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Tag: machu picchu
March 29, 2019 Pirwa
Located exactly in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru, in a mountain range at 2430 m.s. It is estimated that Machu Picchu was built in the fifteenth century between (1401-1500) and was part of the possessions of the Inca Pachacutec (who ruled between 1438 and 1471).
Machupicchu more than a wonder of the new world! was last modified: March 29th, 2019 by Pirwa
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What You See on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
June 9, 2016 Pirwa
The Classic 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a bucket list standard, and possibly the most famous hike in the world. Its history, abundant nature, expansive views, and ancient ruins never fail to excite the thousands of guests who tackle the trek each year in their attempt to arrive at the legendary ruins of Machu Picchu Citadel much in the same way that people did during the time of the Inca Empire.
What You See on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was last modified: July 11th, 2016 by Pirwa
Do You Need to Book the Inca Trail before traveling to Cusco?
March 8, 2016 Pirwa
The one question that our travel agency in Cuzco receives most frequently is whether or not you should book the Inca Trail beforehand. As most people will tell you, making the arrangements ahead of time is usually best. However, whether it is actually necessary to book in advance and how long in advance you should try to book varies depending on the month:
Do You Need to Book the Inca Trail before traveling to Cusco? was last modified: March 8th, 2016 by Pirwa
Hike the Famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Although one can get to the famed Lost City of the Incas in a myriad number of ways, including by bus, train, and a variety of hikes, none has more cache than the storied Inca Trail. Its allure is an immersion not just in the legendary history of the Capac Ñan, Royal Road, but also the astounding scenery of various climactic zones as the cold gives way to the cloud forest and then the high-altitude jungle brow, along a path dotted with small sets of ruins amidst overgrown foliage. There is a romance to traversing the same path the Incas used centuries ago, with Machu Picchu coming into view as one reaches the Sun Gate. In modern movie parlance, it’s “Machu Picchu, as Machu Picchu was meant to be seen…”
Hike the Famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was last modified: March 9th, 2016 by Pirwa
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Closing this February
January 25, 2016 Pirwa
The 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is the most famous route to Machu Picchu for good reason- it takes intrepid hikers from the Sacred Valley of the Incas up through the cloud forest and into the jungle brow, passing stunning landscapes and small, ancient archaeological sites en route to one of the most legendary sites on earth. It’s popularity does cause stress to the environment, however, and thus the trail will be closing for maintenance work from February 1st through February 29th. During this time, 50 workers, with archaeologists and biologists among them, will dedicate themselves to undertaking conservation work.
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Closing this February was last modified: January 25th, 2016 by Pirwa
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Chinese help develop £125m Wigan park
China is to help spawn a £125m inward investment in Wigan this week. Sunday Telegraph
Wigan’s council will vote on Thursday to approve a new scheme for the development of a 55-acre site as a base for Chinese groups looking to export throughout Europe. It hopes the plan will re-establish the town as a manufacturing centre.
Last month, during his visit to China, Gordon Brown said: 'I want to take steps to make the United Kingdom the prime location in Europe for inward Chinese investment. There are now in total 350 mainland Chinese companies investing in the UK. [I want] to work with and secure 100 more inward investment projects from China.'
During that trip, Brown and China’s Premier, Wen Jiabao, signed up to a new target for a 50% increase in bilateral trade in goods and services, rising to £30bn by 2010. That represents more trade than between Britain and Australia or Britain and Mexico.
The new project will see Wigan council link up with Chinamex, a state-owned trading group, and Commercial Group Properties. It is thought that the project will create around 1,000 jobs at the Westwood Industrial Park, which will house Chinese textile and apparel companies.
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Florida Bank, Used as ATM by Insiders, Won TARP Loan But Now Teeters
U.S. Century Bank had very high rates of insider loans and other red flags, yet got a $50.2 million TARP loan. Now that taxpayer money may be lost as the bank stumbles under heavy losses.
by Jake Bernstein
Oct. 19, 2011, 10:19 a.m. EDT
Update (10/22): This story has been updated with a comment from Rubio's spokesperson.
Update (10/26): U.S. Century has responded with a letter to the editor.
U.S. Century Bank rocketed into being in 2002, with investors pouring in $30 million over three months. Four years later, the Miami-based bank boasted assets of more than $1 billion, had consistently shown a profit, and had won plaudits from banking analysts such as BauerFinancial and glowing reviews from The Miami Herald and other local media.
In 2009, as the financial crisis hit, the bank received a vote of confidence from the federal government when it won a $50.2 million loan under the federal Trouble Assets Relief Program -- money earmarked for healthy banks. It was the most TARP money given to a Florida bank. "This represents an important recognition for U.S. Century Bank as it acknowledges our strength, stability and good standing as a strong and healthy financial institution," Ramon Rasco, the bank's chairman, said in a news release announcing the loan.
In fact, U.S. Century was ailing when it received the TARP loan. Today, the bank teeters on the edge of collapse as it operates under an extraordinary consent order, issued in June by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Sweeping in scope, the order demands an overhaul including changes of top executives, a review of all loans, implementation of a program to guard against money laundering, and an increase in the bank's capital.
The rise and fall of U.S. Century, while certainly more extreme than most banks, exemplifies the fast-and-loose banking culture that led to the financial crisis, which continues to drag down the global economy. It also epitomizes both the failure to regulate the banking sector during the pre-crisis boom years and the slipshod approach to the bailout that followed the bust. Above all, it's about losers and winners. The losers are taxpayers and local residents grappling with the ill effects of suburban sprawl. The winners appear to be a group of wealthy and politically connected businessmen who created a bank that served as their own corporate ATM, funneling tens of millions of dollars to ventures in which they had a stake.
"Insider loans" -- loans to directors or officers of the bank -- at their peak exceeded 94 percent of U.S. Century's total equity capital. While high levels of insider lending are not uncommon in the early years of a bank startup, at U.S. Century they continued for years. Many of these loans were for speculative real-estate projects, some of which are now defunct or gravely troubled.
Compared to all commercial banks in the United States, U.S. Century was in the top 7 percent for insider loans as a proportion of total loans, according to an analysis of insider lending from 2005 through June 2011 done for ProPublica by banking analyst Trepp LLC. During 2005, the bank had one of its most prolific periods of insider lending; it was in the top quarter of 1 percent, ranking 20th out of 7,954 commercial banks in the nation at the time.
Year, Quarter
Loans to Insiders (in Millions)
Insider-Loan Rank Among U.S. Commercial Banks
Percentile Rank Among U.S. Commercial Banks
2005, Q1 $67.4 22 0.27%
2006, Q1 $74.3 122 1.55%
2006, Q2 $109.0 68 0.86%
2007, Q3 $112.1 137 1.78%
Note: In the second quarter of 2005, there were 7,954 commercial banks; in 2011 there were 6,776.
Sources: Call Reports/Trepp LLC
U.S. Century declined to answer specific questions from ProPublica because of their "tenor," which the bank believes indicated a "very negative agenda."
Instead it responded to repeated requests for comment with a statement that read in part:
"Recognized as one of the largest community banks remaining in this region, we are proud to have helped many business owners establish and grow their businesses and have played an important role in fueling South Florida's economy. As with most banks, since the beginning of this economic recession, we have been impacted by declining real estate values. Some of the banks affected by the recession, including the nation's largest banks, were eligible for and received TARP funds. We were one of those institutions and the US Treasury approved our application strictly on the merits."
Insider loans constituted only one red flag visible by 2009. By August of that year, when the first TARP disbursement landed at the bank, U.S. Century had higher nonperforming and delinquent loans compared to a peer group of banks with only domestic offices and assets of $1 billion or more. U.S. Century had set aside less for loan losses than its peers. Its concentration in construction and commercial real-estate loans -- key sources of problems for small banks -- was particularly high.
"It is hard to imagine a more obviously reckless and foolish use of TARP funds than U.S. Century in 2009," said Richard Newsom, a former FDIC bank examiner who has looked at the bank's public financials. "Contrary to TARP guidelines, this bank was in deep, likely fatal, trouble when it received TARP funds. It should have been subject to an enforcement action in mid-2009, not awarded $50 million in taxpayer dollars."
Indeed, almost as soon as U.S. Century received the TARP money, its financials plummeted. Net income plunged to negative $44 million by the end of the 2009. Loan losses went up to $186 million from $108 million in September. Capital set aside as reserves also dropped, while the bank's reliance on risky brokered deposits -- called "hot money" because it is short-term and flighty -- grew. Within three months of U.S. Century receiving the TARP funds in August 2009, Treasury officials were exchanging emails discussing the likelihood that the bank would not make its first dividend payment. The bank paid a dividend of $745,312 to the Treasury Department that November, but as of June 2011 it had missed more than $4 million in payments to Treasury, according to a report from the TARP inspector general.
U.S. Century is based in Miami-Dade County, an area with a rich history of real-estate bubbles and financial excesses. Six Miami-Dade-based banks have failed since the most recent financial crisis began, according to the FDIC's failed bank list.
The FDIC, as the primary federal regulator of U.S. Century, performed a viability study on the bank and approved its application to receive the $50.2 million TARP loan. The FDIC wouldn't release information about its examination of U.S. Century, making it hard to know whether the agency had concerns about the bank's health of U.S. Century or to evaluate the merits of granting the TARP loan. The Treasury Department released some documents relating to the loan, and they do not indicate any concerns.
The FDIC also wouldn't say whether any enforcement agreement existed with the bank before the June 2011 consent order.
The FDIC does not comment on an "open and operating" bank nor on TARP deliberations, spokesman David Barr said. As for U.S. Century's TARP loan, he said, "it is Treasury that makes the ultimate decision on TARP funding."
A spokesman for the Treasury Department said, "As a matter of practice, we don't comment on specific institutions."
Tangled Web of Insider Loans
The men behind U.S. Century were not new to banking. Though primarily real-estate developers, they had founded a previous bank in Miami called Ready State. They built the bank through the 1990s until it had assets of about $600 million. Then the group sold it to Union Planters Bank, now Regions Financial Corp., in 1998 for an undisclosed sum.
In 2002, when about 400 investors cobbled together the initial $22 million to launch U.S. Century, the offering went so quickly that the bank rapidly raised another $8 million, making it one of the most successful efforts at raising capital for a startup bank in Florida history. A second stock offering in 2003 raised an additional $37.2 million. By the end of 2006, the bank had more than $1 billion in assets and net income of $13 million.
One of the driving forces behind the meteoric early growth of U.S. Century was Sergio Pino, who served as vice chairman of the board of directors. Pino owns the shiny seven-floor office building that houses U.S. Century. The building, which Pino built for about $15 million and completed in 2007, also serves as the headquarters for his real-estate development company Century Homebuilders of South Florida. A search of Florida corporate records reveals more than 100 companies in which Pino is listed as an officer. Among them: Century Prestige I, Century Prestige II, Century Prestige III, Century Five, Century Six, Century Park II, Century Land Development Corp., Century Shopping Centers and Century 77 Acres. While not all of the company names include the word "century," most do.
Pino did not respond to numerous requests to comment.
His companies have often received insider loans from U.S. Century. Unraveling how much money his companies have received is virtually impossible through a search of public records, but the outlines of some loans can be reconstructed.
In January 2010, Pino and his wife signed an agreement with U.S. Century that lists previous loans they got from the bank -- one for $1.63 million and another for $6.45 million -- both for a development called Century Laguna on a commercial block in Coral Gables. The bank also executed what the agreement calls a "future advance, consolidation, mortgage modification and spreader agreement" in December 2006 worth $15.73 million. Separately, the bank made a $500,000 personal loan to Pino related to the property.
In other examples, the bank director's role is not as clear-cut.
In 2005, a company called 46 Acres acquired a property at the edge of Miami-Dade County with plans to turn it into a thriving subdivision. An affidavit filed with the county lists Pino as a member of the company's management committee. It's the only record publicly available online in which Pino's name appears associated with the transaction. In March 2007, U.S. Century issued a $26.2 million loan to 46 Acres, with $209.8 million available. The property was used as collateral for the loan.
In September 2010, 46 Acres was dissolved, according to corporate records. Today, the property the failed company once owned is an enormous empty lot surrounded by chain-link fences. Across the street are low-income neighborhoods. On the property sits a rusting, open-sided warehouse. Outside the fence stands a for-sale sign. According to a real-estate agent associated with it and an adjacent property owner, U.S. Century owns the land -- part of the bank's growing portfolio of troubled real-estate assets.
Calls to Jose Boschetti, the only person listed in corporate records as an officer of 46 Acres, were not returned.
These transactions are typical of those that can be found in public records. Pino or other bank officers are often connected to companies that receive loans from U.S. Century. Public records show the bank loaned millions of dollars to bank officers, their family members and companies associated with both.
In March 2011, Pino resigned from the board. He told the South Florida Business Journal, "My company needs me," referring to his real-estate development firm. He also said that his loans from U.S. Century were being paid on time.
Development v. the Environment
Many of U.S. Century's insider loans appear to be for real-estate development projects, placing the bank and its officers smack in the middle of one of Florida's hottest controversies: suburban development versus conservation of one of America's preeminent natural resources, the Everglades.
At least six of the bank's current or past directors have pushed to expand Miami's urban development boundary, and several own sizable tracts outside the boundary. Put in place to safeguard the Everglades and to funnel growth to the urban core, the boundary has been steadily eroded by the county commission, to the chagrin of environmentalists. Two U.S. Century directors won approval in 1999 to build up to the boundary as part of a development. A few years later, several of the bank's directors, including Pino, were also involved in a proposed 961-acre residential development in western Miami-Dade County called Parkland that would have required moving the boundary line. Amid the housing bust the Parkland proposal seems stalled.
Alan Farago, conservation chair of the environmental advocacy group Friends of the Everglades, said U.S. Century's executives "figured out how to mesh the large gears of finance to the smaller gears of local zoning and permitting, in other words creating an entire apparatus to gin up growth at the expense of the Everglades."
Many of U.S. Century's officers have been prolific political donors. In the bank's 10 years, the directors have given more than $350,000 for federal races alone, with most of the money going to Republicans. No U.S. Century director has ever been charged with legal wrongdoing related to campaign financing, but the bank itself was involved in a controversial transaction with Marco Rubio before he became Florida's junior senator.
Rubio received a 2006 loan from the bank while serving as Florida's state house speaker. A story broken by The Miami Herald in April 2008 revealed that the bank gave Rubio a home equity loan of $135,000 shortly after he bought his house for $550,000. But a month after the purchase, the house was appraised at $735,000. The $185,000 gain in equity in just 37 days paved the way for the U.S. Century loan. Rubio initially failed to disclose the loan on his public financials. He and U.S. Century have consistently denied wrongdoing.
According to a spokesman for the senator, the Rubios locked in a pre-construction price of $550,000 a year before the closing on the house, making the time between appraisals 13 months and not 37 days. ProPublica asked the senator's office for documentation of the transaction but has not yet received it. We will update again if his office provides it.
Struggling to Survive
Since receiving the TARP loan in 2009, U.S. Century has been sliding sharply downward.
A bank spokesman said CEO Octavio Hernández is scouring U.S. and international sources for capital. The June consent order lays out timetables by which the bank must comply with the various demands, such as four months to raise capital, two months to implement a conflict-of-interest policy and two months to establish new procedures to monitor money laundering. Those deadlines have arrived. "We have complied with many of the requirements of our consent order and we will continue to comply with and satisfy all of its requirements," the bank said in its statement to ProPublica.
In June, BauerFinancial gave U.S. Century its lowest rating, a zero, the last step before failure.
The BauerFinancial report paints a grim picture. Commercial real-estate represents more than half of the bank's portfolio, compared to less than 14 percent for similar banks. Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets is almost 14 percent for U.S. Century, compared to less than 3 percent for peers. At the end of June, the bank reported almost $373 million in loans that were either nonperforming or 30 days past due. The Texas ratio, a formula that measures nonperforming assets against capital and reserves, is 237 percent, compared to 26 percent for the bank's peer group.
"When the Texas ratio substantially exceeds 100 percent, there is a high correlation with future failure," said Newsom, the former FDIC bank examiner.
The FDIC consent order mandates that U.S. Century increase its total capital by a little more than $57 million, according to a review by banking analyst Trepp. This does not include the $50.2 million it also owes TARP.
The bank is trying to sell off its foreclosed property but is taking considerable losses. U.S. Century recently sold a half-acre site on trendy Fisher Island for $2.4 million, 40 percent less than the mortgage it foreclosed, according to the South Florida Business Journal. If the bank does not comply with the FDIC mandates or is unable to raise capital, it could be pushed into a forced sale or taken over by the FDIC. Either way, the agency would probably end up taking losses on the bad loans in addition to the $50.2 million in TARP money that taxpayers would lose.
Jake Bernstein
Jake Bernstein was a business and financial reporter for ProPublica.
@Jake_Bernstein
Federal Regulators: Newark Beth Israel Put Patients in “Immediate Jeopardy”
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‘The 100th Nail in the Coffin’ for Integration in Westchester County
The Trump administration ended a yearslong battle over fair housing, but the promise to end segregation was broken long before that.
by Joaquin Sapien
Aug. 1, 2017, 10:20 a.m. EDT
Pedestrians walk above a Metro-North train station in Westchester County’s New Rochelle. A housing development meant to address segregation was built 500 feet from the city’s border, even though it already has a high number of African-American and Latino residents. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The 45th President and His Administration
For years, Westchester County insisted its zoning laws did not prevent black and Latino families from moving into wealthy suburbs north of New York City — even in a town like Pound Ridge, which is 94 percent white.
Almost all homes in that bucolic community accommodate single families. Apartments are hard to come by; in most areas, the zoning law requires a special permit to build a multifamily complex.
It was this kind of setup that led a federal judge to rule in 2009 that Westchester had violated the nation’s fair housing laws. In a landmark order, the judge told the county to identify ways in which its zoning laws impede integrated housing.
Westchester turned in draft after draft of an “analysis of impediments,” and each time, officials in the Obama administration rejected it. The reports laid out demographics and zoning maps, sometimes in more than 200 pages, but insisted “there is no zoning-related barrier to minority populations.” Housing officials argued this refusal to acknowledge the barriers was keeping the county from adequately analyzing them and coming up with solutions.
Last month, the Trump administration allowed Westchester a shortcut: Take out the lines refuting discrimination.
On July 18, the Department of Housing and Urban Development accepted the edited report — the county’s 11th revision — just three months after rejecting the last one.
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino declared victory.
“Westchester vindicated!” he said in a tweet. “HUD capitulates after seven years. Zoning not exclusionary — like we said all along.”
Fair housing advocates are disappointed by the turnabout, but say it’s too soon to tell whether the government’s agreement sends a message about how the Trump administration will handle fair housing issues in the future.
Craig Gurian, the advocate who filed the 2006 lawsuit that led to the court order, believes the effort to transform Westchester was “squandered” long ago, not by Trump, but by seven years of weak enforcement under the Obama administration.
“This,” he said, “is the 100th nail in the coffin.”
In 2012, former ProPublica reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones wrote extensively about this topic. Her series “Segregation Now: Investigating America’s Divide” showed how the federal government failed to promote integration as it was supposed to under the law decades after the 1968 Fair Housing Act. Westchester was one of her primary examples.
In Westchester, federal officials had “repeatedly backed down from strong enforcement when confronted by determined local opposition,” she wrote.
In an interview last week, Gurian said HUD’s recent acceptance of Westchester’s zoning plan is in keeping with that history, and that the courts and government had long “bent over backwards” to accommodate Westchester’s desire not to “intrude on existing ultra-white residential neighborhoods.”
The strongest evidence, he said, was the location of the affordable housing Westchester built under the court order. The goal was to break down the barriers to fair housing and give minorities access to better services, jobs and schools so often located in predominantly white neighborhoods.
Instead, the housing units were built on the outskirts of the towns and villages that make up Westchester County, mostly in areas already occupied by people of color, he said.
The 46-unit development in Larchmont is a perfect example. It is located on a brownfield site, the former home of a moving company, and is just 500 feet from the city of New Rochelle, which already has a high number of African-American and Latino residents.
Then there are the 18 units tucked away in a remote corner of the affluent city of Rye. The apartments are sandwiched between two freeways and reachable only by a road that cuts through Port Chester, which is also poor and majority black and Latino.
That’s not the way it was supposed to work.
As HUD officials said in their announcement of the settlement in 2009:
“The landmark agreement will result in the construction of 750 units of affordable housing in neighborhoods with small minority populations; will remove existing impediments to fair and affordable housing; and will require the County to take active steps to ensure its housing and development practices are fair to families without regard to their race or ethnicity.”
Westchester has delivered the units, but Gurian believes they achieve little of what was promised. They accommodate roughly 3,000 people, a “drop in the bucket” in a county of nearly a million, he said. Many are priced so far below market value they are unattractive to middle class families. Others are priced too high, and therefore out of reach for the population they are meant to serve.
In a phone interview, Astorino spokesman Gerald McKinstry said Gurian’s claims were “false.”
“Westchester County is a welcoming county,” he said, pointing out that Westchester had, in fact, built more than the 750 units required under the order and spent tens of millions of dollars to do so.
He said the housing developments in Larchmont, Rye and elsewhere are highly desirable and that they give residents access to premier school districts.
HUD officials, who said the court order gave them no power to influence the locations of the housing sites, consider this recent agreement a victory.
Brian Sullivan, a HUD spokesman, said the department’s acceptance of the analysis hinged on just a handful of phrases in the 205-page document, specifically those that suggested that local zoning laws had no effect on segregation.
“We insisted the County remove certain language that was unsupported by the facts, and the County ultimately agreed to do so,” Sullivan said.
He said the agency’s acceptance of the plan had nothing to do with the change in administration.
“The same HUD career professionals who have been working tirelessly on this case for years are the same ones who made the call to accept Westchester County’s final analysis,” he said. “Their decision was based upon the substance and nothing else.”
Whatever influence the Trump administration may or may not have had, Westchester County’s top elected official is celebrating.
In 2009, when the consent decree was signed, Astorino campaigned on resisting it. As Hannah-Jones reported, he told local officials “he would not force anyone to build anything.”
After he won his seat, he affirmed his position, telling a local supporter, “I’m holding our ground … I’m not yielding a single inch to these guys.”
Now, he is taking a victory lap.
“This is vindication for Westchester County and our local municipalities and a victory won on facts and principles,” he said in a press statement announcing HUD’s acceptance of the plan. “It wasn’t easy, but everyone in Westchester can be very proud of the outcome.”
For more coverage, read ProPublica’s previous reporting on segregation.
Joaquin Sapien
Joaquin Sapien covers the intersection of social services, criminal justice, and mental health in New York City. He is particularly interested in the policing of sex work.
@jbsapien
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Cavalier cuts
Coalition plans to cap benefits will not work as intended, and are unnecessarily draconian
by Tim Leunig / November 17, 2010 / Leave a comment
Policies designed to hit people who never work and have child after child will hit others too—not least children themselves. Photo: Paul Box/Reportdigital
Housing benefit is suddenly newsworthy. It costs £20bn a year and will rise to £25bn without reform. The government’s planned changes are sweeping. The most prominent is an absolute cap on rent: £250 for a one-bedroom property, £400 for a four-bedroom one. London’s mayor Boris Johnson says it will lead to “ethnic cleansing”; London’s former mayor Ken Livingstone that the Tories are gerrymandering, Shirley Porter-style. The Guardian’s Polly Toynbee worries that central London will run out of cleaners. All are wrong.
Yes, the changes will force some people to leave central London, but this is not ethnic cleansing. Provided that childrens’ educations are not disrupted, and excepting a few special cases, it is reasonable for society to refuse to fund people living in London’s best addresses. Ken’s gerrymandering argument is self-evidently absurd, as every voter moving out of one constituency moves into another. And cleaners can commute from zone three, just like other workers. If companies are short of cleaners, they can raise wages. Make no mistake: outside London people are shocked at anyone claiming £400 a week for rent.
But other changes are more brutal. Forcing all single people under 35 on benefits to share a flat, for example, is pretty harsh on the dyslexic child who didn’t do well academically despite trying and left at 16. After ten years of working in a supermarket he’s still got nine years to go before allowed a place of his own. Is that fair?
Even worse is the new £500 a week cap on all benefits for the unemployed, to apply from 2013. “Why should someone who isn’t working get more than the average person in work?” the department for work and pensions press officer asked me, adding: “it’s about fairness.” At first sight that argument is compelling, yet it is flawed. If a person in work receives the average wage and has a partner and four children, and lives in outer London, they will receive their earnings plus around £490 a week in benefits, giving a total weekly income of about £870. It simply isn’t the case that the unemployed get more than the employed.
Imagine this person now loses their job. Under the current system, they receive £715 a week in jobseeker’s allowance, child benefit,…
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Philip_Shepheard
Ten minutes on the internet finds houses to rent in London and in posh suburbs of Birmingham at under £400 per week
Jennie Kermode
This isn't even as stark a choice as you suggest. Utilising green belt land is not the only way to build new housing - there are significant areas within most major cities that can be redeveloped, with former factories and warehouses converted into housing. There have been several very successful developments of this type in Glasgow. Providing incentives for this type of redevelopment not only provides housing but helps to improve urban areas and create jobs across several sectors.
Tim Leunig
Tim Leunig is reader in economic history at the LSE
More by Tim Leunig
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4 December 2019 No Comments Features
It’s the Return to Player End of Year Awards and this category is focused on a similar annual event. Considering the number of East Asian studios, it’s not too surprising that there are quite a few Chinese New Year slots available on the market. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the best of the lot this year. So, without further ado, let’s jump straight in.
A night sky lit up in brilliant colour is one of the most well-known motifs of the new year, especially in China. Across the orient, celebrations include intricate fireworks displays. Luckily enough, there is a game centred all-around these nocturnal pyrotechnics; Starburst! While it’s not technically based on Chinese New Year, the visuals are strikingly similar, so, we think it earns its place on this list. On top of that, it’s generally just a great slot game.
Instead of any standalone bonuses, Starburst focuses on making the wild as rewarding as possible. It does the usual job of substituting for any other symbols, but there are several other benefits this symbol can bestow on you. They can land on the second, third, and fourth reels (the central ones). When it does, the icon will expand to cover the entire reel, which can lead to some pretty big wins. On top of this, it will also award one re-spin, and any further wilds you land on the re-spin will expand, stick in place and trigger another spin. This means that you could potentially end up with all the available reels wild, which will obviously increase your chances of winning.
That’s not the last of the wild’s perks though, as landing enough of them will grant a lovely jackpot total. Three is the exact number you’ll need, for which you will receive a coin prize worth 50,000x your stake. While there are no further bonus rounds, as all the features are focused on the wild instead of rarer scatter symbols, their effects can trigger quite regularly.
Peking Luck
No, this game isn’t based on the famous Chinese duck dish that rhymes with this slot. Peking Luck does, however, take inspiration from China’s archaic capital Peking. Expect to see plenty of suitably fitting symbols and images, with dimly lit lanterns, pink blossom trees, and stylised waves in the backdrop. The symbols are comprised of many ceremonial objects, such as cymbals, hand fans, tanggu drums, and the traditional dragon costumes. It certainly looks the part, and it plays just as a good as it looks!
Like Starburst, the wilds can be greatly rewarding, offering payouts of 20x, 160x, or 400x your stake if you land three, four, or five of them respectively. Any standard wins you land involving the wild will be subject to a 2x multiplier, which can be a nice little boost to your winnings. The main attraction is the free spins round though, which will trigger if you land the Golden Gong scatter three, four, or five times on the reels. This will initially award 2x, 10x, or 250x your bet, before taking you to a new screen with six fans on display. You must pick one to decide how many spins you’ll get, with the total being anywhere between 8 and 38. After this, another screen will appear, this time with six dragons to choose from. This will reveal a multiplier from 2x to 18x, which will remain in place for the entire duration of the spins. Land three or more scatter symbols during the round to gain another ten spins, with no limit to how many times this can be re-triggered.
Now we get to a game that couldn’t be more perfect for this list; Lion Dance. It is named after a ceremony performed in Chinese culture at special occasions such as the New Year. It shouldn’t be surprising then that many of the game’s visuals harken back to this, with temples, lanterns, and even a fully animated dragon on the reels. There is also an intricate string arrangement, which serves as the backing track, a wonderful choice from developer Red Tiger Gaming.
There are a few features in this game that can prove rather rewarding, should you be lucky enough to trigger them. First off, four reel modifiers can trigger randomly at any point. These can stack the reels with high-value symbols, add giant icons and wilds to the board, hide big coin prizes behind certain positions, or add spreading symbols to the game. While each offers a relatively minor benefit, the fact that they are randomly triggered coupled with the variety on display ensures they are all engaging.
There is also a free-spins round that is triggered by landing the scatter on the first, third, and fifth reels. You will be taken to a new set, with three themed objects on display, each hiding a total of free spins. This can be any number up to 18, plus one of the four modifiers will be applied for the entire duration. Finally, four different jackpots can be won. Three of these are shown to the left of the reels, the Mega Hit, Super Hit, and Quick Hit, and are won by landing the jackpot symbols. The last is a daily jackpot that must pay out before the timer runs out. Having said that, landing five wilds or drum symbols will result in a jackpot-like win of 888x your stake, so there is plenty of opportunities to hit big wins.
Asian Fortune
We finish with another Red Tiger Gaming slot, Asian Fortune. In terms of Chinese-themed slots, this game ticks all the boxes visually. Bold shades of red dominate the display, with gold tones used for contrast sporadically. The whole scene is striking, to say the least. The setting is that of a temple, with a sprawling mountain range visible in the background. It’s not just the graphics that stand out though, there is plenty to admire in the slot’s sole bonus feature.
There is only the one bonus round in this slot, and it is another free spins round. Trigger it by landing the Dragon scatter symbol three times in a single spin. This will award ten spins, to begin with, but can be re-triggered with the same symbol combination for another ten. What’s more, any high-value symbols you land will turn gold when they hit the reels, before expanding to cover them. Not only will they boost the potential winnings here, but they will also serve as wilds, which means they could make even more successful combinations. It might seem like a simple bonus, especially since it’s the only one in this game, but it can be quite generous if you’re fortunate.
If you’ve taken a fancy to one of these slots, all of them are available to play on one of our featured casinos, Kerching.
Notable Online Casino Game Releases – July 2016
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February 28, 2014 / 1:09 PM / 6 years ago
Conciliatory words hide Putin's anger over Ukraine
Elizabeth Piper
MOSCOW (Reuters) - At almost midnight and with little fanfare, the Kremlin put out a statement outlining Russian President Vladimir Putin’s orders on Ukraine - and they were as conciliatory as earlier Russian statements had been confrontational.
Ordering his government to work with Ukrainian and foreign partners to find a financial package to shore up Ukraine’s collapsing finances, Putin struck a measured note compared with the military muscle flexing of other officials, which had put thousands of Russian troops on high alert.
As the Kremlin issued its statement, armed men in Ukraine’s southern Crimea region, thought to be ethnic Russians, were holed up in the local parliament. Within hours, Ukraine had accused Russian forces of taking over two airports on the Black Sea peninsula, despite Moscow’s denials.
Since Moscow lost a struggle with the West for influence in Ukraine, Putin’s policy has been to allow his lieutenants to stir up passions over a change in power in its “brotherly nation” while he stands above the fray.
But his mild words, Kremlin insiders say, conceal a more active plan, one that is informed by a strong sense of betrayal over the West’s abandoning of an EU-brokered peace deal signed last week in Ukraine and acceptance of “illegitimate” rulers.
The question now for Russia is how much to spend to help its Slavic, Orthodox Christian neighbor and its crumbling economy.
“No matter what Russia does, Kiev will be firmly pro-Western. The only question left is are we prepared to pay more for this course or not?” said Alexei Pushkov, a Putin loyalist and a senior member of parliament.
The Kremlin said in its statement Putin had ordered his government “to conduct consultations with foreign partners, including the International Monetary Fund, on the provision of financial aid to Ukraine”.
The three-paragraph statement issued at 11:45 p.m. seemed to offer little insight into the mind of a man who hoped Ukraine would play a central role in his project for a trade bloc stretching from the frontiers of China to the edge of the EU.
But it spoke volumes to his attitude towards Western support for the new leadership in Ukraine, and contained a veiled warning along the lines of - if you hold talks on rescuing Kiev from bankruptcy without us, Moscow will act.
Russia looks unlikely to press on with its $15-billion bailout for Ukraine, which has been seen as a reward for Yanukovich’s decision to spurn a trade deal with the European Union in favor of closer ties to Moscow, and Ukraine is now looking for funds from the West.
A mission from the International Monetary Fund is due in Kiev next week, and Ukraine’s new leadership has said it will meet any conditions.
“For him (Putin), Kiev no longer exists. There was an agreement with Western countries which those Western countries did not fulfill. I think that is utmost in his thoughts,” said Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin spin doctor.
“He was tricked and he has to punish that.”
Pavlovsky and other Kremlin insiders said events in Crimea, Ukraine’s only region with an ethnic Russian majority, could be the result of the Kremlin’s plan - to stand back, as Putin believes the West did when violent protesters took control of the situation in Kiev.
There was no immediate way to confirm whether the Kremlin had any connection with the fast-moving events in Crimea, which Ukraine’s government described as an invasion by Russian forces.
Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said: “I am not commenting. This is all rubbish.”
Ukraine’s top security official blamed the Kremlin directly, saying it was commanding the armed groups in Crimea.
“I don’t think Putin is waiting for anything, he is acting according to his plan,” said Pavlovsky. “I see action, the taking of Crimea. I think this is action.”
MOVES IN RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT
Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has said it is ready to discuss a draft proposal to make it easier for a country or a region to become part of Russia if it has expressed a desire to do so in a referendum.
In a growing war of words, Ukraine took aim at reports that Yanukovich was in Russia, saying it would ask Moscow to extradite the leader if his whereabouts were confirmed.
On Thursday, Yanukovich made a statement to Russian news agencies declaring he was still president of Ukraine.
His whereabouts have not been independently confirmed although he was due to give a news conference in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don later on Friday and has asked for protection from Russia.
Kremlin insiders said Yanukovich could not have arrived in Russia without Putin’s blessing. His presence could force the Russian leader to make a stand of solidarity with a president-in-exile, despite Putin’s animosity for man he sees as weak.
“I think Putin probably said to Yanukovich, why are you here? Go back to Ukraine where you are president,” said Sergei Markov, a Russian political analyst.
“Putin wants to be constructive ... but the West told him to get lost and ‘we will give you no role in Ukrainian affairs’ ... He will continue to be silent as long as the West ignores Russian interests.”
additional reporting by Lidia Kelly, Steve Gutterman and Alexei Anishchuk; editing by Giles Elgood
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Trenin tam saatiydi
by Heinrich Böll
The Train Was on Time is the first published novel by German author Heinrich Böll. It dates from 1949.
The book centres on the story of a German soldier, Andreas, taking a train from Paris to Przemyśl. The story focuses on the experience of German soldiers during the Second World War on the Eastern Front where fighting was particularly vicious and unforgiving; Boll had earlier explored the same experience in A Soldier's Legacy which was written in 1948 but published later.
On his way to the war front, he meets two other Germans with whom he starts a dialogue and a short-term friendship; he also meets Olina, a Polish prostitute, who has been working for the anti-fascist partisans but who has become disillusioned with such activity, seeing it as begetting yet further cycles of violence and aggression rather than leading to a proper way out of the bellicosity of the situation. During their trip we learn much about horrors soldiers endure in the war, and the effect it leaves on a person. Andreas has a particularly passive attitude to his involvement in the conflict, and the inevitability of death hangs over the narrative in a tragic fashion.
Okuyucu
Cam kırıkları parkı
The Artificial Silk Girl
Annette Keck
Fräulein Else
Ve o hiçbir şey demedi
Leonce and Lena
Karl Georg Büchner
The lightship
Klassische Schullektüre, Kleider machen Leute
Gottfried Keller
Arneova ostavština
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RED WIRE AUDIO
B R Y A N
R U S S E L L
Producer : Engineer : Mixer : WRITER
© 2018 red wire audio
about //
Management: Jose Arredondo | Defacto Productions | jose@defactoproductions.com
Direct Contact: Bryan Russell | redwireaudio@gmail.com | 646.580.1519
Bryan Russell is a Grammy nominated, East Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer, and mixer; with a wide-ranging discography spanning indie, folk, pop, singer-songwriter, rock, and metal. Beyond his long history of collaborative work with bands, Bryan also works one-on-one with songwriters to produce everything from top-line vocals to fully produced tracks in every genre. His accolades include work with multi-platinum artists Coldplay and Paul Simon, credits with Twin Forks, Bayside, The Damned Things, The Academy Is..., Straylight Run and a Grammy nomination for his work with Volbeat.
A veteran of the legendary Hit Factory Recording Studios in New York City, he had the good fortune to work alongside producers, engineer and mixers like Kevin Shirley, Tony Maserati, Ray Bardani, Mike Plotnikoff, Steve Thompson, and Ken Nelson for several years. From there, his career blossomed across the country, and internationally as he built his collection of top-end recording gear so he could seamlessly move between a traditional studio environment, to building a pop-up studio in any space imaginable from houses, to barns to lofts, even the occasional vacant office building.
“I love the challenge of new spaces. All of my gear is mobile, and I love taking the opportunity to work in a new place with new sounds. Choosing a control room, treating it, and adjusting to the way it sounds is always the most challenging part but once that's done, exploring new rooms is one of the most exciting parts of the recording process. It brings a spark which inspires me, inspires the artist and leads to a whole new level of creativity.”
Now based in Nashville, Tennessee he has loved the community and creative energy that has come with the re-location, and brought his passion for collaboration, diligent work ethic and obsession with distance running with him.
“The relationship I have with the bands and writers I work with varies based on the situation and the personalities involved but I think the common element is collaboration. I have tremendous respect for the creative process. I don’t want to re-write everything but I’m also not the hands-off type. My goal is to always bring out the best version of a song.”
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Software upgrade could be cause of US airline disruption
The Federal Aviation Administration has zeroed in on a recent upgrade at a radar facility
John Ribeiro (IDG News Service) 17 August, 2015 13:42
A computer glitch that disrupted airline traffic in some parts of the U.S. over the weekend was possibly the result of a software upgrade, the Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday.
The agency, which had earlier described a problem in its "automation system" as the cause of the disruption, said the problem could be possibly traced to a recent software upgrade at a high-altitude radar facility in Leesburg, Virginia.
The upgrade was designed to provide additional tools for controllers, the agency said. While the FAA and its system contractor complete their assessment, the new features have been disabled.
The agency said that there was no indication that the disruption was related to any inherent problems with the En Route Automation Modernization system, which it claims has had a greater than 99.99 availability rate since it was completed nationwide earlier this year. ERAM replaced the 40-year-old En Route Host computer and backup system used at 20 FAA Air Route Traffic Control Centers nationwide.
FAA said that the automation problem had led to delays and cancellations at airports in the Washington, D.C., area on Saturday, with preliminary information indicating 492 related delays and 476 cancellations.
The FAA brought down the arrival and departure rates in the area from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for safety reasons. That move resulted in about 70 percent of the average normal Saturday traffic at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, 72 percent at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and 88 percent at Washington Dulles International Airport.
FAA said traffic had operated smoothly on Sunday. It said on Saturday it was continuing a "root cause analysis" to determine the cause of the problem and is working closely with the airlines to minimize the impact on travelers.
Tags softwareindustry verticalstransportationFederal Aviation Administration
Google offers IBM AS/400 apps new home in its cloud
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Read Next ICE Dangerously Lowered Its Standards for Immigrant Detention Centers and Hoped You Didn’t Notice Send Us a Tip Subscribe
Song You Need to Know: Sarah Mary Chadwick’s Devastating ‘Please Daddy’
The New Zealand artist grieves for her father gorgeously on an elegy from her upcoming LP, also titled ‘Please Daddy’
Sarah Mary Chadwick’s voice has always sounded devastating — her sparse “Confetti” was one of the most moving songs of the year — and that voice sounds like it’s on the verge of breaking apart throughout “Please Daddy,” an elegy for her late father. The New Zealand–born, Melbourne-based artist can barely form the word “please” toward the end of the song, as she tries to make sense of death.
Although she built the tune from a slow-rolling piano line, gentle trumpet and flute lines, and a vocal line that seems to ascend to the heavens, “Please Daddy” may be Chadwick’s most distressing work to date. She sings each verse to her mother, telling her, “nothing stirs me,” “nothing’s bringing color to my cheeks.” By the time she reaches the center of the song, she contemplates killing herself — “All the ones who died while trying/Should I follow their lead and be done, daddy?” — and she lists artists who died by suicide: Anne Sexton, Elliott Smith, Sylvia Plath. But by the next verse, she has a change of heart and gives up on ending herself.
This sort of pivot is Chadwick’s secret weapon, and it’s what makes the song a keeper. That pirouette of mood spins the song in a new direction — not necessarily one of hope, but one that is not overtly destructive. And she’s able to pull it off without it sounding corny or disingenuous because of the stream-of-consciousness approach she has with the music. Where the first part of the song is deceptively jaunty, her first step toward life seems to fall apart (or relax?), as the piano part becomes almost impressionistic and understated. As she begs for solace — “Pick a magic, help me through it/Is it tragic? I’ll still do it” — the trumpet and flute swirl around her voice creating rare beauty. She’s giving in to the music, and it’s supporting her. The passiveness in the music saves her.
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By the time it’s done, you’ve gone on a rare journey into grief, where passiveness is the only path toward sunlight. It doesn’t even need a chorus. It’s only the third track on Chadwick’s upcoming LP, also titled Please Daddy (her dedication on the record reads, “This is for my Dad. With belated love.”), which can only mean that the rest of the record (due out January 24th) will go even deeper. The song, is a warning, a preamble, for what will likely be one of the most heartbreaking albums of the new decade.
Find a playlist of all of our recent Songs You Need to Know selections on Spotify.
In This Article: Sarah Mary Chadwick, Song You Need to Know
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STOP! says Trump to World Bank for loans to China
Washington [US], Dec 7 (ANI) - US President Donald Trump lashed out at the World Bank on Friday for lending money to China, the world's second-largest economy and the bank's biggest borrower.
Urging World Bank to stop providing money to Beijing, Trump said in a tweet, "Why is the World Bank loaning money to China? Can this be possible? China has plenty of money, and if they don't, they create it. STOP!"The statement by the US President has come after the World Bank agreed to provide financial assistance to China with a five-year low-interest loan programme- USD one billion to USD 1.5 billion annually upto June 2025.
The World Bank has agreed to issue aid to China despite the objections by the United States Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
On Thursday, Mnuchin told a House of Representatives committee that the US has objected to the institution's multi-year programme of loans and projects in China and said that he wants the World Bank to "graduate" Beijing from its concessional loan programmes for low- and middle-income countries.
Criticising the World Bank's lending plan, Charles Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, cited human rights abuses in Xinjiang with detention camps for Muslim Uighurs.
"The World Bank, using American tax dollars, should not be lending to wealthy countries that violate the human rights of their citizens and attempt to dominate weaker countries either militarily or economically," Al Jazeera quoted Grassley as saying. (ANI)
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Christopher G. Tozier
WEST OSSIPEE — Christopher G. Tozier, 51, of West Ossipee, formerly of Exeter, died Saturday, April 12, 2014, at his home, surrounded by his family.
He was born Oct. 12, 1962, in Exeter, the son of Anne (Wetherell) Tozier of California and the late Willard "Bill" Tozier.
Chris was raised in Long Beach, Calif., and was a graduate of Sanborn High School. He was a veteran serving in the U.S. Army. His family returned to New Hampshire in the 1980s to the Ossipee area, where he resided for 25 years.
Chris was employed by Welch's Landscaping for years and was a very active member of the West Ossipee Fire and Rescue Department for 17 years. He received the Medal of Valor for the Swift Water Rescue.
He will be remembered for his contagious smile and quick wit. His wife and family were his first priority in his life. He made many lifelong friends and was the first to offer help to someone in need. He was a proud member of the Mud Club.
In addition to his mother, family members include his wife of 25 years, Lisa (Parker) Tozier; his children, Jeremy Tozier, Tyler Tozier and Emily Tozier; his brothers, Randy Tozier and Thomas Tozier; his sister, Tammy Tozier-Baillergeon; and his large extended family, including several nieces and nephews.
SERVICES: Visitation with the family will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 18, at the Lord Funeral Home, 50 Moultonboro Road, Center Ossipee. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 19, at the Cross Roads Church, Route 16, Ossipee. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. If desired, donations may be made to the Wounded Warriors at www.woundedwarriorproject.org. Burial will be in the Grant Hill Cemetery, Osspiee. Visit www.stockbridgefh.com.
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Want to Sell your Copy?
P.S. I Love You
Add to Personal Favorites
DVDs & Blu-ray include disc, cover art, and case. Bonus downloadable or promotional content may have already been redeemed. Promotional items (3-D glasses, figurines, t-shirts, posters, jewelry, books or other non-media items) may not be included. Cleaning and repair was done as required.
Format: Used DVD
MPAA Rating: PG13
Studio: Warner Home Video
Length: 126 minutes
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Holly Kennedy is beautiful, smart and married to the love of her life a passionate, funny, and impetuous Irishman named Gerry. So when Gerry's life is taken by an illness, it takes the life out of Holly. The only one who can help her is the person who is no longer there. Nobody knows Holly better than Gerry. So it's a good thing he planned ahead. Before he died, Gerry wrote Holly a series of letters that will guide her, not only through her grief, but in rediscovering herself. The first message arrives on Holly's 30th birthday in the form of a cake, and to her utter shock, a tape recording from Gerry, who proceeds to tell her to get out and "celebrate herself". in the weeks and months that follow, more letters from Gerry are delivered in surprising ways, each sending her on a new adventure and each signing off in the same way; P.S. I Love You. Director: Richard LaGravenese Star: Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow, Gina Gershon, James Marsters, Kathy Bates, Harry Connick Jr.. Runtime: 126 min.
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Department of Animal and Plant Sciences
Home > Animal and Plant Sciences > News > University of Sheffield research aiming to solve food security issues for communities living in the world’s harshest climates
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University of Sheffield research aiming to solve food security issues for communities living in the world’s harshest climates
World leading science research from the University of Sheffield is helping to solve the problem of limited food availability and soaring food prices which hit the Middle Eastern country of Oman every summer through the creation of innovative sustainable greenhouses.
The pioneering design incorporates various cutting-edge technologies developed at the University to help crops to grow, including solar power to convert seawater to freshwater and hydroponics systems, which use foam instead of soil.
The first greenhouse has been developed as part of a collaboration with Sohar University in Oman. Scientists at Sheffield were approached by the university to construct a greenhouse that cools rather than warms and can deal with issues like a lack of water and soil degradation - a massive problem particularly in the Gulf.
Protected growing in greenhouses is already widespread in Europe and enables the production of a range of high value crops including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, salad leaves, herbs and also soft fruits and flowers.
However current designs have a number of issues, in particular high demands for water and energy and potential for environmental problems through fertiliser and pesticide runoff. They are also unsuited to the particular environmental conditions of the Gulf region, with extremely hot weather in the summer and the limited availability of freshwater.
Scientists have designed the greenhouse in Sohar so that plants are supported artificially and suspended away from the ground. Using foam as the artificial material - made in labs in Sheffield - eliminates the need for soil. The foam holds nutrients and water around the plant roots rather than allowing it to run off like it does in soil.
Duncan Cameron, professor of plant and social biology at the University of Sheffield, who has helped lead the project in Oman, said: “Geographically Oman is a difficult country. It reaches highs of 50 degrees in the summer with 65 per cent humidity and struggles to grow anything. This leads to food prices quadrupling in the summer.
“We had to create a greenhouse that can produce fruit and vegetables in the heat of summer in Oman but can be dropped as a package anywhere and be made bespoke.
“We’re delighted to be unveiling the first science-led greenhouses to provide fresh local fruit and vegetables. We hope to work with other communities living in some of the world’s harshest climates to develop more greenhouses.”
On Wednesday 13 March 2019 the University of Sheffield and Sohar University officially launched the first greenhouse at the Sohar campus.
The greenhouse, which is 150m2, will be used as a research facility, demonstrating the potential to produce fish, vegetables and herbs.
Professor Duncan Cameron from the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences and Professor Tony Ryan from the Department of Chemistry, at the University of Sheffield attended the event along with the British Ambassador to Oman, HE Hamish Cowell and Omani Minister, HE Eng Ahmed Bin Hassan Al Deab.
Professor Ryan, said: “We’re delighted to be unveiling the first science-led greenhouses to provide fresh local fruit and vegetables. We hope to work with other communities living in some of the world’s harshest climates to develop more greenhouses.”
The greenhouse forms part of a larger microcosm farming project by Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield which aims to help feed the world’s growing population. Scientists hope that these greenhouses can become be tailored to the specific needs of any country or location.
The University of Sheffield and Sohar University collaboration has received funding from the UK Gulf Institutional Links programme via the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Part of the UK Government's strategic commitment to strengthening partnerships with the Gulf countries.
Read more: From Sheffield to Zaatari and back: feeding the world with foam
The Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures
Study opportunities:
BSc and MBiolSci Plant Sciences
Undergraduate courses in chemistry
MSc Sustainable Agricultural Technologies
Professor Duncan Cameron
Professor Tony Ryan
Harry Wright
A sustainable world
@SheffieldAPS
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shrewsbury prison
Prison Tours
The Dana,
SY1 2HR
Visit Jailhouse Tours
Visit Shepton Mallet Prison
© Copyright 2019 Jailhouse Tours Ltd
Peeling off the layers of history.....
From a castle to a prison.
The Dana was completed in 1793 and was named after Rev Edmund Dana (1739-1823).
The original building was constructed by Thomas Telford, following plans by Shrewsbury architect John Hiram Haycock. William Blackburn, an architect who designed many prisons, also played a part in drawing up the plans for the new prison. It was Blackburn who chose the site on which the prison is built. Blackburn was influenced by the ideas of John Howard. Howard was a prison reformer who had suggested various ways in which the sanitary conditions of English prisons could be improved. These measures formed part of the 1774 Gaol Act.
Howard visited Shrewsbury in 1788 to inspect the plans for the new prison. He disliked some aspects of the designs, such as the size of the interior courts. As a result, redesigns were undertaken by Thomas Telford. Telford had been given the position of clerk of works at the new prison the previous year.
Shrewsbury Prison was finished in 1793. The bust above the gatehouse of the prison is of John Howard himself, who also gives his name to Howard Street where the prison is located. Howard died three years before the prison was completed after contracting typhus whilst visiting a Russian military hospital at Kherston.
For many years Shrewsbury prison was a place of execution, which in older times was carried out in public and drew huge crowds in an unwholesome festive atmosphere. People used to turn up early to make sure they got a good place, and posters were produced as souvenirs. Shrewsbury’s last public hanging was on April 11, 1863, when 30-year-old Edward Cooper was executed for a murder at Baschurch. It was particularly popular, with numbers watching nearly 10 times higher than the previous execution.
During a redevelopment in 1972 , the remains of 10 unnamed prisoners executed at Shrewsbury Prison were dug up. Nine were cremated and one set was handed over to relatives.
Historically Shrewsbury’s jail was in School Gardens, which had taken over the role from the jail at Shrewsbury Castle which had become so ruinous that in the late 16th century prisoners were able to make an escape attempt by the simple method of taking stones out of the wall. The School Gardens prison was replaced by a new jail on the present site which was completed in 1793 at a cost of £30,000.
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Sidmouth Running Club members out in force for Parkrun action
Sidmouth Running Club member Ann Cole at the Winchester Parkrun. Picture:SRC
Once again, our Sidmouth Running Club dedicated Parkrun runners have been out in force at various events around the country, writes Terry Bewes.
David Skinner travelled north to Newcastle-under-Lyme to take part in the Wammy Parkrun.
This was originally an industrial site in the 18th and 19th centuries and the run is an out and back on the route of what was an industrial railway.
The course gets its name from a huge 32-ton hammer at the old iron works that made such a noise (wham wham) that the name stuck. David completed his latest Parkrun in a time of 32:18.
Ann Cole travelled to Winchester and ran superbly, landing a new personal best (PB), with her time being 35:02.
Closer to home, Beccy Johnson and her daughter Isla, travelled to Mid Devon to take part in the Killerton Parkrun. Beccy completed the run in a time of 39:08 and Isla finished a stride ahead of her in 39:07.
Our only runner at the latest Seaton Parkrun was Sarah Powell, who finished the run in 35:06. There was a big contingent that journeyed across to Exmouth where the new PBs went to: Sam Ingram (21:41), Steve Saunders (23:46), Sarah Browne (28:02), Nikita Kay (29:03) and Alex Baker (33:43).
Other members at Seaton were: John Sharples (25:13), Sarah Clapham (26:09) and Lesley Miszewska (34:57).
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Hoopla Digital: Transforming Public Libraries Into Free Digital Media Hubs For Movies And Music
Hoopla Digital is based in Toledo, Ohio proving that you don't have to be in Silicon Valley to come up with great business ideas. Hoopla has pulled off a stunning achievement, it has managed to negotiate the right for local libraries to lend digital versions of Hollywood movies and music as if they were physical artifacts on their shelves -- and library members can view them on Hoopla's smart phone and tablet apps.
Here's my notes from a recent conversation with Hoopla founder Jeff Jankowski (above, showing off the smart phone and tablet apps):
- About $11 billion is spent on public libraries and their budgets, every year in the US. California spends about $12 per resident on public libraries, New York has the highest at $53.
- Hoopla is financed by its parent company Midwest Tape, which was founded in 1989 to distribute cassettes and other forms of media to public libraries, complete with each library's labeling and index information printed and attached. Jankowski called it a light manufacturing operation.
When Jankowski joined it had $200,000 in annual revenues, he helped build revenues to $150 million and create relationships with nearly every public library in the US. This long and trusted relationship with public libraries is a big advantage for Hoopla Digital and why it has had a positive reception from librarians.
- How it works: Anyone with a library card and a local public library that has joined Hoopla, can borrow a digital movie, music album, or audio book. Typically, public libraries allow up to ten items to be borrowed per member.
- There are no limits on how many people can borrow a specific title as is the case with the physical objects themselves: DVDs, CDs, etc.
- Jankowski is proud of his agreements with studios and music publishers because of the limitless lending provision. Licenses for lending media to others have generally treated each digital version as if it were a physical object that has to be "returned" before anyone else can borrow it. Hoopla has managed to convince publishers that there is no sense in creating a false scarcity when it comes to meeting demand from people "borrowing" their titles.
- The libraries are charged a fee of $1 to $2.99 per movie or music album and can set limits so that their lending stays within their monthly budgets.
- Hoopla has signed up all the Hollywood studios except Sony. It's an impressive feat but the deals require minimum monthly payments so Hoopla is keen to roll out its services as quickly and as widely as possible.
- The Hoopla web site and its mobile and tablet apps look great. They were developed using a team of about 13 developers located around the US and led from Toledo.
- E-books are coming but the progress is slow. There are also plans to showcase local music and movie producers in each public library town.
- San Francisco public library offers Hoopla Digital to its members. There are more than 50,000 movies available.
- Jankowski notes that public libraries are terrible at any form of publicity and that means Hoopla has to get the message out in each town and city.
- I mentioned that it would be great to have the public library and its events and message board better represented on the Hoopla web site for each user, creating a tighter connection between the library service and its community.
Foremski's Take: It's a good idea and looks to be well executed so far. The apps are top class and well designed. It proves you don't need to be in Silicon Valley and you don't need VC money to launch an ambitious consumer digital media service.
Its biggest challenge is the national marketing effort required to promote the service because local public libraries are terrible at promotions of any kind. The monthly minimum royalty payments Hoopla has to make to Hollywood will quickly become a heavy burden if its marketing budget fails to rouse enough users.
Hoopla is an example of how we are moving into a post technology world where the idea and its execution is what matters. The underlying technologies of the web and the connected mobile device have become near ubiquitous and powerfully simple to use -- what will we use them for? That's when tech stories become interesting again, and move beyond tech product stories.
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USA Songwriting Competition Winner Lucy Kalantari Wins a Grammy
Posted by Jessica Brandon on Sun, Feb 10, 2019 @08:23 PM
USA Songwriting Competition Honorable Mention winner (2017 Competition) and finalist (2018 Competition) Lucy Kalantari of New York, NY won a Grammy Award earlier tonight for Best Children’s Album. Her album All The Sounds by Lucy Kalantari & The Jazz Cats included her 5 year old son Darius Kalantari, who played the cello on the album.
Before she made an acceptance speech, she handed the Grammy trophy to her 5 year old son, she told him "Don't drop it". She went on to say "Thank you to the Recording Academy, thank you to the voters. I have been making music all my life. I have to honor all the sounds in my heart and in my head. This is beautiful. This is such an honor to be on the ballot with all these nominees".
She went on to say “This album was written and recorded by a Latina woman. It was produced by a woman.” She also gave a shout out to her mom in Dominican Republic and appeared overwhelmed by her win.
She beat out other nominees in her category such as Tim Kubart (Grammy award winner in 2016), Falu, The Pop Ups and Frank & Deane.
Lucy Kalantari is an award winning children’s artist based in Brooklyn, New York, making jazz age inspired music for families. Since the Fall 2017 Lucy Kalantari & the Jazz Cats has been featured on Sprout House, the musically-infused programming block on Universal Kids. Her songs are on steady rotation on SiriusXM Kids Place Live and other family radio programs around the country.
ABOUT USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION
USA Songwriting Competition has a long history of having winners getting recording and publishing contracts, have their songs placed on the charts as well as having their songs placed on film and television, and winning Grammy Awards.
Meghan Trainor (USA Songwriting Competition finalist) won Best New Artist in the 2016 Grammy Awards, making her the only winner in the top categories (Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, etc) of the Grammy Awards. Meghan Trainor hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts, and debuting #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Charts. She has a total of 9 songs that have hit the Billboard Hot 100 charts as an artist.
Christopher Tinn (USA Songwriting Competition First Prize winner, Instrumental category in 2014, Finalist in 2010) won two Grammy Awards for his classical crossover album Calling All Dawns in 2011.
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (USA Songwriting Competition 2011 First Prize winner, Children’s music category) have earned two Grammy Awards for their recordings “cELLAbration: a Tribute to Ella Jenkins” in 2004 and for “Bon Appétit!” in 2005. Their CDs “Postcards” and “Banjo Talkin’” were both Grammy Awards nominated in the Best Traditional Folk Album category. They have received a total of 12 Grammy nominations so far.
2013 winner American Authors were signed to Island Records, and hit #1 on the Billboard Charts and went Double Platinum.
The 2017 top winner Pricilla Renea had her song “Love So Soft” recorded by Kelly Clarkson, it hit #47 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. Her songs have recorded by other big name artists such as Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Fifth Harmony, Demi Lovato, Rihanna, Madonna, Selena Gomez and Chris Brown. Several of her songs have hit the Billboard Hot 100 Charts.
USA Songwriting Competition is sponsored by: D’Addario Strings, Godin Guitars, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, New Music Weekly, Loggins Promotion, Airplay Access, Audio-Technica, FL Software, Sonoma Wireworks, Berklee College of Music, DiscMakers, CDBaby, StoryBlocks, School of Rock, Final Mix Software and more.
In its landmark 24th year, the USA Songwriting Competition is currently accepting entries. To enter the 24th Annual USA Songwriting Competition online, Click Here>>
Tags: songwriter, song writer, song write, Song writing, Songwriting, songwrite, Recording, Meghan Trainor, American Authors, Cathy Fink, Pricilla Renea, Lucy Kalantari, Christopher Tinn, Marcy Marxer
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Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. Files Motion to Join Illegal Search Case
Home | Blog | 2014 | April | Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. Files Motion to Join Illegal Search Case
As previously reported here, several Milwaukee Police Department (“MPD”) officers engaged in a pattern of conducting illegal strip searches and illegal body cavity searches of Milwaukee citizens. Four MPD officers were convicted of criminal charges as a result of the illegal searches. In addition to the criminal case, several people have filed civil rights lawsuits against MPD officers, supervisors, and the City of Milwaukee for having policies that were the moving force behind the illegal searches.
The civil rights lawyers of Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. represent 14 victims of illegal searches conducted by MPD officers. On Monday, April 21, 2014, we filed a Motion to join one of the pending civil rights lawsuits, because the claims of our clients share common issues of fact and law with the claims of the 13 plaintiffs in that case. We believe that pursuing the claims together, instead of filing multiple lawsuits, will be more efficient and will be a better use of the Court’s and the parties’ resources. For more information about the illegal search cases, please see this excellent article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel here.
We are committed to obtaining justice for our clients who were the victims of the illegal searches conducted by MPD officers. Many of our clients were subjected to public strip searches on city streets, while others suffered body cavity searches conducted by MPD officers, when Wisconsin law requires that such searches by conducted by medical personnel. Please continue to follow our website for continuing updates on the illegal search cases.
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‘Legend of the Galactic Heroes’ is an Epic Space Opera so Good It May Ruin Other Anime for You
Posted on Tuesday, January 14th, 2020 by Rafael Motamayor
(Welcome to Ani-time Ani-where, a regular column dedicated to helping the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.)
So far, this column has tried to maintain a balance between older, acclaimed anime, new and exciting possibilities, and hidden gems. But now it’s time to revisit one of the biggest and best anime franchises out there – no, I’m (sadly) not talking about Gundam since most of it is not legally available, but an anime that is often hailed as “the endgame of anime.” I’m referring, of course, to Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
If Gundam is to Japan what Star Wars is to the US, then maybe the closest comparison to Legend of the Galactic Heroes (as noted before on this very website) is Game of Thrones, or even Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Set nearly a millennium after mankind moved away from planet Earth and colonized the galaxy, Legend of the Galactic Heroes is an adaptation of a series of novels written by Yoshiki Tanaka that chronicles the rise and fall of two interstellar states – the monarchic Galactic Empire and the democratic but bureaucratic Free Planets Alliance – and the war between them.
Though the show mostly follows one high-ranking military commander on each side, Yang Wen-li of the Alliance, and Reinhard von Lohengramm of the Empire, it is an epic space opera that follows hundreds of characters across the galaxy in a vast and complex story that was for the longest time considered a bit of a holy grail of anime due to it not being released in the US. Thankfully, that time has passed, as you can now stream all 110 episodes of the original anime that ran from 1988 to 1997 (plus several movies and a prequel series!). But if the older animation isn’t for you, the first quarter of the story was remade starting last year with stunning animation.
What Makes It Great
First of all, one thing that makes Legend of the Galactic Heroes both great and daunting for newcomers is its scope and size. The original show is 110-episodes long (and the remake only covers the beginning of it) and it involves hundreds of characters and as many voice actors. There are so many that each episode shows a character’s name as they first show up on screen to remind you who they are. That being said, the characters are well-developed, with personalities, backstories, ambitions and agendas of their own. Like Game of Thrones, this is a show that isn’t afraid to kill off your favorite character, and the impact their deaths have follows the cast for the rest of the story.
Also like that HBO show, Legend of the Galactic Heroes is full of political intrigue. While we follow the military exploits of two genius tacticians, we also see the rise of new nations and ideals, as politicians and nobles plot, backstab and betray one another without mercy to achieve their goals all while being victims of secret conspiracies as well as their own ambitions. The anime also goes a great length to not only show the political machinations of the upper class, those in power and those who make the big choices, but we also get to see how it all impacts the common soldier, the merchants trying to make a living and the poor citizens who have no stakes in the war but who suffer nonetheless. One of the best scenes in the entire show is a short scene in which we finally enter a star cruiser as it is being obliterated, with the soldiers inside dying horrible deaths. While the machinations and the space battles may look visually stunning, there’s always some poor commoner who is suffering for the benefit of someone they’ll never even meet.
Speaking of space battles, Legend of the Galactic Heroes has some of the biggest, most impressive battle scenes in all of anime. Thousands upon thousands of ships can be seen in the background, and the dogfights are a treat for the eyes, even with the old animation from the original show (the remake improves upon this to such a degree it makes some big-budget Hollywood movies look bad by comparison). And if you like the moment in a heist films where the plan is laid out and the leader’s genius is finally revealed, this is the show for you. Watching the space battles in such a big scale (we’re talking millions of combatants on screen at any given moment) is already exciting, but watching the thousands of ships suddenly shift maneuver and grab the enemy by surprise is awe-inspiring.
What It Brings to the Conversation
If you don’t like shows that are dialogue-driven, this may not be the show for you. But if you enjoy long and eloquent talks about religion, politics, philosophy, nations as tools to be used instead of inviolable and impermeable institutions, and the role of the military as a tool of control versus a tool of liberation, all while great space battles take place every few episodes, boy is Legend of the Galactic Heroes something for you.
What makes this show truly special is the great length it goes to be impartial, and to present as many sides of the argument as possible. You may find yourself leaning more heavily towards one side or the other, and the show may even seem to favor either the Empire or the Alliance a bit more depending on the episode, before the next one shows you the other side of the battle and you suddenly see things from a different perspective and maybe even rooting for the characters you hated only five episodes before. Due to the dialogue-heavy nature of the Legend of the Galactic Heroes, the message and themes of the show are presented via conversation instead of straight preaching to the audience – not only that, but most conversations involve one character offering counterpoints to the other, as to present both viewpoints and let the audience draw their own conclusions.
Like Game of Thrones, the question of who can and should wield power – someone who doesn’t want it or someone with the means and resolve to take it and use it for good – only it actually examines the answers instead of forgetting about it.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes is heavily concerned with history and the role people in power play in it. The writing is inspired by the “great man theory” which argues that history can be largely explained by the impact great men or heroes have on society and history at large. Characters are often talking about how history will view their actions and how the rise and fall of nations is but a natural part of human history. The rise and fall of empires, and the cyclic nature of history are at the very core of this show. The more we discover of the history of the show’s universe, one thing becomes clear: war never changes.
Why Non-Anime Fans Should Check It Out
Legend of the Galactic Heroes is a bit of a commitment, but once you start it and get compelled by the excellent writing and characterizations, it is hard to stop. Because of the length of the show, you see the characters evolve, grow old and see the mark they leave on history, even after the characters die. Because this show is based on a series of books that were finished before the show wrapped production, the writing team didn’t have to come up with an ending on the spot or change plans halfway through. The result is one of the most satisfying endings ever in an anime show. By the time you have sat through all the war, suffering, backstabbing, conspiracies, camaraderie and celebrations, Legend of the Galactic Heroes cements itself as one of the greatest anime shows of all time, one so epic that can ruin so many other shows for you.
Watch This If You Like: Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Babylon 5.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes is streaming on HIDIVE. The remake: Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These is streaming on Crunchyroll.
Now That ‘Game of Thrones’ is Over, Fill That Void With These Anime Series
/Featured Stories Sidebar, Anime, Features, Legend of the Galactic Heroes
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Free Content Marketing Strategy Guide
Improve your content marketing strategy now with our free resources
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45% of marketers say over half of campaigns are content-led
By Joanna Carter 21 Jan, 2019
Content marketing management
Chart of the Week: Almost half of marketers now use to content to drive over 50% of their marketing campaigns, showing that content really is still king
Content marketing is being viewed as the future of marketing, according to research conducted by the World Media Group. Marketing that’s driven by content is on the rise with almost half (45%) or marketers saying that over 50% of their campaigns are content-led.
On top of this, 78% of all respondents and 85% of agencies said that they see investment in content marketing growing over the next few years. With so much focus being put on SEO performance, these findings make sense, as more marketers aim to increase their rankings through the use of targeted and SEO-focused content.
Most popular content for investment
The survey revealed that the next 12 months will likely see an increased use of short-form video, making this one of the biggest marketing trends for the year ahead. A total of 69% of survey respondents said they are expecting to make use of short videos more across their campaigns.
When you consider the fact that viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to only 10% of the message when it is read, it’s no wonder marketers are seeing the benefits of video. On top of this, 51% of videos are played via mobile devices, often through a social media platform, which makes shorter videos that catch the eye when scrolling through a feed an effective choice.
However, while video is the trend to look out for, it isn’t the content type that marketers are most excited by. When asked what types of content excites them most, both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) got the most mentions.
These were followed by audio, podcast and voice-related content, along with increased personalization (such as chatbots) and the opportunities it opens. In fact, the growing impact of AI on content marketing was a hot topic among respondents.
However, the survey shows that marketers are more focused on getting the basics right in this area rather than starting to consider any hugely innovative uses for AI. This means people are likely to be concentrating on aspects like better integration with marketing strategies and effective engagement.
Many of the other forms of content that respondents are likely to use in the next 12 months are what you would expect to be part of content marketing campaigns – case studies, how to guides, editorial-style content and social media posts. While many marketers may be excited about advances in content forms, acknowledging the fact that tried and tested content types can be beneficial is also important.
Campaign success factors
As well as content types, the survey asked respondents what factors lead to a campaign being successful. The survey revealed that marketers view the alignment of the brand, the focus of the content, the media partner and the target audience as being highly important.
Some 66% said that audience and media alignment was one of the most important aspects when it comes to creating a successful campaign. Second to this was brand alignment, which was cited by 56% of respondents, showing that it is vital to create content that reflects the brand it is meant to market.
As 49% of respondents said that content marketing campaigns are best for brand engagement, it goes to show that aligning the type of content with your brand, audience and media partner can help improve the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
The single most important factor to help ensure the success of a content marketing campaign was ‘the story’. Not only did marketers say this, advertisers came to the same conclusion, showing that the way to present a message is seen as being more important than the message itself.
The idea of getting the story right also tied in with the second and third most important factors for success: authenticity and creative executive. Ensuring that your story is aligned with your brand – right down to the design and how it is executed – and is viewed as authentic can help you create an emotional response in your audience and start to lead them toward becoming brand advocates.
Interestingly, while advertisers said the choice of channel was an important success factor – placing it fourth in the list – this was seen as being a lot less important for content marketing campaigns by respondents overall. This suggests that marketers may not be tailoring their content for the channel, which could have an effect on engagement and audience reach.
What does the future hold for content marketing?
It looks like content marketing is going to be a big investment for a large majority of marketers. Only 4.5% of respondents said that content-driven campaigns will decline over the next two years, with just under 78% predicting that more campaigns will be led by content during this time.
Almost 18% predicted that the next 24 months will see the use of content-led campaigns will stabilize, perhaps due to the large monetary investment certain content forms entail. It could well be that budgets remain the same but are invested in different ways, leading to fewer content marketing campaigns overall.
It also looks as though content marketing could be used for increasing brand engagement more in the future, with 49% of respondents saying that they believe content-led campaigns are for doing this. As just under 26% said that the main KPI for their most recent content campaign was to increase brand awareness, it suggests that engagement might be something they want future campaigns to consider.
This also shows that marketers need to consider better aligning the KPIs they use to measure success with what they perceive as being the best outcomes for content marketing.
By Joanna Carter
Joanna Carter is a Digital Marketing Executive and the Blog Editor at Smart Insights, overseeing all blog content, social media and SEO strategies. As well as having an MA in Professional Writing, she has almost 10 years of marketing and content writing experience, working across B2B and B2C industries. When not working, you can find her creating new recipes, wild swimming or writing her lifestyle blog. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
Content MarketingMarketing strategy
Top 10 common content marketing mistakes
Content marketing strategy guide
Influencer outreach guide for marketing professionals
The Content Marketing toolkit contains:
By Expert commentator 21 Jan 2020
How AI-powered content marketing can fuel your business growth
Artificial Intelligence is transforming content production for marketing, which can help deliver improved ROI and business growth AI is putting content marketers on the verge of becoming AI-first! AI is all set to revolutionize content. Is your business AI-ready? Talk …..
A comprehensive marketing operations model: An essential part of the CMO’s toolkit
A marketing operations model integrates people, process and technology across the ecosystem, enabling the marketing organization to deliver the right message. I’ve been working in the Marketing Operations field for almost 15 years now, helping CMOs build operating models to …..
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3 lessons learned (the hard way) from a user test expert
Heed this advice to avoid typical pitfalls I think Danish physicist Niels Bohr said it best: “An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.” Having planned, analyzed and …..
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news, latest-news,
Premier Daniel Andrews has been to China the same number of times he has been to the south-west in the past five years, prompting yet another call for him to experience the region's crumbling roads. South West Coast MP Roma Britnell urged Mr Andrews to visit the south-west and fix the region's roads during a fiesty debate in parliament on Wednesday. She said time and time again he had ignored her pleas to visit the area to view the dire state of the region's roads. "Most sitting weeks I will say 'come and have a look for yourself'," Ms Britnell said. "The roads are falling apart before our eyes." Ms Britnell said Mr Andrews didn't seem to care about people living in the country, visiting the south-west the same amount of times he had visited China in the past five years. "He is blowing out the costs of the programs he is doing in Melbourne and there is nothing left," she said. Ms Britnell said Mr Andrews was denying south-west residents basic rights by failing to fund upgrades to roads and South West Healthcare's Warrnambool Base Hospital. "These are not luxuries," she said. Ms Britnell said the state of south-west roads was the single biggest issue she had dealt with in her time as a politician. "It comes up in nearly every conversation I have with people in the region," she said. She said truck drivers had told her their undercarriages were only lasting a third of the time they once did. She urged all south-west residents to sign her petition calling for action on south-west roads. "We need to send a very clear message to the Premier," she said. A spokeswoman said since coming to office, the state government had doubled spending on regional roads to allow Victorians to get where they're going safer and sooner. "The Minister for Roads has recently held road safety meetings in Portland and Geelong, discussing issues affecting the south-west," she said. The spokeswoman said the state government was taking action to repair and improve the road network in south-west Victoria by investing an unprecedented amount in the region. "We have already invested in two dedicated, multi-year maintenance packages aimed at improving the major roads that communities and industries rely on every day as part of the Green Triangle and Princes Highway - Colac to South Australia packages," she said. "On top of this the Victorian budget 2019/20 invests $519 million into improving regional roads." Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc760exn7m9xd1440tr2gq.jpg/r0_330_4507_2876_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
September 12 2019 - 4:30PM
Premier Daniel Andrews urged to forget China and visit south-west to see state of roads
Monique Patterson
SNUBBED: Roma Britnell has again called on Premier Daniel Andrews to visit the south-west and drive on the region's roads. Picture: Morgan Hancock
Premier Daniel Andrews has been to China the same number of times he has been to the south-west in the past five years, prompting yet another call for him to experience the region's crumbling roads.
South West Coast MP Roma Britnell urged Mr Andrews to visit the south-west and fix the region's roads during a fiesty debate in parliament on Wednesday.
She said time and time again he had ignored her pleas to visit the area to view the dire state of the region's roads.
"Most sitting weeks I will say 'come and have a look for yourself'," Ms Britnell said.
"The roads are falling apart before our eyes."
Ms Britnell said Mr Andrews didn't seem to care about people living in the country, visiting the south-west the same amount of times he had visited China in the past five years.
"He is blowing out the costs of the programs he is doing in Melbourne and there is nothing left," she said.
Ms Britnell said Mr Andrews was denying south-west residents basic rights by failing to fund upgrades to roads and South West Healthcare's Warrnambool Base Hospital.
"These are not luxuries," she said.
Ms Britnell said the state of south-west roads was the single biggest issue she had dealt with in her time as a politician. "It comes up in nearly every conversation I have with people in the region," she said.
She said truck drivers had told her their undercarriages were only lasting a third of the time they once did.
She urged all south-west residents to sign her petition calling for action on south-west roads. "We need to send a very clear message to the Premier," she said.
A spokeswoman said since coming to office, the state government had doubled spending on regional roads to allow Victorians to get where they're going safer and sooner.
"The Minister for Roads has recently held road safety meetings in Portland and Geelong, discussing issues affecting the south-west," she said.
The spokeswoman said the state government was taking action to repair and improve the road network in south-west Victoria by investing an unprecedented amount in the region.
"We have already invested in two dedicated, multi-year maintenance packages aimed at improving the major roads that communities and industries rely on every day as part of the Green Triangle and Princes Highway - Colac to South Australia packages," she said.
"On top of this the Victorian budget 2019/20 invests $519 million into improving regional roads."
Parking policy driving away sprintcar teams
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Another 300 trees will be removed from Fishermen's Bend campground due to mass die off
The campground west of Mill City will be closed until April 15 while the dead trees are removed.
Another 300 trees will be removed from Fishermen's Bend campground due to mass die off The campground west of Mill City will be closed until April 15 while the dead trees are removed. Check out this story on statesmanjournal.com: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/stayton/2019/03/13/more-trees-removed-fishermens-bend-campground-oregon/3062209002/
Bill Poehler, Salem Statesman Journal Published 12:36 p.m. PT March 13, 2019 | Updated 1:02 p.m. PT March 13, 2019
MILL CITY – Fishermen’s Bend Campground and Day Use Site is to be closed until April 15 while another 315 trees are felled after a mass die-off caused them to be a public safety hazard, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
The BLM had approximately 650 trees removed last year from the 170-acre campground located two miles west of Mill City due to them becoming hazardous to the public. Approximately 300 were removed in the two years prior.
In total, more than 1,200 trees will have been removed from the campground on the edge of the North Santiam River in the past four years due to the die off.
Trees removed at Fishermen's Bend Recreation Area
This view from above, shows some of the trees at Fishermen’s Bend Campground and Day Use Site that have died off. The area will be closed until April 15 while another 315 trees are felled after a mass die-off caused them to be a public safety hazard, according to the Bureau of Land Management. DAVID DAVIS and KELLY JORDAN / Statesman Journal
Fishermen’s Bend Campground and Day Use Site is to be closed until April 15 while another 315 trees are felled after a mass die-off caused them to be a public safety hazard, according to the Bureau of Land Management. DAVID DAVIS and KELLY JORDAN / Statesman Journal
A number of trees have fallen at Fishermen's Bend campground west of Mill city, and 315 are expected to be removed. Bill Poehler | Statesman Journal
The campground is heavily wooded, but long-time park users may notice a thinner canopy.
The trees are dying from factors including five years of drought conditions in the North Santiam River – the worst was in 2015 – shallow soil and damage by the Ips Beetle, which attacks pine and spruce trees already in decline.
The beetle infestation has been localized to the area west of Mill City since the drought as it was especially vulnerable with shallow soil on the bank of the river.
The trees being removed have been identified as hazard trees.
MORE: Salem says giant sequoia trees in historic district have to stay - for now
“Removing the dying trees will create a safer atmosphere for park visitors and staff,” said Jose Linares, Northwest Oregon district manager for the BLM.
Jennifer Velez, the public affairs officer for the BLM’s Northwest Oregon District, said six of the trees that will be cut will remain onsite and be used for other purposes. The rest were sold to timber companies.
Fishermen's Bend has been closed as trees will be removed after a mass die off. (Photo: Bill Poehler | Statesman Journal)
The BLM will be replanting in the areas at the campground where trees have been removed.
The campground is heavy with Douglas fir, hemlock and cedar trees and has 63 campsites.
While the day use portion of Fishermen’s Bend is expected to reopen April 15, the campground will reopen May 1.
Fishermen’s Bend had 100,000 visitors in 2016.
bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/bpoehler
MORE: Oregon bill would protect drinking water, ban clear-cuts, chemicals on private forestland
Read or Share this story: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/stayton/2019/03/13/more-trees-removed-fishermens-bend-campground-oregon/3062209002/
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September 11 Put Call
were the stocks of various airlines shorted just before 9/11?
Claim: In the days just prior to the 11 September 2001, large quantities of stock in United and American Airlines were traded by persons with foreknowledge of the upcoming 9/11 attacks.
Status: False.
Origins: On 11 September 2001, four planes were hijacked and used in the Attack on America: American Airlines Flight 11 leaving Boston bound for Los Angeles, American Airlines Flight 77 leaving Washington bound for Los Angeles, United Airlines Flight 175 leaving Boston bound for Los Angeles, and United Airlines Flight 93 leaving Newark bound for San Francisco. Each of these planes was deliberately crashed, killing all on board — two into the World Trade Center towers, one into the Pentagon, and one into a field in Pennsylvania. (Only the delay in takeoff of UA Flight 93 and the actions of the alerted passengers on board prevented it from becoming yet another instrument of destruction resulting in an even greater loss of life.)
The operation had taken years to plan, and the perpetrators knew well in advance which airlines would be affected.
In the month prior to the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, unusual trading activity involving American and United Airlines stock was noted by market analysts who at the time had no idea what to make of it. Wildly unusual discrepancies in the put and call ratio — 25 to 100 times normal — were reportedly observed in stock options of the two airlines. In one case, Bloomberg’s Trade Book electronic trading system identified option volume in UAL (parent of United Airlines) on 16 August 2001 that was 36 times higher than usual.
(Options are wagers that the price of a 100-share block of a particular stock will rise or fall by a certain date. “Puts” are “shorts” — bets the stock price will fall. “Calls” are bets the price will rise. Thus, one who has reason to believe a particular company is about to suffer a terrible reversal of fortune would purchase “puts” against that entity’s stock.)
But it was during the final few trading days (the market closes on weekends) that the most unusual variances in activity occurred. Bloomberg data showed that on 6 September 2001, the Thursday before that black Tuesday, put-option volume in UAL stock was nearly 100 times higher than normal: 2,000 options versus 27 on the previous
On 6 and 7 September 2001, the Chicago Board Options Exchange handled 4,744 put options for United Airlines’ stock, translating into 474,000 shares, compared with just 396 call options, or 39,600 shares. On a day that the put-to-call ratio would normally have been expected to be roughly 1:1 (no negative news stories about United had broken), it was instead 12:1.
On 10 September 2001, another uneventful news day, American Airlines’ option volume was 4,516 puts and 748 calls, a ratio of 6:1 on yet another day when by rights these options should have been trading even. No other airline stocks were affected; only United and American were shorted in this fashion.
Accelerated investments speculating a downturn in the value of Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch (two New York investment firms severely damaged by the World Trade Center attack) were also observed.
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the “9/11 Commission”) investigated these rumors and found that although some unusual (and initially seemingly suspicious) trading activity did occur in the days prior to September 11, it was all coincidentally innocuous and not the result of insider trading by parties with foreknowledge of the 9/11 attacks:
Highly publicized allegations of insider trading in advance of 9/11 generally rest on reports of unusual pre-9/11 trading activity in companies whose stock plummeted after the attacks. Some unusual trading did in fact occur, but each such trade proved to have an innocuous explanation. For example, the volume of put options — instruments that pay off only when a stock drops in price — surged in the parent companies of United Airlines on September 6 and American Airlines on September 10 — highly suspicious trading on its face. Yet, further investigation has revealed that the trading had no connection with 9/11. A single U.S.-based institutional investor with no conceivable ties to al Qaeda purchased 95 percent of the UAL puts on September 6 as part of a trading strategy that also included buying 115,000 shares of American on September 10. Similarly, much of the seemingly suspicious trading in American on September 10 was traced to a specific U.S.-based options trading newsletter, faxed to its subscribers on Sunday, September 9, which recommended these trades. The SEC and FBI, aided by other agencies and the securities industry, devoted enormous resources to investigating this issue, including securing the cooperation of many foreign governments. These investigators have found that the apparently suspicious consistently proved innocuous.
Carpenter, Dave. “Option Exchange Probing Reports of Unusual Trading Before Attacks.”
The Associated Press. 18 September 2001.
Schoolman, Judith. “Probe of Wild Market Swings in Terror-Tied Stocks.”
[New York] Daily News. 20 September 2001 (p. 6).
Toedtman, James and Charles Zehren. “Profiting from Terror?”
Newsday. 19 September 2001 (p. W39).
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Srpen 68 (r. Jan Svoboda, 2003)/ August 68 (dir. Jan Svoboda, 2003)
What forms of resistance against the occupation did Czechoslovak citizens choose? What goals did they pursue by resisting?
What role did the political leadership of the country play in the opposition?
Do you know any similar historical cases of an unequal fight? In your opinion, is there any point in resisting a superior military? What methods of resistance would you choose?
The documentary juxtaposes the memories of Czechoslovak Television employees with footage of the military invasion of August 1968 that they recorded.
The military invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union was unexpected and very shocking for the vast majority of people. Soviet troops did not have information about the political developments in Czechoslovakia and expected a country where a revolution was taking place. Instead of heavily armed forces prepared to fight, they encountered people who tried to talk with the soldiers or who opted for symbolic forms of protest against the Soviet occupation.
The narration takes place in the centre of Prague – at the radio building that played an important role during the occupation (see Stay tuned), in the symbolically significant location of Wenceslas Square and near the former headquarters of the Communist Party, whose leaders had been kidnapped by the Soviet Union. Beforehand, Czechoslovak Radio had issued a statement denouncing the occupation but urging calm. A witness recalls that the protests mainly involved young people; a section from Almost Hopeless shows the experience of another witness. There were conflicts, especially in Prague, but also in other cities. By the end of 1968, over a hundred people had died in accidents and clashes with the occupying forces.
1968 — Invasion
Read the transcript of this video
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Bestlite Floor Lamp - BL3
Inspired by Robert Dudley Best
Bestlite BL3 Floor Lamp
Classic Art Deco-inspired British design
Goes perfectly with the BL7, BL5 and BL1 Lamps
Adaptable to any space and mood
ABOUT THE BESTLITE BL3 FLOOR LAMP
The STIN.com version of Robert Dudley Best's seminal Bestlite BL3 Floor Lamp is faithfully hand-crafted to the original specifications, recreating a true British design classic. Its thick, pointed shade gives focus and clarity of light to a a room, while its adjustable stand means it can be adapted and adjusted to fit any situation or need. Its sleek metal neck and fitting add a dash of classy Art Deco style to every room it sits in, making it cool, minimalist and stylish.
THE STORY BEHIND THE BESTLITE BL3 FLOOR LAMP
As the heir to world's largest lighting factory, in the mid-1920s, Robert Dudley Best decided to update his company's product range, embarking on a research trip to mainland Europe. After visiting the Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe-inspired work of the International Exhibition of Modern Design in Paris, he decided to study industrial design in Paris and Dusseldorf. Heavily influenced by his friend, Walter Gropius and the Bauhaus movement, he produced the Bestlite Lamp series, which blended the Art Deco and Bauhaus styles beautifully. With its adaptability and effortless British panache, the BL3 has become one of the most celebrated pieces in UK design history, and we are proud to produce such a seminal design.
materials : aluminum/carbon steel
Width : 26.5 cm
Depth : 26.5 cm
1892 - 1984 (England)
Born in Birmingham, England in the late 19th Century, Robert Dudley Best was a man with lighting in his blood. As the heir to the world's largest lighting factory, he was always destined to step into the field of interior design, but his eccentricity and flair pushed his designs into a direction that few could have predicted. In the mid-20s, feeling that his company's range was outdated, he took on a major tour of Europe, visiting the Exhibition of Modern Art in Paris, where he was heavily influenced by the work of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. He would go onto study design in Paris and Dusseldorf, meeting and befriending Walter Gropius, the co-founder of the Bauhaus Movement in the process. It was Gropius who would leave a lasting impression on his work, which is present in his most famous range, the Bestlite Series.
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Shelley Zalis is an internationally-renewed thought leader for advancing equality in the workplace. She’s also the Founder and CEO of The Female Quotient. When she stopped by the NYC studio last week, we talked about how she started The Girl's Lounge and why closing the the wage gap isn't just a social imperative it's a business imperative. Shelley calls herself "a chief troublemaker" and this isn't her first rodeo. She started a research company back in the day, when surveys were just making their way online. She became one of the first female chief executive officers ranked in the research industry's top 25. After selling --and then integrating her company to a French firm -- Shelley branched out again on her next adventure. She founded The Female Quotient. One of her first initiatives -- to create what I would call "a safe space" for women to hang out and network at what are traditionally male dominated events; think Davos and The Consumer Electronics Show. Shelley named it The Girls' Lounge. She believes in the power of the pack. Zalis has interviewed the likes of Katie Couric, Halle Berry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sheryl Sandberg, Arianna Huffington and more on topics related to equality and leadership. She's also the author of a Forbes column called The Messy Middle. She's also the co-founder of #seeher, a movement led be the Association of National Advertisers to increase the percentage of accurate portrays of women and girls in advertising and media and she is on the board of directors for MAKERS.
Unscripted with Nell Daly
The Female Quotient with Shelley Zalis
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A life like no other…
With 30 islanders calling the village their home, the Mount is a living, breathing community. Even before the first boats come and go from the harbour, the village springs to life – school children gathering to travel to the mainland, goods being loaded onto the quayside and islanders preparing for the jobs the day will bring.
Everyone who lives on the island plays their part. Boatman, mechanic, guide, gardener or fire officer – the islanders work together to keep everything running smoothly.
The spirit of the island
As well as working together, the families that live here are friends, getting together to socialise, celebrate and make the most of their unique home. From around-the-island swims and beach barbecues in the summer, to bonfire night fireworks and Christmas parties for the kids, you can sense the island’s community spirit the moment you set foot on the quay.
In the hands of the tide
Yet for all its remote beauty, island life can throw up its challenges. Every day is dictated by weather and tides. And when the sea covers the causeway and stormy waves roll in, the mainland – with its shops, pubs and support – can feel far, far away.
Living here day-to-day, learn more about the village and harbour’s rich history or plan your visit to experience life on the Mount for yourself.
Islanders today
Talk to those who grew up here and they’ll share stories of running the cobbled streets, swimming in the harbour, climbing the trees and riding to school in the back of a tractor in the ’87 storms. You’ll hear memories of how they watched moviemakers transform the island into Dracula’s lair for the 1979 film, or how someone fell in love with and married their island neighbour, before having children of their own. Whether planning a weekly shop or getting the children to school, it is a life planned around time and tide.
Our island future
But what is it that lures people to this remote island life, where freezers are stocked with milk and bread in case of storms and kids secretly wish for black flag days when the boats can’t run, so they don’t get to school? It’s community. It’s the love of the place. It’s the knowledge that you’re all in it together. It’s looking around in the morning stillness, anticipating the visitors who are yet to arrive, and knowing you play a part in making the Mount a unique experience.
They’re the stewards of the Mount’s traditions, preserving its past, present and future.
Explore the Mount >
Explore the Gardens
Wander through Victorian terraces, where exotic plants cling to steep granite cliffs...
History and Legends
Myths and legends pulse through the bedrock of St Michael's Mount. It's where stories live...
Exploring the Castle
Climb the cobbled causeway up to the island's summit and discover its changing faces.
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By Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen Editor
Throwback Thursday: When Bill Gates Keynoted Streaming Media West
We're getting ready for next month's Streaming Media West, and we've got a great lineup of keynote speakers. We'll kick things off Tuesday, November 19 with Sandeep Gupta, vice-president of Fire TV devices and experience for Amazon Fire TV talking about challenges and opportunities in the connected device market. On Wednesday, Google head of sports and entertainment/global partnerships Kiran Paranjpe will lead a discussion with NASCAR Digital Media's Brendan Riley and World Surf League's Rich Robinson about the next generation of sports streaming. And we'll wrap things up with a closing session from Apple's Roger Pantos, who'll provide an update on the latest developments in low latency HLS.
It got us thinking back to the second Streaming Media West conference, when Microsoft chairman and CEO Bill Gates delivered a keynote on "The Digital Media Revolution.”
It will come as no surprise that his keynote focused on music and internet radio—check out those classic Windows Media Player skins!—but even in 1999 Gates predicted IP-delivered video to televisions via set-top boxes and talked about the promise of personalization. He also highlighted the then-nascent digital media content creation revolution, noting that 76% of digital camera owners used a PC for "image storage and control" (did 24% really just let their pictures sit on on their cameras?).
This was all before our parent company, Information Today, owned the Streaming Media conferences—we don't even have a report from the conference in our archives—but our publisher Joel Unickow was there, and I asked him to reflect on those heady, pre-bubble times.
"We were living the dream. It was raining money," he said. "At that time, I sold streaming solutions to radio stations. Our company had the majority of radio stations using RealPlayer, and we sold the online ad inventory and split the revenue with the stations. We had massive global traffic, and some of our proposals were in the 7 figures. I’ll never forget when Microsoft entered the space. I was sitting in a radio cluster’s headquarters waiting to give my presentation when a fellow from Microsoft showed up with a free server. Awkward. Microsoft reshaped radio streaming pretty much overnight. That’s when I realized there was an industry being born and it needed a magazine to cover it."
Check out the video above, and let us know your thoughts. Note that there's a nearly 7-minute gap in the video, when Gates shared content for which there was no redistribution license. Here's the original press release from Microsoft:
Bill Gates Outlines New Opportunities in Digital Media Revolution
SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 7, 1999 — Today at Streaming Media West ’99, Microsoft Corp. Chairman and CEO Bill Gates outlined “The Digital Media Revolution,” the mainstream use of digital audio and video, as the next major wave of Internet computing. In his keynote address, Gates described the importance of establishing a blend of innovative technologies and industry partnerships to make the digital media revolution a reality in the home, the workplace and everywhere in between.
In separate announcements, Microsoft also unveiled new technologies, relationships and initiatives in the areas of broadband media, consumer electronics, music distribution and services, and solutions for the knowledge worker.
“Digital audio and video are radically changing computing and the Internet for consumers and businesses alike,” Gates said. “The digital media revolution offers tremendous opportunities for industry innovation, creates new business models, and dramatically improves the computing and entertainment experience.”
Microsoft is driving toward three key initiatives to bring digital media to the mainstream for consumers and corporations. By building on the open Windows Media platform, Microsoft and industry partners are delivering the following:
High-quality technologies and services that will give consumers and businesses the experience they demand
Infrastructure to enable digital media to be delivered quickly, easily and at lower costs – anywhere and on any device
Software and services that support expanded and sustainable business models for the digital media industry
High-Quality, High-Speed Content to Consumers
Today Microsoft unveiled significant momentum for the Windows Media Broadband Jumpstart initiative, with immediate availability of high-speed, high-quality content from more than 45 partners. Through the new Windows Media Broadband Guide, Microsoft is providing consumers with unmatched access to some of the best online music videos, movie trailers, full-length feature films, CD-quality Internet radio and more from leading providers such as Sony Music Entertainment’s Columbia Records, VH1.com, BBC, Music Choice, FOXSports.com and AtomFilms. The new content providers participating in the Jumpstart initiative join over 1,000 providers of news, sports, entertainment and educational content available through WindowsMedia.com.
This new selection of high-quality Microsoft Windows Media audio and video is delivered via broadband-optimized content delivery networks from iBEAM Broadcasting and InterVU Inc. Anyone with a cable modem, DSL connection, high-speed corporate or educational Internet connection can experience these new offerings. The Windows Media Broadband Jumpstart initiative, launched in September, encourages the development, distribution and broad availability of high-quality audio and video on the Internet.
From Home to Work and Everywhere in Between
Whether wired or wireless, in the home or at the gym, portable digital entertainment and content are key to driving the digital revolution forward. Today’s announcements demonstrate further expansion into the home and on popular handheld devices:
First digital cable set-top box with digital video and audio. General Instrument Corp. announced the first-ever television set-top box with Internet streaming audio and video capabilities. Demonstrated for the first time during Gates’ keynote address today, the DCT-5000+ runs on the Microsoft Windows CE operating system and offers access to the same high-quality streaming audio and video that is available on PCs via Windows Media.
Connecting the PC to the home entertainment system. Gates demonstrated Sonicbox Inc.’s innovative imBand Remote Tuner, which extends Windows Media jukebox playlists and Internet radio from the PC to provide convenient access from any FM stereo in the home.
Home movies go digital with Windows Movie Maker. Gates previewed Windows Movie Maker, a new feature of the next consumer release of Microsoft Windows. Windows Movie Maker delivers the ability to turn home movies from any analog or digital video camera or VCR into digital movies that can be stored, edited and shared via the PC and on the Web.
Major portable device players support Windows Media. Portable device maker THOMSON multimedia S.A. announced that the popular RCA LYRA portable music players will support Windows Media. In addition, Texas Instruments Inc. announced that its programmable digital signal processors, which power leading portable music players and devices, will support Windows Media audio and rights management technologies. These companies, which join Cirrus Logic Corp., Creative Labs Inc., Diamond Multimedia, Sony Corp. and others in their support of Windows Media, are fueling the demand, broad availability and widespread consumer use of portable music players.
Enabling Digital Music Commerce
The open Windows Media platform delivers high-quality digital music and a flexible technology foundation for digital music distribution and commerce. Windows Media has gained widespread support among both major and independent record labels, including Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, BMG Entertainment, EMI Recorded Music, TVT Records and others. As digital media becomes widely used, new infrastructure services are required to support content management, e-commerce, secure music distribution and more. Today, new Microsoft partners announcing Windows Media support in this area include Supertracks and Preview Systems, who are adding support for Windows Media in their respective end-to-end solutions for retailers for digital download of music. This widespread support from both the music industry and infrastructure providers is key to making the digital music revolution a reality.
Windows Media Sparks Innovation in the Workplace
Digital media use is exploding in companies of all sizes. Windows Media is used today for internal sales force training; business-to-business marketing and e-commerce; and more effective, timely and cost-saving communications. In a separate announcement today, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard Co. announced that Hewlett-Packard has selected Windows Media streaming technology as the cornerstone for its Enterprise Computing organization’s global marketing communications activities. In addition, according to a study by Aberdeen Group, Hewlett-Packard’s adoption of Windows Media has realized cost savings of $1.2 million and a return on investment of 1,800 percent — paying for itself within the first month of operation.
About WindowsMedia.com
WindowsMedia.com, part of the MSN TM network of Internet services, is among the fastest-growing major audio and video guides on the Internet. WindowsMedia.com provides access to localized audio and video content worldwide, including major music and video events and entertainment from more than 1,000 content providers.
About Windows Media Technologies
Windows Media Technologies is the leading digital media platform, providing consumers, content providers, solution providers, software developers and corporations with unmatched audio and video quality. Windows Media Technologies 4, which includes Windows Media Player, Windows Media Services, Windows Media Tools and the Windows Media SDK, is available for free download. The Windows Media Player is the fastest-growing media player. More than 50 million copies have been downloaded to date — growing by more than one every second.
Discover In-Depth Pre-Conference Training at Streaming Media West
In just two weeks, Streaming Media's Jan Ozer will lead SMW attendees through advanced sessions on ABR production, video quality metrics, and more.
Apple, Amazon Fire TV, and Google Anchor Streaming Media West '19
This year's Streaming Media West has a new location—in downtown L.A.!—but the same impressive roster of streaming visionaries that the industry has come to expect.
SMW '18: Tim Siglin Recaps Highlights of Streaming Media West
Streaming Media's Tim Siglin discusses key topics of Streaming Media West 2018, including microservices, interactive streaming, eSports, MR/AR (but not VR), low latency, and Women in Streaming Media.
Streaming Media West: Apple Creates Advanced Experiences With HLS
The goal is to create, store, and distribute only one version of each piece of media. HTTP Live Streaming is the key to that kind of efficiency, Apple says.
Streaming Media West: Sling TV Hits the Reset Button on Pay TV
The future of TV is already happening, but it's happening at a slower rate than some would have thought. To create the future, providers need to stop living in the past.
Streaming Media West Preview: Fox Networks on OTT Evolution
With major new competitors entering the over-the-top video space in 2019, services will rely on bundled offerings, unique functionalities, and original content to stand apart.
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By collaborating with industry partners, SUSS ensures that what transpires in our classrooms is tried, tested and desired in practice.
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”), its global network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more.
Deloitte is a leading global provider of audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax and related services. Our network of member firms in more than 150 countries and territories serves four out of five Fortune Global 500® companies. Learn how Deloitte’s approximately 286,000 people make an impact that matters at www.deloitte.com.
All services are provided through the individual country practices, their subsidiaries and affiliates which are separate and independent legal entities.
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Tenor Banjo Tabs
Rebel Songs
It's Four In The Morning Banjo And Mandolin Sheet Music
The first version of the sheet music is in the key of D Major and the other one is in C. The song was written by Jerry Chesnut and recorded by Faron Young. It was later recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones.
© 2017-2019
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Home > Statistics > Labour Market > Labour force survey > 2015 > November > Unemployment rate 8.2 per cent in November
Unemployment rate 8.2 per cent in November
According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in November 2015 was 216,000, which was nearly the same as one year ago. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.2 per cent compared with November 2014. There were 20,000 fewer employed persons than in November of the previous year. The number of persons in the inactive population was 28,000 higher than one year earlier.
Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/11–2015/11, persons aged 15–74
In November 2015, the number of employed persons was 2,402,000, which was 20,000 lower than a year earlier (margin of error ±32,000). There were 7,000 fewer employed men and 13,000 fewer employed women than in November 2014.
In November, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 66.9 per cent, which was 0.4 percentage points lower than one year before. The employment rate for men decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 67.7 per cent, and that of women by 0.5 percentage points to 66.1 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.4 per cent.
According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 216,000 unemployed in November 2015, which was almost the same as one year earlier (margin of error ±17,000). The number of unemployed men was 125,000 and that of women 90,000. The number of unemployed men grew by 7,000 persons, and that of unemployed women decreased by 7,000 persons.
At 8.2 per cent, the unemployment rate in November was the same as one year before. Men’s unemployment rate was 9.2 per cent and women’s 7.2 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 9.2 per cent.
In November, there were a total of 641,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 228,000 were employed and 48,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 276,000. In November, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 17.5 per cent, which was 0.4 percentage points lower than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 21.2 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 7.5 per cent.
There were 1,490,000 persons in the inactive population in November 2015, which was 28,000 more than one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 151,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 5,000 fewer than in November 2014.
Changes in employment 2014/11–2015/11 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 099 4 108 0,2
Active population total 2 637 2 617 –0,8
Employed 2 422 2 402 –0,8
Unemployed 215 216 0,2
Inactive population 1 462 1 490 1,9
– persons in disguised unemployment 156 151 –3,0
Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 67,3 66,9 –0,4
Unemployment rate 8,2 8,2 0,1
Activity rate 64,3 63,7 –0,6
At the end of November 2015, there were altogether 342,000 persons registered in accordance with the Employment Office Regulations as unemployed job seekers at the employment and economic development offices . The number of unemployed job seekers was 16,000 higher than in November 2014.
The number of unemployed job seekers increased in November from the corresponding period in 2014 in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres apart from Kainuu (–6%): most in Uusimaa (9%) and South Savo (8%). At the end of November, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 25,000, which was 2,000 fewer than twelve months earlier.
The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation rate totalled 122,000 at the end of November, which was 9,000 fewer than in November of the previous year. Altogether, 4.7 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.
There were 43,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 2,000 higher than in last year's November. During this November, 33,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 1,000 more than in last year's November.
Changes 2014/11–2015/11 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy
Unemployed job seekers 1) 327 342 4,8
– unemployed over a year 94 114 21,1
Services, total 131 122 –6,7
– employed 36 20 –45,6
– in labour market training, in training 30 26 –11,5
– engaged in work/training trials 13 15 16,1
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 52 61 17,6
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 32 33 3,0
1) The law reform that entered into force at the beginning of 2013 and the change in the lay-off procedure on 1 July increase the number of unemployed job seekers somewhat.
Links: Law reform 1 January 2013
Change in the lay-off procedure 1 July 2013
Petri Syvänen tel. +358 29 504 8050, http://www.temtyollisyyskatsaus.fi
Labour Force Survey tables in databases
About seasonally adjusted trend
The accuracy of figures and the margins of error are explained in the quality description of the Labour Force Survey .
Comparison between the employment statistics of Statistics Finland and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy
Latest seasonally adjusted employment figures published by the EU can be found on Eurostat's home page http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
Latest data on open job vacancies published by the EU can be found on Eurostat's home page http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
Source: Labour force survey 2015, November. Statistics Finland
Inquiries: Joanna Viinikka 029 551 3796, Pertti Taskinen 029 551 2690, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi
Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma
Appendix table 1. Key indicators in the Labour Force Survey by sex 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 2. Population aged 15-74 by labour force status and sex 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 3. Population by sex and age 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 4. Active population by sex and age 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 5. Activity rates by sex and age 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 6. Employed persons by sex and age 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 7. Employment rates by sex and age 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 8. Employed persons aged 15-74 by status in employment 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 9. Employed persons aged 15-74 by employer sector 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 10. Employed persons aged 15-74 by Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI) 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 11. Part-time employed persons aged 15-74 by sex 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 12. Proportion of part-time employed persons in all employed persons aged 15-74 by sex 2014/11 - 2015/11, % (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 13. Employees aged 15-74 by type of employment relationship 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 14. Employees aged 15-74 by type of employment relationship 2014/11 - 2015/11, % (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 15. Unemployed persons by sex and age 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 16. Unemployment rates by sex and age 2014/11 - 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 17. Unemployment rates by Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI) 2014/11 - 2015/11, persons aged 15-74 (22.12.2015)
Appendix table 18. Seasonally adjusted trends 2015/11 (22.12.2015)
Appendix figure 1. Employment rate and trend of employment rate 2005/11 - 2015/11, persons aged 15 - 64 (22.12.2015)
Appendix figure 2. Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/11 - 2015/11, persons aged 15 - 74 (22.12.2015)
ISSN=1798-7857. November 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 23.1.2020].
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Creative Commons version 3.0 launched
Published by Andres Guadamuz on February 24, 2007
The version 3.0 f the generic (or unported) Creative Commons licences have now been released. There are many important improvements in the new licences. The biggest change has been to distinguish between the generic licence and the American one. The generic is now drafted with neutral international language in accordance to the Berne Convention, so finally we are rid of the confusing terms like “derivative” (although the licence is still called No derivs), but the language now refers to adaptations.
Other changes are the consistent changes to moral rights treatments, and specific language to make it easier for music groups to collect royalties from collecting societies. Here is a list of changes according to the original post from Mia Garlick:
“Separating the “generic” from the US license
As part of Version 3.0, we have spun off the “generic” license to be the CC US license and created a new generic license, now known as the “unported” license. For more information about this change, see this more detailed explanation.
Harmonizing the treatment of moral rights & collecting society royalties
In Version 3.0, we are ensuring that all CC jurisdiction licenses and the CC unported license have consistent, express treatment of the issues of moral rights and collecting society royalties (subject to national differences). For more information about these changes, see this explanation of the moral rights harmonization and this explanation of the collecting society harmonization.
No Endorsement Language
That a person may not misuse the attribution requirement of a CC license to improperly assert or imply an association or relationship with the licensor or author, has been implicit in our licenses from the start. We have now decided to make this explicit in both the Legal Code and the Commons Deed to ensure that — as our licenses continue to grow and attract a large number of more prominent artists and companies — there will be no confusion for either the licensor or licensee about this issue. For a more detailed explanation, see here.
BY-SA — Compatibility Structure Now Included
The CC BY-SA 3.0 licenses will now include the ability for derivatives to be relicensed under a “Creative Commons Compatible License,” which will be listed here. This structure realizes CC’s long-held objective of ensuring that there are no legal barriers to people being able to remix creativity in the way that flexible licenses are intended to enable. More information about this is provided here.
Clarifications Negotiated With Debian & MIT
Finally, Version 3.0 of the licenses include minor clarifications to the language of the licenses to take account of the concerns of Debian (more details here) and MIT (more details here).
As part of discussions with Debian, it was proposed to allow the release of CC-licensed works under DRM by licensees on certain conditions — what was known as the “parallel distribution language” but this has not been included as part of Version 3.0 of the CC licenses.”
This is a huge step for CC licensing. Expect the version 3.0 of the Scottish licences shortly.
Categories: Creative Commons
Tags: Creative Commons
US court dismisses important Creative Commons non-commercial case
People familiar with Creative Commons have been worried recently about a litigation in the United States regarding the non-commercial element in the licences, which had the potential to negatively affect the integrity of the licensing Read more…
In defence of Creative Commons
It is hard to imagine nowadays, but for a few years during the last decade Creative Commons was relentlessly attacked by some content owners, copyright maximalists, and collective societies (see here and here for a Read more…
US Court interprets copyleft clause in Creative Commons licenses
During the last decade, a common attack against open source licenses from their opponents stated that the documents were invalid because they had not been tested in court. This type of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) Read more…
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Corn Primed for Making Biofuel
Researchers genetically modify a crop to break down its own cellulose.
by Alexandra M. Goho
In an effort to help boost the nation’s supply of biofuels, researchers have created three strains of genetically modified corn to manufacture enzymes that break down the plant’s cellulose into sugars that can be fermented into ethanol. Incorporating such enzymes directly into the plants could reduce the cost of converting cellulose into biofuel.
Shoots and leaves: To facilitate the breakdown of cellulose into fermentable sugars for making ethanol, Mariam Sticklen of Michigan State University is genetically modifying corn with genes that produce cellulose-degrading enzymes in the plant’s stems and leaves. The enzymes are activated only after the corn is harvested, when the plant is ground up.
Last year, new federal regulations called for production of renewable fuels to increase to 36 billion gallons annually–nearly five times current levels–by 2022. Today, nearly all fuel ethanol in the United States is produced from corn kernels. To meet the required increase, researchers are turning to other sources, such as cellulose, a complex carbohydrate found in all plants. Corn leaves and stems, prairie grasses, and wood chips are leading candidates for supplies of cellulose. Cellulosic ethanol has many advantages over that produced from corn kernels. Cellulose is not only extremely abundant and inexpensive; studies also suggest that the production and use of ethanol from cellulose could yield fewer greenhouse gases.
However, the biggest obstacle to making cellulosic ethanol commercially feasible is the breakdown of cellulose. Enzymes that degrade cellulose, called cellulases, are typically produced by microbes grown inside large bioreactors, an expensive and energy-intensive process. “In order to make cellulosic ethanol really competitive, we really need to bring those costs down,” says Michael J. Blaylock, vice president of system development at Edenspace, a crop biotechnology firm based in Manhattan, KS.
Mariam Sticklen, professor of crop and soil science at Michigan State University, in East Lansing, figured that she could eliminate the cost of manufacturing enzymes by engineering corn plants to produce the enzymes themselves. Instead of relying on the energy-intensive process of producing them in bioreactors, “the plants use the free energy of the sun to produce the enzymes,” she says.
Typically, the breakdown of cellulose requires three different cellulases. Last year, Sticklen reported modifying corn with a gene for a cellulase that cuts the long cellulose chains into smaller pieces. The gene came from a microbe that lives in a hot spring. A month later, Sticklen inserted a gene derived from a soil fungus into the corn genome. That gene codes for an enzyme that breaks the smaller pieces of cellulose into pairs of glucose molecules. In this latest effort, Sticklen has modified corn to produce an enzyme that splits the glucose pairs into individual sugar molecules; the enzyme is naturally produced by a microbe that lives inside a cow’s stomach. The final result: three strains of corn, each of which produces an enzyme essential to the complete breakdown of cellulose.
To avoid the possibility of transferring the genes to other crops or wild plants, the enzymes are only produced in the plant’s leaves and stems, not in its seeds, roots, or pollen, says Sticklen. What’s more, to prevent the corn from digesting itself, she engineered the plants so that the enzymes accumulate only in special storage compartments inside the cells, called vacuoles. The cellulases are released only after the plant is harvested, during processing. Sticklen described her modified crops last week at the American Chemical Society’s national meeting in New Orleans.
Although it’s possible to incorporate all three genes in a single plant, says Sticklen, using three different varieties of corn, each carrying a different gene, will allow her to control the conversion of cellulose into sugars. Preliminary studies show that the enzymes are just as efficient as commercially available enzymes when combined at a ratio of 1:4:1, she says. The results suggest that mixing the three different plants using the same ratios will provide the best outcome.
“I think the strategy of compartmentalizing the enzymes in the vacuoles is terrific,” says Susan Leschine, a microbiologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “The question I have is, do the enzymes work under conditions that are realistic?” For instance, different microbe species secrete their own cellulases that work synergistically to chip away at the cellulose fibers. It’s unclear, Leschine says, how well an enzyme taken from a microbe that lives in a hot spring will work with an enzyme drawn from a soil fungus. “These different enzymes may not be active under the same conditions,” she says.
Edenspace, which is currently developing Sticklen’s technology, expects to begin field trials of her genetically modified corn within the year, with the goal of commercializing the technology within the next three years, says Blaylock. The company is not alone in pursuing this strategy: Agrivida, an agricultural biotech company based in Medford, MA, is also genetically modifying corn to simplify the production of cellulosic ethanol.
“This really is a worthwhile path to follow,” says Michael Ladisch, professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, IN. “However, at the end of the day, it’s more complicated than it seems.” The main obstacle is finding ways to ensure that the enzymes will survive the chemical and physical pretreatment needed to remove the lignin–the tough polymer in cell walls that provides plants with strength–from the cellulose fibers, says Ladisch, who is currently on leave from Purdue to serve as the chief technical officer at Mascoma, a biofuels company based in Brighton, MA.
One solution is to engineer the plants so that they require only a mild pretreatment. For instance, Sticklen is working on reducing the amount of lignin contained in corn, as well as modifying the molecular configuration of lignin, which would make it easier to break down. Although her work is currently focused on modifying corn, Sticklen says that the technology could eventually be transferred to other crops as well, such as switchgrass.
Alexandra M. Goho
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To protect artificial intelligence from attacks, show it fake data
Google Brain’s Ian Goodfellow explains how AI systems defend themselves, onstage at EmTech Digital
by Jackie Snow
AI systems can sometimes be tricked into seeing something that’s not actually there, as when Google’s software “saw” a 3-D-printed turtle as a rifle. A way to stop these potential attacks is crucial before the technology can be widely deployed in safety-critical systems like the computer vision software behind self-driving cars.
At MIT Technology Review’s annual EmTech Digital conference in San Francisco this week, Google Brain researcher Ian Goodfellow explained how researchers can protect their systems.
Goodfellow is best known as the creator of generative adversarial networks (GANs), a type of artificial intelligence that makes use of two networks trained on the same data. One of the networks, called the generator, creates synthetic data, usually images, while the other network, called the discriminator, uses the same data set to determine whether the input is real. Goodfellow went through nearly a dozen examples of how different researchers have used GANs in their work, but he focused on his current main research interest, defending machine-learning systems from being fooled in the first place. He says for earlier technologies, like operating systems, defense of the technology was added afterwards, a mistake he doesn’t want made with machine learning.
“I want it to be as secure as possible before we rely on it too much,” he says.
GANs are very good at creating realistic adversarial examples, which end up being a very good way to train AI systems to develop a robust defense. If systems are trained on adversarial examples that they have to spot, they get better at recognizing adversarial attacks. The better those adversarial examples, the stronger the defense.
Goodfellow says these concerns are still theoretical and that he hasn’t heard of adversarial examples being used to attack computer vision systems, but bots or spammers are trying to use similar methods to look like more legitimate traffic and accomplish their goals.
Luckily, Goodfellow says, there is still time to prepare our systems to defend themselves from AI-enabled attacks.
“So far, machine learning isn’t good enough to be used in attacks," he says.
TaggedArtificial Intelligence
Jackie Snow
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iOS 7: Through the eyes of an app developer
by Gregory Dean in Software Engineer , in Apple on June 28, 2013, 1:57 AM PST
Apple has introduced an exciting new SDK in iOS 7 to arm developers with the tools to support new features and capabilities.
Apple recently announced an "even simpler, more useful, and more enjoyable" version of their trail-blazing operating system for the flagship suite of mobile devices - iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. "Blazing a trail" is a phrase usually reserved for individuals charting new territories and leading efforts to embrace the unknown. Apple has enjoyed a rich history and reputation as a leader of innovative hardware and software. The anticipation and hype surrounding each and every Apple announcement is fueled by this rich history.
Several weeks before the WWDC, rumors began circulate as to what Apple would introduce. While in most cases the rumors were a blend of partial truths and pure speculation, a few of the pre-conference rumors were born from users simply wishing for certain enhancements along with a few new features. Some of the features on our collective wish lists are already available on other devices and envied by the Apple faithful.
With Apple's mobile devices no longer the only option for consumers, it has become much more difficult to impress end-users with a feature or functionality not already available on a competitor's suite of products. Lackluster surrounding the introduction of iOS 7 at the annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 10, 2013 may be a sign of an impending paradigm shift. Instead of Apple exceeding the expectations of developers and the end-user community, it seems that expectations may barely have been met - if at all. Perhaps Apple has raised the bar so high, it has become difficult for them to one-up their own innovations. What does this mean for developers? Regardless how much the technology needle has moved, we need to continue developing iOS apps that leverage all of the great features of Apple's mobile devices. Moreover, we need to embrace change and charge forward.
Charging forward
While gaining momentum is very important, keeping momentum is even more important. Keeping momentum, however, requires a constant ear to the ground - and with an open mind, listen and learn from the user community. Apple thrives on feedback from developers and end-users alike. Apple has introduced an exciting new SDK in iOS 7 to arm developers with the tools to support new features and capabilities. A few of the frameworks new to iOS 7 include (in no particular order):
Peer-to-peer connectivity - using the new Multipeer Connectivity framework developers can enable iOS apps to share documents, photos and other files with other peer-to-peer capable devices.
Hardware-accelerated animation - using the new Sprite Kit framework, developers can add complex animations to their game apps.
Game controller awareness & connectivity - using the new Game Controller framework developers will be able to detect and configure game controller hardware connected physically or via Bluetooth.
Many of the existing frameworks have been updated to include significant enhancements. The UIKit framework boasts the most changes. Considering the UIKit framework contains the classes responsible for the overall look and feel, and the iOS 7 interface has taken on an entirely new design, it makes sense that this framework would have undergone the majority of change. A few other highlights of the changes made to the existing iOS frameworks include:
Store Kit framework - includes the ability to sync passwords between the iOS device and iCloud.
Pass Kit framework - supports expiration dates, internal meta data, and exciting new support for enabling/disabling passes on-the-fly.
MessageUI framework - supports attaching files to messages.
The entire list of iOS 7 changes to the API can be found on the Apple Developer's website.
Significant changes
The changes between iOS 6 and iOS 7 are significant. In fact, what would normally be an exercise of refactoring and recompiling to ensure compatibility will now require much more thought and dilligence. There are hundreds of deprecated methods that if used in your app will need to be replaced. Additionally, the interface is so drastically different, it is easy to spot apps that have not undergone the cosmetic changes to take on the iOS 7-ish appearance. Apps designed for iOS 6 devices look out of place among the lighter, sharper icons and glyphs, and screens on an iOS 7 device.
Apple's published list of enhancements and new features include a contentious new interface, AirDrop, multitasking, new camera features, and updated mapping features to name a few. The ability to quickly access a control center from the lock screen is long overdue (Figure A). And while the majority of emphasis will be on the drastic cosmetic changes to the user interface (Figure B), there are plenty of significant changes to make our apps better.
Developers should download and install the beta version as soon as possible. Follow this link to the page on Apple's Developer site where the latest release of Xcode and iOS 7 can be downloaded. There are clearly enough new features and updates to the frameworks to keep developers busy preparing their apps for the highly-anticipated release of iOS 7 in the Fall of 2013.
The excitement will grow as the user community has an opportunity to touch and feel the new interface. Apple and its following of iOS developers may have an up-hill battle in convincing users that change is good. However, and more important, there are enough features and enhancements to show differientiation between the iOS devices and the closest competitors.
New OS X, iOS, and Microsoft Office updates will help out business users
Create intricately formatted content for you app using UIWebView
Guide clients to balance trade-offs in app development priorities
Comment and share: iOS 7: Through the eyes of an app developer
By Gregory Dean
Gregory Dean is the CTO for the Wilen Group. He has spent the past 25 years in C-level positions setting the tone and direction of technology-driven services organizations. Gregory is constantly researching technologies and developing capabilities to...
| See all of Gregory's content
Apple Mobility Hardware Innovation Software Consumerization Cloud Apple on ZDNet
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Quality and Regulatory
Charlesbank Capital Partners
Total Solutions®
TecoTex
Tecomark
TecoGrip
Trabeculite
Launchquick™ Design & Development Center
Propulsions Systems
Spinal Implants
Advanced Surgical
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Cleaning and Passivation
Clean Room Packaging
Implant Machining
Instrument Machining
Photochemical Etching
Welding and Bonding
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Contact Tecomet
bill dow, Chairman of the board
Bill served as Tecomet's Chief Executive Officer from 2008 to 2016 and is currently the Chairman of the Board. He has a broad background in general corporate management with a concentrated focus in the medical device industry and services.
Over the last 25 years Bill has served as Chief Executive Officer for firms with revenues from zero to over $500M, with products ranging from high-tech medical instruments involving electronics and software to commodity disposables. Startups, turnarounds and growth maintenance companies have all been included in Bill's portfolio.
Bill earned his BS in Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and served in the United States Navy for eight years as a pilot and supply officer.
victor swint, president and Chief executive officer (CEO)
Victor comes to Tecomet after leading a private equity owned manufacturer of fiber-reinforced gasket material through a value building process and successful sale. He has 20 years of experience in leading manufacturing corporations, businesses including Illinois Tool Works, Rockwell Automation and Danaher Corporation.
Victor has a track record of formulating appropriate strategies, driving continuous improvement, generating operational excellence and creating value. He is a team builder that demands the best out of himself and his team. Victor has built and managed several world class management teams for the businesses he has served.
A University of Maryland graduate, Victor also earned a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard.
dean freeman, Executive vice president, Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Dean joined Tecomet in October 2019 with over 20 years financial related experience in various leadership roles. He is recognized for his strong background in both financial leadership practices and the development of global strategic initiatives.
Most recently, Dean comes to Tecomet from GCP Applied Technologies, Inc., a global company serving markets primarily in the specialty chemical and building materials industry. In this role, Dean was responsible for global financial planning, accounting, tax and treasury, investor relations, and leadership of their global information technology platform. Dean’s impressive track record of financial leadership also includes roles at Watts Water Technologies, Flowserve Corporation, United Technologies and SPK Corporation. In these roles, Dean drove transformations that resulted in improved processes for forecasting, planning and overall financial support.
Dean honorably served as a Sergeant in the United States Army and earned a BS degree in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Art Burghouwt, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Joining Tecomet in 2009, Art leads the Commercial Team and possesses over 30 years of Sales, Marketing and General Management experience. Art’s depth of medical device manufacturing industry knowledge is routinely relied upon for his leadership guidance. Committed to working closely with the customer, Art and his team listen carefully to the clients’ inputs and are continuously striving to meet our global customer’s growth related needs and aspirations.
Overall, Art has significant experiences within the Tecomet organization, including direct facility management, being intimately familiar with products, manufacturing processes, and the ability to recognize when to join Tecomet team resources to achieve our customers’ goals. His strong customer service philosophy extends through the entire Customer Care group which directly influences the customer and their overall experience. Believing that patient care is our utmost responsibility, Art and his team make every attempt possible to assure the products and services we provide exceed our customer expectations.
Art earned his BS from Bucknell University and an MBA from the University of Connecticut.
mike fillion, Executive Vice President Global Operations
Mike joined Tecomet in June of 2019. He is responsible for nearly 2000 production employees at Tecomet’s 18 global medical device manufacturing facilities, including the aerospace and defense division.
Mike comes to Tecomet after leading Global Supply Chain & Operations at ESCO which is the #1 global provider of ground engaging tools (GET) for mining & construction. At ESCO, he sponsored a Break Through Objective (BTO) initiative to turnaround operations, which ultimately led to the sale of the company to a strategic buyer. Mike has 30 years of experience in leading manufacturing operations and businesses at companies such as Pratt & Whitney and Precision Castparts. Additionally, he has led world-class operational excellence throughout supply chain and global operations networks across six continents.
Mike earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Vlad Miskovic, Executive Vice President product management
Vlad was named Tecomet’s first EVP of Product Management during the summer of 2019 after successfully leading the Aerospace and Defense business unit. He is dedicated to leading and executing Tecomet's Product Strategy and the overall business P&L management. With over 20 years of experience, Vlad provides a wealth of industry knowledge and experience managing manufacturing business units including product strategies and market analysis.
In addition, Vlad’s engineering background has been instrumental in leading P&L operations and business development during the last 15 years of Private Equity experience. In his earlier career, Vlad led project management, repair development, customer support, production, and process engineering for jet engine production during his tenure at Pratt & Whitney and Paradigm Precision.
Vlad earned a BS in Engineering, an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MA from Trident University.
Steve Hinora, Executive Vice President of Quality & Regulatory
Steve joined Othy, Inc. (became Symmetry Medical, Inc.) in 1988 which Tecomet later acquired in December 2014. With over 28 years of experience in the medical device quality and regulatory environment, our customers frequently rely on Steve for his expertise and input. Committed to delivering the highest quality manufactured products, Steve is known as someone who is driven by overall customer excellence and satisfaction. Collaborating closely with our customers to pave new pathways, Steve is known as a reliable leader who solves challenges.
Steve has observed the overall medical device industry quality function grow and change significantly over the last few decades. He leads Tecomet’s large global team dedicated to keeping patients safe and enjoys mentoring junior professionals in his field.
Steve graduated from Concordia University with a BS and an MBA.
alisa mcgowan, executive vice President, chief Human ResourceS officer
Alisa joined Tecomet February 2019. Alisa has more than 15 years’ experience in Human Resources. Most recently as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer with Interface Performance Materials based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In this role, she was responsible for the full scope of human resources globally. Additionally, she has held HR leadership roles with companies such as Eastman Chemical Company, Rockwell Automation and Coca-Cola Enterprises. Over her career, she has demonstrated a passion for the growth and development organizations and people while driving efficient and effective HR services.
Alisa has a Master of Business Administration from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and she earned her undergraduate degree from Notre Dame College of Ohio.
jim bradley, VICE PRESIDENT OF information technology
Jim joined Symmetry Medical Inc. in 2012 which Tecomet later acquired in December 2014. With over 30 years of Information Technology experience and over 20 years of Technology Leadership, he is leading several key initiatives by consolidating and harmonizing Tecomet's Global Systems for Manufacturing, Finance, Sales, Quality, Human Resources, Engineering, Cyber Security, Infrastructure and IT Operations. Prior to Tecomet, Jim was the Senior Information Technology Director at Yaskawa Motoman.
Jim's technology experience includes applications development, systems intergration, project and program management and several IT Director roles. He is most passionate about his more than ten years in Data Analytics. Jim has strong beliefs in business and customer partnerships, transparency, structure, discipline and flexibility. Jim also serves as the Board Chair for Technology First, an IT industry trade association in Dayton, OH.
Jim earned both his BBA in Quantitative Analysis with a Certifacte in Economics and a MBA from the University of Cincinnati.
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1-24-2019 Victor Swint named Tecomet CEO
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So I work in marketing, which I love, but my first passion was physics, a passion brought to me by a wonderful school teacher, when I had a little less gray hair. So he taught me that physics is cool because it teaches us so much about the world around us. And I'm going to spend the next few minutes trying to convince you that physics can teach us something about marketing.
So quick show of hands — who studied some marketing in university? Who studied some physics in university? Pretty good. And at school? Okay, lots of you. So, hopefully this will bring back some happy, or possibly some slightly disturbing memories.
So, physics and marketing. We'll start with something very simple — Newton's Law: "The force equals mass times acceleration." This is something that perhaps Turkish Airlines should have studied a bit more carefully before they ran this campaign. (Laughter) But if we rearrange this formula quickly, we can get to acceleration equals force over mass, which means that for a larger particle — a larger mass — it requires more force to change its direction. It's the same with brands: the more massive a brand, the more baggage it has, the more force is needed to change its positioning. And that's one of the reasons why Arthur Andersen chose to launch Accenture rather than try to persuade the world that Andersen's could stand for something other than accountancy. It explains why Hoover found it very difficult to persuade the world that it was more than vacuum cleaners, and why companies like Unilever and P&G keep brands separate, like Ariel and Pringles and Dove rather than having one giant parent brand. So the physics is that the bigger the mass of an object the more force is needed to change its direction. The marketing is, the bigger a brand, the more difficult it is to reposition it. So think about a portfolio of brands or maybe new brands for new ventures.
Now, who remembers Heisenberg's uncertainty principle? Getting a little more technical now. So this says that it's impossible, by definition, to measure exactly the state — i.e., the position — and the momentum of a particle, because the act of measuring it, by definition, changes it. So to explain that — if you've got an elementary particle and you shine a light on it, then the photon of light has momentum, which knocks the particle, so you don't know where it was before you looked at it. By measuring it, the act of measurement changes it. The act of observation changes it. It's the same in marketing. So with the act of observing consumers, changes their behavior. Think about the group of moms who are talking about their wonderful children in a focus group, and almost none of them buy lots of junk food. And yet, McDonald's sells hundreds of millions of burgers every year. Think about the people who are on accompanied shops in supermarkets, who stuff their trolleys full of fresh green vegetables and fruit, but don't shop like that any other day. And if you think about the number of people who claim in surveys to regularly look for porn on the Web, it's very few. Yet, at Google, we know it's the number-one searched for category. So luckily, the science — no, sorry — the marketing is getting easier. Luckily, with now better point-of-sale tracking, more digital media consumption, you can measure more what consumers actually do, rather than what they say they do. So the physics is you can never accurately and exactly measure a particle, because the observation changes it. The marketing is — the message for marketing is — that try to measure what consumers actually do, rather than what they say they'll do or anticipate they'll do.
So next, the scientific method — an axiom of physics, of all science — says you cannot prove a hypothesis through observation, you can only disprove it. What this means is you can gather more and more data around a hypothesis or a positioning, and it will strengthen it, but it will not conclusively prove it. And only one contrary data point can blow your theory out of the water. So if we take an example — Ptolemy had dozens of data points to support his theory that the planets would rotate around the Earth. It only took one robust observation from Copernicus to blow that idea out of the water. And there are parallels for marketing — you can invest for a long time in a brand, but a single contrary observation of that positioning will destroy consumers' belief. Take BP — they spent millions of pounds over many years building up its credentials as an environmentally friendly brand, but then one little accident. Think about Toyota. It was, for a long time, revered as the most reliable of cars, and then they had the big recall incident. And Tiger Woods, for a long time, the perfect brand ambassador. Well, you know the story. (Laughter) So the physics is that you cannot prove a hypothesis, but it's easy to disprove it — any hypothesis is shaky. And the marketing is that not matter how much you've invested in your brand, one bad week can undermine decades of good work. So be really careful to try and avoid the screw-ups that can undermine your brand.
And lastly, to the slightly obscure world of entropy — the second law of thermodynamics. This says that entropy, which is a measure of the disorder of a system, will always increase. The same is true of marketing. If we go back 20 years, the one message pretty much controlled by one marketing manager could pretty much define a brand. But where we are today, things have changed. You can get a strong brand image or a message and put it out there like the Conservative Party did earlier this year with their election poster. But then you lose control of it. With the kind of digital comment creation and distribution tools that are available now to every consumer, it's impossible to control where it goes. Your brand starts being dispersed, (Laughter) it gets more chaotic. (Laughter) It's out of your control. (Laughter) I actually saw him speak — he did a good job. But while this may be unsettling for marketers, it's actually a good thing. This distribution of brand energy gets your brand closer to the people, more in with the people. It makes this distribution of energy a democratizing force, which is ultimately good for your brand. So, the lesson from physics is that entropy will always increase; it's a fundamental law. The message for marketing is that your brand is more dispersed. You can't fight it, so embrace it and find a way to work with it.
So to close, my teacher, Mr. Vutter, told me that physics is cool, and hopefully, I've convinced you that physics can teach all of us, even in the world of marketing, something special. Thank you.
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iPhone 6 pre-orders hit 4 million units in just 24 hours
The iPhone 6 is shaping up to be something of a commercial hit with Apple confirming more than 4 million iPhone 6 pre-orders were placed during the phone’s opening 24 hours on sale.
Having been officially unveiled last week, iPhone 6 pre-orders opened up last Friday, September 12, ahead of this week’s September 19 iPhone 6 release date. The record pre-order figures include advanced orders for both the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the larger, 5.5-inch, iPhone 6 Plus.
“iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are better in every way, and we are thrilled customers love them as much as we do,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Pre-orders for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus set a new record for Apple, and we can’t wait to get our best iPhones yet into the hands of customers starting this Friday.”
As well as coming to the UK, the iPhone 6 will be available in nine further territories on day one, including the US, Australia, Canada, France and Germany. The remaining day one iPhone 6 drop spots are Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico and Singapore.
The iPhone 6 is Apple’s latest smartphone offer and features an all new design.
The both the 6 and the 6 Plus feature new, slimline, curved metal form factors. Three iPhone 6 colours will be available at launch – silver, space grey and gold.
While iPhone 6 prices start from £539 for the base, 16GB option, the entry level iPhone 6 Plus will set wannabe owners back a premium £619.
Read More: iPhone 6 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4
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Fall books from Minnesota authors we’re dying…
Fall books from Minnesota authors we’re dying to read
By Mary Ann Grossmann | mgrossmann@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
PUBLISHED: September 2, 2018 at 8:08 am | UPDATED: September 4, 2018 at 12:59 pm
You saw an announcement of a book you are dying to read, but what was the title and who wrote it? To help you keep track of the fall/winter “buzzy” books from Minnesotans (and Jan Brett, because we love her), we’ve compiled a list for you to clip and save or share with your book club. Adjust your glasses — it’s going to be a long winter of great reading. (Author appearances are in parentheses.)
“The Shakespeare Requirement” by Julie Schumacher (Doubleday): Schumacher’s humorous academic novel “Dear Committee Members” won the Thurber American Humor prize and now she’s back with the sequel, in which Jason T. Fitger, the disgruntled faculty member and anti-hero of the first book, has been elected chair of his dysfunctional and under-funded English department. Using a third-person narrative, Schumacher juggles points of view of a variety of characters who explore the ways in which Fitger is beleaguered, including a frozen budget, an office supply-filching assistant and his disputes with his colleague, who is determined to drive English out of the building and take the space for the economics department, which is a top priority because it teaches students to make money. A riff on the politics of life in higher education and the devaluing of the liberal arts. (7 p.m. Sept. 13, Elmer L. Andersen Library, 223 21st Ave. S., Mpls.; 7 p.m. Sept. 27, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.; 7 p.m. Oct. 8, Common Good Books, 38 S. Snelling Ave., St. Paul; Literature Lovers’ Night Out, 7 p.m. Oct. 16 in Stillwater and Oct. 17 in Excelsior.)
“The Guilty Dead” by P.J. Tracy (Crooked Lane): The ninth adventure of the Monkeewrench gang, computer whizzes who operate out of a Summit Avenue mansion and discreetly help those who are doing good but need some secrecy. They often work with Minneapolis detectives Leo Magozzi, father of Grace McBride’s baby, and Gino Rolseth (who loves to eat). Grace is founder and chief computer expert for Monkeewrench Software. When Gregory Norwood, Minnesota’s most beloved philanthropist, is shot to death on the first anniversary of his son’s overdose, Magozzi and Rolseth are called to handle the case. They see early on that this is not an easily solved suicide. Grace and her colleagues — big, burly Harley, fashionista Annie and tall, skinny Roadrunner — team up with the detectives to investigate Norwood’s death and discover a bigger plot that involves security at the highest levels. This is the first book in the series written by Traci Lambrecht without her mother and writing partner P.J. Lambrecht, who died in 2016. Traci says this one came more easily than any of the others and she felt her mother’s presence as she wrote. (7 p.m. Sept. 11, Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th St., Mpls.)
“Laurentian Divide” by Sarah Stonich (University of Minnesota Press): Stonich’s “Vacationland” is one of the most popular books set in Minnesota. Now she returns with the second volume of her Northern Trilogy, featuring some “Vacationland” characters, including kind Sissy Pavola, who’s planning her wedding to older widower Alpo Lahti. They are worried about Alpo’s son, Pete, who is struggling with alcoholism. The mystery is what happened to Rauri Paar, a hermit who hasn’t made his annual spring appearance. (7 p.m. Sept. 25, Twin Cities launch, Eagles Club #34, 2507 E. 25th St., Mpls; 7 p.m. Oct. 9, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls; 10 a.m. Oct. 12, Lake Country Booksellers Farmers Market, 4766 Washington Ave., White Bear Lake; Oct. 13, Twin Cities Book Festival, Minnesota State Fairgrounds; Oct. 16 and 17, Stillwater and Excelsior, Literature Lover’s Night Out, with Louise Miller and Julie Schumacher; 7 p.m. Oct. 23, Common Good Books, 38 S. Snelling Ave., St. Paul)
“The Half-Life of Everything” by Deborah Carol Gang (Bancroft Press): Gang, who attended Macalester College, was a practicing psychologist and therapist specializing in family relations for 30 years, so it’s not surprising she has insight into the human heart that shows in this story of David, a 50-something happily married man who watches his wife, Kate, disappear into Alzheimer’s as he falls in love with Jane. His wife undergoes her fifth experimental trial and begins to come back, although not fully. When there is talk about her returning home, David realizes he is in love with two people. When does a marriage end? What is a person to do when their spouse cannot be a spouse? When Kate sees David struggle to forget Jane, she offers another way to live.
“Nightfall” by Brian Lutterman (Conquill Press): Some readers might think the term “corporate thriller” is an oxymoron. That’s because they haven’t read former trial and corporate attorney Lutterman’s Pen Wilkinson thrillers. Pen is a paraplegic attorney who in “Nightfall” is fighting flashbacks from a previous case when she returns to Minnesota to investigate the murder of a gubernatorial candidate. Fighting opposition from police and the minority community, Pen unravels the secret of the 30-year-old police shooting of a civil rights leader, and she unearths a plot to engulf the state in racial violence for political gain. Pen has to expose the plan before the conspirators silence her. (Noon-2 p.m. Sept. 29, Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th St., Mpls.)
“Red War” by Kyle Mills (Emily Bestler Books): This is the fourth Mitch Rapp book Mills has written since he took over the series after the death of Minnesotan Vince Flynn, who started the series featuring the CIA counterintelligence operative. In “Red War,” the scenario is: How does the Russian president try to cling to power after learning he has an inoperable tumor? The regime needs something spectacular to distract from the disintegrating strong man and that something could be the start of World War III. Rapp and his team are charged with figuring out why Russia is behaving irrationally and how to avoid an all-out clash between them and NATO. (7 p.m. Sept. 25, Barnes & Noble, 2100 N. Snelling Ave., Roseville; 7 p.m. Sept. 26, Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th St., Mpls.; 7 p.m. Sept. 27, Juniors Tap House and Restaurant, 414 S. Main St., River Falls, Wis., presented by Chapter2Books of Hudson, Wis.)
“Don’t Quit Your Day Job: The Adventures of a Midlist Author” by Michael Fedo (Holy Cow! Press): Fedo has a lot of cred as an author, publishing hundreds of articles, essays and short stories in the nation’s top magazines and newspapers. A native of Duluth, he’s also a former teacher at the Loft Literary Center. A “midlist author” is one who writes steadily but isn’t in the big leagues and most authors are in that category. That doesn’t mean it’s a boring life. In Fedo’s 10th book, he writes of his newspaper days and encounters with celebrities such as James Stewart, and the pressures of freelance writing for a living. (7 p.m. Oct. 3, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.)
“The Girl in Building C: The True Story of a Teenage Tuberculosis Patient” edited by Mary Krugerud (Minnesota Historical Society Press): Krugerud, an independent researcher and historian, has written two other books on tuberculosis. “The Girl in Building C” is based on letters sent to her family by 15-year-old Marilyn Barnes, who entered a state sanatorium at Walker, Minn., in 1943. The teen assumed she’d stay for a short time, but her TB spread, she almost died, and her recovery required three years of bed rest and medical care. Marilyn loved to write and her letters show how much she missed her family, her reactions to roommates, medical treatments, Native America nurses and boredom. The letters also contain gossip about boys and enjoying popcorn parties with other patients. Woven into Marilyn’s story is information about the practices and culture of a midcentury tuberculosis sanatorium.
“Hubert Humphrey: The Conscience of the Country” by Arnold A. Offner (Yale University Press): Minnesotan Hubert Humphrey’s political career encompassed three well-known high points: his civil rights speech at the 1948 Democratic convention that risked his political future; his shepherding of the 1964 Civil Rights Act through the Senate, and his near victory in the 1968 presidential election, one of the most divisive in the country’s history. Historian Offner explored troves of archival records to recapture Humphrey’s life. He offers previously unknown details of vice president Humphrey’s relationship with Lyndon Johnson and describes his major legislative achievements after returning to the Senate in 1970. Offner is the Cornelia F. Hugel Professor of History Emeritus at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.
“Minnesota’s Headline Murders 1900-1919″ by Patrick L. Shannon (Beaver’s Pond Press): The author is retired special agent in death investigations and narcotics for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, so he knows what he’s writing about as he details 10 murders and their aftermaths. It begins with the murder of a young millionaire in a prestigious downtown Minneapolis hotel in 1901. Fran Hamilton, a direct descendant of Alexander Hamilton, was charged with the crime. In 1905, a West Seventh Street butcher in St. Paul was murdered in midday. The chief of police took command of the investigation, “which proved most interesting in the techniques police used to track down and eliminate suspects,” Shannon writes, adding “I want the readers to feel the joys and frustrations of living in Minnesota in the first part of the twentieth century.”
“Russians on Trump” edited by Laurence Bogoslaw (East View Press): We hear about President Trump’s baffling behavior toward Russia every day. He says he is the toughest ever president on Russia, yet he seems to have a bond with Putin. But what do Russians think about the U.S. president? This hefty paperback offers news stories, analyses and commentary translated from Russian-language press about Trump before 2016, during the election campaign and after his win. It’s not a surprise to learn that they don’t know what to make of him either.
“Collected Poems” by Robert Bly (Norton): For the first time, Robert Bly’s work is collected, offering a fresh view of his lifelong achievements, from his debut, “Silence in the Snow Fields” (1962), to his National Book Award-winning “The Light Around the Body” (1967) and his transcendent latest ” Talking into the Ear of a Donkey.”
“Holy Ghost” by John Sandford (Putnam): Minnesota BCA agent Virgil Flowers, who covers out-state crime, is a little more settled these days because his partner is pregnant, although his off-beat ways still keep him known throughout Midwest law enforcement as “that f—–g Flowers.” In “Holy Ghost” he’s sent to Wheatfield, Minn., a metropolis of 600 souls where nothing ever happens. Then the mayor and his precocious teenage buddy come up with a scheme to put Wheatfield on the map by spreading the rumor of the Virgin Mary appearing in the local Catholic Church. All the pilgrims will flock to the town, buying food, lodgings and other things that will make the town rich — until the shooting starts. (7 p.m. Oct. 11; Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th St., Mpls.)
“Glitter Bomb” and “Eggs on Ice” by Laura Childs (Berkley Prime Crime): Prolific Childs, pen name for Minnesotan Gerry Schmidt, offers new books in two of her series. “Glitter Bomb” is the 15th installment of Childs’ scrapbooking mysteries featuring scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand (written with Terrie Farley Moran). Carmela and her fashionista pal, Ava, are thrilled to be attending the Mardi Gras parade, but things turn frightening when an explosion rocks the parade. They watch helplessly as Carmela’s ex-husband Shamus passes by on a float that bursts into flames. Shamus survives but another man is killed. Was this a murder? And is Shamus the culprit? (Noon-2 p.m. Oct. 6, Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th St., Mpls., with Patricia Skalka, author of the Dave Cubiak Door County mysteries.)
Childs brings her story close to home in “Eggs on Ice,” her eighth adventure in the Cackleberry Club series set in a small town in the Midwest (Minnesota?) featuring three women who own a cafe/bookstore/knitting business. When the town’s grouch of an attorney is cast as Scrooge in the production of “A Christmas Carol,” everybody is shocked when the Ghost of Christmas Past stabs him to death during the first rehearsal and escapes down a back alley. Can the sleuthing women of the Cackleberry Club hunt down the killer before he strikes again? (Noon-2 p.m. Dec. 8, Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th St., Mpls.)
“Prince: Before the Rain,” photographs by Allen Beaulieu (Minnesota Historical Society Press): Allen Beaulieu was Prince’s photographer and friend beginning in the late 1970s. He photographed three album covers and toured extensively with the artist.”Prince” is made up of shots from behind the scenes, candids and casual images and recollections from Beaulieu about his personal and professional relationship with Prince. Supplemental text includes reminiscences of former bandmates, including Bobby Z., Dez Dickerson (who wrote the foreword), Andre Cymone and more.
“The Children of Lincoln: White Paternalism and the Limits of Black Opportunity in Minnesota, 1860-1876” by William D. Green (University of Minnesota Press): In an 1876 speech, Frederick Douglass said white people were “the children of Lincoln” and black people were “at best his stepchildren.” After emancipation became the law of the land, white champions of African Americans in the state were turning to other causes, despite worse circumstances of black Minnesotans. Green brings to light a little-known but critical chapter in Minnesota’s history through four of these “children of Lincoln” in Minnesota — the state’s first Republican senator, a St. Paul business leader who helped launch the first Black Baptist church, founder and first president of the Minnesota Woman Suffragist Association, and an immigrant farmer who served in the Colored Regiments in the Civil War.
“Double Exposure: Images of Black Minnesota in the 1940s: The Photography of John Glanton (Minnesota Historical Society Press): Glanton, who died in 2004, was a professional photographer who memorialized a variety of events, people and moments in postwar Minnesota. Many of his photos appeared in the black-owned Minneapolis Spokesman and St. Paul Recorder newspapers. He documents black-owned businesses of the day, the music and club scene, weddings and other family gatherings in the time when the nation was entering the post-war boom but before the civil rights movement had taken root. It was a time when St. Paul had a thriving middle class in the Rondo neighborhood.
“Metropolitan Dreams: The Scandalous Rise and Stunning Fall of a Minneapolis Masterpiece” by Larry Millett (University of Minnesota Press): The 12-story Northwestern Guaranty Loan building was the tallest, largest, and most splendid commercial structure n Minneapolis when it opened in 1890. But the Richardsonian Romansque edifice, known as the Metropolitan Building, was demolished in 1962, victim of urban renewal of the city’s Gateway District. This is also a personal story of real estate speculator Louis Menage, who financed this masterpiece with shady deals. Illustrated with photos, architectural drawings and narrative by Millett, architectural historian and fiction writer. (7 p.m. Oct. 30; Common Good Books, 38 S. Snelling Ave., St. Paul)
“Beginnings: The Homeward Journey of Donovan Manypenny” by Thomas D. Peacock (Holy Cow! Press): The story of Manypenny begins when he is raised by his grandparents on a northern Wisconin Ojibwe reservation until he is 10 and his grandparents die. He becomes a ward of the state of Wisconsin and enters the child welfare system — foster care, chlidren’s home and adoption. For more than 43 years he puts his past behind him, until at age 53 events in his life take him back to his childhood home, retracing the historical westward migration of his Ojibwe ancestors. The author is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior. Several of his books, including “Ojibwe Waasa Inaabida, The Good Path,” were Minnesota Book Award winners.
“Daughters of the Lake” by Wendy Webb (Lake Union Publishing): Webb received a Minnesota Book Award for her debut novel “The Tale of Halcyon Crane” and her subsequent scary takes on contemporary life earned her the title Queen of the Northern Gothics. In “Daughters of the Lake,” two heart-broken protagonists do everything they can to reach across generations and set right long-ago betrayals. When Kate Granger’s marriage ends, she retreats to her parents’ home on Lake Superior. Not long after arriving, she discovers the body of a murdered woman washed into the shallow. Tucked in the folds of the woman’s vintage gown is a dead infant. Nobody can identify the woman except Kate, who doesn’t dare tell anyone she’s seen the woman before — in her dreams. Kate is drawn into a 100-year-old love story that ended in tragedy and a folktale handed down in whispers over generations.
“The Shadows We Hide” by Allen Eskens (Mulholland books): In the sequel to Eskens’ best-selling “The Life We Bury,” Joe Talbert Jr. has never met his namesake. As an ambitious reporter for the Associated Press, he stumbles across a story describing the murder of a man with the same name in a small town in southern Minnesota. The residents don’t have much to say about his father’s murder. He learns his father was a loathsome man who cheated his neighbors, threatened his daughter and squandered his late wife’s inheritance. Plagued by his tenuous relationship with his mother, Joe must put together the missing pieces of his family history before he is in a grave of his own. (7 p.m. Nov. 14, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.
“Allen Ginsberg: Iron Curtain Journals January-May 1965 edited by Michael Schumacher (University of Minnesota Press): The first in a trilogy of the beat poet’s unpublished journals. Edited and introduced by Ginsberg biographer Schumacher, “The Iron Curtain Journals” documents Ginsberg’s 1965 travels to Cuba, where he was deported to Prague for misbehavior. Then there is a remarkable and moving journey through the Iron Curtain countries. When he returns to Prague, he runs afoul of the government when local students crown him the King of May. He is beaten in the streets, arrested and deported yet again. This time he went to England, where he arrives just in time to help stage a massive international poetry reading at the Royal Albert Hall.
“A Field Guide to the Natural World of the Twin Cities” by John J. K. Moriarty, photography by Siah L. St. Clair (University of Minnesota Press): If you’ve ever wondered about a plant you see often in your favorite metro woods or in your own yard, this book will probably tell you what it is. Moriarty, senior manager of wildlife for the Three Rivers Park District, points out that although most of the region’s wildlife has lost its original habitat to agriculture and urban development, “a significant patchwork of native and restored habitat remains … along with pockets in the parks and open spaces throughout the cities and suburbs.” This easy-to-use guide includes pictures of plants and animals arranged by regional parks, from chipmunks to garter snakes, invasive buck thorn to oak trees. It will enrich your admiration for these creatures and plants that thrive alongside 3 million humans in a “mosaic of various ecosystems.” Photographer St. Clair was director of Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley for 35 years.
“Gichi Bitobig, Grand Marais: Early Accounts of the Anishinaabeg and the North Shore Fur Trade,” by Timothy Cochrane (University of Minnesota Press): In 1823, Bela Chapman, a clerk of John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company, landed in Gichi Bitobig — a stony harbor now known as Grand Marais. Through the following year Chapman recorded his efforts on behalf of the company, establishing trading relationships with the local Anishinaabeg. The young clerk’s journal, plus another kept by his successor, George Johnston, are the basis of this story of the changing fur trade when men of the American Fur Company and the Anishinaabeg, led by Espagnol, navigated the shifting course of progress, as commerce drifted west. Cochran has been a back-country ranger and a historian, anthropologist and superintendent for the National Park Service in Alaska, Minnesota and Michigan. He has worked extensively with Native American tribes, most recently with the Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa as superintendent at Grand Portage National Monument.
“Visting Bob: Poems Inspired by the Life and Work of Bob Dylan” edited by Alan Davis and Thom Tammaro (New Rivers Press): Anthology of 100 poems by 100 people inspired by the life and work of Bob Dylan, saluting the Duluth-born troubadour and Nobel Laureate. (7:30 p.m. Nov. 20, in the new incarnation of Carol Connolly’s Readings by Writers, now headed by Tim Nolan. Contributors who will read include Tammaro, Davis and Nolan, as well as Katrina Vandenberg, Joyce Sutphen, Ray Gonzalez, Margaret Hasse, Linda Back McKay, Diane Jarvenpa, John Reinhard and Marge Barrett. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20; University Club, 420 Summit Ave, St. Paul.)
SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER
CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS
“Hush Hush, Forest” by Mary Casanova, woodcuts by Nick Wroblewski (University of Minnesota Press): “As we read our bedtime stories, / blankets tucked beneath your chin, / golden leaves twirl past our windows …” Fall is settling in and birds and animals prepare for winter in Minnesota. The loon sings one last lullaby. The beaver chews and gnaws until she fells an aspen tree for her lodge, and the hummingbird takes one last sip from a hanger and flies to “warmed breezes, Sunny skies.” The raccoon, doe, buck, bat and owl also prepare. “As you close your eyes in slumber / snowflakes slowly / drift and spin. / Your heart beats, / an ancient drum.” Casanova, who lives in Rainier, near the Canadian border, is the author of more than 30 books for young readers, from picture books to novels. Among her honors are two Minnesota Book Awards. Wroblewski’s beautiful woodcuts, which complement Casanova’s lyrical text, is an artist and printmaker specializing in handmade woodcut block prints. A resident of Duluth, he also illustrated Casanova’s book “Wake Up, Island.”
“Good Rosie!” by Kate DiCamillo, pictures by Harry Bliss (Candlewick Press): Rosie is a good dog but sometimes she gets lonely. Then her owner, George, takes her to a dog park where a lot of unfamiliar dogs make her even lonelier. But when she runs into big, loud Maurice (a St. Bernard) and littel Fifi (sort of a chihuahua), Rosie learns about friendship. DiCamillo is a double Newbery winner and former National Ambassador for Young Readers. Bliss is a cartoonist and cover artist for The New Yorker. (3 p.m. Sept. 8, DiCamillo and Bliss, Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave. S., Mpls.)
“The Stuff of Stars” by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (Candlewick Press): Nerwbery Honor winner Marion Dane Bauer, author of more than 100 books for young people and one of the deans of the Twin Cities Literary community, partnered with Boston-based Caldecott Honor winner Holmes to tell the story of the birth of the universe. Holmes’ dark and fiery illustrations capture the mood of the story about the void before the Big Bang and ensuing life that burst across galaxies. In the end, we are all the stuff of stars.
“Child of Wonder” by Marty Haugen, illustrated by Stephen Nesser (GIA Publications): “Child of wonder, child of grace. / Love comes dancing ’round your face.”
Haugen, who lives in Eagan, and Nesser, of St. Paul, partnered on this inclusive picture book based on a song written by Haugen to celebrate the baptism of his godson. It is sung at baptisms around the world. The illustrations celebrate the baptism/baby naming ceremonies of six traditions. Haugen composes and performs liturgical music for Roman Catholic and Protestant congregations. He has published more than 400 songs and performed concerts in North and Central America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim. The songs are published in the hymnals of various denominations. Nesser’s realistic depictions of people from the six traditions are captivating and complement the text. His paintings are in museums around the world. Among them are the poster he made for Save Our Fair Carousel (Cafesjian’s Carousel).
“Being You” words by Alexs Pate, pictures by Soud (Capstone): “This story is about you and / the way your eyes will shower light / to open a path through the noisy night.”
Pate, an award-winning novelist, tells in this book about two kids who learn they are important and they have a choice about how the world sees them. Together, the boy and girl find people who see their value and help them face the world on their own terms. The rhymed text is exquisite and Brazilian Soud’s illustrations are contemporary and meticulous. Pate writes that “Being You” was written as a reminder “that children should always be free to achieve their greatness. Their paths should be open, not blocked by negative images and generalizations about them. (It) is meant to continuously remind our children that this is happening to them and that there are ways to reject negative labels when they don’t apply.” (10:30 a.m. Oct. 6, Red Balloon, 891 Grand Ave., St. Paul)
“The Mukluk Ball” by Katharine Johnson, illustrated by Alicia Schwab (Minnesota Historical Society Press): Karhu the bear lives in the north woods near Finn town. He wants to go to the town’s Mukluk Ball, but he has to sell freshly picked blueberries in summer to earn money to buy mukluks. And he has to learn to dance. Johnson lives in Cloquet and her stories have been published in magazines and anthologies.
“Good Dog” by Cori Doerrfeld (Harper): Doerrfeld tells her story of a homeless dog with just two words on every page: “happy dog,” “brave dog,” “lucky dog,” illustrated with images of the unnamed little dog doing whatever the words convey. After the pup goes through his adventures, he ends up in the arms of a child who asks his parents “My dog?” and in the end he’s “Good dog.”
“The Snowy Nap” by Jan Brett (Penguin Young Readers): Brett, one of the most beloved creators of picture books, with lush ornamentation on the borders and so-cute progatonists, presents the sequel to her classic “The Hat” in “The Snow Nap,” about how Hedgie the hedgehog wants to stay awake all winter to see what the farm is like after his friends tell him about wonderful snow and ice. It is magical for Hedgie when the ice-covered chicken house looks like a frozen palace. But eventually he falls asleep until spring.(6 p.m. Dec. 2, Ramsey County Library, 2180 N. Hamline Ave., Roseville.)
“Louisiana’s Way Home” by Kate DiCamilio (Candlewick Press): Two-time Newbery winner DiCamillo has never written a sequel to any of her popular books, but she couldn’t resist continuing the story of Louisiana Elefante, who first appeared in “Raymie Nightingale.” Louisiana is wakened by her grandmother in the middle of the night because they have to leave home immediately. Separated from her best friends Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana tries to find a way home, but her life becomes entwined with the lives of the people in a small Georgia town and she worries she is destined only for goodbyes. (6:30 p.m. Oct. 6, Stepping Stone Theatre, 55 N. Victoria St., St. Paul, presented by Red Balloon Bookshop.)
“Otherwood” by Pete Hautman (Candlewick Press): Something unbelievable happens to Stuey and Elly Rose when they are in the deadfall in the middle of the woods. As the friends try to come to grips with their lives after that terrible moment, all the things Grandpa Zach used to say make more sense, such as “hatred combined with lies and secrets can break the world.” A story about secrets and mysteries and the way friendship, truth and perseverance can knit a torn-apart world back together, by a National Book Award-winner. (6:30 p.m. Sept. 11 launch party, Red Balloon, 891 Grand Ave., St. Paul)
“Dream Country” by Shannon Gibney (Dutton Books): Gibney’s first novel, “See No Color,” was drawn from her life as a transracial adoptee and won the Minnesota Book Award. The mother of two Liberian-American children, Gibney tells the story of five generations of one African-American family chasing the elusive dream across centuries and continents. The story stretches from the United States to Liberia, and from Liberia to the United States between 1826 and 2018. (6:30 p.m. Sept. 12, University of St. Catherine Music building recital hall, 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul; 6:30 p.m. Sept. 17, Red Balloon, 891 Grand Ave., St. Paul.)
“The Witching Well” by S.D. Hintz (Grinning Skull Press): When Murray Macabe’s mother is brutally murdered, he has no place to go except to his grandmother, who he hardly knows. He soon learns his grandmother has dark secrets, but none so dark as those held by the three elderly neighbor women. But — everybody knows there’s no such thing as witches. Hintz is the author of 16 novels, novellas, short stories and poems. He lives in Rockville, Minn., in a historic house where five members of a family were murdered.
And don’t forget: Oct. 13-14 is a big weekend for book lovers.
Library of Congress’ new Ambassador for Youth Literature familiar to young Minnesota readers
Jason Reynolds named ‘Young People’s Literature’ ambassador
Interesting reads while we wait for new books, including book of limericks by Garrison Keillor
Literary calendar for the week of Jan. 12
On Oct. 13, Rain Taxi Review hosts the free 18th annual Twin Cities Book Festival at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, featuring dozens of high-profile authors, hundreds of exhibits and children’s programs. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and there’s plenty of free parking.
Oct. 14 brings the fancy Opus & Olives gala, a fundraiser for Friends of the St. Paul Public Library and St. Paul Pioneer Press education programs, at St. Paul River Centre, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. Emcee will be Minnesotan Leif Enger, whose just-released novel is “Virgil Wander.” He’ll introduce guest readers Lisa Genova, Casey Gerald, Jane Leavy and Lisa Wingate. The party begins at 5 p.m. with a social hour and book signings, followed by 6:15 dinner and author presentations. Tickets are $150. For information go to thefriends.org.
Mary Ann Grossmann
Mary Ann joined the Dispatch-Pioneer Press in 1961 when there were two papers. She has been a fashion writer, a women's columnist and the women's department editor who brought "society" pages into the 20th century. She was named book editor in 1983, just when the local literary community exploded. She has won the Minnesota Book Awards Kay Sexton Award, a Page One Award and YWCA Leader Lunch Award. She retired in 2001 and works part time. A graduate of Macalester College, she lives on St. Paul's West Side in a money-sucking Victorian house with assorted old animals.
When news broke last week that Jason Reynolds was named Library of Congress National Ambassador for Youth Literature, the popular author of 13 young adult books said his goal would be getting kids to connect with him as he travels to small towns around the country as an advocate for reading. Reynolds will certainly be a success in his two-year...
NEW YORK (AP) —
During this in-between season we’re waiting for books of the new year, but there’s plenty of interesting reading available now. “Living with Limericks” by Garrison Keillor (Prairie Home Publications, $17.99) -- The former host of public radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion” gives us a preview of the memoir he’s working on in this collection of limericks, interspersed with anecdotes about...
BRIDGES READING: Rising stars in the local writing community take center stage in the Bridges series first program of the new year. “January brings a new year and it’s a great time to focus on rising stars,” says host/curator Stan Kusunoki. “It also gives me the opportunity to tap some of my former students and give them a chance to read...
Literary pick of the week: Poets and Writers and Musicians Against the War on the Earth
Australia is on fire, destroying human and animal life. Polar bears are starving because the arctic ice is melting. The Environmental Protection Agency, which is supposed to guard the environment, is rolling back protections that have been in place for decades. And mining companies want the BWCA. There couldn’t be a better time to hear Poets and Writers and Musicians...
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Ramsey County to consider development deal…
Ramsey County to consider development deal extension for Riversedge, including $80M public subsidy request
Undated courtesy image, circa July 2019, of a proposed Riversedge development along the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul. The Ramsey County Board advanced a $788 million riverfront development project Tuesday, July 23, 2019 for the former site of West Publishing and the county jail in downtown St. Paul. The Riversedge — proposed by Los Angeles-based developer AECOM — would feature four towers of mixed development as well as a bridge extension over Shepard Road and the existing railway to the edge of the Mississippi River, to create a public plaza space. (Courtesy of AECOM)
By Frederick Melo | fmelo@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
PUBLISHED: October 21, 2019 at 6:31 pm | UPDATED: October 22, 2019 at 5:03 pm
Construction of the first of four planned Riversedge multi-use downtown skyscrapers could get underway along St. Paul’s river bluff as soon as the fall of next year. But that’s only if a few key ingredients come together, including major financial commitments from state and local leaders.
And those are big “ifs.”
The $788 million project from Minneapolis-based AECOM is seeking $80 million in public subsidy, half of which Ramsey County officials hope will come from the state Legislature via the next bonding bill.
And the other $40 million half?
“It’s being discussed. … We’re beginning conversations with the city, too, in terms of how the project gets financed and staged,” said Josh Olson, the county’s deputy director of Community and Economic Development. “It could be city, it could be state, it could be federal (subsidy) because the project is in a national park.”
HOW TAXPAYER MONEY WOULD BE USED
That $80 million would be devoted to the “public realm” of the project. There would be nine acres of publicly-accessible land over the Canadian Pacific/Union Pacific railway tracks, including pedestrian- and bike-friendly ramps zigzagging from Kellogg Boulevard to Shepard Road and the actual edge of the Mississippi River.
A “lid,” or shelf-like area built over the railroad tracks, would turn what previous developers had envisioned as a 5-acre building project into a 12-acre attraction. It would be oriented toward downtown but accessible to and from locations 80 feet below Kellogg.
Aecomm took a look at county’s 5-acre site and said, Can we redevelop 12 acres? Turn buildings 90 degrees and reorient them toward downtown. Double “FAR.” Create a public realm connecting Kellogg to Shepard Road with pedestrian and bike friendly ADA ramps… pic.twitter.com/VytX3kQDdm
— Frederick Melo, Reporter (@FrederickMelo) October 21, 2019
Along Kellogg Boulevard, sunken atriums situated between each tower would allow clear views from downtown to the river, while providing meeting space at ground level.
“It’s been a shame that really the only places you can access the river is Jackson and Sibley (streets), or the Science Museum stairs, or Eagle Street,” Olson said. “This is really about transformation.”
Olson joined AECOM managing principal Brian Dusek for a joint presentation on the Riversedge project to the Greater St. Paul Building Owners and Managers Association in downtown St. Paul on Monday. A similar discussion is likely to unfold with the Ramsey County Board on Tuesday.
A previous developer, Phoenix-based Cardon Development Group, envisioned some 2,000 to 2,500 parking stalls extending down along the bluff. Olson said that at $26,000 per stall, the county would have to likely chip in substantially to help cover all or most of some $52 million in parking costs. That partnership ended in September 2017, the latest in a series of delays for redeveloping the vacant, county-owned land where the West Publishing buildings once stood.
Rather than just “filling a hole” with buildings and hoping for the best, he said “we’ve gone from a five-acre site to 12 acres, with 9 acres of public realm.” Olson called the $40 million legislative ask Ramsey County’s “number one bonding priority.”
The seven-member county board, which entered into a preliminary development agreement with AECOM last winter, will receive the latest update on the project Tuesday and decide whether to extend the agreement for several more months of planning and due diligence. Public subsidy isn’t the only hurdle before them.
“What we’re waiting for now is negotiations with the railroads and the electric company,” said Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega, in a brief phone conversation. “That’s what they’re going to report on. That’s the main issue for now.”
TO BE BUILT IN PHASES
AECOM’s Dusek said the project would roll out in phases, with the two residential towers on the eastern side of the property built first. The first tower would be home to a 168-unit hotel, 56 condos, and 4,000 square feet of retail space. The second tower would host 350 apartments and 7,500 square feet of retail space. Between the two buildings, there will be 500 parking stalls.
Overall, the four towers would span 30,000 square feet of retail, and 950,000 square feet of modern office space built from the ground up to attract large employers.
Some skeptics have questioned why developers would build more office space downtown when so many units are being converted into residential housing, and some 21 percent of “competitive” office space (units that are not owner-occupied or government workplaces) remains vacant downtown.
Dusek said downtown St. Paul has failed to attract large new employers because it lacks modern, contiguous, high-end office space — places where big companies can occupy 150,000 square feet or more.
“The reality is it’s been 20 years since (that type of office space) has been built in downtown St. Paul,” said Dusek, who promised “large floor plates, with parking amenities that connect to retail amenities.” Even if the buildings don’t fill with new jobs, they could be retrofit down the line for residential uses, he said.
Overall, the site would host up to 1,600 parking stalls. While the site would not contain any affordable housing, AECOM has suggested making a $5 million donation instead to a housing fund. County officials have yet to approve or deny that recommendation, but the topic drew intense discussion at a board meeting held in April.
Four towers. First two are residential, hotel, apartment and condo. Second group of towers is office space. “The reality is it’s been 20 years since office has been built in downtown St. Paul … with large floor plates, with parking amenities that connect to retail amenities.” pic.twitter.com/ZxZUn8b0Pg
Bremer Bank employees file class-action lawsuit against three Bremer Trust trustees
Prairie Island Indian Community and Capital City Properties propose hotel, housing above RiverCentre ramp
Downtown St. Paul
St. Paul development
Frederick Melo
Frederick Melo was once sued by a reader for $2 million but kept on writing. He came to the Pioneer Press in 2005 and brings a testy East Coast attitude to St. Paul beat reporting. He spent nearly six years covering crime in the Dakota County courts before switching focus to the St. Paul mayor's office, city council, and all things neighborhood-related, from the city's churches to its parks and light rail. A resident of Hamline-Midway, he is married to a Frogtown woman. He Tweets with manic intensity at @FrederickMelo.
Follow Frederick Melo @FrederickMelo
Prince wrongful death case dismissed; estate case continues
MINNEAPOLIS — Prince’s estate has dismissed wrongful-death claims against Walgreens pharmacy and a doctor who had prescribed pain medications for the musician before he died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl nearly four years ago.
Negative online reviews focus of lawsuit among Forest Lake business owners
A Forest Lake restaurant owner and a Forest Lake law firm say a competitor and former client posed as a customer and a contractor and wrote negative online reviews, likely scaring off potential business. A posting on Google.com by “Johnny Devlin” said Eric Ernst, the owner of 3rd Gear Restaurant & Bar, failed to pay “Devlin,” who wrote he owned...
Business People: Former mayor Chris Coleman joins board of Minnesota Housing Partnership
OF NOTE The Minnesota Housing Partnership announced the following new board members: Chris Coleman, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity president and CEO and former mayor of St. Paul; Kayla Schuchman, director of Housing, Planning and Economic Development, City of St. Paul; Cecile Bedor, CommonBond executive vice president of real estate; Brittany Lewis, founder and CEO of Research in Action; Alisha...
SpaceX launches, destroys rocket in astronaut escape test
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX completed the last big test of its crew capsule before launching astronauts in the next few months, mimicking an emergency escape shortly after liftoff Sunday.
Real World Economics: Academics of St. Paul’s college savings plan
The assertion of something being "good in theory but bad in practice" is overused. It's often that the "good" theory is simply bad -- or too general to execute for any specific situation. Yet there also are policies that appear good in intention and practice for several reasons, empirical as well as theoretical, and could have positive effects when implemented,...
Welcome to Oakdale, says the voice from downtown St. Paul
When prospective business owners call the volunteer-driven Oakdale Area Chamber of Commerce to introduce themselves, a staff member at the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce -- located in downtown St. Paul, some eight miles from Oakdale's city center -- will pick up the phone. The same is true for the Minnesota Hmong Chamber of Commerce, which by last summer...
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A Montessori environment
Beyond the expected
The Parents Association
RCB Event
Home Blog Middle School Students Explore the Evolution of Plants
Middle School Students Explore the Evolution of Plants
Written by mschaffer
“Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a special kingdom located on the 3rd satellite from a star the natives called “Sun.” King Evolution ruled both land and water with an iron fist from the time that life first appeared, about 3.8 billion years ago. Although she allowed and even encouraged for life to try new things, she only allowed certain organisms to survive. Those allowed to survive didn’t necessarily need to be perfect or even supremely adapted to their environment – they just needed to be sufficiently good to appeal to her. They also needed to be able to survive random challenges that she would set them over time....”
So began the “Story of Plants,” which took The Renaissance International School (TRIS) middle school students on a fantastic journey through the evolution of plants. Told in simple, yet accurate, terms, the story illustrated the key steps that contributed to the development of the plants we see today, and provided the students with a framework for understanding plant biology.
After hearing about how prokaryotic cells developed into eukaryotic cells, the students were eager to know more. What are these cells? How do they differ from each other? And so began an exploration of cells that resulted in a series of three cell models: prokaryotic, plant and animal (eukaryotic). The students enjoyed learning the names of the different parts as they researched, chatted and built their models.
Students then had the opportunity to explore why it is that cells didn’t just get bigger and bigger, instead forming multicellular organisms. Through an experiment with agar and a special colorant, the students were able to observe diffusion in agar “cells” of different sizes and to see how the transport of nutrients and waste could be very challenging in a large cell. Best of all, it was a lot of fun!
Newsflash Items
Oakland Campus
Oakland, CA 94602
Phone: 510−531−8566
Piedmont Campus
Piedmont, CA 94611
Connect with TRIS
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Districts work to bring officers back to schools
In the same week that Port Huron announced its resource officer program for local schools, Marysville and Clay Township initiated similar efforts, while other districts wait on funding.
Districts work to bring officers back to schools In the same week that Port Huron announced its resource officer program for local schools, Marysville and Clay Township initiated similar efforts, while other districts wait on funding. Check out this story on thetimesherald.com: http://bwne.ws/2IgIRgK
Jeremy Ervin and Jackie Smith, Times Herald Published 5:45 p.m. ET March 11, 2018
Marysville Police Officer Justin Reeves talks with students about his police dog, Heiko, during an assembly Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, at Washington Elementary School in Marysville.(Photo: File.)
When Marysville stopped having a police officer cover schools on a regular basis, Chief Tom Konik said they could notice the difference.
The liaison official helped calm the daily ebb and flow for students and school staff and deter issues, like classroom disruptions, fights, threats or the presence of narcotics.
It also helped with the relationship with the students.
“I know when we lost contact based on the types of calls for service. When you have officers on a more frequent basis and not just dropping in … students feel more comfortable,” Konik said. “… Kids, if they notice something going on in their neighborhood, they would (tell us). We lost that.”
Marysville was one of multiple communities in the area that had a resource or liaison officer program in local schools that, likely within the last decade, dried up for lack of funding.
School officer wants to be someone students can trust
Now, they're trying to get it back. And they aren't alone.
On Wednesday, a Marysville officer started covering local schools on a half-day basis. School and city officials are expected to consider more permanent options for the position later this month.
In Clay Township, both township board members and Algonac Community Schools officials signed off on bringing a full-time liaison officer back last Monday, and Superintendent Alan Latosz said the goal is to get them in place “within a week or so.”
“How do we not do it? I don’t think there’s an argument out there … of why this (is) something we shouldn’t do,” Clay Police Chief Michael Koach told Clay trustees. “We protect the things that are dear to us.”
Those changes come amid a heightened awareness of school safety following the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Port Huron began seeing a full-time officer at each of its high schools on Thursday — the school district paying $53,600 for the remainder of the school year with plans splitting the cost of two officers with the city next year.
City, district partner to put cops in schools
Similarly, Clay Township and Algonac Community Schools will split the cost of one officer.
Officials said it’s expected to be a little more than $40,000 each, though they’re still working out details. All the district’s schools are located within the township’s boundaries.
Koach said on Monday, that he’d been talking about bringing a full-time officer back with Latosz for the last several months since he came on as the school district’s superintendent, as well as his predecessor John Strycker.
“It was to the point where it was like, you know what? Our kids are worth it,” Latosz said. “There’s a lot of good that comes from it.”
“Due to budgetary concerns, this program went away” several years ago said Konik, saying it was similar to reasoning in Marysville.
Then, however, Koach said its impact had been priceless.
“Not only was he there as a police officer, he became a friend, a mentor, and basically a counselor to a lot of these kids,” he said. “And these kids got to know him, got to respect him, got to trust him, and we got a lot of priceless information out of that.
“And it’s the best way of stopping things before they happen. Not to mention having someone in our schools (when), God forbid, something does occur.”
In Algonac’s district, Latosz said it’d be most likely the officer would spend much of their time at the junior-senior high school.
“In terms of interacting with kids and all the things we want that officer to do, we just think he’ll be best set at the 7-12 (grades) building,” the superintendent said. “We’re excited about it. I think it’s going to be good for a lot of different reasons.”
Amanda Braun, then-age 17 and a student at Algonac High School, laughs with Herman Montville, a then-Clay Township police officer. She said she knew Montville, who was the school's liaison officer. Clay Township's board and Algonac Community Schools officials agreed to split the costs of bringing a resource officer back to the district. (Photo: File.)
Clay Township Supervisor Artie Bryson said when school’s not in session, the resource officer would help the police department cover the area’s busy summer season, saving the township overtime costs with “two more feet on the ground.”
But that wasn’t the only benefit, he said.
“It’s going to pay dividends coming back to us, as far as teaching these kids, mentoring,” Bryson said. “Who knows? We could start some sort of cadet program with the schools. We’re having a hard time of finding people that want to be cops.”
Marysville City Manager Randy Fernandez said City Council members will discuss funding a resource officer in the long-term during a goal-setting session on March 19. The next day, he said, they’ll have a special council meeting to decide how to move forward for the remainder of the school year.
Marysville council members typically meet at 7:30 p.m. at city hall, 1111 Delaware Ave. Goal setting sessions usually start at 6 p.m.
Currently, a Marysville officer is spending a few hours of each shift in schools. Fernandez said the city’s providing it for now at no cost.
Shawn Wightman, Marysville schools’ superintendent, said they still have some things to work out financially. But he said the officer is already making a difference.
“Just talking and communicating with staff. Reassuring them that she’s there. Talking with students and already starting to build relationships,” he said. “Identifying things she can be a part of in terms of clubs and different programs and maybe finding places to improve in practice or (operations).”
Elsewhere in St. Clair County
Officials across St. Clair County said local law enforcement officials do visit local schools and maintain a good relationship, though that doesn't mean they're there on a regular basis.
East China Schools Superintendent Suzanne Cybulla said they, too, want to bring in resource officers. She called herself a “strong advocate” for a more formalized police presence in schools.
But she said funding is tricky, as well as coverage because the district includes areas covered by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department and Marine City and St. Clair police departments.
Cybulla said her goal would be to have two officers — one in a high school in Marine City and St. Clair, covering each end of the district. She said she hopes grant funding may become available.
“As quickly as we can,” she said. “That’s about as tightened down as I can get on the timeline. It is difficult. St. Clair High School, just for example, is not in the city of St. Clair, (but) Marine City High School is in Marine City.”
Area students plan school violence walkouts
Yale Public Schools maintains a school resource officer in partnership with the city’s police department, already.
Superintendent Ken Nicholl said the position provides visible security, serves as a positive example of policing to students, and has taught DARE and other educational programs.
“Our long-standing partnership with the city of Yale and the Yale Police Department in this endeavor has extended well over a decade,” he said in an email. “It would not have been possible without such key players in our local government and board of education who support this initiative.”
Memphis Community Schools also has an officer from the city’s police department. The officer is based out of the junior-senior high school four days a week and helps with crossing guard duties, traffic flow, and safety.
Superintendent Brad Gudme the district is exploring making the position full time.
In Sanilac County
Croswell-Lexington Schools maintains a full-time officer through a partnership with the Croswell Police Department.
Lt. Randy Willis said the officer is based out of Croswell-Lexington High School and makes rounds through the rest of the district’s facilities.
Capac Community Schools does not have a formal agreement to keep an officer in its facilities but maintains a relationship with the village of Capac's police department, said Jeff Terpenning, the district’s superintendent.
The police headquarters is quite close to the school buildings, and Terpenning said the relationship still works.
“Our police officers and us are on a first name basis,” he said. “That’s the beauty of a small town.”
A police officer watches as students walk to classes at Capac High School in 2003. (Photo: File)
Deckerville Community Schools doesn’t have a resource officer.
“There’s really no discussion of having a resource officer. We have one police officer for the whole town,” said Superintendent Michael Hugan. “Personally, I’d love to have one.”
A small district with a small footprint, Hugan said they’ve put emphasis on security in other ways. Current features include cameras, buzzers on the doors of key school entry points, and small metal plates called “the boot” used to guard classroom doors.
He said they’ve also considered getting large bullet-proof, tactical boards on wheels that they could use to block a hallway.
“It’s a difficult question. We’re still kind of working on it. We’re looking at ways to improve things,” Hugan said. “I like the ideas of these barriers, but even those are 2,200 bucks a piece and you need two or three per hallway.”
The Carsonville-Port Sanilac School District has liaison officers with the Sanilac County Sheriff's Office and the Michigan State Police who visit the school two to three times per month, according to Superintendent James Stewart.
The officers facilitate communication between the district and their departments.
With Sandusky Community Schools, there is no dedicated officer, but Superintendent Paul Flynn said the district works with local law enforcement to provide visibility of officers in the district's buildings and address security issues when they arise.
The district mostly works with the Sandusky Police Department. However, as part of the district is outside city limits, they sometimes need to include the Sanilac County Sheriff's Office, Flynn said.
Neither Peck or Brown City community schools have a dedicated officer.
Peck schools work with the Peck Police Department and sheriff’s department to have officers do walkthroughs, security checks and maintain a visible presence.
Brown City Superintendent Neil Kohler said local police have keys to school facilities.
"And they pop in occasionally throughout the day," he said in a message. "They’ll walk through the halls or the parking lot. We have a pretty good agreement with them and a relationship to keep them around our buildings. It’s not necessarily paid through the schools, it’s just part of their daily routine."
Marlette Community Schools Superintendent Sarah Barratt did not return a call and email for comment as of Friday afternoon.
Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith. Contact Jeremy Ervin at (810) 989-6276 or jervin@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @ErvinJeremy.
Read or Share this story: http://bwne.ws/2IgIRgK
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Hit Stories: the making of Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes
Hit Stories - the making of Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes
In our latest episode of the Hit Stories series, John Plunkett talks to Director and Executive Producer Ben Kellett on the mammoth task of recreating three episodes from the hugely successful classic sitcom, Dad’s Army. ‘The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker’, ‘A Stripe for Frazer’ and ‘Under Fire’ were wiped and essentially lost in the late 1960s after broadcast, but with the original scripts still intact, UKTV commissioned them to be remade for Gold. From assembling a star-studded new cast, recreating the famous set and costumes, and doing justice to the timeless comedy writing of Jimmy Perry and David Croft, see what went on behind the scenes of this unique piece of TV history.
Throughout this series, John Plunkett talks to the people who make the nations’ hit shows, asks how it’s done and what’s coming next. In a world where advertisers are themselves looking to get the attention of big audiences, or create their own compelling content, there is much to learn from the teams behind the very best in the business.
Hit Stories: the making of Taskmaster
Journalist John Plunkett meets Taskmaster creator Alex Horne to discuss everything from favourite challenges to dream contestants
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Electronics Boutique booming
By Paul Armstrong
COMPUTER games retailer The Electronics Boutique has cashed in on Britain's Christmas shopping boom, recording a 47% jump in like-for-like sales in the period.
The company said that the festive bonanza would cover the cost of rebranding shops as Game and changing the company's name to The Game Group. About half of its 290 UK stores still trade as Electronics Boutique, and the switch is expected to generate a £6m exceptional charge against profits in the year to 31 January.
Analysts said this would be offset by the sharply higher underlying performance that would result from Christmas trading, leaving the company on track to report a £25.2m pre-tax profit for the current year. The market had expected Electronics Boutique to enjoy like-for-like sales growth of about 30% over Christmas. But the release of the Harry Potter game proved a huge windfall as people queued for a chance to play Quidditch. It also benefited from strong demand for PlayStation 2 and the hand-held Nintendo Game Boy Advance.
The name change will include changing the loyalty databases of more than three million customers accounting for about 60% of sales.
Electronics Boutique said total UK sales were 51% higher in the five weeks and up 41% for the year. It did not release a total figure for Continental sales.
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School in the digital era
A change of paradigm
By Thomas Pedroli
Above the door through which school children pass every day it says in big letters: YOU MUST, YOU MUST, YOU MUST. In school there are many things we must do. We must go to school, we must learn, we must pay attention, we must be quiet, we must ‘get on’, we must do our homework, we must listen.
Meanwhile we know that learning processes don’t work like that; learning is not something we ‘must’ do, we can only learn on a voluntary basis. Insights and knowledge result from astonishment; astonish is not something we can do with intent. The best environment for learning processes is an environment in which I feel safe; feeling safe is not something we can decide to do. Many studies in neurophysiology and psychology in the last decade have shown this. And still our school system is ignorantly infused with things we ‘must’ do. Many principles date back to times past and are no longer relevant.
1. Fear
The first principle still effective in school today dates back to the Roman-Catholic monastery of the Middle Ages. The dogma of “original sin” formed the entire culture of Central Europe: Man (and woman) is born with sin and therefore ‘evil’, only through hard work and by the grace of God is it possible to be saved.
This idea of fear is deep rooted in western culture: “I am not good enough!” The consequence of which is “You must work hard, maybe it’s enough sometime!” Since the Reformation this principle has been applied on nearly all educational levels and is still effective today.
In school this fear is ever present. We continuously judge what is good and bad, right and wrong. We distinguish between different ‘classes’ and school systems, an education in a grammar school is ‘worth more’ than in a secondary school, there are good and bad grades, good and bad behavior, even ‘good’ and ‘bad’ pupils. If everything turns out well, I will be successful, I may get a title like Dr., Prof., B.A., M.A. And I will get a ‘higher’ salary. If things do not turn out so well, I may be characterized earlier by ADHD, Asperger, dyslexic. I may be referred to a special needs programme, I may get a support plan and later in life a ‘lower’ salary.
However, the fear of not being good enough is still alive in most people today, independent of their social position. And this fear pushes them on and on, to strive for ‘higher and higher’ goals, and prevents them from being content with themselves and their lives in the present situation. Contentment is then postponed to sometime in the future.
Do we really have to wait until later to be satisfied or even happy with our situation? In school as well as in other fields of life we are often told to wait for the future, i.e. to achieve some imaginary next level. “When you have finished school… After your graduation… Once you have a good job… When you have reached retirement age with a good pension...”
2. Obedience
The second, no longer appropriate principle in school derives from military barracks. It may not be a pleasant thought, but school’s hierarchic structure is taken directly from the military of the 19th century. A large group of pupils are instructed by one teacher. The teachers in a school get instructions from the headmaster. The headmaster receives his/her instructions from the ministry. This hierarchy is lives on a culture of obedience. Obedience is the most important duty. Otherwise soldiers wouldn’t kill or expose themselves to the danger of death. Which healthy human being would voluntarily kill other human beings? What would school be like without obedience?
Obedience is linked with punishment. If someone does not obey the rules, he is punished. And if punishment does not work, he is expelled from school. And even though it has been known for a long time that punishment has a negative effect on learning processes, it is still widely being used. Of course punishment today is often imposed in much more subtle ways than in earlier centuries when physical punishment was still allowed. Physical punishment in school was not abolished in Germany until 1973, the right to a non-violent upbringing in the family was only put into law as late as 2000. That means a lot of today’s teachers were ‘educated’ while physical punishment was still in use.
There are not many schools in which punishment of any kind is not a part of everyday life. Indeed, isn’t marking in school often used as a reward or punishment? Obedience is a basic principle in school, and the mental program which is installed via obedience reads as follows: “I am powerless” and the ‘survival strategy’ says: “Do as the authority (teacher, doctor, minister) tells you! You cannot decide for yourself.” MUST we be obedient in order to develop and learn in a human way?
3. Enforced conformity
The third principle goes back to the age of Industrialization. When the first factories were founded there was a great demand for workers who could adapt to unnatural working conditions. Those who adapted to them got work and survived. Those who did not adapt were threatened by poverty. Workers could easily be replaced. This caused a great fear: “I am replaceable. I don’t count! I feel alone.” The mental program installed here works according to the principle: “You are exactly like everyone else!” And the survival strategy is to do, think, feel and live like everyone else. Conform to the norm!
Our entire school system is full of norms and standards. These norms and standards are related to economic interests. To begin with these were regional norms, then nationwide norms were established and today schools are run according to European norms. If a pupil does not fit the norm, he is compared to others and often enough the future prospect of such non-conforming pupils are viewed with concern. The fact that every child is unique may indeed be written in the pedagogical curriculum and educational course books – in everyday life, however, it is often annoying when a child does not learn in standardized ways or does not behave in ‘normal’ ways.
Many educators report that more than half the children they work with don’t behave in ‘normal’ ways. If this was the case, a minority would define the concept of “normality”. So far the majority has always been the measure for what was considered to be normal. MUST we conform in order to survive?
The industrial era is over and the paradigm of that era is no longer valid.
There are doubts about many principles which used to be incontestable e.g. the thought that economic growth leads to riches has been proved wrong by consequences for the environment, the unequal distribution of wealth, the financial crisis and global warming. The Arab spring has shown that essential social changes can originate from the bottom rather than the top of society or government. In Egypt it was the young unorganized generation which toppled the government. How was that possible? The young people were connected through digital media, mobile phones and via internet. We rightly call our era the digital era. The young generation since around 1985 has got absorbed in it by making full use of net-working, multi-tasking and global communication. The internet has a non-hierarchic, “chaotic” structure consisting of many details, which enables people to exchange data and stay in touch worldwide. The older generation has problems understanding the young. In the past “power” was left to the church, the state and the economy. Nowadays each person creates his own reality: we need not wait until the state reforms schools. State attempts are usually belated. We reform our schools and ourselves, our work profile, our training.
When our own fear is involved
Many pupils respond to old-fashioned teaching methods in a way that we become aware that something is wrong. In some cases we may already have felt this. But as soon as we as parents or teachers are cornered by the unusual behavior of a pupil or a whole class, we suddenly say or do things we thought we would never do or say – sentences like “if you go on like this, you will fail”, “a low mark shows you that you are worthless”, “if I do not punish you now, everything will get worse – I only mean well”, “you do not know yet what is good for you. Simply do as I tell you”, “your future employer will not let you do everything you want”, “without finishing school properly you will not get on in life”, “one day you will be grateful for my advice”, “work first, pleasure later”...
Speaking like that indicates that we are afraid, helpless, lonely, sad, that fear overwhelms us and we are no longer in proper control of the situation. Only when we listen to this fear and not revert to old strategies, can we find security and are we able to help our pupils. This new attitude requires a different job profile, a different training. What pupils need are teachers who practice handling their own feelings i.e. in staff meetings. Pupils need teachers who are able to communicate efficiently with themselves and others. Pupils need teachers who train their intuition, teachers who use meditation on a daily basis, who are able to leave thinking and judging aside, in brief: teachers whose vocabulary does not contain the word MUST.
The new Pradigm
The new paradigm creates security in schools, and security facilitates growth and learning. This security is an attitude where fears of worthlessness, powerlessness and loneliness are replaced by new certainties:
“I am precious – because I am”
before I do something, while I am doing something, and after I have done something – independent of the result.
“I shape my own life “.
I am the creator of my own reality.
“I am autonomous”.
Being autonomous I am connected with everybody and feel responsibility.
The old virtues of ambition, obedience and conformance are replaced by self-esteem, creativity and autonomy.
Above the entrance of the school you do not read "you must" anymore but
THIS IS WHERE WE MEET.
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Theater Talkback: When Actors Write the Words
In our era of practically mandatory multitasking – and, for that matter, free-floating financial insecurity — it is probably to be expected that more actors would try their hand at playwriting. In the past few months I’ve reviewed three new plays by established actors, at three of the city’s significant nonprofit theaters. I can’t recall another similar flurry in the more than a dozen years I’ve been reviewing.
There are lots of reasons why actors might want to flex new muscles, trying their hand at creating their own characters instead of interpreting ones created by others. In an interview in American Theater magazine, Bruce Norris, the actor-turned-writer-turned-Pulitzer Prize winner for “Clybourne Park,” pointed to this impulse as the motivation behind his desire to switch tracks: “I wanted to be able to express what I thought, rather than be the vehicle for the expressions of someone else’s thoughts.”
Actors turning to writing is a time-honored tradition, of course. Shakespeare was the most spectacularly successful actor-writer in theater history. Eugene O’Neill made a few halfhearted attempts at following in his actor father’s footsteps before heading off on the long journey that would eventually result in some of the American theater’s greatest plays. Two of the most successful playwrights in 20th-century Britain, Noël Coward and Harold Pinter, began their careers as actors.
In their training, in the rehearsal room and onstage, actors can naturally acquire an instinct for playable dialogue, the convincing flow of dramatic incident and the way action and speech can naturally be combined to reveal a character’s emotional innards. Actors can learn from audience reactions what works and what doesn’t; they know firsthand when a line is overwritten or a bit of business is failing to register because they are the ones who feel the impact in the moment itself. Appearing in plays both good and bad can be a fine apprenticeship in how to write and how not to write a play, at least for actors who can see beyond the limits of their own lines. (And, to be sure, there are many actors who probably never do.)
Recent history also would provide some inspiration: In the past five years the Pulitzer Prize – the most prestigious seal of approval in the theater world – has been awarded to two plays written by former (or current) actors: Mr. Norris’s cleverly bifurcated play about race, class and real estate and Tracy Letts’s rip-roaring family drama “August: Osage County.” An enterprising actor, bored with sitting around the movie set or demoralized from weary rounds of auditions, might easily look to their examples and wonder, hey, why not me?
The three shows I’ve seen recently that have been written by actors would have to be classified as long shots for the Pulitzer Prize, or perhaps any prize. Each had some merit and suggested that the authors may in the future become writing talents worth watching. But I also wondered whether the plays’ flaws might have kept them in the literary manager’s one-more-rewrite pile if their authors had not been actors with some public name value.
Sara Krulwich/The New York TimesJustin Bartha and Krysten Ritter in “All New People.”
Zach Braff’s “All New People,” seen at Second Stage Theater in the late summer, was a concept-driven comedy about a would-be suicide (Justin Bartha) whose attempt to hang himself at a friend’s beach house on the Jersey Shore is rudely interrupted. Mr. Braff presumably learned a lot about the rhythms of comedy during his stint as a performer on the zany-doctors sitcom “Scrubs.” His play was amply stocked in sharp-witted one-liners delivered by characters who might easily turn up on serial television comedy: a daffy British realtor, a fireman with a sideline in selling drugs, a comely call girl.
But while it provided a lot more laughs than many so-called comedies written by established playwrights that I’ve seen in my years as a critic, “All New People” also evinced a common failing of neophyte writers. The peg on which the plot hung – that interrupted suicide – came to seem flimsy as the motivations for the characters’ behavior became less and less logical. Getting people on and offstage for reasons that derive rationally from character and circumstance is harder than it seems, and Mr. Braff’s play eventually felt a little too much like a random chatfest – funny as it was – that predictably evolved into a drink-fueled series of revelations, that classically hoary device.
It’s probably to be expected that actors, when writing, would find themselves drawing on conventional situations and ideas they have come across in their training and careers. It’s equally to be expected that the old axiom “write what you know” would play a role in the first efforts of actors turned writers.
That was certainly the case with Zoe Kazan’s first play, “Absalom,”which I reviewed at the Humana Festival of New American Plays a couple of years ago. Ms. Kazan’s play, among the better at the festival that year, was a Chekhovian comedy-drama about the relationships among an artsy family in the Berkshires. Ms. Kazan is the daughter of screenwriters and the granddaughter of the great stage and film director Elia Kazan. The people in “Absalom,” with their sophisticated interests and high-end neuroses, were the kind of intelligentsia among whom Ms. Kazan has presumably lived much of her life.
That was also the case with her new play, “We Live Here,” finishing its run this weekend in a Manhattan Theater Club production. Also set in a comfortable country house in New England, it too told of the relationships among a well-heeled family of highbrow interests: pater is a professor whose specialty is Aristotle, and one of the daughters is a composer studying at Juilliard.
Yet “We Live Here” featured scenes that dwindled into pointlessness or ended too abruptly, and characters too stridently conceived to come across as convincingly human. The impulse to provide actors with angst-stuffed people to embody might come a little too naturally to actors, who themselves know how delicious it can be to tackle a troubled character.
Sara Krulwich/The New York TimesBetty Gilpin and Oscar Isaac in “We Live Here.”
In “Asuncion,” now at the Cherry Lane Theater in a Rattlestick Playwrights Theater production, Jesse Eisenberg revealed an affinity for creating characters with a more real human blush about them. He seems to have drawn some inspiration for his own character, a hapless slacker named Edgar, from his performance as Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Network.” The characters share a motor mouth and a jittery intensity, but Edgar’s got no gas in his engine – he can’t get up off the beanbag chair to forge a life for himself.
Mr. Eisenberg’s play, like Mr. Braff’s, benefited from skillfully wrought humor as well as an appealing role for Mr. Bartha (again!) as Edgar’s best friend and semi-unwilling roommate. But as in “All New People,” the central device driving “Asuncion” was forced: the play’s title character, Edgar’s new sister-in-law, was essentially parked in the living room the young men shared for reasons too unlikely to describe, and left there for an implausibly long time to serve as a spark for tensions between Mr. Eisenberg’s and Mr. Bartha’s characters.
The trend, if trend it becomes, of name actors making waves as writers for the New York theater does raise potentially troubling questions. Are producers and artistic directors intentionally (or unconsciously) trying to exploit the authors’ notoriety as actors to attract audiences to plays that they might not produce if they were written by unknowns?
Of the three actor-writers I’ve mentioned, only Mr. Eisenberg appeared in his own play – and, as I noted in my review, he played the most unappealing role. But a play written by a Zach Braff or a Zoe Kazan is probably going to attract more media attention than a similarly scaled effort by an author whose name has never appeared in a gossip column or on a movie theater marquee. Certainly I heard some grumblings among my critical colleagues at the decision by Manhattan Theater Club to give a prime slot in its season, and a first-class production directed by the hot director Sam Gold, to Ms. Kazan’s play, which would probably have benefited from some more diligent dramaturgy and another rewrite or two.
I hope all three of the playwrights I’ve discussed keep writing – and I’ve no objection to seeing any of their brethren join the club – but the commercial theater is already unhappily encumbered by the pressures of celebrity. I would hate to see the not-for-profit theaters, where most new playwrights first get their breaks, start turning their stages over to marginal plays that stand out from the pack only because the playwright’s name might sell a few tickets to fan club members.
by Charles Isherwood
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Home » Press Release » The European Rohingya Council calls on the International Community to join Gambia seeking justice and accountability for Rohingya
The European Rohingya Council calls on the International Community to join Gambia seeking justice and accountability for Rohingya
02:02 am Nov 12, 2019 730
The European Rohingya Council welcomes Gambia´s initiative in its case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Myanmar as a country has not only failed to prevent and stop genocide against its own ethnic Rohingya minority within its territory, and it also refuses cooperation with the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission and the UN special Rapporteur Ms Yanghee Lee, and continues to deny unfettered access to Rakhine state.
Since the 1962 Myanmar Military coup, Rohingya people have faced institutionalized policies stripping of their ethnic identity and citizenship, and systematic persecutions with an intent to destroy the Rohingya community as a whole. The continuation of state-sanctioned waves of atrocious military campaigns against Rohingya in Rakhine State, has brought destruction in every aspect of Rohingya community – socially, cultural, religiously, economically and politically.
The mass exodus witnessed by the world in August 2017, is the latest campaign commanded under the watch of Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Between 2017 and 2018, over 754,000 Rohingya were uprooted from northern Rakhine State, forcing them to seek refuge in Bangladesh after more than 390 of their villages were razed down in the scorched-earth campaigns in which tens of thousands Rohingya civilians were killed and hundreds of Rohingya girls and women were sexually assaulted and raped as the weapon of war.
Nearly 120,000 of Rohingya are also still trapped inside Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps in across Rakhine State after series of state-sponsored campaigns unfolded from 2012 to 2015. The government has failed to return the internally displaced Rohingya to their place of origins coupled with the lack of accountability and restoration of citizenship and basic human rights that the Rohingya community has once enjoyed before the military coup.
Approximately half a million of remaining Rohingya in Rakhine State are facing severe forms of human rights abuses with almost no access to humanitarian aid and medical care, which the fact-finding mission on Myanmar called the “ongoing genocide” and warned that “there is a strong inference of continued genocidal intent on the part of the state in relation to the Rohingya and there is a serious risk of genocide recurring.”
Myanmar has failed its obligation to prevent, investigate and punish the perpetrators of the genocide under the Genocide Convention.
Therefore, the ERC calls on all states signatory to the UN’s Genocide Convention to uphold their obligations to prevent, intervene and hold perpetrators accountable when it comes to the gravest crimes such as the genocide which is well-documented and perpetrated by Myanmar against the Rohingya community.
As we applaud Gambia’s courageous act of solidary standing up for justice and accountability for the victims of Myanmar genocide, we urge the international community to join and support Gambia at the International Court of Justice in the pursuit of justice for the Rohingya community and holding the Myanmar Military to account for the genocide against Rohingya.
Dr. Anita Schug
info@theerc.eu
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Commons leader David Lidington to take on PMQs for the first time
Choosing Lidington to stand in for Theresa May is being seen by some as a snub to chancellor Philip Hammond
Peter Walker Political correspondent
@peterwalker99
Fri 25 Nov 2016 14.03 EST Last modified on Tue 13 Nov 2018 05.22 EST
David Lidington, the leader of the Commons, will stand in for Theresa May. Photograph: Rob Pinney/Rex/Shutterstock
The traditional heavyweight political clash of prime minister’s questions is set to be replaced with an undercard bout later this month when David Lidington, the relatively little-known leader of the House of Commons, will stand in for Theresa May for the first time.
With the prime minister away on an official trip, Lidington will, by convention, face up to an equivalent more junior Labour figure rather than the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn.
Some reports have suggested that choosing Lidington to deputise for May marks a snub for her chancellor, Philip Hammond. The role is traditionally seen as a way to boost the profile of leading ministers and a sign of political allegiances within the cabinet. George Osborne was chosen to stand in for former prime minister David Cameron, fuelling speculation in the previous parliament that he was being shaped as a future leader.
However, Downing Street said it was traditional for leaders of the Commons to fill in at prime minister’s questions. A spokesman said: “This is the most important Commons event of the week and as such the PM believes it is right the leader of the house stands in for her.”
Harriet Harman, leader of the house of Commons under Gordon Brown, would regularly deputise forhim when he was prime minister. However, at the time she was also the deputy party leader, a role for which there is no equivalent under May.
A Labour spokesman said it was not yet known who would fill in for Corbyn. However, some reports have suggested it could be the party’s similarly low-profile leader in the Commons, Valerie Vaz.
The Walsall South MP, the elder sister of fellow Labour MP Keith Vaz, is a newcomer to the front bench, having only been appointed shadow leader of the house last month.
David Lidington
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Russian LGBT activists describe victimisation, repression … and hope
Group of 10 activists depict dark times for LGBT rights in Russia, as they visit London for workshops and training with Stonewall
Alexandra Topping
Mon 6 Apr 2015 08.31 EDT Last modified on Wed 29 Nov 2017 15.35 EST
Gay rights activists release balloons as they take part in a rally in St Petersburg. Photograph: Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images
London stretches out below the window of the Stonewall meeting room on the 13th floor of a Waterloo tower block, and a group of 10 Russian human rights defenders admire the view. “London is the capital of Great Britain,” says Sergei Alekseenko, the director of the Maximum LGBT organisation, dusting off his high school English with a smile. He adds, in Russian: “It’s good to be here.”
The 10 activists are here to mine the experience of the UK’s largest LGBT rights organisation, which since it was founded in 1989 has seen the introduction of legislation allowing gay couples to adopt and the introduction of gay marriage, and to see if lessons learned in Britain can help combat an ever more repressive situation in their home country.
Russia plans to register 'foreign agent' NGOs
These are dark times for human rights activists in Russia, and particularly those advocating for the LGBT community. A series of laws, including the requirement for NGOs receiving international funding to register as “foreign agents” in 2012 and a ban on gay “propoganda” the following year, have left organisations facing hefty fines and increasing marginalisation. A pervasive tone of homophobia has emboldened violent vigilantes.
“Of course people are scared,” says Alekseenko, his arms folded across his chest. “Three or four years ago there were radical individuals, but now they form groups. They makes threats on social media, they publish details of activists, of their families, they threaten physical violence. Only a stupid person would not be afraid.”
Thanks to private donors Stonewall has welcomed the activists to its London hub for a week of workshops and training on subjects from security to influencing power and media skills. Founded by a small group of activists fighting for the repeal of section 28 of the 1998 Local Government Act, which, like Russia’s 2013 law, aimed to prevent the “promotion” of homosexuality in schools, they hope they have something to give.
Russian activists take part in a workshop at Stonewall’s London offices. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian
The previous day was spent learning about media strategies, and being given tips by a former ITN news journalist on how to look, stand and sound when giving interviews to camera. By the end of the week, Stonewall’s Russian guests were learning what makes a good campaign ; the importance of using evidence, targets and goals; and ways of winning powerful allies. “It’s really a big opportunity for us to get knowledge that is difficult to get in Russia,” said Olesya Yakovenko of the Russian LGBT Network.
“It’s about giving them skills and confidence, something concrete. It’s about them hearing our experiences, including those things we got wrong,” says Caroline Ellis, a senior director at Stonewall. “We know that not everything will necessarily translate, so we’re here to learn too.”
Russia passes law banning gay 'propaganda'
By being in London, and agreeing to speak to the Guardian, the Russian activists know they are taking a significant risk, but they want their voices to be heard.
Having any kind of a voice is increasingly difficult, says Tatiana Vinnichenko, the chair of the Russian LGBT Network and director of the Arkhangelsk-based organisation Rakurs, which has been forced to register under Russia’s “foreign agents” law.
“It used to be much easier,” she says, proudly wearing a new T-shirt with the slogan “Some girls marry girls. Get over it”. “In the past, people thought they could make things better, things could improve. Now people are tired of fighting and getting nowhere.”
The activists tell stories of their organisations being investigated, of constantly moving goalposts, of being watched. One organisation was deemed to be engaging in political activity for having LGBT books, and an activist who is also a teacher, is in under investigation to ensure she is not promoting homosexuality.
Protesters take part in a London rally against Russia’s gay ‘propaganda’ law in 2103. Photograph: Rex Features
Dissent has also become an expensive business, says Anna Annenkova, from the Side by Side international film festival, which was fined 400,000 roubles (£4,700) in June 2014 after being named as a “foreign agent”.
“The first impact is of course financial, it is a huge effort to pay these fines, but the second is cultural,” Annenkova says. “To people in Russia ‘foreign agent’ means a spy, someone who wants to destroy the country. It’s really negative publicity.”
The ability to demonstrate has also been heavily curtailed, she adds. In the past protesting could carry a 500 rouble fine, now anyone holding a placard can face a penalty of 30,000 roubles, a good month’s salary.
The activists all fear the growing intolerance in Russian society, citing the case of Vladislav Tornovoi, a young gay man killed in a homophobic hate crime in Volgograd in May 2013. According to the investigation, he was raped with beer bottles and set on fire; a rock was brought down repeatedly on his head until he was dead.
Three men were later quietly tried and convicted with long jail sentences, but reaction to the murder from some was congratulatory.
From left to right, Anna Annenkova, Olesya Yakovenko, Tatiana Vinnichenko, Nika Yuryeva and Sergei Alekseenko. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian
Anton Krasovsky, the former editor-in-chief of pro-Kremlin cable channel Kontr TV until he came out as gay on air, after which he was fired and the channel closed, wrote in the Guardian that news reports of the murder were followed with comments such as: “Putin did warn us that if the homos raise their heads, the Russian people will take up arms. One head has rolled.”” He added: “How did it come about that today in Russia a good gay person is a dead gay person?”
Homosexuality is not illegal in Russia. It was decriminalised in 1993 and removed from the list of mental illnesses in 1999. Since the passing of the homosexual “propaganda” law, however, there has been a hardening of public opinion. Polls suggest 68% of the public support the legislation.
A 2013 survey by the Pew Research Centre revealed that 74% of Russians believed homosexually should not be accepted, compared with 60% in 2002.
Russia fails in bid to halt UN staff benefits for same-sex couples
“Young people are the worst affected,” says Nika Yuryeva, of Coming Out LGBT group, which has been fighting attempts to classify it as a “foreign agent” since March 2013. “There is much more aggression among young people, much more hate crime. It’s noticeable to everyone that the last 18 months have got much worse.”
Activists fear further crackdowns may be in the pipeline. A draft law banning “undesirable foreign organisations”, which the Duma passed after a first reading in January, could ban any international organisation that “poses a threat to the defence capacity and security of the state or to public order, or to public health”.
The human rights activists holed up at Stonewall fear the laws that legalised homosexuality in the 1990s could be under threat. The Kremlin increasingly portrays human rights as a western imposition, arguing that homophobic laws are a defence of local culture and values against western imperialism. “Propaganda works,” says Vinnichenko. “They only have to put out homophobic material and people themselves will beg Putin to change the law.”
Is there anything to be hopeful about? At the very least, a backs-to-the-wall mentality has brought activists together, says Vinnichenko. “Other NGOs have taken the LGBT movement onboard,” she says. “And if LGBT leaders in the past were in competition they now feel a certain responsibility, they know they have to work together.”
Some people have left the movement, but new volunteers are highly motivated. Olesya Yakovenko, who joined the Russian LGBT Network after the new laws were passed, says: “Until then we read poems, it was very gentle, but as soon as the laws came into power, we had to rethink our strategy.”
After sharing stories of victimisation, fear and repression, the activists give a perhaps surprising response when asked about the future. Asked to raise their hands if they think things will get better for LGBT people in Russia in the next five years, three of them raise an arm. Among them is Sergei Alekseenko. “We have to have hope,” he says. “Otherwise how can you be an activist, if you have no optimism that things will get better?”
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https://www.thehour.com/news/article/Neighborhoods-What-s-going-on-in-your-part-of-13854262.php
Neighborhoods: What’s going on in your part of Norwalk
Updated 2:56 pm EDT, Friday, May 17, 2019
A worker with EC Painting gives the Wall & Main building a fresh coat Thursday , May 16, 2019, in Norwalk, Conn.
Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media
The East Norwalk Neighborhood Association will host its next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 20, in the Community Room of the Marvin Senior Center, 60 Gregory Blvd.
The guest speaker will be Norwalk Superintendent of Parks Ken Hughes. He will speak about new parking procedures at Calf Pasture Beach and the status of the Veterans Memorial Park Master Plan implementation.
For more information, email Info@eastnorwalk.org.
The city’s new poet laureate, Bill Hayden, has announced the formation of a poetry writing and reading workshop, beginning from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, May 20, in the Carnegie Room of the Main Library, 1 Belden Ave. All writers, readers and appreciators of poetry are welcome.
Each workshop will give participants the opportunity for informal readings of original poems, or works in progress in a safe space for trying out something new and receiving peer reactions and comments. Participants are also welcome to share a poem written by a favorite poet.
Hayden is flexible on the workshop’s future format, and has ideas which include inviting visiting poets to read from their work, building a workshop around a suggested “writing prompt” or theme for poems, and giving short presentations on various poetic forms.
To RSVP, contact Bill Hayden at poet_laureate@norwalkpl.org. For additional information about library programs, contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, director of library information services, at 203-899-2780 ext. 15133, or clahey@norwalkpl.org.
In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, local historian Eric Chandler will present a new lecture, “Jewish Participation in the American Revolution — Red, White and Jewish,” Sunday, May 19 at 2 p.m. at the Norwalk Historical Society’s Mill Hill Historic Park Townhouse, 2 East Wall St.
Chandler will share the stories of the Children of Abraham who fought for separation from England, explore the role played by Jews who took up arms and endured the hardships and hazards alongside their Christian neighbors and endangered themselves as intelligence gatherers, toiled to ensure a steady supply of food and war materiel and worked tirelessly as financiers. Although the Jews in Colonial America represented a small minority of the overall population, their contributions, individually and collectively, were significant beyond their meager numbers.
Chandler worked for more than 30 years as an underwriter for a leading land title insurance company. He has been involved in American Revolutionary War Living History since 1974. He has portrayed infantry, light infantry, whale-boat raider, and mounted and dismounted dragoons. He is currently serving his third term as a member of the Norwalk Historical Commission and sits on the Norwalk Historical Society Board of Directors. His artistic endeavors included writing and recording a comedy CD, and decades as a musician in local rock n’ roll and blues bands.
Tickets $8. Handicapped and Limited Mobility parking on site only. For general parking, please follow signs to parking across the street.
South Norwalk
The sixth annual Ninety9Bottles Craft Beer Festival will return to Oyster Shell Park Saturday, June 1, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Samples of more than 75 different types of New England-based craft beers will be available, including established favorites and new batches. The event will include live music and food trucks.
Price of admission includes a tasting glass and unlimited samples. General admission tickets are $40 before the event and $50 at the door.
Pets and kids are not allowed.
A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the Tommy Spinola Memorial Foundation, which in turn donates to local charities and awards scholarships to Norwalk youths who have exemplified the traits that Tommy valued most: kindness, generosity, hard-work, and community service. To learn more please visit spinnersfoundation.org.
Let us know what’s going on in your neighborhood. Contact staff writer Justin Papp at justin.papp@scni.com or 203-842-2586.
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Downtown Los Angeles Travel Guide
Downtown Los Angeles Is Having a Moment — Here’s What to Experience in the Booming Neighborhood
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This Los Angeles Grocery Store Has 31,000 Items — and You Can't Eat Any of Them
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What to Do in Los Angeles When It's Raining
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Eat Your Way Through Los Angeles With Angeleno Chef Wes Avila
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The Bat-Signal Will Light Up L.A.'s City Hall Tonight in Honor of Adam West
Los Angeles will honor Adam West, who passed away June 9 at the age of 88, in a tribute fit for Batman on Thursday night.Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAPD... Read More
Take a Tour of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's $12.78-million Los Angeles Home
If you've ever dreamed of seeing the inside of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's previous home, it's your lucky day. The ex-couple has put the house on... Read More
City Guides for Coffee Lovers
I’m guilty of both a caffeine addiction and a picky palate, so easily tracking down coffee spots is fairly critical to my enjoyment of a city. It’s not... Read More
Virgin America "World's Best" Sale: Today Only!
We just revealed our annual World's Best Awards this morning, and we're happy to see that our winners are already celebrating! Virgin America, which was... Read More
Downtown L.A. Is Where It’s At
Downtown Los Angeles has transformed from one of L.A.’s “whatever” neighborhoods to a must-do that’s on everyone’s list. With the recent opening of the... Read More
See more tips & articles on Downtown Los Angeles Related Areas
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Virtual Branch Online Banking
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Like people, not all financial institutions are alike. People like you look for better alternatives to managing their money. U. S. Postal Service Federal Credit Union (USPS FCU) offers you an option. You can choose to eliminate high-interest loans and high fees by choosing to join our Credit Union. U. S. Postal Service Federal Credit Union is uniquely different from a bank, finance company, Savings & Loan, or Thrift. Once you join, you'll be immediately eligible for our low or no-fee financial services, lower interest rates for loans, and higher yields on investment and savings accounts, plus outstanding member services and the attention you deserve. Joining is easy. If you click here to see if you are eligible, just open a Share Account which represents your ownership in the Credit Union. Your share begins your lifetime of Credit Union benefits.
What is a Credit Union?
The credit union cooperative concept originated in Germany during the mid-1800s. A group of farmers, tired of high prices and outrageous interest rates, combined their money to buy supplies and establish a common pool for members to borrow from at lower interest rates. Today's credit unions are similar. A credit union is a member-owned and not-for-profit financial cooperative. Deposits provide money for members who need loans. Members usually earn higher dividends on savings and pay lower interest rates on loans. A volunteer board of directors is elected by members to manage a credit union. As of September 30, 2018, there are over 5,436 federally insured credit unions in the United States with more than 115.4 million members. Although credit unions have changed over the years to meet the demands of their members, our long-standing philosophy of 'People Helping People' has remained the same. USPS FCU is part of a long-standing tradition in personal financial management. USPS FCU has been serving its members since 1934 when it was founded to serve employees of the United States Postal Service. We now serve over 24,781 members. Our membership also includes members from several Select Groups (SG).
Board of Directors & Supervisory Committee
U. S. Postal Service Federal Credit Union is a member-owned and operated, not-for-profit financial cooperative chartered under federal law. USPS FCU has been providing sound financial support for its members for many years through the efforts of its Board of Directors, Supervisory Committee, and professional staff. Each group performs different functions to ensure the integrity and soundness of the Credit Union.
The Board establishes loan and savings policies and directs the affairs of the Credit Union. The Supervisory Committee oversees the financial affairs and strength of your Credit Union. If you would like to know more about the functions of your Board and Supervisory Committee, give us a call and/or attend the Annual Meetings.
Michael E. McCartney
Mr. McCartney, a member since 1981, served on the Board since 1996 and is currently Vice Chairman of the Board. He served as Chairman for over 10 years. Mike earned a BS in Accounting an MPA and has over 30+ years’ experience in various positions in finance with the US Postal Service. His responsibilities before he retired, included reporting on major capital investments to senior management and the Board of Governors.
John F. Rosato
Vice Chairman/Director of Marketing
Mr. Rosato became a member in 2012. He is currently employed as a corporate law attorney at U. S. Postal Headquarters. He has also served as an attorney-advisor at the U. S. Regulatory Commission, which oversees postal rates. Mr. Rosato holds a BA from the University of Richmond and a JD/MBA from the University of Connecticut. He is also the author of a published article examining the relationship between banking regulations and the 2007 financial crisis. He will actively seek out your concerns and work diligently to ensure USPS FCU’s continued success.
Thomas Dale Jr.
Secretary/Treasurer/Director of Finance
Mr. Dale has been a member of the USPS FCU since 1984, served on the Supervisory Committee for eight years, and has been on the Board for six and one-half years. He served as Secretary/Treasurer of the Board and has served three years on the Board of the American Bowling Congress. He retired after 42 years as an accountant in the USPS Headquarters Finance Group in 2008. He holds a BS degree in Business Administration from the University of Alaska, Juneau.
Richard E. Gatewood
Director of Technology/Operations
Mr. Gatewood has been a member of the Credit Union since 1980. He has served on the Board as Chairman, Vice Chairman, Director of Operations/Technology and the Supervisory Committee for two years prior to being elected to the Board in 1991. He is a former Postmaster and retired Financial Systems Specialist, EAS-25, with the Postal Service in Revenue Assurance with 37 years of service. He graduated from Rutgers University with a BS in Accounting and has extensive credits in an Administrative Science Master’s Program at GW University.
Gilbert A. Ford, Jr.
Director of Strategic Planning
Mr. Ford has been a member of the credit union since 1990 and served on the Board for the past 20 years. He has served as Vice Chairman, Finance Director, HR Director, and Strategic Planning Director. His 13 year Postal career included working on National Programs from a financial perspective. Mr. Ford also worked in various financial capacities for approximately 10 years with the General Services Administration. Currently, Mr. Ford is the Budget Director with the Federal Election Committee (FEC). He has served as Secretary/Treasurer of the Credit Union and as Trustee and Treasurer of his Church. Mr. Ford holds a BS from Florida A&M University and an MBA in Accounting from LaSalle University (Philadelphia).
Richard Yessian
Mr. Yessian, a retired Postal Executive, has been a member of the USPS FCU since 1972. He served in the Headquarters Finance Group and Engineering. Mr. Yessian was a Board member or Chairman of the Supervisory (Audit) Committee of the CU from 1992 to 2014. His responsibility required knowledge of banking operations, regulations safeguarding member’s deposits and hired the outside auditors. As a member of the Board, he has led the Board’s initiatives on Facilities, Mergers, HR and Marketing. He has college degrees from City University of NY and NY University emphasizing business and technical disciplines.
Timothy S. Gavagan
Mr. Gavagan joined the Credit Union in 1993 and the Board in 1999. He has served as Vice Chairman, Finance Director, HR Director, and Strategic Planning Director. He holds a degree from NY University and attended Hunter College, CCNY and Long Island University for studies in business communications, finance, accounting and marketing. During his USPS career he worked in the areas of business communications, management systems auditing, supply chain management and journalism.
Supervisory Committee
Chairman: William Batterton
Member: Amy Rose
Member: Richard Strasser, Jr.
Member: Leonardo Green
Member: Phillip Brady Hayden
If you are interested in volunteering for the Supervisory Committee or have any concerns that deal with integrity, accounting, internal controls or other auditing matters, please contact us at:
U. S. Postal Service Federal Credit Union
ATTN: Supervisory Committee
7905 Malcolm Road
Clinton, MD 20735-1730
USPS FCU Shared Vision, Mission, and Values
Our vision is to become the preferred financial institution for those we serve.
Our mission is to provide top quality service that helps members improve their financial lives.
We will achieve our shared vision and mission by believing and practicing our shared values of:
INTEGRITY: Be Honest and Respectful
SERVICE: We Care
INNOVATION: Easy Access, Everywhere
FISCAL STABILITY: Securing the CU's Future
EDUCATION: Helping members achieve financial independence
Become a Member of USPS FCU
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Your savings are federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government
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Medical Student & Resident Education
Fellow Education
Division of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
One of the newest divisions within Pediatrics, we care for infants and children with a wide spectrum of respiratory illnesses, including disorders of respiratory control, the chest wall, respiratory muscles, and cystic fibrosis.
Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
The Division of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine at UT Southwestern, one of the newest divisions in the Department of Pediatrics, is committed to improving the health of infants, children, and young adults by providing quality clinical services, furthering the understanding of respiratory illnesses through original research, and participating in the education of physicians at all levels.
Under the direction of Andrew Gelfand, M.D., the Division’s physicians and a number of associated health care professionals work together to form a truly multidisciplinary program.
Excellence in Patient Care
The Division of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine provides care to infants and children with a wide spectrum of respiratory illnesses, including disorders of respiratory control, the chest wall, and respiratory muscles, airway and lung parenchyma, and cystic fibrosis at Children’s Medical Center’s two campuses. Learn more about the excellence of our patient care.
Leadership in Research
Varied research interests include how the nervous system influences the structure and function of the airways, acute lung injury, mechanical ventilation, near-fatal asthma, pulmonary outcomes in neuromuscular disease, respiratory consequences of early-onset scoliosis, and molecular mechanisms that regulate lung development. Learn more about our state-of-the-art research.
Education of Future Leaders
Our faculty is committed to the education and training of medical students, residents, and fellows. Our Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship Program prepares pediatricians to be experts in pulmonary medicine through a combination of educational activities, competencies, and assessment methods. Learn more about our education and training programs.
Amid ADHD spike, doctors urge closer look at sleep issues
Amid a steady rise in the number of children diagnosed with ADHD, debate is brewing whether the condition may be a sleep disorder....“If adults don’t get enough sleep, they’ll appear sleepy,” says Dr. Syed Naqvi, a pediatric sleep expert at UT Southwestern’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute. “Children don’t do that. They show ADHD-like behavior instead – hyperactive or inattentive.” Read more
UTSW/THR study investigates fitness of obese children
A study underway at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, with co-investigators, Dr. Tanya Martinez Fernandez and Dr. Olga Gupta, is investigating the respiratory effects of obesity in children, including obese children who may be misdiagnosed with asthma. Read more
Do breathing issues hamper exercise in overweight preteens?
Drs. Tanya Martinez Fernandez and Olga Gupta are co-investigators on a study to determine if overweight children have more breathing limitations, intolerance for exercise, and breathlessness when exercising than normal weight children, leading to possible misdiagnosis for conditions such as asthma. Read more
Research forum highlights collaborative efforts of students, mentors
Dr. Phil Shaul presented the keynote address at the 2017 Medical Student Research Forum, one of the most high-profile events whose key is the ongoing student-mentor relationship. Read more
2018 Division Annual Report
Division Chief
Andrew Gelfand, M.D.
Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
Residency: Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
Fellowship: Pulmonology, University of Colorady Health Sciences Center, National Jewish Medical and Research Center
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Santa Maria dei Derelitti, Venice
This statue, apparently with an itchy back, decorates the facade of the 17th Century church of Santa Maria dei Derelitti, also known as the Ospedaleto, due to its proximity to the Ospedale (Venice’s main hospital).
Inside are several paintings attributed to Tiepolo.
The church is in Salizzada Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Castello.
The statues, designed to look as though they are supporting the building on their backs, are by Flemish sculptor Juste le Court who was influential in Venetian sculpture during the 1670s. More of his work can be seen among the statues of the high altar in Santa Maria della Salute, Venice.
< < Back to Castello
CastellochurchderelittiitchyOspedaletoPhotostatueVeneziaVenice
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Smugglers risk death and arrest to sneak booze into Iran
by Quentin Müller
May 24 2017, 12:11pm
CHOMAN, Iraq — Snow-covered peaks loom over the pickup truck winding its way up a dirt road in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains. It’s late April, but temperatures remain frigid here on the Iran/Iraq border.
After a steep 30-minute drive from the city of Choman in the semiautonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, we stop at a makeshift border station located five or six miles west of the actual border. It’s controlled by the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, a militant political organization banned in Iran and exiled to Iraq whose members act as an unofficial border patrol in the area.
Two Kurds climb out of the truck. They’re armed with Kalashnikov rifles, but they’re not here to fight. Instead, they’re here to sell their cargo — dozens of boxes filled with alcohol.
The shipment of mostly whiskey, vodka, and beer originated in Turkey, then passed through the cities of Erbil and Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan. The alcohol will be smuggled over the harsh mountain terrain and into Iran, where it’s a crime for Muslims to drink or even possess alcohol. Getting caught with it can result in lashings. Getting caught three times can result in a death sentence.
Smugglers carrying up to 90 pounds of alcohol each traverse a trail through a minefield. (Photo by Sebastian Castelier)
“If the weather is good, between 200 and 250 smugglers come every day,” says Fariat, one of the two Kurdish militiamen.
It’s not very warm today, however, and soon about 20 men appear from the direction of Iran, slowly descending mountains that are still littered with land mines from the 1980s Iran-Iraq War. They are on foot, many of them in shoes that are tattered and torn. Some wear face masks to protect themselves from the cold.
One of the men is Ahmed, a 45-year-old smuggler who began his journey of 8 or 9 miles from the Iranian city of Piranshahr at 3 a.m. that morning. He and his Kurdish comrades are here to buy the alcohol and return it across the border.
“Now I am going to carry 40 kilograms of bottles of alcohol on my back,” he says. It took him six hours to walk here unencumbered, but it will take him three times as long to walk back over the mountains thanks to his nearly 90-pound burden.
He smiles.
“It’s going to take me 18 hours to cross this paradise.”
Despite the possibility of harsh punishments, it isn’t all that difficult to procure alcohol in Iran.
In 2011, an estimated $730 million worth of alcohol — somewhere between 60 million and 80 million liters — was smuggled into the country and mostly sold in larger cities by people known as sagis. They aren’t hard to find, and their clientele includes a range of economic classes; a bottle of smuggled booze in Iran typically costs anywhere from $20 to $100.
In addition, alcohol is legally produced — in extremely limited quantities — and consumed inside the country by members of religious minorities.
Two members of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan unload alcohol. (Photo by Sebastian Castelier)
As a result of the relatively easy-to-obtain illegal alcohol, the then-head of the country’s national police force said in 2012 that there were more than 1 million regular drinkers in Iran; an estimated 200,000 of them suffered from alcoholism.
About 80 percent of all the alcohol smuggled into Iran enters the country from Iraqi Kurdistan. The Ministry of Interior for the Kurdistan Regional Government, which governs the region, declined comment.
Ahmed has been smuggling alcohol for a decade. He completes his route about 10 times a month when weather permits, but a smuggler’s definition of “weather-permitting” is expansive.
“The cold is our worst enemy,” he says during the ascent toward the border. “Every year, we lose companions who die from the cold.”
Smugglers head toward the Iran/Iraq border. (Photo by Sebastian Castelier)
They also die in skirmishes with Iranian guards, who patrol the mountainous border. A few weeks earlier, Ahmed says, border guards fired on him and some of his fellow smugglers; two men died. If any of them had been caught with the alcohol, they would have likely faced years in prison.
Ahmed earns about $500 a month in the summer, when he’s able to complete the journey most often. (The average monthly income in Iran is about $350.) The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan militiamen who supply the liquor tax the smugglers between $30 and $50 per trip depending on the value of the cargo. Some smugglers prefer to haul cheaper liquor, but not because of the taxes.
A sign warns of mines along the route. (Photo by Sebastian Castelier)
“If we buy luxury bottles, we can earn a lot,” says Peshawa, a smuggler traveling with Ahmed. “But it is also a danger because if we abandon our cargo when we’re fleeing the shootings of the border guards, then we can lose a lot of money.”
Mohammad, 39, takes a break during the rocky ascent. “I spent three years in the prison of Urmia in Iran,” he says. “Why? Because during a skirmish in the mountains, I disarmed and then hit an Iranian border guard.”
The guard, he says, was in a coma for two months.
“I came to Iraq to join the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan,” he continues. “But as I have a cousin who is a member of [Iran’s] Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, they did not hire me.”
Though smugglers say they’re all but unable to bribe border guards, they do work with informants who identity the whereabouts of patrols. But there are also informants in the smugglers’ ranks, says Fariat. Those informants tell Iranian intelligence if they spot anything more serious than alcohol being transported into the country.
A smuggler prepares one of his packs for the journey through the mountains. (Photo by Sebastian Castelier)
“Iranian secret services try to infiltrate this [smuggling] traffic rather than fight it,” says Bernard Hourcade, a researcher focused on Iran at France’s National Center for Scientific Research. “The traffic of alcohol is less important; drugs, dissidents, or terrorism are the real targets of the government. Alcohol smugglers are more useful as informants.”
A few hundred meters from the border, VICE News parts ways with Ahmed, Peshawa, Mohammad, and the other smugglers. The following morning, they will meet Kurdish merchants in Iran and sell them the alcohol, and the merchants will in turn smuggle it into Iran’s major cities, where they will sell it to sagis, who will sell it to drinkers.
“You call the sagi and tell him what you want,” says 23-year-old Ramin, a Tehran resident who drinks regularly. “You take your car, wait for him at a traffic light, and the transaction is done.”
The smugglers, meanwhile, will begin another trip across the border.
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan
alcohol in iran
alcohol smuggling
choman
iran alcohol
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The Lost Roles of Dave Chappelle
By Bradford Evans
Lost Roles is a weekly column that takes a particular comedic performer or writer and dives deep into all of their movie and TV projects that came close to happening but didn’t, for one reason or another. This week, we turn our attention to Dave Chappelle, who eight years ago was the hottest comedian in the country.
After spending more than a decade honing his chops as a stand-up comedian and appearing in supporting roles in other people’s movies (and a starring role in his own, Half Baked), Dave Chappelle finally found the perfect vehicle for comedy in the Comedy Central sketch show Chappelle’s Show in 2003.
Chappelle’s Show quickly became too popular for the star to handle, setting DVD sales records, scoring Emmy multiple nominations, giving life to irritating catchphrases that would frustrate Chappelle when fans yelled them at him during his stand-up sets and in his personal life, and netting Chappelle a whopping $50 million paycheck for the next two seasons. Dave Chappelle soon grew frustrated with the show’s raging popularity, his diminishing creative control, a hostile work environment, and was just generally feeling burnt out from two years of doing triple duty as a writer, actor, and producer on the show. So, Chappelle fled the country and hasn’t returned to TV or film since. He has, however, been performing stand-up regularly since the collapse of his Comedy Central series and recently joined Twitter, fueling speculation that he’s mounting a comeback, only to seemingly abandon his Twitter account after just a few days.
With this column, it’s often most fascinating to look at the abandoned projects and casting close calls of comedians who have retreated from the spotlight, and few in the comedy industry have ever walked away from a more flourishing career than Chappelle’s. With the overwhelming success of his Comedy Central series, particularly its second season in 2004, Dave Chappelle found himself receiving lucrative film offers, with competing TV networks salivating over him too. Let’s take a look at some of the projects Dave Chappelle came close to being involved in over the years but didn’t, including movies that would have seen him collaborating with Tom Hanks, Darren Aronofsky, and Michel Gondry, and biopics that would have seen him portraying street comic Charlie Barnett and funk icon Rick James, presumably without the worn-out catchphrase.
1. Forrest Gump (1994)
The role: Bubba Blue
Who got it: Mykelti Williamson
Early on in his career, Dave Chappelle turned down the role of Forrest Gump’s sidekick Bubba, according to IMDb, and regretted the choice later on when he saw how successful the movie became. Appearing in Forrest Gump would have introduced Dave Chappelle to an extremely large, mainstream audience early on, but the movie isn’t exactly in tune with the tone of his stand-up. A role in a huge movie like this would have been great for Chappelle’s acting career, but it might have proved to be a distraction from his comedy. Chappelle would later play sidekick to Tom Hanks in a dissimilar movie, You’ve Got Mail, in which he didn’t have to portray somebody with a patronizing name like “Bubba.”
2. Rush Hour (1998)
The role: James Carter
Who got it: Chris Tucker
According to IMDb, Dave Chappelle and Martin Lawrence were each considered to play fast-talking LAPD detective James Carter in what became the long-running, lucrative Rush Hour franchise. Like Forrest Gump, Rush Hour would have also introduced Chappelle to a much wider audience, but unlike Gump, this movie had a more comedic role for him that would have allowed him to improvise a significant amount of his dialogue. Still, I doubt Chappelle would have been happy appearing in this series of popcorn movies, had his incarnation of Rush Hour been successful. Dave Chappelle was able to avoid ever taking one of these buddy cop roles that every black stand-up comic-turned actor since Eddie Murphy seems to have to resort to at some point, and he was able to reach the top of his profession without making one.
3. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
The role: Tyrone C. Love
Who go it: Marlon Wayans
In a 2008 interview with Howard Stern, director Darren Aronofsky revealed that Dave Chappelle was his first choice for this part in Requiem for a Dream. Aronofsky says he begged Chappelle to do the movie, but Chappelle turned him down, probably busy with an appearance in the quickly-forgotten Norm Macdonald movie (is there any other kind of Norm Macdonald movie?) Screwed right around that same time.
4. Fletch Won (in development 2003)
The role: Fletch
Filmmaker Kevin Smith spent several years trying to make a third film in Chevy Chase’s Fletch series, developing a reboot that would have replaced Chase with a new, younger actor. While the likes of Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, and Zach Braff nearly ended up in the role, dozens of names were thrown around for the high-profile part. One executive suggested Dave Chappelle for the part, which Kevin Smith called “a stroke of brilliance,” but studio head Harvey Weinstein shot that casting idea down. Had Weinstein been onboard with casting Chappelle in 2003, he would have had a lot of heat on his movie when it came time to release it the following year, with Chappelle’s Show at the peak of its cultural relevancy. Dave Chappelle seems like a much better fit for the part than Zach Braff or anybody else who was in contention for it, but the Fletch prequel never materialized anyway.
For a more detailed look at the casting process for the seemingly-abandoned Fletch reboot, check out this piece I wrote for Splitsider last year.
5. Rick James biopic (in development circa 2004)
The role: Rick James
Dave Chappelle was in talks to play the prolific funk rocker Rick James in this movie based on his autobiography, Memoirs of a Super Freak. Chappelle famously impersonated James on Chappelle’s Show in a sketch that created one of the most irritating, oft-repeated catchphrases in comedy history. Rick James died later that year, but not before telling Chappelle his concerns about the film. James was afraid his children wouldn’t understand the movie, which was apparently supposed to be a comedy. The fact that this was supposed to be a comedy almost makes it sound like it almost would have been like the Chappelle sketch turned into a feature film, which is an odd way to do a celebrity biopic. Chappelle granted Rick James’s wishes for him not to make the movie, though, and a more conventional-sounding Rick James biopic, starring Terrence Howard, went into development a few years later.
6. King of the Park (in development circa 2004)
The role: Charlie Barnett
Charlie Barnett was a stand-up comedian, who frequently performed in public areas like parks and mentored Dave Chappelle in his early days. Barnett never achieved the fame of his peers like Eddie Murphy before dying young of AIDS in the mid-90s, but he was still a wildly popular performer who had a large influence on Chappelle and many others. Chappelle inked a deal to play Barnett in a movie about his life, with Tom Shadyac (Bruce Almighty) directing and Ron Howard and Brian Grazer producing. This was a great opportunity for Chappelle to appear in a role that would have allowed him to perform comedy and drama at the same time, all while paying tribute to his mentor, but Chappelle’s retreat from the entertainment industry in 2005 put the kibosh on this one.
To learn more about Charlie Barnett’s life and legacy, check out this wonderful piece Conor McKeon wrote for Splitsider a few weeks back.
7. Dave Chappelle’s Family History of the World (in development circa 2004)
The role: Himself/various
Tentatively titled Dave Chappelle’s Family History of the World, a studio executive pitched this feature film comedy to Chappelle, in which he was to “play his family members at various points in history as he chronicles his family’s fictitious involvement in momentous events, from biblical times to the present day, while also riffing on the black experience.” Kind of a modern riff on Mel Brooks’s History of the World Part I. Chappelle, who was to also write the script, was in negotiations to make the movie, but like many of these projects, this one was abandoned when the comedian left Chappelle’s Show and the world of movies and TV in 2005.
8. Judge Paul Mooney (in development circa 2004)
When Dave Chappelle and his writing/producing partner Neal Brennan renewed their contracts with Comedy Central in 2004, their multi-million dollar deals stipulated that they would create new shows in addition to returning for Seasons 3 and 4. The first of these new shows was a pilot that would have seen Chappelle’s Show regular Paul Mooney doing a humorous version of a TV judge show in which he resolved people’s real disputes. Chappelle calling it quits with Comedy Central stopped this one from going forward, and the network attempted a similar-but-different courtroom series, Root of All Evil, with Lewis Black banging the gavel instead of Mooney.
9. TV shows on NBC and FX (considered in 2004)
With his show at the peak of its popularity at the end of its second season, Dave Chappelle was courted by NBC and FX when it came time to renew his contract with Comedy Central. NBC president Jeff Zucker decided Chappelle was “too expensive,” though, and Chappelle chose Comedy Central’s offer over the also-lofty one FX threw his way.
10. Be Kind Rewind (2008)
The role: Mike
Who got it: Mos Def
Michel Gondry, who directed the concert documentary Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, says that Chappelle was very interested in appearing in his movie Be Kind Rewind. Chappelle even suggested several of the movie remakes contained in Be Kind, including Driving Miss Daisy and Boyz n the Hood. Chappelle ended up unable to make the movie, however, and Chappelle’s Show regular Mos Def slid into his spot instead.
11. Hancock (2008)
The role: John Hancock
Who got it: Will Smith
This unconventional superhero movie spent over a decade in development before it was finally made with Will Smith, but according to IMDb, Dave Chappelle was at one point considered for the lead role. It seems like an ill-fitting part for Chappelle, but, to be fair, Hancock did go through several writers and screenplay drafts during its lengthy development process. The version of the movie that Chappelle almost ended up in might have been quite different from the one we eventually got.
12. Tower Heist (2011)
Unknown supporting role
Another movie that took over a decade to get made, Tower Heist was originally called Trump Heist and envisioned by director Brett Ratner as a “black Ocean’s Eleven.” Ratner signed Eddie Murphy to play the lead role (which eventually went to Ben Stiller) and wanted Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Chris Tucker to play the supporting characters. Ratner was supposedly in talks with this trio of comedians, but he soon decided to turn his idea of a “black Ocean’s Eleven” into a “multiracial but mostly-white Ocean’s Eleven” by sliding Eddie Murphy into the sidekick role and casting Ben Stiller as the lead.
Bradford Evans is a writer living in Los Angeles.
lost roles
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© 2015 by Doug Wachholz
Mr. Wachholz is an international business consultant and developer whose recent focus has been in the areas of solar PV and other renewable energy generation and energy efficient retrofits. He is as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Nevada Center on Foreign Relations and previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Nevada District Export Council of the US Department of Commerce, Board of Directors of Nevada World Trade Council, and member of the Green Energy Task Group of the Reno 2020 Forum.
He previously served in numerous positions in the US Government, including Special Assistant, Africa Bureau, Agency for International Development; Senior Staff Associate for Science and Technology, Energy and Environmental Policy with The White House Development Coordination Committee; Attaché/Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Trade and Development Agency; and Co-Coordinator of Renewable Energy Export Promotion Joint Task Force for Trade and Development Agency and Department of Energy.
His consulting experience includes advising Overseas Private Investment Corporation on renewable energy investment promotion in the Caribbean and service as in-country Coordinator of The World Bank’s Technical Assistance Loan for the Structural Adjustment of the economy of Jamaica. He has also advised the Trade and Development Agency on its reimbursable feasibility study program and was Project Manager for the Department of Commerce and Trade and Development Agency jointly-funded project on promoting US private sector investment in Brazil and Argentina water-wastewater privatization that was implemented by Institute of the Americas. He was employed as Director of Environment and Water Programs at the Institute of the Americas, La Jolla, California
As consultant to Municipal Advisors Group of Boston Inc. and Oppenheimer Funds, Mr. Wachholz led numerous missions to Argentina for discussions with governmental entities regarding options for re-financing the nation’s public debt; advised the developer of a hydroelectric power project in Chile on obtaining international financing; surveyed infrastructure project opportunities in Paraguay for Enron Engineering; and advised Raytheon Technical Services Company, NASDAQ Seattle Biotech Conference, Clearwater Consultants, CH@MHill, G&E Engineering, and Senate Finance Committee of the Province of Corrientes, Argentina.
Mr. Wachholz’s degrees include a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut; J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law; and a Diplome de Droit Compare – Avec Mention Bien from Faculte Internationale Pour l’Enseignement du Droit Compare, Strasbourg, France. He also attended Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, as a Special Student in Latin American Studies and was a Cadet at United States Military Academy, West Point, New York. He served in the US Army Reserve 1965-69..
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Alberta Bair Theater
In 1987, the Alberta Bair Theater became a reality. Created with a dream of bringing the excitement of the performing arts to the people of the Northern Rockies and to enhance the quality of life in Billings, the Alberta Bair Theater has added a very special dimension to our lives that cannot be satisfied in any other way. As a presenter the Alberta Bair Theater has set a standard for excellence in the Intermountain West. In its brief history, the Alberta Bair Theater has brought to audiences the finest performers in every discipline of the performing arts, including classical and popular music, country music and jazz, opera, ballet, modern and ethnic dance, comedy, drama and musical theater. The Alberta Bair Theater has made Billings an integral part of the routing of major national and international artists and attractions in the United States and in the world. Recognizing its role throughout our community, the Alberta Bair Theater is a home for a wealth of important cultural organizations that are nurtured by our audiences and a mecca for over ten thousand school children who discover the finest and most exciting performing arts experiences annually. The Alberta Bair Theater can achieve its goal of touching all members of the community only be acknowledging the wealth of talent available to the theater, by offering an outlet to this creative power and through your generous support. For information on current events at the theater and other regional theatrical and musical events, call the Alberta Bair Theater ticket office at 256-6052.
2801 3rd Ave N
http://www.albertabairtheater.org [email protected]
Monday - Saturday: 10am - 5:30pm Shows daily as booked.
AMC Classic Billings 10
AMC theater offering 10 screens with matinee's and evening showtimes daily.
https://www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/billings-mt/amc-classic-billings-10
Matinee's and evening showtimes available daily, call for details.
AMC Shiloh 14
14 screen movie theater in Shiloh Crossing development. Call or check online for movie times.
1001 Shiloh Crossing Blvd
http://www.carmike.com/showtimes.aspx?fct=5&tid=256
Arthouse Cinema and Pub
Arthouse Cinema and Pub is a non-profit all ages independent movie theater located in the heart of downtown Billings, MT.
http://www.arthousebillings.com
Babcock Theatre
The Babcock Theater is an 800 seat historic theater in downtown Billings available for film, lecture, and live performances.
2810 1/2 2nd Ave N
http://www.babcocktheater.com
Billings Studio Theatre
Billings Studio Theatre is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality entertainment at an affordable price. The Billings Studio Theatre was established in 1953. The theatre has grown considerable since its early days and its modest beginnings. Over 500 volunteers involve themselves each year in all aspects of production and help mount a five show Mainstage Season along with a major Fall production at the Alberta Bair Theater, special events, and experimental plays in its Dark Night Series. BST also showcases two Rocky Mountain College productions annually and hosts many community events. In addition, BST operates a children's theatre, The Growing Stage, which creates an environment in which children of our community can explore and develop their talents and life skills. The Growing Stage offers a summer camp, classes, and three children's productions annually. The Growing Stage School began operation in September of 1996 with on site classes, touring performances, and workshops in the schools. All together, 30,000 individuals in Billings and surrounding communities enjoy participation at BST each year as audience members, artists, builders, supporters, students, and etc. Because of BST, these people have the opportunity to learn new skills, grow creatively, meet new challenges, socialize, work cooperatively, and attend quality, affordable theatre performances.
http://www.billingsstudiotheatre.com [email protected]
Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 6pm
NOVA Center for the Performing Arts
http://www.Novabillings.org
Venture Theatre
Venture Theatre in Billings is committed to theatre as art and exists as a venue that will not only contribute to the cultural life of the community but will also serve to test and stretch the abilities of the artists involved with the theatre. The company has steadily expanded, from its first production in 1992 of The Wiz to a full season annually. The company also offers dance, voice and theatre classes, a summer youth conservatory, improv and an annual one-act play festival. The company recently moved into its new space, located across from The Depot, in historic downtown Billings.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Venture-Theatre/154878851218145 [email protected]
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Singer-Songwriter gnash on Becoming the Year’s Most Unlikely Music Sensation
By Steven J. Horowitz
Photo: Courtesy of Atlantic Records
In a quiet back patio of a Los Angeles coffee shop, where jazz music loosely floats through the air, sits gnash, the moody singer-songwriter whose breakthrough single “i hate u, i love u” featuring Olivia O’Brien is likely being played within a half-mile radius. In just a few months, the 23-year-old has become one of this year’s most unlikely sensations in the music industry, accruing the type of digital currency that could easily rival a Katy Perry or Lady Gaga (214 million listens on Spotify, 49 million views on YouTube, 36 million clicks on Soundcloud). It almost feels like an inside job that the glistening piano ballad, recorded in a makeshift studio in his parents’ garage a few blocks away, snuck in through pop’s back door to linger just inside the outskirts of the mainstream.
“My personality type is one that wasn't quite prepared for this,” says gnash, real name Garrett Nash, his lips curling into a smile that reveals a California-bleached row of teeth. The shock of sudden success should rock the foundation of someone who grew up so close to the beach. In person, gnash is relaxed and articulate, overtly polite and considerate, bathed in all black from his vintage *NSYNC tee and black jeans down to his Chuck Taylors. He still lives in his parents’ house, where his mom brings him grilled cheese sandwiches during recording sessions. Just after he leaves the coffee shop, he heads back to help her tend to garden work.
The facade of the pop star masquerading as the anti–pop star, where someone like The Weeknd slots, doesn’t seem to fit gnash. (He stylizes his name and most of his song titles in lowercase.) On his trio of EPs U, me, and us, all released since March 2015, he sings over self-constructed beats, mostly hollow and confined to a few instruments, wading through the aftermath of a “super tumultuous” two-year relationship on the first two projects and coming out on the other side with the third. He taps into an emotive vein like that of his inspirers—Bright Eyes, Panic! at the Disco and most notably Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard—and filters it through a downbeat, R&B-hued lens, bringing a depth to pop that top 40 doesn’t always favor.
“I feel like music's coming back to a place of real,” he says. There’s an introspective sincerity to his compositions, like Adele, Lukas Graham or Drake, just a few artists he credits for making accessible music as a salve for the soul. “We went through an era of big dance records, an era of hip-hop being the biggest thing on the planet. The people who really break through are the people who are not afraid to express themselves in how they feel. I am surprised there's not more stuff that directly draws from that. But in the same way, I'm not surprised that there's stuff out there that has clear comparisons if you really are looking for the context clues.”
Attention to “i hate u, i love u” flushed in fast—it was only recorded a year ago. The idea for the after-hours groove came from an unlikely source: Olivia O’Brien, a 15-year-old living in Napa Valley who recorded voice-note covers of gnash’s earlier work and lassoed his attention on social media. “I thought I might have the next Lorde on my hands,” recalls gnash, who invited the cherub-voiced teen to Los Angeles to record for a few days, yielding a few tunes including an Avril Lavigne cover and “i hate u,” a song she had written that gnash convinced her to let him release under his own name.
In a 21st-century twist, YouTube star Andrea Russett was the spark to coax the song out of its Souncloud shell, posting a verse from it to her Snapchat and nudging listens up by tens of thousands of clicks in a day. The momentum barreled into Spotify, where it was added to its discovery charts, and the subsequent release of the video served as the cake coating for virality. In a year’s time, gnash and O’Brien were performing “i hate u” on Late Night with Seth Meyers, just last week.
Chance may play a part of it, and strategy was altogether absent. He takes a more philosophical approach to the song’s astronomic rise. “My dad always says that luck is just preparation meeting opportunity,” he says. “It showed the power of the Internet and how when there's something that people are connecting with, it can take over and be this viral sensation. But fast? Yeah, I guess it did happen fast.” So fast, in fact, that the performance on Late Night was O’Brien’s fourth time ever performing live, and first in front of a sizeable audience.
Gnash’s pedigree suggests a natural inclination to music. Born in 1993, he spent his childhood falling asleep to his jack-of-all-trades father playing guitar or entertainment industry–wiz mother reading him books that she would adapt for TV movies. He started deejaying when he was 13, scouring CD store racks for edited versions of hip-hop hits to play at high school and house parties, and chased his obsession with Jack Johnson to an internship at his label Brushfire Records. (His manager just got him a signed vinyl copy of Johnson’s Sleep Through the Static for his birthday this past June, which he placed on the piano in his parents’ living room.)
After transferring from Santa Monica College to University of Southern California, he discovered his inner zen, scraping up college credit from meditation classes that had a profound effect on how he copes with the aerobic pace of his current life. He took guitar lessons, but gravitated toward the written word, scribbling in journals and using money from his DJ gigs to buy a $120 microphone to help develop his inner thoughts into DIY songs. Today, he’s an avid journaler, which aids the songwriting process. His mother buys him two a year: in June, for his birthday, and for Christmas, and they’re filled with everything from inner thoughts to lyrics from The Beatles, whom he studied during a course at university.
For gnash, though, he’s aware that getting a hit single is nothing compared to staging a career with longevity. He’s recording his debut album and plans to release new music through his own imprint happy sad, stylized as :): , which echoes his thinking that everything lies between the poles of the emotional spectrum. He’s ambivalent about securing a follow-up smash; instead, it’s about appealing to the Dreamers—the name his fan army anointed itself—and connecting beyond the spotlight of celebrity.
“All I can hope for is songs that feel special and songs that make people feel,” he says. “I have faith in the idea that there will be another hit, but I'm also totally happy if there's not, because I know that as long as I keep making music that's me, the people who love me for me will stick around. That's all I really care about.”
TopicsMusicianAdele
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Skip to main contentPoliticsImpeachmentWhite HouseCongressPollingThe TrailerFact CheckerThe Fix
‘No evidence’ to suggest Democrats tried to incite violence at Trump rallies, Clinton campaign manager says
Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook in July. (Faith West for The Washington Post)
Amber Phillips
Reporter for The Fix covering Congress, statehouses
Reporter, The Fix
October 23, 2016 at 10:16 AM EDT
Hillary Clinton's campaign manager said Sunday that there is no evidence to suggest that the State Department used the Clinton Foundation as political leverage during her time as secretary of state or that Democratic Party officials tried to incite violence at Donald Trump's rallies.
Robby Mook also told CNN's Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” that he's “not aware” of any contact between the Clinton campaign and the women who have accused Trump of touching them inappropriately.
Donald Trump vows to sue his accusers, lashes out at media
As Clinton surges in the polls in the final days of the campaign, her team has been put on the defensive by leaked emails, documents and internal conversations on issues that have long plagued her campaign. The campaign has sought to cast doubt on the authenticity of the documents and videos.
First, the emails: WikiLeaks has released thousands of hacked documents from Clinton's campaign and Clinton Foundation officials in recent weeks. Among other things, they purport to show how the then-secretary of state handled the potential conflict of interest involving her family's foundation. One email suggests that Clinton accepted an invitation to speak at an event in Morocco after the nation's king donated $12 million to the foundation. On Friday, Trump said that was evidence of “pay to play.”
On Sunday, Mook said he can't comment on what happened during Clinton's time as secretary of state, but he added that the Obama administration had stringent rules in place to prevent the sort of thing Trump is accusing Clinton of. “I can't even verify whether the content is real,” Mook said of the emails. Clinton's campaign has not authenticated any of the hacked documents, noting that U.S. cybersecurity officials have tied Russia to several campaign-related hacks and that Russia has been known to doctor documents.
Mook also denied any Clinton campaign involvement in a video leaked last week by conservative activist James O'Keefe purporting to show two little-known but influential Democratic political consultants taking credit for inciting violence at a Trump rally, among other political tricks. Both operatives, Scott Foval and Robert Creamer, lost their jobs related to the Democratic presidential ticket. (Neither was directly tied to the Clinton campaign.)
The hacking, leaking, undercover election
Mook said Sunday that both men “no longer have a relationship” with the Democratic National Committee or the Clinton campaign. He said that there is no evidence to suggest that any DNC official did what the operatives allegedly bragged about in the video.
“There is no evidence whatsoever we have been able to find that anyone did anything like this when they were working for the DNC,” he said.
The campaign manager said that the videos were edited, so there is no way to verify their authenticity. (O'Keefe's videos have been found to be heavily edited in the past.)
Mook accused Trump's campaign of putting undue focus on the videos and emails in an attempt to distract from the Republican nominee's own struggles.
“This is, again, an attempt by Donald Trump to distract from the issues of this campaign,” Mook said. “He's spiraling after that last debate, and he doesn't want to talk about substance.”
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The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Tops Box Office for Second Straight Weekend
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies won the box office for the second consecutive weekend over the Christmas holiday weekend. It slipped only 24.3% from the prior weekend and has now made over $168 million domestically. The hit fantasy film's foreign box office is over $327 million.
The third and final Hobbit film was followed by Unbroken and Into the Woods which both had strong openings. Unbroken, which tells the amazing story of Olympian Louis Zamperini, opened in second and made $31.7 million. The film is directed by Angelina Jolie. The star-studded Into the Woods fairy tale inspired musical made $31 million and opened in third.
Into the Woods was followed by Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, which made $20.6 million during its second weekend in theaters. Annie finished fifth and made $16.6 million during its second weekend in theaters. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 came in sixth and made $10 million during its sixth weekend in theaters. Its domestic gross is now over $306 million leaving it just about $26 million from passing Guardians of the Galaxy to become the top earning film of the year.
The Gambler, starring Mark Wahlberg, opened in 7th place. The film made $9.3 million on a weak $3,753 per theater average. The Gambler was followed by The Imitation Game, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Wild and Big Hero 6. In limited releases, Big Eyes made nearly 3 million in 1,307 theaters and The Interview made $1.8 million in 331 theaters. The Interview returned to theaters after Sony reconsidered its decision to pull the film following the devastating hack. You can find the box office chart for the weekend here.
Photo: Warner Bros
LORD OF THE RINGS AND THE HOBBIT
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Watchman's Blog
THE OCCULT SYMBOLISM OF THE PHOENIX [PART 2]
To further our understanding of the mythical phoenix bird, we must look to the land of Phoenicia in Canaan, and to the flora and fauna of that region. Even though the myth of the resurrecting bird originated in Egypt, the Greeks, who affiliated with both the Egyptians and Phoenicians, married concepts from those cultures to create the phoenix myth that we know today.
Click here to read part 1, if you missed it. Otherwise, click the button to continue reading.
The origin of the word phoenix is uncertain, but we know that to the Greeks it meant "purple-red," or "crimson." The exact hue referenced by the name derives from a highly valued dye that was produced in—you guessed it—Phoenicia (a.k.a. Canaan). The name Phoenicia means "land of purple."
Here's what occult researcher Manly P. Hall had to say about the color of the phoenix on pg. 176 of his book, The Phoenix:
The body of the Phoenix is one covered with glossy purple feathers, and the plumes in its tail are alternately blue and red.
Manly Hall was extremely well-versed in ancient occult literature, including texts which are not available to the "profane" masses (i.e., those uninitiated into the occult). If he says that the phoenix is purple with red and blue plumes, I believe him. But I have to wonder why the color of the bird is of any consequence, since it's a mythological creature, not a real one.
Perhaps the exact hue of the phoenix is important because purple itself is special in some way. You might think that purple is just like any other color, but you would be wrong. Purple is not a "real" color at all, but an artifact of our way of perceiving light.
The Visible Light Spectrum
Do you know what really lies at the end of the rainbow? It's not gold. It's purple. Explaining what I mean will take a moment, but stick with me.
Light which is visible to the human eye exists as part of a greater electromagnetic spectrum of radiated energy. I know that might sound complicated, but it's actually pretty simple.
Energy travels around in waves of differing wavelengths (and field amplitudes, but that's not important to us). Humans have divided the total range of wavelengths into seven regions, and visible light is one of those regions (the others are radio, microwave, infrared, ultraviolet, x-rays, and gamma rays).
Visible light falls between infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) on the spectrum. The associated wavelengths range from about 740 nanometers to about 380 nanometers. The longer wavelengths of light are interpreted by the brain as red in color, while shorter wavelengths of light are interpreted as violet.
Where does purple lie on this spectrum? It doesn't. Purple is called a non-spectral color because there is no wavelength of EM radiation that produces purple.
Purple is the combination of red and violet, but since those colors are from wavelengths of photons on opposite ends of the visible spectrum, the two never meet to produce in-between wavelengths that would give us purple.
If we were to wrap the above representation of the spectrum into a circle to produce a "color wheel," it would have a gap in it, like so:
Of course, we do see purple, which means that our brains are programmed to perceive it, but how are we seeing a wavelength that doesn't exist? The answer is that we see purple when a material is made up of a mix of particles, some of which emit red, some of which emit violet. Our brains interpret the combination of low- and high-frequency photons as purple.
But so what?
If, while reading this, you've already made the association between purple and royalty, you're at the head of the class. Purple has long been considered the color of royalty, and in some nations it was illegal for commoners to wear purple clothing. Not that many commoners could even afford it. The color-fast purple of Phoenicia was very labor-intensive to produce, and thus very expensive to purchase. For the most part, only wealthy nobles could afford the stuff.
Being clothed in purple, like the phoenix, meant that you were really something special. Not necessarily a good kind of special, though, as demonstrated in St. John's apocalypse:
I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. (Rev. 17:3-4)
John was careful to describe the colors of the characters he saw, and for good reason. The beast kingdom on which the woman rides is the color of blood because it yields power through violence. The evil woman that rides the beast, however, is clothed with both scarlet and purple. The scarlet still represents blood, but in this case it's the color of sexual congress and childbirth. The purple identifies her as royalty, perhaps even thinking of herself as divine.
The symbolism associated with this woman identifies her as Isthar (a.k.a. Inanna), or perhaps the daughter of Ishtar. She was the much-venerated sex-and-love goddess of ancient Mesopotamia, a central figure in the Mystery religion that came out of Babel. For more information about her cult and her link to the Beast, read chapter thirteen of Levaithan's Ruse. The point I'm making at the moment is this: purple is a color used by principalities of the satanic world system.
That doesn't mean that purple is evil. Quite the opposite. Purple represents seeing what is unseen.
Purple is a sacred (i.e., set-apart) color that the Enemy has co-opted. But it was YHVH Elohiym who created it, and uses it to communicate a spiritual truth.
Do you remember what colors YHVH instructed the Israelites to incorporate into the Holy Place in the Tabernacle? In case you've forgotten, here's the relevant verse:
Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain. “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. (Exo. 26:30-31)
Notice the order given, with the purple in-between the blue and red (scarlet). This was the order of colors on the curtain that covered the Holy of Holies, where Elohiym's spirit manifest.
The encrypted message is that YHVH is hidden where the circuit is completed. This should make us think immediately about Messiah's declaration about himself: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Rev. 22:13).
Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, an alphabet that came from the Phoenicians. In fact, the Phoenician language was a Semitic language closely related to Hebrew. In the 22-letter Semitic alphabets, the first letter is aleph or alf, which is a pictograph of an ox head. It represents the providence and might of God. The last letter is taw or tav, which is a pictograph of a cross. It represents the covenant, which is why we still "sign on the X" when we autograph a legal document. By extension, the tav also represents the cross on which Messiah died for us.
Wow! Are you as blown away by this as I am? The Phoenician language is a spectrum of sound-markings whose first and last symbols represent the Son of God! If we were to compare this to the color wheel, it would look like this:
No wonder purple is the color of royalty. When you combine the first and last frequencies of the visible spectrum, you get purple. When you combine the first and last concepts of the sacred alphabet, you get the King of Glory.
Does the above graphic remind you of anything? If you ignore the writing, it looks like an iris and pupil. (I didn't design it that way; it's just coincidental.) But the fact is that the world is visible to us because of light rays traveling through the circles of our pupils.
The timeless Elohiym spoke, and there was light (Gen. 1:3). Language came first, then light. And what is speech? Waves of sound. It's not very different at all from electromagnetic waves, at least on the non-quantum level.
The circle is the most perfect and holy shape not only because it is infinite, having no beginning or end, but because it is the basis for all other shapes and forms. The simplest polygon, a triangle, can be constructed from the intersection points of overlapping circles. Then all other shapes can be formed out of triangles and circles combined. Thus, the circle is the prime unit of sacred geometry. Would it not make sense for arrangement of the sacred (Semitic) alphabet to be circular, as is the rainbow around the throne of God (Rev. 4:3), and the celestial bodies, and the paths they travel, and the eyes with which we view them, and even the womb wherein those eyes are grown?
Allow me to go off on a quick tangent. When Adam and Eve sinned, not only were they exiled as punishment, but a separating "curtain" or "veil" was put into place between the material realm and the spiritual realm for the protection of all parties. (According to Revelation, that barrier will be removed at the unveiling of the Messiah on the Day of the Lord.) The blue/purple/red veil in front of the Holy of Holies served the same function as the veil between the heavens and the earth—it kept unsanctified mortal flesh from coming into contact with the fiery presence of Elohiym. The Levites guarded the Temple veil, but angels guard the veil between dimensions:
He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Gen. 3:24)
Notice that the fiery sword of the cherubiym revolves. I find it interesting that the weapon used to maintain that separation is something that repeatedly moves in a circle.
The Tail-Munching Serpent
In the film Arrival, "aliens" communicate by writing in circles. [spoiler] Learning their language allows the protagonist to see time non-linearly. [/spoiler]
Speaking of circles, one of Satan's symbols is the ouroboros, a depiction of a serpent consuming its own tail.
I'm convinced that the ouroboros is Satan's way of calling himself the Beginning and the End. Even though the ouroboros has a beginning and end point, it is also eternal, for the end and beginning meet to create an infinite loop. Satan wants to be the Alpha and the Omega, the Aleph and the Tav. The phoenix is another way of saying the same thing, that Satan and his princes, the divine kings of the earth, will rise and rule eternally, for each end will lead to a new beginning.
It's not true. Scripture promises that Satan and his followers will all meet a permanent end in the Lake of Fire: "The devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Rev 20:10).
King Y'shua would never use the ouroboros as a symbol for himself (in part because he isn't serpentine like the seraphiym, but that's beside the point). In the ouroboros, the head consumes the tail. The first part eats the last. That's exactly the opposite of Heaven's way, where the first must serve the last. Y'shua said, "So the last will be first, and the first last" (Matt. 20:16). And, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:35). And that's exactly what Y'shua did during his First Advent.
Satan couldn't stomach the idea of lowering himself to serve mankind. In his economy, those who are at the head chomp on those at the tail. That's why he rebelled and slandered YHVH—the preeminent immortal wasn't about to serve a clump of clay like Adam.
Purple Snails and Puppy-Dog Tails
According to the second-century A.D. Greek sophist, Julius Pollux, Phoenician purple was discovered by the pet dog of the famous hero, Hercules. As the pair were traveling by foot along the Mediterranean coast, the dog decided to make a snack of one of the shells that had washed onto the beach. It happened to be a murex shell. When Hercules saw what his dog was snacking on, and how it had colored his snout, he realized the worth of the sea snails and taught the men of Canaan to harvest them.
The dog of Hercules discovers murex dye.
As with most mythology, the events of the story probably did not really happen. Julius Pollux was a professor at the Academy of Athens, but he came from Egypt, where some of the most influential Greek minds were trained by the priests of the Mystery religion. He, like all occultists, learned to cloak (i.e., occlude) his wisdom in allegory.
We know that the purple-producing murex snails really do live along the Mediterranean coast, so that part is not allegory. The characters, however, are not what they seem. Hercules was a demigod son of Zeus who is most likely equivalent to Orion. Among others, the authors of a website called Constellation Guide make that speculation:
Orion is often shown as facing the attack of a bull, yet there are no myths in Greek mythology telling any such tale. When describing the constellation, the Greek astronomer Ptolemy describes the hero with a club and lion’s pelt, both of which are usually associated with Heracles, but there is no evidence in mythology books of a direct relation between the constellation and Heracles. However, since Heracles, the most famous of Greek heroes, is represented by the much less conspicuous constellation Hercules, and since one of his tasks was to catch the Cretan bull, there are at least hints of a possible connection between the two.
By the way, the Greek poet who chronicled the labors of Hercules was an initiate of the Mystery school of Pythagoras, who himself was initiated into the Mysteries in Egypt. Regarding this, David Flynn writes, "For the Pythagoreans and many other ancient Greeks, [Hercules] was the archetype of the spiritual hero, and the 'Imitation of Hercules' was the basic path of spiritual development" (The David Flynn Collection, 2012, pg. 414). You might rightly wonder what the exploits of Hercules have to do with spirituality. As it turns out, Hercules was the patron of the Mystery religion that arose in ancient Shinar. It was Shinar, or ancient Mesopotamia, where Nimrod used occult knowledge to grow an empire after the fall of Babel. Well, Nimrod is Orion, and Orion is Hercules.
Hercules and Orion both had a canine companion. Homer wrote that the hound of Orion was the dog-star called kunas, which we know as Sirius, brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. In the later Latin language, the word for dog is canis, and the phrase "of the dog star" (i.e., Sirisu) is canicularis. Also in Latin, a female dog is called canarius. This is etymologically similar to the Latin word for the Canaanites, Cananaei.
If you're familiar with Gospels, you may remember that Y'shua once compared a Canaanite woman to a dog. In Matthew 15:21–28, Messiah encounters a Canaanite woman while traveling near Tyre and Sidon (in Phoenicia). She begs him to cure her daughter, but he responds that it is not right to throw the children's bread to the pet dogs. Some people think that Y'shua was making a racial slur, but it wasn't that at all. The woman seeking help was from a land whose mascot was the canine, and she may very well have been the descendant of a man whose progeny were cursed to be the lowest of servants (Gen. 9:25).
Furthermore, there is the case of the infamous Queen Jezebel. She hailed from Phoenicia. She worshiped Beltis, another name for Ishtar. Like Ishtar, the whore of Babel, Jezebel taught both idolatry and sexual immorality (Rev. 2:20). At God's decree, that Phoenician queen fell to her death from a high window, and her mangled body was eaten by dogs in the street. If there is a connection between canines and Canaanites, then the manner of Jezebel's demise becomes incredibly apropos.
I propose that the descendants of Noah's cursed grandson, Canaan, were in ancient times known as the dog-people. I believe that the Canaanites were slaves of the mighty hunter, Nimrod, and probably slaves of his father, as well. Genesis 9:25 says that Canaan will be a slave to his brothers, specifically. Nimrod was a son of Cush, who was Canaan's brother. That is why, in the myths, Hercules and Orion have a pet dog.
There is little doubt that the constellation Orion represents Nimrod. The 7th-century Chronicon Paschale states that Nimrod was posthumously deified in the constellation of Orion, and that the Persians still call it Nimrod. Recently discovered Hungarian myths also equate Orion to Nimrod.
In Greek mythology, Orion was a handsome, giant demigod. In Muslim astronomy, Orion was known as Al-Jabbar, “The Giant.” The Egyptians called him Long-Strider because of his impressive height.
Egyptian Pyramid Text Utterance 477 reads, “You threw Osiris to the earth… when there came into being his name of Orion, long of leg and lengthy of stride, who presides over Upper Egypt.” This Utterance incontrovertibly links Orion to Osiris.
Osiris is a Greek word. The god's actual Egyptian name is Asr. In Leviathan's Ruse, I demonstrate that Osiris is the Egyptian version of Assur, god of Assyria, and that Assur is another name for Nimrod. Furthermore, it can be shown that the same Nimrod who established the first hubs of civilization in Mesopotamia also traveled along the Fertile Crescent and into Canaan, where he founded or helped build the first major cities, such as Byblos, Sidon, and Jericho. Some evidence suggests that Nimrod may have eventually made Canaan his primary residence.
It all boils down to this: the descendants of Canaan, who settled in the Levant, either discovered the purple dye of the murex, or became experts in its procurement and processing. Nimrod/Assur/Osiris, who was king over the Canaanites, probably lavished the precious dye on textiles made for his wife, Ishtar/Isis. Thus began the association of Phoenician purple with royalty.
Home of the Watchers
There is one other important fact that we must remember about Phoenicia if we hope to understand the Phoenix: The land of Phoenicia/Canaan is home to Mount Hermon. According to texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls, most notably First Enoch, Mount Hermon is where two hundred watcher angels descended and dwelt during the days of Jared (an antediluvian patriarch). These Watchers ended up rebelling against God, mating with human women, and giving mortal men heavenly secrets. Thus began what we now call the Occult (or polytheistic Mystery cults). In other words, the worship of gods and advanced knowledge began in Phoenicia.
YHVH destroyed the Watchers for their traitorous deeds, but the knowledge which they had shared was not entirely lost in the Flood. According to the Book of Jubilees, a man named Kainam rediscovered at least some of their teachings, which had been deeply carved into rock before the Flood. What became of Kainam is unknown, but the Watcher's secrets evidently fell into the hands of Nimrod/Assur, who used them to become ultimate king over the entire ancient world. As the phoenix rises from death to return to its former glory, so the Mystery religion returned to life during the reign of Nimrod.
There's more to come. In part three, we will discover why the phoenix builds its next in the date palm tree. We will also make a connection to the revered peacock angel of the Yazidis.
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Alexander Lawrence is a husband, father, artist, and lay scholar walking after Y'shua ha-Mashiach (Jesus the Messiah). His mission is to equip the Elect for the climax of history.
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Weathering the storm: inside the Murdoch family climate schism
Not that long ago, Rupert Murdoch abandoned his climate scepticism and pledged to cut emissions within his media empire. Then, something changed.
By Zoe Samios
Rupert Murdoch flanked by sons Lachlan, left, and James. Credit:Doug Peters, PA
At a conference in Tokyo almost 15 years ago, Rupert Murdoch stood in front of a crowd and publicly declared his dedication to the climate change cause.
It was 2006 and the billionaire News Corp founder decided that while he had previously been sceptical of the global warming debate, it was his organisation's duty to "take the lead" on the issue.
"Some of the presumptions about extreme weather, whether it be hurricanes or drought, may seem far fetched," Murdoch said at the Tokyo event. "What is certain is that temperatures have been rising and that we are not entirely sure of the consequences. The planet deserves the benefit of the doubt."
The statement would be referenced by business entrepreneurs such as Dick Smith and former prime ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull for years to come. In 2014, News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt wrote about how "warmists" demanded he write to his bosses' script. Murdoch, who was 75 at the time, certainly did not say it by mistake.
Rupert Murdoch smiles as he speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on November 6, 2006. Credit:AP
At the time the mogul was having conversations about his legacy with his younger son James and his wife Kathryn, second eldest daughter Elisabeth and Murdoch's then wife Wendi Deng – according to sources with insight into the family's inner workings. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution.
The group represented the more progressive elements of Murdoch's family circle at the time and was pushing climate change as a cause. Eldest son Lachlan was on the outer at the time having temporarily quit the family business a year earlier.
James had just turned UK pay-TV provider BSkyB, then controlled by News Corp, into a carbon-neutral company. A year later Rupert announced plans for all of the companies in his media empire to produce zero net-carbon emissions by 2010. They achieved their goal.
"We always seek new ways to reach our global audiences and we address those issues that have the greatest impact on their lives. Global climate change is clearly one of those issues," Murdoch said in a memo to staff in May 2007. "It starts with us. On Wednesday in New York, I will launch CoolChange – an important energy initiative at News Corporation."
In Australia that initiative was known as 1Degree and industry publication Adweek reported some News Corp staff were surprised, given Murdoch is better known for backing conservative policies. Indeed, News Corp's HR department reportedly sent out a second memo to clarify. But all signs pointed to the Murdochs taking climate change seriously. By 2017, News Corp had reached zero waste in all of its print centres internationally and had achieved 400 energy savings projects.
Those who worked closely on the 1Degree initiative said News Corp management never knocked back a request on climate change initiatives. "News Corp has been a leader on reducing emissions," News Corp's former head of environment Tony Wilkins said. "They have been doing this for 20 years. Individual businesses have reduced emissions by as much as 56 per cent."
James Murdoch, then CEO of BskyB, addressing a session during the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit in New York in May 2007. Credit:AP
Yet few remember those efforts today. As bushfires rip through the country, criticism of News Corp's climate change coverage in its Australian newspapers has been unrelenting. As the links between climate change and the ferocity of the bushfires played out, a subsidiary debate about the appropriateness of certain articles and opinion pieces in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun gathered momentum.
Soon everyone from Rudd and Turnbull (who both blame Murdoch for undermining them while in office) to The New York Times were denouncing the Murdoch press.
In an opinion piece in Time magazine Mr Turnbull wrote: "This issue has been hijacked by a toxic, climate change-denying alliance of right-wing politics and media (much of it owned by Murdoch), as well as vested business interests."
Last week, this masthead revealed News Corp finance manager Emily Townsend sent an email to all employees accusing her employer of spreading a "misinformation campaign" on climate change that was "dangerous" and "unconscionable".
Email from News Corp staff member Emily Townsend regarding climate change.
The email was widely read throughout the Australian media industry, but it would be quickly overshadowed by an even more extraordinary development.
Days later, James and Kathryn Murdoch took aim at what they described as climate denialism at News Corp. "They are particularly disappointed with the ongoing denial among news outlets in Australia, given obvious evidence to the contrary," a spokesman for the couple said in a statement to US publication The Daily Beast. James' criticisms are even more surprising given he is still a director of the family company (Lachlan and Rupert are co-chairman and chief executive officers).
Rupert Murdoch told investors at the company's annual meeting last year that "there are no climate change deniers around". But News Corp has run many pieces that have questioned the legitimacy of widely-accepted climate-change science over the past decade.
[James and Kathryn Murdoch] are particularly disappointed with the ongoing denial among news outlets, given obvious evidence to the contrary.
Spokesman for James and Kathryn Murdoch
Columns by Melbourne writer Andrew Bolt and Sky commentator (and The Australian Financial Review columnist) Rowan Dean in the tabloids and former ASX chairman Maurice Newman in The Australian have described climate change as a "cult" and "a socialist plot". In a broadcast on News Corp-owned Sky News Mr Bolt criticised the "constant stream of propaganda" on the ABC about the climate crisis. Many of these articles appeared while Lachlan was effectively running Australian operations. A friend of Tony Abbott, Lachlan is considered even more conservative than his father.
For their part senior News Corp figures say privately that they are the subject of a witch hunt. Responding publicly to Townsend's all-staff email, News Corp's local boss Michael Miller said "News Corp does not deny climate change or the gravity of its threat". The Australian ran an editorial in its Saturday newspaper defending its coverage. The paper argued it had been "wilfully and ineptly misrepresented" by The New York Times and The Guardian.
Certainly, News Corp's coverage has become more moderate in recent days with The Daily Telegraph editorialising in favour of moving the climate change debate forward on Thursday.
Nevertheless, the message from James this week has struck a nerve. News Corp now finds itself very much part of the climate change story. The organisation is preparing for a protest that is being planned for Friday outside its offices, and has increased its security measures in response to social media commentary of recent weeks.
"We've been working with local police, but we are not sure how many protestors are planning to attend, so as a precaution the street outside the building will be blocked off," managing director of The Australian, NSW & Prestige Titles Nicholas Gray wrote to staff on Thursday.
David Armstrong, a former editor-in-chief of The Australian from the 1990s who now lives in Thailand, said James' public statement would trigger a "new assessment" of News Corp.
Former editor-in-chief of The Australian, David Armstrong, says James' public statement would trigger a "new assessment" of News Corp.
"James has always been more forward-thinking on social issues than his father or his brother Lachlan, so I'm sure his and Kathryn's views are well-known within the family and the senior levels of the company," Mr Armstrong said.
"But now that they are public, I hope News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller and his editors use James and Kathryn's statement as an opportunity to reassess their coverage, to ask themselves if it reflects the state of knowledge about – and now the devastating experience of – climate change and its impact on Australia. And then to act on the answers."
Three former executives of News Corp, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to concerns about retribution, said James' statement was unsurprising – given his views on climate change and his difficult relationship with his brother, Lachlan, are both well known.
"James and Lachlan are ideologically apart and will continue to be," one of the former executives said. One former executive said James would be looking to intentionally distance himself from the scrutiny his family was receiving over its local coverage.
Many observers believe Rupert has become less interested in climate change since the flurry of announcements in the mid-2000s. It's not exactly clear what is behind this, or what drove him 15 years ago when he positioned his companies with a more pro-environment stance.
Some with insight into News Corp's inner workings have suggested that the change in view came after the 2009 resignation of his right-hand man, Peter Chernin, who had backed efforts to make News Corp greener. Murdoch's split with his former wife Wendi is also considered by some to be a factor, as well as his closeness to Lachlan.
Peter Chernin, former president and chief operating officer of News Corp, left the company in 2009. Credit:Bloomberg
Regardless of motivation, News' renewed efforts to dedicate time to bushfire relief or sustainability are now met with cynicism. Despite Murdoch dedicating $2 million to the cause himself and a further $5 million to bushfire relief through the organisation, critics continue to target him, his publications and their columnists.
"It's a complete overreach on behalf of some of their high-profile columnists and broadcasters," one former executive said, who suggested they should be focusing on mitigating problems.
The ongoing criticism puts News Corp mastheads in a difficult position. Sources have suggested that while some readers may share the views of denialist columnists, businesses including advertising clients of News Corp are now being hurt financially by perceptions the company has not evolved with the times. Two former executives expressed concern for News Corp journalists who had been covering the fires for months.
"It must be so dispiriting," Mr Armstrong added. "Like other journalists telling Australians the stories of this immense natural and national disaster, they deserve thanks and praise. I hope critics can see that the papers' coverage is a lot more than just the conservative commentaries."
Former News Corp chief executive Kim Williams would not comment on James' comments directly, but said false equivalence – the idea of giving equal prevalence to different viewpoints when one is unsubstantiated and another has a strong evidentiary base – was one of the major ethical reporting and editorial challenges for journalism.
"It is a genuinely challenging dilemma for all executive, editorial leaders and working journalists in 21st century media," Mr Williams said.
However, despite the criticism, few media watchers believe the recent flak News Corp has copped will damage the company's operations in the long run.
As one former executive put it: "When the smoke comes out figuratively and literally, News will still be one of the most powerful organisations in the country."
And as for the 1Degree website, it hasn't been updated in two years. News Corp confirmed the initiative is still running and the business still reports on its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and the Global Environmental Initiative. But it never officially replaced Mr Wilkins, who ran the initiative from its inception, when he left in 2017.
Zoe Samios
Zoe Samios is a media and telecommunications reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
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Dr Nelson Chong
Assistant Head of School
Tissue Architecture and Regeneration Research Group
After graduating from the University of Westminster with a BSc (Hon) Bioscience degree, I studied for a MSc in Pharmacology at Kings College London. My project (supervised by Dr Philip K. Moore) was the first to identify the novel nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NOARG and this work was subsequently published in the British Journal of Pharmacology. I then took up a PhD studentship at Kings College London (Physiology) under the supervision of Dr David Sugden, working on the characterisation of the receptors for the pineal hormone melatonin. My postdoctoral post at the Institute of Psychiatry (London), with Drs Clive Coen, Iain C. Campbell and John F. Powell, worked on the initial identification of circadian clock genes in the brain. Thereafter I became a Fogarty Visiting Fellow at the National Institutes of Health (USA), working with Dr David Klein on the first molecular characterisation of the limiting enzyme in melatonin synthesis. I continued to examine the pineal clock system as a Vice Chancellor fellow at the University of Surrey before taking up a Lectureship at the University of Leicester, where I focused on the molecular basis of cardiac function and circadian biology.
I have now come full circle and back to my home town London and back to Westminster (2013) where it all began, and this is rather exciting for me. I am very much looking forward to working with my colleagues on many diverse projects including circadian and cardiac biology.
I have led modules at level 5 to 7 and currently module leader for level 6 Advanced Pharmacology and Toxicology. I teach across Departments in several degrees at level 4 to 6. I supervise approximately 6 to 8 BSc laboratory projects each year, including MSc students.
Using a systems approach (molecular, cell, organ and animal models), our focus is to identify and delineate novel gene regulatory networks in cardiac function and define molecular mechanisms that control the expression of these genes critical to human health i.e. how does the circadian clock work, and how it impinges diverse biological processes in the heart?
The role and mechanism of the circadian timing system (clock genes, pineal hormone melatonin) on cardiac function and disease
Mechanisms of regulation and action of the muscle-enriched gene, Actin-binding Rho-activating protein (Abra), in biology and disease
Individuals that can self-fund and are interested in PhD projects on circadian biology and cardiac function and disease can contact me directly.
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WG Analysis on the Preventative Controls Rule
After the FDA release of the Produce and Preventive Controls Rule on Jan. 4, several opportunities to learn about them have been offered. Western Growers invites you to hear about our preliminary analysis of the Preventive Controls Rule. This webinar is meant to provide an overview of this rule, highlight the key differences with current GMPs as well as existing commodity specific guidelines, discuss items on which FDA is requesting comments; and, gather questions. Join Intertox’s Susan Leaman, Scientist and WG’s Sonia Salas, Director of Science and Technology and to learn about key components of the Preventive Controls Rule and have the opportunity to ask questions.
Don’t miss this important webinar. Register today.
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. PST
Susan M. Leaman, M.S., has worked since 2006 as a consultant to the fresh produce industry. Ms. Leaman specializes in food safety issues and in particular the development of commodity-specific food safety guidelines, human health risk assessments and environmental risk assessments for production and packing environments. Ms. Leaman holds a master’s degree in toxicology from the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Northwest University.
Sonia Salas, M.S., joined Western Growers in 2007 bringing her food and workplace safety expertise, prior to joining Western Growers, Sonia was a Quality Assurance Manager in two manufacturing facilities and had to implement and enforce federal/state programs and requirements. She currently performs a diverse range of activities from facilitating the translation of guidance documents, managing research projects to writing articles in Western Grower & Shipper magazine. Ms. Salas holds a master’s degree in agriculture from the California State Polytechnic University of Pomona.
Sonia Salas
Assistant Vice President, Food Safety, Science & Technology
See all of Sonia's articles >
Start Growing Today
Farming has never been more challenging, which is why Western Growers invests in fully committed advocates – your advocates – in Sacramento, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. Only Western Growers offers members so many business services, supported by more than 400 dedicated employees.
Remain Compliant with CARB’s Truck and Bus Rule
Matthew Allen Aug 01 2019 in Regulations
Effective January 1, 2020, the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Truck and Bus Regulation compliance verification will be a part of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) vehicle registration process.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Agricultural Exception Guidance on ELD Utilization
Matt McInerney May 31 2018 in Regulations
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued regulatory guidance today to clarify the applicability of the “Agricultural Commodity” exception with the “Hours of Service of Drivers.”
The guidance clarifies the exception with regard to:
Update: Electronic Logging Device (ELD) and Agriculture in Interstate Commerce
Ken Gilliland Feb 15 2018 in Regulations
Since the implementation of the ELD mandate for interstate commerce on December 18, 2017, agriculture carriers continue to operate under a temporary partial exemption, pending a formal resolution from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which is currently accepting comments.
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THE NEW TAX LAW: Nuances Require an Expert’s Knowledge
When The Tax Cut and Job Act was passed in December, it was touted as an overhaul and simplification of the tax code. For the average American, that may well be true.
But if you have a business, even a relatively simple, small, home-based operation, there are many nuances in the new tax law that the services of a certified public account are almost universally well worth the effort and the expense. And it’s probably best to make that appointment soon as there are many strategies moving forward that the business owner can employ to substantially reduce a company’s tax bite. Proponents made no secret of the fact that the bill would lower the tax rates on businesses. It does that and then some. There are several provisions that are very advantageous to even the smallest operation or farm.
At least that was the takeaway after a conversation with a couple of tax experts in the Yuma, AZ, office of Frost PLLC, a certified public accounting firm. Last year, Terkelson, Smith and Tyree merged their 50-year old firm with Frost, another independent CPA specializing in agriculture, with offices strategically located around the country. Partners Carol Smith and Tim Terkelson talked to Western Grower & Shipper in February and noted that the merger was designed to help the firm better serve its clients. “Our clients are growing and we didn’t want to be outgrown,” said Terkelson. “We now have unparalleled resources to meet their needs.”
Smith said it was a seamless transition for the firm’s clients as the two firms merged in June of 2017. “As far as our clients are concerned, nothing changed in our day to day operation.”
What has changed for every CPA, however, is the federal tax law. There is some truth that for many individuals, the law will mean filing a standard return for 2018 utilizing the standard deduction rather than filing the “long form” which involves itemizing one’s deductions. Matt Lewis, vice president of financial services for Western Growers Financial Services, noted that the new law does have a $24,000 standard deduction for a married couple filing jointly. The law still allows for unlimited charitable contributions, but with caps on deductions for property taxes, mortgage interests and state income tax, he said many couples will not reach the $24,000 threshold.
However, there are legitimate strategies that can be employed to run one’s income and expenses through a business, thus taking advantage of the tax breaks this law gives business owners. There is also a loophole in the law that treats sales to a co-operative more advantageously than sales to a company. Terkelson expects a legislative fix to this provision…or a stampede by businesses to operate as co-ops where possible. Co-ops have long been utilized in agriculture and, with no change, this law would give them a huge boost.
Smith said that for most of the firm’s ag business clients the most advantageous provisions in the new law are the lowering of the top corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, and the change to depreciation schedules. In fact, the depreciation change went into effect on Sept. 22, 2017, so some firms were able to take advantage on their 2017 returns. Without getting too deep in the woods, the new law allows for faster depreciation, expands the amount that can be depreciated and also applies the rules equally to both new and used equipment. In the past, they were treated differently with new equipment having an advantage when it came to write-offs.
Terkelson said another big change is the way net operating losses are treated. Under the old law, losses had a carry back provision of five years and a carry forward limitation of 20 years. The new law limits carry back losses to two years but carry forward is unlimited.
And still another advantageous provision for many people is a provision that establishes a 20 percent deduction of qualified business income from certain pass-through businesses. Joint filers with income below $315,000 and other filers with income below $157,500 can claim the deduction fully on income from service industries. This provision would expire December 31, 2025. This is another provision that should make small business owners at least consider how they are structured. Terkelson said this deduction requires some complicated calculations but it’s very much worth looking at.
The advantageous co-op provision, which the Frost duo believes is an unintended consequence of the law, points to a fact that is almost always true with major legislation, and that is that “fixes” are needed once the law is analyzed by experts. These types of laws are the result of lots of negotiations and unintended consequences are inevitable. Terkelson said the co-op provisions appears to give sellers of products to co-ops a 20 percent deduction on the revenue. So if a grower sells his product to a packing house that without a co-op status, he or she would have to report 100 percent of the income. If the packing house was a co-op, only 80 percent of the income would be reported. “This is a competitive advantage,” he said. “Co-ops are going to come out of the woodwork if this isn’t changed.”
Smith said Congress is aware of this needed fix as well as some other necessary changes and many are anticipating that corrective legislation will be written and passed.
The new law also changes the deductibility of business entertainment. Under the old law, 50 percent of the cost of business meals could be deducted. Under the new law, business entertainment is no longer deductible. Employee expenses when on business trips or at conventions are still deductible but that expensive client dinner is not.
As Smith and Terkelson looked at other nuances in the law, the bottom line remained the same: go see an accountant as you plan your business strategies for 2018 and beyond. It might be an opportune time to change your business structure or buy that piece of equipment you have been putting off.
An Eye on Dividend Growth
By Richard Alpert, Raub Brock Capital Management
The Cold Partisan Reality of the California Gas Tax Legislation
Dave Puglia May 15 2017 in Tax, Politics, Transportation, Legislative
We take a break from our regularly scheduled program, “California Needs More Moderate Democrats in Sacramento,” to bring you this news flash: California—and especially its private sector economy—needs more Republicans in Sacramento.
Is Your Beneficiary Properly Designated?
By Matt Lewis
In my experience as a financial professional, one seemingly simple task often creates significant unintended consequences for individuals with retirement and other investment accounts: the proper designation of beneficiaries.
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Federer blasts Novak over personal snub
Snubbed by Djokovic, Switzerland's Roger Federer is not happy. Picture: KARIM SAHIB/AFP
by Tyson Otto
12th Mar 2019 10:20 AM
ROGER Federer has revealed he was stood up by world No.1 Novak Djokovic over the controversial decision to axe ATP Tour boss Chris Kermode.
The war that has been playing out in the backroom of men's tennis - and was brought into the spotlight at the Australian Open in January - came to a messy ending last riday when it was announced Kermode's six-year term at the helm would not be extended.
The Players Council - led by Novak Djokovic - voted Kermode out. While Djokovic refused to confirm publicly whether he had spearheaded the charge to get rid of the ATP leader, it was widely reported the Serb was the driving force behind the change.
In his first public media opportunity at Indian Wells, Federer refused to discuss Djokovic's role specifically, but piled pressure on the council as a whole to explain the dramatic decision to slash the tour's chief executive.
Speaking after his win over Peter Gojowczyk at the tournament, Federer took his thinly veiled criticism of the council and Djokovic a step further when he revealed the Serbian star baulked at a meeting with the Swiss ace in the lead-up to Kermode's sacking.
Federer even suggested in his Swiss press conference that he might consider returning to the governance side of the ATP Tour because he was concerned by recent developments.
One of his biggest concerns is that Djokovic, who has refused to explain his role in the council's decision to advocate for Kermode's axing, and the rest of the council have not communicated why they decided to swing the axe.
Despite both players arriving at Indian Wells before the weekend, they still have not met up.
"I tried to meet Novak on the deadline (before the meeting)," Federer said.
"Unfortunately he had no time. That's hard to understand for me.
"He certainly had a lot to do with the whole story. I asked him if he had time to meet me, it was so busy. He suggested that we see each other the day after - but everything was already decided.
"We have not met yet and the tournament has started."
Federer said both he and Rafael Nadal were concerned that the council hadn't publicly defended the decision to look for a new tour boss.
"It's just important that I know why it happened, and what should happen now," Federer said.
"I want to know what the motive was, what it is Kermode does not seem to have done well. I would have tended to be more for him.
"In the past, there were always situations in which one had to say, 'He or she just has to go' - but that was not the case with Kermode. Only politics is in turmoil.
Chris Kermode didn’t have enough support to keep his job. Picture: Getty
"I also talked to Rafa. We are on the same page, that's important to him and me. Many were behind Kermode.
"Not all have the same priorities. Some think primarily of money, others of the tournament calendar, others are more concerned with power, that's always a big story.
"I still have the feeling the tour is going well, we have great matches, the prize money went up, the stadiums are full."
Federer stepped down as the ATP Tour Council president in 2014, but he suggested he might look to make a comeback over how Kermode's sacking had been handled.
"It is hard for me to express a clear opinion because I am no longer politically active," Federer said.
"I'm already interested in what's behind it, why it happened like that.
"I have to think about whether I should get more involved again in the future, for the sake of the tour.
"Or if I should just get involved a bit instead of going through politics."
Some stars such as Players Council member Vasek Pospisil wanted Kermode gone but others such as Stan Wawrinka and Nadal were firmly against the change in leadership because they believed men's tennis had been booming in recent years.
In public, Federer had previously stayed out of the debate and distanced himself from any talk about pushing for Kermode's removal. However, some media reports claimed he was on Nadal's side and opted not to attend the Players Council meeting to decide Kermode's fate last week.
Federer also said he was worried those leading the sport didn't have a clear idea of where they wanted to go or how they planned to get there.
"I'm not quite surem to be honest," Federer told journalists Leif Shiras and Jon Wertheim on The Tennis Channel when asked what the future of tennis looked like.
"We're in a very interesting time where we need to have a clear plan and I'm not sure what the plan is. That's the big thing I worry about.
"We need to really figure it out and I'd like to feel the pulse a little bit about where we're about to go, because clearly we're going to need to decide who the new CEO (of the ATP) is going to be, or the political side of the game has got to do that."
Novak Djokovic reportedly led the charge to get rid of Kermode. Picture: AP
Nadal has been a vocal critic of those demanding a leadership change at the ATP, saying just last week Kermode had done a "good job" and deserved to stay on.
He also warned any drastic changes could derail the path tennis was on and risk future prosperity and growth.
Nadal raised those concerns after earlier complaining at the Australian Open nobody from the Players Council had even bothered to reach out to him and ask for his thoughts on Kermode or the state of the sport.
The Spaniard's pleas clearly fell on deaf ears.
Federer said he and Nadal were on the same page when it came to wanting more clarity.
"What I am happy about is we're aligned and we agree that we should be talking and coming up with a proper plan," Federer said of their meeting.
"I'd like to hear that from the council and some more players and people just to get an idea what's really going on, to be quite honest."
Bloody end to Fed-Djoker dispute
Djokovic’s stunning retirement reveal
Djokovic fiercely confronts reporter
atp tour novak djokovic rafael nadal roger federer stan wawrinka
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See photos of Kathryn Bigelow
Facts about Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow is 68 years old
Born: November 27, 1951
Birthplace: San Carlos, California, United States
Best known as: The Oscar-winning director of The Hurt Locker
Buy from Amazon.com: Kathryn Bigelow DVDs and streaming video
Filming at the Dark Edge of Exhilaration
2009 Harvard Film Archive review of her career and her films
NY Daily News: Kathryn Bigelow
Archives of stories, features and gossip about Bigelow
2009 New York Times feature and interview
Kathryn Bigelow Interview
2012 interview about 'Zero Dark Thirty'
Kathryn Bigelow Biography
Kathryn Bigelow is the first woman ever to win an Academy Award as best director. She claimed the Oscar for her 2009 Iraq War movie The Hurt Locker. Bigelow was an avant-garde painter in New York City in the 1970s when she began working with film; eventually she went to Columbia University’s film school. Her first feature was The Loveless (1982, with Willem Dafoe), but her first splashy commercial features were Blue Steel (1989, with Jamie Lee Curtis as a rookie cop) and Point Break (1991, with Keanu Reeves as an undercover FBI slacker chasing renegade surfer bank robbers led by Patrick Swayze). Bigelow became known as a calm and even feminine presence who liked to direct violent masculine action flicks. James Cameron, her husband from 1989-91, produced her 1995 science fiction thriller Strange Days, and her 2002 submarine movie K-19: The Widowmaker was well received. Bigelow reached a new level of fame with The Hurt Locker, a gritty and claustrophobic study of bomb detonation experts putting their lives on the line in Iraq. The film earned nine Academy Award nominations; Bigelow won for best director, and the film won the Oscar as best picture of the year. Her next film, Zero Dark Thirty (2012), about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, was also nominated as best picture.
Bigelow attended the Art Institute of San Francisco and then studied in the Whitney Studio Art Program in New York City in the 1970s… Her marriage to Cameron is her only marriage to date; she has no children.
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Elmore Leonard is 85 Years Old and Just as Beloved As Ever
Something in Common with Kathryn Bigelow
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Traore can become Wolves’ Zaha – Ndah
Tim Nash April 17, 2019 Wolves Bite - Blog 0 Comments
Wolves should stick with Adama Traore because he can become their main man – just like Wilfried Zaha at Crystal Palace.
That’s the verdict of George Ndah, who knows a bit about pacy forwards. Having played for both clubs, Ndah has watched both players at close quarters and has been excited by Traore.
The Spaniard was until recently Wolves’ £18m record signing before he was overtaken by £32m Raul Jimenez. But the jury remains out on him as he strives for the consistency to match his electric pace.
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo hasn’t found him a regular place in the team and he has made just eight Premier League starts since joining from Middlesbrough last August.
Traore has played right wing back in his last two Premier League appearances, starting in the 2-0 defeat at Burnley before coming on for Matt Doherty in the position in Saturday’s 3-1 loss at Southampton.
Ndah is urging fans to have patience over the former Villa flier because he is convinced the 23-year-old will become as valuable to them as Zaha.
The 26-year-old is due to make the 300th League appearance of his career this Sunday, when Palace go to Arsenal, and has become a talisman for the Eagles.
“People have got to understand that when you’re that fast, it’s difficult to process everything at that speed, so he has to learn to slow himself down as well, because the pace he’s going at is unbelievable,” Ndah told www.wolvesbite.com
“In time, he will find his pace. It’s a bit like Wilfried Zaha. Zaha is not as quick as Traore, but when he was younger, he was very inconsistent.
“But now he’s mature, he’s got that end product and now he’s putting consistent performances together.
“That will happen with Adama so I urge the Wolves fans to be patient because he’s a fantastic talent and I’m sure he will fulfil his potential at Wolves.
“He’s only a young player so he’s still got a lot to learn but the potential of him is huge. It’s frightening.”
Asked if Traore could become as important to Wolves as Zaha is to Palace, Ndah, 44, said: “I think so. Listen, when you’ve got pace like that, defenders can’t do anything about it.
“You can’t defend against it – you can’t stop it. You can’t teach what he’s got, so as he continues to develop, keeps listening to the manager, and once he gains that consistency and works hard, then in three or four years’ time, it will be frightening what he can achieve.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing him then.”
Ndah believes Traore will become a top Premier League player.
“He can be whatever he wants to be, because of that pace,” added the Londoner. “No matter where goes, if he plays against Manchester City or Barcelona, no one is as quick as him.
“As long as he learns to harness it and uses it at the right time, it’s so damaging, it causes havoc.
“That’s what people want to see and that’s what people pay the big bucks for, players like him.”
Ndah was lightning quick but reckons Traore is the fastest footballer he has ever seen.
“He must be the quickest footballer in the world. Pace was my game, so I like to watch players like that who lift the crowd,” he added.
“When they get the ball, there’s an anticipation – people are excited to see what he’s going to do because they don’t know, whether he will go to the left or the right.
“He just sets alarms off with his pace so that’s what fans want to see, players with speed going past people.
“He actually embarrasses some people with his pace, so he can go on to whatever he wants to achieve.”
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There's little doubt anymore that vegetarianism is going mainstream. Millions of people are vegetarians, and thousands more make the switch to a meat-free diet every week. Many others have greatly reduced the amount of animal products they eat.
Many people eliminate animal foods from their diet because of health concerns. In study after study, the consumption of animal foods has been linked with heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and other illnesses. One reason may be because animals are routinely given growth hormones, antibiotics, and even pesticides, which remain in their flesh and are passed on to meat-eaters.
Other people become vegetarians out of concern for animal welfare. On today's factory farms, animals often spend their entire lives confined to cages or stalls barely larger than their own bodies. Death for these animals doesn't always come quickly or painlessly. Billions of animals are killed for food in the United States alone.
Reducing health risks and eliminating animal suffering are just two reasons to go vegetarian; adopting a plant-based diet can also help protect the environment and feed the hungry. Factory farms produce billions of tons of animal waste. The waste produced in a single year would fill 6.7 million train box cars, enough to circle the Earth 12 1/2 times. Unfortunately much of this waste ends up in our rivers and streams, polluting waterways more than all industrial sources combined.
Raising animals for food is also taking its toll on the world's forests. Since 1960, more than one-quarter of the rain forests in Central America have been destroyed to create cattle pastures. Of the Amazonian rain forest cleared in South America, more than 38 percent has been used for ranching. Rain forests are vital to the survival of the planet because they are the Earth's primary source of oxygen. And scientists are increasingly exploring the use of rain-forest plants in medications to treat and cure human diseases.
Veganism takes vegetarianism beyond the diet. A vegan (pronounced Vee-g'n) is someone who tries to live without exploiting animals, for the benefit of animals, people and the planet. A vegan does not eat any animal food products, avoids wearing animal-derived products and does not purchase toiletries, cosmetics and cleaning products that have been tested on animals or contain animal based ingredients. They also refrain form supporting animal entertainment and other industries that exploit animals. Instead, vegans choose from thousands of animal-free foods, products and entertainment.
Veganism is a philosophy, not a diet. This philosophy is the belief in the right of all sentient beings to be treated with respect, not as property, and to be allowed to live their lives.
A balanced vegan diet (also referred to as a ‘plant-based diet’) meets many current healthy eating recommendations such as eating more fruit, vegetables and whole grains and consuming less cholesterol and saturated fat. Balanced vegan diets are often rich in vitamins, antioxidants and fiber and can decrease the chances of suffering from diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Well-planned plant-based diets are suitable for all age groups and stages of life.
Many people become vegan through concern of the way farmed animals are treated. Some object to the unnecessary ‘use’ and killing of animals – unnecessary as we do not need animal products in order to feed or clothe ourselves. Public awareness of the conditions of factory-farmed animals is gradually increasing and it is becoming more and more difficult to claim not to have at least some knowledge of the treatment they endure. Sentient, intelligent animals are often kept in cramped and filthy conditions where they cannot move around or perform their natural behaviors. At the same time, many suffer serious health problems and even death because they are selectively bred to grow or produce milk or eggs at a far greater rate than their bodies are capable of coping with.
Regardless of how they were raised, all animals farmed for food meet the same fate at the slaughterhouse. This includes the millions of calves and male chicks who are killed every year as ‘waste products’ of milk and egg production and the animals farmed for their milk and eggs who are killed at a fraction of their natural lifespan. Choosing a vegan diet is a daily demonstration of compassion for all these creatures.
Vegans also help the planet. Plant-based diets only require around one third of the land and water needed to produce a typical Western diet. Farmed animals consume much more protein, water and calories than they produce, so far greater quantities of crops and water are needed to produce animal ‘products’ to feed humans than are needed to feed people direct on a plant-based diet. With water and land becoming scarcer globally, world hunger increasing and the planet’s population rising, it is much more sustainable to eat plant foods direct than use up precious resources feeding farmed animals. Farming animals and growing their feed also contributes to other environmental problems such as deforestation, water pollution and land degradation.
Choosing to live a life free from animal products means choosing a path that is kinder to people, animals and the environment.
VEGANS & PROTEIN
Can the vegan (strict vegetarian) diet provide protein adequate for sound human health? This question continues to be asked despite the fact that a "yes" answer was given some three decades ago in a study reported by Hardinge and Stare. The question stays with us largely because animal products (meat, milk, cheese, and eggs) have been promoted (usually by the industries that produce and sell them) as the best source of protein. This dietary assumption is wrong and can even be harmful, as a quick study of the facts about vegetable protein and nutrition shows.
Protein is essential to human health. In fact, our bodies -- hair, muscles, fingernails, and so on -- are made up mostly of protein. As suggested by the differences between our muscles and our fingernails, not all proteins are alike. This is because differing combinations of any number of 22 known amino acids may constitute a protein. (In much the same way that the 26 letters of our alphabet serve to form different words, the 22 amino acids serve to form different proteins.)
Amino acids are a fundamental part of our diet. While most of the 22 can be manufactured in one way or another by the human body, eight (or, for some people, 10) cannot. These "essential amino acids" can easily be provided by a balanced vegan diet.
Non-animal foods can easily provide us with the necessary protein. Despite the claims of the meat and dairy industries, only 2.5-10 percent of the total calories consumed by the average human being needs to be in the form of protein. The rule of thumb used by the National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board is .57 grams of protein for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. People under special circumstances (such as pregnant women) are advised to get a little more. Vegans should not worry about getting enough protein; if you eat a reasonably varied diet and ingest sufficient calories, you will undoubtedly get enough protein.
Eating too much protein can result in osteoporosis and kidney stones. Meat and dairy products raise the acid level in human blood, causing calcium to be excreted from the bones to restore the body's natural pH balance. This calcium depletion results in osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones. The excreted calcium ends up in the kidneys, where it often forms painful stones. Kidney disease is far more common in meat-eaters than in vegans, and excessive protein consumption has also been linked to cancer of the colon, breast, prostate, and pancreas. By replacing animal protein with vegetable protein, you can improve your health while enjoying a wide variety of delicious foods.
While just about every vegetarian food contains some protein, the soybean deserves special mention, for it contains all eight essential amino acids and surpasses all other food plants in the amount of protein it can deliver to the human system. In this regard it is nearly equal to meat. The human body uses about 70 percent of the protein found in meat and 60 to 65 percent of that found in soybeans. The many different and delicious soy products (tempeh, soy "hot dogs," "burgers," Tofutti brand "ice cream," and tofu) available in health and grocery stores suggest that the soybean, in its many forms, can accommodate a wide range of tastes.
Other rich sources of non-animal protein include legumes, nuts, seeds, food yeasts and freshwater algae. Although food yeasts ("nutritional yeast" and "brewer's yeast") do not lend themselves to forming the center of one's diet, they are extremely nutritious additions to most menus (in soups, gravies, breads, casseroles, and dips). Most yeasts are 50 percent protein (while most meats are only 25 percent). Freshwater algae contains a phenomenal percentage of protein. One type is the deep green spirulina, a food that is 70 percent protein. It is available in tablets, powders, and even candy bars.
Protein deficiency need not be a concern for vegans. If we ate nothing but wheat, oatmeal, or potatoes, we would easily have more than enough protein. Eating nothing but cabbage would provide more than twice as much protein as anyone would need! Of course, an actual vegan would never want to be limited to just one food. The vegan diet can (and should) be full of a wide variety of delicious foods.
VEGAN CHILDREN
Most people have been taught that children must eat animal flesh and dairy products to grow up strong and healthy. The truth is that children raised as vegans, who consume no animal products, including meat, eggs, and dairy, can derive all the nutrients essential for optimum growth from plant-based sources.
Consider this: Many children raised on the "traditional" American diet of cholesterol and saturated fat-laden hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza are already showing symptoms of heart disease -- the number one killer of adults -- by the time they reach first grade. One epidemiological study found significant levels of cholesterol and fat in the arteries of most children under the age of five. Children raised as vegans can be protected from this condition. They are less likely to suffer from childhood illnesses such as asthma, iron-deficiency anemia and diabetes, and will be less prone to ear infections and colic.
A vegan diet has other benefits, too. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are more than 20,000 E. coli infections from meat every year in the United States. A vegan diet protects children from the pesticides, hormones and antibiotics that are fed to animals in huge amounts and concentrate in animals' fatty tissue and milk.
Nutritionists and physicians have learned that plant products are good sources of protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin D because they can be easily absorbed by the body and don't contain artery-clogging fat.
Protein--Contrary to popular opinion, the real concern about protein is that we will feed our children too much, not too little. Excess animal protein actually promotes the growth of tumors--and most people on a meat-based diet consume three to 10 times more protein than their bodies need! Children can get all the protein their bodies need from whole grains in the form of oats, brown rice, and pasta; from nuts and seeds, including spreads such as tahini and peanut butter; and legumes, including tofu, lentils, and beans.
Iron--Few parents know that some babies' intestines bleed after drinking cow's milk. This increases their risk of developing iron-deficiency anemia since the blood they're losing contains iron. Breast-fed infants under the age of one year get sufficient iron from mother's milk (and are less prone to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Formula-fed babies should be fed a soy-based formula with added iron to minimize the risk of intestinal bleeding. Iron-rich foods such as raisins, almonds, dried apricots, blackstrap molasses and fortified grain cereals will meet the needs of toddlers and children 12 months and older. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, so foods rich in both, such as green, leafy vegetables are particularly valuable.
Calcium--Drinking cow's milk is one of the least effective ways to strengthen bones. Too much protein, such as the animal protein fed to children in dairy products, actually causes the body to lose calcium. In countries where calcium intake is low but where protein intake is also very low, osteoporosis is almost non-existent. Cornbread, broccoli, kale, tofu, dried figs, tahini, great northern beans and fortified orange juice and soy milk are all excellent sources of calcium. As with iron, vitamin C will help your child's system absorb calcium efficiently.
Vitamin D--This is not really a "vitamin" but a hormone our bodies manufacture when our skin is exposed to sunlight. Cow's milk does not naturally contain vitamin D; it's added later. Vitamin D-enriched soy milk provides this nutrient without the added animal fat. A child who spends as little as 15 minutes a day playing in the sunshine, with arms and face exposed, will get sufficient vitamin D.
Vitamin B-12--This essential vitamin once occurred naturally on the surfaces of potatoes, beets, and other root vegetables, but the move away from natural fertilizers has caused it to disappear from our soil. Any commercially available multivitamin will assure adequate B-12 for your child. B-12 is also found in nutritional yeast (not to be confused with brewer's or active dry yeast) and many fortified cereals.
Dangers of Dairy Products
Children do not need dairy products to grow up strong and healthy. The director of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Frank Oski, says, "There's no reason to drink cow's milk at any time. It was designed for calves, it was not designed for humans, and we should all stop drinking it today, this afternoon." Dr. Benjamin Spock agrees that although milk is the ideal food for baby cows, it can be dangerous for human infants: "I want to pass the word to parents that cow's milk . . . has definite faults for some babies. It causes allergies, indigestion, and contributes to some cases of childhood diabetes."
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants under one year of age not be fed whole cow's milk. Dairy products are the leading cause of food allergies. In addition, more than two-thirds of Native Americans and people from Asian and Mexican ancestry and as many as 15 percent of Caucasians are lactose intolerant and suffer symptoms such as bloating, gas, cramps, vomiting, headaches, rashes or asthma. Many people become lactose intolerant after age four. For these people, animal proteins seep into the immune system and can result in chronic runny noses, sore throats, hoarseness, bronchitis and recurring ear infections.
Milk is suspected of triggering juvenile diabetes, a disease that causes blindness and other serious effects. Some children's bodies see cow's milk protein as a foreign substance and produce high levels of antibodies to fend off this "invader." These antibodies also destroy the cells which produce insulin in the pancreas, leading to diabetes.
An estimated 20 percent of U.S. dairy cows are infected with leukemia viruses that are resistant to killing by pasteurization. These viruses have been found in supermarket supplies of milk and dairy products. It may not be merely coincidence that the highest rates of leukemia are found in children ages 3-13, who consume the most dairy products.
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Facts Press India In the News
Background: The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated onto the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty which ruled India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century. By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually brought about independence in 1947. Communal violence led to the subcontinent's bloody partition, which resulted in the creation of two separate states, India and Pakistan. The two countries have fought three wars since independence, the last of which in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 caused Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In November 2008, terrorists allegedly originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Despite pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, rapid economic development is fueling India's rise on the world stage. In January 2011, India assumed a nonpermanent seat in the UN Security Council for the 2011-12 term.
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Area land: 2,973,193 sq km
Area water: 314,070 sq km
Country name conventional long form: Republic of India
Country name conventional short form: India
Country name former: Republic of India
Population: 1,189,172,906 (July 2011 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.7% (male 187,450,635/female 165,415,758); 15-64 years: 64.9% (male 398,757,331/female 372,719,379); 65 years and over: 5.5% (male 30,831,190/female 33,998,613) (2011 est.);
Birth rate: 20.97 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 47.57 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 46.18 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 49.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.);
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.8 years; male: 65.77 years; female: 67.95 years (2011 est.);
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2.4 million (2009 est.);
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 170,000 (2009 est.);
Nationality: noun: Indian(s); adjective: Indian;
Ethnic groups: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000);
Religions: Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census);
Languages: Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9%;
note: English enjoys the status of subsidiary official language but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the most widely spoken language and primary tongue of 41% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language (2001 census)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 61%; male: 73.4%; female: 47.8% (2001 census);
GDP (purchasing power parity): $4.046 trillion (2010 est.); $3.736 trillion (2009 est.); $3.478 trillion (2008 est.);
GDP (official exchange rate): $1.43 trillion (2010 est.);
GDP - real growth rate: 8.3% (2010 est.); 7.4% (2009 est.); 7.4% (2008 est.);
Population below poverty line: 25% (2007 est.);
Labor force: 478.3 million (2010 est.);
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 52%; industry: 14%; services: 34% (2009 est.);
Unemployment rate: 10.8% (2010 est.); 10.7% (2009 est.);
Budget: revenues: $170.7 billion; expenditures: $257.4 billion (2010 est.);
Industries: textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software, pharmaceuticals;
Electricity - consumption: 568 billion kWh (2007 est.);
Electricity - imports: 5.27 billion kWh (2009 est.);
Hindu, The
(Left-leaning, independent), Chennai
http://www.thehindu.com/
(Centrist), New Delhi
http://www.hindustantimes.com/
Indian Express, The
http://www.expressindia.com/
Indigenous Herald
(Independent), Tripura
http://www.indigenousherald.com/
http://www.jansatta.com/
Latest Patrika News
(N/A), Jaipur
http://www.patrika.com/
(Independent, Marathi-language), Mumbai
http://www.loksatta.com/
India in the News
Displaying 13 to 16 of 148 items.
Hafiz Saeed: Impediment to a Peaceful Kashmir
Kashmir is one of the most volatile places in the world, and the divisions between Indians and Pakistanis in the region are only exacerbated when a terrorist like Saeed uses venomous rhetoric to stoke the flames.
Meeting the Needs of Children's Health in India
Children in poor parts of the world die from preventable causes on a wide scale. One Indian program is aiming to revitalize the country's health systems on educational and governmental levels.
India and the Turmoil in the Middle East
While battles rage in Libya and the Middle East, Indians are taking a look at the cracks in their own democracy, as they, too, are experiencing the kind of inequality and hunger that demands attention.
Obama's Visit to India
In his recent trip to India, President Obama came bearing massive business deals and some welcome diplomatic announcements, but not without wanting some things in return.
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Alex Trebek announces he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer
The long-term host of the iconic show "Jeopardy!" told TMZ that he is considering retirement. Trebek has at least two people in mind to replace him.
Updated: Mar 6, 2019 6:20 PM
Posted By: By Sandra Gonzalez, CNN
"Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek is hoping for a victory as he wages a battle against cancer.
The longtime game show host on Wednesday announced he's been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in a video posted to the show's official YouTube account.
"Now, normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I'm going to fight this. And I'm going to keep working and with the love and support of my family and friends -- and with the help of your prayers also -- I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease," he said.
Pancreatic cancer, on average and across all stages, has a 5-year survival rate of 9%, according to the American Cancer Society.
Trebek, 78, has hosted "Jeopardy" since 1984, when the show began airing daily in syndication.
Sony Pictures Television chairman Mike Hopkins said in a statement Wednesday, "If anyone can beat this it's Alex. He has our full support as he tackles this challenge head-on."
Trebek is known for his quick wit and sense of humor, which was on display in his announcement, despite the somber message at its center.
"Truth told, I have to [keep hosting] because under the terms of my contract, I have to host 'Jeopardy' for three more years," he joked. "So help me. Keep the faith, and we'll win. We'll get it done."
Upon news of his diagnosis, former "Jeopardy" champions, celebrity fans and even fellow game show hosts have expressed support for Trebek.
"The Sajak family is deeply saddened to hear of Alex Trebek's struggle with cancer," "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak wrote on Twitter. "Our hearts go out to him and his family. But there is no one I know who is stronger and more determined, and I would never bet against him. We, and the entire country, are pulling for you, Alex."
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5 things to know for March 7: House Dems, Huawei, Trudeau, Facebook, Alex Trebek
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Michigan: Two million gallons of untreated sewage spill into Flint River
By Mitch Marcus
Almost five and a half years into the still unresolved Flint water crisis, in which government officials at all levels criminally conspired to allow residents to drink lead- and bacteria-poisoned water for 18 months before acknowledging the problem, the city reported on Sunday that its Wastewater Treatment Plant spilled 2 million gallons of stormwater and sewage into the Flint River after heavy rain over the weekend.
Genesee County issued a public advisory that people should avoid all contact with the Flint River. As of this writing six days later, there are no reports in the press or on government websites that the advisory has been lifted.
It goes without saying that exposure to or ingestion of raw or partially treated sewage, as the city maintains is the case here, can cause immediate harmful effects. The multiple risks present stem from exposure to viruses such as rotavirus that can cause stomach flu-like symptoms, bacteria such as E. coli which can result in kidney failure and death, and parasites such as Cryptosporidiosis, which can cause diarrhea and fevers. Aside from these, which result from contact in some form, simply inhaling raw sewage fumes can cause asphyxiation and tissue damage.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in the United States 7 million people on average per year, i.e., a population that would rank as the second largest city in the US, become ill from exposure to raw sewage, and 7 percent of these severely or fatally ill. While some of the illnesses are due to ingestion through drinking water, a majority are the result of external contact, often resulting from municipal spills.
Late Saturday night, over 2.2 inches of rain fell in the Flint area in just a three-hour period. On Sunday, August 18, the city issued a statement that the water plant had discharged untreated sewage “due to sudden flash flooding which exceeded the plant’s primary settling tanks causing overflow onto the ground and into storm sewers.”
The Flint River has long been known to be highly polluted due to the unrestrained dumping of toxic waste into it by General Motors for the better part of a century. GM’s callous disregard for the working class that built the company could be seen not only in its driving down of autoworker wages to poverty level with the full complicity of the United Auto Workers union every step of the way since the 1970s, but also in the level of pollution left behind by the rapacious company on site after abandoned site in search of cheaper labor sources.
Six months after the switch was made to the Flint River for drinking water—when the entire political establishment was still lying to the public and saying that the brown, fowl-smelling water from the Flint River was safe to drink—it was revealed that GM had stopped using Flint River water in its production because the highly acidic water was corroding its parts.
These experiences of Flint residents, and indeed of the country and world, are not just passing without serious consideration. Workers are drawing conclusions as to the backwardness and irrationality that prevails under capitalism. These are expressed in some of the readers’ comments on the articles in the press on the recent spill.
On MLive, in response to GM’s role in Flint and the fact that it has paid virtually no taxes for years, Chukobuk wrote, “Just raise industrial user sewer rates by a factor of ten. What else is GM going to use its vast federal income tax break for from the Tax and Jobs Cut Act? Laying off another 12,000 employees? Oh, sorry, that’s the Tax Cut and Jobs Act.”
Comments also reflect the growing understanding of the roles that capitalism itself and rampant inequality play in such crises. Nocoded wrote, “All part of the plan ... defund infrastructure until it rots, then drive people to purchase bottled water from corporations like Nestle. They will try to privatize your air too, as soon as they figure out how. Only room for the rich in the future we’re building, the rest of us peasants can eat bugs and starve slowly.”
Narrator, another commenter, gave expression to the widespread hostility that exists within the working class to the explosion of US militarism and its unending and wasteful imperialist wars abroad. “How about we build 2 less bombers for our Team America World Police and give the millions to Flint to help Americans instead of the Military Industrial Complex?”
“Derisory” only begins to describe the reaction to the current spill by officials at all levels of government. As with many other cities throughout the country, there are no effective protocols or mechanisms in place, nor plans to create them, to deal with the inevitability of such spills.
Earlier this year, in seeking its first loan in almost 20 years to upgrade the aging and crumbling Wastewater Treatment Plant—some of the main pipes were built in 1927—Flint’s director of the Department of Public Works, Rob Bincsik, said, “We’re going to get to a point where we can’t treat our wastewater and sewage anymore. We won’t have to talk about drinking water anymore, because we’ll talk about nothing but the raw sewage that gets discharged into the Flint River.”
Having correctly prophesied in June of this year the impending breakdown, the same official explained yesterday, “The condition of infrastructure and needed capital investment at the wastewater treatment plant had nothing to do with the recent discharge into the Flint River.” The utter disdain for the working class by those at the top who pollute the water supply at will and continue to conduct themselves with criminal negligence or worse is staggering.
It was not the facility’s ill preparedness for heavy rain that caused the problem, Bincsik reasoned, but the rain itself!
“The duration and intensity of the rain event caused an immediate and significant increase in flow, subsequently causing the primary tanks to overflow untreated sewage into the storm sewer and ultimately the river,” Bincsik said. “Wastewater treatment plant staff did everything possible to minimize the discharge event, but they are really at the mercy of Mother Nature in situations such as this.”
Two days after the spill, it was revealed that months ago city officials actually sought a waiver from the county requirement that it test the river water for bacteria after just such a sewage spill. “[Sewage discharges are] actually ‘cleaner’ than the river water, so it’s [sic] impact on the river is positive, if anything,” Robert Case, Flint’s water pollution control division manager, explained to MLive after his waiver request was denied.
One reader, MBell, responded at the time, “So let me get this straight. After having one of the worst water crises in history and a complete mismanagement on all levels of government this guy that works for the city where this happened wants to stop testing the water after a sewage spill?! The logic being that sewage spills are ‘cleaner’ than the river and that a sewage spill would actually benefit the river. This guy needs to be fired plain and simple …
“Wouldn’t you want to err on the side of caution? I think the most important aspect of Case’s job would be to protect the public and make sure the water is not further damaged by a sewage spill. Not saying the Flint River is great or anything because we know how polluted it is. However, I think testing and monitoring the water should be a top priority.”
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Rich in US and UK live nearly ten more healthy years than the poor
US and UK clash over Huawei involvement in 5G rollout
Detroit, Michigan man declared innocent and released after nearly 30 years of wrongful imprisonment
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Developers revive demand for land development holding company - Daily News Egypt
Business Developers revive demand for land development holding company
Developers revive demand for land development holding company
Over the past several years, real estate developers have constantly demanded the government establish a holding company to develop land and desert areas in new cities and make them viable for construction through providing basic utilities and infrastructure for the establishment of housing and different services projects. The shortage of affordable land, which is ready …
Shaimaa Al-Aees March 12, 2018 Be the first to comment
Over the past several years, real estate developers have constantly demanded the government establish a holding company to develop land and desert areas in new cities and make them viable for construction through providing basic utilities and infrastructure for the establishment of housing and different services projects.
The shortage of affordable land, which is ready for reconstruction and the implementation of new projects, is still a problem that imposes itself on the real estate market, despite government expansion—represented by the Ministry of Housing—in offering land in different areas and volumes.
Developers called on the government to establish a holding company to work as a public developer that helps the state in the development of plots of land and re-offers it to investors.
Developers noted that establishing such a company will serve the government’s plan to increase the size of Egypt’s urban areas to 12% of the country by 2050.
For his part, deputy head of the Real Estate Development Chamber and Misr Italia Properties chairperson, Hany El-Assal, said that government efforts need to be supported in order to accelerate the development and reconstruction of the country, noting that the establishment of a holding company is a solution to operate as a public developer, as the case was in Egypt before the 1950s.
El-Assal pointed out that the proposed company will see participation from the largest real estate companies and members of the Real Estate Development Chamber to contribute to the development of urban areas.
He noted that the chamber will submit the proposal to Minister of Housing Mostafa Madbouly and stressed that the success of the company will contribute to accelerating rates of development and construction and help to achieve social stability.
Meanwhile, Al Ahly for Real Estate Development Chairperson Hussein Sabbour said, “we did not stop demanding the state to allow developers to participate in land development and re-offer it to investors, in order to provide lands at affordable prices and overcome the lack of land eligible for implementing high-quality residential and services projects.”
Sabbour pointed out that the state should reconsider its vision for offering land as a “commodity” that must be profitable, but as a means of development, so land development and prices must be altered to serve this goal.
He pointed out that the state owns the land and can control its prices, while the private sector does not own this land, and depends on bids to obtain land, which leads to higher prices as a result of speculation, and the government should offer land at low prices to avoid adding more burdens on developers.
Sabbour called on the government to apply the idea of a public developer while preserving the state’s right to achieve returns from land.
He further called for the return of companies like Heliopolis Company for Housing and Development and Madinet Nasr for Housing and Development to compete with the state on land offerings, stressing that competition with the state will contribute to reducing prices to reach the real price, because a government monopoly over land offerings contributed to hikes in the prices of property in the country.
Sabbour said, “the state turned into a strong competitor to companies that plan to work in the New Administrative Capital by implementing residential units and preparing to sell at prices difficult for developers to compete with.”
Fathallah Fawzy, co-founder of Mena Group, stressed the importance of involving the private sector in serving as a public developer and contributing to the realisation of the country’s targeted urban development plans by 2030, noting that the private sector plays an important role in land processing and the integrated development of land.
“The realisation of the state plan for urban development requires a large dependence on the private sector in the implementation of that plan, by reviving the idea of the general developer to avoid letting additional financial burdens on the state affect its budget, already suffering a huge deficit. All local and global experiences show the success of the idea of a general developer,” Fawzy noted.
He called on the government to focus on creating an appropriate investment climate for real estate developers by amending and issuing a series of laws encouraging investment, in addition to issuing licenses and approvals electronically, activating the idea of the general developer, and to avoid granting one party the right to monopolising land.
Topics: land development
https://wwww.dailynewssegypt.com/2018/03/12/developers-revive-demand-land-development-holding-company/
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March 12, 2018 Breaking News
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Headstones mark snow covered graves on Beechey Island with Devon Island in background. (Marina McCready/Yukon News)
A cold and lonely place to die
Desolate Beechey Island is home to three graves from the Franklin Expedition
Dec. 5, 2017 7:30 a.m.
Marina McCready | Special to the News
On remote Bathurst Island in the central Arctic archipelago, there’s a national park that has seen just four visitors since its creation in 2015.
In mid-September, the cruise ship Ocean Adventurer crossed the Parry Channel to visit one of Canada’s newest national parks — Qausuittuq. The park was created primarily to protect the calving and wintering grounds of the endangered Peary Caribou herd. It would be the northernmost point of our journey at 76 degrees north.
As we approached Bathurst Island the temperature outside was -10C and we encountered newly-formed sea ice that was thin, clear and very flexible. It was interesting to watch it flex with wave action created by the ship. The zodiacs had no problem breaking through this ice and we were taken ashore to explore.
I had opted for a long hike and our route took us up a ridge made entirely of sedimentary rocks of various sizes. From the ridge we spotted both a lone muskox and a large herd across the valley and a few Peary caribou further away on the tundra. There were lots of polar bear tracks and a few places where a female bear had been digging in the snow drifts on the steep slope checking out possible denning sites. We also saw small flocks of snow buntings feeding on grass seed in the bare patches at the base of the ridge. With winter just around the corner I was amazed these little birds were still this far north. Perhaps they were just as amazed to see us.
After travelling overnight through Barrow Strait, we dropped anchor off Beechey Island, a starkly beautiful and desolate spot connected by a narrow strip of land called a tombolo to Devon Island (the largest uninhabited island in the world).
Beechey is the site of three graves from the Franklin Expedition. The sailors buried here died in the first year of the expedition while the crews overwintered near this spot in 1845-46.
Beechey Island gained international attention in 1987 when Canadian forensic anthropologist Owen Beattie published a book called Frozen in Time in which he detailed how he and a team had exhumed the three bodies and performed autopsies in tents at the site. Other than elevated lead content in their bodies and evidence of lung disease, Beattie and company discovered nothing that categorically pinpointed why these three young men died so early in the expedition. Researchers speculated that traces of lead in their bodies may have come from soldering used to close the cans of food taken on the expedition.
When we went ashore it was cold, windy, and a little foggy, creating an eerie scene around the graves.
Looking around at the landscape with its massive width of stark rocky beach and backdrop of craggy rock cliffs, I was struck by the overwhelming vastness and barrenness of this location. The Franklin crews must have been saddened to bury their friends in such a hostile and alien location. One of the men buried here — John Hartnell — had a brother named Thomas on the expedition.
When his body was exhumed researchers noted John was wearing a shirt embroidered with the initials TH. It may have been the loving act of a grieving brother to use his own shirt to clothe his younger brother prior to burial. While the crew wouldn’t have known it at the time, these three who died so early in the expedition were probably the lucky ones. We now know that many of the remaining 131 men died long and painful deaths by starvation, and some even resorted to cannibalism in a last desperate attempt to survive.
Leaving the graves, we walked down the beach about a kilometre to the ruins of Northumberland House. This structure was built from wood scavenged off a wrecked whaling ship in 1852 by the crew of HMS North Star, who were searching for the Franklin expedition. The building was stockpiled with food in case the missing crews made it back.
Time and the environment have not been kind to this structure. All that is left standing is a partial wood frame and a stone wall. Evidence of coal can still be seen where it was piled behind the building. Barrel staves, bits of cans and scraps of wood litter the ground everywhere around the ruin. When it was time to leave I dragged my feet as I slowly approached the zodiacs — taking time to examine some of the many fossils visible on the beach.
Looking at rocks containing fossilized coral and sea creatures from a southern clime juxtaposed with the desolate High Arctic environment was a surreal experience. While we had come to see historic artifacts less than 200 years old, the story here goes back millions of years to a time when this island and the tectonic plate it sits on were close to the equator before continental drift brought it all the way to this polar region.
Both the island and the men who died on it travelled a long way.
Marina McCready is a Whitehorse based freelance writer and photographer. This piece is third in a five-part series.
The remains of Northumberland House stand on Beechey Island. (Marina McCready/Yukon News)
Hey Gjoa Haven: Cruising through the Northwest Passage
Yukon the dog safely home after two weeks lost on the Alaska Highway
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Investigation ongoing
The report on the death of Robert Stone at the Whitehorse detox has been delayed. Stone was found dead while in the care of detox on May 2 of this year, just 26 hours after he had been released from the Whitehorse Correctional Centre.
Roxanne Livingstone
The report on the death of Robert Stone at the Whitehorse detox has been delayed.
Stone was found dead while in the care of detox on May 2 of this year, just 26 hours after he had been released from the Whitehorse Correctional Centre.
The First Nation man had been in the care of various authorities for 14 hours before his death.
According to official reports, Stone had been released from WCC at 8 a.m. May 1, but by that evening was picked up by the ambulance at Petro-Canada gas station around 8 p.m. During transport to hospital it’s alleged he became combative, so was released to the RCMP.
At 2 a.m., while in the drunk tank, he’s said to have complained of chest pains, so an ambulance took him to the hospital where he was treated and released. Stone was then sent to detox where he died at about 10 a.m.
Family members were alarmed at the condition of Stone’s body. His head had bruising they believe looks like his head was slammed in a door.
They also wonder if he had been Tasered because of small black scorch marks around his head.
Coroner Sharon Hanley said his head injuries had nothing to do with his death, but her preliminary autopsy could not determine the cause of death.
The Medicine Hat Police Service is conducting the investigation into the Whitehorse man’s death.
The report was originally supposed to be complete in early June. Staff Sgt. Brent Secondiak now says he can’t promise any completion date. (Roxanne Livingstone)
Whitehorse Elementary parents angry at new teacher staffing formula
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Outsmarting the Slick Ad Boys
As advertisers strive to draw attention online with flashy video and animated ads, Web users are increasingly firing back by installing programs to block them out.
Following in the footsteps of popular programs that eliminate much-reviled pop-up advertisements, a growing number of applications are purging so-called rich-media ads featuring video or Flash animation.
Thwarting rich-media ads can be more technically difficult than killing pop-ups, given that video and Flash animation are commonly part of a site's regular content. But software developers say adoption of rich-media-blocking tools is on the rise. Their growth coincides with a jump in rich-media promotions.
"Pop-up blockers are being installed on a large percentage of computers, which forces advertisers to use other methods such as rich media," said Ellis Giles, chief technology officer for Elex Technologies, a developer of ad-blocking software. In response, the company added a rich-media-blocking feature to its anti-pop-up software Pop-Up No-No! late last year.
Giles said it's difficult to say which form of online advertising is most annoying to Web users. While pop-ups are almost universally detested, some rich-media ads are now so involved and graphically detailed that they use up a large percentage of a user's processing power. Some take over an entire desktop or browser.
"Clearly there are some forms of acceptable rich media, but in the eyes of some consumers they see them as synonymous with pop-up advertising," said Peter Blackshaw, chief marketing officer for Intelliseek, a data-analysis firm. "This is a very precarious, sticky path for publishers because they have to be very sensitive to backlash."
But given the tepid response typically generated by static online banner ads and consumers' hostile reaction to pop-ups, more advertisers are willing to take the risk.
In a February report, DoubleClick, the largest distributor of Web advertisements, found that rich media accounted for nearly 40 percent of ads it placed in the fourth quarter of 2003. Overall, the volume of rich-media ads distributed increased nearly 60 percent in the quarter, compared to the same period a year ago.
The reason for the ascendance of rich media, according to DoubleClick, is straightforward: higher response rates. On average, one in 79 Internet users who viewed a rich-media ad clicked on it, compared to one in every 370 for other ads. DoubleClick also found that Internet users who didn't click were still more likely to visit an advertiser's website or purchase their product after viewing a rich-media ad.
The trouble is, according to Blackshaw, response rates are sure to decline as people tire of the constant barrage of bandwidth-hogging advertisements. DoubleClick reported a similar trend, noting that the percentage of people who clicked on rich-media ads dropped significantly between the third and fourth quarters of last year.
Meanwhile, the number of rich-media-blocking applications continues to grow. More than a half-dozen purveyors of pop-up-removal software listed on the website Download.com also offer rich-media blocking. Most claim to block ads employing Macromedia's Flash technology, the most common variety of rich media.
Among the largest Internet service providers in the United States, most provide some form of pop-up blocking. But rich-media filtering is less widespread.
EarthLink, which claims to be the first large ISP to offer rich-media blocking, launched a service to disable Flash in May. Scott Mecredy, EarthLink's product manager for core software, said the company added the feature because it believes "rich-media advertising will become the most annoying form of online advertising very shortly."
MSN, for its part, says it has no immediate plans to provide rich-media blocking, although it has become significantly more aggressive in curtailing pop-ups. The Microsoft-owned ISP said it stopped selling pop-ups on its network in May and extended the ban to pop-under ads in January.
Rather than focusing on making promotions as ostentatious as possible, Blackshaw says advertisers ought to draw a lesson from the success of keyword advertising. Keyword campaigns, in which merchants buy small text ads that crop up whenever someone types a specified word or word combination into a search engine, are successful because they're relevant, not because they're flashy, he said.
That said, Blackshaw acknowledged that there can be a place for rich media, so long as websites relegate video or animations to sections of their page traditionally set aside for advertising.
It's also helpful, Blackshaw said, for websites to gauge a user's Internet connection speed before serving an ad. That way, an advertiser can avoid sending a video ad that takes forever to download to a person with a dialup modem.
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Wisconsin's early winter weather is no problem for ticks. They're still out in force, observers say
Tick season in Wisconsin typically runs from May to September. But deer ticks will reach their adult phase in October and early November.
Wisconsin's early winter weather is no problem for ticks. They're still out in force, observers say Tick season in Wisconsin typically runs from May to September. But deer ticks will reach their adult phase in October and early November. Check out this story on wisconsinrapidstribune.com: https://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/story/news/2019/11/06/wisconsin-tick-season-continues-more-ticks-mean-more-lyme-disease/4095890002/
Melissa Siegler, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune Published 5:48 a.m. CT Nov. 6, 2019
Jango, a 1-year-old springer spaniel in Stevens Point, had about 250 ticks pulled off of him after going hunting with his owner in October. (Photo: Courtesy of Marissa English and Bill Koepke)
After taking his 1-year-old springer spaniel, Jango, hunting last month, Bill Koepke and his girlfriend used a lint roller to remove dozens of tiny, blood-sucking insects.
"We filled five strips of a lint roller," Koepke said. "There were over 50 on just one of the strips."
Koepke, from Stevens Point, said he takes Jango hunting in central and northern Wisconsin, and he's noticed an influx of ticks.
He isn't the only one. Other Wisconsin residents have reported heavy tick infestations, well beyond the insect's typical season of May to September.
One variety of the parasite is more likely than any other to still be attaching itself to outdoors lovers and their pets — and it's also the most likely to be carrying Lyme disease. Deer ticks, which are most common to the state, will reach their adult phase and are still out in full force in October and early November. They can also be active through the winter.
Susan Paskewitz, chairwoman of the entomology department at the University of Wisconsin, said tick numbers throughout the state are equal to or slightly higher than last year. Numbers will increase in an area if there are more hosts, such as mice or deer, or if a region has received a lot of rain or is especially humid.
Parts of Wisconsin have set historic precipitation records this year.
The geographic range of several types of ticks is also expanding, according to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The American dog tick, also known as the wood tick; the lone star tick; the Gulf Coast tick; and the black-legged tick, commonly known as the deer tick, have all moved beyond their normal regions over the last few decades.
Researchers attribute the expansion mostly to climate change. However, factors such as host availability and habitat suitability, can limit how far certain tick species are able to expand, according to the study.
The black-legged tick, sometimes called the deer tick, is responsible for transmitting Lyme disease. (Photo: ~File photo)
With the presence of a lot of ticks comes the risk of dangerous diseases spread by the insects. The deer tick is the No. 1 carrier of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.
Wisconsin had about 3,105 cases of Lyme disease in 2018, according to the state Department of Health Services. Over the past 10 years, the average number of cases in the state has more than doubled — and the total number of cases is most likely much higher than what is reported.
The number of cases of tick-related diseases has increased nationwide, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 2016 and 2017 alone, the number of reported cases of disease blew up from 48,610 to 59,349.
Beth Macias, a veterinarian with Progressive Veterinary Services in Wisconsin Rapids, said the clinic has seen a significant increase in the number of pets with tick-borne diseases over the past few years. Progressive treats pets for Lyme disease the most, although staff members have seen an increase in the number of pets with anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis.
More: Deer infected with tuberculosis can pass it to hunters, CDC warns
How to protect yourself and your pets
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources offers tips for people who want to avoid or minimize contact with ticks.
Wear long sleeves and pants in light colors so ticks are easier to spot. Tuck your pant legs into your socks.
Don't wear open-toed shoes or sandals.
Avoid contact with tall grass and shrubs
Carefully inspect yourself and your pet after spending time outdoors, especially during peak tick season. If you find a tick, remove with thin-tipped tweezers. Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and be careful not to squeeze the insect.
Put clothes through the washer and dryer. Ticks can survive a round in the washer, but can't handle the intense heat of the dryer.
Use prevention products that contain permethrin, an insecticide that will repel ticks.
Macias recommends people use tick protection on their pets year-round, as well as having their pets screened yearly for tick-related diseases.
"Adult ticks are not killed by freezing temperatures," Macias said. "Even in the coldest regions of the U.S., ticks cans still be active when temperatures are above freezing and they're not covered by snow."
The CDC recommends pet owners check their pets for ticks daily. (Photo: Courtesy of the Center for Disease Control)
People also can protect their yards if they live near wooded areas. Creating a barrier between the woods and your yard using wood chips or gravel can deter ticks. Removing anything that can be used as a haven or habitat for the insect, such as leaf piles or grass clippings, will reduce the amount of ticks.
It's also important to make sure grass and weeds are cut frequently. Making it more difficult for other animals that could be acting as hosts to get into your yard will help with limiting exposure, as well.
If bitten, doctors recommend people monitor themselves or their pet for symptoms, such as fever, chills, aches and pains or a rash. A target-like rash indicates a person is in the early stages of Lyme disease. Early diagnosis of tick-related diseases can prevent further complications from bites.
Contact USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reporter Melissa Siegler at msiegler@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Marie2Melissa.
Other News:
The wild, weird and wonderful Wisconsin story of Louie Spray's world-record muskie
Recent central Wisconsin attacks reignite old feuds about gray wolf protections
Read or Share this story: https://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/story/news/2019/11/06/wisconsin-tick-season-continues-more-ticks-mean-more-lyme-disease/4095890002/
Inspections: Restaurant receives 11 violations, another has nine
Man pleads not guilty to abandoning pets in Nekoosa home, three of which died
Wisconsin Rapids police logs: Donation box stolen
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12 best casinos in Las Vegas
Between the glitz, the glam, the endless buffets and those seas of slot machines, megahotels in Las Vegas quickly can...
Posted: May 7, 2018 4:38 AM
Updated: May 7, 2018 4:38 AM
Between the glitz, the glam, the endless buffets and those seas of slot machines, megahotels in Las Vegas quickly can blend together.
Still, to be clear: Not all Vegas resort destinations are created equal. Some properties excel with casino offerings, while others shine in the food and beverage department. Some have great spas, while others are great for nongamblers.
Here are 12 of our favorite casino hotels where guests can roll the dice, eat like royalty, party like Rhianna or Ed Sheeran and take in some unforgettable views as they play:
1. Best casino for sports betting: Caesars Palace
The sports book-that part of the casino where you wager on sports-inside Caesars Palace is a sports-lover's paradise that draws huge crowds and delivers a tailgating-style experience during big games to the 15,580-square-foot corner of the gaming floor.
The book's pride and joy: a 138-foot LED video wall that comprises six oversized 12-by-15-foot screens, 12 50-inch plasma screens and 20-by-50-foot LED board with up-to-the-minute betting lines on all the games.
The configuration gives the casino's oddsmakers the option to carry dozens of sporting events at any given time. Renovations in 2017 added a bar and 140 comfy chairs, and with a new app, bettors can order food off a limited menu and have everything delivered to their seats.
Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (866) 227-5938
2. Best casino for slots: ARIA
ARIA doesn't only boast one of the largest slot-machine floors on the Las Vegas Strip; it also offers one of the most exclusive high-limit slot rooms anywhere in Nevada.
That high-limit room, dubbed SPIN, has some machines that cost up to $5,000 per pull. It was designed by New York-based architect Peter Marino, and it has a separate area to exchange slot tickets for dollars, private bathrooms, a full-service dining area and a staff of butlers to cater to every guest's needs.
Overall, the resort is home to nearly 2,000 slots, including current-day favorites such as Anchorman, Wheel of Fortune 3-D, The Simpsons and The Walking Dead II. The casino hosts a slot tournament several times per year.
ARIA Resort & Casino, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89158; +1 (866) 359-7757
3. Best casino for poker: Bellagio
Newer spots have come and gone, but the poker room at Bellagio remains a favorite among veterans and amateurs alike. The cavernous space near the sports book has 40 tables in all, often a healthy mix of limit and no-limit Hold 'Em (with a daily tournament at 2 p.m.), Omaha and more.
Players can get drinks, food, and-believe it or not-back and neck massages delivered tableside (yes, while they're playing) at any time of day or night.
The highest-stakes games are held in a back area dubbed Bobby's Room, named after Bobby Baldwin, the 1978 World Series of Poker Champion who's now an executive for MGM Resorts International. Peek back there late-night and you might spot pros playing for millions.
Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (888) 987-6667
4. Best casino for non-gamblers: MGM Grand
You don't have to be betting big at the craps table to have a memorable night at MGM Grand. While the casino is known for its vast table games pits and one of the stingiest slot machines in Vegas history, the expansive destination has plenty of diversions for non-gamblers as well.
Be sure to check out LEVEL UP, the glorified arcade for grown-ups just inside the "front door" by the golden lion. In addition to beer pong, the fun zone has Pop-A-Shot, billiards, one of the largest games of Pac-Man on Earth and an original Sigma Derby -- a horse race-themed slot machine that lets players bet on individual horses.
Another must-see: CBS Television City, where visitors can sign up to focus-group new shows from CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon and other Viacom networks.
MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (877) 880-0880
5. Best casino for diversity of table games: Golden Nugget
Downtown's swankiest casino also happens to be the best place to experience a broad variety of table games.
Floor managers at the Nugget historically have welcomed table-game pilots, meaning that depending on when you visit, you might find a brand-new game or two on the main gaming floor.
Case in point: This was one of the debut locations of Free Bet, a blackjack derivative that offers players generous options to increase their winnings in exchange for ties when the dealer gets 22 (as opposed to regular blackjack, in which a 22 would mean a dealer bust and a win for the players).
In addition to the steady stream of newcomers inside, Golden Nugget also spreads table games outside by the pool; just be sure to keep your money in a waterproof pocket.
Golden Nugget, 129 E. Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 89101; +1 (844) 468-4438
6. Best off-Strip casino: Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa
Glimmering like a ruby at the base of the Spring Mountains, Red Rock is a Strip-style casino on the far-western edge of the Las Vegas Valley-the first billion-dollar resort in the region to be built off the Strip.
For visitors, this means proximity to hundreds of miles of open space without sacrificing vibe. It also means a world class spa, a thumping pool scene, swanky bars, a bowling alley, a huge bingo hall, a movie theater and a gambling floor as hip as any of those in the main tourist corridor.
The restaurant scene at Red Rock is notable as well, with a reliable steakhouse (dubbed T-Bones Chophouse) and celebrity chef Scott Conant's new Italian eatery, Masso Osteria, which opened in February 2018.
Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89135; +1 (702) 797-7777
7. Best casino for foodies: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
Epicures feel right at home at The Cosmopolitan, where the restaurant collection is chock-full of eateries from decorated chefs. Jaleo serves tapas and other Spanish-style food from Jose Andres. Momofuku represents David Chang's first foray into the Vegas market. The newest of the bunch, Beauty & Essex, serves up quirky share plates from Chris Santos. And after a night of drinking and partying, nothing beats a New York-style slice from Secret Pizza.
The resort also is home to The Chandelier, a bar where mixology wizard Mariena Mercer has put together a menu that boasts modern twists on classic cocktails and drinks you can eat. Yes, you read that right: Mercer's current edible cocktails include some options with edible paper, and an off-menu favorite that amounts to a margarita with a dried flower that numbs your taste buds first.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (702) 698-7000
8. Best casino for views: Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower
It stands to reason that the tallest structure in Sin City (1,149 feet in all) and tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States would offer the best views of the Vegas Valley.
The Stratosphere Tower is more than just an icon in the desert -- it's an observation platform with a rotating restaurant, the highest SkyJump in the world, thrill rides that dangle over the edge and rocket into the sky and the highest bar in Vegas.
The rest of the resort is worth exploring, too, especially the adults-only rooftop pool on the 25th floor of the hotel and Roxy's 50s-style diner. If you're looking for tchotchkes, there's ample opportunity to shop in the mall at the base of the tower.
Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower, 2000 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89104; +1 (702) 380-7777
9. Best casino for families: Circus Circus
The name says it all: Circus Circus is a place that delivers fun for the whole family.
Most of this fun happens in the Adventuredome-a five-acre indoor canopy with everything from carnival games, roller coasters and a carousel to a video arcade, Skee-Ball, bumper cars and kiosks with fair food. Every hour on the half-hour, witness acrobats performing free circus acts such as slack-line, unicycle and more.
Outside, a pool area known as the Splash Zone has a slide tower that rivals those at nearby water parks. For grown-ups interested in learning how to gamble in a fun and safe environment, Circus Circus even offers free lessons in blackjack, craps and roulette every day at 10:30 a.m.
Circus Circus, 2880 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (800) 634-3450
10. Best casino pool: Mandalay Bay
With 2,700 tons of real sand and a 1.6-million-gallon wave pool, it's no wonder that Mandalay Bay refers to its pool area as the "beach." The water wonderland also features dipping pools, plunge pools, hot tubs and a lazy river, providing ample opportunities to cool off in the desert sun.
For those who prefer to sunbathe in the nude (or "toptional," as they like to say) the Moorea Beach Club offers relaxing daybeds and private living room-style seating areas for an additional fee. There also are more than 100 cabana options, including swanky, suite-like bungalows equipped with televisions, refrigerators and ceiling fans (these all cost extra, too).
During the heart of pool season, which runs May to September, Mandalay brings in headline acts to play outdoor concerts.
Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89119; +1 (877) 632-7800
11. Best casino spa: The Venetian and The Palazzo
Yes, we know most people consider The Venetian and The Palazzo to be two separate casinos. Technically, however, the two operate under one gaming license, and The Canyon Ranch SpaClub connects them both. The spa is a world onto itself: 134,000 square feet in all. The facility prides itself on offering more than 150 services ranging from massages to facials and scrubs.
There's a full-service salon, and a host of wellness services. The spa also is the only place on the Strip with an Aquavana experience, which includes a steam room, a Finnish sauna and more. Elsewhere, there's an expansive fitness center, a 40-foot-tall rock-climbing wall, two healthy gourmet restaurants and a salon with a barber suite for men. Canyon Ranch also has a full range of fitness classes such as spinning, Pilates, barre and yoga.
Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (866) 659-9643
12. Best casino for entertainment: Planet Hollywood
The casino resort that pays homage to Hollywood fittingly has some of the best entertainment in town. Britney Spears' run at the resort is over, but current and scheduled musical headliners include Jennifer Lopez, Lionel Richie, Backstreet Boys and Pitbull (performers rotate throughout the year).
Add to the roster Murray the Magician of "America's Got Talent" fame and Crazy Girls, the iconic Vegas adult revue that spent decades at the now-defunct Riviera, and the options are plentiful. The property even has a long-standing relationship with the television show, "EXTRA," which often films on-site.
Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV; +1 (866) 919-7472
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
UK PM: New 'Trump deal' can replace the Iran nuclear pact
Boris Johnson says the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran, brokered by Obama, was 'flawed' from an American perspective and should be scrapped in favor of a deal renegotiated by the current U.S. administration
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday called on U.S. President Donald Trump to replace the Iranian nuclear deal with his own new agreement to ensure that the Islamic Republic did not get an atomic weapon.
"If we're going to get rid of it, let's replace it and let's replace it with the Trump deal," Johnson said of the 2015 nuclear arms control deal with Tehran. "That would be a great way forward."
"President Trump is a great deal maker, by his own account. Let's work together to replace the JCPOA and get the Trump deal instead," Johnson told the BBC.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Under the deal brokered in 2015, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, to restrict its nuclear program.
But in 2018, Trump pulled out of the deal. European powers have repeatedly said they still support the deal though Tehran announced earlier this month it would abandon limitations on enriching uranium, a further blow to the deal.
"If you get rid of this nuclear deal, the JCPOA, it's what Trump wants. My point to our American friends is, look, somehow or other you've got to stop the Iranians acquiring a nuclear weapon," Johnson said.
"From the American perspective, it's a flawed agreement, it expires, plus it was negotiated by President (Barack) Obama. From their point of view it has many, many faults."
Trump is confident he could still renegotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said earlier this month after Iran announced it would retreat further from the 2015 nuclear pact.
"I don't want a military conflict between us, the United States and Iran, let's dial this thing down," Johnson said.
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