society’s pet causes in the 1960s was advocating for the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren over his support for integration and civil rights laws. In this June 1963 photo, a billboard along a highway in Birmingham, Alabama, urges passersby to “Save our Republic!” | AP Photos
The Society was Welch’s attempt to root out the reds—an end goal he offered as justification for his opposition to the United Nations (“an instrument of Communist global conquest”), the civil rights movement (an attempt to establish an “independent Negro-Soviet Republic”), public water fluoridation, and Dwight Eisenhower (“a dedicated, conscious agent of the Communist conspiracy”), among myriad other targets of his suspicion.
Prominent Texans quickly became fans. Dallas oilman H.L Hunt, the richest man in the world and a major Republican donor, espoused Bircher views on his popular radio program starting in the 1950s. Dallas Reverend W.A. Criswell, a segregationist and head of the largest Southern Baptist congregation in the world, praised Bircher positions from his pulpit and railed against “the leftists, the liberals, the pinks, and the welfare statists who are soft on communism and easy towards Russia.” Maj. Gen. Edwin Walker, born in small-town Texas and commander of 10,000 troops stationed in post-war Europe, distributed Bircher material to the men under his command. Walker, who called Harry Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt “definitely pink,” resigned after being investigated by the Kennedy administration for engaging in partisan political activity on the job in 1961. East Texas Congressman Martin Dies, the founder of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, was a regular contributor to the Society’s publications in the mid-1960s. These sons of the Lone Star State saw a nation careening towards unfettered Communism. They refused to remain silent.
Popular as Welch’s brand of post-McCarthy McCarthyism was with a certain segment of the right-wing populace, many other conservatives found his beliefs a mixture of detestable and impolitic—including, most famously, William F. Buckley, the founder and editor of National Review.
In the 1950s, Buckley was friendly with Welch, writes Buckley biographer Alvin Felzenberg, even promising to give a “little publicity” to his upstart organization. But the acidity of Welch’s anti-communist paranoia—alleging, for instance, that the cabal of communist agents atop the U.S. government included President Eisenhower, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and CIA Director Allen Dulles among its ranks—ate away at any relationship with Buckley, who saw such ramblings as a danger to conservatives.
By 1961, Buckley began to see the John Birch Society in general and Welch in particular as threats to the nascent presidential campaign of Senator Barry Goldwater, the rock-ribbed conservative whom Buckley wanted to receive the GOP’s presidential nomination in 1964. If conservatives counted the Birchers as allies, Buckley wrote in an April 1961 National Review column, the left could “anathematize the entire American right wing.”
In the popular memory, it was the first in a series of increasingly antagonistic columns in which Buckley “expelled” the Birchers from the conservative movement. But in reality, the John Birch Society never went away. It was weakened, yes, and its ranks have atrophied drastically. As an organization, the Society lacks its former influence and numbers. It is a pale imitation of its former self. But the increased popularity of the brand of paranoid, conspiracy-minded conservatism it pioneered suggests its finger is still firmly on the pulse of a certain type of anti-government ideology—one that is closer to the levers of power than ever before, especially in Texas, home of Alex Jones, Ron Paul and Ted Cruz.
In the annex of the Holland Church of Christ, Carter invites me to look at the assorted John Birch Society literature spread across a white plastic table. Pamphlets forecast the threat posed by Agenda 21, the “UN’s plan to establish control over all human activity.” The New Americanmagazine, the Society’s house organ, warns about the federal government gathering personal data from the pervasive technology all around us—toys, smartphones, appliances, even pacemakers. Nearby, there’s a stack of DVDs with titles like “Exposing Terrorism: Inside the Terror Triangle,” which promises to reveal the real culprits behind global terrorism.
Six people have shown up for part one of the “Constitution Is the Solution” workshop, which consists of six 45-minute lectures on DVD, divided over two Saturday mornings. The session’s official facilitator is Dr. Joyce Jones, a thin, neatly coiffed, middle-aged woman who is, by day, a professor of psychology at Central Texas College in Killeen. Jones hands us worksheets with fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice questions to answer while we watch. “In other words, we won’t be just zoning out in front of the TV,” she says.
In the first video, “The Dangers of Democracy,” lecturer Robert Brown, a clean-cut white man in a dark suit, defines democracy as “mob rule,” and emphasizes that the United States is a republic, not a democracy. “It wasn’t what government did that made America great,” Brown says in the recording. “It was what government was prevented from doing that made the difference.”
After the first video lecture ends, Dr. Jones offers a quote from Mao Zedong: “Democracies inevitably lead to collectivism, which leads to socialism, which leads to communism, which leads to totalitarianism.”
Welch, who called democracy a “weapon of demagoguery,” ran the JBS as an autocracy, based on his own opinions about what was best, governing it without the democratic nods found in many other members-based groups, lest it suffer from, as he put it, “infiltration, distortion, or disruption.” Considering how much the JBS has declined since its glory days when Welch governed it by fiat, it’s hard not to read the Birchers’ opinions of democracy as words spoken from experience.
The second video lecture stresses that the federal government has overstepped its constitutional authority and encroached on states’ rights. Most of the attendees, all of whom who are white, nod their heads at the mention of state’s rights. Two hours into the workshop we start the third video, which advocates that the Federal Reserve be abolished and the United States return to the gold standard.
One week later, I returned to Holland for part two. While the lectures from the first weekend explained a political theory that could be boiled down to a few things—government programs and socialism are bad; the free market and Christianity are good—the titles of the second set of lectures suggested a more provocative call to action: “Exposing the Enemies of Freedom” and “Constitutional War Powers and the Enemy Within.”
I picked up the worksheet for this week’s video lessons. A multiple-choice question asks you to identify “the Illuminati.” Is it: (A) a myth, (B) an alien race of shape-shifters, or (C) a group founded in the late 1700s, seeking world government? Correct answer: C.
The town of Holland, Texas, has a plaque celebrating it as the center of Texas, by population. The exact spot, at least as of 2011, actually lies in a grove of maples 2.8 miles northeast of town, according to the Dallas Morning News. | AP Photo/The Temple Daily Telegram, Rusty Schramm
The accompanying lecture warns about a massive, well-organized conspiracy of elites that is determined to destroy religion, glorify immorality, take children from their parents and give them to the state and ultimately form a one-world government. These global elites, we are told, coalesced in Bavaria in 1776 and call themselves the Illuminati. Though the “Illuminati” conspiracy theory has been, of late, widely known and ridiculed, it’s a longtime Bircher hobbyhorse; the Illuminati, Welch wrote in a 1966 essay, has “grandiose dreams of overthrowing all existing human institutions, and of rising out of the resulting chaos as the all-powerful rulers of a ‘new order’ of civilization.”
After learning about the Illuminati, we are lectured about a much newer, but no less pernicious conspiracy: the Council on Foreign Relations. Founded in 1921, the nonpartisan think tank and publisher’s mission is to advocate globalization and free trade. Board members have included banker David Rockefeller, journalist Tom Brokaw and former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell. For $19.95, you can order a documentary film from the John Birch Society website called “ShadowRing,” which promises to “set the record straight” on the “criminal deeds” of the Council on Foreign Relations. To the Birchers, CFR shares the same goals as the Illuminati: “to destroy the freedom and independence of the United States and lead our nation into a world government,” in the words of John McManus, the John Birch Society’s president emeritus.
And the last, best hope of fighting these nefarious elitist outfits happens to be a group founded by a millionaire at an invitation-only meeting of wealthy industrialists.
The John Birch Society isn’t just gaining purchase in the Lone Star state’s tiny backwaters. Texas’s largest cities, Houston and Dallas, are home to active JBS chapters. At 10 minutes past noon on a Thursday in February, about 40 members of the Houston chapter gather at Christine’s Steaks and Seafood in the Bayou City. They have come to the restaurant, which sits next to an eight-lane road lined with shopping centers, to hear a speech from the most famous of the country’s founding fathers.
But George Washington is running late.
Mark Collins, who has a robust career as both a pastor at a Baptist church and an impersonator of America’s first president, had to drive in from Yorktown, Texas, about an hour away. He has portrayed Washington on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives, at former Texas Governor Rick Perry’s Prayer Breakfast, and in the Nicholas Cage movie “National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets.” When he finally enters the dining room, the 6’4” Collins looks every bit the part, bedecked in yellow breeches, a blue military coat with gold epaulettes and brass buttons the size of half dollars, and a gray revolutionary pigtail. “So happy to be here with you patriots,” he bellows. “The JBS is the tip of the spear.”
Today, Collins is preaching his Americanist gospel to fervent believers in frenetic Houston. The sprawling metropolis, home to the nation’s biggest oil companies, the world’s largest rodeo and former President George H.W. Bush, has exploded from a sleepy mid-sized town to become the nation’s fourth largest city. It’s also among the most ethnically diverse cities in America, though Collins’ audience in the restaurant is entirely white. The pastor stands in front of a banner featuring a bald eagle, a slogan (“Less government, more responsibility, and—with God’s help—a better world.”) and the John Birch Society’s toll-free telephone number, 1-800-JBS-USA1.
“We must teach our children their heritage,” Collins tells the crowd. “We’ve slowly forgotten our principles.” But there is a powerful reason to rejoice, Collins adds, a reason for renewed optimism: God has sent America a new, powerful leader. He’s a good man, a moral man. God has delivered Donald J. Trump to save the United States of America.
The great struggles American patriots face today are not new, Collins shouts. The enthusiastic crowd—people are smiling and clapping—seems to invigorate Collins. He is pacing back and forth, brimming with energy. “And don’t forget this is not the first time the United States has gone to war with Muslims terrorists. In 1801, we waged war against Muslim terrorists in Tripoli.”
Collins is referencing the First Barbary War, which pitted the United States against Algiers, Morocco, Tunis and Tripoli. In 1801, Tripoli seized American merchant vessels and demanded ransom for their return. President Thomas Jefferson refused to pay, and instead sent the Navy. Academic consensus holds that religion had little to do with the war, but Collins’ remark about fighting Muslim terrorists resonates with the crowd, and many in the audience nod their heads as Collins continues.
“And let us not forget in 1774 the government, the British government, tried to ban the original assault rifle … the Brown Bess. That attempt to seize weapons brought about a revolution.” More than a dozen audience members applaud. “Just horrible,” says an elderly woman sitting next to me in a wheelchair.
Collins’ voice grows louder. “Many today don’t realize that we are facing the same gun-control tactics by our own federal government that our forefathers faced from the British,” he says. “Just horrible,” the elderly woman says again.
For 15 minutes, Collins orates on George Washington’s close relationship with Christ. Washington spent the first and last hour of every day in prayer, Collins says. Then, the presidential impersonator lays down a challenge: “Make no mistake, there is a war for the soul of this nation. But with work and sacrifice the United States can be restored as a nation. All it takes is an on-fire minority setting fire in the minds of men.”
Chip Berlet, former senior analyst at Political Research Associates in Somerville, Massachusetts, a left-leaning think tank, and co-author of “Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort,” has studied the John Birch Society for three decades.
Berlet tells me the resurgence of the John Birch Society taps into populism which surfaces periodically, especially during times of cultural and demographic upheaval. The nation’s demographic landscape has undergone dramatic shifts since the Birchers’ heyday. From 1955 to 2014, the percentage of U.S. citizens who identified as Protestant sunk from 70 percent to 46 percent, according to polls by Gallup. The percentage of citizens who identified as non-Hispanic white decreased from 89 percent to 63 percent, according to the Pew Research Center. Such changes, mixed with man’s evolutionary tendency toward tribalism, means that many white Christian Americans are full of anxiety.
“The John Birch Society views white Anglo-Saxon Protestant ethnocentrism as the true expression of America,” Berlet says. “They use constitutionalist arguments and conspiracist scapegoating to mask this.”
Placing blame on conspiracies is seductive to social conservatives because of the way their brains are hardwired, says Colin Holbrook, an evolutionary psychologist and research scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles. “It’s not a pathology, nor because they’re less intelligent,” Holbrook tells me.
Holbrook co-authored a 2017 study for the journal Psychological Science, in which subjects were presented with a series of false statements such as, “Terrorist attacks in the U.S. have increased since Sept. 11, 2001,” and “Hotel room keycards are often encoded with personal information that can be read by thieves.”
In Holbrook’s study, social conservatives were more credulous about claims of danger in the world, and the phenomenon has roots in evolutionary psychology—being hyper-aware of threats could potentially save your life. But that evolutionary advantage also makes social conservatives more susceptible to claims about things that could potentially hurt them, according to Holbrook. “That’s what you’re probably seeing with the John Birchers in Texas and the conspiracies they fear,” he says.
After speaking with Holbrook, I thought back to a conversation I had with Jan Carter after the “Constitution is the Solution” workshop in Holland. I told her that it was hard for me to believe that our elected officials are part of a secret conspiracy to form a one-world government, or that they are members of the Illuminati. What about staunchly conservative Texas Republicans, like Gov. Abbott or President George W. Bush?
Carter immediately corrected me. “George W. Bush didn’t have noble intentions. He wanted a one-world government.”
I suggested to Carter that Abbott, at least, seems to genuinely distrust the federal government. He’s a man who, after all, when serving as Texas’ attorney general, sued the Obama administration at least two dozen times. And in April 2015, when some Texans feared that a U.S. military training exercise called “Jade Helm 15” was a covert attempt by the federal government to invade the state, seize Texans’ guns, and imprison conservative citizens in abandoned Wal-Marts, Abbott deployed the Texas State Guard to monitor the U.S. military. It’s tough to imagine a more Bircher-friendly move.
Carter shrugged her shoulders.
“Sometimes politicians do things just for show,” she said.
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The Pronk Pops Show — Week in Review — November 6 -13, 2017 — Videos
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Pronk Pops Show 1000, November 13, 2017
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The Pronk Pops Show 1000
Story 1: The People of Alabama Will Decide Who Will Represent Them As Their Senator — Not Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell — Videos —
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Story 3: Independents United — Independence Party Time — Videos
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November 14, 2017 07:24 PM PST
The Pronk Pops Show 999
Story 1: President Trump Delivers America First Address With Bilateral Trade Agreements With Nations That Want Free But Fair Trade At The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Da Nang, Vietnam — Videos —
Story 2: From Crying To Screaming — Big Lie Media Joins Lying Lunatic Left Losers — Sky Screaming — Trump Still President — Videos —
Story 3: Let Voters of Alabama Decide Who They Want For Their Senator — Alabama Republican Senate Candidate, Roy Moore, Denies Accusations Made in Washington Post Attack Article vs. Democratic Senate Candidate, Doug Jones, Supporter for Pro Abortion Planned Parenthood and Women Should Have The Right To Choose Killing Their Babies in The Womb — Denies Civil Rights Protection of Life To Babies Before Birth — Videos
Story 4: Remembering The Veterans in Music — Lili Marleen — We’ll Meet Again — Sky Pilot — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place — Paint it Black – – War — Where Have All the Flowers Gone? — Blowing In The Wind –Videos
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Story 1: President Trump’s Address to South Korea’s National Assembly — Great Speech — Americans and Koreans Loved It — Every Breath You Take — Videos —
Story 2: President Trump Tells It Like It Is — Does Not Blame China For Hugh Trade Deficits But Past Administrations — Videos —
Story 3: Republican Party Senate Bill Wants To Delay Tax Cuts To 2019 Instead of Cutting Spending Now — Need New Political Party Advocating Balanced Budgets, Broad Based Consumption Tax,and Term Limits — Voters Will Stay Home Election Day, November 6, 2018 If Congress Does Not Completely Repeal Obamacare and Enact Fundamental Reform of Tax System — Videos —
Story 4: Alabama Republican Candidate for Senator, Roy Moore, Accused of Sexual Misconduct in 1979 — Desperate Democratic Dirt — Let The Voters of Alabama Decide — Accusations Are Not Evidence — Videos
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Story 1: Communist Chinese Connection To Trade — Nuclear Proliferation — and — Terrorism (TNT) — Peace or War — China Must Destroy North Korea Nuclear Weapons and Missiles or Face The Consequences of Overthrow of Communist Party — U.S.Complete Embargo on All Chinese Trade and Investment —
Story 2: President Trump Meets With Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe and President Moon Jai-in As U.S. Navy Flexes Air Power — All Options Are On The Table — Video —
Story 3: Saudi Arab On The Brink of War With Lebanon Controlled By Iran-backed Lebanese Shi‘ite group Hezbollah — Saudi Arab Blames Iran For Yemen Missile Attack — Purge and Roundup of Royal Prince Continues — Videos —
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November 07, 2017 11:23 AM PST
Story 1: Atheist Security Guard Dressed In Black and Wearing Body Armor, Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, Entered The First Baptist Church and Shoot and Killed 26, Including 8 Members of A Single Family with Pregnant Mother, Victim Range in Age From 18 Months to 77 Years and Wounded 20, in The Texas Small Town of Sutherland Springs, Population 400, A Nearby Neighbor, Stephen Willeford, 55, Shot Killer With His Rifle,Three Times, Twice in The Neck and Once in The Side, Killer Died of Wounds, After Brief High Speed Car Chase — The Times They Are A Changin — Blowing In The Wind — Videos
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November 04, 2017 02:25 PM PDT
Story 1: Democrats (Liberal, Progressive & Socialist Wing) and Republicans (Liberal & Progressive Wing) of The Two Party Tyranny Are All Marxist Now — Big Government Bubble Tax Surcharge of 6% Increases Rate From 39.6% to 45.6% — Class Warfare — Eat The Rich — Videos — Part 2 of 2 —
Story 2: Republican Tax Cut Will Not Make America Great Again — Missing Is Real Government Spending Cuts That Results in A Balanced Budget By 2020 or 2024 — Spending Addiction Disorder (SAD) or Government Spending Obesity — Alive and Well — Videos —
Story 3: A Broad Based Consumption Tax Replacing The Current U.S. Income Tax System Along The Lines of The FairTax or Fair Tax Less With Generous Monthly Tax Prebates and Limiting Federal Government Expenditures to 90% of Taxes Collected Will Make America Great Again — Videos
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Story 1: President Trump Nominates Fed Governor Jerome Powell To Chair Federal Reserve Board of Governors — Expect Continuation of Interventionist Easy Monetary Policy — More Money Creation or Quantitative Easing When Economy Enters Next Recession in 2018-2019 — Videos —
Part 1 of 2 — Story 2: No Tax Reform By Changing From Income Tax System to Broad Based Consumption Tax — The FairTax or Fair Tax Less — No Middle Class Tax Relief From Payroll Taxes — No Real Cuts in Federal Spending As Budget Deficits Rise with Rising National Debt and Unfunded Liabilities — Spending Addiction Disorder — Government Obesity — Crash Diet of Balanced Budgets Required — Videos
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Story 1: Update of Radical Islamic Terrorist Jihadist Attack in New York City — President Trump “Send Him To Gitmo” as Enemy Combatant and Get Rid of Chain Migration and Diversity Lottery Immigration Program and Replace With Merit Based System of Immigration — Videos — Breaking —
Story 2: Trump Expected To Name Jerome Powell As Next Federal Reserve Chairman Replacing Chair Janet Yellen — A Dove or Continuation of Interventionist Easy Monetary Policy — Better Choice Was John Taylor — Taylor For Fed Chair and Powell for Vice Chair — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/11/01/the-pronk-pops-show-993-november-2-2017-story-1-update-of-radical-islamic-terrorist-jihadist-attack-in-new-york-city-president-trump-send-him-to-gitmo-as-enemy-combatant-and-get-rid-of-chai/
The Pronk Pops Show — Week in Review — September 8-15, 2017
Posted on September 25, 2017. Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 15 September 2017, America, articles, Audio, Breaking News, Broadcasting, capitalism, Cartoons, Charity, Citizenship, Clarity, Classical Liberalism, Collectivism, Commentary, Commitment, Communicate, Communication, Concise, Convincing, Courage, Culture, Current Affairs, Current Events, economic growth, economic policy, Economics, Education, Evil, Experience, Faith, Family, First, fiscal policy, free enterprise, freedom, freedom of speech, Friends, Give It A Listen, God, Good, Goodwill, Growth, Hope, Individualism, Knowledge, liberty, Life, Love, Lovers of Liberty, monetary policy, MPEG3, News, Opinions, Peace, Photos, Podcasts, Political Philosophy, Politics, prosperity, Radio, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Representative Republic, Republic, Resources, Respect, rule of law, Rule of Men, Show Notes, Talk Radio, The Pronk Pops Show, Truth, Tyranny, U.S. Constitution, United States of America, Videos, Virtue, War, Week in review, Wisdom |
Pronk Pops Show 937, July 31, 2017
Pronk Pops Show 924, July 6, 2017
Pronk Pops Show 921, June 29, 2017
Breaking Story 1: Radical Islamic Terrorist Attack — Improvised Bucket Bomb Device Explodes In United Kingdom Parson Green Tube Train Station in West London During Morning Rush Hour — 29 Injured None Seriously including Children — Threat Level Raised From Severe To Critical By Prime Minister May — Videos —
Story 2: North Korea Fires Another Ballistic Missile Over Japan — Videos —
Story 3: Conservative Commentator Ben Shapiro Allowed To Speak At University of California, Berkeley, Police Arrested Nine of The Protesters –Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/09/15/the-pronk-pops-show-965-september-15-2017-breaking-story-1-radical-islamic-terrorist-attack-bucket-bomb-device-explodes-in-united-kingdom-parson-green-tube-train-station-in-west-london-during-rush/
September 16, 2017 01:45 PM PDT
Story 1: Did President Trump Betray His Supporters By Promising Citizenship or Pathway To Citizenship For Illegal Alien “Dreamers”? — Big Lie Media and Lying Lunatic Left Losers (Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi ) Say They Have A Deal or Understanding and Rollover Republicans Support Trump (Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan) — No Wall and No Deportation For 30-60 Million Illegal Aliens Including “Dreamers” — You Were Warned Not To Trust Trump — Rollover Republicans Want Touch-back Amnesty For Illegal Aliens — Hell No — Illegal Aliens Must Go — Trump Has 48 Hours To Confirm or Deny! — Political Suicide Watch Countdown — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/09/14/the-pronk-pops-show-964-september-14-2017-story-1-did-president-trump-betray-his-supporters-by-promising-citizenship-or-pathway-to-citizenship-for-illegal-alien-dreamers-big-lie-media-and/
Story 1: American Collectivism (Resistance Is Futile) Vs. American Individualism (I Have Not Yet Begun To Fight!) — Federal Income, Capital Gains, Payroll,Estate And Gift Taxes, Budget Deficits, National Debt, Unfunded Liabilities, Democratic And Republican Parties, Two Party Tyranny Of The Warfare And Welfare State And American Empire Are The Past — The Future Is Fair Tax Less, Surplus Budgets, No Debts, No Unfunded Liabilities, And American Independence Party With A Peace And Prosperity Economy, Representative Constitutional American Republic Are The Future — Lead, Follow Or Get Out Of The Way — Those Without Power Cannot Defend Freedom — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/09/13/the-pronk-pops-show-963-september-13-2017-story-1-american-collectivism-resistance-is-futile-vs-american-individualism-i-have-not-yet-begun-to-fight-federal-income-capital-gains-payrol/
The Breaking and Developing Story 1: Category 4 Hurricane Irma Over 500 Miles Wide Bigger Than Texas with 150 MPH Sustained Winds Slows Down Turns Toward West and Tracks Directly Over All of South Florida — Evacuate Now — Hurricane Irma Will Hit Landfall Sunday Morning With Storm Surge Up To 12 Feet and Rain Fall 10-18 Inches — Over Florida For 24 Hours — All Day Sunday — Mass Mandatory Evacuation For South Florida — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/09/09/the-pronk-pops-show-960-september-8-2017-the-breaking-and-developing-story-1-category-4-hurricane-irma-over-500-miles-wide-bigger-than-texas-with-150-mph-sustained-winds-slows-down-turns-toward-we/
Shows 510-518
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Show 93
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 1-9
The Pronk Pops Show — Week in Review — September 1-9, 2017 — Videos
Posted on September 10, 2017. Filed under: American History, Blogroll, Books, Business, Climate, College, Communications, Congress, conservatives, Constitution, Corruption, Crime, Crisis, Cult, Culture, Demographics, Education, Elections, Employment, Entertainment, Essays, Faith, Family, Fraud, Heroes, history, Homes, Law, liberty, Life, Links, Literacy, Love, Mastery, media, Money, Movies, Newspapers, Non-Fiction, Nuclear Proliferation, People, Philosophy, Photos, Plays, Police, Politics, Presidential Candidates, Press, Programming, Radio, Radio, Rants, Raves, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Television, Television, Video, War, Water, Wealth, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Weather, Welfare, Wisdom, Work, Writing | Tags: America, articles, Audio, Breaking News, Broadcasting, capitalism, Cartoons, Charity, Citizenship, Clarity, Classical Liberalism, Collectivism, Commentary, Commitment, Communicate, Communication, Concise, Convincing, Courage, Culture, Current Affairs, Current Events, economic growth, economic policy, Economics, Education, Evil, Experience, Faith, Family, First, fiscal policy, free enterprise, freedom, freedom of speech, Friends, Give It A Listen, God, Good, Goodwill, Growth, Hope, Individualism, Knowledge, liberty, Life, Love, Lovers of Liberty, monetary policy, MPEG3, News, Opinions, Peace, People Paladin Pronk, Photos, Podcasts, Political Philosophy, Politics, prosperity, Radio, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Representative Republic, Republic, Resources, Respect, rule of law, Rule of Men, Show Notes, Talk Radio, The Pronk Pops Show, Truth, Tyranny, U.S. Constitution, United States of America, Videos, Virtue, War, Week in review, Wisdom |
Pronk Pops Show 908, June 9, 2017
The Breaking and Developing Story 1: Mandatory Evacuation Ordered For South Florida — Floridians Flee Monster “Nuclear” Hurricane Irma With Wind Speeds Exceeding 185 MPH That Could Hit Either Coast and Miami/Dade County By Saturday — High Rise Buildings With Glass Windows Near Construction Cranes A Major Concern — Gas Shortage A Serious Major Problem For Those Evacuating — Get Out If You Can Now! — When Will Irma Turn North? — Videos —
Story 2: Perspective Please — Over 1200 Killed by Flood in South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan) vs. Over 60 in Texas By Raining Weather Not Climate Change — Worst Flooding in Decades — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/09/08/the-pronk-pops-show-959-september-7-2017-the-breaking-and-developing-story-1-mandatory-evacuation-ordered-for-south-florida-floridians-flee-monster-nuclear-hurricane-irma-with-wind-speeds/
Story 1: President Trump Strikes His True Colors Cuts Deal With Democrats — Just Another Big Government Spending Manhattan Liberal Democrat — American “Big Apple” Pie — The Day The Music Died — Videos —
Story 2: The Day The Republican Party and/or President Trump Gives Citizenship To Illegal Alien Dreamers will Be The Day Republican Party Commits Political Suicide and Gives Birth to the American Independence Party — Trump The Flip Flopper –The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down — Helpless — I Shall Be Released — Forever Young — Videos
For additional videos and information:
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/09/07/the-pronk-pops-show-958-september-6-2017-story-1-president-trump-strikes-his-true-colors-cuts-deal-with-democrats-just-another-big-government-spending-manhattan-liberal-democrat-american-big/
Story 1: Attorney General Sessions Announced The Rescinding of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) But Gives Congress Six Months To Enact Law — Deport and Remove All 30-60 Million Estimated Illegal Aliens In The United States — Enforce U.S. Immigration Laws — No Citizenship For Illegal Aliens — Videos —
Story 2: Kim’s Bada Boom — Hydrogen Bomb Test — China Enabled North Korea’s Nuclear and Missile Weapon Programs — China Should Dismantle North Korea’s Nuclear and Missile Programs — Otherwise on 1 January 2019 U.S. Government Should Impose A Total U.S. Embargo On All Chinese Imports To U.S. and Ban All Exports From U.S. To China Until North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons and Missile Weapon Programs Are Completely Dismantled — Videos —
Story 3: Preparing For Hurricane Irma — Category 5 Destroyer and Killer Hurricane With Sustained Winds Over 180 Miles Per Hour and Wind Gusts Exceeding 200 Miles Per Hour — Will It Hit Florida? — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/09/06/the-pronk-pops-show-957-september-5-2017-story-1-attorney-general-sessions-announced-the-rescinding-of-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-daca-but-gives-congress-six-months-to-enact-la/
The Pronk Pop Show 956
Part 2 of 2, Story 1: President Trump’s Tax Speech — Very Light On Specifics — Let Congress Fill in The Details — Formula For Failure — Tax Rate Cuts Are Not Fundamental Tax Reform — A Broad Based Consumption Tax Such as The FairTax or Fair Tax Less Not Even Mentioned — What Good Is Dreaming It If You don’t actually do it! — Videos —
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/09/01/the-pronk-pops-show-956-august-31-2017-part-2-of-2-story-1-president-trumps-tax-speech-very-light-on-specifics-let-congress-fill-in-the-details-formula-for-failure-tax-rate-cuts-are/
September 03, 2017 11:59 AM PDT
Story 2: Revised Second Estimate of Real GDP Growth in Second Quarter of 2017 Is 3 Percent — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/08/31/the-pronk-pops-show-755-story-1-president-trumps-tax-speech-very-light-on-specifics-let-congress-fill-in-the-details-formula-for-failure-tax-rate-cuts-are-not-fundamental-tax-reform/
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or DownloadShows 713-719
Listen To Pronk Pops Podcast or Download Shows 585- 589
The Pronk Pops Show — Week In Review –August 15- 25, 2017 — Videos
Posted on August 28, 2017. Filed under: American History, Articles, Blogroll, Business, Climate, Communications, Computers, Computers, Congress, conservatives, Constitution, Corruption, Culture, Economics, Education, Elections, Employment, Environment, Faith, Family, Federal Government, Federal Government Budget, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy, Freedom, Friends, government spending, Health, Health Care, history, Illegal, Immigration, Journalism, Language, Law, Legal, liberty, Life, Links, media, Nuclear, Obamacare, People, Philosophy, Photos, Political Correctness, Politics, Presidential Candidates, Radio, Radio, Raves, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Strategy, Talk Radio, Tax Policy, Taxation, Taxes, Technology, Television, Television, The Pronk Pops Show, Video, War, Wealth, Weapons, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Weather, Welfare, Wisdom, Work, Writing | Tags: 28 August 2018, America, articles, Audio, Breaking News, Broadcasting, capitalism, Cartoons, Charity, Citizenship, Clarity, Classical Liberalism, Collectivism, Commentary, Commitment, Communicate, Communication, Concise, Convincing, Courage, Culture, Current Affairs, Current Events, economic growth, economic policy, Economics, Education, Evil, Experience, Faith, Family, First, fiscal policy, free enterprise, freedom, freedom of speech, Friends, Give It A Listen, God, Good, Goodwill, Growth, Hope, Hurricane Harvey, Individualism, Knowledge, liberty, Life, Love, Lovers of Liberty, monetary policy, MPEG3, News, Opinions, Peace, People Paladin Pronk, Photos, Podcasts, Political Philosophy, Politics, President Donald J. Trump, prosperity, Radio, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Representative Republic, Republic, Resources, Respect, rule of law, Rule of Men, Show Notes, Talk Radio, The Pronk Pops Show, The Pronk Pops Show -- Week In Review, Total Eclipse, Truth, Tyranny, U.S. Constitution, United States of America, Videos, Virtue, War, Week of 15-25 August 2017, Wisdom |
Pronk Pops Show 902, May 31, 2017
Pronk Pops Show 889, May 9, 2017
Weather Warning — Part 2 of 2 — Story 1: Hurricane Harvey Messes With Texas and Louisiana — Upgraded To Category 4 Hurricane — A Real Disaster — Up to 40 To 60 Inches of Rain Possible and Wind Speeds From 131 – 155 Miles Per Hour Winds — Flood Surges 13-18 Feet — Will Hit Friday Evening or Early Saturday Morning — Damages Extreme — Rain For Next Four Days — Gas Prices Will Rise If Refineries Closed/Flooded — 20 Cent Plus Spike Per Gallon in Gasoline Prices — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/the-pronk-pops-show-952-august-25-2017-weather-warning-part-2-of-2-story-1-hurricane-harvey-messes-with-texas-and-louisiana-upgraded-to-category-4-hurricane-a-real-disaster/
Weather Warning — Part 1 Of 2 — Will Be Revised And Updated Friday — Story 1: Hurricane Harvey Tracking Towards Texas Gulf Coast — Stock Up On Gasoline, Water, Bread, Milk — Up To 3 Feet Of Rain And Wind Speeds From 111-130 Miles Per Hour — Winds Will Hit Late Friday Or Early Saturday Morning — Category 3 Hurricane — Damage Extensive — Will Hurricane Harvey Change Course? — Videos
pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/the-pronk-pops-show-951-august-24-2017-weather-warning-part-1-of-2-will-be-revised-and-updated-friday-story-1-hurricane-harvey-tracking-towards-texas-gulf-coast-stock-up-on-gasoline-wate/
August 24, 2017 08:19 PM PDT
Story 1: President Trump Unplugged In Phoenix Rally — Great Effective Speech Drives Lying Lunatic Left Mad — Trump Derangement Syndrome Massive Outbreak — Videos —
Story 2: Old Left, New Left, Far Left — Lying Lunatic Left Losers and Big Lie Media Use Same Saul Alinsky Tactics — Label Opponents As Crazy, Mad, or Mentally Ill or To Get Elected — Then Start Another War — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/08/24/the-pronk-pops-show-950-august-23-2017-story-1-president-trump-unplugged-in-phoenix-rally-great-effective-speech-drives-lying-lunatic-left-mad-trump-derangement-syndrome-massive-outbreak/
Story 1: No Sale President Trump — Stop Watching and Being Spooked By 24 — Bring All The Troops Home Now! — Stop Wasting Time, Money and Lives Being Policemen of The World and Foreign Nation Building — Yes To American Constitutional Republic — No To American Unconstitutional Empire — All Empires Decline and Fall — End The Warfare and Welfare State and Renew The Peace and Prosperity Economy With A Free Enterprise Market Capitalist System — Follow The Money: National Interest in Afghanistan Is Drugs and Minerals — The Gambler — Reality Television Presidency or 24/7 Trump — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/08/23/the-pronk-pops-show-749-august-22-2017-story-1-no-sale-president-trump-stop-watching-and-being-spooked-by-24-bring-all-the-troops-home-now-stop-wasting-time-money-and-lives-being-police/
Story 1: Eclipse Totality — Moon Shadow — Here Comes The Sun — The Primary Cause of Climate Change — Videos —
Story 2: Bannon Breitbart Banishment– Interventionist War Mongering Generals and Political Establishment Winning — Trump Just Another Big Government Liberal Democrat Presidents (Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson) — Videos —
Story 3: The Democrat Party of Slavery, Segregation, Klu Klux Klan, and White Supremacy Rewrites History By Tearing Down Confederate Soldier Statues That They Put Up — Admit It Democrats Are Racists That Play Race Cards — Lying Lunatic Left Losers — Videos —
Story 4: The Radical Islamic Terrorists Killed and Captured –13 Killed and Injured 100 in Barcelona Thursday — Videos
Story 1: Big Lie Media Driving Voters Out Of The Democratic Party and Republican Parties — Three Cheers For Big Lie Media — Credibility Going Going Gone With Prevaricating Progressive Propaganda — Videos —
Story 2: Bannon Blistering Blasts — Collectivist Clowns Losing with Identity Politics of Victims and Emotions — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/08/17/the-pronk-pops-show-747-story-1-big-lie-media-driving-voters-out-of-the-democratic-party-and-republican-parties-three-cheers-for-big-lie-media-credibility-going-going-gone-with-prevaricating-p/
Story 1: Trump Takes On Government Regulation Permitting Process for Infrastructure With Executive Order — Videos
Story 2: President Trump Takes On Corporate Executives Manufacturing Abroad and Big Lie Media On Charlottesville — I Need The Facts — Videos —
Story 3: Will Trump Cave To Critics of Bannon? If Trump Does He Will Lose A Large Part Of His Voter Base And Some Talk Radio Supporters — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/the-pronk-pops-show-946-august-15-2017-story-1-trump-takes-on-government-regulation-permitting-process-for-infer-structure-with-executive-order-videos-story-2-president-trump-takes-on-corporat/
The Pronk Pops Show — Week In Review — July 20-27, 2017 — Videos
Posted on July 29, 2017. Filed under: American History, Articles, Blogroll, Business, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Communications, Computers, Computers, Congress, Constitution, Crime, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Documentary, Economics, Education, Employment, External Hard Drives, Farming, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Government, Federal Government Budget, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy, Freedom, Friends, government, government spending, Health Care, history, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Investments, IRS, Islam, Journalism, Law, liberty, Life, Links, Literacy, media, Narcissism, National Security Agency (NSA), National Security Agency (NSA_, Newspapers, Obamacare, People, Philosophy, Photos, Political Correctness, Politics, Press, Psychology, Radio, Radio, Rants, Raves, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Security, Spying, Strategy, Success, Supreme Court, Talk Radio, Tax Policy, Taxes, Technology, Television, Terrorism, Transportation, Unemployment, Video, War, Wealth, Welfare, Wisdom, Writing | Tags: America, articles, Audio, Breaking News, Broadcasting, capitalism, Cartoons, Charity, Citizenship, Clarity, Classical Liberalism, Collectivism, Commentary, Commitment, Communicate, Communication, Concise, Convincing, Courage, Culture, Current Affairs, Current Events, economic growth, economic policy, Economics, Education, Evil, Experience, Faith, Family, First, fiscal policy, free enterprise, freedom, freedom of speech, Friends, Give It A Listen, God, Good, Goodwill, Growth, Hope, Individualism, Knowledge, liberty, Life, Love, Lovers of Liberty, monetary policy, MPEG3, News, Opinions, Peace, Photos, Podcasts, Political Philosophy, Politics, prosperity, Radio, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Repeal and Replace Obamacare, Representative Republic, Republic, Resources, Respect, rule of law, Rule of Men, Show Notes, Spying on American People, Talk Radio, The Pronk Pops Show, The Pronk Pops Shows 926-936, Truth, Tyranny, U.S. Constitution, United States of America, Videos, Virtue, War, Week in review, Wisdom |
Story 1 bama Spy Scandal: Obama Administration Officials Including National Security Adviser Rice, CIA Director Brennan and United Nations Ambassador Power Spied On American People and Trump Campaign By Massive Unmasking Using Intelligence Community For Political Purposes — An Abuse of Power and Felonies Under U.S. Law — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/the-pronk-pops-show-936-story-1obama-spy-scandal-obama-administration-officials-including-national-security-adviser-rice-cia-director-brennan-and-united-nations-ambassador-power-spied-on-american/
July 28, 2017 07:12 PM PDT
Story 1: Trump Targets Transgender Troops — No More Gender Reassignment Surgeries In Military and Veterans Hospital — Cuts Spending By Millions Per Year — What is Next? — No More Free Viagra — Tranny Boys/Girls No More — Videos —
Story 2: Senate Fails To Pass Senator Rand Paul’s Total Repeal Amendment — Tea Party Revival Calling For Primary Challenge Against Rollover Republican Senators Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Susan Collins of Maine, Dick Heller of Nevada, John McCain of Arizona, Rob Portman of Ohio, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — All Republicans in Name Only — Really Big Government Democrats — Videos —
Story 3: Trump Rally in Ohio — Neither A Rally Nor A Movement Is Not A Political Party That Votes in Congress — New Viable and Winning American Independence Party Is What Is Needed –Videos
https://wordpress.com/post/pronkpops.wordpress.com/26375
Story 1: Pence Breaks Tie — Senate Will Debate How To Proceed With Obamacare Repeal and Replace — Videos —
Story 2: Congress Overwhelming Passes New Sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea — Long Overdue — Videos —
Story 3: Trump Again Critical Of Attorney General Sessions Apparently For Not Prosecuting Leakers and Going After Clinton Foundation Crimes — What about Obama Administration’s Spying On Trump — An Abuse of Power Using Intelligence Community for Political Purposes — Will Trump Dump Sessions? If He Does Trump Will Start To Lose His Supporters in Talk Radio and Voter Base — Direct Deputy Attorney Rod Rosenstein To Fire Mueller — If He Won’t Fire Him — Fire Both Mueller and Rosenstein — Punish Your Enemies and Reward Your Friends President Trump! — “In Your Guts You Know He is Nuts” — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/the-pronk-pops-show-934-july-24-2017-breaking-breaking-story-1-pence-breaks-tie-senate-will-debate-how-to-proceed-with-obamacare-repeal-and-replace-videos-story-2-congress-overwhel/
Story 1: The American People Do Not Care About Phony Russian/Trump Collusion Conspiracy of The Lying Lunatic Left, Delusional Democrats and Big Lie Media — They’re Coming To Take You Away To The Funny Farm To Play with Your Ding-a-Ling — Videos —
Story 2: Trump Should Read Saul Alinski Rules For Radicals To Understand What Is Going On — Then Have Department of Justice Investigate The Clinton Charitable Foundation For Public Corruption and Obama Administration For Abuse of Power Using Intelligence Community for Political Purposes And Then Fire Mueller For Conflicts of Interests — The Sooner The Better — Go On Offense Stop Playing Defense — Just Do It! — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/07/24/the-pronk-pops-show-923-july-24-2017-story-1-the-american-people-do-not-care-about-phony-russiantrump-collusion-conspiracy-of-the-lying-lunatic-left-delusional-democrats-and-big-lie-media-the/
Story 1: O.J. Simpson Granted Parole When Eligible — The Juice Will Soon Be Loose — Videos —
Story 2: President Trump’s First Six Months — Videos —
Story 3: President Trump Will Keep Attorney General Sessions For Now — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/07/20/the-pronk-pops-show-932-story-1-o-j-simpson-granted-parole-when-eligible-the-juice-will-soon-be-loose-videos-story-2-president-trumps-first-six-months-videos-story-3-president-tr/
July 22, 2017 10:49 AM PDT
Story 1: “Obamacare Failed” Says President Trump — Wants Obamacare Completely Repealed and Replaced Sooner or Later — Obama Lied To American People — Does President Trump Understand The Relationship Between Pre-existing Conditions, Guaranteed Issue, Community Rating and Adverse Selection — Many Doubt Trump Really Understands The Relationship That Is The Real Reason Obamacare Was Designed To Fail From The Beginning So It Could Be Replaced By Single Payer Government Health Care — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/07/20/the-pronk-pops-show-931-july-19-2017-story-1-obamacare-failed-says-president-trump-wants-obamacare-completely-repealed-and-replaced-sooner-or-later-obama-lied-to-american-people/
Story 1: Will Trump Challenge The Washington Establishment To Achieve His Promises? You Betcha. Will He Win? Long Shot –A Movement Is Not A Viable Political Party That Can Beat The Democratic Party and Republican Party and Their Allies In The Big Government Bureaucracies, Big Lie Media and The Owner Donor Class — Votes Count — Independence Party???– Videos —
Story 2: Replace Republicans With D and F Conservative Review Grades and Scores Root and Branch With Real Conservatives, Classical Liberals and Libertarians Until New Political Party Is Formed and Becomes A Viable Party — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/07/19/the-pronk-pops-show-970-july-18-2017-story-1-will-trump-challenge-the-washington-establishment-to-achieve-his-promises-yes-will-he-win-long-shot-a-movement-is-not-a-viable-political-party-tha/
Story 1: Downsizing The Federal Government or Draining The Swap: Trump Should Permanently Close 8 Departments Not Appoint People To Run Them — Cut All Other Department Budgets by 20% — Video —
Story 2: Federal Spending Breaks $4 Trillion for Fiscal Year 2017 —
Story 3: The American People and President Trump Vs. Political Elitist Establishment of The Big Government Democratic and Republican Parties — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/07/18/the-pronk-pops-show-929-july-17-2017-story-1-downsizing-the-federal-government-or-draining-the-swap-trump-should-permanently-close-8-departments-not-appoint-people-to-run-them-cut-all-other-de/
Story 1: Senate Revised Republican Repeal and Replacement Bill A Betrayal of Voters Who Gave Republicans Control of Senate and House — Does Not Repeal All Obamacare Mandates, Regulations and Taxes but Does Bailout Insurance Industry and States Who Extended Medicaid Benefits — Trump Should Veto This Betrayal By Republican Establishment of Republican Voters — Videos —
Story 2: Estimated insolvency date of Social Security’s Trust fund is 2034 — and Medicare’s Hospital Trust Fund is 2029 — Social Security and Medicare Benefits Will Be Cut or Taxes Raised or Combination of Benefit Cuts and Tax Increases — Videos —
Story 3: Trump’s Broken Promises and Kept Promises — Good Intentions are Not Enough — Only Results Count — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/07/15/the-pronk-pops-show-928-july-13-2017-story-1-senate-revised-republican-repeal-and-replacement-bill-a-betray-of-voters-who-gave-republicans-control-of-senate-and-house-does-not-repeal-all-obamac/
Story 1: Putin’s Sting — How Russian Intelligence Service (FSB) Played The Washington Political Elitist Establishment (Democrats and Republicans) And Big Lie Media And How They Fell Hook, Line and Sinker for Russian Intelligence Disinformation Campaign — Russian Trump Dossier — The Dangers of Opposition Research, Confirmation Bias, True Believers, Useful Idiots, Blind Ambition and Two Party Tyranny — The Sting Redux — Videos —
Story 2: Republican Sellout The Republican Voter Base By Not Repealing Obamacare Completely — Leaves Many Obamacare Regulations, Subsidies, and Taxes In Place –Republican Replacement of Obamacare Is A Big Bailout Bill of Insurance Industry — The Stupid Republican Party About To Commit Political Suicide — Rest In Peace — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/07/13/the-pronk-pops-show-927-july-12-2017-story-1-putins-sting-how-russian-intelligence-played-the-washington-political-elitist-establishment-democrats-and-republicans-and-big-lie-media-and-the/
Story 1: Much Ado About Nothing — What Dirt Did The Russians Have On Hillary Clinton? — Donald Trump Jr. Wanted To Know — Smells Like A Russian Setup and/or Democrat Dirty Trick — Who Leaked The Emails To New York Times? — American People Ignoring Paranoid Progressive Propaganda of Big Lie Media — Still Waiting For Any Evidence of Trump/Russian/Putin Collusion — Clinton Collusion Conspiracy Crashing — Desperate Delusional Democrat Deniers of Reality — Videos —
Story 2: When Will Attorney General Sessions Appoint A Special Counsel To Investigate Intelligence Community Leaks and Hillary Clinton Mishandling of Classified Documents and Related Pay for Play Public Corruption of Clinton Foundation? — Was Democratic Hired Opposition Research firm Fusion GPS and Christopher Steel Formerly of British Intelligent MI-6 Agent A Cutout For The Russian Disinformation Campaign Included in The Donald Trump — Russia Dossier? — Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/the-pronk-pops-show-926-july-11-2017-story-1-much-ado-about-nothing-what-dirt-did-the-russians-have-on-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-jr-wanted-to-know-smells-like-a-russian-setup-andor/
12 Dallas Police Officers Shot In Ambush Assassination with 5 Killed –Shooter Killed By Robot With Explosive Device — Black Lives Matters Provoking Black Racism — Lying Lunatic Left — Dallas Police Chief Brown, Former President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama Speech at Dallas Memorial Service Honoring Police Officers — Videos
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Story 1: 12 Dallas Police Officers Shot In Ambush Assassination with 5 Killed –Shooter Killed By Robot With Explosive Device — Black Lives Matters Provoking Black Racism — Lying Lunatic Left — Dallas Police Chief Brown, Former President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama Speech at Dallas Memorial Service Honoring Police Officers — Videos
DALLAS, TX – JULY 12: Police officers arrive at an interfaith memorial service, honoring five slain police officers, at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center on July 12, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. A sniper opend fire following a Black Lives Matter march in Dallas killing five police officers and injuring 12 others. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
A Police officer stands guard at a baracade following the sniper shooting in Dallas on July 7, 2016.
DALLAS, TX – JULY 8: Flags fly at half mast at Dallas City Hall following the fatal shootings of five police officers on July 8, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. Micah Xavier Johnson has been identified as the suspected sniper in the fatal shooting of five police officers, and injuring seven more at a Black Lives Matter demonstration held on July 7, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. Stewart F. House/Getty Images/AFP
Obama: ‘We are one American family
President Obama calls for unity as 5 slain Dallas police officers remembered
LIVE Stream: President Obama Speech in Dallas Memorial Service Honoring Police Officers
FULL SPEECH George W Bush Dallas Memorial Service July 12, 2016
Dallas Police Chief Brown speaks at Dallas police memorial service
Paul Ryan gives statement about police officers killed in Dallas
Dallas PD Chief Opens Up About Burdens on Laws Enforcement ‘We’re Asking Cops to Do Too Much’
Police Chief reveals the impact of Dallas cop killings
Dallas Black Lives Matter Protest Police Murders Chief David O. Brown Kill White People
Dallas Police Chief: ‘We are Hurting’
FNN: Dallas Police Chief Calls Out “Irresponsible” Reporters Who Claimed Shots Fired at Police HQ
Dallas Police chief says gunman wanted to “kill white people”
Memorial Grows for Fallen Dallas Officers
DART officer killed in Dallas sniper attack identified
O’Reilly: ‘Martin Luther King Would Not Participate In A Black Lives Matter Protest’
Bill O’Reilly Scolds Racial Provocateurs Calls Black Lives Matter Hate America Group – 7/8/16
Murdering cops in Dallas
The Truth About The Alton Sterling and Philando Castile Shootings
The Truth About Michael Brown and the Ferguson Riots
Michael Bautista captured part of downtown Dallas shooting during Facebook Live
Eyewitness video of downtown Dallas shooting
Mayor Mike Rawlings on robot
Shooting at Protest In Dallas Texas
Culprits Behind Dallas Police Massacre Revealed
Secrets Of Black Lives Matter Dallas Police Massacre Revealed
Rudy Giuliani: When You Say Black Lives Matter, It’s Inherently Racist
Obama/Soros Behind Black Lives Matter Massacre of Police
George Soros, Puppet Master
O’Reilly Scolds Racial ‘Provocateurs,’ Calls Black Lives Matter a ‘Hate America Group’
Video: 5 officers killed in ambush at Dallas protest
Dallas police shooting: 5 officers killed by snipers during anti-cop violence rally
DALLAS SHOOTING: 5 Police Officers killed, 6 injured at Black Lives Matter Protest, On-Scene Footage
Dallas Police Shooting: 11 Officers Shot, 5 Killed | True News
Dallas Shooting: 5 Police Officers Dead, More Injured
Full speech Obama comments on the
Lester Holt’s interview with Hillary Clinton on Dallas police shooting and emails
Who is George Soros, and Why Does Hillary Clinton Praise Him?
Emails Show Clinton Worked With George Soros To Run Shadow Gov’t
Bill Clinton Admits Hillary-Soros Connection
RWW News: Glenn Beck Reveals George Soros’ Plot To Make Hillary Clinton President
George Soros Exposed – Puppet master Glenn Beck
Bill O’Reilly – George Soros – Black Lives Matter
Soros Revelations in His Own Words
Black Lives Matter Boss Is An Old White Nazi Worth Billions
Ben Shapiro: Do Black Lives Matter to Black Lives Matter?
George Soros’s Race War Plans Revealed
Roy Masters Calls Out George Soros – Sunday Conversations With Roy Masters (Clip)
Roy Masters Calls Out George Soros | Sunday Conversations
America: Civil War Is Coming – Roy Masters
South Park Parody of Police Brutality and White Privilege – Scout’s Honor
Black Lives Matter Threaten Violence Against Whites Who Vote Trump
Megyn Kelly CONFRONTS #BLACKLIVESMATTER Activist Over RACIST Video THREATENINGTo KILL “CRACKAS”
Megyn Kelly’s Response to a ‘#BlackLivesMatter’ Activist Had Viewers Calling it ‘A Thing of Beauty’
Negro Slaves And Black Lives Matter Is Sponsored By George Soros
Armed Black Militants Prep for War
Armed Black Panthers Declare War On Texas Cops
The About ‘Black Lives Matter’ || Louder With Crowder
ZoNation: Black Lives Matter, So They Should Vote Republican
PJTV: ZoNation: Liberals and Democrats Are Racist, Not Republicans!
Obama meets with Black Lives Matter leaders
The Worst of Black Lives Matter
Sheriff Clarke on “Black Lives Matter”: “It’s a vile vulgar slimy movement”
Black Lives Matter, Racism: A Conservative Perspective (Larry Elder Interview)
Obama Holds Klansmen Meeting in White House w/ Hate Leaders NAACP & #BlackLivesMatter
Obama On Police Killing Philando Castile And Alton Sterling
Another black person shoots another cop, this time in Ballwin
MN Governor On Philando Castile – Full News Conference
Philando Castile FULL Press Conference 7/7/16
Minnesota officer kills Black man
Police shoot black man in Minnesota (7/6/16) (OurBlackNews-MN)
Louisiana Cop Shooting Alton Sterling CAUGHT On Camera-Why Always BLACK?!!!!
Baton Rouge Police under Investigation for the Shooting of an Armed Black Male
Video: Protests break out after Louisiana fatal police shooting
Lone Gunman Laughed, Sang During Standoff: Sources
Micah Xavier Johnson was killed by an explosive device attached to a robot after talks broke down. He was laughing and singing and not at all anxious during the standoff, a source said.
By Todd L. Davis and Scott Friedman
A North Texas Army veteran has been identified as the lone gunman responsible for the sniper attacks that killed five police officers and injured seven others in Dallas, authorities say.
Micah Xavier Johnson, of Mesquite, ambushed officers at a peaceful protest against nationwide police-involved shootings in Dallas on Thursday, police said.
Obama: America Is ‘Horrified’ Over Dallas Attack
The investigation into Johnson’s attack is still ongoing, and much remains is still unknown. But a picture is beginning to emerge of what went on inside the standoff — a source tells NBC Investigates that the 25-year-old was wounded by gunfire before being killed by a robot outfitted with a bomb — and how he prepared for the deadly assault.
LONE GUNMAN
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings confirmed Friday what multiple senior U.S. law enforcement officials had told NBC News Friday afternoon: Micah Xavier Johnson was the lone gunman in the rampage.
Police Search Micah Xavier Johnson’s Home
Dallas police searched the home Friday where shooting suspect Micah Xavier Johnson lived in North Texas. (Published Friday, July 8, 2016)
“This was a mobile shooter that had written manifestos on how to shoot and move, shoot and move, and he did that. He did his damage,” Rawlings said.
Officials told NBC News the investigation so far has yielded no additional suspects that may have played a role in the shooting. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that there is no information about additional co-conspirators, but if any are found, they will be brought to justice.
Slain Dallas Officer ‘Always Had a Smile’: LA Deputies
Sources tell NBC News they have found no ties between Johnson and any extremist groups so far.
“We believe now, that the city is safe,” Rawlings said. “The suspect is dead, and we can move on to healing.”
We believe now, that the city is safe. The suspect is dead and we can move on to healing.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings
INSIDE THE STANDOFF
Johnson was laughing and singing and not at all anxious during the standoff at the El Centro College building, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the incident told NBC 5 Investigates senior reporter Scott Friedman.
Johnson told police he had specifically been training for this event and working out in preparation for Thursday night. NBC 5 Investigates has also learned Johnson was wearing a military-style bulletproof vest.
Dallas Police Finally Delete Wrong Sniper Suspect Tweet
Johnson told police he spent time in the military and was carrying a military-style rifle.
Johnson was hit by gunfire before going into the El Centro college building and that officers followed Johnson’s blood trail into the building, according to a law enforcement source.
Officers found him on the second floor, and then fired more rounds through a wall, apparently hitting Johnson again and wounding him.
After that, the negotiations began and spanned several hours. Johnson threatened many times to charge the officers, according to the source.
Clinton Addresses Dallas Attacks in Church Speech
Johnson at first said that he only wanted to talk to black police officers – he said he didn’t want to have anything to do with white people. He shared police conspiracies and his dislike for police officers, a law enforcement source said.
Officers cornered Johnson and negotiated with him for hours before talks broke down, police said.
Army Veteran Identified As a Gunman in Dallas Protest Shootings
A law enforcement source describes Micah Xavier Johnson’s behavior Thursday as cold and unafraid, saying he was laughing and singing during the hours-long standoff with police. (Published Friday, July 8, 2016)
Dallas Police Chief David Brown said Johnson told officers he was upset about recent shootings involving police and “wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”
After an exchange of gunfire, officers attached an explosive device to a bomb robot and detonated it near Johnson, killing him, Brown said.
UPDATED Officer Who Survived 3 Iraq Tours Killed in Dallas: Father
A police source tells NBC 5 Investigates that the robot carried 3/4 of a pound of C-4, a plastic explosive. The robot reportedly suffered some damage but may not be a total loss.
The decision on how much to use was made by Dallas SWAT officers trained in explosives along with ATF experts on the scene.
Reporter Recounts Experience After Shots Were Fired
(Published Friday, July 8, 2016)
A law enforcement source told Friedman on a scale of 1 to 10 this situation was a 30.
Sniper Ambush Kills 5 Officers, Injures 7 in Dallas
The Army said Johnson served in the Army Reserve and did one tour of duty in Afghanistan, from November 2013 to July 2014.
Johnson was a private first class and his military occupational specialty was carpentry and masonry.
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDallasPD%2Fposts%2F10154256428977412&width=500
His service dates, as provided by the Army, were March 2009 to April 2015.
Dallas police said Johnson has no criminal history.
Prayer Service Held in Thanks-Giving Square
During a search of his home Friday, detectives found bomb making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics, police said.
Lone Gunman Laughed, Sang During Standoff: Sources | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Dallas-Police-Identify-Gunman-in-Dallas-Protest-Shootings-386015971.html#ixzz4DvwXgqSv
Dallas shooting victims: three police officers identified as colleagues mourn
Tributes pour in for transit officer Brent Thompson, who was recently married, and Dallas police officers Patrick Zamarripa and Michael Krol
From left to right: Michael Krol, Patrick Zamarripa and Brent Thompson.
The identities of three of the five officers who died in the mass shooting that targeted police in Dallas emerged on Friday morning, as family, friends and the public paid tribute.
They include a newlywed transit officer, a Dallas police department officer who had expressed love for his job and his country, and a Detroit-area native whose family said it was his life’s dream to become an officer. Seven other officers were injured as sniper fire broke out while police were patrolling a peaceful protest in Dallas on Thursday evening organized to demonstrate against the police shooting deaths of Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana earlier this week.
Dallas police shootings: what we know so far
Brent Thompson
Brent Thompson, 43, was killed in the gunfire and was the first officer of the Dallas area rapid transit (Dart) division to be killed in the line of duty since the department was established in 1989. The force provides law enforcement on the city’s bus, light rail, commuter rail and high-occupancy road lanes in a transit system serving Dallas and 12 suburbs in the greater metropolis.
Thompson joined the division in 2009. The Dart chief, James Spiller, said: “He was an outstanding patrol officer as well as a rail officer.”
Thompson married a fellow Dart officer just last month, said Spiller on NBC Today.
“He was recently married in the last two weeks, so this is very heartbreaking. We will definitely miss him, and we are also making sure his family is taken care of,” he said.
A statement from Dart said: “Our hearts are broken.”
A picture was posted on Twitter of Thompson with his grandson.
Before joining the mass transit police, Thompson worked with US police officers in Iraq and Afghanistan for the military contractor Dyncorp, according to his LinkedIn page.
Patrick Zamarripa
Tributes were posted on social media for the Dallas police department officer Patrick Zamarripa, 32, on Friday morning, with a family member sharing a picture of the officer with his father.
One post from his stepbrother, Dylan Martinez, read: “No father should have to bury his son. You are a hero, Patrick. Love you man.…”
Patrick Zamarripa. Photograph: @KDylanMartinez/Twitter
He was described as a family man and a military veteran who had survived three tours in Iraq, according to the Washington Post.
On Zamarripa’s Twitter page, he had written: “Addicted to the thrill of this job. I own the night. I love my Country, Texas, Family, God, Friends, and Sports! Don’t Tread on Me! ’Merica.”
On the Fourth of July, Zamarripa posted a patriotic tweet, saying: “Happy Birthday to the greatest country on the face of this planet. My beloved America!”
He had also tweeted about getting ready to police a recent rally for Donald Trump in Dallas and posted in support of the victims of the mass shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse, in Orlando.
He has been hailed as a hero on social media.
Michael Krol
Michael Krol, 40, became an officer in the Dallas police department in 2007 after previously working in his local county jail system in Michigan.
Krol worked for the Wayne County sheriff’s office in the county jail system from 2003-2007, according to a statement.
His uncle, Jim Ehlke, told WDVI his nephew had a passion for helping people and that being an officer was his life dream.
“He got into law enforcement and worked really hard to be a police officer. He spent some time at the correctional facility. It wasn’t quite what he was looking for, so he worked pretty hard to find a job and got one in Dallas,” Ehlke said. “He was all in, he was all in.”
“He knew the danger of the job but he never shied away from his duty as a police officer,” Krol’s mother, Susan Ehlke, told WXYZ. “He was a great, caring person and wanted to help people. A wonderful son, brother, uncle, nephew and friend.”
He lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with his girlfriend, ABC also reported.
The Wayne County sheriff’s office issued a statement on Friday morning.
“We are saddened by the loss of the dedicated officers in Dallas – one of whom was a former member of this agency – and also the wounding of the other officers,” said sheriff Benny Napoleon . “Those officers made the ultimate sacrifice and died honoring their oaths to protect and serve. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and also the Dallas police department,” he added.
The other victims are believed to be Dallas police officers, but they have not yet been identified.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/08/dallas-protest-shooting-police-victims-named-brent-thompson-patrick-zamarripa
UPDATED 8-Year Police Veteran Michael Krol Among Dallas Victims
Dallas Shooter Laughed, Sang During Standoff: Source
A North Texas Army veteran has been identified as a gunman responsible for the sniper attacks that killed five police officers and injured seven others in Dallas, according to authorities. According to a law enforcement source, Micah Xavier Johnson laughed and sang during an hours-long standoff with police. (Published 3 hours ago)
Dallas Police Chief, Mayor 7:30 A.M. Update (Raw Video)
Dallas Police Chief David Brown and Mayor Mike Rawlings provided a 7:30 a.m. update on the shootings in downtown Dallas. “It has been a long, long morning,” said Mike Rawlings, mayor of Dallas. Here is the full 17-minutes of remarks with what was known at the time, including the use of a robot bomb used to kill the suspect. (Published Friday, July 8, 2016)
AG Lynch: ‘The Answer Is Never Violence’
Attorney General Loretta Lynch denounced the sniper attack that killed five police officers in Dallas on Thursday, urging people to reflect on “the country that we want to build and the kind of society that we are choosing to pass on to our children.” (Published 3 hours ago)
Dramatic Photos: Deadly Sniper Attack in Downtown Dallas
Published 30 minutes ago
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Dallas-Police-Identify-Gunman-in-Dallas-Protest-Shootings-386015971.html
What we know – and what we don’t know – about the Dallas protest shooting
Three of the five dead officers have been identified
Three suspects in custody but a fourth died after an armed standoff
Dallas protest shooting – live updates
Matthew Weaver and Claire Phipps
Friday 8 July 2016 12.27 EDTLast modified on Friday 8 July 201618.02 ED
Five police officers have been killed and at least seven more injured after shots were fired during an anti-violence protest in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday evening.
Three officers have been identified. One of the dead officers has been named as Brent Thompson, 43 – the first Dart (transit) officer to be killed in the line of duty. Another was identified by his family as officer Patrick Zamarripa. Michael Krol, a native of Detroit who joined the Dallas police department in 2007, was named on Friday.
https://interactive.guim.co.uk/uploader/embed/2016/07/dallas_aerial/giv-12515klE9qBu6X4vR/
Barack Obama condemned the killings as “a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement”. Speaking in Warsaw, where he is attending a two-day Nato summit, Obama again called for gun control. “When people are armed with powerful weapons unfortunately it makes attacks like these more deadly and more tragic,” he said.
Three people have been detained by police: a woman who was stopped close to the garage, plus two people who were stopped in a dark Mercedes.
A fourth suspect was identified as Micah Johnson, 25, a Texas law enforcement official told the AP. Johnson died after an armed standoff with police on a second floor parking lot close to El Centro College. The mayor of Dallas, Mike Rawlings, said he did not know how the man died or what weapons had been found on him, but that police had used explosives to “blast him out”. Johnson said he wanted to “kill white people, especially white officers”, according to Dallas police chief David Brown. During hours of negotiations with police, Johnson said he was unaffiliated with any groups and “did this alone”. Brown said the suspect was upset about Black Lives Matter, the recent shootings and white people.
Johnson was a US army reservist and veteran of the Afghanistan war, the US army has confirmed. He had no known criminal record or ties to terrorism, a law enforcement official told CNN.
A police robot was used to kill Johnson. Dallas police used a bomb-disposal robot with an explosive device on its manipulator arm. Experts believe it was the first time a lethally armed robot has been used by police.
No bombs were found after two police searches. Major Max Geron of Dallaspolice tweeted: “Primary and secondary sweeps for explosives are complete and no explosives found.”
One civilian was also wounded: Shetamia Taylor, who was attending the protest with her sons, was shot in the leg but her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
Mark Hughes, who mistakenly became a suspect after being pictured holding a long rifle in a photo circulated by the police department, has been released after turning himself in. “I could easily have been shot,” he told CBS, adding that he was not satisfied with a police apology after getting death threats on social media.
What we don’t know
The motive for the killing. The shootings came at the end of a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest sparked by the killing of two black men by police officers in separate incidents earlier this week. Obama said: “We will learn more about their twisted motivations, but let’s be clear; there is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement.”
How many shooters were involved? At least one shooter opened fire from an elevated position. It is unclear whether more than one opened fire.
Whether the suspects worked together to launch the attack. Johnson told police that he “did this alone”. Brown later told a crowd at an interfaith vigil that the attack, “was a well planned, well thought out, evil tragedy by these suspects, and we won’t rest until we bring everyone involved to justice.”
The names of two victims. Three officers have been identified.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/08/dallas-shootings-what-we-know-so-far
Lynch to Dallas protesters: ‘Do not be discouraged’
By Nolan D. McCaskill
Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Friday encouraged protesters not to allow the “heinous violence” that occurred in Dallas to silence their “important” voices.
Five police officers died and seven more were wounded in an ambush during a peaceful rally in Dallas on Thursday to protest the deaths of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota who were shot dead by police this week. Two civilians were also injured Thursday.
Lynch stressed that she is “deeply grateful” to law enforcement’s commitment to difficult and dangerous work to keep America safe but vowed that the Justice Department would do all it can to help. And she urged peaceful protesters not to give up.
“I want you to know that your voice is important,” Lynch said Friday during a news conference at the Justice Department. “Do not be discouraged by those who would use your lawful actions as cover for their heinous violence. We will continue to safeguard your constitutional rights and to work with you in the difficult mission of building a better nation and a brighter future.”
Lynch announced that the Justice Department will offer assistance to local law enforcement in Dallas, a city she described as a community “severely shaken and deeply scarred by an unfathomable tragedy.” She said DOJ and the agencies within it, including the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office, will work alongside state and local officials there.
“We intend to provide any assistance we can to investigate this attack and also to help heal a community that has been severely shaken and deeply scarred by an unfathomable tragedy,” she said. “This is an unfolding situation. We will be providing additional information when it is available and appropriate. But more so, this has been a week of profound grief and heartbreaking loss.”
Thursday’s protest was held in the wake of the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old whose death outside a Baton Rouge convenience store was captured on video, and Philando Castile, a 32-year-old whose fiancée filmed the aftermath of his death via Facebook live in Falcon Heights.
The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the Louisiana encounter, and Lynch said DOJ will offer assistance to local officials leading the investigation in Minnesota.
Lynch mourned the “devastating loss” of the slain officers and empathized with the sentiments of much of the country, as Americans try to cope with the back-to-back police-involved killings this week that each gained national attention.
“Americans across our county are feeling a sense of helplessness, of uncertainty and of fear,” Lynch said. “And these feelings are understandable, and they are justified. But the answer must not be violence. The answer is never violence.”
The answer, Lynch maintained, is action — “calm, peaceful, collaborative and determined action,” she said. “We must continue working to build trust between communities and law enforcement. We must continue working to guarantee every person in this country equal justice under the law. And we must take a hard look at the ease with which wrongdoers can get their hands on deadly weapons and the frequency with which they use them.”
The DOJ chief called on Americans to consider what kind of country they want to pass on to future generations and to shun divisive impulses.
“We must reflect on the kind of country that we want to build and the kind of society that we are choosing to pass on to our children,” Lynch said. “And above all, we must reject the easy impulses of bitterness and rancor and embrace the difficult work — but the important work, the vital work — of finding a path forward together. And above everything, we must remind ourselves that we are all Americans, and that as Americans, we share not just a common land but a common life.”
And those lives lost this week, Lynch said, came from different neighborhoods and backgrounds but will be grieved by all.
“Today, they’re mourned by officers, by residents, by family and friends, by men and women and children who loved them, who needed them and who will miss them always,” she said. “They are mourned by all of us. To the families of all who lost their lives in this series of tragedies, we share your pain and your loss.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/loretta-lynch-dallas-shooting-225296#ixzz4Ds2Xz5Y1
SICK: ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER’ SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE MURDER OF DALLAS COPS
BLM agitators joyful about slaughter of “pigs”
Paul Joseph Watson – JULY 8, 2016
‘Black Lives Matter’ supporters responded to the sniper attack in Dallas by celebrating the murder of the five police officers who were gunned down in cold blood.
BLM sympathizers took to Twitter to express their joy at the carnage, with one commenting, “Y’all pigs got what was coming for y’all.”
“Next time a group wants to organize a police shoot, do like Dallas tonight, but have extra men/women to flank the Pigs!,” added another.
“Dude hell yeah someone is shooting pigs in dallas. Solidarity,” commented another user.
“DALLAS keep smoking dem pigs keep up the work,” remarked another.
Last night’s events in Dallas were as painfully predictable as they were tragic.
As I wrote almost a year ago after BLM supporters had plotted to bomb a police station in Ferguson, “Black Lives Matter cannot be described as anything other than a domestic terrorist organization.”
Paul Joseph Watson @PrisonPlanet
This is what I wrote nearly a year ago about #BlackLivesMatter, but the media kept giving the group a free pass.
6:33 AM – 8 Jul 2016
One had to look no further than the fact that the ideological guru behind ‘Black Lives Matter’ – the individual whom its founders cite as their inspiration – Assata Shakur – is a convicted cop killer who is on the FBI’s ‘Most Wanted Terrorists’ list.
BLM protesters have also repeatedly invoked violent rhetoric. During a march in New York, demonstrators chanted, “What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want it? Now!”
BLM agitators have also used the refrain “pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon!” on numerous occasions to promote violence against police officers.
A selection of tweets illustrating how ‘Black Lives Matter’ supporters are celebrating last night’s sniper attack appears below.
@blahnco@tineekamonet DALLAS keep smoking dem pigs keep up the work ????
— Justgetit (@ballerlouis) July 8, 2016
GIVE A FUCK ABOUT DALLAS AND THEM PIGS FUCK EM ALL
— . (@blvcksk) July 8, 2016
spider emoji @brimspider
dude hell yeah someone is shooting pigs in dallas. solidarity
2525 Retweets
✨Julio 21 ✨ @24BenFrank
Yeah it’s lit in Dallas fuck the pigs !!
All those Dallas pigs that got bodied. Deserved it.
— Crip Whistle (@Gutta_DaDon) July 8, 2016
Shout out to them dallas shooters ?? rapping pigs in blankets ????
— Shawn ? (@BeGreat_Shawn) July 8, 2016
http://www.infowars.com/sick-black-lives-matter-supporters-celebrate-murder-of-dallas-copsWND
THE ROOTS OF BLACK LIVES MATTER UNVEILED
Special report reveals stunner: Except for website, there is no actual organization
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2016/01/the-roots-of-black-lives-matter-unveiled/#D1DZi6TVEDpfQLRh.99
Editor’s Note: This is a special report from the AIM Center for Investigative Journalism.
By James Simpson
image: http://www.wnd.com/files/2016/01/BLM1.jpg
The Black Lives Matter movement (BLM) casts itself as a spontaneous uprising born of inner city frustration, but is, in fact, the latest and most dangerous face of a web of well-funded communist/socialist organizations that have been agitating against America for decades. Its agitation has provoked police killings and other violence, lawlessness and unrest in minority communities throughout the U.S. If allowed to continue, that agitation could devolve into anarchy and civil war. The BLM crowd appears to be spoiling for just such an outcome.
Nevertheless, BLM appears to be exercising considerable leverage over the Democratic Party, in part by pressuring and intimidating Democratic candidates such as Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders (VT) into embracing their cause. The movement could also assist President Obama’s exploitation of racial divisions in society beyond his final term in office.
This report examines in detail, for the first time, how communist groups have manipulated the cause of Black Lives Matter, and how money from liberal foundations has made it all possible.
Leftist origins
Exploiting blacks to promote Marxist revolution is an old tactic. The late Larry Grathwohl, former FBI informant in the Weather Underground, understood from personal experience how white communists exploited blacks and other minority groups. He said that Weather Underground terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn regarded Barack Obama, whose political career they sponsored, as a tool – a puppet – to use against white America. Obama’s legacy at home will certainly include more racial division.
BLM launched in 2013 with a Twitter hashtag, #BlackLivesMatter, after neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman was acquitted in the Trayvon Martin killing. Radical Left activists Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi claim credit for the slogan and hashtag. Following the Michael Brown shooting in August 2014, Dream Defenders, an organization led by Working Families Party (ACORN) activist and Occupy Wall Street anarchist Nelini Stamp, popularized the phrase “Hands Up–Don’t Shoot!” which has since become BLM’s widely recognized slogan.
Garza, Cullors and Tometi all work for front groups of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), one of the four largest radical Left organizations in the country. The others are the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS). Nelini Stamp’s ACORN – now rebranded under a variety of different names – works with all four organizations, and Dream Defenders is backed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center and others.
FRSO is a hereditary descendant of the New Communist Movement, which was inspired by Mao and the many communist revolutions throughout the world in the 1960s and 1970s. FRSO split into two separate groups in 1999, FRSO/Fight Back and FRSO/OSCL (Freedom Road Socialist Organization/Organizaciόn Socialista del Camino para la Libertad). Black Lives Matter and its founders are allied with the latter group. Future references to FRSO in this article refer to FRSO/OSCL.
FRSO is comprised of dozens of groups. The radical Left model is based on alliances of many organizations that are working on separate issues but dedicated ultimately to the same thing: overthrowing our society in order to replace it with a hardcore socialist (read communist) one.
The goal is to present the appearance of a formidable mass of organizations. Some are large, but many are little more than a website or Facebook page. When necessary, they can all come together to promote the cause du jour. The deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and others were mere pretexts for socialist agitation. The real enemy is “the system.” This is why the BLM crowd denies the facts of those cases. As Stamp has said, “we are actually trying to change the capitalist system we have today because it’s not working for any of us.”
BLM is one of many projects undertaken by the FRSO. Except for the website, blacklivesmatter.com, there is no actual organization. The website implicitly acknowledges this, describing #BlackLivesMatter as “an online forum intended to build connections between Black people and our allies to fight anti-Black racism, to spark dialogue among Black people, and to facilitate the types of connections necessary to encourage social action and engagement.”
FRSO membership is disproportionately represented by blacks, gays and women, and self-consciously emphasizes those issues. Garza, who penned a “Herstory” of BLM, is a ” queer,” black veteran activist involved in numerous FRSO organizations. Her resumé includes:
Special projects director, National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)
Executive Director, People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER)
Board member, School of Unity and Liberation (SOUL)
2011 Board Chair, Right to the City Alliance (RTTC)
Cullors describes herself as a “working class, queer, black woman.” She claims the country killed her father, a drug addict. At a 2015 Netroots Nation conference, Cullors led chants shouting, “If I die in police custody, burn everything down… rise the f— up! That is the only way mother—–s like you will listen!” Cullors founded and directs Dignity and Power Now (DPN), which claims to seek “dignity and power of incarcerated people, their families, and communities.”
Cullors was trained by Eric Mann, a former Weather Underground leader who exhorts followers to become “anti-racist, anti-imperialist” activists. Mann runs another FRSO front, the Labor/Community Strategy Center. Like most professional leftists, he makes good money – over $225,000 annually – living in “the system” he advocates destroying.
Tometi is the daughter of illegal aliens from Nigeria. While in college, she worked for the ACLU defending illegal aliens against “vigilantes” opposed to illegal immigration. She is currently the executive director of Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI).
The funding
FRSO/BLM organizations are generously supported by a universe of wealthy foundations. Some, like those employing BLM founders Garza and Tometi, receive money directly. Others, like Cullors’ DPN, are financed by organizations designed specifically to underwrite the activities of others. Amounts reflect donations received over approximately the past decade.
NDWA (Garza) – 2013 revenues were $5.5 million. The NDWA board includes two members of CASA de Maryland, the Illegals’ version of ACORN. CASA also received a grant from NDWA in 2013, as did the radical Left Institute for Policy Studies. NDWA receives funding from the following foundations:
POWER (Garza) – 2013 revenues were $456,676, including $92,173 in government grants. POWER evolved from the now defunct communist group STORM (Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement). Obama’s former “Green Jobs Czar” the self-described communist, Van Jones, served on STORM’s board.
RTTC (Garza) – 2013 revenues were $248,190. RTTC is a nationwide network of activist organizations that resists the gentrification of inner cities because it displaces “low-income people, people of color, marginalized LGBTQ communities, and youths of color…”
SOUL (Garza) – Despite its small size (2013 revenues at $110,304), SOUL claims to have trained 679 organizers in 2013.
BAJI (Tometi) – 2013 revenues were $321,570. This modest organization only lists two full-time staff, yet receives support from many recognizable foundations.
Cullors’ DPN is underwritten by Community Partners, a Los Angeles based non-profit with a $24 million budget (including $4 million in government grants) that fiscally sponsors non-profits. It is not an FRSO organization.
Advancement Project (AP) – an FRSO group that funds a variety of radical causes. AP sees America as a racist, oppressive nation and, according to Discover the Networks, “works to organize ‘communities of color’ into politically cohesive units while disseminating its leftist worldviews and values as broadly as possible by way of a sophisticated communications department.” Its 2013 revenues were $11.3 million.
Movement Strategy Center (MSC) – also facilitates funding, development and advancement of FRSO organizations. Its 2013 revenues were $7.5 million, including $156,032 in government grants.
The return of Van Jones
Mainstream funders have helped fund BLM as well. For example, United Way has partnered with A&E and iHeartMedia to create Shining the Light Advisors, a committee of “nationally known experts and leaders in racial and social justice,” to oversee grant disbursements. These “advisors” include such radicals as Van Jones, Advancement Project co-director Judith Browne Dianis, and Rinku Sen, president of the Applied Research Center (ARC).
BLM’s mission includes a kitchen sink of favored radical Left causes, including support of poverty elimination programs, prison deinstitutionalization, illegal immigration and gay rights. Highlighting FRSO’s orientation toward gay blacks, it describes how “Black, queer and trans folks bear a unique burden from a hetero-patriarchal society that disposes of us like garbage and simultaneously fetishizes us and profits off of us, and that is state violence.”
Its wide network of affiliates and partner organizations like CPUSA and ACORN allows BLM to turn out large crowds. Many participate simply to protest, commit violence, loot or all three.
FRSO was prominent at the Ferguson protests and videoed the event. It has even created a Black Lives Matter button. Following are more FRSO organizations involved with BLM. (Funding estimates provided when known).
Black Left Unity – A Marxist/Leninist organization that supports favored causes of the communist Left, including unity with Cuba, war against capitalism and Occupy Wall Street.
Black Workers for Justice – A North Carolina-based group which claims to struggle on behalf of “oppressed nationalities,” etc.
Causa Justa/Just Cause – A Black/Latino solidarity organization allied with the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, RTTC and others. Its 2013 revenues were $1.6 million, including $689,484 in government grants.
Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJ) – “a national alliance of US-based grassroots organizing (GRO) groups organizing to build an agenda for power for working and poor people and communities of color.”
Hands Up United – Works for “liberation of oppressed Black, Brown, and poor people through education, art, civil disobedience, advocacy, and agriculture.”
Intelligent Mischief – Their Black Body Survival Guide is in the works and has raised over $8,000 through IndieGoGo.
Organization for Black Struggle (OBS)—This organization is affiliated with the CPUSA. Its website claims its allies as Black Workers for Justice and the Advancement Project. Chaired by FRSO member Montague Simmons.
Revolutionary Student Coordinating Committee (RSCC) a militant group founded in 2012 by CUNY students. It is networked at different U.S. colleges. This group organized the infamous pro-abortion <A href=”http://www.acahnman.blogspot.com/2013/07/texas-capital-abortion-supporters-chant.html “Hail Satan” chant at Texas capital. Its extremism is captured in the following video:
image: http://www.wnd.com/files/2016/01/BLM10.jpg
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) is a “national network of groups and individuals organizing White people for racial justice.” SURJ quotes Garza saying that “We need you defecting from White supremacy and changing the narrative of White supremacy by breaking White silence.”
Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE) – Its 2013 revenues were $2.8 million. Led by Anthony Thigpenn, a former Black Panther and board member of the Apollo Alliance. Apollo is the secretive alliance of labor, environment and other Left activists that formulated Obama’s trillion dollar “stimulus” plan. Board member Van Jones described Apollo “as sort of a grand unified field theory for progressive Left causes.” It is now a project of the Blue Green Alliance.
BLM groups have also joined with CPUSA, CCDS, DSA, SEIU, Color of Change and many others. Anarchist and top OWS organizer Lisa Fithian, who orchestrated the 1999 Seattle World Trade Organization riots, trained Ferguson protesters. Fithian says “Create crisis, because crisis is that edge where change is possible.”
Fithian echoes Richard Cloward and Frances Fox Piven – creators of the infamous Cloward/Piven Crisis Strategy – who spent decades attempting to provoke ghetto blacks to riot, because “Poor people can advance only when ‘the rest of society is afraid of them.’” Rasheen Aldridge, seen above meeting President Obama, was a leader of the Ferguson protests. He has participated in numerous CPUSA events in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Another prominent CPUSA member active in BLM protests is Michael McPhearson, who leads the Don’t Shoot Coalition.
Carl Davidson and Pat Fry, co-chairs of CCDS, exploited the revolutionary atmosphere of the Ferguson riots to create an eight-point plan for “Left Unity” demanding “a common aspiration for socialism.”
Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE) is Missouri’s rebranded ACORN group. It created an illustrative chart offering a snapshot of the Left’s grievance agenda. Capitalism is always the problem. Socialism is always the solution.
Interestingly, MORE doesn’t believe in socialism when it is footing the bill. MORE promised to pay Ferguson protesters $5,000/month to hang out and cause trouble. But just as ACORN stiffed its employees while preaching socialist generosity, MORE stiffed the protesters.
Islamist organizations have also jumped on the BLM bandwagon, reminding us of the unholy alliance that exists between them and the radical Left. In September 2015, the Muslim Brotherhood front-group Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) joined BLM activists in storming California Governor Jerry Brown’s office. CAIR also participated in the Ferguson protests. Meanwhile ISIS is recruiting American blacks for its cause.
Intellectual genealogy of Black Lives Matter
“We must be ready to employ trickery, deceit, law-breaking, withholding and concealing truth… We can and must write in a language which sows among the masses hate, revulsion, and scorn toward those who disagree with us.” – Vladimir Lenin
That quote from the Soviet Union’s first leader captures the entire essence of the Left’s strategy. No matter what the issue, no matter what the facts, the Left advances a relentless, hate-filled narrative that America is irredeemably evil and must be destroyed as soon as possible. The BLM movement is only the latest but perhaps most dangerous variant on this divisive theme.
Communists use language and psychology as weapons. Their constant vilification is a form of psychological terror. It puts America and Americans on trial. The verdict is always guilty. Facts don’t matter because the Left does not want to resolve the problems they complain about. They use those problems to agitate and provoke, hoping conflict becomes unavoidable – thereby creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Their hatred is tactical.
Obama’s favorite Harvard professor Derrick Bell devised Critical Race Theory, which exemplifies Lenin’s strategy as applied to race. According to Discover the Networks:
“Critical race theory contends that America is permanently racist to its core, and that consequently the nation’s legal structures are, by definition, racist and invalid … members of ‘oppressed’ racial groups are entitled – in fact obligated – to determine for themselves which laws and traditions have merit and are worth observing…”
Bell’s theory is in turn an innovation of Critical Theory – developed by philosophers of the communist Frankfurt School. The school was founded in Frankfurt, Germany in 1923. Its Jewish communist scholars fled Hitler’s Germany in the 1930s, relocating to Columbia Teachers College in New York. Critical Theory – which discredits all aspects of Western society – rapidly infected the minds of newly-minted college professors, who then spread its poison throughout the university system. We know it today as political correctness.
The “racist” narrative was turbocharged with the concept of “White Privilege,” the notion that whites – the dominant group in capitalist America – are irretrievably racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, fill-in-the-blank-ophobic, imperialistic oppressors who exploit everyone. Whites are the only true evil in the world and should be exterminated.
The “White Skin Privilege” idea was created in 1967 by Noel Ignatiev, an acolyte of Bell and professor at Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute (Du Bois was a Communist black leader who helped found the NAACP). Ignatiev was a member of CPUSA’s most radical wing, the Maoist/Stalinist Provisional Organizing Committee to Reconstitute the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (POC). POC was the intellectual forerunner to FRSO.
Writing under the alias Noel Ignatin, Ignatiev co-authored an SDS pamphlet with fellow radical Ted Allen, titled “White Blindspot.” In 1992 he co-founded “Race Traitor: Journal of the New Abolitionism.” Its first issue coined the slogan, “Treason to whiteness is loyalty to humanity.” Its stated objective was to “abolish the white race.” More specifically, the New Abolitionist newsletter stated:
“The way to abolish the white race is to challenge, disrupt and eventually overturn the institutions and behavior patterns that reproduce the privileges of whiteness, including the schools, job and housing markets, and the criminal justice system. The abolitionists do not limit themselves to socially acceptable means of protest, but reject in advance no means of attaining their goal (emphasis added).”
But do not be confused; “White” does not mean white. “White” in radical construction means anyone of any race, creed, nationality, color, sex, or sexual preference who embraces capitalism, free markets, limited government and American traditional culture and values. By definition, these beliefs are irredeemably evil and anyone who aligns with them is “white” in spirit and thus equally guilty of “white crimes.” Ignatiev still teaches, now at the Massachusetts College of Art.
The Black Lives Matter movement carries this narrative to unprecedented heights, claiming that only whites can be racists. And while justifying violence to achieve “social justice,” the movement’s goal is to overthrow our society to replace it with a Marxist one. Many members of the black community would be shocked to learn that the intellectual godfathers of this movement are mostly white Communists, “queers” and leftist Democrats, intent on making blacks into cannon fodder for the revolution.
James Simpson is an economist, former White House budget analyst, businessman and investigative journalist. Follow Jim on Twitter & Facebook. Veteran researcher Trevor Loudon and Matthew Vadum (Senior Editor, Capital Research Center) contributed materially to this report.
http://www.wnd.com/2016/01/the-roots-of-black-lives-matter-unveiled/#D1DZi6TVEDpfQLRh.99
July 13, 2013; 2 years ago
Alicia Garza
Patrisse Cullors
Opal Tometi
Social movement
BlackLivesMatter.com
Black Lives Matter die-in protest atMetro Green Line against allegations of police brutality in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is an international activist movement, originating in the African-American community, that campaigns against violence toward black people. BLM regularly organizes protests around the deaths of black people in killings by law enforcement officers, and broader issues of racial profiling, police brutality, andracial inequality in the United States criminal justice system.
In 2013, the movement began with the use of the hashtag#BlackLivesMatter on social media, after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of African-American teen Trayvon Martin. Black Lives Matter became nationally recognized for its street demonstrations following the 2014 deaths of two African Americans: Michael Brown, resulting in protests and unrest in Ferguson, and Eric Garner in New York City.[1][2]
Since the Ferguson protests, participants in the movement have demonstrated against the deaths of numerous other African Americans by police actions or while in police custody, including those of Tamir Rice, Eric Harris, Walter Scott, Jonathan Ferrell, Sandra Bland, Samuel DuBose, and Freddie Gray, which led to protests and rioting in Baltimore. In the summer of 2015, Black Lives Matter began to publicly challenge politicians—including politicians in the 2016 United States presidential election—to state their positions on BLM issues. The overall Black Lives Matter movement, however, is a decentralized network and has no formal hierarchy or structure.[3]
Nekima Levy-Pounds speaks during a Black Lives Matter demonstration inMinneapolis.
In the summer of 2013, after George Zimmerman‘s acquittal for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, the movement began with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.[4] The movement was co-founded by three black community organizers: Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi.[5][6]
BLM claims inspiration from the African-American Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power movement, the 1980s Black feminist movement, Pan-Africanism, Anti-Apartheid Movement, Hip hop, LGBTQ social movements and Occupy Wall Street.[7]
Garza, Cullors and Tometi met through “Black Organizing for Leadership & Dignity” (BOLD), a national organization that trains community organizers.[7] They began to question how they were going to respond to the devaluation of black lives after Zimmerman’s acquittal. Garza wrote a Facebook post titled “A Love Note to Black People” in which she wrote: “Our Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter”. Cullors replied: “#BlackLivesMatter”. Tometi then added her support, and Black Lives Matter was born as an online campaign.[7]
In August 2014, BLM members organized their first in-person national protest in the form of a “Black Lives Matter Freedom Ride” to Ferguson, Missouri after the shooting of Michael Brown.[7] More than five hundred members descended upon Ferguson to participate in non-violent demonstrations. Of the many groups that descended on Ferguson, Black Lives Matter emerged from Ferguson as one of the best organized and most visible groups, becoming nationally recognized as symbolic of the emerging movement.[7]Since August 2014, Black Lives Matter has organized more than one thousand protest demonstrations. On Black Friday in November, Black Lives Matter staged demonstrations at stores and malls across the United States.[7]
In 2015, after the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Maryland, black activists around the world modeled efforts for reform on Black Lives Matter and the Arab Spring.[7] This international movement has been referred to as the “Black Spring”.[8][9] Connections have also been forged with parallel international efforts such as the Dalit rights movement.[10] Expanding beyond street protests, BLM has expanded to activism, such as the 2015 University of Missouri protests, on American college campuses.[11]
Currently, there are at least twenty-three Black Lives Matter chapters in the U.S., Canada, and Ghana.[12] Other Black Lives Matter leaders include: DeRay Mckesson, Shaun King, Marissa Johnson, Nekima Levy-Pounds, and Johnetta Elzie.
Black Lives Matter protest against police brutality in St. Paul, Minnesota
Black Lives Matter originally used social media—including hashtag activism—to reach thousands of people rapidly.[7] Since then, Black Lives Matters has embraced a diversity of tactics.[13] BLM generally engages in direct action tactics that make people uncomfortable enough that they must address the issue.[14]
BLM has been known to build power through protest.[15] BLM has held rallies and marches, including one for the death of Corey Jones in Palm Beach, Florida.[16] BLM has also staged die-ins and held one during the 2015 Twin Cities Marathon.[17]
Political slogans used during demonstrations include the eponymous “Black Lives Matter”, “Hands up, don’t shoot” (a later discredited reference attributed to Michael Brown[18]), “I can’t breathe”[19][20] (referring to Eric Garner), “White silence is violence”,[21] “No justice, no peace”,[22][23] and “Is my son next?”,[citation needed] among others.
Most of the protesters actively distinguish themselves from the older generation of black leadership, such as Al Sharpton, by their aversion to middle-class traditions such aschurch involvement, Democratic Party loyalty, and respectability politics.[24][25]
It is important to note that music is an important repertoire of contention for the black lives matter movement. Rappers such as Kendrick Lamar have used music to promote structural conduciveness necessary for a social movement to maintain momentum according to value added theory.[26] Songs such as “Alright” have been used as a rallying call.[27]Beyoncé‘s most recent production lemonade featured Mike Brown and Trayvon Martin’s mothers crying while holding the last images they have of their sons, in effect propelling the issue of police brutality to a national stage.[28] The video for her single “Formation” (2016) celebrates southern black culture and features a line of policemen holding up their hands while a hooded black boy dances in front of them. The video also features a shot of graffiti on a wall reading “stop shooting us”.[29]
Memes are also important in garnering support for and against the Black Lives Matter new social movement. Information communication technologies such as Facebook and Twitter spread memes and are important tools for garnering web support in hopes of producing a spillover effect into the offline world.[30] The use of ICTs facilitate the spread of the message “All Lives Matter” as a response to the Black Lives Matter hashtag as well as the “Blue Lives Matter” hashtag as a response to Beyonce’s halftime performance speaking out against police brutality.[31][32]
Black Lives Matter protest at Union Square, Manhattan
Black Lives Matter incorporates those traditionally on the margins of black freedom movements.[7] The organization’s website, for instance, states that Black Lives Matter is “a unique contribution that goes beyond extrajudicial killings of black people by police and vigilantes” and, embracing intersectionality, that “Black Lives Matter affirms the lives ofblack queer and trans folks, disabled folks, black undocumented folks, folks with records, women and all black lives along the gender spectrum.”[33]
Founder Alicia Garza summed up the philosophy behind Black Lives Matter as follows: “When we say Black Lives Matter, we are talking about the ways in which Black people are deprived of our basic human rights and dignity. It is an acknowledgement Black poverty and genocide is state violence. It is an acknowledgment that 1 million Black people are locked in cages in this country–one half of all people in prisons or jails–is an act of state violence. It is an acknowledgment that Black women continue to bear the burden of a relentless assault on our children and our families and that assault is an act of state violence.”
Garza went on: “Black queer and trans folks bearing a unique burden in a hetero-patriarchal society that disposes of us like garbage and simultaneously fetishizes us and profits off of us is state violence; the fact that 500,000 Black people in the US are undocumented immigrants and relegated to the shadows is state violence; the fact that Black girls are used as negotiating chips during times of conflict and war is state violence; Black folks living with disabilities and different abilities bear the burden of state-sponsored Darwinian experiments that attempt to squeeze us into boxes of normality defined by White supremacy is state violence. And the fact is that the lives of Black people—not ALL people—exist within these conditions is consequence of state violence.”[34]
Black Lives Matter protest at Herald Square, Manhattan
In 2014, the American Dialect Society chose #BlackLivesMatter as their word of the year.[35][36] Over eleven hundred black professors expressed support for BLM.[37] Several media organizations have referred to BLM as “a new civil rights movement”.[1][38][39] #BlackLivesMatter was voted as one of the twelve hashtags that changed the world in 2014.[40]
In 2015, Serena Williams expressed her support for Black Lives Matter, writing to BLM: “Keep it up. Don’t let those trolls stop you. We’ve been through so much for so many centuries, and we shall overcome this too.”[41]
As a part of a general assembly, the Unitarian Universalist Church passed a resolution in support of BLM and staged a die-in in Portland, Oregon.[42]Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza—as “The Women of #BlackLivesMatter” — were listed as one of the nine runners-up for The Advocate‘s Person of the Year.[43]
The February 2015 issue of Essence Magazine and the cover was devoted to Black Lives Matter.[44] In December 2015, BLM was a contender for the Time MagazinePerson of the Year award. Angela Merkel won the award while BLM came in fourth of the eight candidates.[45]
On May 9, 2016 Delrish Moss was sworn in as the first permanent African-American police chief in Ferguson, where he acknowledges he faces such challenges as diversifying the police force, creating dramatic improvements in community relations, and addressing issues that catalyzed the Black Lives Matter movement.[46]
Notable protests and demonstrations
Black Lives Matter protester atMacy’s Herald Square.
In August 2014, during Labor Day weekend, Black Lives Matter organized a “Freedom Ride”, that brought more than 500 African-Americans from across the United States intoFerguson, Missouri, to support the work being done on the ground by local organizations.[47]
Black Lives Matter members and supporters rode in from New York City, Newark, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Miami, Detroit, Houston, Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Nashville, Portland, Tucson, Washington, D.C., and more, in a similar way to that of the Freedom Riders in the 1960s.[48] The movement has been generally involved in theFerguson unrest, following the death of Michael Brown.[49]
In November in Oakland, California, fourteen Black Lives Matter activists were arrested after they stopped a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train for more than an hour onBlack Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year. The protest, which was led by Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, was organized in response to the grand jury decision not to indict Darren Wilson for the death of Mike Brown. [50][51]
A Black Lives Matter protest of police brutality in the rotunda of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota
In December, 2,000–3,000 people gathered at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, to protest the killings of unarmed black men by police.[52] At least twenty members of a protest that had been using the slogan were arrested.[53] In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, BLM protested the Shooting of Dontre Hamilton, who died in April.[54] Black Lives Matter protested the Shooting of John Crawford III.[55] The Shooting of Renisha McBride was protested by Black Lives Matter.[56]
Also in December, in response to the decision by the grand jury not to indict Darren Wilson on any charges related to the death of Michael Brown, a protest march was held inBerkeley, California. Later, in 2015, protesters and journalists who participated in that rally filed a lawsuit alleging “unconstitutional police attacks” on attendees.[57]
This section is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (December 2015)
In March, BLM protested at Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel‘s office, demanding reforms within the Chicago Police Department.[58] In Cobb County, Georgia, the movement protested the death of Nicholas Thomas who was shot and killed by the police.[59]
In April, Black Lives Matter across the United States protested over the death of Freddie Gray which included the 2015 Baltimore protests.[60][61] Black Lives Matter organizers supported the fast food strike in solidarity with fast food workers, and to oppose racial income inequality.[62] On April 14, BLM protested across U.S. cities.[63] In Zion, Illinois, several hundred protested over the fatal shooting of Justus Howell.[64] After the shooting of Walter Scott, Black Lives Matter called for citizen oversight of police.[65]
In May, a protest by BLM in San Francisco was part of a nationwide protest decrying the police killing of black women and girls, which included the deaths of Meagan Hockaday, Aiyana Jones, Rekia Boyd and others.[66] In Cleveland, Ohio, after an officer was acquitted at trial in the Shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams, BLM protested.[67] In Madison, Wisconsin, BLM protested after the officer was not charged in the Shooting of Tony Robinson.[68]
In June, after a shooting in a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, BLM issued a statement and condemned the shooting as an act of terror.[69] BLM across the country marched, protested and held vigil for several days after the shooting.[70][71] BLM was part of a march for peace on the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge in South Carolina.[72] After the Charleston shooting, a number of memorials to the Confederate States of America were graffitied with “Black Lives Matter” or otherwise vandalized.[73][74]Around 800 people protested in McKinney, Texas after a video was released showing an officer pinning a girl—at a pool party in McKinney, Texas—to the ground with his knees.[75]
In July, BLM protesters shut down Allen Road in Toronto, Ontario, protesting the shooting deaths of two black men in the metropolitan area—Andrew Loku and Jermaine Carby—at the hands of police.[76] BLM activists across the United States began protests over the death of Sandra Bland, an African-American woman, who was allegedly found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas.[77][78] In Cincinnati, Ohio, BLM rallied and protested the Death of Samuel DuBose after he was shot and killed by a University of Cincinnati police officer.[79] In Newark, New Jersey, over a thousand BLM activists marched against police brutality, racial injustice, and economic inequality.[80]
In August, BLM organizers held a rally in Washington, D.C., calling for a stop to violence against transgender women.[81] In St. Louis, Missouri, BLM activists protested the death of Mansur Ball-Bey who was shot and killed by police.[82] In Charlotte, North Carolina, after a judge declared a mistrial in the trial of a white Charlotte police officer who killed an unarmed black man, Jonathan Ferrell, BLM protested and staged die-ins.[83] In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Janelle Monae, Jidenna and other BLM activists marched through North Philadelphia to bring awareness to police brutality and Black Lives Matter.[84]
Around August 9, the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, BLM rallied, held vigil and marched in St. Louis and across the country.[85][86]
In September, BLM activists shut down streets in Toronto, rallied against police brutality, and stood in solidarity with marginalized black lives. Black Lives Matter was a featured part of the Take Back the Night event in Toronto.[87] In Austin, Texas, over five hundred BLM protesters rallied against police brutality, and several briefly carried protest banners onto Interstate 35.[88] In Baltimore, Maryland, BLM activists marched and protested as hearings began in the Freddie Graypolice brutality case.[89] In Sacramento, California, about eight hundred BLM protesters rallied to support a California Senate bill that would increase police oversight.[90] BLM protested the Shooting of Jeremy McDole.[91]
Black Lives Matter protest against St. Paul police brutality at Metro Green Line
In October, Black Lives Matters activists were arrested during a protest of a police chiefs conference in Chicago.[92] Activists in Los Angeles Black Lives Matter activists were among several organizations that disrupted a community meeting with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti at a church in South L.A. [93] The protesters said that Garcetti had broken a promise to work with their organization to plan a meeting. The pastor of the church that hosted the meeting denied that Black Lives Matter organizers had been excluded. [94]
“Rise Up October” straddled the Black Lives Matter Campaign, and brought several protests.[95]Quentin Tarantino and Cornel West, participating in “Rise Up October”, decried police violence.[96] A Dunkin Donuts employee in Providence, Rhode Island wrote “black lives matter” on a police officer’s cup of coffee which resulted in protests.[clarification needed][97] At UCLA, students protested “Black Bruins Matter” after some students wore blackface to a Kanye West-themed fraternity party.[98]
In November, BLM activists protested after Jamar Clark was shot by Minneapolis Police Department.[99] Later that month, after continuous protest at the Minneapolis 4th Precinct Police Station, a march was organized to honor Jamar Clark, from the 4th Precinct to downtown Minneapolis. After the march, masked men carrying firearms appeared and began calling the protesters racial slurs. After protesters asked the armed men to leave, the men opened fire, shooting five protesters.[100] All injuries required hospitalization, but were not life-threatening. The men fled the scene only to later be found and arrested. The men arrested were young, one white, one Hispanic, both believed to be white supremacists.[101]
In November 2015, students at Dartmouth College held a peaceful meeting and march after a Black Lives Matter art installation on the campus was vandalized. After the march, a smaller group of students entered the university library and conducted a protest there.[102]The Dartmouth Review, a conservative campus publication, reported that the protesters had shoved other students and used profanity. Campus police and college officials claimed they had not observed any incidents of shoving or other physical violence.[103]
In late May, BLM activists[disputed – discuss] disrupted a speech by Milo Yiannopoulos at DePaul University. Security did not intervene to stop the protests, despite the university requiring organizers to cover the cost of additional security.[104][105]
Main article: United States presidential election, 2016
In the summer of 2015, Black Lives Matter began to publicly challenge politicians—including 2016 United States presidential candidates—to state their positions on BLM issues.[106]
Bernie Sanders and Black Lives Matter activists in Westlake Park, Seattle
In August 2015, the Democratic National Committee passed a resolution supporting Black Lives Matter.[107]
In the first Democratic debate, the presidential candidates were asked whether black lives matter or all lives matter.[108] In reply, Bernie Sanders stated “black lives matter.”[108]Martin O’Malley said, “Black lives matter,” and that the “movement is making is a very, very legitimate and serious point, and that is that as a nation we have undervalued the lives of black lives, people of color.”[109]Jim Webb, on the other hand, replied: “as the president of the United States, every life in this country matters.”[108]Hillary Clinton was not directly asked the same question, but was instead asked: “What would you do for African Americans in this country that President Obama couldn’t?”[110]
In response to what she would do differently from President Obama for African-Americans, Hillary Clinton pushed for criminal justice reform, and said, “We need a new New Deal for communities of color.”[111] Clinton had already met with Black Lives Matter representatives in August 2015, and expressed skepticism in the movement’s practical application.[clarification needed][112] In June 2015, Clinton was reported to have said “All lives matter.”[113]
Republican candidates have been mostly critical of BLM. In August 2015, Ben Carson, the only African American vying for the presidency, called the movement “silly”.[114]Carson also said that BLM should care for all black lives, not just a few.[115] In the first Republican presidential debate, which took place in Cleveland, only one question referenced Black Lives Matter.[116] In response to the question, Scott Walker did not acknowledge Black Lives Matter and advocated for the proper training of law enforcement.[116]
Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker blamed the movement for rising anti-police sentiment,[117] while Marco Rubio was the first candidate to publicly sympathize with the movement’s point of view.[118]
Several conservative pundits have labeled the movement a “hate group”.[119] Candidate Chris Christie, the New Jersey Governor, criticized President Obama for supporting BLM, claiming the movement calls for the murder of police officers,[120] which was condemned by New Jersey chapters of the NAACP and ACLU.[121]
BLM activists called on the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee to have a presidential debate focused on issues of racial justice.[122] Both parties, however, declined to alter their debate schedule, and instead the parties support a townhall or forum.[123]
Black Lives Matter on Black Friday2014 at Times Square
At the Netroots Nation Conference in July 2015, dozens of Black Lives Matter activists took over the stage at an event featuring Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders. Activists, including Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, asked both candidates for specific policy proposals to address deaths in police custody.[124] The protesters chanted several slogans, including “if I die in police custody, burn everything down”. After conference organizers pleaded with the protesters for several minutes, O’Malley responded by pledging to release a wide-ranging plan for criminal justice reform. Protesters later booed O’Malley when he stated “Black lives matter. White lives matter. All lives matter.”[125]O’Malley later apologized for his remarks, saying that he didn’t mean to disrespect the black community.[125]
On August 8, 2015, a speech by Democratic presidential candidate and civil rights activist Bernie Sanders was disrupted by a group from the Seattle Chapter of Black Lives Matter including chapter co-founder Marissa Johnson[126] who walked onstage, seized the microphone from him and called his supporters racists and white supremacists.[127][128][129] Sanders issued a platform in response.[130]
Nikki Stephens, the operator of a Facebook page called “Black Lives Matter: Seattle” issued an apology to Sanders’ supporters, claiming these actions did not represent her understanding of BLM. She was then sent messages by members of the Seattle Chapter which she described as threatening, and was forced to change the name of her group to “Black in Seattle”. The founders of Black Lives Matter stated that they had not issued an apology.[131]
In August, activists chanting “Black Lives Matter” interrupted the Las Vegas rally of Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush.[132] As Bush exited early, some of his supporters started responding to the protesters by chanting “white lives matter” or “all lives matter”.[133]
In October, a speech by Hillary Clinton on criminal justice reform and race at Atlanta University Center was interrupted by BLM activists.[134]
In November, a BLM protester was physically assaulted at a Donald Trump rally in Birmingham, Alabama. In response, Trump said, “maybe he should have been roughed up because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing.”[135] Trump had previously threatened to fight any Black Lives Matter protesters if they attempted to speak at one of his events.[136]
In March 2016, Black Lives Matter helped organize the 2016 Donald Trump Chicago rally protest that forced Trump to cancel the event.[137][138] Four individuals were arrested and charged in the incident. Two were “charged with felony aggravated battery to a police officer and resisting arrest”, one was “charged with two misdemeanor counts of resisting and obstructing a peace officer”, and the fourth “was charged with one misdemeanor count of resisting and obstructing a peace officer”.[139] A CBS reporter was one of those arrested outside the rally. He was charged with resisting arrest.[140]
Some[who?] have responded to the Black Lives Matter movement by countering that the phrase “All Lives Matter” would be a more proper title. Tim Scott has defended the usage of the “All Lives Matter” term.[141]
On Real Time with Bill MaherBill Maher expressed support of the “Black Lives Matter” phrase, stating that “‘All Lives Matter’ implies that all lives are equally at risk, and they’re not”.[142] Founders have responded to criticism of the movement’s exclusivity, saying, “#BlackLivesMatter doesn’t mean your life isn’t important – it means that Black lives, which are seen without value within White supremacy, are important to your liberation.”[143]
In a video interview with Laura Flanders, Garza discussed how “changing Black Lives Matter to All Lives Matter is a demonstration of how we don’t actually understand structural racism in this country”. She went on to discuss how other lives are valued more than black lives, which she strongly feels is wrong, and that to take blackness out of this equation is inappropriate.[144]
The movement challenges the “universalizing politics” implied in the notion of a Post-racial America, and the phrase ‘All Lives Matter’ reflects a view of “racial dismissal, ignoring, and denial”, according to critical race theory scholar David Theo Goldberg.[145]
President Barack Obama spoke to the debate between Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter.[146] Obama said, “I think that the reason that the organizers used the phrase Black Lives Matter was not because they were suggesting that no one else’s lives matter … rather what they were suggesting was there is a specific problem that is happening in the African American community that’s not happening in other communities.” He also said “that is a legitimate issue that we’ve got to address.”[14]
On February 24, 2016, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, sent out a company-wide internal memo to employees formally rebuking employees who had crossed out handwritten “Black Lives Matter” phrases on the company walls and had written “All Lives Matter” in their place. Facebook allows employees to free-write thoughts and phrases on company walls. The memo was then leaked by several employees. As Zuckerberg had previously condemned this practice at previous company meetings, and other similar requests had been issued by other leaders at Facebook, Zuckerberg wrote in the memo that he would now consider this overwriting practice not only disrespectful, but “malicious as well”.[147]
According to Zuckerberg’s memo, “Black Lives Matter doesn’t mean other lives don’t – it’s simply asking that the black community also achieves the justice they deserve.” The memo noted that the act of crossing something out in itself, “means silencing speech, or that one person’s speech is more important than another’s”.[148][149][150]
Issues protested
African-American critics of the movement include neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson, minister Johnathan Gentry of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ, and author and minister Barbara Ann Reynolds.[151][152]
Deroy Murdock questioned the number of black people killed by police that is reported by BLM. He wrote, “But the notion that America’s cops simply are gunning down innocent black people is one of today’s biggest and deadliest lies.”[153] The hashtag #BlueLivesMatter was created by supporters who stood up for police officers’ lives.[154] Some critics also accuse Black Lives Matter of “anti-white and anti-police radicalism”.[155]
Many individuals in law enforcement have been critical of BLM. Sheriff David A. Clarke, Jr of Milwaukee County has been critical of Black Lives Matter, stating that there is no police brutality problem in America and that “there is no racism in the hearts of police officers”.[156] John McWhorter said that the Black Lives Matter movement should take on black-on-black crime.[157]
Seattle SeahawksRichard Sherman said about the “Black Lives Matter” movement, “I dealt with a best friend getting killed, and it was [by] two 35-year-old black men. There was no police officer involved, there wasn’t anybody else involved, and I didn’t hear anybody shouting ‘black lives matter’ then.”[158]
Breitbart journalist Milo Yiannopoulos has criticized the structure and main goals of the BLM movement.[159]
See also: Ferguson effect
Some black civil rights leaders, such as Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, Najee Ali, Earl Ofari Hutchinson, have criticized the tactics of BLM.[160] Marchers using a BLM banner were recorded in a video chanting, “Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon” at the Minnesota State Fair. Law enforcement groups said that the chant promotes death to police. The protest organizer disputed that interpretation.[161]
A North Carolina police chief retired after calling BLM a terrorist group.[162] A police officer in Oregon was removed from street duty following a social media post in which he said he would have to “babysit these fools”, in reference to planned BLM event.[163]
Some commentators and law enforcement have said that BLM has made it hard for police to do their job, leading to a rise in crime rates.[153] Commentators have referred to this as the “Ferguson effect.”[153]FBI DirectorJames Comey, for example, suggested that the movement is partly leading to a national rise in crime rates because police officers have pulled back from doing their jobs.[164] However, there had been even larger crime spikes prior to the events in Ferguson.[165]
White groups
In response to BLM, Facebook pages purporting to represent “White Student Unions” with the slogan “White Lives Matter” have been linked to college campuses in the United States.[166] The pages often promise a “safe space” for white students and condemn alleged anti-white racism on campus.[167] However, many of the groups were not verified as legitimate student organizations registered with their respective universities.[166]
Media depictions
Black Lives Matter appeared in an episode of Law & Order: SVU.[4][34]
The TV drama Scandal depicted Black Lives Matter on their March 5, 2015, episode that showed an unarmed black teen shot by a police officer.[168]
The documentary short film Bars4Justice features brief appearances by various activists and recording artists affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement. The film is an official selection of the 24th AnnualPan African Film Festival.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis both rap and sample protest chants in their single, “White Privilege II“, including the eponymous chant, “black lives matter,” as well as “it’s not about you!” and “no justice, no peace”.
African-Americans portal
2010s portal
2015 Baltimore protests
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1954–68)
Black Power movement
Ferguson unrest
“Hands up, don’t shoot“
List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States
Racism in the United States
The personal is political
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lives_Matter
Hillary Clinton Blames Whites, Cops for Deaths of Young Black Men
Hillary Clinton used a CNN interview on Friday to completely embrace the Democrats’ claim that white people and cops must change to help reduce the number of African-Americans killed in tense exchanges with cops.
by NEIL MUNRO
“I will call for white people, like myself, to put ourselves in the shoes of those African-American families who fear every time their children go somewhere, who have to have ‘The Talk,’ about, you now, how to really protect themselves [from police], when they’re the ones who should be expecting protection from encounters with police,” Clinton told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
“I’m going to be talking to white people, we’re the ones who have to start listening to the legitimate cries coming from our African-American fellow citizens,” she said.
“We’ve got to figure out what is happening when routine traffic stops, when routine arrests, escalate into killings … Clearly, there seems to be a terrible disconnect between many police departments and officers and the people they have sworn to protect,” she said.
Federal policing guidelines are needed because “we have 18,000 police departments… [some of which need more training to] go after systemic racism, which is a reality, and to go after systemic bias,” she said.
“We’ve got to start once again respecting and treating each other with the dignity that every person deserves,” she said.
The statement echoed a tweet from Friday morning.
✔@HillaryClinton
White Americans need to do a better job of listening when African Americans talk about the seen and unseen barriers you face every day.
To win in November, Clinton need a high turnout of African-American voters.
Neither Blitzer nor Clinton suggested that African-American communities have a role in reducing police-encounter deaths, which usually occur in tense engagements between a few cops and a few suspects with extensive criminal histories.
In general, young African-American men are far more likely to commit crimes than young white men, young Asian men or young Latino men. A November 2011 report by the Justice Department showed that young African-American men are just 1 percent of the population, yet are responsible for a disproportionate percentage of murders in the nation.
Clinton suggested that people who disagree with her agenda are racists. “There is so much more to be done… we can’t be engaging in hateful rhetoric or incitement of violence, we need to be bringing people together … we need more love and kindness.”
http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/07/08/hillary-clinton-blame-whites-cops-shooting-deaths-young-black-men/
Black Lives Matter protesters sprayed with tear gas in Phoenix as rally spirals out of control and thousands demonstrate against police brutality, with cops on high alert following Dallas massacre
Police fired pepper spray at the protesters in Phoenix, who were seen running away and shielding their eyes
A white man holding a Donald Trump ‘Make America Great Again’ placard interrupted the protest on Friday night
In Rochester, New York, 74 people were arrested for blocking the street after protesters sat down
Thousands of protesters blocked a highway in Atlanta, Georgia, as they marched against police brutality
An estimated 5,000 people halted traffic as they demanded justice for black men killed at the hands of police
There was a heavy police presence during the protest, with officers on high alert following the massacre in Dallas
By OLLIE GILLMAN and KHALEDA RAHMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 12:41 EST, 8 July 2016 | UPDATED: 08:13 EST, 9 July 2016
Black Lives Matter protesters have been sprayed with tear gas in Phoenix after a march against police brutality spiraled out of control.
Police also fired bean bag rounds and pepper spray at the protesters, who were seen running away and shielding their eyes.
One image showed a white man holding a Donald Trump ‘Make America Great Again’ placard interrupting the protest on Friday night.
Less than three hours after the demonstration began at 8pm, police declared the protest an ‘unlawful assembly’ and ordered people to leave after objects were thrown at officers, the Arizona Republic reported.
In Rochester, New York, the SWAT team arrived and police arrested 74 protesters who were blocking the streets. One organizer, Ashley Gantt, said they sat down because they did not want any movement to be misinterpreted as violence after the shootings in Dallas.
Other protests were calmer, with an estimated 5,000 people marching peacefully along a highway in Atlanta as they demanded justice for black men killed by police officers in recent days.
There was a heavy police presence at the Atlanta rally as protesters halted traffic, with officers on high alert following Thursday’s massacre in Dallas.
Gunman Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, shot 12 officers and two civilians on a rampage that killed five Dallas cops.
Friday evening’s protest came as police forces across the country braced for any fall-out from the horrific shooting in Texas.
Black Lives Matter protesters have been sprayed with tear gas in Phoenix after a march against police brutality spiraled out of control. Pictured, a white man holding a Donald Trump ‘Make America Great Again’ placard interrupting the protest on Friday night
A protester gets help after being knocked to the ground after being pepper sprayed by police as marchers numbering nearly 1,000 take to the streets to protest against the recent fatal shootings of black men by police
Demonstrators try to ease the burning with several jugs of milk, which is commonly used as an antidote against capsicum, the same chemical found in hot chili peppers. Experts advise using water or saline instead, before washing the area with non-oil based soap
A protester raises him arms in front of a police blockade as marchers take to the streets to demonstrate against the recent fatal shootings of black men by police
Police in riot gear move in to break up a group of marchers as hundreds take to the streets to protest against the fatal shootings
Police declared the protest an ‘unlawful assembly’ by 11pm and ordered people to leave after objects were thrown at officers, the Arizona Republic reported (pictured, two protesters in downtown Phoenix last night)
Peaceful protests erupted around the country to protest the recent deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, but tensions were high in Phoenix
Three people were arrested, according to Phoenix police. Crowds had thinned out considerably by 11pm as police repeatedly asked people to return home
People began gathering outside Phoenix City Hall for the march scheduled at 8pm on Friday. By 10pm, police had begun using pepper spray to control the crowds
Civil rights leader Reverend Jarrett Maupin led the march and tried to shut down the freeway at one point before diverting the crowds. Police had blocked off the ramps to Interstate 10 as a precaution (pictured, one man kneeling with his arms up before police in riot gear)
Police shot bean bags into the crowd after rocks were reportedly thrown at them. While bean bags are meant to deliver a blow without penetrating the body like a bullet would, they can cause internal bleeding or break bones
Police departments around the country have taken extra precautions following the shooting at a protest in Dallas. Gunman Micah Xavier Johnson shot dead five police officers and injured seven more (pictured, demonstrators at the rally in Phoenix)
In Rochester, New York, the SWAT team arrived and police arrested 74 protesters who were blocking the streets (pictured, one demonstrator in Phoenix holding the flag upside down, a signal for dire distress)
Thousands more people took part in smaller protests across America, with demonstrations in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington, DC
Thousands more people took part in smaller protests across America, with demonstrations in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington, DC.
Also, in Los Angeles, rappers Snoop Dogg and The Game led a peaceful march to the LAPD’s headquarters, where they met with the mayor and police chief and urged improved relations between authorities and minority communities. Protests were also planned in Oakland and San Francisco on Friday night.
In Atlanta, demonstrators flooded the streets and brought traffic to a standstill Friday after gathering at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights near Centennial Olympic Park.
Police break up a group outside a store as nearly 1,000 protesters march in the streets to protest against the recent fatal shootings of two black men by police
Police send out tear gas to break up marchers numbering nearly 1,000 as they take to the streets to protest
Thousands of protesters have blocked a highway in Atlanta as they march through the city to demonstrate against police brutality
‘Who do you call when the murderer wears a badge?’ An estimated 5,000 people halted traffic as they demanded justice for black men killed at the hands of police officers
There was a heavy police presence during the peaceful protest (pictured), with officers on high alert following Thursday’s massacre of cops in Dallas
Friday evening’s protest came as police forces across the country braced for any fall-out from the horrific shooting in Texas
Killer: Dallas gunman Micah Johnson (pictured) told officers he was upset about recent shootings and wanted to kill whites, ‘especially white officers’
Protesters chanted: ‘Hands up, don’t shoot.’
People protesting police brutality in Dallas on Thursday evening were belting out the same chant when Johnson first opened fire.
Tonight’s protests have been peaceful and no arrests have been made.
The marches are in response to the recent shootings of black men Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, who were shot by white police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota respectively.
Protesters shut down Atlanta highway after Dallas rampage
‘Hands up don’t shoot’: Demonstrators march through downtown Atlanta to protest the shootings of two black men by police officers
The marches are in response to the recent shootings of black men Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, who were shot by white police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota respectively
Sterling (left) was killed following a confrontation outside a Baton Rouge convenience store early Tuesday morning. Castile (right), 32, was shot dead by a cop during a traffic stop in Minnesota
NYC Police Commissioner William Bratton says city is on high alert
Police chiefs in New York, Washington, D.C, Boston, Las Vegas, St. Louis, and Nassau County have ordered officers to partner up for assignments.
The NYPD’s chief of department James O’Neill said until further notice, officers are banned from responding to calls alone.
‘Effective immediately and until further notice, all uniform members of service are to be assigned in pairs,’ an internal memo from O’Neill says, according to WPIX reporter Myles Miller.
Demonstrators march through downtown Atlanta
O’Neill added: ‘There will be no solo assignments citywide.’
Washington’s police chief Cathy Lanier ordered officers and supervisors in the capital to also pair up while on duty.
‘Looking at the type of attack that happened in Dallas, a two-man car, a four-man car, a 10-man car, isn’t going to make much of a difference,’ Lanier said, according to the Washington Post.
‘But it makes the officers feel much safer.’
Meanwhile, Cincinnati police spokeswoman Tiffaney Hardy says police will use two-officer patrols throughout the weekend, ‘then we will re-evaluate.’
A police union official says some officers had expressed desire to be in two-officer cars for increased safety.
Boston Police Department tweeted: ‘In light of the tragedy in Dallas and in the best interests of officer safety, all #BPD patrols will be conducted by two-officer units.’
The Las Vegas Police Department said officers will be operating in pairs because of reports of planned protests in cities across the country.
‘Based on reports of protests in several major cities across the US, on-duty #LVMPD officers will be working in pairs until further notice,’ the department tweeted.
In St Louis, Missouri, police chief Sam Dotson said all officers will also be required to wear bulletproof vests.
In a statement, Dotson said late on Thursday night: ‘Due to events unfolding in Dallas, Texas, effective immediately, all on-duty officers will work in pairs until further notice.
‘No police officers, park rangers or mashals will be sent or handle any assignments without a partner.
‘In addition to this, all personnel leaving any of the stations for enforcement activities will be required to wear their ballistic vest.’
He added: ‘Although locally we are not experiencing any civil unrest, this decision is precautionary and is to maximize the safety of officers and our community.’
The Nassau County Police Department officials said that all necessary steps were being taken to ensure the safety of police officers and the public.
In a statement on Friday, the department said: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this heinous act of violence and their families.
‘The NCPD is taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of the public and our police officers.
‘We will intensify patrols in areas of public gatherings and near critical infrastructure.
‘Social media outlets will be intensely monitored and we request the public’s assistance in any way possible to stop threats to public safety.’
Five Dallas police officers were fatally shot and seven others wounded during a protest over the deaths of black men killed by police this week in Louisiana and Minnesota – the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Police officers are on alert across the country in the wake of deadly sniper attacks in Dallas on Thursday that left five cops dead. Above, Dallas police chief David Brown (left) and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings
Police chiefs in New York, Washington, D.C, Boston, Las Vegas, St. Louis, and Nassau County have ordered officers to partner up for assignment
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3681287/Police-officers-alert-nationwide-wake-Dallas-shooting.html#ixzz4Dw2QrUBo
BLACK LIVES MATTER: PROGRESSIVE FINANCED VANGUARD OF SOCIALIST CONTROL
CIA sponsored Cloward–Piven strategy bankrolled by liberal dupes aims for race war and order out of chaos
Kurt Nimmo – JULY 10, 2016
Is it possible liberal billionaires would support a racist group that markets white guilt for political gain and embraces activists calling for the lynching of white people and cops?
In November, members of Black Lives Matter (BLM) met behind closed doors with Democracy Alliance, a coterie of wealthy liberals who have pledged to fund leftist organizations.
The donor club was founded by former Clinton Treasury official Rob Stein. Members include the billionaire “philanthropist” George Soros, Taco Bell silver spoon baby Rob McKay, uber liberal Norman Lear, “meathead” Rob Reiner, co-founder of Tides Network Drummond Pike, SEIU boss Anna Burger (members of the union like to beat up opponents), and former Rockefeller Family Fund president Anne Bartley.
“The DA, as the club is known in Democratic circles, is recommending its donors step up check writing to a handful of endorsed groups that have supported the Black Lives Matter movement. And the club and some of its members also are considering ways to funnel support directly to scrappier local groups that have utilized confrontational tactics to inject their grievances into the political debate,” Politico reported.
Investigative journalist James Simpson has exposed connections between BLM and a constellation of leftist and Marxist groups, a number of them established as fronts by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).
“BLM is one of many projects undertaken by the FRSO,” writes Simpson. He points out that FRSO and BLM receive funding through the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA). “FRSO/BLM organizations are generously supported by a universe of wealthy foundations. Some, like those employing BLM founders [Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi] receive money directly.”
Many FRSO connected leftist and Marxist groups are also funded by other wealthy individuals, foundations, and corporations, including Kellogg, Ben & Jerry’s, Soros Funds, Hewlett, Rockefeller, Heinz, and others.
The Ford Foundation tops the list of NDWA financial contributors. It has funded CIA cultural fronts since the 1950s.
“At times it seemed as if the Ford Foundation was simply an extension of Government in the area of international cultural propaganda. The Ford Foundation had a record of close involvement in covert actions in Europe, working closely with Marshall Plan and CIA officials on specific projects,” writes the author of The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters, Frances Stonor Saunders.
It may seem contradictory for the state and wealthy liberals—many undoubtedly brainwashed dupes—to support organizations and individuals calling for abolishing capitalism and advocating the most severe form of Marxist ideology.
As the late Gary Allen so eloquently pointed out (None Dare Call It Conspiracy), socialism is a perfect mechanism for controlling humanity.
http://www.infowars.com/black-lives-matter-progressive-financed-vanguard-of-socialist-control/
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Story 1: First The CIA Director Now The State Department Contradict Obama’s Islamic State, Syria and Iraq Policies — The Hillary Clinton Support Network Of Lying Lunatic Leftists Throws Obama Under The Bus — Work Place Violence — Hate Crime — Terrorist Act — Radical Islam — Radical Islamic Terrorist — Radical Islamic Terrorist Jihadists — Face Reality and Stopping Lying Obama — Radical Islamists Are A Majority of The World’s 1,600+ Million Muslims And Want Sharia Law — Ban All Radical Islamists From United States Permanently — Videos
Radical Islam: The Most Dangerous Ideology
What ISIS Wants
The rise of ISIS, explained in 6 minutes
The Basics of Islam 8: Robert Spencer on The Meaning of the Word “Jihad”
Robert Spencer Moment: Trump Was Right.
Robert Spencer on Hannity on the Orlando jihad massacre
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An ’embarrassing’ break: Dozens of State Department officials just revolted against Obama’s Syria policy
At least 51 “mid-to-high-level State Department officials” have signed a dissent channel cable breaking with President Barack Obama’s policy on Syria and calling for US airstrikes on the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The cable was provided to several news outlets on Thursday, including The New York Timesand The Wall Street Journal.
“Failure to stem Assad’s flagrant abuses will only bolster the ideological appeal of groups such as Daesh, even as they endure tactical setbacks on the battlefield,” the cable reads, according to The Journal.
Daesh is an alternate name for ISIS, aka the Islamic State or ISIL.
“We are aware of a dissent channel cable written by a group of State Department employees regarding the situation in Syria,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told The Wall Street Journal.
“We are reviewing the cable now, which came up very recently, and I am not going to comment on the contents,” he said.
The officials who signed the document “range from a Syria desk officer in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs to a former deputy to the American ambassador in Damascus,” and have all been involved in formulating or carrying out the administration’s Syria policy.
That policy has largely emphasized defeating the Islamic State over bolstering Syria’s anti-Assad rebel groups.
According to the American Foreign Service Association, the dissent channel is “a serious policy channel reserved only for consideration of responsible dissenting and alternative views on substantive foreign policy issues that cannot be communicated in a full and timely manner through regular operating channels and procedures.”
It is available to all “regular or re-employed annuitant employees” of the State Department and the US Agency for International Development.
The number of officials – at least 50 – who have signed the internal document calling for military action against Assad is unusual, a former State Department official who worked on Middle East policy told The Journal.
“It’s embarrassing for the administration to have so many rank-and-file members break on Syria,” they said.
Fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces sit in a lookout position in the western rural area of Manbij. Thomson Reuters
The cable calls for the Obama administration to place more emphasis on defeating Assad – whose brutality is seen by many experts as the driver of Syria’s jihadist problem – by arming and regaining the trust of Syria’s moderate opposition.
That, in turn, will “turn the tide of the conflict against the regime [to] increase the chances for peace by sending a clear signal to the regime and its backers that there will be no military solution to the conflict,” the cable reportedly says.
The CIA-backed factions of the Free Syrian Army – the majority of which are Arab and battling forces loyal to Assad – have at times clashed with Pentagon-trained fighters associated with the Syrian Democratic Forces, who are predominantly Kurdish and focused on defeating the Islamic State.
Their divergent military objectives and ethnicities have bred mistrust and fighting that is ultimately counterproductive to the cause of the revolution.
Several high-ranking government officials, moreover – including Robert S. Ford, a former ambassador to Syria, and Obama’s former defense secretary, Chuck Hagel – have left their positions over Obama’s failure to act decisively against Assad, whose brutality continues to fuel a bloody revolution that has left over 400,000 people dead and millions displaced.
“Many people working on Syria for the State Department have long urged a tougher policy with the Assad government as a means of facilitating arrival at a negotiated political deal to set up a new Syrian government,” Ford told The New York Times on Thursday.
Protesters carry Free Syrian Army flags and chant slogans during an antigovernment protest in the town of Marat Numan in Idlib Province, Syria, on March 4. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
“The moral rationale for taking steps to end the deaths and suffering in Syria, after five years of brutal war, is evident and unquestionable,” the cable said. ” The status quo in Syria will continue to present increasingly dire, if not disastrous, humanitarian, diplomatic and terrorism-related challenges.”
Assad crossed Obama’s now infamous “red line” for airstrikes in 2013, when he used chemical weapons to kill more than 1,000 people in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta. Obama backed away from that red line when Assad agreed to a Russia-brokered deal to destroy his chemical-weapons stockpile.
Some experts say, however, that the entire stockpile has not been destroyed as promised.
The administration insists that it has maintained throughout the nearly five-year civil war that Assad “must go.” But that stance has been muddled as the administration continues to soften its position on Assad’s future.
“The US’ Syria policy has always been in the head of one man, and one man only: Barack Obama. No one else has ever really had a say in what happens in Syria,” Tony Badran, a Middle East expert and researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Business Insiderin a previous interview.
“Obama has owned it since day one – and from day one, he never intended to remove Assad,” he said.
The cable addresses Russia’s bombing campaign in Syria as well, asserting that Moscow and Assad have not taken past ceasefires and “consequential negotiations” seriously.
Russia entered the war in late September 2015 on behalf of Assad under the guise of fighting ISIS. Russian warplanes have primarily targeted non-jihadist, anti-Assad rebel groups, however, many of which are backed by the US, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
Government warplanes bombarded the besieged Syrian town of Darayya with barrel bombs last weekend, shortly after food aid was delivered to the town for the first time in nearly four years.
http://www.businessinsider.com/state-department-officials-call-for-airstrikes-on-assad-2016-6
Chart: Obama Admin. On Pace to Issue One Million Green Cards to Migrants from Majority-Muslim Countries
SWEN PFOERTNER/AFP/Getty Images
by CAROLINE MAY
The Obama Administration is on pace to issue more than a million green cards to migrants from majority-Muslim countries, according to an analysis of Department of Homeland Security data.
A chart released by the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest Friday details the surge in immigration to the U.S. from majority-Muslim countries since President Barack Obama took office in 2009.
Specifically, in the first six fiscal years of Obama’s presidency (FY2009 – FY2014), his administration issued 832,014 green cards to migrants majority-Muslim countries, the most of which were issued to migrants from Pakistan (102,000), Iraq (102,000), Bangladesh (90,000), Iran (85,000), Egypt (56,000), and Somalia (37,000).
The total 832,014 new permanent residents do not include migrants on temporary, nonimmigrant visas — which allow foreign nationals to come to the U.S. temporarily for work, study, tourism and the like. As the subcommittee notes, the number also does not include those migrants who overstayed the terms of their visas.
Regardless, as the subcommittee explained in its analysis, the U.S. is playing host to immigrants from majority Muslim countries at an increasing pace.
Between FY 2013 and FY 2014, the number of green cards issued to migrants from Muslim-majority countries increased dramatically – from 117,423 in FY 2013, to 148,810 in FY 2014, a nearly 27 percent increase. Throughout the Obama Administration’s tenure, the United States has issued green cards to an average of 138,669 migrants from Muslim-majority countries per year, meaning that it is nearly certain the United States will have issued green cards to at least 1.1 million migrants from Muslim-majority countries on the President’s watch. It has also been reported that migration from Muslim-majority countries represents the fastest growing class of migrants.
Green cards, or Lawful Permanent Residency, puts immigrants on the path to citizenship and allows for lifetime residency, federal benefits, and work authorization. Included in the totals are refugees, who are required to apply for a green card after one year of residency in the U.S. Unlike other types of immigrants, refugees are immediately eligible for welfare benefits including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), food stamps, and Medicaid.
A report from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) indicated that in FY 2013, 91.4 percent of Middle Eastern refugees (accepted to the U.S. between 2008-2013) received food stamps, 73.1 percent were on Medicaid or Refugee Medical Assistance and 68.3 percent were on cash welfare.
Green Card Totals, FY09-FY14:
Pakistan (102K), Iraq (102K), Bangladesh (90K), Iran (85K), Egypt (56K), Somalia (37K), Uzbekistan (30K), Turkey (26K), Morocco (25K), Jordan (25K), Albania (24K), Afghanistan (21K), Lebanon (20K), Yemen (20K), Syria (18K), Indonesia (17K), Sudan (15K), Sierra Leone (12K), Guinea (9K), Senegal (8K), Saudi Arabia (9K), Algeria (8K), Kazakhstan (8K), Kuwait (6K), Gambia (6K), United Arab Emirates (5K), Azerbaijan (4K), Mali (4K), Burkina Faso (3K), Kyrgyzstan (3K), Kosovo (3K), Mauritania (3K), Tunisia (2K), Tajikistan (2K), Libya (2K), Turkmenistan (1K), Qatar (1K), Chad (1K)
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/17/obama-admin-pace-issue-one-million-green-cards-migrants-majority-muslim-countries/
51% of U.S. Muslims want Sharia; 60% of young Muslims more loyal to Islam than to U.S.
OCTOBER 15, 2015 3:43 PM BY ROBERT SPENCER
Really, what did you expect? A considerable portion of U.S. domestic and foreign policy is based on the assumption that Islam in the U.S. will be different: that Muslims here believe differently from those elsewhere, and do not accept the doctrines of violence against and subjugation of unbelievers that have characterized Islam throughout its history. But on what is that assumption based? Nothing but wishful thinking. And future generations of non-Muslims will pay the price.
“Meanwhile, An Islamic Fifth Column Builds Inside America,” by Paul Sperry, IBD, October 1, 2015 (thanks to Pamela Geller)
In berating GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson for suggesting a loyalty test for Muslims seeking high office, CNN host Jake Tapper maintained that he doesn’t know a single observant Muslim-American who wants to Islamize America.
“I just don’t know any Muslim-Americans — and I know plenty — who feel that way, even if they are observant Muslims,” he scowled.
Tapper doesn’t get out much. If he did, chances are he’d run into some of the 51% of Muslims living in the U.S. who just this June told Polling Co. they preferred having “the choice of being governed according to Shariah,” or Islamic law. Or the 60% of Muslim-Americans under 30 who told Pew Research they’re more loyal to Islam than America.
Maybe they’re all heretics, so let’s see what the enlightened Muslims think.
If Tapper did a little independent research he’d quickly find that America’s most respected Islamic leaders and scholars also want theocracy, not democracy, and even advocate trading the Constitution for the Quran.
These aren’t fringe players. These are the top officials representing the Muslim establishment in America today.
Hopefully none of them ever runs for president, because here’s what he’d have to say about the U.S. system of government:
• Muzammil Siddiqi, chairman of both the Fiqh Council of North America, which dispenses Islamic rulings, and the North American Islamic Trust, which owns most of the mosques in the U.S.: “As Muslims, we should participate in the system to safeguard our interests and try to bring gradual change, (but) we must not forget that Allah’s rules have to be established in all lands, and all our efforts should lead to that direction.”
• Omar Ahmad, co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the top Muslim lobby group in Washington: “Islam isn’t in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Quran should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth.”
• CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper: “I wouldn’t want to create the impression that I wouldn’t like the government of the United States to be Islamic sometime in the future.”
• Imam Siraj Wahhaj, director of the Muslim Alliance in North America: “In time, this so-called democracy will crumble, and there will be nothing. And the only thing that will remain will be Islam.”
• Imam Zaid Shakir, co-founder of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, Calif.: “If we put a nationwide infrastructure in place and marshaled our resources, we’d take over this country in a very short time. . . . What a great victory it will be for Islam to have this country in the fold and ranks of the Muslims.”…
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/10/51-of-u-s-muslims-want-sharia-60-of-young-muslims-more-loyal-to-islam-than-to-u-s
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Michael Morell(Acting)
5th United States Homeland Security Advisor
January 20, 2009 – March 8, 2013
Ken Wainstein
Lisa Monaco
Director of the National Counterterrorism Center
August 27, 2004 – August 1, 2005
Position established
John Redd
John Owen Brennan
Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Kathy Pokluda
University of Texas, Austin
John Owen Brennan (born September 22, 1955)[1][2] is an American government official who is the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He has served as chief counterterrorism advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama; his title was Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, and Assistant to the President.[1][3][4] His responsibilities included overseeing plans to protect the country from terrorism and respond to natural disasters, and he met with the President daily.[5][6]Previously, he advised President Obama on foreign policy and intelligence issues during the 2008 presidential campaign and transition.[7] Brennan withdrew his name from consideration for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the first Obama administration over concerns about his support for transferring terror suspects to countries where they may be tortured while serving under President George W. Bush.[3][5] Instead, Brennan was appointed Deputy National Security Advisor, a position which did not require Senate confirmation.[3][5][8]
Brennan’s 25 years with the CIA included work as a Near East and South Asia analyst, as station chief in Saudi Arabia, and as director of the National Counterterrorism Center.[3][5][9]After leaving government service in 2005, Brennan became CEO of The Analysis Corporation, a security consulting business, and served as chairman of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, an association of intelligence professionals.[10]
President Barack Obama nominated Brennan as his next director of the CIA on January 7, 2013.[11][12][13] The ACLU called for the Senate not to proceed with the appointment until it confirms that “all of his conduct was within the law” at the CIA and White House.[14] John Brennan was approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 5, 2013 to succeedDavid Petraeus as the Director of the CIA by a vote of 12 to 3.[15]
His term as CIA Director coincided with revelations that the U.S. government conducted massive levels of global surveillance, that the CIA had hacked into the computers of U.S. Senate employees, and the release of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture.
Brennan, the son of Irish immigrants from Roscommon, was raised in North Bergen, New Jersey.[9] He attended the Immaculate Heart of Mary Elementary School, and graduated from Saint Joseph of the Palisades High School in West New York, New Jersey before enrolling at Fordham University in New York City.[5]
While riding a bus to class at Fordham, he saw an ad in The New York Times that said the CIA was recruiting, and he felt a CIA career would be a good match for his “wanderlust” and his desire to do public service.[5] He received a B.A. in political science from Fordham in 1977.[3] His studies included a junior year abroad learning Arabic and taking Middle Eastern studies courses at the American University in Cairo.[3][5] He also received a Master of Arts in government with a concentration in Middle Eastern studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980.[5] He speaks Arabic fluently.[9]
Brennan is married to Kathy Pokluda Brennan, with whom he has had one son and two daughters.[2][3][16]
Brennan with Kathleen Sebeliusand Rahm Emanuel, White House, April 2009
Brennan began his CIA career as an analyst, presumably in the Washington D.C. area, and spent 25 years with the agency.[1][5][17] At one point in his career, he was a daily intelligence briefer for President Bill Clinton.[5] In 1996 he was CIA station chief in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia when the Khobar Towers bombing killed 19 U.S. servicemen.[5] In 1999 he was appointed chief of staff to George Tenet, then-Director of the CIA.[3][5] Brennan became deputy executive director of the CIA in March 2001.[3] He was director of the newly created Terrorist Threat Integration Center from 2003 to 2004, an office that sifted through and compiled information for President Bush’s daily top secret intelligence briefings and employed the services of analysts from a dozen U.S. agencies and entities.[18] One of the controversies in his career involves the distribution of intelligence to the Bush White House that helped lead to an “Orange Terror Alert“, over Christmas 2003. The intelligence, which purported to list terror targets, was highly controversial within the CIA and was later discredited. An Obama administration official does not dispute that Brennan distributed the intelligence during the Bush era but said Brennan passed it along because that was his job.[19] His last post within the Intelligence Community was as director of the National Counterterrorism Center in 2004 and 2005, which incorporated information on terrorist activities across U.S. agencies.[3][20]
Brennan then left government service for a few years, becoming Chairman of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) and the CEO of The Analysis Corporation (TAC). He continued to lead TAC after its acquisition by Global Strategies Group in 2007 and its growth as the Global Intelligence Solutions division of Global’s North American technology business GTEC, before returning to government service with the Obama administration as Homeland Security Advisor on January 20, 2009.[10]
On January 7, 2013, Brennan was nominated by President Barack Obama to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency.[21]
Counterterrorism advisor to President Obama
In late 2008 Brennan was the reported choice for Director of the CIA in the incoming Obama administration. Brennan withdrew his name from consideration because of opposition to his CIA service under President George W. Bush and past public statements he had made in support of enhanced interrogation and the transfer of terrorism suspects to countries where they might be tortured (extraordinary rendition).[3][5][22] President Obama then appointed him to be his chief counterterrorism advisor, a position that did not require Senate confirmation.[3][5][8]
Brennan and President Barack Obama at a meeting of the Homeland Security Council, May 2009
In August 2009, Brennan criticized some Bush-administration anti-terror policies, saying that waterboarding had threatened national security by increasing the recruitment of terrorists and decreasing the willingness of other nations to cooperate with the U.S.[23] He also described the Obama administration’s focus as being on “extremists” and not “jihadists“. He said that using the second term, which means one who is struggling for a holy goal, gives “these murderers the religious legitimacy they desperately seek” and suggests the US is at war with the religion of Islam.[23]
In an early December 2009 interview with the Bergen Record Brennan remarked, “the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement communities have to bat 1.000 every day. The terrorists are trying to be successful just once”.[5] At a press conferences days after the failed Christmas Day bomb attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, Brennan said U.S. intelligence agencies did not miss any signs that could have prevented the attempt but later said he had let the President down by underestimating a small group of Yemeni terrorists and not connecting them to the attempted bomber.[1][24] Within two weeks after the incident, however, he produced a report highly critical of the performance of U.S. intelligence agencies, concluding that their focus on terrorist attempts aimed at U.S. soil was inadequate.[17] In February 2010, he claimed on Meet the Press that he was tired of Republican lawmakers using national security issues as political footballs, and making allegations where they did not know the facts.[25]
Drone program
In April 2012 Brennan was the first Obama administration official to publicly acknowledge CIA drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. In his speech he argued for the legality, morality, and effectiveness of the program.[26][27][28] The ACLU and other organizations disagreed. In 2011/2012 he also helped reorganize the process, under the aegis of the Disposition Matrix database, by which people outside of war zones were put on the list of drone targets. According to an Associated Press story, the reorganization helped “concentrate power” over the process inside the White House administration.[29][30][31]
In June 2011, Brennan claimed that US counter-terrorism operations had not resulted in “a single collateral death” in the past year because of the “precision of the capabilities that we’ve been able to develop.”[32][33] Nine months later, Brennan claimed he had said “we had no information” about any civilian, noncombatant deaths during the timeframe in question.[33][34] The Bureau of Investigative Journalism disagreed with Brennan, citing their own research[35] that initially led them to believe that 45 to 56 civilians, including six children, had been killed by ten US drone strikes during the year-long period in question.[33] Additional research led the Bureau to raise their estimate to 76 deaths, including eight children and two women.[33] According to the Bureau, Brennan’s claims “do not appear to bear scrutiny.”[33]The Atlantic has been harsher in its criticism, saying that “Brennan has been willing to lie about those drone strikes to hide ugly realities.”[36]
According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Brennan’s comments about collateral death are perhaps explained by a counting method that treats all military-aged males in a strike zone as combatants unless there is explicit information to prove them innocent.[33][37]
CIA Director (2013–present)
Brennan being sworn in as CIA Director, March 8, 2013
United States PresidentBarack Obama twice nominated Brennan to serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.[11][12]
Morris Davis, a former Chief Prosecutor for the Guantanamo Military Commissions compared Brennan to Canadian Omar Khadr, who was convicted of “committing murder in violation of the law of war”.[38] He suggested that Brennan’s role in targeting individuals for CIA missile strikes was no more authorized than the throwing of the grenade Khadr was accused of.
On February 27, 2013, the Senate Intelligence Committee postponed a vote, expected to be taken the next day on the confirmation of Brennan until the following week. On March 5, the Intelligence Committee approved the nomination 12–3. The Senate was set to vote on Brennan’s nomination on March 6, 2013. However, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul began a talking Senate filibuster of the vote, citing President Barack Obama and his administration’s use of combat drones, stating “No one politician should be allowed to judge the guilt, to charge an individual, to judge the guilt of an individual and to execute an individual. It goes against everything that we fundamentally believe in our country.”[39][40] Paul’s filibuster continued for 13 hours, after which Brennan was confirmed by a vote of 63–34.
Brennan was sworn into the office of CIA Director on March 8, 2013.[41]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: John O. Brennan
List of U.S. executive branch czars
Disposition Matrix
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_O._Brennan
Trump Targets Terrorist Control vs. Clinton and Obama Talk Gun Control — Lying Lunatic Left Losers — Americans Armed Against Gun Grabbing Government Tyrants — Defend The Second Amendment — Videos
Posted on July 1, 2016. Filed under: American History, Blogroll, British History, Business, Communications, Congress, Constitution, Corruption, Crime, Crisis, Doumentary, Elections, Employment, European History, Family, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Government, Freedom, Friends, government, government spending, history, Homicide, Illegal, Immigration, Islam, Law, Legal, liberty, Life, Links, media, Middle East, Money, National Security Agency (NSA), Newspapers, People, Philosophy, Photos, Pistols, Police, Political Correctness, Presidential Candidates, Press, Psychology, Radio, Radio, Rants, Raves, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Regulations, Rifles, Speech, Strategy, Talk Radio, Technology, Terrorism, Video, War, Wealth, Weapons | Tags: 16 June 2016, America, ARTICLE II SECTION 3 United States Constitution, articles, Audio, Automatic Weapons, Best 7 minutes on gun control, Breaking News, Broadcasting, capitalism, Cartoons, Charity, CIA Director Warns of ISIS, Citizenship, Clarity, Classical Liberalism, Clinton and Obama Talk Gun Control, Collectivism, Commentary, Commitment, Communicate, Communication, Concise, Convincing, Courage, Culture, Current Affairs, Current Events, Donald J. Trump, economic growth, economic policy, Economics, Education, Evil, Experience, Faith, Family, First, fiscal policy, free enterprise, freedom, freedom of speech, Friends, Give It A Listen, God, Good, Goodwill, Growth, gun control, Gun Grabbers, Hillary Clinton, Hitler, Hope, Individualism, Islamic State, John Lott, Knowledge, liberty, Life, Love, Lovers of Liberty, Lying Lunatic Left Losers, Mao, Mark Levin, monetary policy, MPEG3, News, No Fly List, Oath of office of the President of the United States, Opinions, Orlando Shooting, Peace, Photos, Podcasts, Political Philosophy, Politics, President Barack Obama, prosperity, Radical Islamic Terrorists, Radio, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Representative Republic, Republic, Resources, Respect, Ronald Reagan on Gun Control, rule of law, Rule of Men, Second Amendment, Semi-automatic Weapons, Show Notes, Stalin, Talk Radio, Terrorist Control, The Pronk Pops Show, The Pronk Pops Show 700, The United States Constituion, Truth, Tyranny, U.S. Constitution, United States of America, Videos, Virtue, War, Wisdom |
Story 1: Trump Targets Terrorist Control vs. Clinton and Obama Talk Gun Control — Lying Lunatic Left Losers — Americans Armed Against Gun Grabbing Government Tyrants — Defend The Second Amendment — Videos
Oath of office of the President of the United States
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”[1]
ARTICLE II, SECTION 3, United States Constitution
[The President] shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed….
http://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/2/essays/98/take-care-clause
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[youtube-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2YkqTSTZDY]
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CIA chief: IS working to send operatives to the West
CIA Director John Brennan will tell Congress on Thursday that Islamic State militants are training and attempting to deploy operatives for further attacks on the West and will rely more on guerrilla-style tactics to compensate for their territorial losses.
In remarks prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee, Brennan says IS has been working to build an apparatus to direct and inspire attacks against its foreign enemies, as in the recent attacks in Paris and Brussels — ones the CIA believes were directed by IS leaders.
“ISIL has a large cadre of Western fighters who could potentially serve as operatives for attacks in the West,” Brennan said, using another acronym for the group. He said IS probably is working to smuggle them into countries, perhaps among refugee flows or through legitimate means of travel.
Brennan also noted the group’s call for followers to conduct so-called lone-wolf attacks in their home countries. He called last week’s attack in Orlando a “heinous act of wanton violence” and an “assault on the values of openness and tolerance” that define the United States as a nation.
He said IS is gradually cultivating its various branches into an interconnected network. The branch in Libya is likely the most advanced and most dangerous, but IS is trying to increase its influence in Africa, he said. The IS branch in the Sinai has become the “most active and capable terrorist group in Egypt,” attacking the Egyptian military and government targets in addition to foreigners and tourists, such as the downing of a Russian passenger jet last October.
Other branches have struggled to gain traction, he says. “The Yemen branch, for instance, has been riven with factionalism. And the Afghanistan-Pakistan branch has struggled to maintain its cohesion, in part because of competition with the Taliban.”
He called IS a “formidable adversary,” but said the U.S.-led coalition has made progress combatting the group, which has had to surrender large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria and has lost some of its leaders in airstrikes. IS has struggled to replenish its ranks of fighters, Brennan said, because fewer of them are traveling to Syria and others have defected.
“The group appears to be a long way from realizing the vision that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi laid out when he declared the caliphate two years ago in Mosul,” Iraq, Brennan said.
He said the group’s ability to raise money has also been curtailed, although the group still continues to generate at least tens of millions of dollars in revenue each month, mostly from taxation and from sales of crude oil.
“Unfortunately, despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group’s terrorism capability and global reach,” he said.
“In fact, as the pressure mounts on ISIL, we judge that it will intensify its global terror campaign to maintain its dominance of the global terrorism agenda.”
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article84049057.html#storylink=cpy
Progressive Republican Mitt Romney Expert on Trickle-Down Racism As A Mormon Bishop Plays Race Card On Trump — Sore Losers Romney and Ryan — Just Like Romney and Rockerfeller in 1964 — Videos
Posted on June 11, 2016. Filed under: American History, Articles, Blogroll, College, Congress, Constitution, Corruption, Education, Elections, Foreign Policy, Freedom, government, government spending, history, Law, liberty, Life, Links, Literacy, media, Newspapers, People, Philosophy, Photos, Police, Political Correctness, Politics, Presidential Candidates, Radio, Speech, Strategy, Talk Radio, Television, Wealth, Welfare, Wisdom, Work, Writing | Tags: America, articles, Audio, Breaking News, Broadcasting, capitalism, Cartoons, Charity, Choked Like A Dog, Citizenship, Clarity, Classical Liberalism, Collectivism, Commentary, Commitment, Communicate, Communication, Concise, Convincing, Courage, Cult, Culture, Current Affairs, Current Events, Donald J. Trump, economic growth, economic policy, Economics, Education, Evil, Experience, Faith, Family, First, fiscal policy, free enterprise, freedom, freedom of speech, Friends, Give It A Listen, God, Good, Goodwill, Growth, Hope, Individualism, Judge Gonzalo Curiel, Knowledge, liberty, Life, Love, Lovers of Liberty, Mitt Romney, monetary policy, Mormons, MPEG3, News, Opinions, Paul Ryan, Peace, Photos, Podcasts, Political Philosophy, Politics, prosperity, Racism, Racism and Mormonism, Racist, Radio, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Religion, Representative Republic, Republic, Resources, Respect, Romney and Rockerfeller in 1964, rule of law, Rule of Men, Show Notes, Talk Radio, The Pronk Pops Show, Truth, Tyranny, U.S. Constitution, United States of America, Videos, Virtue, War, Wisdom |
rac·ist
ˈrāsəst/
a person who believes that a particular race is superior to another.
synonyms: racial bigot, racialist, xenophobe, chauvinist, supremacist More
having or showing the belief that a particular race is superior to another.
“we are investigating complaints about racist abuse at the club”
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Pat Buchanan: Trump ‘Has A Perfect Reason’ to Believe Trump University Judge Does Not Like Him
By Pam Key
Thursday on “The Mike Gallagher Show,” while discussing on the controversy over Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s comments about the the Trump University case and U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel’s Mexican heritage, former Nixon and Reagan aide and conservative commentator Pat Buchanan said, “Donald has a perfect reason to believe he might be having this thing stuck to him right in the middle of a campaign,” explaining “it might well be because the judge is a Mexican-American that he really does not like Donald Trump.”
When asked if there is merit in those criticizing Trump, Buchanan said, “I really don’t. I mean, I can I understand why they would say that Donald Trump shouldn’t have suggested that it’s because he’s a Mexican-American that he’s biased against him, but I think that’s Trump’s point. Look what did Trump say? He said this judge is really sticking it to me. And he has got some arguments to support that, the dumping of all those documents to the Washington Post, etc.”
He continued, “Look, let me just say this. Donald has a perfect reason to believe he might be having this thing stuck to him right in the middle of a campaign, this guy dropping all these documents, etc. Secondly, and it might well be because the judge is a Mexican-American that he really does not like Donald Trump. There’s an awful lot of Mexican-Americans and, indeed, former presidents of Mexico who have said that they can’t stand the guy. But the basic point is, if Trump believes this, and it may be true, what is he supposed to do if he said what he believes to be true and now everybody wants him to apologize for a statement he believes to be true?”
He added, “The judge is a member of this San Diego La Raza group of lawyers out there. When they say that’s not the real La Raza, that’s not the other — yeah the head of the real la Raza is siting right the White House for heavens sake. An organization that identifies itself as ‘the race” it seems to me its not illegitimate to suggest they might have a bias towards folks like themselves.”
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/06/10/pat-buchanan-trump-has-a-perfect-reason-to-believe-trump-university-judge-does-not-like-him/
Trump Rattles The American Okie Doke Obama Into Stuttering Empty Suit –The Great Pretender — The Truth Hurts — Get Out of Our Lives — Roll It Back To A Full Employment Growing Booming Economy with 67% Labor Participation Rate and Less Than 3% Unemployment Rate — Make America Great Again — Catch Me If You Can — Videos
Posted on June 4, 2016. Filed under: American History, Articles, Babies, Banking, Blogroll, Business, College, Communications, Congress, Constitution, Corruption, Crime, Culture, Documentary, Economics, Education, Elections, Employment, Entertainment, Faith, Family, Federal Government, Federal Government Budget, Films, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy, Freedom, Friends, government, government spending, Health Care, history, Illegal, Immigration, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Investments, IRS, Language, Law, Legal, liberty, Life, Links, Literacy, Macroeconomics, media, Microeconomics, Monetary Policy, Money, Money, Movies, Narcissism, Newspapers, Obamacare, People, Philosophy, Photos, Police, Politics, Psychology, Radio, Radio, Rants, Raves, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Regulations, Resources, Security, Strategy, Talk Radio, Tax Policy, Taxation, Taxes, Television, Television, Television, The Pronk Pops Show, Unemployment, Video, War, Wealth, Welfare, Wisdom, Work, Writing | Tags: 2 June 2016, 2016 Election, America, American people, articles, Audio, Big Government Parties, Breaking News, Broadcasting, capitalism, Cartoons, Catch Me If You Can, Charity, Citizenship, Clarity, Classical Liberalism, Collectivism, Commentary, Commitment, Communicate, Communication, Concise, Cons, Convincing, Courage, Culture, Current Affairs, Current Events, Democratic Party, Donald J. Trump, economic growth, economic policy, Economic Reality, Economics, Education, Evil, Experience, Faith, Family, First, fiscal policy, Fools, free enterprise, freedom, freedom of speech, Friends, George Carlin, Give It A Listen, God, Good, Goodwill, Growth, Hope, Independents, Individualism, Jobs, Knowledge, Labor Participation Rate, liberty, Life, Love, Lovers of Liberty, monetary policy, MPEG3, News, Okie Doke, Opinions, Peace, Photos, Podcasts, Political Philosophy, Politics, President Barack Obama, Progressives, prosperity, Radio, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Representative Republic, Republic, Republican Party, Resources, Respect, rule of law, Rule of Men, Show Notes, Talk Radio, The American Okie Doke, The Great Pretender, The Pronk Pops Show, The Pronk Pops Show 691, Truth, Tyranny, U-3 Unemployment Rate, U-6 Unemployment Rate, U.S. Constitution, United States of America, Videos, Virtue, War, Wisdom |
Story 1: Trump Rattles The American Okie Doke Obama Into Stuttering Empty Suit –The Great Pretender — The Truth Hurts — Get Out of Our Lives — Roll It Back To A Full Employment Growing Booming Economy with 67% Labor Participation Rate and Less Than 3% Unemployment Rate — Make America Great Again — Catch Me If You Can — Videos
okie doke
-A joke played on someone. Someone getting played for a fool.
-Also, someone who is fake or is a joke.
“I felt like a dumbass when that nigga hit me with the okie doke.”
“I keep it real homeboy. I ain’t no okie doke.”
Psychological projection is a theory in psychology in which humans defend themselves against their own unpleasant impulses by denying their existence while attributing them to others. For example, a person who is habitually rude may constantly accuse other people of being rude. It incorporates blame shifting.
Immigration moderation. Before any new green cards are issued to foreign workers abroad, there will be a pause where employers will have to hire from the domestic pool of unemployed immigrant and native workers. This will help reverse women’s plummeting workplace participation rate, grow wages, and allow record immigration levels to subside to more moderate historical averages.
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/immigration-reform
George Carlin – The American Okie Doke
U.S. Labor Participation Rate – Graph of Reagan vs obama
Obama Tries to Trash Donald Trump and Turns into a Stuttering Mess
Obama attacks Trump in Indiana speech but won’t use his name
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The Great Pretender Obama Says Don’t Fall For The Okie-Doke
No Help Wanted – Labor Participation Rate Lowest Since 1977 – Fox & Friends.
Labor participation has hit a 38-year low, and that’s a problem
Labor participation rate is down to unprecedented levels
Unemployment and the Unemployment Rate
Types of Unemployment
Top 10 Greatest Con Artists in Movies
Catch me if you can best scenes
Catch Me If You Can Movie- Check Fraud
Catch Me If You Can Trailer
To Tell the Truth: Frank William Abagnale Jr. (1977)
The Real Frank Abagnale, “Catch me if you can” man – CNN Red Chair
Catch Me If You Can: Frank Abagnale’s Story
Frank Abagnale, who evolved from being a brilliant young mastermind of international deception and fraud into one of the world’s most respected authorities on forgery and embezzlement, tells his life story. His intercontinental saga prompted Steven Spielberg to turn Abagnale’s life into the movie Catch Me If You Can starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
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Reconsidering Russia and the Former Soviet Union
Charting the historical development of protest in Soviet and post-Soviet Armenia
Posted on June 28, 2015 by Pietro Shakarian
Yerevan 1988
While the recent Baghramyan Avenue protests in Armenia over electricity price hikes may have surprised many observers, they are arguably part of a broader tradition of civic activism in Soviet and post-Soviet Armenia.
How do the Baghramyan protests compare to other historical protests in Armenia? These latest demonstrations reportedly brought out as many as 30,000 people into the streets of Yerevan last week. This is a larger number compared to the 2013 post-election protests in Armenia, led by the pro-Western Raffi Hovannisian, which brought out at most 10,000 people into the streets. At the same time, the Baghramyan number is smaller than the 2008 post-election protests, led by Armenia’s former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, which reportedly brought out about 50,000 to 100,000 people into the streets.
Of course, none of these protests compare to the sheer size and scale of those of the Karabakh Movement during perestroika, in which as many as one million men, women, and children went out to protest on the streets of Yerevan in February 1988. That is approximately one-third of Armenia’s entire population. Of course, the reasons and circumstances for such massive protests were quite exceptional (as was arguably the era in which they took place). For Armenians, Nagorny Karabakh (or Artsakh) is an existential issue.
Below are figures showing the growth of the perestroika-era protests in Armenia, from September 1987 to February 1988. These figures are derived from data compiled by Mark R. Beissinger, a political scientist at Princeton and author of the book Nationalist Mobilization and the Collapse of the Soviet State (Cambridge University Press, 2002):
September: 200
October-December: 2,000-1,000
January (early): 5,000
January (early-mid): 30,000
January (mid): 200,000
January (late): 500,000
February: 1,000,000
Posted in analysis, Armenia, Caucasus, Former Soviet Union, history | Tagged armenia, caucasus, former soviet union | Leave a reply
How Moscow views Nagorny Karabakh
We Are Our Mountains monument in Stepanakert, the capital of the Nagorny Karabakh Republic. This statue is widely regarded as a symbol of the identity of Nagorny Karabakh. (Photograph by this writer)
One of many hotspots in the former Soviet space is the region of Nagorny Karabakh in the Caucasus. I have written about Nagorny Karabakh in the past, but this time, I would like to focus precisely on Russia’s view of the situation.
What is Nagorny Karabakh?
Nagorny Karabakh is a majority-Armenian region in the Caucasus. Its landscape is forested and mountainous, dotted with numerous historical Armenian monuments and churches. It is one of the most beautiful places in the former Soviet Union.
The region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but is a de facto independent state, closely allied with neighboring Armenia. Armenia, which does not officially recognize Nagorny Karabakh, maintains that its local Armenian inhabitants have the right to self-determination (whether or not to be an independent state, part of Armenia, or an autonomous region of Azerbaijan). This position is supported by the area’s majority-Armenian population. By contrast, Azerbaijan argues for the principle of territorial integrity and that Nagorny Karabakh’s future should be determined only within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Supported by Armenia, Nagorny Karabakh gained its de facto independence from Azerbaijan after a war in the 1990s, one of a handful of post-Soviet ethnic conflicts. Today, the status of Nagorny Karabakh is frozen and can be best described as one of “neither war nor peace.”
The name of the region, a testament to its checkered history, is a Russian, Turkish, and Persian amalgam, which literally means “Mountainous Black Garden.” The “Nagorny” or “Mountainous” aspect is important because this distinguishes the area from the traditionally majority Muslim Azerbaijani Lowland Karabakh. The term “Karabakh” is often liberally used as shorthand in the West to refer exclusively to majority Christian Armenian “Mountainous Karabakh.” However, the term “Karabakh” can also be used to refer to both the Mountainous and Lowland areas in totality. To avoid confusion, I will refer to the area as Nagorny Karabakh (henceforth NK).
NK is also referred to by its historical Armenian name, “Artsakh,” by Armenians in Armenia and in NK. The local Armenian population of NK speaks a unique dialect of Armenian that even standard Armenian speakers have difficulty understanding.
Tsar Peter the Great saw great potential in expanding Russia into the Caucasus. Portrait by Paul Delaroche, 1838.
Why is Nagorny Karabakh important to Russia historically?
With regard to Russian history, NK is part of the reason that present-day Armenia (historical Eastern Armenia) and the South Caucasus generally became part of the Russian Empire. In the 18th century, Khachen (as NK was then known) and Syunik (today southern Armenia) were the only parts of historic Armenia that were able to retain a semi-independent status amid Armenia being overrun by the Mongols, Turks, and Persians. Formally, the two principalities were semi-independent vassals of Persia. Their princes (meliks), together with the king of eastern Georgia and the Armenian Orthodox Patriarch (Catholicos), formed a coalition beseeching Tsar Peter the Great to liberate their lands from their larger Islamic neighbors.
Peter was interested in the Caucasus not only to help fellow Orthodox Christians, but also as a means for Russia to secure access to profitable trade routes to India, in order to gain access to silk and other riches. Thus began the relationship between Russia and the Caucasus that would eventually culminate in the annexation of eastern and western Georgia (starting in 1801), the further incorporation of historical Eastern Armenia and present-day Azerbaijan in 1813-1828, and the conquest of the North Caucasus in the 1860s.
What are the origins of the present-day dispute over Nagorny Karabakh?
The origins of the present-day dispute over NK date to the Sovietization of the Caucasus in the early 1920s. It is important to understand how the dispute originated in order to comprehend the dynamics of the conflict today. There are two different theories in this regard that are widely repeated in the media. Neither is supported by factual evidence, but both fit conveniently into dominant political narratives.
Anastas Mikoyan, Joseph Stalin, and Sergo Ordzhonikidze, Tbilisi, 1925. Though often held chiefly responsible for assigning Nagorny Karabakh to Azerbaijan, Stalin’s actual influence was not a major factor in the final decision.
One theory asserts that the dispute began when Stalin personally decided to assign NK to Soviet Azerbaijan during the Sovietization of the Caucasus. Those who support this theory have given different possible explanations as for Stalin’s exact motivation for such a step. Some claim that he wanted to appease Turkey, hoping that under Atatürk, Ankara would develop into a communist state. Others allege that Stalin had an anti-Armenian bias. However, most proponents of this theory claim that the motivation was for Moscow to divide-and-rule Armenia and Azerbaijan. Overall, this theory is undermined by the fact that Stalin was far from the zenith of his power and was not the sole decision-maker in determining NK’s fate, even though he was the Commissar of Nationalities at the time. Moreover, he had good relations with Armenian communists like Mikoyan and was actually sympathetic to Armenian claims over NK.
The second theory holds that the Soviets assigned NK to Azerbaijan because it was economically dependent on the city and surrounding area of Baku during Tsarist times. However, if this was true, then the Armenian provinces of Syunik and Tavush (which, together with NK, were part of the Tsarist-era Elizavetpolskaya Guberniya) would have been logically assigned to Azerbaijan on the same basis. Instead, they became part of Soviet Armenia.
In reality, according to recent research by Caucasus scholar Arsene Saparov, the actual reason behind NK’s assignment to Azerbaijan was the fact that, despite its majority Christian Armenian population, it was controlled by Azerbaijani forces at the time of Sovietization. It was therefore easier for the Soviets to sanction the existing situation on the ground, while also offering the “compromise” of local Armenian autonomy. Hence the “Nagorny Karabakh Autonomous Oblast” of Soviet Azerbaijan was established. Again, it is important to emphasize that the Soviets were desperate to secure control of the region at the time and, being communist-internationalists, they believed that national borders would one day be abolished anyway. There were no sinister imperial schemes or machinations behind the assignment of NK to Azerbaijan.
How does Russia view Nagorny Karabakh today?
Today, Moscow ultimately wants to see some sort of resolution, but it realizes that devising one is virtually impossible right now, given current conditions. It therefore favors the status quo and continued peace talks.
Map of Armenia and the self-proclaimed Nagorny Karabakh Republic (NKR) in the Caucasus
Along with the United States and France, Russia is a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group which facilitates talks on the NK issue. Both the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments are committed to these talks. However, the present government of Ilham Aliyev in Azerbaijan, which has engaged in high military spending and bellicose anti-Armenian rhetoric, is unwilling to compromise on anything short of NK’s total return to Baku. Armenia in turn has stood firmly in favor of Karabakh’s self-determination. The unrecognized NK Republic is currently not involved in the negotiations, but states that it should be, due to the fact that it is the representative of the local Armenian population.
As of a result of the NK war of the 1990s, the NK Republic also controls a handful of districts of Azerbaijan proper, giving them contiguous frontiers with Armenia and Iran. A potential compromise solution may require forfeiting some of these districts, such as Aghdam. The status of refugees and other issues also need to be discussed, but the main sticking point for both sides remains the determination of NK’s ultimate status.
It is important to note that Armenia relies on Moscow for security vis-a-vis Azerbaijan and Turkey, both of which have closed their borders with Armenia since the 1990s. However, Turkish-Armenian relations have improved significantly since Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (or AKP) came to office. For instance, though Turkey still denies the 1915 Armenian Genocide, the issue is no longer a taboo in Turkish society and is now openly discussed. However, largely due to pressure from Turkey’s domestic nationalists and from official Baku, the border between Turkey and Armenia remains closed, despite the obvious benefits for both Ankara and Yerevan. Nevertheless, Turkish-Armenian relations will continue to improve and will be further helped by growing cooperation between Ankara and Moscow on issues such as the proposed Turk Stream gas pipeline.
Meanwhile, relations between Yerevan and Baku remain tense. In this regard, Armenia looks to Moscow for security and is therefore a close ally of Moscow and Russia’s main “center” in the South Caucasus today. By contrast, Azerbaijan was engaged in a flirtation with the West for some time, especially with oil lobbyists and neoconservative politicians in Washington eager to undermine Iran and Russia. The latter two groups have been very interested in creating alternative energy pipelines from post-Soviet Central Asia through Azerbaijan and to Europe, at the expense of traditional energy routes from Russia.
The mountains of Nagorny Karabakh. (Photograph by this writer)
However, Azerbaijan’s flirtation with the West appears to have diminished in recent years, amid mounting criticism regarding Baku’s human rights record. Baku has therefore engaged in new thaws with Moscow and Tehran. However, it is unlikely to join the Moscow-backed Eurasian Union any time soon, given Aliyev’s interest in keeping Azerbaijan independent of any supranational union or alliance. However, Baku has a finite supply of natural energy reserves and will have no choice but to turn to regional cooperation, compromise, and economic diversification in the future. In this respect, it would do well to discard the bellicose discourse and adopt a more balanced and constructive approach.
In Moscow’s view, a resolution of the NK dispute is not only desirable for regional stability but also for Russian security. Russia continues to face challenges on its troubled southern frontier in the North Caucasus with Islamic extremists. In order to help contain and isolate this threat, Russia seeks to solidify its position in the former Soviet South Caucasus states. A strong “buffer zone” of secure and friendly countries to the south of the North Caucasus is therefore an important vector of Russia’s policy toward the region.
Russia is also concerned about the potential expansion of NATO in the South Caucasus, particularly in Georgia. Additionally, it is concerned about the expansion of US-supported energy projects designed to undermine Russian energy exports to Europe. Moscow is puzzled by these American-backed steps, which are viewed as a throwback to Cold War “containment” and as a provocation intended to isolate and weaken Russia. They are also regarded as spurning potential cooperation on serious matters such as fighting Islamic extremism in the area. Indeed, Georgia has recently faced problems with Islamic radicalism in the Pankisi Gorge and attempts by ISIS to woo the region’s local population of ethnic Kists (a Chechen subgroup). Notably, the infamous ISIS commander Omar al-Shishani is originally from Pankisi. Given such concerns, it is clear that if Moscow, Tbilisi, and Washington all worked together to combat this common threat, the benefits would be optimal.
Whatever the future, for Moscow, the Caucasus remains an important area within the post-Soviet space and a potential flashpoint for future conflict. Despite the dispute over NK, Armenians and Azerbaijanis have co-existed and lived together side-by-side in the past. Peace is possible, and indeed NK would greatly benefit from cooperation between Russia and the West.
Posted in analysis, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Caucasus, Former Soviet Union, geopolitics, Nagorny Karabakh, Russia | Tagged armenia, azerbaijan, caucasus, former soviet union, nagorny karabakh, russia | 1 Reply
The Georgian Who Would Be Governor: Saakashvili in Odessa
Posted on June 1, 2015 by Pietro Shakarian
Mikheil Saakashvili (AFP-Getty / Jim Watson)
On 29 May 2015, the current Ukrainian government made a jaw-dropping move. As if Kiev’s controversial de-communization laws were not enough, the new government decided to appoint Georgia’s provocative ex-president Mikheil “Misha” Saakashvili to the post of governor of the Odessa Oblast. Immediately prior to this (literally within hours), Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko granted Saakashvili Ukrainian citizenship, thus making him eligible for the governorship. On Twitter and Facebook, future governor Saakashvili expressed his love for Odessa.
Needless to say, Saakashvili is no Prince Vorontsov. Unabashedly pro-Western and hawkishly anti-Russian, Saakashvili is regarded by many as one of the most unstable politicians in the entire former Soviet Union. It was he who recklessly launched the disastrous South Ossetian war in 2008. Currently, he is a wanted man in his native Georgia, charged with abuse of office. In fact, Prosecutors in Tbilisi are seeking an Interpol Red Notice for his arrest. Further, Russia, acting on behalf of Georgia’s breakaway province of South Ossetia, is also seeking the arrest of Saakashvili in connection with war crimes from the 2008 war. This has not prevented Saakashvili from periodically threatening to return to Georgia via revolutionary means, despite the fact that he is widely unpopular in Georgia.
Ukraine’s Petro Poroshenko hands Mikheil Saakashvili his identification card, identifying him as the new governor of the Odessa Oblast. (Press office photo)
However, Saakashvili is very popular among officials in Kiev, where he retains many ties from his university days. As a supporter of the Maidan from the very beginning, Saakashvili became an advisor to the Ukrainian government. Many officials from his former administration in Georgia, including some also wanted in Tbilisi, have joined him. This has sparked protest, outrage, and indignation from Georgia, its breakaway province of Abkhazia, and Russia.
None of this seems to have fazed Kiev, which appears to dismiss and act in defiance of these protests, especially those from Tbilisi. In fact, not only has Kiev refused to extradite Saakashvili back to Georgia, but it is also widely believed to be obstructing the Interpol Red Notice arrest issued against Zurab Adeishvili, Georgia’s controversial former Justice Minister under Saakashvili.
There is also the question of Saakashvili’s Georgian citizenship. According to Georgian law, Saakashvili cannot be both a citizen of Georgia and a citizen of Ukraine simultaneously. As such, Saakashvili will have to be excluded from the Georgian political process because under Georgian law, foreigners cannot participate in Georgian politics.
This will also mean that Saakashvili will have to resign as chairman of the pro-Western United National Movement (UNM) opposition party in Georgia. That party has already seen a string of resignations this past week and declining popularity in Georgia in general. If Saakashvili resigns as the UNM’s chairman, it may further diminish its presence in Georgian politics.
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili (Newsday.ge)
Saakashvili’s appointment by Kiev as the governor of the Odessa Oblast has already prompted strong reactions from Tbilisi. Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili was at a loss for words regarding Saakashvili’s acceptance of Ukrainian citizenship. “I want to express my strongly negative stance” on the issue, he told reporters. By relinquishing his Georgian citizenship, he added, Saakashvili “humiliated the country and the presidential institution. From my point of view, values are more significant than a career… Georgia’s citizenship represents such a value.” To President Margvelashvili, such a step was “incomprehensible.”
Davit Saganelidze, the leader of Georgia’s parliamentary majority, told reporters that the decision to appoint such a “deranged person” to the post of governor of Odessa was a “very serious mistake on the part of Ukrainian authorities.” He also stated that he sympathized with the Ukrainian people.
Even overtly pro-Western political figures in Georgia were critical of Saakashvili’s new governorship. Georgia’s Defense Minister, Tina Khidasheli, the wife of the Georgian Parliamentary Speaker Davit Usupashvili, said that Saakashvili “showed everyone his so-called devotion to Georgia” and that “now everyone can see he doesn’t care about the citizenship of his own country.”
Russia too also reacted to Saakashvili’s appointment. On Twitter, Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev tweeted that “the circus comes to town… Poor Ukraine.”
Saakashvili is Head of the Odessa Region. When the circus comes to town… Poor Ukraine
— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) May 30, 2015
As if this were not enough, the oblast to which Saakashvili has been appointed to govern is a hotbed of anti-Kiev activity and resentment. The memory of the terrible Odessa Massacre of May 2014 is still very fresh in the minds of many Odessans. In that massacre, 48 people were killed, largely anti-Kiev activists. Most were burned to death in the Odessa House of Trade Unions. Independent research confirms that Right Sector (Praviy Sektor), together with far-right football hooligans known as the Ultras, were responsible for what had happened. However, official Kiev, which is allied with these nefarious groups, has tried to downplay the tragedy and instead blame it on the anti-Kiev activists, contrary to the evidence.
As such, opposition to the Kiev government is seething among many in this multicultural port city, a Black Sea cultural center renowned for its sense of humor and its mixed Russian, Jewish, and Ukrainian heritage. The recent Trade Unions massacre re-awakened bad memories of World War II. This is due especially to the presence of far-right groups, like Right Sector, within the Ukrainian government. Kiev relies on these extremists to clamp down on free expression and political dissent in Odessa. This has created much anger that is barely contained by the Odessan public.
Monument to Duke de Richelieu in Odessa (ua-travelling)
It is this city and its surrounding area that the overtly pro-Western Saakashvili will be governing. The situation brings together one of the most volatile personalities in the former Soviet space with one of the most high tension regions of Ukraine. The potential for instability is high. “Governor of Odessa? What a great idea,” sarcastically remarked Fred Weir, Moscow correspondent at the Christian Science Monitor. “Take a divided city, in the midst of an existential crisis, and send in Mikheil Saakashvili to run things.”
As for President Poroshenko, his move has certainly “left a large number of political observers at a loss for explanation,” remarked the BBC. “Many are struggling to see the strategy behind naming a former leader of another country to run a provincial government… The move could be a stroke of genius on Mr. Poroshenko’s part — or a blunder of breathtaking magnitude.” Many Georgians who know Saakashvili all too well would most certainly agree with the BBC’s latter assessment.
“In Russian folklore,” quipped Vladimir Golstein, a professor of Russian literature at Brown University, “there are tons of Odessa jokes and there are equal amount of Georgian jokes. But only one person managed to combine the two. And it ain’t funny.”
There have been different possible explanations as to why Poroshenko decided to appoint Saakashvili to be the governor of the Odessa Oblast. Some have speculated that the “chocolate king” (as Poroshenko is known) sought to simultaneously annoy Moscow and send a message to controversial oligarch and former Dnepropetrovsk governor Ihor Kolomoyskyi, who finances many of Ukraine’s notorious volunteer battalions. Others regard it as a desperate move by Kiev, amid a growing thaw between Washington and Moscow, to regain full but diminishing Western support in a belief that Saakashvili still commands a “hero” status in the West.
Others believe that the appointment of Saakashvili to the Odessa governorship may signal a sort of “demotion” for Saakashvili’s status in Kiev and that Poroshenko’s ulterior motive was to get him out of the capital. In a press conference with reporters, Georgian Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani, who had just returned from a working visit to Kiev, seemed to favor this latter explanation. After telling reporters that legal efforts to extradite Saakashvili back to Georgia had been exhausted, given his new Ukrainian citizenship, she added:
I saw that Saakashvili’s team has failed to succeed there [in Kiev]. Reforms are on hold; the Ukrainian people and the media have serious questions about these so-called experts. He was sent away from Kiev because he was unable to carry out reforms. I have no doubt that he will not do any better in Odessa. It’s a message of warning for the Ukrainian people and media.
Overall, whatever the motives for Kiev’s move, the appointment of Saakashvili has certainly raised eyebrows among serious observers of the region. Yet, whether it raises eyebrows for Kiev’s Western backers and supporters will remain to be seen.
Posted in analysis, Caucasus, Former Soviet Union, Georgia, Odessa, Ukraine | Tagged caucasus, former soviet union, georgia, odessa, ukraine | 1 Reply
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Home Community The gift of hope and healing
The gift of hope and healing
"Where you live shouldn't determine whether you live." Michael Were opens up about the life-saving work of Open Heart International.
By Michael Were -
Two-year-old Lovai* lies peacefully sleeping in her hospital bed at Vaiola Hospital in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. Her mum is breathing a sigh of relief—it’s been a rough couple of days.
Lovai was recently diagnosed with a ventricular septal defect, commonly known as a hole in the heart, a condition she was born with. It’s not uncommon; in fact approximately one in every 1000 babies born globally has a congenital heart defect. Some defects are minor, but a hole between the chambers of the heart needs attention.
The heart is an amazing organ. Ten years ago, I saw it myself for the first time. I had just been appointed general manager of Open Heart International and invited to witness a heart operation at Sydney Adventist Hospital.
In the year preceding, I’d been in a career crisis. I was a sales manager for an insurance company. The Global Financial Crisis had found its way to Australia. The social and lifestyle choices that my insurance career expected of me were no longer compatible with my growing faith. Despite the marketing spin that told us that insurance was a great community product that protected our way of life, I felt like all my success would amount to was an inflated share price for the company. The job, and the ambitious career path that was ahead, lacked purpose for me. I hoped for more.
Despite my lack of healthcare experience, the business management aspects of the role interested me when I first saw the job advertised in Adventist Record. A friend encouraged me to apply. The three-month recruitment process was a blur.
When I walked into my boss’s office to resign he asked if I could be convinced to stay. The upper management were about to offer a state manager job to me. The career path was mapped out, the salary and bonuses were mouth-watering. I chose to walk away, knowing the money would never be that good ever again.
Now I was peering into an open chest. Was this the “more” I had hoped for?
I watched as the surgical team took the patient onto bypass—the process of stopping the heart and transferring the heart and lung function to a large machine responsible for the two important bodily functions—while the surgeon got to work on the still heart. Working through a small opening in the chest, the surgeon made the necessary repairs and then re-started the heart. The monitor with the dreaded “flat line” burst back into its rhythm as the heart started to beat again.
It was in that moment I fell in love with the heart, this muscle that beats continually and sustains our life. The same muscle that we attribute as being the holder of our emotions and feelings. I also fell in love with our Creator in a way that I had never experienced before.
The operating theatre was full of so many machines, so much technology and a team of experts, to keep the body alive while the heart was stopped for a short period of time. The best that the human mind could design and build were these 500-kilogram machines intently watched by expert technicians. But this same tech is built into every heart. If ever there was any doubt in my mind about luck or chance when it came to creation, it was now gone. Something far more intelligent than the human mind uniquely crafted us; it could not be just dumb luck.
Since that first interaction with the heart, I’ve had the privilege to see similar operations many times. I’ve also seen the heart of an amazing group of humanitarians. We like to call Australia the lucky country. But when it comes to healthcare, we’re not just lucky, we’re world-leading. At Open Heart International we believe it’s not only our privilege but our responsibility to share those skills with some of the most disadvantaged communities on the planet.
(Credit: Heath Bennett)
Open Heart International was established as a humanitarian agency by Sydney Adventist Hospital staff as volunteers in 1986. What started as a small mission to Tonga quickly grew into a global effort—across the Pacific, into Asia and, more recently, Africa. As interest grew, it became necessary to grow beyond the staff in one hospital. Nowadays, more than 300 volunteers are deployed annually, representing the San, other hospitals around Australia and even international healthcare organisations. Today Open Heart International is a collaboration between ADRA Australia and Sydney Adventist Hospital, two great Adventist institutions at the forefront of saving lives.
Two months ago, Lovai faced a grim future. The hole in her heart was a death sentence. The condition would lead to frequent infections and illness, a failure to thrive and gain weight, and constant breathlessness. Without intervention, she would have died prematurely.
As a parent of children of similar age to Lovai, living a blessed life in Sydney and within a short drive to a large number of world-class hospitals, help is not far away. If my daughter had a hole in the heart, she would be diagnosed, monitored and scheduled for surgery as soon as it was necessary. Thankfully my daughter’s heart is intact, but it’s nice to know that world-class care is not far away.
For a family in the Kingdom of Tonga, it’s not quite that simple. Heart surgery does not exist. It’s not an issue unique to Tonga, but one repeated time and time again across the developing world. Tonga is full of beautiful friendly people, amazing singing voices and some of the best meals I have ever had in my life. However, there are no cardiologists or cardiac surgeons to be found.
That’s not to say that healthcare in Tonga is in shambles. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The senior medical, surgical and nursing staff at Vaiola Hospital in the country’s capital are some of the best and most committed professionals that I’ve met in my travels across the Pacific. The whole population of Tonga is approximately 90,000; it could fit inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground, so when it comes to healthcare, they have great general surgeons and doctors, but the country lacks the specific specialist expertise needed to fix broken hearts.
Where you live shouldn’t determine whether you live. Patients in Tonga still need their hearts repaired. That’s where Open Heart International comes in. In September, with the Tongan Ministry of Health, we deployed a 50-strong team of volunteers comprising surgeons, doctors and nurses specifically to mend Tonga’s broken hearts. We also freighted more than 3000 kg of equipment and supplies essential for their operations from Australia. Watching people convert 10 pallets of boxes and crates into a mobile functioning cardiac surgery centre in a few hours is a beauty that needs to be seen to be understood.
The visit is part of the long-term commitment that Open Heart International has made to Tonga. It involves continuing to provide heart surgery that is unavailable in the country, as well as building capacity and providing education and equipment to help Tongan doctors and nurses diagnose heart problems and look after patients more effectively after surgery. Thanks to the partnership with ADRA Australia, the Tonga program can expand even further with additional funding from the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation program. For each $A1 that we can commit and raise to the project, we receive $A5 from the Australian government.
Over the course of the two-week visit, 33 patients received heart surgery. Lovai was one of 20 children whose heart defect was repaired. A patch was inserted directly into her heart to cover the hole. A few days later, after a short stint in the Intensive Care Unit, she was well and truly on the road to recovery. Her mother got to cuddle her daughter, to take her back home and tell her that everything was going to be okay.
The statistics suggest that Lovai will now have a normal life expectancy. The operation was a full fix of the problem, and she’ll be able to grow up, living the life of opportunity and hope that we have for all our children—the life that they deserve. The pain of the uncertain future for a broken heart has been removed; the scar on her chest a permanent reminder of the big hearts of a group of Australians who gave their time and their money to give hope to a little girl and a family who had possibly lost all hope.
Next month, Sydney Adventist Hospital will unveil a new collection of artworks throughout the hospital. The God of Hope artworks celebrate the hope, healing and resilience of our amazing Creator. The Creator of our unique bodies, with the intricate complexity of the heart. And the Creator of talented humanitarians and clinicians, who are able to also provide hope when all seems lost, at the San and elsewhere around the world. Part of the collection is a stunning portrait of Lovai (see below), along with four of her fellow patients who also received the gift of hope and healing in Tonga.
The God we serve is a God of hope. In Jeremiah 29:11 He makes that clear: “‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” It was not God’s plan for Lovai’s heart to be defective at birth for reasons that science has not yet found an answer to. He has great plans for Lovai’s future and the 32 other Tongans whose hearts will now beat for much longer than they each believed would be the case a few months ago. What are you hoping for?
For more information or to support the work of Open Heart International please visit www.ohi.org.au.
* Open Heart International chooses to change the names of child patients who have been treated for child protection and privacy purposes.
Michael Were is managing director of Open Heart International.
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Adventist paramedic in Northern Territory receives award
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Darth Vader Rogue One Featurette is quite fun!
The featurette is quite fun and allows fans of the film to peer behind-the-scenes and see what it took to bring back Vader to life again.
by Tye Bourdony March 24, 2017
Almost all Star Wars fans would agree that seeing more of Darth Vader’s role leading up to the now classic events of Star Wars: A New Hope, was one of the best moments of Star Wars: Rogue One, which is scheduled to be released on DVD and Blue Ray on April 4, 2017.
In anticipation of the much awaited Rogue One release on DVD, Lucasfilm has created and released a digital featurette revolving around Darth Vader and his fan-favorite role in Disney’s most recent Star Wars film.
While Vader was not the focus of the film, his role was none the less crucial as it set the stage for the premise of Rogue One, which naturally sets the stage within the Star Wars Universe for Episode IV, A New Hope, in which audience around the world were first introduced to Darth Vader, along with his unrealized biological twins, Princess Leia and young Luke Skywalker.
The featurette is not only quite fun but it also allows fans of the film to peer behind-the-scenes and see some of what it took to bring Vader to life once again within the context of Rogue One’s retro look back to 1978 and the original Star Wars. The featurette also has fun interviews with the films director, Gareth Edwards, along with his director of photography Greig Fraser, and even actor Ben Mendelsohn, who played the film’s bad guy, Orson Krennic.
The Rogue One Darth Vader Featurette can be previewed below:
Ben MendelsohnFeatureGareth EdwardsGreig FraserLucasfilmStar WarsStar Wars: Rogure One
In Review: Big Finish: Doctor Who: The Silent Scream
by Raissa Devereux - Mar 24, 2017
Main Mission Fever
by Tye Bourdony - Mar 25, 2017
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What should educators take into consideration when instructing English Language Learners, particularly in an RTI framework?
Question: What should educators take into consideration when instructing English Language Learners, particularly in an RTI framework?
Alfredo Artiles: So we’re living at a time in U.S. history in which we are seeing some very important trends in terms of the composition of the student population and specifically with regards to English Language Learners. We have seen an unprecedented growth of this population in the last two decades, but more significantly, in the last ten years or so. Not only in areas that have been traditionally populated by these communities, such as the southwest, but we’re also seeing an unprecedented growth of this population in places that historically have never had any experience with these students specifically the South and the Midwest, some areas of the Midwest I should say. These changes are creating very critical demands on school systems in those regions because they have little experience working with these students and need to build capacity to address the needs of some of these and just as we see changes in the demographic composition of the population we’re also seeing changes in the policy world. Educators, leaders, teachers, are working under very intense conditions, under a lot of pressure, to address multiple policies that demand many different things that typically push them in very different directions that include demands for being more inclusive, mandates to design systems of education that are based on the Response to Intervention model, policies about bilingual education, about discipline, Reading First, and so forth and all of these things are creating a context in schools that really complicates how they can think in an integrated way about the needs of these students. Unfortunately we are also seeing changes in some regions of the country where states are being asked to ignore differences and some sad examples we have in Massachusetts with Question 3, proposition 227 in California, and Proposition 203 in Arizona that eliminated substantial support for English Language Learners. This is happening at a time then that schools are trying to make sense of the needs of these students and we are seeing some troubling trends about what’s happening. For example, there is research we’ve done in the Southwest showing that English Language Learners have a higher risk of placement in Special Education and the question in those context is to what extent is this happening because of the changes I just outlined, demographically speaking and policy wise. We’ve seen that typically districts tend to approach the work with the students, especially those who are struggling, in what I will call a sequential order. They first address the needs of language learners and they say let’s provide some language support before we even get to address the needs in other areas and that might delay responses from districts to serve the needs of students who are English Language Learners with disabilities and we have seen this in a number of states and regions that our service, showing that English Language Learners stay in English as a second language support programs for a long time before the system will decide let’s now look at disability as a potential explanation for low performance. This is an equity issue because it might be also shaping over as well as under-representation of these students. It’s interesting to think that sometimes some of these districts with smaller numbers of English Language Learners tend to have a higher risk of placing English Language Learners and this is only in certain regions of the country, it’s not a national pattern but it’s happening. Now, the placement of English Language Learners is a difficult question because behind the decision is whether the student is struggling due to language differences or to disabilities and Response to Intervention can provide some needed supports in terms of access to opportunities for learning, especially in tier 1, as long as those interventions are setup in a way that respond to linguistic differences. But, at the same time, we know from data disseminated in the last 5-7 years, that when English Language Learners are placed in special education they tend to receive significantly less language support services, and the instruction they’re receiving in special ed, once they are identified, tends to be mostly in English immersion programs so that neglects, to a large extent, the needs they might have for language supports. The question arises as to whether this decision of placement in special ed might be contributing further to their getting behind in different areas due to the lack of support to language services. This is something that has not been studied by the way. Unfortunately, often times people don’t necessarily understand the difference between struggling academically due to language differences versus ability differences. And as we see this political, technical, and social landscape that complicates the work with the students there are a number of important consequences and implications for the work that is done with RTI. First of all, it is important to begin to dig deeper into the English language learner community and understand that there are substantial differences within this group, that there are important differences, for example, in terms of the different dialects that are used within, even groups like Latino-English Language Learners, that there are significant differences in generations, that it’s not the same to have a student consider English language learner that is a second or third generation versus someone who has just arrived, whether they are members of family of migrant workers, and so forth, and each of those considerations will have implication for how you design interventions and support systems, not only for the student but also for the families and the way they get involved in that education. Nationality also can make a significant difference sometimes depending on where they coming from and the region in those countries. It’s not the same to come from Mexico City than from Oaxaca, Mexico where you have deep differences in terms of ethnicity, language, and socio-economic status within the regions of Mexico for example. One of the questions that has been increasingly raised around RTI, particularly in tier 1 and to some extent tier 2, is to what extent are interventions sensitive to some of these considerations and language differences and cultural differences. To what extent do we need to revisit the assumptions that those interventions use about ability differences and the way in which language differences might shape the way we approach the interventions and the same applies to assessment. How do we inform what we do around assessment for RTI purposes that takes into account some of these linguistic and cultural differences. Unfortunately, there are a number of assumptions that inform, typically, assessment and instructional decisions in RTI that we need to revisit. One of them is that all evidence-based assessment and intervention practices conducted with monolingual populations apply equally, or have equal relevance for students who are English Language Learners, that’s something that is not true, it’s important to inform this work with some of the technologies developed in bilingual education and English as a second language over the years. Another important assumption that needs to be revisited is the fact that English Language Learners that have been exposed to mainstream instruction, that is through instruction that is for monolingual learners, have had adequate opportunity to learn. We assume that if interventions have been offered to these students in tier 1, even though those interventions were for monolingual learners, that those students continue to struggle and therefore they should move to second tier because they had enough opportunities, when in reality, by providing those interventions that were not responsive to the language needs and cultural needs might have not been offering them opportunities for learning. The fact that also when you have a low response rate from English Language Learners in, say, tier 2 interventions, we don’t stop and think what are some of the potential factors that might have shaped or mediated the way in which English Language Learners engage with tasks that are typically used in phonemic awareness intervention, or in vocabulary interventions, and so forth. That might be related to, for example, the nature of, in the case of English Language Learners from Latin America, the Spanish language. To what extent the discrimination of sounds in phonemic awareness tasks might be shaped by the fact that these students have little exposure, understanding of phonemes in English or that certain words that might seem equal in Spanish and English might mean things rather different in the two languages and therefore might be penalizing the way they are getting graded or marked in some of these tasks. So, the low response rate in certain tiers of, in all tiers of RTI should be careful in examining some of these potential mediators, not to justify low performance but to be conscious about the need to stop and consider some of these issues. So these are examples, there are a number of publications in the last five years that have been raising similar issues in greater depth and I’ll be happy to provide some of these resources for the RTI Center. But it is important then that we think about interventions as ways in which we provide opportunities for students who are English Language Learners in which they not only develop specific skills but also broaden, and situate, and place those interventions and the practice of those skills in context that makes sense, that are relevant, for the cultural practices of those students so they have a better understanding and increase the motivation level of those students. That means that’s another implication that as you approach the design of interventions in RTI for ELL that the view of the curriculum is also broadened, that the curriculum used in interventions is broadened to account for the funds of knowledge that these students bring, the practices and ways in which they engage with literacy, the way they use language to communicate, the way in which oral history might be playing a role in how they relate to print material and so forth. That means that the curriculum will have to expand and take into considerations some of those aspects and dimensions. The fact that sometimes the way we set up interactions in classrooms when they are implementing interventions might be requiring students to participate in classrooms in ways that are completely foreign to them based on the way they are used to relate to adults and peers. So we rarely stop in schools to think about those potential differences and whether we need to be making some adaptations to the way in which participation structures are set up in classroom instruction. Probably the most demanding implication is for the research community in terms of designing interventions that will be, in turn, provided to practitioners that are ecologically valid interventions that take into account some of these practices that allow enough flexibility for practitioners and leaders in schools that use some of the practices that these students can relate to and perform in better shape.
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Social activist heeds the call 24/7
March 3, 2009 by JSOnline — With the late afternoon sun streaming into his corner office on K Street, Robert L. Woodson Sr. is touting the benefits of his violence-reduction program in Milwaukee Public Schools when the phone rings.
Bradley Tech High School has gone “code red,” Woodson is told.
He takes the call and coaches one of Tech’s recently implemented youth advisers through the flare-up, a fight that resulted in 17 arrests and a minor police officer injury. Though he is 800 miles away from the incident in a city where he has never lived nor has any family ties, Woodson’s commitment to the person on the line is as strong as his long-standing commitment to Milwaukee.
A national social activist turned Milwaukee insider, Woodson, 71, has played a key role over two decades in shaping the philosophies of various institutions, from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation – which has poured millions into Woodson’s work – to smaller nonprofits and local church leaders.
His latest project aims to improve the safety of Milwaukee’s youth, and to replicate that success in other cities.
“Three years, and we want the national media to say that Milwaukee has been transformed from one of the most problem cities in America to one of the safest cities,” Woodson says.
A former civil rights leader and faith-based community organizer, Woodson directs the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise in Washington, D.C. He founded the nonprofit while pushing for public ownership of government housing projects.
But colleagues say Woodson’s most defining ability is a knack for ferreting out little-known community leaders who have the potential to radically improve their neighborhoods. This skill attracted the attention of a young Bradley Foundation, which was looking to fund local projects but didn’t know how to find good applicants.
So they called in tall, poised and impeccably dressed Woodson. He hit the streets, canvassing the city’s barbershops and asking people whom they turned to for help and guidance.
Paralleling this passion is Woodson’s emphasis on youth. A major initiative of his Center for Neighborhood Enterprise is the Violence-Free Zone, which has grown from a pilot project five years ago in MPS to full implementation in eight schools.
The concept – placing full-time youth advisers in schools to build relationships with students and give them 24/7 access to their cell phones – is simple. But, Woodson says, because it isn’t run by “experts,” the idea has lacked widespread implementation and testing.
“What these kids need more than anything else is someone to call,” says Woodson, seated on his office couch.
Woodson got his master’s degree in social work and child therapy, and worked in that field before joining the civil rights movement in the late 1960s.
But the kids brought him back.
After working to eradicate gang violence in Philadelphia in the 1980s, Woodson earned national recognition in 1997 for negotiating a truce between two gangs in a notorious D.C. public housing project. The fighting had caused dozens of student deaths.
In line with his philosophy of picking indigenous leaders to empower their neighborhoods, Woodson identified two main nonprofits in Milwaukee, the Running Rebels Community Organization on the north side and the Latino Community Center on the south side, to find and train local youth advisers.
His full vision for Milwaukee would take millions more dollars to pull off.
Schools, he believes, should have one youth adviser per 1,000 students. Young men coming out of prison should be recruited as advisers and trained how to use their experiences to help others. Organizations that have the best track record of serving and retaining youths – such as the Running Rebels – should be given more resources so they can stay open around the clock and spur offshoot projects, such as a taxi service that could provide community jobs as well as transportation for kids.
“If you ask a kid who would you rather die than disappoint, and if they don’t have an answer, we need to create that person,” Woodson says.
By admin|2017-12-15T00:07:22+00:00March 3rd, 2009|Milwaukee|0 Comments
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The Rise of Digital Propaganda – An ‘Alt-Right’ Phenomenon?
US Presidential Hopefuls and Their Nuclear Weapons Policies
Jamie Kwong
Commentary, 9 April 2019
United States, US Defence Policy, Americas, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Defence Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
US Democratic Party candidates for the White House are beginning to tackle nuclear challenges in their election campaigns.
In 1999, 57% of the US population claimed that a candidate’s position on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) would be a ‘very important’ factor in making their 2000 presidential election decision. In 2015, 60% of those who opposed the Iran nuclear deal found it ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important that the 2016 presidential winner held the same position, indicating yet again the apparent salience of nuclear issues in US presidential campaigns. But now, amidst the demise of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and an impasse in US–North Korea nuclear diplomacy, what role will nuclear issues play in the forthcoming race for the White House?
It is still too soon to tell. Nevertheless, with an ever-growing field of Democratic candidates set to challenge President Donald Trump – whose nuclear policies have attracted significant attention since his 2016 candidacy – and an array of nuclear challenges set to face a successful challenger (most pressingly the New START extension deadline just 16 days after the inauguration), nuclear weapons comprise a critical policy area of debate. So where do the Democratic candidates stand on the issues?
Not all of the 18 hopefuls have made clear foreign – let alone nuclear – policy statements. It is particularly challenging to anticipate the positions of candidates like Pete Buttigieg, John Hickenlooper, and Marianne Williamson, who have not served in public office or held positions at the federal level and thus lack even previous records from which to glean their nuclear policy sentiments. Others like Julian Castro and Wayne Messam have made domestic issues the focal points of their campaigns, also making it difficult to assess their views on nuclear issues. The rest, though, have revealed their positions on key issues, providing some insight into what a newly elected Democratic administration’s nuclear weapons policy might look like after 2020.
On US–Russia Arms Control Efforts
Leading Democratic candidates have criticised President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty. Senator Elizabeth Warren, amidst her calls for a ‘Foreign Policy for All,’ expressed her disdain for the decision, citing it as ‘yet another example of the Trump Administration’s dangerous and costly embrace of nuclear weapons’. In November last year, she joined a group of senators in introducing the Prevention of Arms Race Act of 2018, aimed at prohibiting the funding of ground-launched intermediate-range missiles – weapons eliminated by the treaty – until the administration can meet restraining criteria. Kirsten Gillibrand, the New York senator running for the democratic nomination, also co-sponsored the act, calling the legislation ‘more important than ever’ after expressing her views in a joint letter to the president that scrapping the treaty ‘risks the United States sliding into another arms race with Russia and erod[ing] U.S. nonproliferation efforts around the world’.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, who has not officially announced his candidacy but still leads in early primary polls, served in the Senate when the INF Treaty was originally ratified in 1987 and played an important role in securing the 2010 New START agreement. While claiming that the ‘Russian government is brazenly assaulting the foundations of Western democracy’, Biden has also stressed that ‘[i]t is precisely because we do not trust our adversaries that treaties to constrain the human capacity for destruction are indispensable to the security of the United States of America’. Collectively, these sentiments imply that a Democratic White House would double down on efforts to maintain robust arms control agreements with Russia.
On the Iran Nuclear Deal
All candidates with congressional backgrounds have expressed their support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a multilateral deal in which Iran agreed to verifiably halt its production of fissile material in return for sanctions relief. Consequently, these candidates responded critically to President Trump’s 2018 decision to remove the US from the agreement. Beto O’Rourke, who gained national attention in his recent senatorial campaign against Ted Cruz, called the deal ‘a miracle of modern diplomacy … [that] demonstrably makes the world … a safer place’. California Senator Kamala Harris recognised the agreement as ‘the best existing tool we have to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and avoid a disastrous military conflict in the Middle East’.
It is an altogether different matter, however, if any of these candidates might attempt to salvage – or replace – the deal should they win in 2020. While the European states that are party to the agreement have worked to keep it in place, the ‘snapback’ of US sanctions in November 2018 has placed significant pressure on the Iranian economy and undermines the leverage that the so-called P5+1 counties – which negotiated the JCPOA – used to bring Iran to the negotiation table in the first place.
On North Korea
Perhaps most central to President Trump’s nuclear policy has been his response to and handling of North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme. In a dramatic shift from 2017, during which he derisively called the North Korean leader ‘Little Rocket Man’ and threatened a ‘fire and fury’ response to North Korea’s provocations, Trump has since met with Kim Jong-un in two high-profile summits aimed at securing the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
On the whole, the Democratic candidates have expressed their support for diplomatic efforts to curb the North Korean nuclear threat but have criticised Trump’s particular approach. On Trump’s recent decision not to impose additional sanctions on the North Korean regime, John Delaney, the first Democrat to declare his candidacy, said the decision ‘undercut [Trump’s] own officials [and] underscores his erratic and unstable behavior’. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who has cited the false missile alert in her state of Hawaii as evidence that the US is marching towards ‘nuclear catastrophe’, claimed that ‘North Korea will look at Trump’s actions, not empty promises’ in deciding whether or not to make a deal. If the US threatens ‘regime-change war in Iran and Venezuela,’ she said, ‘we can’t expect Kim to believe that we won’t overthrow him if he gives up his nukes’.
Making his second bid for the White House, Senator Bernie Sanders has suggested a way forward with North Korea. Emphasising the importance of international sanctions, he claimed that ‘we should … continue to make clear that this is a shared problem, not to be solved by any one country alone but by the international community working together’.
The Next Nuclear Posture Review?
As has become custom, new presidents release a nuclear posture review (NPR) at the start of their terms to outline the administration’s nuclear weapons policies. While it is far too early to know who will be selected as the official Democratic nominee for the White House race, the nuclear stances of individual candidates hint at a possible NPR approach should the 2020 election hand the White House to a Democrat.
A Warren NPR would likely emphasise multilateral arms control and non-proliferation efforts. A Sanders NPR might focus on consensus-building around the most challenging nuclear issue areas. And a Biden NPR may look strikingly similar to Obama’s, perhaps even going so far as to adopt a no first use policy. Whatever the outcome, these early discussions demonstrate some candidates’ recognition that nuclear weapons issues will continue to be a central aspect of the presidential portfolio – and will hopefully encourage further debate on nuclear policies on the electoral campaign trail.
Jamie Kwong is a Research Assistant in the Proliferation and Nuclear Policy Programme at RUSI.
BANNER IMAGE: B-2 Spirit over the Pacific Ocean, 2006. Courtesy of US Air Force/Bennie J Davis III
The views expressed in this Commentary are the author's, and do not necessarily reflect those of RUSI or any other institution.
Changing Governments and Nuclear Policy: the UK
The inaugural seminar of the UK PONI ‘Changing Governments & Nuclear Policy’ series, will explore the consequences of the new political outlook on nuclear matters in the UK
Tags: UK Project on Nuclear Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
Russia’s Assertive Nuclear Policy: The New Normal?
Russia’s nuclear posture has been the subject of heightened attention since the country’s annexation of Crimea and intervention in Eastern Ukraine. Throughout the crisis it has threatened to escalate, making half-veiled references to its nuclear deterrent. Its verbal taunts continue to be matched by assertive behaviour. Russian nuclear-capable long range capable bombers conduct regular probes of...
Tags: UK Project on Nuclear Issues, Russia, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Defence Policy, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Europe
Sanctions 2018: Sanctions in an Era of Political Uncertainty
RUSI, in collaboration with the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and the Center on Law and Security, NYU School of Law, will convene experts to examine and discuss the sanctions landscape for 2018.
Tags: Terrorism and Conflict, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, National Security
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Sort by: Last Name First Name Name at Graduation Deceased Date Last Update Date
- - 2016
We've just heard about Doug's passing. We're searching for more information.
Harry and Lee
In the photo, Doug is giving a camera to Carolyn Asbury's daughter -- it was Christmastime and Doug had won the camera in some sort of contest or sweepstakes.
Read Tributes
From Carolyn Asbury on April 30th, 2016
So sorry to hear that Doug was gathered. The memory pictured is of him giving my daughter a camera that he had received in a promotion, probably Christmas 1988. A sweet gesture that was typical of him. xox
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Lennie Baylor
We have this clipping from a recent Lions Club newsletter shortly after Lennia died. Apparently he charmed his Lions Club friends just the way he charmed us.
From Frank DeCarlo on August 29th, 2017
So very sad that my former, long-time friend who lived around the corner from me in Rutherford, N.J. Lennie was loved by everyone in our class, males and females. He was a great dancer- taught me to dance his style of the jitterbug as well as other dances. He also was a source of bonding/healing with race issues. I sing karaoke twice weekly; the African American karaoke DJ remembers him well. He will be saddened by the news.
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Jim Biven
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Stanley Borkowski
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Ed Callahan
- - October 22nd, 2017
Charles Edward Callahan, 77, a long time resident of Rutherford passed away suddenly on Sunday, October 22, 2017. “Ed” was born in Passaic in 1940 to Charles & Ann Marie (nee Trinkaus) Callahan. He proudly served as an officer in the United States Army from 1966-1968. Ed was the owner of Regis Travel in Rutherford for many years, after previously owning and managing Trinkaus Import/ Export, a firm started by his grandfather. Ed was an active member of the Rutherford Rotary Club for over 40 years, serving as president and named as a Paul Harris Fellow. He also was a member of the American Legion in Hackensack, transferring his membership to Barnegat after relocating.
He served as a docent for several years with the Bergen County Zoo in Paramus and was a volunteer driver with Starfish in Rutherford. Those who knew Ed enjoyed his great sense of humor. He was light hearted, easy going and always jovial.
Ed will be missed by his devoted wife of 23 years, Louise Cockey, his beloved children, Elise Sweet and Michael Callahan and grandchildren, Logan Sweet, Ella Callahan, Carly Callahan and Jed Callahan. He is predeceased by his son Sean in 1979.
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Victoria Kingsley (Collins)
June 29th, 1940 - May 19th, 2014
Read Victoria Kingsley (Collins)'s Obituary
Victoria Kingsley, Psychologist
June 29, 1940-May 19, 2014
By Star staff | May 21, 2014 - 5:51pm
Victoria Kingsley, a psychologist with a practice in East Hampton, died on May 19 in Buffalo, not long after being diagnosed with small-cell cancer. She was 73. Dr. Kingsley saw patients for many years in New York. After leaving the city, she established a full-time practice here, working out of her residence in Northwest Woods. As longtime patients learned of her sudden illness they flooded her with calls of support and encouragement, her son said.
Dr. Kingsley was born on June 29, 1940, in Rutherford, N.J., to Burt Collins and the former Alice Albus. She grew up in New Jersey and Manhattan, and received a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and a Ph.D. in psychology from New York University.
Three weeks ago, soon after her diagnosis, Dr. Kingsley moved to Buffalo to be closer to her family. Among her many interests, her son said she loved to travel and to spend time with her grandchildren. In addition to her son, Hal Kingsley of Buffalo, she leaves three grandchildren. A service was held yesterday at the Mesnekoff Funeral Home in East Amherst, N.Y., Rabbi Adam Scheldt officiating. A memorial service is planned here later this summer.
The family has suggested donations in her name to the Aquatics Department, Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo, 2640 North Forest Road, Getzville, N.Y. 14068.
http://easthamptonstar.com/Obituaries/2014521/Victoria-Kingsley-Psychologist
KINGSLEY - Dr. Victoria (nee Collins) May 19, 2014. Loving mother of Hal (Julie) Kingsley, daughter of the late Burt and Alice Collins; devoted grandmother of Jennie, Allison and Brooke; also survived by many loving cousins. Funeral services will be held Wednesday 2:30 PM at MESNEKOFF FUNERAL HOME, 8630 Transit Rd., E. Amherst, 14051. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the JCC of Greater Buffalo, c/o The Aquatics Program or TNA Association c/o fpa-support.org Share your condolences at www.mesnekoff.com Shiva will be held Wednesday afternoon following services and Wednesday and Thursday 7-9 PM at Oakbrook Community Center, 100 Oakbrook Dr., Williamsville 14221.
Published in the Buffalo News
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/buffalonews/obituary.aspx?n=victoria-kingsley-collins&pid=171078803&fhid=7520#sthash.jI2E1APz.dpuf
From Hal Kingsley on May 18th, 2015
I would just like to thank whoever wrote the above, we all miss her very much, tomorrow will mark one year.
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John Crawford Cook
- - November 19th, 2012
John was a member of our class at Pierrepont School, and through our sophomore year in high school. In the photo, he is the gunslinger in the center with the white mustache. John was a store-owner in Silverton, Colorado, where the photo was taken. Barbara Nielson and Dave Goodhart, perhaps among others, happened to find John at the store as they were passing through Silverton.
The obituary below was contributed by Charlie Van Winkle.
Read John Crawford Cook's Obituary
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Article published Nov 24, 2012
John Clark Cook
John Clark Cook died of pancreatic cancer Monday, Nov. 19, 2012, at his home in Silverton. He was 72.
Known to his family as “Uncle John,” he was born in Chicago on July 8, 1940, to Everett and Helen Crawford. Helen later divorced Everett and married Vernon Cook, who adopted John and his older sister, Louise, when they were young.
Mr. Cook attended school in Rutherford, N.J., and attended his junior year of high school in Tucson, Ariz. He went on to graduate from Evanston Township High School in Illinois. He attended Northwestern University, where he majored in English literature and graduated at 1963.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1963 to 1965 in Fort Campbell, Ky.
Mr. Cook married Sonja Winsor in Chicago in 1968. They divorced soon after, and she preceded him in death. He worked for his stepfather in Chicago as the advertising manager of the Metallizing Co. of America. He became the president of the company in 1977 after his stepfather died. The company moved to Sullivan, Ill., in the 1970s.
In 1986, the Metallizing Co. of America was sold, and the sealant manufacturing branch of the company became AB Seals, of which John remained president. In 1959, Mr. Cook’s family came to Silverton for the first time and bought a house. The family spent many summers in Silverton, and he had an instant lifelong love of the San Juan Mountains. In 1997, he began spending his summers operating The Lookout Shop, a gift store in Silverton. Mr. Cook continued spending his summers in Silverton and his winters in Sullivan until the time of his death.
Mr. Cook loved hiking, Jeeping, talking to people, helping others and spending time with his family. He was always generous and kind, and loved to laugh, his family said. He was on the board of directors for Silverton’s “A Theatre Group,” performed countless shows as Sheriff Zeke in the Silverton Gunfights and served on the Silverton Chamber of Commerce.
In Sullivan, he converted the second floor of AB Seals into an art studio, a place where numerous local artists in Illinois can make art and network with each other.
Mr. Cook was preceded in death by his sisters Louise Johnson and Vicki Holloway.
Mr. Cook is survived by his sister; Melissa D. Gillon, of Silverton; 14 nieces and nephews; and six great-nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, at the Kendall Mountain Recreation Center in Silverton. Flowers may be sent to the service that day, and donations may be made to Mr. Cook’s family in Silverton to help with expenses.
Mr. Cook’s ashes will be scattered on Kendall Mountain on his birthday next summer.
Mary Ann Crosby
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MaryAnn Crosby Hoffman
AGE: 71 • Point Pleasant
MaryAnn Crosby Hoffman, 71, of Point Pleasant, passed away, Friday, December 16, 2011. Born in Medford, MA, to the late William Crosby & Mary Scanlan Crosby, she was formerly of Rutherford and has lived in Point Pleasant since 1972. She was a graduate of Rutherford High School, Immaculata College, Georgian Court University. Mrs. Hoffman worked as a First Grade Teacher and retired from the Westwood Regional School District, where she taught for many years. She was an active communicant of Sacred Heart Church, Bay Head, where she was a member of the Rosary Altar Society, founded the Breakfast Club, served as a Eucharistic Minister, and was also a Bereavement Minister, coordinating many of the Funeral Liturgies. Her gifts as a teacher were bestowed upon many as a CCD instructor for Sacred Heart and Saint Martha Parishes. She loved cooking, traveling, and going to lunch.
She was predeceased by her husband, Richard M. Hoffman and her brother, William "Lee" Crosby. Surviving are her step daughter, Kim Haley and her husband Paul of Rosemount, MN; and three granddaughters, Megan, Nicole, and Faith. She is also survived by three beloved nephews, Sean, Bill, & Danny Crosby, other family members, and many dear friends.
Visitation will be from 2 - 4 p.m. & 7 - 9 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 20 at the Pable Evertz Funeral Home of Point Pleasant, 901 Beaver Dam Road. At 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Sacred Heart Church, followed by interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
As an expression of sympathy, donations made in her memory to the Saint Charles Apache Mission School, 355 San Carlos Ave., PO Box 339, San Carlos, AZ, 85550, would be appreciated. For condolences to the family, visit www.pableevertzfuneralhome.com
Published in Asbury Park Press on December 19, 2011
Jane De Costa
From Boob Rood on June 10th, 2013
Jane was warm, hysterically funny, and beautiful to look at and laugh with.
Jane worked alongside me and Billy Hands at the Rutherford Shop Rite. We had a great time. She was the picture of health.....when I heard of her passing I couldn't believe it. She was one in a million!
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Ed De Toli
Bob Dziadosz
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Nick Hagerman
From Bob Rood on June 10th, 2013
Nick was a cool customer who had a way with the ladies. One day a young lady I was "seeing" visited me at the Shop Rite and asked if she could sit in my car and listen to the radio. Of course, I saiid "sure". At break time I went to my car to visit her. When I got there the windows were steamed up..in the car with MY girl was Nick! He was SMOOTH,
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Bill Hands
May 6th, 1940 - March 9th, 2017
On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 4:53 PM, David R, Goodhart <lindave@dejazzd.com> wrote:
Bill Hands’ death has hit me deeply. He and I were the best of friends throughout our school years and were especially close during our days at Pierrepont. Virtually every day, the route on my walk to school, that began at 353 Park Avenue, included a stop at 130 Wheaton Place, where I met Bill, and we went on to school. Upon returning to school, from home after lunch---you will recall there was no cafeteria in those days--- again I stopped off to meet Bill. Often times, I arrived early and the two of us would watch TV, a pretty exciting thing to do, at that time. Believe it or not, the two of us were hooked on “Search for Tomorrow”. Bill had several great train sets, and there were days we would spend hours playing with them. Bill’s mother, father, and sister Helen were wonderful people and I always was welcome in the Hands’ home.
During election campaigns, Bill and I and several others, handed out political literature, on behalf of Republican candidates, at Erie Station. His uncle, Robert Van Winkle, supervised our activities. Our first campaign was in 1952, beginning with the primary and then the general election. We liked Ike! At the beginning of each year, A.W. Van Winkle put out a calendar listing fire box numbers and street locations. When the fire bell rang, every Rutherfordian could count the claps and turn to the calendar to pinpoint the location of the alarm. Bill’s Uncle Jim, a prince of a guy, was one of the drivers who took us to the neighborhoods to deliver our goods. We were paid the princely sum of $1.00 an hour and the jobs usually took three to four hours, on a Saturday morning. We all thought we were rich and we looked forward to those election campaigns and new year calendar distributions.
Bill was always a high energy guy. Every Saturday morning, he helped his neighbor, Mr. Burke, deliver milk. He loved to ride in the truck and he was the fastest milk delivery man you ever saw. He flew from the truck to the milk boxes, at the customer’s doors. He loved all sports, and although as good an athlete as he was, whenever we played, he tolerated my ineptitude. He loved to shoot baskets, and usually we played “Horse” at his Uncle Bob’s house. Rye Alyea often joined us and you can just imagine how those games went. But, while I never came even close to those two guys, it was still a fun time.
Of course, baseball was Bill’s passion from his earliest days. The steps to his front porch were just the right height for pitching practice. The mound was a measured distance from the steps out on to Wheaton Place. The dimensions of home plate were outlined on the steps. Bill would pitch a tennis ball interminably, often only to pause for cars that were driven over the “mound.” The sound of that tennis ball hitting the steps reverberated far beyond 130. He knew what he wanted to be when he grew up and by gosh, he accomplished his goal. I followed his career. One summer, prior to his rise to the Big Leagues, when he was pitching for the Springfield Giants in the old Eastern League , many of our extended family saw him pitch and win in Williamsport Pa. I think we were the only Springfield fans there that night. The next day, before moving on, Bill visited with us at our summer cottage.
As I sit here and reflect upon today’s terrible news, so many memories flood back. There was the “back trail” we took from school to the Bar “Y” ranch. The location of the “spread” was behind the Newhouse and Hands homes and we even had a corral gate. There was the time, when in first or second grade, I fell, hit my head very badly on a stone wall and Bill went to get help. Then I’m sure many will remember his Ford convertible with a Buick engine. I often wondered if he would make it out of high school. It was exceptionally fast, but it really was a bucket of bolts. There was no duct tape then, so I have no doubt that it was held together with wire and chewing gum.
As the years have passed, and we all had gone off in different directions, today’s news highlights the inevitability of what lies ahead, for all of us. It is reassuring to know that when, one by one, we pass from the scene, the members of our extraordinary class not only care, but they love. Despite those varied roads that each of us have traveled, what makes the RHS Class of ‘58 unique, is that we have loved one another and continue to do so.
Dave “Goody” Goodhart
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John Hanley
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Rich Hanson
Read Rich Hanson's Obituary
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Barbara Hedge (Jenkins)
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Read Kathleen Jones' Obituary
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Steve Khotim
From Lee Franklin on May 20th, 2018
I'm not sure we know the circumstances of Steve's passing. I just want to say that he stands out in my memory as a guy who was genuinely friendly with everyone he knew; he was 'present' in his relationships -- that is, his gaze was locked on to yours and he was right there, available for the connection. I don't recall seeing or hearing about an unfriendly act or unfriendly words from Steve. As the class 'matured' over the course of many 5-year reunions, and as many of us came to know one another so much better than we did during our school years, I have often wished that Steve were here now. I would love to know more about him and about his life.
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Stuart Kievitt
- - November 23rd, 2013
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Stuart W. Kievitt
June 20, 1940 - November 23, 2013
Resided in Clyde, NC
Clyde, Stuart Williams Kievitt, age 73, of McClure Cove Road, passed away on Saturday, November 23, 2013 at MedWest Haywood Regional Medical Center.
A native of New Jersey and former resident of Port Charlotte, Florida, he had resided in Haywood County for the past twenty years. He was the son of the late Sigmund W. and Charlotte W. Williams Kievitt. He was a US Air Force veteran and received his Associates Degree in Accounting in Holyoke, Massachusetts and later worked as an accountant for several firms. He also worked as head cashier and assistant manager of Sunoco. Stuart's hobby was farming and considered himself as "steward of the land." He was an active Eucharistic minister and member of St. John's Catholic Church.
He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Joyce Kievitt; two daughters, Kimberly Demers and Kristin Kievitt; three stepsons, Thomas, Patrick and Michael Kennedy; a brother, Ronald Kievitt and his wife, Olga, of Lynhaven, Florida; eight grandchildren; his loving niece, Valerie Bush and her husband, Stephen, of Waynesville; and two nephews, Daniel Kievitt and Peter Kievitt and his wife, Terry.
A memorial mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 29, 2013 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church with Father Larry LoMonaco officiating.
Memorials may be made to St. Johns the Evangelist Catholic Church, 234 Church Street, Waynesville, NC 28786.
- See more at: http://www.wellsfuneralhome.com/obituary/Stuart-W.-Kievitt/Clyde-NC/1317225#sthash.fl2oepym.dpuf
Lois Kohler
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Betsy Lansing
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Arden Malle
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Vincent Mancuso
August 26th, 1940 - January 4th, 2018
What can we say? Vince's lifeline covered so much ground it leaves us slack-jawed. Known and liked during his school years he became absolutely beloved, by everyone, as the years passed and the reunions piled up. He compiled the military record of a hero -- having been shot down 4 times in combat. From an unremarkable high school academic performance, he went on to collect a bachelor's degree, a master's degree and a PhD -- after which he became 'docmancuso' in our contact lists. His limited circle of friends at graduation swelled to include virtually everyone in the class. He freely gave and received respect, caring, love. And Vince was FUNNY. We'll never forget the stories he told -- sometimes at the microphone during reunions -- that had us in stitches. May the wind be at your back, Vince.
Read Vincent Mancuso's Obituary
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Vincent was born on August 26, 1940 and passed away on Thursday, January 4, 2018.
Vincent was a resident of Georgia at the time of passing.
Camille and I raised the most wonderful family (including all of the dogs) and I depart this place a very, very proud father, father-in-law and grandfather who loved each and every one of them with all my heart." Vincent is a highly decorated retired Army colonel and master aviator who was shot down four times in combat.
Marilyn Natoli (Marilyn Natoli)
March 20th, 1940 - August 18th, 2017
The last time I saw Marilyn was Jan.13,2017 in San Francisco while she was on an interior design inspection of a regional national government office prior to her proposed retirement in March. In spite of her serious illness and recent, arduous monthy trips to see an acclaimed physician in Philadelphia, she wanted to ride herself of her large home in the woods and build a smaller, easy access home of her own design on a plot she had hoped to acquire shortly.
After coffee near SFMOMA, we walked around the museum both enthralled by works of Agnes Martin, Ellsworth Kelly, Philip Guston and Calder, but rather than discussing these as usual, Marilyn talked about loving fly fishing and also years of traveling the world wih a fellow lover of archeology. Well self educated, Marilyn also held degrees in biology and interior design or was it architectural design?
She had a younger sister Betsy whom she was close to geographically as well as emotionally and an older sister, Rosemary. Their father was a fireman when we were very young which was very splendid. Walking home from Washington School together in first grade, Marilyn told me that there was no Santa Claus!
Carolyn (Metzger) Asbury 8/8/18
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Virginia (Ginnie) Ruckstuhl (Matthies)
Add A Tribute to Virginia (Ginnie) Ruckstuhl (Matthies)
Alan McCloskey
March 7th, 1940 - June 8th, 2018
Some called him Bill, some called him Alan, I called him 'Mac'. He was a back-fence neighbor who often scaled the fence to join our family for dinner. Eventually he became my 'cousin-in-law' and fathered three remarkable children who are, not surprisingly, remarkable adults. Two anecdotes say so much about 'Mac': when we were taking Papenfus' Physics class, Mac encouraged me to push ahead with homework assignments during Christmas break. Physics didn't come naturally to me. At our dining room table, we completed every homework assignment for the remainder of the year, by the end of the break. Mac always loved big challenges and had big goals. The second anecdote is told in the accompanying photo entitled 'Alan in California at 16' (click on it to enlarge it). I wonder how many of us could have matched that feat!
Read Alan McCloskey's Obituary
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WILLIAM "BILL" McCLOSKEY
"Psalm 90:10 says that the days of our years are 70 years,..."
View Sign
McCLOSKEY WILLIAM ALAN McCLOSKEY William "Bill" Alan McCloskey, 78, of Belknap Pt. Road, died on Friday, June 8, 2018 with his family by his side. Bill was born on March 7, 1940 in Manhattan, the son of the late William J. and Christine (Jeffers) McCloskey. Bill received his undergraduate degree from Upsala College in East Orange, NJ and his masters degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Northeastern University, Boston MA. He was a computer programmer and a software engineer for Mitre Corporation, where he contributed to the successful Apollo 11 Mission while based in Houston. Bill later relocated to Northern Virginia where he held a variety of senior software engineering positions for various defense contractors. He and his wife moved to Gilford in 2000 to enjoy their retirement years. In his earlier years, Bill was an avid skier, runner and loved country western dancing. In his later years, he enjoyed reading and following politics. Survivors include his wife, Linda (Staalman) McCloskey, of Gilford; two sons, Eric A. McCloskey and his wife Kasia, Jason W. McCloskey and his wife Trystin; a daughter, Deena C. McCloskey and her husband Jay; two stepdaughters, Laura Ferrazzano and Kathryn Griffin and her husband, Neel; eight grandchildren; Adam McCloskey, McKayla McCloskey, McKenzie McCloskey, Gabi McCloskey, Vanessa McCloskey, Ryan McCloskey, Grace Griffin and Faith Griffin. Services will be at a later date. For those who wish, the family suggests that memorial donations may be made to the Concord Regional VNA Hospice House, 30 Pillsbury Street, Concord, NH 03301. Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to: www.wilkinsonbeane.comwww.wilkinsonbeane.com
Gerald McHale
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Louise Meyer
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Ed Minnes
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Janet Mizejewski
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Dave Ross
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Clyde Schrader
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Ray Schumann
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Suzanne Schweikle
Read Suzanne Schweikle's Obituary
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Bill Schweizer
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John Sondey
October 21st, 1940 - March 2nd, 2012
Read John Sondey's Obituary
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Life Legacy
John A. Sondey, 71, of Brookings, died Friday March 2, 2012 at Avera McKennan Hospital, in Sioux Falls. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30am Thursday, March 8, 2012 at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Brookings. Visitation will be from 6:00pm to 8:00pm Wednesday at Rude’s Funeral Home, in Brookings, with a Liturgical Wake Service beginning at 7:30pm.
John Albert Sondey was born on October 21, 1940 to John B. and Anne Z. Sondey in Passaic, NJ. He was raised in Rutherford, NJ and graduated from Rutherford High School in 1958. He then went to college and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bucknell University. Following his graduation he joined the U.S. Air Force, where he served in Vietnam. Following his discharge, he received an MBA degree from Fairleigh Dickenson University and then a Master's degree in Economics from Arizona State University. In 1989 John received a Ph.D in Economics from Washington State University. He started teaching at the University of Idaho and University of Washington. He then moved to Brookings in 1990, where he joined the faculty of South Dakota State University where he became a Professor of Economics.
John was an avid gardener, he also enjoyed reading and loved the outdoors. He was active at the Pius XII Center, where, in his spare time, he established and maintained the flower border along the sidewalks of the Newman Center on the SDSU Campus. John was elected Director of the Missouri Valley Economics Association and was instrumental in establishing the annual meeting process. He won the McCarty Award for Excellence in Academic Advising from the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences at SDSU in 2010. His Investment Class set a precedent by donating the profits from investments to the local homeless and women's shelters. He was also member of the Brookings VFW.
John was survived by his sister, Kathy (Charles) Anderson, of Encinitas, CA; two nephews, Bart (Alice) Anderson, of Harrisburg, PA and Joel Anderson, of Midvale, UT and many local friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
See John's memorial page at the website below:
rudesfuneralhome.com/sitemaker/sites/RudesF1/obit.cgi
Doris Thorsden
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George Towers
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Ed Valdeon
EdI was the best man at my wedding as was I at his. NOBODY ever laughed more than Eddie. In '69 I got him a job with my employer, Xerox and he went straight to the top. First as Sales Manager of our Puerto Rico office, then National Sales Mgr. at SCM, then VP of Sales for Royfax. Eddie's Dad died in his mid forties and he was sure he'd do the same. He was right. He packed more living in 45 years than most of us do in 85. I missTHE HELL OUT OF HIM!! What a GREAT guy!!
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Bob Van Etten
Bob was a big presence in our lives from the day he arrived in Rutherford until the day he passed on. The girls found Bob very attractive from the beginning, of course, and instantly the boys drew the wagons in a circle. He was a force to be reckoned with. And we all grew to love him.
From the time of our earliest reunions Bob stepped up to help make them the remarkable successes they've been. Often he took the mic to welcome us all and to give credit to the others on the reunion committee -- to whom we owed so much. Inevitably, he would offer the mic to me. Always graceful, he would share the limelight with me, the long-distant president, who usually had little to do with the hard work of organizing the party. This will be the first major reunion in many years that Bob won't emcee for us. Those shoes simply won't be filled. We miss you, Bob.
Lee Franklin
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Sandy Veldran
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Anita Walasyk
From Leslie (Joseph) Stewart on July 2nd, 2012
We lost Anita while we were still in school. She fell on the ice on the way to school one day and hurt her head. Which came first? Did she fall because there was a problem? Whatever. It was horrid. Children (even the ones who were in their teens) didn't die in those days.
There's a picture of me at one of Anita's pajama parties. It looks as though I've got my legs over my head and am holding my ankles. Scary. That was so much fun. That's how I remember Anita.
This is not a particularly eloquent tribute to a "fallen" classmate. It's really just someone who's 70 remembering something horrible, inexcusable, unexplainable, and so very, very heartbreaking.
I remember Anita. She was kind and unassuming. She was our classmate and classmates should not die. Especially when they're 16.
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Yvonne Zimmerman
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Articles+ start ""United States. Congress"" Remove constraint ""United States. Congress"" Publisher united states government printing office Remove constraint Publisher: united states government printing office Settings Direct access to full text Remove constraint Settings: Direct access to full text
Magazines3
united states.43
expenditures, public.3
consumer credit -- law and legislation -- united states.2
consumer credit -- law and legislation.2
currency question.2
drug and narcotic control.2
economic assistance, domestic -- law and legislation -- united states.2
economic assistance, domestic -- law and legislation.2
export controls -- united states.2
export controls.2
income -- united states.2
monetary policy -- united states.2
monetary policy.2
plant shutdowns -- law and legislation -- united states.2
plant shutdowns -- law and legislation.2
stock exchanges -- united states.2
stock exchanges.2
substance-related disorders -- prevention & control.2
united states -- economic conditions -- 1918-1945.2
aeronautics -- safety measures.1
aeronautics -- safety measures. -- united states1
aeronautics, commercial -- freight.1
aeronautics, commercial -- freight. -- united states1
affirmative action programs -- united states.1
affirmative action programs.1
air traffic control.1
air traffic controllers.1
alaska.1
anniversaries.1
armed forces -- military construction operations -- law and legislation.1
armed forces -- procurement.1
armed forces -- salaries, etc.1
bank notes -- united states.1
bank notes.1
banks and banking -- united states.1
cash discounts -- law and legislation -- united states.1
cash discounts -- law and legislation.1
children -- legal status, laws, etc.1
children -- legal status, laws, etc. -- united states.1
cities and towns -- united states.1
cities and towns.1
city planning and redevelopment law -- united states.1
city planning and redevelopment law.1
civil service -- united states.1
civil service reform -- united states.1
civil service reform.1
civil service.1
commercial policy.1
communism -- vietnam.1
communism.1
NUKAT1
61 articles+ results
1. Department of Agriculture handling of pooled cotton allotments of Billie Sol Estes : hearings before Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Government Operations, United States Senate, Eighty-seventh Congress, second session, pursuant to Senate resolution 250, 87th Congress [and Senate Resolution 17, 88th Congress]. [1962]
2. The role of the Export-Import Bank and export controls in U.S. international economic policy : hearings before the Subcommittee on International Finance of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-third Congress, second session, on S. 1890, to amend the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945, as amended, to extend for four years the period within which the Bank is authorized to exercise Its functions, to increase the Bank's loan, guarantee, and insurance authority, to clarify Its authority to maintain fractional reserves for insurance and guarantees, and to amend the National Bank Act to exclude from the limitations on outstanding indebtedness of national banks liabilities incurred in borrowing from the Bank, and for other purposes [and] S. 3282 to amend and extend the authority for regulation of exports, April 2, 5, 10, 23, 25, and 26, and May 2, 1974. [1974]
3. International Development Association sixth replenishment and African Development Bank membership : hearings before the Subcommittee on International Development Institutions and Finance of the Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, second session, on H.R. 6811 a bill to provide for increased United States participation in the International Development Association, to provide for United States participation in the African Development Bank, and for other purposes, March 26, 2;, and April 16, 1980. [1980]
4. Stock exchange practices : hearings before the Committee on Banking and Currency, United States Senate, Seventy-third Congress, first session, on S. Res. 84 (72d Congress) a resolution to investigate practices of stock exchanges with respect to the buying and selling and the borrowing and lending of listed securities, and S. Res. 56 (73d Congress) a resolution to investigate the matter of banking operations and practices, the issuance and sale of securities, and the trading therein. [1933]
Full text View Record from the Government Printing Office (GPO)
5. Gold Reserve Act of 1934 : hearings before the Committee on Banking and Currency, United States Senate, Seventy-third Congress, second session, on S. 2366, a bill to protect the currency system of the United States, to provide for the better use of the monetary gold stock of the United States, and for other purposes. January 19 to 23, 1934. [1934]
6. Cosmetic safety amendments, 1975 : hearing before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, United States Senate, Ninety-fourth Congress, first session, on S. 1681, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to cosmetic safety, June 12, 1975. [1975]
7. Protection of Shareholders' Rights Act of 1980 : hearing before the Subcommittee on Securities of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-sixth Congress, second session, on S. 2567 to establish federal minimum standards relating to composition of corporate boards, duties of corporate directors, audit and nominating committees, shareholders' rights, and for other purposes, November 19, 1980. [1981]
8. Variable annuities : hearing before the Subcommittee on Securities of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-second Congress, first session, on S. 2216, to amend the Investment Company Act of 1940. July 15, 1971. [1971]
9. Small business and the energy crisis : hearings before the Subcommittee on Small Business of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-third Congress, second session, on S. 2760 to amend the Small Business Act to provide for loans to small business concerns adversely affected by the energy shortage; S. 3096 to amend the Small Business Act to provide for loans to small business concerns affected by the energy shortage; [and] S. 3217 to amend the Small Business Act to provide assistance to small business concerns adversely affected by shortages of energy and energy-related and other raw materials and shortages, April 30 and May 1, 1974. [1974]
10. Oversight on economic stabilization : hearings before the Subcommittee on Production and Stabilization of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-third Congress, second session, on renewal and suggested modifications of the Economic Stabilization Act which expires on April 30, 1974. January 30 and 31, February 1 and 6, 1974. [1974]
11. Federal Reserve monetary policies : hearing before a subcommittee of the Committee on Banking and Currency, United States Senate, Eighty-fifth Congress, second session, to discuss the monetary policies and actions of the Federal Reserve Board with reference to their impact on the national economy, February 19, 1958. [1958]
12. Institutional membership on national securities exchanges : hearings before the Subcommittee on Securities of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-second Congress, second session, on S. 1164 and S. 3347 bills concerning membership on national securities exchanges. [1972]
13. Consultant Reform Act of 1980 : hearings before the Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, second session, on H.R. 7674, a bill to amend Section 3109 of Title 5, United States Code, to clarify the authority for appointment and compensation of experts and consultants, to provide statutory guidelines concerning the award of contracts for the procurement of goods and services from consultants and contractors, and for other purposes, August 25, 28, 1980. [1980]
14. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980 and authorizations for wildlife refuges : Hearing before the Subcommittee on Resource Protection of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, Ninety-sixth Congress, second session on S. 2181 a bill to assist the states in developing fish and wildlife conservation plans and actions, and for other purposes, February 4, 1980. [1980]
15. Money market mutual funds : hearings before the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-sixth Congress, second session on oversight on the supervision and regulation of money market mutual funds and the effects of the funds on financial markets, January 24 and 30, 1980. [1980]
16. Consumer price index : hearing before the Subcommittee on Production and Stabilization of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-third Congress, second session on proposed revisions in the Consumer price index, April 23, 1974. [1974]
17. Condominiums : hearings before the Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-third Congress, second session, on S. 3658 to protect purchasers and prospective purchasers of condominium housing units, and residents of structures being converted to condominium units, by providing for disclosure and regulation of condominium sales by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; S. 4047 to protect purchasers and prospective purchasers of condominium housing units and residents of multifamily structures being converted to condominium units by providing national minimum standards for the regulation and disclosure of condominium sales to be administered by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. October 9 and 10, 1974. [1974]
18. The Tarapur nuclear fuel export issue : joint hearings before the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-sixth Congress, second session on the issue of whether to ship nuclear fuel to India for the Tarapur power reactors, June 18, 19, 1980. [1980]
19. Advisory committees : hearings before the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations of the Committee on Government Operations, United States Senate, Ninety-second Congress, first session on S. 1637 to establish uniform standards and procedures for government advisory committees; S. 1964 to authorize the Office of Management and Budget to establish a system governing the creation and operation of advisory committees throughout the federal government which are created to advise officers and agencies of the federal government and S. 2064 to authorize the Office of Management and Budget and the Domestic Council to establish standards and procedures governing the operation of existing government advisory committees and the creation of new ones; to provide consumer representation on certain federal advisory committees; to expand public access to advisory committee deliberations, and for other purposes. [1971]
20. Reduction in reserve ratio for Federal Reserve notes and deposits : hearings before the Committee on Banking and Currency, United States Senate, Seventy-ninth Congress, first session, on S. 510, a bill to amend sections 11 (c) and 16 of the Federal Reserve Act, as amended, and for other purposes, February 20, 28, and March 7, 1945. [1945]
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SECOND SEASON OF HIT COMEDY SERIES SONNY WITH A CHANCE TO PREMIERE SUNDAY, MARCH 14 ON DISNEY CHANNEL
The second season of the hit comedy series “Sonny With A Chance” highlighted by clever new ‘So Random’ sketches that further showcase the ensemble cast’s tremendous comedic talent will premiere SUNDAY, MARCH 14 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel. Starring are Demi Lovato, Tiffany Thornton, Sterling Knight, Brandon Mychal Smith, Doug Brochu and Allisyn Ashley Arm. Recurring cast members include Nancy McKeon, Michael Kostroff and Vicki Lewis.
The series was recently nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award in the Favorite TV series category and its title star, Demi Lovato, won a Teen Choice Award in the Choice TV Breakout Star category.
New episodes follow Sonny as she lives out her dream of starring on her favorite sketch comedy show for tweens, “So Random!” in Hollywood, she tries to balance her friendships with the everyday problems that pop up at school and on set. Throughout the second season, viewers will see the progression of Sonny and Chad’s ever-evolving relationship, Sonny’s new foray into singing, among a continued comedy of errors by the ensemble cast.
In the premiere episode entitled “Walk A Mile In My Pants,” Sonny rallies everyone together for a “Walk-A-Thon For Books” and gets Tawni to donate her ‘Tawni Hart’s Extreme Skinny Jeans’ for all of the participants to wear. When Chad finds out, he follows suit and organizes a “Walk-A-Thon Against Books” with participants also wearing Tawni’s pants. Eventually everyone starts dropping like flies as a result of SPS (Skinny Pants Syndrome).
In 2009, “Sonny With A Chance” ranked among the Top 5 live-action series in Kids 6-11 (1.5 million/6.2 rating), and among the Top 5 scripted series on all television in Tweens 9-14 (1.4 million/5.8 rating). The series is currently the #1 TV program in its primary Sunday 8 o’clock time slot in key kid demos, and cable’s No. 1 program in Total Viewers. (Source: NTI, U.S. ratings, Live + 7. 2009, 12/29/08-12/27/09.)
LAW & ORDER SVU Season 21 Episode 1 Photos I’m Going To Make You A Star
“Sonny With A Chance” was created by Steve Marmel (“Yin Yang Yo,” “Fairly Odd Parents”), who also executive-produces along with Michael Feldman (Disney Channel’s “That’s So Raven” and “Cory in the House”). Brian Robbins (“Varsity Blues,” “One Tree Hill,” “Smallville” and “All That”) and his producing partner, Sharla Sumpter Bridgett (“Wild Hogs,” “Coach Carter”), also serve as executive producers under their company, Varsity Pictures. The series is from It’s a Laugh Productions.
Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. Currently available on basic cable in over 98 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney/ABC Television Group.
THE O.C. LADIES SIT DOWN WITH BRAVO’S ANDY COHEN IN THE TWO PART REUNION SPECIAL FOR THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY
ABC’S LOST SEASON 6 OPENER DELIVERS BIG INCREASES IN DVR PLAYBACK
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Officials of the PC(USA) have sent a letter regarding the shootings:
Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
This past Sunday morning, the enthusiasm and joy that surrounded a children’s production at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (TVUUC) in Knoxville, Tenn., were shattered by the horror of shotgun blasts. Eight people were wounded or injured, two of them fatally.
The overwhelming response of support from congregations in Knoxville has been a strong example of the visible unity of Christ’s church. Second Presbyterian Church, located next to TVUUC, was a refuge for children running for safety in the immediate aftermath of the shootings, as well as a host of a candlelight service that same evening. First Baptist Church held a community prayer service earlier today. No doubt, countless more opportunities for ministry to TVUUC congregation and to everyone affected by this brutal violence will be made available, and we who watch from a distance are grateful for such generous acts of kindness and presence.
We are writing to ask that you continue to pray for the victims of the shootings – for the families of those who were killed and those who survived; for those who witnessed the violence, especially the children; for the pastoral leadership of TVUUC; for the pastors and members of neighboring and area congregations, as well as all caregivers who are ambassadors of God’s grace; and for those who feel compelled to resort to violence in the midst of their anger.
While we have no answers for why these senseless acts happen – anytime, but especially in a church sanctuary – we do profess our strong faith that, even in this terrible circumstance, God’s sure and certain hand holds all of us securely.
From the apostle Paul, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God the Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word” (2 Thess. 2:16).
Gradye Parsons Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Linda Bryant Valentine Executive Director, General Assembly Council
Bruce Reyes-Chow Moderator, 218th General Assembly (2008)
Byron Wade Vice-Moderator, 218th General Assembly (2008)
Anonymous Thursday, July 31, 2008 4:09:00 PM
I'm a Unitarian Universalist in Orlando, FL and it's really weird - I almost feel like this is a UU 9-11, because I see so many people of all different stripes of faith stepping up and offering prayers and vigils and help, and it is so very humbling. It wasn't even "my church" (as in First Unitarian of Orlando) that was targeted, but it's an oucher nonetheless; we all feel this sadness in the face of this tragedy. Thank you ever so much for keeping the Unitarians in your thoughts at this time.
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HAPPY 150TH—THE PERIODIC TABLE!
THE UNITED NATIONS celebrates 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table. This familiar array is more than a collection of chemical elements. As described in Science, February 1, 2019, the Periodic Table is itself a paradigm of science.
Here are tidbits gleaned from themes discussed in this special issue of Science.
Science is an Interplay of experimental results and theory. In “Setting the Table,” Philip Szuromi writes, “A sufficient number of elements needed to be discovered and their properties and reactivity understood before systematic trends could be inferred. Science is also fundamentally about making testable predictions.”
Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev, 1834–1907, Russian scientist, professor of chemistry at St. Petersburg University. Image from 1897.
In February 1869, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev published his classification of all the known elements, organized by atomic weights. He also included gaps in his array for the placement of undiscovered elements.
An Attempt at a System of Elements, Based on their Atomic Weight and Chemical Affinity, D. Mendeleev, February 1869. Not long after its original publication, Mendeleev reorientated his array, mirrored and rotated 90 degrees, to the one we know today.
One of the 1869 entries, the rare earth didydium, Di = 95, proved spurious. Discovered in 1841, didymium was isolated in 1885 into two new elements, praseodymium, Pr = 59, and neodymium, Nd = 60.
Others, including those heavier than uranium, U = 239, have expanded the Periodic Table to its current form. It’s anything but fixed, though.
”The Quest for Superheavies,”, by Sam Kean, describes work in Dubna, Russia, resuming this spring in a hunt for these transuranium elements. At current count, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry identifies 11 elements having atomic weights heavier than that of naturally appearing uranium.
Their names tell stories: Mendelevium Md honors Dmitri Mendeleev; curium Cm, Pierre and Marie Curie; einsteinium Es, Albert Einstein; and fermium Fm, Enrico Fermi. Origins of discovery are honored in americium Am, californium Cf, and Bk berkelium.
These transuranium elements are all unstable, radioactive, and decay into other elements, some very rapidly indeed. Nihonium, Nh, with atomic number 113, has isotopes with half-lives measured in milliseconds. Even its most stable form, nihonium-286, loses half its radioactivity in about 10 seconds.
Above, Mendeleev’s 1904 Periodic Table. Below, the Periodic Table, as identified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Images from Science, February 1, 2019.
“Ordering the Elements,” by Michael D. Gordin, offers evolution of the Periodic Table, from Mendeleev’s 1869 concept to the chart displayed in just about any science classroom in the world.
Notes Gordin, “What we commemorate this year by declaring it the 150th anniversary of the periodic table was born out of Mendeleev’s struggles to organize information for students…. Today’s periodic table is not precisely the same as Mendeleev’s short form, neither in layout or in content, but it is still used for the same ends.”
And, like any other scientific construct, it is never truly completed. ds
© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2019
3 comments on “HAPPY 150TH—THE PERIODIC TABLE!”
Fred Vainas
The first day of high school chemistry, the teacher said, “In your book is the periodic table. Memorize it for tomorrow.” This is not how I learn, and I didn’t do well. Years later, I watched Jacob Bronowski explain how the table came to be, and how it left spaces for new knowledge. He put it in context and gave it life.
Bob DuBois
As a chemistry major at UC Berkeley in the early ‘50s, I had the opportunity to take a course in nuclear chemistry from Dr. Seaborg, who was responsible for “discovering” many of the transuranium elements. Element 106 was finally named in his honor. I also had the opportunity to tour the UC Radiation Lab on the hill above the campus. At that time, they were still building the 2bev accelerator, which, at that time would be one of the most powerful particle accelerators of its day.
Steve Lepper
To this day, I can’t look at a Periodic Table without hearing “The Element Song” in my head… thank you Tom Lehrer for getting me through that semester of high school chemistry.
This entry was posted on February 22, 2019 by simanaitissays in Sci-Tech and tagged "Ordering the Elements" Michael D. Gordin AAAS Science, "Setting the Table" Philip Szuromi AAAS Science, "The Quest for the Heavies" Sam Kean AAAS Science, 150th birthday of Periodic Table, Dmitri Mendeleev.
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It’s See You in Iran’s 2nd birthday!
By Webmaster June 8, 2019 June 15th, 2019 Media
Meet our team here: https://seeyouiniran.org/about-see-you-in-iran/#team
For anyone interested in See You in Iran’s history, this text might be helpful:
See You in Iran was initially created as an apparatus to battle against the misconceptions, obsessions, and manufactured realities that were associated with a constructed image of Iran. The strategy was to provide and grow a platform in which, contrary to the usual top-down structures of mass media, See You in Iran’s Facebook group members produce and present personal narratives about Iran. The members were asked and encouraged to contribute through sharing their perceptions and experiences on traveling to Iran. The new realities created through new narratives opened up new possibilities to learn and critically engage with negative and positive sides of living in Iran.
However, the scopes and effects of an alternative mechanism of representation are limited. After about a year from its foundation, the See You in Iran team realized that the large global network created in SYI community has potentials outside of social media to create new doors for creation, interaction, and organization inside Iran. The idea of having a hostel in Tehran was based on our political faith in the power of physical space in shaping the social life and everyday life practices. We noticed that instead of having Facebook profiles interacting with each other on our Facebook group, we can have actual bodies with different backgrounds in one space to meet, learn, and exchange with each other, .
Therefore, the hostel became a platform to materialize the virtual community and activities into concrete and sociocultural work.
The See You in Iran Hostel was soon accompanied with our next project: See You in Iran Cultural House. Apart from the economic and political sanctions that have been imposed on Iran for decades, Iran has endured cultural isolation for a long time as well. On the surface level, the issue has been caused by global networks of power, but the lack of sociocultural products that are consumable for international audience has also been limiting the opportunities for cultural exchange and has created a discursive gap between Iran and the rest of the world. We believe that this gap is a major source of misconceptions about Iran and Iranians that lead into destructive sociopolitical outcomes.
Therefore, we defined the See You in Iran Cultural House as a physical and online Iran-centered and globally-oriented collective, producing content and organizing events through which foreigners and Iranians can connect. By holding a wide range of events such as workshops, talks, movie nights, art exhibitions, jam sessions and etc., we have been trying to go beyond the reductionist and obsessive representation of Iran. We highly value our cooperative and democratic organization structure and willing to collaborate with like-minded individuals, NGOs, organizations, and companies. So here is the invitation for you if you believe you can contribute by any means to the See You in Iran vision, to open new doors to Iran through cultural activities. Please contact us at info@seeyouiniran.org
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A Week of Resilience and Allyship
Reyhaneh Abdi
How to Talk about Gender-Based Violence?
Economic Struggle, Women’s Condition, and Tourism’s Impacts on the Society: Second Thoughts on Iran
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oise Sentence Examples
by those of Oise and Somme.
in the north of the department; the Oise, traversing the northwest, with its tributaries the Serre and the Aisne, the latter of which joins it beyond the limits of the department; and the Marne and the Ourcq in the south.
The Oise, Aisne and Marne are navigable, and canalsfurnish 170 m.
Its affluents are, on the right, the Aube; the Marne, which joins the Seine at Charenton near Paris; the Oise, which has its source in Belgium and is enlarged by the Aisne; and the Epte; on the left the Yonne, the Loing, the Essonne, the Eure and the RUle.
Oise 2,272 403,146 404,511
The environs of Creil (Oise) and Chteau-Landon (Seine-et-Marne) are noted for their freestone (pierre de taille), which is also abundant at Euville and Lrouville in Meuse; the production of plaster is particularly important in the environs of Paris, of kaolin of fine quality at Yrieix (1-Jaute-Vienne), of hydraulic lime in Ardche (Le Teil), of lime phosphates in the department of Somme, of marble in the departments of HauteGaronne (St Beat), Hautes-Pyrnes (Campan, Sarrancolin), Isre and Pas-de-Calais, and of cement in Pas-de-Calais (vicinity of Boulogne) and Isre (Grenoble).
Sugar.The manufacture of sugar is carried on in the departments of the north, in which the cultivation of beetroot is general Aisne, Nord, Somme, Pas-de-Calais, Oise and Seine-et-Marne, the three first being by far the largest producers.
The canal and river system attains its greatest utility in the north, northeast and north-centre of the country; traffic is thickest along the Seine below Paris; along the rivers and small canals of the rich departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais and along the Oise and the canal of St Quentin whereby they communicate with Paris; along the canal from the Marne to the Rhine and the succession of waterways which unite it with the Oise; along the Canal de lEst (departments of Meuse and Ardennes); and along the waterways uniting Paris with the Sane at Chalon (Seine, Canal du Loing, Canal de Briare, Lateral canal of the Loire and Canal du Centre) and along the Sane between Chalon and Lyons.
AMIENS - - Aisne, Oise, Somme.
- Seine, Cher, Eure-et-Loir, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret, Marne, Oise, Seine-et-Marne, Seine-et-Oise.
He died at Choisy-le-Roi (Seine et Oise) on the 26th of June 1836.
It is certain, however, that he at one time held the post of "reader" at the monastery of Royaumont (Mons Regalis), not far from Paris, on the Oise, founded by St Louis between 1228 and 1235.
JEAN ANTOINE NOLLET (1700-1770), French physicist, of peasant origin, was born near Noyon (Oise) on the, 9th of November 1700.
France is rich in mineral phosphates, the chief deposits being the departments of the Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Aisne, Oise in and Meuse, in the north-east, and another group in the departments of Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne and Aveyron, in the south-west: phosphates occur also in the Pyrenees.
He also wrote essays and prepared maps on the geology of Seine et Marne and Seine et Oise for the Geological Survey of France (1844).
R.) Compiegne, a town of northern France, capital of an arrondissement in the department of Oise, 52 m.
The town, which is a favourite summer resort, stands on the north-west border of the forest of Compiegne and on the left bank of the Oise, less than 1 m.
The two latter chairs he held together until his death, which happened on the 26th of June 1897 at Mezy, Seine et Oise.
CREIL, a town of northern France, in the department of Oise, 3 2 m.
The town is situated on the Oise, on which it has a busy port.
In 1623 the president Henri de Méme lent him his château of Balagni near Senlis (dep. Oise), and there Grotius passed the spring and summer of that year.
On the 8th of February 1871 he was named deputy for the Seine et Oise, and participated in the drawing up of the Constitutional Laws of 1875.
The town is situated on the Oise (which here becomes navigable) and at the junction of the canal of St Quentin with the lateral canal of the Oise, and carries on an active trade.
OISE, a river of northern France, tributary to the Seine, flowing south-west from the Belgian frontier and traversing the departments of Aisne, Oise and Seine-et-Oise.
Oise, France >>
by Seine-et-Oise and Oise.
CLERMONT-EN-BEAUVAISIS, or Clermont-De-L'Oise, a town of northern France, capital of an arrondissement in the department of Oise, on the right bank of the Breche, 41 m.
In 1906, 234,000 tons of sugar beets were raised, and fields in the 11 oise valley raised 30 tons per acre.
The lordship of Etampes, in what is now the department of Seine et Oise in France, belonged to the royal domain, but was detached from it on several occasions in favour of princes, or kings' favourites.
BEAUVAIS, a town of northern France, capital of the department of Oise, 49 m.
Somme and the Oise.
Representing the department of the Oise in the Convention, he voted for the immediate death of the king.
the latter half of the 19th century, the industry both of cultivation and manufacture being concentrated in the northern departments of Aisne, Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Somme and Oise, the first named supplying nearly a quarter of the whole amount produced in France.
Oise 99 ~5
In 1623 the president Henri de Méme lent him his château of Balagni near Senlis (dep. Oise), and there Grotius passed the spring and summer of that year.
Today, Yon-Ka is owned and operated by siblings Fran?oise and Catherine Mühlethaler.
Oistrakh
Oistrakh David Fyodorovich
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9 May 2019 / SF News / Jay Barmann
SF Still Tops New York, Dubai, And Hong Kong For Number of Billionaires Per Capita
Just in case you needed another depressing statistic about our local surroundings, San Francisco now has a greater density of billionaires than any other city in the world.
This latest data point comes from WealthX, which has been conducting an annual "billionaire census" for the past five years. They say that there are now 2,604 billionaires worldwide, with 750 of them residing in North America. There are still more billionaires scattered across Europe (792), but the number of Asian billionaires dropped to 677 last year, and the US still has the largest share of the richie-richest, with 705 of them calling America home.
This is the 2019 billionaire census, and it's all based on 2018 data — the sources of which are a bit mysterious because WealthX claims to have "proprietary data assets and specialized research capabilities."
As of 2017, San Francisco leapfrogged over Moscow and London as a city with a large billionaire set. As of 2018, our city was allegedly home to 75 billionaires (1 more than the previous year, though 2017 saw a 14-billionaire leap over 2016), and that put us in third place overall behind New York (105), and Hong Kong (87). But given how small a city SF is, this still ranks us #1 for billionaires per capita, as Vox points out. There's now a billionaire for every 11,600 of us in the city.
This figure is essentially unchanged from the previous billionaire census data in 2017, so this title for San Francisco is not new.
Via Forbes and elsewhere we know who a bunch of those 75 billionaires are here in town: Mark Zuckerberg (net worth estimated $62.3 billion), Oracle founder Larry Ellison ($62.5 billion), Google co-founders Larry Page ($50.8 billion) and Sergey Brin ($49.8 billion), Laurene Jobs ($18.6 billion), WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum ($10.5 billion), WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton ($6 billion), former Google chairman Eric Schmidt ($13.4 billion), Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey ($4.9 billion), Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg ($1.7 billion), cryptocurrency guy Chris Larsen ($4.7 billion), and Salesforce founder Marc Benioff ($5.6 billion). SF Luxe has a whole running list, and yes many of these people technically live in Woodside or Palo Alto.
Previously: Atherton Is Still, Pretty Definitively, America's Most Expensive Zip Code
Day Around the Bay: Three Hit-and-Runs Kill Three Women In the East Bay
19-Year-Old Stanford Student Dies at Frat House
Feds Finding Ways to Bleed Accused Fraudster Elizabeth Holmes of $700 Million (If Found Guilty)
Bay Area Sports
Breaking: Durant To Miss Remainder Of Series Due To Injury
Warriors forward Kevin Durant has been ruled out for the remainder of the Western Conference Semifinals series against the Houston Rockets with a mild calf strain.
As It Turns Out, The 'Twitter Tax Break' Was No Cure-All For Mid-Market's Many Troubles
The crossroads of SF's busiest thoroughfare and its historically most chaotic gathering places for drug-addicted, sometimes mentally ill, and often in-crisis residents has not taken so quickly or easily to the forces of gentrification.
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Home Music Today in Milwaukee Catesby, Audubon, and the Discovery of a New World
Catesby, Audubon, and the Discovery of a New World
Today @ the Milwaukee Art Museum
by Shepherd Express Staff
The Milwaukee Art Museum tapped its own collection for its latest exhibition, “Catesby, Audubon, and the Discovery of a New World,” culling 60 rare prints from naturalists like John James Audubon and his predecessors, including Mark Catesby, an English native who crafted beautiful, hand-colored etchings of America’s flora and fauna. The exhibit is on display in the museum’s Koss Gallery until March 22.
Today in Milwaukee Art Museum Catesby Audubon And The Discovery Of A New World Adebisi Mixtape Download Milwaukee Rap
Classic Hip-Hop! Adebisi keep doing your thing bro...
Classic Hip-Hop! Adebisi keep doing your thing brotha!
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The Crowd and the Mob: Opportunities, Cautions for Constant Video Surveillance
Recent events in Boston highlight both the potential and hazards of ever-present cameras. In the hours following the April 15 bombing, law enforcement agencies called upon commercial businesses and the public to submit relevant footage from surveillance cameras and mobile devices. While the tsunami of crowdsourced data threatened to overwhelm servers and analysts, it provided clues that ultimately led to identifying the perpetrators. It also led to false identifications and harassment of innocent bystanders.
Use of surveillance video to solve large-scale crimes first came to attention in the 2005 London subway bombings. In part due to its history of violent attacks by the IRA, London had invested heavily in closed-circuit television (CCTV) technology and had installed nearly 6,000 cameras in the underground system. In the days before smartphones, these publicly installed cameras were the most reliable source of video evidence, and law enforcement was able to identify the bombers using this footage.
With the advent of low-cost cameras and video recorders in smartphones, witnesses to events soon had a powerful tool to contribute to the law enforcement toolbox. Couple this technical capacity with the proliferation of social-networking platforms and the possibilities for rapid identification -- as well as the spread of misinformation -- become clear.
Vancouver police were overwhelmed with evidence from social media after the Stanley Cup riot in June 2011. This instance also highlighted the need for two things: stronger means of verification, since a number of photos were retouched or falsified, and protections against vigilantism or harassment of unofficial suspects.
authenticating digital images
Several projects currently in development address the need for a reliable system to authenticate digital images. In addition to a growing number of commercial companies specializing in audio and video forensic analysis, academic and non-profit labs are developing tools for this purpose. Informacam, a project of WITNESS and The Guardian Project, will strengthen metadata standards, and the Rashomon Project at UC Berkeley will aggregate and synchronize multiple videos of a given event. (Disclosure: The Rashomon Project is a project of the CITRIS Data and Democracy Initiative, which I direct.) These tactics, among others, will bolster the use of video evidence for criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Despite the clear advantages of drawing on crowdsourced footage for solving crimes, civil liberties groups and privacy advocates have warned about the dangers of perpetual surveillance. We saw in the Boston case the liability inherent in the ease and speed of circulating false claims and images. The New York Post published a front-page photo of two young men mistakenly identified as suspects, and the family of another young man, who had been missing for several weeks, was tormented by media seeking stories about the misplaced suspicion fueled by Reddit, an online social media aggregator.
surveillance vs. crime prevention
In addition to facilitating the "wisdom of crowds," technology grows more sophisticated for automated surveillance, including face recognition and gait analysis. In the last decade, many cities have accelerated implementation of surveillance systems, capitalizing on advances in computer technology and funds available from the Department of Homeland Security and other public sources. Yet whether considering fixed cameras or citizen footage, the effectiveness of surveillance for crime prevention is mixed. A 2009 CITRIS study shows San Francisco's installation of cameras in high-risk neighborhoods led to decreases in property crime but had apparently little effect on violent crime. If anything, perpetrators learned to evade the cameras, and crimes were displaced into neighboring areas or private spaces.
In open societies, technological advances should spark new discussions about ethics and protocol for their implementation. Communities, both online and in-person, have an opportunity to debate the benefits and costs of video evidence in the context of social-networking platforms. While their enthusiasm must be tempered by regard for due process, armchair investigators should be encouraged to work in partnership with public agencies charged with ensuring public safety.
Camille Crittenden is Deputy Director of CITRIS, based at UC Berkeley, where she also directs the Data and Democracy Initiative. Prior to this appointment, she served as Executive Director of the Human Rights Center at Berkeley Law, where she was responsible for overall administration of the Center, including fundraising, communications, and outreach, and developed its program in human rights, technology, and new media. She held previous positions as Assistant Dean for Development in the division of International and Area Studies at UC Berkeley and in development and public relations at University of California Press and San Francisco Opera. She holds a Ph.D. from Duke University.
Image of surveillance camera courtesy of Flickr user jonathan mcintosh.
Tags: Audio/Visual Technology boston marathon cameras informacam rashomon project surveillance uc berkeley
The View from MIT on the Boston Marathon Explosions
Here's what we know:
At 2:50 p.m. two explosions occurred along on Boylston Street near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Police later detonated a third device further down the street.
As of 6 p.m., two people are dead, and nearly 90 injured, according to the Boston Globe. At MIT's Civic Media Center, we have been following along through both broadcast and social media, including the Globe's liveblog and Completure's News Scanner.
The Boston Marathon is one of the country's pre-eminent sporting events. It draws athletes and spectators into the beating heart of one of the world's best cities.
Civic is located almost directly across the river from where the explosions occurred. The blasts were audible from the MIT campus. Members of the immediate Civic family have checked in. Some were at the marathon. All are safe.
Not everyone has been lucky enough to contact their loves ones as we have. On the Boston Marathon website you may search for runners and check their status. Google has launched an instance of their People Finder for the emergency. The Red Cross' Safe and Well system appears at the moment to have been overwhelmed by demand.
Geeks Without Bounds is maintaining a Google Doc of resources, including spreadsheets where people can both offer and request housing.
I write this as a native. My mother grew up in Everett. My father grew up in Melrose. Like my Civic colleague Matt Stempeck, who attended the marathon today, I was born in Reading. I love Boston. I love its people. I love its tradition. It is my home. My heart hurts. And then I think of Carlos Arredondo.
Arredondo became a peace activist in 2004 after he lost one son in Iraq and his other committed suicide in grief. A Costa Rican emigrant, he became a citizen in 2006 with the help of the late Ted Kennedy. He happened to be near the finish line today and rushed to assist first responders. A man who has suffered such loss, such grief, continuing to do all that he can to help other members of the nation he can now call his own.
Arredondo gives me hope. He reminds me that, despite all evidence to the contrary, there is good in the world. As did Patton Oswalt, the acerbic comic, who today wrote some words I will try to always remember: "So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, 'The good outnumber you, and we always will.'"
As a wise man once said:
RELATED READING: Social Media Offers Vital Updates, Support After Boston Marathon Bombings
Chris Peterson is on leave from MIT's Office of Undergraduate Admissions, where he has spent three years directing web communications, to be a full-time graduate student in MIT's Comparative Media Studies program. In addition to overseeing all web and new media activities for MITAdmissions, Chris liaised with FIRST Robotics and had a special focus on subaltern, disadvantaged, and first-generation applicants. He continues to be involved with MIT's awesome undergraduates as a freshman advisor. Before MIT, Chris worked as a research assistant at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School and as a Senior Campus Rep for Apple. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Coalition Against Censorship, as an Associate at the National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution, and as the sole proprietor of BurgerMap.org. He holds a B.A. in Critical Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he completed his senior thesis on Facebook privacy under Professors Ethan Katsh and Alan Gaitenby. He is interested generally in how people communicate within digitally mediated spaces and occasionally blogs at cpeterson.org.
A version of this post originally appeared on the MIT Center for Civic Media blog.
Tags: Participation bombings boston globe boston marathon civic media center mit red cross
Social Media Offers Vital Updates, Support After Boston Marathon Bombings
Two blasts near the finish line of the 117th Boston Marathon Monday left the city in shock and frenzy. Soon after, disheartening on-the-ground tweets, photos and videos were shared throughout the social web. In the early hours, these updates served to inform the entire world of the horror and tragedy transpiring through the streets of Boston. In the later hours, online and social media tools such as Google Docs and Twitter connected Boston locals to the out-of-town runners and visitors who could really use their help. The way social media is manifesting in immediate relief for victims is perhaps one uplifting moment in a truly heartbreaking day. WARNING: Some graphic images are in the roundup below.
>>> RELATED: The View from MIT on the Boston Marathon Explosions at Idea Lab <<<
[View the story "Social Media Provides Relief After Boston Marathon Explosions" on Storify]
Tags: Social Media boston globe boston marathon citizen reporting instagram social media storify twitter
Social Media Offers Help After Boston Marathon Explosions
Two blasts near the finish line of the 117th Boston Marathon Monday left the city in shock and frenzy. Soon after, disheartening on-the-ground tweets, photos and videos were shared throughout the social web. In the early hours, these updates served to inform the entire world the horror and tragedy transpiring through the streets of Boston. In the later hours, online and social media tools like Google Docs and Twitter connected Boston locals to the out-of-town runners and visitors who could really use their help. The way social media is manifesting in immediate relief for victims is perhaps one uplifting moment in a truly heartbreaking day.
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The Power of Fans: the Harry Potter Alliance and All the Cool Sh!t They Do
Graphic above attributed to Karen Kavett.
With the first book that was more than mildly interesting to a large group of people came the fans, and then, more recently, the fandoms. Fandoms are groups of people who all follow the intricacies of a show, book (singular or series), or a podcast.
Basically, fans are people who care a lot about something. ‘A lot’ being a relative term that can sometimes be a gross understatement.
These fans, for instance, are DEDICATED!
The question is, what do they do with that enthusiasm and excitement? I’m sure you could ask anyone who writes for this website, but personally, I have loud and hurried conversations about everything that I love, and I rewatch, reread, and try to connect with people who like the same things. And that’s it. All that enthusiasm is an untapped resource, but according to organizations like the Harry Potter Alliance, we should be using that enthusiasm in efforts towards social change.
The Harry Potter Alliance was founded in 2005, and since then has worked to accomplish many things, like helping Warner Brothers change how their Harry Potter chocolate is sourced, so it can be 100% UTZ or fair trade.
Check out the story here!
From donating books to raising money for critically needed supplies to Haiti, the HPA seeks to use the “renewable resource of enthusiasm for social change”. If you look on their website, the Harry Potter Alliance believes in magic, love as a weapon for change, and the concept of unironic enthusiasm as a renewable resource.
Look no further than one their key values to understand what kind of organization they are:
Knowing that fantasy is not only an escape from our world, but an invitation to go deeper into it
They also endeavor to celebrate both online and in real life (IRL) communities.
I think that these two values separate the HPA from just any ol’ fan club. They acknowledge that although the world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts is great, there are real problems beyond the pages of our favorite book series that can be fixed with enough work and determination.
The power of a community like HPA is something I hope to be a part of with the same level of enthusiasm for the rest of my life. I am drawn to their values for two reasons:
They acknowledge that there are different types of communities, and it legitimizes online communities that often are seen as worthless or not real.
They call into the mind an image of a bunch of nerdy people fighting, and winning. Our power is in representation and tabling and campaigning, and it is powerful, because it changes lives and the world.
The HPA is currently working on a bunch of campaigns such as Fan Works are Fair Use, focusing the awesomeness of fan made creations, Positive Fandom, which is working to create guidelines for a “more positive fandom”, Fandom Forward which are toolkits that help fans think about current issues, and lastly Accio Books, which basically a magical book drive.
More on this here!
The Harry Potter Alliance’s work doesn’t stop there, they are planning events such as The Granger Leadership Academy, and others.
If you’re wondering what to do with your unironic enthusiasm check the Harry Potter Alliance out, join a chapter, and continue to be awesome!
Miranda is a college student studying Adventure Education and Sustainable Agriculture. Don’t let all that outdoorsy-ness fool you, when the Deathly Hallows came out Miranda was at the release party. Other nerdy credits include having deep discussions about various book series on reddit, tumblr, and twitter. She loves Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, the Delirium series, basically anything dystopian and the community of Nerdfighteria. You can find her on twitter @genderisweird, check her out on her blog and tumblr.
Fandom, Fandoms for good, Harry Potter, passion, Social Change, Working towards a cause
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An Electrician''s job is never done! Buffing up shore power connections on the USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) alongside the pier in Subic Bay, Olongapo, Philippines - 1984
Every one of the crew of the USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) spent a few minutes sitting on the stern in the middle of the night on a long and boring duty day, staring out across the harbor, pining for wives or sweethearts, and wishing they were somewhere else. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - 1982
A sailor has a reputation in port, justly deserved for the most part, but traveling the seven seas on the USS William H. Bates (SSN 680), we all found time to appreciate the scenery and sunsets. Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territories. - 1983
The USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) tied up at the Royal Australian Navy''s Rockingham facility on our visit to Perth, Western Australia during Westpac 83-84. - 1983
The bridge crew scans the horizon as darkness falls on the USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) surface transiting the Gulf of Siam. - 1982
The Avalon (DSRV 2) is lowered into her cradle on the back of the USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) in preparation for sea qualifications. San Diego, California -1983
Making sense of the signage on the streets of Pattaya Beach, Thailand was always a challenge for the crew of the USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) and every other sailor that visited the resort on the Gulf of Siam. - 1983
It seemed perpetually dark in Adak, Alaska, during the 20 or so hours USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) spent next to a pier designed for big freighters and tankers, and ill prepared for the deck height of a submarine, pulled in for emergency repairs. - 1983
Brad Williamson
1980's - Decade
S8G - Ballston Spa
NPTU Ballston Spa, NY
Rickover, Hyman G., ADM
Sea Story
Great sea stories have many things in common. They are all based (at least loosely) on some real event. They all hold the listener's attention (not usually too hard to do on day 58 of the 'Sea of None of Your Business' hostage crisis). They all generally start with the expression, "This is a no-sh___er."
The title 'Sea Story' can be deceptive. That name comes from the fact that they are usually shared at sea, when time, distance from friends and family, and general boredom coalesce into a fertile ground for the emergence of the shared community experience we called a 'sea story'.
Not every sea story, however, starts at sea.
This is one of those stories. And it's a no-sh___er!
The year was probably 1980 or 1981. I was a staff instructor at S8G, the land based prototype for the Trident submarine reactor and engine room in upstate New York. I was an 'old hand' by that time.
I'd shown up at S8G while it was under construction. My qualification walk-through included climbing into the containment hull via a ladder through a hole in the bottom of the engine room, and saying such memorable lines as "When they are installed, the AFW pumps will be located here", and "Normally, this space would be occupied by the Control Rod Drive Mechanisms, which won't show up until the core is installed". I learned how Reactor Protection and Nuclear Instrumentation operated, not from the manuals (there weren't any) but from the engineers that designed the Reactor Protection System and the Nuclear Instruments.
I'd been part of the crews that had taken the reactor through its first criticality, and all the subsequent phases of testing. I'd been through the critical final stage of testing - accident condition testing of a new line of nuclear power units, testing that is only done on the first reactor of a series. We had operated solid for weeks - performed real rod ejection events - started up with no reactor coolant circulation. We'd over-sped the main engines, shedding turbine blades like a mower cuts grass. We'd even experienced the fleet's first genuine 2F-2F hi-power scram, with power reaching a level that would make your eyes bug out before it turned. Now I was working on my EOOW quals, quite an achievement for a ET2.
In short, I was young, cocky, over-qualified, and prideful instructor that thought he was God's gift to S8G.
It was January or February. Winter can be merciless in Ballston Spa, and this one was well under way when we got word of the impending visit of Admiral Rickover. But winter or not, Rickover was on his way, and by God, we were going to be ready. For some reason, a desire to impress the Admiral, or by direct edict from the old man himself, it was decided that it wouldn't be winter when he and his entourage arrived.
We spent days shoveling snow, working with front loaders and graders to remove all trace of that white powdery substance from the path he would take when he arrived at the site until he entered the S8G facilities. When we finally reached bare pavement and the frozen ground, it was determined that despite our best efforts, it still looked too much like the Arctic north, and consequently we set about digging up the top four inches of rock hard, frozen top soil on both sides of the road.
A couple of semi-trailer loads of imported sod, and we unrolled spring along both sides of the plant access. All that remained was to spend the night before the arrival of His Holiness hand-planting dozens of imported blooming tulips along the walk, and suddenly, we had our own little bit of May, right there in the middle of two weeks of record low temperatures! This, I remain convinced to this day, was the origin of the phrase "WTF!"
For those of you not in the nuclear community, Rickover is widely held as the 'Father of Naval Nuclear Power' and what he said, went. His irascible nature and the responsibility for all of NavSea 08 combined to create a personality that commanded respect, fear, and caution, all at the same time. It was often said that he wasn't God, but he was qualified to stand the watch!
So, to some degree, a desire to please was understandable, but nobody could have anticipated that the Admiral's visit would be delayed by a day.
So we waited. By that afternoon, the grass had turned brown and gone to meet its maker. The tulips had frozen and been shattered by the wind. It was a scene out of some horrific nightmare film with a deranged director, and Jack Nicholson mumbling threats under his breath. So we shoveled up the sod, and swept up the tulips, and by nightfall we had fresh grass and flowers for the next day's visit. Can you say WTF times two?
Finally, the big day arrived. We all turned out in our best working uniforms, with fresh haircuts and polished shoes. We even waxed our hardhats to make a good impression. Rickover inspected us at quarters, and we turned to with the watch routine while His High Lordship started his tour of the plant, along with a New York State Representative and a gaggle of brass aides. It was a big day for all of us.
I had been chosen to stand the Reactor Operator watch because of my high standards, impeccable record, and zealous attention to detail. (OK - I drew the short straw!) We had put our best watch section together, because, well, that's what you do when you want to make a good impression. Which we did, us being pretty proud of 'our' plant and all.
Rickover made his tour of the plant, stopping to talk with each watchstander about the details of their watchstations. He was unexpectedly thorough, looking under deckplates, inside equipment cabinets, through the reactor compartment periscopes. It was, after all, not 'our' plant in his mind, but 'his' plant.
Completing his tour of the plant, the entourage finally showed up at the door to Maneuvering. Requesting permission to enter, according to protocol, the Admiral and a handful of his staff squeezed into our hardly spacious control room.
Now those of you that know Rickover may be aware of a couple of things. One, Rickover always 'stands watch' on each of 'his' reactors at some point in time, so if you dig deep enough into the logs, every plant has his name in there somewhere. Two, by this time, the Admiral was an old man. Hell, he was an old man twenty years earlier.
So by the time he was standing next to me, I knew two things. One, he was going to take over my watch, and two, he wasn't a very impressive physical specimen. He was eighty years old at that point, probably only about five foot four, and maybe 120 pounds. He also wasn't a very snappy dresser. His suit appeared to be ten years out of date, and at least three sizes too big for him, though I wasn't about to point that out. He made oversize suits look bad way before David Byrne of the Talking Heads evolved his premise that 'wearing suits that are too big will make it easier for people to remember you!"
He asked for my logs, and gave them a critical review. He looked the panel over, and handing me the logs, asked for a turnover. I gave him the whole nine yards, a turnover speech I'd been rehearsing for hours.
Now we had prepared well for this morning. I'd been briefed, re-briefed, and re-re-briefed by everyone from the EOOW to the plant manager to the base CO, so I knew that while Rickover had the watch, I would still be responsible for everything that happened, just as if it was a student on the panel. After all, while Rickover was 'qualified' by virtue of being Rickover, I was qualified by virtue of the plant training and certification program. So regardless, it was made clear, I still owned the responsibility.
For the first time, I looked him directly in the eyes. I was struck by how clear and alert they were, unexpected in a man his age. Faint blue turning to grey, they really captured you. There was no doubt he was there, present, ready, and competent. For the first time in our meeting, I was caught a little unprepared. Despite that, and the turnover now complete, the Admiral addressed me by name, saying, "Petty Officer Williamson, I relieve you!"
"I stand relieved," I replied, and signing over the logs, stood up and changed places with the Father of the Nuclear Navy. He sat down, took the logs from me, and started his initial entries. I sat down in my usual position, on the instructor's stool to his left, and slightly behind him, where I could oversee his every movement, and intervene if a student, even if it was the Admiral, decided to do something stupid. I assumed my typical instructor's pose, arms crossed, but poised and alert for unexpected actions.
Rickover glanced briefly in my direction, and assumed his duties, starting with a full set of logs. He was meticulous despite or perhaps because of his unfamiliarity with the panel layout. He would manipulate the occasional selector switch, and neatly print the corresponding readings on the logsheet. A few minutes went by, and I did not recognize his occasional side-long glance and growing irritation.
Finally, he turned to me and very clearly and loudly said, "Petty Officer Williamson, I said I have the watch!"
Gulp. "Uhhhhh, yes sir," I mumbled, as I stood up and turned to the door. As everybody else looked away embarrassed for me, the EOOW caught my eye with a look that said something like, "If you leave Maneuvering, I will give up my day job and hunt you to the end of the earth until I have killed you, your children, and your children's children!"
That, I got. I squeezed through the crowd to the back corner of Maneuvering next to the EOOW, where I could see the panel, but not really be seen by the Admiral. Everybody else sort of scooted away from the Admiral and the RPCP so that none could be caught "hovering" over His Worship.
Finally, after about 15 minutes by the clock (three hours if you are standing in the back of Maneuvering) the Admiral expressed his desire to be relieved, which relieved us all.
I stepped up to the panel, reviewed the logs (like I'd been somewhere else) and asked for a turnover. The Admiral dutifully detailed the logs and events of the past 24 hours, and finally I said those words which most of us could not imagine we would ever have the opportunity to say...
"Admiral Rickover, I relieve you!"
And I did. After all, I may not have been Rickover, but I was qualified to stand the watch!
My comments Subscribe RSS
Michael Langenheim 9 years 7 months
Great story Brad! One of my boys was just recently up there as an engineer for an overhaul of sorts. All very hush-hush, won't tell his ol' man anything cool.
Brad Williamson 9 years 9 months
Michael, thanks for the kudos, but you should write your story up anyway - especially since it happened on the Bates. After all, to paraphrase Kipling, a sea story is only a sea story, but a good cigar is a smoke!
Michael Pitcock 9 years 10 months
What a great story Brad! I guess Rickover never changed his demeanor even after death. I see he was still his irritable self ten years after he graced the Bates with His self! He and his entourage consisting of the doctor and the three stooges in tow snaked through the Bates looking for every piece of lint they could find. Your story of the grass and tulips was the best. I don't think my story of smoking Him out of manuvering with a parodie cigar can even hold a candle to your story!
Sean Gawne 9 years 10 months
Brad, I knew it was weird that we were on the Bates almost the exact same period of time, but I did not know we were both at S8G in 1981 when Rickover visited. I was a student at the time and remember it well. Of course I remember the insane cleanup for weeks ahead of the visit and standing at attention while he walked by without even seeing us, but what I will never forget is how our LT failed miserably in his attempt to suck up to Rickover. The LT had put out dishes of lemon drops all over, having heard it was the Admiral's favorite. When Rickover walked through he said with contempt "What is this? A training facility or a candy store?" Ouch! :shock:
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2005 Customs (Duties) (Exemption for Officials of International Organisations) Order 2005
S 169/2005
2005 Customs (Liquors Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2005
2005 Customs (Miscellaneous Fees) (Amendment No. 2) Notification 2005
2005 Customs (Miscellaneous Fees) (Amendment) Notification 2005
2005 Customs (Offices and Stations) (Amendment) Regulations 2005
2005 Customs (Valuation) (Amendment) Regulations 2005
2005 Dangerous Fireworks (Exemption) (No. 10) Notification 2005
2005 Dangerous Fireworks (Exemption) (No. 2) Notification 2005
S 66/2005
Copyright © 2020 Government of Singapore. All rights reserved.
Singapore Statutes Online is provided by the Legislation Division of the Singapore Attorney-General's Chambers.
Last updated on 21 Jan 2020
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www.bournemouth.ac.uk Poole, United Kingdom
www.bournemouth.ac.uk Poole , United Kingdom
Founded :1992 year
Type of University : Public
Offered programms: 153 Bachelor 44 Master 1 Master of Business Administration
No. Students: 17800
Frgn. Students: 2600
No. Staff: 2000
Study mode: 193 On campus
Photos of university
Uni Services
Bournemouth University (BU) is one of the UK's leading modern universities; we create forward-thinking graduates with the skills and flexibility to succeed throughout their career. Our courses are designed with the input of employers.
The BU community includes around 17,800 students; with approximately 2,600 international students from over 120 countries. Our four faculties offer degrees in creative, professional, technological, scientific and humanities specialisms. We are ranked in the top 150 young people in the world according to the The Young University Rankings, and rose 18 places in The Guardian University Guide 2017.
BU. Studying at Bournemouth University will give you the opportunity to progress into some of the most exciting careers, such as Computer Animation & Visual Effects, Media Production & Communication, Forensic & Archaeology, Sports & Events Management, History, International Business and Management, Politics & Social Studies, and much more.
Bournemouth is also a great town to live as an international student. We are located in the most beautiful and historic areas of the United Kingdom. Situated on the south coast of England, and less than two hours from London by train, Bournemouth enjoys fantastic scenery and some of the country's mildest weather.
Research is an integral part of BU, delivering solutions to real-world problems and informing the education we deliver. Our students are a key part of this research, co-creating knowledge with us and playing.
Find out more about BU at www.bournemouth.ac.uk/international or search for us across social media channels as Bournemouth University International.
Our origins can be traced to the early 20th century, with the foundation of Bournemouth Municipal College. Our modern history began in the early 1970s with the creation of the Bournemouth College of Technology, and the construction of new buildings on the largest farm in Talbot Village.
By the time the new buildings were completed, in 1976, the Dorset Education Committee had reviewed the way it was. The result was that our name changed again, this time to the Dorset Institute of Higher Education.
In 1990, we successfully met the requirements of the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council and became Bournemouth Polytechnic, but that only the last two years. Under the Higher & Further Education Act of 1992, we finally became Bournemouth University, with an inauguration ceremony on 27 November that year.
UK requirements for international applications
Universities in the United Kingdom use a centralized system of undergraduate application: University and College Admissions Service (UCAS). It is used by both domestic and international students. Students have to register on the UCAS website before applying to the university. They will find all the necessary information about the application process on this website. Some graduate courses also require registration on this website, but in most cases students have to apply directly to the university. Some universities also accept undergraduate application through Common App (the information about it could be found on universities' websites).
Both undergraduate and graduate students may receive three types of responses from the university. The first one, “unconditional offer” means that you already reached all requirements and may be admitted to the university. The second one, “conditional offer” makes your admission possible if you fulfill some criteria – for example, have good grades on final exams. The third one, “unsuccessful application” means that you, unfortunately, could not be admitted to the university of you choice.
All universities require personal statement, which should include the reasons to study in the UK and the information about personal and professional goals of the student and a transcript, which includes grades received in high school or in the previous university.
We have a range of social facilities on both our campuses to help you relax and unwind after studying.
We have excellent sports facilities at sportBU, our gym and fitness center on Talbot Campus and a very active Students' Union - SUBU - who run a wide range of clubs and societies. Joining one, or even several, of these is a great way to make new friends and settle into university life.
There are various coffee shops and lodgings, where you can chill out between lectures and catch up with friends. If you're a creative type, you'll enjoy the Atrium Art Gallery on Talbot Campus, and we have a number of music rooms.
SUBU are also responsible for running Dylan's Kitchen & Bar on Talbot Campus providing the Old Fire Station nightclub on Lansdowne Campus. Regular events are scheduled for all of the SUBU's venues, with the Old Fire Station previously welcoming the likes of Ed Sheeran and Pendulum through the door and the venue will soon be seeing it the likes of singer songwriter Lucy Rose and the internationally renowned Lower than Atlantis take to the stage. Keep an eye on their website for full details.
Our academic and support staff are committed to ensuring that our students acquire the knowledge and skills that are essential in today's highly competitive international workplace. We are dedicated to the professional development of our students, graduates and staff.
In a very short time, BU has developed a strong reputation for its areas of academic excellence. Our courses are geared to the requirements of the professions, with many courses accredited by leading professional bodies in their field.
Students and staff work in a collaborative environment where they come together to develop ideas and projects that have a real world impact. Academic staff engaging in research and consultancy and use their knowledge and expertise in the wide range of studies and research postgraduate courses at BU.
Today, over 17,000 students choose to study with Bournemouth University each year and of these more than 2,000 are international students from around 100 countries, creating a lively and diverse student experience.
With over 2,000 Master's level students studying either full-time, part-time or via distance learning, more and more students are benefiting from our approach to postgraduate education. With the range of subject areas available, BU is the place to study.
BU Sport Scholarship
PhD Studentship - Development of a smartphone app to investigate stress and eating behaviours
Bournemouth University on map :
Study programs at Bournemouth University :
BA B.Sc. Games Technology
Poole, United Kingdom
Tuition Fee:
Domestic students: $ 10.6k / Year
International students: $ 14.8k / Year
BA B.Sc. Music and Audio Technology
BA B.A. Accounting and Law
BA B.A. Marketing Communications
BA B.A. Advertising
BA B.A. Retail Management
BA B.A. Communication and Media
BA B.A. Business Studies with Law
BA B.A. Accounting and Finance
BA LL.B. Law and Taxation
BA B.A. International Finance
BA B.A. Accounting and Taxation
Domestic students: $ 6k / Year
International students: $ 9.5k / Year
BA B.A. Finance and Business
BA B.A. Economics
BA B.A. Business Studies with Finance
BA B.A. Business Studies with Enterprise
BA B.A. Finance and Law
BA B.A. Hotel and Food Services Management
BA B.A. Tourism Management
BA B.A. International Hospitality & Tourism Management
BA B.A. International Hospitality Management
BA B.A. Business Studies with Marketing
BA B.A. Business and Management (Hons) Top-up
BA B.Sc. Marketing
BA B.A. International Business Communication (Hons) Top-up
BA B.A. Business Studies with Operations and Project Management
BA B.Sc. Information Technology Management
BA B.A. Business Studies with Economics
BA B.A. International Business Studies
BA B.A. Finance and Economics
BA B.A. Business Studies
BA B.Sc. Computer Networks
BA Bachelor Law with Economics
BA B.A. Business Studies with Human Resource Management
BA B.Sc. Business Information Technology
BA B.Sc. Sport Development & Coaching Sciences
BA B.Sc. Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences
BA B.Sc. Sports Management (Golf)
BA B.A. Events and Leisure Marketing
BA B.Sc. Sports Management
BA B.A. Events Management
BA B.Eng. Engineering
BA B.A. Computer Animation Arts
BA B.A. Industrial Design
BA B.Sc. Design Engineering
International students: $ 2.66k / Year
BA B.A. Product Design
BA B.A. Design Business Management
BA B.A. Computer Visualisation and Animation
BA B.Sc. Product Design
BA B.A. Social Work
BA B.A. Politics and Media
BA B.A. Digital Media Design (Honours)
BA B.A. English
BA B.A. Radio
BA B.A. Multimedia Journalism
BA B.A. Public Relations
BA B.A. Media Production
BA B.Sc. Ecology and Wildlife Conservation
BA B.Sc. Applied Geography
BA B.A. Archaeology and Anthropology
BA B.A. Sociology and Social Policy
BA B.Sc. Occupational Therapy
BA B.Sc. Archaeology
BA B.A. Sociology and Anthropology
BA B.Sc. Archaeological, Anthropological and Forensic Sciences
BA B.A. Television Production
BA B.Sc. Psychology
BA B.Sc. Child Health Nursing (Advanced Standing)
BA B.Sc. Midwifery
BA B.Sc. Mental Health Nursing
BA B.Sc. Physiotherapy
BA B.Sc. Nutrition
BA B.Sc. Adult Nursing
BA B.Sc. Professional Practice
BA B.Sc. Clinical Exercise Science
BA B.Sc. Biological Sciences
BA LL.B. Entertainment Law
BA LL.B. Business Law
BA LL.B. Law
BA B.Sc. Music and Sound Production Technology
BA B.A. Scriptwriting for Film and Television
BA B.A. Film Production and Cinematography
BA B.A. Photography
BA B.A. Global Media Practice
BA B.Sc. Environmental Science
BA B.Sc. Forensic Investigation
BA B.Sc. Forensic Science
BA B.Sc. Forensic Computing and Security
BA B.Sc. Software Engineering
BA B.Sc. Games Programming
BA B.Sc. Software Development for Animation, Games and Effects
BA B.Sc. Computing
BA B.A. Accounting and Business
International students: $ 13k / Year
MA Applied Data Analytics
Domestic students: $ 7.2k / Year
MA Digital Effects
Domestic students: $ 9.8k / Year (International)
MA International Risk Management and Finance
Domestic students: $ 11.8k / Year (International)
MA Public Health
Domestic students: $ 7.37k / Year
MA Intellectual Property
MA International Accounting and Finance
MA 3D Computer Animation
MA Events Marketing
MA Computer Animation and Visual Effects
MA Forensic Toxicology by Research
MA Foundations of Clinical Psychology
MA International Investment and Finance
MA Industrial Design
MA Post Production Editing
MA Management with Project Management
MA Producing Film and Television
MA Advanced Practice
Domestic students: $ 7.54k / Year (EEA)
MA Professional Development (Human Resource Management)
Domestic students: $ 5.88k / Year (International)
MA Information Technology
MA Advanced Mental Health Practice
MA Hotel and Food Services Management
MA Leading and Developing Services
MA Green Economy
$ 6.52k / Year
MA Archaeological Practice
MA Retail Management and Marketing
International students: $ 15.5k / Year (International)
MA Corporate Governance
MA Events Management
MA Biological Anthropology
MA Sound Production for Film and Television
MBA Bournemouth MBA
MA International Commercial Law
MA Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship
MA Advertising
MA Journalism Studies
Choose a program B.A. Accounting and Business (BA) B.A. Accounting and Finance (BA) B.A. Accounting and Law (BA) B.A. Accounting and Law (BA) B.A. Accounting and Taxation (BA) B.A. Accounting and Taxation (BA) B.A. Advertising (BA) B.A. Advertising (BA) B.A. Archaeology and Anthropology (BA) B.A. Business and Management (Hons) Top-up (BA) B.A. Business and Management (Hons) Top-up (BA) B.A. Business Studies (BA) B.A. Business Studies (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Economics (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Economics (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Enterprise (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Enterprise (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Finance (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Finance (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Human Resource Management (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Human Resource Management (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Law (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Law (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Marketing (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Marketing (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Operations and Project Management (BA) B.A. Business Studies with Operations and Project Management (BA) B.A. Communication and Media (BA) B.A. Communication and Media (BA) B.A. Computer Animation Arts (BA) B.A. Computer Animation Arts (BA) B.A. Computer Visualisation and Animation (BA) B.A. Computer Visualisation and Animation (BA) B.A. Design Business Management (BA) B.A. Design Business Management (BA) B.A. Digital Media Design (Honours) (BA) B.A. Digital Media Design (Honours) (BA) B.A. Economics (BA) B.A. Economics (BA) B.A. English (BA) B.A. English (BA) B.A. Events and Leisure Marketing (BA) B.A. Events and Leisure Marketing (BA) B.A. Events Management (BA) B.A. Events Management (BA) B.A. Film Production and Cinematography (BA) B.A. Finance and Business (BA) B.A. Finance and Business (BA) B.A. Finance and Economics (BA) B.A. Finance and Economics (BA) B.A. Finance and Law (BA) B.A. Finance and Law (BA) B.A. Global Media Practice (BA) B.A. Hotel and Food Services Management (BA) B.A. Hotel and Food Services Management (BA) B.A. Industrial Design (BA) B.A. Industrial Design (BA) B.A. International Business Communication (Hons) Top-up (BA) B.A. International Business Communication (Hons) Top-up (BA) B.A. International Business Studies (BA) B.A. International Business Studies (BA) B.A. International Finance (BA) B.A. International Finance (BA) B.A. International Hospitality & Tourism Management (BA) B.A. International Hospitality & Tourism Management (BA) B.A. International Hospitality Management (BA) B.A. International Hospitality Management (BA) B.A. Marketing Communications (BA) B.A. Marketing Communications (BA) B.A. Media Production (BA) B.A. Media Production (BA) B.A. Multimedia Journalism (BA) B.A. Multimedia Journalism (BA) B.A. Photography (BA) B.A. Politics and Media (BA) B.A. Politics and Media (BA) B.A. Product Design (BA) B.A. Product Design (BA) B.A. Public Relations (BA) B.A. Public Relations (BA) B.A. Radio (BA) B.A. Radio (BA) B.A. Retail Management (BA) B.A. Retail Management (BA) B.A. Scriptwriting for Film and Television (BA) B.A. Social Work (BA) B.A. Social Work (BA) B.A. Sociology and Anthropology (BA) B.A. Sociology and Social Policy (BA) B.A. Television Production (BA) B.A. Tourism Management (BA) B.A. Tourism Management (BA) B.Eng. Engineering (BA) B.Eng. Engineering (BA) B.Eng. Engineering (BA) B.Eng. Engineering (BA) B.Sc. Adult Nursing (BA) B.Sc. Applied Geography (BA) B.Sc. Applied Geography (BA) B.Sc. Archaeological, Anthropological and Forensic Sciences (BA) B.Sc. Archaeology (BA) B.Sc. Biological Sciences (BA) B.Sc. Business Information Technology (BA) B.Sc. Business Information Technology (BA) B.Sc. Child Health Nursing (Advanced Standing) (BA) B.Sc. Clinical Exercise Science (BA) B.Sc. Computer Networks (BA) B.Sc. Computer Networks (BA) B.Sc. Computing (BA) B.Sc. Design Engineering (BA) B.Sc. Design Engineering (BA) B.Sc. Ecology and Wildlife Conservation (BA) B.Sc. Ecology and Wildlife Conservation (BA) B.Sc. Environmental Science (BA) B.Sc. Forensic Computing and Security (BA) B.Sc. Forensic Investigation (BA) B.Sc. Forensic Science (BA) B.Sc. Games Programming (BA) B.Sc. Games Technology (BA) B.Sc. Games Technology (BA) B.Sc. Information Technology Management (BA) B.Sc. Information Technology Management (BA) B.Sc. Marketing (BA) B.Sc. Marketing (BA) B.Sc. Mental Health Nursing (BA) B.Sc. Midwifery (BA) B.Sc. Music and Audio Technology (BA) B.Sc. Music and Audio Technology (BA) B.Sc. Music and Sound Production Technology (BA) B.Sc. Nutrition (BA) B.Sc. Occupational Therapy (BA) B.Sc. Physiotherapy (BA) B.Sc. Product Design (BA) B.Sc. Product Design (BA) B.Sc. Professional Practice (BA) B.Sc. Psychology (BA) B.Sc. Software Development for Animation, Games and Effects (BA) B.Sc. Software Engineering (BA) B.Sc. Sport Development & Coaching Sciences (BA) B.Sc. Sport Development & Coaching Sciences (BA) B.Sc. Sports Management (BA) B.Sc. Sports Management (BA) B.Sc. Sports Management (Golf) (BA) B.Sc. Sports Management (Golf) (BA) B.Sc. Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences (BA) B.Sc. Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences (BA) Bachelor Law with Economics (BA) Bachelor Law with Economics (BA) LL.B. Business Law (BA) LL.B. Entertainment Law (BA) LL.B. Law (BA) LL.B. Law and Taxation (BA) LL.B. Law and Taxation (BA) 3D Computer Animation (MA) Advanced Mental Health Practice (MA) Advanced Practice (MA) Advertising (MA) Applied Data Analytics (MA) Archaeological Practice (MA) Biological Anthropology (MA) Computer Animation and Visual Effects (MA) Computer Animation and Visual Effects (MA) Corporate Governance (MA) Digital Effects (MA) Digital Effects (MA) Events Management (MA) Events Marketing (MA) Forensic Toxicology by Research (MA) Forensic Toxicology by Research (MA) Foundations of Clinical Psychology (MA) Foundations of Clinical Psychology (MA) Green Economy (MA) Green Economy (MA) Hotel and Food Services Management (MA) Industrial Design (MA) Industrial Design (MA) Industrial Design (MA) Information Technology (MA) Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship (MA) Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship (MA) Intellectual Property (MA) International Accounting and Finance (MA) International Commercial Law (MA) International Commercial Law (MA) International Investment and Finance (MA) International Investment and Finance (MA) International Risk Management and Finance (MA) Journalism Studies (MA) Leading and Developing Services (MA) Leading and Developing Services (MA) Management with Project Management (MA) Post Production Editing (MA) Producing Film and Television (MA) Professional Development (Human Resource Management) (MA) Public Health (MA) Retail Management and Marketing (MA) Sound Production for Film and Television (MA) Bournemouth MBA (MBA)
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Scientists Just Made Food from Electricity
An edible protein powder made of thin air might be the solution to famine
By Sammy Nickalls
Famine is still a very real issue facing Earth today. According to Action Against Hunger, a whopping one in eight people don't get enough food to eat, and the number of hungry people in the world is bigger than the population of the European Union, the U.S., and Canada combined. That's why it's so important that researchers in Finland just discovered how to make food out of electricity. Lappeenranta University of Technology and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland collaborated on a project aptly entitled "Food From Electricity" to create an edible protein powder out of water, carbon dioxide, microbes, and electricity.
"Protein produced in this way can be further developed for use as food and animal feed," states a press release from LUT. "The method released food production from restrictions related to the environment. The protein can be produced anywhere renewable energy, such as solar energy, is available."
The protein powder probably doesn't taste the best, granted—it's over 50% protein and 25% carbohydrates, with the rest consisting of "fats and nucleic acids"—but VTT lead scientists Juha Pekka Pitkänen said in the release that the powder is “very nutritious” and could be revolutionary:
"In practice, all the raw materials are available from the air. In the future, the technology can be transported to, for instance, deserts and other areas facing famine. One possible alternative is a home reactor, a type of domestic appliance that the consumer can use to produce the needed protein.”
LUT professor Jero Ahola also added that creating the substances is considerably easier than "traditional agriculture" as it doesn't require good soil or adequate rainfall:
"Compared to traditional agriculture, the production method currently under development does not require a location with the conditions for agriculture, such as the right temperature, humidity or a certain soil type.”
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NavigationHomeThe A.E. Staley StoryThe Staley MansionStaley-Mueller ConnectionDecatur Staleys - Football History of the Decatur Staleys Football TeamFootball PlayersContact UsFind UsVolunteer with UsArtifact Donation FormThe Staley JournalAbout UsIn the NewsPhoto Gallery
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Decatur Staleys – Football
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History of the Decatur Staleys / Chicago Bears
The Staley Football Club; also known as the Decatur Staleys or the Staley Starch Makers.
Later became the Chicago Bears.
Photo courtesy of the Decatur Public Library
Chicago Bears Began in Decatur, Illinois
One of A.E. Staley’s greatest achievements was his role in the creation of the Chicago Bears and the creation of the National Football League. Although Staley likely did not foresee the consequences, his competitive nature and desire to be the best set in motion a series of events that changed the face of sports in America.
Decatur Staleys Football Team Founded in 1919
In 1919 A.E. Staley was gearing up for what would be his most prolific decade. This decade 1920-1930, would begin with the creation of the Staley athletic program and the beginning of the Decatur Staleys football club. Why would an industrialist like Staley would embark in the field of athletics? Dan Forrestal, author of The Kernel & the Bean: The 75 Year History of the Staley Mfg. Co. suggests several possible reasons. First he offers that Staley, having come from humble beginnings and having had very little formal schooling, missed out on the opportunity to participate either actively or as an observer in any kind of athletic program although his competitive nature indicates that he would have enjoyed sports. Another possible reason for embarking on an athletic program is the inherent lessons to be learned regarding sportsmanship.
Staley surely must have thought that employees participating in sports either actively or as spectators would grow to value the lessons learned of being a team player, good sportsmanship, character building as well as building a sense of team/factory loyalty. Staley also might have regarded this as good, healthy entertainment for his employees who otherwise spent their days working in a town focused basically on industry. But maybe more than any other reason is the fact that A.E. Staley was an entrepreneur with big dreams. He wanted to see the Staley name and product line succeed. What better way to promote the Staley name than by an organized traveling sports team? It is probably safe to say that all of these factors came into play in motivating Staley to begin a company supported athletic program.
Football Club Goes Pro
The unfolding of the Staley football club and its development from a purely industrial team to a semi-professional and then a fully professional team begins oddly enough with a game that was played in 1919 against an area team called the Arcola Independents. The Staley team at that time was made up of regular Staley Mfg. employees who had shown interest in the sports program. In that first game against Arcola the Staleys won 41-0. The resounding defeat caused the businessmen of Arcola to rally and create a more competitive team before their next play date with the Staleys. Arcola contacted Dutch Sternaman, University of Illinois’s top running back and asked him to find players among the university sector to build a more competitive team. Dutch did build a team but when the day of the game came round, the Decatur Staleys were a no-show. A.E. Staley, having gotten wind of these dealings, would not send his team in for a dose of humiliation. The competitive entrepreneur in Staley asserted itself and Staley decided to grow his own semi-professional team. First he contacted Dutch Sternaman, the man responsible for putting together the Arcola team, but Dutch was close to finishing his Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of Illinois and was not ready to make a commitment to an on-going sports program. Staley then turned his sights to George Halas, known for his prowess in both baseball and football. Halas had played end on the University of Illinois football team and had then gone on to play with the Great Lakes Navy team during WWI. This team played and won the January 1, 1919 Rose bowl game against the Mare Island Marines. Halas then went on to try his luck at baseball. He tried out and was contracted by the New York Yankees but was injured in an exhibition game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. This injury would keep him out of major league baseball. He ended up taking a job with Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CBQ) Railroad. It was at this time that A.E. Staley sent his general superintendent George Chamberlain to meet with and make an offer to George Halas. Halas was hired by Staley to coach and play football as well as play baseball under the management of former major league baseball pitcher, Joe “Iron Man” McGinnity. Halas was paid a weekly wage of $50.
In the summer of 1920 George Halas went out on what some have called “the first professional football recruiting journey in history.” When Halas returned he reported to Staley that he now had a team that would draw standing room only crowds. The agreement with the recruited players provided that they would enjoy the stability of a regular salary based on their work week at the Staley Mfg. Co. Their work week would provide for two hours daily training as part of the football club. Additionally, they would receive a portion of the gate at the end of the season. Thus the “Decatur Staleys” were born.
The Halas contribution to both Staley and national football did not stop here. On September 17.1920, Halas and Staley engineer Morgan O’Brien met at the Hupmobiles and Jordans showroom in Canton, Ohio with a group of men that outlined in the course of two hours what would become the American Professional Football Association, later the National Football League (NFL). It was at this meeting that Jim Thorpe was elected president. The formation of this association was an effort to adopt a single set of rules for the game which up to this time varied greatly from region to region.
Viewing this leaps and bounds development in the course of only a few months, it is not hard to see how the situation quickly outgrew the industrial purposes at first imagined by A.E. Staley. The Decatur Staleys not only had a winning season their first year (10 victories, 1 defeat , 2 ties) but declared themselves National Champions. There was, however, some dispute regarding the title of champions. In a league meeting on April 30,1921, non-league games that had been played by teams were factored into the tally and the end result was the Akron Indians were awarded the championship. Still, the Decatur Staleys were happy with thier season’s results.
The success of the team and growing popularity of the sport required Staley to rethink the football program. The problem that Staley saw was one of simple business sense — limited growth in Decatur versus the potential for growth in a larger market. The Staley field could only accommodate 1,500 seated fans with another 1000 standing. The price of tickets was only $1 and Staley employees paid half price. This was combined with the fact that in the 1921 season only two of the 11 games were played at home. Despite A.E. Staley’s immense pride in the team he had created, the popularity of the sport was growing and the potential growth of the team depended on it being moved to a larger city with a larger venue. Staley found himself in the position of having to make a business decision. Was he in the corn processing business? Or was he in the blossoming business of professional sports?
Decatur Staleys Team Goes to Chicago
Staley met with George Halas and explained the situation and made Halas a proposition he could not refuse. Staley said that big-time football needed big city crowds. So it was agreed that in October 1921 the Decatur Staleys would relocate to Chicago and play at Wrigley field. They would retain the Staley name for one season. The 19 players on the roster would remain on the Staley payroll for the course of that first season and Staley agreed to pay the team a $5000 bonus to help with the move to Chicago. George Halas noted that Staley had no legal or moral obligation to promote the continuation of the football club. But Staley was a big man who understood big dreams and he saw the big potential in the team he had created. Staley would later go to games up in Chicago when he could and he referred to the now Chicago team as “the transplants”.
At the end of the 1921-22 football season, it was time for the Staleys to change their name. Given that they were sharing Wrigley field with the Chicago Cubs, they decided to call themselves the Bears, arguing, tongue in cheek, that football players are larger in size than baseball players.
Chicago Bears Football Team Starts First Official Season in 1922
In 1922 the Bears began their first official season. The rest is history.
It is important to note that out of the original team several players have been inducted to the Football Hall of Fame. George Halas, was a charter member of the Football Hall of Fame in 1963. Also inducted into the Football Hall of Fame were teammates Edward” Dutch” Sternaman, Guy Chamberlin and George Trafton. Additionally, the manager of the Staley baseball team on which Halas played, Joe “Iron Man” McGinnity, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
A.E. Staley deserves his footnote in the history of sports in America. He had the determination to put together the best team possible and the vision to let that team go on and become one of the charter members of the National Football League. Not a bad call for a starch salesman…
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Officials vow Staley Museum will reopen after lightning strikes chimney, damages mansion
Staley Museum Temporarily Closed due to Lightning Damage
A Photo Tour Inside the Staley Office Building
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Staley Museum Celebrates 1st Anniversary with ‘Light Up the Night’ Event
Staley Museum Hosts First-Ever Go Red Luncheon in Decatur
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Quantifiers and Quantification
First published Wed Sep 3, 2014; substantive revision Wed Oct 17, 2018
Quantifier expressions are marks of generality. They come in a variety of syntactic categories in English, but determiners like “all”, “each”, “some”, “many”, “most”, and “few” provide some of the most common examples of quantification.[1] In English, they combine with singular or plural nouns, sometimes qualified by adjectives or relative clauses, to form explicitly restricted quantifier phrases such as “some apples”, “every material object”, or “most planets”. These quantifier phrases may in turn combine with predicates in order to form sentences such as “some apples are delicious”, “every material object is extended”, or “most planets are visible to the naked eye”. We may conceive of determiners like “every” and “some” as binary quantifiers of the form \(Q(A,B)\), which may operate on two predicates, \(A\) and \(B\), in order to form a sentence.
Binary quantifiers of this sort played an important role in what is perhaps the first formal study of quantification developed by Aristotle in the Prior Analytics. The details of Aristotle’s syllogistic logic are given in the entry on Aristotle’s Logic. Aristotle investigated a restricted class of inferential patterns, which he called syllogisms, in which two categorical propositions served as premises and a third served as a conclusion. A categorical proposition is a sentence obtained from one of the four binary quantifiers “\(all(A, B)\)”, “\(some(A, B)\)”, “\(no(A, B)\)” and “\(not \ all(A, B)\)”, when suitable predicates are substituted for \(A\) and \(B\). In a syllogism, each categorical proposition contains two of three shared predicates. The logical relations, which, according to Aristotelian logic, obtain between them are codified by the square of opposition. Although Aristotle’s syllogistic logic dominated logic for centuries, it eventually revealed itself inadequate for the representation of mathematical argumentation, and it finally became displaced by the advent of modern quantificational logic, which originated with George Boole’s algebraic approach to logic and Gottlob Frege’s approach to logic and quantification (1879).
Modern quantificational logic has chosen to focus instead on formal counterparts of the unary quantifiers “everything” and “something”, which may be written \(\forall x\) and \(\exists x\), respectively. They are unary quantifiers because they require a single argument in order to form a sentence of the form \(\forall x \ A\) or \(\exists x \ A\). Frege (and Russell) devised an ingenious procedure for regimenting binary quantifiers like “every” and “some” in terms of unary quantifiers like “everything” and “something”: they formalized sentences of the form \(\ulcorner\)Some \(A\) is \(B\)\(\urcorner\) and \(\ulcorner\)Every \(A\) is \(B\)\(\urcorner\) as \(\exists x (Ax \wedge Bx)\) and \(\forall x (Ax \rightarrow Bx)\), respectively. They analyzed a sentence like “some apples are delicious” in terms of the sentence “something is an apple and delicious”, whereas they parsed the sentence “every material object is extended” as “everything is extended, if it is a material object”. Unfortunately, this procedure cannot be generalized to cover quantifier phrases like “many”, “most”, or “few”. It would be a mistake to regiment the sentence “most planets are visible to the naked eye” by means of “most things are planets and visible to the naked eye” or “most things are such that they are visible to the naked eye, if they are planets”. Instead, they are better analyzed as irreducibly binary quantifiers, and their study has given rise to the theory of generalized quantifiers, which has become a fruitful subject of study partly because of its applications in the semantics of natural language.
1. Classical Quantificational Logic
1.1 Pure Quantificational Logic
1.1.1 The Language of Pure Quantificational Logic
1.1.2 Axioms for Pure Quantificational Logic
1.1.3 Interpretations for Pure Quantificational Logic
1.1.4 Metatheory for Pure Quantificational Logic
1.2 Classical Quantificational Logic with Identity
2. Departures from Classical Quantificational Logic
2.1 Inclusive Quantificational Logic
2.2 Intuitionistic Quantificational Logic
2.2.1 Axioms for Intuitionistic Quantificational Logic
2.2.2 Kripke Models for Intuitionistic Quantificational Logic
2.3 Substitutional Quantification
2.3.1 A simple example
2.3.2 Kripke on Substitutional Quantification
3. Extensions of Classical Quantificational Logic
3.1 Generalized Quantifiers
3.1.1 Cardinality Quantifiers
3.1.2 Generalized Binary Quantifiers
3.2 Many-Sorted Quantification
3.3 Second-Order Quantifiers
3.3.1 Axioms for second-order quantification
3.3.2 Standard Models for Second-Order Logic
3.3.3 Henkin Models for Second-Order Logic
3.3.4 Models and Interpretations
3.3.5 Irreducibly Second-Order Quantification?
3.4 Plural Quantifiers
3.5 Propositional Quantifiers
3.5.1 Quantified Propositional Logic
3.5.2 Axioms for Propositional Quantification
3.5.3 Propositional Quantification and Truth
3.5.4 Intensional Paradoxes
3.5.5 Quantified Propositional Modal Logic
3.5.6 Irreducibly Propositional Quantification?
4. Quantification and Ontology
4.1 Quantification, Predication, and Existence: Frege and Russell
4.1.1 Quantification and Predication
4.1.2 Quantification and Existence
4.2 Quine’s Criterion of Ontological Commitment
4.3 Unrestricted Quantification
4.4 Quantification, Tense and Modality
4.4.1 Quantification and Modality
4.4.2 Quantification and Tense
4.4.3 From Logic to Ontology
What is now a commonplace treatment of quantification began with Frege (1879), where the German philosopher and mathematician, Gottlob Frege, devised a formal language equipped with quantifier symbols, which bound different styles of variables. He formulated axioms and rules of inference, which allowed him to represent a remarkable range of mathematical argumentation. Classical quantificational logic is sometimes known as “first-order” or “predicate” logic, which is generally taken to include functional and constant symbols. The vocabulary of classical quantificational logic is often supplemented with an identity predicate to yield the classical theory of quantification with identity.
At the core of classical quantificational logic lies what we may call pure quantificational logic, which makes no provision for any singular terms other than variables. In pure quantificational logic, one may still make use of Russell’s theory of definite description to simulate singular terms for which we have a method of contextual elimination.
The vocabulary of pure quantificational logic contains the usual propositional connectives: \(\lnot\), \(\wedge\), \(\vee\), \(\rightarrow\), and \(\leftrightarrow\). It contains predicate letters of various sorts: one-place predicate letters with or without subscripts, \(P^{1}, Q^{1}, R^{1}, P^{1}_{1}\), …, two-place predicate letters, \(P^{2}, Q^{2}, R^{2}, P^{2}_{1}\), …, and more generally, \(n\)-place predicate letters. Sentence letters are 0-place predicates. There is, in addition to this, an infinite stock of variables with or without subscripts: \(x, y, z, x_1, y_1, z_1\), … , and two quantifiers \(\forall\) and \(\exists\). In a classical framework, we need not treat all these symbols as primitive; we may, for example, treat \(\lnot\), \(\rightarrow\), and \(\forall\) as primitive and provide standard definitions for the other propositional connectives and quantifiers in terms of them. For example, the existential quantifier, \(\exists x \ A\), may be defined: \(\lnot \forall x \ \lnot A\).
The definition of a formula of the language of pure quantificational logic proceeds recursively as follows. First, one defines an atomic formula to consist of an \(n\)-place predicate followed by \(n\) variables: \(P^{n}_{i} x_{1}\), …, \(x_{n}\). One then defines \(A\) to be a formula of the language of pure quantificational logic if, and only if, (i) \(A\) is an atomic formula, or (ii) \(A\) is of the form \(\lnot B\), where \(B\) is a formula, or (iii) \(A\) is of the form \((B \rightarrow C)\), where \(B\) and \(C\) are each a formula, or (iv) \(A\) is of the form \(\forall x \ B\), where \(x_i\) is a variable and \(B\) is a formula.[2]
All occurrences of variables in an atomic formula are free. The free occurrences of variables in the negation of a formula \(\lnot B\) are the free occurrences of variables in \(B\). The free occurrences of variables in a formula of the form \((B \rightarrow C)\) are the free occurrences of variables in \(B\) and \(C\). Finally, the free occurrences of variables in a quantified formula \(\forall x \ B\) are the variables other than \(x\) that are free in \(B\). We call \(B\) the scope of the initial occurrence of the quantifier \(\forall x\) in \(\forall x \ B\). If an occurrence of a variable is not free in a formula \(A\), then it is bound; all occurrences of \(x\) in \(B\) are bound in the quantified formula \(\forall x \ B\). In fact, we will often write that they lie within the scope of the initial quantifier.
A formula \(A\) is closed if, and only if, all of its variables are bound. Otherwise, \(A\) is open. A variable \(y\) is free for \(x\) if, and only if, no free occurrences of \(x\) lies within the scope of a quantification on \(y\), \(\forall y\). We write \(A(y/x)\) for the formula that results from \(A\) when every free occurrence of \(x\) in \(A\) is replaced by an occurrence of the variable \(y\). A sentence is a closed formula of the language.
Frege’s Begriffsschrift develops a formal system, which includes axioms for quantification over individual objects and concepts. For Frege, objects are the appropriate values for singular variables, and a concept is what is referred to by a predicate. Notice that despite Frege’s use of the term, concepts, for him, are nothing like mental constructs, but rather objective constituents of the world. In particular, concepts are functions, which map objects into truth values. Since a predicate like “is extended” is true of some objects and false of others, Frege takes the concept being extended to assign truth to an object if, and only if, it is extended.
Frege’s system is an axiomatization of what has come to be known as second-order logic, which is an important extension of classical quantificational logic. Hilbert & Ackermann (1928) contains the first axiomatic treatment of quantificational logic as a subject of its own, which they called “the narrower functional calculus”. In what follows, we look at what is now a common axiomatization of pure quantificational logic. This axiom system adopts all tautologies of propositional logic as axioms and modus ponens as a rule of inference, and it supplements them with two more axiom schemata and a rule of universal generalization. The first two axiom schemata are:
(\(\forall 1\)) \(\forall x \ A \rightarrow A(y/x)\),
provided \(y\) is free for \(x\) in \(A\).
(\(\forall 2\)) \(\forall x (A \rightarrow B) \rightarrow (A \rightarrow \forall x \ B)\),
provided \(x\) does not occur free in \(A\).
The first axiom, (\(\forall 1\)), is commonly known as the axiom of universal instantiation. To complete the axiomatization, we need to add a rule of universal generalization:
(\(\forall 3\)) from \(A\), infer \(\forall x \ A\).
Since \(\exists x \ A\) abbreviates \(\lnot \forall x \lnot \ A\), we have a principle of existential generalization:
\(A(y/x) \rightarrow \exists x \ A\),
This principle is not without consequence. Since, for example, \(Px \rightarrow Px\) is a tautology, which is available as an axiom, the combination with modus ponens and existential generalization yields \(\exists x (Px \rightarrow Px)\) as a theorem. For another controversial example, consider the theorem \(\forall x \ Px \rightarrow \exists x \ Px\), which is similarly derivable from the axioms by combining universal instantiation and existential generalization. Some have found these consequences objectionable on the grounds that the existence of an object should not be derivable from logic alone.
The interpretation of the language of pure quantificational logic requires one to specify both a domain for the variables to range over and an extension for each non-logical predicate of the language. Alfred Tarski developed what is now known as a model theory for a wide range of formal languages. We recall some definitions from the entry on model theory. A model for the language of pure quantificational logic is an ordered pair, \(\langle D, I\rangle\), where \(D\) is a non-empty set, and \(I\) is an interpretation function, which maps each \(n\)-place predicate of the language into a set of ordered \(n\)-tuples of objects in the set \(D\). \(D\) provides the domain of discourse for the quantifier, and \(I\) provides each predicate of the language with an extension: one-place predicates are mapped into subsets of \(D\), two-place predicates are mapped into sets of ordered pairs of members of \(D\), and more generally, \(n\)-place predicates are mapped into sets of \(n\)-tuples of members of \(D\).
Truth in a model is then defined in terms of satisfaction. A variable assignment \(s\) for the model \(\langle D, I\rangle\) is a function from the set of variables of the language into the domain \(D\). A formula \(A\) is satisfied in a model \(\langle D, I\rangle\) by an assignment \(s\) of objects to variables. If \(s\) is a variable assignment for \(\langle D, I\rangle\), we write \(s[x/d]\) to specify a variable assignment, which is just like \(s\) except perhaps for the fact that it assigns object \(d\) in \(D\) to the variable \(x\).
We define a formula to be satisfied in a model \(\langle D, I \rangle\) by an assignment \(s\) recursively as follows. An atomic formula \(P^{n}_{i} x_{1}, \ldots , x_{n}\) is satisfied in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) by \(s\) if, and only if, \(\langle s(x_{1}), \ldots, s(x_{n})\rangle \in I(P^{n}_{i})\), which means that the \(n\)-tuple of objects \(s\) assigns to the variables that occur in the formula is in the interpretation of the predicate \(P^{n}_{i}\) under \(I\). A negation \(\lnot B\) is satisfied in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) by \(s\) if, and only if, \(B\) is not satisfied in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) by \(s\). A conditional \((B \rightarrow C)\) is satisfied in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) by \(s\) if, and only if, \(B\) is not satisfied or \(C\) is satisfied in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) by \(s\). Finally, \(\forall x \ B\) is satisfied in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) by \(s\) if, and only if, \(B\) is satisfied in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) by all assignments of the form \(s[x/d]\), where \(d\) is a member of the domain \(D\).
A formula \(A\) is true in a model \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if, and only if, \(A\) is satisfied in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) under all assignments for the model. A formula \(A\) is valid if, and only if, \(A\) is true in all models.
The Tarskian model theory for pure quantificational logic gives us exactly what we want. Since the axioms of pure quantificational logic are valid and the rules of inference preserve validity, all theorems of pure quantificational logic are valid. (Soundness).[3] One may in addition, prove that all valid formulas are, in fact, derivable from the axioms of pure quantificational logic. (Completeness). The entry on classical logic outlines a proof.
Call a set of formulas \(\Gamma\) satisfiable if, and only if, there is a model \(\langle D, I\rangle\) and a variable assignment \(s\), which satisfies each formula \(A\) in \(\Gamma\) in the model. A set \(\Gamma\) of formulas is satisfiable if, and only if, every finite subset of \(\Gamma\) is satisfiable. (Compactness). This is a simple corollary of Completeness.
A simple version of the Löwenheim-Skolem theorem states that if a set of formulas \(\Gamma\) has an infinite model, then it has a denumerable model, where a denumerable model is one whose domain is no larger than the set of natural numbers. There is a generalized form as well. If we let the cardinality \(\kappa\) of the non-logical vocabulary be greater than \(\aleph_0\), which is the cardinality of the set of natural numbers, then if \(\Gamma\) has an infinite model, then it has a model of cardinality \(\kappa\).
Model-theoretic interpretations are sets: a model is an ordered pair of a non-empty set and an interpretation function. But since modern set theory proves that there is no universal set, no model can ever interpret the quantifiers by means of a universal domain of discourse. It may seem, then, that there are interpretations of the language of pure quantificational logic to which no model corresponds. And this raises the question of whether truth in all models may fall short of truth under all interpretations of the language.
Fortunately, there is an elegant argument due to Georg Kreisel (1967), which tells us that we can safely restrict attention to set-based models for the specification of the set of validities of pure quantificational logic: a formula \(A\) of the language of quantificational logic is true under every interpretation of the language if, and only if, it is true in every model. The argument is a simple application of Completeness. If \(A\) is true under every interpretation, whether it is a model or not, then \(A\) will be true in every model. The challenge, however, is to argue for the converse. But if \(A\) is true in every model, then, by Completeness, \(A\) is a theorem of pure quantificational logic. And since every theorem is presumably true under every interpretation, not just model-theoretic ones, it follows that \(A\) is true under every interpretation. Thus Kreisel’s argument suggests we can make do with models for the purpose of characterizing validity in pure quantificational logic.[4]
Classical quantificational logic allows for singular terms other than variables. There are, first, individual constants, and, second, singular terms, which result from the combination of a function symbol with an appropriate number of singular terms. In addition to this, classical quantificational logic with identity makes provision for a special identity predicate.
The vocabulary of the classical theory of quantification and identity extends the vocabulary of pure quantificational logic with a set of individual constants with or without subscripts, \(a, b, c, a_1\), …, and a set of function symbols of various kinds: one-place function symbols, \(f^{1}, g^{1}, f^{1}_{1}\), …, two-place function symbols, \(f^{2}, g^{2}, g^{2}_{1}\), etc.[5] In addition to this, we may add a special two-place predicate, \(=\), for identity.
Before we modify the definition of formula for the expanded language, we may give a recursive definition of a term of the language of the classical theory of quantification and identity. An expression \(t\) is a term if, and only if, (i) \(t\) is an individual variable, or (ii) \(t\) is an individual constant, or (iii) \(t\) is an expression of the form \(f^{n}_{i}t_{1}, \ldots, t_{n}\), where \(f^{n}_{i}\) an \(n\)-place function symbol and \(t_1\), …, \(t_n\) are themselves terms. Given the definition of term, we can reformulate the definition of atomic formula for the expanded language to consist of all and only expressions \(A\) of the form \(P^n_i t_1, \ldots, t_n\), where \(P^n_i\) is an \(n\)-place predicate and \(t_1\), …, \(t_n\) are each terms or \(t_i = t_j\) in which \(t_i\) and \(t_j\) are terms. At this point, we may adapt the usual recursive definition of formula for the expanded language.
The axioms of classical quantificational logic with identity include axioms for quantification and axioms for identity. The axioms for quantification include a suitably modified variant of \((\forall 1)\) in addition to \((\forall 2)\) and \((\forall 3)\). The minimal adjustment in \((\forall 1)\) is meant to accommodate the presence of function symbols and individual constants. We call a term \(t\) free for a variable \(x\) if, and only if, no free occurrence of \(x\) lies within the scope of a quantifier \(\forall y\) or \(\exists y\), where \(y\) is a variable which occurs in \(t\). The axiom of universal instantiation, \((\forall 1)\), now reads:
\(\forall x \ A \rightarrow A(t/x)\),
provided \(t\) is free for \(x\) in \(A\).
The other set of axioms concerns identity. In particular, we will supplement the axioms for quantification with an axiom, (I1), and an axiom schema, (I2), designed to govern the identity predicate:
(I1) \(t = t\)
(I2) \(t_1 = t_2 \rightarrow (A(t_1/x) \rightarrow A(t_2/x))\)
provided \(t_1\) and \(t_2\) are free for \(x\) in \(A\)
The first axiom is sometimes known as Reflexivity, and the second is known as the Indiscernibility of Identicals. When combined, they enable one to derive the symmetry and transitivity of identity as immediate consequences.[6]
We need only make minimal adjustments in the model theory in order to accommodate the expanded vocabulary of the classical theory of quantification and identity. A model \(\langle D, I \rangle\) will still consist of a non-empty domain, \(D\), and an interpretation function, \(I\). One difference, however, is that we now take \(I\), in addition, to assign a member of the domain \(D\) to each individual constant and to assign an \(n\)-place function from the set of ordered \(n\)-tuples of members of \(D\), \(D^{n}\), into \(D\) to each function symbol \(f^{n}_{i}\).
We now define satisfaction in terms of denotation. Given a model \(\langle D, I\rangle\) and an assignment \(s\) for the model, we say that a term \(t\) denotes a member \(d\) of the domain under assignment \(s\), in symbols \(Den_{s}(t) = d\), if, and only if, (i) \(t\) is a variable \(x_i\) and \(s(x_i) = d\), or (ii) \(t\) is an individual constant \(c\) and \(I(c) = d\), or (iii) \(t\) is of the form \(f^{n}_{i}t_1 , \ldots, t_n\) and \(d = I(f^{n}_{i})(Den_{s}(t_1), \ldots, Den_{s}(t_n))\).
The definition of satisfaction in a model \(\langle D, I\rangle\) by an assignment \(s\) proceeds much like before, except for the obvious clauses for atomic formulas of the form \(P^n_i t_1, \ldots, t_n\) and \(t_i = t_j\): \(P^n_i t_1, \ldots, t_n\) is satisfied by \(s\) in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if and only if \(\langle Den_{s}(t_1), \ldots, Den_{s}(t_n) \rangle \in I(P^n_i)\). And \(t_i = t_j\) is satisfied by \(s\) in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if and only if the denotation of \(t_i\) under \(s\) is identical to the denotation of \(t_j\) under \(s\).
The definitions of truth in a model and validity carry over from pure quantificational logic.
We have Soundness and Completeness theorems for classical quantificational logic with identity as well as Compactness and Löwenheim-Skolem theorems. The entry on first-order model theory offers an in-depth examination of these and other meta-theoretic results for classical quantificational logic with identity.
In what follows, we look at three rival accounts of quantification in modern logic. They are departures from classical quantification logic because they reject some of classical axioms of quantification or because they question some aspect of the Tarskian model theory we have used to interpret the language of classical quantification logic.
In pure quantificational logic, one may, for example, derive the conditional \(\forall x \ Px \rightarrow \exists x \ Px\) as an immediate consequence of the axioms. But the derivability of this sentence—and others like \(\exists x (Px \rightarrow Px)\)—may give one pause. To the extent to which logic should remain neutral in ontological matters, the axioms of pure quantificational logic should not by themselves be able to prove that there is something rather than nothing. From a model-theoretic perspective, the exclusion of the empty domain as an eligible domain for a model may likewise seem artificial. Since the validity of formulas like \(\forall x \ Px \rightarrow \exists x Px\) or \(\exists x (Px \rightarrow Px)\) is largely a byproduct of what may seem an ad hoc stipulation, one may be motivated to expand the range of model-theoretic interpretations in order to allow for a model with an empty domain of discourse. Quine (1954) used the label “inclusive” to refer to alternatives to quantificational logic that make allowance for such a model.
According to Quine (1954), an inclusive quantificational logic should evaluate every universally quantified formula of the form \(\forall x \ A\) to be vacuously true in a model \(\langle D, I\rangle\) in which \(D\) is empty, and it should evaluate every existentially quantified formula of the form \(\exists x \ A\) to be false in such a model. \(\forall x \ Px \rightarrow \exists x \ Px\) and \(\exists x (Px \rightarrow Px)\) are therefore not valid on the expanded model theory. However, it is quite a delicate matter to provide a compositional amendment of the Tarskian definition of truth in a model \(\langle D, I \rangle\) under an assignment \(s\) that delivers Quine’s verdicts.[7]
An axiomatization of inclusive quantificational logic should weaken the axiom of universal instantiation in order to prevent the derivation of theorems such as \((\forall x \ Px \rightarrow \exists x \ Px)\) or \(\exists x (Px \rightarrow Px)\). One option independently explored by Kripke (1963) and Lambert (1963) is to replace (\(\forall 1\)) with a closed axiom schema:
(\(\forall 1^{-}\)) \(\forall y (\forall x \ A \rightarrow A(y/x))\),
In the absence of identity, by itself, this change results in an inadequate axiomatization of pure quantificational logic, one which cannot yield every instance of a permutation principle discussed by Fine (1983):
\(\forall x \forall y \ A \rightarrow \forall y \forall x \ A\).
The permutation principle, however, becomes redundant in the presence of axioms for identity.
The axiomatization of classical quantification logic with identity that emerges from the substitution is discussed by Lambert (1963) with a different motivation in mind: Lambert wanted to allow for alternatives to the classical theory of quantification and identity that remain “free” from any assumptions concerning the existence of denotations for its singular terms and predicates. This motivation has given rise to a variety of alternatives to the classical theory of quantification and identity that are generally subsumed under the label free logic. Some free logics qualify as inclusive quantificational logics, but not all do. To the extent to which the motivations are different, such differences are only to be expected. The entry on free logic discusses a variety of options for free logic.
Intuitionistic propositional logic is weaker than classical propositional logic. All intuitionistically valid formulas are classically valid, but classically valid formulas like \((A \vee \lnot A)\) and \((\lnot \lnot A \rightarrow A)\) are not intuitionistically valid.[8] The exclusion of these formulas from the range of intuitionistic theorems can be motivated by the usual Brouwer-Heyting-Kolmogorov interpretation of the connectives:
A proof of \(\lnot A\) consists of a proof that there cannot be a proof of \(A\).
A proof of \((A \wedge B)\) consists of a proof of \(A\) and a proof of \(B\).
A proof of \((A \vee B)\) consists of a proof of \(A\) or a proof of \(B\).
A proof of \((A \rightarrow B)\) consists of a construction, which turns a proof of \(A\) into a proof of \(B\).
Despite the differences in interpretation, there is an important connection between intuitionistic and classical propositional logic. For we know that a formula \(A\) is a theorem of classical propositional logic if, and only if, \(\neg \neg A\) is a theorem of intuitionistic propositional logic. Thus while \((A \vee \neg A)\) is obviously not a theorem of intuitionistic propositional logic, \(\neg \neg (A \vee \neg A)\) is in fact intuitionistically provable. This fact is at the core of a familiar translation from classical into intuitionistic propositional logic due to Kurt Gödel and Gerhard Gentzen. For a summary of this and related facts, the reader may consult the entry on intuitionistic logic.
Now, intuitionistic quantificational logic may be motivated by the Brouwer-Heyting-Kolmogorov interpretation of the quantifiers:
A proof of \(\exists x \ A\) is given by a specification of some \(d\) and a proof that \(A\) obtains for \(d\).
A proof of \(\forall x \ A\) is given by a construction, which given an object \(d\), produces a proof that \(A\) obtains for \(d\).
The intuitionistic interpretation does not sanction the classical equivalence between \(\exists x \ A\) and \(\neg \forall x \neg \ A\). Indeed, the two quantifiers must remain part of the primitive vocabulary of intuitionistic quantificational logic.
The intuitionistic axioms of quantification include counterparts of the classical axioms of universal instantiation and existential generalization:
(\(\forall^{I}1\)) \(\forall x \ A \rightarrow A(y/x)\)
(\(\exists^{I}1\)) \(A(y/x) \rightarrow \exists x \ A\)
In addition to this, we require counterparts of the classical (\(\forall^{I}2\)) for each quantifier:
(\(\forall^{I}2\)) \(\forall x (A \rightarrow B) \rightarrow (A \rightarrow \forall x \ B)\),
provided \(x\) does not occur freely in \(A\).
(\(\exists^{I}2\)) \(\exists x (A \rightarrow B) \rightarrow (\exists x \ A \rightarrow B)\),
provided \(x\) does not occur freely in \(B\).
We have a rule of universal generalization:
(\(\forall^{I}3\)) from \(A\), infer \(\forall x \ A\).
It is not generally true that a formula \(A\) is a theorem of pure quantificational logic if, and only if, \(\neg \neg A\) is a theorem of intuitionistic quantificational logic, but there is a more sophisticated double-negation interpretation of theorems of pure quantificational logic. In particular, we have that a formula \(A\) is a theorem of quantificational logic if, and only if, it is a theorem of intuitionistic quantificational logic supplemented with a double negation schema:
(DNS) \(\forall x \ \neg \neg A \rightarrow \neg \neg \forall x \ A\)
Much like in the propositional case, this fact may be exploited to give a more sophisticated translation from pure quantificational logic into intuitionistic quantificational logic. Details are given in Moschovakis (2010).
In intuitionistic quantificational logic, we cannot move from \(\neg \forall x \neg A\) to \(\exists x \ A\), but we still have this:
\(\exists x \ A \rightarrow \neg \forall x \neg \ A\)
Moreover, since \(A\) intuitionistically entails \(\lnot \lnot A\), we can infer:
\(\forall x A \rightarrow \lnot \lnot \forall x A\)
In intuitionistic quantificational logic, \(\forall x \lnot \lnot A\) is strictly weaker than \(\lnot \lnot \forall x A\), since we have:
\(\lnot \lnot \forall x A \rightarrow \forall x \lnot \lnot A\).
A variety of interpretations have been advanced for intuitionistic quantificational logic, but the model theory developed by Kripke (1965) is perhaps the most similar to the model theory of classical quantificational logic. A Kripke model \(\mathcal{K}\) is based on a frame \(\langle S, \preceq \rangle\), which consists of a set of stages partially ordered by an accessibility relation \(\preceq\). A Kripke model assigns an inhabited domain, \(D_{s}\), to each stage \(s \in S\), subject to the constraint that \(D_s \subseteq D_{s'}\) when \(s \preceq s'\). We may assume that suitable names for the members of each \(D_s\) have been adjoined to the language. Finally, for \(n>0\), a Kripke model assigns a set of \(n\)-tuples of members of \(D_s\) for each \(n\)-place predicate \(P^{n}\) at each stage \(s\) in \(S\), subject to the constraint that if \(s \preceq s'\) and \(P^n\) is true of \(\langle d_1, \ldots, d_n \rangle\) at \(s\), then \(P^{n}\) is still true of \(\langle d_1, \ldots, d_n \rangle\) at \(s'\).
The entry on intuitionistic logic provides a more formal and complete statement of Kripke’s model theory for intuitionistic quantificational logic and states Soundness and Completeness Theorems for it. Very roughly, a negation \(\neg A\) is true at a stage \(s\) if, and only if, \(A\) is not true at any stage \(s'\) such that \(s \preceq s'\); an existentially quantified formula \(\exists x \ A\) is true at a stage \(s\) if, and only if, \(A\) is true of some \(d\) in \(D_s\) at \(s\); and a formula \(\forall x \ A\) is true at a stage \(s\) if, and only if, \(A\) is true of every \(d\) in \(D_{s'}\) for every \(s'\) such that \(s \preceq s'\).
For a taste of what Kripke models can do, consider:
\(\neg \forall x \neg \ A \rightarrow \exists x \ A\)
\(\lnot \lnot \forall x \ A \rightarrow \forall x \ A\)
\(\forall x \lnot \lnot A \rightarrow \lnot \lnot \forall x \ A\)
Let \(\mathcal{K}\) be a Kripke model based on a frame in which we have two stages \(s_0 \preceq s_1\). Assume \(\{d \}\) is the domain associated to each stage by the model, and let a monadic predicate \(P\) be true of \(d\) at \(s_1\) but not at \(s_0\). We may verify that \(\neg \forall x \neg Px\) is true at \(s_0\), even though \(\exists x \ Px\) is not true at \(s_0\). So, (i) is not intuitionistically valid. One may likewise verify that \(\lnot \lnot \forall x Px\) is true at \(s_0\), even though \(\forall x Px\) is not true at \(s_0\). It follows that (ii) is not intuitionistically valid either.
For (iii), consider, for example, a Kripke model based on a frame in which we have an infinite number of stages \(s_0 \preceq s_1 \preceq \ldots \preceq s_n \preceq \ldots\). We may assume that \(D_{s_{n}} = \{ d_0 , \ldots, d_n \}\) and that a monadic predicate \(P\) is true at \(s_n\) of every \(d_m\) in the domain except for \(d_n\). It turns out that \(\forall x \lnot \lnot Px\) is true at \(s_0\) even though \(\lnot \lnot \forall x Px\) is not true at \(s_0\). Therefore, \(\forall x \lnot \lnot A \rightarrow \lnot \lnot \forall x A\) is not intuitionistically valid either. These and similar examples are discussed in Burgess 2009.
The model-theoretic interpretation of the language of quantificational logic relied on the Tarskian definition of satisfaction in a model by an assignment of values to the variables. But the assignment of an object to a variable is never dependent on the availability of a term, \(t\), for the object in the language for which one defines truth in a model. Indeed, an existentially quantified formula \(\exists x \ A\) may well be true in a model even if no atomic formula of the form \(A(t/y)\) is true in the model.
Substitutional quantifiers \(\Pi \alpha \ A\) and \(\Sigma \alpha \ A\) are interpreted differently. An interpretation associates with them not a domain of quantification, but rather a substitution class, \(C\), of linguistic expressions of an appropriate syntactic category in the initial language. The truth conditions for substitutionally quantified sentences of the form \(\Sigma \alpha \ A\) and \(\Pi \alpha \ A\) may be given in terms of the truth conditions of suitable substitution instances of \(A(\epsilon / \alpha)\) in which each occurrence of the substitutional variable \(\alpha\) has been replaced with a linguistic expression, \(\epsilon\), of the appropriate syntactic category in the substitution class for the quantifier:
A sentence of the form \(\Sigma \alpha \ A\) is true relative to a substitution class \(C\) if, and only if, some substitution of the variable \(\alpha\) for an expression \(\epsilon\) in the substitution class \(C\) for the quantifier, \(A(\epsilon / \alpha)\), is true.
A sentence of the form \(\Pi \alpha \ A\) is true relative to a substitution class \(C\) if, and only if, every substitution of the variable \(\alpha\) for an expression \(\epsilon\) in the substitution class \(C\) for the quantifier, \(A(\epsilon / \alpha)\), is true.
This characterization of substitutional quantification allows for substitutional variables of different syntactic categories, whether singular terms, predicates or sentences. Indeed, substitutional quantification is often used to mimic quantification into predicate and sentence position of the kinds discussed later in this entry.
Early work on substitutional quantification was developed in Marcus (1961) but it soon became the subject of debate in the next two decades as philosophers made use of substitutional quantification in ontology and the philosophy of language and mathematics. Belnap and Dunn (1968), Parsons (1971), and Kripke (1976) are some of the relevant papers in the debate. For a sense of some of the purported applications of substitutional quantification, the reader may consult the essays collected in Gottlieb 1981. For additional discussion, see Hand (2007).
Let us momentarily focus on singular terms. To keep matters simple, consider an impoverished fragment of the language of arithmetic with one constant, \(0\), read: “zero” and one functional symbol, \(S\), read: “the successor of”. The domain of the intended interpretation consists of a set of natural numbers, which are named by singular terms of the form \(0\), \(SS0\), \(SSS0\), …, etc. If we now associate the class of all such terms to the substitutional quantifiers \(\Sigma \alpha\) and \(\Pi \alpha\), then a sentence like \(\Sigma \alpha \ \alpha = \alpha\) is evaluated as true in virtue of the truth of formulas like \(0 = 0\), whereas \(\Pi \alpha \ \alpha < \alpha\) is evaluated as false in virtue of falsity of formulas like \(0 < 0\). In general, a sentence of the form \(\Sigma \alpha \ A\) exhibits the same truth conditions as an infinitary disjunction of the form: \[A(0/\alpha) \vee A(S0/\alpha) \vee \ldots\vee A(SS \overbrace{\ldots}^n S0/\alpha) \vee \ldots\] whereas a sentence of the form \(\Pi \alpha \ A\) exhibits the same truth conditions as an infinitary conjunction: \[A(0/\alpha) \wedge A(S0/\alpha) \wedge \ldots\wedge A(SS \overbrace{\ldots}^n S0/\alpha) \wedge \ldots\] The case of arithmetic is optimal because we have a name for each member of the intended domain. This means that in general, a quantified sentence of the form \(\exists x \ A\) will be true if, and only if its substitutional counterpart \(\Sigma \alpha \ A\) is likewise true. But in this respect, however, the language of arithmetic is the exception and not the rule. In real analysis, for example, there are too many objects in the domain to have a name in a countable language. In such a situation, we must confront the risk that a sentence of the form \(\exists x \ A\) may be true even if \(\Sigma \alpha \ A\) remains false in virtue of the lack of a true substitution instance of the form \(A(t/ \alpha)\). This may happen, for example, if the objects that satisfy the open formula \(A\) are not denoted by any singular term in the language.
Call the initial language “the object language”. And call the language in which we explain the truth conditions of sentences of the initial language “the metalanguage”. In the metalanguage, we have explained the truth condition for \(\Sigma \alpha \ A\) in terms of what looks like objectual quantification over linguistic expressions. To acknowledge this is of course not to claim that the intended interpretation of substitutional quantification is one on which it is merely objectual quantification over linguistic expressions. But just what the intended interpretation of the substitutional quantifier might be has been the subject of intense controversy. Indeed, van Inwagen (1981) and Fine (1989), for example, have each argued that there is no separate intended interpretation we can understand independently from our grasp of objectual quantification over linguistic expressions of the relevant sort.
Whatever the philosophical import of substitutional quantification, Kripke (1976) makes plain that there is no technical obstacle to introducing substitutional quantifiers into a given language. In what is perhaps the canonical treatment of substitutional quantification, he explained how to extend an interpreted language \(\mathcal{L}\) into a substitutional language \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) equipped with substitutional quantification over a class of expressions in \(\mathcal{L}\). One first expands the vocabulary of \(\mathcal{L}\) with an infinite stock of variables \(\alpha_1\), \(\alpha_2\), … and a substitutional quantifier \(\Sigma\). (Kripke defines \(\Pi\) as the dual of \(\Sigma\), where \(\Pi \alpha \ A\) abbreviates: \(\lnot \Sigma \alpha \lnot \ A\).)
An atomic preformula is an expression that results from a sentence of \(\mathcal{L}\) when zero or more terms are replaced by a substitutional variable. A form is an atomic preformula, where the replacement of its substitutional variables with terms yields back a sentence. We can now define a formula of \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) recursively. \(A\) is a formula of \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) if and only if either (i) \(A\) is a form of \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) or (ii) \(A\) is \(\lnot B\), where \(B\) is a formula of \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) or (iii) \(A\) is \((B \rightarrow C)\), where \(B\) and \(C\) are each formulas of \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) or (iv) \(A\) is \(\Sigma \alpha \ B\), where \(B\) is a formula of \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\). A sentence of \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) is a formula without free substitutional variables.
Kripke defines truth for sentences of \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) recursively in terms of truth in \(\mathcal{L}\). If \(A\) is an atomic sentence of \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\)—which may well be a complex sentence of \(\mathcal{L}\), then \(A\) is true in \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) if, and only if, \(A\) is true in \(\mathcal{L}\). If \(A\) is a sentence of the form \(\lnot B\), then \(A\) is true in \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) if, and only if, \(B\) is not true in \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\). If \(A\) is of the form \((B \rightarrow C)\), then \(A\) is true in \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) if, and only if, \(B\) is not true or \(C\) is true in \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\). Finally, and more crucially, if \(A\) is of the form \(\Sigma \alpha \ B\), then \(A\) is true in \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) if and only if \(B(\epsilon/\alpha)\) is true in \(\mathcal{L}^{\Sigma}\) for some \(\epsilon\) in the substitution class \(C\) associated with \(\Sigma\).
Kripke then defines a sentence \(A\) of the language of pure substitutional quantificational logic to be valid if, and only if \(A\) comes out true no matter what base language \(\mathcal{L}\) and non-empty class of terms \(\mathcal{C}\) we take as input for the substitutional expansion and what predicates of \(\mathcal{L}\) we substitute for the predicates of \(A\). In particular, Kripke notes that when the quantifiers of a valid sentence of pure quantificational logic are suitably rewritten as substitutional quantifiers, we obtain a valid sentence in the language of pure substitutional quantificational logic.
Each departure from classical quantificational logic we have considered originated from an objection to either axioms of pure quantificational logic or the Tarskian definition of satisfaction in a model by an assignment of objects to the variables of the language. We now take both for granted and look at proposed extensions of classical quantificational logic with new styles of quantification. Each extension will generally require us to add new axioms for the new styles of quantification and to expand the Tarskian definition of truth in a model in terms of satisfaction.
Frege originally conceived of the quantifier \(\forall\) as a monadic predicate that is true of a first-level concept \(F\) under which only objects fall if, and only if, all objects fall under \(F\); likewise, Frege assimilated \(\exists\) to a monadic predicate that is true of a first-level concept if, and only if, at least one object falls under \(F\). In modern terms, we may say that the truth conditions of \(\forall x \ A\) are given in terms of a certain condition on the extension of the formula \(A\). Given a model \(\langle D, I\rangle\) and a formula \(A(x)\) with a single free variable \(x\), it will be convenient to use \(A(x)[d]\) to abbreviate: \(A\) is satisfied in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) by variable assignments on which \(d\) is the value assigned to the variable \(x\). The extension of a formula \(A(x)\) with a single free variable \(x\) in a model \(\langle D, I\rangle\) is just \(\{ d \in D: A(x)[d] \}\), which we may abbreviate \(I(A)\).
\(\forall x A\) is true in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if, and only if, \(D \subseteq I(A)\).
The contemporary study of generalized quantifiers begins with Mostowski (1957) and Lindström (1966) (the entry on generalized quantifiers provides a survey of recent developments and applications in logic and natural language). Lindström and Mowstoski began with a generalization of Frege’s conception of a quantifier in at least two dimensions. First, they considered additional unary quantifiers \(Q(A)\), which behave syntactically like \(\forall\) and \(\exists\) but set a different condition on the extension of \(A\). Second, they considered binary quantifiers \(Q(A, B)\), which set a given condition based on a relation between the extensions of \(A\) and \(B\).
Cardinality quantifiers provide a simple example of the first sort of generalization. If we write \(card(S)\) to denote the cardinality of a given set \(S\), we may introduce unary quantifiers of the form \(Q(A)\), which set a cardinality condition on the extension of a formula \(A\):
\(\exists_{\geq n} x A\) is true in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if, and only if, \(card(I(A)) \geq n\)
\(\exists !_{n} x A\) is true in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if, and only if, \(card(I(A)) = n\)
\(\exists_{\geq n}\) is read: “at least \(n\) objects” and \(\exists !_{n}\) is read: “exactly \(n\) objects.” Both quantifiers are definable in terms of a standard quantifier against the background of classical quantificational logic.
Other cardinality quantifiers, however, do increase the expressive power of classical quantifical logic. We may, for example, introduce cardinality quantifiers of the form \(Q(A)\), which require the extension of \(A\) to have an infinite cardinality:
\(Q_0 x \ A\) is true in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if, and only if, \(card(I(A)) \geq \aleph_0\)
\(\aleph_0\) is the cardinality of the set of natural numbers, and \(\aleph_1\) is the next transfinite cardinal.[9] When we supplement classical quantificational logic with \(Q_0\), read: “at least \(\aleph_0\) objects”, we must relinquish Compactness even if we can still retain the Löwenheim-Skolem theorem. The opposite is the case, however, when we supplement classical quantificational logic with \(Q_1\), read: “at least \(\aleph_1\) objects” instead.
Two more cardinality quantifiers that have been studied in the literature are the Chang quantifier and the Rescher quantifier:
\(Cx \ A\) is true in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if, and only if, \(card(I(A)) = card(D)\)
\(R x \ A\) is true in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if, and only if, \(card(I(A)) > card(D - I(A))\)
The Chang quantifier collapses into \(\forall\) only in the finite case; if \(D\) is infinite, then the extension of a formula \(A\), \(I(A)\), may match the cardinality of the domain, \(D\), even if the two sets are different, i.e., \(I(A) \neq D\).
The second dimension of generalization concerns the number of arguments we let quantifiers take. We can, for example, introduce binary quantifiers, \(Q(A, B)\), whose truth condition is given in terms of a binary relation between the extension of the formula \(A\) and the extension of the formula \(B\) in a model.
\(All(A, B)\) is true in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if, and only if, \(I(A) \subseteq I(B)\)
\(More(A, B)\) is true in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if, and only if, \(card(I(A)) > card(I(B))\)
\(Most(A, B)\) is true in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if, and only if, \(card(I(A) \cap I(B)) > card(I(A)-I(B))\)
As defined above, \(Most(A, B)\), for example, is true if and only if more objects are both \(A\) and \(B\) than there are objects that are \(A\) and not \(B\).
Of special interest in the philosophy of language is the case of Russellian definite descriptions, which can be subsumed under the category of a binary quantifier:
\(The(A, B)\) is true in \(\langle D, I\rangle\) if, and only if, \(card(I(A)) = 1\) and \(I(A) \subseteq I(B)\)
For a systematic discussion of these issues, the reader may consult Peters & Westerståhl (2006).
We generally let quantifiers bind a single type of variable, but we may find it helpful, on occasion, to let them bind additional types of variables in order to quantify over different sorts of values. In arithmetic, for example, we may want to be able to quantify over natural numbers and sets thereof and we may find it convenient to classify the individual variables of the language into at least two categories. We may reserve lowercase variables \(x, y, z, x_1\), … to range over natural numbers, and we may use uppercase variables \(X, Y, Z, X_1\), … to range over sets of natural numbers. In a many-sorted language with functional symbols and individual constants, each singular term would be assigned a single sort. If we want identity, we need to include an identity predicate for each sort of a variable and insist on each such predicate to be flanked only by singular terms of the appropriate sort. Other predicates may nevertheless take arguments of different sorts; for example, in a two-sorted language in which lowercase variables range over numbers and uppercase variables range over sets of numbers, \(x \epsilon X\), for example, can take as arguments variables of different sorts and may be read “\(x\) is in \(X\)”.
To accommodate the new styles of variables in the model theory for many-sorted logic, we may add a domain for each style of variable. A model for a two-sorted language, for example, may consist of an ordered triple \(\langle D_1, D_2, I\rangle\) in which \(D_1\) and \(D_2\) specify the domain of quantification associated to each style of variable, and \(I\) is an interpretation function, which assigns appropriate values and extensions to each expression in the non-logical vocabulary. (Since each singular term is assigned a sort, \(I\) must be constrained to make sure singular terms of each sort denote objects in the appropriate domain.) The metatheory for many-sorted logic is closely related to the metatheory for classical quantificational logic. One may, for example, prove many-sorted versions of Compactness and the Löwenheim-Skolem Theorem. Details may be found in Enderton 2001.
However, the move to a many-sorted language is largely a matter of convenience. Many-sorted quantification may be analyzed in terms of restricted one-sorted quantification. For each many-sorted language with \(n\) styles of variable, we may introduce a one-sorted language, which comes with a one-place predicate, \(S_i\), for each sort in the many-sorted language. We may set out to translate each formula of the many-sorted language into a formula of the one-sorted language: we translate each identity in terms of a single identity predicate; a quantification on a variable of sort \(i\), \(\forall x^i \ A\), is replaced with a formula of the form \(\forall x (S_i x \rightarrow A)\). We may, in addition, turn each model for the many-sorted language \(\langle D_1, \ldots, D_n, I \rangle\) into a model for the resulting one-sorted language \(\langle \bigcup_{n} D_n, I^\ast \rangle\) in which we take the domain to consist in the union of the domains associated to each original sort. The interpretation function, \(I^\ast\) will coincide with \(I\) when it comes to predicates and individual constants. However, \(I^\ast\) will generally have to extend the interpretation of a functional symbol, \(f^n_i\), by \(I\), in one way or another. Finally, \(I^\ast\) will interpret the identity predicate as usual.
Still, even if there is no real gain in expressive power, one reason to flag the availability of many-sorted quantification is because some of the extensions of classical quantificational logic to be examined below are closely related to certain theories couched in the language of two-sorted logic. In particular, second-order logic and the theory of plural quantification will be each closely related to two first-order two-sorted theories, which lack the expressive resources often attributed to each extension of classical quantificational logic.
Second-order logic is an extension of classical quantificational logic in which we allow for quantification into predicate position. Second-order logic originated with Frege (1879), which developed a formal language equipped with predicate variables of the form \(X^{n}_{i}\). Predicate variables behave syntactically like \(n\)-place predicates of the form \(P^{n}_{i}\). In second-order logic, we allow a predicate variable \(X^{n}_{i}\) followed by \(n\) variables \(X^{n}x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n}\) to count as an atomic formula. Likewise, we allow the quantifiers \(\forall\) and \(\exists\) to bind predicate and individual variables as in \(\forall X^{n} \ A\) and \(\exists X^{n} \ A\).
The axioms for second-order logic supplement the axioms of classical quantificational logic with distinctive axioms for the second-order quantifiers. Call a predicate variable \(Y^n\) free for \(X^n\) in \(A\) if, and only if, no free occurrences of \(X^n\) lie within the scope of a quantification on \(Y^n\), \(\forall Y^n\) or \(\exists Y^n\):
(\(\forall^{2}1\)) \(\forall X^{n} \ A \rightarrow A(U^{n}_{j}/X^{n})\),
provided \(U^{n}_{j}\) is free for \(X^{n}\) in \(A\).
(\(\forall^{2}2\)) \(\forall X^{n} (A \rightarrow B) \rightarrow (A \rightarrow \forall X^{n} \ B)\),
provided \(X^{n}\) does not occur freely in \(A\).
(\(\forall^2 1\)) is a second-order version of universal instantiation. The second-order version of universal generalization becomes:
(\(\forall^{2}3\)) from \(A\), infer \(\forall X^{n} \ A\).
Observe that while \(\forall X \ Xx \rightarrow P x\) is an instance of (\(\forall^2 1\)), the formula \(\forall X \ Xx \rightarrow (P x \wedge Q x)\) is not an instance of the axiom. But whatever one takes the value of a second-order variable to be, you may think that there should be one under which an object falls if and only if it satisfies the condition stated by the formula \((P x \wedge Q x)\). To make sure, we may rely on an axiom of second-order comprehension:
\(\exists X^{n} \forall x_1, \ldots x_n(X^{n}x_1, \ldots, x_n \leftrightarrow A(x_1, \ldots, x_n))\)
provided \(X^{n}\) does not occur freely in \(A(x_1, \ldots , x_n)\).
A formula like \(\forall X \ Xx \rightarrow (P x \wedge Q x)\) now follows from the combination of second-order universal instantiation and an instance of second-order comprehension: \(\exists X \forall x(Xx \leftrightarrow (P x \wedge Q x))\).[10]
To develop a model theory for a second-order language, we may still take a model \(\langle D, I\rangle\) to consist of a non-empty domain and an interpretation function. We now let an assignment \(s\) for \(\langle D, I\rangle\) to be a function that assigns a member of \(D\) to each individual variable and a set of \(n\)-tuples of members of \(D\) to each predicate variable \(X^n\). We then modify the definition of satisfaction to let a formula of the form \(\forall X^n \ B\) be satisfied in \(\langle D, I \rangle\) by an assignment \(s\) if, and only if, \(B\) is satisfied by all assignments of the form \(s[X^n/R^n]\), where \(R^n\) is a set of \(n\)-tuples of members of \(D_1\). The definitions of truth in a model and validity proceed exactly as in the first-order case.
The entry on second-order and higher-order logic provides more detail and gives some indication of the complexity of the set of valid second-order formulas in the standard model theory for second-order logic. No Completeness, Compactness, or Löwenheim-Skolem theorem is available for second-order logic with standard models. The entry on second-order and higher-order logic provides concrete illustrations of these facts.
A Henkin model lets a second-order variable \(X^n\) range over some subset of the set of \(n\)-tuples of members of the domain \(D\). Thus a Henkin model consists of a domain \(D\) of individuals, a domain \(D^n_2\) of sets of \(n\)-tuples of objects in \(D\) for each \(n \leq 1\), and an interpretation function \(I\). To make sure that every instance of second-order comprehension is validated in the model, we require each \(D^n_2\) to contain every set of \(n\)-tuples of members of \(D\) that is definable by a formula \(A\) of the language.
This is what the entry on second-order and higher-order logic calls general semantics. The metatheory of second-order logic with Henkin models is very much like the metatheory of classical quantificational logic in that it is complete, compact, and subject to a Löwenheim-Skolem theorem. One reason for this is that second-order logic under the Henkin model theory is only a notational variant of a two-sorted first-order theory in which the axioms of quantificational logic are supplemented by suitable axioms of comprehension.
Which model theory is more appropriate for second-order logic? There is a trade-off between the attractive features of the metatheory of second-order logic with Henkin models, on the one hand, and the expressive power of second-order logic with standard models, on the other. Frege’s own interest in second-order quantification had much to do with its ability to express the concept of the ancestral of a dyadic relation \(R\), which allowed him in turn to define the concept natural number in terms of \(0\) and successor. For details, the reader may consult the entry on Frege’s Theorem and Foundations of Arithmetic. There are, in addition, categorical axiomatizations of arithmetic, where a set of sentences is categorical if, and only if, all of its models are isomorphic, which means that there is only one model up to isomorphism. Dedekind (1893) famously proved, for example, that the second-order formulation of the Peano Axioms characterized the structure of the natural number system. There is a similar result for real analysis. For second-order set theory, Zermelo (1930) observed that given two models of second-order Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory, one is isomorphic to a strongly inaccessible initial segment of the other. The entry on set theory describes the axioms of set theory. Other examples of the expressive resources afforded by second-order quantification with standard models are discussed in Shapiro (1991). The adoption of a model theory based on Henkin models requires one to surrender all these applications.
Much like in the case of pure quantificational logic, no model—standard or otherwise—for the language of second-order logic interprets the quantifiers to range over a universal domain of discourse. But if there are interpretations of the language of second-order logic to which no model corresponds, the question arises again of whether truth in all models is tantamount to truth under all interpretations of the language. Unfortunately, in the absence of a Completeness theorem, Kreisel’s argument is not available for second-order logic with standard models.
One may nevertheless argue that a formula is true in all models only if it is true under all interpretations of the language by appeal to a second-order principle of reflection. This reflection principle makes sure that a formula \(A\) of the language of second-order set theory is true when the quantifiers are taken to range unrestrictedly over the universal domain if, and only if, \(A\) is true when the quantifiers are restricted to some set-sized initial segment of the universe of a certain sort.[11] Shapiro (1987) discusses both the set-theoretic principle and its role in the justification of the claim that if a sentence is true in every standard model, then it is true under every interpretation of the language. Unfortunately, second-order reflection takes us beyond the scope of second-order Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory and the axiom of choice (ZFC).
To make sense of interpretations over a universal domain, one may conceive of an interpretation as a value of a second-order predicate variable, \(I\), which applies to ordered pairs of a certain sort. An interpretation, \(I\), applies to ordered pairs of the form \(\langle \forall, o \rangle\), when \(o\) is in the domain of the interpretation, and \(I\) applies to ordered pairs of the form \(\langle P^{n}_{i}, \langle a_1, \ldots, a_n\rangle \rangle\), when \(P^{n}_{i}\) is taken to apply to the objects in \(\langle a_1, \ldots, a_n\rangle\). The usual definition of an assignment is then replaced by one on which an assignment is given by the value of a second-order variable \(S\), which applies to an ordered pair of the form \(\langle x, o\rangle\), where \(o\) is an object, for each first-order variable in the language, and to ordered pairs of the form \(\langle X, o\rangle\), where \(o\) is an object, for each second-order variable in the language. An assignment \(S\) is required to pair each first-order variable with exactly one object, but it is allowed to pair a second-order variable with any objects whatever. In the presence of these definitions, we can generalize Tarski’s definition satisfaction in an interpretation by an assignment, truth, and validity.[12]
The status of second-order quantification remains a highly controversial issue. In the standard model theory for second-order quantification, we explain the truth conditions of a formula of the form \(\forall X \ A\) in terms of ordinary quantification over sets. And this may incline one to follow Quine (1986) in claiming that second-order quantification is only intelligible as first-order quantification over sets of the domain of individuals. Second-order logic would, on this view, be best conceived as a species of two-sorted first-order set theory. But the mere fact that in the standard semantics for second-order logic, we state the truth conditions for second-order quantification in terms of first-order quantification over sets is not to admit that this is the only, much less the intended interpretation of second-order quantification. Frege certainly had a very different interpretation in mind. For a defense of the claim that second-order quantification should be taken at face value, the reader may consult Williamson (2003).
Similar remarks apply to the logic of a plural quantifier like “some objects”. Indeed, much of the recent interest in plural quantification in logic and philosophy began with Boolos (1984), who provided a plural interpretation of monadic second-order quantification. Boolos wanted to defend second-order axiomatizations of set theory against the charge that second-order quantification cannot be coherently deployed over the domain of all sets. Boolos (1984) explained how to interpret the second-order quantifier, \(\forall X\), over the domain of all sets in terms of the plural quantifier “some sets”, and how to interpret atomic formulas of the form \(Xx\) in terms of the plural locution “is one of”. The fact that plural locutions are systematically used and perfectly understood in natural language, Boolos thought, helped address the charge of incoherence. The Boolos translation is described in detail in the entry on plural quantification.
Whatever the merits of the Boolos translation, plural quantification is nowadays generally distinguished from second-order quantification on the grounds that they bind expressions of different syntactic and semantic categories—while predicates are unsaturated in Frege’s terminology and contain argument places to be completed by expressions of an appropriate syntactic category, plural terms are often thought to be akin to saturated singular terms. Different variations on this theme may be found, for example, in Higginbotham 1998; Oliver & Smiley 2001; Rayo & Yablo 2001; Williamson 2003, 2013. This is a book, which includes an extensive discussion of important differences in the behavior of plural and second-order quantification in modal contexts. Plural quantification has consequently become the subject of its own study.
The language of plural quantification is carefully described in the entry on plural quantification. Syntactically, it is closely related to a two-sorted first-order language in which we have an infinite number of variables \(xx\), \(yy\), \(zz\), \(xx_{1}\), …. , and a two-place predicate \(\prec\), read “one of,” which will be flanked by singular and plural terms, respectively. Identity predicate can only flanked by singular terms.
The axioms for plural quantification extend the axioms of quantificational logic with plural counterparts of (\(\forall 1\)), (\(\forall 2\)), and (\(\forall 3\)). Like in the second-order case, the axioms of quantification are supplemented with an axiom schema of plural comprehension:
\(\exists x \ A \rightarrow \exists xx \forall y (y \prec xx \leftrightarrow A)\)
provided \(xx\) does not occur freely in \(A\).
One important difference with respect to monadic second-order logic is that instances of plural comprehension are conditionals that state that if something satisfies a certain condition, then some objects are all and only objects satisfying the condition. The antecedent of each conditional is motivated by an interpretation of the plural quantifier \(\exists xx\) to mean “one or more objects”. Indeed, Linnebo (2013) explicitly supplements the theory of plural quantification with an axiom that states that no matter what some objects may be, there is at least one of them:
\(\forall xx \ \exists y \ y \prec xx\)
Like in the case of second-order logic, we may provide at least two sorts of models for the theory of plural quantification. In both cases, we interpret plural quantification in terms of quantification over non-empty sets of individuals in the domain \(D\). The difference is that in standard models we let plural variables range over the full power set of \(D\), whereas plural variables range over a set \(S\) of non-empty subsets of \(D\), provided only that \(S\) contains all sets definable by some formula.
Both approaches take place in a singular metalanguage. Since the models are based on set theory, they require the domain of individuals to form a set. Furthermore, the definition of satisfaction explains what is for a formula \(\forall xx \ A\) to be satisfied in a model by an assignment in terms of singular quantification over non-empty subsets of the domain of individuals. This may perhaps encourage the impression that plural quantification is only intelligible as singular quantification over non-empty sets of individuals. Note, however, that neither the use of set-based models nor the use of singular quantification in the definition of satisfaction for a formula of the form \(\forall xx\) is compulsory. In a plural metatheory in which we have a theory of ordered pairs, one may adapt the generalized conception of an interpretation developed in Rayo & Uzquiano (1999) to provide a plural model theory in which one uses neither. This model theory is developed, for example, in Burgess 2004.
The status of plural quantification remains the subject of intense controversy. All parties agree that plural locutions are systematically used in natural languages, but there is no consensus as to whether or not the truth conditions for plurally quantified sentences should ultimately involve covert reference to complex objects of some kind or another. The entry on plural quantification discusses some reasons generally offered in favor of the irreducibility of plural quantification to singular quantification over sets. But an influential argument against the identification of plural quantification and singular quantification over sets traces back to Boolos 1984, which claims that the following two sentences differ in truth value when we let the domain of quantification include all sets there are:
There is a set of all, and only, non-self-membered sets.
Some sets are all, and only, non-self-membered sets.
We know from Russell’s paradox that there is no set of all, and only, non-self-membered sets, which makes the first sentence false.[13] But this is not to deny of course that some sets are all and only non-self-membered sets, even if they fail to compose a set. Unfortunately, the argument depends on a certain interpretation of Russell’s paradox that is itself controversial and will fail to convince philosophers who think that the moral of Russell’s paradox is that no singular quantifier can range unrestrictedly over all the sets there are. We will revisit this issue later.
It is not uncommon to let the vocabulary of classical quantificational logic include 0-place predicates, which are treated as propositional letters. This approach makes propositional logic a proper fragment of classical quantificational logic allowing one to subsume propositional quantification as a species of second-order quantification, i.e., quantification into the position of a 0-place predicate.
Or we may supplement the language of propositional logic with a propositional quantifier, \(\forall\), which is allowed to bind propositional letters such as \(p\), \(q\), \(r\), …. This is, for example, the course of action taken by Prior (1971), who outlines a system of propositional quantification. Prior insisted that propositional quantification should not be confused with either objectual quantification over propositions or substitutional quantification over sentences. Rather, propositional quantification is a species of non-nominal quantification, since it is quantification into sentence position.
The vocabulary of quantified propositional logic contains propositional letters \(p\), \(q\), \(r\), \(p_1\), … and propositional connectives \(\neg, \rightarrow, \wedge, \vee, \leftrightarrow\). We may as usual treat \(\neg\) and \(\rightarrow\) as primitive and take the others as defined. The usual recursive definition of a formula for propositional logic is appropriately supplemented with a clause that states that \(\forall p \ A\) is a formula whenever \(A\) is a formula.
The axioms for propositional quantification are direct counterparts of \((\forall 1)-(\forall 3)\). Call a sentence \(B\) free for a propositional variable \(p\) in \(A\) if, and only if, no free occurrences of \(p\) lies within the scope of a quantification on \(q\), \(\forall q\) or \(\exists q\), where \(q\) is a propositional variable which occurs in \(B\). Now:
(\(\forall^{P}1\)) \(\forall p \ A \rightarrow A(B/p)\)
provided \(B\) is free for \(p\) in \(A\).
(\(\forall^{P}2\)) \(\forall p (A \rightarrow B) \rightarrow (A \rightarrow \forall p \ B)\)
provided \(p\) is not free in \(A\).
(\(\forall^{P}3\)) from \(A\), to infer \(\forall p \ A\)
For a taste of what they can do, notice that they yield a succinct justification of a rule of Uniform Substitution, whereby a formula of the form \(A(B/p)\) is a theorem whenever \(A\) is a theorem, provided that \(B\) is free for \(p\) in \(A\). So, for example, if \(p\rightarrow (q \rightarrow p)\) is a theorem, then \(\neg r \rightarrow (q \rightarrow \neg r)\) is likewise a theorem, since this last formula is just \(p\rightarrow (q \rightarrow p)(\neg r/p)\).[14]
The axioms are now able to deliver every instance of the following comprehension schema:
\(\exists p (p \leftrightarrow A)\), provided \(p\) is not free in \(A\).
This is one important difference with respect to second-order quantification generally, since we could not automatically derive every instance of second-order comprehension from the other quantificational axioms.
Propositional quantification has been used in order to present a deflationary theory of truth. Grover, Camp, & Belnap (1975) and Grover (1992) have, for example, proposed to make use of propositional quantification in order to provide a variation on Ramsey’s redundancy theory of truth. The main claim they make is that we can conceive of phrases like “that is true” or “it is true” as protosentences, which are supposed to stand to sentences as pronouns stand to nouns; unlike pronouns like “it”, protosentences occupy sentence position, but just like pronouns may be used for purposes of cross-reference to earlier nouns, protosentences may be used for purposes of cross-reference to sentences uttered earlier in a conversation. Thus phrases like “that is true” or “it is true” are akin to propositional variables, which may be bound by propositional quantifiers.
Prior (1961) makes use of propositional quantification in order to provide an intensional version of the Liar Paradox. In particular, if \(T\) is a sentential operator of the appropriate sort, then the following is a consequence of the axioms for propositional quantification:
\(T \forall p(Tp \rightarrow \neg p) \rightarrow (\exists p (Tp \wedge p) \wedge \exists p (Tp \wedge \neg p))\)
If we take \(T\) as Prior did, to stand for the sentential operator “It is said by a Cretan that”, then we may read the theorem as the claim that if it is said by a Cretan that whatever is said by a Cretan is not the case, then there are at least two things said by a Cretan. So, quite surprisingly, it is inconsistent to assume that the only thing said by a Cretan is that whatever is said by a Cretan is not the case.
Kaplan (1995) makes use of a different observation to raise a problem for the standard model theory for quantified propositional modal logic. He observed, in particular, that if \(Q\) is a sentential operator of the appropriate sort, then the following sentence is not satisfiable in any possible worlds model \(\langle W, \mathcal{I} \rangle\) consisting of a set of possible worlds \(W\) and an interpretation function, \(\mathcal{I}\) assigning a set of sets of possible worlds to the sentential operator:
\(\forall p \Diamond \forall q (Qq \leftrightarrow p=q)\)
When we let the propositional quantifier range over sets of worlds in \(W\), we find that Kaplan’s sentence can only be satisfied in such a model if there is a map from the set of sets of worlds in \(W\) into \(W\), which is not possible on account of Cantor’s theorem. Kaplan thought this is a problem because the model theory for quantified propositional model should not unduly constrain the space of intuitive possibilities.
If we interpret \(Qp\) to mean that \(p\) is Queried, i.e., it is asked whether it is the case that \(p\), then (A) merely states that for every proposition, \(p\), it is possible that \(p\) and only \(p\) is Queried.
The two results are not unrelated. Prior’s theorem provides a witness to the claim that some propositions cannot be Queried uniquely. If the proposition expressed by the condition \(\forall p(Qp\rightarrow \neg p)\) is the only proposition that is Queried, then it is true if and only if it is false. So, it can only be Queried if it is false. But it is false only if something true is Queried.[15]
Propositional quantification made an early appearance in Lewis, Langford, & Lamprecht 1932, which is commonly acknowledged to have pioneered the study of modal logic. They outlined a formal system of modal logic with propositional quantification, which they used to formulate an Existence Postulate designed to guarantee the existence of at least two propositions that are consistent and independent from each other. (This is postulate B9 in the entry on the modern origins of modal logic.) They used the postulate to make sure strict implication did not collapse into material implication.[16]
Kripke (1959), Fine (1970), and Kaplan (1970) went on to consider systems of propositional modal logic supplemented with propositional quantifiers governed by appropriate axioms and rules of inference. Moreover, they explained how to generalize the Kripkean model theory for propositional modal logic in order to accommodate the presence of propositional quantification. A Kripke model for the language of propositional modal logic is an ordered triple, \(\langle W, R, \mathcal{I} \rangle\), in which \(W\) is a non-empty set of worlds, \(R\) is a binary relation on \(W\), and \(\mathcal{I}\) is an interpretation function, which can be taken to assign a set of possible worlds to each sentence letter in the language. This suggests we interpret propositional quantification in terms of quantification over sets of worlds in \(W\). An assignment of values to the propositional variables \(s\) will map each propositional variable into a set of worlds, and we define satisfaction at a world by an assignment \(s\) as usual, except for an appropriate clause for the quantifier: \(\forall p \ A\) is satisfied at a world \(w\) in \(W\) in \(\langle W, R, \mathcal{I} \rangle\) by assignment \(s\) if, and only if, \(A\) is satisfied at \(w\) by every assignment \(s[p/S]\) in which \(S\) is a subset of \(W\). The definitions of truth at a world and truth in a Kripke model then proceed as usual.
The axioms for propositional quantification are sound with respect to the class of extended Kripke models for quantified propositional modal logic. Unfortunately, they are not complete with respect to the same class, since they do not allow us to derive the following as a theorem:
\(\exists p (p \wedge \forall q(q \rightarrow \Box (p \rightarrow q)))\)
However, this formula is valid in every extended Kripke model for the simple reason that its truth at a world in a model only requires the existence of a maximally specific proposition, one which is true at exactly one world.
The question fits what should by now be a familiar pattern. Should propositional quantification be taken at face value? Or should it be assimilated to objectual quantification over propositions or maybe substitutional quantification over sentences? One may be tempted by the first option by reflecting on what we did above. We expanded the language of propositional modal logic with a new style of quantification, but the model theory explained the truth conditions associated with the propositional quantifier, \(\forall p \ A\), in terms of objectual quantification over sets of worlds in the model. But this is not to commit to the claim that propositional quantification is to be reduced to objectual quantification over sets of propositions or sets of possible worlds or what have you. The question of how to develop an appropriate model theory for the language of quantified propositional logic is no substitute for the more substantive question of whether there is an intelligible interpretation of propositional quantification on which it is not construed as objectual quantification over propositions or substitutional quantification over sentences.
While Prior (1971) and Grover (1972), for example, take propositional quantification to be importantly different from objectual and substitutional quantification, Richard (1996) suggests that propositional quantification should at the end of the day be treated as a species of objectual quantification, e.g., objectual quantification over propositions.
Much of contemporary ontology builds on the assumption that existence is to be understood in terms of quantification: in a slogan, to exist is to be something. Ontology is largely concerned with the domain of the existential quantifier. This assumption can be traced back to the work of Frege and Russell, both of whom analyzed quantification in terms of predication, and plays a crucial role in Quine’s admonition to transform ontology into the study of the ontological commitments of our global theory of the world regimented in the language of quantificational logic and identity.
By the link between quantification and existence, we mean the claim that to exist is to be identical to something. This view can be traced back to Frege and Russell, who offered roughly the same broad analysis of quantification in terms of predication. The entry on existence provides a helpful overview and discussion of their account of existence against the background of the historical context in which they produced it. In what follows, we highlight a distinction between the Frege-Russell analysis of quantification in terms of predication, on the one hand, and the link between quantification and existence, on the other.
Frege (1980a, 1980b) explicitly analyzed quantification in terms of predication. For Frege, first-level predicates express concepts under which objects fall. A quantifier expresses a second-level concept under which first-level concepts fall. In particular, he proposed to take a sentence like (3) below to predicate of a first-level concept that it has instances:
(3) There is at least one square root of 4.
(4) The concept square root of 4 is instantiated.
The existential quantifier, \(\exists\), is, for Frege, a second-level predicate, which expresses a second-level concept under which a first-level concept such as square root of 4 falls if and only if it has some instances. Likewise, the universal quantifier, \(\forall\), is a second-level predicate, which expresses a second-level concept under which a first-level concept such as self-identical falls if and only if it has all objects as instances.
Russell (1905) offered a similar account of quantification. On Russell’s analysis, the proposition expressed by (5) predicates of a certain propositional function that it maps every object whatever into a true proposition. (The entry on propositional functions provides more detail on the role of propositional functions in the early development of modern logic.)
(5)Everything is self-identical.
(6)The propositional function \(x\) is self-identical is always true.
The propositional function \(x\) is self-identical maps the Moon to the true proposition that the Moon is self-identical, it maps the Sun to the true proposition that the Sun is self-identical, etc. The thrust of (5) is the proposition that no matter what object we supply as argument, the propositional function \(x\) is self-identical will map it into a true proposition. The only salient difference between Frege and Russell’s account of quantification lies in the choice of concepts and propositional functions, respectively, as the objects of predication; while Frege takes each quantifier to correspond broadly to a second-level concept, Russell analyzes them in terms of certain properties of propositional functions.
Both Frege and Russell combine their account of quantification in terms of predication with the substantive thesis that existence is to be understood in terms of quantification. For Frege, existence is to be identified with the second-level concept expressed by the second-level predicate expressed by \(\exists\). For Russell, existence is identified with a certain property of propositional functions, e.g., being sometimes true. This may seem overkill; if true, it might seem that only first-level concepts exist, not the objects they instantiate. For only first-level concepts are instances of the second-level concept expressed by \(\exists\).[17] Instead, they are mostly concerned with the thesis that statements of existence such as (7) are not cases in which a primitive property of existence is predicated of an object, but rather should be understood as an implicitly quantified statement such as (8), which is to be analyzed in terms of predication in (9) and (10) for Frege and Russell, respectively:
(7) 2 exists.
(8) Something is identical to 2.
(9) The concept identical to 2 is instantiated.
(10) The propositional function \(x\) is identical to 2 is sometimes true.
This point is perfectly compatible with the existence of a first-level concept under which all and only those objects that exist fall. Take, for example, the concept being self-identical. Likewise for Russell. The propositional function \(x\) is self-identical will map all objects that exist into a true proposition.
Note, however, that one could in principle retain their analysis and deny, for example, that first-level concepts and propositional functions, respectively, can only be saturated by objects that exist. One could take the view that some great philosophers who once existed, no longer exist. Socrates, for example, was a great philosopher who no longer exists. He can nevertheless instantiate the first-level concept admired by many philosophers. Or consider the bookcase I would have built, had I finally assembled all the materials I purchased according to the assembly instructions that came with them. I have had concrete plans to build the bookcase for ages now; never mind the fact that I may never find the skill, time or energy to assemble it. My planned bookcase does not exist yet, and knowing myself, it might well never exist. But one might take the view that we can refer to it and that it instantiates many first-level concepts such as being a planned bookcase. On a view like this, the assertion that there are planned bookcases that do not exist would remain true even if none of its instances exist.
A view like this would be classified as a form of Meinongianism by Nelson (2012), and it would be subject to some of the difficulties other forms of Meinongianism face. Suffice it to say, for present purposes, that it would, however, require a radical departure from a very influential approach to ontology advocated by Quine and endorsed by philosophers like Peter van Inwagen and David Lewis and their followers.
Quine (1948) explicitly characterizes ontology as an attempt to answer the question “what is there?” As he observed, the question may seem deceptively simple, since it may be answered in a word: “everything”. The problem with this answer is that it is largely uninformative. All parties agree that everything is something, but there is still plenty of room of disagreement as to what kinds of objects are there. Are there mereologically composite objects? Are there concrete possible worlds? Are there mathematical objects? If there are such objects, then they will of course lie in the domain of the quantifier “everything”. However, philosophers are still intensely divided as to whether they do.
Quine’s strategy for the regimentation and resolution of ontological disputes has informed much of contemporary ontology. He advised philosophers to look at the ontological commitments incurred by our best global theory of the word—best by ordinary scientific standards or principled extensions thereof—when appropriately regimented in the language of pure quantificational logic with identity.[18] One may perhaps think of the ontological commitments of our best global theory of the world as the demands that the truth of our total theory imposes on the world. For example, we are committed to the existence of objects of kind \(K\) if a proper regimentation of our best global theory includes—or entails—a sentence of the form \(\exists x \ Fx\), where \(F\) is a predicate under which only objects of kind \(K\) fall. Quine’s advice comes accompanied with a criterion of ontological commitment whereby an appropriately regimented body of doctrine is ontologically committed to objects of kind \(K\) just in case objects of kind \(K\) must lie in the range of our bound variables for the sentences of our theory to be true. More details are given in section 5 of the entry on Quine.
As Cartwright (1954) observed, it is far from clear how one is supposed to interpret the modality in Quine’s official formulation of the criterion. A purely extensional version of the criterion is plainly inadequate: \(T\) is ontologically committed to objects of kind \(K\) if, and only if, \(T\) is true only if the variables range over objects of kind \(K\). But the material conditional is much too weak for Quine’s purposes as it makes any false theory to be ontologically committed to all kinds of objects.[19] Quine’s general hostility to non-extensional notions makes the problem all the more delicate for him.
Under Quine’s approach to ontology, an argument for the existence of objects of kind \(K\)—whether mereologically complex objects, or concrete possible worlds, or mathematical objects—takes the form of an argument for the thesis that quantification over such objects is indispensable to our best global theory of the world. One of the most familiar instances of such arguments is the Quine-Putnam argument for the existence of mathematical objects. Since mathematical objects are indispensable for scientific purposes, we should expect the quantifiers of our best global theory of the world to range over them. But once we settle the question of whether the quantifiers of our best global theory of the world range over mathematical objects, we have settled the ontological question of whether such objects exist. The entry on indispensability arguments in mathematics includes extensive discussion of this and related indispensability arguments in mathematics. Similar arguments have been deployed outside mathematics to argue for the existence of possible worlds, mereologically complex objects, and the like.
This brings us to a family of applications for different styles of quantification explored above. It is not uncommon to respond to indispensability arguments for the existence of objects of a certain kind by means of a paraphrase strategy, which if successful, would show how to make do without the ontological commitment to objects of the offending kind. Oftentimes, the paraphrase will involve a different style of quantification, whether an alternative to classical quantification or an extension thereof. For example, Gottlieb (1980) attempted to respond to the Quine-Putnam indispensability argument for the existence of numbers by dispensing with objectual quantification in favor of substitutional quantification in arithmetic. Burgess & Rosen (1997) provides an extensive catalogue of different expressive resources philosophers have used in order to bypass apparent commitment to mathematical objects. Or take the question, for example, whether there are composite objects of various kinds. Dorr & Rosen (2002), Hossack (2000); and van Inwagen (1995) have each argued that plural quantification can be used to paraphrase away apparent ontological commitment to composite objects—other than organisms in van Inwagen’s case: we need only replace apparent singular quantification over composite objects with plural quantification over its alleged parts, and replace apparent singular predications of a composite object with plural predications of their parts.[20]
When Quine answers “everything” to the fundamental ontological question of what there is, he presumably intends the quantifier to range unrestrictedly over all objects at once. This observation applies to ontological inquiry more generally. When a nominalist asserts that there are no mathematical objects, she does not intend the thesis to be qualified by a restriction to a domain of concrete objects; otherwise, the thesis would be devoid of interest. But unrestricted quantification is not a very common phenomenon outside highly theoretical contexts such as logic and ontology. Take a typical use of a quantifier expression in English as exemplified in a typical utterance of the sentence:
(11) Everything is on sale.
In a typical context, the use of the quantifier “everything” is tacitly restricted to a domain of contextually salient objects. In particular, it would be inappropriate for another participant in the conversation to point out that the Moon is not on sale. The Moon is not an exception to the statement made by my utterance of (11) because the Moon does not lie in the domain of quantification associated to my use of the quantifier.
But the fact that unrestricted quantification is relatively uncommon is no reason to doubt it is attainable in certain contexts. Unfortunately, many philosophers have recently doubted that genuinely unrestricted quantification is even coherent, much less attainable.[21] Note that these philosophers face at least two preliminary challenges, both of which are forcefully pressed by Williamson (2003). First, they face the question of what to make of the prospects of ontological inquiry without unrestricted generality. How should we formulate substantive ontological positions such as nominalism, if we cannot hope to quantify over all objects at once? The second challenge for the skeptics is to state their own position. To the extent to which the thesis that we cannot quantify over everything appears to entail that there is something over which cannot quantify, skeptics seem to find themselves in a bind by inadvertently quantifying over what, by their own lights, lies beyond a legitimate domain of quantification.[22] Typical responses to each problem involve a surrogate for unrestricted generality in the form of either schematic generality or the use of certain modal operators to simulate quantification over a series of ever more comprehensive domains of quantification.[23]
At the core of the problem lies the assumption that the set-theoretic paradoxes cast doubt upon the existence of a comprehensive domain of all objects. What they reveal, according to Dummett (1991, 1993), is the existence of indefinitely extensible concepts like set, ordinal, and object. For Dummett, the indefinite extensibility of set is incompatible with the existence of a comprehensive domain of all sets, since no matter what putative domain of all sets we isolate, we find that we can employ Russell’s reasoning to characterize further sets that lie beyond the putative domain of all sets with which we began. The set of all non-self-membered sets in the initial domain cannot, on pain of contradiction, be in that domain, which means that it must lie in a more comprehensive domain of all sets. If there is no domain of all sets, there is, the thought continues, no hope for a domain of all objects. One may respond to this line of argument by contesting Dummett’s diagnosis of the set-theoretic antinomies. Boolos (1993) suggests that we take Russell’s paradox, for example, to establish that not every condition determines a set. The moral of Russell’s paradox is that there is no set of all non-self-membered sets, not that it lies beyond the initial domain of quantification.
For another line of attack against the coherence of unrestricted quantification, one may ask what exactly is a domain of quantification supposed to be. Skeptics often take a page from modern model theory and think of a domain of quantification as a set—or at least as a set-like object, which contains as members all objects over which the putatively unrestricted quantifier is supposed to range. They take for granted that for a speaker to be able to quantify over some objects, they must all be members of some set-like object, which constitutes a domain of quantification. Cartwright (1994) called this thesis the All-in-One Principle. Now, if there is unrestricted quantification, then the domain of quantification associated to it cannot be a set-like object. For we could then deploy a suitable variation on Russell’s paradox in order to obtain a contradiction.[24] Many have concluded from this that there is no genuinely unrestricted quantification over all objects at once.
The All-in-One principle is not beyond doubt. One application of plural quantification, which is explored by Cartwright (1994), is to abandon the All-in-One principle and to understand talk of a domain of quantification not as singular talk of collections but rather as plural talk of its members. To speak of a domain of certain objects is just to speak of the objects themselves—or to speak of a first-level concept under which they all fall; and to claim of a given object that it lies in the domain is to claim of the object that it is one of them. Alternatively, one may opt for the expressive resources of second-order quantification with the second-order quantifiers taken to range over Fregean concepts. Williamson (2003) outlines a conception of a domain of quantification as a Fregean concept under which certain objects may fall. To speak of a domain of all objects on this view is to speak of a Fregean concept under which all objects—without restriction—fall, and to claim of a given object that it lies in the domain is merely to claim that the object falls under the relevant Fregean concept.
The combination of quantification and modality traces back to Barcan (1946, 1947) and Carnap (1946). Historically, however, this combination came under sustained attack by Quine, who, like Carnap, assumed that \(\Box\) could only interpreted in terms of logical necessity or analyticity. As Carnap himself recognized, the linguistic conception of necessity raises the question of how to assign intelligible truth conditions to de re modal generalizations of the form \(\exists x \ \Box Px\).[25] For the truth conditions for such a sentence appear to require one to make sense of the truth of an open formula of the form \(\Box Px\) with respect to an assignment of a value to the variable \(x\). If we read \(\Box\) to mean: “it is analytic that”, then one may wonder what sense could be made of the claim that an open formula \(Px\) is analytic with respect to an assignment of an object to \(x\). Quine had anticipated the issue in Quine (1943), and he pressed the criticism again in Quine (1953, 1960). Quine’s objections are commonly taken not to apply to other interpretations of \(\Box\) in terms of metaphysical necessity as discussed, for example, in Kripke (1980). When we move past Quine’s criticisms and combine pure quantificational logic with propositional modal logic, we obtain quantified modal logic.
The interaction of quantification and modality turns out to raise difficult philosophical problems. As we will see, some of these difficulties have, in fact, inclined some philosophers to rethink the scope of pure quantificational logic. The problem is that certain theorems of quantified modal logic suggest that everything is necessarily something. The subject matter of ontology is necessary: nothing could have failed to be something.
Quantified modal logic is the system that combines pure quantificational logic with propositional modal logic. Propositional modal logic investigates the logic of the modal operators \(\Box\) and \(\Diamond\) and is discussed in the entry on modal logic. The language of propositional modal logic supplements the language of propositional logic with the sentential operator \(\Box\), and \(\Diamond\) may then be explicitly defined as \(\neg \Box \neg\). A weak propositional modal logic called K logic includes as axioms all tautologies and all instances of schema K:
(K)\(\Box(A \rightarrow B) \rightarrow (\Box A \rightarrow \Box B)\)
The rules of inference of the system include modus ponens and what is often known as a rule of necessitation:
(RN)from \(A\), infer \(\Box A\)
The combination of propositional modal logic and pure quantificational logic is often called quantified modal logic and is discussed in section 13 of the entry on modal logic and the entry on actualism. This combination immediately delivers what we may call the necessity of being:
(NB)\(\forall x \ \Box \exists y \ x=y\)
The key to this observation is that the open formula \(\exists y \ x = y\) is a theorem of pure quantificational logic. Successive applications of the rule of necessitation and universal generalization are all it takes to complete the proof.
On the alethic interpretation of \(\Box\) in terms of metaphysical necessity, this theorem reads as the claim that everything is necessarily something. Take the Griffith Observatory, for example. It is a consequence of the theorem that it is necessarily something. The Griffith Observatory would have been something even if no funds had been available for construction and nothing had ever been built in the site it occupies. And what is true of the Griffith Observatory is true of us: each of us is necessarily something. When we combine this result with the link between quantification and existence, we conclude that everything exists necessarily, which flies in the face of the assumption that we exist only contingently.
With the help of schema K, one may prove the Converse Barcan Formula:
(CBF)\(\Box \forall x \ A \rightarrow \forall x \Box \ A\)
On the alethic interpretation of the modality, this states that if necessarily, everything is \(A\), everything is necessarily \(A\). The proof is given, for example, in one of the supplements to the entry on actualism. But this provides another route to the necessity of being: since necessarily, everything is something, everything is necessarily something. In the presence of a further plausible modal principle, B, we may even prove the Barcan Formula. The Brouwerian principle, B, states that whatever is the case is necessarily, possibly the case:
(B)\(A \rightarrow \Box \Diamond A\)
The Barcan Formula states that if everything is necessarily \(A\), then necessarily, everything is \(A\):
(BF)\(\forall x \ \Box \ A \rightarrow \Box \forall x \ A\)
Or, equivalently:
\(\Diamond \exists x \ A \rightarrow \exists x \ \Diamond \ A\)
The entry on actualism includes a proof of BF. But this formula is deemed unacceptable by many philosophers. Consider my plans to build a bookcase. Even if I never manage to build one, it is certainly possible for me to build one. So, it is possible for there to be some bookcase I have built. By the Barcan Formula, it seems to follow that something is possibly a bookcase I build. The Barcan Formula does not settle whether or not this object is in fact a concrete object, much less a bookcase one may in fact use to store one’s books. In fact, to deny this is one way to come to terms with the Barcan Formula.
What is true of the combination of pure quantificational logic with propositional modal logic is mutatis mutandis true of the combination of pure quantificational logic and propositional tense logic. Certain theorems of quantified tense logic suggest that everything has always been, is, and will always be something. The domain of ontology is immutable: nothing ever fails to be something.
Propositional tense logic investigates the logic of tense operators like \(H\), read: “it has always been the case that”, \(P\), read: “it was the case that”, \(G\), read: “it will always be the case that”, and \(F\), read: “it will be the case that”. In place of K, we have distribution axioms:
\(H(A \rightarrow B) \rightarrow (HA \rightarrow HB)\)
\(G(A \rightarrow B) \rightarrow (GA \rightarrow GB)\)
And in place of the rule of necessitation, we have rules of temporal generalization:
from \(A\), infer \(HA\)
from \(A\), infer \(GA\)
More details are provided in the entry on temporal logic.
The combination of propositional tense logic and pure quantificational logic immediately delivers the eternality of being:
(EB)\(\forall x (G \ \exists y \ x = y \wedge \exists y \ x = y \ \wedge F \ \exists y \ x = y)\),
which states that everything has has always been, is, and will always be, something. The Griffith Observatory was something even before it was built in 1935—and will always be something—even billions of years from now. And what is true of the Griffith Observatory is true of us: each of us has always been, is, and will be something—even before our birth and long after our death.
Quantified tense logic proves temporal versions of CBF:
\(H \forall x \ A \rightarrow \forall x \ H A\)
\(G \forall x \ A \rightarrow \forall x \ G A\)
And, finally, we have two temporal versions of BF:
\(\forall x \ H A \rightarrow H \forall x \ A\)
\(\forall x \ G A \rightarrow G \forall x \ A\)
In order to appreciate the difficulty, we may take the contrapositive of the temporal version of BF for \(H\), where \(P\) is defined as usual, as: \(\neg H \neg\):
\(P \ \exists x \ A \rightarrow \exists x \ P \ A\)
We infer, for example, that there were dinosaurs only if there are past dinosaurs. If to exist is to be something, then past dinosaurs exist. But whether this commits us to flesh-and-blood dinosaurs is of course a different matter, since being a past dinosaur need not require being a dinosaur.
The interaction between pure quantificational logic and tense and modality suggests the domain of ontology is immutable and necessary. But we can only draw these conclusions by making use of some auxiliary assumptions, some of which are far from obvious. The highly counterintuitive character of the conclusions has consequently led many philosophers to place some of the auxiliary assumptions under close scrutiny. Other philosophers have followed argument where it leads, and they have sought to reconcile the eternal and necessary character of the domain of ontology with the apparent temporary and contingent character of existence. In fact, Williamson 2013 set out to provide a separate battery of arguments for the necessity and immutability of ontology.
One auxiliary assumption one may question is the traditional link between quantification and existence. Even if there is no change in the domain of quantification, you may nevertheless think that existence is only temporary. Socrates did not exist either before 490 BCE or after 399 BCE, and the mere fact that he is, has and will always be something is not reason to attribute existence to him. One variant of this move is a direct descendant of Meinong’s view on existence as a mere species of being. But to the extent to which Meinongianism may be accompanied with the implausible thesis that no matter what condition we substitute for \(F\) in “the \(F\) is \(F\)” gives rise to a true sentence, it would seem to entail that “the round square is a round square” is true, which seems hopeless. But the Meinongian thesis is not compulsory for more plausible developments of the view that not everything exists, even though everything is something.[26] What is not negotiable, though, is the thesis that existence should not be taken to be expressed by a quantificational expression, but rather by a predicate which may or not apply to objects in the domain. The moral of the temporal versions of BF and CBF is only that unrestricted quantification ranges over an immutable and necessary domain of objects, whether or not they enjoy temporary and contingent existence. The difficult question remains of how to answer Quine’s question “what is there?” once one abandons the thesis that no matter what condition \(F\) may be, there are objects that satisfy the condition. For more on different variants of Meinongianism, the reader may consult the entry on existence.
There is, in the second place, the assumption that the axioms of pure quantificational logic remain true when we expand the language to include other sentential operators, whether temporal, modal or otherwise.[27] What is perhaps the most common response to our predicament is to recoil from pure quantificational logic into a suitably weakened variant of it. This is, for example, the path taken in Kripke (1963), where Kripke proposes to weaken the axiom of universal instantiation in line with the first version of inclusive quantificational logic discussed earlier. Since \(\exists y \ x = y\) is not a theorem of inclusive quantificational logic, we are not in a position to necessitate, which blocks the derivation of the necessity of being.[28] Kripke’s quantified modal logic is discussed in the entry on actualism. Others have fallen back into alternative forms of free logic, but there appears to be no consensus as to which one is the best alternative to pure quantificational logic. It may be helpful to note, however, that some of the relevant free logics merely restrict the axiom of universal instantiation by means of an existence predicate and do nothing to block the derivation of other allegedly problematic principles such as the necessity of identity, which is the thesis that everything is necessarily self-identical. Since, presumably, an object can only be necessarily self-identical if it exists necessarily, opponents of CBF will also want to have some resources to block the necessity of identity.
The derivability of the necessity of identity from the axioms of identity and the rule of necessitation may perhaps invite one to consider another option. Maybe the culprit is not pure quantificational logic, but rather the indiscriminate use of the rule of necessitation. The rationale for necessitation is that every provable sentence should be necessarily true, but it is not clear how this thought is supposed to generalize to open formulas, which, strictly speaking, are not true or false. Open formulas are merely true or false under an assignment of values to their free variables. But the fact that \(x = x\), for example, is true under an assignment \(s\) on which \(x\) is assigned a table is no reason to think that \(x = x\) is necessarily true under such an assignment if you think that the table could have not been there.[29] One problem for this strategy is that it is of little help when we allow closed terms such as constant symbols into the language of quantified modal logic. In the presence of constant symbols, classical quantificational logic allows us to derive the sentence \(\exists x \ a = x\) as a theorem, whence, by necessitation for complete sentences, we infer \(\Box \exists x \ a= x\), which seems objectionable if \(a\) is suppose to regiment a name for an object that exists only contingently. One could avoid the problems by barring closed terms from the language, but such a radical exclusion seems ad hoc and artificial. So, if one chooses to restrict necessitation, one must provide a different rationale for it. Deutsch (1990) provides an example of this strategy.
The fourth and final option to consider is to take the derivability of CBF in tense and modal logic at face value, and embrace the conclusion that existence is indeed immutable and necessary. These are the theses that Williamson (2013) calls “permanentism” and “necessitism”. The task for each approach is to explain our initial reluctance to embrace them in the first place. Take the apparent resistance to accept the claim that Socrates will always be something despite the fact that he died in 399 BCE. The permanentist may respond that if we are initially disinclined to accept this claim, it is only because we mistakenly think that because a person, for example, is a concrete object, a past or a future person must be concrete as well. Socrates, which is a past person, was not a person either before 490 BCE or after 399 BCE; indeed, Socrates is now not a person, nor will he be one in the future. Likewise, a merely possible person need not be a person either and neither the Barcan nor the Converse Barcan Formula threaten the temporary and contingent character of concreteness. Since I could have found the time, skill and energy to build a bookcase, some object is possibly a bookcase built by me. But the necessitist will be at pains to add that to be a possible bookcase built by me is not to be a bookcase built by me, much less a bookcase. This outlook is defended by Linsky & Zalta (1994) and Williamson (2013). But there are other points of contact. For example, all versions of necessitism must reject unqualified “essentialist” theses such as the view that a person is necessarily a person; at most, one can perhaps maintain the weaker thesis that a person is necessarily if concrete, a person. Likewise, all versions of necessitism seem committed to the actual existence of many more nonsets than can form a set. Sider (2009), for example, argues that necessitism is committed to the actual existence of at least \(\kappa\) nonsets for each set-theoretic cardinal \(\kappa\). And Hawthorne & Uzquiano (2011) raises other cardinality problems for a combination of necessitism with certain common mereological assumptions.
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PhilPapers on Quantifiers
actualism | Aristotle, General Topics: logic | existence | generalized quantifiers | logic: classical | logic: free | logic: intuitionistic | logic: modal | logic: second-order and higher-order | model theory | plural quantification | square of opposition
Gabriel Uzquiano <uzquiano@usc.edu>
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Pope Francis’ message for World Day of Prayer for Peace on 1 January 2019
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE
FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
52nd WORLD DAY OF PEACE
Good politics is at the service of peace
1. “Peace be to this house!”
In sending his disciples forth on mission, Jesus told them: “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you” (Lk 10:5-6).
Bringing peace is central to the mission of Christ’s disciples. That peace is offered to all those men and women who long for peace amid the tragedies and violence that mark human history. [1] The “house” of which Jesus speaks is every family, community, country and continent, in all their diversity and history. It is first and foremost each individual person, without distinction or discrimination. But it is also our “common home”: the world in which God has placed us and which we are called to care for and cultivate.
So let this be my greeting at the beginning of the New Year: “Peace be to this house!”
2. The challenge of good politics
Peace is like the hope which the poet Charles Péguy celebrated.[2] It is like a delicate flower struggling to blossom on the stony ground of violence. We know that the thirst for power at any price leads to abuses and injustice. Politics is an essential means of building human community and institutions, but when political life is not seen as a form of service to society as a whole, it can become a means of oppression, marginalization and even destruction.
Jesus tells us that, “if anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mk 9:35). In the words of Pope Paul VI, “to take politics seriously at its different levels – local, regional, national and worldwide – is to affirm the duty of each individual to acknowledge the reality and value of the freedom offered him to work at one and the same time for the good of the city, the nation and all mankind”.[3]
Political office and political responsibility thus constantly challenge those called to the service of their country to make every effort to protect those who live there and to create the conditions for a worthy and just future. If exercised with basic respect for the life, freedom and dignity of persons, political life can indeed become an outstanding form of charity.
3. Charity and human virtues: the basis of politics at the service of human rights and peace
Pope Benedict XVI noted that “every Christian is called to practise charity in a manner corresponding to his vocation and according to the degree of influence he wields in the pólis… When animated by charity, commitment to the common good has greater worth than a merely secular and political stand would have… Man’s earthly activity, when inspired and sustained by charity, contributes to the building of the universal city of God, which is the goal of the history of the human family”.[4] This is a programme on which all politicians, whatever their culture or religion, can agree, if they wish to work together for the good of the human family and to practise those human virtues that sustain all sound political activity: justice, equality, mutual respect, sincerity, honesty, fidelity.
In this regard, it may be helpful to recall the “Beatitudes of the Politician”, proposed by Vietnamese Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyễn Vãn Thuận, a faithful witness to the Gospel who died in 2002:
Blessed be the politician with a lofty sense and deep understanding of his role.
Blessed be the politician who personally exemplifies credibility.
Blessed be the politician who works for the common good and not his or her own interest.
Blessed be the politician who remains consistent.
Blessed be the politician who works for unity.
Blessed be the politician who works to accomplish radical change.
Blessed be the politician who is capable of listening.
Blessed be the politician who is without fear.[5]
Every election and re-election, and every stage of public life, is an opportunity to return to the original points of reference that inspire justice and law. One thing is certain: good politics is at the service of peace. It respects and promotes fundamental human rights, which are at the same time mutual obligations, enabling a bond of trust and gratitude to be forged between present and future generations.
4. Political vices
Sadly, together with its virtues, politics also has its share of vices, whether due to personal incompetence or to flaws in the system and its institutions. Clearly, these vices detract from the credibility of political life overall, as well as the authority, decisions and actions of those engaged in it. These vices, which undermine the ideal of an authentic democracy, bring disgrace to public life and threaten social harmony. We think of corruption in its varied forms: the misappropriation of public resources, the exploitation of individuals, the denial of rights, the flouting of community rules, dishonest gain, the justification of power by force or the arbitrary appeal to raison d’état and the refusal to relinquish power. To which we can add xenophobia, racism, lack of concern for the natural environment, the plundering of natural resources for the sake of quick profit and contempt for those forced into exile.
5. Good politics promotes the participation of the young and trust in others
When the exercise of political power aims only at protecting the interests of a few privileged individuals, the future is compromised and young people can be tempted to lose confidence, since they are relegated to the margins of society without the possibility of helping to build the future. But when politics concretely fosters the talents of young people and their aspirations, peace grows in their outlook and on their faces. It becomes a confident assurance that says, “I trust you and with you I believe” that we can all work together for the common good. Politics is at the service of peace if it finds expression in the recognition of the gifts and abilities of each individual. “What could be more beautiful than an outstretched hand? It was meant by God to offer and to receive. God did not want it to kill (cf. Gen 4:1ff) or to inflict suffering, but to offer care and help in life. Together with our heart and our intelligence, our hands too can become a means of dialogue”.[6]
Everyone can contribute his or her stone to help build the common home. Authentic political life, grounded in law and in frank and fair relations between individuals, experiences renewal whenever we are convinced that every woman, man and generation brings the promise of new relational, intellectual, cultural and spiritual energies. That kind of trust is never easy to achieve, because human relations are complex, especially in our own times, marked by a climate of mistrust rooted in the fear of others or of strangers, or anxiety about one’s personal security. Sadly, it is also seen at the political level, in attitudes of rejection or forms of nationalism that call into question the fraternity of which our globalized world has such great need. Today more than ever, our societies need “artisans of peace” who can be messengers and authentic witnesses of God the Father, who wills the good and the happiness of the human family.
6. No to war and to the strategy of fear
A hundred years after the end of the First World War, as we remember the young people killed in those battles and the civilian populations torn apart, we are more conscious than ever of the terrible lesson taught by fratricidal wars: peace can never be reduced solely to a balance between power and fear. To threaten others is to lower them to the status of objects and to deny their dignity. This is why we state once more that an escalation of intimidation, and the uncontrolled proliferation of arms, is contrary to morality and the search for true peace. Terror exerted over those who are most vulnerable contributes to the exile of entire populations who seek a place of peace. Political addresses that tend to blame every evil on migrants and to deprive the poor of hope are unacceptable. Rather, there is a need to reaffirm that peace is based on respect for each person, whatever his or her background, on respect for the law and the common good, on respect for the environment entrusted to our care and for the richness of the moral tradition inherited from past generations.
Our thoughts turn in a particular way to all those children currently living in areas of conflict, and to all those who work to protect their lives and defend their rights. One out of every six children in our world is affected by the violence of war or its effects, even when they are not enrolled as child soldiers or held hostage by armed groups. The witness given by those who work to defend them and their dignity is most precious for the future of humanity.
7. A great project of peace
In these days, we celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in the wake of the Second World War. In this context, let us also remember the observation of Pope John XXIII: “Man’s awareness of his rights must inevitably lead him to the recognition of his duties. The possession of rights involves the duty of implementing those rights, for they are the expression of a man’s personal dignity. And the possession of rights also involves their recognition and respect by others”.[7]
Peace, in effect, is the fruit of a great political project grounded in the mutual responsibility and interdependence of human beings. But it is also a challenge that demands to be taken up ever anew. It entails a conversion of heart and soul; it is both interior and communal; and it has three inseparable aspects:
- peace with oneself, rejecting inflexibility, anger and impatience; in the words of Saint Francis de Sales, showing “a bit of sweetness towards oneself” in order to offer “a bit of sweetness to others”;
- peace with others: family members, friends, strangers, the poor and the suffering, being unafraid to encounter them and listen to what they have to say;
- peace with all creation, rediscovering the grandeur of God’s gift and our individual and shared responsibility as inhabitants of this world, citizens and builders of the future.
The politics of peace, conscious of and deeply concerned for every situation of human vulnerability, can always draw inspiration from the Magnificat, the hymn that Mary, the Mother of Christ the Saviour and Queen of Peace, sang in the name of all mankind: “He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm; he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly; …for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever” (Lk 1:50-55).
From the Vatican, 8 December 2018
[1] Cf. Lk 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased”.
[2] Cf. Le Porche du mystère de la deuxième vertu, Paris, 1986.
[3] Apostolic Letter Octogesima Adveniens (14 May 1971), 46.
[4] Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 7.
[5] Cf. Address at the “Civitas” Exhibition-Convention in Padua: “30 Giorni”, no. 5, 2002.
[6] BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Authorities of Benin, Cotonou, 19 November 2011.
[7] Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris (11 April 1963), ed. Carlen, 24.
The text of this letter can also be found at vatican.va
The views expressed on this website do not necessarily reflect the views of the Diocese of Hamilton.
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New Poll: Who is the Steelers’ biggest rival?
Special thanks goes out to the 800 fans that voted in the last poll, ‘Which new Steelers draft pick, or free agent will have the biggest impact on the 2008 season?’ There was a clear 56% majority that felt that both Sweed and Mendenhall would make a difference in the 2008 season. 26% felt that Mendenhall would make the bigger impact, while 13% felt that it would be Sweed. There was a late push for Dennis Dixon, but not big enough to talk about. Thanks for all who voted, and make sure to vote for the newest Steelers Poll!
The Pittsburgh Steelers have undoubtedly been one of the NFL’s top franchises since the early 1970’s, when Chuck Noll was the architect of one of the greatest teams in NFL history. Since then, the Steelers, led by the Rooneys, Noll, and Bill Cowher, have maintained a consistent excellence that hasn’t been matched by many others.
Over the years, the Steelers have been part of several rivalries. There’s been historic rivalries, and rivalries that have cropped up over the years. Which rivalry do you think is at the top of the list?
Click Here to select check out the Rivals
Link to the story
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Justia › US Law › US Case Law › US Supreme Court › Volume 408 › Morrissey v. Brewer
Morrissey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471 (1972)
Morrissey v. Brewer
Argued April 11, 1972
Petitioners in these habeas corpus proceedings claimed that their paroles were revoked without a hearing and that they were thereby deprived of due process. The Court of Appeals, in affirming the District Court's denial of relief, reasoned that, under controlling authorities, parole is only "a correctional device authorizing service of sentence outside a penitentiary," and concluded that a parolee, who is still "in custody," is not entitled to a full adversary hearing such as would be mandated in a criminal proceeding.
1. Though parole revocation does not call for the full panoply of rights due a defendant in a criminal proceeding, a parolee's liberty involves significant values within the protection of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and termination of that liberty requires an informal hearing to give assurance that the finding of a parole violation is based on verified facts to support the revocation. Pp. 408 U. S. 480-482.
2. Due process requires a reasonably prompt informal inquiry conducted by an impartial hearing officer near the place of the alleged parole violation or arrest to determine if there is reasonable ground to believe that the arrested parolee has violated a parole condition. The parolee should receive prior notice of the inquiry, its purpose, and the alleged violations. The parolee may present relevant information and (absent security considerations) question adverse informants. The hearing officer shall digest the evidence on probable cause and state the reasons for holding the parolee for the parole board's decision. Pp. 408 U. S. 484-487.
3. At the revocation hearing, which must be conducted reasonably soon after the parolee's arrest, minimum due process requirements are: (a) written notice of the claimed violations of parole; (b) disclosure to the parolee of evidence against him; (c) opportunity to be heard in person and to present witnesses and documentary evidence; (d) the right to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses (unless the hearing officer specifically finds good cause for not allowing confrontation); (e) a "neutral and detached" hearing body such as a traditional parole board, members of which need not be judicial officers or lawyers; and (f) a written statement
by the factfinders as to the evidence relied on and reasons for revoking parole. Pp. 408 U. S. 487-490.
443 F.2d 942, reversed and remanded.
BURGER, C.J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which STEWART, WHITE, BLACKMUN, POWELL and REHNQUIST, JJ., joined. BRENNAN, J., filed an opinion concurring in the result, in which MARSHALL, J., joined, post, p. 408 U. S. 490. DOUGLAS, J., filed an opinion dissenting in part, post, p. 408 U. S. 491.
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
MR. CHIEF JUSTICE BURGER delivered the opinion of the Court.
We granted certiorari in this case to determine whether the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment requires that a State afford an individual some opportunity to be heard prior to revoking his parole.
Petitioner Morrissey was convicted of false drawing or uttering of checks in 1967 pursuant to his guilty plea, and was sentenced to not more than seven years' confinement. He was paroled from the Iowa State Penitentiary in June, 1968. Seven months later, at the direction of his parole officer, he was arrested in his home town as a parole violator and incarcerated in the county jail. One week later, after review of the parole officer's written report, the Iowa Board of Parole revoked Morrissey's
parole, and he was returned to the penitentiary located about 100 miles from his home. Petitioner asserts he received no hearing prior to revocation of his parole.
The parole officer's report on which the Board of Parole acted shows that petitioner's parole was revoked on the basis of information that he had violated the conditions of parole by buying a car under an assumed name and operating it without permission, giving false statements to police concerning his address and insurance company after a minor accident, obtaining credit under an assumed name, and failing to report his place of residence to his parole officer. The report states that the officer interviewed Morrissey, and that he could not explain why he did not contact his parole officer despite his effort to excuse this on the ground that he had been sick. Further, the report asserts that Morrissey admitted buying the car and obtaining credit under an assumed name, and also admitted being involved in the accident. The parole officer recommended that his parole be revoked because of "his continual violating of his parole rules."
The situation as to petitioner Booher is much the same. Pursuant to his guilty plea, Booher was convicted of forgery in 1966 and sentenced to a maximum term of 10 years. He was paroled November 14, 1968. In August, 1969, at his parole officer's direction, he was arrested in his home town for a violation of his parole and confined in the county jail several miles away. On September 13, 1969, on the basis of a written report by his parole officer, the Iowa Board of Parole revoked Booher's parole and Booher was recommitted to the state penitentiary, located about 250 miles from his home, to complete service of his sentence. Petitioner asserts he received no hearing prior to revocation of his parole.
The parole officer's report with respect to Booher recommended that his parole be revoked because he had violated the territorial restrictions of his parole without consent, had obtained a driver's license under an assumed name, operated a motor vehicle without permission, and had violated the employment condition of his parole by failing to keep himself in gainful employment. The report stated that the officer had interviewed Booher and that he had acknowledged to the parole officer that he had left the specified territorial limits and had operated the car and had obtained a license under an assumed name "knowing that it was wrong." The report further noted that Booher had stated that he had not found employment because he could not find work that would pay him what he wanted -- he stated he would not work for $2.25 to $2.75 per hour -- and that he had left the area to get work in another city.
After exhausting state remedies, both petitioners filed habeas corpus petitions in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa alleging that they had been denied due process because their paroles had been revoked without a hearing. The State responded by arguing that no hearing was required. The District Court held on the basis of controlling authority that the State's failure to accord a hearing prior to parole revocation did not violate due process. On appeal, the two cases were consolidated.
The Court of Appeals, dividing 4 to 3, held that due process does not require a hearing. The majority recognized that the traditional view of parole as a privilege, rather than a vested right, is no longer dispositive as to whether due process is applicable; however, on a balancing of the competing interests involved, it concluded that no hearing is required. The court reasoned that parole is only "a correctional device authorizing service of sentence outside the penitentiary," 443 F.2d
942, 947; the parolee is still "in custody." Accordingly, the Court of Appeals was of the view that prison officials must have large discretion in making revocation determinations, and that courts should retain their traditional reluctance to interfere with disciplinary matters properly under the control of state prison authorities. The majority expressed the view that "non-legal, nonadversary considerations" were often the determinative factors in making a parole revocation decision. It expressed concern that, if adversary hearings were required for parole revocation, "with the full panoply of rights accorded in criminal proceedings," the function of the parole board as "an administrative body acting in the role of parens patriae would be aborted," id. at 949, and the board would be more reluctant to grant parole in the first instance -- an apprehension that would not be without some basis if the choice were between a full-scale adversary proceeding or no hearing at all. Additionally, the majority reasoned that the parolee has no statutory right to remain on parole. Iowa law provides that a parolee may be returned to the institution at any time. Our holding in Mempa v. Rhay, 389 U. S. 128 (1967), was distinguished on the ground that it involved deferred sentencing upon probation revocation, and thus involved a stage of the criminal proceeding, whereas parole revocation was not a stage in the criminal proceeding. The Court of Appeals' decision was consistent with many other decisions on parole revocations.
In their brief in this Court, respondents assert for the first time that petitioners were, in fact, granted hearings after they were returned to the penitentiary. More generally, respondents say that, within two months after the Board revokes an individual's parole and orders him returned to the penitentiary, on the basis of the parole officer's written report, it grants the individual a hearing before the Board. At that time, the Board goes over "each of
the alleged parole violations with the returnee, and he is given an opportunity to orally present his side of the story to the Board." If the returnee denies the report, it is the practice of the Board to conduct a further investigation before making a final determination either affirming the initial revocation, modifying it, or reversing it. [Footnote 1] Respondents assert that Morrissey, whose parole was revoked on January 31, 1969, was granted a hearing before the Board on February 12, 1969. Booher's parole was revoked on September 13, 1969, and he was granted a hearing on October 14, 1969. At these hearings, respondents tell us -- in the briefs -- both Morrissey and Booher admitted the violations alleged in the parole violation reports.
Nothing in the record supplied to this Court indicates that respondent claimed, either in the District Court or the Court of Appeals, that petitioners had received hearings promptly after their paroles were revoked, or that, in such hearing, they admitted the violations; that information comes to us only in the respondents' brief here. Further, even the assertions that respondents make here are not based on any public record, but on interviews with two of the members of the parole board. In the interview relied on to show that petitioners admitted their violations, the board member did not assert he could remember that both Morrissey and Booher admitted the parole violations with which they were charged. He stated only that, according to his memory, in the previous several years, all but three returnees had admitted commission of the parole infractions alleged,
and that neither of the petitioners was among the three who denied them.
We must therefore treat this case in the posture and on the record respondents elected to rely on in the District Court and the Court of Appeals. If the facts are otherwise, respondents may make a showing in the District Court that petitioners in fact, have admitted the violations charged before a neutral officer.
Before reaching the issue of whether due process applies to the parole system, it is important to recall the function of parole in the correctional process.
During the past 60 years, the practice of releasing prisoners on parole before the end of their sentences has become an integral part of the penological system. Note, Parole Revocation in the Federal System, 56 Geo.L.J. 705 (1968). Rather than being an ad hoc exercise of clemency, parole is an established variation on imprisonment of convicted criminals. Its purpose is to help individuals reintegrate into society as constructive individuals as soon as they are able, without being confined for the full term of the sentence imposed. It also serves to alleviate the costs to society of keeping an individual in prison. [Footnote 2] The essence of parole is release from prison, before the completion of sentence, on the condition that the prisoner abide by certain rules during the balance of the sentence. Under some systems, parole is granted automatically after the service of a certain portion of a prison term. Under others, parole is granted by the discretionary action of a board, which evaluates an array of information about a prisoner
and makes a prediction whether he is ready to reintegrate into society.
To accomplish the purpose of parole, those who are allowed to leave prison early are subjected to specified conditions for the duration of their terms. These conditions restrict their activities substantially beyond the ordinary restrictions imposed by law on an individual citizen. Typically, parolees are forbidden to use liquor or to have associations or correspondence with certain categories of undesirable persons. Typically, also they must seek permission from their parole officers before engaging in specified activities, such as changing employment or living quarters, marrying, acquiring or operating a motor vehicle, traveling outside the community, and incurring substantial indebtedness. Additionally, parolees must regularly report to the parole officer to whom they are assigned, and sometimes they must make periodic written reports of their activities. Arluke, A Summary of Parole Rules -- Thirteen Years Later, 15 Crime & Delin. 267, 272-273 (1969).
The parole officers are part of the administrative system designed to assist parolees and to offer them guidance. The conditions of parole serve a dual purpose; they prohibit, either absolutely or conditionally, behavior that is deemed dangerous to the restoration of the individual into normal society. And, through the requirement of reporting to the parole officer and seeking guidance and permission before doing many things, the officer is provided with information about the parolee and an opportunity to advise him. The combination puts the parole officer into the position in which he can try to guide the parolee into constructive development. [Footnote 3]
The enforcement leverage that supports the parole conditions derives from the authority to return the parolee
to prison to serve out the balance of his sentence if he fails to abide by the rules. In practice, not every violation of parole conditions automatically leads to revocation. Typically, a parolee will be counseled to abide by the conditions of parole, and the parole officer ordinarily does not take steps to have parole revoked unless he thinks that the violations are serious and continuing, so as to indicate that the parolee is not adjusting properly and cannot be counted on to avoid antisocial activity. [Footnote 4] The broad discretion accorded the parole office is also inherent in some of the quite vague conditions, such as the typical requirement that the parolee avoid "undesirable" associations or correspondence. Cf. Arciniega v. Freeman, 404 U. S. 4 (1971). Yet revocation of parole is not an unusual phenomenon, affecting only a few parolees. It has been estimated that 35%-45% of all parolees are subjected to revocation and return to prison. [Footnote 5] Sometimes revocation occurs when the parolee is accused of another crime; it is often preferred to a new prosecution because of the procedural ease of recommitting the individual on the basis of a lesser showing by the State. [Footnote 6]
Implicit in the system's concern with parole violation is the notion that the parolee is entitled to retain his liberty as long as he substantially abides by the conditions of his parole. The first step in a revocation decision thus involves a wholly retrospective factual question: whether the parolee has in fact, acted in violation of one or more conditions of his parole. Only if it is determined that
the parolee did violate the conditions does the second question arise: should the parolee be recommitted to prison, or should other steps be taken to protect society and improve chances of rehabilitation? The first step is relatively simple; the second is more complex. The second question involves the application of expertise by the parole authority in making a prediction as to the ability of the individual to live in society without committing antisocial acts. This part of the decision, too, depends on facts, and therefore it is important for the board to know not only that some violation was committed, but also to know accurately how many and how serious the violations were. Yet this second step, deciding what to do about the violation once it is identified, is not purely factual, but also predictive and discretionary. If a parolee is returned to prison, he usually receives no credit for the time "served" on parole. [Footnote 7] Thus, the returnee may face a potential of substantial imprisonment.
We begin with the proposition that the revocation of parole is not part of a criminal prosecution, and thus the full panoply of rights due a defendant in such a proceeding does not apply to parole revocations. Cf. Mempa v. Rhay, 389 U. S. 128 (1967). Parole arises after the end of the criminal prosecution, including imposition of sentence. Supervision is not directly by the court, but by an administrative agency, which is sometimes an arm of the court and sometimes of the executive. Revocation deprives an individual not of the absolute liberty to which every citizen is entitled, but only of the conditional liberty properly dependent on observance of special parole restrictions.
We turn, therefore, to the question whether the requirements of due process in general apply to parole revocations. As MR. JUSTICE BLACKMUN has written recently,
"this Court now has rejected the concept that constitutional rights turn upon whether a governmental benefit is characterized as a 'right' or as a 'privilege.'"
Graham v. Richardson, 403 U. S. 365, 403 U. S. 374 (1971). Whether any procedural protections are due depends on the extent to which an individual will be "condemned to suffer grievous loss." Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath, 341 U. S. 123, 341 U. S. 168 (191) (Frankfurter, J., concurring), quoted in Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U. S. 254, 397 U. S. 263 (1970). The question is not merely the "weight" of the individual's interest, but whether the nature of the interest is one within the contemplation of the "liberty or property" language of the Fourteenth Amendment. Fuentes v. Shevin, 407 U. S. 67 (172). Once it is determined that due process applies, the question remains what process is due. It has been said so often by this Court and others as not to require citation of authority that due process is flexible, and calls for such procedural protections as the particular situation demands.
"[C]onsideration of what procedures due process may require under any given set of circumstances must begin with a determination of the precise nature of the government function involved, as well as of the private interest that has been affected by governmental action."
Cafeteria & Restaurant Workers Union v. McElroy, 367 U. S. 886, 367 U. S. 895 (1961). To say that the concept of due process is flexible does not mean that judges are at large to apply it to any and all relationships. Its flexibility is in its scope once it has been determined that some process is due; it is a recognition that not all situations calling for procedural safeguards call for the same kind of procedure.
We turn to an examination of the nature of the interest
of the parolee in his continued liberty. The liberty of a parolee enables him to do a wide range of things open to persons who have never been convicted of any crime. The parolee has been released from prison based on an evaluation that he shows reasonable promise of being able to return to society and function as a responsible, self-reliant person. Subject to the conditions of his parole, he can be gainfully employed and is free to be with family and friends and to form the other enduring attachments of normal life. Though the State properly subjects him to many restrictions not applicable to other citizens, his condition is very different from that of confinement in a prison. [Footnote 8] He may have been on parole for a number of years, and may be living a relatively normal life at the time he is faced with revocation. [Footnote 9] The parolee has relied on at least an implicit promise that parole will be revoked only if he fails to live up to the parole conditions. In many cases, the parolee faces lengthy incarceration if his parole is revoked.
We see, therefore, that the liberty of a parolee, although indeterminate, includes many of the core values of unqualified liberty and its termination inflicts a "grievous loss" on the parolee and often on others. It is hardly useful any longer to try to deal with this problem in terms of whether the parolee's liberty is a "right" or a "privilege." By whatever name, the liberty is valuable, and must be seen as within the protection of the Fourteenth Amendment. Its termination calls for some orderly process, however informal.
Turning to the question what process is due, we find that the State's interests are several. The State has found the parolee guilty of a crime against the people. That finding justifies imposing extensive restrictions on the individual's liberty. Release of the parolee before the end of his prison sentence is made with the recognition that, with many prisoners, there is a risk that they will not be able to live in society without committing additional antisocial acts. Given the previous conviction and the proper imposition of conditions, the State has an overwhelming interest in being able to return the individual to imprisonment without the burden of a new adversary criminal trial if, in fact, he has failed to abide by the conditions of his parole.
Yet the State has no interest in revoking parole without some informal procedural guarantees. Although the parolee is often formally described as being "in custody," the argument cannot even be made here that summary treatment is necessary as it may be with respect to controlling a large group of potentially disruptive prisoners in actual custody. Nor are we persuaded by the argument that revocation is so totally a discretionary matter that some form of hearing would be administratively intolerable. A simple factual hearing will not interfere with the exercise of discretion. Serious studies have suggested that fair treatment on parole revocation will not result in fewer grants of parole. [Footnote 10]
This discretionary aspect of the revocation decision need not be reached unless there is first an appropriate determination that the individual has, in fact, breached
the conditions of parole. The parolee is not the only one who has a stake in his conditional liberty. Society has a stake in whatever may be the chance of restoring him to normal and useful life within the law. Society thus has an interest in not having parole revoked because of erroneous information or because of an erroneous evaluation of the need to revoke parole, given the breach of parole conditions. See People ex rel. Menechino v. Warden, 27 N.Y.2d 376, 379, and n. 2, 267 N.E.2d 238, 239, and n. 2 (1971) (parole board had less than full picture of facts). And society has a further interest in treating the parolee with basic fairness: fair treatment in parole revocations will enhance the chance of rehabilitation by avoiding reactions to arbitrariness. [Footnote 11]
Given these factors, most States have recognized that there is no interest on the part of the State in revoking parole without any procedural guarantees at all. [Footnote 12] What is needed is an informal hearing structured to assure that the finding of a parole violation will be based on verified facts, and that the exercise of discretion will be informed by an accurate knowledge of the parolee's behavior.
We now turn to the nature of the process that is due, bearing in mind that the interest of both State and
parolee will be furthered by an effective but informal hearing. In analyzing what is due, we see two important stages in the typical process of parole revocation.
(a) Arrest of Parolee and Preliminary Hearing. The first stage occurs when the parolee is arrested and detained, usually at the direction of his parole officer. The second occurs when parole is formally revoked. There is typically a substantial time lag between the arrest and the eventual determination by the parole board whether parole should be revoked. Additionally, it may be that the parolee is arrested at a place distant from the state institution, to which he may be returned before the final decision is made concerning revocation. Given these factors, due process would seem to require that some minimal inquiry be conducted at or reasonably near the place of the alleged parole violation or arrest and as promptly as convenient after arrest while information is fresh and sources are available. Cf. Hyser v. Reed, 115 U.S.App.D.C. 254, 318 F.2d 225 (1963). Such an inquiry should be seen as in the nature of a "preliminary hearing" to determine whether there is probable cause or reasonable ground to believe that the arrested parolee has committed acts that would constitute a violation of parole conditions. Cf. Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. at 397 U. S. 267-271.
In our view, due process requires that, after the arrest, the determination that reasonable ground exists for revocation of parole should be made by someone not directly involved in the case. It would be unfair to assume that the supervising parole officer does not conduct an interview with the parolee to confront him with the reasons for revocation before he recommends an arrest. It would also be unfair to assume that the parole officer bears hostility against the parolee that destroys his neutrality; realistically, the failure of the parolee is, in a sense, a
failure for his supervising officer. [Footnote 13] However, we need make no assumptions one way or the other to conclude that there should be an uninvolved person to make this preliminary evaluation of the basis for believing the conditions of parole have been violated. The officer directly involved in making recommendations cannot always have complete objectivity in evaluating them. [Footnote 14] Goldberg v. Kelly found it unnecessary to impugn the motives of the caseworker to find a need for an independent decisionmaker to examine the initial decision.
This independent officer need not be a judicial officer. The granting and revocation of parole are matters traditionally handled by administrative officers. In Goldberg, the Court pointedly did not require that the hearing on termination of benefits be conducted by a judicial officer, or even before the traditional "neutral and detached" officer; it required only that the hearing be conducted by some person other than one initially dealing with the case. It will be sufficient, therefore, in the parole revocation context, if an evaluation of whether reasonable cause exists to believe that conditions of parole have been violated is made by someone such as a parole officer other than the one who has made the report of parole violations or has recommended revocation. A State could certainly choose some other independent decisionmaker to perform this preliminary function.
With respect to the preliminary hearing before this officer, the parolee should be given notice that the hearing
will take place and that its purpose is to determine whether there is probable cause to believe he has committed a parole violation. The notice should state what parole violations have been alleged. At the hearing, the parolee may appear and speak in his own behalf; he may bring letters, documents, or individuals who can give relevant information to the hearing officer. On request of the parolee, a person who has given adverse information on which parole revocation is to be based is to be made available for questioning in his presence. However, if the hearing officer determines that an informant would be subjected to risk of harm if his identity were disclosed, he need not be subjected to confrontation and cross-examination.
The hearing officer shall have the duty of making a summary, or digest, of what occurs at the hearing in terms of the responses of the parolee and the substance of the documents or evidence given in support of parole revocation and of the parolee's position. Based on the information before him, the officer should determine whether there is probable cause to hold the parolee for the final decision of the parole board on revocation. Such a determination would be sufficient to warrant the parolee's continued detention and return to the state correctional institution pending the final decision. As in Goldberg, "the decisionmaker should state the reasons for his determination and indicate the evidence he relied on . . ." but it should be remembered that this is not a final determination calling for "formal findings of fact and conclusions of law." 397 U.S. at 397 U. S. 271. No interest would be served by formalism in this process; informality will not lessen the utility of this inquiry in reducing the risk of error.
(b) The Revocation Hearing. There must also be an opportunity for a hearing, if it is desired by the parolee, prior to the final decision on revocation by the parole
authority. This hearing must be the basis for more than determining probable cause; it must lead to a final evaluation of any contested relevant facts and consideration of whether the facts as determined warrant revocation. The parolee must have an opportunity to be heard, and to show, if he can, that he did not violate the conditions, or, if he did, that circumstances in mitigation suggest that the violation does not warrant revocation. The revocation hearing must be tendered within a reasonable time after the parolee is taken into custody. A lapse of two months, as respondents suggest occurs in some cases, would not appear to be unreasonable.
We cannot write a code of procedure; that is the responsibility of each State. Most States have done so by legislation, others by judicial decision usually on due process grounds. [Footnote 15] Our task is limited to deciding the
minimum requirements of due process. They include (a) written notice of the claimed violations of parole; (b) disclosure to the parolee of evidence against him; (c) opportunity to be heard in person and to present witnesses and documentary evidence; (d) the right to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses (unless the hearing officer specifically finds good cause for not allowing confrontation); (e) a "neutral and detached" hearing body such as a traditional parole board, members of which need not be judicial officers or lawyers; and (f) a written statement by the factfinders as to the evidence relied on and reason for revoking parole. We emphasize there is no thought to equate this second stage of parole revocation to a criminal prosecution in any sense. It is a narrow inquiry; the process should be flexible enough to consider evidence including letters, affidavits, and other material that would not be admissible in an adversary criminal trial.
We do not reach or decide the question whether the parolee is entitled to the assistance of retained counsel or to appointed counsel if he is indigent. [Footnote 16]
We have no thought to create an inflexible structure for parole revocation procedures. The few basic requirements set out above, which are applicable to future revocations of parole, should not impose a great burden on any State's parole system. Control over the required proceedings by the hearing officers can assure that delaying tactics and other abuses sometimes present in the traditional adversary trial situation do not occur. Obviously a parolee cannot relitigate issues determined against him in other forums, as in the situation presented when the revocation is based on conviction of another crime.
In the peculiar posture of this case, given the absence of an adequate record, we conclude the ends of justice will be best served by remanding the case to the Court of Appeals for its return of the two consolidated cases to the District Court with directions to make findings on the procedures actually followed by the Parole Board in these two revocations. If it is determined that petitioners admitted parole violations to the Parole Board, as respondents contend, and if those violations are found to be reasonable grounds for revoking parole under state standards, that would end the matter. If the procedures followed by the Parole Board are found to meet the standards laid down in this opinion, that, too, would dispose of the due process claims for these cases.
We reverse and remand to the Court of Appeals for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Reversed and remanded.
The hearing required by due process, as defined herein, must be accorded before the effective decision. See Armstrong v. Manzo, 380 U. S. 545 (1965). Petitioners assert here that only one of the 540 revocations ordered most recently by the Iowa Parole Board was reversed after hearing, Petitioners' Reply Brief 7, suggesting that the hearing may not objectively evaluate the revocation decision.
See Warren, Probation in the Federal System of Criminal Justice, 19 Fed.Prob. 3 (Sept.1955); Annual Report, Ohio Adult Parole Authority 1964/65, pp. 13-14; Note, Parole: A Critique of Its Legal Foundations and Conditions, 38 N.Y.U.L.Rev. 702, 705-707 (1963).
Note, Observations on the Administration of Parole, 79 Yale L. J . 698, 699-700 (1970).
President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, Task Force Report: Corrections 62 (1967). The substantial revocation rate indicates that parole administrators often deliberately err on the side of granting parole in borderline cases.
See Morrissey v. Brewer, 443 F.2d 942, at 953-954, n. 5 (CA8 1971) (Lay, J., dissenting); Rose v. Haskins, 388 F.2d 91, 104 (CA6 1968) (Celebrezze, J., dissenting).
Arluke, A Summary of Parole Rule Thirteen Years Later, 15 Crime and Delinquency 267, 271 (1969); Note, Parole Revocation in the Federal System, 56 Geo.L.J. 705, 733 (1968).
"It is not sophistic to attach greater importance to a person's justifiable reliance in maintaining his conditional freedom so long as he abides by the conditions of his release, than to his mere anticipation or hope of freedom."
United States ex rel. Bey v. Connecticut Board of Parole, 443 F.2d 1079, 1086 (CA2 1971).
See, e.g., Murray v. Page, 429 F.2d 1359 (CA10 1970) (parole revoked after eight years; 15 years remaining on original term).
Sklar, Law and Practice in Probation and Parole Revocation Hearings, 55 J.Crim.L.C. & P.S. 175, 194 (1964) (no decrease in Michigan, which grants extensive rights); Roe v. Haskins, 388 F.2d 91, 102 n. 16 (CA6 1968) (Celebrezze, J., dissenting) (cost of imprisonment so much greater than parole system that procedural requirements will not change economic motivation).
See President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, Task Force Report: Corrections 83, 88 (1967).
See n 15, infra. As one state court has written,
"Before such a determination or finding can be made, it appears that the principles of fundamental justice and fairness would afford the parolee a reasonable opportunity to explain away the accusation of a parole violation. [The parolee] . . . is entitled to a conditional liberty and possessed of a right which can be forfeited only by reason of a breach of the conditions of the grant."
Chase v. Page, 456 P.2d 590, 594 (Okla.Crim.App. 1969).
Note, Observations on the Administration of Parole, 79 Yale L.J. 698, 704-706 (1970) (parole officers in Connecticut adopt role model of social worker, rather than an adjunct of police, and exhibit a lack of punitive orientation).
This is not an issue limited to bad motivation. "Parole agents are human, and it is possible that friction between the agent and parolee may have influenced the agent's judgment." 4 Attorney General's Survey on Release Procedures: Parole 246 (1939).
Very few States provide no hearing at all in parole revocations. Thirty States provide in their statutes that a parolee shall receive some type of hearing. See Ala.Code, Tit. 42, § 12 (1959); Alaska Stat. § 33.15.220 (1962); Ariz.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 31-417 (1956); Ark.Stat.Ann. § 43-2810 (Supp. 1971); Del.Code Ann., Tit. 11, § 4352 (Supp. 1970); Fla.Stat.Ann. § 947.23(1) (Supp. 1972); Ga.Code Ann. § 77-519 (Supp. 1971); Haw.Rev.Stat. § 353-66 (1968); Idaho Code §§ 20-229, 20-229A (Supp. 1971); Ill.Ann.Stat., c. 108, §§ 204(e), 207 (Supp. 1972); Ind.Ann.Stat. § 13-1611 (Supp. 1972); Kan.Stat.Ann. § 22-3721 (1971); Ky.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 439.330(1)(e) (1962); La.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 15:574.9 (Supp. 1972); Me.Rev.Stat.Ann., Tit. 34, § 1675 (Supp. 19701971); Md.Ann.Code, Art. 41, § 117 (1971); Mich.Comp.Laws § 791.240a, Mich.Stat.Ann. § 28.2310(1) (Supp. 1972); Miss.Code Ann. § 4004-13 (1956); Mo.Ann.Stat. § 549.265 (Supp. 1971); Mont.Rev.Codes Ann. §§ 94-9838, 94-9835 (1969); N.H.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 607: 46 (1955); N.M.Stat.Ann. § 41-17-28 (1972); N.Y.Correc.Law § 212 subd. 7 (Supp. 1971); N.D.Cent.Code § 12-59-15 (Supp. 1971); Pa.Stat.Ann., Tit. 61, § 331.21a(b) (1964); Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-3619 (1955); Tex.Code Crim.Proc., Art. 42.12, § 22 (1966); Vt.Stat.Ann., Tit. 28, § 1081(b) (1970); Wash.Rev.Code §§ 9.95.120 through 9.95.126 (Supp. 1971); W.Va.Code Ann. § 62-12-19 (1966). Decisions of state and federal courts have required a number of other States to provide hearings. See Hutchison v. Patterson, 267 F. Supp. 433 (Colo.1967) (approving parole board regulations); United States ex rel. Bey v. Connecticut State Board of Parole, 443 F.2d 1079 (CA2 1971) (requiring counsel to be appointed for revocation hearings); State v. Holmes, 109 N.J.Super. 180, 262 A.2d 725 (1970); Chase v. Page, 456 P.2d 590 (Okla.Crim.App. 1969); Bearden v. South Carolina, 443 F.2d 1090 (CA4 1971); Baine v. Beckstead, 10 Utah 2d 4, 347 P.2d 554 (1959); Goolsby v. Gagnon, 322 F. Supp. 460 (ED Wis.1971). A number of States are affected by no legal requirement to grant any kind of hearing.
The Model Penal Code § 305.15(1) (Proposed Official Draft 1962) provides that
"[t]he institutional parole staff shall render reasonable aid to the parolee in preparation for the hearing and he shall be permitted to advise with his own legal counsel."
MR. JUSTICE BRENNAN, with whom MR. JUSTICE MARSHALL joins, concurring in the result.
I agree that a parole may not be revoked, consistently with the Due Process Clause, unless the parolee is afforded, first, a preliminary hearing at the time of arrest to determine whether there is probable cause to believe
that he has violated his parole conditions and, second, a final hearing within a reasonable time to determine whether he has, in fact, violated those conditions and whether his parole should be revoked. For each hearing, the parolee is entitled to notice of the violations alleged and the evidence against him, opportunity to be heard in person and to present witnesses and documentary evidence, and the right to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses, unless it is specifically found that a witness would thereby be exposed to a significant risk of harm. Moreover, in each case, the decisionmaker must be impartial, there must be some record of the proceedings, and the decisionmaker's conclusions must be set forth in written form indicating both the evidence and the reasons relied upon. Because the Due Process Clause requires these procedures, I agree that the case must be remanded as the Court orders.
The Court, however, states that it does not now decide whether the parolee is also entitled at each hearing to the assistance of retained counsel or of appointed counsel if he is indigent. Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U. S. 254 (1970), nonetheless plainly dictates that he at least "must be allowed to retain an attorney if he so desires." Id. at 397 U. S. 270. As the Court said there,
"Counsel can help delineate the issues, present the factual contentions in an orderly manner, conduct cross-examination, and generally safeguard the interests of"
his client. Id. at 397 U. S. 270-271. The only question open under our precedents is whether counsel must be furnished the parolee if he is indigent.
MR. JUSTICE DOUGLAS, dissenting in part.
Each petitioner was sentenced for a term in an Iowa penitentiary for forgery. Somewhat over a year later, each was released on parole. About six months later, each was arrested for a parole violation and confined in a local jail. In about a week, the Iowa Board of Parole revoked their
paroles and each was returned to the penitentiary. At no time during any of the proceedings which led to the parole revocations were they granted a hearing or the opportunity to know, question, or challenge any of the facts which formed the basis of their alleged parole violations. Nor were they given an opportunity to present evidence on their own behalf or to confront and cross-examine those on whose testimony their paroles were revoked.
Each challenged the revocation in the state courts and, obtaining no relief, filed the present petitions in the Federal District Court, which denied relief. Their appeals were consolidated in the Court of Appeals which, sitting en banc, in each case affirmed the District Court by a four-to-three vote, 443 F.2d 942. The cases are here on a petition for a writ of certiorari, 404 U.S. 999, which we granted because there is a conflict between the decision below and Hahn v. Burke, 430 F.2d 100, decided by the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Iowa has a board of parole [Footnote 2/1] which determines who shall be paroled. Once paroled, a person is under the supervision of the director of the division of corrections of the Department of Social Services, who, in turn, supervises parole agents. Parole agents do not revoke the parole of any person, but only recommend that the board of parole revoke it. The Iowa Act provides that each parolee "shall be subject, at any time, to be taken into custody and returned to the institution" from which he
was paroled. [Footnote 2/2] Thus, Iowa requires no notice or hearing to put a parolee back in prison, Curtis v. Bennett, 256 Iowa 1164, 131 N.W.2d 1, and it is urged that, since parole, like probation, is only a privilege, it may be summarily revoked. [Footnote 2/3] See Escoe v. Zerbst, 295 U. S. 490, 492-493; Ughbanks v. Armstrong, 208 U. S. 481. But we have long discarded the right-privilege distinction. See, e.g., Graham v. Richardson, 403 U. S. 365, 403 U. S. 374; Bell v. Burson, 402 U. S. 535, 402 U. S. 539; Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U. S. 563, 391 U. S. 568; cf. Van Alstyne, The Demise of the Right-Privilege Distinction in Constitutional Law, 81 Harv.L.Rev. 1439 (1968).
The Court said in United States v. Wilson, 7 Pet. 150, 32 U. S. 161, that a "pardon is a deed." The same can be said of a parole, which, when conferred, gives the parolee a degree of liberty which is often associated with property interests.
We held in Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U. S. 254, that the termination by a State of public assistance payments to a recipient without a prior evidentiary hearing denies him procedural due process in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Speaking of the termination of welfare benefits we said:
"Their termination involves state action that adjudicates important rights. The constitutional challenge cannot be answered by an argument that public assistance benefits are "a privilege,' and not a `right.'" Shapiro v. Thompson, 394 U. S. 618, 394 U. S. 627 n. 6 (1969). Relevant constitutional restraints apply as much to the withdrawal of public assistance benefits as to disqualification for unemployment compensation, Sherbert v. Verner, 374 U. S. 398 (1963); or to denial of a tax exemption, Speiser v. Randall, 357 U. S. 513 (1958); or to discharge from public employment, Slochower v. Board of Higher Education, 350 U. S. 551 (1956). The extent to which procedural due process must be afforded the recipient is influenced by the extent to which he may be "condemned to suffer grievous loss," Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath, 341 U. S. 123, 341 U. S. 168 (1951) (Frankfurter, J., concurring), and depends upon whether the recipient's interest in avoiding that loss outweighs the governmental interest in summary adjudication. Accordingly, as we said in Cafeteria & Restaurant Workers Union v. McElroy, 367 U. S. 886, 367 U. S. 895 (1961),"
"consideration of what procedures due process may require under any given set of circumstances must begin with a determination of the precise nature of the government function involved, as well as of the private interest that has been affected by governmental action."
"See also Hannah v. Larche, 363 U. S. 420, 363 U. S. 440, 442 (1960)."
397 U.S. at 397 U. S. 262-263.
Under modern concepts of penology, paroling prisoners is part of the rehabilitative aim of the correctional philosophy. The objective is to return a prisoner to a full family and community life. See generally Note, Parole Revocation in the Federal System, 56 Geo.L.J. 705 (1968); Note, Parole: A Critique of Its Legal Foundations and Conditions, 38 N.Y.U.L.Rev. 702 (1963); Comment, 72 Yale L.J. 368 (1962); and see Baine v. Beckstead, 10 Utah 2d 4, 347 P.2d 554 (1959). The status he enjoys as a parolee is as important a right as those we reviewed in Goldberg v. Kelly. That status is conditioned upon not engaging in certain activities, and perhaps in not leaving a certain area or locality. Violations of conditions of parole may be technical, they may be done unknowingly, they may be fleeting, and of no consequence. [Footnote 2/4] See, e.g., Arciniega v. Freeman, 404 U. S. 4; Cohen, Due Process, Equal Protection and State Parole Revocation Proceedings, 42 U.Colo.L.Rev.197, 229 (1970). The parolee should, in the concept of fairness implicit in due process, have a chance to explain. Rather, under Iowa's rule, revocation proceeds on the ipse dixit of the parole agent, and, on his word alone, each of these petitioners has already served three additional years in prison. [Footnote 2/5] The charges may or may not be true. Words of explanation may be adequate to transform into trivia what looms large in the mind of the parole officer.
"[T]here is no place in our system of law for reaching
a result of such tremendous consequences without ceremony -- without hearing, without effective assistance of counsel, without a statement of reasons."
Kent v. United States, 383 U. S. 541, 383 U. S. 554 (1966).
Parole, [Footnote 2/6] while originally conceived as a judicial function, has become largely an administrative matter. The parole boards have broad discretion in formulating and imposing parole conditions. "Often vague and moralistic, parole conditions may seem oppressive and unfair to the parolee." R. Dawson, Sentencing 306 (1969). They are drawn "to cover any contingency that might occur," id. at 307, and are designed to maximize "control over the parolee by his parole officer." Ibid.
Parole is commonly revoked on mere suspicion that the parolee may have committed a crime. Id. at 366-367. Such great control over the parolee vests in a parole officer a broad discretion in revoking parole and also in counseling the parolee -- referring him for psychiatric treatment or obtaining the use of specialized therapy for narcotic addicts or alcoholics. Id. at 321. Treatment of the parolee, rather than revocation of his parole, is a common course. Id. at 322-323. Counseling may include extending help to a parolee in finding a job. Id. at 324 et seq.
A parolee, like a prisoner, is a person entitled to constitutional protection, including procedural due process. [Footnote 2/7] At the federal level, the construction of regulations of the Federal Parole Board presents federal questions of
which we have taken cognizance. See Arciniega v. Freeman, 404 U. S. 4. At the state level, the construction of parole statutes and regulations is for the states alone, save as they implicate the Federal Constitution, in which event the Supremacy Clause controls.
It is only procedural due process, required by the Fourteenth Amendment, that concerns us in the present cases. Procedural due process requires the following.
If a violation of a condition of parole is involved, rather than the commission of a new offense, there should not be an arrest of the parolee and his return to the prison or to a local jail. [Footnote 2/8] Rather, notice of the alleged violation should be given to the parolee, and a time set for a hearing. [Footnote 2/9] The
hearing should not be before the parole officer, as he is the one who is making the charge and "there is inherent danger in combining the functions of judge and advocate." Jones v. Rivers, 338 F.2d 862, 877 (CA4 1964) (Sobeloff, J., concurring). Moreover, the parolee should be entitled to counsel. [Footnote 2/10] See Hewett v. North Carolina, 415 F.2d 1316, 1322-1325 (CA4 1969); People ex rel. Combs v. LaVallee, 29 App.Div.2d 128, 286 N.Y.S.2d 600 (1968); Perry v. Williard, 247 Ore. 145, 427 P.2d 1020 (1967). As the Supreme Court of Oregon said in Perry v. Willard,
"A hearing in which counsel is absent or is present only on behalf of one side is inherently unsatisfactory if not unfair. Counsel can see that relevant facts are brought out, vague and insubstantial allegations discounted, and irrelevancies eliminated."
Id. at 148,
427 P.2d at 1022. Cf. Mempa v. Rhay, 389 U. S. 128, 389 U. S. 135.
The hearing required is not a grant of the full panoply of rights applicable to a criminal trial. But confrontation with the informer may, as Roviaro v. United States, 353 U. S. 53, illustrates, be necessary for a fair hearing and the ascertainment of the truth. The hearing is to determine the fact of parole violation. The results of the hearing would go to the parole board -- or other authorized state agency -- for final action, as would cases which involved voluntary admission of violations.
The rule of law is important in the stability of society. Arbitrary actions in the revocation of paroles can only impede and impair the rehabilitative aspects of modern penology. "Notice and opportunity for hearing appropriate to the nature of the case," Boddie v. Connecticut, 401 U. S. 371, 401 U. S. 378, are the rudiments of due process which restore faith that our society is run for the many, not the few, and that fair dealing, rather than caprice, will govern the affairs of men. [Footnote 2/11]
I would not prescribe the precise formula for the management of the parole problems. We do not sit as an ombudsman, telling the States the precise procedures they must follow. I would hold that, so far as the due process requirements of parole revocation are concerned: [Footnote 2/12]
(1) the parole officer -- whatever may be his duties under various state statutes -- in Iowa appears to be an agent having some of the functions of a prosecutor and
of the police: the parole officer is therefore not qualified as a hearing officer;
(2) the parolee is entitled to a due process notice and a due process hearing of the alleged parole violations including, for example, the opportunity to be confronted by his accusers and to present evidence and argument on his own behalf; and
(3) the parolee is entitled to the freedom granted a parolee until the results of the hearing are known and the parole board -- or other authorized state agency -- acts. [Footnote 2/13]
I would reverse the judgments and remand for further consideration in light of this opinion.
Iowa Code § 247.5 (1971) provides in part:
"The board of parole shall determine which of the inmates of the state penal institutions qualify, and thereafter shall be placed upon parole. Once an inmate is placed on parole he shall be under the supervision of the director of the division of corrections of the department of social services. There shall be a sufficient number of parole agents to insure proper supervision of all persons placed on parole. Parole agents shall not revoke the parole of any person but may recommend that the board of parole revoke such parole."
Id. § 247.9 provides in part:
"All paroled prisoners shall remain, while on parole, in the legal custody of the warden or superintendent and under the control of the chief parole officer, and shall be subject, at any time, to be taken into custody and returned to the institution from which they were paroled."
"A fundamental problem with [the right-privilege] theory is that probation is now the most frequent penal disposition, just as release on parole is the most frequent form of release from an institution. They bear little resemblance to episodic acts of mercy by a forgiving sovereign. A more accurate view of supervised release is that it is now an integral part of the criminal justice process, and shows every sign of increasing popularity. Seen in this light, the question becomes whether legal safeguards should be provided for hundreds of thousands of individuals who daily are processed and regulated by governmental agencies. The system has come to depend on probation and parole as much as do those who are enmeshed in the system. Thus, in dealing with claims raised by offenders, we should make decisions based not on an outworn cliche, but on the basis of present-day realities."
F. Cohen, The Legal Challenge to Corrections: Implications for Manpower and Training 32 (Joint Commission on Correctional Manpower and Training 1969).
The violations alleged in these cases on which revocation was based are listed by the Court of Appeals, 443 F.2d 942, 943-944, nn. 1 and 2.
For a discussion of the British system that dispenses with precise conditions usually employed here, see 120 U.Pa.L.Rev. 282, 311-312 (1971). As to conditions limiting constitutional rights see id. at 313-324, 326-339.
As to summary deprivations of individual liberty in Communist nations, see, e.g., Shao-chuan Leng, Justice In Communist China 34 (1967); 1 P. Tang, Communist China Today 271 (2d ed.1961); J. Hazard, Communists and Their Law 121-126 (1969).
"Parole is used after a sentence has been imposed, while probation is usually granted in lieu of a prison term." R. Clegg, Probation and Parole 22 (1964). See Baine v. Beckstead, 10 Utah 2d 4, 9, 347 P.2d 554, 558; People ex rel. Combs v. LaVallee, 29 App.Div.2d 128, 131, 286 N.Y.S.2d 600, 603.
See President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, Task Force Report: Corrections 83, 84 (1967); 120 U.Pa.L.Rev. 282, 348-358 (1971).
As Judge Skelly Wright said in Hyser v. Reed, 115 U.S.App.D.C. 254, 291, 318 F.2d 225, 262 (1963) (concurring in part and dissenting in part):
"Where serious violations of parole have been committed, the parolee will have been arrested by local or federal authorities on charges stemming from those violations. Where the violation of parole is not serious, no reason appears why he should be incarcerated before hearing. If, of course, the parolee willfully fails to appear for his hearing, this, in itself, would justify issuance of the warrant."
Accord, In re Tucker, 5 Cal. 3d 171, 199-200, 486 P.2d 657, 676 (1971) (Tobriner, J., concurring and dissenting).
As we said in another connection in Greene v. McElroy, 360 U. S. 474, 360 U. S. 496-497:
"Certain principles have remained relatively immutable in our jurisprudence. One of these is that, where governmental action seriously injures an individual, and the reasonableness of the action depends on fact findings, the evidence used to prove the Government's case must be disclosed to the individual so that he has an opportunity to show that it is untrue. While this is important, in the case of documentary evidence, it is even more important where the evidence consists of the testimony of individuals whose memory might be faulty or who, in fact, might be perjurers or persons motivated by malice, vindictiveness, intolerance, prejudice, or jealousy. We have formalized these protections in the requirements of confrontation and cross-examination. They have ancient roots. They find expression in the Sixth Amendment, which provides that, in all criminal cases, the accused shall enjoy the right 'to be confronted with the witnesses against him.' This Court has been zealous to protect these rights from erosion. It has spoken out not only in criminal cases, but also in all types of cases where administrative and regulatory actions were under scrutiny."
(Citations omitted.)
[Footnote 2/10]
American Bar Association Project on Standards for Criminal Justice, Providing Defense Services 43 (Approved Draft 1968); Model Penal Code § 301.4, § 305.15(1) (Proposed Official Draft 1962); R. Dawson, Sentencing (1969). For the experience of Michigan in giving hearings to parolees see id. at 355. In Michigan, it is estimated that only one out of six parole violators retains counsel. One who cannot afford counsel is said to be protected by the hearing members of the board. Id. at 354. The number who ask for public hearings are typically five or six a year, the largest in a single year being 10. Michigan has had this law since 1937. Id. at 355. But the Michigan experience may not be typical, for a parole violator is picked up and returned at once to the institution from which he was paroled. Id. at 352-353.
By way of contrast, parole revocation hearings in California are secretive affairs conducted behind closed doors and with no written record of the proceedings and in which the parolee is denied the assistance of counsel and the opportunity to present witnesses on his behalf. Van Dyke, Parole Revocation Hearings in California: The Right to Counsel, 59 Calif.L.Rev. 1215 (1971). See also Note, 56 Geo.L.J. 705 (1968) (federal parole revocation procedures).
The Brief of the American Civil Liberties Union, amicus curiae, contains, in Appendix A, the States that, by statute or decision, require some form of hearing before parole is revoked and those that do not. All but nine States now hold hearings on revocation of probation and parole, some with trial-type rights, including representation by counsel.
We except, of course, the commission of another offense which, from the initial step to the end, is governed by the normal rules of criminal procedure.
The American Correctional Association states in its Manual of Correctional Standards 279 (3d ed.1966) that:
"To an even greater extent than in the case of imprisonment, probation and parole practice is determined by an administrative discretion that is largely uncontrolled by legal standards, protections, or remedies. Until statutory and case law are more fully developed, it is vitally important within all of the correctional fields that there should be established and maintained reasonable norms and remedies against the sorts of abuses that are likely to develop where men have great power over their fellows and where relationships may become both mechanical and arbitrary."
And it provides for parole revocation hearings:
"As soon as practicable after causing an alleged violator [to be] taken into custody on the basis of a parole board warrant, the prisoner should be given an opportunity to appear before the board or its representative. The prisoner should be made fully aware of the reasons for the warrant, and given ample opportunity to refute the charges placed against him or to comment as to extenuating circumstances. The hearing should be the basis for consideration of possible reinstatement to parole supervision on the basis of the findings of fact or of reparole where it appears that further incarceration would serve no useful purpose."
The American Bar Association states at p. 10 of its brief amicus in the present cases that it is
"in full agreement with the American Correctional Association in this instance. The position that a hearing is to be afforded on parole revocation is consistent with several sets of criminal justice standards formally approved by the Association through its House of Delegates."
Oral Argument - April 11, 1972
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← Ratcliffe Cross Stairs – Where fires raged, explorers set sail and pirates hung
The evocative gardens of Arundel Castle →
The ticking timebomb shipwreck that could damage half of London
Every now and then a newly made discovery of a long-lost shipwreck makes the news with everything from RMS Titanic to the lost ship of Captain Cook and everything in between.
There are a few shipwrecks however that are well known, even visible to us today. Out of them all, there can’t be any more dangerous than the S.S. Richard Montgomery which since WW2 has lain, partially above water on the mouth of the River Thames.
The S.S. Richard Montgomery was a Liberty ship, from the United States bringing over 9,000 high explosive munitions and one of many reason why one has to be careful when looking for ‘treasures’ on the banks of the Thames as I did in my recent post.
Known semi-affectionately to locals as the “Monty”, the 441ft-long (134m) vessel was a US Liberty ship, a type of cargo ship used during World War II. It arrived off the coast in August 1944 carrying munitions to help the war effort. On 20 August, while waiting to join a convoy across the channel to France, harsh weather caused the ship to drag anchor and founder on a sand bank, of which there are many treacherous examples in the Thames estuary.
As the tide receded the vessel was left stranded. The hull’s welded plates began to crack and buckle under the weight of the explosives on board. Local dockworkers hurriedly mounted a salvage operation. They managed to empty the rear half of the ship before finally abandoning it on 25 September, when the forward section flooded and the vessel snapped in half.
Since then, no one has been aboard the ship – at least not officially. And without any surviving records of what actually was removed in 1944, it’s impossible to say precisely what cargo remains.
The masts of the S.S. Richard Montgomery
The ship lies just 1.5 miles (2.4km) from shore in the mouth of the bustling Thames estuary. Clearly visible from the land – its rusting masts rising ominously from the water – the sunken vessel contains disturbing cargo: 1,400 tonnes of high explosives which many fear could go off at any time, potentially causing one of the most devastating non-nuclear peace-time explosions ever seen.
It is something that locals near the coast have long worried about whilst millions of Londoners remain blissfully unaware that they are living well withing the shockwaves of a ticking time-bomb.
According to a survey carried out in 2000 by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the ship likely contains a staggering assortment of more than 9,000 US-made explosives.
These include 286 giant 2,000lb ‘blockbuster’ bombs, 4,439 1,000lb devices and – perhaps most worryingly of all – more than 2,500 cluster bombs. Unlike most of the other items on board, cluster bombs would have been transported with their fuses in place, leaving them more prone to detonation.
It seems incredible that such hazardous cargo was abandoned so close to civilisation and in the middle of the one of the UK’s busiest shipping lanes. But in the final stages of the war, the wreck’s recovery wasn’t a priority.
In the decades that followed, authorities considered non-intervention to be the safest course of action. That became particularly true when a 1967 attempt to clear the Kielce – a smaller wrecked munitions vessel almost four miles (6.4km) out to sea – triggered an explosion that measured 4.5 on the Richter scale and damaged property in nearby Folkestone, though no injuries were reported.“Expert advice has always been that the munitions are likely to be stable if left undisturbed,” says the MCA’s Receiver of the Wreck Alison Kentuck, who oversees management of the SS Richard Montgomery, including arranging detailed annual surveys of the site (see box out). “If you go and disturb them, you’re increasing the risk factor.”
“Expert advice has always been that the munitions are likely to be stable if left undisturbed,” says the MCA’s Receiver of the Wreck Alison Kentuck, who oversees management of the SS Richard Montgomery, including arranging detailed annual surveys of the site (see box out). “If you go and disturb them, you’re increasing the risk factor.”
Most agree that the bombs are relatively safe as long as they aren’t exposed to sudden shock, friction or heat. But as happened with the famous wreck of Titanic, recent MCA surveys confirm the wreck is gradually disintegrating. Its deterioration could lead to a sudden collapse that triggers the sympathetic detonation of some, if not all, of the remaining explosives.
If this happened, the consequences could be catastrophic. Some analyses – as reported in the New Scientist in 2004 – suggest that spontaneous detonation of the entire cargo would hurl a column of debris up to 1.8 miles (three kilometres) into the air, send a 40 foot high tsunami sweeping up the Thames and along the Kent coast, cause a shock wave that would damage buildings for miles around, including the liquid gas containers on the nearby Isle of Grain.
It’s a scenario that keeps many, including local historian Colin Harvey, awake at night. “The remit area for the explosion would be from Margate to the centre of London,” he says. “It would level Sheerness, and a 30 or 40ft wave would breach sea defences. Sheppey’s got a population of 25,000 people. Where would they go?”
For those of us who like to put our head in the sands, happily not everyone shares this apocalyptic view.
Dave Welch is a former Royal Navy bomb disposal expert who now runs Ramora UK, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) consultancy which carries out a large amount of work on underwater ordnance. Welch, who advised the government on the SS Richard Montgomery’s munitions, says he’s unconvinced by some of the wilder predictions.
“The idea that if one item goes ‘bang’ then everything will is, I think, pretty unlikely,” he says. “Unless you’ve got intimate contact between two munitions subsurface, you’ll rarely cause the other to detonate, because water is a very good mitigator. If you’ve got a 1,000lb bomb two metres from another 1,000lb bomb, the other one won’t go bang. I know that for a fact – I did it last Tuesday..
The wreck is surveyed annually. Although in the past, the process could take up to a month, advances in subsea surveying technology mean that it now takes as little as a couple of days. Two key techniques are used: laser scanning and multi-beam sonar. Laser scanning examine the sections of the ship above the water, while sonar images the subsea sections. These two data sets are knitted together to create an overall image that gives a detailed view of the exterior of the wreck, as well as the surrounding seabed.
A scan showing Monty in two parts.
He suggests that a more likely – albeit only marginally less terrifying – scenario is the detonation of a large item initiating a ripple effect through the vessel, which would send munitions flying through the air and scatter hazardous items over a wide area.
And while the likeliest trigger for such an event is the natural disintegration of the vessel, that’s not the only potential cause.
One concern is that the vessel could be struck by one of the many boats that pass close by every day. And although the wreck is surrounded by an 875-yard (800m) exclusion zone and monitored 24 hours a day by the Medway Ports authority, there are concerns that it’s not as well protected as the authorities claim. Indeed, Harvey says there have been at least 22 near-misses over the last few decades.
Perhaps the most serious incident occurred back in May 1980, a Danish fuel tanker strayed off course in poor weather and had to take last-minute evasive action to avoid hitting the wreck.
More recently, an idiotic paddle-boarder provoked an outcry when he posted a photo of himself on Facebook leaning against one of the vessel’s masts.
Perhaps more worryingly is that it could prove to be a tempting target for terrorists that could relatively easily attack the shipwreck to cause the biggest explosion of the 21st century. In fact during the London 2012 Olympics the ship was under armed protection.
But the biggest risk factor is undoubtedly the state of the ship itself. “The items aren’t the ticking time bomb, the wreck is,” says Welch. “It’s the fact that they’re inside a ship which is slowly decaying that could have the potential of causing enough energy going in them to cause them to detonate.”
Warning buoy marking the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery photo by Gill Edwards
Over the years, a variety of suggestions have been made, ranging from the clumsily dangerous option of simply towing the vessel to deeper water to more complex civil engineering solutions involving entombing the wreck in some kind of giant sarcophagus.
The project would, Welch says, cost tens of millions of pounds. “There are lots of examples of wrecks being emptied,” he says. “The thing that makes this different is that it’s a much larger payload and the vessel is slowly crumbling away. What makes it very difficult is where it is.”
Still, Welch and a number of other operators are confident that they could safely clear the wreck site. But there are few signs that anyone will be given the go-ahead any time soon.
One thing that might hasten a solution would be a major infrastructure project, like the former London Mayor Boris Johnson’s proposal for a new airport in the Thames Estuary: the Airport Commission said that before it could be built, the wreck would have to be moved. But with ‘Boris Island’ looking increasingly unlikely, at least for now, we could be in for a long wait – and most seem to agree that the longer the vessel is left, the harder it will be to deal with.
However the wreck is dealt with, it seems unlikely that inaction is going to be a tenable course of action and that sometime in the next 10 years a very difficult decision to make and the sooner it is made then the easier and cheaper it will be.
As decision makers more distant sit on their hands, there is always the horrific possibility that the people of coastal towns such as Sheerness will see an unprecedented disaster which is 80 years in the waiting.
This entry was posted in history, Life, London, WW2 and tagged Bombs, Life, London, River Thames, S.S. Richard Montgomery, Shipwreck, war. Bookmark the permalink.
6 Responses to The ticking timebomb shipwreck that could damage half of London
You really bring out forgotten and hidden information in a way that stokes curiosity and interest. Yes, it does seem like such a folly to leave it so close to civilisation.
Thank-you. Obviously no-one wants to start a procedure that might cause damage for 100 miles and possibly injuries or death but it seems that if it happened accidentally at 2am during a stormy winter night or 8am during the commuting rush-hours then more people would be killed. I am sure if it were to happen now, it would be resolved instantly so why take the risk with an old one? It is the London version of Vesuvius and Pompeii.
Marilyn Liddell Hall (maiden name) Allan says:
This is very scarey sounding to me!! I am surprised nothing has been done about it! Have divers been in it to look inside?
sed30 says:
Reblogged this on sed30's Blog and commented:
😮fascinating but scary stuff
Contractions of Fate says:
This is crazy! If they emptied the back half of the ship in 1944, why not finish the job after it snapped in half? Wouldn’t that have been safer then leaving it to rust for 80 years? Even if they had no scuba equipment, they had deep sea diving suits?
>:8o
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Tony Gonzalez On Brady-Manning: This Is Our Last Chance To See Greatness
Filed Under:Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, NFL, Tony Gonzalez
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 19: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots congratulates Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos after the Broncos defeated the Patriots 26 to 16 during the AFC Championship game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 19, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
By Mark Schiff
Over the course of his 17-year NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons, Tony Gonzalez set virtually every significant mark for tight ends, including catches (1,325), receiving yards (15,125) and touchdown receptions (111). After retiring following the 2013 season, Gonzalez joined THE NFL TODAY on CBS, where he works as an analyst. Gonzalez was kind enough to take some time to discuss the upcoming AFC and NFC Championship games, including what could be the final meeting between Hall of Fame quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, the keys to New England’s offense and why the Panthers have the upper-hand over the Cardinals in the NFC Championship.
Do you think this is the last ever Brady vs. Manning match-up?
Tony Gonzalez: “Yes, I really believe that in my heart. Because I don’t think Peyton is going to come back to play after this season. This is our last chance to see greatness, one of the best players of all-time to take the field. And I couldn’t think of a better way [for Manning’s career to end] — if they end up not winning — [than] going against Tom Brady. Whether it’s this week or in the Super Bowl, I don’t think Peyton will be playing anymore. I can’t imagine that he would go somewhere and be a backup, limp through another season, or, if he did want to go to a team where he could start, I don’t think he’d want to be a part of a rebuilding team.
So this is it and this is what it’s all about. Two of the best quarterbacks ever to play going against each other for the Super Bowl. This is huge. This is like, Frank Sinatra’s final concert or something. It should be fun for everyone.”
Other than Tom Brady, who is the other key player for New England in this game?
TG: “Well, I think it’s two players and they complement each other like ketchup and mustard. (Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach) Bill Cowher wouldn’t like those two mixing. Let’s call them peanut butter and jelly. I’m talking about tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Julian Edelman. Gronkowski presents such a mismatch for the defenses, he’s nearly impossible to cover with his size.
And Edelman, there’s no one better in the NFL at getting open on those little five-, six-yard routes. Brady really missed him in the team’s first meeting against the Broncos and he’ll provide Brady with a safety valve on third down. So, along with Brady, I think it’s those two weapons on offense that should have the biggest impact on the game.”
What do Von Miller and the Broncos defense have to do to slow down the Pats’ offense?
TG: “They have to get after Brady, which is something they struggled with in their last game against the Steelers. Brady is so good at diagnosing defenses and getting the ball off quickly that if you can’t pressure him, he’ll just pick you apart. So I think the key for Denver will be getting to the quarterback and letting their excellent pass rush disrupt things in the backfield, which will help out the secondary.”
With lingering injuries along the defensive line, will the Pats constantly rush Manning or is it better to sit back in coverage?
TG: “I think the key will be to mix things up. The Patriots are excellent at disguising their coverages and coming at the quarterback from a variety of angles and they’ll need to do that to win. But in addition to blitzing, New England will need to drop into coverage and mix it up, putting pressure on Peyton to throw the ball into tight coverage. Manning is one of the best ever at looking at defenses at the line of scrimmage and figuring out what they’re trying to do, so the key for New England will be to mix up the coverage to keep him off balance.”
Which Heisman-winning quarterback has the upper-hand this weekend in the NFC Championship: Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers or Carson Palmer of the Arizona Cardinals?
TG: “I’d say Cam. Look, they’ve both had great seasons but Cam is the [presumptive] MVP for a reason. The thing about him is that he’s gotten so much better at throwing those intermediate routes. I went against him in the early part of his career when I was with Atlanta and that’s something he’s really improved on this season, getting those intermediate throws. And if the pass isn’t there, he can just use his legs and that big 6’5”, 250lb frame to pick up five yards. So although Carson Palmer has had a great year in Arizona, I think Newton definitely has the upper-hand in this matchup.”
Which defense do you think holds the advantage?
TG: “Again, I would have to go with Carolina. Their linebackers, Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly, they’re just so athletic. I went against Davis a lot when I was in Atlanta and he’s one of the best linebackers in the game. And Kuechly is just so impressive with his all-around play. The Cardinals not having injured free safety Tyrann Mathieu is huge; he was like the Troy Polamalu of that defense. So even though the Cardinals have Patrick Peterson, the Panthers have Josh Norman. I just like the Panthers a little bit more.”
The NFL on CBS’ coverage with host James Brown, Boomer Esiason, Bill Cowher, Tony Gonzalez and Bart Scott, along with NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, begins with THE NFL TODAY at 2 p.m. ET, live from Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo.
Mark Schiff is a freelance writer and music journalist for AXS.com. In 2013, his coverage of the Seattle Seahawks ended in heartbreak when they defeated the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. Now covering his beloved hometown team, his knowledge and passion for pro football has resulted in multiple fantasy football championships. Find him on Twitter at @mihilites.
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Government to set up Agricultural Export Zones to boost exports: Minister Suresh Prabhu
Ten News Network
By tennews.in On Oct 25, 2018
New Delhi October 25, 2018: Government will soon be setting up specific agriculture export zones well placed with ports and airports in the country aimed at boosting India’s agriculture products exports internationally.
“The government has also drafted a new National Agriculture export policy to support the export of organic products. The policy has been jointly prepared by the ministries of commerce, agriculture, and food processing. The commerce ministry will also set up a series of centres in states to help organic farmers to brand and sell products to international market, where demand for such products is high.” Said Mr Suresh Prabhu Union commerce minister while inaugurating a Three-day Biofach India 2018, India’s leading trade fair for organic food jointly organised by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Nurnberg Messe India here today.
“India produces about 600 million tonnes of agriculture and horticulture products annually; the new agriculture policy has been unveiled with the vision to double the farmers’ income and increase the share of agricultural exports from present about USD 30 billion to over USD 60 billion by 2022. The policy will also help in checking food and vegetable wastage which is about 30 per cent at present by increasing exports and increasing food processing”, Suresh Prabhu said.
“The government is also in touch with various countries including UAE, Oman and other countries to increase export of agriculture products to these countries as they need to import large quantity of food products. Ministry of commerce is also in touch with China for export of rice and pharmaceuticals from India and after long period the first consignment of rape seed will be exported to China soon” the minister said.
“The agriculture export policy has pitched for greater involvement of states, improvement in infrastructure and logistics, and promotion of R&D activities for new product development for the upcoming markets.” he added
“More than 5000 delegates comprising of Exporters, processors, retail chain industry, certification bodies and producers from India and abroad are participating in the Biofach 2018, the trade Fair-cum-Exhibition to discuss and have first-hand feel of the Indian organic products including tea, spices, honey, basmati rice, coffee, cereals, dry fruits, vegetables, processed foods and medicinal plants” said Mr Paban K Borthakur, chairman, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) speaking on the occasion.
“The major highlight of the Biofach 2018 is APEDA has set up an Organic Theme Pavilion by APEDA having direct display of items and to provide direct business opportunity to India organic food product producers with visiting international buyers through B2B and B2S meets. APEDA has invited and sponsored more than 50 buyers from important importing countries for direct market linkages of producers with international trade.” said Mr Borthakur.
“The demand for organic Agri products produced is on constant increase worldwide as Organic products are grown under a system of agriculture without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. As on 31st March 2018, total area under organic certification process (registered under National Programme for Organic Production) was 3.56 million Hectare (2017-18). This includes 1.78 million ha (50%) cultivable area and another 1.78 million Hectare (50%) for wild harvest collection. Among all the states, Madhya Pradesh has covered largest area under organic certification followed by Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. During 2016, Sikkim had achieved a remarkable distinction of converting its entire cultivable land (more than 76000 ha) under organic certification.”, the Chairman said.
“India produced around 1.70 million MT (2017-18) of certified organic products which includes all varieties of food products namely Oil Seeds, Sugar cane, Cereals & Millets, Cotton, Pulses, Medicinal Plants, Tea, Fruits, Spices, Dry Fruits, Vegetables, Coffee etc. The production is not limited to the edible sector but also produces organic cotton fiber and functional food products.” he added
“Among different states Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. In terms of commodities Oil seeds are the single largest category followed by Sugar crops, Cereals and Millets, Fiber crops, Pulses, Medicinal, Herbal and Aromatic plants and Spices and Condiments.The total volume of export during 2017-18 was 4.58 lakh MT. The organic food export realization was around INR 3453.48 crore (515.44 million USD). Organic products are exported to USA, European Union, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Israel, South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand and Japan”, he said
“India exported organic products worth Rs. 30 billion (over $440 million) in 2017-18, from Rs. 24.77 billion in 2016-17. The major demands under the organic product category are for flax seeds, sesame and soybean; pulses such as arhar (red gram), chana (pigeon pea); and rice, along with tea and medicinal plants .European Union member-countries were the biggest buyers of organic products from There is a growing demand from Canada, Taiwan and South Korea in recent years, Germany is one of the biggest importers of Indian organic products. Now, many new countries are also taking interest”, he said.
agricultural export zonesSuresh Prabhu
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The Mayor and TfL consult on Ultra Low Emission Zone
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) would significantly reduce the number of people living in areas of poor air quality in London
The Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) today launched a public consultation on proposals to introduce the world's first Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in the capital on 7 September 2020, to significantly improve air quality and in turn the health of Londoners.
The ULEZ consultation, which runs from today until Friday 9 January 2015, is available online at www.tfl.gov.uk/ultra-low-emission-zone
The groundbreaking proposals would require all vehicles travelling within the Congestion Charge zone to meet new emission standards and would be in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Many vehicles would already meet these standards in 2020, however by introducing this requirement next year the Mayor and TfL aim to accelerate the take up of low emission vehicles and stimulate the low emission vehicle market. The ULEZ will also ensure London's air quality improves more quickly, making the capital a more pleasant place to live and work, and encourage the use of more sustainable forms of transport. The ULEZ is projected to halve emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM10) from vehicle exhausts.
This means more than 80% of central London is expected to meet the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) annual legal limits in 2020. The ULEZ would also lead to a significant reduction in the number of people living in areas of poor air quality (where levels of NO2 exceed legal limits) - by 74% in central London, 51% in inner London and 43% in outer London. NO2 is a gas which in high concentrations can cause breathing problems and increase asthma symptoms, with research suggesting that children and young people are most adversely affected as high concentrations of the gas restrict lung growth.
The number of care homes, hospitals and schools exposed to high levels of NO2 would be halved across London. These positive effects will be especially beneficial to the young, older people and those who have respiratory problems as well as residents of high pollution areas.
The introduction of a ULEZ will not, as some critics suggest, lead to a reduction in air quality or increased congestion outside of the zone. The majority of traffic entering the ULEZ will be from outside the zone - so the benefits of cleaner, greener vehicles in the form of reduced emissions will be delivered right across London so benefitting Londoners' health.
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: `Introducing the world's first Ultra Low Emission Zone is an essential measure to improve London's air quality and reduce NO2 . Safeguarding Londoners' health and well-being is a top priority for my administration. I understand that people need adequate time to switch to greener vehicles and help is at hand for those who will be hardest hit, but let's be clear, we need to make these important changes ASAP to continue to improve Londoners' quality of life and give everyone who lives in or visits the city the cleanest possible air to breathe.`
The ULEZ proposals would require vehicles travelling in central London to meet the following emissions standards, or pay a daily charge: ·
Cars and small vans - Euro 6 for diesel engines (registered from 1 September 2015 so 5 years old or less in 2020) and Euro 4 for petrol engines (registered from 1 January 2006 so 14 years old or less in 2020). Non-compliant vehicles could still drive in the zone but they would be required to pay a daily charge of £12.50
Large vans and minibuses - Euro 6 for diesel engines (registered from 1 September 2016 so 4 years old or less in 2020) and Euro 4 for petrol engines (registered from 1 January 2007 so 13 years old or less in 2020). Non-compliant vehicles would be required to pay a daily charge of £12.50
Heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches - Euro VI (registered from 1 January 2014 so 6 years old or less in 2020). Non- compliant vehicles would be required to pay a daily charge of £100; ·
Motorcycles and similar vehicles - Euro 3 (registered from 1 July 2007 so 13 years old or less in 2020). Non-compliant vehicles would be required to pay a daily charge of £12.50.
As part of the ULEZ proposal, TfL is working to reduce emissions from its buses alongside taxis and private hire vehicles and to increase the number of zero emission capable vehicles.
This will create demonstrator fleets in London, boost industry sales and lead the transition towards this technology. By 2020, all double deck TfL buses operating in central London will be hybrid and all single deck buses will be zero emission (at point of use). This will require substantial investment by TfL and will mean nearly all double deck buses operating in inner London will be hybrid and many in outer London too.
From 2018, it is proposed there will be a new requirement for all taxis and new private hire vehicles presented for licensing in the capital for the first time to be zero emission capable. Private hire vehicles would also be subject to the ULEZ standards in central London just like other cars and vans (and therefore liable for the charge if they don't meet the emissions standards).
Taxis will be the second largest contributor to NOx and the largest contributor to PM10 emissions from road transport in central London in 2020. The ULEZ proposes to reduce the London-wide age limit for non zero emission capable taxis from 15 years to 10 years.
This would substantially reduce emissions from these vehicles across London (by 45% for NOx and 71% for PM10) and help accelerate the take up of new zero emission capable taxis. In considering the impact of the reduced taxi age limit, the Mayor and TfL are proposing a specific fund to assist taxi drivers to replace their vehicles. In addition, TfL has been in regular dialogue with the Office for Low Emission Vehicles to ensure their new £500m funding allocation specifically supports taxi and PHV drivers to purchase zero emission capable vehicles, as well as supporting a fund for on-street rapid charging infrastructure. In developing the ULEZ proposal, and in line with the Mayor's aspirations, TfL also considered a 'zero emission capable' ULEZ standard for all other vehicles. However it was concluded that it would not be feasible or affordable to set this requirement for all vehicles for 2020. Nevertheless it is expected that such a standard would be appropriate at a later date (eg 2025) and we are seeking views on this in principle.
Michèle Dix, Managing Director of Planning at TfL, said: "Improving London's air quality is of paramount importance as it affects the health and well-being of every Londoner. That's why we are doing everything in our power to address emissions from road transport, with the introduction of an Ultra Low Emission Zone at the core of our work to improve the capital's air. We would urge everyone who lives, works or travels in London to give us their views on the ULEZ proposal." After the consultation closes, TfL will analyse the results of the consultation and make a recommendation to the Mayor. The Mayor will then make a decision on whether to confirm the scheme order, with or without modifications. As the licensing authority for London's taxi and private hire vehicles, TfL will decide whether to make changes to the licensing requirement for these vehicles. Subject to confirmation of the ULEZ Scheme Order by the Mayor in spring 2015, this would effectively provide a five year notice period prior to the ULEZ coming into operation in 2020 and eight years notice for residents of the zone.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified a number of pollutants as a major public health concern. The two pollutants of principal concern in London are particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). London is now compliant with PM limit values owing to the Low Emission Zone, taxi and private hire vehicle age limits, bus retrofit schemes and the natural turnover of vehicles. However, London is not forecast to meet the legal limits for NO2 until after 2030 - alongside Birmingham and Leeds - unless targeted action is taken.
Since the Mayor was elected, the number of people living in areas exceeding NO2 limits has halved but there is a clear need to take further action. The Greater London Authority (GLA) and TfL estimate that a reduction in road transport emissions of around 70 per cent is needed for central London to meet EU legal limits for NO2 in 2020, with the ULEZ delivering around two-thirds of this. In addition to road transport, buildings and construction activity contribute significantly to London's air pollution. Further reductions from these sources would also help bring compliance forward. ·
The ULEZ proposals are projected to achieve a reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from road transport in central London of up to 51% broken down as: TfL buses (74%), taxis (45%), HGVs (48%), non-TfL buses and coaches (50%), cars (42%), vans (38%) and motorcycles (15%). It would also achieve a 64% reduction in PM10 and a 15%t reduction in CO2 from road transport in central London.
NO2 is a gas, which at high enough concentrations can cause inflammation of the airways and long-term exposure can affect lung function and respiratory systems. It can also increase asthma symptoms. NOx is primarily made up of two pollutants, nitric oxide (NO) and NO2 and refers to total vehicle emissions (both those directly emitted and those formed by chemical reactions). Vehicle emissions standards refer to total NOx emissions but EU air quality limit values refer to ambient concentrations and are set for NO2 as this is the harmful component of the emissions.
The ULEZ standards would be enforced using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras which are already used for the Congestion Charge. If the daily charge has not been paid then a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) would be issued. It is proposed that for cars, vans and motorcycles this would be set at £130 (reduced to £65 if paid within 14 days) and for HGVs, coaches and buses it would be set at £1,000 (reduced to £500 if paid within 14 days) - so in line with the Congestion Charge and Low Emission Zone respectively.
It is proposed that residents of the ULEZ will be granted a three year sunset period (until 6 September 2023) before any daily charge applies. This is to acknowledge that they are unable to avoid the zone and so may require more time (up to eight years) to change their vehicle to meet the ULEZ standards.
The proposals for a ULEZ are one of a raft of measures introduced by the Mayor and TfL to improve air quality in the capital, including:
TfL published its Transport Emissions Road Map on 10 September 2014. It looks at how to reduce emissions from transport in London and reports on what TfL has already done and what it may do in the future. It provides a range of possible new measures that the Mayor, TfL, London boroughs, the Government, EU and other parties should consider to help meet the challenge of reducing air pollutants and CO2 emissions in London;
Tightening the Low Emission Zone standards for HGVs, buses and coaches and introducing new standards for large vans and minibuses - around 150,000 vehicles needed to take action to meet these standards when they came into effect in January 2012;
Reducing emissions by retrofitting more than 1,000 of the oldest buses with special equipment to reduce their NOx emissions by up to 88% - with plans to increase this number to 1,800;
Retiring the remaining 900 oldest Euro III buses in TfL's fleet and replacing them with super-clean Euro VI buses at a cost of £18m;
Accelerating the roll out of hybrid buses, with 1,700 to be on the road by 2016, including 600 of the iconic New Routemaster buses - equivalent to around 20% of TfL's bus fleet;
Retiring around 6,000 of the oldest, most polluting taxis by introducing London's first taxi age limits:
Introducing new measures to reduce emissions and clean up construction sites, including plans for tough new emissions standards for construction equipment in 2015 and 2020;
Investing almost £1 billion to improve cycling infrastructure and encourage less polluting forms of transport.
In February, research by the Medical Research Council suggested the health benefits gained from using the city's Cycle Hire scheme outweigh the potential negative impacts from injuries and exposure to air pollution;
Using the planning system to require all new development to be "air quality neutral";
Retrofitting hundreds of thousands of homes and public buildings with energy efficiency measures which reduce their emissions, with 400,000 already complete.
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Brandon Carr, Michael Fly, Chad Evancho, John Bell
Lindsey Bell, Journalist
John Bell graduated from Western Branch High school in 2007. He was a very successful student and went to Virginia Tech to earn a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He also earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. However, he attributes much of his success to his beginnings at Western Branch High School.
John Bell, senior year, 2007
John was the quarterback on the varsity football team for three years. When asked about his experience being on the football team, he said that, “Football, for sure, was a big part of my life throughout school. The team aspect of it was my favorite.”
He continued to say, “I’m a big people person, right? So, being out there with a bunch of really close friends and going through tough situations together. I really got a lot out of it. Things that are practical today, like leadership skills, interpersonal skills, knowing how to talk with people, and how to get the most out of somebody. But at the end of the day, I also just really enjoyed playing football. Running out there, throwing the ball, hitting people, and just playing the sport in general. So, my favorite part of it was definitely the people. But, it’s also just a fun game. Hard to beat the Friday nights.”
As stated above, John is a people person. He loves interacting with people. “The friends,” he said, “that’s what I remember the most. All the close friendships that I had then, both inside the classes and then on the football team, that’s what I remember the most fondly.”
He had a close group of friends including Brandon Carr, Mikey Fly, Chad Evancho, and Bryan Barnson, and who were also on the football team. “That’s who I spent the majority of time, even outside of football, with,” said John. He’s still even close friends with them today and sees them often.
Not only did John have a close friend group, but he had a girlfriend as well. He and Jacqueline (Jackie) Henderson started dating in eighth grade, went to Virginia Tech together, and are married to this day.
John Bell, Jacqueline Henderson (prom, 2007)
John had a strong interest in science and math, hence why he pursued a mechanical engineering degree. His favorite classes were AP Physics, Physics for Technology, and AP Statistics, and his favorite teacher was Mr. Trivett who taught AP Physics. Some other influential people in his life were Coach Johnson and Coach Walker.
However, high school wasn’t all easy sailing for John. AP Physics gave him a wake-up call to what he would experience in college. “That physics class that I liked so much was the first class I had in high school, I think, that gave me the same feeling I had in college, of ‘Man, I really don’t know what I’m doing here. Man, this stuff is really complicated and really busy. So, I really need to buckle down and learn this stuff.’ So, I think probably why I remember that class so much is because I had to work so hard. And so that did force me to grow and to study a lot harder. It was a really challenging topic. So, that whole class in itself was kind of an ‘overcoming the hurdles’ sort of thing.”
But even though John experienced this trouble, he still enjoyed high school. He was very involved in school, and he lived life to the fullest during his high school career. “I think it [Western Branch High school] had a big impact. I mean, I’m still really close friends with a lot of the people that I was friends with back then. So, I think that friend group, those teachers, and those classes definitely were a big part in shaping who I turned into at college. And then, that set me up for there. So, obviously, from the personal aspect, I think that was a big part of who I am today.”
He went on the saying that, “I think the classes gave me a place where I could be ready to go to college. I had to earn the grades, but it at least got me to a point where if I succeeded, I could have my pick of the schools that I wanted to go to and apply to.” Lastly, he said, “I definitely look back fondly at my time at Western Branch, for sure.”
John and Jackie Bell with their son, Bryson
Lindsey Bell is a senior who loves playing the piano. She has been playing the piano since she was 5. She plans on applying to the University of Virginia...
Off the mat
What's Bruin?
Chasing Clouds
Teaching Tech
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The High Cost of Climate Cronyism
Charles Sauer
Posted: Sep 28, 2016 10:08 AM
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
Brent Bozell and Tim Graham
Pretending Hunter Biden Is Irrelevant
In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, the sensible Alice notes to the odd White Queen that "One can't believe impossible things." The queen refutes Alice, telling her that she hasn’t had enough practice, and sometimes the queen has “believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
The White Queen is a great role-model for government bureaucrats, who can easily spend someone else’s money on six new programs before they even gavel in a new session. The only thing keeping them from this is public accountability. Given the high cost of a new program that Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) is attempting to implement – it’s time to start holding him accountable.
New York’s Public Service Commission (PSC), which Cuomo appointed, recently approved a statewide Clean Energy Standard (CES). The Commission calls for several items including ramping up New York’s carbon-neutral energy production to provide 50% of New York’s energy needs by 2030 (that’s just 14 years away now). The commission also called for a new Zero Emission Credit which, starting in April of 2017, will be a regressive tax on energy consumers in New York.
This is all in the name of saving the environment, but if you believe that’s an impossible thing then stop reading. It’s actually about kick-backs to Cuomo’s cronies. A recent paper from the Empire Center notes not only the high cost but also the misleading statements from the PSC about those costs.
“The PSC initially estimated that the new standard would add less than $1 to the average monthly residential electricity bill, while the governor more recently put the figure at less than $2 a month,” according to the paper. “The methodology behind these estimates has never been made public. In fact, as explained below, the actual cost is likely to be higher.”
In fact, the Empire Center’s paper forecasts a cost of almost $3.4 billion dollars over the next five years or $3.50 per customer per month, and that might just be scratching the service because the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has yet to set the rates for their Renewable Energy Credits (RECs).
“NYSERDA has not yet set a price for RECs, but the renewable standards in place in three New England states give an indication of what New Yorkers can expect to pay,” the paper continues. “Since 2013, RECs in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island have consistently cost more than $40 per mega-watt-hour. Assuming New York’s RECs also cost $40, the five-year cost of the Clean Energy Standard will be more than $3 billion.”
This new tax won’t be paid by large energy providers, of course. New Yorkers – who already have one of the worst tax burdens in the country – will pay this new regressive tax, further stalling middle-class wage growth and particularly hurting those residents on public support.
But no. This tax is good for them. Let’s make it seven impossible things before this breakfast.
The real solution for the people of New York is competition. The nuclear power plants are losing money, in large part, because they are forced to allow the more expensive renewables to sell while the wind blows. Without those policies the nuclear power plants would be alright, but trying to run a business with both hands tied behind your back is tough especially without further running up the costs.
The Empire Center sums up its paper, “New York residents and businesses are already paying some of the highest electricity prices in the nation. The Clean Energy Standard is likely to drive prices much higher while producing little, if any, progress towards the goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.”
As with so much of the cult of climate change, the threat of global catastrophe is used to spur fear, which is used to grab money. Cronies have a million ideas for someone else’s money.
The only way to push back against the cronies is to stand up to them. If they are going to continue thinking about ways to spend money that they don’t have, like a perverted version of the White Queen, we need remind them that money comes from real people, with real bills, and real problems. Using a regressive tax as a public policy Band-Aid to pay off an industry that has been hurt (and is going to continue to be hurt by the same policies) is not the solution.
Gov. Cuomo needs to realize he works for New Yorkers and not the environmentalist industrial complex. His panel needs to go back to the drawing board and find new ways to save New Yorkers money instead of charging them more merely for living in state and flipping a light switch. It is hard to get ahead and just because a governor has an ill-conceived policy goal doesn’t mean that everyone else should pay for it.
I know it sounds impossible, but I know he can do it.
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The United States Takes Action against Officials of the Former Maduro Regime Involved in Obstructing the Venezuelan National Assembly
U.S Department of State
Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State
On January 13, the United States sanctioned seven current or former officials of the former Maduro regime involved in attempting to circumvent the Venezuelan National Assembly’s democratic process. These Maduro-associated individuals attempted to siege the National Assembly palace and hold a non-constitutionally sanctioned election to prevent a majority of legitimate Venezuelan legislators from voting.
This U.S. action is taken pursuant to E.O. 13692, as amended, which authorizes sanctions against current or former officials of the Government of Venezuela. It demonstrates the United States’ continued commitment to the Venezuelan people in their struggle to restore democracy and prosperity to Venezuela.
Maduro’s repressive and illegal attempts to stifle the democratic will of the Venezuelan people reveals once more his desperation. We call on Venezuelan security forces to protect the Venezuelan constitution, allow entry of all deputies into the Federal Legislative Palace, and refrain from the use of violence, including against their democratically elected representatives. Venezuela’s security forces owe their ultimate allegiance to the Venezuelan people, not to Maduro. We call on them to recognize their legitimate source of authority.
The United States, along with most Venezuelans and many other countries, continues to recognize Juan Guaido as the legitimate president of the National Assembly and Interim President of Venezuela. We call on all nations to join us in supporting Interim President Guaido and the National Assembly as they work peacefully to restore democracy on behalf of the Venezuelan people.
View Original Content: https://www.state.gov/the-united-states-takes-action-against-officials-of-the-former-maduro-regime-involved-in-obstructing-the-venezuelan-national-assembly/
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Home >Taiwan Culture Toolkit > Fine Arts > Fine Arts List > Creating period of art works
Born in Shanghai in 1935, Gu Fu-Sheng moved to Taiwan with his family in 1948. His father is General Gu Zhutong, the famous journalist Gu An-Sheng’s brother. As an introvert man of few words, he graduated from the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University in 1958. When he was still at school, he had joined “The Fifth Month Art Group” and become an important figure in the group. In 1961, he received the Honorary Award of San Paolo International Biennial Exhibit, Brazil. In the same year, he went to Paris for further studies. In 1963, he moved to the United States of America. Gu’s early paintings feature non-figurative style and mounting technique. He has also explored the abstract form as his artistic expression in his paintings for a short period of time. Apart from the mounting technique, however, he returned to focus more on the symbolic human figures in the works after 1965. Throughout his artistic career, “human” has always been the major theme in his paintings, which all visualize the uncertainty and the profound understanding of life.
The painting used to belong to the collection of Shiy Der Chin. Later, Shiy Der Chin Foundation donated the painting to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. It is one of Gu Fu-Sheng’s early works, featuring his typical style which adopts a semi-abstract way to distort and elongate the faceless human figures. Although “human figure” is the main theme of the painting, the only visible parts are the body and the two hands held together in the dark obscure colors, which seems to reveal an uncertain alienation with the touch of lonely melancholy.
As an important member of the Fifth Month Art Group, Gu Fu-Sheng left Taiwan in 1961. Therefore, in spite of his effort to promote modern art in Taiwan, he had not been through the whole modern art movement from the beginning to the end. In the modern art movement, he still maintained his unique personal belief in art. His artistic concept has been greatly influenced by modernism and existentialism, while the spiritual expression thus becomes the focus of his artistic practice. He is not particularly interested in social issues. Instead, what he always cares about is the subject about human. He has once said that “what I paint is how people feel about the inner and the outer worlds – the interpersonal relationship, and human’s relationship with the surrounding world as well as nature.” In his painting, the artist creates a world between the reality and the subconscious unreality where the dream meets the fantasy. All these years, Gu Fu-Sheng has never stopped painting. Without any particular purpose, he paints because it is his pure instinct. The human figures in his early works represent a sense of loneliness, while the recent ones feature vivid colors as if he is attempting to capture the dance-like movement. Joyful and bright, the optimistic atmosphere praises the energy of life.
Chinese title： 人
English title： Figure
Medium / Classification： Oil paints and Acrylic colors
Dimensions： 115×48.5 cm
Artist： Gu Fu-sheng
Life-span： 1935 -
Collection Unit： National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts
Contact method for authorization：
Guide to the Use of Image Files and Data from the Online Collection Database
http://collectionweb.ntmofa.gov.tw/eng98/01_interpret.aspx
Related Exhibition： "The Pioneers" of Taiwanese Artists, 1931-1940
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Related Exhibition Unique Vision：Highlights from the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts Collection Unique Vision Ⅱ：Highlights from the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts Collection "The Pioneers" of Taiwanese Artists, 1931-1940 "The Pioneers" of Taiwanese Artists, 1941-1950 "The Pioneers" of Taiwanese Artists, 1951-1960 "The Pioneers" of Taiwanese Artists, 1961-1970 "The Pioneers" of Taiwanese Artists, 1971-1980
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Veronica Mars Review: Season 4 Is Great Fun Until It's Not
By Kaitlin Thomas@thekaitlingJul 19, 2019 11:12 AM EDT
When the Veronica Mars fan-funded film was released in 2014, no one could have predicted it would help to usher in a trend of revivals and reboots and remakes that would come to dominate Hollywood. And certainly no one could have predicted the series, a neo-noir about a teenage private detective in its original form, would be returning again five years later, this time as an eight-episode limited series on Hulu.
And yet the show's refusal to accept defeat feels like a perfect encapsulation of the spirit of Veronica Mars herself. Brought to vivid life by Kristen Bell, Veronica always gets back up. She plays by her own rules, never allowing herself to be content with or conform to the status quo. She's never what you expect, and she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. Along with her sparkling wit, these are her most admirable traits. But as with any revival, one has to wonder what the end goal ultimately is.
Veronica Mars' Jason Dohring Teases a New Logan-Veronica Dynamic in Hulu Revival
The feature film funded by fans through a Kickstarter allowed series creator Rob Thomas to craft an ending where there previously wasn't one. A parade of familiar faces, it was heavy on the nostalgia but light on the intricate, well-paced mysteries that originally set the show apart. This new chapter in the Veronica Mars saga doesn't serve the same purpose. It's not a trip down memory lane or an extended coda; it's an opportunity to test the waters and find out whether or not Veronica Mars still has life left in her. The world of television has changed a lot since the series first debuted on UPN, and although audiences might not have been ready for her then, they very well may be now.
Hulu is referring to these eight new episodes as Season 4 rather than simply a limited series, and while that doesn't necessarily mean anything, we can't discount the fact this is the second time the show has returned from the dead or that Bell, whose NBC series The Good Place will be ending after this upcoming season, and Thomas have both already expressed an interest in continuing Veronica's story beyond what we see here. The stakes are infinitely higher now than they were five years ago when the film hit theaters. The new season has to appeal to longtime fans as well as potential new ones. This ultimately means the overarching mystery at the heart of the season has to be strong enough to carry the weight and then some. The story has to push Veronica forward in a meaningful way. And for the most part, it succeeds.
Kristen Bell, Veronica MarsPhoto: Michael Desmond/Hulu
When the show returns, Veronica is still working alongside television's No. 1 dad, Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni), as a private eye in her hometown of Neptune, California. She and Logan (Jason Dohring), who is still in the military (and remains incredibly handsome), are still together and have adopted a dog named Pony since we saw them last. They're happy and stable, but Logan's job often takes him away suddenly for weeks or months at a time. While he's constantly moving, Veronica is more or less standing still. And she appears completely content with her life. But when a series of deadly bombings hit the town during the month-long celebration of spring break and threaten the city's tourism industry, and thus the livelihood of Neptune's quickly disappearing working class, Veronica dives headfirst into solving the case.
13 Essential Veronica Mars Episodes to Watch Before the Hulu Revival
The class divide of Neptune, with the working class pitted against the town's rich elite, was built into the foundation of Veronica Mars, but when Veronica was in high school, it often played out through Veronica's status as an outsider. She didn't fit in with the popular crowd, known as the 09ers, because of Keith's wrongful accusation of the Kanes in the wake of Lilly's (Amanda Seyfried) murder. But she also didn't fit in with the working class because of her former association with that same rich crowd. In 2019, with Veronica now in her 30s, the class warfare manifests itself differently. Veronica and Keith are still hustling to make ends meet as private eyes — Veronica is hesitant to take any job that won't pay them well and drives up their retainer whenever she can — but a pointed C-plot also finds Keith, who is still struggling in the wake of the car accident that occurred in the film, attempting to navigate our country's broken healthcare system as a member of the have-nots. It's familiar social commentary for the series, but it's perhaps even more relevant now than it was in 2004.
So when bombs start going off, putting many of the businesses that rely on local tourism in jeopardy, like a rowdy nightclub owned by Kirby Howell-Baptiste's Nicole, Veronica naturally starts digging. Technically she and Keith have been hired by the family of a congressman whose brother was injured in one of the bombings, but Veronica is interested in the case for other reasons too, namely Matty (Izabela Vidovic), the daughter of a divorced single father who dies in the first explosion. The show takes every opportunity to remind us Matty is a lot like a young Veronica, for better or worse.
Max Greenfield and Kristen Bell, Veronica MarsPhoto: Michael Desmond/Hulu
The ensuing investigation, which plays out over the entire season, puts Veronica on a collision course with Penn Epner (Patton Oswalt), a local pizza delivery guy with a true crime obsession, as well as a few familiar faces from the original series. They include Weevil (Francis Capra), who's back in his criminal element after being framed by the sheriff's department in the film and taking an out-of-court settlement in Mr. Kiss and Tell, one of two canonical books published after the film; Leo (Max Greenfield), who now works for the FBI and continues to have sparks with Veronica; Vinnie (Ken Marino), whose office is a strip club because that's the logical next step after a van; and even Liam Fitzpatrick (Rod Rowland), who's still a scumbag and may or may not be involved in planting the bombs. Eventually, the case leads Veronica to none other than Big Dick Casablancas (David Starzyk), who seems to have suffered very little from his time in prison. Now cozied up to a man he met on the inside, Clyde (the always excellent J.K. Simmons), he's attempting to transform Neptune from a wild spring break destination into an elite and idyllic seaside community only the rich can afford.
What You Need to Know About the Veronica Mars Books Before Watching the Hulu Revival
This is a Veronica Mars that is both familiar and new. As Bell and Thomas promised, the new season is a different beast from the show that initially ran for three seasons on UPN and The CW in the mid-2000s. It's been described as more adult and as "hardcore So-Cal noir," and although it's difficult to imagine a scenario for Veronica that is worse than her own rape and the murder of her best friend as a teenager, the series somehow manages to go bigger and darker and create a more dangerous atmosphere, complete with increasingly dire consequences. In the process, it also evolves into a show about Veronica's emotional stagnation.
A running thread this season finds Logan pushing Veronica to go to therapy so she can hopefully begin to cope with her trauma rather than continuing to ignore it. He credits his therapist with helping him manage his anger — Logan might have evolved and matured during his time in the military, but he's still Logan — but Veronica repeatedly refuses, insisting she's fine. Of course, anyone with a working set of eyeballs can obviously see that Veronica is not fine, that she's been hardened by everything that has happened to her over the years and still suffers from the trust issues that have plagued her since her high school days. It's not entirely clear if Veronica is even happy working as a P.I. in Neptune or if that's just what she thinks she should be doing. All the same, Logan is determined to help Veronica, and after seeing plenty of men on TV struggle in this same way, seeing Veronica face these challenges instead is a welcome role reversal that still feels completely in character. In fact, everything that occurs between Logan and Veronica throughout the season is well done, completely thought out, and true to both characters.
Jason Dohring and Kristen Bell, Veronica MarsPhoto: Michael Desmond/Hulu
But for all the good, and for all the fun it is to return to Neptune and watch Veronica continue to be smarter than everyone around her, the new season isn't without its faults. A major twist near the end of the season feels like it belongs in a different series entirely, like it was added more for shock value than anything else, and I worry about its lasting implications and how it might affect the possibility of another season. If it's an attempt by Thomas and the writers to convince Hulu to grant the series more episodes to explore the aftermath, it's a big swing, and not one I am sure will pay off.
Veronica Mars: Where Are They Now?
It's unfortunate that one bad decision in a sea of good ones can so easily color the rest of a finished product, but there's a very good chance that is exactly what will happen for many fans. If they can get past it, there absolutely could be life left in Veronica Mars. For most of the season, the show is a lot of fun, balancing its well-honed sense of humor — many times at the expense of fan-favorite character Dick Casablancas (Ryan Hansen) — with Keith and Veronica's powerful family dynamic and a sometimes predictable but nevertheless engaging central mystery. There were many times throughout the season I found myself wishing Kristen Bell would never stop playing Veronica, that we never stop getting to spend time with what might be one of the best and weirdest supporting casts on TV after FX's Justified (another series I would kill to revisit in the future). And to an extent, I still feel that way; Veronica is one of the most competent characters on TV. After 15 years, she's now an old friend, and I'd rather spend time with her than most anyone else. But after these eight episodes, I also won't be surprised if this is the end of her story, and if it is, it's a somewhat disappointing one.
All eight episodes of Veronica Mars debut Friday, July 26 on Hulu.
New year, new movies and shows
Premiered: 2014
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The voice cast also features stars of Lucifer, The Goldbergs, and Veep
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The Good Place Is Finally Going to Show Us [SPOILER]
No, not a chainsaw bear
Everything to Know About Peacock, NBCUniversal's Streaming Service
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Check out all the winners in film and television
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And satisfies the internet's (justified) thirst for Timothy Olyphant
Photo Credits: Michael Desmond/Hulu; Diyah Pera/CW; Bettina Strauss/Netflix; Christopher Smith/Netflix; Maarten de Boer, ABC; Robert Rodriguez / TV Guide
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Posted on 17 April 2019 by The Reluctant Girl Scout
Yesterday, a writer-client I’m working with came into my studio with news that Notre Dame was on fire. Her voice was mournful, and I’ll admit that I was doing calculations re: the proximity of my cousin G, who works at a neighboring campus in South Bend, when the writer said, “The spire is down” and then I knew she meant the French one, not the Fighting Irish one in northern Indiana that I’ve been to periodically since childhood.
She filled me in on the details and my heart sank. We turned to her work and I spent the next two hours delighting in her words and ideas, and was able—thank you Headspace app—to stay focused on the words at hand though my brain kept trying to slink back to the idea of Paris without Notre Dame, of history without that particular touchstone.
As soon as she left, I watched the footage and had a loud, honking weep. I felt all twisty with grief and briefly considered walking up the street to St. James Cathedral until I looked at the clock and realized mass would be in session and what I wanted was quiet and contemplation in a beautiful space, not words and ritual. So I cried some more, ate some peanut butter crackers, and got on with my life. Like you do.
Here’s the thing: I’ve never been to Notre Dame. I’ve never been to Paris. I’m not really Catholic. My only experience with The Hunchback of Notre Dame was watching the Disney version only because I was interested in how Demi Moore would play Esmerelda. If I’m watching a historical movie in which the English are fighting the French, I root for the English. (If the English are fighting the Irish, that’s a whole other thing.) Despite four years studying French, the only phrase I’ve committed to memory is les belles vaches du Normandie (that’s the beautiful cows of Normandy for those of you who are not bilingual like I am), and I can wish a guy I knew in 8th grade who has spent his adult life in Paris Happy Birthday en français if I double-check the spelling with Google Translate before hitting “post.”
So I’ve been thinking about why I shed more tears over timber and stone than I did over the last five mass shootings in the U.S. or the forest fires last summer, and I’ve isolated it to a few reasons why it seemed so terribly sad to me, a person who has self-ostracized from France because I fear being sneered at by Parisians who think Americans are gauche.
I am a self-reflective person, so let’s get that category of over-indulgent mourning out of the way.
Notre Dame has been on my bucket list since 1981 when I stumbled into Madame Rutkowski’s French I class in high school. I’ve always assumed at some point I would get to France. I imagined I would admire the cathedral and then make my way to Chartres, Reims, Rouen, Mt. Sainte Michel, and I would end in the Louvre and only then truly worship at the altar of art. I did not like Madame Rutkowski, and she did not like me much. But I realized later in my life that she was an incredible teacher even though most of us were mediocre students at best, and if she were still alive, I would write her a note and tell her that, thank her for making me interested in French history, architecture, art, Roman aqueducts, boules, Le Petit Prince, the sites of Paris and the fantastical way the city unrolled like a snail shell from the oldest arrondissement where I wanted to start my exploration. These are the reasons—not the language or her or even Audrey Hepburn—that I came back for French II and French III.
And so, let’s be honest, that weep was for myself. It seems clear now in the light of the next day that Notre Dame will rise from the ashes. Whether it is fixed up in my lifetime, and whether I happen to be in Paris when it’s open to the public is another story. But even if it is, I will be keenly aware that parts of it are now a facsimile and it won’t feel the same. It’s illogical, but I’ll know. When I was at Canterbury Cathedral looking at the steps that were worn away by penitent pilgrims who had crawled up them on their knees for centuries, I was moved. Those steps could be replaced with something new made to look old, sure—the same smooth, uneven dips in the stone could probably be duplicated with a machine of some sort—but I would know it was a fabrication.
Which brings me to the second reason for the tears of Notre Dame. I hate when history is lost to us. The picture that got me going in the first place was the one shot up in “The Forest” that featured all the wood that had been there for centuries. Even though I assume your average tourist couldn’t go up to that peaky bit of the attic and rest her cheek on the timbers, the idea that she could until yesterday and now she never will be able to wrecked me. Who touched those beams? Who made sure they were hewn to specifications so they fit where they were supposed to? Who got damaged backs and hands and feet moving those heavy timbers before there were mechanized pulleys and cranes? I would feel this same way if the fire had engulfed some centuries-old hovel that had housed peasants. It’s not about the grandeur—it’s the loss of that connection with people from all those yesterdays ago.
The news today is that one of the particular problems with a rebuild is that the forests that supplied the oak for that skeleton have all but disappeared because humans kind of suck and don’t let things grow when there’s a profit to be made off of old-growth forest—and sure, “The Forest” was maybe an early pillage of the forests, but I can forgive a little of that if it’s used for something beautiful and meaningful and lasting. I love a touchstone with the past, and while I’m happy to focus on how all is not lost—and how no one died—yesterday the loss seemed too much to absorb. Like an erasure of generations of people and events. Goodbye.
And finally, there is the thing that made me howl loudest when I re-watched that spire fall, wondering what would be left when the fire was quenched. What I’m beginning to realize at this late juncture in my life is my “thing”: I need for the world to be beautiful. I don’t like ugliness in general (Z can attest to this as my eye automatically goes to whatever is hideous or wrong with the city on our nightly walk), but more specifically when something beautiful dies because of natural disaster or human ignorance or arrogance, a combustible cloud of grief and rage builds inside me. I feel like Nancy Kerrigan crying WHY? after her knee was whacked, thus dashing her dreams.
We don’t really do beauty anymore, do we? Not the beauty that requires craftsmanship, forethought about future generations, purpose outside of making a buck. Instead, we do serviceable. Or interesting. Or ironic. Or provocative. We’re so busy looking forward, disdaining the past, that we don’t realize that our buildings and our sculptures and our uppercase Art has more to do with causing a stir now than it does to satisfy an inner need for beauty. So when something lovely, something painstakingly crafted via nature or human hand, disappears, it feels visceral.
I become obsessive and start harping on things like pole-barn churches being built on formerly beautiful pasture or the buildings in Seattle that have artful edifices and courtyards that are callously bowled over for un-interesting steel and glass to house the elite people who can afford a vista, with no concern about how it looks on the outside to the those of us forced to stare at it daily. The view out for the few is all that matters.
That massive, ridiculous staircase sculpture—an ode to consumerism and wealth— in New York City’s Hudson Yards is a perfect example of what I’m talking about.
Maybe its beautiful if you’re a bee. Or a cyborg.
I don’t hate it. It’s interesting. I suppose were I to climb it the views might be spectacular, though there are certainly more picturesque and striking views in other parts of Manhattan. I can see how tired parents might love exhausting their children on those 154 flights of stairs. But there is nothing there as groundbreaking as a flying buttress. It doesn’t please the eye so much as entertain it. If it imploded tomorrow or eight centuries from now, it wouldn’t be a huge loss to civilization. I’m never going to sit on one of those steps and get chills because it feels holy, the way I once did in the interior of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex in Buffalo (maybe the last period in the modern era when true craftsmanship was still celebrated) or get tears in my eyes when I see light streaming through the oculus in the Pantheon in Rome.
I know. I know. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
People love Portland, Oregon—they have a sort of revered affection for it that I’ve never caught. Maybe it isn’t Portland’s fault, my lack of enthusiasm for it. I have had a series of unfortunate events there beginning with my first trip when Z and I were engaged. I loved him to bits, had no question about my future with him, but I’d begun having “The Terrifications” about leaving home. Other Portland failures on that trip included my early disappointment in how much like a warehouse the famous Powell’s Books looked, when what I really want in a bookstore is a few leather wingbacks, a fireplace, and a learned Person of Letters smoking a pipe and reading some dense tome while I browse nearby.
I was similarly disappointed in my inability to locate Voodoo Donuts.
Also, we happened upon a parade of naked bicycle riders, a sight almost more disturbing than Notre Dame burning yesterday. All that pale, jiggle-y flesh daring us to find fault with it as it bumped down the street.
Subsequent trips have been no more pleasant, have included repeat disappointments with Powell’s, inability to locate the donuts, and an overwhelming sense that everyone there isn’t as interested in showering as they are in other parts of the country AND the sure and certain knowledge that my having noticed this means that I’m too square and superficial to fully understand Portland and its celebrated weirdness. The last trip, last summer, ended unceremoniously when I had a full-on panic attack while I was driving home during rush hour. My brain was fizzing and pinging because there were too many people—in my lane, on the road, on the planet—and they were sucking up my oxygen and seemed hell-bent on making sure I never ever got home.
Also, if I’m being completely honest with you—a policy of mine—I have to admit I do not really like Portland’s poster boy, Fred Armisen. He makes me more uncomfortable than naked bicyclists and rush hour traffic in an unkown city combined. And no, I don’t know why.
King Street Station, Seattle
A few weeks ago, Z and I took the train to Portland, which was a labor of love. I was itching to see my friends from my old MFA program, who were in town for AWP. It had been five years since I’d seen some of them, more years for others, so seeing Chickpea, Quill, Geeg, and the Beard was worth whatever pain and suffering Portland was prepared to dole out.
A little ambiance at King Street Station, Seattle
Our trip started in Seattle’s King Street Station, which was built when things were still made to be beautiful at the turn of the last century, designed by a firm that would later go on to be associated with Grand Central Station in New York City. When Z moved here 12 years ago, it was being renovated after years of disrepair and “modernization” had wrecked it (plaster reliefs, tile mosaics, and marble replaced with sheetrock and dropped acoustical tile because when is that not a good idea?). But now, it’s grand and old timey again, and I’m sure people would argue that it’s inefficient, but I feel really endeared to the way that train travel—the tickets, the assigning of seats, the check-in and boarding process—is so analog. Everything is paper, a lot of it handwritten. All of it adds up to a sense of how things used to be and, frankly, it seemed less tedious than waiting in line to board a plane.
I wanted to steal one of each of these.
What was disappointing, however, is that when we were actually on the train, we were looking forward to lunch in the dining car. We were both expecting linen table cloths and Hercule Poirot, but instead we got the equivalent of concession stand and some crowded stools, so we staggered back to our seats with our hotdogs and drowned our disappointment in the view of Puget Sound and a few glimpses of the Olympic Mountains on an otherwise grey day.
In Portland, we stayed at the Woodlark Hotel, a building that had been an old hotel, then had been slated to be demolished years ago, but someone with foresight (and money) rescued it, and opened it recently—nicely remodeled. The desk clerk happily informed us we’d been upgraded to a space with more light, so I swung the room door open with relish only to discover a king sized bed with a path around it (i.e. the same as our own bedroom at home), a “closet” that was brass pipes jutting out of the wall, and a desk and chair built for young Swedish children (unfortunate for Z since he had papers to grade while I was swanning around with my friends). It did have the promised window with a view onto the busy street below, and I decided to appreciate how bijoux it was and how much I preferred it to a modern, air-tight space with no sense of itself.
Hotel closets have never been so stylish and accessible!
Also, the fine folk at the Woodlark were so proud of the wallpaper in our room that it was duplicated on the coasters, room key, and the home screen of the TV. For four days I felt like I was in a steampunk jungle.
Whenever I see this particular set of friends, I’m surprised by how it feels like we said goodbye a month ago and no time has passed. We quickly dive into conversations about writing and life and memories from a decade ago when I met them as a homesick first semester nonfiction writer. They were all considerably younger than I was and almost done with the program, but they invited me in and that made all the difference. They saved the experience for me—made it fun, instead of an ordeal, taught me the ropes of handling the sometimes grueling residencies, and bought me a birthday tiara to help me celebrate my 42nd birthday the year The Terrifications began in earnest.
I’d like to regale you here with amusing anecdotes from those three days, but the truth is, it wouldn’t be interesting or entertaining: inside jokes originally constructed after too much alcohol, conversations about writers we like/loathe, stories about bodily functions and housekeeping. We went to Powell’s Books and I liked it better as I wandered around with Quill and Chickpea, recommending books to each other—focusing primarily on display books because they were face out and required no bending over. We weaved around streets looking for a place where my unsophisticated palate could be sated with something that wouldn’t completely bore them. I tried to find my bearings on the streets that all seemed the same to me (I never could figure out which direction was north, where the center of town was, or come to a conclusion about why a city so much smaller than Seattle seemed to have twice the homeless population.) We went to the river, a serviceable working river, but no beauty. My favorite bit, the Portland sign in Old Town that’s the shape of Oregon with a deer leaping away, as if it too is frightened of Fred Armisen.
A serviceable river. I do love those little bridge turrets!
Chickpea and Quill made it a goal to get me, finally, blessedly, to Voodoo Donuts, where we waited in a long line while looking at pictures of the donut treasures awaiting us—donuts covered in breakfast cereals, bacon, bubble gum, and shaped like joints and rude body parts. Getting a treat there is an event, though Chickpea was chastised by her server for ordering a single donut, “just so you can say you’ve been here” which was kind of off-putting. Surely half the people in that line were there so they could say they’d been to this temple of donut worship.
My final review: Voodoo donuts are okay. I don’t really get the hype. I know it’s blasphemy for someone living in the Pacific Northwest to say this, but I’d rather have a Krispy Kreme.
At least there’s one thing I can tick off my bucket list.
Our first night visiting our friends, Z and I rode the light rail back to the Woodlark. A security guard at the train station when we arrived told me it’s the best light rail system in the U.S. and maybe it is. (I can’t really judge—Seattle’s isn’t very complex or expansive.) But I didn’t love it. I’m used to riding public transportation, I’m used to the odd squabble, the random strings of curses at no one in particular, dogs of all varieties sometimes growling at each other. But on our ride home—at a respectable hour—a preppy looking dude with a black eye got on and began fake-punching and mouthing off to other people on the train. He wasn’t a racist, he said, but he was Special Ops and could throw the two guys at the back—who were Black—off the train if he wanted. There was a lot of back and forth between the three of them, and one of the guys said, “Dude, you’ve already got a black eye.” Later, they got off the train, shuffling past the instigator, and one guy mumbled, “I’m out of here. I can’t go to jail tonight.”
This left Z and me and a few other people further away for him to perform for. Whatever he’d been smoking or sniffing made silence an impossibility for him. He sidled up to us, asked Z if he was a doctor, and without really waiting for an answer said he was a doctor. A Special Ops doctor who worked for the CIA. We kept our eyes trained on the floor, hoping he’d catch a clue. But he kept up with his rambling chatter. Too close. Too unstable. He flexed a muscle and told me to feel it. I finally looked at him and said sarcastically, “No thanks.” He said to Z, “She’s got big eyes.” (Z insists he said, “She’s got big, beautiful eyes” but I’m pretty sure it was just “big eyes” said in the same sneering tone that Billy McGathey once used on me in 7th grade Home Ec not to look at him with my “bug eyes.” (I’m not sure why me looking at him was a problem—mostly I was just unimpressed with his seamstress skills and certain that my big eyes weren’t actually buggy.)
I don’t know if Z knew things with this guy were likely to get worse, or if he could sense that his wife was a middle-aged woman with occasional hormone instability and two Long Islands in her gullet. I wasn’t afraid of this swaggering, black-eyed twerp, and what’s more, I kind of wanted him to threaten us because I felt suddenly fierce with rage that he’d fake-punched a miserable looking guy in front of us, forced the squabbling guys behind us to listen to his bullshit about not being a racist when the first people he swaggered up to were people of color, and making the few remaining people on the train stare at the floor trying to make themselves small targets for his inebriated malice. I haven’t been to a gym in 7 years nor have a lifted anything heavier than a laundry basket in recent years, but I felt so angry at how ugly he was being that I was yearning to pop him on the nose.
I also suddenly wanted to talk about myself in the third person after punching him: Big Eyes has spoken.
I’ve never hit anyone in my life and I’m wildly uncoordinated, so it wouldn’t have ended well. The swaggering, black-eyed twerp and I have Z to thank for ushering me to the door at the next stop where he and I stood on the corner for ten minutes waiting for the next, less crazy train.
Because Z had a lot of work to do and because of the distaste I now felt for both the light rail system and Evening Portland in general, the last night there, I took an Lyft out to meet my friends. I chatted all the way to the ‘burbs with the driver, a transplant from Atlanta who had come out two years ago to help her college-student daughter adjust to her new west coast life. She was friendly and chatty and I was hepped up on caffeine. She said Portland wasn’t really working for her. It had been an adventure and she was glad to come out to help her daughter, but her daughter was making her own way now and she herself wasn’t really making any friends. When she moved in, she had introduced herself to her neighbors because she thought it would be nice if someone would maybe notice if a burglar was crawling in her window or she was dead on the doorstep, and she’d like to reciprocate that favor. Instead, they politely blinked at her and then shut their doors. She shrugged. Maybe she’d try Portland, Maine, next, she said. So I told her that I’d gone to grad school there, that that’s where I’d met these friends I was visiting, that I thought she might like it, but it would be very different from Atlanta too.
Chickpea and I sat around the rental unit for a couple of hours while the conference goers were off getting themselves registered. We talked about Maine and dogs while she cut up crudités and I gave myself a sort of Tarot reading with Quill’s new faerie cards. (It was unsuccessful, though the faeries indicated I perhaps had an unhealthy relationship to the outdoors. Which is true. I’m kind of allergic to it.) The others arrived, we stuffed ourselves with snacks and then left for supper and stuffed ourselves with food at the paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free restaurant where it seemed to be a requirement of the other customers and the staff to wear big, knit caps. Two of us were leaving the next morning, the other three were staying for the conference.
I hate this, the goodbyes. I waved farewell as they crossed the street, climbed into my Lyft where the music was soft and the driver was silent. He wove through the traffic while I wiped away a few tears. The Portland sign glimmered in the distance as we crossed the river. How can you miss people who you’ve really only ever been with for maybe forty days of your life all told?
It makes no sense. It also makes no sense that an ancient building I’ve never seen in a country where I’ve never been can move me to tears, whether standing intact or aflame.
It’s all illogical. But it’s my heart.
Union Station, Portland
Filed under Art, Books, Etc., Goals, Memoir, Pacific Northwest, Random Conversations with Strangers, Seattle, Travel, Ugliness, Urban Life, Writing and tagged Art, Beauty, History, King Street Station, Notre Dame, Old Friends, Portland, Powell's Books, Trains, Voodoo Donuts | Leave a comment
The Sound of One Hand Complaining
Posted on 9 September 2016 by The Reluctant Girl Scout
One of my elementary school classmates maintained a certain level of grime on his hands that was masterful. How a kid managed to have hands and forearms that looked like he spent his days elbow-deep in a car engine instead of doing multiplication tables, I never figured out. His sister was squeaky clean, so it seemed like a personal style choice rather than a desperate living situation, though in the school I went to, either was possible.
In 5th grade, our teacher decided that hygiene should be on this kid’s list of accomplishments, and so there was a day when he was sent to the sink to scrub his hands in hot water. When he was done, he looked—for what might have been the first time—at the veins that pulsed beneath his pale skin and he said with alarm, “Mr. Moore! My guts is showin’!”
I don’t really like body talk. In fact, I don’t like thinking about my body’s inner workings at all. Sometimes, I can feel my heart beat and I wish it would stop so I’d be less aware of it, until I realize that a stopped heart would be counter productive to my general enjoyment of life. I’ve gone off entire, delicious meals because a dinner companion chose that moment to describe in detail some wound or ailment.
All this to say, I understand this kid’s alarm at seeing his own visible “guts” or even the idea that he had innards at all. And also to say, excuse me if I don’t go into a lot of detail telling you about how two weeks ago I ended up in the ER across the street with an impassable kidney stone, my first ever overnight hospital stay since my own birth, and two knifeless surgeries, one of which decimated the thing with sound waves. The RN said the stone was the size of a 2-carat diamond, but I imagine it the size of the Death Star and those sound waves as the laser shot from the X-wing fighter that brought Star Wars to a satisfying conclusion.
I’m proud to say I walked to the ER instead of wasting precious fossil fuels.
What led me to this sad end to summer besides a genetic predisposition to kidney stones and a Midwestern diet rich in red meat? Here’s an idea.
Like most belief systems, I’m rarely in with both feet. Or if in with both feet, I’m only wading and never let the water rise past my navel. I’m a Christian of the sort that means something to me but would not impress the Pope or Ted Cruz. I’ve read books on Buddhism and tried meditation, but after a few minutes I always determine that thinking my thoughts is infinitely more preferable than thinking nothing at all, so I give up the practice. I have two yoga tapes and took a class once, but the only pose I mastered was corpse.
A couple of decades ago, I started reading Mind Science guru Louise Hay’s books on positive thinking The Power is Within You and You Can Heal Your Life. In general, it agreed with me. It just makes good sense that if you spend your life sitting around kvetching about what you don’t have/can’t do, you aren’t really doing anything that’s going to help alter that reality. It was uncanny to me how if I looked up my ailments on her handy healing chart, the thought-sin I’d committed almost always sounded exactly right. For example, I kept having accidents that required stitches on my feet, and sure enough, on her chart, this indicated a fear of moving forward, which seemed an accurate diagnosis since I was in my 30s and still living with my folks.
But then five months after Z and I got married, I got a diagnosis that could have been potentially devastating, and I felt angry that according to Louise Hay, I had caused this myself with my crappy thought patterns of self-blame and failure to enjoy life. (FYI, the least helpful thing you can ever say to a person who has just gotten a shitty diagnosis is that they probably got it because they ate the wrong food or had the wrong thought. Here’s what you should say: I’m sorry. This sucks. I am here for you. Tell me how you’re feeling, and if you don’t feel like talking, would you like to borrow my dog and scratch its ears? That’s it. There’s no reason to say anything else or try to solve an unsolvable problem.)
So Louise and I parted company. Until two weeks ago, when I looked up kidney stones and read: “Lumps of undissolved anger.” Also because I’d had to delay the Death Star blasting that first week because of a urinary tract infection and had to take high-powered antibiotics that put me off my food for ten days, I looked up UTI too and read: “You are pissed off.” My old friend Louise may be on to something.
Below, please find photographic evidence as to why this kidney stone was my destiny.
Exhibit A: Summer in Seattle
Yeah, yeah. It’s beautiful. But when it’s 98 degrees out, I don’t care.
Temperature-wise, I’ve had little to complain about this summer. But we did have a heat wave the week before my unfortunate situation, which left me stuck in the house for days. I was unwilling to venture out because of the heat, because I was barely dressed, but mainly, because my hair looked like this:
That is clean hair there, in case you were thinking it looks like I need a shower. And I’m giving you the “artistic” Warhol filter because at this age, I prefer not sharing photos of myself in which I am not wearing sunglasses. (Another thing to be ticked off about: my disappointing middle aged under-eye area.) My world is soft focus whenever possible.
Aside from the heat, I am bitter that I haven’t been back to Indiana to see Joy, my fabulous friend and hair-do doer, hence the truly deplorable state of my roots. Also, there are at least eight strands of grey in there now and I am NOT happy about that development. NOT HAPPY AT ALL.
Exhibit B: Sky Theft
Oh, goody! Another building that looks like all the others where there used to be a view of Queen Anne. Thanks, Skanska.
In case you’ve missed the news reports or the high pitch of my whining, Seattle has been having a building boom . Our neighborhood alone has approximately twelve of these “Notice of Land Use” signs and if the signs aren’t there it means they’ve been taken down and the cranes and bulldozers have moved in. (Note: every sign has been tagged like this, which I like to believe is a subtle form of protest and not simply graffiti artists looking for a canvas.)
None of these tags are mine. I swear.
The most recent one to go up is next to the cathedral’s little garden, where St. Francis stands guard over the tomatoes and lettuce. I don’t eat anything in this garden because I don’t really believe in vegetables as a food group, but it’s presence makes me smile when I’m out walking, and now, it’s going to be a high rise a full of chic pods no one who currently lives here will be able to afford. (I’m feeling increasingly like the Gallaghers in Shameless in how much I loathe gentrification, how much I’d like to take a baseball bat to these signs or set a car on fire. But don’t worry. My fear of incarceration is much higher than my desire for a neighborhood garden or an unobstructed view of the sky.)
I have not been able to wear sandals all summer because there is so much construction in Seattle that there is debris everywhere. The three walks I’ve had in flip-flops have resulted in splinters and more of a hobble than a healthy stride, so now I’m clunking around First Hill in matronly shoes with support and sturdy soles.
Also, all of this construction has left our little 1920s apartment building with a mouse infestation, and these are not timid country mice. These are bold and ballsy mice who peer at Z from the kitchen with a “What are you lookin’ at?” expression on their little faces.
It turns out, I prefer my mice in the artwork of Beatrix Potter, wearing trousers and sipping tea.
Which brings me to:
Exhibit C: Neighborhood Art
I guess it gets cold at night?
One of the delights on First Hill is the Frye Art Museum. There are a lot of reasons I like it—though I don’t go often enough—including the fact that it is only three blocks from our apartment. Also, I get overwhelmed in standard-sized art museums but this one is bite-size, thus perfect for my attention span. Also: FREE. Also, the first time I went there they had an R. Crumb exhibit and I find his cartoons hard to look away from though I don’t necessarily want to hang Mr. Natural on my wall.
The Frye is on a tree-lined block and adjacent to another cathedral-filled and tree-lined block that I particularly love because when I’m walking there, I can imagine First Hill before its soul was snuffed out by buildings and sprawling hospital complexes. I can imagine fancy families leaving their fancy houses (now almost all replaced by big apartment buildings) and strolling to mass, enjoying the view of Elliott Bay with Bainbridge Island in the distance (now blocked by skyscrapers unless you stand in the middle of the street and look quickly before the #12 bus hoots at you).
So four weeks ago when we were on our walk, Z and I sauntered past this construction site behind the Frye, I was livid: another 20-story buildling, more people in the neighborhood, probably some trees taken down, more grit in my shoes.
I can hardly wait to see what this will be.
Oh, how I growled. And then I saw this:
That’s right, folks. This here pile of dirt with the security light and the crumbled hunk of asphalt is actually genuine, bonafide art.
To recap…
Not art:
See the difference? Me neither. As if the city isn’t going through an ugly enough growing phase, please, by all means, use your art to make it even uglier. This is like giving your gawky eleven-year old an extra big pair of horned-rimmed glasses and suggesting a diet that will increase the acne he already has and then maybe, for added fun, a hairstyle from 1952 and a pocket protector.
And now, I find I must return to my recurring beef, also related to neighborhood hideousness:
Exhibit D: The Seattle Parks Departmet
First Hill Park, an oasis in the concrete.
Seattle has some gorgeous parks that put the best parks in other cities to shame. It also has some innovative parks, like nearby Freeway Park, that literally put a lid on a little section of I-5. It is very shady, walled by cascading fountains that drown out the sounds of the interstate and of the city (and your screams), and a thick carpet of grass, which we don’t see much of here in the heart of the city.
For me, cathedrals and parks in a busy city serve the same purpose: they are a respite from the busyness and ugliness of urban life where a person can get in touch with with the divine, whether natural or theological. They are quiet havens where a person—particularly an introverted one—can recharge and prepare for more time spent in the overcrowded, concrete jungle. They are spaces that are open to all, regardless of race or social class or mental stability.
The only reason I slightly prefer a park to a beautiful old cathedral is because dogs are allowed in parks, though I do miss the smell of incense.
So, to be clear: Beth loves parks. Also, Beth watched all the seasons of Parks & Rec, so understands what the Leslie Knopes of this world are up against in terms of budgetary constraints, public safety, and community involvement.
The only thing this color makes me want to do is go swimming.
That established, the Parks Department sometimes makes dubious choices, like the previosly blogged about Parks to Pavement project (which, I’d like to note, grammatically, should be called “Pavement to Parks”), wherein perfectly good parking spaces (pavement) are stolen, painted a hideous shade of turquoise, and some folding-chairs-in-bondage are set up (“park”). They are not shady. They are not peaceful. You are basically sitting in traffic, praying to God that the plastic poles they’ve screwed into the ground will keep you safe from the cars whizzing by. My “favorite” is the one on our street that is a mere five feet from the lush and peaceful Freeway Park. You know, a real park and not a parking space. A parking space we can no longer use the ten times a year we rent a car.
This summer, signs went up in the real park, the little neighborhood First Hill Park (above), that it was going to be renovated. The park sits next to one of the few remaining old mansions that used to flourish on First Hill in the 19th century, and when you walk past it, it feels old world. It also gives you the notion that the Stimson-Green Mansion has an actual yard. There are trees. There are stately black benches and lights. It’s pleasant to look at.
Stimson-Green Mansion, a pleasant reminder that First Hill used to be beautiful.
That said, it’s a bit problematic in that because of Seattle’s large homeless population, it is often inhabited by people who have made it their home for the day or the night. Which stinks. It stinks for them that this is how they have to live and it stinks because there’s no way anybody else is going to send their kids there to play. Nor are Z and I going to pack a picnic and set up camp amongst the needles and trash for an afternoon and greedily gobble ham sandwiches next to people who maybe haven’t eaten today. So we just walk past it and admire the beauty and eat our ham sandwiches in the privacy of our own home.
Except now there have been meetings and the Parks Department is trying to figure out how to make the park more vibrant and usable. (Read: how do we entice non homeless, non IV drug users into our green space, thus making it less pleasant for the people currently using it?) There have been several meetings and reports, and what’s going to happen is something like this:
That’s right. In what used to be a gorgeous, green, London-esque park, there is going to be a ping pong table. Or a shuffleboard court. Or some children’s play equipment. Some of the green will get dug up so some seating for movie nights and concerts can be put in place. Probably flowers and bushes will be ripped up. (There is talk of a dog water fountain, and I wouldn’t mind seeing that.) So, sigh. Good bye beautiful little park I like to walk past. I wish we were channeling our monies and energy into solving homelessness instead of just putting a ping pong table over the top of it.
Exhibit E: No Smoking
Our building has gone no-smoking. Z and I are both non-smokers. He’s asthmatic and I’m legitimately allergic to cigarette smoke, so this should be a good thing for us. Our apartment gets smokey because we’re next to the front stoop where people like to congregate on Saturday nights and light up, and the hallway often smells like a Grateful Dead concert since pot was legalized here a couple of years ago. So we aren’t particularly sad about the building’s new smoke-free policy, though, because we are children of smokers, we both do have a lot of sympathy for those who just want to get their nicotine fix but have to dance around the city trying to find a spot where they can do it that isn’t 25 feet too close to a door or open-air restaurant. Ever since the hospital across the street made it’s campus smoke-free, we’ve felt equal parts sympathetic to the folks in scrubs loitering outside our door and annoyed that the hospital cares about the health of their patients and staff but not so much about the health of their neighbors who can’t have their windows open in 90 degree heat.
Anyhow, we thought the building’s new smoking ban might be a boon, but instead, it’s just wrecked our coping mechanisms. Some people are breaking the rules (smoke in the hallways and on the stoop) and others are trying to follow the letter of the law by standing 25 feet from the front door which is right under our open front windows. (And this is to say nothing of the commuters who congregate in front of the building for three hours at night waiting on the express bus, smoking the cigs they’ve been banned from having all day and talking loudly on their cell phones.) So, we’re currently in a lose-lose scenario because our old plan of closed back windows and open front ones no longer works. Basically, to keep our apartment in our non-smoking building smoke free, we’ve got to shut all the windows and pant in front of the fan.
I guess we could go to the park and play ping pong to get some fresh air.
Exhibit F: Facebook
Facebook has taken great joy in reminding me what I was doing a year ago. Z and I have been having a quiet, working summer at home with the smoke and mice instead of a jetsetting summer visiting the countries we love. It hasn’t been a bad summer, but it hasn’t been as glorious as a week in London, a week in Wales, and two weeks in my beloved Ireland. Yet every day, there is Facebook, with an update of all the good times we could be having if only someone would invent a time machine and take us back to Galway or Aberystwyth.
But really, if you want to know why I got a kidney stone bigger than my engagement ring logged in my innards, here is the reason:
Exhibit G: Millenial Rejection
Please, feel free. Pick the meat right off my bones.
Nobody likes rejection. I’m not special in this regard. But earlier in the summer I read a call for a residency for writing and teaching that I really wanted. It was a long shot. I don’t have a huge publication list behind my name, but I knew I could give them what they wanted for their student-writers who need feedback. I’m beginning to see that as much as I believe I was meant to heave a keyboard beneath my fingers or a pen in my my hand, I also was meant to work with people on their own writing: to help them find their voice, patch the holes in a plot, say something more authentic or more beautiful than they’ve already said. I’m good at it. I am not a particularly confident person, but I know this is one thing I do well. And when I’m working on someone else’s writing, that’s all that matters. I’m not trying to figure out how to get them out of my office so I can get back to my own writing. I’m not trying to figure out how I can use their ideas for my own gain. I’m just 100% committed to whatever it is that they are committed to. (Even if some of their crappy sentences make me groan internally.) When I’m teaching or mentoring, I feel exactly the way I do after Thanksgiving dinner: completely sated. Only I don’t need larger pants.
When the rejection came, I was disappointed. I might even have cried, not because I didn’t get my way or didn’t “win,” but because I really really wanted to be in the position of pouring over someone else’s writing and helping them shape it again. As I said in my last post, I’m beginning to realize how much I miss my students, and this seemed like a way to stop that missing.
Then I re-read the form rejection letter, and I got angry because it was badly written. There were grammatical errors, but what bothered me more was the careless way it had been written with no thought to word choice or intent. It sounded like it was written by someone who didn’t read instead of by someone who purports to love writing. And then when I did further investigation and saw a photo of the group who had likely made the decisions, I felt angry that they all looked about twenty-three. Of course twenty-three- year-olds can make good choices. (I like to think the anaesthesiologist I had last week who appeared to be about twenty-five was capable of accurate and lightening-quick decisions anyhow.) In this case, however, seeing all those judge-y, line-less faces, all I could think was what in the hell do you know about what good writing and good teaching is?
I raged for a day and then I did the reasonable thing and put some plans into action so I can get what I want (re: writing and teaching), and then just while I was about to feel satisfied with my quick recovery rate from disappointment and anger, I threw up. Between waves of pain, Z and I trekked up the hill and across the street to the ER to find out what Louise Hay could have told me if I’d just looked at her book: You have a kidney stone because you’ve spent the summer pissed off, and you were so pissed off, you created a kidney stone too big to pass.
Now that my figurative guts are showin’, everything seems brighter and more pleasant. The weather cooled and it’s possible to imagine a few months with the windows shut, blocking out smoke. Z reports from his solo walk today that the dirt-pile artwork was carted away. Based on Facebook’s over-zealous announcements, we’re nearing the end of last year’s happy memories. I’m a few days away from a trip to Indiana where I will see people I love and miss AND have my hair cut and my roots (and those eight strands of grey) covered.
I’m writing. I’m editing. I’m not throwing up.
I’m alive.
Get-well flowers from Leibowitz coupled with painkillers and Z’s ministrations made it all tolerable.
Filed under Art, Dogs, Etc., Memoir, Seattle, Ugliness, Urban Life, Writing and tagged Art, First Hill, gentrification, kidney stone, Louise Hay, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Spirituality, The Frye, Writing life, writing rejection | 7 Comments
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Photos: Earth >> North America >> United States >> West >> New Mexico >> Taos
center the window
Copyright: Franco Degani (degani) (2673)
Categories: Architecture
In internet I founded that: "Pueblo de Taos, continuously inhabited for more than 1,000 years, is the ancient pueblo of a Northern Tiwa speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It lies about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA, on Red Willow Creek or Rio Pueblo, a small stream which flows from the Sangre de Cristo Range. 95,000 acres (384 km�) are attached to the pueblo, and about 2,000 people live there. In the Northern Tiwa language, the name of Taos is Tua-tah, which means "our village." Taos Pueblo is a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos.
Taos Pueblo's most prominent architectural feature is a multi-storied residential complex of reddish-brown adobe divided into two parts by the Rio Pueblo. According to the Pueblo's Web site, it was probably built between 1000 and 1450 A.D. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960, and later became a World Heritage Site. As of 2006, about 150 people live in it full-time.
The history of Taos Pueblo include the plotting of the Pueblo Revolt in 1680, a siege by U.S. forces in 1847, and the return by President Nixon in 1970 of the Pueblo's 48,000 acres (194 km�) of mountain land taken by President Theodore Roosevelt and designated as the Carson National Forest early in the twentieth century. Blue Lake, which the people of the Pueblo traditionally consider sacred, was included in this return of Taos land. The Pueblo's web site names the acquisition of the sacred Blue Lake as the most important event in its history due to the spiritual belief that the Taos natives originated from the lake itself.
The North-Side Pueblo is said to be one of the most photographed and painted buildings in the Western Hemisphere. It is the largest multistoried Pueblo structure still existent and continuously inhabited. It is made of adobe walls that are often several feet thick. Its primary purpose was for defense. Up to as late as 1900, access to the rooms on lower floors was by ladders on the outside to the roof, and then down an inside ladder. In case of an attack, outside ladders could easily be pulled up.
The homes in this structure usually consist of two rooms, one of which is for general living and sleeping, and the second of which is for cooking, eating, and storage. Each home is self-contained; there are no passageways between the houses. Taos Indians made little use of furniture in the past, but today they have tables, chairs, and beds. In the Pueblo, electricity, running water, and indoor plumbing are prohibited.
The pueblo wall completely encloses the village except at the entrance as a symbol of the village boundaries. Now rather short, the wall used to be much taller for protection against surrounding tribes. The river running through the pueblo serves as the primary source for drinking and cooking water for the residents of the village. In the winter, the river never completely freezes although it does form a heavy layer of ice. Because the river moves so swiftly, the ice can be broken to obtain the fresh water beneath.
Three religions are represented in the Pueblo: Christianity, the aboriginal religion, and the Native American Church. Most of the Indians are Roman Catholic. Saint Jerome, or San Geronimo, is the patron saint of the pueblo.
Most archeologists believe that the Taos Indians along with other Pueblo Indians settled along the Rio Grande migrated from the Four Corners region. The dwellings of that region were inhabited by the Anasazi, and a long drought in the area in the late 1200s, may have caused them to move to the Rio Grande where the water supply was more dependable.
The deep feeling of belonging to a community, summed up in their phrase, “we are in one nest,” has held the Taos people together. Both men and women are expected to offer their services or “community duties,” when needed. One should be cooperative and never allow his own desires to be destructive of the community’s interest. One of Taos’s strongest institutions is the family. Descent on both the father and the mother’s side of the family is equally recognized. Each primary family lives in a separate dwelling so when a couple gets married, they move to their own home. With relatives so near by, everyone is available to help care for the children. The elderly teach the young the values and traditions that have been handed down, which protects the integrity of the Taos culture."
HaBeMa has marked this note useful
HaBeMa (3072)
Hi dear Franco;very interesting a shot,very good "photographer's note"...
Habema.
:-]
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GLENN, EVANS [TYREE]
James Head
Listen to this artist
GLENN, EVANS [TYREE] (1912–1974). Jazz trombonist Evans (Tyree) Glenn was born in Corsicana on November 23, 1912. Glenn played trombone and vibraphone with local Texas bands before moving in the early 1930s to Washington, D.C., where he performed with several prominent bands of the Swing Era. He joined Tommy Myles's band in 1934 and played with it until 1936.
After he left Myles, Glenn moved to Los Angeles and performed with several well-known entertainers, including Eddie Barefield, Lionel Hampton, Eddie Mallory, and Charlie Echols. He joined Cab Calloway in 1939 and was an important member of the band until he left it in 1946. From 1947 to 1951 he played with Duke Ellington's orchestra. During the 1950s Glenn did some radio, television, and acting work. In 1953 he joined Jack Sterling's New York daily radio show, with which he remained until 1963. After leaving radio Glenn joined Louis Armstrong's band and played with it from 1965 until Armstrong died in 1971. After Armstrong's death, Glenn formed his own band and performed with it until shortly before he died.
Although Glenn primarily recorded with other bands, such as those of Ellington, Armstrong, and Sy Oliver, he recorded albums of his own––Tyree Glenn at the Roadhouse (1958), Tyree Glenn with Strings (1960), and Tyree Glenn at the London House (1961). He also wrote "Sultry Serenade," which was recorded by Duke Ellington and Erroll Garner. Glenn died of cancer on May 18, 1974, and was survived by two sons, Tyree Jr., and Roger, both musicians.
Leonard Feather, The Encyclopedia of Jazz (New York: Horizon Press, 1955). Leonard Feather, The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Sixties (New York: Horizon Press, 1966). Leonard Feather and Ira Gitler, The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Seventies (New York: Horizon Press, 1976). Colin Larkin, ed., The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Chester, Connecticut: New England Publishing Associates, 1992; 2d ed., New York: Stockton Press, 1995). Eileen Southern, Biographical Dictionary of Afro-American and African Musicians (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1982).
Handbook of Texas Online, James Head, "GLENN, EVANS [TYREE]," accessed January 22, 2020, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fgl19.
Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Modified on October 1, 2015. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
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With our energy grids failing, our sewers leaking, our roads crumbling, and interest rates at historically low levels, now is the time to reinvest in America. Even in the depths of the Great Depression, we invested money into public works that led to the post-war economic expansion. Infrastructure investments spur economic development by making areas safe and attractive for new businesses, while simultaneously creating thousands of jobs. Research conducted by the World Bank indicates a 10 percent increase in infrastructure spending directly leads to a 1 percent increase in GDP.
I believe there is a critical need for Congress to address our country’s crumbling infrastructure. America requires a robust transportation infrastructure to compete in the global economy, and the current state of our roads, bridges, and railroads reflects decades of neglect. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) reports that more than 25% of bridges in the United States either need significant repairs or are handling more traffic than they were originally designed to carry. In addition 32% of America’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition, costing U.S. motorists who are traveling on deficient pavement $67 billion a year. The Federal Highway Administration estimates that these poor road conditions play a role in more than 14,300 traffic fatalities annually.
That is why I supported the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on in December of 2015. I voted in favor this legislation, which provides $281 billion in funding and reauthorizing highway, bridge, transportation safety, and public transit projects for the next five years. It is time for Congress to stop passing short-term extensions and give our state and local governments the tools and the stability they need to move infrastructure projects forward. Too many communities are suffering from aging roads and bridges and I am pleased that this bill will provide the first step to rebuilding our country’s transportation portals and help put Americans back to work.
I am extremely happy to have had the opportunity to assist the City of Akron in receiving a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant in 2016. This program affords state and local governments to apply for federal investment in our nation’s roads, rails, and ports. While simultaneously improving infrastructure, the TIGER grant program serves as an important component for job creation and economic development across the nation. The TIGER grant helped Akron make enhancements to major connections within Akron’s downtown area, and provide support for both local and global businesses located in the Akron downtown. Akron is quickly becoming a global hub of innovation, attracting international biomedical technologies and companies that are looking for help in commercializing their produces and expanding into a global market and this TIGER will help the City of Akron continue to move forward and grow.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I understand the importance of the continuing fight for our infrastructure’s needs. From this position, I will continue my efforts ensuring that our transportation and infrastructure systems our effective and safely serve the American people.
More on Infrastructure
Congressman Ryan Secures Millions in Federal Funding for Electric Vehicles, Energy Incubators, and River Restoration
Washington, DC – Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) today voted in favor of Fiscal Year 2020 Domestic Appropriations Package (H.R. 1865), which contained the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education; Agriculture; Energy and Water Development; Interior-Environment; Legislative Branch; Military Construction-Veterans Affairs; State-Foreign Operations; and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bills. Congressman Ryan has served on the House Appropriations Committee since 2006 and currently serves as Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee.
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Youngstown, OH – Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) today announced a grant award of $1,291,240 for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The award will fund the rehabilitation of the runway lighting and reconstruction of the apron pavement and taxiway.
Youngstown Warren Regional Airport gets grant for runway improvement
September 20, 2019 In The News
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Congressman Tim Ryan Introduces Bill to Invest $100 Billion in Lead Removal Nationwide
Washington, DC – Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) today introduced a bill to invest $100 billion to remove lead pipes and lead paint from homes across the United States – which is enough to eliminate every lead pipe in the country and remove lead paint from 7 million American homes.
Congressman Tim Ryan Blasts Trump for Stealing Military Construction Funding for Vanity Border Wall
September 4, 2019 Press Release
Washington, DC – Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) blasted President Donald Trump for stealing $3.6 billion in appropriated military funding to build the wall along the United States’ southern border. According to the Department of Defense, the Administration is taking money from 127 military projects that would repair and upgrade military bases abroad and in the United States. Congressman Ryan is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies which oversees funding for military construction projects.
Leaders fighting Warren blight hope new bill could bring old hospital down
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Congressman Tim Ryan Meets Youngstown Delegation in Washington, DC to Celebrate $10.8 Million BUILD Grant
Washington, DC – Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) met with a delegation of Youngstown elected officials and community leaders to congratulate them on receiving a $10.8 million BUILD grant (formally known as TIGER Grant).
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