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__label__cc	0.502306	0.497694	What We’re Great At Every Episode (Archives) Starter Business School Create A Six Figure Podcast Jonathan Bamber: A Man Born To Challenge The Limits Listen to the Episode Below Pls Leave A ReviewListen in a New WindowDownloadSoundCloudStitcherSubscribe on AndroidSubscribe via RSSSpotifyTuneIn Radio Welcome to the Join Up Dots business coaching podcast interview with Jonathan Bamber To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below: Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Click Here to Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed) If you like the show, we would be so grateful if would consider leaving the show a review in iTunes as well as Stitcher Radio. A couple minutes of your time can help the show immensely! Thank YOU! Introducing Jonathan Bamber Todays guest, joining us on the Join Up Dots free podcast interview is Jonathan Bamber a professor in physical geography. He graduated from Bristol University with a degree in Physics in 1983 and went on to complete a Ph.D at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, in glaciology and remote sensing. He then spent eight years in the Department of Space and Climate Physics, University College London before returning to Bristol in 1996. So we can say that he is more than a bit clever to say the least. But if you think that today’s show is simply about a supremely educated man who is living a life without struggle then think again. A few years back he was in a position that is nothing short of horrific. How The Dots Joined Up For Jonathan After a mountaineering accident, our guest found himself laying for days on a tiny shelf high above the safety of the ground, with his leg literally hanging on by a thread. A rock that bounced down the mountain and ricocheted off a ledge, had crushed his lower leg halfway between ankle and knee. The impact sheared through both bones and removed a big chunk of his leg. For days Jonathan Bamber lay and watched it loosely flap around, afraid it might just drop off. Powerless to stop gangrene set in, and all the while his leg moving closer and closer to being lost forever. And if that is where you might think his story finishes then think again, as with so many tales on Join Up Dots, the worst moments in someone’s life can actually be the starting point to something remarkable, and that is certainly the case today. So lets bring onto the show to start joining up dots, the one and only Mr Jonathan Bamber. During the show we discussed such weighty topics with Jonathan Bamber such as: How as a child he was fascinated with the natural world and has never lost the thrill of gaining more knowledge of what is around us all. How he can see why the ancients were so fascinated by the night sky, when you see the stars and galaxies from the higher atmospheres of a mountain. How he loves to find his limits and then push past to see what is possible. Why be responds to the words of Helen Keller who said “Life is even a daring adventure or nothing” And lastly…… Why he feels that the words of Steve Jobs do not do justice to how you create the dream life. It is far more powerful in his view to create stepping stones forward instead of connecting dots in the past. How To Connect With Jonathan Bamber The Canyon In Greenland Return To The Top Of Jonathan Bamber If you enjoyed this episode of Join Up Dots then why not listen to some of our favourite podcast episodes such as Dan Martell, Jack Canfield or the amazing Noah Kagan Or if you prefer just pop over to our podcast archive for thousands of amazing episodes to choose from. Audio Transcription Of Jonathan Bamber Interview Outro [0:00] When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling. Join Up Dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK. David Ralph. David Ralph [0:26] Yes, hello there. Good morning, everybody. This is David Ralph coming from the back of his garden and it’s Episode 202 of the Join Up Dots. We have got a English guy on the phone today, which is which is great, puts a different spin on it. And he is a man who is a professor in physical geography. He graduated from Bristol University with a degree in physics in 1983 and went on to complete a PhD at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, in glassy ology and remote sensing, I have to ask him what that is because I’ve got no idea when spent eight years in the department of space and climate physics University College London, before returning to Bristol in 1996. So we can say that he’s more been a bit clever, to say the least. But if you think that today’s show is simply about supremely educated man who’s living a life without struggle and think again, as a few years back, he was in a position that is nothing short of horrific. After a mountaineering accident. Our guest found himself laying for days on a tiny shelf high about the safety of the ground, with his leg literally hanging on by a thread, a rock that bounced down the mountain and ricocheted off a ledge and crushed his lower leg halfway between ankle and knee. It makes me feel bad just reading it. The impact shared through both bones and removed a big chunk of his leg. But days he lay and watched it loosely flap around afraid it might just drop off powerless to stop gangrene set in an order while his leg moving closer and closer to being lost forever. And a fat is where you might think the storey finishes think again. As we’ve so many towels and Join Up Dots, the worst moments someone’s life can actually be the starting point to something remarkable. And that is certainly the case today. So let’s bring on to the show to start Join Up Dots, the one and only Mr. Jonathan Bamber, how are you, Jonathan? Jonathan Bamber [2:11] Pretty good. Thank you. That was a very low key response. I said that before we record as English we live in low key bits, don’t we? We just kind of go Yes, I’m okay. Thank you very much. Well, no, I’m good. I’m good. I’ve been, I’ve been worse, I’ve been better. Well, you have been worse. I mean, you I’m gonna counter that later that he actually when I was reading it, it made me cringe. So I’m gonna have to sort of come into her. But um, you are a guy, dude, I’ll send you some of the photos if you like, I’m going to do that. And I’m going to my my wife wants to lose weight. So if I put them around the kitchen table, that would be a good thing. She can just glance and just push her pork chops away from herself? Because I think it would be a very effective deterrent to eating. Yeah, I think so as well. So you are you know, cut to the chase. You’re very clever guy. You you’ve done some really clever stuff. And clever stuff. I have no idea what it is. So in Join Up Dots fashion, when you as a kid, did you want to be you know, a glass ecologist? If that’s the word for it? Did you want to know what David? I mean? A lot of people asked me that question. Because for many, many, many people who, let’s say, aren’t scientists or don’t work in the field? They’ve never met a glaciologist before, it’s it’s quite an unusual sort of profession thing to study. And so this is quite a common question, you know, well, did you dream of being glaciologist? Of course, when I was a kid, I didn’t even know what glaciologist was. So the answer to that is no. But what I would say is, I and I do remember this from from my childhood, I’d always been fascinated by the natural environment. And it was just an innate interest. I, the world around me, always amazed me, I found it kind of exciting, beautiful, sometimes scary, but just really wonderous. And I guess that that was always there in the background and and at school, I I did well in scientists, I was good at Sciences. I enjoyed them. And so that’s what I pursued as a degree because, you know, the tender age of 17. You know, does anybody really know where they want to go with their lives? Probably not. Maybe some do. But I I didn’t, I enjoyed physics, it was a great subject. I mean, the thing I love I loved about physics was that it encompasses the whole universe, everything from subatomic particles to that the size of the cosmos, and, you know, the the origins of the universe, it’s, it’s pretty grand. So I did the physics degree. But I guess I, you know, at the background, there was still this this love and interest and natural environment, and I found a way of combining the two through soo glaciology, you are fortunate that you have managed to do that. Because time and time again, we here on the show that people’s passions when I was a kid just get lost along the way. And so for the fact that you were fascinated as a child about what was going on in the world around you, and you managed to find a segue into Well, not a segue, you worked very hard, and you had to study and you had to sort of get to where you are. But that is quite lucky, isn’t it? Don’t you think? I don’t I’m not sure I call it luck. But it’s, I feel very fortunate, fortunate, very fortunate a better word Yeah, to be to be able to do something that I find fascinating, that I’m passionate about and that I enjoy. And that I mean, by and large every day, you know, is different. I think the other thing I’d say is that I I’m inherently an inquisitive person. I think that’s where the mountaineering comes from, because the mountaineering was, was kind of designed for exploration, exploring the planet, exploring the mountains, exploring yourself and the limits of your own capability as well. And as an academic in this field, it’s, it’s, it’s all about discovery, and learning new things. And, you know, I would say pretty much every day, I learned something new about the world around me, which, which is wonderful. I mean, I know, I know, you you sort of ask the kind of aphorisms that people have, and but when I when I quite like, and this isn’t necessarily my favourite one I quite like is that, you know, if you do something, you love you, you never need to work again, that that is a utopia, isn’t it? And in sort of thing, and, you know, look, or I, I, you know, there are, there are things in my job, which are, like, you know, pretty much any job, you know, kind of tedious at times, and, you know, doll law, repetitive, whatever. But by and large, you know, the, the, the, the research that I do is, is really fascinating and exciting. And it’s all related to climate change research. And so I feel it’s something that’s really pretty critical for the health of the planet as well. So if we went back in time, and we looked at your love of physics, was it the subject matter? Or was it a teacher who was a very good because I went through physics, and now as an adult, I think, yes, I would find it very interesting. But I remember my teacher, and I say he’s named, he’s probably still not alive, Mr. Pope Wayne, he was he was half lunatic, that we’re just kind of abuse people for the sake of abusing it. And in my days, and you’re probably How old are you, gentlemen? Well, you’re going to edit this out now keep it live, keep it alive. Unknown Speaker [7:53] I’m 5252. I’m 44. So in school terms, we were Blackboard, this this, this guy used to have this Blackboard rubber. And if anyone was talking, this lump of wood would fly across the classroom, more often than not hitting a child that had nothing to do with it. With a big cloud of chalk coming up, you know, you couldn’t operate in today’s life doing those kind of things. So you were kind of half on edge, half fearful of this blow. So the content never came across? Did you have a teacher who inspired you in physics? does sound like your teacher needed to improve his aim a bit? He went, Wow, wow. Yeah, it’s a good question. I do I you know, it’s one of those things. I think we you know, we all remember our teachers, don’t we, they, they do leave a very important marked impression on us. Because you know, you it’s formative years, and you spend a lot of time with them. I think, I think I’m not sure. It was it was really either, actually, I think it was possibly both that my physics teacher was he was he must have been a good teacher, because, you know, I did well in physics. So I think he was he was a good teacher, and Dave’s enthusiastic about the subject. But I had other teachers that were equally, you know, good and enthusiastic. In fact, I remember. So back in my day, it was old levels is that you used to do when you were 16? Not Not Not GCSE, since they are now. And I, I love them. Almost all the subjects actually, you know, is this natural inquisitiveness. And, and I loved economics and history as well and did quite well in those and I had great, great economics teacher, and, you know, he was really keen for me to carry on with that. And, you know, you, you know, you could have, you could have gone in a completely different direction. But I think I had had a lover of physics, the, the subject, I think one of the things that attracted to me, it to me was astronomy, actually. And I still have a telescope now, which I didn’t get out. So off, but I still find aspects of astronomy. Fascinating, you know, so. So, if I get my telescope out, I the closest galaxy to arrow, this this galaxy, the galaxy we’re in, is Andromeda, and you get your telescope out, and you look at it, and it’s just this tiny, tiny, faint blur. And that tiny, faint blow contains millions and millions of stars, millions of solar systems, just like solar system that were in here. And you know, and that galaxy is one of 10s of thousands of galaxies. And so you just realise when you look through your telescope, look at that, how utterly insignificant this solar system is this planet is we are in it comparison to the enormity of the universe. And it’s quite a humbling sort of thing. I think. David Ralph [11:04] I remember being down in Australia, and I grew up in the United Kingdom. So basically, he’s a bit different now, because I turned the street lights out at 12 o’clock. So the stars seem brighter. But there was always street lights all the time. So you didn’t get those those crystal clear stars. And I remember being left in the field in Australia, and you literally couldn’t see the hand in front of your face. I’ve never experienced blackness like that before. And I looked up and I suddenly thought, wow, the stars are different. And it took me a while to realise that of course, I was in the southern hemisphere. So I was seeing different stars. But I remember feeling so tiny at that point, because it was just like I was the centre of the Earth, not even a centre of the Earth I was the centre of the universe and beyond and beyond and beyond. And it is a kind of is mind blowing when you have those moments in your life. And I’ve only ever had that once. Because most of the time as I say you’re driving along this car is going past you and you just don’t get that feeling all of loneliness I think Jonathan Bamber [12:04] so. I don’t know if you’ve if you’ve been in the mountains, much remote mountains, but one of the one of the absolutely incredible things about being in high altitude mountains away from any civilization, you know, some remote areas, say the Himalayas or something is the night skies because there’s there’s no light pollution and the atmosphere is a bit thinner. If you’re three or 4000 metres, you’ve moved quite a lot of the what’s called the troposphere. And that you can see why impressed dark times. People worshipped you know, the aspects of the sky because it is it is incredible. It’s absolutely incredible. Just looking out there at you know, just just with your eyes, 10s of thousands of stars, you know, when when you’ve got a really good clear night sky, you can see the Milky Way quite clearly high altitude, and it is a it is really humbling and or inspiring at the same time. So do the things just look brighter? Do they look bigger? You just see more of it much, much more of it. When like, this is a question, I wasn’t gonna pose it to you, but you are an educated man, and you have got an interest, they say you are an educated man, I got me out levels as well. And that was as bad as good as he went. So you went further than I did? Do you believe that there’s life out there? That’s it’s a tricky question to answer. I mean, I think if you look at look at it from a probabilistic perspective, purely in terms of the number of solar system so, so a burgeoning or kind of a growing area of research in astronomy now is exploration of what are called exoplanets. These are planets in other solar systems that are outside of our own solar system, our solar system is you know, it comprises the sun and the planets that surround it. And with some of the sophisticated satellite and ground based telescope technology we’ve got now you can actually did not directly see planets in in other solar systems, but you can detect their signature from changes in the amount of light being emitted by stars from from, you know, from many, many light years away from here. And scientists have detected a number of these exoplanets that are at a distance from their sun, which means that they, they wouldn’t be too hot, they wouldn’t be too cold, they would be about the right kind of temperature to sustain life. And so I think from a probabilistic point of view, it seems extremely likely that there is life elsewhere, having the universe whether there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe is a different question altogether. I don’t believe there is, I believe, I believe there is probably some kind of little lie plant life out there somewhere. It’s got to be as in there, but actually, you know, the classic et I suppose. It’s not gonna happen. So we would know already. Surely? I’m not at all. Not at all. I mean, you know, Jonathan, is my show in a certain amount of agreeing that I like? Well, you shouldn’t have people like me. Yeah, no, I mean, universe is big place. And, you know, how, how much of it? Have we explored ourselves? directly? None? None. We have we have one satellite called Voyager that has, and it’s an incredible feat of human endeavour. But it has actually left the solar system now. It’s gone beyond the limit of our own solar system. But that that’s it, it’s you know, it’s it’s, it’s it’s in, in terms of the size of the universe, it’s still very close to our own Sun. It’s nowhere near another star. So, um, you know, we we haven’t explored anything at the university yet. But we haven’t explored a great date on earth halfway. There’s there’s vast proportions of this, that we’re actually on that are still especially under the sea, we just had no idea. So what’s going down there? Does that surprise you with your, your kind of scientists head on? Do you think that we should spend more time focusing in on what’s here more than what’s up there? I think that’s a very good point, actually. Because, you know, so I’m a glaciologist, and most of my research is focused on greens and Antarctica. And there were parts of the Antarctic continent, it’s, it’s bigger, it’s one and a half times the size of Australia, it’s bigger than the terminus USA, it’s a huge continent. Most of it, almost all of it is covered with ice. And there are parts of the bedrock of Antarctica that are less well mapped than the far side of the Moon. That’s astonishing, isn’t it? So it is, it’s, it’s a very good point that, you know, there are, we don’t know, we like to think we know quite a lot about our own planet. But there’s an awful lot We still don’t understand we haven’t explored in the age of I mean, actually, this, this goes back to some work research that we published a year ago, where we discovered the longest canyon in the world that was underneath the Greenland ice sheet. And, you know, in and we did, it had only just been discovered, it’s over 750 kilometres long. And it, you know, was discovered in 2013. And in the age, when you have things like Google Street View, where you can access from virtually every street in pretty much, you know, every city around the world, you know, almost people people think you know, the planet is incredibly well mapped, and that we do know, know what’s there. But we don’t in a lot of places. And I think that’s, that’s that’s one point. But more important, particularly related to, you know, what’s going to happen to the planet in the future is that that the interaction between different components to the atmosphere, the ocean, the ice, the biosphere, and humans, is a very complex one. And we don’t really understand how that works very well. So So where do you get your biggest thrill? In your professional life? Obviously, you’re interested in sort of mountaineering and stuff, because we are going to talk about your accident a little bit later. But what gives you the biggest thrill is it discovered bring something new? And so so, so I often get asked, you know, glaciology, did you, you know, dream? You can be that, but yeah, don’t often get asked that question. And I think, I mean, the most exciting thing for a scientist is to make if you like, a new discovery, and it doesn’t, by discovery, that that’s a very broad term for just some new understanding about the system that they’re interested in. So you know, if you’re a biochemist, it might be some new new, you know, reaction between cell and some chemical. You know, medicine, there’s all sorts of examples, you know, and in my field, it might be some new interaction, or, you know, like the example I just said about this, the green and Canyon. In fact, if your listeners want to, to find out about it, someone’s written Wikipedia page on it, and I think it’s called, well, if you look up Greenland Canyon, I think they it’s the Grand Canyon, Greenland, I’ll link to the show notes. Yeah. Um, and so, you know, that was that was incredible, you know, just to find something so big, it’s 750, you know, 450 miles long, and nobody knew it was there. Things like that are amazing. I mean, that’s a kind of something like that. It’s a bit of a once in a lifetime sort of discovery. But, you know, finding out something new about how our planet works is a great experience. It’s, it’s, it’s really, really exciting. Do you think we will run out of something new? Do you think there’ll be a point where we kind of go? Well, actually, I think we’ve done it time to move on? No, no. So I think I think I, you know, a good analogy there is mountaineering. So, leading mountain is, you know, what, what the new equivalent of the discovery is to have math and science and mountaineering is a new route or to climb and I’m climbed peak. And that’s what we were doing in the Himalayas, it was an unplanned peak. So it’s a virgin territory, it’s a discovery, it’s a it’s a new mountain, nobody’s been ever been to the top of it. You know, that? That’s, that’s quite exciting. But of course, you know, as as more and more people get into mountaineering, and as time passes, techniques and equipment improve, an awful lot of these mountains have become climbed and the roots have been done. But we are we are an imaginative and ingenious species. And we find new challenges and new forms of exploration in mountaineering. So, you know, there are different types of challenging mountaineering, that that that now exist like, very, what we’re called Alpine a sense of the biggest peaks. That’s so back in the 1960s, When, when, when we were trying to summit the highest mountains in the world, we use what we call siege tactics, where you’d have hundreds and hundreds of borders, and you have this massive, almost military style operation to get the top of mountain now, the challenge is to try and do it as a pair, two people moving very fast, very light. And that’s quite high risk, because there is no no opportunity for a mistake, because you are very dependent, you know, there’s no backup there. But there are advantages, you know, you, you, you, if you’re moving quickly, for example, you’re less likely to get caught in a storm, which is one of the biggest risks high mountains. So I don’t think we’ll ever run out of things to explore in science or in our lives. You know, I’m gonna play some words of a gentleman called Jim Carrey that talks about taking risk on the you love a man, I’m gonna talk about the mountaineering because as you were talking about that, so many questions with popping into my head, based around risk, and I’d be interested to see whether you buy into what this guy is saying, This is Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey [23:11] My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him. And so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant. And when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job. And our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take a chance on doing what you love. So he talks about doing what you love. And obviously mountaineering is something that you love. And as he was talking about it going, right, the risky thing is going up in twos and trying to get there as quickly as possible. I was sitting there thinking, why, why would you want to put yourself into that? That kind of risky element is obviously not part of my character, I, I wouldn’t gain anything from the other than the feeling of I could potentially die. Why do it? Are you somebody who is not risk averse? But are you somebody that sees the end product? We’re going for, like Jim Carrey, we say? No, I think there’s a number of different things there. And actually, I’ll give you a quote, which I I really like it, which is, which was it comes from Helen Keller, and its life is either a daring adventure or nothing. And what I like about that is, the adventure is whatever you make it, David, you know, for me, mountaineering was one of the adventures that that I used to enjoy. But it doesn’t have to be that. And, you know, what, we’re all we’re all very different people. And I think actually, we’re all the same species. And I think, the vast majority of needs, it needs some sort of adventure, some kind of something to light up far in our lives to keep us alive. And it can be anything, and it doesn’t have to have anything to do with a physical risk or risk life or anything like that. It could be just doing something different. So for example, it could be joining a choir, you know, oh, no, I can’t possibly sing in front of the audience. You know, there is no risk of death or serious injury there. But you know, it might be something that you just think, well, I like singing, give it a go. It, it. It the challenge, the risk, the adventure it, it can take many different forms. And, you know, mountaineering is considered or seen as something that has a high risk associated with it, but it everything has a risk, you know, the you’re not going to die in acquired by that that’s the that’s the difference. You can die inside, you could die of embarrassment. You know, it’s a different sort of thing. And get over that, Jonathan, you wouldn’t you mean, you wouldn’t, you wouldn’t get over dying. He wouldn’t get over dying, falling off a mountain pretty much Nice job done. But yeah, standing up and not hitting a note or two in a choir, I think is different. Yeah. Yeah, it is. Yes. And no, David, because, you know what? Nobody, nobody goes mountaineering, with the purpose of dying with the purpose of injuring themselves. The risk is, is part of the excitement, part of the adventure. And I think if you took away any sense of risk, it would, it would lose its attraction to a lot of people, but not not entirely. So. So I used to do, there were plenty of mountaineering boots or experiences I had, where the risk was close to zero, you know, there was really no risk, but it was still beautiful, it was still fantastic, just to be there to be in that incredibly serene environment, maybe on your own or just with a couple of friends. So so. I mean, you know, when you when you do the sort of more remote the more serious kind of mountaineering challenges, then then, yeah, the risks go up a bit. But, but that’s not that’s not necessarily the reason you’re doing it. But we had Kathy O’Dowd on episode 88. And it was a fascinating discussion, because I started it. And literally every show, I start with a way of thinking, and from talking to the guests for an hour, my thinking changes, and I think that’s the way life should be, you know, and I just generally thought that the thrill of getting to the top of Everest was standing at the top and looking around and going well, I’m at the top of the world. And she was quite clear. And she was saying, No, it’s not about that. For her. It was about the process, it was about the actual challenge of seeing whether she could do it absolutely. completely, completely. Every, every challenge in my life, it’s been the process. So we may come on to this, but you know, and for me, that’s it, I like I like to see where my limits are. That’s, that’s, that’s and, you know, it doesn’t have to be a mountain, it can be anything. So. So I, one of the things about my job, which we, you know, we talked about earlier, is is I quite like really challenging problems, because it just it tests you it just sees, you know, how how far can you go? How, how far can you push yourself to understand, perhaps some really difficult problem. So that’s a mental thing. But then there are physical ones. So in the last couple of years, I’ve I’ve will maybe come on to this, but you know, I’ve started doing ultra marathons and, and, you know, one of the things that maybe we talk about is that people tend to create their own limits for themselves, they don’t realise where you know, that they create these invisible boundaries all the time. And I think I’d done that for myself after my contacts, then I thought, well, you know, I, I can’t do you know that much, but but I accidentally ended up entering an ultramarathon with a friend who’s going to visit him a climbing friend, actually, and the only weekend that he was free said, Well, I’m doing this, I’m doing this trail marathon 30 mile off road run. And so I’ll be out most of the day on Sunday. And I said, Oh, well, I’ll come up anyway, in an acid reflux, I might as well give it a go with you, you know, keep the company and I just thought I’d go around for a bit. But anyway, I finished the thing. And and I’ve been doing some longer and harder ultramarathons night, what I love about those is that, you know, it doesn’t, it doesn’t matter where you come, you know, first or last, or in the middle? It is it’s an internal kind of battle in it. And you’ve got a lot of people time to think about whether you can do it. And, you know, the challenge that is ahead of you, because some of these races might last, you know, 1213 hours or something. And that’s a long time to be thinking about, you know, the next 30 miles or whatever it is. Have you We aren’t going to talk about the mountaineering accident next. But have you found your limits already? Have you? Or are you still getting to that point and being able to go one step further? In what sense physically, yeah, and physically, when when you are in a situation I imagine up in this or North Pole area, and it’s freezing cold and maybe a storms coming through? And you’re having to push yourself further than most people have to push themselves in their employment? Do you naturally have that? No, I can go because I’ve already done it. Or have you ever got to a point you thought now this is enough? This is Tony enough. There’s a you know, there’s there’s a difference between being reckless, and, you know, exploring your limits, or, and it’s really important to know where your limits are because you know, it, they’re not limitless. I I couldn’t I couldn’t wander around in a T shirt in, you know, minus 30 degrees and be okay, after now, you know, that that’s just stupid. And so that, that the will we you know, there are all things there are things that are beyond our capability. And that that’s that’s, that’s clear, you know, that’s obvious. And there were plenty of people, you know, I if I said to you, right, let’s go and climb this extremely difficult mountain, you know, it would be insane because you haven’t got the skills and you haven’t experienced do it, it just wouldn’t be an option. But I still think that we have a tendency as a kind of species to to create boundaries for ourselves, which these illusionary boundaries, which are ones that we’ve developed through experience, you know, perhaps because we failed at something and we didn’t like that. And we think, Well, you know, that’s it. Obviously, we can’t do it. Is that a key part to life? And do you think if you look across the planet like you do, I people generally holding themselves back? are they keeping themselves small? Well, it is a gross generalisation. That’s what I do on this show me. Okay, well, I mean, and I think so. So, generally, I think we have a tendency to do that. But you know, you, when you started, when we started off, you were sort of saying how the English a very reserved Americans, kind of not, you know, perhaps it’s a cultural thing to some extent, you know, maybe maybe there are some cultures like Americans who have a much more go getting sort of attitude, and they know, no limits. And actually, I work very closely with a lot of Americans, American colleagues, and I’ve lived there for a while on study labour and stuff and, and I think they are all Americans I’m, I met No, they are much better at say, changing direction. So I’ve met many who have had quite a few different careers in their life. And that’s a lot less common in in Europe, I think, as a general, they just they, they, they, the boundaries aren’t quite so. So well defined for them. And so you know, maybe a cultural thing. Because I do think that the English once again, sweeping generalisation, but from my experience, the English don’t like to celebrate success. Now, you know, I’ve had successes previous show. And I’ve had to be pushed by my friends in America to promote those successes, where I kind of go, Oh, no, don’t really want to do this. You got to get it out there, get it out there. And they’re very sort of gung ho with the, you know, if you’ve achieved it, celebrate it. But the English are very much like, okay, I’ve done that. Let’s move on to the next thing and don’t celebrate the successes that come into their life. It’s a I’m really, and he’s a fading of mine. Definitely. But no matter how much I achieve on a certain target, when I get there, I kind of almost blink and then go right. Okay, let’s move on to the next thing. Yeah, I think that’s I think that’s absolutely right. I remember when the, but I think this is this is sometimes a trait of very successful people, but I can’t remember his name, the the jockey who had 4000 wins, which is a record. Who was that? Frankie Dettori? Was it Frankie? I think it was Frank was was him? I think so. I think it was, and they were interviewing him. And he just, you know, he just had his 4000 win, which is pretty impressive, you know? And it’s, it’s a record, you know, I nobody else has won 17 horse racing events and, and he instead of celebrating it, he’s saying, Yeah, well, yeah, I’ve got a couple of races coming out this week. I’m not sure how they’re going to go. And it was that kind of mindset. I was speaking to a chap the other day, who sat next, he didn’t give me the name. But I imagine it’s a biggie. And he said, he was sitting next to a it kind of legend that we would all know about. So I kind of felt like I think of maybe two or three of them. And he said to him, you know, how did you become a billionaire? How did you achieve what you wanted to do? And the chap sort of said, Well, to be honest, we tried a bit of bass, and we tried a bit of that, and the time was right, I think any Something happened, you know, and there was a very woolly blazer, yeah, very underplayed answer, even though he is somebody that has created something that we all use, apparently, on a daily basis. So you think that there was a big plan, a master plan that he was going to achieve? And he didn’t he just sort of say, Well, it wasn’t quite a lot, because we work really hard. But we just tried stuff and things occasionally worked. I mean, I think again, and this is another gross generalisation, but very successful people don’t tend to linger on the successes, because they’re always looking forward to the next, the next thing they want to achieve. What What is your next thing? I mean, I hadn’t going to the mountaineering accident, because it is in front of me, and I keep on reading parts of it and think, Oh, this is horrible. But what is your next big thing to achieve in your life? Well, I think world domination really you could do bad English always good at World domination. Well, they were a couple of hundred years ago, David and stuff and I think we’ve always been the things in films, I think it’s sort of moving east isn’t it really that that sort of thing. So Asia is going to become increasingly powerful force in in global economics and global politics but there are I did this there’s not a thing that I want to achieve. I you know, I don’t have any, the project that I must do, but there are many things that I I’m trying to achieve. Work wise, there are some real big challenges in my field research line, I’m tackling at the minute which I sort of quite not technical, but you know, some involved with the work that we do. And then there’s challenges that I I’ve got in my private life you’ve like that that that I’m going for as well you know, big races and continuing to sort of stretch myself in terms of what I can do and achieve the astonishing thing about what you are aiming for Bo is when you was on that cliff with your leg hanging off the thought of doing ultra marathons obviously you didn’t even occur the default of just getting off the mountain was the forefront of your mind but you have a become so much in that period of time take us back to how actually happened because he was on there for several days when you just hanging out so um, are there was it there were 10 on expedition in or but but there I think six six climbers and fault trackers and and but I but there were just two of us on this unclimbed peak in a quite remote part of the Himalayas called the Kisha, which is quite close to the Indian Pakistan border is no disputed territory now and can’t easily access it. But this was back in 1992. And we were we had been on the mountain for about four days I think and a storm had blown through and we were on a what’s called a bevvy bivouac ledge, a small lead, and we sat out the storm and we, we sort after it had gone, we carried on and we were quite close to the summit. It’s about a 6000 metre peak roughly. And we were about I think, two rope lengths below the summit and my climbing partner was, above me, leading a pitch, that kind of rope length pitch of the climb. And because it’s snowed, there was a lot of quite a lot of snow on all the rocks and stuff. It’s called spindrift, you know, all this dusting of snow. And he was he was kind of pulling up on these rocks and one of them came away. And I wasn’t in the fall I’m but it hit a ledge on the way down and ricocheted off the ledge and then just sort of went into my leg and almost sort of severed my lower leg it went through, like you said, been it went through both bones and took quite a big chunk of the front of my Lego. And so, you know, I’ve thought about this a lot on it. I it’s a truism. But it is it is incredible how in a split second, your life can change completely, you know, from from one state to another state. So, you know, seconds before the impact. I was kind of fit healthy, strong, enthusiastic, and, and, and, like excited mountain a couple of seconds, you know, a second afterwards, I was someone in like, you know, mortal danger, fighting for his life. And, and I wasn’t big, I you know, I lost a lot of blood and the pain was fairly severe. And so I wasn’t able to do anything for myself, you know, I was I was in pretty bad shape. And so my climbing partner, basically you have to kind of getting down back down to the ledge where we pivot. And he couldn’t get me down on his own. I was you know, I wouldn’t wouldn’t have survived. So he he had to leave me there and abseiled down the route. And to to go to back down to base camp where the other climbers were, so that they could call out the rescue. And so that they could then come back up to me with some meds and like some strong painkillers, antibiotics, bandages, splint and stuff like that to get me off the mountain. And so yeah, he had off. And, you know, I guess Honestly, I thought that was the last I’ll see if anyone. Because Yeah, it was a pretty dire, pretty dire situation. They did. Well, it’s more than dire. But But when you’re laying there, and you think this is it, this is the end? Do you feel kind of content? Or do you go? God, there’s so much more I want to do? How, what sort of, how’s your spirit at that time? Yeah, that that is someone that is something that a lot of people have asked me they face. So so I was on the online honest lead for about 15 hours. And they say, Well, what were you thinking about? And, you know, it’s quite long time ago, and I suppose a lot of it was a lot of the time, you know, you you went into a sort of survival mode. So yeah, I, you know, I did go through my mind that I wouldn’t, wouldn’t get off the mountain, but but I was also quite preoccupied with trying to think about how, how I might get off, and you know, how I might survive and, and so I constantly going through my mind was a calculation of how long it would take a climbing partner to get down to base camp. And for someone at base camp to go down to the head of the Valley, where there was a kind of small village, which is about two days walk with a sack or something, and, and to call out where they had a radio to call up the Indian Army, who would then get a chopper up. And so I kept thinking, you know, how long would it take before I see a chocolatier? And it was really, you know, I was hanging on to this idea that somehow this chocolate would come and pluck me off the mountain. And a lot of it a lot. So it was, I guess that’s quite mundane, but you know, I was just sort of thinking, Well, you know, long as it takes taken. And I wonder if Angus got down. Okay, and because because in in mountaineering, that the most more accidents happen on the way down then at any other time, because it’s the only time when you’re completely reliant on the road, because you’re sailing off the road. And if an anchor fails, you’re dead. You know, if you are off the end of the road, which does happen, you know, you go on, and you see tiredness, as well. And, and you’re, you’re, you’ve been on the go for day, so you’re tired, you’ve probably run out of food, you may have run out of water. And yeah, so you’re pretty much you know, you sort of your limits, really. So it was that it was that kind of thing that I guess I was thinking about a lot of the time, and then, you know, after after about 50 hours when I kind of thought, Well, you know, they should have been a helicopter by now. Surely, you know, I, I guess I guess the thoughts became a little bit more kind of desperate. And you might say, like, Well, yeah, this is it something. But, you know, you’ve got to remember that I was I was laid out. I was in a sleeping bag in a baby bag. Like up this huge face, though. There was nothing I can do. There was no way I could go. So. So all I could do is just sort of thing really. So so what what was harder? The actual Cliff bear? Or the recuperation mentally what challenged you most? Oh, well, no, I mean, that’s, that’s, that’s, that’s, that’s a that’s a kind of easy one. And because I had no idea how long it would you know how tough the coming back from that would be because I, I got pretty bad gangrene, I got quite a lot of frostbite damaged because of the lack of circulation to my lower legs. I got frostbite damage all of my foot. And, you know, I lost a lot of blood. So, you know, obviously, obviously, as I’m talking to you, I did get down. But, you know, I was on crutches for three and a half years. And you know, I mean, obviously, people have had much worse accidents, you know, the vendor, paraplegics or in wheelchairs or whatever it is, but, but for me, it was it was pretty tough, not being able to walk. I had an infection in the bone, that’s called osteomyelitis. And so I was pretty unwell for several years, really. And that was that was, you know, pretty hard going. I was it was a bit like having flu for three and a half years, you know, you felt pretty grotty. And I was on injuries antibiotics off and on for that whole time. In and out of hospital, I had nine operations on the leg and a lot of plastic surgery to to place all the missing muscle and skin. And so they took it took a muscle out of my shoulder blade, and they stitched it in vain by vein on the front of my leg is called a free flap. And that doesn’t look normal. Now I use the word normal, but does it look not the same as you ever one? No, no, not at all. No, no, no, cuz, cuz? No, because I you know, I lost quite quite a lot of legs. So there was a big and so the whole has been covered up. Now this would put your wife off, right? If she saw the photos of this, I mean, they what they put on the front of my leg, which came out of my shoulder, it looked a bit like a piece of steak. I mean, it literally did look like piece of sirloin. And effectively, that’s what it was is you know for the muscle, and then they took their skin graft off my thigh and put that on the front and on the back of my leg word loss of skin. And so all of that you can see. And it’s not, it’s not the same shape as my leg as the other bits of my leg it sort of sticks out to me because because it’s a muscle, you know, rather than just skin and, and my, my legs two centimetres shorter, I can’t bend my ankle, and I’ve got a lot of frostbite damage on the foot. So it doesn’t look anything like my other leg. But but you know very good hanging on the side of mountains I imagine with a shorter leg. I don’t do much mountaineering anymore. So now now you are a runner. Are you fitter now than you were before the accident? Where it’s not I’m now I run I used to so so I use doing old names. Now. I used to do a lot of a lot of running. I mean before before my eyes, but short shorter distance. And And so yeah, so I was on crutches for like three and a half, four years. And then I migrated onto a stick and and the consultant the orthopaedic consults, and you know that I think they tend to err on the conservative side when they’re kind of giving you the prognosis, so that anything else is a bonus. And, you know, they were basically saying that I would be, you know, I would be lucky to be able to walk to the end of the street and back to kind of get the paper on Sunday. And so that was my that was the horizon They gave me that was the prognosis, the outlook on few years. In fact, I mean, I’ve skipped over, it’s been it’s been too long to go into gory detail. But for after about three years, I was looking at having a amputation and having a prosthetic. But I cannot come on in. And the doctors were basically putting limits on you when they mentally they were not saying one yeah, achieve? Yeah, I guess I guess so. I mean, you know, I, you know, we could say they were trying to be realistic. But they Yes, they absolutely did, they said, you know, this is this is kind of your outcome. And in fact, one of the reasons they wanted me to have an amputation was because they felt that my, what I would be able to do would be much more with artificial limb upsetting than with the leg that I had, because because of the fuse tank or damage to the football, but they kind of felt that it was so such poor state that really just that it would be a better option. But as a strange thing about that, and, you know, it’s all about your body image really. And I, I kind of just didn’t see myself as someone with a prosthetic limb. And you know that that wasn’t that wasn’t the image on how to be transition from the clip to now, did that just cement the inner strength that you had in you? Or did he actually help you go to the next level? I think I’ve, I’ve always kind of had a sense of perseverance. But I know and I know, it’s a terrible kind of truism or, you know, abused, but you know, then my climbing was life changing, you know, in physically and emotionally mentally, you know, it was life changing. It changed all sorts of things. It changed what I couldn’t, couldn’t do. And yeah, so and and I think the process of realising that actually, the boundaries that, you know, maybe have been set by the medical profession were ones that were not artificial, but you know, could be surmounted. Yeah. has some changed my outlook a little bit? Are you ready minded? I Are you have somebody that if somebody says you can’t do it, you are a kind of person? Yeah, quite possibly. Yeah. Quite possibly. Definitely. I mean, I like to challenge David, I do like to challenge and, and as I think I said earlier on, you know, I and so these challenges that I set myself, they’re not. And so some people have sometimes described me as very competitive. I don’t think that’s an accurate description, actually, because I like doing competition. But the The only reason I do competition, like let’s say, a running race or an ultramarathon is not because I want to win, but it’s because it’s a great way of pushing, pushing your own limits and your boundaries and seeing where they are, and seeing what you can achieve. And, you know, what if, if, if, if I you know, if I hadn’t entered the ultra marathon with my friends in Yorkshire, you know, I would never have never dreamed of doing one. It’s always about peer group isn’t it really is the people that surround yourself that really can take you to the next level, again, I think they can show you show you what’s possible sometimes and, you know, show you maybe what you hadn’t thought of yourself. And you can sort of see opportunities elsewhere. And so I think it’s the same in, in, in, in work as well, like, I’m in one of the top, you know, I wherever you want to put but one of the top job departments in the UK, top two or three children. And everybody here is, you know, an exceptional academic, and for me at a very high level. And that’s a great environment, because you you sort of see someone having some great success, and you think it is possible to do that, to try this and go for this and try something that you know, maybe you thought was beyond beyond the realms of the discipline or your your capability, or whatever it was being, I wasn’t gonna ask you this question, but it just occurred to me, you know, when you listen to the radio, and they always have some real weird fact. And it always seems to be that scientists have just discovered that if women don’t eat chocolate, then they will lose weight, that kind of thing. Yeah. Did you listen to that? And actually go, No, scientists wouldn’t do that. They wouldn’t waste their time on that. I’m on a groups of scientists around the world doing these bizarre studies on stuff we hear about, because it seems to be the worthwhile stuff comes up once in a blue moon. And every day, somebody tells me some fact that one minute, you should drink beer next minute, you shouldn’t drink beer. And it’s always scientists, right? Look, I mean, I’m sure you know, this, but the media, which is what you’re talking about, need a storey. They so if you’re talking about newspaper, they need to sell newspapers, if it’s radio or TV, you know, they need to maximise their then viewers or listeners or whatever it is. And so, the the, the the actual, the actual results, the scientific research is turned into a soundbite. And in the process, you can lose the true meaning and why the research was done and, and perhaps the the the other aspects of the research, which will possibly more useful to science. And so is these kind of one liners sound bites are not really what the science is all about. It’s just kind of a storey really. And sometimes they’re sometimes they’re never accurate. And they somewhat sum up exactly what what the research is about. And other times, it’s just kind of plucking something out, you know, and it may be out of context, or it may not. So you don’t think I should pay too much attention to it, Jonathan. I don’t think you should think that scientists are just all doing a load of nonsense, because you hear a storey about someone who realises that you know, you don’t eat chocolate, you won’t get fat, or whatever it is. There you go, I’m gonna I’m gonna learn from that I’m gonna switch. I’m only gonna listen to podcast from now. And that’s it. It’s only got factual content. This is part of the show. But I want to play the theme. And this is the words of Steve Jobs. And this really links closely to the journeys that we all have in our life. And whether you can actually choose your big die is there a moment in your life that actually was when Jonathan barber become the gentleman that we he is today and the one that we’re hearing. So I’m going to play the words. And when it fades out, we’re going to ask whether they have any relevance to you. This is Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs [55:57] Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking for when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards. 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference. So do you have a big.in your life? Or is it just a series of small dots that led you to where you are? Well, I’d like to comment on that. on that. That clip. Actually, he’s misquoting Robert graves there as a poem, I think, is it the road less travelled or something like that which he misquotes? But, and I’m not sure I I really, I really, you know, I know what your your podcasts are called. But I’m not sure I totally agree with that. Because I think i think i think there’s this, it depends how you interpret what he’s saying. I mean, another, and I’m not a massive fan of the sound bites, because I think they can be really misleading. But another another kind of aphorism is that, you know, if you don’t know where you want to go, you’re never going to get there. And the point about that is that, you know, it is useful to forward plan. And, you know, joining up the dots, only backwards, while the forwards sort of suggests that there’s no grand plan. And that actually, you’re just kind of feeling your way through to where you want to be, instead of thinking, all right, I know I can do this, I can be this thing. And to be this thing, I have to do this, this and this. And if you if you if you read biographies, or you listen to interviews with some very successful people, that’s exactly what they’ve done. So So you think it’s more about making the dots go in stepping stones forward? More than back? I think it can be both? I think that’s absolutely right. Yes, if you really, you really, you really have a conviction about where you want to be. I want my life to look like this. So you know, life planning type, you know, life coaching type stuff. If you if I want to be this thing in 10 years time, well, it’s not going to happen if you just sort of drift around and let let let life take control of you. And, and circumstances just happen and you react to them. You’re totally reactive. Instead of proactive. If you say, Okay, I want to be this in 10 years time, what do I need to do to get there? And then you you find ways to do them? That’s, that’s, that’s more the kind of stepping stones, the path the the life plan of forward planning. But, but but, but also, I mean, if I look at my own life, you ask the question, you know, when I was six, seven, did I think I’d be ugly? So I’ll just Well, no, no. And I look, I look back now. And I think Well, yeah, that there was there was some joining up in the dots in the past in that, you know, I didn’t take necessarily the old vs route to where I am now. But I’ve got to somewhere that seemed, you know, it’s very much in keeping with who I am. So you, you truly feel that you found your authentic self in the authentic location that the two come together? Yeah, something like that. That’s a good place to be, isn’t it? It’s better than not being there. Oh, we’ve we’ve gone full circle, you’ve become very English again. So this is the end of the show, Jonathan. And this is the part when we we play the theme tune and we transport you back in time to have a one on one with your younger self. And if you could go back in time and speak to the younger Jonathan, what advice would you give? And what age would you choose? Well, we’re going to find out, because I’m going to play the tune and when it Yo, this is the Sermon on the mic Unknown Speaker [1:00:11] with the best of the show. Jonathan Bamber [1:00:29] So I think when I was a little bit younger, maybe perhaps in my early 20s, I lacked quite a lot of confidence. I don’t know why. It was that kind of growing up thing or something. And quite in the show. So far, we’ve talked quite a lot about you know, what’s possible, and pushing your limits and seeing where your limits are. And I think I, when I was younger, I didn’t realise realised last night, I gave myself internal bandwidth limits, which I think I, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved and where I am. But I think that those limits held me back in many parts of my life and the sorts of things I did and the ways I I kind of conducted myself and I think if I could give myself any advice when I was younger, it was really to to think that there there are no limits, the limits are internal. You know, you should explore everything and all the possibilities. And don’t hold yourself back in anything that you try or want to be or where you think you can go in your life. That would be the key message I would give my younger self. David Ralph [1:01:45] I think that is the key message that everybody should have. There’s no limits, and the only limits are the ones that you’re putting on yourself more often than not. Jonathan, how can our audience connect with you, sir? So, um, I. So I am on Facebook, but I’ll be honest with you, I never use it. I’m, I’m not a massive fan of kind of social media. Well, it’s not that I’m not a fan. It’s just kind of a timing thing. To be honest. I just like um, yeah, you know, if I could cut myself up into 1000 pieces, I’d probably you know, I’d be on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and everything else, you know, I do have I do have a LinkedIn page. And I think I sent you a link to that. That’s kind of more my professional life. And then I guess for some private life is Facebook and I have a Twitter account, but I’ll be honest with you, I have never sent a single I love it. I love it. So our audience really struggle to connect with you. But well, we’re not not totally David. I mean, you know, I am very very contactable, you know, all you have to do is look me up and Jonathan Bamber, Bristol or anything like that. And, you know, you’ll get lots of links to who I am and my email addresses on the web and all of that. So if people want to get in touch and and have any questions or want to know any more than I’m pretty, pretty contactable. There we go. We’ll have all the links on our show notes. We also have the Wikipedia page about the Greenland Canyon. That’s going to be fascinating. Jonathan, thank you so much for spending time with us today, joining those dots of your life. And please come back again when you have more dots to join up. Because I do believe that by joining the dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures. Jonathan Bamber, thank you so much. Outro [1:03:37] David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you are wants to become. So he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life, head over to Join Up Dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on Join Up Dots. 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__label__wiki	0.869465	0.869465	MenAfriVac: first use of vaccine outside of the cold chain in Africa by Prasad RavindranathPosted on January 16, 2016 June 28, 2016 MenAfriVac, a meningitis A vaccine, manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India. – Photo: Serum Institute of India “It’s a great Indian success story,” said Dr. Jacob John, a former virologist of the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. He was referring to MenAfriVac, a meningitis A vaccine, manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India. The vaccine passed the litmus test during a large-scale vaccine campaign in Banikoara district in the Republic of Benin, West Africa. In the first-ever use in a developing country, the vaccine remained stable outside the cold chain at temperatures not exceeding 40 degree C for not more than four days. The vaccine should normally be kept in a cold chain at 2-8 degree C. The results of the vaccination programme funded by GAVI and WHO/PATH (which also provided training, supervision, evaluation) were published recently in the Vaccine journal. An independent body under the guidance of the Ministry of Health in Benin conducted active monitoring for adverse events following immunization (AEFI) by comparing the rate and severity of AEFIs in the study area and a control area. “The results of the study, which have been submitted for publication, indicated there was no increase in AEFIs with the CTC practice, and no serious AEFIs reported at all,” Dr. Simona Zipursky, first author of the paper from OPTIMIZE, a WHO/PATH Collaboration, Switzerland noted in an email to this Correspondent. The fact that controlled temperature chain (CTC) would increase the efficiency of the vaccination campaign was amply demonstrated in Banikoara district, Benin — about 1,50,000 people aged 1-29 years were vaccinated for meningitis A from November 15-25, 2012. The CTC vaccine greatly helped in increasing vaccination coverage in a few areas where access was a problem and electricity was unreliable. According to the paper, the health workers stayed in the villages for three consecutive days before returning for a refill. “100 per cent of the vaccinators surveyed felt CTC was either ‘extremely’ useful or ‘relatively useful’. They reported that the biggest benefit from the CTC practice was the fact that it enabled them to vaccinate more people. Other key benefits included: no need to return to health centre every night (hence, able to reach more remote areas), reduced logistic burden (no need to worry about cold chain or ice packs) and reduced wastage,” said Dr. Zipursky. Another big advantage is the huge savings in cost. “A study published in the WHO bulletin showed that using a CTC approach can reduce the cold chain related campaign costs by 50 per cent. To put it in perspective, for the remaining MenAfriVac campaigns between 2014 and 2016, [the savings would translate] to over $12 million dollars,” Dr. Zipursky noted. Photo: Serum Institute of India The vaccine was originally meant to be kept at 2-8 degree C at all times. But WHO approved the CTC use after Serum Institute successfully demonstrated its stability and potency even when exposed to higher temperatures. According to the paper, this was the first time WHO had approved a vaccine to be used at ambient temperature in developing countries “Even prior to the request, we had done trials of up to 40 degree C,” said Dr. Suresh Jadhav, Executive Director of Serum Institute. “As it is a heat-stable vaccine, we wanted to see if it remains potent even when exposed to 40 degree C.” But the test period was restricted to one week. “We conducted this study even when it was not required,” he said. But the duration of test was extended to one month when the company was requested to test its stability and potency when exposed to 40 degree C. “We found the potency was getting reduced after three weeks [of exposure to 40 degree C],” Dr. Jadhav said. “But there was a clear indication that the concept worked.” The reason why the vaccine remains stable even at 40 degree C is because the freeze drying of the vaccine makes it heat stable or thermostable. The 40 degree C upper temperature limit has come as a boon to people in the sub-Saharan African belt where about 200,000 people suffer from meningitis every year during the dry season when wind spreads the bacterial spores. Mortality is about 10-15 per cent and morbidity is very high. “The ambient temperature reached [during the campaign] was 39 degree C,” Dr. Zipursky noted. “Luckily in the African meningitis belt, temperatures during the MenAfriVac campaign season are usually below 40 degree C.” The dry season during January to June throughout the sub-Saharan belt is when meningitis outbreaks occur. “MenAfrivac has been introduced in 12 countries just before the dry season (November/December since 2010) to protect populations before the meningitis season,” Dr. Olivier Ronveaux, from the Meningitis Focal Point, Control of Epidemic Diseases Team, WHO, Geneva noted in an email. Besides other huge gains, the cost of the vaccine per se is incredibly low. According to Dr. Jadhav, the cost of one dose is just $0.60 cents (Rs.36). A polysaccharide vaccine, on the other hand, cost about $5 dollars and is not effective as the protein provides only short-term immunity and hence given during an epidemic. MenAfriVac vaccine is a polysaccharide conjugate vaccine. “There is a great sense of satisfaction… there is a great sense of achievement,” said Dr. Jadhav “as you can not only save lives but also avoid morbidity.” Published in The Hindu on March 6, 2014 Posted in MenAfriVac, Meningitis A, PATH, Serum Institute of India, WHO, World Health Organisation Prev Black skin, a response to skin cancer risk Next Editorial: Regulating stem cell therapy NBA says: You’ve got one of the greatest online websites	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line831
__label__wiki	0.71996	0.71996	Royal Nirvana Episode 27 English Subbed A story that follows a crown prince who faces enemies from all sides and falls in love with a maidservant who wants to kill him. He is a son simply yearning for his father's love but is feared and suppressed due to his position. Despite the conflicts, the Crown Prince is a man willing to sacrifice his life and reputation for his country. Xiao Ding Quan is appointed as the Crown Prince during the fourth year of the King's rule. He solidifies his control in the military through the support of the famous general Gu Si Lin, his uncle from his mother's side. In the political arena, he receives the guidance and advice of the righteous Lu Shi Yu who holds a high position in court. The King views Xiao Ding Quan's merits and alliances as a threat and makes things difficult for him even though Xiao Ding Quan wants nothing more than to be a dutiful son and subordinate to his own father. At the same time, the King turns a blind eye to his illegitimate son Xiao Ding Tang's ambition to take the throne for himself. Xiao Ding Tang conspires to frame Xiao Ding Quan for the death of a civil official named Lu Ying. Lu Ying's daughter Lu Wen Xi assumes a new alias as A Bao and enters the palace as a maidservant in order to get revenge. Royal Nirvana Episode 60 Royal Nirvana Episode 9	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line835
__label__wiki	0.577796	0.577796	Lady Antebellum to Perform a New Song During ‘CMA Country Christmas’ Special Jason Kempin, Getty Images There's a song on Lady Antebellum's new Ocean album that sounded to them like a Christmas song. Producers of the tenth-annual CMA Country Christmas special agreed. "On a Night Like This" is more of a love song, but the long, slow chords and soft romance lend it becoming something of a Christmas Eve staple each year. During Tuesday night's (Dec. 3) special on ABC, the trio will perform that song into "Silent Night." They're also going to sing "White Christmas" and be a part of a multi-artist version of "Feliz Navidad." “For us, having a Christmas record to it’s always gonna such a big part of our career showing up at things like this and obviously embracing our favorite holiday,” Lady A's Charles Kelley says, referring to On This Winter's Night from 2012. The 2019 special was filmed in September, and at that time neither Kelley, Dave Haywood nor Hillary Scott had done much Christmas shopping. All three have kids who, as they get older, are growing very anxious for the holiday season. "Eisele is six, so she's in full-blown like, 'How many days until Christmas?' She's getting so excited," Scott shares. All three elaborated how much they enjoy living vicariously through their children on Christmas morning, although Haywood said Christmas Eve may be his favorite holiday. "Such a special time with family, reading The Christmas Story and just to be together," he describes with a smile on his face. The 2019 CMA Country Christmas broadcast begins at 9PM ET on ABC on Dec. 3. Trisha Yearwood will host for the first time, but viewers can also count on performances from Kristin Chenoweth, for King & Country, Chris Janson, Tori Kelly, Rascal Flatts, Runaway June, CeCe Winans, Brett Young and Chris Young. Source: Lady Antebellum to Perform a New Song During ‘CMA Country Christmas’ Special Filed Under: lady antebellum Categories: CMA Awards	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line837
__label__cc	0.705437	0.294563	Courants d'air — Personal Musings and Reflections Memoir Challenge Holiday Greetings, 2019! This year proved the importance of learning what we did not already know. While most of you are aware that we live in an old Victorian on the banks of Lake Monona, on the isthmus of Madison, some of you may not be aware that this grand old home had been turned in to a condominium duplex in the early 1980s; the other owner, a nonagenarian German woman, decided a year ago December that she was ready to sell and had her realtor contact us with the news. Being friendly guys (and continually caught off guard by this old Nazi—not a euphemism, she escaped Berlin in 1945 when the Russians invaded) we wrote back with Christmas greetings and acknowledged our interest in making the purchase. Little did we know that in writing a few simple lines, it would be seen as relinquishing our right to have independent realtors working solely on our behalf. Clearly that could not stand and we did indeed hire our own realtors, Wil and Robin, who guided us through an array of inspections and the ‘rules of the road’. They were wonderful and we were glad to have such competent help on our side! With that, we undertook a seven-month odyssey, which ultimately resulted in our purchasing the second and third floors of this old structure; the process also tested the limits of our patience and forbearance. Under the condo by-laws, we had the right of first refusal but that did not mean that the seller would not attempt a number of truly illegal maneuvers to deny us that right. That said, we also sought the help of a skilled attorney, Ethan. An incisive writer, he helped set the process back on track. When the attorney asked how the opening salvo should sound, Gregory gave the Midwestern desire for “something pithy and with verve”. James said he wanted to (in this very cleaned up version of events) “shuck it down to the cob”. The lawyer smiled, said he could meld the ideas. In a few weeks the seller saw the situation differently; we think the very serious threat of lawsuit seeking both punitive and compensatory damages helped her cataract-laden eyes to see more clearly. She capitulated. We signed the documents for ownership on July 31st. and handed over a check for more than the place was worth and have never been happier. We thank here our friends Jennifer, Anne and Rolf who each in their own way helped make various aspects of this project come together. They are our unsung heroes in all of this. They helped us to ensure peace and tranquility in our future; it does seem that you can indeed put a price tag on happiness, as our closing statement proves. Purchasing the unit meant we were no longer plagued with the old woman (they didn’t all go to Argentina!), nor would we have a lifetime of dealing with her drug addicted children and grandchildren (also not an exaggeration). But what do either of us know of carpentry? James has often told friends that he knows a lot of the theory about home repair, but that he lacks the practice. These skills, as Providence would have it, are not in fact hereditary. After two gallons of spackle and thirty gallons of paint, countless repairs to this and that, replacing all of the appliances and more, the upper two floors now resemble the ground floor where we have lived for the past twelve years. Over a six-week period, John, Frank and Jeremiah of Isthmus Electric completely rewired the unit, bringing it from nob and tube (which in many cases was fished through the walls next to the gas lines for the lighting system in use prior to that) up to modern codes. When Gregory asked the head electrician to explain the dangers that had been found, he rounded the answer by stating “You no longer have anything to worry about”. James had already informed the man that Gregory’s fire-phobia runs deep, and that less information might be best when talking on that topic. In reality, dangerous situations were bountiful since the former owner, a thief, had not only duct-taped Christmas light wiring into a nob and tube circuit to function as a kitchen light, but also removed all the operating dials and thermostat from her GAS stove so that there was no way to regulate it, and then to top it off, had eleven different circuits tapping into our electric lines so we could pay for them—she did though put the neutral lines in to her own box, generously. For years she had been a constant source of harassment: she had attempted to hire a lawyer so as to remove our American flag from flying atop a pole on the lawn; we found post it notes in her office with the numbers and complaints she had filed against us at THIRTY different government offices. In short, our main goal starting on July 31 was to remove every trace of that nightmare; James went so far as to ask students familiar with Harry Potter how to hunt for horcruxes, just in case. In other words, there is no way to express our joy about removing every fingerprint of that woman from our home. The complete second floor, minus the balcony which we refurbished and painted a Porcelain Blue, will be rented with our target demographic being professors teaching a semester at UW-Madison, those on sabbatical, or businesspeople who wish for a rental part-time. We are renting it furnished as we worked too long on making everything look nice to allow for anyone to cart furniture up and down our front U-shaped staircase and spoil the walls or woodwork there. We call the third floor (attic) the Annex (the Anne Frank reference not to be missed) with James taking the unfinished 400 square feet of space and insulating them, staining the wood floor, and carpet tiling a section. With the genuine carpentry skills of the fellow, Eliott, who redesigned our office a year ago, he will add some bookshelves and a day bed. James is thinking that the addition of a grand leather chair by a window will make for a perfect reading nook. We gain access to our private third floor hideaway via a winding wooden staircase in the back of the house. In the other 600 square feet of the furnished third floor an uplifting yellow along with some period pieces, such as a round hewn oak table, and chiffonier from the 1890s make up, in part, the broadcasting studio which Gregory has wanted for a number of years. With microphones, mixer, and a computer dedicated solely for Audicity he has started a pod cast, Doty Land, which comprises long-form interviews with people about ideas and interesting topics. The first show is to go live as soon as the rest of the distributors, such as iHeartRadio, have linked to his RSS feed http://dotyland.buzzsprout.com/ . James Doty, a land speculator, was the first European person to own our land in 1832. The historical connection makes for smiles behind the microphone. In professional news, James enjoys his retirement from teaching and continues to grow his guardianship business with new clients, and employees who give assistance to ensure the needs of those not able to make their own decisions are met. We send our warmest wishes to you all this holiday season. Stop by for a visit and share in our good fortune over a cup of joe, or a nice glass of red. Merry Christmas! A Half a Lifetime Ago My mornings are sacrosanct. I don’t get out of bed early unless absolutely necessary, but I am almost always up before Gregory. I have to be—he is a chatter box; if I am not fully awake before he is, his life risks being seriously cut short. I like to ease into my day. I don’t like being peppered with questions or feel the need to make decisions beyond what breakfast (my least favorite meal of the day) should entail. I like an hour of “me time” to read my emails, check out what crazy things my friends near and far on facebook are getting up to, research a bit of genealogy (a fantastic hobby), and more. I have developed these habits of mine over the past few decades and I am sticking to them for as long as I can. When asked in a conference about what I would miss the most were I be obligated to go and live in an assisted living, as most of my clients do, I responded quite openly, “Peace and quiet”. Peace and quiet may seem to many as a death sentence, but I tend to consider it a perk that only people who never had children get to enjoy. In fact, most of the people with whom I was in high school have children who are old enough to either be looking at graduate programs or young enough this year to be considering colleges and universities to begin their formal post-secondary education. My friend, Mary (Goulet) Beeman, and her daughter came to Madison to visit recently for just that—her daughter is an upcoming Senior in her Indiana high school and is contemplating her future path. As a pretext, I invited them here to tour our university. The daughter was simply awe-struck by the experience. My real mission, though—to compel my childhood pal, Mary, to drive seven hours out of her way to come and visit me, even though some twenty-five or more years had passed since last we hugged and told each other in person how much we missed the other. I was not disappointed, and Mary, to this day, still gives a great hug! Mary came into my life when we were in middle school. Her family lived in Bradford, one of the least populous of the five towns which sent students to the schools in our district. My graduating class of kids from those five communities in rural Maine had but sixty-nine students, a number we liked to joke about at the time. Mary was, at least for a while, in the band with me, she played the trombone and I the trumpet. She was in a group called “peer helpers” with me, and took Spanish classes from Mrs. Deal, a teacher who was a true inspiration to me at the time. She was a member of the Upward Bound program, a TRiO foundation program designed to help us be the ‘first generation’ of our families to go to college. Amusingly, she dated, at least briefly, one of the boys who had been a roommate of mine in that program. (He was a great guy, but no housekeeper. I had threatened to burn his laundry in the middle of our dorm room if he didn’t wash it. He laughed. I hauled out a zippo lighter. He borrowed several dollars’ worth of quarters, opting to remedy the situation post haste rather than tempt my good nature! I was called a lot of names growing up, but no one ever doubted my sincerity, nor did they make the mistake twice of finding out that not only was I smart and creative, but at times, just a little mean.) It was years after I had left high school, that Mary and I were speaking on the phone and she said to me, “You know, I was really quite heartbroken when you turned down my invitation to Prom.” I had to admit to her that I had no recollection of the invitation. I had told her that I was not going to be available because I was scheduled to participate in All-State where I had been selected to sing as a tenor in the choir. That was true and I had a wonderful experience. What I must not have told her at the time was why I was more interested in singing with a group of strangers rather than exploring a deeper friendship with her. For that, I am sorry. I have written before about growing up in a small community in rural Maine. I was the smart kid, and I never fit in with my peers. And to be honest, I didn’t always make a lot of effort to do so either. That would have meant that I would have had to feign interest in some sport, which I still can’t do, or pretend that I cared about cars, which I still to this day have never owned, or any number of other activities that simply did not interest me. My classmates, as Mary alluded to this past week when she visited, were exceptionally cruel in their treatment of me, and seemingly there was no way to put a stop to it as an observer from the outside—in part out of fear of having the same treatment metered out toward them, or because I was good at giving the illusion that everything was ok. Nonetheless, the bullying was relentless and hurtful. I spent years dreaming of becoming a millionaire, returning to my hometown to start a major industry of some sort and hire an HR firm to ensure that no one, nor anyone related to someone who had abused me ever got a job in my company… it was the related part that would teach that town of inbreds the biggest lesson, I thought. (I don’t waste energy on these kinds of thoughts any longer, even though a few years ago, just after my mother had passed away, I was fired from all of the volunteer positions I had held in that town because the former school secretary’s bastard of a husband had learned that I am a gay man. Apparently, gay men should not be allowed to fundraise on behalf of the school’s alumni association, nor should they be allowed to work in any serious way with the critically understaffed historical society in town. That would just be too much, I guess. Even as someone who lived outside of town for a pair of decades at that point, the black ball of politics in those small towns is real—what is worse is that the two women from the historical society who came to tell me that my services were no longer of use to their group couldn’t even look me straight in the eye, the treacherous wenches!) Rather than slink away in some sort of depression, I was very busy as a high school student. I went back this evening to my college application to see what I had felt important enough to list as ‘extracurriculars’ as I wrapped up my time in Maine. I was very involved in twenty-eight clubs or organizations! I am not talking about the kinds of activities where one could attach one’s name and claim it on a resume; I was genuinely involved, and more often in a leadership role in those things. At one point, in my junior year, one of my teachers made note to me that it had been a long time since I had attended a full week of classes. I asked, seemingly innocently, if he felt my grades were suffering as a result. The discussion stopped there since I was still at the top of my class. I recall being in meetings and attending conferences and doing everything that I could just to keep myself busy. I still have some of my supercharged pocket calendars from the time—though mine were much more of a mature read than Justice Kavanaugh’s were at his Senate confirmation hearings! The guidance counselors at my school were worse than useless and were often quite degrading. Once, as I was fighting with one of them to get an advanced class that I wanted, I was told that perhaps I shouldn’t really set my sights beyond being a plumber or a carpenter. I replied, angrily, “I am your f-ing class valedictorian! If I couldn’t make in college, who of my idiot classmates could!?” There were kids in my class who genuinely feared that the school would not sign a diploma on their behalf because of their poor performance. One, after all of the ceremonies had ended, my valedictory address concluded, caught me examining my diploma closely as well. “What gives?” the guy asked me. Coldly, I stated, “I am not coming back to get them to fix the error if they didn’t sign it!” It was the closest that kid and I had ever been in spirit. I have thought a great deal over the years about what makes me most angry about the years I lived growing up in Maine. Don’t get me wrong. I still consider Maine to be my home and Wisconsin is where I live, in large measure because I feel that my parents were fantastic role models who gave me a solid moral compass. But I do still harbor resentments in my heart for the abuse that I suffered at the hands of my peers and much of the faculty of the school I attended. Once, when I was home on vacation to visit with my folks, I had apparently ignored one of my former classmates when greeted at the then new grocery store in town. The classmate corned my mother later in the week and expressed the following, “Wow, James has become such a snob!” Mom replied dryly, “Oh no, dear, he has always been a snob; he just isn’t faking it for you any longer!” Mom was so right. I lived a total of 19 years in Maine, some 8 years in places like Vermont, New Jersey and Virginia as well as in France in Spain, and finally the last 19 years here in Wisconsin. I think what makes me most angry is that TIME was stolen from me. In short, I spent so much of my youth thinking about what else to be DOING rather than thinking about just BEING my best self. I was raised well-fed and cared for but mired in dissatisfaction. I came home from the first day of kindergarten, if my mother’s journal is to be believed, and said, “I am so bored!” It never got better. I tried reaching out to those who might listen and often had the impression that there was no one there. I craved challenge—once, when an English teacher handed me back my paper with an A at the top but not a single comment, I marched it back to her and demanded she do a better job. She did. I even, with what limited foreign language skills I had at the time, went so far as to collect pen pals the world over with whom I regularly corresponded, just to be able to see beyond the outer limits of our town. (International postage stamps were $.52 apiece then; I spent a lot of money on stamps). With my epistolary friends though, I felt at risk of feeling conditioned to look toward ‘somewhere else’, to be eternally convinced that real lives happened in that ‘somewhere else’—I later resolved that by always attempting to make wherever I was home for me. Some have said that I am good a creating a ‘nest’. I realize too that some of this may seem to others to be a ‘first world problem’, especially since my thoughts of leaving home weren’t because I were fleeing war, nor the kind of poverty that crushed the human soul. We weren’t rich, but we did ok, especially since my mother was so resourceful and knew her way around a farm and garden. What was I hoping for? I did, as a teenager, understand the need to escape from the oppressive lethargy of choicelessness that my hometown represented. I was hungry, if not starved, for options, and certainty. I visited Middlebury College when I was a junior in high school. I knew that I wanted to study languages, and Middlebury even had a “Chateau” where students agreed to live in French. I knew that was the place for me. I applied early decision, contrary to the wishes of my imbecile of a guidance counselor, and was readily accepted. I refused to let him mail the other applications to ‘safe schools’ that he felt the need to write on my behalf. When I got to Middlebury, I was laser focused on my studies. College was for me that ticket out of the hell that my hometown represented/represents. I was not going to be forced by geography or any other circumstance to work in a field that did not mesh with my heart and soul. I was going to go to the top of my field and be away. That means, in the process, that I wasted time that I could have spent forming friendships and having relationships with people in college because I was working so hard to escape the people from home who had prevented me from forming friendships and having relationships. The wretches at home had, in effect, not stolen just four years of my time, but the many that followed as well. What I learned this past week, with Mary here and by my side, is that there were, in fact, people out there who did care. She told me that she had at one point in those high school years yearned to be my girlfriend. I would have welcomed that, had I been in an emotional space to be able to open myself up to that kind of vulnerability. Instead, I was centered in my mind, creating an escape route, and seeking to build a protective wall around myself just to survive. Just to survive. Think about how that must have felt. I have. I am grateful to have reconnected with Mary, and to have met her daughter who is ever as much a loving and kind soul that her mom was all those years ago. More than a half of a lifetime has passed, and my childhood friend has reminded me that no matter how bad it was then, I did still have love in my life. I am done with those other kids stealing my TIME. Thank you, Mary, for polishing up some of the bright spots from my past and not letting me relegate them to the bin of tarnished memories that I am still trying banish from my heart. from → Corinth, Maine, Middlebury College, Wisconsin When in 1984, Marion, James’ Mom, designed their family home in Corinth, Maine, a small rural bedroom community of about 2800 people currently, Marion had no doubt as to where the living room would be placed. Marion believed in the long-game; she was planning for their retirement still some 25 years off. She wanted peace. When her husband, Robert, completed with his own hands the building, the room was located on the backside away from the road. Marion knew from observing her mother-in-law and from personal experience what happens when the everyday traffic in a small town becomes the topic of too many conversations! It is yet uncertain as to whether Robert’s second wife, Dianne, has contemplated the ramifications of Marion’s design wizardry on her current living situation. On this similar line of thinking, Gregory grew up in Hancock, Wisconsin, an even smaller rural town with roughly 400 residents today, in a home dating back to the pre-Civil War era—the kind of 1853 structure which had the living room situated to view the road traffic, or at least the fields and forest nearby. As such, hearing his parents commenting with “looks like Jim got a new truck” or “Rod is heading up to the cemetery to mow” were common conversations, decade after decade. On a congested day, a tractor may go by. We live with an intersection in front of our Madison home; Spaight St. and Paterson St. cross at the edge of our little world. Since, just the same, this is a side street on the isthmus of Madison (another larger lake is only a few blocks away at the other end of Paterson), our corner is rather sedate when it comes to vehicular traffic. (Well, at least it is most of the time. That summer of road construction brought us quite a few more ‘tourists’ in the area, and a significant amount of dust.) There are, however, always an ample number of people who pass our way on foot or bike. Foot traffic is encouraged by the 13-mile bike trail leading around Lake Monona, the lake which comprises our view from the front lawn. Since we spend time each day in the warm months reading or working out in our Adirondack chairs, we talk with a fair share of the neighborhood. Moreover, because our home too is situated as to better see this intersection, and James is powerless to keep the incessant traffic reports from coming his way, we thought that this year we might introduce you to some of the special people who hurry about our home, but who stop by just long enough to enrich our lives. Henry is three years old and wears the sharpest pair of dark green glass frames. They are strapped to his head so his youthful hi-jinks will not send them flying. He most often holds his grandmother’s hand and is always pointing out the wonders of the day. During the raking of our fall leaves Henry approached, with his dad who wears very bight blue-framed lenses. Henry grinned sheepishly up at Gregory; Henry made particular notice of the large pile of leaves. His shiny white teeth shone bare and made it very clear what he desired. He left his dad behind and lunged for a soft landing on the lawn. Kerplop! After a fair amount of kicking about, he rejoined his dad and they continued their afternoon stroll. A short distance down the block, Henry leaves his dad behind, comes running back, giggling, and clearly needing one more tumble. Climbing out from beneath the yellows and browns of the maple leaves, nodding at us knowingly, he composes his contented self, straightens his little jacket, and heads back to where his dad awaited. (When out shopping we often see things that seem too perfect not to buy, even though we ourselves will not use them. That is how we came to have a kite kit in our home. There will always be the kid in the neighborhood that seems suited for our spontaneous purchases. Henry was the kid and the sunny fall day when he tip-toed across the top of our rock retaining wall, the perfect time. His grandmother said she had not flown a kite in years but that she was looking forward to the experience. We apologized for being unable to conjure the wind. The lesson is that it is never too old to be young.) We also appreciate generosity in others. When some boys passed our way with fishing poles, we shared in the typical conversations about what was caught. They were too young to tell tall tales about ‘the fish that got away’. Just good kids. A few days later, a woman rings our doorbell and says one of the boys, her son, wanted us to have some of the previous day’s haul. She handed over a freezer bag with fish chunks. She told us of how much her son had enjoyed swapping stories with us—that we had made him feel like he was truly important. We sure did enjoy the blue gill filets! From fishing on the shores of Lake Monona, to climbing trees, our neighbors can do it all. Eleven years ago this summer, we dug a truly impressive hole in the front yard to allow for the root ball on a tree. A sugar maple, roughly 5 feet in height at the time, had been offered to us as a welcome gift by a neighbor, Gary, who lives on the next block—we could have the rather tall sapling as long as we could transport it home ourselves. Up the street we carted the large container in a wheelbarrow of questionable strength. That maple is today about 35 feet tall. Late last fall, we returned from grocery shopping to find a note on our front door—a fan letter for the tree. A young man–who is a forester and who is named Forrest–had strolled countless times by our home gazing up the tree and, while admiring it, also noted it needed to be structurally pruned and allowed to grow in a more healthy fashion. In his letter to us, he offered to come and do the job as an expression of gratitude for sharing our gardens and trees with the neighborhood. So, on a Sunday afternoon this spring before the vernal freshet opened up the Yahara River and Lake Monona, Forrest showed up with his equipment and set to scaling the tree. He climbed effortlessly that tree to the top. He wanted nothing for his time other than to shape the tree and be able to see it continue to grow in the years to come. We were happy to oblige, and repaid his kindness with a good book—a tree in a different form. Speaking of hard wood and trees, we were responsible this year for the transformation of a certain quantity of oak. Elliott, who used to reside across the street from us, is a cabinet-maker of unquestionable skill. A year ago, he helped us to create floor-to-ceiling bookshelves for the office. We love the additional space that they allowed us, and don’t mind climbing a three-set ladder to get to those top shelves. This fall, Elliott returned to construct for us bookcases and desks, filling the other side of the 8 X 10 office space that we have. The work surface is considerably larger, the cabinets under the desk quite a bit broader, and the shelves allowed James to bring all of his ‘old friends’ out of basement storage (some 1500 novels that James had brought back from France in a football duffle bag). The office is tiny, but so efficiently designed and built that we are both quite comfortable working in there. Gregory has the window to his right, and James has for storage and files what passed for a closet in this old Victorian to the left. The two work zones are separated by cabinetry that gives the impression of a reception desk. We’re trying to decide now, though, which of us most closely resembles Carol Burnett’s Mrs. Wiggins, and who is Tim Conway’s Mr. Tudball. The interesting and engaging people who crossed our way at times this year were not all ‘locals’. James family made our summer brighter too. In June, James’ father, Robert, and Robert’s second wife, Dianne, came to town in their motorhome, intent on driving all the way from Maine to Yellowstone National Park and back. They spent a pair of days with us, taking in the sights of the city from the roof deck of the State Capitol, enjoying the farmer’s market, and setting sail aboard the Betty Lou Cruise, which proffers a view of our home from the water rather than by land. It was a wonderful time. Robert had not been to Madison to visit since he was here last in 2007 with Marion, James’ Mom. We had only just moved in at that point, so we were glad he could see the improvements we had made to the house since then. James’ twin sister, Melissa, her husband, Kermit, and a cousin of Kermit’s, Sue, came later in their motorhome, tracing the same journey west as Robert and Dianne. They were here for the Fourth of July to watch the fireworks with us from the banks of the lake. We visited a local museum dedicated to trains and attempted to see a living circus museum. On the hottest day of summer, we all went to the local zoo to see the polar bears in their new enclosure. The peace of watching the graceful beasts paddle around their refrigerated pool was only interrupted by the sounds of an overly amorous pair of tortoises. We did discover something interesting about their truck’s onboard navigation system. When we got the banks of the Wisconsin River in Merrimack, WI, and were ready to board a ferry to cross, the navigation system got a bit anxious and encouraged us to turn around and find an alternate route so that we wouldn’t end up in the drink! We assured the system that we were going to be ok, got out of the truck and purchased some ice cream cones at the little shop at the ferry terminal, and continued merrily on our way. Before closing this letter, we did think we should mention at least some of our furry friends from the neighborhood. Our property, and flower gardens located on the terrace (that area between the street and the sidewalk) are marked by the local dogs. It is as though they all need to hit ‘reply all’ to the ‘pee mail’ that is left for them by every other critter who wanders by here. How anything grows in that area is a mystery. One dog, a large Newfoundland named Olive, will come and sit at the edge of our property and gaze out at the lake. From the size of her, her owner is compelled to give her time and to wait patiently. Olive does not budge if she doesn’t want to move! Another of our friends, Callie, is a good old dog who lives with our neighbor, Linda, across the street. Callie likes to come over and thoroughly wet our knees with affectionate kisses in summer. She rather thinks that we are a ‘part of her pack’ and is not a fan of those days when Linda tries to rush her past our corner to get home more quickly. Callie hasn’t been feeling so well as of late, so if you have some healing energy that you’d like to send out in to the universe for her, we sure would appreciate that too. We hope in the coming year that if you should find your way to the Midwest that you will consider stopping by our home and visiting for a spell. As Gregory forever tells people, the tea kettle is always on! (Come when James isn’t trying to get paperwork done in our office, and he will offer you a glass of wine, like civilized people!) Bring a suggestion for a good book along with you… we’re always on the lookout for a new title! Merry Christmas to one and all! The Sig Heil salute is Not a Joke The world today watched twitter as photos of Baraboo High School seniors, in Baraboo, WI, raised their hands in a Sig Heil, the Nazi gesture that meant the destruction of so many lives in World War II Europe. There are unconfirmed reports that the photographer and some of the students apparently felt the photo was a joke, that it was somehow in good fun. One student is also seen with his fingers curled in a white nationalist symbol by his waist. One student did not participate, nor could he, in that salute, and I am writing this letter to him and to all the others like him across our country who will not stand for intolerance. I am writing to say that the Sig Heil absolutely is not a joke. Baraboo High School 1201 Draper St. Baraboo, WI 53913 Dear Mr. B., We are simply shocked and dismayed while watching the evening news tonight. There is hope though. My husband, Gregory, joins me in saluting you this evening for your bravery in not following the herd mentality that led your classmates to raise their hands in a Sig Heil and your courage today for speaking out against the behavior. We recognize how difficult it is not to do what everyone else is doing at times but we feel much gratitude for those, like you, who will not stand for intolerance. We appreciate those, like you, who will speak up for the rest of us. We value your decency. We send our munificent thanks. Gregory and I both grew up gay in small towns, he in Wisconsin and I in rural Maine. We know first hand what it means to be mercilessly bullied and picked on for being different. We survived those high school years by believing that it would one day get better, that one day we could chart our own course. We were right, and we hope that you understand that as well. While bullying is terrible all in itself, what we hoped never to see happen was that a group of people such as your classmates would be so cavalier about the dangers of hatred that they would participate in the display we all witnessed on the evening news. The “it’s just a joke” rationale is not at all to be accepted. The behavior is dangerous and frightening. My doctoral studies were in French and Spanish and I have worked my entire career to teach and educate young people just like you to think about themselves as a part of the global community. I have sought to help young people think about the world around them from other points of view. I have spoken in my courses about the Holocaust survivors whom I have met and been friends with over the years. I lived in France and knew many Jewish survivors; I have seen the numeric tattoos on their arms: I have heard their stores of hiding in attics and basements before being caught and sent to Auschwitz, lucky to have survived only because the Americans arrived only hours before the gas chambers were to be filled to capacity, just like every other day of their existence. I have spent time with Jehovah Witnesses who were tortured and beaten and sent to labor camps; they continue today to suffer physically as a result. I have met families whose homosexual sons were used by the Nazis in medical experiments from castration to frontal lobotomy to worse. Most, their families told me, would have preferred the gas. And, my time in Spain showed me the horrors of their Civil War and Fascism there. The doorman at my apartment building in Spain had no arms—his were amputated in the war as punishment for not having saluted with a Sig Heil like everyone else had when he dictator passed his troop. The Nazis sought to rid their world of not only the Jewish, but the homosexual, the Jehovah Witness, the Catholic, the Roma (gypsies), the mentally disabled… anyone who was different. These stories aren’t just made up to fill your history textbooks. I have met the survivors and I have wept openly with them. In other words, thank you for not participating in that grotesque display we saw in photos, even if it was meant to be in jest. It simply is not something that can be explained away as a joke. It simply cannot. Thank you for your strength and courage. James R. Wilson from → France, Love, Wisconsin Elegy for First Lady Barbara Bush Barbara Bush, First Lady; James R. Wilson, soon-to-be student of Middlebury College. She, resident of Kennebunkport, Maine; me, from a small town north of Bangor. What could we possibly have had in common? As a high school student, my sister and I were participants in the Upward Bound program, part of the Federal TRIO programs which encourage low-income, first generation students to not only complete high school but to obtain post-secondary degrees from universities across the country. (Upward Bound proved to be life changing for me—no so much in helping me to advance my academic goals because I had always known I wanted to be a doctor. Initially, of course, I thought I would be a doctor of medicine, but then Fluffy had her kittens under the headboard of my parent’s bed and cured me of that thought! As luck would have it, a doctorate can be obtained in many disciplines.) In my second, and final year, in the UB program, Alan Parks, the program’s director and my friend today, took all of the necessary steps for me to be trained and work for Literacy Volunteers which had offices in the basement of the Bangor Public Library. I was seventeen at the time, certainly an unorthodox volunteer age for an organization which was generally run by retirees who had spare time on their hands. Alan, a great teacher in his own right, first obtained their training manual for me, which I read assiduously and intently, and then arranged for transportation for me from the University of Maine campus in Orono to the Bangor office where I learned more about the methods that the Literacy Volunteers used to teach people how to read. I was preoccupied at that stage in my life with the idea that better communication would lead to life being better for everyone—my Valedictory Address to my graduating class in 1991 was even on the topic. I was also saddened to think that I could read in three languages by then and there were those who still couldn’t read in one. I knew I could make a difference. (I mention that I was just awarded the distinction of Faculty Emeritus recently after retiring from twenty-one years in the classroom.) I was seventeen years old, ready to be helpful to someone, and I liked the ideas contained in the Literacy Volunteer’s handbook but did not agree with all of them. I kept the good and banished the bad. I met my first student, Tim, that summer. Tim was about my age then. He had some special learning challenges which had made it more than difficult to learn to read in the traditional high school classroom setting where he was a student. His Mother, Anne, was looking for any additional support that she could get for him, hoping to break the log-jam in his progress. He and I met a few times in the library and began to work on sight-reading basic words that Tim needed and, more importantly, wanted to know how to read. My idea at the time, contrary to what my training had indicated, was not to force him to read silly text such as Dick and Jane, but to encourage him to read what interested him. There had to be something which inspired him to want to read more. As it turned out, he was as interested in cooking as I was, so we began with ingredient lists and words he might need in the kitchen. He learned to read words that represented dangerous kitchen items, those under-the-sink products he needed to avoid, and those words which represented components of something delicious. We swapped recipe ideas—I gave him some of mine to read, and he had me help him write one that he really wanted to know how to make better from his own Mom’s collection. After my summer with Upward Bound concluded, I had suspected that I wouldn’t see him again, but his Mother felt that he was really connecting with me and that he was finally making some progress. Anne would drive him twenty-five miles through the back roads of Maine to my house where we had lessons upstairs at my desk that Dad had built for me in the dormer of my bedroom. Anne stayed downstairs and became fast friends with my Mom. I love Anne. I have never missed taking the opportunity to visit with her at her Hampden home whenever I am home in Vacationland. We’ve been friends now almost thirty years. At the same time, I was so bored with high school and had free time in my day, having taken most ever elective that I could get in to my schedule to replace study halls the other three years I was at Central, that I took a walk from the high school to my former elementary school to teach basic French to a group of fourth graders there. When I graduated, one of my pupils gave me a copy of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, a wonderful little text with a Messianic overtone. In the cover of the book, she had taped a quarter. She inscribed the book, letting me know that it was one of her favorites and that she hoped I would enjoy it too. The quarter? She said, “Take this. I know you will need it to help pay for college next year.” I never spent it. The quarter is in my jewelry case next to all my cuff links and tie tacks. (I got a letter from her years later as she was graduating and planning on becoming a teacher. She says that her choice was all because of the work that I did to inspire her to see beauty in words. I was honored to get her note.) In looking for colleges, I was seeking academic and intellectual challenge. I knew I wanted to study languages and be able to communicate with the French Canadians who landed on Old Orchard Beach, Maine in the summers. I wanted to be able to converse and understand people from places I could never have dreamed of visiting. I wanted to be among other ‘smart kids’ for once. Most notably, I needed to be outside of my hometown. I found that in Middlebury College and applied ‘early decision’. It was the only school to which I had applied, and was accepted before Christmas that year, making any other applications unnecessary. I wouldn’t decide to be a teacher for another number of years yet. But how does any of this relate to the former First Lady Barbara Bush? I wasn’t quite eighteen years old yet. I was busy applying for scholarships and grants to fund my college experience. Anne must have said something particularly glowing about me to the Literacy Volunteers people, or perhaps to Alan. One day, in the mail when I got home from school was an unexpected surprise. I was invited to have lunch at the Blaine House, the Governor’s mansion in Maine, at the behest of Governor John “Jock” McKernan, Jr. to celebrate the work I was doing as the State’s youngest literacy educator. It was an odd invitation, though. The Governor and his wife, Senator Olympia Snowe, stated that they were going to be unable to attend. The Governor was mourning the loss of his son. Peter had died only a few months earlier of a previously undetected heart problem. He had collapsed during baseball practice at Dartmouth College. He was 20 years old. No, the luncheon invitation wasn’t for the Governor or his wife, the Senator. He hoped that I wouldn’t mind having lunch with a friend of his. I was forever participating in some activity which kept me out of school. Perfect attendance was not an award I coveted in the slightest. Mom agreed that no matter who would be at the luncheon, that we would enjoy a day in the State Capitol and nearby museum. I dressed in the new blue J. C. Penney suit my grandmother had purchased for me to wear at graduation later that spring. I put on an attractive blue striped tie which I bought special for the occasion, fastened to my lapel the Mickey Mouse pin that my Sunday School teacher, Lorraine Elliott, had given me for Christmas one year and my nicest shoes. (The lapel pin is next to the quarter in my jewelry case.) Mom and I drove and hour and a half to the Capital city in the big blue truck my Dad had. The Blaine house is an elegant old mansion. We were excited to be able to visit it, and dreamt of meeting the former Governor Brennan there and play a round of billiards with him. I was a fairly good shot, though held no illusion that I would ever win against the famed billiard shark that the former Governor was. We were instead, greeted by the Blaine House staff, given a tour of the Governor’s mansion and shown to a small private dining room. We still had no idea as to whom we were to lunch with that day. I had the distinct honor of sharing lunch with one of Maine’s most famous residents. A gentleman in a nice tuxedo, white gloves, came in to the dining room and asked if I would mind rising to meet the First Lady of the United States, Barbara Bush. Blue Dress. Large pearl earrings and stunning string of pearls around her neck. White gloves. She embraced my Mother and me fondly and said that she was so pleased be able to meet me at long last, that she had heard much about me from the Governor and his wife. We enjoyed a light lunch and delightful conversation. She was genuinely very interested in my ideas for literacy, and was curious as to why someone my age, someone 48 years her junior, was so preoccupied about language education. She listened intently as I shared my educational goals and plans for the future. Barbara Bush, for a few short hours, genuinely made me feel very valued and cared for, that my goals were laudable and achievable. She sincerely dedicated the few hours we spent together, Mom, Barbara and me, to making me feel like the most valued resident of the State of Maine. She was warm, caring and very much a lovely conversationalist. We parted ways when she said jokingly that she needed to get back to Kennebunkport to let Millie, her dog, out for a run! (She was expected at a fundraising event later that day.) Later that month, a letter arrived at the house, in a brown manila envelope with the simple marking “The White House” in the return address. Mrs. Bush had sent me the following letter, which I framed and have kept with me all these years. While I had differences with her husband politically and would prefer never to mention her son’s name again for as long as I live, First Lady Bush was nothing but grace, charm and warmth. She left me feeling after our luncheon together that I was truly someone who was making a difference in the lives of others, and that she suspected that my life would be dedicated to such a pursuit. She left me with the impression that she truly was my friend. I thank her for that kindness and care. I for one will mourn her loss, and hope that others will have had the opportunity to be made to feel as special by someone in their lives as Barbara Bush made my eighteen-year-old self appreciate. from → Art of Good Teaching, Books, Library, Love, Maine, Recipes “What first aid treatment is administered by the ear?” “Words of comfort!” Friendships are hard to form at any age. Children’s authors have struggled with portraying positive and beneficial relationships, with how to model behavior that we want to see in our society. School teachers work with kids every day to help them understand that one can’t pull Susie’s hair, or kick Jimmy out of frustration. If you’ve been to university and lived in a dormitory, you know what all those late nights at the library were really training for establishing a lifelong relationship with people of influence. As adults we often join clubs or organizations with which we share an interest or some value. We choose life partners because of how they light up our world. Imagine, though, for a moment how much harder it would be to form any of these relationships after the onset of dementia, after one has already begun to lose to the flow of time the sense of oneself, even. I have for the last number of years been working as a legal guardian for elderly people, most notably those suffering with the effects of dementia. My clients are referred to me by lawyers, social workers, judges and others who have contact with vulnerable populations. My job generally entails making medical decisions and managing the person’s finances. That is at least what the task looks like in the brochure that the Court hands you when you are given the job. I spent more than twenty years as a classroom teacher, though, and have spent considerable time thinking about a student-centered approach to learning. I have attempted at least to bring that level of concern to my work for my aging clients. I see no reason why efforts should not be made to help the person with dementia maintain as many of the “little things” that they enjoyed in their more active years. I have arranged for the County library service to bring the bookmobile to a nursing home to feed the need of a nearly blind avid reader who can’t remember a word of what she has just seen but who is obsessed with books. I have hosted “tailgating parties” for the die-hard football fans, even though their team didn’t actually make it to the Superbowl. I have bought gardening supplies so that the green-thumbed elderly can putter around in a raised garden plot the size of a kitchen stool, utterly destroying it each and every time she approached it, mangling it with such glee and joy. I have even purchased extra large knitting needles with blunt ends and chunky yarn so that arthritic hands can produce the most horrific of scarves to be given as gifts over the holidays. About four years ago, two very unique ladies came in to my care. One had almost no contact with family, her children having abandoned her years earlier, only showing interest in her care when her estate was seemingly up for grabs. The other had family waiting in the wings but had long been isolated from all of them at the hands of an abusive caregiver. When I needed to place them, each in their own time, in an appropriate living situation, I chose to have them in the same facility. I knew that these two, cranky old Republican ladies would have a lot in common, if only someone could facilitate their friendship. Assisted living facilities such as the one where my two wards, as they are officially designated by the Court, reside are supposed to provide activities to the residents and encourage them to join in the fun. Most don’t, or only provide the bare minimum, and it is a real tragedy. All available research points to the benefits of maintaining normal and productive interactions with others. The activities, while useful to keeping the juices flowing, as it were, are really meant to be a pretext for forming friendships, for relearning how to be a part of a community. New to a living environment, not understanding the world around them because of the dementia, both of my ladies struggled to make new friends, and I would have hoped that the poor, overworked staff of the facility would have been given the training necessary and the time in their work day for them to be friend-makers. One of my ladies has terrible cataracts and can’t see the facial expressions that the rest of us rely on in our interactions with others. This is frightening to her and she gets a little paranoid. The other is hard of hearing and often has the impression that people are mocking her, laughing at her, or trying to exclude her from the conversation. They have some real challenges to making friends, but they did… with each other. In my role as guardian, I try to find caring and competent “companions” for my clients. I have three gems in my employ: Carmen is a professional pet sitter by her chosen profession; Sarah is a graphic artist with a caring heart and bit of spare time on her hands; and Nicole, well she is a jack of all administrative trades. Each week for the past few years, they have visited with and accompanied my ladies on a number of adventures. One of the ladies fancies her self a very threatening dog at times and enjoys barking at the passersby. Nicole has joined her. The two, and their barks, genuinely seem quite formidable, if you can get past the peals of laughter that follow. The other enjoys working on her Ukranian egg painting skills, or other crafts, as well as keeping up with her exercises because “must we must, we must exercise our bust”! She has relentlessly flirted with the Santa Claus I hired to visit the home at the holidays, and was upset when she learned that her dishy young doctor had a wife and children and that his warm hands were not exclusively for her. Sarah joins her in laughter and fun with the staff, giggling at the noises of the whoopie cushion that her son brought her one holiday. Carmen, who has been with me the longest, keeps the conversation flowing and reports back on the state of things so that I can keep track of more than just what the staff are telling me. All three are invaluable to the care of my ladies. Recently, though, one of the ladies had begun to show every bit of her ninety-four years. She had two major medical incidents and that has left her quite impaired. I have worried for her, and her family, quite a lot since. But I have also been terribly concerned for how my other ward was feeling about the situation. The other lost her husband a bit more than a decade ago, just as spring was starting to return. Unable to express grief as you or I might, her behavior changes and she becomes a bit aggressive every year at this time of year. How would losing her new friend affect her? When they first moved in to the facility together, Carmen and the two ladies sat down for tea one afternoon. The one who had been abandoned by her children said to Carmen, “I am the luckiest person in the world. I don’t know who this James person is, but he is just wonderful and he makes magic happen here.” (She later asked Nicole to get a photo of me so that she would know who was working on her behalf.) The other lady, listening intently, had only recently been removed from a dreadfully abusive situation and didn’t understand fully what had truly gone on and why the change would ultimately be to her benefit. She rather thought me an ogre for taking her away from her home. She said to Carmen, “Really? I have a guy named James too, and he is just god awful. He has taken away my home, my independence and brought me here. I sure wish I had someone like this James fellow the other lady describes.” Carmen, who had been a student of mine, could hardly keep from laughing at the many different Jameses she was experiencing. Time has passed, and to be honest, I have never seen the two ladies happier that they were this winter. While neither is capable of asking for their companions by name, and wouldn’t recognize me if I walked in and started talking with them, they do know which people at the residence are friends, and who are (often imaginary) foes. My two ladies did indeed become friends, and they looked out for each other. The elder of the two, who was more functionally capable than the younger, prided herself on her self-reliance and would say of the other, “The poor dear, she needs help.” The younger often sensed loneliness in the elder, and once instructed staff to give me a call so that she could say, “The other one. The other lady who shares my name. She is lonely. Can’t you send her some flowers from me?” And so I did. As the elder’s time drew near, and it was apparent to everyone given the intense level of hospice care staff visits and family vigil, I asked Carmen, Nicole and Sarah to give a bit of extra care to the one who was likely to be left behind. Nicole took the opportunity to share some time with my ward and asked her how she was feeling about her friend. “She’s pretty sick, I guess.” So Nicole asked if she thought they should go and visit her in her room. Nicole took her to the other’s doorway and they peered inside. Hospital bed. Oxygen tanks. Commode. My ward’s once peaceful oasis decorated with antique furniture and quilts that a favorite aunt had made had been transformed in to a veritable hospital room. “Pretty scary stuff, isn’t it?” Nicole said. “Do you want to go in and visit anyway?” They did. Despite all of the limitations that dementia has placed on the ladies, they were friends. My moribund ward raised her head, smiled and was appreciative of the visit; the other was silent, taciturn even, but reflective. The pair sat for a number of minutes in each other’s company. The one held the other’s hand gently. And they said nothing. They just held each other’s hand and were friends. from → Love David Hogg Alex Wind Cameron Kasky Jacqueline Coren c/o Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School 5901 NW Pine Island Road Parkland, FL 33076 Dear David, Alex, Emma, Cameron and Jacqueline, Under normal circumstances, I would never have had the occasion to learn your names. I am delighted though to have watched your participation on Nancy Cordes’ Face the Nation this morning, and am joined by my partner, Gregory, in saluting you. Thank you for working so hard to make this world a better place for all of us. Your advocacy and straight talk to those in positions of power to affect change is laudable. Our sincere gratitude is with you. I recently retired from teaching. I had been in front of a classroom for the last twenty-one years. I have worked with scores of young people, just like yourselves, and have had countless conversations just like the one you had with Nancy Cordes this morning. How can these shootings continue to happen unabated? How can we continue to allow the senseless slaughter to occur? Regrettably, our politicians have indeed let us down. Bipartisan support exists for any number of life-saving measures, and yet the only thing we can muster in time of crisis is the apparent need for absolute silence on the issue and “thoughts and prayers”. We, frankly, are done meditating on the problem. We join David especially in being sickened by what we see coming out of the mouths of our political leaders, in desiring quite literally ANY piece of legislation to help stem the tide of violence! We join you all in your anger, and more importantly, we applaud your temerity and chutzpah in speaking truth to power, in calling for action over inaction, and for pleading for our right to live in a civilized world. We wish your group every success in its effort to organize a march on our Nation’s Capital. We will be marching here locally in solidarity with you. Before I end my letter today, please find enclosed a small gift. It isn’t a lot, but being a political activist, and planning to march for one’s rights is hard work, and people get hungry. As you and your friends work to plan your March 24th rally in Washington, DC, you might need a bit of extra cash to buy some pizza and keep your strength up. We are always fans of extra cheese. Thank you for what you are doing, and our wishes for your every success now and in to the future are with you. James and Gregory In the wake of last week’s deadly shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school that left 17 people dead, students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have taken to the airwaves and social media to demand tighter gun laws. Their advocacy and anger serve as a stark new facet in the all-too-familiar routine following mass shootings in the U.S. The students say they will organize and march to hold lawmakers who take money from the National Rifle Association accountable. David Hogg, Alex Wind, Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky and Jacqueline Coren joined us to discuss the shooting, their plans for a march on Washington and what kind of legislation they want to see passed in the wake of the shooting. The following is a transcript of the interview with the students that aired Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018, on “Face the Nation.” NANCY CORDES: Joining me now are five students from Parkland, Florida who attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. They are David Hogg, Alex Wind and Emma Gonzalez, plus Cameron Kasky and Jacqueline Coren. Thanks so much to all of you for joining me and Cameron, I’ll start with you. You say the adults have let you down. CAMERON KASKY: Well, the adults in office have let us down. Absolutely. And fortunately we have a lot of support from the older generations here, but what we’re trying to do here March for Our Lives is say, the adult politicians have been playing around while my generation has been losing our lives. If you see how they treat each other in the office, if you see the nasty, dirty things going on with them, it’s- it’s sad to think that that’s what they’re doing while seventeen people are being slaughtered, gunned down only yards away from where we’re sitting right now. And March for Our Lives has support from everybody. And at the end of the day this isn’t a red and blue thing. This isn’t Democrats or Republicans. This is about everybody and how we are begging for our lives and we are getting support. But we need to make real change here and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. NANCY CORDES: So, Emma, what is the plan? You say you want to spark a national movement. It’s one thing to talk about it. It’s another thing to actually make it happen. What are you going to do. EMMA GONZALEZ: Well what we have set up right now we have a website, March for Our Lives. We’re going to be doing a march in March on Washington where we get students all over the country are going to be joining us. These kids are going to make this difference because the adults let us down. And at this point I don’t even know if the adults in power who are funded by the NRA I don’t even think we need them anymore because they’re going to be gone by midterm election. There’s– there’s barely any time for them to save their skins. And if they don’t turn around right now and state their open support for this movement they’re going to be left behind. Because you are either with us or against us at this point. CAMERON KASKY: We are giving a lot of the politicians that we feel neglected by a clean slate because that’s the past and we understand that. But from here on, we are creating a badge of shame for any politicians who are accepting money from the NRA. It is a special interest group that has most certainly not our best interests in mind. And this cannot be the normal. This can be changed and it will be changed. And anybody who tells you that it can’t, is buying into the facade of this being created by the people who have our blood on their hands. NANCY CORDES: David, a lot of people saw the reporting that you did from inside the school while the shooting was taking place and I’m truly sorry that that all of you had to live through that. But I want to read to you what President Trump said last night. He said that it’s actually the Democrats that have let you down because they didn’t pass legislation when they controlled Congress. Does he have a point? DAVID HOGG: President Trump you control the House of Representatives. You control the Senate and you control the executive. You haven’t taken a single bill for mental health care or gun control and passed it. And that’s pathetic. We’ve seen a government shutdown. We’ve seen tax reform but nothing to save our children’s lives. Are you kidding me. You think now is the time to focus on the past and not the future to prevent the death of thousands of other children. You sicken me. NANCY CORDES: So what kinds of laws do all of you think should be on the books that aren’t right now? DAVID HOGG: Well what I think needs to be on the books right now that isn’t is literally any law that’s from either side of the political spectrum. If you’re a Republican that supports mental health care we want you out there making your voice heard because that’s just as important as gun control or gun safety laws at this point because Democrats also want gun safety rules and we can’t get into any more debates. We need discussion. We’ve had the debates and people have died as a result children have died and will continue to if we don’t stop now and look at both sides of this because we can’t wait around any longer. Children are dying as a result. And we need to take action. And I call on President Trump and the Republican controlled House and Senate and Executive Branch to work together, get some bills passed and stop taking money from the NRA because children are dying and so is the future of America as a result. CAMERON KASKY: And I just want to say something I’ve heard a lot is the word gun rights and that has the connotation that we are trying to strip people of their rights. Well first of all, we have the right to live. And second of all here at March for Our Lives at least for me. We don’t want to take the guns away from Americans. My father is a police officer. He has guns and I understand that having concealed weapons is good for protecting yourself. But an AR 15 is not needed to protect your house from robbers. It’s not needed to hunt bears, an AR 15 is a weapon of war and a 19 year old who is mentally challenged and has problems was able to buy an AR 15 easily. We don’t want to disarm America. We want to make America have to work for their weapons. And we have to make sure that everybody who has this kind of power in their hands has been cleared to have it. Because if Nikolas Cruz had gone through five minutes with any medical professional they would have said this person does not need an AR 15. This person needs a counselor and 17 people would not have needed graves. NANCY CORDES: Alex, your own Senator Marco Rubio says that more gun laws won’t do anything. That anyone who wants to commit violence is going to find a way to get a gun. ALEX WIND: If you think that, Senator Rubio, then change the way it’s easier to get a gun. OK? If you think it’s too easy to get a gun to do something about it make it not easier to get a gun. March 24th on the March for our Lives is only the beginning. This is the first march. But I can guarantee it will not be the last. We will be marching for the 17 we lost at our school. We will be marching for everyone we lost at the Newtown Sandy Hook shooting, at Columbine, at Virginia Tech in San Bernardino, Orlando at the Pulse shooting and at Las Vegas. This is only the beginning and March 24th things are going to change. CAMERON KASKY: It’s not our job to tell you, Senator Rubio, how to protect us. The fact that we even have to do this is appalling. Our job is to go to school, learn and not take a bullet. You need to figure this out. That’s why you were unfortunately elected. Your job is to protect us and our blood is on your hands. NANCY CORDES: Well, I know that millions of people are watching to see where you take this movement. You’ve already got tens of thousands of followers online. And we’ll be watching to see if you’re able to change a pretty entrenched political dynamic here in Washington. Thank you so much, to the five of you, for joining us today. DAVID HOGG: Thanks for having us. CAMERON KASKY: Thank you. NANCY CORDES: And we’ll be right back. Food for Thought Select Category Andree Harivel Art of Good Teaching Art of Good Writing Books Corinth Courseulles-sur-Mer Feminine Hygiene Food France French Kenduskeag Library Linguistics Love Maine Middlebury College Poetry Recipes Sharon Rybak Portugal Uncategorized Vegetarian Wisconsin Caffeinated Politics Corinth Historical Society	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line841
__label__cc	0.678953	0.321047	Archive for the tag “monuments” The Irony of It All If these two articles are any indication, most Americans are against removing monuments and historical artifacts. And yet, it still keeps happening against the majority’s wishes. Why is this happening? Nikki Haley recently remarked how the Confederate monuments and the Southern Cross were symbols of heritage and history until some nimrod, who will remain un-named as to not give him the notoriety he so desperately craves, came along and committed an unfathomable atrocity. NORTH CAROLINA DESTROYS ANOTHER MONUMENT A large crowd gathered Wednesday to watch as the 27-foot-high 112-year-old Confederate statue outside the historic Chatham County courthouse was taken down and dismantles by workers despite a State law protecting it. The pieces were then taken away with the help of a crane. The cost to the taxpayers was at least $44,000. A RECENT POLL SHOWS A strong majority of North Carolina residents say Confederate statues and monuments should remain in place, according to a statewide survey released Wednesday morning. The Elon University Poll found that 65% of respondents think Confederate monuments should remain on public, government-owned property, while only 35% think they should be removed. A quarter of those surveyed said removing monuments helps race relations in the state, 36% said it hurts race relations and 40% said the removal doesn’t make a difference (Articles courtesy of Dixie Heritage Newsletter, November. 22, 2019 ed.) Posted in Civil War and tagged Chatham County, Confederate, Confederates, heritage, historic, historical, history, monument, monuments, North Carolina, Southern Cross, statues Erasing History Keeps Going But who does it benefit, really? I mean, seriously, eradicating Confederate statues that have been in place for over 100 years is suddenly the “in” thing to do. I feel bad for all the descendants who see their ancestors’ monuments being taken down because the statues suddenly offend a few. And yet, the stupid keep taking them down, regardless of taking into consideration what has happened in other countries when they did this same exact thing. Stupid is as stupid does, I guess. PROBABLY NEVER COMING BACK Now that the Tennessee Supreme Court has avoided its Constitutional duty, the nonprofit that “owns” the Confederate monuments removed from Memphis’ parks, Memphis Greenspace, will be able to act with impunity. While they’re not sure, we suspect they are trying to sell the statues … Whoever they sell to, will no doubt have to promise that they will never be returned to Shelby County. “Whomever takes the monuments, our restriction would be that the monuments can never cross Shelby County lines ever again and come back into this community, and this restriction would have to travel with the monuments,” Van Turner with Memphis Greenspace said. Memphis Greenspace still has to finalize a lawsuit in local court with the surviving family of Forrest, whose remains are still at Health Sciences Park. “We will respect the wishes of the current family members,” Turner said. “All of that will have to be worked out in the local lawsuit pending in chancery court, and I think we’re up for it.” (Article courtesy of Dixie Heritage Newsletter, November 5, 2019 ed.) Posted in Civil War and tagged Confederate, Dixie, Forrest Park, Memphis, monuments, Nathan Bedford Forrest, statues, Tennessee \| Leave a comment Respecting the Dead It’s a shame how our culture has bred so many who think it’s okay to vandalize grave sites because of their political views. I see too frequently where headstones have been broken, statues have been overturned, and monuments have been painted with graffiti. Why have we lost so much respect for the dead? In my last blog, I talked about the undead, and brought up Frankenstein as an example. Gruesome as it seems, graves were commonly robbed back in the day. Not only were the grave robbers after jewelry and valuables, but some were after body parts! Here is an excerpt describing such horrific deeds from my novel, A Rebel Among Us. Watch for its re-release, complete with a new book cover, coming soon. Have a happy, and safe, Halloween! Hershel awoke near sunset. “Huntsville, go fetch me a pencil and paper.” David did as he asked, returning shortly with the requested items. “You write this down,” he said, pointing a wilting finger at him. David knelt beside him. The old man continued. “You write to my wife, and tell her I loved her dearly, and tell her I miss her, but I’m fixin’ to go to a better place.” “Harrison, there ain’t no need to …” “Now don’t you be tellin’ me there ain’t a need!” he exclaimed. David drew back, startled by the sudden, unexpected outburst. “Sorry,” he apologized softly. “Tell her I long to see her and the young’uns once again, but since that’s impossible, tell her that my final thoughts were of them.” David nodded. “You go now, Huntsville. Go write that. Savvy? And send it to her in Tupelo. Can you do that?” “Yessir,” David replied compassionately. He gazed down at the sickly old man momentarily before stepping out of the tent. Overcome with sorrow, he made his way back to the barracks. The first weekend of February brought a horrendous blizzard,which dumped nearly two feet of snow. The town of Elmira shut down, and the trains ceased to run, as the thermometer plunged into the single digits. When the storm finally passed, David struggled to make his way across Foster’s Pond to check on his bunkmate. Entering the tent, he saw that two of the cots were empty. The sick man lying there alone looked up at him. “Where’s the feller who was occupyin’ this cot?” David asked him. The man seemed too weak to respond, but finally uttered, “Dead house.” Stunned, David quickly walked to the morgue, and entered to see several attendees place frozen bodies into pine coffins. The cadavers’ bones cracked as they were being forced into their eternal chambers. He grimaced, meandering down an aisle until he unwittingly found a coffin with a wooden marker tied to the top of it that read: Ltn Hershel P Harrison 42nd Mississippi Died 2-8-1865 Standing over the pine box, he stared down at the chiseled lettering. A cart lumbered up, coming to a halt outside the morgue. With a heavy sigh, he departed the cold charnel, barely noticing other inmates who were loading the coffins onto the back of the wagon before transporting them to Woodlawn Cemetery. One of the attendants noticed him, and said, “No need to fret. John Jones will tend to them proper.” “Who’s John Jones?” he asked. “He’s the ex-slave whose markin’ every grave. Doin’ a right thorough job of it, too.” David watched for a moment, still tying to comprehend that Hershel was truly gone. He slowly shuffled through the deep snow, and dismally wondered if he might soon end up the same way. Suddenly, he remembered what one of the Tarheels had told him about grave robbers. According to Sherwood Richardson, the loathsome ghouls unearthed buried cadavers, and sold them to area doctors so that they could conduct experiments on them. He hoped that such a fate wouldn’t befall Hershel’s body. Posted in Civil War and tagged A Rebel Among Us, Alabama, Civil War, Elmira Prison Camp, grave robbers, Huntsville, monuments \| Leave a comment The Plight of American History I have been posting a lot recently about the destruction of our national monuments. This disturbs me greatly, because I see it as a way to eradicate and change our history. The monuments pay homage to ancestors who fought in ancient wars, but nevertheless, they were war veterans, and the monuments should be treated with respect. If someone desecrated a war memorial to Korean War vets, I would be deeply upset, because my dad fought in that war with the Marines. Same goes for Civil War vets. They were recognized as American vets long ago, and yet, today, because of the changing tide of political correctness, their monuments have been inappropriately deemed as racist. This is completely wrong and inaccurate, and still, the monuments keep coming down. Recently, the Tennessee Supreme Court found that the Sons of Confederate Veterans could not appeal the decision for Memphis to take down three Confederate monuments. I find this shameful, especially since one of the monuments marked the graves of Nathan Bedford Forrest and his wife. General Forrest was a trendsetter in establishing interracial relations in Memphis, but this has all been washed over. I only wish correct history was taught in our schools. I also find it disturbing that the Confederate battle flag is forever linked with the KKK, and thus, is also deemed as racist. This is also completely inaccurate. If anything, the Stars and Stripes should be associated with racism. It was that flag that flew over slave ships, and the KKK also used it repeatedly. The Confederate battle flag, also known as the Southern Cross, is based on the Scottish St. Andrews Cross. Therefore, it has deep Christian roots, and has nothing to do with racism. Not to offend anyone, but I will continue to express my disdain and vigilance supporting the Confederate monuments and flags. People today don’t understand that the Confederacy didn’t consist of Southern slave holders. There were Rebels in the north and west, Southern sympathizers in the north, Slave holders in the north and west, and black slave holders as well. That is why I love writing about this time period. It was topsy-turvy, all convoluted, and a mixed bag of new immigrants coming in, as well as Native American people being eradicated. Genocide was okay back then, and political incorrectness was, too. I wish people, especially those with political clout, would keep that in mind when they decide to destroy our history. How can we remember our mistakes if all the remembrances are destroyed? Posted in Author, Uncategorized and tagged American, Civil War, historic, historical, history, Korean War, Memphis, monuments, Nathan Bedford Forrest, slaves, sons of confederate veterans, St. Andrews Cross, Tennessee, Veterans \| Leave a comment The Number is Alarming According to the following article, 141 Confederate monuments have been removed or destroyed to date. I find this seriously alarming. Hiding monuments from public view or defacing them with inaccuracies won’t change our history, and neither will putting up plaques to try to explain away the climate as it was back when the monuments were erected. Even the president has declared that destroying Confederate monuments is a national tragedy. Writing on Wednesday for The National Interest, Jordan Brasher suggested that a national cemetery be erected where all of the nations removed Confederate monuments (141 in the last 3 years so far) can be placed. Literally, he has proposed a national Confederate Monument Cemetery. The Washington Post then reported that in places where the State’s monument and heritage protection acts are working liberals are now taking to erecting signs of their own immediately next to Confederate memorials. “This monument should no longer stand as a memorial to white brotherhood,” reads a sign erected this summer alongside a Confederate statue in Georgia. “This monument … fostered a culture of segregation by implying that public spaces and public memory belonged to whites,” reads another. Declares a third: “This ignores the segregation and disenfranchisement of African Americans.” “It’s happening in all sorts of places,” said Adam Domby, a history professor at the College of Charleston who is writing a book about Confederate monuments. “Still, it’s clearly in many cases being used as a stopgap because the laws prohibit removing them.” The Atlanta History Center now maintains an online database tracking the fate of Confederate monuments. (Article courtesy of Dixie Heritage Newsletter, Sept. 27, 2019 ed.) Posted in Civil War, Uncategorized and tagged Atlanta, Charleston, Confederate, Georgia, historic, historical, history, monuments, national, President \| Leave a comment And It’s Offensive Because Why? I’m having difficulty grasping what is happening in this country, specifically in the South. I just read how some group was protesting the annual UCD convention and requesting that the venue deny their gathering. Unbelievable! Thankfully, the venue ignored their request. But what’s to happen next year? I shudder to think. Here is more bizarre news about the destruction of our history because it is supposedly, suddenly, inexplicably “offensive.” TWO RALLYS – NO BLOODSHED Supporters and opponents of Confederate monuments gathered in downtown Pittsboro, North Carolina on Saturday afternoon to hold opposing rallies. Police closely monitored both rallies. As we reported last month, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to move the Confederate monument in front of the courthouse, which has been in place since 1907. This gives until October 1st for the local chapter of the UDC to come up with a plan for the statue. The reality is the United Daughters of the Confederacy gifted the statue — which would make it public property and as a public monument the 2015 law which limits removal and alteration of monuments on public grounds would apply. That is why the city, over a hundred years later has “repudiated” the gift. If the courts allow this repudiation, which we suspect they will, it will set a dangerous precedent erasing the monument protection laws in most states. ALSO IN NORTH CAROLINA A student is climing to have found the remains of the Silent Sam monument. While the Charlotte Observer has reported the discovery they have not confirmed it. So far, The University of North Carolina will not comment on the matter. (Articles courtesy of Dixie Heritage Newsletter, Sept. 20, 2019 ed.) Posted in Civil War, Uncategorized and tagged Civil War, Confederate, Confederate monument, historic, historical, history, monument, monuments, North Carolina, Silent Sam, South, United Daughters of the Confederacy There’s No Way to Make ‘Em Happy The latest thing to sweep the South is to place disclaimers on Confederate monuments. I’m sorry, but this is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard of. Nevertheless, politically correct kiss asses have bowed down to the NAACP and other various city officials and organizations, and have complied to their bizarre requests. But placing these disclaimer plaques still hasn’t been enough to appease them. The following article conveys the change in opinions. It’s all weird, in my opinion. Ten years ago, this wouldn’t have even been an issue. Why is that? (Just a side note, we should leave history alone, even if it is offensive to some. It is OUR history, after all. We should cherish and embrace it, not try to erase and destroy it.) ITS NEVER GONNA BE GOOD ENOUGH Atlanta became the first city in the country to install contextual markers around its Confederate monuments a month ago, but the local branch of the NAACP says the explanations on the signs aren’t good enough. In a Tuesday letter to the Atlanta City Council, Atlanta branch president Richard Rose said the markers don’t “counter the notion of white supremacy.” On Wednesday, Rose went further, accusing members of a council committee of being “complicit on compromising on racism.” “It’s such a profound disappointment,” Rose said of the language on the markers. “It doesn’t give the story of why these monuments were built and the effect they have to this day.” Posted in Civil War, Uncategorized and tagged Atlanta, Civil War, Confederate, Georgia, monuments, NAACP \| Leave a comment	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line843
__label__wiki	0.966928	0.966928	Building Conversation NYC real estate loves old tricks for new homes During New York’s prewar housing boom at the turn of the 19th century, decking out your townhouse with carved woodwork, stained glass and marble mantels was the norm — not the exception. Today, well-kept historic detailing means a premium in the market. For the first quarter of 2017, brokerage Halstead tracked a 5 percent increase in pricing for townhomes throughout brownstone Brooklyn, with the price for one now averaging $2.38 million. Although New York doesn’t have as many architectural craftspeople as it did in the early 1900s, artisans, who are experts in preservation, still practice their trades all around us. They’re responsible for keeping all of New York’s historic real estate looking new — and can even make some of the new structures look old. The growing popularity of restoration stemmed from the formation of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in 1965. The commission began designating neighborhoods historic districts at the same time New Yorkers started gentrifying neighborhoods with gorgeous older townhouses, like Park Slope and Harlem. As the value of such homes rose, demand for architectural craftspeople increased. Their meticulous services allow homeowners to adhere to the LPC’s stringent requirements for renovations. They also satisfy the growing number of old house lovers who want to spruce up their pieces of city history. “It is a big part of New York’s economy now,” says Jackie Peu-Duvallon, a historic preservation consultant who runs her own firm. “It’s proliferated in the last 20 or so years.” Business is good, for example, at EverGreene Architectural Arts founded in 1978. The Brooklyn-based studio has worked on high-profile restoration projects, from the ornate Rose Main Reading Room of the New York Public Library to various historic lobbies around the city. “We’ve seen an increase in good stewardship, and a greater awareness from real estate [owners], about really caring for what’s special in their buildings,” says Kim Lovejoy, vice president at EverGreene. At the Sherry Netherland, an Upper East Side co-op/hotel combo where available apartments range from $675,000 for a studio to $13.5 million for a full-floor pad, EverGreene was tasked to restore the lobby. Underneath a white ceiling, the firm discovered an Italian Renaissance-style mural painted in the 1920s. Their team spent six months removing layers, restoring the artwork underneath to its original splendor. Although EverGreene is a larger firm, most New York craftspeople operate independently. Vincent Battiloro, of The Finest Brownstone Wood Restoration, learned his trade as a teen in Italy. He moved to New York in 1960 — a time when preservation was less popular — and picked up odd jobs like repairing wood furniture in hotels. “The business changed when young professionals realized that instead of paying $1 million for a studio in the city, they could buy a brownstone in Park Slope,” Battiloro says. Today he mainly restores high-end woodwork in townhouses — much of which gets painted over or varnished — from decorative fretwork to carved doors to elaborately detailed staircases. “I’m getting busier every year,” he says. “I’m 75, but they won’t let me retire.” Larry Feldman, of Feldman Stained Glass, got into his field as a teen growing up in Greenwich Village, helping repair windows at local antique shops. These days, from his Jersey City studio, he restores elegant stained and leaded glass “for landmark buildings and the like.” His work appears in the historic lobby of Tudor-style 370 Central Park West (where a two-bedroom co-op is on the market for $995,000) and private residences from the Upper West Side to upstate New York. Feldman says it can be difficult to talk pricing with homeowners on tight renovation budgets. “The stuff coming out of Home Depot is different than what I do,” he says. Hiring his careful restoration work can cost thousands of dollars. But as he points out, “stained and leaded glass is a forever thing — to fully restore the stained glass will make it last another 100 years or more.” Deborah Mills, a custom wood carver based in Long Island City, admits her skills are pricey but valuable. “Wood carving is often one of the last things to come into a project, when homeowners might already be over budget,” she says. But her firm is up to any task, including recreating mantels, cornices and friezes for homeowners. “It’s surprising how often people see a beautiful work and think it could never be replicated today,” she says. “Well, we could do it.” Some artisans are applying their age-old crafts to brand-new buildings. Nick Smacchia, of his company Plastering by Nicholas, has done his share of historic restoration — he’s the guy they call to fix the plaster moldings at Gracie Mansion. But Smacchia also designed high-gloss plaster staircases for 111 W. 57th St., a residential skyscraper now under construction atop the historic Steinway building. The developer of the tower, JDS Development, is known for incorporating high-end, historically inspired finishes into its projects. At 111 W. 57th, along with co-developer Property Markets Group (PMG), the firm is restoring the landmarked lobby of the Steinway building, which residents will enter to get to multimillion-dollar apartments. As for Smacchia’s staircases, they’ll decorate the penthouse apartments. 04/14/2017 – New York Post – Stainglass artisan and restorer, Larry Feldman in his Jersey City studio. Jersey City, NJ. Photo By Zandy Mangold Although sales have yet to launch officially, the skinny tower’s 60 units are expected to start at $16 million and could reportedly reach $60 million for a penthouse. At Stella Tower, an Art Deco showpiece at 425 W. 50th St. converted to a 51-unit condo in 2014, JDS and PMG hired a team of eight craftsman to restore the stately “crown” at the top of the building. The Hell’s Kitchen development currently has seven units available between $1.85 million and $11.99 million. “We want to make a building shine to its best possible capacity, not only to provide a premier living experience for residents, but also for New Yorkers to enjoy as they walk past,” says Marci Clark, JDS’ architectural historian. New development 49 Chambers St., in Lower Manhattan across from City Hall, will house 99 luxury condos in a Beaux-Arts building originally designed for the Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank. Chetrit Group restored the grand bank lobby, which soon hold a retail tenant. Stained glass skylights decorate the ceiling and tellers’ windows are framed in ornamental brasswork. “We’re breathing new life into the building,” says project architect Jeremy Singer, of Woods Bagot. “We want to carry the building’s rich tradition into the future, while making the interior of the apartments modern.” The top of the building will house a glass-walled rooftop park, framed by original carved limestone balustrades. Six apartments are listed between $1.95 million and $5.2 million at the building, which is expected to wrap construction within the next year. Without a doubt, modern technology has helped today’s craftspeople. To restore the Steinway lobby, JDS scanned the ceiling with lasers to help replicate its original frescoes. Across the river in Williamsburg, ODA Architecture utilized modern-day tools to replicate an old-school concrete design. The firm’s 32-unit condo project 190 S. First St. — which will welcome residents this year and is priced between $575,000 for a studio and $4.45 million for a three-bedroom — features board-form concrete. Workers are using a technique that originated when wood was used to cast concrete for buildings more than a century ago. The practice was phased out when reinforced steel became the go-to for shaping smooth concrete chunks for construction sites. ODA harkened back to the tradition of wood casting to get a uniquely warm, slightly veiny texture for 190 S. First St.’s facade. But the firm updated the method for creating the cast. Unlike if it were made of wood, “this cast can be used up to 100 times,” says Christian Bailey, partner at ODA. The final product, however, looks like it could have been formed a century ago. “The imprint of the wood, which remains in the concrete, leaves a tapestry of time in the texture of the concrete,” Bailey says. In New York, it turns out, timeless design never gets old. By Kim Megson, New York Post Original Article: Click Here in 111 WEST 57TH STREET / NY POST The Lustrous History of Steinway Hall + See Progress on its Supertall Annex, 111 West The supertall tower in the works at 111 West 57th Street is proof that historic New York can sit comfortably beside extreme […] New York’s Skinniest Skyscraper Launches Sales—Prices Start at $18M Sales at the under-construction super-skinny skyscraper on West 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan—otherwise known as Billionaires’ Row—officially launched on Thursday. […] BISNOW BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION NORTHEAST COMMERCIAL OBSERVER COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DIRECT CRAIN’S NEW YORK GOTHAM MAGAZINE SKYSCRAPER MUSEUM © Copyright JDS Development Group	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line844
__label__cc	0.708273	0.291727	Killer Selfies If it seems like we’re hearing a lot more stories about people dying while trying to snap “the perfect selfie,” that’s because it’s happening all the time. According to new research, 259 people died between 2011 and 2017 all over the world while trying to take a photo of themselves. And now scientists are calling for “no selfie zones” to cut down on the number of “selficides” happening. The new study reveals that the most common way people die while taking a selfie is by drowning, being hit by traffic or falling. And it happens way more often to men than women, nearly three-quarters of the victims have been male. The research also shows that eight people were killed by animals while taking selfies and an additional 16 were electrocuted. India is the country where most of the “selficides” are happening, followed closely by Russia, the U.S., and Pakistan. Lead researcher Dr. Agam Bansal at the India Institute of Medical Sciences points out that selfies themselves aren’t harmful, but the human behavior that comes with them is dangerous. He explains, “Individuals need to be educated regarding certain risky behaviors and risky places where selfies should not be taken.” Scientists want “no selfie zones” to be placed in tourist areas that could be dangerous, like near bodies of water, mountain peaks, and over tall buildings to decrease the number of selfie-related deaths. And not being willing to risk your life to take a picture of yourself would probably help, too.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line846
__label__cc	0.50419	0.49581	Sleep Paralysis: What Is It and What Causes It? Book Review and Author Interview: The Case Against Reality by Donald Hoffman Brain, Healthy Fats, and the Importance of Fitting Into Your Genes Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease [Infographic] Autism Spectrum Disorder [Infographic] Knowing Neurons A creative neuroscience education website by young neuroscientists Neuro Primer Brain Basics Neuroscience Technologies Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders Learning and Memory Neuro SciFi Neuro News 52 Brain Facts Weird Animal Brains Brain Books About KN Big Ideas Did You Know? What Happens If You Stick Your Head in a Particle Accelerator? February 27, 2017 June 30, 2017 Joel Frohlich 0 Comments Alexander Litvinenko, Anatoli Bugorski, CERN, ionizing radiation, large hadron collider, particle accelerator, particle collider, Phantoms of the Brain, physics, protons, U-70 synchrotron, VS Ramachandran What would happen if you stuck your body inside a particle accelerator? The scenario seems like the start of a bad Marvel comic, but it happens to shed light on our intuitions about radiation, the vulnerability of the human body, and the very nature of matter. Particle accelerators allow physicists to study subatomic particles by speeding them up in powerful magnetic fields and then tracing the interactions that result from collisions. By delving into the mysteries of the Universe, colliders have entered the Zeitgeist and tapped the wonders and fears of our age. As far back as 2008, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), operated by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), was charged with creating microscopic black holes that would allow physicists to detect extra dimensions. To many, this sounds like the plot of a disastrous science-fiction movie. It came as no surprise when two people filed a lawsuit to stop the LHC from operating, lest it produce a black hole powerful enough to destroy the world. But physicists argued that the idea was absurd and the lawsuit was rejected. Then, in 2012, the LHC detected the long-sought Higgs boson, a particle needed to explain how particles acquire mass. With that major accomplishment, the LHC entered popular culture; it was featured on the album cover of Super Collider (2013) by the heavy metal band Megadeth, and a similar such particle accelerator was a plot point in the US television series The Flash (2014-). Yet, despite its accomplishments and glamour, the world of particle physics is so abstract that few understand its implications, meaning or use. Unlike a NASA probe sent to Mars, CERN’s research doesn’t produce tangible, readily understood images. Instead, the study of particle physics is best described by chalkboard equations and squiggly lines called Feynman diagrams. Aage Bohr, the Nobel laureate whose father Niels invented the Bohr model of the atom, and his colleague Ole Ulfbeck have even gone as far as to deny the physical existence of subatomic particles as anything more than mathematical models. “What happens when a beam of subatomic particles travelling at nearly the speed of light meets the flesh of the human body?” Which returns us to our original question: What happens when a beam of subatomic particles travelling at nearly the speed of light meets the flesh of the human body? Perhaps because the realms of particle physics and biology are conceptually so far removed, it’s not only laypeople who lack the intuition to answer this question, but also some professional physicists. In a 2010 YouTube interview with members of the physics and astronomy faculty at the University of Nottingham, several academic experts admitted that they had little idea what would happen if one were to stick a hand inside the proton beam at the LHC. Professor Michael Merrifield put it succinctly: ‘That’s a good question. I don’t know is the answer. Probably be very bad for you.’ Professor Laurence Eaves was also cautious about drawing conclusions. ‘[B]y the scales of energy we notice, it wouldn’t be that noticeable,’ he said, likely with a bit of British understatement. ‘Would I put my hand in the beam? I’m not sure about that.’ Such thought experiments can be useful tools for exploring situations that can’t be studied in the laboratory. Occasionally, however, unfortunate accidents yield case studies: opportunities for researchers to study scenarios that can’t be experimentally induced for ethical reasons. Case studies have a sample size of one and no control group. But, as the neuroscientist V S Ramachandran has pointed out in Phantoms in the Brain (1998), it takes only one talking pig to prove that pigs can talk. On 13 September 1848, for example, an iron rod pierced through the head of the US railway worker Phineas Gage and profoundly changed his personality, offering early evidence of a biological basis for personality. “It’s possible that, at that point in history, no other human being had ever experienced a focused beam of radiation at such high energy.” And on 13 July 1978, a Soviet scientist named Anatoli Bugorski stuck his head in a particle accelerator. On that fateful day, Bugorski was checking malfunctioning equipment on the U-70 synchrotron – the largest particle accelerator in the Soviet Union – when a safety mechanism failed and a beam of protons travelling at nearly the speed of light passed straight through his head, Phineas Gage-style. It’s possible that, at that point in history, no other human being had ever experienced a focused beam of radiation at such high energy. Although proton therapy – a cancer treatment that uses proton beams to destroy tumors – was pioneered before Bugorski’s accident, the energy of these beams is generally not above 250 million electron volts (a unit of energy used for small particles). Bugorski might have experienced the full wrath of a beam with more than 300 times this much energy, 76 billion electron volts. Proton radiation is a rare beast indeed. Protons from the solar wind and cosmic rays are stopped by Earth’s atmosphere, and proton radiation is so rare in radioactive decay that it was not observed until 1970. More familiar threats, such as ultraviolet photons and alpha particles, do not penetrate the body past skin unless a radioactive source is ingested. Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, for instance, was killed by alpha particles that do not so much as penetrate paper when he unknowingly ingested radioactive polonium-210 delivered by an assassin. But when Apollo astronauts protected by spacesuits were exposed to cosmic rays containing protons and even more exotic forms of radiation, they reported flashes of visual light, a harbinger of what would welcome Bugorski on the fateful day of his accident. According to an interview in Wired magazine in 1997, Bugorski immediately saw an intense flash of light but felt no pain. The young scientist was taken to a clinic in Moscow with half his face swollen, and doctors expected the worst. Ionizing radiation particles such as protons wreak havoc on the body by breaking chemical bonds in DNA. This assault on a cell’s genetic programming can kill the cell, stop it from dividing, or induce a cancerous mutation. Cells that divide quickly, such as stem cells in bone marrow, suffer the most. Because blood cells are produced in bone marrow, for instance, many cases of radiation poisoning result in infection and anemia from losses of white blood cells and red blood cells, respectively. But unique to Bugorski’s case, radiation was concentrated along a narrow beam through the head, rather than being broadly distributed from nuclear fallout, as was the case for many victims of the Chernobyl disaster or the bombing of Hiroshima. For Bugorski, particularly vulnerable tissues, such as bone marrow and the gastrointestinal tract, might have been largely spared. But where the beam shot through Bugorski’s head, it deposited an obscene amount of radiation energy, hundreds of times greater than a lethal dose by some estimates. And yet, Bugorski is still alive today. Half his face is paralyzed, giving one hemisphere of his head a strangely young appearance. He is reported to be deaf in one ear. He suffered at least six generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Commonly known as grand mal seizures, these are the seizures most frequently depicted in film and television, involving convulsions and loss of consciousness. Bugorski’s epilepsyA nervous system disorder that causes seizures due to abnorm... is likely a result of brain tissue-scarring left by the proton beam. It has also left him with petit mal or absence seizures, far less dramatic staring spells during which consciousness is briefly interrupted. There are no reports that Bugorski has ever been diagnosed with cancer, though that is often a long-term consequence of radiation exposure. Despite having nothing less than a particle accelerator beam pass through his brain, Bugorski’s intellect remained intact, and he successfully completed his doctorate after the accident. Bugorski survived his accident. And as frightening and awesome as the inside of a particle accelerator might be, humanity has thus far survived the nuclear age. This article was originally featured in Aeon and has also appeared on The Atlantic website. Written by Joel Frohlich. Images by Jooyeun Lee. Ulfbeck, O. & Bohr, A. Foundations of Physics (2001) 31: 757. doi:10.1023/A:10175963120 Sixty Symbols. “Putting your hand in the Large Hadron Collider…” Online video clip. YouTube. Youtube, September 16, 2010. Web.February 25, 2017. https://youtu.be/aAnlBW5INYg Ramachandran, V. S., Blakeslee, S., & Sacks, O. W. (1998). Phantoms in the brain: Probing the mysteries of the human mind (pp. 224-25). New York: William Morrow. Joel Frohlich Joel Frohlich is a postdoc studying consciousness in the lab of Martin Monti at UCLA. He recently completed his PhD in neuroscience in the lab of Shafali Jeste at UCLA, examining EEGElectroencephalogram, a technique that places electrodes on ... biomarkers of neurodevelopmental disorders. You can also check out Joel's blog Consciousness, Self-Organization, and Neuroscience on Psychology Today. On Knowing Neurons, Joel writes only for himself. For more about Joel's research and writing, please visit Joel's website at joelfrohlich.com. Latest posts by Joel Frohlich (see all) Book Review and Author Interview: The Case Against Reality by Donald Hoffman - December 6, 2019 What I Learned from Tracking My Sleep with Fitbit for Two Months - August 28, 2019 Neuro Primer: Sleep - March 20, 2019 ← A “Little Bit” of OCD: When Words Trivialize a Disorder Knowing Neurons Visits the Large Hadron Collider: Interview with Dr. André David → Joel Frohlich is a postdoc studying consciousness in the lab of Martin Monti at UCLA. He recently completed his PhD in neuroscience in the lab of Shafali Jeste at UCLA, examining EEG biomarkers of neurodevelopmental disorders. You can also check out Joel's blog Consciousness, Self-Organization, and Neuroscience on Psychology Today. On Knowing Neurons, Joel writes only for himself. For more about Joel's research and writing, please visit Joel's website at joelfrohlich.com. Social Grooming: It’s not just for monkeys and prairie voles! February 20, 2013 Kate Fehlhaber 5 Cognitive Astrobiology January 3, 2018 DanielToker 3 A Close Look into the Alzheimer’s Brain November 21, 2012 JuanVelasquez 0 We strive to make neuroscience accessible to anyone interested in learning about the brain. Here, you can delve into the mind via stories, infographics, interviews, and more! Learn more about who we are, what we do, and why we do it. 52 Brain Facts 2013 2014 Alzheimer's Alzheimer’s disease Amygdala Autism Brain Color Consciousness Cortex depression Development DNA Dopamine EEG Epilepsy Fact fMRI gene Genetics Hippocampus Infographic Interview Knowing Neurons language Learning Memory MRI Nature Nature Neuroscience Neuron Neurons Neuroscience Pain Parkinson's Disease Perception Prefrontal Cortex Receptor Research Science SfN14 Sleep Synapse Vision Weird Animal Brain: Narwhal Brain Waves and Beta Buzz: The Wild Story of Neural Oscillations Claustrophobia Can Be Genetic Kayleen Schreiber Alexa Erdogan Sean Noah Caitlin Aamodt This work by Knowing Neurons is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Copyright © 2020 Knowing Neurons. All rights reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line848
__label__cc	0.70719	0.29281	Back To Category Big Cats Category: Big Cats Facts about Siberian Tigers. "Scientific name for Siberian Tiger is Panthera tigris altaica". The Siberian Tiger is a breed of tiger that exists in the Sikhote Alin peak region. The Siberian Tigers are sometimes called as the Amur tiger. Appearance of Siberian Tiger The Siberian Tiger breed appears in rusty-yellow, or reddish-rusty in color, with thin black transverse lines. The length of the body of this tiger is about 59 inches (150 cm), zygomatic width being 180 mm, condylobasal length of the head being 250 mm and the upper carnassial tooth is more than 26 mm long. It has an extensive, flexible body standing on small legs with a quite long tail. The Siberian Tiger breed is normally 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) taller than other breeds such that the height ranges from 42 to 43 inches (107 cm to 110 cm). Head of Siberian Tiger The head of the Siberian tiger breed is exemplified by its huge size, and resembles the head of a lion, and diverges in the structural characteristics of the lower jaw and the comparative length of nasals. The facial area is very influential and extremely broad in the area of the canines. The head prominences, particularly the crista occipitalis and sagittal crest are extremely high and sturdy in old male tigers, and habitually much more enormous than generally observed in the biggest heads of Indian tigers. The size difference in the heads of the Siberian Tiger breed ranges from 13 to 15 inches (331 mm to 383 mm). A female Siberian Tiger head is smaller at all times and by no means, as heavily fabricated and healthy as that of a male tiger. The stature of the sagittal crest in middle-part of the Siberian Tiger breed attains as much as 1 inch (27 mm) and in posterior part of the Siberian Tiger breed equal to 1 7/8 (46 mm). Coat and fur of Siberian Tiger The ground color of the pelage of the Siberian Tiger breed is habitually very pale, particularly in winter coat. The fur of this breed is fairly bulky, coarse and thin when compared to other breeds. The winter fur of the Siberian Tiger breed often looks quite hairy on the trunk, and is noticeably longer on the skull, virtually covering the ears. The whiskers and the hair on the top of the neck and on the back of the head are also deeply elongated. The backdrop color of the winter coat of the Siberian Tiger is usually less bright and tarnished when compared to that of the summer coat. The average lifespan of the Siberian Tiger breed ranges from 10 years to 15 years in the wild, and 20 years in zoos. Search the Web for More information on Siberian Tiger at LookSeek.com Search	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line849
__label__wiki	0.895335	0.895335	02 Weekly By LABJ Staff Reporter CUTTING: Billionaire Ronald Burkle has reduced his 6 percent stake in apparel maker American Apparel Inc. to 4.7 percent over the past two weeks, but is still the second largest individual shareholder after founder Dov Charney. Burkle, who accumulated his stake in June, said in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that he sold 909,500 shares between Jan. 10 and 20. He now holds roughly 3.4 million shares. As of early December, Charney controlled 41 million shares, or 57.4 percent of the company he founded in 1998. BIG DEAL: In one of the biggest real estate deals in Los Angeles in years, the asset management arm of JPMorgan Chase & Co. has agreed to pay about $300 million for a large office development in Playa Vista that is leased by Fox Interactive Media, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the transaction. The sale of the 501,000-square-foot complex by Lincoln Property Co. and ASB Real Estate Investments breaks down to about $599 a square foot. The deal for the property, called Horizon at Playa Vista, is expected to close this week. TRAINING: Aerospace defense contractor Raytheon Co. is in the final stages of selecting a 25,000-square-foot training and development center set to open in Los Angeles County this summer. The center, which will employ 150 people, will offer training and technology development for law enforcement and public safety agencies throughout the Western United States. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass., but operates its space and airborne systems division out of El Segundo. It already has a training center in Raleigh, N.C. PLAY BALL: Billionaire investor Alec Gores reportedly plans to make a bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers if the owners’ divorce forces them to find a buyer. Bloomberg News cited a person with knowledge of the plans who said Gores may try to purchase the Major League Baseball team, either with his fellow billionaire brother, Tom Gores, or as part of an investment group. The Gores are among a number of wealthy Angelenos and others looking to acquire the team. L.A. real estate billionaire Alan Casden, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and former Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey also have expressed an interest in the team. EXPANSION: Internet search giant Google Inc. is establishing a beachhead in Venice. In a rare bright spot for the region’s sluggish economy, Google is leasing more than 100,000 square feet of office space in three buildings, including the famed Binoculars Building designed by Frank Gehry. A huge binoculars sculpture, created by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, sits in front of the building. The company said it needed to expand its L.A. presence in order to recruit the work force it needs. The move is part of a major expansion by Google in Southern California and could set up a center of operation in the region. Loan Growth Spurs East West’s Profit City National’s Profit Falls Short of Expectations Saehan Bank Moves to Profit	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line854
__label__wiki	0.541202	0.541202	Home Alabama Union Springs Union Springs, Alabama Lawyers Browse By Practice Areas Find Union Springs, Alabama Attorneys by Practice Area Animal & Dog Law Cannabis & Marijuana Law Communications & Internet Law Stockbroker & Investment Fraud Show All Practice Areas » Johnny Adams Union Springs, AL Lawyer (334) 850-0022 324 Ellis Street Union Springs, AL 36089 Free ConsultationPersonal Injury Birmingham School of Law Attorney Johnny Adams focuses his law practice on serious injuries and wrongful deaths. He knows first hand the effects of serious injuries and losing a loved one due to someone else's negligence. He is sympathetic and understanding and at the same time works hard for his clients to obtain the compensation they deserve. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Birmingham School of Law located in Birmingham, Alabama. He also holds a B.S. Degree in Computer Science from Troy University. In addition to being an Alabama Licensed Attorney, Adams is currently a licensed Real Estate Broker and holds a Commercial... Christina Diane Crow Union Springs, AL Lawyer with 23 years experience (888) 297-9592 219 North Prairie St. Free ConsultationArbitration & Mediation, Consumer, Insurance Claims and Personal Injury University of Alabama School of Law Growing up in the north Alabama community of Hamilton, Christy Crow's earliest memory in life is of being in a Courtroom. Not because Christy had parents that were lawyers but because her father was injured through the gross negligence of another. "Daddy had never ridden on a motorcycle in his life until that day. He got on the motorcycle with one of his co-workers and they made it less than a mile down the road and were stopped at a traffic light. A semi-truck driver left his glasses at home that day and had pulled up behind them. He never... Valerie Rucker Russell Union Springs,, AL Attorney with 19 years experience Union Springs,, AL 36089 Free ConsultationMedical Malpractice, Personal Injury and Products Liability Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, Faulkner University Valerie Russell grew up in a small town in rural Alabama, in Autauga County. She currently resides in Montgomery Alabama where she lives with her husband, Lee M. (Russ) Russell, Jr. who is a partner at Capell & Howard, PC. Valerie and her husband, Russ are members of Woodland Methodist in Pike Road, Alabama. She earned her B.A. from the University of Auburn Montgomery in 1997; and her J.D. at Thomas Goode Jones School of Law of Faulkner University in 2001. Before becoming an associate at Jinks, Crow & Dickson, P.C., Valerie began her legal career as a paralegal at Rushton,... Mahaley P. McInnes Union Springs, AL Attorney with 20 years experience Free ConsultationInsurance Claims, Personal Injury and Products Liability Mahaley McInnes joined Jinks Crow and Dickson, P.C. in late 2012 as Of Counsel. After practicing defense work for more than ten years, Mahaley is excited to bring her knowledge of the inner-workings of insurance companies to help individuals who have sustained serious personal injuries. Mahaley graduated from Emory University in 1996 and decided to go to law school after working as an intern for the United Nations Association of the United States of America in New York, New York. She graduated from Emory University Law School in 2000, and joined the firm of L. Lin Wood P.C. in Atlanta, Georgia,... Nathan Andrew Dickson II Free ConsultationConsumer, Insurance Claims, Personal Injury and Products Liability Mr. Dickson joined the firm in 2005. His clients include individuals who have been injured or had loved ones killed because of the negligence of others or as the result of defective products, including automobiles, boats, defectively designed or maintained roads, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and heavy equipment. He also represents individuals and small businesses who have suffered financial loss due to the wrongful acts of others, including defective farm and logging equipment, tainted agricultural seed, site-built and manufactured home construction defects, breach of contract, fraudulent and inappropriate investment products, fraudulent misrepresentation, deceptive trade and business practices, breach of warranty,... Lynn W. Jinks, III Free ConsultationBusiness, Consumer, Insurance Defense and Medical Malpractice University of Alabama and University of Alabama School of Law Carmella Johnson Penn (334) 750-4141 P.O. Box 5252 Business, Criminal Defense, Estate Planning and Probate Dwayne Brown Montgomery, AL Attorney with 25 years experience (334) 277-3757 2740 Zelda Road Free ConsultationBusiness, Criminal Defense, Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Attorney Dwayne L. Brown always puts his clients first, working hard to build a strong attorney-client relationship that’s based on trust and that produces real results. By effectively and expertly managing each case and giving clients the attention and interaction they deserve, Brown has earned a stellar reputation for client satisfaction and collected millions of dollars in compensation for his many clients from all over Alabama and throughout the United States. “I have always believed that the law is the greatest weapon against tyranny and injustice,” Brown says. “Injustice is like a deep sea of water that if not contained will... Amanda B Cook Montgomery, AL Attorney with 7 years experience (334) 356-7879 4142 Carmichael Road Business, IP, Real Estate and Trademarks Cook and Associates provide a range of legal services to clients in Montgomery and throughout Alabama, including real estate transactions and litigation, business planning, contracts and contract litigation, immigration, estate planning and litigation, commercial real property, and copyrights/trademarks. We represent clients from small mom and pop restaurants to global manufacturing corporations. Barbara H. Agricola Opelika, AL Attorney (334) 759-7557 127 S. 8th St. Free ConsultationAppeals, Criminal Defense, Family and Personal Injury University of Alabama School of Law and University of Alabama - Birmingham Backed by an extensive education and years of experience, founder Barbara H. Agricola values each and every client and offers her clients a level of service and attention that is rarely experienced in the industry. Understanding not only Alabama and Georgia law but its personal implications, Barbara provides long-term advocacy and legal guidance that is designed to protect the interests, goals, and objectives of each client. With open and consistent communication being held as key to building a successful client/attorney relationship, Barbara focuses her every effort at remaining personally involved and available to her clients at all times. Born and raised... Michael Derek Brock Montgomery, AL Lawyer with 28 years experience (800) 884-9600 4121 Carmichael Rd Suite 302 Free ConsultationBankruptcy, Personal Injury and Social Security Disability University of Arkansas - Fayetteville Michael Brock was born in Pensacola, Florida in 1965. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 1987, and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Arkansas in 1991. Mike has served this country in the United States Army as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) and was appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. He was admitted to practice law in the state of Arkansas in 1991 and has been admitted to practice law in the state of Alabama since 1994. Mike limits his... Hal Walker Jr. Auburn, AL Attorney with 21 years experience (334) 329-7325 225 North Gay Street Free ConsultationAsbestos, Criminal Defense, Divorce and Personal Injury We are DUI and personal injury attorneys. We help folks every week with these same issues. The Walker Law Firm was founded in 1999 by G. Hal Walker, an AV Rated attorney. Today, from out office in Auburn, Alabama, we are able to serve clients around the country. We are one of Alabama's leading family law, personal injury, civil litigation, and federal and state criminal defense law firms. We also specialize in helping college students with their run-ins with the law. We welcome the opportunity to represent a broad range of clients and pursue their cases... David R. Clark Prattville, AL Attorney with 19 years experience (334) 361-7750 830 Peachtree Street Free ConsultationBankruptcy, Criminal Defense and Family I have a wide-range of experience from working as: (1) an associate for a year with a defense law firm in Birmingham, Alabama, where I was assigned to many complex civil law suits; (2) an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Alabama for three years handling death penalty appeals; and (3) a US Army lawyer (JAG) since 2002 (with more than 4 years on active duty to include two deployments to the Middle East). Since 2007, I have been in private practice in Prattville, Alabama. My law firm focuses on immigration, bankruptcy, criminal defense,... Andrew M. Skier (334) 263-4105 8191 Seaton Pl Appeals, Criminal Defense, Divorce and Domestic Violence Former Montgomery County prosecutor. Over 20 years experience. Jeffrey Clarke Walker Free ConsultationBankruptcy Jones School of Law Clarke Walker was born in Dothan, Alabama in 1982. He is a 2004 graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Jones School of Law and became a member of the Alabama State Bar in 2007. He is admitted to practice in all Alabama state courts and the United States District Courts for the Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama and Northern District of Florida. He is also a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA). Since joining Brock & Stout in 2007, his primary area... Patrick Mahaney Criminal Defense and DUI & DWI Law practice strictly limited to the defense of DUI and alcohol related offenses; driver license suspension and revocation issues; commercial driver license (CDL) issues; drug offenses and violations. Author of the recognized treatise Alabama DUI Defense: The Law and Practice, 4th Edition. Greg Foster (334) 557-7171 445 Dexter Ave. Free ConsultationCommunications, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home and Personal Injury University of Alabama School of Law and University of Alabama School of Law For all your Personal Injury needs call Greg today for a Free consultation Montgomery area - (334) 557-7171 Birmingham area - (205) 313-6444 Mobile area - (251) 460-3223 Standing for you! We are a firm dedicated to representing individuals injured or damaged due to the negligent or wanton behavior of other individuals or companies. Please let us know if we may help you with your injury claim. Richard D. Shinbaum (334) 269-4440 566 S Perry St Free ConsultationBankruptcy and Social Security Disability Richard Shinbaum is the former Chairman of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Alabama State Bar Association, a former member of the Alabama Advisory Council of the United States Civil Rights Commission and is a speaker at various legal seminars concerning Bankruptcy and Debtor rights. Jennifer Joyce Tompkins (334) 356-2888 7011 Fulton ct Criminal Defense, Divorce, Family and Juvenile Thomas Jones School of Law I have invested my life in a world of practical and academic experience to achieve balance and explore the liberties of this country. With 11 years of experience in the legal field, you know you can count on me to provide a strategic solutions to any of your legal problems. You can review my credentials from my education, legal experience, and rewards I have received from our community. It has been my personal mission to provide my clients with justice without judgment. You can rest assured that we will never treat you like just another case. Jennifer first attended Faulkner University where... David E. Allred (334) 396-9200 7030 Fain Park Dr #9 Free ConsultationBusiness and Personal Injury Quinn Eric Brock Free ConsultationSocial Security Disability Quinn was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1973. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law. He is licensed to practice in the states of Alabama and Florida, all Federal Courts in Alabama and the Northern District of Florida. Quinn’s primary area of practice has been Social Security Disability since 2000. He is a sustaining member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) David Gerald Poston David grew up in Tallahassee, Florida and attended Florida State University where he graduated in 1983 with a degree in Criminology. After completing his undergraduate degree, he attended Cumberland School of Law. He graduated in the top 20% of his class. After law school, David clerked for the Honorable Chandler Watson, United States Bankruptcy Judge in the Northern District of Alabama, Eastern Division. He also clerked for the Honorable James S. Sledge, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Alabama, Eastern Division. After completing his clerkship, David has represented consumers almost exclusively. David is licensed to practice in both Georgia... Charles E. Grainger Troy, AL Lawyer with 33 years experience (334) 770-4500 515 S Brundidge St Troy, AL 36081 Free ConsultationBankruptcy, Business and Foreclosure Defense Creditor harassment is stressful. It is hard to deal with repetitive threats of legal action and wage garnishment late at night or early in the morning. Often, it can feel like new debt accumulates faster than you are able to pay it off. For those who have overwhelming amounts of consumer or medical debt, bankruptcy can be a helpful way to get a fresh start. Experienced Montgomery bankruptcy lawyer Charles Grainger can help you deal with consumer bankruptcy through Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 proceedings. He also helps Alabama businesses struggling with debt by helping them file for bankruptcy under... Kristine Jones Montgomery, AL Lawyer with 2 years experience (334) 557-7188 445 Dexter Ave #4050 Office #412 Free ConsultationArbitration & Mediation, Divorce and Family Faulkner University, Thomas Goode Jones School of Law Are you facing difficult family law issues? Are you looking for a trustworthy and reliable lawyer in Montgomery? Kristine Jones, Attorney-at-Law offers a wide range of legal services related to family matters and domestic relations. Kristine is a member of the Alabama State Bar Association, Montgomery County Bar Association, and founding member of The KJ Law Firm located in Montgomery, Alabama. When it comes to family law, Kristine Jones is poised and ready to provide outstanding representation for clients facing a variety of family legal matters. She offers legal advice and counsel for issues related to Marriage & Family, Divorce, Spousal Support &... Jerry Michael Blevins (334) 262-7600 Hillwood Office Center 2800 Zelda Road, Suite 200-3 Free ConsultationAppeals, Criminal Defense, Divorce and Legal Malpractice The Law Office of Jerry M. Blevins was founded in April 1994, by Jerry M. Blevins. Mr. Blevins practices in all levels of state and federal courts in Alabama, with a primary focus in the areas of criminal defense, personal injury, legal malpractice, family law, divorce, juvenile law, and appellate work in both criminal and civil cases. With offices located in Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama, Mr. Blevins represents clients throughout the State of Alabama as well as in other states as co-counsel. Mr. Blevins has a stellar reputation among his peers, the community, and those he has... Mallory K. Harper (334) 260-0500 4220 Carmichael Ct N Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, Faulkner University and Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, Faulkner University Katie Cameron O'Mailia (334) 523-0661 529 SOUTH PERRY STREET Free ConsultationDivorce, Domestic Violence, Estate Planning and Family Birmingham School of Law and Western Carolina University Mrs. O'Mailia attended Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina and graduated with a degree in Business Administration and Law in 2001. Following graduation, she moved to Montgomery, Alabama and began a career in the legal field. In 2015, Mrs. O'Mailia graduated from Birmingham School of Law at the top of her class. During law school, she was awarded the Service to Women Award by the Birmingham Bar Association, presented by the Honorable Justice Julie Palmer. She also completed a clerkship with Legal Services Alabama which is located at the One Place Family Justice Center in Montgomery, Alabama. During this clerkship,... Royce Grey Wadsworth (334) 819-7111 472 S Lawrence St Free ConsultationConsumer, Criminal Defense, Divorce and Estate Planning Birmingham School of Law and Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, Faulkner University When you retain the legal services of the Wadsworth Law Office, we'll return your phone calls promptly. Royce Grey Wadsworth, Attorney at law and Principal at Wadsworth Law Office, LLC, provides his clients the priority service they desire and the respect they deserve. Expect candid advice from Royce, even if it's not what you want to hear, because he's a straight shooter. Royce is no stranger to the incredibly challenging situations and difficult decisions that his clients, people just like you, face every day. Royce served in Kabul, Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the... Claimed Lawyer ProfileQ&A Sebrina L. Martin (334) 513-7171 312 Scott Street Free ConsultationDivorce, Family and Juvenile Family law has always been a passion for Ms. Martin. She has focused her entire career on family law and continues to maintain her practice where her passion is. She began clerking for the Honorable Judge Bailey in family and juvenile court before going into private practice. Ms. Martin has a passion for people and truly loves her work. Charles Eddie Floyd III Phenix City, AL Lawyer with 27 years experience (334) 297-3378 1000 14th Street cefiii@phenixcable.net Free ConsultationDivorce, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury and Workers' Comp Passed Alabama Bar 1992 and have assisted my father in every many of the cases and trials he lists in his background. In a I grew up in Phenix City and graduated from Auburn University in 1988. Married to Keeli Sharp Floyd in 1994 and have son, Charles IV and daughter, Karsyn, Worked with my father, Charles E Floyd Jr--now law partner--while commuting to Jones Law School in Montgomery for four years. I consider that experience in his law office as comparable to as many years practicing law--investigating cases, writing legal briefs, preparing legal documents and court pleadings. I became... Adele Underwood (334) 640-5011 492 South Court Street Cannabis Law, Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI and Juvenile Jeffrey G Hunter Millbrook, AL Lawyer with 22 years experience (334) 523-8150 4761 Main Street Millbrook, AL 36054 Admitted to practice law in Alabama in 1998, Jeff spent 14 years practicing law with an insurance defense firm in Montgomery, Alabama. While a defense attorney, Jeff became a prolific trial attorney, trying numerous jury trials throughout the state of Alabama in both Federal and State courts. Jeff understands that painstaking preparation, careful analysis, and attention to detail win cases. In an era when very few cases are decided in a courtroom, Jeff takes pride in trying cases to a jury whenever and wherever defendants are unwilling to accept full responsibility for their wrongdoing. Jeff takes great pride in representing the rights... P. Vaughan Russell Jr. (334) 264-9472 105 Tallapoosa Street Suite 101 Free ConsultationConstruction, Insurance Defense, Personal Injury and Workers' Comp Client First. Share Goals. Be Responsive. Think Boldly. Push Boundaries. Attention to Detail. Listen, then Advise. These rules are paramount in effectively representing clients. Vaughan Russell has years of experience in litigating a variety of civil defense and workers’ compensation claims. He devotes personal attention to every detail of each case and is aggressive in his advocacy, while understanding that success is measured by the satisfaction of his clients. Webster Henry, P.C., shares that commitment to providing excellent, personalized legal counsel to serve client needs with flexibility, devotion to detail, and the highest standards of personal and professional ethics. Gary Wyatt Stout Free ConsultationBankruptcy, Nursing Home, Personal Injury and Social Security Disability University of Tulsa College of Law Gary Stout was born in 1958 in Greensboro, NC. He attended college as well as Law School at the University of Tulsa, earning a Juris Doctor Degree in 1989. After passing the Oklahoma Bar Exam, he entered military service as a Judge Advocate in 1989. His assignments included the 82nd Airborne Division and the XVIII Airborne Corps. He is a veteran of Desert Storm, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. Since the formation of Brock & Stout, he has primarily limited his practice to personal injury, wrongful death, bankruptcy and social security litigation. He is a member of... Brandon Poticny Auburn, AL Attorney with 5 years experience (334) 329-5596 369 South College Street Free ConsultationCriminal Defense and Divorce Contact us today at (334) 329-5596. The mission of Huff Smith Law built by the two partners, Haley L. Huff (haley@huffsmithlaw.com) and Brett A. Smith (brett@huffsmithlaw.com) is to protect the future of our community. I, Brandon Poticny, (brandon@huffsmithlaw.com) along with the partners of Huff Smith Law, aspire to provide exemplary legal services and counseling for your real estate, small business, non-profit, charitable organization, and family law matters. Just as the mighty oak as it grows from sapling to mature requires special amounts of nurture and protection, Huff Smith Law strives to help cultivate and protect the growth of your real... Steven Patrick Floyd (334) 452-4000 4761 Main St Steven Floyd has 19 years of experience in trial work and handling personal injury, automobile and trucking accidents, workers’ compensation and domestic cases. His undergraduate degree is in Business Resource Management, cum laude from Troy State University. He also has an Associate degree in Fire Science from Wallace Community College. He graduated from Jones School of Law in December 1997 and was admitted into the practice of law in May 1998. He further served on the Jones Law Review. Mr. Floyd’s main area of practice is personal injury, including auto and 18-wheeler accidents, workers’ compensation, medical malpractice and domestic. He has also... Nika Gholston (334) 557-7011 445 Dexter Avenue Divorce, Education, Family and Juvenile Nika D. Gholston is an Alabama native. She graduated cum laude from Alabama A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2001 and received her Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law, Samford University in 2005. At Cumberland, Nika focused her studies on alternative dispute resolution techniques and was a member of the Cumberland National Mediation Team. In 2005, the team placed first at the American Bar Association (ABA) National Mediation Competition in Los Angeles, CA. Nika went on to represent the United States at the Inaugural International Chamber of Commerce Mediation Competition in Paris, France. After law school,... Michael Loy White Mike graduated from Clemson University in 1988, and from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1996. While in law school, Mike served as Chief Judge of Cumberland’s Trial Advocacy Board and was inducted into The Order of Barristers in recognition of his advocacy skills and academic achievement. Prior to joining Floyd, Hunter, Kies & White, P.C., Mike was a managing partner in a large statewide law firm, with an extensive litigation practice. Mike has tried dozens of jury trials all over the state of Alabama. Mike now concentrates his entire practice on representing individuals in personal injury and wrongful... Leonard Norman Math Bankruptcy, Collections and Real Estate Southern Illinois University - Carbondale Leonard N. Math, (Shareholder), a native of Peoria, Illinois, is a graduate of the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University School of Law. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1985 and the Alabama State Bar in 1989. Mr. Math left a prominent Alabama based interstate law firm to join Chambless & Cooner, P.C., and in 1996, the firm changed its name to Chambless & Math, P.C. Mr. Math practices in the areas of real estate, commercial and residential foreclosures and workouts, commercial litigation, banking and credit union law, commercial and consumer bankruptcy and collection law... Jennifer Stanley Jones School of Law, Faulkner University Jennifer Stanley comes from a Military family and moved to Enterprise, Alabama in 1987 when her father retired from the Army. She graduated From Jacksonville State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice in 1998. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Jones School of Law at Faulkner University, Montgomery, Alabama in 2009 and became a member of the Alabama State Bar later that same year. She is licensed to practice in all Alabama State Courts and the United States District Courts for the Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama as well as the Northern District of Florida. She... Attorneys in Nearby Cities Pike Road Attorneys in Nearby Counties Bullock County The OneCLE Lawyer Directory contains lawyers who have claimed their profiles and are actively seeking clients. Find more Union Springs, Alabama Lawyers in the Justia Legal Services and Lawyers Directory which includes profiles of more than one million lawyers licensed to practice in the United States, in addition to profiles of legal aid, pro bono and legal service organizations.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line856
__label__wiki	0.539697	0.539697	Home Ben Wilkoff I think this goes a long way to demystifying the Google+ experience. I think this goes a long way to demystifying the Google+ experience. By Ben and Kara Wilkoff July 1, 2011 July 1, 2011 Ben Wilkoff Originally shared by Andy Hertzfeld It’s great that the user experience of Google Plus is being so well received, and I’m happy about all the positive feedback that’s been coming my way, but I’m worried that I’m getting too much credit for it, so this long-winded post is an attempt to set the record straight. I am indeed the main individual behind the interaction design and implementation of the circle editor. I conceived, designed and implemented a compelling prototype for it almost single-handedly, and then wrote a fair percentage of the production javascript code with lots of help from my friends. I also worked on a couple of other parts of the product a little bit, but that’s pretty much as far as it goes. Steven Levy’s excellent Wired article got the story right – I wrote the circle editor and then recently widened my focus to the overall Google Plus user experience. But subsequent stories jumped to the conclusion that I was responsible for the design of the entire product that we launched on Tuesday, which isn’t true, but I guess it was just too good a story (about Apple design values infecting Google) for people to resist. And now some people are saying that I’m responsible for the broad visual refresh now rolling out across Google, which couldn’t be further from the truth – in fact, I’m not even sure I like it. One thing that I learned during the launch of the original Macintosh in 1984 was that the press usually oversimplifies everything, and it can’t deal with the reality that there are many people playing critical roles on significant projects. A few people always get too much credit, while most people get too little, that’s just the way it has always worked. But luckily, it’s 2011 and I can use the service that I helped to create to clarify things. Shaun Modi is the awesome young designer most responsible for the visual design of the circle editor, especially the blooming circles, along with Jonathan Terleski, who helped refine it after Shaun departed. Joseph Smarr also helped with the design quite a bit, and was especially valuable as someone I could rely on (along with Jonathan) to tell me when a particular aspect was good enough yet or not. Google probably won’t be thrilled about me mentioning the names of the superb developers who helped me with the circle editor code (hello recruiters) but I feel that I must mention my main collaborators here: Owen Prater Eric Cattell Eric W. Barndollar and Griff Hazen, along with Ariel Gertzenstein and Rich Conlan who helped in the early stages. And those are just the main front-end guys, there are plenty of others who worked on the shared infrastructure or the back-end that I won’t mention. And all of the above are just the people who helped with the circle editor and related UI. There are plenty of others who worked on the stream, profiles and photos, as well as the leadership, product managers and various specialists who also made invaluable contributions every day. Suffice it to say that Google Plus is the creation of large, talented team that I’m proud to be a part of, and anyway it’s only the beginning, we’re all excited about what it has a chance to become over the months and years ahead. Since the top navigation bar in Gmail scrolls with you as you go through a thread now, does the bottom bar need to… July 1, 2011 at 6:11 pm 9 years ago love the humility of Andy’s post	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line858
__label__wiki	0.631262	0.631262	Makbeng is an essential feature of every Buddhist ceremony in Laos Makbeng are an essential feature of every Buddhist ceremony in Laos. The bright pieces are an embellishment at any Buddhist ceremony, whether the occasion is a wedding, a house warming or a welcome for special visitors. Details with our news team on how the Makbeng is also a jewel of the baci ceremony. The brightly decorated pieces are an embellishment at any Buddhist ceremony, whether the occasion is a wedding, a house warming, or a welcome for special visitors. Without fail, a pyramid shaped flower decoration will take centre stage at the baci ceremony as the guests sit around it in a circle. The ceremony is intended to bestow good fortune on those in whose honour it is held, along with the guests, who are always immaculately dressed and include people of all ages. Even if you’re a foreigner in Laos, whether to travel or to work, at some stage you are bound to be invited to take part in a baci ceremony. This is most likely to occur at a wedding, the New Year, or at an event simply to bestow good wishes on a special guest, perhaps even yourself. If the host is a home owner, an office director or a business operator, and holds a baci ceremony in your honour, whether to welcome or farewell you, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to sample the essence of Lao culture. The baci ceremony is ubiquitous; apart from the traditional occasions, the Lao may also organise a baci if someone in the family has been injured in a road accident or is suffering from bad health. The ceremony calls upon the spirits to bring good fortune into the life of the honouree and to set their lives on the right path. During the course of this ceremony, everyone’s eyes will be on the gaily coloured makbeng, to which white strings are attached and then tied around the wrist of each participant. As one ties on the strings, wishes are expressed for a long, happy, prosperous and successful life. Other items deemed to bring good fortune are also included in the ceremony and shared among the participants, including a cooked chicken, boiled eggs, cookies, and bananas. Makbeng also feature as the central offering when devotees go to a temple to worship on designated ‘Buddha’ days that are determined by the lunar calendar. They are also an integral part of rituals at festivals, such as the annual That Luang festival. A makbeng is traditionally made of banana leaves, which are tightly woven and interspersed with glowing marigolds, and sometimes frangipani. In the past, makbeng used for a baci or wedding were about 60 to 70cm high. But nowadays they may be as high as 120cm and come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on personal preference. Traditionally, makbeng were always adorned with marigolds, but these days roses and other flowers may be added, along with some made out of polystyrene. But whatever flowers are used, they must include marigolds. Makbeng are an essential feature of every Buddhist ceremony in Laos. The bright pieces are an embellishment at any Buddhist ceremony, whether the occasion is a wedding, a house warming or a welcome for special visitors. Without fail, a pyramid shaped decoration will take centre stage at the ceremony as the guests sit around it in a circle. This is one Lao tradition that continues to flourish among people from all walks of life and in all corners of the country. LNTV Lao News broadcast on 16/4/2013	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line861
__label__wiki	0.735732	0.735732	Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › Courts of Appeals › Tenth Circuit › 2019 › Tesone v. Empire Marketing Strategies Receive free daily summaries of new opinions from the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Tesone v. Empire Marketing Strategies, No. 19-1026 (10th Cir. 2019) Jonella Tesone claimed that Empire Marketing Strategies (“EMS”) discriminated against her under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) when it terminated her employment. The district court granted summary judgment to EMS. EMS hired Tesone as a Product Retail Sales Merchandiser. Her job duties included changing or “resetting” retail displays in grocery stores. When she was hired, Tesone informed EMS that she had back problems and could not lift more than 15 pounds. On appeal, Tesone alleged the district court erred when it denIed her motions: (1) to amend the scheduling order to extend the time for her to designate an expert; and (2) amend her complaint. She also contended the district court erred in granting summary judgment to EMS. The Tenth Circuit determined the district court did not err with respect to denying Tesone’s motions, but did err in granting summary judgment in favor of EMS. “Whether Ms. Tesone can make a prima facile case of a disability, and whether her doctor’s note can be considered at summary judgment, is open to the district court’s further consideration.” Opinion Annotation FILED United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit PUBLISH UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT _________________________________ November 8, 2019 Elisabeth A. Shumaker Clerk of Court JONELLA TESONE, Plaintiff - Appellant, v. No. 19-1026 EMPIRE MARKETING STRATEGIES, Defendant - Appellee. -----------------------------EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Amicus Curiae. _________________________________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Colorado (D.C. No. 1:17-CV-02101-MEH-KLM) _________________________________ Joseph A. Whitcomb, (LaQunya L. Baker, with him on the briefs), Whitcomb, Selinsky, McAuliffe, PC., Denver, Colorado, for Plaintiff - Appellant. John R. Mann, Gordon & Rees LLP, Denver, Colorado, for Defendant - Appellee. James L. Lee, Deputy General Counsel, Jennifer S. Goldstein, Associate General Counsel, Elizabeth E. Theran, Assistant General Counsel, and Julie L. Gantz, Attorney, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of General Counsel, Washington, D.C., filed an amicus curiae brief in support of Appellant. _________________________________ Before MATHESON, PHILLIPS, and MORITZ, Circuit Judges. _________________________________ MATHESON, Circuit Judge. _________________________________ Jonella Tesone claimed that Empire Marketing Strategies (“EMS”) discriminated against her under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) when it terminated her employment. The district court granted summary judgment to EMS. On appeal, Ms. Tesone alleges the district court erred when it denied her motions to (1) amend the scheduling order to extend the time for her to designate an expert and (2) amend her complaint. We disagree and affirm the denials. She also contends the court erred when it (3) granted summary judgment to EMS. We agree and remand for further consideration. We exercise appellate jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291.1 First, Ms. Tesone filed her motion to amend the scheduling order on November 1, 2018—nine months after the February 2018 expert disclosure deadline, seven months after indicating her intent to file, and three months after EMS’s motion for summary judgment. The district court did not abuse its discretion when it found Ms. Tesone had not shown “good cause” to extend the scheduling order as required under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(b)(4). See Gorsuch, Ltd., B.C. v. Wells Fargo Nat’l Bank Ass’n, 771 F.3d 1230, 1241 (10th Cir. 2014). Second, Ms. Tesone filed her motion to amend her complaint on November 7, 2018—nearly ten months after the January 2018 deadline for amending pleadings. The 1 The parties agreed to have all proceedings in the case decided by a magistrate judge. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(c); Fed. R. Civ. P. 73. We will refer to the magistrate judge’s court as the “district court.” 2 district court did not abuse its discretion when it found Ms. Tesone had not shown “good cause” under Rule 16(b)(4) as to why she should be allowed to amend after the scheduling order deadline. Third, the district court erred on summary judgment. The court said an expert must be used to prove a disability in discrimination cases brought under the ADA.2 It granted summary judgment because Ms. Tesone did not have a medical expert witness to prove she suffered from lower back pain that substantially interfered with her ability to lift. We disagree that the ADA always requires an expert. I. BACKGROUND A. Factual Background In 2012, EMS hired Ms. Tesone as a Product Retail Sales Merchandiser. Her job duties included changing or “resetting” retail displays in grocery stores. When she was hired, Ms. Tesone informed EMS that she had back problems and could not lift more than 15 pounds.3 2 As discussed below, in 2008, Congress amended the ADA by passing the ADA Amendments Act (“ADAAA”). In this opinion, we refer to the amended Act simply as “the ADA.” 3 When asked at her deposition whether she presented EMS with “documentation related to [her] back injury,” Ms. Tesone said that “when [she] was hired,” EMS supervisor Julie Reynolds showed her a form that referred to “Lifting 50 pounds or more.” Aplt. App. at 507. Ms. Tesone testified “[Ms. Reynolds] crossed out the ‘50’ and put ‘15,’ and . . . was well aware of [Ms. Tesone’s] restrictions to not lift more than 15 pounds spatially.” Id. 3 In October 2016, Ms. Tesone was assigned to complete a reset in Gunnison, Colorado. Because she anticipated the reset would require long hours, she prearranged to stay in Gunnison for an additional night.4 She did not seek EMS’s approval for this extension, and EMS did not approve the stay. Shortly after the trip, EMS met with Ms. Tesone to discuss the unapproved October hotel stay and “general performance issues.” Aplt. App. at 19; see also id. at 190. During this meeting, Ms. Tesone referred to her “lifting limitation.” Id. at 190. EMS requested a doctor’s note documenting the limitation. Ms. Tesone did not immediately provide a note. EMS renewed its request at least four times. Four months after the meeting, Ms. Tesone provided a letter from Dr. Brian Manjarres. She had not met Dr. Manjarres or consulted with him about her health before obtaining the note. The letter stated Ms. Tesone “has certain limitations related to muscle weakness” and “chronic lower back pain.” Id. at 166. It “recommend[ed] the following accommodations: 1) No lifting over head 2) Can not [sic] lift spatially in front of her more than 15 pounds.” Id. Between December 2016 and February 2017, EMS spoke with Ms. Tesone multiple times about various workplace issues, including “her communication with coworkers.” Id. at 19-20; see also id. at 191. On February 27, 2017, EMS 4 EMS maintains this was “a terminable offense.” Aplt. App. at 19. Ms. Tesone argues the extended stay was “required to protect the safety of the employee that she was training” and was “not a terminal offense” because she did not “misrepresent[] the amount of time needed to complete the reset.” Id. at 190. 4 terminated Ms. Tesone’s employment, citing “consistent violations of company policies.” Id. at 192.5 Ms. Tesone filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). The charging form listed ten categories of discrimination and asked her to “check [the] appropriate box(es)” to indicate what form of discrimination she had experienced. Ms. Tesone checked only the “disability” box and left the “retaliation” box blank. She also provided a statement describing “the particulars.” Id. at 434. It read: I began working for Respondent [EMS] in 2010.[6] I have a disability, as defined within the meaning of the relevant statute, of which Respondent was aware. Throughout my employment I had a reasonable accommodation due to my disability, a lifting restriction. During the relevant time period Ms. Kelly Bruce[] began working for Respondent in my chain of command. Subsequent to this the terms/conditions of my employment changed. For instance, but not limited to, I was no longer allowed to train employees, I was offered different work, and my accommodation was not honored. Additionally, an expected promotion, to Lead, was denied and given to an employee outside my protected class with less seniority and experience than me. On or about February 28, 2017, I was discharged. 5 Ms. Tesone does not contest that EMS cited policy violations as the basis for the termination, but she argues “[EMS] fired [her] in an attempt to avoid any effort imposed on [EMS] by [her] ADA recognized disability.” Aplt. App. at 192. She suggests EMS’s “baseless claims of policy violations” are mere “pretext.” Id. 6 This date appears to be erroneous. The record indicates, and the parties agree, that Ms. Tesone was hired in 2012. See Aplt. App. at 18, 189. 5 I believe that I have been discriminated against on the basis of a disability in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. Id. In June 2017, the EEOC closed Ms. Tesone’s file and notified her of her right to sue.7 B. Procedural Background 1. Complaint On August 31, 2017, Ms. Tesone filed a complaint against EMS and two of its employees in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. She asserted three claims: (1) disability discrimination under the ADA (against EMS), (2) interference with contract and prospective business advantage (against the EMS employees), and (3) intentional infliction of emotional distress (“IIED”) (against the EMS employees). 2. Scheduling Order and Dismissals The district court’s November 21, 2017 scheduling order set deadlines of (1) January 22, 2018, to amend pleadings; (2) May 21, 2018, to complete discovery; and (3) February 5, 2018, to disclose expert witnesses. The court dismissed the IIED claim against both employee defendants and dismissed the tortious interference claim against one employee defendant. The parties then stipulated to dismissal of the 7 The notice stated the EEOC was closing its file because “[b]ased upon its investigation, the EEOC is unable to conclude that the information obtained establishes violations of the statutes.” Aplt. App. at 438. 6 tortious interference claim against the second employee defendant, leaving only the ADA claim against EMS. 3. Motions for Summary Judgment, to Enlarge Time, and to Amend The parties began deposing witnesses on March 20, 2018. During depositions, EMS’s counsel told Ms. Tesone’s attorney that without expert evidence regarding her disability, Ms. Tesone’s ADA claim must fail. The next day, Ms. Tesone’s attorney emailed EMS’s counsel, stating, “I expect to file a motion for the enlargement of time to appoint and disclose experts.” Supp. App. at 68. On July 20, 2018, EMS moved for summary judgment, arguing in part that Ms. Tesone could not establish a prima facie case of discrimination because she “offer[ed] no expert report or other admissible evidence establishing that her impairment caused limitations to perform a major life activity.” Aplt. App. at 23. On November 1, 2018, the parties had a settlement conference before a magistrate judge,8 who informed Ms. Tesone that she could not prevail without an expert witness. The same day, Ms. Tesone filed a motion for an enlargement of time to designate an expert witness. Six days later, she also filed a motion to amend her complaint to add ADA claims alleging (1) discrimination on the basis of a perceived disability and (2) retaliation. 8 The parties appeared before this judge for the purposes of the settlement conference only. A different magistrate judge ruled on EMS’s summary judgment motion. 7 4. District Court Rulings At the final pretrial conference on November 8, 2018, EMS’s attorney stated that “[t]he motion to amend the complaint . . . wreaks [sic] of an attempt to save the case . . . at the 11th hour.” Id. at 525. The district court responded, “Well, of course, it doesn’t wreak of it. . . . [I]t is that.” Id. The court then denied Ms. Tesone’s motion for enlargement of time, reasoning: “I think I’m probably overly generous in extending deadlines . . . because I like to protect a plaintiff’s rights, but I don’t have any choice here. . . . I can’t find a legal basis to grant [it], so therefore . . . [the] motion for extension of time to designate an expert witness, is denied.” Id. at 534.9 On January 17, 2019, the district court issued an order denying Ms. Tesone’s motion to amend. The order briefly explained the court’s basis for denying the motion to extend the expert disclosure deadline, stating, “I denied the motions . . . concluding that [Ms. Tesone] could not demonstrate the ‘good cause’ necessary to amend the Scheduling Order under Rule 16(b)(4).” Id. at 551. It then explained that “there is no material difference in the delay to bring these claims and the failure to designate an expert witness.” Id. at 552. The court noted “no reason why [Ms. Tesone] could not have asserted her claims in the Complaint.” Id. at 554. It also concluded that Ms. Tesone’s proposed retaliation amendment would be futile because Ms. Tesone did not exhaust her administrative remedies by filing a retaliation claim 9 The court did not rule from the bench on the motion to amend or the motion for summary judgment. 8 with the EEOC. It thus denied the motion to amend, finding that Ms. Tesone “[had] not shown good cause to modify the Scheduling Order under Rule 16(b)(4).” Id. at 555. The same day, the court also granted EMS’s motion for summary judgment. It noted that Ms. Tesone bore the burden “to establish a prima facie case of discrimination,” id. at 560, and stated that she “will not be able to” do so, id. at 557. It determined she had not carried this burden because she “presented no expert medical evidence that any of her major life activities have been substantially limited by her alleged disability.” Id. at 561 (quotations omitted). The court noted that Ms. Tesone provided a doctor’s note describing her disability but said “this note [was] not accompanied with an affidavit and therefore [was] inadmissible hearsay.” Id. at 562. It also cited Felkins v. City of Lakewood, 774 F.3d 647 (10th Cir. 2014), in which a plaintiff who failed to provide expert medical evidence was unable to establish that she had a disability as defined in the ADA. The court concluded that “[Ms. Tesone’s] case suffers from the same deficiency as the plaintiff’s case in Felkins” and thus found “summary judgment [was] appropriate.” Aplt. App. at 562. The district court entered its final judgment on January 17, 2019, and Ms. Tesone timely appealed. II. DISCUSSION In the following discussion of the three issues that Ms. Tesone raises on appeal, we affirm the district court’s denial of her motions to (A) enlarge the time to designate an expert witness and (B) amend her complaint. We reverse (C) the district 9 court’s grant of EMS’s motion for summary judgment and remand for further proceedings on that issue. A. Motion to Extend Time to Disclose an Expert 1. Standard of Review “We review a court’s refusal to enter a new scheduling order for abuse of discretion.” Rimbert v. Eli Lilly & Co., 647 F.3d 1247, 1254 (10th Cir. 2011); see also Burks v. Okla. Publ’g Co., 81 F.3d 975, 978 (10th Cir. 1996) (same). 2. Legal Background Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(b)(4) provides that scheduling orders “may be modified only for good cause and with the judge’s consent.” “In practice, this standard requires the movant to show the scheduling deadlines cannot be met despite the movant’s diligent efforts.” Gorsuch, 771 F.3d at 1241 (quotations and alterations omitted); see also Parker v. Columbia Pictures Indus., 204 F.3d 326, 340 (2d Cir. 2000) (“[A] finding of ‘good cause’ depends on the diligence of the moving party.”). “Good cause” also “obligates the moving party to provide an adequate explanation for any delay.” Husky Ventures, Inc. v. B55 Invs., Ltd., 911 F.3d 1000, 1020 (10th Cir. 2018) (quotations omitted). “[T]rial courts have considerable discretion in determining what kind of showing satisfies this . . . good cause standard.” 3 James Wm. Moore, Moore’s Federal Practice - Civil § 16.14[1][b] (3d ed. 2019). In making this determination, “the factor on which courts are most likely to focus . . . is the relative diligence of the lawyer . . . who seek[s] the change.” Id. “‘[G]ood cause’ is likely to be found when 10 the moving party has been generally diligent, the need for more time was neither foreseeable nor its fault, and refusing to grant the continuance would create a substantial risk of unfairness to that party.” Id. “Another relevant consideration is possible prejudice to the party opposing the modification.” Inge v. Rock Fin. Corp., 281 F.3d 613, 625 (6th Cir. 2002); see also Johnson v. Mammoth Recreations, Inc., 975 F.2d 604, 609 (9th Cir. 1992) (“Although the existence or degree of prejudice to the party opposing the modification might supply additional reasons to deny a motion, the focus of the inquiry is upon the moving party’s reasons for seeking modification.”). “[C]arelessness is not compatible with a finding of diligence and offers no reason for a grant of relief.” Johnson, 975 F.2d at 609. “Mere failure on the part of counsel to proceed promptly with the normal processes of discovery and trial preparation” also “should not be considered good cause.” Dag Enters., Inc. v. Exxon Mobil Corp., 226 F.R.D. 95, 105 (D.D.C. 2005) (quotations omitted). 3. Analysis Ms. Tesone has not made the “good cause” showing required under Rule 16(b)(4). She failed to “show the scheduling deadlines [could not] be met despite [her] diligent efforts.” Gorsuch, 771 F.3d at 1241 (quotations omitted). The district court thus did not abuse its discretion in denying Ms. Tesone’s motion to enlarge time to designate an expert witness. The district court set a February 5, 2018 deadline for disclosure of expert witnesses. Ms. Tesone did not disclose an expert by that date. Although on March 11 20, 2018, she expressed her intent “to file a motion,” she did not do so until November 1, 2018—nine months after the February 2018 expert disclosure deadline, seven months after indicating her intent to file, and three months after EMS’s motion for summary judgment. Ms. Tesone provides no “adequate explanation” for this delay. Husky Ventures, 911 F.3d at 1020. She also does not show that she made “diligent efforts” to meet the disclosure deadline. Gorsuch, 771 F.3d at 1241. Rather, the record shows Ms. Tesone missed the initial deadline, expressed an intent to file a motion to extend time, and then inexplicably waited for seven months to file her motion. Her lack of “diligent efforts,” id., and unjustified “failure . . . to proceed promptly with . . . trial preparation,” Dag Enters., 226 F.R.D at 105, do not constitute good cause. Because Ms. Tesone has not shown that she made diligent efforts to meet the expert disclosure deadline and because she provides no explanation for her belated motion, she has not demonstrated the “good cause” necessary to modify a scheduling order under Rule 16(b)(4). The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying her motion to extend time. We affirm its ruling. B. Motion to Amend Complaint The district court denied Ms. Tesone’s motion to amend because she failed to meet the requirements under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 15(a) and 16(b)(4). We affirm based on Ms. Tesone’s failure to satisfy Rule 16(b)(4). 12 Standard of Review “We review a denial of leave to amend a complaint for abuse of discretion.” SCO Grp., Inc. v. Int’l Bus. Machs. Corp., 879 F.3d 1062, 1085 (10th Cir. 2018); see also Bylin v. Billings, 568 F.3d 1224, 1229 (10th Cir. 2009). “A district court abuses its discretion if its decision is arbitrary, capricious, whimsical, or manifestly unreasonable.” Bylin, 568 F.3d at 1229 (quotations omitted). Legal Background As discussed above, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(b)(4) provides that “[a] schedule may be modified only for good cause and with the judge’s consent.” Rule 15(a)(2) states that “[t]he court should freely give leave [to amend pleadings] when justice so requires.” A party seeking leave to amend after a scheduling order deadline must satisfy both the Rule 16(b) and Rule 15(a) standards. Birch v. Polaris Indus., Inc., 812 F.3d 1238, 1247 (10th Cir. 2015) (“After a scheduling order deadline, a party seeking leave to amend must demonstrate (1) good cause for seeking modification under Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(b)(4) and (2) satisfaction of the Rule 15(a) standard.” (quotations omitted)). “If [the movant] fail[s] to satisfy either factor—(1) good cause or (2) Rule 15(a)—the district court [does] not abuse its discretion in denying [her] motion for leave to amend.” Gorsuch, 771 F.3d at 1241. Thus, “if [the movant] fail[s] to show good cause under Rule 16(b), there is no need for the Court to move on to the second step of the analysis, i.e., whether [the movant] [has] satisfied the requirements of Rule 15(a).” Carriker v. City & Cty. of Denver, No. 12-cv-02365-WJM-KLM, 2013 13 WL 2147542, at 2 (D. Colo. May 16, 2013) (unpublished); see also Birch, 812 F.3d at 1249 (finding “no need to consider whether Appellants satisfied Rule 15” where the appellants “cannot establish ‘good cause’ under Rule 16”); Gorsuch, 771 F.3d at 1242 (declining to reach Rule 15(a) issue where movants could not show good cause to amend their pleadings under Rule 16(b)). The Rule 16(b)(4) analysis is the same for a motion for leave to amend as for a motion to enlarge time. Again, “the movant [must] show the scheduling deadlines cannot be met despite the movant’s diligent efforts.” Birch, 812 F.3d at 1247 (quotations and alterations omitted); see also Gorsuch, 771 F.3d at 1240. “Rule 16’s good cause requirement may be satisfied, for example, if a plaintiff learns new information through discovery or if the underlying law has changed.” Birch, 812 F.3d at 1247 (quoting Gorsuch, 771 F.3d at 1240). “If the plaintiff knew of the underlying conduct but simply failed to raise tort claims, however, the claims are barred.” Id. Analysis Ms. Tesone sought leave to amend her complaint to add claims for retaliation and discrimination based on a perceived disability. She filed her motion on November 7, 2018—nearly ten months after the court’s January 22, 2018 amendment deadline. At district court, she attributed this delay to her attorney’s “lack of experience and knowledge at the beginning of the litigation.” Aplt. App. at 471 (Ms. Tesone’s Reply to EMS’s Response to the Motion for Leave to Amend). She also argued that her proposed amendments were based on new information—namely, deposition testimony that EMS “discussed firing Ms. Tesone . . . only after she made 14 an oral request for accommodations.” Id. at 470. The district court found these explanations unpersuasive, stating, “I see no reason why [Ms. Tesone] could not have asserted her claims in the Complaint.” Id. at 554. The district court did not abuse its discretion in rejecting Ms. Tesone’s explanations. Although Ms. Tesone insists “it wasn’t until the final deposition, which occurred almost a month after the original discovery deadline, that [she] gathered additional evidence to support a claim for retaliation,” Aplt. Br. at 23-24, her own briefing admitted that “the facts giving rise to her [proposed] retaliation claim and perception claim were included in her original complaint,” Aplt. App. at 472 (Ms. Tesone’s Reply to EMS’s Response to the Motion for Leave to Amend) (emphasis added). This admission undermines her argument that she lacked evidence to support a retaliation claim until after the amendment deadline. Ms. Tesone also argues “she sought an amendment to add [a perceived disability claim] after the district court magistrate assigned to mediate this case told her counsel that [the disability claim], as pled, would absolutely fail.” Aplt. Br. at 27. But she also has admitted that EMS informed her as early as March 2018 that her disability claim could not succeed without an expert. See Aplt. App. at 526-27. She could have sought leave to add a perceived disability claim when she first learned of this deficiency. She offers no explanation for why she waited until November to do so. In short, the record shows—and Ms. Tesone admits—that she “was aware of the facts on which the amendment was based for some time prior to the filing of the 15 motion to amend.” Fed. Ins. Co. v. Gates Learjet Corp., 823 F.2d 383, 387 (10th Cir. 1987). The record also shows—and Ms. Tesone admits—that she knew she might need to add a perceived disability claim as early as March 2018. Despite this, she did not move to amend her pleadings until November. She provides no “adequate explanation[s]” for this delay, Husky Ventures, 911 F.3d at 1020, and does not “show the scheduling deadlines [could not] be met despite [her] diligent efforts,” Gorsuch, 771 F.3d at 1241 (quotations and alterations omitted). We affirm the denial of Ms. Tesone’s motion to amend because the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding she “[did] not show[] good cause to modify the Scheduling Order under Rule 16(b)(4).” Aplt. App. at 555. C. Summary Judgment Ms. Tesone argues that she was not required to establish her disability through expert medical evidence and that her failure to provide an expert witness did not entitle EMS to summary judgment. EMS insists we should not address this argument because Ms. Tesone has raised it for the first time on appeal. We disagree. The general rule that an appellant has forfeited an issue raised for the first time on appeal does not apply when the district court relied on that issue to rule against the appellant. On the merits, the district court erred when it granted summary judgment to EMS on the ground that Ms. Tesone did not present expert evidence to establish her disability. 16 Waiver and Forfeiture a. Legal background Two doctrines—forfeiture and waiver—limit our ability to consider arguments on appeal. “[W]aiver is the intentional relinquishment or abandonment of a known right.” United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 733 (1993); see also Wood v. Milyard, 566 U.S. 463, 470 n.4 (2012). It “comes about when a party deliberately considers an issue and makes an intentional decision to forego it.” United States v. Malone, 937 F.3d 1325, 1327 (10th Cir. 2019). “[A] party that has waived [an argument] is not entitled to appellate relief.” United States v. Teague, 443 F.3d 1310, 1314 (10th Cir. 2006). “If [a] theory was intentionally relinquished or abandoned in the district court, we . . . refuse to consider it” on appeal. Richison v. Ernest Grp., Inc., 634 F.3d 1123, 1127 (10th Cir. 2011). Forfeiture, by contrast, occurs when an appellant presents an argument on appeal that “simply wasn’t raised before the district court.” Id. at 1128. “Unlike waived theories, we will entertain forfeited theories on appeal, but we will reverse a district court’s judgment on the basis of a forfeited theory only if failing to do so would entrench a plainly erroneous result.” Id. In other words, “arguments raised for the first time in a civil appeal may be reviewed only for plain error.” Somerlott v. Cherokee Nation Distribs., Inc., 686 F.3d 1144, 1151 (10th Cir. 2012) (citing Richison, 634 F.3d at 1128). This forfeiture rule does not apply when the district court explicitly considers and resolves an issue of law on the merits. In that circumstance, “the appellant may challenge that ruling on appeal on the ground addressed by the district court even if he failed to 17 raise the issue in district court.” United States v. Hernandez-Rodriguez, 352 F.3d 1325, 1328 (10th Cir. 2003). This is because “[a]ppellate courts can reach issues that were either ‘pressed’ by the appellant before, or ‘passed upon’ by, the lower court.” United States v. Verner, 659 F. App’x 461, 466 (10th Cir. 2016) (unpublished) (quoting United States v. Williams, 504 U.S. 36, 41 (1992)). A court “passes upon” an issue when it applies “the relevant law to the relevant facts.” Id. (citation omitted). An appellate court is therefore “permit[ed] review of an issue not pressed so long as it has been passed upon.” Williams, 504 U.S. at 41. When a district court has “passe[d] upon” an issue, “review on appeal is not for ‘plain error,’ but is subject to the same standard of appellate review that would be applicable if the appellant had properly raised the issue.” Hernandez-Rodriguez, 352 F.3d at 1328. b. Analysis Ms. Tesone argues on appeal that she is not required to present expert medical evidence to establish her disability. She did not present this argument to the district court. In her complaint, she simply alleged that she “was a qualified individual with one disability of lower back pain” and that “[EMS] discriminated against [her] . . . because of her disability.” Aplt. App. at 5. In her response to EMS’s motion for summary judgment, she argued she provided the necessary “medical documentation” to “demonstrate[] that she does have a disability as defined by the ADA.” Id. at 194-95. She did not argue that expert medical testimony was unnecessary but instead asserted that her own evidence—a doctor’s letter—was sufficient. 18 Ms. Tesone’s motion for an enlargement of time similarly did not argue that expert testimony is unnecessary to establish an ADA disability. In fact, the motion effectively conceded that an expert was necessary to establish an ADA disability. See id. at 350 (explaining that Ms. Tesone’s counsel’s “[f]ailure to know that an expert was required did not appear to fit into the category of excusable neglect”); id. at 351 (noting that at the time of filing, counsel believed that “the evidence in her medical file [did] demonstrate that she had a back impairment, and that it did affect a major life activity,” but “[counsel] now believes . . . that not having an expert to testify regarding Ms. Tesone’s physical impairments would almost certainly be fatal to [her] case”).10 10 Neither party invokes the invited error doctrine on appeal. Ms. Tesone’s statement “that not having an expert . . . would almost certainly be fatal to her case,” Aplt. App. at 351, was not invited error when placed in context. “The invited error doctrine prevents a party who induces an erroneous ruling from being able to have it set aside on appeal.” United States v. Morrison, 771 F.3d 687, 694 (10th Cir. 2014) (quotations omitted). In the typical invited error scenario, a party “induce[s] the district court to do [some]thing it would not otherwise have done,” id., and later attempts to challenge the “proposition that [it] . . . urged the district court to adopt,” United States v. Deberry, 430 F.3d 1294, 1302 (10th Cir. 2005). Ms. Tesone has not done this. Although her motion to extend time acknowledged that proceeding without an expert would “almost certainly be fatal,” Aplt. App. at 351, she never “willingly adopted,” United States v. Rodebaugh, 598 F.3d 1281, 1304 (10th Cir. 2015), or “affirmatively approv[ed],” United States v. Cornelius, 696 F.3d 1307, 1319 (10th Cir. 2012), the position that expert witness testimony is always required to establish an ADA disability. She also did not attempt to convince the district court to adopt that position. In fact, she acknowledged the need for an expert only because, during settlement discussions, the magistrate judge stressed the need for expert testimony. See, e.g., Aplt. App. at 351 (statement in Ms. Tesone’s motion to extend time that her desire to designate an expert was “due in large part to the settlement discussions . . . which included discussions with Judge 19 Because Ms. Tesone did not present her argument about expert medical testimony to the district court, we would generally hold it forfeited and would review it only for plain error. Here, however, the district court “explicitly” determined that expert testimony is required to establish disability under the ADA. HernandezRodriguez, 352 F.3d at 1328. In its order granting summary judgment for EMS, the court stated that Ms. Tesone could not establish a prima facie case of discrimination “because she has presented no expert medical evidence that any of her major life activities have been substantially limited by her alleged disability.” Aplt. App. at 561 (quotations omitted). It also cited Felkins for the proposition that “expert medical evidence” is an “element of the prima facie case [of disability discrimination].” Id. at 561-62 (emphasis added). The court granted summary judgment on the ground that “[Ms. Tesone’s] case suffer[ed] from the same Mix”). If anything, the court instructed Ms. Tesone’s counsel that he must obtain an expert to salvage his case, not the other way around. Ms. Tesone may have accepted the magistrate judge’s instruction that she needed an expert witness, but she did not “affirmatively approve[]” the position that the ADA always requires expert testimony. Cornelius, 696 F.3d at 1319. Nor did she “induce the district court to do anything it would not otherwise have done.” Morrison, 771 F.3d at 694. This case thus presents the inverse of the typical invited error scenario, so the doctrine does not apply. EMS also does not argue judicial estoppel, nor does it apply. See BancInsure, Inc. v. F.D.I.C., 796 F.3d 1226, 1240 (10th Cir. 2015) (“[J]udicial estoppel only applies when the position to be estopped is one of fact, not one of law.”); Johnson v. Lindon City Corp., 405 F.3d 1065, 1069 (10th Cir. 2005) (listing judicial estoppel factors and noting that “judicial estoppel is applied in the narrowest of circumstances” (quotations omitted)). 20 deficiency as the plaintiff’s case in Felkins”—namely, a lack of “expert medical evidence.” Id. The district court thus “passed upon” the argument that Ms. Tesone now urges on appeal. Williams, 504 U.S. at 41.11 We therefore may review the argument even though Ms. Tesone did not present it to the district court.12 11 After oral argument, counsel for EMS submitted a Rule 28(j) letter containing supplemental authority “on whether an appellant who challenges Circuit precedent must raise that challenge in the district court to preserve it for appeal.” Doc. 10681136. The cited cases do not change our analysis. 12 Moreover, Ms. Tesone did not waive the argument. As discussed above, waiver “comes about when a party deliberately considers an issue and makes an intentional decision to forego it.” Malone, 937 F.3d at 1327. At summary judgment, Ms. Tesone argued that she “was able to provide . . . evidentiary support” to establish her disability. Aplt. App. at 194-95. But she did not suggest that the evidence she provided qualified as expert evidence, and she did not claim that expert evidence was necessary. Because of this, we cannot say that she “deliberately consider[ed] [the] issue and ma[de] an intentional decision to forego it.” Malone, 937 F.3d at 1327. Although Ms. Tesone did not advance arguments about expert testimony at summary judgment, she did, in her motion to enlarge time, acknowledge that she needed an expert. As previously explained, Ms. Tesone made this statement in large part because the magistrate judge instructed her that she could not prevail without expert testimony. We do not think the statement shows that Ms. Tesone “deliberately consider[ed] [the] issue and ma[de] an intentional decision to forego it.” Id. But even if her motion to enlarge time could be viewed as a waiver, we would, given the magistrate judge’s statements and the strictly legal issue on appeal—whether an expert is required in all ADA cases—exercise our discretion to address the argument. See Maralex Res., Inc. v. Barnhardt, 913 F.3d 1189, 1197 (10th Cir. 2019) (“We have held . . . that we may depart from general waiver principles ‘particularly when we are presented with a strictly legal question . . . .”); see also United States Nat’l Bank of Oregon v. Indep. Agents of Am., Inc., 508 U.S. 439, 447-48 (1993) (noting appellate court’s discretion to consider waived argument). 21 Summary Judgment Standard of Review “[W]e review the district court’s grant of summary judgment de novo, applying the same standards that the district court should have applied.” EEOC v. C.R. Eng., Inc., 644 F.3d 1028, 1037 (10th Cir. 2011) (quotations omitted). In doing so, “we consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party.” Id. (quotations omitted). “The court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). The party moving for summary judgment bears the initial burden of showing an absence of any issues of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 330 (1986). Where, as here, the burden of persuasion at trial would be on the nonmoving party, the movant may carry its initial burden by providing “affirmative evidence that negates an essential element of the nonmoving party’s claim” or by “demonstrat[ing] to the Court that the nonmoving party’s evidence is insufficient to establish an essential element of the nonmoving party’s claim.” Id. at 331. If the movant makes this showing, the burden then shifts to the nonmovant to “set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250 (1986). If the nonmovant “fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element,” the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure “mandate[] the entry of summary judgment.” Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322. 22 Legal Background The following provides background on (a) the ADA and ADAAA, (b) the elements of an ADA claim, and (c) when expert evidence is necessary to establish an ADA disability. a. The ADA and ADAAA In 1990, Congress enacted the ADA to “provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.” Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-336, § 2(b)(1), 104 Stat. 327 (codified as amended at 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.). The Act defined disability as “(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual; (B) a record of such an impairment; or (C) being regarded as having such an impairment.” 42 U.S.C. § 12102(1). It “prohibit[ed] discrimination by covered entities, including private employers, against qualified individuals with a disability.” Sutton v. United Air Lines, Inc., 527 U.S. 471, 477 (1999). In 2008, Congress passed the ADA Amendments Act (“ADAAA”), which was designed to “reinstat[e] a broad scope of protection to be available under the ADA.” Pub. L. No. 110-325 § 2(b)(1), 122 Stat. 3553 (2008). The ADAAA preserved the ADA’s definition of “disability” but made it easier for plaintiffs to show that an impairment “substantially limits one or more major life activities.” See 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(j)(1)(i) (“The term ‘substantially limits’ shall be construed broadly in favor of expansive coverage. . . . ‘Substantially limits’ is not meant to be a demanding 23 standard.”); id. § 1630.2(j)(1)(iii) (“An impairment need not prevent, or significantly or severely restrict, the individual from performing a major life activity in order to be considered substantially limiting.”). For simplicity, we refer to the amended Act simply as “the ADA.” b. ADA claim The ADA, as amended, requires proof that the plaintiff: “(1) is a disabled person as defined by the ADA; (2) is qualified, with or without reasonable accommodation, to perform the essential functions of the job held or desired; and (3) suffered discrimination by an employer or prospective employer because of that disability.” C.R. Eng., Inc., 644 F.3d at 1037-38. An ADA plaintiff may prove discrimination by providing direct evidence of discriminatory conduct. Carter v. Pathfinder Energy Servs., Inc., 662 F.3d 1134, 1150 (10th Cir. 2011). “In order to be direct, evidence must prove the existence of a fact in issue without inference or presumption.” Jones v. United Parcel Serv., Inc., 502 F.3d 1176, 1188 n.6 (10th Cir. 2007) (quotations omitted). Such evidence might include an employer’s adoption of a facially discriminatory policy. See, e.g., Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Thurston, 469 U.S. 111, 121 (1985) (finding direct evidence of discrimination where employer adopted policy restricting transfer opportunities for employees above a certain age); L.A. Dep’t of Water & Power v. Manhart, 435 U.S. 702, 715 (1978) (finding direct evidence of discrimination where employer adopted policy requiring female employees to contribute more to pension fund than male employees). “[O]ral or written statements on the part of a defendant showing a 24 discriminatory motivation” may also constitute direct evidence of discrimination. Kendrick v. Penske Transp. Servs., Inc., 220 F.3d 1220, 1225 (10th Cir. 2000). Where, as here, there is no direct evidence of discrimination, a plaintiff may instead rely on circumstantial evidence. See Carter, 662 F.3d at 1150; see also Jones v. Okla. City Pub. Sch., 617 F.3d 1273, 1278 (10th Cir. 2010). “If a plaintiff offers no direct evidence of discrimination, which is often the case, the court applies the burden-shifting analysis articulated by the Supreme Court in McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792 (1973).” C.R. Eng., 644 F.3d at 1038 (citation altered). This analysis has three steps. First, the plaintiff must make out a prima facie case of discrimination by demonstrating the three elements described above. Id. (citing McDonnell Douglas, 411 U.S. at 802). Then the “burden shifts to the defendant to articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for its actions.” Id. (citing McDonnell Douglas, 411 U.S. at 802-03). “If the defendant proffers such a reason, the burden then shifts back to the plaintiff to show that the defendant’s stated reasons are merely ‘pretextual.’” Id. (citing McDonnell Douglas, 411 U.S. at 804-05). The summary judgment ruling in this case focused on the first element of a prima facie case of discrimination. This element requires the plaintiff to meet the statutory definition of “disability” in 42 U.S.C. § 12102(1). When the claim is for discrimination based on an actual disability, the plaintiff must show “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” 42 U.S.C. § 12102(1)(A). The ADA does not define “physical or mental impairment,” but an EEOC regulation specifies that the terms encompass “[a]ny 25 physiological disorder, or condition . . . affecting one or more body systems, such as neurological, musculoskeletal, special sense organs, respiratory (including speech organs), cardiovascular, reproductive, [or] digestive . . . .” 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(h)(1). The regulation also states that “[a]n impairment is a disability within the meaning of [the ADA] if it substantially limits the ability of an individual to perform a major life activity as compared to most people in the general population.” Id. § 1630.2(j)(1)(ii). c. Necessity of expert testimony As just explained, “[a]n impairment is a disability within the meaning of [the ADA] if it substantially limits the ability of an individual to perform a major life activity as compared to most people in the general population.” Id. § 1630.2(j)(1)(ii). The ADA regulations specify that “[t]he comparison of an individual’s performance of a major life activity to the performance of the same major life activity by most people in the general population usually will not require scientific, medical, or statistical analysis.” Id. § 1630.2(j)(1)(v). But the regulations do not “prohibit the presentation of scientific, medical, or statistical evidence to make such a comparison where appropriate.” Id. Expert medical testimony may be used to establish a plaintiff’s disability. See, e.g., Carter, 662 F.3d at 1142 (holding that plaintiff “established that he had a physical impairment within the meaning of the ADA” by “submitt[ing] medical testimony”); see also Cook v. R.I. Dep’t of Mental Health, Retardation, and Hosps., 10 F.3d 17, 23 (1st Cir. 1993) (noting that “the jury could plausibly have found that plaintiff had a physical impairment” because “she presented expert testimony that 26 morbid obesity is a physiological disorder”). But “[n]o language in the ADA or implementing regulations states that medical testimony is required,” EEOC v. AutoZone, Inc., 630 F.3d 635, 643 (7th Cir. 2010), and “[t]here is certainly no general rule that medical testimony is always necessary to establish disability,” Katz v. City Metal Co., 87 F.3d 26, 32 (1st Cir. 1996). Rather, “[w]hether medical evidence is necessary to support a disability discrimination claim is a determination that must be made on a case-by-case basis.” Mancini v. City of Providence, 909 F.3d 32, 39 (1st Cir. 2018). Courts generally require expert evidence when “a condition would be unfamiliar to a lay jury and only an expert could diagnose that condition.” Id. at 41 (citing Felkins, 774 F.3d at 648, 652); see also Katz, 87 F.3d at 31 n.4 (“[W]here it is not obvious to a lay jury that the condition affects one of the bodily systems listed in the regulations, expert testimony that it does may well be necessary to avoid a judgment as a matter of law.”). In Felkins, for example, the plaintiff claimed her employer refused to accommodate her avascular necrosis—a “rare condition that can cause bone tissue to die from poor blood supply.” 774 F.3d at 648. But aside from her own declarations, the plaintiff offered no medical evidence to confirm her diagnosis. See id. at 651 (noting that the medical evidence in the record contained “no mention of avascular necrosis, much less a description of its effects on Ms. Felkins”). Because she lacked expert medical evidence of her condition, the district court granted summary judgment for the defendants. 27 On appeal, we explained that “a lay witness is competent to testify concerning those physical injuries and conditions which are susceptible to observation by an ordinary person.” Id. at 652 (quoting Franklin v. Shelton, 250 F.2d 92, 97 (10th Cir. 1957)).13 But we noted that “where injuries complained of are of such character as to require skilled and professional persons to determine the cause and extent thereof, they must be proved by the testimony of medical experts.” Id. (quoting Franklin, 250 F.2d at 97) (alterations omitted). We concluded that the plaintiff’s avascular necrosis was “beyond the realm of common experience” and thus “require[d] the special skill and knowledge of an expert witness.” Id. (quotations omitted). By contrast, when a plaintiff alleges an impairment “that a lay jury can fathom without expert guidance,” courts generally “do not require medical evidence” to establish an ADA disability. See Mancini, 909 F.3d at 42. In Mancini, for example, the First Circuit held that “medical evidence was not required to establish that [the plaintiff’s] knee injury constituted an impairment” because “a lay jury can fathom [a knee injury] without expert guidance.” Id. And in Marinelli v. City of Erie, Pa., 216 F.3d 354 (3d Cir. 2000), the Third Circuit held that a plaintiff’s “failure to present medical evidence of his [arm and neck pain], in and of itself, [did] not warrant judgment as a matter of law in favor of the [defendants]” because “arm and neck pain . . . are among those ailments that are the least technical in nature and are the most 13 Franklin v. Shelton was not an ADA case. However, in Felkins, we held that the evidentiary principles articulated in Franklin “apply, of course, to ADA claims.” Felkins, 774 F.3d at 652. 28 amenable to comprehension by a lay jury.” Id. at 361. The Seventh Circuit similarly declined to require expert medical evidence where a plaintiff suffered from a back injury because he “described in detail the limitations [he] faced in his ability to care for himself.” AutoZone, 630 F.3d at 644. Analysis As noted above, to prove the first element of a prima facie case of disability discrimination, the plaintiff must show “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” 42 U.S.C. § 12102(1)(A). This element includes proof of the impairment itself and that the impairment limits a major life activity.14 See Carter, 662 F.3d at 1142 (noting that to establish a disability, an ADA plaintiff must “(1) have a recognized impairment, (2) identify one or more appropriate major life activities, and (3) show the impairment substantially limits one or more of those activities” (quotations omitted)). The district court granted summary judgment for EMS because it found Ms. Tesone “presented no expert medical evidence that any of her major life activities have been substantially limited by her alleged disability,” Aplt. App. at 561 (quotations omitted), and therefore “[would] not be able to present evidence to establish a prima facie case for disability discrimination,” id. at 557. As explained 14 42 U.S.C. § 12102(2)(A) specifies that “major life activities include . . . lifting.” 29 below, this ruling was legally erroneous because expert medical evidence is not required to establish a disability in all ADA cases. On page two of its six-page order, the district court said, “[T]he Tenth Circuit requires the testimony of an expert to establish a prima facie case of a disability under the ADA. Therefore, [Ms. Tesone] cannot meet the prima facie case for her claim, and it must therefore fail.” Id. at 558. This passage states the basis for the court’s ruling. It is legally erroneous. As explained above, “[n]o language in the ADA or implementing regulations states that medical testimony is required,” AutoZone, Inc., 630 F.3d at 643, and “[t]here is certainly no general rule that medical testimony is always necessary to establish disability,” Katz, 87 F.3d at 32. Instead, courts assess the necessity of expert evidence on a case-by-case basis and consider the type of disability alleged. See Mancini, 909 F.3d at 39. Courts generally require expert testimony only if an impairment is “rare” or “of such character as to require skilled and professional persons to determine the cause and extent thereof.” Felkins, 774 F.3d at 652 (quotations omitted). But when an impairment or disability is “obvious,” Katz, 87 F.3d at 32, or can be “fathom[ed] without expert guidance,” Mancini, 909 F.3d at 42, courts generally do not require expert testimony. See also 6 Jones on Evidence § 52:1 (7th ed. 2019) (“To determine whether expert testimony is required to establish . . . an element . . . of a medically-related cause of action, courts consider whether the subject . . . is one within the realm of the ordinary experience of 30 mankind . . . . If it is beyond the ken of a lay jury, . . . then the plaintiff must present expert testimony . . . .” (quotations omitted)). Despite this clear guidance, the district court stated that “the Tenth Circuit requires the testimony of an expert to establish a prima facie case of a disability under the ADA.” Aplt. App. at 558. The court cited Felkins in support. It described Felkins as follows: In that case, the plaintiff brought a disability discrimination claim against her former employer under the ADA. [774 F.3d] at 648–49. However, the only evidence she presented of her disability was “a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) document . . . indicating that [the plaintiff] had received hospital care but did not have a chronic condition,” and a note from physician assistant “stating only ‘Return to work full duty [on a certain date].’” Id. at 648. She also “submitted a declaration under penalty of perjury asserting that her [alleged disability] caused her [injury].” Id. at 649. The Tenth Circuit held that the plaintiff did not “present sufficient evidence to prove . . . that she has a condition . . . that substantially limits a[] . . . major life activit[y].” Id. at 651. It did so, because the plaintiff “presented no expert medical evidence” of the alleged disability. Id. at 648. Considering this element of the prima facie case was lacking, the Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision to grant summary judgment to the defendant. Id. at 653. Id. at 561-62. The court then said that “[Ms. Tesone’s] case suffers from the same deficiency as the plaintiff’s case in Felkins.” Id. at 562. We disagree with the district court’s reading of Felkins. In Felkins, we did not hold that an expert is always necessary to establish a prima facie ADA discrimination 31 case. Instead, we gave examples of when lay testimony on health conditions may be appropriate and quoted with approval the following principles: [W]here injuries complained of are of such character as to require skilled and professional persons to determine the cause and extent thereof, they must be proved by the testimony of medical experts, but . . . a lay witness is competent to testify concerning those physical injuries and conditions which are susceptible to observation by an ordinary person. Felkins, 774 F.3d at 652 (quoting Franklin, 250 F.2d at 97); see also id. (“These evidentiary principles apply, of course, to ADA claims.”). The Felkins panel went on to say that “Ms. Felkins’s declarations are admissible insofar as they describe her injuries and symptoms, such as pain and difficulties walking, standing, and lifting.” Id. But the special skill and knowledge of an expert was needed to “diagnose her condition as avascular necrosis.” Id. Felkins and this case reflect why courts should conduct a case-by-case analysis to determine whether expert testimony is required to establish an ADA disability. In Felkins, the plaintiff suffered from avascular necrosis, a rare bone condition. Here, by contrast, Ms. Tesone alleges she suffers from a back injury that impairs her ability to lift heavy objects. Unlike avascular necrosis, a back injury may not be “beyond the realm of common experience” and may not “require the special skill and knowledge of an expert witness.” Felkins, 774 F.3d at 652. Rather, a back injury could be “among those ailments that are the least technical in nature and are the most amenable to comprehension by a lay jury.” Marinelli, 216 F.3d at 361. Like “arm and neck pain,” id., or a “knee injury,” Mancini, 909 F.3d at 42, a back injury might 32 fall “within the universe of impairments that a lay jury can fathom without expert guidance,” id. Such “conditions do not require medical evidence in an ADA case.” Id. Indeed, we said that Ms. Felkins’s declarations about “pain” from her “injuries” and “difficulties” with “lifting” were “admissible.” Felkins, 774 F.3d at 652. The district court did not perform this case-specific analysis to determine whether expert testimony is necessary to establish the particular disability alleged here. Instead, it announced a broad, categorical rule that expert proof of disability is required in all ADA cases. This ruling contradicts the weight of ADA authority holding that “[t]here is certainly no general rule that medical testimony is always necessary to establish disability,” Katz, 87 F.3d at 32, and that the necessity of such evidence should be assessed “on a case-by-case-basis,” Mancini, 909 F.3d at 39. We therefore reverse the summary judgment ruling and remand to the district court for a case-specific consideration of whether expert evidence is required. a. Summary judgment evidence on remand Because we remand, we offer an additional point for the district court’s consideration. In the order granting summary judgment, the court addressed the previously described letter from Dr. Brian Manjarres, which stated that Ms. Tesone “has certain limitations related to muscle weakness” and “chronic lower back pain.” Aplt. App. at 139. Citing Capobianco v. City of New York, 422 F.3d 47, 55 (2d Cir. 33 2005), the court refused to consider the note, explaining that it was “not accompanied with an affidavit and therefore is inadmissible hearsay.” Id.15 “At the summary judgment stage, evidence need not be submitted in a form that would be admissible at trial,” but “the content or substance of the evidence must be admissible.” Argo v. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kan., Inc., 452 F.3d 1193, 1199 (10th Cir. 2006) (quotations omitted); see Brown v. Perez, 835 F.3d 1223, 1232 (10th Cir. 2016); Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)(2) (“A party may object that the material cited to support or dispute a fact cannot be presented in a form that would be admissible in evidence.”). Courts have held that an unsworn doctor’s note is inadmissible hearsay and cannot be used to oppose summary judgment. See, e.g., Wilkerson v. Schirmer Eng’g Corp., No. 04CV00258 WDM/OES, 2006 WL 228818, 6 (D. Colo. Jan. 30, 2006) (“Wilkerson attempts to show that she is disabled through a letter from her doctor and statements in her verified complaint. Clearly, the letter from her doctor is inadmissible hearsay, and should not be considered.”). But Capobianco v. City of New York, which the district court relied on for its ruling, held that an unsworn doctor’s note can be considered when the defendants attached the note to their motion for summary judgment and relied on it in arguing 15 “The requirement is that the party submitting the evidence show that it will be possible to put the information, the substance or content of the evidence, into an admissible form.” 11 James Wm. Moore et al., Moore’s Federal Practice - Civil § 56.91 (3d ed. 2015) (collecting cases); see also Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)(2) adv. comm. cmt. (“The burden is on the proponent to show that the material is admissible as presented or to explain the admissible form that is anticipated.”). 34 for summary judgment. 422 F.3d 47 at 55. The district court here omitted the following relevant analysis from Capobianco: The district court held that Dr. Brodie's letters were “inadmissible as unsworn statements and inadequate as a basis to oppose the defendants’ motion for summary judgment.” As a general matter, it is correct that unsworn letters from physicians generally are inadmissible hearsay that are an insufficient basis for opposing a motion for summary judgment. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e); Douglas v. Victor Capital Group, 21 F.Supp.2d 379, 391–92 (S.D.N.Y. 1998) (physician letters in ADA case); see also United States v. All Right, Title & Interest in Real Prop. & Appurtenances, 77 F.3d 648, 657–58 (2d Cir. 1996) (“[T]he submission of [an] unsworn letter was an inappropriate response to the . . . motion for summary judgment, and the factual assertions made in that letter were properly disregarded by the court.”). Nonetheless, here it was an abuse of discretion for the district court to exclude the two letters. First, the letters were submitted not by Capobianco but by defendants, in support of their motion for summary judgment. They were attached as exhibits to defendants’ Rule 56.1 Statement and were part of defendants’ moving papers. Defendants cited both letters and relied on them in seeking summary judgment. Hence, defendants waived any objections to the admissibility of the reports by offering them themselves. See 10A Charles Alan Wright et al., Federal Practice & Procedure § 2722, at 384–85 (3d ed. 1998) (“[U]ncertified or otherwise inadmissible documents may be considered by the court if not challenged. The objection must be timely or it will be deemed to have been waived.”) (footnote omitted); see also Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(2)(B) (“A statement is not hearsay if . . . [t]he statement is offered against a party and is . . . a statement of which the party has manifested an adoption or belief in its truth[.]”). Neither side objected to the admissibility of the reports, and, indeed, both sides relied on them. 35 Second, the district court’s sua sponte decision to exclude the reports prejudiced Capobianco. Because defendants had submitted the reports initially, Capobianco reasonably believed that he could rely on them even though they were unsworn letters. With the reports apparently a part of the summary judgment record, and without notice that any issue existed as to their admissibility, Capobianco understandably did not obtain a sworn affidavit from Dr. Brodie, which presumably would have merely reiterated what was already in the letters. Had he been given notice that this was an issue, Capobianco could have obtained an affidavit easily, as Dr. Brodie had already been designated an expert and his expert report had previously been produced. Id. Whether Ms. Tesone can make a prima facie case of a disability, and whether her doctor’s note can be considered at summary judgment, is open to the district court’s further consideration. III. CONCLUSION We affirm the district court’s denials of Ms. Tesone’s motion for an enlargement of time to designate an expert witness and of her motion to amend the complaint. We reverse the summary judgment order and remand for further consideration of summary judgment. 36 Primary Holding Whether plaintiff can make a prima facile case of a disability, and whether her doctor’s note can be considered at summary judgment, is open to the district court’s further consideration. Disclaimer: Justia Annotations is a forum for attorneys to summarize, comment on, and analyze case law published on our site. Justia makes no guarantees or warranties that the annotations are accurate or reflect the current state of law, and no annotation is intended to be, nor should it be construed as, legal advice. Contacting Justia or any attorney through this site, via web form, email, or otherwise, does not create an attorney-client relationship. Tesone v. Empire Marketing Strategies Whether plaintiff can make a prima facile case of a disability, and whether her doctor’s note can be... Read the full annotations for this case. of Tenth Circuit opinions.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line863
__label__wiki	0.805638	0.805638	Levant Report the Real Middle East, debunking the sound bites Marine in Syria Author: Brad Hoff A Marine in Syria BRAD HOFF is an independent journalist, teacher, and Marine veteran. He is the founder and managing editor of Levant Report and has written for Antiwar.com, Libertarian Institute, Foreign Policy Journal, Assyrian International News Agency, Medium News & Politics, Commonweal Magazine, The Canary (UK), NEWSREP and others. His work has been referenced and sourced in publications ranging from The Huffington Post to The Daily Beast to The New York Times to Headline and Global News (HNGN) to Middle East Eye, as well as by Zero Hedge, WikiLeaks, The Daily Mail Online (UK), and many others. Contact him via Twitter Read about how he came to love Syria and its people in “A Marine in Syria” below… Brad Hoff Journalism Leave a comment March 3, 2019 1 Minute Protecting al-Qaeda: Guest Analysis by Steven Chovanec Steven Chovanec is a student of International Studies and Sociology at Roosevelt University and conducts independent, open-source research into geopolitics and social issues. His writings can be found at undergroundreports.blogspot.com, find him on Twitter @stevechovanec. by Steven Chovanec Please Don’t Attack Al-Qaeda In the weeks leading up to the agreed upon cessation-of-hostilities (CoH) agreement between the US and Russia, it was John Kerry’s diplomacy that was instrumental in “downgrading” the truce from a more forceful and legally binding ‘ceasefire’ agreement to the less intensive ‘cessation-of-hostilities’ now taking effect. As described by Kerry: “So, a ceasefire has a great many legal prerogatives and requirements. A cessation of hostilities does not. A ceasefire in the minds of many of the participants in this particular moment connotes something far more permanent and far more reflective of sort of an end of conflict, if you will. And it is distinctly not that. This is a pause dependent on the process going forward.” So why the insistence on non-permanence? Especially if, as Kerry says, the ultimate objective is to “obtain a durable, long-term ceasefire” at some point in time? According to the 29-year career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service, India’s former ambassador to Uzbekistan and Turkey M. K. Bhadrakumar, it is plainly because “the Russian military operations have met with devastating success lately in strengthening the Syrian regime and scattering the Syrian rebel groups,” leading “the US and its regional allies” to “stare at defeat.” Therefore, they “forthwith need an end to the Russian operations so that they can think up a Plan B. The Geneva talks will not have the desired outcome of President Bashar Al-Assad’s ouster unless the tide of war is reversed.” Therefore, “a cessation of hostilities in Syria is urgently needed.”(1) Judging by the fact that top US officials began announcing that Russia would break the deal immediately after it was agreed upon while calling for further measures to “inflict real pain on the Russians”, Bhadrakumar’s assessment that a pause, and not a permanent halt, was sought in order to regroup and eventually reverse the tide of war seems to be quite apt. As well there has been an almost ubiquitous media campaign in the US to prime the public for accusations of a Russian infraction, from which a breakdown of the deal would follow; the narrative portrayed is filled with “doubts” and “worries” and “statements from US officials” about how Russia isn’t serious and will likely break the agreement. Furthermore, outwardly Russia is much more optimistic and invested in the deal, President Putin hopefully promoting it while engaging in a blitz of diplomacy to support it, while on the other hand the US has been less vocal and much quicker to doubt its outcomes. However, this downgrading from a ‘ceasefire’ to a ‘cessation of hostilities’ actually violates past agreements. In UN Security Council Resolution 2254, in which it was articulated that member states be committed to the “sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic,” while calling on them to suppress ISIS, al-Nusra, and “all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with Al Qaeda or ISIL”, it was also agreed upon that the Security Council “expresses its support for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria.” (emphasis added) Given the about-face, Lavrov was visibly agitated, stating that “Resolution 2254 talks about the ceasefire only. This term is not liked by some members of the International Syria Support Group. What I’m referring to is how something that has been agreed upon should be implemented rather than try to remake the consensus that has been achieved in order to get some unilateral advantages.” The “unilateral advantages” likely are in reference to the pause-and-regroup strategy Bhadrakumar previously articulated. Despite this Russia agreed to the downgraded CoH, however, in the week leading up to the agreement there was a major hurdle to overcome, namely whether al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, would be protected as a party to the truce. Long has there been a tenant of US propaganda which claims that a sort of “third force” of “moderate opposition fighters” exists, separate and distinct from the extremists and al-Qaeda affiliates. Yet when push came to shove the main stumbling-block in the way of the CoH was the oppositions demand that any truce be “conditional on the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front no longer being targeted.” Sources close to the talks would tell Reuters that this insistence was the main “elephant in the room” preventing a settlement. Even more telling is the fact that this opposition demand only came after the US had insisted upon it. Indeed, while relentlessly pushing the “moderate rebel” narrative it was official US policy to push for the protection of al-Qaeda. According to The Washington Post: “Russia was said to have rejected a U.S. proposal to leave Jabhat al-Nusra off-limits to bombing as part of a cease-fire, at least temporarily, until the groups can be sorted out.” (emphasis added) Nusra is the Rebels Responding to arguments posited that al-Nusra should be included in the truce, given that they operate in areas where other rebels are and thus Russia can use this as an excuse to bomb them, Max Abrahms, Professor at Northeastern University and member of the Council on Foreign Relations, explains that these recent developments show that Nusra and the other rebels are one in the same. “If you’re pro-rebel in Syria, you’re pro-al Qaeda in Syria,” Abrahms writes. “The rebels are now begging for Russia to stop bombing their al-Qaeda partner.” Indeed, it was the “moderate” US-backed FSA factions that were the biggest advocates of their al-Qaeda partners being included in the truce. Major Ammar al-Wawi, Secretary General of the Free Syrian Army and head of the FSA’s al-Ababil Brigade in Aleppo, said that al-Nusra was the FSA’s “partner”, and that al-Qaeda was an ally of most of the groups brought together by Saudi Arabia underneath the Higher Negotiation Committee (HNC) banner. “Nusra has fighters on the ground with rebel brigades in most of Syria and is a partner in the fighting with most of the brigades that attended the Riyadh conference.” And therefore, while the ceasefire is good in principle, it is not good if it does not include al-Nusra, because “if the ceasefire excludes Jabhat a-Nusra, then this means that the killing of civilians will continue since Nusra’s forces are among civilians.” Al-Wawi seems to forget that the reason Nusra is a terrorist organization is specifically because of its indiscriminate attacks and disregard for civilian lives. According to the spokesman for Alwiyat al-Furqan, one of the largest FSA factions operating under the Southern Front umbrella, the FSA “will not accept a truce that excludes Jabhat al-Nusra.” The spokesman later goes on to call Nusra “honorable”, along with the equally honorable Salafi-Jihadists groups Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam. Ahrar, it should be noted, only presents itself as being different from al-Qaeda, in actuality it is not, it is a Salafi-Jihadi group which espouses a reactionary and apocalyptic Islamist ideology that has been complicit in sectarian mass murders of Alawites throughout Syria. On the other hand, Jaish al-Islam, in the words of their former leader, regards al-Nusra as their “brothers” whom they “praise” and “fight alongside.” Jaish al-Islam as well is infamous for parading caged civilians throughout warzones, using them as human shields. The current leader of the group, Mohammed Alloush, was named as the chief negotiator to represent the rebel opposition in talks with the UN. Yet, according to the FSA, “If today we agreed to exclude Jabhat a-Nusra, then tomorrow we would agree to exclude Ahrar a-Sham, then Jaish al-Islam and so on for every honorable faction. We will not allow the threat of being classified as a terrorist organization to compromise the fundamentals of the revolution for which the Syrian people rose up and for which we have sacrificed and bled.” One wonders, if the exclusion of al-Qaeda from the ceasefire is tantamount to “compromising the revolution”, what would choosing al-Qaeda as partners be called? Muhammad a-Sheikh, spokesman for an FSA faction in Latakia, as well thanked Nusra for its “role in trying to lessen the pain inflicted on the Syrian people”, of all things.(2) Yet all of this gets recycled within the US media as al-Nusra merely being “intermingled with moderate rebel groups”, as the Washington Post puts it. While the narrative purports that the FSA consists of “moderates” reluctantly forced to endure an al-Qaeda alliance for military expediency, in reality much of FSA conduct throughout the war has not been much different from that of the recognized extremists. In the case of Aleppo, while one man describes how al-Nusra beheaded one of his brother-in-laws, ripped the other to pieces between an electricity poll and a moving car, and kidnapped the other, another man describes how “Free Syrian Army fighters burned down their house – leaving one daughter with terrible burns” after the man refused to join them. He said they attempted to abduct one of his daughters, but were unsuccessful as neighbors intervened. Another Aleppo resident writes that “Turkish-Saudi backed ‘moderate rebels’ showered the residential neighborhoods of Aleppo with unguided rockets and gas jars.” Indeed, FSA groups were so brutal at times that these “moderates” were feared even more than other recognized extremists. “Pilloried in the West for their sectarian ferocity… jihadists were often welcomed by local people for restoring law and order after the looting and banditry of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army,” writes Patrick Cockburn, the leading Western journalist in the region.(3) For people paying close attention this is unfortunately not that surprising. According to a recent poll conducted by ORB, it was found that most Syrians more or less hold both ISIS and the FSA in equal disdain, 9% saying the FSA represents the Syrian people while 4% saying that ISIS does. The similarity in opinion is reflective of the similarity in conduct. Jihadi ‘Wal-Mart’ The not-so-popular FSA groups are routinely described as a separate and distinct entity apart from al-Nusra and ISIS, yet in actuality the lines between the groups have always been extremely porous. “Due to porous links between some Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels, other Islamist groups like al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham, and ISIS, there have been prolific weapons transfers from ‘moderate’ to Islamist militant groups,” writes Nafeez Ahmed, Britain’s leading international security scholar. These links were so extreme that “German journalist Jurgen Todenhofer, who spent 10 days inside the Islamic State, reported last year that ISIS is being “indirectly” armed by the west: “They buy the weapons that we give to the Free Syrian Army, so they get western weapons – they get French weapons… I saw German weapons, I saw American weapons.” Recently the BBC’s Peter Oborne conducted an investigation into these claims and came across evidence that the “moderate” FSA were in essence being utilized as a conduit through which Western supplies were funneled to extremists. Oborne spoke to a lawyer who represents Bherlin Gildo, a Swedish national who went to join the rebel ranks in 2012 and was subsequently arrested for terrorist offenses. Based on her clients own first-hand observations while embedded with the rebels, trucks referred to as NATO trucks were observed coming in from Turkey, which would then be unloaded by the FSA and the arms then distributed quite generally without any specificity of the exact recipient. The weapons would be distributed “to whoever was involved in particular battles.” Similarly, in 2014 US-backed Syrian Revolutionary Front (SRF) commander Jamal Maarouf admitted that his US-handlers had instructed him to send weapons to al-Qaeda. “If the people who support us tell us to send weapons to another group, we send them. They asked us a month ago to send weapons to [Islamist fighters in] Yabroud so we sent a lot of weapons there.” Battlefield necessity was dictating the weapons recipients, not humanitarian concern for victims of terrorism. Eventually charges brought against Mr. Gildo were dropped. The reason was because he planned to argue that he had fought on the same side the UK government was supporting As it was explained before the court, if it is the case that the government “was actively involved in supporting armed resistance to the Assad regime at a time when the defendant was present in Syria and himself participating in such resistance it would be unconscionable”, indeed an “affront to justice”, “to allow the prosecution to continue.” In a similar case a man named Moazzam Begg was arrested in the UK under terrorism charges after meeting with Ahrar al-Sham. However, his case too was dropped, the courts understanding that if he was guilty of supporting terrorism than so was the British state. “I was very disappointed that the trail didn’t go through,” Begg said. “I believe I would have won… what I was doing… was completely in line with British policy at the time.” Career MI6 agent and former British diplomat Alastair Crooke extrapolates further on this phenomena of the West’s principle allies playing such a crucial role in arming the jihadis. “The West does not actually hand the weapons to al-Qaeda, let alone ISIS,” he said, “but the system that they have constructed leads precisely to that end. The weapons conduit that the West directly has been giving to groups such as the Syrian Free Army (FSA), have been understood to be a sort of ‘Wal Mart’ from which the more radical groups would be able to take their weapons and pursue the jihad.” This constitutes a sort of ‘supermarket’ where rebels can go and receive weapons, the weapons always migrating “along the line to the more radical elements.” The idea was to “use jihadists to weaken the government in Damascus and to drive it to its knees to the negotiating table.” Exactly the same kind of policy used in Afghanistan during the 1980s, when conduits such as the Pakistani ISI were used to funnel weapons to the mujahedeen. Yet these Western weapons were not just going to al-Qaeda and Ahrar al-Sham, ISIS too was shopping at the “moderate” “supermarket.” In his book “The Rise of Islamic State”, Patrick Cockburn writes, “An intelligence officer from a Middle Eastern country neighboring Syria told me that ISIS members “say they are always pleased when sophisticated weapons are sent to anti-Assad groups of any kind, because they can always get the arms off them by threats of force or cash payments.”(4) (emphasis added) The result of all of this was a deep alliance between the US-backed “moderates” and al-Qaeda, as well as a rebel opposition dominated by ISIS and al-Nusra. Nusra’s FSA Recently a leader of the Nusra group appeared in a video presenting an FSA commander with a gift while saying that there is no difference between the FSA, Ahrar al-Sham, and al-Qaeda. “They are all one,” he explains. The Nusra field commander goes on to thank the FSA for supplying Nusra with US-made TOW anti-tank missiles, which were given to the FSA directly, of course, from the CIA. A month prior to these revelations reports started to surface about the unfolding situation in “rebel-held” Idlib. Despite the repressive dress codes and savage Islamist laws it became apparent that the FSA was only operating under the authority of the more powerful al-Qaeda rebels. Jenan Moussa, a journalist for the UAE based Al Aan TV channel who recently had visited the area, reported that Nusra allows the FSA to operate in Hama and Idlib because the FSA groups there get TOW missiles from the West. The reason they are allowed to operate is that the “FSA uses these TOW in support of Nusra.” Investigating the situation further, veteran journalist Gareth Porter concludes from a range of sources that in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo every rebel organization is in fact part of a military structure controlled and dominated by al-Nusra. “All of these rebel groups fight alongside the Nusra Front and coordinate their military activities with it,” Porter writes. In the case of the rebel capture of Idlib, “Although some U.S.-supported groups participated in the campaign in March and April 2015, the “operations room” planning the campaign was run by Al Qaeda and its close ally Ahrar al Sham.” As well, before the Idlib campaign, “Nusra had forced another U.S.-supported group, Harakat Hazm, to disband and took all of its TOW anti-tank missiles.” Clearly al-Nusra was subordinating the “moderates.” The reality began to emerge in December of 2014 when US-backed rebels, supplied with TOW missiles, teamed up with Nusra and fought under their command in order to capture the Wadi al-Deif base. Al Qaeda was “exploiting the Obama administration’s desire to have its own Syrian Army as an instrument for influencing the course of the war.” Andrew Cockburn reports that “A few months before the Idlib offensive, a member of one CIA-backed group had explained the true nature of its relationship to the Al Qaeda franchise. Nusra, he told the New York Times, allowed militias vetted by the United States to appear independent, so that they would continue to receive American supplies.” “In other words,” Porter writes, “Nusra was playing Washington,” while Washington was “evidently a willing dupe.” This all comes down to the fact that the savage and brutal al-Qaeda fighters were proving to be militarily effective, leaving a trail of torture and atrocities, and battlefield successes, in their wake. Explaining the mindset, Ed Husain, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, writes that the influx of Al-Qaeda and various jihadis “brings discipline, religious fervor, battle experience from Iraq, funding from Sunni sympathizers in the Gulf, and most importantly, deadly results.” Because of this, Porter explains, “instead of breaking with the deception that the CIA’s hand-picked clients were independent of Nusra, the Obama administration continued to cling to it.” The United States basing its policy on the “moderates” was “necessary to provide a political fig leaf for the covert and indirect U.S. reliance on Al Qaeda’s Syrian franchise’s military success.” Ever since the Russian intervention began, the US has continued to embrace this deceptive narrative, claiming that Russia is targeting the “moderate” opposition. This narrative, and the publics belief in its validity, “had become a necessary shield for the United States to continue playing a political-diplomatic game in Syria.” Yet, as Patrick Cockburn has reported for quite some time, “The armed opposition to President Assad is dominated by Isis, the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra and the ideologically similar Ahrar al-Sham.” Of the smaller groups the CIA openly supports, they “only operate under license from the extreme jihadists.” Several rebel groups, 5 of which belong to the FSA, have recently united under the leadership of the former emir of the al-Qaeda-linked Ahrar al-Sham. A longtime al-Qaeda member who sits on al-Nusra’s elite council explained that “The Free Syrian Army groups said they were ready for anything according to the Islamic sharia and that we are delegated to apply the rulings of the sharia on them”, essentially meaning that the FSA had subordinated themselves to al-Qaeda. It has been further revealed that all of the Syrian groups operative in Aleppo had recently declared Ba’yaa (loyalty) to the Ahrar al-Sham emir Abu Jaber. Ba’yaa, it should be noted, means total loyalty and submission, much like what follows from pledging loyalty to ISIS. At least by as far back as August of 2012, the best US intelligence assessments were reporting that the jihadists and extremists were controlling and steering the course of the opposition. Then head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Michael T. Flynn, would confirm the credibility of these reports, saying that “the intelligence was very clear” and that it wasn’t the case that the administration was just turning a blind eye to these events but instead that the policies were the result of a “willful decision.” Despite all of this, US officials still continue to maintain that “Russia’s bombing campaign in Syria, launched last fall, has infuriated the CIA in particular because the strikes have aggressively targeted relatively moderate rebels it has backed with military supplies, including antitank missiles.” However, according to the CIA and the intelligence communities own data, this is false. Back in October of 2012, according to classified US intelligence assessments, “Most of the arms shipped at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Qatar”, which were organized by the CIA, were “going to hard-line Islamic jihadists.” A year earlier, immediately after the fall of Gaddafi in October of 2011, the CIA began organizing a “rat line” from Libya to Syria. Weapons from the former Libyan stockpiles were shipped from Benghazi to Syria and into the hands of the Syrian rebels. According to information obtained by Seymour Hersh, “Many of those in Syria who ultimately received the weapons were jihadists, some of them affiliated with al-Qaida.” In a highly classified 2013 assessment put together by the DIA and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), an “all-source” appraisal which draws on information from signals, satellite, and human intelligence, it was concluded that the US program to arm the rebels quickly turned into a logistical operation for the entire opposition, including al-Nusra and ISIS. The so-called moderates had evaporated, “there was no viable ‘moderate’ opposition to Assad,” and “the US was arming extremists.” DIA chief Michael Flynn confirmed that his agency had sent a constant stream of warnings to the civilian administration between 2012 and 2014 saying that the jihadists were in control of the opposition. “If the American public saw the intelligence we were producing daily, at the most sensitive level, they would go ballistic,” Flynn said. Yet, as Flynn stated previously, it was a “willful decision” for the administration “to do what they’re doing.” By summer of 2013, Seymour Hersh reported that “although many in the American intelligence community were aware that the Syrian opposition was dominated by extremists,” still “the CIA-sponsored weapons kept coming.” According to a JCS advisor, despite heavy Pentagon objections there was simply “no way to stop the arms shipments that had been authorised by the president.” “I felt that they did not want to hear the truth,” Flynn said. So what Russia is bombing in actuality is an al-Qaeda, extremist dominated opposition embedded with CIA-backed rebels operating under their control. The not-so-moderates only operate under license from, and in support of, the Salafi jihadists, openly expressing their solidarity with them, labelling them as “brothers”, and begging the UN to protect them. Concurrently the US and its allies continue to support the terrorist-dominated insurgency, US officials openly planning to expand their support to al-Qaeda-laced rebels in order to “inflict pain on the Russians”, all while Turkey and Saudi Arabia openly support al-Qaeda. All of this occurring because of the United States reliance upon “Al Qaeda’s Syrian franchise’s military successes” and their “deadly results”, in order to further the policy of using “jihadists to weaken the government in Damascus” and to “drive it to its knees at the negotiating table.” The function of the “moderates” in essence being the logistical and public relations front for the “not-so-moderate” al-Qaeda units winning the battles. Speaking at Harvard University, Vice President Biden infamously and candidly summarized what had been going on, saying that it was our allies who were “so determined to take down Assad and essentially have a proxy Sunni-Shia war,” that they “poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad. Except that the people who were being supplied were al-Nusra and Al Qaeda and the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world.” When asked why the United States was powerless to stop nations like Qatar from engaging in this kind of behavior, “a former adviser to one of the Gulf States replied softly: “They didn’t want to.” So it should be no wonder why the US tried to push through a provision including al-Nusra in the current ceasefire agreement, nor why they would seek to protect their most viable ally in pursuance of their Syria policy. It should be no wonder that it has been, and continues to be, official US policy to protect al-Qaeda. 1) For further analysis, see Moon of Alabama, February 20, 2016, “U.S. Ignores Own UNSC Resolution – Tells Russia “Stop Bombing Al-Qaeda!” http://www.moonofalabama.org/2016/02/us-ignores-own-unsc-resolution-tells-russia-stop-bombing-al-qaeda.html. 2) Syria Direct, “Five rebel spokesmen, commanders react to ‘cessation of hostilities’ to take effect Saturday.” February 25, 2016. http://syriadirect.org/news/five-rebel-spokesmen-commanders-react-to-cessation-of-hostilities-to-take-effect-Saturday/#.Vs-kDMO3y9U.twitter. 3) Cockburn, Patrick. “Jihadists Hijack the Syria Uprising.” The Rise of Islamic State: ISIS and the New Sunni Revolution (Brooklyn, NY, 2015), pg. 84-5. Print. 4) Cockburn, Patrick, “The Rise of ISIS”, The Rise of Islamic State: ISIS and the New Sunni Revolution (Brooklyn, NY, 2015), pg. 3. Print. Brad Hoff Guest Analysis, Syria Conflict 3 Comments March 1, 2016 17 Minutes On Syria Analysts and “Experts” Who Have Never Stepped Foot Inside the Country Not an “expert” or “analyst”: Me (left) with my buddy on one of many visits to Maaloula. Would you be surprised to learn the think-tank and media “expert” community is often dominated by people who have never stepped foot in the countries of their expertise? I’VE BECOME INCREASINGLY ALARMED at the number of “experts” and professional analysts occupying influential positions in the public sphere, who supposedly help interpret Syria for us, but who have little actual experience (if any at all) in Syria. Add to that the fact that many of these very “experts” don’t speak Arabic (which should be the minimal requirement for being considered a Middle East expert or professional analyst), which for most respectable postgraduate Middle East studies programs is an absolute minimal qualification. Does anyone know if @Charles_Lister 1) speaks Arabic 2) has ever been to Syria or stayed significant amount of time there? Honest question. — Brad Hoff (@BradRHoff) February 11, 2016 I myself would never claim to be an expert, but I do have something which I’m constantly surprised to learn that many of the foremost pundits and public experts lack: a significant amount of time spent in country. A couple of years ago my colleagues and I began writing about Syria not necessarily because we were enthused to do so or had a lot of time on our hands (we all have busy teaching schedules), but because the narrative which dominated major media and other public forums was so atrocious, so full of very simple errors, that audible laughs would often result upon us hearing the reporter on the TV screen (whether this was a FOX, CNN, NBC reporter, etc…) offer up utter falsehoods alongside whatever think tank panelist happened to be there giving the lies “credibility” and air of authenticity (ex: “the Syrian regime is Shia” is something heard a lot back then.) We would see deeply flawed “news” about events on this or that street inside this or that village in Syria and felt compelled to at least vent our frustration through writing articles which few might ever see. Our “expertise” was not bookish or necessarily based on formal credentials, but we simply tried to “write what we know” from having stood on “this or that street” many times or having lived in “this or that village” at some point a few summers prior. For example, my colleague Dr. Tim Heckenlively one day saw one of Anne Barnard’s (Beirut bureau chief for the NY Times) standard propaganda pieces in “the paper of record” on the Battle of Maaloula and knew it to be false based simply on having physically stood in the town. At first we waited and figured that surely somebody working for a major newsroom who had been to Maaloula, and knew the topography there, would point out Barnard’s glaring errors concerning the source of the shelling and destruction of churches. Surely somebody out there personally knew Mother Pelagia Sayyaf (who had been held at gunpoint by rebels, and forced to make a propaganda video) and understood she was being paraded in front of the camera under duress (Barnard and others would promote the narrative that the FSA/Nusra forces were “liberating” the ancient Christian town). But a much needed corrective never appeared outside of independent media. Tim knew Maaloula and Mother Pelagia quite well and was easily able to deconstruct Barnard’s false report (which she wrote far from Maaloula in Beirut). While Tim’s article never made it into papers or onto big news sites, it was promoted and appreciated by some true experts who’ve actually been to Maaloula (and ironically, the article was “favorited” by Barnard herself; it should further be noted that, as As’ad AbuKhalil routinely points out, Barnard doesn’t know Arabic). This case of Maaloula is but an old example of something I’ve seen play out many times since then. Stephen Kinzer made waves recently for his article “The Media are Misleading the Public on Syria” published in The Boston Globe. Its brilliance lies in articulating how the media and experts keep getting Syria so wrong from a “media culture” perspective (for lack of a better term). Kinzer breaks down the corporate media “machinery” and its process which continues to ensure that bad analysis makes it to the top: Under intense financial pressure, most American newspapers, magazines, and broadcast networks have drastically reduced their corps of foreign correspondents. Much important news about the world now comes from reporters based in Washington. In that environment, access and credibility depend on acceptance of official paradigms. Reporters who cover Syria check with the Pentagon, the State Department, the White House, and think tank “experts.” After a spin on that soiled carousel, they feel they have covered all sides of the story. This form of stenography produces the pabulum that passes for news about Syria. Yes, this means you too can be considered a Middle East “expert” so long as you get the right internship in the right DC beltway or NYC newsroom or think-tank. Forget about the days of getting your start trekking around the region of your expertise, getting to know the people, language, and customs…you can even become a media darling from the comfort of your own couch without ever having to apply for a passport! Kinzer’s article has struck a deep chord (esp. as it was published in a visible, major paper) with biting lines like these: Americans are said to be ignorant of the world. We are, but so are people in other countries. If people in Bhutan or Bolivia misunderstand Syria, however, that has no real effect. Our ignorance is more dangerous, because we act on it. Kinzer is shining a spotlight on this whole sham enterprise from the perspective of a veteran foreign correspondent who has spent decades inside the media establishment (he himself is not claiming to be an expert on Syria, but he is an expert on the ills of newsroom culture). The whole process whereby a certain orthodox view of a foreign conflict gets entrenched, and from that point on must remain unquestioned, is indeed dangerous. As I wrote before: “American assumptions never line up with Eastern realities, yet our power combined with ignorance continues to sow disaster.” Ironically, Kinzer’s point about reporters/analysts “not being over there” and the ignorance that results was given confirmation in the example of the very first person to attempt a point-by-point critical attack of Kinzer’s article. UK-based Kyle Orton wrote his “Assad and the Academics: Disinformation in the Modern Era” as a direct response to Kinzer. Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprising), Orton has been published and quoted widely in multiple international and mainstream outlets. He recently had a New York Times op-ed piece called “How Saddam Hussein Gave Us ISIS” (which also ran in the print edition), wherein he argues that U.S. intervention and occupation in Iraq had little if anything to do with the rise of ISIS (elsewhere he’s argued the “Assad behind ISIS” conspiracy theory, long ago debunked by real experts). Orton’s NYT bio is nice and official sounding: “Kyle W. Orton, a Middle East analyst, is an associate fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based foreign policy think tank.” But a rebuttal of Orton’s NYT piece written in Foreign Policy has it right when it leaves him simply as “blogger Kyle W. Orton.” The FP article authors Samuel Helfont and Michael Brill used their knowledge of…ya know…Arabic to analyze Iraqi archives and quickly proved Orton’s claims to be baseless: These depictions are inaccurate and dangerously misleading, as documents in the Iraqi archives and at Hoover Institution’s Ba’ath Party records make clear. Our rigorous study of those records has found no evidence that Saddam or his Baathist regime in Iraq displayed any sympathy for Islamism, Salafism, or Wahhabism. I too was at first under the impression that Orton must have some level of serious training or knowledge of Syria or Iraq until I realized he’s stepped foot in neither country (which he in so many words admitted to me directly). Orton’s own bio on his blog includes the following: “After a misbegotten degree in zoology (biology), I completed a social science Masters in Humanitarian Studies at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine…”. Little more needs to be said, other than the good news for anyone with aspirations of being published in the New York Times: at present they must be desperate for contributors, or at least writers that can tow the line. Again, one need not leave their couch. I admit that finding in Orton a prime example of Stephen Kinzer’s fundamental point is perhaps going after “low hanging fruit” but I’ve encountered this too many times in Syria discussions (though the most absurd case confirming Kinzer’s article is “Rocket Man” Elliot Higgins…and yes the following are real sentences about him written in The New Yorker, not The Onion: “Although Higgins has never been to Syria, and until recently had no connection to the country, he has become perhaps the foremost expert on the munitions used in the war… When he doesn’t recognize a weapon, he researches it, soliciting information from his many followers on Facebook and Twitter.”). I’ll leave off with the below exchange I had with Orton, wherein I realized that he was making simple mistakes for lack of direct experience that would be impossible to make for even the casual backpackers who used to fill up the youth hostels of Damascus back in better days. Anyone who has spent even as little as a week in Syria anytime in the past decade (or more) knows of a certain long-standing custom of the Syrian presidency on all major religious holidays like Christmas and Easter. When I realized Orton’s confusion came from never having stepped foot in Syria, I said: “[You] Would know this if you had experienced Syria”…Orton of course changed the subject. And nothing more needs to be said. Vatican should protest the obscenity of Assad using #Syria's Catholics as agitprop in a campaign of mass-slaughter. pic.twitter.com/H8X2vVe4pK — Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) December 19, 2015 @KyleWOrton I lived in Damascus 4 some time…Assad visits local churches every year before X-mas…long-standing custom goes back years. — Brad Hoff (@BradRHoff) December 19, 2015 @KyleWOrton Vat. has little to do w/it. Uniate churches in ME operate largely autonomous. Again years-long norm. Nothing strange. @KyleWOrton Like any politician, Assad has long done local "pop-in" visits.PR not unlike Western pols. Wld know this if u had experienced Sy Brad Hoff Media and Disinformation, Syria Conflict, Texans for Sane Foreign Policy 6 Comments February 29, 2016 September 18, 2017 7 Minutes Newly Translated WikiLeaks Saudi Cable: Overthrow the Syrian Regime, but Play Nice with Russia (Image Source: Wiki Commons) IT IS NO SECRET that Saudi Arabia, along with its Gulf and Western allies, has played a direct role in fueling the fires of grinding sectarian conflict that has kept Syria burning for the past five years. It is also no secret that Russian intervention has radically altered the kingdom’s “regime change” calculus in effect since at least 2011. But an internal Saudi government cable sheds new light on the kingdom’s current threats of military escalation in Syria. Overthrow the Regime “by all means available” A WikiLeaks cable released as part of “The Saudi Cables” in the summer of 2015, now fully translated here for the first time, reveals what the Saudis feared most in the early years of the war: Russian military intervention and Syrian retaliation. These fears were such that the kingdom directed its media “not to oppose Russian figures and to avoid insulting them” at the time. Saudi Arabia had further miscalculated that the “Russian position” of preserving the Assad government “will not persist in force.” In Saudi thinking, reflected in the leaked memo, Assad’s violent ouster (“by all means available”) could be pursued so long as Russia stayed on the sidelines. The following section is categorical in its emphasis on regime change at all costs, even should the U.S. vacillate for “lack of desire”: The fact must be stressed that in the case where the Syrian regime is able to pass through its current crisis in any shape or form, the primary goal that it will pursue is taking revenge on the countries that stood against it, with the Kingdom and some of the countries of the Gulf coming at the top of the list. If we take into account the extent of this regime’s brutality and viciousness and its lack of hesitancy to resort to any means to realize its aims, then the situation will reach a high degree of danger for the Kingdom, which must seek by all means available and all possible ways to overthrow the current regime in Syria. As regards the international position, it is clear that there is a lack of “desire” and not a lack of “capability” on the part of Western countries, chief among them the United States, to take firm steps… Amman-based Albawaba News—one of the largest online news providers in the Middle East—was the first to call attention to the WikiLeaks memo, which “reveals Saudi officials saying President Bashar al-Assad must be taken down before he exacts revenge on Saudi Arabia.” Albawaba offered a brief partial translation of the cable, which though undated, was likely produced in early 2012 (based on my best speculation using event references in the text; Russia began proposing informal Syrian peace talks in January 2012). Russian Hardware, a Saudi Nightmare Over the past weeks Saudi Arabia has ratcheted up its rhetoric on Syria, threatening direct military escalation and the insertion of special forces on the ground, ostensibly for humanitarian and stabilizing purposes as a willing partner in the “war on terror.” As many pundits are now observing, in reality the kingdom’s saber rattling stems not from confidence, but utter desperation as its proxy anti-Assad fighters face defeat by overwhelming Russian air power and Syrian ground forces, and as the Saudi military itself is increasingly bogged down in Yemen. Even as the Saudi regime dresses its bellicose rhetoric in humanitarian terms, it ultimately desires to protect the flow of foreign fighters into Northern Syria, which is its still hoped-for “available means” of toppling the Syrian government (or at least, at this point, permanent sectarian partition of Syria). The U.S. State Department’s own 2014 Country Report on Terrorism confirms that the rate of foreign terrorist entry into Syria over the past few years is unprecedented among any conflict in history: “The rate of foreign terrorist fighter travel to Syria – totaling more than 16,000 foreign terrorist fighters from more than 90 countries as of late December – exceeded the rate of foreign terrorist fighters who traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, or Somalia at any point in the last 20 years.” According to Cinan Siddi, Director of the Institute for Turkish Studies at Georgetown’s prestigious School of Foreign Service, Russian military presence in Syria was born of genuine geopolitical interests. In a public lecture recently given at Baylor University, Siddi said that Russia is fundamentally trying to disrupt the “jihadi corridor” facilitated by Turkey and its allies in Northern Syria. The below leaked document gives us a glimpse into Saudi motives and fears long before Russian hardware entered the equation, and the degree to which the kingdom utterly failed in assessing Russian red lines. For the first time, here’s a full translation of the text THE BELOW original translation is courtesy of my co-author, a published scholar of Arabic and Middle East History, who wishes to remain unnamed. Note: the cable as published in the SaudiLeaks trove appears to be incomplete. […] shared interest, and believes that the current Russian position only represents a movement to put pressure on him, its goals being evident, and that this position will not persist in force, given Russia’s ties to interests with Western countries and the countries of the Gulf. If it pleases Your Highness, I support the idea of entering into a profound dialogue with Russia regarding its position towards Syria, holding the Second Strategic Conference in Moscow, working to focus the discussion during it on the issue of Syria, and exerting whatever pressure is possible to dissuade it from its current position. I likewise see an opportunity to invite the head of the Committee for International Relations in the Duma to visit the Kingdom. Since it is better to remain in communication with Russia and to direct the media not to oppose Russian figures and to avoid insulting them, so that no harm may come to the interests of the Kingdom, it is possible that the new Russian president will change Russian policy toward Arab countries for the better. However, our position currently in practice, which is to criticize Russian policy toward Syria and its positions that are contrary to our declared principles, remains. It is also advantageous to increase pressure on the Russians by encouraging the Organization of Islamic States to exert some form of pressure by strongly brandishing Islamic public opinion, since Russia fears the Islamic dimension more than the Arab dimension. In what pertains to the Syrian crisis, the Kingdom is resolute in its position and there is no longer any room to back down. The fact must be stressed that in the case where the Syrian regime is able to pass through its current crisis in any shape or form, the primary goal that it will pursue is taking revenge on the countries that stood against it, with the Kingdom and some of the countries of the Gulf coming at the top of the list. If we take into account the extent of this regime’s brutality and viciousness and its lack of hesitancy to resort to any means to realize its aims, then the situation will reach a high degree of danger for the Kingdom, which must seek by all means available and all possible ways to overthrow the current regime in Syria. As regards the international position, it is clear that there is a lack of “desire” and not a lack of “capability” on the part of Western countries, chief among them the United States, to take firm steps […] [in the Arabic text: Russia, but this is a typo] Brad Hoff Saudi Arabia, Syria Conflict, Translation 16 Comments February 25, 2016 March 3, 2019 5 Minutes How the CIA Helped Fuel the Rise of ISIS: Guest Analysis by Jeremy R. Hammond (Image source: Wikimedia Commons) Jeremy R. Hammond is an independent political analyst and a recipient of the Project Censored Award for Outstanding Investigative Journalism. He is the founding editor of Foreign Policy Journal and the author of Ron Paul vs. Paul Krugman: Austrian vs. Keynesian economics in the financial crisis and The Rejection of Palestinian Self-Determination: The Struggle for Palestine and the Roots of the Israeli-Arab Conflict. His forthcoming book is Obstacle to Peace: The US Role in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. This article first appeared at his blog JeremyRHammond.com and is used with permission of the author. THE NEW YORK TIMES HAS HABITUALLY DOWNPLAYED the early role of the CIA in coordinating the flow of arms to armed rebels in Syria in furtherance of the US policy of overthrowing the regime of Bashar al-Assad. By doing so, the Times hence also whitewashes the US role in the rise of the Islamic State (or ISIS). The Media’s Longstanding Propaganda Narrative I have written repeatedly about how the Times‘ reporting serves as propaganda, manufacturing consent for a US interventionist policy in Syria, as the Times has repeatedly advocated. For instance, in “NYT’s Bill Keller’s Propaganda Case for War with Syria” (May 2013), I wrote: I find myself commenting again and again and again and again and again on how the U.S. media (following the lead of America’s “newspaper of record”) is being willfully dishonest with the public and attempting to whitewash the actual U.S. role in the Syrian conflict by tossing relevant facts down the memory hole; namely, the facts that (1) the CIA has already been coordinating the flow of arms to the rebels, and (2) most of those arms have indeed ended up in the hands of Islamic extremists. My post “NYT Continues to Downplay How CIA-Funneled Arms to Syrian Rebels Helped Strengthen Jihadists” (October 2013) began: As usual, the New York Times is spinning information to willfully obfuscate the role of the U.S. in arming Syrian rebels whose ranks include al-Qaeda-affiliated and other Islamic extremist groups, with most of the arms falling into the hands of the jihadists. In “NYT Whitewashes US Support for Syrian Armed Rebels (Again)” (February 2014), I explained: The reason the Times does not disclose this to readers is because it would undermine the obligatory propaganda narrative designed to manufacture consent for U.S. interventionist foreign policy. According to this narrative, the mess that Syria has become is a consequence of a lack of U.S. intervention. This is nonsense, of course. Precisely the opposite is true. Still At It… The Times‘ recent report, “U.S. Relies Heavily on Saudi Money to Support Syrian Rebels” pretty much follows the same script. While in some respects, this is great journalism, offering heretofore unknown details about US policy (such as the name of the CIA’s operation there: Timber Sycamore), it also maintains the obligatory propaganda narrative. The article opens by reminding us what we already knew: that “President Obama secretly authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to begin arming Syria’s embattled rebels in 2013”. Further down the page, the Times adds (emphasis added): When Mr. Obama signed off on arming the rebels in the spring of 2013, it was partly to try to gain control of the apparent free-for-all in the region. The Qataris and the Saudis had been funneling weapons into Syria for more than a year. A little further on, the Times does acknowledge: The C.I.A. helped arrange some of the arms purchases for the Saudis, including a large deal in Croatia in 2012. Yet it continues: By the summer of 2012, a freewheeling feel had taken hold along Turkey’s border with Syria as the gulf nations funneled cash and weapons to rebel groups — even some that American officials were concerned had ties to radical groups like Al Qaeda. The C.I.A. was mostly on the sidelines during this period, authorized by the White House under the Timber Sycamore training program to deliver nonlethal aid to the rebels but not weapons. In late 2012, according to two former senior American officials, David H. Petraeus, then the C.I.A. director, delivered a stern lecture to intelligence officials of several gulf nations at a meeting near the Dead Sea in Jordan. He chastised them for sending arms into Syria without coordinating with one another or with C.I.A. officers in Jordan and Turkey. So there you have it. Early on, throughout 2012, the CIA, apart from helping arrange arms purchases and delivering nonlethal aid, was just sitting “on the sidelines” as US Gulf allies — predominantly Saudi Arabia and Qatar — funneled weapons to the Syrian rebels despite the risk of the arms falling into the hands of extremist groups. It wasn’t until “Months later” that “Mr. Obama gave his approval for the C.I.A. to begin directly arming and training the rebels from a base in Jordan, amending the Timber Sycamore program to allow lethal assistance” (emphasis added). Which brings us to what’s wrong with this report. The key word in that last quote is “directly”. As is so often the case, the real story is in what the Times leaves out. How the CIA Armed Extremist Groups in Syria So what is it that the Times is leaving out? Well, as the Washington Post reported in May 2012 (emphasis added): Syrian rebels battling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad have begun receiving significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, an effort paid for by Persian Gulf nations and coordinated in part by the United States, according to opposition activists and U.S. and foreign officials. A senior State Department official told the Post, “we continue to coordinate our efforts with friends and allies in the region and beyond in order to have the biggest impact on what we are collectively doing”. We learned that “Opposition figures said they have been in direct contact with State Department officials to designate worthy rebel recipients of arms and pinpoint locations for stockpiles” — and that “the United States and others are moving forward toward increased coordination of intelligence and arming for the rebel forces.” The following month, in June 2012, the Wall Street Journal filled in more of the story, enlightening that the CIA and State Department had begun stepping up their coordination with the Free Syrian Army in March 2012 in furtherance of the US goal of regime change. The Journal reported: As part of the efforts, the Central Intelligence Agency and State Department—working with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and other allies—are helping the opposition Free Syrian Army develop logistical routes for moving supplies into Syria and providing communications training…. The U.S. in many ways is acting in Syria through proxies, primarily Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, say U.S. and Arab officials…. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are providing the funds for arms…. So, again, the CIA was helping to coordinate the flow of arms to the rebels despite concerns about “some rebels’ suspected ties to hard-line Islamists, including elements of al Qaeda.” Little more than a week later, the New York Times itself reported: A small number of C.I.A. officers are operating secretly in southern Turkey, helping allies decide which Syrian opposition fighters across the border will receive arms to fight the Syrian government, according to American officials and Arab intelligence officers. The weapons, including automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and some antitank weapons, are being funneled mostly across the Turkish border by way of a shadowy network of intermediaries including Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood and paid for by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the officials said. The C.I.A. officers have been in southern Turkey for several weeks, in part to help keep weapons out of the hands of fighters allied with Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups, one senior American official said. So there you have it from the Times itself: the CIA was coordinating the flow of arms from the US’s Gulf allies to the Syrian rebels, ostensibly in part to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremist groups. In July, Reuters revealed that the “nerve center” of the arms-funneling operation was Adana, Turkey — a city that is “also home to Incirlik, a U.S. air base where U.S. military and intelligence agencies maintain a substantial presence.” Among the arms allegedly supplied to the rebels were shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, or MANPADS. So what was the result of the US’s intervention in Syria, ostensibly in part to prevent these arms from falling into the wrong hands? The Rise of ISIS As first reported in May 2015 by Brad Hoff of The Levant Report, on August 12, 2012, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) warned in a memo that If the situation unravels there is the possibility of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist principality in eastern Syria (Hasaka and Der Zor), and this is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition want, in order to isolate the Syrian regime…. Not to be unclear, the DIA specifically noted that “the supporting powers to the opposition” included “The West, Gulf countries, and Turkey”. And, indeed, as we learned in October 2012 from no less impeccable source than, again, the New York Times itself: Most of the arms shipped at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Qatar to supply Syrian rebel groups fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad are going to hard-line Islamic jihadists…. That report even noted that the US had been helping to organize the flow of arms. And yet despite that acknowledgment, the article seeded the propaganda narrative that the problem in Syria is too little US intervention: American officials have been trying to understand why hard-line Islamists have received the lion’s share of the arms shipped to the Syrian opposition through the shadowy pipeline with roots in Qatar, and, to a lesser degree, Saudi Arabia. The officials, voicing frustration, say there is no central clearinghouse for the shipments, and no effective way of vetting the groups that ultimately receive them. Those problems were central concerns for the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, David H. Petraeus, when he traveled secretly to Turkey last month, officials said. This despite officials from countries in the region telling the Times that Petraeus himself had been “deeply involved in trying to steer the supply effort”. One Middle Eastern diplomat who has dealt extensively with the C.I.A. on the issue said that Mr. Petraeus’s goal was to oversee the process of “vetting, and then shaping, an opposition that the U.S. thinks it can work with.” It wasn’t long before the narrative that the chaos in Syria was in no small part due to the Obama administration’s unwillingness to intervene came to dominate the media. The head of the DIA at the time of its warning foreshadowing the rise of the Islamic State, Michael Flynn, later said that the Obama administration did not “turn a blind eye”, but rather made “a willful decision” to coordinate the flow of arms to Syrian rebels with full knowledge that the weapons were ending up in the hands of extremist groups. Seymour M. Hersh followed up, and in the London Review of Books wrote: Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, director of the DIA between 2012 and 2014, confirmed that his agency had sent a constant stream of classified warnings to the civilian leadership about the dire consequences of toppling Assad. The jihadists, he said, were in control of the opposition. Turkey wasn’t doing enough to stop the smuggling of foreign fighters and weapons across the border. ‘If the American public saw the intelligence we were producing daily, at the most sensitive level, they would go ballistic,’ Flynn told me. ‘We understood Isis’s long-term strategy and its campaign plans, and we also discussed the fact that Turkey was looking the other way when it came to the growth of the Islamic State inside Syria.’ The DIA’s reporting, he said, ‘got enormous pushback’ from the Obama administration. ‘I felt that they did not want to hear the truth.’ Half a year after Brad Hoff broke the story of the DIA memo, the New York Times finally got around to reporting on it: Who are they? What do they want? Were signals missed that could have stopped the Islamic State before it became so deadly? And there were, in fact, more than hints of the group’s plans and potential. A 2012 report by the United States Defense Intelligence Agency was direct: The growing chaos in Syria’s civil war was giving Islamic militants there and in Iraq the space to spread and flourish. The group, it said, could “declare an Islamic state through its union with other terrorist organizations in Iraq and Syria.” “This particular report, this was one of those nobody wanted to see,” said Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, who ran the defense agency at the time. “It was disregarded by the White House,” he said. “It was disregarded by other elements in the intelligence community as a one-off report. Frankly, at the White House, it didn’t meet the narrative.” Likewise, while inconvenient facts occasionally manage to slip through the cracks, the New York Times, as in its recent report on the US-Saudi alliance against the Assad regime, routinely whitewashes the US role, and, namely, the fact that the US had a policy dating to early 2012 of coordinating the flow of arms to Syrian rebels with full knowledge that the arms were winding up in the hands of extremist groups and despite warnings from the intelligence community that this would fuel the rise of the movement we know today as ISIS. Such truths are tossed down the memory hole because, at the New York Times, it just doesn’t meet the narrative. Brad Hoff Guest Analysis 4 Comments February 2, 2016 9 Minutes Examining the Syria War Chessboard The above interview with Dr. Vijay Prashad draws our attention to the parallel conflicts of Libya and Syria, as well as the way the two wars directly intersected in 2011-2012 (weapons shipments from Libya to Syria, now fully documented via USG declassified reports). One of the more interesting points comes when Dr. Prashad speaks about ISIS presence in Sirte, Libya. He claims that just as many former Ba’ath officers in Iraq, after having been sidelined by U.S. intervention, joined ISIS, so are former Gaddafi loyalists joining Libyan ISIS in Sirte. While it’s unclear whether or not there is actual evidence for this it is a worrisome and fascinating theory. Prashad is the only analyst I’ve heard propose this. I would highly recommend his book Arab Spring, Libyan Winter. The above interview is a must-see. Brad Hoff Interview, Libya, Syria Conflict Leave a comment February 2, 2016 February 2, 2016 1 Minute On the Effort to Exonerate Team USA for the Rise of ISIS: Guest Analysis by David Mizner Photo: An Islamic State fighter using the US-made BGM-71 TOW in Damascus countryside in 2014. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies funded “Long War Journal” has confirmed many instances of AQ and ISIS use of the TOW. David Mizner is a novelist and freelance journalist who writes about US foreign policy, with a focus on the Middle East. This article was first published at his blog, Rogue Nation, and is reproduced here with permission of the author. His writings can be found at Jacobin, Salon, The Nation, and other publications. ASSAD IS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE for the rise of ISIS. No one else is even close, with the possible exceptions of former Iraqi presidents Maliki and Hussein. That’s the predictable message of the State Department and its proxy reporters at outlets like Vox and Buzzfeed. The propaganda can be crude to the point of absurd. In Mad Max’s world, Iran bears more blame than the United States for ISIS, and George W. Bush would surely take comfort in analysis like this. But on the question of Assad’s responsibility and the corresponding responsibility of his imperial opponents, there’s apparently a real debate to be had among thinking humans. In Jacobin and Salvage, leftists go a long way toward siding with State and the BuzzVoxxers. While more or less holding the United States to account for its ISIS-creating actions in Iraq pre-2011, they exonerate the US and its regional allies for ISIS’s emergence as a force in Syria, which they attribute solely to Assad. In so doing they erase the war on Syria, which honest analysts would acknowledge even if they believe Assad to be a monster of Hitlerian proportions. Both Jacobin and Salvage claim that Assad’s releasing jihadists from prison in 2011 contributed mightily to the rise of ISIS. Salvage, the magazine founded by Richard Seymour and his comrades, says Syria’s ex-prisoners are one of the three primary forces within IS, along with Iraqi Baathists and foreign fighters. It didn’t deign to provide any evidence, so I went looking for some. This post by Kyle Orton says that, “In May and June 2011, the regime turned loose from its prisons violent jihadists.” But he links to two articles covering the Syrian’s government granting of general amnesty, which the press depicted at the time as an attempt to placate the opposition. The opposition itself received it as such. “Too little too late,” said one member of the opposition. Nonetheless, Orton goes on to say that in 2011 the Syrian government released future jihadist leaders Abu Musab, Hassan Abboud, Zahran Alloush, and Ahmed Abu Issa. I suppose I’ll take his word for it, but these bad men didn’t join ISIS. They joined Al Qaeda, Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Sham, and Suquor a-Sham, respectively. These groups are indeed brutal and reactionary—and they are proxy forces of US client states trying to overthrow the Syrian government. This article at Huffington Post — “There Would Be No ISIS Without Assad” — likewise promises to establish a connection between Syria’s ex-prisoners and ISIS but manages only, via a link to a Politico piece, to connect them to Al Qaeda. I’m not saying ISIS contains no people released from prison by the Syrian government, but if they made up a significant part of its leadership or rank-and-file — if they represented, as Salvage alleges, one leg of the stool supporting ISIS — evidence would surely be easier to come by. Aron Lund, who seems to be one of the more independent-minded of the popular Syria analysts, has this to say: This idea that Assad boosted IS by freeing salafis in 2011 seems silly. Most of those known to have been pardoned are now in IF, fighting IS — Aron Lund (@aronlund) August 6, 2014 We know, by contrast, that all 12 of the judges who preside over ISIS’s court system in Raqqa are Saudi. They’re perhaps some of the hundreds of extremists Saudi Arabia has allowed to fly to Syria out of the Riyadh airport. (The Kingdom also reportedly sent more than a 1,000 death row inmates to go fight in Syria in exchange for commutations.) ISIS also includes many fighters from the Caucasus, Afghanistan, North Africa, and Europe, and that many, if not most, of these have entered Syria through Turkey. Yet the ISIS-creation stories from Jacobin and Salvage include none of this. Not only do these leftist outlets pass along imperialist propaganda about Assad’s “giving” ISIS hundreds of fighters by opening his prisons; they ignore the role of US allies in funneling ISIS-bound fighters into Syria. In fact, the words “Turkey” and “Saudi Arabia” appear nowhere in the Salvage piece. In Jacobin, Adam Hanieh, who elsewhere has written solid stuff, doesn’t mention Turkey’s role and dismisses the idea that “ISIS is a tool of the Gulf States,” because “there is little convincing evidence that ISIS is directly funded, or armed, by Saudi Arabia or any other Gulf state.” Leaving aside the fact that if Saudi Arabia directly supported ISIS, it would do so covertly (“ISIS, in fact, may have been a major part of Bandar’s covert-ops strategy in Syria,” writes Steve Clemons), there are other steps Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey have taken with the encouragement of the United States to strengthen ISIS. There is, in fact, a fairly impressive compilation of evidence pointing to the role of Turkey in the rise of ISIS. It includes video and audio evidence of a meeting of an ISIS affiliate in Istanbul and allegations from an array of sources—opposition politicians in Turkey, intelligence services of other countries, and Kurdish officials in Syria—who claim that Turkey has allowed ISIS militants and weapons to go back and forth across the border and even directly armed and trained ISIS fighters. The case is circumstantial in places, to be sure, but compared to the case against Assad, it’s a smoking gun. And it’s a fact that, on top of the aforementioned funneling of militants into Syria, US client states allowed wealthy individuals to fund ISIS. Did the governments themselves finance ISIS? In 2014, once ISIS had become a force, General Dempsey, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified that, yes, US allies had directly funded ISIS — as assessment that Lindsay Graham seconded. In any case, the funding was no secret — Kuwait was a hub for ISIS financing — and US allies didn’t little to nothing to crack down on it. These governments also sent in weapons that ended up the hands of ISIS. Was the arming direct? Regardless, to send weapons to the opposition was to arm ISIS, both because ISIS routed groups and took their weapons and because early on opposition groups collaborated with ISIS. Aping US government officials, who barely mentioned ISIS until mid-2014, US press accounts of the group’s rise in Syria tend to ignore its formative months (although they flashback to 2011 for the purpose of indicting Assad.) They pick up the narrative when the groups officially backed by the United States and its allies were fighting ISIS. To read the BuzzVoxxers, or some socialist outlets, you’d have no idea that ISIS ascended in Syria partly due to the collaboration and conciliation of other opposition groups. Joshua Landis’ analysis site Syria Comment details these alliances and calls them the “real” reason for ISIS’s rise in Syria: The most prominent case-in-point is Colonel Oqaidi, who used to head the Aleppo FSA military council. Oqaidi constantly downplayed the idea that ISIS constituted a threat, describing his relations with ISIS as “excellent”…The other rebel groups that assisted ISIS in the wider conflict here included Liwa al-Tawhid, Ahrar ash-Sham, Suqur ash-Sham, and FSA-banner groups such as Liwa al-Hamza, Ibn Taymiyya (both Tel Abyad area) and Liwa Ahrar al-Jazira al-Thawri…Contrary to what ISIS members and supporters claim, there was no pre-planned ‘sahwa’ against ISIS. Till the very end of 2013, IF and its constituent groups tried to resolve problems with ISIS peacefully. The FSA, remember, was the official American proxy so the United States was arming a group that it knew was collaborating with ISIS. In 2013, ISIS leader Abu Atheer told Al Jazeera that his group had cordial relations with the FSA and bought weapons from them. Yet in popular ISIS creation narratives the myth of American innocence persists. The more intrepid western reporters will touch on the role of US client states yet exonerate the United States, as if Saudi Arabia and co. act wholly independently of the world’s most powerful country. And even if you believe that clients states have the desire and capacity to go rogue, there’s no evidence suggesting that US government officials tried to deter their ISIS-empowering actions during the group’s all-important early months in Syria. Biden’s tepid yet much-discussed criticism of allies for supporting ISIS came late in 2014 when ISIS was replacing the government as the primary, official rationale for US military action in Syria. As Biden was traveling around to apologize for his remarks, engaging in client management, no reporter thought to ask why no US official had said or done anything about their empowering of ISIS in the months and years prior. The media complicity persisted despite last year’s declassification of a 2012 military intelligence memo showing that the United States had determined both that its allies sought to create a “Salafist principality in eastern Syria” and that sectarian reactionaries — “The Salafist, The Muslim Brotherhood, and AQI” — were the “driving forces” in the opposition. Apologists responded predictably to the document: they challenged the most expansive interpretations and ignored the smaller yet still-damning ones. It’s not so much the memo itself that exposes US culpability but the memo combined with the subsequent actions (and inactions) of the United States vis a vis its allies and the Syrian opposition. More confirmation than revelation, the memo shows what was already clear: 1) that the United States was content for its allies to try to destroy Syria by fueling the most extreme elements of the opposition, including ISIS, 2) that because extreme elements dominated the opposition, to support it was to empower these elements, including ISIS, and 3) that the United States, no bystander to this effort, contributed to it. It’s not hard to understand why the BuzzBeasters exonerate the United States, even if doing so means ignoring reports in their own publications. The motive of socialists is a little harder to discern. Or perhaps not. Their purpose, it seems, is to pin all the blame on Assad, not just for ISIS but for all of it: the hundreds of thousands of deaths, the millions of refugees, the staggering suffering. The true story of the rise of ISIS, in context, exposes the degree of aggression against Syria, and once that comes to light, it’s hard to cling to the view that this war is, at its core, a battle between a tyrant and a progressive revolution. Brad Hoff Guest Analysis 2 Comments January 25, 2016 January 25, 2016 7 Minutes	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line864
__label__cc	0.565576	0.434424	Home LI Bagel Cafe HISTORY of the Bagel (compliments of Wikipedia.com) Contrary to common legend, the bagel was not created in the shape of a stirrup to commemorate the victory of Poland’s King Jan III Sobieski over the Ottoman Turks in the Battle of Vienna in 1683. It was actually invented much earlier in Kraków, Poland, as a competitor to the bublik, a lean bread of wheat flour designed for Lent. In the 16th and first half of the 17th centuries, the bajgiel became a staple of the Polish national diet. The name originated from beugal (old spelling of Bügel, meaning bail/bow or bale) is considered plausible by many, both from the similarities of the word and because traditional handmade bagels are not perfectly circular but rather slightly stirrup-shaped. This, however, may be due to the way the boiled bagels are pressed together on the baking sheet before baking. Also, variants of the word beugal are used in Yiddish and Austrian German to refer to a somewhat similar form of sweet filled pastry (Mohnbeugel (with poppy seeds) and Nussbeugel (with ground nuts)), or in southern German dialects (where beuge refers to a pile, e.g., holzbeuge, or woodpile). According to the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, ‘bagel’ derives from the transliteration of the Yiddish ‘beygl’, which came from the Middle High German ‘böugel’ or ring, which itself came from ‘bouc’ (ring) in Old High German, similar to the Old English ‘bēag’ ‘(ring), and ‘būgan’ (to bend or bow) In the Brick Lane district and surrounding area of London, England, bagels, or as locally spelled “beigels” have been sold since the middle of the 19th century. They were often displayed in the windows of bakeries on vertical wooden dowels, up to a metre in length, on racks. Bagels were brought to the United States by immigrant Polish-Jews, with a thriving business developing in New York City that was controlled for decades by Bagel Bakers Local 338, which had contracts with nearly all bagel bakeries in and around the city for its workers, who prepared all the bagels by hand. The bagel came into more general use throughout North America in the last quarter of the 20th century, at least partly due to the efforts of bagel baker Harry Lender and Florence Sender, who pioneered automated production and distribution of frozen bagels in the 1960s.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line866
__label__cc	0.685609	0.314391	Song Lyrics From Around The World Home \| 0-9 \| A \| B \| C \| D \| E \| F \| G \| H \| I \| J \| K \| L \| M \| N \| O \| P \| Q \| R \| S \| T \| U \| V \| W \| X \| Y \| Z \| Soundtracks \| Christmas \| What song will you find on Lyrics Playground today?	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line868
__label__cc	0.59155	0.40845	COURT DECISION IN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH CASE SHERLEY V. SEBELIUS WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, July 27, 2011, Judge Royce C. Lamberth for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, issued his ruling against the plaintiffs, in the Sherley v. Sebelius case. As you may know, this case has been filed by adult stem cell researchers who contend that President Obama’s embryo-destructive stem cell research funding policy violates the ban on federal funding for research that involves harming or destroying embryos (Dickey-Wicker). Attached you will find the Court’s opinion, order and judgment. Here is an excerpt of Judge Lamberth’s opinion issued today: “The Court’s determination that it is bound by the D.C. Circuit’s conclusion that “research” in the Dickey-Wicker Amendment is ambiguous as a matter of law is buttressed by the fact that plaintiffs haven’t offered any new information or reasoning that was unavailable to the D.C. Circuit and that would cause this Court to consider departing from that Court’s holding as to the meaning of “research.” This issue was carefully briefed and argued before both this Court and the Court of Appeals, and the only thing that has changed since this Court first considered the question of whether “research” in the statute is ambiguous is that the D.C. Circuit has made it abundantly clear that the term is ambiguous as a matter of law. While it may be true that by following the Court of Appeals’ conclusion as to the ambiguity of “research,” this Court has become a grudging partner in a bout of “linguistic jujitsu,” Sherley, 2011 WL 1599685, at *10 (Henderson, J., dissenting), such is life for an antepenultimate court.” (pg 21) You may also be interested in these links to recent news articles on the subject: Associated Press, Reuters, Nature, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. For background information on stem cell policy and the court case please see below. In 2001 President Bush established a policy allowing research on embryonic stem cell lines created prior to August 9, 2001. On March 9, 2009, President Obama issued an executive order overturning the Bush policy and allowing taxpayer funding for research on embryonic stem cell lines created after 2001. (NIH Guidelines were finalized on July 7, 2009) Embryo Destructive Research Funding Ban (Dickey-Wicker) The Labor-HHS appropriations bill includes a ban on research in which human embryos are destroyed or harmed. (enacted in FYs 1996-2010) TEXT: FY10, Division D, Title V, General Provisions SEC. 509. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act may be used for- (1) the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or (2) research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under 45 CFR 46.204(b) and section 498(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g(b)). (b) For purposes of this section, the term “human embryo or embryos” includes any organism, not protected as a human subject under 45 CFR 46 as of the date of the enactment of this Act, that is derived by fertilization, parthenogenesis, cloning, or any other means from one or more human gametes or human diploid cells. Sherley v. Sebelius On August 23, 2010, the US District Court for the District of Columbia issued a preliminary injunction in the case Sherley v. Sebelius, ruling that there is sufficient evidence to warrant halting funding for embryo-destructive research while the case is under consideration. Specifically, the court found that the plaintiffs presented a strong case that NIH Guidelines for Embryonic Stem Cell Research (ESCR) violate the Dickey-Wicker Amendment-language attached to the annual LHHS appropriations bills since 1996, which prohibits federal funding for “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death…” The injunction put NIH funding for embryo-destructive research on hold. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth in his ruling stated “(Embryonic stem cell) research is clearly research in which an embryo is destroyed,” and “Congress has spoken to the precise question at issue-whether federal funds may be used for research in which an embryo is destroyed. The Dickey-Wicker Amendment provides that no federal funds shall be used for ’research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under 45 C.F.R. =A7 46.204(b) and section 498(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g(b)).’ Pub. L. No. 111-8, =A7 509(a)(2). Thus, as demonstrated by the plain language of the statute, the unambiguous intent of Congress is to prohibit the expenditure of federal funds on ’research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed.’” (pg 10, 1212) The Court Order stated the Federal government is “enjoined from implementing, applying, or taking any action whatsoever pursuant to the National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research, 74 Fed. Reg. 32,170 (July 7, 2009), or otherwise funding research involving human embryonic stem cells as contemplated in the Guidelines.” On August 31, 2010 the Administration unsuccessfully appealed Judge Lamberth’s ruling. Also on August 31, 2010 the Administration filed a motion to stay the preliminary injunction. Judge Lamberth denied the motion, and the administration appealed. On September 9, 2010 the District Court of Appeals granted an administrative stay which reads, in part, “The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the merits of the emergency motion for stay and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of that motion.” On September 3, 2010, the plaintiffs, James Sherley and Theresa Deisher issued declarations and filed a memorandum in opposition to the motion to stay. The District Court of Appeals made their final decision on April 29, 2011, overturning the preliminary injunction, allowing federal funding of embryo destructive research to continue until the case is decided by the US District Court for the District of Columbia. On July 27, 2011, Judge Lamberth denied Sherley and Deisher’s motion for summary judgment and granted the Defendants’ motion for summary judgment. Thus ruling against the plaintiffs. Polling Information and Opposition to Taxpayer Funding A Rasmussen Poll released on Friday, August 27, 2010, reveals that “only 33% of U.S. voters believe that taxpayer money should be spent on embryonic stem cell research” and 57% of those polled OPPOSE taxpayer funding for controversial stem cell research that requires destruction of human embryos. The poll demonstrates that while Americans are less likely to believe embryo-destructive research is morally wrong, a majority oppose federal funding for the research. Posted in In The Public Square Prev FEDS PROSECUTE PRO-LIFER: DOJ SIDES WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD Next The Hypocrisy of “Choice:” Dangerous Attempts to Limit Pregnant Women’s Options	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line871
__label__cc	0.624121	0.375879	10 Gangnam Style Parodies You Have to See Ricardo Zepeda-Esquivel . . . Comments Gangnam style parodies are the new Gangnam Style. I’m actually shocked at the lack of Gangnam fever in the Listverse community. As of this week, the original Gangnam Style has even surpassed the view count of the number one video on Youtube, Justin Bieber’s “Baby”. The immensely popular single by South Korean artist PSY has accumulated over 840 million views since it was uploaded four months ago. We can all agree that this song has a catchy beat, an amusing dance and some humorous moments, but what in Thor’s name does Gangnam mean? Gangnam is a wealthy neighborhood in the South Korean city of Seoul – and it’s the party district of Korea. In the song, PSY describes the kind of guy he is, as well as the kind of girl he wants. The video depicts the crowds that inhabit Gangnam. This booming popularity has spun many parodies. These Gangnam style parodies range, in their subject, from political messages to gaming culture. Here’s a list of ten parodies you should watch, if you want to be acquainted with the trend that’s rather absurdly taking the world by storm. First, here’s the original – just in case you were lost in the woods for the past four months, and still haven’t seen it: Romney Style How do you get young adults to take interest in politics these days? CollegeHumor, a comedic website, found just the solution. Let’s grab the most popular song on YouTube and make fun of one of the presidential candidates. In this spoof, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney is depicted as a wealthy, out-of-touch, republican elitist. The video also makes reference to Romney’s private comment to donors that 47% of Americans “believe they are victims” and “will vote for this president [Obama] no matter what.” In one scene, the Romney lookalike sticks a “47%” sign on a waiter’s back. Kim Jong Style With all the attention on South Korea, the North has become a little jealous. Kim Jong Un is feeling a bit left out. This Key of Awesome version makes fun of North Korean life, and depicts it as harsh, oppressive, and full of miserable citizens. The Key of Awesome has always been the number one spoofer in my opinion. If you aren’t familiar with their work, check them out! MineCraft Style http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9emjalsOsE MineCraft is a popular indie game that can be played on a PC or Xbox 360. The objective of the game is, essentially, to build things for strategic purposes. This is one parody that will fly right over you if you have not played the game – for those who have, however, it’s a real gem. NBC Olympic Style The 2012 Summer Olympics wasn’t filled with as many memorable moments as the previous one in Beijing, but there was one thing that did come out of London: an explosion of internet memes. There was the McKayla-not-impressed face, the Angry-Queen face, several funny-diver faces, and the yelling-Swedish-King face memes, to name a few. Now, the Olympics has added something else to internet culture: Olympic Style. This version makes fun of NBC sportscaster Bob Costas, and the over-the-top obsession of the NBC television network with the Olympics. Lo Pan Style Admirers of the film “Big Trouble in Little China” by John Carpenter will most certainly enjoy the hell out of this one. Number five on this list features the infamous villain from the film, Lo Pan. Once again – if you haven’t seen the film, you aren’t going to understand the references. All the same, the video remains funny and entertaining for the whole family. Vote Obama Style Throughout every single one of these United States, government professors and high school teachers obliged their students to watch the presidential debates. I’m sure most of the information flew right over their heads. So where can you get an abridged and layman’s version of the issues and topics? Look no further, because Obama Style is here! Obama Gangnam Style Can we ever get enough of Obama?! As far as the definition of a parody goes, this video doesn’t exactly fit the bill. I wanted to include this one because it’s amazing how well the lookalikes resemble their real counterparts. When I first watched it, I actually thought they had convinced the real Michelle to play the part. After all she is running a campaign to encourage kids to be more active, and what better way to be active than to do an hour of dancing to our favorite viral song. Another reason why I like this video: they actually put in their own dance moves! As well as the small tribute to Michael Jackson at the end. Spartan Style The final spot on this list is a homage to the (arguably) most amazing video game, Halo 4. The Halo franchise has had its share of YouTube channels and podcasts, now to add to that list is a K-pop remix of the popular game. Misheard Lyrics Style Immensely awkward, or comedy at its best? I’ll leave that for you to decide. Gangnam Style isn’t necessarily one of those things you either love or hate – but I’m fairly sure that after ten different versions of the song, you’ll fall pretty well into one of those categories. At number two, we have Gangnam Style as heard by a non-Korean speaker. Depending on your sense of humor, the results are hilarious. Hitler Style To finish things off with a touch of controversy, we have to include the Nazis. Hitler in his bunker has gone crazy – to the questionably appropriate tune of Gangnam style. Two of the most parodied videos on youtube are now merged in a blissful union. This could well be what future generations will remember of us, when we are gone. 10 Notable Fan Theories About Popular Children’s Stories 10 Thunderous Facts About Marvel’s Thor 10 Videos That Went Viral Before The Internet 10 Celebrity Death Hoaxes That Almost Had Us Fooled	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line874
__label__cc	0.540668	0.459332	Left: Against The Capitalistical Imperative Posted: 28 March 2010 by Little Alex in Philosophy, Political Science Tags: agorism, anarchism, anarcho-capitalism, anarcho-syndicalism, anti-Statism, Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand, Bolshevik Revolution, Bolshevism, capitalism, categorical imperative, Charles johnson, Communism, corporatism, crony capitalism, Democrats, economics, economy, fascism, free market, freed markets, Gary Chartier, human action, human rights, Kant, labor, law, left libertarianism, Lew Rockwell, libertarian, libertarian socialism, liberty, Ludwig von Mises, market-anarchism, Murray Rothbard, mutualism, Newspeak, Noam Chomsky, objectivism, political spectrum, Rad Geek, Republicans, Roderick Long, Russian Revolution, Samuel Konkin, SEK3, Sheldon Richman, socialism, Stalinisn, state capitalism, The Fountainhead, US, USSR, voluntaryism [This article is available to view or download in .pdf format] A facebook friend, Andrew Taranto, posted: Ayn Rand was, at least rhetorically speaking, a capitalist and an anti-libertarian. Shouldn’t we, libertarians, regard this as significant when considering the value of the term “capitalist”? To this, my knee-jerk hit & run response was: Her biggest problem with free market libertarians was what she called ‘plagiarism’ because ‘no capitalist would plagiarize’. She was right in the sense that ‘intellectual property’ is a tenet of capitalism, only protected by the State. Which leads to her disdain toward free market anarchists—that she was uncompromising in the fact that the State is [an absolutely necessity] for capitalism to exist. She said she believed in the separation of State and economy, but this was a lie because her legal philosophy regarding corporations, ‘intellectual property’, land redistribution (a la “Confiscation and the Homestead Principle” require the State to create, enforce and preserve these fictional entities to limit liability, fictional property rights that forcefully monopolize (steal) and protect immoral land possession. She was indeed a capitalist, not a free marketeer and definitely not a libertarian. A key portion of the ‘conscience’ of a libertarian, for lack of a better phrase, is the harsh scrutiny toward all forms of hierarchy, domination, existing institutions which wield any degree of authority AND to support little less than the dismantling of these institutions when their authority cannot be justified. She never justifies the State, only that it is an imperative for capitalism and never scrutinized ‘non-governmental’ institutions which wield authority. If her logic connects anywhere in her conclusions—according to her excellent interpretation of metaphysics and epistemology—she subjectively never states belief that ex post facto justice be applied to capitalists. This conservatism of the status quo is an elitist categorical imperative (funny as she was such a militant opponent of Kant). This categorical imperative is the preserver of capitalism and the State. She was right. Capitalism cannot exist without the State because the imperative isn’t justice or liberty, but preserving capital as the guiding force of interpersonal relations. I like to clarify a couple of things because I wasn’t completely fair to Rand: First, Rand’s argument with libertarians regarding the legitimacy of the State was that it is a necessary final arbiter. That even when it is immoral, it is immoral to dismantle it without replacing it with another monopoly of force. The State’s immorality, by her own definition of morality, leaves only her utilitarian argument to tolerate such injustice. Her ideal social system’s immorality was acceptable to her (for no other reason that I see than) to perpetuate capitalists’ status quo—the elite to have access to the State as a monopoly agency. Second, she did scrutinize the status quo more often and accurately than most of her time and throughout history—irrational orthodoxy and institutions such as the Church, the State and the perception of the self. This includes the workplace in her fiction, but my comment was directed to when she zeroed in political science and economics later in her life. Third, I don’t see a linguistic definition of “capitalism” worth using to describe a free market because it was already defined by pre-U.S.S.R. free marketeers as an unjust system. Otherwise. I don’t know how one forms an ‘-ism’ from ‘capital’. The derivation process just doesn’t work. We can really only interpret the word as an ‘-ism’ through its historical usage or base a political philosophy on ‘capital’ as some sort of categorical imperative. I fully agree with Professor Roderick Long—who I trust well as a go-to on Rand, Aristotle, virtue ethics, liberal philosophy—that “capitalism” is an “anti-concept”, a term coined by Rand. From his lecture “Left and Right: Forty Years Later“: Rand used to identify certain terms and ideas as “anti-concepts,” that is, terms that actually function to obscure our understanding rather than facilitating it, making it harder for us to grasp other, legitimate concepts; one important category of anti-concepts is what Rand called the “package deal,” referring to any term whose meaning conceals an implicit presupposition that certain things go together that in actuality do not. Although Rand would not agree with the following examples, I’ve become convinced that the terms “capitalism” and “socialism” are really anti-concepts of the package-deal variety. In Capitalism, The Unknown Ideal, Rand doesn’t say that the status quo is capitalism to its ideal, but uses examples from her time and history to argue that the ‘benefits’ come from capitalism as it existed. It cannot be argued that she didn’t argue capitalism as an element of the mixed economy of private and government-owned property. It’s the government possession of any property that makes government antithetical to the free market, but a market freed from coercion is more than an economic system. Free market principles are rooted in morality and ethics, but that injustice is not to be tolerated from any and all institutions. Rand’s book defines “capitalism” as—not as an economic science, but—a “social system” of property rights. (p.10) In Capitalism, Rand adds that “patents and copyrights are the legal implementation of the base of all property rights” and the imperative that “government certifies the origination of an idea and protects its owner’s exclusive right of use and disposal”. (p. 130) Instead of scrutinizing the privilege of ‘intellectual property’, she justifies it as “man’s right to the product of his mind”, but uses it to justify the existence of the State which violates her fundamental principle of morality—the non-aggression principle, which translates that the initiation of force is always immoral and ought not ever be acceptable means toward ends. She acknowledges and fully supports an individual’s monopoly of “an idea” and the State—which holds (her words) “a legal monopoly on the use of physical force”, not moral but legal—to enforce this ‘intellectual’ monopoly. (p. 130) Rand concedes that the “nature of governmental action is: coercive action”—coercion being the threat of the initiation of force, therefore, antithetical to free markets. (p. 46) Prof. Long makes the case against ‘intellectual property’ being a right in a manner which should be uncontroversial (emphasis added): The objects of ownership in the case of intellectual property are supposed to be abstract objects; but what does ownership over an abstract object amount to? Ownership is supposed to solve conflicts over use, but there cannot literally be conflicts over the use of abstract objects; I don’t have to wait until you’re done thinking the Pythagorean theorem before I can start thinking it. Putative conflicts over the use of abstract objects are always really conflicts over the concrete items in which those abstract objects are embodied. An abstract object, such as a design for a new kind of mousetrap, gets its foothold in concrete reality only by being embodied in, say, a mind that is thinking of it, or a sheet of paper that describes it, or an actual mousetrap built in accordance with it. But if those concrete objects are already owned—-the mind by the person whose mind it is, the paper and the mousetrap by whoever made or bought them—then the question of who has rights over those things is already settled, and there can be no further question of who owns the design itself. If the originator of the design were to claim exclusive rights over it, he or she would thereby be claiming, in practice, the right to control someone else’s property—someone else’s individual mind or individual sheet of paper or individual mousetrap. Intellectual property is thus essentially a claim of ownership over other people and the products of other people’s labor, and so is necessarily illegitimate; in forbidding the free circulation of ideas it constitutes a form of censorship as well. A core tenet of Rand’s “capitalism” was forceful intellectual monopoly. Her straw manning of libertarianism aside, her disdain for libertarianism was largely based on two perceptions: That libertarians do not tolerate the “coercive action” inherent in the State’s nature; and That she perceived libertarians as ‘stealing’ her fictitious ‘intellectual property’. Libertarians who scrutinized the privilege of ‘intellectual property’ morally oppose recognition of it. The concept is in support of slavery and a manifestation of State privilege, enforced by immoral aggression. Rand was a self-professed pro-capitalist anti-libertarian—in part—due to (and I feel she was correct here) ‘intellectual property’ privilege being a tenet of capitalism. A purpose of the State, then, is not to suppress capitalism, but necessary to preserve the ‘social system’ of it. A proponent of markets free of coercion—by Rand’s own definition of the State’s nature—must be anti-State; but capitalism is a “social system” where “patents and copyrights are the legal implementation of the base of all property rights” and the “government secures” the privileged entity the “exclusive right of use and disposal” of ideas. In this, she makes the case that it is the State’s duty to create and preserve monopoly by force. Rand’s recognition of ‘intellectual property’ as a right is debunked by herself a couple of pages later where she concedes that “the question of their time limit is an enormously complex issue”, citing Great Britain’s Copyright Act of 1911 as the “most rational” time limit. Rand’s views on property and perpetuity would have her follow that ‘intellectual property’ has no moral, rational time limit. Her own views on property rights cite ‘intellectual property’ as a State-granted monopoly privilege. The Capitalist: The Categorical Imperative Her views on ‘intellectual property’ and the State seem sloppy when one is familiar with her extremely wise writings on metaphysics and epistemology until you understand the word “capitalism”. Her definition of “capitalism” is basically a regurgitation of incorrect reactionary definitions of her time. Rand wasn’t stupid. She was very aware of the historical usage of “capitalism” to pejoratively describe people who expropriated profit from laborers’ production; that capital was stolen wealth as non-labor related income. Rand went as far as to call this an ideal in the title of the book I reference, which leads me to ask: were Rand’s inconsistencies in applying the non-aggression principle to economics and statism due to capital as an irrational categorical imperative? The argument for “capitalism” by those who also call themselves “libertarian” is that the etymology of “capitalism” doesn’t change the objective meaning. But the objective meaning isn’t that which anti-Soviets used as a reactionary term to oppose Bolshevism and Stalinism. What do I mean by this? Ayn Rand and capitalism: Ayn Rand is born in Russia in 1905, traveled to the U.S. after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1926 and vowed never to go back. Rand hated the Bolsheviks who called themselves ‘socialists’. They weren’t socialists, but it’s what they called themselves, so Rand called what she hated, ‘socialism’. The Bolsheviks called themselves ‘Marxists’. Marx hated the ‘capitalist’ who “develops technology, and the combining together of various processes into a social whole, only by sapping the original sources of all wealth—the soil and the labourer”. (Das Kapital, Vol. 1, Chap. 15). Rand expresses her anti-Bolshevism as ‘anti-socialism’ and ‘anti-Marxist’ by latching onto to what Marx hated: “capitalism”. It’s my contention that Rand did not see the social system she called “capitalism” as an “ideal” because it was truly the greatest extension of her philosophy, as she defines it heavily with ‘property rights’ that are inconsistent with her philosophy. The only explanation I can see is that she latched onto what Marx hated and called that what she loved employing capital “as the standard of rationality from which all moral requirements derive”, relating to economics. I’ve discussed this with neither Roderick T. Long nor Charles Johnson, but upon this thought, I decided to do a little digging. My history with Rand began at 15 and my love affair lasted until I became a libertarian around 21, but I’ve always clung to and reviewed her writings pretty frequently. I still consider myself an Aristotelian in terms of ethics and find myself illuminated by Rand’s fiction—which she always claimed was the clearest expression of her philosophy, describing herself as a novelist first, then a philosopher. Her non-fiction, especially where she dabbled in economics and political science was later in her life and I have a theory about her sloppiness and stubbornness that I won’t express here because it would serve as an ad hominem distraction. Prof. Long and Mr. Johnson make several points on her economic views with which I don’t contend that are extremely relevant to her subjective connection between free markets and capitalism. Prof. Long, earlier this year (emphasis added): Rand describes a “pyramid of ability” operating within capitalism, wherein the dull masses are carried along by the intelligent and enterprising few. “The man at the top,” Rand assures us, “contributes the most to all those below him,” while the “man at the bottom who, left to himself, would starve in his hopeless ineptitude, contributes nothing to those above him, but receives the bonus of all of their brains.” Rand doesn’t say that the top and the bottom always correspond to employers and employees respectively, but she clearly takes that to be the usual situation. And that simply does not correspond with the reality of most people’s everyday experience. If you’ve spent any time at all in the business world, you’ve almost certainly discovered that the reality on the ground resembles the comic-strip Dilbert a lot more than it resembles Rand’s pyramid of ability. In Kevin Carson’s words: as in government, so likewise in business, the “people who regulate what you do, in most cases, know less about what you’re doing than you do,” and businesses generally get things done only to the extent that “rules imposed by people not directly involved in the situation” are treated as “an obstacle to be routed around by the people actually doing the work.” To a considerable extent, then, in the real world we see the people at the “bottom” carrying the people at the “top” rather than vice versa. Rand’s notorious reference to big business as a “persecuted minority” (Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, ch. 3) likewise jars with our real-world experience of “capitalism,” as we see the corporate elite lining up for tax-funded subsidies, protectionist regulations, bailouts, mandates, monopoly contracts, war profits, eminent domain giveaways, and other state-granted privileges. But, Rand does understand that the persecuted are within every class. She’s sloppy in Capitalism, but Atlas Shrugged contains a wealth of heroes and villains from every economic class—expressing that producers and parasites are results of free will, not circumstance. The Fountainhead‘s villains are people who live by capital as a categorical imperative—Peter Keating, Gail Wynand. And Dominique Francon, the heroine, is someone who endures struggle with integrity instead of selling out. It’s the lack of moral standards (because she deplored Kant and the concept of the categorical imperative) that made the villans immoral, irrational, evil profit-seekers at the expense of others; and the adherence to morality over profit that defines her heroes. It’s part of why I love her fiction! Prof. Long wrote in 2007 (emphasis added): Now the second, more left-wing reading is clearly the “official” one, both because the novel draws its heroes and villains from capital and labour alike (and even the über-hero John Galt is a proletarian of sorts) and because in her nonfiction works Rand always insisted that the greatest conflicts between producers and parasites occur not between but within economic classes. But the novel is nonetheless heavily and unmistakably flavoured with the first, more right-wing reading. Why so? Is it just because Rand the creative novelist couldn’t resist the attraction of what she would have called the “gimmick” of reversing the conventional picture of a strike? Surely it’s more than that. What of class solidarity as an explanation? It seems to have something going for it: while Rand lived a proletarian life during her early years in the U.S., she had come from a bourgeois family (albeit more petit than grand) who had been expropriated by a proletarian revolution—so it might seem only to be expected that she would identify with capital rather than with labour. Charles Johnson rationalizes that Rand’s view of capitalism was aptly not logically consistent with a free market, stating (emphasis added): Rand knew perfectly well that the historical data underdetermined the question of whether predation or voluntary cooperation was essential to the capitalistic form of society: the rise of the societies we call capitalist involved the liberation of many people and of the markets in many commodities; it also involved the escalation of many forms of predatory state patronage and the invention of new ones (it meant, for example, considerably more freedom in agriculture or textiles; it also meant considerably more government intervention in banking, land use, and transportation infrastructure). You could describe the picture by identifying the growth in freedom as the capitalist stuff, with the new levels of predation as anti-capitalist deviations from capitalism marring its productive development. But you could just as easily describe it by identifying the growth in predation as the capitalist stuff, with the growth in freedom as a countervailing, non-capitalist or anti-capitalist development, which the capitalist stuff had an antagonistic, or often parasitic, relationship to. So which description should you choose? I think the best explanation why Rand chose the first picture instead of the second one has to do with what she would have identified with her sense of life —the degree to which her aesthetic and affectional imagination were engaged on behalf of actually existing capitalists, as she understood them, in the known reality of the mixed economy: that is, her view of the grand bourgeoisie — big industrialists, business-owners, money-men, the top tier of entrepreneurial inventors, and ultimately the wealthy broadly — as the heroic prime movers in business, and thus as the world’s motor , driving the production of the material means of survival and human flourishing. (See, for example, Atlas Shrugged or America’s Persecuted Minority: Big Business.) Though she’d no doubt fume at the description, one way of putting it is that she made her choices about what language to reclaim and what language to abandon on the basis of class solidarity. I have no quarrel with Rand’s procedure; but rather only with the particular class she chooses to stand in solidarity with. If Rand is right that the capitalist is the chief victim of the predatory state, and if the picture she draws of the archetypical capitalist is well-drawn, it makes perfect sense for her to reclaim the word capitalism for the free market as against political patronage. If, on the other hand, the bosses are the chief beneficiaries of the predatory state, and if the picture she draws of the archetypical capitalist is ill-drawn—if the archetypical boss is a busybodying mediocrity, a cunning predator, or a petulant grafter, and if their role in the workplace is a drag on the productive labor on the shop floor rather than the animating force behind it as Rand claims—then it makes perfect sense to locate the essence of capitalism elsewhere from where Rand locates it, and to treat capitalism as a term of criticism for political patronage as against the free market. Rand’s views on economics were not consistent with the free market principles many derive from her morality, but pretty consistent with the descriptions of capitalism given by critics of capitalism—Marx, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Benjamin Tucker, Friedrich Engels. Rand was indeed a capitalist and not a libertarian, by her own admission, but we can prove this by showing her solidarity with capitalists over free market libertarians when she decided to become the armchair economist. Further proof that a free market libertarian is not a capitalist, Andrew? Sure. I can get into why Rand’s fiction writing is special to me and objectively profound elsewhere. In a nutshell, it actually does apply valid objective metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and aesthetics to scrutinizing all forms of hierarchy and domination in our culture. This is what makes her expression relevant to libertarianism. Her economics and conservative reactions to authoritarianism in the workplace expressed later in her life, on the other hand, are antithetical to libertarianism and why I agree with Professor Gary Chartier; that libertarians are inherently anti-capitalist. A highlight of libertarianism is not punching numbers to produce the ‘greatest for the greatest number’ because—as the antithesis of authoritarianism—libertarians don’t only see authority as not self-justifying, but also the self-defeating aspects of central planning institutions to dictate such numbers. No one with half a brain will argue that the status quo or etymology of “capitalism” is libertarian. Linguistically, we can only objectively say that capitalism, as a social system, is one driven by capital. One can take this abstract to many levels, but this truism shouldn’t be controversial. The liberty of the individual as sovereign over authoritative institutions has been wrongly associated with capitalism because capitalism is a hybrid of the two—private ownership of the means of production with a monopoly of force (the State) driving the direction of capital in society. Though Rand and other minarchists who call themselves ‘capitalists’ call for a separation of state and economy, their rationale is seldom rooted in the free, voluntary exchange of justly possessed property. It is usually to prevent the State from expropriating capital from the economy. For this reason, the scrutiny that minarchists apply to the top-down, bureaucratic, forceful domination of government is not applied to the workplace. The fact of the matter is that the workplace functions in the same way—expropriating capital from laborers. The pyramid scheme of top-down organization is accepted as conventional wisdom for how to control the successes and failures of a corporation. Another truism ignored by minarchist capitalists is that governments are corporations and act like corporations. The evil it commits is heavily rooted in that it produces nothing and enabled by its monopoly of force intruding on the economy to extract capital, but a dysfunction of government is also its inner top-down bureaucratic structure—where those at the bottom do most of the work and best understand how to maximize without wasting resources, but they have no say. If you don’t believe me, just ask a schoolteacher. Every critic of the education system, especially those of public education, claims that their schoolteacher friend is one of the few great ones. You don’t hear people bragging about their friends in the administrative bureaucracy of the education system. The beauty of Rand’s fiction is that heroes don’t strive for capital. They strive for eudaimonia. Yes, there is no virtue in sacrifice, but Rand contends that there is no such thing as ‘sacrificing capital’ in the rational pursuit of eudaimonia. A large part of this rational pursuit is not only to recognize your sovereignty as an individual, but that this recognition is meaningless (or in most cases, hedonistic, which she abhorred) without recognizing and respecting that sovereignty in all individuals. The libertarian applies this Aristotelian view on virtue by not only refusing to tolerate any authority which cannot justify itself with logical, moral consistency; but any social system where the pursuit of eudaimonia is curbed by aggression. A common minarchist, austrolibertarian, “anarcho”-capitalist argument against the mixed economy concentrating wealth to privileged classes of cartels is that now the American family has to have two working parents or starve. Instead of applauding the capitalists’ use of child labor for “providing 15-year-olds with the training, life experience, and sense of self-worth that only a private job can bring“, as Lew Rockwell, Jr. did recently, libertarians should be scrutinizing the conditions that deter the child from acquiring an education, making quality friendships, participating in a sport, enhancing a need to feed the creative juices that flow through an adolescent or helping his mother and father care for his siblings. The libertarian doesn’t value a social system guided by authority or capital, but by the free and non-aggressive actions of individuals within said society. Ludwig von Mises argued well that human action drives the marketplace and the most efficient market is one where human action is most genuine. Mises also argued for the State and in favor of the capitalist sacrificing his morality when it best serves the customer; not that there’s any virtue in it, but with capital as a categorical imperative, it’s in the capitalist’s best interest to obtain capital. Murray Rothbard’s treatise on ethics argues a natural law of individual sovereignty and defines libertarianism as a political philosophy with a rational framework of scrutinizing the legitimacy of institutions which threaten or violate individual sovereignty and the imperative that a libertarian seeks justice when they are illegitimate. Of the Federal Reserve I stated, loosely paraphrasing Professor Noam Chomsky’s words on the financial system in the 90’s, “When in the pursuit of justice, an inherently tyrannical institution stands in the way, you don’t ‘reform’ it. You get rid of it.” Mises’ argument that the most efficient market is one where human action is most freely expressed isn’t an ideology; it’s a truism. The libertarian accepts that the State is illegitimate and understands justice is served only when this illegitimate authoritative institution is dismantled. The libertarian supports, not capital, but human action to drive the marketplace. Not top-down, highly centralized concentrations of capital to solve the problems in society or improve it to better fit our preferences, but voluntary participation of people to construct institutions and means to achieve common goals where they exist. Maximum liberty is achieved when institutions are controlled by the people who construct and maintain them, but also by the people who are affected by them or else the institution will always infringe on individual sovereignty. I don’t mean to ‘straw man’ Misesean anti-Statists or Rothbardians here. Rothbard took Mises’ economic philosophy and the Aristotleian-Randian ethical philosophy to a more logical conclusion of free market libertarianism which he dubbed “anarcho-capitalism”. The problem with Rothbard’s self-diagnosis was that he using the flawed, reactionary interpretation of “capitalism” that Mises and Rand used. Samuel E. Konkin III coined the term “agorism” as radical means toward a free market—understanding that without scrutiny of all institutions possessed by a government or ‘private’ hands, there could be no justice. And without justice, a market could not be reasonably called “free”. He responded to “anarcho-capitalism” and the way “Rothbardian” was used in a 2002 interview (emphasis added): First and foremost, agorists stress the Entrepreneur, see non-statist Capitalists (in the sense of holders of capital, not necessary ideologically aware) as relatively neutral drone-like non-innovators, and pro-statist Capitalists as the main Evil in the political realm…. The “Anarcho-capitalists” tend to conflate the Innovator (Entrepreneur) and Capitalist, much as the Marxoids and cruder collectivists do…. Agorists are strict Rothbardians, and, I would argue in this case, even more Rothbardian than Rothbard, who still had some of the older confusion in his thinking. But he was Misesian, and Mises made the original distinction between Innovators/Arbitrageurs and Capital-holders (i.e., mortgage-holders, coupon-clippers, financiers, worthless heirs, landlords, etc.). With the Market largely moving to the ‘net, it is becoming ever-more pure entrepreneurial, leaving the brick ‘n’ mortar “capitalist” behind…. Agorists, as you have undoubtedly picked up, are revolutionary; we don’t see the market triumphing without the collapse of the State and its ruling caste, and, as I point out in New Libertarian Manifesto, historically, they just don’t go without unleashing senseless violence on the usually peaceful revolutionaries who then defend themseelves. Whose Streets? Our Streets! The workplace should not be the third rail of libertarian discourse. Seeing as we’re at work eight hours of our day and construct the remaining hours to comply with those eight hours, there’s nothing more libertarian than self-employment or the construction of institutions where people cooperatively organize to produce and possess a mutually agreed upon portion of the fruits of their labor. It isn’t in a human being’s best interest to dehumanize oneself or tolerate the dehumanization efforts of others. The imperative of capital over people as an ‘-ism’ is extremely dehumanizing and therefore, directly in conflict with liberty. Is this socialism? The etymology of “socialism” ranges from stateless communism to the Soviet Union to everything I’ve just described. The historical usage of “socialism” is actually cloudier than that of “capitalism”. Linguistically, it makes sense—as Sheldon Richman made the point in a lecture titled, “Capitalism vs. the Free Market“—that if we designed an objective linear political spectrum, it would be socialism at the left polar opposite of statism because the far extremes visualize control of the means of production as either in the hands of the government or the people. I really can’t argue against this rationale with my contention that the State, like any corporation, is an inherently antisocial institution. The primary objective of an entity is usually to preserve itself. No matter what other motives lie in the background, those cannot be met by the entity if it ceases to exist. The driving force of non-human entities controlled by humans is the same. The State doesn’t really own anything, justly; it only possesses and control that which is either stolen outright, acquired with the directly stolen production from laborers or with borrowed capital that becomes odious debt on the working class. Rothbard rationalized applying justice to the wrongfully possessed land by the State of the Soviet Union in the article, “Confiscation and the Homestead Principle” (emphasis added): The principle in the Communist countries should be: land to the peasants and the factories to the workers, thereby getting the property out of the hands of the State and into private, homesteading hands…. The libertarian sees the State as a giant gang of organized criminals, who live off the theft called “taxation” and use the proceeds to kill, enslave, and generally push people around. Therefore, any property in the hands of the State is in the hands of thieves, and should be liberated as quickly as possible. Any person or group who liberates such property, who confiscates or appropriates it from the State, is performing a virtuous act and a signal service to the cause of liberty…. Often, the most practical method of de-statizing is simply to grant the moral right of ownership on the person or group who seizes the property from the State. Of this group, the most morally deserving are the ones who are already using the property but who have no moral complicity in the State’s act of aggression. These people then become the “homesteaders” of the stolen property and hence the rightful owners…. Alan Milchman, in the days when he was a brilliant young libertarian activist, first pointed out that libertarians had misled themselves by making their main dichotomy “government” vs. “private” with the former bad and the latter good. Government, he pointed out, is after all not a mystical entity but a group of individuals, “private” individuals if you will, acting in the manner of an organized criminal gang. But this means that there may also be “private” criminals as well as people directly affiliated with the government. What we libertarians object to, then, is not government per se but crime, what we object to is unjust or criminal property titles; what we are for is not “private” property per se but just, innocent, non-criminal private property. It is justice vs. injustice, innocence vs. criminality that must be our major libertarian focus. Prof. Chartier calls this application of justice “libertarian redistribution” (emphasis added): Libertarian redistribution is just because it employs voluntary or rectificatory means and because it is undertaken by non-state actors. It does not require any sort of global consequentialist justification. And it serves to empower ordinary people and compensate them for injustice…. Libertarians rightly reject statist redistribution as a variety of slavery. But they have every reason to embrace solidaristic, transactional, and rectificational redistribution. A libertarian commitment to redistribution helps clearly to identify libertarianism as a species of genuine radicalism that challenges the status quo, undermines hierarchy, exclusion, and poverty, and fosters authentic empowerment. Because the State produces nothing but destruction, it actually preserves itself through capital forcefully expropriated from the labor of not only its citizens, but also the agents within the State—more-so as you go down the ladder to that schoolteacher, marine, firefighter. The reaction of many populist statists is to call for more ‘democratic’ structures to enter the political realm, but this never solves the problem inherent with existence of the State. Democracy, linguistically translated, is ‘people power’ and without the power to dismantle an authoritative institution, the people will never have power. For this reason, it’s always in any government’s interest to use its monopoly of force to preserve its viability by any means necessary. The State’s nature of being antisocial is that which makes it inherently anti-democratic. How does a libertarian society ‘work’? Prof. Chomsky tells people over and over again that “anarchism is participatory, so that means you don’t wanna hear a speech about” how ‘society will work’. I won’t pontificate like a technocrat, but the best answer to the question of how a libertarian society would work is: that’s up to the individuals in said societies, how they cooperate to solve problems, raise production and maximize the standard of living when individuals have a direct stake in the culmination of actions within the society. This isn’t ‘socialist ideology’ to ‘enslave’ individuals to some abstract coercive collective. The State is a coercive collective by any definition. Participation in society isn’t a mythical duty to serve arbitrary masters. It’s in any non-primitivist’s rational self-interest to engage in interpersonal relations. There’s no virtue in dehumanizing one’s self to live by an ‘-ism’ revolving around capital. This is just a basic truism that without the coercive collective of the State and the compartmentalizing workplace atmosphere governing our lives, it’s in our interest to have more control of our destinies within our own hands Human beings are rational, social, pleasure-seeking animals with relatively infinite mental and emotional capacities. The extremely rare quality for a group in nature to have the capacity to create, innovate and revise material objects that improve the quality of life. The fact that these mental capacities are combined with the infinite beautiful ability to express, empathize and sympathize in our relations with one another to gut-wrenching degrees makes it in individuals’ rational self-interest to cooperate with one another to improve the quality of life of those who improve ours. Limiting ourselves to the adherence to dehumanizing social systems based on force, materialism and domination is anti-liberty and therefore, anti-libertarian. The marketplace isn’t just an exchange of material goods at prices and this outlook has become a categorical imperative that inhibits people from scrutinizing the ethics of the systems which govern most of our lives: the workplace. The market is culmination of the interdependent interactions of people within society. Capitalist ethics isolate scrutiny to exchanges inhibiting further exchange of capital. Libertarian ethics ought not be ignorant of the social costs forced upon non-capitalists and capitalists in all interpersonal relations, direct and indirect. These are the costs bankrupting humanity of eudaimonia. The ‘Benjamin Tucker called himself a socialist’ argument is a lazy one by itself, I feel, that advocates of freed markets are socialists. Remember, the totalitarian, genocidal, authoritatively central planning Bolsheviks called their government the “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics”. Whose philosophy or direct action you prefer more shouldn’t dictate your definition of “socialism”, either way. Mr. Richman’s argument that that statism and socialism are existential polar opposites and the uncompromising scrutiny of the social costs expropriated by private tyrannies, where they exist, displays ‘socialism’ as an accurate classification of the libertarian left. The usage of ‘left and right’ in the 21st century has been so dumbed-down that it doesn’t really mean anything. In America, the political sector has been so centralized, exclusive and demoralized that you can be a proponent of virtually unlimited government, with nationalism as a categorical imperative and be considered ‘left’ or ‘right’ based on the difference between whether you’re an incremental Fabian socialist or neo-Nazi extremist. What’s even weirder is that the extremists are viewed as the ‘right wing’ and the incrementalists are the ‘left wing’. The fact is that a linear spectrum is relative. There is no objective ‘left’ and ‘right’, but an individual spectrum can be objective if what’s being gauged is clearly communicated. Adherence to a certain political party of amoral cynics provides absolutely no framework for an objective spectrum. Basically, those who identify Republicans as ‘right’ and Democrats as ‘left’ might as well be reading The Potty Book out loud. Then, they’d actually begin to make some sense. The history of ‘left’ and ‘right as political identifiers is chronicled well enough by Prof. Long in the article I quoted earlier, but not so much relative to the question of what a ‘left-libertarian’ is. ‘Left-libertarian’ is not an objective classification. ‘Libertarian’ can be, but a ‘left-libertarian’ is only ‘left’ relative to what can be objectively defined as a ‘right-libertarian’. What distinguishes a libertarian in this spectrum better than any other description, politically, is the level of scrutiny applied to authoritative institutions. We can label those who apply minimal scrutiny to—-or scrutiny to the minimum amount of—institutions as ‘the right’ and those who maximize scrutiny and the institutions scrutinized as ‘the left’. ‘The right’ being the more conservative through their loyalty to existing institutions and ‘the left’ more liberal through the refusal to accept any existing institution on it face. Establishing that the status quo is much closer to capitalism than to a free society, libertarians who identify as ‘capitalists’ would be within the further-right end of the spectrum and those who identify as ‘communists’ at the further-left. We can reasonably put Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and the Zapatistas as the extremists—philosophically speaking as Constitutionalist-incrementalists and revolutionary direct actors for abolition. As a libertarian becomes more radically defiant of the status quo, the libertarian is further left. Mutualism seems to be the purest free market philosophy, as it incorporates individual sovereignty with the pluralism—or ‘mutual coexistence’—of diverse economic systems and institutions. One could very easily mistake this as ‘centrist’, but I contend that mutualists’ disdain for ‘change through the system’ which already exists as placing it left-of-center. Though, agorism is widely misunderstood as a system or “‘anarcho’-capitalism’ by another name”, I contend this as incorrect. The disdain for ‘change within the system’ and the practices of active resistance against direct government intervention against the individual are too uncompromising for the ‘center’ of this spectrum. The direct action of non-capital, labor and innovation-based production widely separate the means from the social system of the status quo toward more radically liberal ends than the austrolibertarians who rarely scrutinize hierarchy within the workplace, let alone the Church. The agorist doesn’t really differ much from the mutualist and neither does the syndicalist. But the two are not ‘social systems’ in the sense of a political spectrum. They are means toward mutualist or communist ends. As a syndicalist and agorist in support of a society of coexisting individuals within confederated institutions and communities, interacting within a market freed from coercion within itself and from any governing monopoly of force, where individuals own stakes in decision-making processes proportionate to the extent they are effected by said decisions, I am a left-libertarian. Socialist Worker on ‘When Wall Street Loves Reform’ « Little Alex in Wonderland says: […] Alex posted an extensive comment on the financial system we can all take control of our labor in our own lives. Professor Gary Chartier recently videotaped a presentation of his article, “Radical […] Ideas And Minds \| Blog \| Left: Against The Capitalistical Imperative says: 2 April 2010 at 2:02 AM […] April 2, 2010 in Free market, Historical Figures, History, Liberty, Syndication, democracy, economics, intellectual property, labor, property rights, socialism, statism, tyranny, voluntaryism by Ideas&Minds Left: Against The Capitalistical Imperative […] Libertarian ‘Regression’ « Little Alex in Wonderland says: […] The initial reasoning flaw of Mr. Carpio is multi-facted: […] Weekend Briefing—27th-28th March 2010 Daily Briefing—29th March 2010	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line875
__label__wiki	0.942302	0.942302	Air of menace as Britain's election gets nasty By Martine PAUWELS (AFP) Dec 7, 2019 in Politics Candidates hoping to be elected to parliament in Britain have faced all manner of threats and abuse in a particularly hostile campaign, with some worried for their safety when out canvassing. When one man on Facebook threatened a violent attack on Dominic Graham, the would-be MP immediately called the police, who made an arrest. It was far from an isolated case in the run-up to Thursday's snap polls, called on the increasingly divisive issue of Brexit. Graham is standing for the third time for the centrist, pro-EU Liberal Democrats, who want to cancel Brexit altogether. "We didn't see anything close to the threats we've been getting in this campaign," he told AFP, comparing 2019 with his previous election bids. When he went knocking on doors in a residential part of Braintree, a town in Essex, northeast of London, he made sure he was accompanied by a fellow Lib Dem activist, in line with police and party security instructions. Ever since entering parliament in 2017, the German-born Wera Hobhouse, standing for the Lib Dems in Bath, southwest England, has received a stream of anonymous letters. She informs the police of her campaign movements and always carries an alarm button in her pocket. In recent days, her election placards have regularly been destroyed by unknown assailants, "with such force that I ask myself what would happen if we crossed paths", she said. - Brexit accelerant - The number of alleged crimes reported by MPs more than doubled from 151 in 2017 to 342 last year, senior police chief Neil Basu told a parliamentary committee in May. The first four months of 2019 saw a 90 percent year-on-year increase to 152 -- a trend on course to lead to "certainly over 450 crimes this year", he said. Women and ethnic minorities are disproportionately targeted in particular, said Britain's top police officer Cressida Dick. The toxic atmosphere is "unprecedented", she said, citing "polarised opinions" changing the nature of protest activity following the 2016 Brexit referendum. "The abuse that we've had has been Brexit-related -- all of it," said Graham, sheltering under an umbrella in his party's yellow and black colours. He is campaigning on unfavourable territory as the Braintree constituency voted heavily in favour of Britain's departure from the European Union. Conservative Party co-chairman James Cleverly is the favourite to retain his seat, winning last time with 63 percent of the vote. - Jo Cox fear - The fear for candidates' safety is a reminder of the terrifying scenes in 2016 when pro-EU Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered by a gun-and knife-wielding neo-Nazi sympathiser. A memorial to murdered Labour MP, Jo Cox outside the Houses of Parliament in London on June 20, 2016. JUSTIN TALLIS, AFP In November, a man was jailed for 12 months for sending a letter to Change UK MP Anna Soubry reading: "Cox was first, you are next". Several MPs, including two who served in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's cabinet, Amber Rudd and Nicky Morgan, are not standing again, citing threats and harassment. As for the source of the threats, "many of them are from the more right-wing, very Brexit side who see some politicians as being traitors to that", said analyst Alexandra Kellert, from the global risk consultancy Control Risks. "You might start by writing why you disagree with them on Twitter or Facebook. And then that might develop into stronger feelings," she added. - 'Toxic' social media - Lib Dem candidate Rhian O'Connor does not feel particularly concerned when she goes doorknocking after dark in Greenwich, a "Remain"-backing area of southeast London. Nonetheless, she does not go out alone, and never accepts invitations to step indoors despite the wintry cold. "It's definitely more aggressive" than before, she said. Frustrated "Brexiteers" see her as someone "trying to block what they see is the biggest democratic project for decades", she said. On the doorstep, people are "polite to you" but once indoors they could be on Twitter "calling you all kinds of names", she said, adding that social media had become "a lot more toxic in this environment". Graham said his campaign manager runs his Facebook page. "She gets the full brunt of the abuse and threats," he said, adding: "Abusive messages and comments coming at such a rate that she can't delete them fast enough." Official security guidance to candidates includes taking active steps on personal safety, keeping records of abuse, limiting online personal information and reporting intimidation or abuse to internet service providers. However, the hostile atmosphere is not enough to discourage all those candidates standing for Britain's 650 seats in parliament. "Democracy doesn't work if everyone stays at home," said Hobhouse. More about Britain, Eu, Brexit, Politics, Vote Britain Eu Brexit Politics Vote Security Pompeo takes on growing rift with Brexit Britain	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line876
__label__wiki	0.595799	0.595799	Miami Weather: Late Week Rain Should End Before Super Bowl SundaySouth Florida got off to a cool start Wednesday with temperatures in the upper 50s and low 60s. New Federal Program Aims To Put Homeless Veterans In Permanent Housing By Carey Codd November 4, 2013 at 6:28 pm Filed Under:Broward Parks, Department of Veterans, Homeless Veterans, Hope South Florida, Laquita Branch, qlw, U.S. Army, U.S. Army. Branch (Source: CBS4) FT. LAUDERDALE — A new Department of Veterans Affairs program is working to move homeless veterans from the streets into permanent housing. Locally, Hope South Florida is running the 3-year pilot program, with a grant of more than $1 million. One of Hope South Florida’s first clients is Laquita Branch, who served three years in the U.S. Army. Branch told CBS 4 News that she recently fell on hard times due to some bad decisions and a troubled relationship. “I was homeless from September (2012) to February 1,” she explained. Branch says she stayed nights in several Broward parks and asked her mother to take care of her children, Dakota, 9, and Gloria, 2, while she got her life together. “I wasn’t too happy about it because I miss my girls, I love my girls,” Branch said. “I felt it wasn’t gonna be safe for my girls.” Finally a door opened. Laquita found a job at a warehouse filling orders for convenience stores and someone mentioned the Hope4Vets program that could provide a temporary rental subsidy for Laquita get housing. “It’s a lifeline,” she said. “It saved me from really sinking.” Branch is grateful to be reunited with her daughters. “It was the best day of my life,” she said. “I was crying and happy all at the same time.” Branch’s daughters have their own room and lots of quality time with mom. Hope South Florida says Laquita is working with a case manager to make sure her transition is permanent. “The idea is to get a person into their own apartment, get them stable and then they take over the lease and it becomes their home,” said Hope South Florida Executive Director Robin Martin. Branch is confident that she will thrive in the program, which she believe values giving others a chance to better their lives. “Help other people,” she said. “Don’t just always think about yourself and that’s basically what this whole program is based on — selfless service.” Hope South Florida says they’ve found housing for 18 veterans and their families and they hope to house even more as the 3 year program moves forward. The hope is that veterans like Laquita will become completely self sufficient. There are more than two dozen similar Veterans Affairs grants in cities throughout the United States. Carey Codd Carey Codd is a General Assignment Reporter for CBS4 News and joined the News Team in 2005. More from Carey Codd Amber Alert Tied To Triple Murder In Redland	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line888
__label__wiki	0.985927	0.985927	Home / Entertainment / Movies 'Tinker' director Sonny Marler on the emotional rollercoaster of filming and what he learned from Clayne Crawford Sonny Marler, the director of 'Tinker' had no idea what an emotional rollercoaster making the film would be. By Priyam Chhetri Updated On : 10:46 PST, Dec 8, 2018 Sonny Marler's 'Tinker' may be a fascinating sci-fi family drama, but what's even more interesting is the story behind it. An independent film, the tale of 'Tinker's materialization is that of incredible will, grit and lots of faith. When Clayne Crawford approached director Marler with an idea to work on a script together in 2013 he had no idea what an emotional rollercoaster the project would turn out to be. "He initially wanted it to be of a horror genre," says Marler, "and he wanted to do it with his son, Colt." Marler, excited to do a project with a longtime friend (they've been buddies for about two decades) wrote it along the lines of a father-son plot, instead. Clayne loved it. Are you ready for the heart-warming family film of the year? Pre-Order the award-winning movie, #Tinker' for the holidays on #Amazon & #iTunes. Drops December 4th @GravitasVOD #ClayneCrawford #ChristianKane #Family #love #scifi #faith #crystals #NikolaTesla #TeamClayne #Kaniacs pic.twitter.com/3sMSRP2RZm — Tinker the Movie (@TinkerMovie) October 27, 2018 Starring Clayne alongside Christian Kane, Wilmer Calderon, Colton Crawford, Chalet Lizette Brannan, Randy 'Tumbleweed' Smith, and Wendy Baron, 'Tinker' follows Grady Lee Jr., a lonely man with zero social skills and a life he isn't used to. One day, Grady's life changes forever after he stumbles upon a hidden compartment in his dad's office. He finds a journal from the '60s that belonged to Grady Sr. containing secrets from his time in the military. As he digs deeper, he finds that his dad had drawn up plans to develop what could potentially be a revolutionary machine capable of changing the world. In another curveball that life throws at him, his sister suddenly passes away leaving him to take care of her son Kai. He's distraught at first, but what follows is an adventure of a lifetime. Marler and Clayne came up with the idea for 'Tinker' while working on a project in Peru. The inspiration? Nikolas Tesla and Marler's son. "We did this spiritual journey type documentary and when I came back I started directing pilots for Discovery Channel," says Marler noting that he, at the time, had the opportunity to talk to researchers who were studying the life of Tesla and other areas of Quantum Physics. #SaturdayMorning#Share@TinkerMovie🌱#Tinker the #indiefilm Website🌱https://t.co/Qv1SFGAyWS🌱 ✅ out the #Trailer #BTS Photos #About The movie and More!@ClayneCrawford #ColtonCrawford #Fans @ChristianKane01 #Kaniacs#SpreadTheLove❤️#ClayneCrawford #ChristianKane #TinkerOn🌱 pic.twitter.com/xjXeLupFpd — 🐺 mary e. brewer 🐾 (@maryebrewer) July 7, 2018 He came across Dr. PMH Atwater, the author of the sensational book 'Children of the Fifth World: A Guide to the Coming Changes in Human Consciousness'. "And that was the inspiration for the little boy in the movie," he says referring to Colt's role in the film, Kai. "My son was 5 years old at the time and I really felt a connection - and the father-son storyline came to mind...that, that was close my heart." Everything looked fantastic for the film. They met up with Nick Stathakis and Tom Bhramanaya, who would both go on to serve as producers. Tom, who would become executive producer, also co-wrote the story. They also had the crew who had previously worked on Showtime's popular show 'Homeland'. The leads, Clayne and Kane were both working on TV shows at the time but they figured out a way to work during the holidays. "I started to write the concept and the plot for the film was based on Nikola Tesla's wireless transmission electricity. Then in 2014, the Tesla car suddenly came out and it was the talk of the town. I approached a friend of mine and he put in the first $50,000. Then, the following year, we started the Kickstarter campaign and two nights before the campaign was going to be over, we were $40,000 away from reaching our goal." Things looked grim for the crew - who were working on the film, one day at a time. However, things looked up at the last minute, they raised $100,000 two days before the campaign ended. Behind the scenes at 'Tinker'(IMDb) "I don't want to say guerrilla style but you know, it was $5,000 coming in every now and then and $10,000 coming in every single week. On set, it was like we were working for the day, no one knew how things would go tomorrow. The producer and Nick, my executive producer and I, we were fighting to raise more money every single day," recalls Marler. Did he ever feel like it wouldn't materialize? "Every day," he says. "Every day there was this constant internal conflict with myself where I didn't know if this was going to happen - if the next day we would be able to continue and it literally became day-to-day," he recalls, the struggle evident in his voice. "And that's even going in post-production. There was a constant battle of having faith. Do I succumb or not? I just had to ignore the fear of everything falling out from underneath me. It was so overwhelming that I would plan things with actors that were emotional because I was so emotional," he says. To Marler, the art of making movies is just his way of telling the world how he feels. "Growing up we were traveling all the time from one Military Air Force Base to another. My grandmother, who is a Reiki master and a Native medicine woman, opened my mind to her magical world. After that, the only thing that I ever could relate to was the world in movies. The way I see the world is almost like watching a movie. There's always a love story. There's always conflict. There's always good," he says laughing. Chalet Lizette Brannan and Colt Crawford in 'Tinker' (IMDb) The film not only features Clayne's son, but it also features his mother Lennie Crawford as Jeannie along with Randy Tumbleweed Smith, who is also related to Clayne. "We had the opportunity to work on Clayne's farm. We even built a greenhouse there," he says reminiscing. "He can buy four or five greenhouses now, but at the time he couldn't," jokes Marler. "The best part was working with Colt, a child actor with no acting training and his mum. It was amazing watching them being nervous before the camera rolled and then just being able to seamlessly do the scene. Being able to take these people who had never done anything in front of the camera and then seeing them transform into such authentic characters who represented every bit of the landscape of Clay, Alabama." Clayne and Colt Crawford in 'Tinker' (IMDb) Working with Clayne too was just as great, he says. "He would do every 48-hour short film festival, every 18-hour shoot, every little thing...Clayne was always there for me," says Marler, his love for his friend evident. "That's the kind of actor he is - he cares so much about the production," he adds. Clayne had been fired from Fox's 'Lethal Weapon' after accusations against him surfaced, alleging that he was abusive and violent on set. "I can understand and appreciate other people's point of view when he went through things with 'Lethal Weapon' but honestly, I can tell that his intentions were good," he says. "I just don't think they understood him or appreciated him the way they should have." Watch out for more from Marler who reveals that he's been reading scripts nonstop since the film came out. "Right now I'm reading. I have read about 21 scripts over the past six months," he says laughing. He is currently working on a project with Mike Chapman and another documentary called 'Soul to Science'. 'Tinker' hit theatres last month on November 16 and is available on VOD since December 4.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line889
__label__cc	0.534987	0.465013	Why Barack is black and Meghan is biracial AuthorMedia DiversifiedPosted on June 28, 2018 January 8, 2019 CategoriesOlivia Woldemikael, SocietyTagsBarack Obama, biracial, Black, blackness, meghan markle, Michelle Obama, Olivia Woldemikael, prince Harry, Royal family Olivia Woldemikael discusses the differences in how Meghan Markle and Barack Obama present themselves racially and asks what it means for blackness as an identity The exclusivity and purity of the racial categories, black and white, is a myth, and a destructive one. Yet, it is continuously perpetuated in national discourse and family conversations. As the personalities of celebrities and politicians continue to be venerated in America, the racial identity of public figures such as Barack Obama and Meghan Markle are important sites for changing our ideas about race. Harry and Barack coposite It’s no surprise to me that Barack Obama was considered America’s first black president and Meghan Markle is considered the biracial princess of England. The two are similarly “light-skinned” in racial parlance. Yet, the manner in which each of them has constructed signifiers of their race explains the difference in public perception. While perception alone does not diminish either’s proximity to whiteness and privilege, which may help explain their success. It does, however, draw attention to the way individuals are able to exercise agency in determining their racial identity, undermining the monolithic American racial ideology. The divergent public personas that Obama and Markle have cultivated demonstrate the fragility of racial categories and hierarchies, as well as highlight the need for a paradigmatic shift in the way we discuss and represent race in the media. In many ways, Barack Obama is equally as biracial as Meghan Markle. Obama was raised by a white mother, lived abroad as a child, and attained not one, but two Ivy League educations—an almost impossible feat for black Americans. No one contests, however, that he is America’s Black President. This was not necessarily a given. Instead, Barack Obama made choices in his life that strengthened his connection with African-Americans and bolstered his claim to American blackness: marrying the darker-skinned Michelle, organising in black communities of Chicago, checking “black” on the census. On the other hand, the self-presentation of Meghan Markle: her straightened hair, her mainstream American role on the television show, Suits, and her choice of husband—the whitest of Prince Charmings—allows Meghan Markle to edge towards whiteness. Instead of “passing” or trying to hide her blackness, however, she is outspoken and exudes pride in her heritage. She insists that blackness is a stamp of honour rather than a stain on Windsor and has taught the American media a new word: biracial. Article continues below. As a biracial person myself, I feel indebted to Meghan Markle for pulling the term and notion into the mainstream. It is a term infrequently used, although other well-known black public figures, are in fact multi-racial:Halle Berry, Jordan Peele, Kamala Harris to name a few. It’s not only prominent black people who are more racially mixed than we think they are. Whiteness is not as pure as it pretends to be as figures like Rashida Jones, Vin Diesel, and Troian Bellisario reveal. While there is a phenotypical component to why we see Halle Berry as a black person and Rashida Jones as a white person, non-genetically determined heuristic devices can be much more informative. If anything, the infamous ‘trans-ethnic’ Rachel Dolezal, has clumsily demonstrated how socially-derived race is. We take cues from language and manners of speaking, chosen community, clothing and hair style, among others. Although it would be hard to say blackness is a choice, blackness is certainly a political identity. It’s not one that anyone can adopt, as again, demonstrated by Rachel Dolezal, however, it is one the growing ranks of the racially ambiguous can choose to lean into or away from. Harry Windsor and Meghan Markle The shift towards a conception of race as a social and transcendent identity rather than a biological destiny is significant. It is the first step to eroding America’s iron-wrought binary in which one drop of blackness is quantifiable, polluting, and absolute. Many of the public figures I listed appear on myriad articles with titles including, “16 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Black” as if blackness is their dirty secret,” Twenty Celebrities Who Look White But Are Actually Part Black” as if the White Nation has been betrayed. There is a salacious quality to “outing” people who look white and seem white but aren’t really because their grandmother once had dream about a black man. While these websites are an extreme example, popular posts and public dialogue on race in America is rife with the policing of identity and pathologizing of blackness. News outlets, bloggers, and even academics in America are stuck in discourse embedded in the defunct genetic, ‘blood’-based conception of a race. In this framework, racial ideology associates outward physical traits with IQ and capabilities, morality and criminality, and family and sexuality, and is used to determine who belongs and in what position they belong in America. Further, in this narrow-limited, understanding of race, blackness is continuously defined by its stigma, by its undesirability, and as a contamination. Racism and the magnifying effects of colourism, in addition to class privilege, cannot be ignored with regards to the black identity. However, one’s measure of blackness is much more than a sum of personal and historical experience of discrimination. Blackness is imbued with depth and joy, blackness comes with pride, blackness cultivates strength, resilience, and empathy, blackness creates culture, language, religion, community, food, identity, blackness is expansive and rich, and ultimately blackness is political. Blackness is not exclusive. Black, white, biracial, American, African-American are not zero-sum identities. They are multi-layered. Anyone who is multiracial, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, knows that each of our unique identities could not be represented by percentages in a pie chart. We navigate a reality that is more challenging and nuanced than a simple color line. We belong to complete families and entire cultures and whole worlds. We possess a fluency, comfort, and perspective that is broad rather than narrow. It is the language we have to describe this phenomenon that limits us. We’re stuck using terms that are reminiscent of the categorisations used by discriminatory laws of the American South: “half-white,” “half-black,” or “one-quarter Latina,” and downright nonsensical. We also must ask ourselves, what is the purpose of this quantification besides trying to track non-white racial and ethnic heritage as if they’re diseases we’re trying to eradicate? America is need of a crucial awakening that as we’ve reached a breaking point: racist and xenophobic hysteria are causing the progress of the civil rights movement to backslide. Fear of the “immigrant,” the “black,” the “brown,” warping the national identity and sullying white national purity is driving a hate-filled politics that is threatening our democracy. And it’s a fear based on a myth. The racially coherent worlds of television families and identity discussions framed by singular racial descriptors (“black” or “biracial”) are fictions that uphold harmful racial hierarchies. Take for example, popular actors today who, in spite of their multi-cultural backgrounds, are trapped into monocultural “black roles”: Lupita Ny’ongo, born of Kenyan parents in Mexico; Zoe Saldana, a black-Latina; the Iranian-African-American Yara Shahidi. Even the descriptors themselves are unwieldy and incohesive muddles of skin-color, nationality, and ethnicity—they are not equipped for the cosmopolitan world we are already living in. Media and representation are crucial in individuals’ socialisation, in the imagination of our society, and in reflecting and shaping American cultural values. I’m not asking that my fellow Americans, who consume on average four to five hours of television per day, be psychologically conditioned to endure a society with a racial make-up different from the one it has. I’m only asking for accuracy. Multiracialism is not threat and not the future: it’s already here. If you enjoyed this, and want more like it, then please consider making a donation, it can be anything from £2 and takes no time at all. Or give what you can afford from £2 per month and become an MD member. Olivia Woldemikael is is a writer and a former humanitarian worker with a passion for social justice. She is currently pursing a PhD in Political Science. Her work focus on migration, critical approaches to development, and African politics. All work published on MD is the intellectual property of its creators, and requires permission to be republished. Contact us if you have any questions. 14 thoughts on “Why Barack is black and Meghan is biracial” “While these websites are an extreme example, popular posts and public dialogue on race in America is rife with the policing of identity and pathologizing of blackness.” So, is the British media’s incessant comparison of Meghan to Kate not policing and pathologizing Blackness? I’d say that it is. This notion that the Black and White binary started in the US needs to stop. It started in Europe to align with the slave trade, and was systematized through with British and Spanish Colonialism. America simply modernized it. Historicization is crucial to changing hegemony. Vo Reason says: This whole idea of skin color identity is ridiculous. The issue is cultural, not racial. If you are black and identify with the ghetto culture, you are going to be looked at one way. If you are white and identify with the ghetto culture, you are going to be looked at similarly, only maybe even worse. On the other hand, if you are black and rise above the ghetto culture, you are going to have a whole lot more acceptance, privilege and advantages. The bottom line is that the prime mover for racism is not skin color. Sure there are many difficulties that people of color encounter, but they would rapidly disappear if people of color would stop reinforcing stereotypes by BEING stereotypes, When was the last time you read about a mall wilding by whites? Of course you can’t just press a button and make the problems disappear, but you can at least address the root problem, i.e., racism is exacerbated by cultural differences more than melanin in the skin. Any says: Markle was black and had kinky hair when she was a child.She straightened her hair whiten her skin and did a nose job to hide her blackness But originally she was real black Salah Ananse says: Why not claim ALL of your heritage instead of creating a non specific category? No one says I have some “biracial” on my mother’s side. They say German, African, Indian, etc. Biracial could be anything from Asian & Persian to Nigerian & Flemish. It’s probably the least specific way to describe having a multiracial background. Americans of African descent (Black people from US, Caribbean & Brazil) are some of the most multiracial people on earth. We are a mulatto race carefully curated by a racist system. So if we understand that black & white are insufficient classifications, how in the world would biracial be sufficient? Again, why not claim ALL of who you are? Richard L Myles says: obama is a true mulatto…his dad was black…not mixed. Meghan’s mom has some white ancestry…so…meghan is more than 50% white…thats why. Brit So says: Where did you get that from? About Meghan’s mother having white ancestors? OPW says: I’m biracial and always enjoy reading perspectives. Thanks. Good read choop says: Barack Obama considers himself black, while Megan consider herself biracial, and describes herself as a “confident mixed race woman”. ” Instead of “passing” or trying to hide her blackness, however, she is outspoken and exudes pride in her heritage.” This is so dramatic, we are in 2018, not in 1850 anymore, why would she be ashamed of her being part black? Jim Crow was after 1850. frannnelli says: Great Article…I’m Biracial but I prefer identifying as Black I really enjoyed this post! Thank you for sharing!!! Charles Rudolph says: A very good article. Makes one look at race in a different way. And how biracial persons present themselves. We should be over race but we are not. Interesting how two biracial persons present themselves diffently. Charles Rudolph Liz Vasquez says: I believe that the reason Obama is considered black and Meghan is biracial is that at the end of the day, regardless of what one’s racial makeup is, they will be viewed based on how they present themselves and in their phenotype appearance. Because Obama looked more African in his appearance, he identifies and relates more to the African American experience. As for Meghan, most people who heard of her name didn’t even know who she was at the time, and when they viewed a photo of her, they didn’t see a typical black woman–many said that she appeared Italian or Latina. It is the perception of what a person looks like, is how they are perceived to the world. I am a Hispanic biracial woman and that is how I appear to the rest of the world. I am not among those many American biracials who will simply fall in line with the usual narrative of self-identifying as ‘black’. It also has a lot to do with one’s upbringing as well. The environment of where a person grows up. I wasn’t raised in a black neighborhood, household or culture, therefore I don’t naturally identify with being black. I don’t assimilate to black culture, because I was raised in a Latin-Carribean family and culture, around other Latin Americans in my neighborhood, schools, and city. Biracials look differently from one another, therefore, their appearance will vary–some appear more black like Obama and some appear more white like Meghan. Being biracial or multiracial is a very unique and individual existence, one that can’t simply be categorized with one broad brush stroke. Each biracial person has a different experience, unique to only them, therefore it is more respectful to allow them to self-identify as how they are most comfortable–to simply label them as “black” or “black (or white) with multiracial background” is so wrong on so many levels. The correct ‘label’ should be ‘biracial’ or ‘multi-racial’. If there was an elimination of labels altogether, that would be the best circumstance! I agree with you, but that last part about “correct labelling.” The irony is there is no “correct labelling.” I’m not really black, but more like a chocolate brown. My kids and half-sister who each have a white parents, range from caramel to sand. But they are seen as Black by the world. Part of the issue is labels function to simplify at best, and at worst, erase the nuances of identity politics. I do think there are a few contexts where the simplification serves a purpose. Most people don’t want to list all the things they are if they are “multi-racial” as it’s put, because it is often intrusive and/or impractical. But like many descendant of enslaved Africans, I have about 5 different “races” in my ancestry but I still look Black. So that makes the Scottish ancestry of one of my white (rapist) ancestors irrelevant to my personal identity and, and yet an indirect contributor to my social positioning in a white supremacist society. But at the end of the day, if we’re meeting for coffee and trying to talk about art and cool things, it’s far easier to just say I’m Black, because that’s what is seen. Leave a Reply to Liz Vasquez Cancel reply ← Ocean’s 8 recognises everyday racial politics The Capital Gazette shooting and the dehumanisation of the journalist →	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line890
__label__wiki	0.723927	0.723927	Home Perspectives A Salute to A Kashmiri Colossus A Salute to A Kashmiri Colossus Ghulam Nabi Fai He was exiled abroad 20 years ago on May 25, 1981 to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to keep Kashmiri’s self-determination candle burning brightly. He has discharged his leadership role with resolve, vision and determination . He is Dr. Ayub Thuker, a personal friend who has earned blessings from the hearts of those individuals who understand the importance of global relations and international diplomacy in Kashmir conflict. Dr. Thuker’s accomplishments dazzle like a shooting star: forcing Kashmir onto the international stage over the fierce objections of India; sacrificing all personal considerations to advance the cause of 13 million people of Kashmir; and, awakening Kashmiri adults and youths alike to their duty to pursue self-determination through peaceful protest, perseverance, and persistence. Dr. Thuker recognized what Napoleon has said that, “There are only two powers in the world…the sword [of the oppressor] and the spirit [of the oppressed]. In the long run, the sword is always defeated by the spirit.” Dr. Thuker began rallying the Kashmiri youth and students since 1960’s as a doctoral student in Nuclear Physics at the University of Kashmir. He founded the Students Islamic Organization Jammu and Kashmir in 1974, and continued as a generous patron until 1977. He then climbed to the presidencies of the acclaimed Kashmir University Students Union and Kashmir University Research Scholars Association. Dr. Thuker as a student leader was in high demand at international youth and student conferences, for example, at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1977, Dacca, Bangladesh in 1978, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1979. During the latter, Afghanistan was debated. A chorus denounced the Soviet Union’s illegal occupation. Dr. Thuker then arose after a condemnatory resolution was passed and gently chided the hundreds of attendees that Kashmir was like Afghanistan but thousands of times worse on a scale of atrocities and savage denial of self-determination mandated by United Nations Security Council resolutions. His stunning powers of persuasion and eloquence resulted in a parallel reprimand of India despite the anemic protests of members of the Indian delegation. Dr. Thuker was fearlessness epitomized. He scoffed at Indian threats aiming to silence his self-determination activities as a nuclear physics Assistant Professor at the University of Kashmir. Indeed, they strengthened his determination, and organized a later canceled international conference of youth and students in Srinagar, the Capitol city of Kashmir. He holds his unceremonious discharge and expulsion as a Professor in 1980 to punish his unstinting self-determination energies as a badge of honor. I had been pushed into exile in Saudi Arabia in August 1980 for the alleged crime of promoting the right of self-determination that the United Nations Security Council itself at the behest of India had proclaimed belonged to the people of Kashmir. The Government of India had issued a warrant for my arrest for inviting international dignitaries to a conference to pass a resolution urging implementation of the Security Council resolutions. While in Jeddah, I related Dr. Thuker’s plight to the President (Chancellor) of the King Abdul Aziz University, who was moved to arrange his appointment as an Associate Professor of Nuclear Physics in 1981 for two years. Dr. Thuker’s contract was extended in 1983 for next two years but he declined this extension, despite continued insistence from the President, to throw even more of his steel-like tenacity behind self-determination by establishing a Kashmir Center in London. Money he disdained as an irksome distraction. He never was tempted by the biblical Golden Calf. In London, Dr. Thuker’s primary objective was to galvanize expatriate Kashmiri community from both sides of the Cease-fire Line. He commanded the respect of countless Members of the House of Commons and Lords. And, he created international bridges to every continent and every peoples including dozens of the Head of the States, to win them over to the Kashmiri cause, a pivotal component of shaming, embarrassing, and nudging India into honoring its Security Council obligations that it voluntarily accepted as the fairest way to resolve the Kashmir dispute, according to India’s political icon Jawaharlal Nehru. Dr. Thuker established the World Kashmir Freedom Movement in London with twofold objectives: exposing India’s human rights atrocities against Kashmiri civilians; and, assembling support for self-determination through peaceful political channels and means. He is also pursuing those lofty objectives as Chairman of the International Institute of Kashmir Studies. A landmark international conference he organized in July 1991 in Washington, D.C. — featuring luminaries from the United States Congress, Britain, and the European Parliament–called for tripartite Kashmir negotiations including authentic Kashmiri leadership. In a dash of courage, Dr. Thuker urged Kashmiri militants to renounce force no matter how compelling the self-determination aspiration. Revenge and force destroy the soul and the moral foundation of a new dispensation in Kashmir. Dr. Thuker understands that the world does not stand still, even if it may have done so for Joshua in the Old Testament. Thus, he is encouraging the All-Parties Hurriyet Conference to re-think its approaches, strategy and structure. In sum, Dr. Thuker’s life has become a synonym for heroism, courage, and moral power. Diligence, excellence and depth mark his scholarship. His humanitarian impulses and activities are admirable. His aspiration to master the objectives of human rights, human dignity and democratic values of his fellow country-men and to advance their achievements is unequivocal. He enjoys a unique and penetrating mastery of striking a constructive dialogue with friends and foes alike. I am confidant that the day is not too distant when he will be laureled with a celebrate in Srinagar for the victory of the people of Kashmir. Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai is the executive director of the Washington, DC-based Kashmiri American Council. Previous articleIsrael at Wit’s End Next articleLiberating the State Department Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai is the executive director of the Washington, DC-based Kashmiri American Council. He contributed this article to Media Monitors Network (MMN).	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line891
__label__cc	0.734046	0.265954	Home Perspectives Who is Next…? Who is Next…? Syed B. Soharwardy The escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan is setting up the stage for the next phase of war against Muslim countries. After September 11 terrorists attacks in New York and Washington DC when United States started the war against terrorism, President Bush made it very clear that the attacks on Afghanistan is just a beginning of a long war. It is evident that the United States is targeting Muslim countries only and using terrorism as an excuse. Although there have been several known terrorists organizations but USA is not concerned about them. For example; Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka has the most sophisticated suicide bombers and horrible record of terrorism. The drug Mafia of South America carries out more number of terrorist attacks on US interests than any Middle Eastern group. The separatists in Spain carry out deadly attacks in Spain. The IRA in UK and Ireland is still a threat for UK. The Red Armies of Japan and Italy do have their networks of terrorism. But US government cares less about them. It is clear that the US government has a bigger plan than just eliminating Al-Qaeda terrorist network. US government is using Al-Qaeda as a scapegoat in order to impose the New World order of US government. The New World order of US government is an Old World order. This New World order is similar to what European powers had when they made third world countries as their colonies. For example; when British occupied India they did not remove NAWABs, RAJAs and MAHARAJA’s of various states within India. In fact, British government encouraged and helped these NAWABs, RAJAs and MAHARAJAs in their rule. The British government used these NAWABs, RAJAs and MAHARAJAs in order to maintain control over India. The NAWABs, RAJAs and MAHARAJAs were told to keep law and order in their territory and punish or eliminate any person or group in their territory who create or may create problem for British rule in India. British rulers used to control public through these NAWABs, RAJAs and MAHARAJAs. If any NAWAB, RAJA or MAHARAJA failed to serve the British purpose then he was removed immediately and a new NAWAB, RAJA or MAHARAJA used to get appointed. This policy helped the British rulers not to get involved in direct confrontation with the local people and minimize British casualties. US government has taken the same old British approach of divide and rule. The war in Afghanistan is wrapping up quickly, US government wants to go to the next target. The potential next target is Pakistan. But one may say that how US will go after Pakistan? Pakistan helped US to succeed in Afghanistan. Pakistan was US ally in Afghanistan. However, we must understand the difference between Pakistan being an ally of US and US as an ally of Pakistan. When US government decided to attack on Afghanistan after September 11 attacks, Pakistan government had no choice but to be an ally of USA. General Musharraf made the best decision under circumstances. Otherwise, America would have started its bombing campaign from Pakistan. However, General Musharraf did not change the US targets list. General Musharraf’s decision to support USA during the war in Afghanistan only “delayed” the attacks on Pakistan. Under the present circumstance, it will be difficult for USA to justify attacks on Pakistan. On the other side, Pakistan’s nuclear installations, strong army and strong Muslim population are considered as threats not only for India but also for USA. In order to remove these threats and still remain innocent, US would like to use India to attack on Pakistan. The recent drama of Airplane hijacking in India and the suicide bombing attacks on Indian Parliament are part of a carefully developed plan. It is absolutely wrong to say that Pakistan is involved in these incidents. When Pakistan knows that its enemies are looking for an excuse to attack on Pakistan then why Pakistan will provide that excuse? Last week, the way President Bush spoke in favour of India and blamed Pakistan for having terrorists in Pakistan indicates that the US will not hesitate to change its policies with a blink of an eye. US have proved many times in the past that Pakistan is like a napkin. When USA needs Pakistan, Pakistan becomes valuable and important friend but as soon as the mission is accomplished Pakistan becomes a used napkin and goes into trash. US campaign will not stop in Afghanistan or Pakistan. It is about all Muslim countries. This is a new campaign of colonialism and imperialism. America was looking for an opportunity or excuse to start this campaign. September 11 incidents provided that opportunity and excuse. There has always been a foreign country or an ethnic group target of US policies. US government had never been at peace completely. For example; the settlements in America started with the hostilities against Native Indians. Then, war against British rule, civil war, occupation of Philippine, World War I, World War II, atomic bombing of Japan, War against Vietnam, War against Korea, long and hateful slavery of Black people, continued hostile relations with Cuba, cold War against Russia and East Europeans, Gulf War against Iraq, etc.. After the Cold War era people thought that the peace might come to America but peace is not in American nature. Therefore, America selected a new target of conflict called “Muslims” because US thinks that the followers of Islamic faith are capable of challenging US desire to control the world. Strategically Pakistan is located at the gate of the Muslim world. Next to Pakistan is Iran. As we all know that Iran is the only Muslim country, which did not surrender to “mighty” superpower of the world and survived. USA has a long outstanding hate for Iran’s Islamic government. In order to make a tighter circle around Iran, US needs control over Iran’s surrounding country. In Turkey, US already have bases. Afghanistan has now become a new US colony (Once USA will be out of money in Afghanistan things will quickly change). If USA gets control over Pakistan then it will be easy (apparently) for USA to squeeze Iranian government. As far Iraq is concerned, the bombardment and sanctions are being carried out since early 90’s. The Iraqi people are used to of these attacks and sanctions. What seems to have changed is the desire in USA about Saddam Hassain. After the Gulf War, Saddam Hussein was purposely protected and kept as the ruler of Iraq. The presence of Saddam Hussain gave an excuse to USA to be stationed in Saudi Arabia and other neighbouring countries. Now, US government is talking about the removal of Saddam Hussain. This excuse will provide more opportunities to destroy Iraq, just like Afghanistan. After the removal of Saddam Hussain, British and US forces can stay in the region by using another excuse called “peace keeping and humanitarian mission”. How long this “peace keeping and humanitarian mission” will continue? No one knows. After Iraq, the next inline is Lebanon. US can not forget the killings of hundreds of its marines in Beirut. The excuse in Lebanon is Hizbullah. Hizbullah has not only been allegedly engaged in attacking American interests in the Middle East but Hizbullah is also a big threat to Israel. On the other side the Syrian connection of Hizbullah is also a strong excuse for the Americans to infiltrate in Lebanon and Syria. The issue of Palestine has to be kept alive in order to propagate hate for Arabs and Muslims. Apparently, it is the US policy to pump modern weaponry into Israel and to keep Palestinians at bare minimum. This way the Palestinians can not have more than few suicide bombers to defend themselves. This policy works for the western people. Because when the westerners see killings and destruction of humanity through sophisticated F-16, tanks, missiles, smart bombs, cluster bombs, etc. they do not see it as cruel or unjust. But when a suicide bomber blows up buildings and kills some people, the westerners see it as terrorist, uncivilized, unsophisticated and cruel action. Therefore, it looks like that USA would like to maintain the circumstances in which suicide bombers can be created and the western media gets an excuse to present Muslims as terrorists. US would never tolerate to have any Muslim country strong and prosperous because US do not trust Muslim countries. US have betrayed Muslim countries many times and Muslims do not see US as an honest and sincere friend. US policy makers see Islam as a threat. Therefore, it is in the interest of US to see Muslim countries remain engaged in wars or facing economic depressions. When Malaysia and Indonesia were on the path of prosperity and both countries were becoming very industrialized countries, USA used IMF and World Bank to stop this prosperity. Suddenly, these two strong Muslim countries went in to economic and political turmoil and still are not able to recover from it. The past colonialism and imperialism was imposed upon Muslim countries by the Europeans and now the people of same mentality are trying to impose modern style but worse form of colonialism upon Muslims. The US style modern colonialism has already been implemented in most of the Muslim countries in the form of dictatorships. These dictators are similar to what British had in India as NAWABs, RAJAs and MAHARAJAs. These NAWABs, RAJAs and MAHARAJAs are responsible to keep law and order in their states and make sure no one raises any voices against the monarchy of United States (US president acts like a king). Under these conditions Muslims have three choices. As long as someone else will continue deciding destinies of Muslims, Muslims will never reach to destiny of their choice. It is high time for Muslims to think and decide their destiny in this world. The first step towards deciding the destiny is the unity and economic independence of Muslim countries. If US do not change its policies towards Muslim countries, the bigger conflict between Muslim countries and USA is inevitable. It is a matter of time that slowly US will freeze all Muslim assets and then Muslims will realize how foolish they were. May Allah unite us and bless us with the sincere and honest leadership. Ameen Mr. Syed B. Soharwardy is Founder and President of Muslims Against Terrorism (M-A-T) Previous articleFirst Blood Next articleIf I Were Mofaz Mr. Syed B. Soharwardy is Founder and President of Muslims Against Terrorism (M-A-T) and Islamic Supreme Council of Canada (ISCC). He contributed this article to Media Monitors Network (MMN) from Alberta, Canada.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line892
__label__wiki	0.771096	0.771096	Reduced blood flow seen in brain after clinical recovery of acute concussion by Radiological Society of North America Some athletes who experience sports-related concussions have reduced blood flow in parts of their brains even after clinical recovery, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The results suggest a role for MRI in determining when to allow concussed athletes to return to competition. Concussions affect millions of people each year and are especially prevalent in contact sports like football. Sports are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of traumatic brain injury among people between 15 and 24 years old, according to the National Institutes of Health. Decisions to clear concussed athletes to return to action are typically based on symptoms and cognitive and neurological test results. However, there is increasing evidence that brain abnormalities persist beyond the point of clinical recovery after injury. To find out more, researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee studied concussed football players with arterial spin labeling, an advanced MRI method that detects blood flow in the brain. "This measurement of blood flow is fully noninvasive, without radiation exposure," said study author Yang Wang, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of radiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "We use arterial blood water as a contrast tracer to measure blood flow change, which is highly associated with brain function." Dr. Wang and colleagues studied 18 concussed players and 19 non-concussed players. They obtained MRI of the concussed players within 24 hours of the injury and a follow-up MRI eight days after the injury and compared results with those of the non-concussed players. Clinical assessments were obtained for both groups at each time point, as well as at the baseline before the football season. The concussed players demonstrated significant impairment on clinical assessment at 24 hours post-injury, but returned to baseline levels at eight days. In contrast to clinical manifestation, the concussed players demonstrated a significant blood flow decrease at eight days relative to 24 hours post-injury, while the non-concussed players had no change in cerebral blood flow between the two time points. "In eight days, the concussed athletes showed clinical recovery," Dr. Wang said. "However, MRI showed that even those in clinical recovery still had neurophysiological abnormalities. Neurons under such a state of physiologic stress function abnormally and may become more susceptible to second injury." While the reasons for reduced cerebral blood flow in concussed athletes are still under investigation, the findings may have important implications for decisions on when athletes are ready to return to play after head injuries, according to the study's principal investigator, Michael McCrea, Ph.D., professor of neurosurgery and neurology and director of brain injury research the Medical College of Wisconsin. "For years, we've relied on what athletes are telling us," Dr. McCrea said. "We need something more objective, and this technology may provide a greater measurement of recovery." The Medical College of Wisconsin scientists are continuing their research as one of the Phase II winners of the Head Health Challenge, an initiative from the National Football League and General Electric to develop ways to speed diagnosis and improve treatment for concussion. Dr. McCrea and his team are also co-chairing the Concussion Assessment, Research and Education Consortium (CARE) project, a major national effort that will enroll more than 30,000 college athletes, making it the largest study of concussions to date. "The nature of this research allows us to study the mechanisms of injury and recovery directly in humans rather than in animal models," Dr. McCrea said. "Our ultimate aim is to better understand the time course of neurobiological recovery after concussion." Testing of oculomotor nerve function may aid in concussion diagnosis Provided by Radiological Society of North America Citation: Reduced blood flow seen in brain after clinical recovery of acute concussion (2015, November 30) retrieved 29 January 2020 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-11-blood-brain-clinical-recovery-acute.html New study discovers inflammatory molecules controlling capillary loss Genetics affect concussion recovery Cerebral blood flow as a possible marker for concussion outcomes The concussed brain at work: fMRI study documents brain activation during concussion recovery Researchers identify protein that predicts post-concussion severity in professional athletes Vision testing an effective tool for detecting concussion on the sidelines	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line893
__label__wiki	0.856357	0.856357	By : Nicole DeRosa Nicole DeRosa joined the All Access Music Group family in February 2012. She loves the infectious energy and enthusiasm of the music industry and she feels right at home having music compliment her every day. Nicole blends her experience and skills which she has culled from her time working in New York as a photo researcher and editor at Entertainment Weekly and Harpers Bazaar Magazine. After New York, Nicole moved to London for school and there she stood in line for hours on Oxford Street to hear Paul McCartney play an impromptu concert on a rooftop. Another notable experience while living in London was her first time ever calling into a radio station, she won an invite to a record release party with the Beastie Boys for their album 'Ill Communication'. "I love London as it has such a vibrant and diverse music scene and I couldn't help but go out every night to check out gig after gig. It was a wonderful time." Living near the notable Sherpards Bush Empire music venue one of her most favorite concerts to date was seeing Bjork. Nicole has also worked for Walt Disney World in Product Development and later went on to work at Disney's Feature Animation Archives in Florida. Nicole has a passion for travel and adventure and has always wanted to live in California so she packed up and moved four years ago to the "left coast" and has been loving it ever since. IMAGINE DRAGONS – BottleRock Napa Edition!	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line895
__label__wiki	0.673746	0.673746	History Through Our Eyes: July 7, 1967, Robert Kennedy at Expo "Wherever he went, the boyish-looking legislator from New York found himself surrounded by throngs of well-wishers." Fair-goers at Montreal's Expo 67 greet U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy (in dark suit and striped tie at bottom centre of photo) on July 6, 1967. Montreal Gazette archives “Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s ‘quiet’ visit to Expo yesterday turned into a hectic and triumphant tour with all the trappings of a state visit,” we reported on July 7, 1967. “Wherever he went, the boyish-looking legislator from New York found himself surrounded by throngs of well-wishers pressing to shake his hand or get his autograph. Crowds lined his routes between pavilions and there were waves of applause and cheering whenever the Kennedy party came into view,” we wrote. This photo, which we published along with the story, shows the scene. Kennedy is in a dark suit and striped tie. Kennedy was a younger brother and close adviser to President John F. Kennedy, and served in his administration as attorney-general. A year after JFK’s 1963 assassination, RFK ran for the U.S. Senate, and won. He was enormously popular: he had the famous Kennedy charm and glamour, and was an articulate advocate for social justice. At the time of their visit to Montreal, Kennedy and his wife, Ethel, had 10 children, and they brought seven of them along, as well as three children of friends. (An 11th child, a daughter, would be born later.) Although Kennedy was friendly to well-wishers, he was also preoccupied with keeping track of the children, telling members of his party to keep counting heads, we reported. The group visited several pavilions and made a stop at La Ronde, where they tried out several rides, including the Flume, and got soaked. Less than a year later, at the age of 42, Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles while running for the Democratic presidential nomination. History Through Our Eyes: View previous photos History Through Our Eyes: July 8, 1979, Drownings at La Ronde History Through Our Eyes: July 6, 1950, William Birks Cops have no leads after Longueuil woman found with a severe head injury	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line899
__label__cc	0.645651	0.354349	Movie Gazette Movie reviews, news and more About Movie Gazette Past competitions. « Michael A. Nickles Armin Rohde » Jo Brand Reviews Featuring Jo Brand Unless youre a member of the taking-drugs-is-big-and-clever mob, give this one a wide berth. This entry was written by Movie Gazette, posted on December 9, 2003 at 12:00 am, filed under People. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed. Monthly Archives Select Month April 2014 (1) January 2013 (5) December 2012 (5) November 2012 (7) October 2012 (5) September 2012 (5) August 2012 (8) July 2012 (5) June 2012 (5) May 2012 (9) April 2012 (10) March 2012 (10) February 2012 (9) January 2012 (14) December 2011 (10) November 2011 (9) October 2011 (10) September 2011 (10) August 2011 (10) July 2011 (11) June 2011 (9) May 2011 (6) April 2011 (2) March 2011 (10) February 2011 (34) January 2011 (10) December 2010 (11) November 2010 (17) October 2010 (9) September 2010 (6) August 2010 (15) July 2010 (9) June 2010 (21) May 2010 (24) April 2010 (9) March 2010 (9) February 2010 (17) January 2010 (14) December 2009 (10) November 2009 (24) October 2009 (18) September 2009 (23) August 2009 (70) July 2009 (19) June 2009 (218) April 2009 (87) March 2009 (39) February 2009 (94) January 2009 (113) December 2008 (3) October 2007 (40) September 2007 (47) April 2007 (4) February 2007 (19) September 2006 (20) August 2006 (44) September 2005 (7) August 2005 (79) July 2005 (212) June 2005 (451) May 2005 (445) April 2005 (469) March 2005 (491) February 2005 (375) January 2005 (312) December 2004 (312) November 2004 (426) October 2004 (537) September 2004 (131) August 2004 (401) July 2004 (414) June 2004 (58) May 2004 (32) April 2004 (20) March 2004 (30) February 2004 (1492) January 2004 (314) December 2003 (328) November 2003 (408) October 2003 (374) September 2003 (298) August 2003 (428) July 2003 (718) June 2003 (362) May 2003 (839) April 2003 (177) March 2003 (85) February 2003 (133) January 2003 (347) Out Now (16) People (10,928) Animated (94) Film Of The Book (1) Westerns (27) Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Haikal on Tell Them Who You Are Max Nouman on Iron Man radar on Bizita Q Gabriel on Evita Home \| About Movie Gazette \| For Film PR People \|Terms Of Use Of This Web Site \| Privacy Policy © Web Gazette LLP \| Posters and other images are ©,® of their respective studios. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. details	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line901
__label__wiki	0.778822	0.778822	Chance The Rapper Shares Why He Didn’t Respond to Drake’s Callout on “Draft Day” Dayna Haffenden Nicholas Hunt / Ethan Miller, Getty Images (2) As evidence has proven in the past with Meek Mill, making an enemy out of Drake isn't a smart move, and Chance The Rapper is aware of that. On Oct. 5, the Chicago native sat down with Joe Budden for his The Joe Budden Podcast to discuss why he didn't respond to Drake when the Toronto rapper mentioned his name on the 2014 song "Draft Day." Prior to the song, there wasn't a public beef going on between Drizzy and Chance. However, Chano did take a slight jab on his 2012 track "Family": "Sing all you want, just don't Drake on they ass." Perhaps that's why Drizzy decided to mention Chance on "Draft Day." “You should've followed all my move/You won't realize 'til after/And if I left this shit to chance/I would've picked a name like Chance The Rapper/Yeah, no offense ’cause I don't know that nigga,” he raps. During The Joe Budden Podcast, The Coloring Book artist asks Budden if he really wanted him to make a diss record against Drake. Chance explained that he saw artists take jabs at Drake in the past, which resulted in not one person caring. "I saw what it feels like to still be a good lyricist and rap at Drake, and nobody cares," said Chance. "’Cause you did it before." Chance's last remark is in regards to the "Pump It Up" rapper going at Drizzy on diss tracks like "Making a Murderer," "Wake" and "Just Because." Budden even called the beef pointless at one point. The Chicago rhymer continued to explain himself by saying he is not into beefing. However, if the opportunity presents itself, Chance is well prepared. "I also am very good at finding what niggas are insecure about," he said, defending that he is up for the challenge. In other Chance-related news, the MC recently donated $1 million to those who are seeking mental health resources. At the second annual Social Works Summit last week, Chance spoke to Chicago citizens and viewers worldwide through Periscope. He described his plans for the origination and why he wanted to help out with this important issue. "We need a new space where people can get information on how they feel, on where to go and a network for us to interact and review our mental health spaces, and create a community of people helping people," he stated. "So I'm proud to announce that I'm pledging one million dollars towards mental health services in Chicago." Take a look at Chance The Rapper explaining why he never went back and forth with Drake below. See Photos of Chance The Rapper's Different Looks Over the Years Source: Chance The Rapper Shares Why He Didn’t Respond to Drake’s Callout on “Draft Day” Filed Under: Chance The Rapper, Drake	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line911
__label__cc	0.649123	0.350877	Author: Judge London Judge London Steverson is a 1968 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy and a 1977 graduate of the National Law Center, George Washington University. He was a Coast Guard Law Specialist. He retired in 1988. He was appointed a U. S. Administrative Law Judge, he retired again in 2009. He made a personal donation of his private collection of new and used books to the American Corner of the American Embassy in Hungary. On 23 April 2009 at Opening of Steverson Collection Book Club in Veszprem, Hungary, he was awarded a Cultural Diplomacy Award by the U. S Ambassador to Hungary. Government Opinion Trump Administration Due Process Has Been Buried by the Court of Public Opinion Judge London January 6, 2018 No Comments Bill of RightsDue ProcessEstablishment ClauseJudge Alex KozinskiMockery of JusticePresumption of InnocenceStandard of Proof Due Process is a thing of the past. Is has been buried by the news media in the Court of Public opinion. An Accusation is all that is needed today for a conviction. The allegation alone make out a Prima Facie case. No Proof is necessary. One is Guilty until proven innocent. There is no Presumption of Innocence. The News Media has aided and abetted the empowerment of the Court of Public Opinion. It is Tabloid Journalism. Journalism has become Jihad. It appears that 99% of the stories about Donald Trump have been given a negative spin.This has given rise to the Supremacy of Twitter. Trump’s Constituents can get his thoughts and intentions directly from him, unfiltered. The Constitution cannot protect you in the Court of Public opinion. The Evidence is Hearsay, Gossip, Rumor, and Innuendo. There is no Jury. Anyone who hears the allegations constitutes a one-person Judge and Jury. The Verdict is often swift and sure. There is no Appeal of the initial Verdict. When Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, and the Democrats started looking for dirt on Donald Trump, they unleashed a whirlwind that has come back and consumed more Democrats than Republicans. A Federal Republican Judge, appointed by President Ronald Reagan, and the only one to back President’s alleged Travel Ban, has come under fire. The allegations against him were trotted out in 2008 when Judge Kozinski was investigated for viewing porn on his private computer. Even after allowing for some embellishment, these accusations amount to little more than the first impressions of women allowed to co-exist in a previously all-male sanctum. A judicial investigation in 2008 ultimately found that Judge Kozinski did not intend to allow the public to see the material and that, instead, the judge and his son were careless in protecting a private server from being accessible on the Internet. View More Due Process Has Been Buried by the Court of Public Opinion Crime Does Not Pay: Easy Come, Easy Go. Judge London January 4, 2018 3 Comments crimeFraudright to counsel;Social Security Disability Crime does not pay. Attorney Eric C. Conn recently found this out the hard way. Conn was a millionaire only a few months ago. Now he is broke and behind bars convicted of fraud and bribery. He collected more than $7 million in payments for filing bogus Social Security Disability Claims from 2004 to 2011. This former millionaire was brazen enough to ask for a public defender. That is about as brazen as a man who murders his parents, and then throws himself upon the mercy of the Court on the grounds that he is now an orphan. Conn filed Court documents saying the U.S. Government had seized all of his property. A judge ruled that Conn violated the terms of his Bond when he escaped to Honduras. He has been forced to forfeit the property put up for his Bail. That includes his Floyd County law complex, valued at $659,100. View More Crime Does Not Pay: Easy Come, Easy Go. Culture Law Enforcement Opinion When Judges Break the Law, Should Judges Go to Jail? Judge London December 25, 2017 7 Comments ABAAmerican Bar AssociationBriberycrimeJudgesJusticelawLGBTPerjuryPresident TrumpStandards Of Judicial ConductStare Decisis When Judges break the Law, Society comes apart. A Judge must maintain a high standard of conduct or be prepared to go to jail A Court-room deprived of its Judge is like a soldier in battle who looses his horse because his horse looses a shoe. Society’s war against crime is jeopardized. An independent and honorable judiciary is indispensable to Justice in our society. The Code of Conduct for United States Judges state that a judge should maintain and enforce high standards of conduct and should personally observe those standards, so that the integrity and independence of the judiciary may be preserved. A Judge is a Judicial Officer, charged with enforcing the Law, and maintaining the Temple of Justice. The Law is a Spirit. It is a Process. If the Law is perverted then the Temple of Justice is defiled, the Temple must be cleansed. Cleansing the Temple may require that a Judge who violates his Oath of Office be punished. If a Judge breaks the Law, he cannot be treated like an ordinary criminal. Sometimes it may be necessary to send a Judge to jail. The Judge must be held to a higher standard. The Judge knows the Law, and what a sacred trust it is to be the Keeper of the Flame of Justice. For a Judge to transgress the Law, it requires a greater Specific Intent than a Layman needs to commit a crime. The Judge knows how important it is in a civil society for everyone to respect and obey the Law. So, the Judge must be held to a higher standard. A Judge can break the Law in many ways. A Judge break the Law inside the court room. One way is to simply ignore the Law. A Judge can use his position as a Judge to further his own personal philosophy. He can hide under the cloak of Judicial Immunity all the while perverting Justice in the name of The Greater Good. One can hardly think of a crime a Judge could commit more egregious than Bribery. For a Judge to use his position for personal gain is unforgivable. For a Judge to extort bribes from the lawyers that appear before him is a crime worthy of going to jail. Judge David Black Daugherty is such a Judge. View More When Judges Break the Law, Should Judges Go to Jail? Culture Opinion Uncategorized Judge London December 17, 2017 2 Comments 1st Amendment RightNFL BoycottShow Your ColorsShow Your True ColorsSocial Protesttaking a kneeThe National AnthemU S Constitution Historically, showing your colors, has referred to the flag a ship flies to indicate their country of origin. Pirates, among others, have not always flown their true colors. Beginning in about the 18th Century, Showing Your True Colors, has come to mean showing your real character or personality, especially when it is unpleasant. When American show their true colors, they usually stand, salute, place their right hand over their heart, and cheer. Dishonoring the American Flag has been recognized by the Supreme Court as a means of political speech and social protest. Freedom of speech or expression is protected by the1st Amendment to the Constitution. This Right does not apply in private employment situations, which are usually controlled by fiercely negotiated contracts of employment. The recent controversy swirling around the NFL players who refuse to stand for the National Anthem and the showing of the American Flag is just another incidence of Fake News. View More Show Your True Colors Culture Government Military President Trump Trump Administration Thank God Donald Trump Is Commander-In-Chief Judge London December 11, 2017 1 Comment Commander-in-Chiefmoral values under attackpolitical correctnesstraditional familyUCMJUnited States Military The President, as Commander In Chief, has the power to criminally discipline the officers and members of the Armed Forces while they are on active duty. That disciplinary power is exercised primarily through the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). There are also Administrative Procedures used to discipline military members and force them to leave the armed forces. Once military members retire and return to civilian life, they are subject to the civilian criminal justice system. During the Obama Administration, many senior and experienced military officers were forced to leave the military. Had Donald Trump been the Commander In Chief during that period, America would probably not have suffered such a tremendous loss of talent and experience. View More Thank God Donald Trump Is Commander-In-Chief	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line915
__label__wiki	0.950722	0.950722	Police, protesters clash in New Year's rally in Hong Kong byAssociated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people packed Hong Kong streets for an annual New Year's Day protest march as the monthslong pro-democracy movement extended into 2020 with further violence between police and demonstrators. Police said they arrested some 400 people for unlawful assembly and carrying offensive weapons as hard-line, black-clad youths broke off from the main group of marchers and attacked banks and ATM machines with spray paint, hammers and Motolov cocktails. They smashed crossing lights, ripped bricks from sidewalks and barricaded roads in the downtown financial district. Banks and businesses identified with mainland China have been frequent targets of hardcore protesters. Police used pepper spray, tear gas and a water cannon to drive off the demonstrators, although a government statement said officers were "deploying the minimum necessary force." Senior Superintendent Ng Lok-chun told reporters that "rioters" hijacked the protest march and at one point endangered police officers by surrounding and throwing objects at them, which led to police ordering the rally to be called off at 6:15 p.m. Thousands, however, remained in the area and many had yet to set off from the starting point at Victoria Park. The massive rally followed overnight clashes between police and protesters on New Year's Eve in a densely populated shopping district. Police also used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons to break up groups of demonstrators who blocked traffic and lit fires in the street in the working class district of Mong Kok. Hong Kong toned down its New Year's celebrations amid the protests that began in June and which have dealt severe blows to the city's retail, tourism and nightlife sectors. Eric Lai, the vice convener of the march organizer, the Civil Human Rights Front, said he hoped to avoid a recurrence of the previous night's violence. "We hope that the police can facilitate us, rather than provoking us, and to fire tear gas and water cannon at us," he said. Such marches have often devolved at their conclusion into violence. Both sides have been accused of provoking clashes, and nearly 6,500 protesters as young as 12 have been arrested in scores of incidents on streets, in shopping malls and on college campuses. Recent protests have drawn participants from across Hong Kong society, sometimes numbering more than 1 million and packing the downtown area from Victoria Park to the government office complex a short distance away. Many of those joining in are concerned about an erosion of the former British colony's civil liberties it was promised after being handed over to Chinese rule in 1997, along with a shortage of well-paying jobs and a yawning divide between the city's ruling class and those merely getting by amid soaring housing costs. This year's event appeared to be significantly larger than in past years, although estimates of the numbers of participants often vary widely between organizers and police. The protests began in June over proposed legislation that could have allowed residents to be extradited to China where they could face possible torture and unfair trials. The legislation was withdrawn, but not before the protests expanded to wider calls for reforms in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Protesters Tuesday also gathered at the Prince Edward subway station where police four months ago had rushed in, beating and tear gassing demonstrators who had no way to flee. That incident is among many cited by demonstrators as cases of police abuse for which no one has been held accountable. The protests show no sign of ending despite an overwhelming victory by anti-establishment candidates in recent elections for district representatives, although their frequency and the level of violence has dropped off somewhat. In her New Year's address, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the months of protests had brought "sadness, anxiety, disappointment and even rage," and she vowed to tackle underlying social and economic problems in the coming year. Lam said she would "listen humbly" to help bring an end to the protests but also reinforced the importance of the "one country, two systems" framework under which China rules Hong Kong and which brooks no challenge to the ruling Communist Party's ultimate authority. In his own New Year's address, Chinese President Xi Jinping referred to the protests, saying "Hong Kong's prosperity and stability is the wish of Hong Kong compatriots and the expectation for the people of the motherland." New travel ban is called out as misogyny 'targets wrong people' Cronkite News News briefs: The Senate's witness debate President to sign trade deal; policy win during the impeachment trial The after Brexit fish fight Trump team wrapping up trial defense as senators mull Bolton Court upholds 'public charge' limits for immigrant families News briefs: Defending the president Hong Kong halts trains from mainland China as virus spreads	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line917
__label__wiki	0.653384	0.653384	The 2016 Year in Review: The 5 Biggest Announcements of the Year, and 4 More December 14, 2016 Chris Stritzel Featured, Media & Commentary, Urban Living 15 comments As 2016 comes to an end, St. Louis has seen a huge amount of announcements regarding new construction, preservation and proposals that will shape St. Louis for years to come. Five have stood out this year, attracted a lot of attention, and are set to have a big impact for years to come. Ballpark Village Phase 2 It was no secret that our patience for the long-stalled project was wearing thin until October 25th when the Cardinals announced late at night what their ambitions for the future would be. The $220 Million project was announced with a 10 floor Office Building, Entertainment/Market Building and a 29 Floor Residential Building. The project announcement caught just about everyone off-guard. It was expecting that a second phase was coming, but would likely be much smaller than what was announced. For months and even years leading up to the announcement, local news coverage included interviews about ambitions for what the Second Phase could be. Each had a little new information and confirmed a phase two was coming, eventually. Each article said that an announcement would be soon, but how soon was anyone’s guess until the surprise announcement on October 25th. With this announcement, many are now looking forward to seeing this development get started again and hoping that this gets built and other phases follow closely behind. The idea of future phases seemed to be teased when new images were posted on the project architecture firm’s website. These images included a 24-floor mixed-use building on the northwest portion of the site. The images were quickly removed, leaving us wondering if it a building for phase three. However, it appears the building was considered as park of phase two, perhaps to be built instead of the tower announced. Looking closely, one can see a fuzzy “BPV II” on the roof. As the news on the project continued forward, tax abatement for the project were preliminarily passed and the incentives bill the Cardinals helped write was amended to include additional public support. The future looks bright for his project and the construction (if it begins as promised) should begin mid to late 2017 and be completed by 2019. [29-Story Apartment Building, Class-A Office Highlight $220M Ballpark Village Phase II] One Hundred on Kingshighway This was one of those projects that was announced by nextSTL in early 2015. The story revealed ambitions to build a 40-floor residential tower at the corner of West Pine and Kingshighway in Central West End. This was further reassured when an article published a year later said that planning was underway for the project. And then finally in early December 2016, the developer, MAC Properties (based in Englewood New Jersey) announced a public meeting and released a teaser image touting “a Major Development ” for Monday, December 15th. It was that evening that the conversation lit up like Candy Cane Lane on the UrbanSTL Forum. The next day Studio Gang based out of Chicago and the Post-Dispatch released renderings and an interview about the project. The $130 Million, 36-floor high-rise residential building immediately got good and bad reviews. Some laughed at the project and some applauded the design, calling it an iconic landmark. In the days that followed, discussions about how NIMBYs (Not in My Backyard) would react grew, and while some voiced concerns at the public meeting, it appears that the project has significant public support. The Central West End has handled construction traffic well, and One Hundred won’t be blocking the view of homeowners, or tower of any single-family homes. The project also fits well with the neighborhood’s form based code. This project also kicked up a frenzy on the long-awaited Koman project next door that has yet to be announced and whether we could see an announcement on that project soon as well. Following all of this, a Post-Dispatch article wrote that the building was upped by 7 floors to 36 so that it could hold 50 more apartments to earn the support for tax abatement from the city and 17th Ward alderman Joe Roddy. The abatement request is 95% for 10 years and 50% for five years. So the possibility of this project being built is very good. The developer has ambitions to get underway mid next year and open around the same time Ballpark Village Phase 2 opens in 2019. One thing for sure is that this will help propel Saint Louis into a new era of expectations of architectural design. Hopefully more towers will follow after just two have been built-in the CWE since the 1970s. [Stunning Skyscraper by Studio Gang Unveiled for Kingshighway Site] Centene’s Clayton Corporate Campus It is something that could have changed the way downtown St. Louis looked but instead of being built at Ballpark Village, it will rise in our second downtown of Clayton. The close to a billion dollar project will drastically expand the company’s footprint from one block to multiple and change the Clayton skyline. The project was met with backlash from residents of the Crescent condo building, who argued that their views would be blocked, the increase in traffic would be too great, and other issues. They opposed the project online and at public meetings. This has led to some elements of the project being redesigned. The project would be phased but is planned to be completed by 2024. Clayton is seeing its own boom in construction with government buildings and apartments in addition to the Centene project. But this development does not appear to be stealing from the city, or at least the boom in development is happening in both places. While Clayton is set to add density with new residents and jobs, these projects are likely to change Clayton less than the big transformative projects in St. Louis City. Clayton is adding more of what it has while the city is transforming with new projects. [Big Design Changes Submitted for Centene’s Clayton Corporate Campus] NGA Selects St. Louis This announcement was yet another one of those that we were expecting. but many were betting on this ending up in an Illinois cornfield. The US Government announced that they were looking for a new site to build the new NGA West HQ around the St. Louis area, and the site selection was reduced to North City versus St. Clair County Illinois versus St. Louis County. The site ultimately chosen was roughly 100 acres just north of the long-vacant Pruitt-Igoe public housing site. The area was largely vacant, but the city used eminent domain proceedings to finalize the eviction of some residents and businesses. While some expressed concerns about the location and the safety of employees, the $2B secure facility appears set to transform the area. That dream will take years, if not decades to be realized. There is no shortage of ideas, and the recent HUD Choice Neighborhoods implementation grant looks to kickstart the process. When additional development goes up remains anyone’s guess as much of the adjacent property belongs to developer Paul McKee whose Northside Regeneration has been stalled for more than a decade. While the investment is important, it will take years to see what the positive impact may be. The project is expected to begin in 2017 with environmental clean up currently underway and the building complex completed by 2021. [Final Decision Makes North St. Louis Future Site of $1.75B NGA] City Foundry Project Begins The final project on this list is one that is significant on its own but also one that could make the Cortex-Midtown area an even better place to live and work. This $340M dollar project would restore the abandoned foundry along Forest Park Avenue and turn it into a food hall and small shopping area. A second Phase would add to this an office building and residential high-rise to the site. The first phase began construction in September 2016 and should wrap up sometime in 2018, with the second phase beginning shortly thereafter and the whole project wrapping up in 2021 or 2022. The announcement for this project came as a surprise a year earlier but really got interesting when renderings and amenities were announced in early 2016. The economic benefits that this project could bring to the neighborhood could mean more retail and residents living in the city, which not only improves the city’s image but will also show people visiting the city that we have a new idea on how to deal with abandoned eyesores and make them new again. [City Foundry Vision Gets Big Boost from Bull Moose, Now $340M] But not every revolutionary project is listed here, so here is a list of honorable mentions that are significant as well and may just end up having as big an impact as the projects above: St. Louis is enjoying an embarrassment of riches in development news this year and it wasn’t easy narrowing down a list of the most exciting developments, so here is a list of honorable mentions that are also set to have a big impact: SSM St. Louis University Medical Center It was no secret that after SSM Health purchased SLU Medical Center that a complete hospital overhaul would take place. It was one of those projects that was a mystery from how much the project would cost to what it would look like and bring to the neighborhood. Preservationists have long hoped the vacant Pevely Dairy building would be preserved as part of this project (it sits outside the new hospital footprint, but appears destined for demolition). So we waited patiently until information on the project got out. The first information was the site plan. The worrying continued for preservationists after this site plan came out as there was a lack of news regarding plans for the historic Desloge Tower. We all knew that the current hospital addition would be demolished but would that tower? We would find out a few months later that the Historic Desloge Tower would remain, and a $550 Million new campus would be constructed on the vacant lots to the north. The main building will reach 10 stories, with additional connected buildings and parking garages. The project is expected to begin next year and wrap in 2020. [We Now Know What the $550M SLU/SSM Hospital Might Look Like] Washington University in St. Louis – Danforth Campus Improvements This major project will drastically change the front door to the Washington University Danforth Campus. The project includes street improvements and closures along with a massive underground garage and a total of 7 new structures designed by KierenTimberlake and Moore Ruble Yudell. The additions fit the context of the classical university campus, but are set to add a lot of glass to the otherwise pink fieldstone buildings. The most recent completed project on campus is the athletic complex, completed in time for this year’s 2nd Presidential Debate. Seven Major Additions to WUSTL Danforth Campus Detailed The Jefferson Arms Restoration It would not be a complete list without this major restoration for Downtown. One that has been stalled for years and one of the more exciting projects to come along. The Jefferson Arms on Tucker was built for the 1904 World’s Fair but would eventually see a conversion to senior living apartments. A failed redevelopment plan saw the building become vacant last decade. But the building appears to have a new life as Alterra Development of Dallas has announced it will purchase the building and completed a mixed-use redevelopment. A very fitting restoration for a very prime building. Excerpt from nextSTL- “According to a press release from Alterra, the architect is Merriman Anderson Architects from Dallas TX. The interior designer is Lazaro Rosa-Violan from Barcelona Spain. Alterra is said to be selecting the hotel flag from Marriott’s AC, Autograph Collection, Aloft, and Element brands.” These mash-ups could bring in a very different look to the interior of the building and Make it more luxurious for those who will live and visit there. The project should start next year and wrap up in 2018 or 2019. Alterra Announces Jefferson Arms Plan for 239 Apartments, Marriott Hotel, Retail Major League Soccer Stadium Proposal for Downtown This project barely made it onto this list at all but I decided to add it because of its significance in the quest for Saint Louis to become a major league soccer city. The drama since the Rams left, saying no thanks to a $1 Billion new stadium seemed to never end until this proposal. There seems to be widespread support from residents and elected representatives for bringing an MLS team to St. Louis. The SC STL ownership group tapped HOK to design a new Stadium to be built over the failed Interstate 755 project (22nd Street Interchange) in Downtown just West of Union Station. The project would cost over $200 Million for a 20,000 seat Stadium. This project isn’t a done deal as some are raising questions about requested incentives for the project, which could reach $120M. The incentives debate, coupled with opponents citing studies that show stadiums are not catalytic developments, present a challenge to this project. It’s unclear whether it will be built without public money. A spring vote in St. Louis City is planned to ask for public support of the project. If approved, construction could start in 2017 and wrap up in 2021 or 2022. Announcement: Ownership Group, Stadium Announced for St. Louis MLS Effort But with still a few weeks left in 2016, more announcements could be on the horizon, but these are the ones that I see as game-changing and the 5 most important projects to be announced this year as well as 4 additional Honorable Mentions which show just how hot the St. Louis market has been this year. The list could go on and on. It’s hard to imagine the pace of development news continuing as it has, and only time will tell if these projects are as transformative as we hope they will be. Will these projects push St. Louis to become a Future Great City? About Chris Stritzel Chris Stritzel is a student at Vianney High School. He started his own development news site called Building St. Louis News, and is an active contributor at the UrbanSTL Forum. View all posts by Chris Stritzel →	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line918
__label__wiki	0.854312	0.854312	Looking to make the leap: Julius Honka By Jason BroughAug 17, 2016, 10:35 AM EDT This post is part of Stars Day on PHT… When the Stars were eliminated by the Blues in Game 6 of their second-round series, Alex Goligoski logged 25:16 of ice time, Jason Demers logged 19:57, and Kris Russell 16:17. The first two are with other teams now, the third still unsigned and not expected back. So the Dallas defense will look significantly different in 2016-17. There’s still John Klingberg, Johnny Oduya, and Stephen Johns, the three other defenders who played in that elimination game. And Dan Hamhuis was signed in free agency, with GM Jim Nill expecting the veteran to play a big role, possibly even skating with Klingberg on the top pairing. After those four, though, the competition for minutes should be pretty wide open. Jordie Benn was re-signed for three years, so he’s definitely in the running. Patrik Nemeth and Jamie Oleksiak both need waivers to go to the AHL, so they’ll be given a good shot to stay up. Esa Lindell got his first taste of the NHL in January, so he’s in the mix as well. Which brings us, finally, to Julius Honka, the 20-year-old the Stars drafted with the 14th overall pick in 2014. It may take an injury or trade for Honka to get the call next season, but after piling up 44 points (11G, 33A) in 73 games for AHL Texas last season, the Stars have themselves a serious puck-moving threat waiting in the wings. He’s been compared to Anaheim’s Sami Vatanen. “Outstanding puck-handling, mobile defenseman,” said TSN’s Bob McKenzie when Honka was drafted. “Loves to shoot the puck, loves to walk the blue line, and he’s a guy that skates pucks out of trouble. Not a big guy (5’11, 185)… some scouts wondered how his game will translate to the next level at that size. But this Finnish player has tremendous wheels, one of the best skaters in the draft.” As mentioned, it may be tough for Honka to make the Stars out of training camp. He can still be sent to the AHL without waivers, as can Lindell. But whichever way it all shakes out, Nill is confident that he has the right head coach, Lindy Ruff, to make the decisions. “Lindy has a history of working with some of the best defensemen in the world at the Olympics, so he knows what he’s doing,” said Nill, per the Dallas Morning News. “We’re in transition and this is a process, but I have full trust in our players and our coaches, and I think we’ll be better moving forward.” Related: Dallas loves its young defensemen, which could mean goodbye for some vets Tags: Alex Goligoski, Dan Hamhuis, Esa Lindell, Jamie Oleksiak, Jason Demers, John Klingberg, Johnny Oduya, Jordie Benn, Patrik Nemeth, Sami Vatanen, Stephen Johns Tags: Montreal Canadiens, Shea Weber, Tampa Bay Lightning How the Canucks climbed to top of Pacific Division By Adam GretzJan 28, 2020, 4:46 PM EST For the first time in five years Vancouver Canucks fans have reason to be excited about their team. They are the hottest team in the NHL right now, and with their 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Monday night are 12-3-0 over their past 15 games. That run has helped them climb to the top of the Pacific Division and put them in a position where they have a very good chance to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2014-15 season. While it is true that the Pacific Division is very watered down this season — especially with the struggles of Vegas and San Jose — the Canucks still have something building here. They are exciting, they can score, and as of Monday have the third-best goal differential in the Western Conference. Let’s take a look at what is driving their success so far this season. Quinn Hughes has been better than advertised Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser are the young cornerstones at forward, but Hughes is the player that’s really helped get this rebuild running in the right direction. He may not win the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year, but he is almost certainly going to be Vancouver’s third straight finalist (following Boeser and Pettersson) as he competes with fellow rookie defenseman Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) for that crown. He’s already a 20-minute per night defenseman and fills one of the single biggest needs the Canucks have had the past couple of years — a young, impactful, top-pairing defenseman to lead their blue line. He’s the type of player that as soon as you watch him you know he’s going to be a star with the way he skates, moves the puck, and contributes to the offense. But what’s really made him such a valuable piece is that he is able to do all of that while still being the team’s best defensive defenseman as a 20-year-old rookie. When he is on the ice during 5-on-5 play this season the Canucks are allowing the following: 52.3 shot attempts per 60 minutes 28.2 shots on goal per 60 minutes 2.24 expected goals against per 60 minutes 27.4 scoring chances per 60 minutes 2.24 goals against per 60 minutes Those numbers not only place him first among all Canucks defenders in every category, he is first by a significant margin in all of them. (Data via Natural Stat Trick) J.T. Miller has been the perfect support player It’s been no secret the past two years that Boeser and Pettersson were the two players driving the bus for the Canucks offensively, and they still are. It’s also no secret that two players alone can not carry a team on their own. And while the Canucks still have some depth concerns, Miller has been everything the Canucks could have hoped for him to be and more. They raised some eyebrows when they traded a future first-round draft pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for him, but it’s hard to argue with the results right now. He is in the middle of a career year and currently on pace for more than 30 goals and 70 points, while also being one of the best possession-driving forwards in the entire league. They paid a steep price, and the trade definitely carried some risk, but he is signed long-term, at a fair price, and has been a perfect fit within the core, while also being young enough to be a part of that core in future seasons. I was not a huge fan of the move at the time, but at some point you have to start adding talent to make your rebuild actually get somewhere. The Canucks have done that here. Jacob Markstrom has been a rock in net Markstrom hasn’t been one of the league’s elites in net, but he has been a rock solid starter since taking over that position in Vancouver. He may not steal a ton of games, but he’s not losing many games for them, either. He’s been a steady, and durable goalie that has consistently given them better-than-league average play the past few years. He has been even better this season. While Hughes has been an immediate sensation on the blue line, this team still has its flaws defensively and gives up its share of shots and chances. They’re not yet a championship-level defensive team, and that makes quality goaltending even more vital for their chances. Markstrom is giving them that, and in the process is playing his way toward what could be a pretty significant raise this offseason. • NHL Power Rankings: Looking at top Stanley Cup Contenders • The 6 coaches and general managers that can impact NHL playoff race • The 10 players that can impact NHL playoff race Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz. Tags: Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Jacob Markstrom, Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks, Brock Boeser, cale makar, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Jacob Markstrom, Quinn Hughes PHT Morning Skate: Weber’s comeback year; Where should Bolts upgrade? January 29, 2020 8:15 am EST The Buzzer: Blues edge Flames in shootout; Eichel sets new career high January 29, 2020 12:20 am EST Hall of Fame goalie Ed Belfour arrested on mischief, public intoxication charges January 28, 2020 7:55 pm EST How the Canucks climbed to top of Pacific Division January 28, 2020 4:46 pm EST Headache-plagued Stephen Johns finally back on ice for Stars January 28, 2020 2:33 pm EST Predators facing difficult road in playoff push January 28, 2020 1:35 pm EST Blues’ recipe for success hasn’t changed in quest for Cup repeat January 28, 2020 12:00 pm EST Penguins give Marcus Pettersson a 5-year, $20.1 million contract extension January 28, 2020 10:46 am EST Logjam at top of Pacific makes for intense playoff push January 28, 2020 9:37 am EST PHT Morning Skate: Blues looking for top-6 winger; Pacific Division race January 28, 2020 8:00 am EST The Buzzer: Big milestone night for Patrick Marleau January 28, 2020 2:10 am EST Benn makes difference as Stars beat Lightning January 27, 2020 10:55 pm EST Fight: Brady Tkachuk vs. P.K. Subban (video) January 27, 2020 9:58 pm EST WATCH LIVE: Stars host Lightning on NBCSN January 27, 2020 7:00 pm EST Maple Leafs’ defense gets some help with Muzzin return January 27, 2020 7:00 pm EST Lightning have returned to being one of NHL’s most dominant teams January 27, 2020 4:41 pm EST NHL Fantasy Hockey: Bounce-back candidates for the second half January 27, 2020 2:24 pm EST NHL Power Rankings: Stanley Cup contenders entering second half January 27, 2020 2:11 pm EST Blue Jackets sign forward Robinson for 2 more years January 27, 2020 12:56 pm EST Ovechkin sits as Caps return to ice against Canadiens January 27, 2020 12:12 pm EST NHL on NBCSN: Stars keeping puck out of own net January 27, 2020 10:48 am EST PHT Face-Off: Frk’s heavy shot; Rough year for Johansen January 27, 2020 10:06 am EST PHT Morning Skate: NHLers remember Kobe; Who will Bruins acquire? January 27, 2020 8:15 am EST NHL players in favor of ‘international flavor’ All-Star idea January 26, 2020 4:46 pm EST The 10 players that will impact NHL playoff race in second half January 26, 2020 4:30 pm EST The 6 coaches and general managers that will impact NHL playoff race January 26, 2020 3:28 pm EST Blues All-Stars proud to represent franchise on home ice January 26, 2020 1:37 am EST Hockey’s young stars shine in NHL All-Star 3-on-3 tournament January 26, 2020 12:43 am EST Best moments from 2020 NHL All-Star Game January 26, 2020 12:09 am EST All-Star MVP Pastrnak puts on a show for Atlantic Division January 25, 2020 11:55 pm EST Pacific wins close All-Star Game final, Pastrnak gets MVP January 25, 2020 11:16 pm EST Memorable All-Star Game moments abound as Pacific dominates Central January 25, 2020 10:00 pm EST NHL All-Star Game 2020: Pastrnak, Duclair power Atlantic past Metro January 25, 2020 9:08 pm EST Laila Anderson introduces Blues All-Stars — with gusto January 25, 2020 8:42 pm EST NHL All-Star Game 2020: Pacific wins, Pastrnak MVP, Laila shines January 25, 2020 7:41 pm EST WATCH LIVE: 2020 NHL All-Star Game enhanced broadcast January 25, 2020 7:15 pm EST WATCH LIVE: 2020 NHL All-Star Game on NBC January 25, 2020 7:00 pm EST 3-on-3 overtime in NHL has evolved over past 5 seasons January 25, 2020 12:00 pm EST Bettman: NHL puck and player tracking to start in playoffs January 25, 2020 11:00 am EST NHL All-Star Skills Competition: Kane, Barzal, Weber highlight the winners January 25, 2020 7:33 am EST	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line919
__label__cc	0.656683	0.343317	Cronin headed back to Omaha with Razorbacks By Brian Lester on June 10, 2019 A return trip to the College World Series is up next for Matt Cronin and the Arkansas Razorbacks. Arkansas rolled past Mississippi 14-1 in the decisive third game of an NCAA Super Regional Monday afternoon at Baum Stadium. The Navarre alum and ace closer of the Razorbacks worked the final inning of the victory. He faced four batters and struck out one. Baseball America named Cronin a second-team All-American. The trip to Omaha, Neb., means Arkansas has an opportunity to win the national title it came so close to claiming a year ago when it finished as the national runner-up. It also means the pro baseball career of Cronin is on hold for now. The Washington Nationals took him in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball Draft last week. He is the first from Navarre to be drafted into pro baseball. 7502 Harvest Village Ct. Navarre FL 32566	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line921
__label__wiki	0.70209	0.70209	This article is from the Encyclopedia of North Carolina edited by William S. Powell. Copyright © 2006 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher. by Raymond L. Murray, 2006 Nuclear energy first came to North Carolina in 1950 with the construction of a reactor for training and research at North Carolina State College (now North Carolina State University) in Raleigh. Faculty members of the physics department designed and built a ten-kilowatt "water boiler," adapted from a design by the laboratory at Los Alamos, N.M. This Raleigh Reactor and its several successors have been used ever since for education in the field of nuclear engineering and for radiation research and services. In response to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's challenge to American industry to demonstrate the possibility of commercial nuclear power, a consortium of southeastern energy companies was formed in 1956. The Carolinas-Virginia Nuclear Power Associates (CVNPA) included the three electric power companies that served North Carolina-Carolina Power & Light Company, Duke Power Company, and Virginia Electric & Power Company-as well as South Carolina Electric & Gas Company. Between 1963 and 1967 the group built and operated at Parr, S.C., a 17,000-kilowatt, heavy-water moderated pressure-tube type reactor, similar to those operating in Canada. This prototype provided knowledge and experience on the new energy source for management and for design and operating engineers. Subsequently, CP&L built two large, multimegawatt light-water moderated reactors of the boiling-water type (BWR) in Southport (1975 and 1977); Duke Power built two larger reactors of the pressurized-water type (PWR) in Cornelius (1981 and 1983); and CP&L built an additional PWR in New Hill (1987). Plans for several additional nuclear units were canceled in the 1970s owing to the energy crisis and an unfavorable economic climate. The 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania prompted a number of changes in equipment and procedures to enhance safety. The utilities became closely associated with two national organizations, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and the Electric Power Research Institute. By 2006 about one-third of all electric power in North Carolina came from nuclear power plants. One of the major supporting facilities for the state's BWRs was General Electric's Nuclear Fuels Plant near Wilmington. Electric power for 19 cities was provided by North Carolina Municipal Power Agency No. 1, using its part ownership of a reactor. Robert F. Durden, Electrifying the Piedmont Carolinas: The Duke Power Company, 1904-1997 (2001). Raymond L. Murray, Nuclear Energy (1993). Institute of Nuclear Power Operations North Carolina State University Nuclear Energy Program: http://www.ne.ncsu.edu Nuclear State Energy Report, 2010: http://www.digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p249901coll22&CISOPTR=70679&REC=19 Annual report of the North Carolina Utilities Commission regarding long range needs for expansion of electric generation facilities for service in North Carolina, 2004: http://www.digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p249901coll22&CISOPTR=426496&REC=14 McGuire Nuclear Station, Unites 1 and 2, Huntersvilla, NC. Courtesy: ©Duke Energy--McGuire Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2. The nuclear power plant is located in Huntersville, NC (17 MI N of Charlotte, NC) in Region II; Operator: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; More information on the NRC facility page link at www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/mcg1.html and at www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/mcg2.html. Post War 20th Century (1946-2000) 21st Century (2001-present) UNC Press Science, technology, and innovations Murray, Raymond L. Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. 1 January 2006 \| Murray, Raymond L. Permalink Submitted by rtfgh (not verified) on Wed, 05/11/2016 - 10:13 The NC Council on the Holocaust - @ncpublicschools offers an online teacher’s guide, "The Holocaust: A North Caroli… https://t.co/Sq9S7lkK7L — 1 day 14 hours ago Read more about the Children's Holocaust Memorial Sculpture in Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina by… https://t.co/xFQfndVnR6 — 1 day 14 hours ago The Children's Holocaust Memorial Sculpture honors the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. Designed… https://t.co/nT6wVJOWT1 — 1 day 15 hours ago	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line923
__label__wiki	0.521671	0.521671	Duke Energy Carolinas proposes more than $3 in monthly savings for customers in North Carolina CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Duke Energy Carolinas customers in North Carolina will see more than $3 in savings on their monthly energy costs in 2017 if the company's annual filings receive approval from the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC). If approved, electric rates would decrease for all customer bills, putting more money back into customers' homes and businesses. What's Driving Customer Savings On March 9, 2016, Duke Energy Carolinas made its annual filings with the NCUC for costs associated with fuel, compliance with the state's renewable energy portfolio standard (REPS), and implementation of energy efficiency (EE) and demand-side management (DSM) programs. If approved, the total monthly impact of all rate changes (fuel, REPS, DSM, EE) for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month is a decrease of about $3.11. For a typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month, bills would decrease from the current $107.11 to $104.00. The main reasons for the proposed overall decrease in rates include: Lower projected coal and gas fuel prices partially offset by higher projected nuclear fuel prices and higher sales In addition, there is a $51 million decrease in the prior period true-up of fuel costs included in the proposed rate, as compared to the prior period true-up included in the current billing factor Duke Energy Carolinas makes a fuel cost-recovery filing annually in North Carolina. The fuel rate is based on the projected cost of fuel used to provide electric service to the company's customers, plus a true-up of the prior year's projection. The NCUC reviews fuel costs and adjusts the fuel component of customer rates accordingly. By law, the company makes no profit from the fuel component of rates. Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency Duke Energy Carolinas also filed for an increase in the charge to customers for the utility's compliance with the state's renewable energy portfolio standard (REPS). Proposed increases to the REPS charge reflect increases in actual and projected compliance costs driven by the increase in the utility's overall compliance obligation. Duke Energy Carolinas has also filed to recover the costs of implementing programs designed to help reduce energy consumption and save customers money on their energy bills. The residential increase is primarily due to increased participation in programs, while the non-residential increase is primarily related to the addition of two programs added to the portfolio. If approved, the new fuel and REPS rates will go into effect Sept. 1, 2016. The EE and DSM rates will go into effect Jan. 1, 2017. About Duke Energy Duke Energy Carolinas owns nuclear, coal-fired, natural gas, renewables and hydroelectric generation. That diverse fuel mix provides approximately 19,600 megawatts of owned electric capacity to about 2.5 million customers in a 24,000-square-mile service area of North Carolina and South Carolina. Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.4 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately 24 million people. Its Commercial Portfolio and International business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online destination for stories about remarkable people, innovations, and community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and insights into the future of energy.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line925
__label__cc	0.582763	0.417237	Home / Central Data Catalog / WHO / ESP_2003_WHS_V01_M World Health Survey 2003 Spain, 2003 WHO’s Multi-Country Studies Programmes Last modified October 17, 2013 Page views 16806 Study website Metadata DDI/XML JSON ESP_2003_WHS_v01_M Spain ESP Different countries have different health outcomes that are in part due to the way respective health systems perform. Regardless of the type of health system, individuals will have health and non-health expectations in terms of how the institution responds to their needs. In many countries, however, health systems do not perform effectively and this is in part due to lack of information on health system performance, and on the different service providers. The aim of the WHO World Health Survey is to provide empirical data to the national health information systems so that there is a better monitoring of health of the people, responsiveness of health systems and measurement of health-related parameters. The overall aims of the survey is to examine the way populations report their health, understand how people value health states, measure the performance of health systems in relation to responsiveness and gather information on modes and extents of payment for health encounters through a nationally representative population based community survey. In addition, it addresses various areas such as health care expenditures, adult mortality, birth history, various risk factors, assessment of main chronic health conditions and the coverage of health interventions, in specific additional modules. The objectives of the survey programme are to: 1. develop a means of providing valid, reliable and comparable information, at low cost, to supplement the information provided by routine health information systems. 2. build the evidence base necessary for policy-makers to monitor if health systems are achieving the desired goals, and to assess if additional investment in health is achieving the desired outcomes. 3. provide policy-makers with the evidence they need to adjust their policies, strategies and programmes as necessary. World Health Survey (WHS) Survey The survey sampling frame must cover 100% of the country's eligible population, meaning that the entire national territory must be included. This does not mean that every province or territory need be represented in the survey sample but, rather, that all must have a chance (known probability) of being included in the survey sample. There may be exceptional circumstances that preclude 100% national coverage. Certain areas in certain countries may be impossible to include due to reasons such as accessibility or conflict. All such exceptions must be discussed with WHO sampling experts. If any region must be excluded, it must constitute a coherent area, such as a particular province or region. For example if ¾ of region D in country X is not accessible due to war, the entire region D will be excluded from analysis. Households and individuals The WHS will include all male and female adults (18 years of age and older) who are not out of the country during the survey period. It should be noted that this includes the population who may be institutionalized for health reasons at the time of the survey: all persons who would have fit the definition of household member at the time of their institutionalisation are included in the eligible population. If the randomly selected individual is institutionalized short-term (e.g. a 3-day stay at a hospital) the interviewer must return to the household when the individual will have come back to interview him/her. If the randomly selected individual is institutionalized long term (e.g. has been in a nursing home the last 8 years), the interviewer must travel to that institution to interview him/her. The target population includes any adult, male or female age 18 or over living in private households. Populations in group quarters, on military reservations, or in other non-household living arrangements will not be eligible for the study. People who are in an institution due to a health condition (such as a hospital, hospice, nursing home, home for the aged, etc.) at the time of the visit to the household are interviewed either in the institution or upon their return to their household if this is within a period of two weeks from the first visit to the household. World Health Organization WHO SAMPLING GUIDELINES FOR WHS Surveys in the WHS program must employ a probability sampling design. This means that every single individual in the sampling frame has a known and non-zero chance of being selected into the survey sample. While a Single Stage Random Sample is ideal if feasible, it is recognized that most sites will carry out Multi-stage Cluster Sampling. The WHS sampling frame should cover 100% of the eligible population in the surveyed country. This means that every eligible person in the country has a chance of being included in the survey sample. It also means that particular ethnic groups or geographical areas may not be excluded from the sampling frame. The sample size of the WHS in each country is 5000 persons (exceptions considered on a by-country basis). An adequate number of persons must be drawn from the sampling frame to account for an estimated amount of non-response (refusal to participate, empty houses etc.). The highest estimate of potential non-response and empty households should be used to ensure that the desired sample size is reached at the end of the survey period. This is very important because if, at the end of data collection, the required sample size of 5000 has not been reached additional persons must be selected randomly into the survey sample from the sampling frame. This is both costly and technically complicated (if this situation is to occur, consult WHO sampling experts for assistance), and best avoided by proper planning before data collection begins. All steps of sampling, including justification for stratification, cluster sizes, probabilities of selection, weights at each stage of selection, and the computer program used for randomization must be communicated to WHO Stratification is the process by which the population is divided into subgroups. Sampling will then be conducted separately in each subgroup. Strata or subgroups are chosen because evidence is available that they are related to the outcome (e.g. health, responsiveness, mortality, coverage etc.). The strata chosen will vary by country and reflect local conditions. Some examples of factors that can be stratified on are geography (e.g. North, Central, South), level of urbanization (e.g. urban, rural), socio-economic zones, provinces (especially if health administration is primarily under the jurisdiction of provincial authorities), or presence of health facility in area. Strata to be used must be identified by each country and the reasons for selection explicitly justified. Stratification is strongly recommended at the first stage of sampling. Once the strata have been chosen and justified, all stages of selection will be conducted separately in each stratum. We recommend stratifying on 3-5 factors. It is optimum to have half as many strata (note the difference between stratifying variables, which may be such variables as gender, socio-economic status, province/region etc. and strata, which are the combination of variable categories, for example Male, High socio-economic status, Xingtao Province would be a stratum). Strata should be as homogenous as possible within and as heterogeneous as possible between. This means that strata should be formulated in such a way that individuals belonging to a stratum should be as similar to each other with respect to key variables as possible and as different as possible from individuals belonging to a different stratum. This maximises the efficiency of stratification in reducing sampling variance. MULTI-STAGE CLUSTER SELECTION A cluster is a naturally occurring unit or grouping within the population (e.g. enumeration areas, cities, universities, provinces, hospitals etc.); it is a unit for which the administrative level has clear, nonoverlapping boundaries. Cluster sampling is useful because it avoids having to compile exhaustive lists of every single person in the population. Clusters should be as heterogeneous as possible within and as homogenous as possible between (note that this is the opposite criterion as that for strata). Clusters should be as small as possible (i.e. large administrative units such as Provinces or States are not good clusters) but not so small as to be homogenous. In cluster sampling, a number of clusters are randomly selected from a list of clusters. Then, either all members of the chosen cluster or a random selection from among them are included in the sample. Multistage sampling is an extension of cluster sampling where a hierarchy of clusters are chosen going from larger to smaller. In order to carry out multi-stage sampling, one needs to know only the population sizes of the sampling units. For the smallest sampling unit above the elementary unit however, a complete list of all elementary units (households) is needed; in order to be able to randomly select among all households in the TSU, a list of all those households is required. This information may be available from the most recent population census. If the last census was >3 years ago or the information furnished by it was of poor quality or unreliable, the survey staff will have the task of enumerating all households in the smallest randomly selected sampling unit. It is very important to budget for this step if it is necessary and ensure that all households are properly enumerated in order that a representative sample is obtained. It is always best to have as many clusters in the PSU as possible. The reason for this is that the fewer the number of respondents in each PSU, the lower will be the clustering effect which increases sample variance and effectively reduces our estimating power. WHO requires an absolute maximum of 50 respondents per PSU, and ideally would suggest 20-30. This means that for a sample size of 5000 respondents, 100- 200 PSU clusters should be taken into the sample. Calculating that, roughly, one fifth of the total number of PSU clusters in a country will be randomly selected into the survey sample, the sampling frame should consist of 500-1000 PSU clusters. PROBABILITY SAMPLING Probability sampling means that every single individual in the sampling frame has a known and non-zero chance of being selected into the survey sample. Non-probability methods of sampling such as quota or convenience sampling and random walk, may introduce bias into the survey, will throw survey findings into question, and are not accepted by WHO. The probability of selection into the survey sample for each cluster will be proportional to its relative size. Systematic Sampling Systematic sampling is the ordered sampling at fixed intervals from a list, starting from a randomly chosen point. Typically, systematic sampling is not used at the first stage of sampling (selection of PSUs) because it renders the estimation of sampling error difficult. Systematic sampling is recommended at the SSU, TSU, and household selection stages of sampling. Systematic sampling may be linear or circular. SELECTION OF HOUSEHOLDS The Household is a device used to get at the individual. The household is the sampling unit while the individual is the observational unit. While it would be preferable to randomly select from a list of all eligible persons in a country, such lists, with a few exceptions, are not available, so we must employ a final cluster, the household, to get at our observational units. Households will be selected from lists of dwelling units. Non-probabilistic methods of household selection such as the random walk are not acceptable. Such lists are typically available from population registries, household listings, voter lists and census list. As it is essential to include all households in the sampling frame, an assessment of the methodology employed to select households must be made: - How much has the population changed since these lists were made? - Completeness of coverage. Are there unregistered populations (e.g. slums) - Population shifts - Changes in Registry Almost all lists will suffer from routine problems. WHO recommends that survey institutions manually enumerate all the households in the sampling units randomly selected into the survey sample. If existing lists or registries will be used, then a detailed analysis of their quality must be made and they must be updated to ensure that there is no exclusion of households from the survey sampling frame. SELECTION OF INDIVIDUALS FROM HOUSEHOLD ROSTER All members of each household selected into the survey sample will be enumerated on the household roster. A member of the household is defined as someone who usually stays in the household, sleeps and shares meals, who has that address as primary place of residence, or who spends more than 6 months a year living there. Country-specific variations in this standard definition are allowed in consultation with WHO. KISH TABLES The respondent for the survey will be selected among all eligible members of the household using Kish tables. Kish tables provide a method by which each eligible person in a household has an equal probability of selection into the survey sample. It is extremely important for the representativeness of the survey sample and the integrity of the survey that the Kish tables are properly implemented. All interviews where the Kish selection method is not properly implemented will be rejected. The Kish technique allows adequate representation for all the persons in the household. The proper and complete enumeration and description of the entire household is a critical component of the survey process. The household roster must be completed for all households selected randomly into the survey sample, whether they agreed to participate in the survey or not. It is only in this way that we can collect the basic information required to estimate the non-response bias in the survey. The requirement of augmenting the survey sample size to adjust for estimated non-response is necessary to ensure that we have adequate persons in the sample to have the power to make precise estimates. This does not, however, account for the bias that is created by non-response, since non-responders are often different from responders with respect to key variables that are linked to the domains under study in the survey. All effort, therefore, must be made to minimise non-response, and to interview as many people in the survey sample as possible. A detailed discussion of refusal conversion methods, survey awareness raising, and call-backs is found in the WHS Survey Manual. There are two possible scenarios of non-response: 1) The interviewer completes the household roster and the randomly chosen respondent refuses to participate. 2) The interviewer is refused access to the household and is unable to fill in the household roster. In second scenario, sites must ensure that, at least, pages 00.1 and 00.3 of the Coversheet are completed for the household. In addition, if available from census information, the number of adult (18 years of age or older) males and females in the household, and their respective ages should be provided. It is important to note that the completion of the household roster serves a purpose above and beyond providing a list from which a respondent will be selected. The demographic and other information collected in the household roster and requested from sites serves to calculate the denominators for statistical analysis of the survey data; without the information in the household roster, we would not be able to determine the health-related outcome rates in your country. Countries has provided WHO with the population sizes, probabilities of selection and sampling weights of all sampling units for each stage of the sampling process Since clusters are often of unequal size, sampling weights are necessary to be able to reconstruct population estimates from our sample estimates. The weights essentially describe the number of persons in the sampling frame represented by each person in the cluster (i.e. each person in County 1 represents 12.5 people, each person in County 2 represents 9.1 persons etc.). Weights for SSUs, TSUs, etc. are calculated in the same way. The probability of selection of the elementary unit, the household, is not proportional to the number of people in the household. Rather, the household level weights will be generated at the time of respondent selection within the household. The number of households selected within each chosen sampling unit will be proportional to the total number of households in that sampling unit. All households in each unit will have equal probability of selection. Face-to-face [f2f] Data collection supervision FIELD SUPERVISION The role of the supervisor is to monitor the progress and quality of the data collection, and ensure that interviewers are performing work. This includes handling the logistics of the survey, coordinating with other staff, recruiting and training additional interviewers, and supervision. Supervision must be given to interviewers before, during, and after the interview. Supervisors must not only check that contact procedures are followed correctly but that interviews are conducted appropriately. They should be present for 10 interviews and ensure that standardized interviewing techniques are observed when asking questions, clarifying, probing and giving feedback in a non-directive manner. After the interview has been conducted, they must also check that data is coded and entered correctly. Supervisors must give feedback and debrief on a regular basis, in order to update the organization responsible for the study on the progress of the survey and any problems that have arisen. World Health Organization (WHO) sagesurvey@who.int The user of the data undertakes to carry out work on the data of the WHO surveys, in accordance with the following conditions: (1) He/she undertakes to keep confidential any information concerning individual persons or households. (2) He/she undertakes not to distribute the data to any other user. (3) He/she undertakes to use the data for scientific research only. The undersigned will provide a reference of all publications based on the data to the WHO co-ordination team and will include the following acknowledgement: "This paper uses data from the WHO World Health Surveys / Multi-Country Survey Study (as appropriate)." See also the citation requirement. Citation requirement is the way that the dataset should be referenced when cited in any publication. This will guarantee that the data producer gets proper credit, and that analytical results can be linked to the proper version of the dataset. The citation should include at least the primary investigator, the name and abbreviation of the dataset, the reference year, and the version number (and website address and date of download when the dataset was obtained on-line). Multi-Country Studies, Measurement and Health Information Systems World Health Organization(WHO) sagesurvey@who.int http://www.who.int DDI_ESP_2003_WHS_v01_M Version 01 (January 2012)	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line926
__label__cc	0.695612	0.304388	Archive for fark.com MCCAIN’S CENSORSHIP OR SECURITY, SAVED BY A CUP OF TEA, DECAPITATED MAN AND THE COP THIEF, AND MARRY YOUR DOGS Posted in Art, Books, celebrities, Culture, Entertainment, Events, Ezine, Family, Food, Humor, Life, Love, Media, Movies, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Poetry, Politics, Random, Religion, Sports, Technology, Thoughts, Travel, Uncategorized, video, Writing with tags AARP, Arrest, Art, Baby Boomer, blog, blogging, Caledon, canine, censorship, Colorado, comedy, commentary, conversations, Dawid, decapitated, Denver, digg, E-zine, editorial, Ezine, Family, fark.com, funny, Germany, Google, history, Humor, Japan, Johann, John, John McCain kicks librarian out of town hall event, Jullies, Life, literature, Love, McCain, Michigan, Music, Muttrimony, News, nude women, nudity, odd, opinion, paranormal, PetSmart, politicians, Politics, porn, premission, protesting, protestors, random thoughts, republicans, ruminations, sex, stealing, strange, tea, Technology, theonion.com, thiefr, Thoughts, Tokyo, TV, victim, video, viral, weddings, weird, women, wordpress.com, wordpress.org, Writing, Yahoo, youtube, zine on July 9, 2008 by mclassen SECURITY OR CENSORSHIP AT MCCAIN RALLIES Are the candidates taking security too far? The video below shows a 61-year-old librarian being harrassed and removed from a John McCain town hall meeting in Denver, Colorado. Now as I understand them, town hall meetings are where you meet the candidates and then ask your most probing questions of them to see if they are worthy of your vote. It is also suppossed to be a forum where you express your opinions to candidates to see if they are willing to do something about the issues that are most important to you. This video clearly shows the people in charge of the McCain camp and the meeting trying to stop some individuals who might have dissenting opinions of McCain from even attending the rally. They cite security as their reasoning for refusing the admittance. The police are then called and tickets are issued for trespassing at a public event! Is this Security or censorship? Are our politicians more interested in the orchestration of their gatherings than maybe having a rogue question catch them off guard? How are we to have a political process when the process is quelled. This video shows a disturbing trend with individuals who are obviously no danger to anything being ushered out of sight, out of mind and then to add insult to injury with fines and court appearances when they are performing a valid exercise of their political, not to mention constitutional rights. Last I looked, this was still the United States wasn’t it? Did I miss a meeting? A CUP OF TEA SAVED MY LIFE What do you do when you’re confronted with a knife weilding thief? Why you make him a cup of tea of course. A 30-year-old Tokyo, Japan woman was walking along a corridor in her apartment building with her daughter on Monday when a man brandishing a knife demanded money. I hate it when that happens. When the housewife told him she had none, the man barged into her apartment. Apparently he didn’t believe her. Hoping to calm him, the woman made the thief a cup of tea, whereupon he put his knife away and began a 20-minute monologue about his life. The dude had a Dr. Phil moment. Or maybe it was a Jerry Springer moment, we don’t actually know what he said to her. The woman then gave the man 10,000 yen ($93.34) and ran outside to call the police from a pay phone. The guy should have been paying her for the couch time. Police rushed to the scene, but the thief had fled and is still being sought. See, a spot of tea can save your life, quick thinking, a friendly ear, it’s all good. COP SAYS DECAPITATED MAN GAVE PERMISSION TO STEAL HIS BELONGINGS I can’t believe any one actually bought this load of bull. A Caledon, Germany, police captain, Dawid Johann Jullies claiming that a decapitated car crash victim had given him permission to take the floor mats and hub caps from the wrecked vehicle, was subsequently found innocent of theft by an internal police hearing when the investigators concluded that the decapitated victim did indeed give permission, contrary to the family’s claims that this was impossible. What? How stupid were these people? Subsequently, a court agreed with the family and found the officer guilty of theft, sentencing him to 3 years in prison, suspended for 5 years. So in other words, he got off with a “don’t do it again.” However, Julies became the police station commissioner the very next day, or ironically, the head of the police station, despite having been found guilty of theft by the court. There’s nothing like rewarding larceny. Yep let’s give him a promotion. Somtimes there’s just no justice. MARRY YOUR DOGS, NO MORE “LIVING TOGETHER” Do you have nore than one dog? Well, don’t let them live in sin anymore, get them a wedding and make their life legal. Yes, it’s a new trend, like Americans didn’t have anything else to spend their money on. The popularity of dog weddings is on the rise and Reverands are finding that a little pet wedding can add an extra boost to their coffers. For the 63% of Americans who own pets, there’s a growing sector of the $40 billion dollar pet industry waiting to sell them wedding-related services like pet marriage counseling, pet wedding planners, pet caterers, pet trainers, and even special pet priests who conduct actual certified pet weddings. As one reverend told the Chicago Tribune: “Marriage for an animal is almost like marriage for a human. An animal union is more like a blessing under God. Well, I am a reverend,” Scott said. He apparently didn’t want to give his full name. “If you’re in a family with two animals and they want to unite in a wedding, what difference does it make? It is not a sign of the Apocalypse. It is a sign that animals often seek to form a lasting bond and have deep commitment.” Keep telling yourself that Scott. Pet owners can make the wedding even more official by getting a real human marriage license and setting up a gift registry at PetSmart. You didn’t think big business wasn’t going to get in on this did you? Question: If the dogs are legally married and they have puppies, does selling them constitute puppy slavery? Does the married couple have recourse to get their children back? I bet there’s some lawyer out there willing to test this. IT APPEARS SOMEONE FINALLY FOUND A USE FOR THAT ORDAINMENT LICENSE THEY GOT FROM THE BACK OF ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE FOR $20. EBAY VOTE AUCTION, CZECH NUCLEAR PRANK, CEMETERY POT, AND FED EX DOPE DELIVERY Posted in Art, Books, celebrities, Culture, Entertainment, Events, Ezine, Family, Food, Humor, Life, Love, Media, Movies, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Poetry, Politics, Random, Religion, Sports, Technology, Thoughts, Travel, Uncategorized, video, Writing with tags AARP, Art, Baby Boomer, blog, blogging, comedy, commentary, conversations, digg, E-zine, editorial, Ezine, Family, fark.com, funny, Google, history, Humor, Life, literature, Love, Michigan, Music, News, nude women, nudity, odd, opinion, paranormal, Politics, porn, random thoughts, ruminations, sex, strange, Technology, theonion.com, Thoughts, TV, video, viral, weird, women, wordpress.com, wordpress.org, Writing, Yahoo, youtube, zine on July 8, 2008 by mclassen TEEN PUTS VOTE UP FOR AUCTION ON EBAY This may turn out to be a hard won lesson in civics. A University of Minnesota student named Max P. Sanders decided to offer his vote for the next presidential election up for auction on Ebay with a starting bid of $10. Anybody see a problem with this? Yes, it’s illegal. His listing encouraged buyers with the words “Good luck!” and “You’re country depends on You!” It appears he flunked English 101. Now that the Minnesota prosecutors have gotten involved, he’s claiming it was all a joke. “We take it very seriously. Fundamentally, we believe it is wrong to sell your vote,” said John Aiken, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office. “There are people that have died for this country for our right to vote, and to take something that lightly, to say, ‘I can be bought.'” Yes voting, you know, that thing that most Americans ignore on election day. It’s refreshing to know somebody out there takes it seriously. So seriously in fact that Sanders was charged with one count of bribery, treating and soliciting. If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison a hefty $10,000 fine. To add insult ot injury there’s an uploading fee from Ebay for the auction. By the way, no one bid on the auction. Talk about a bust all the way around. I bet we won’t be seeing that one again. CZECH ARTIST’S NUCLEAR EXPLOSION PRANK I have to admit that I can appreciate a prank as much as anyone. I even like to pull a few myself. This one is too weird for words, but we’re going to try. A group of artists hacked into a national television weather broadcast to show a fake nuclear explosion in the Czech mountains. Members of the Prague-based Ztohoven art group admitted tampering with equipment at the public broadcaster Czech Television so viewers watching a live panoramic shot of the Krkonose, or Giant Mountains, in June last year saw a flash of bright light and a fiery mushroom cloud rising on the horizon. That would have scared the crap out of me. Seven artists were acquitted of spreading false information in March but the state prosecutor appealed the verdict. An appeals court in Hradec Kralove, east of the capital Prague, overturned the decision last week in a ruling made public Monday, court spokesman Michal Strnad said. The court ordered a new trial for a date yet to be set. If found guilty, they face a maximum three-year jail term. The group claimed the aim of its project was to show how reality could be manipulated by the media. I don’t see why they couldn’t have picked some other subject than nuking the neighborhood. Czech Television called such stunts “improper” and said they could scare many people. Ya think? In December, Prague’s National Gallery awarded Ztohoven the new NG 333 prize for young artists. The 333 stands for the size of the cash prize – 333,000 koruna or about $22,000. I think they should get their money back. MEN CAUGHT GROWING POT IN CEMETERY The caretakers of a Vietnam cemetery were busted for growing pot within the plots. Police took in Nguyen Manh Hung, 44, who heads the caretaker team at the cemetery in Hanoi’s outer district of Hoang Mai, and Ho A Lau, 46, after the authorities found cannabis plants grown on a 25 square meter (82 square feet) patch, the Vietnam Labour Confederation-run Lao Dong newspaper said. That is a seriously lot of weed. Police have detained the two custodians who were about to harvest their first crop of cannabis from a cemetery in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi. Rookies, it figures. The fate of these two is uncertain as Vietnam has basically a double standard towards drugs. Vietnam has strict drug trafficking laws, including in some cases the death penalty, but it has long been used as a transit point for trade in heroin, hashish, opium, amphetamine pills and other illegal drugs. They may just punish them for being dumb enough to get caught. They seem to have a “as long as it doesn’t come to our attention, we’re OK with it” attitude. FED-EX GETS IT WRONG, RECIPIENT ARRESTED Since we’re on the subject, never send your dope Fed-Ex. They just might go to the wrong house. A mistaken delivery tipped off police to a 200-pound shipment of marijuana. That’s alot of pot! Police tell The Baltimore Sun they learned about the shipment when it was delivered Tuesday to the wrong resident. That’s when they developed a sneaky plan to catch the dude it was really going to. Authorities posed as FedEx employees and arrested the shipment’s intended recipient, 30-year-old Richard Gwatidzo. That’s what you get when you trust a shipment like that to a delivery service. What ever happened to a brown paper bag in the dead of night? He was charged Thursday with possession of a large quantity of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute along with other drug related charges. He should have been charged with stupidity along with a substandard IQ. UFO FESTIVAL, PUB HELD HOSTAGE, TRAPPED UNDER A CAR, AND CALIFORNIA FIREBALL Posted in Art, Books, celebrities, Culture, Entertainment, Events, Ezine, Family, Food, Humor, Life, Love, Media, Movies, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Poetry, Politics, Random, Religion, Sports, Technology, Thoughts, Travel, Uncategorized, video, Writing with tags AARP, Art, Baby Boomer, blog, blogging, comedy, commentary, conversations, digg, E-zine, editorial, Ezine, Family, fark.com, funny, Google, history, Humor, Jeff, Life, literature, Love, Michigan, Mufon, Music, News, nude women, nudity, odd, opinion, paranormal, Peckman, Politics, porn, random thoughts, Romanek, ruminations, sex, Stan, strange, Technology, theonion.com, Thoughts, TV, video, viral, weird, women, wordpress.com, wordpress.org, Writing, Yahoo, youtube, zine on July 7, 2008 by mclassen This past week once again brought out UFO believers from everywhere as Roswell, New Mexico held its annual UFO Festival. For those of you that are completely out of touch and have been living in a hole in the ground, Roswell is the site of what is considered this countries most probable crash of a UFO. The news broke on July 8, 1947 and many people at the time admitted having seen the debris including the Army’s own public relations man, Jesse Martel. But of course the feds scrambled to cover up the incident and everyone retracted their previous stories, some say under penalty of treason. Of course many don’t buy the story that it was all a mistake and the crash was actually that of a real “flying saucer.” This has made Roswell famous and annually, alien enthusiasts gather there from all over for the UFO Festival. This actually seems like it would be a lot of fun. There are costume contests for dressing up like an alien, there are workshops on UFO encounters and Government cover-ups. Heck there’s even a rock band called Element 115 with an alien drummer. This is a gathering for anyone and everyone that has anything to do with UFOs and aliens. There’s even a dog alien costume contest. CBS did their morning show from this year’s festival. You can tell it’s in an out of this world time in the old town this week. Now if they could just get the aliens to show up. COUPLE BARRICADE THEMSLEVES INSIDE OF PUB Pray that this doesn’t happen in your favorite tavern. When a devout Christian couple took over a pub and promptly banned swearing, takings plummeted. What were they thinking? But when the brewery decided to kick them out and bring in more tolerant managers, they decided to barricade themselves in. ‘They’re coming o take us away, ha ha.” The couple, named John and Krista Fleming, are holed up in the flat above The King’s Head, in Islington, north London, England until the dispute is settled in court. A patron said: “The new managers are great and it’s back to how it was, a proper pub with atmosphere.” The new landlord said: “They are still there. It’s a very strange situation.” The Brits are too nice. In America we’d have gone in with guns and tear gas and dragged them out saying they were starting a cult. WOMAN PINNED UNDER CAR FOR TWO DAYS This is a tale of people paying attention. A very alert postman saved the day in this story so it pays to give him a card at Christmas and keeping your dog leashed up. 91-year-old, Betty Borowski’s mail carrier noticed Tuesday that the previous day’s mail was still in her mailbox, police said. He rang the doorbell and then asked a neighbor whether he had seen Borowski lately. He hadn’t, so they called police. Borowski, who lives alone, became stuck June 29 while looking for her keys; her head apparently got pinned by the axle, Greendale Police Chief Rob Dams said. Note to self: get a broom to fish for keys under car. “She was pretty well wedged in there,” Dams said. “It looks like she crawled under headfirst.” Firefighters lifted the car with a jack and removed Borowski, who was dehydrated and confused. It turned out her keys were in the car door. Note to self: look in door before fishing for keys under car. Note to reader: get to know your mailman, make him your friend. FIREBALL GIVES A SHOW IN CALIFORNIA I have to admit, this would have been really cool to see. From the Hollywood Hills to the Nevada state line, people reported seeing a fireball streaking across the sky and appearing to fall toward the San Bernardino Mountains on Tuesday morning. Explanations of the mysterious object were scarce. I just love a mystery. San Bernardino County Fire Dispatch reported receiving dozens of calls related to a fireball moving at high speed in the northwest sky around 10:40 a.m. “We got quite a few reports. It started with a gentlemen in the Lake Arrowhead area reporting a fireball in the Meadow Bay area, and then we started getting calls from all over,” said San Bernardino County dispatch supervisor Tom Barnes. “Fire crews in Barstow and on I-15 near Stateline came up on the radio and reported an object in the sky moving very fast across the northern sky and described it as yellowish green in color with streaks of debris. It looked like it burned up before it hit the ground.” Barnes said the department has “basically determined it was most likely not an aircraft and was probably man-made or a meteor entering the Earth’s atmosphere.” There’s a real difinative answer. “Events like this do happen around the world. But a bright meteor is not something people would usually recognize in the day,” said Lance Benner, a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge. “The eyewitness account suggests it was a small asteroid hitting the atmosphere.” The fact that it was spotted in daylight suggests it could have been farther away than it appeared, Benner said. He said it could have landed several hundred miles away. I still have to admit this would have been something to see. This is the time of year where the earth approaches the Van Allen Belt where meteors are plentiful and watching for shootintg stars is usually quite productive.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line927
__label__wiki	0.667957	0.667957	Rohr Train Volunteers check the track in Rohr Park “We are concerned about the Chula Vista Golf Course and Rohr Park redevelopment [proposal],” Scott Lewis recently told Chula Vista mayor Mary Casillas Salas, councilmembers, and staff. “[We’ve] been in Rohr Park for 43 years providing [train] rides [and] we have a pretty good safety record.” Lewis, the president of the Chula Vista Live Steamers, saw a Facebook post last week of the proposed redevelopment map of the land that his organization’s railroad tracks are laid on. “We looked at the map and we didn’t see no train tracks,” Lewis said in an interview, “[and] we are kinda freaking out.” After he saw the maps and plans on the ULI (Urban Land Institute) San Diego – Tijuana Technical Assistance Report, he attended the City of Chula Vista City Council meeting on November 7 at the council chambers at 276 4th Avenue. Miguel Contreras is a 42-year-old realtor who lives within walking distance from the miniature railroad. “I grew up riding that train and I have beautiful childhood memories of Rohr Park,” he said. “The train doesn’t run as regularly as it did when I was a child but it is a nostalgic relic of days past.” Lots of multistory buildings included in development FROM ULI (URBAN LAND INSTITUTE) SAN DIEGO – TIJUANA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REPORT Lewis blamed the slower season on the heavy winter storm damage that “mangled up” some of their tracks. He said he and his volunteers give about 5000 train rides annually to the general public at no cost. One of the 1/8-scale locomotives runs on steam; the group also has other trains that run on electric batteries (like golf-cart motors) and gasoline motors with hydraulics. “We have no clue what to do and where to move to [if the proposal comes true],” he said. “I’ve got 30 years tied up into this hobby [and] I have a full garage of stuff.” Contreras studied the proposal carefully because if the plan becomes a reality, it would not only impact the park that he and his family walk, play, and ride the train at, but also the property values: average price for a single-family residence in the area is $715,000. The country vibes, Rohr Park, and the miniature train are selling points for Bonita. “When my children were little they rode on the trains and when my grandchildren were little they rode on the trains,” said the mayor. “I understand that there is concern about losing Rohr Park, although my understanding is that the land the park sits on was deeded to the city to be used solely as a park; thus, canceling out the park and changing the use of that land would be a huge legal battle. Additionally, the current ULI study recommends transitioning the golf course into a park; thus the area would gain some park square footage — something the city should consider irrespective of the ULI study.” The study shows a map with large multifamily complexes that will contain up to 2000 units and six acres designated for 40,000 square feet of office and retail space — which will all be surrounding what’s left of Rohr Park and the foregone golf course. City of Chula Vista city manager Gary Halbert said, “…[L]ast year, knowing that the golf course has been very much an underperforming asset, one of the things we looked at was asking the Urban Land Institute to do an unconstrained analysis of what would you do…with the park [and] with the golf course, and from that they did come back with a proposal.” Chula Vista Live Steamers’ plans to lay track in Rohr Park came about in the early ’70s. Councilmember John McCann said, “I want to make sure that everybody knows that there is no project to get rid of the golf course [and] I don’t support any project to get rid of the golf course to build apartment complexes…[and] Rohr Park is a tremendous asset for just open space.” Lewis and almost all of the residents on the social media feeds were relieved to hear about this. “The [Chula Vista Live] Steamers is a well-kept secret in Chula Vista and it shouldn’t be a well-kept secret,” said mayor Mary Salas, “because I know that when my children were little they rode on the trains, and when my grandchildren were little they rode on the trains, too. We hope that you continue [for] many, many more years of success there. And I think it’s time for another train festival, myself.” The Steamers club runs on donations ($3000 on a good year) from the general public or out of some of the 20 members’ own pockets. Most of the equipment, including the locomotive unit, the cars, and the tracks, are made and maintained by the members. The railroaders run on donations and what’s in their pockets. “We are not rich people, but people with the desire to build and operate working model trains,” Lewis said. “This Saturday and Sunday [November 11–12] is run day from 12 till 3 [and] we will be giving rides and having fun. Come on out to Rohr and enjoy your park.” Published in the San Diego Reader on Nov. 9, 2017 2 years ago in Comics, Toys & Stuff, San Diego	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line928
__label__wiki	0.662806	0.662806	Girlfriends, Ghosts, and Other Stories by Robert Walser (Tom Whalen, with Nicole Köngeter and Annette Wiesner, trans.) — Tristan Burke Robert Walser incites me to belle-lettristic flights of fancy. Somehow I had never read him and my life before seems poor and empty. In this new collection of his stories, Girlfriends, Ghosts, and Other Stories, translated by Tom Whalen with Nicole Köngeter and Annette Wiesner, everything feels like spring. The author doesn’t just incite me to belle-lettristic flights of fancy, he also incites the same in figures far greater than me. The rigorous W.G. Sebald is quoted beneath the blurb. For him, Walser ‘illumined every page with the most genial light’, he ‘had his feet firmly on the ground and yet was always getting lost in the clouds’. Could it be that the writer of fifteen page sentences resorts to cliché to write of Walser? I keep referring to belle-lettristic flights of fancy because he writes things like this: ‘Now the land became a song and the song intolerably beautiful’ or ‘“Spring has returned” sang through the air, here and everywhere’. Even in his later work (this collection is arranged chronologically, each piece is dated), where, ostensibly, he becomes darker, more anxious, more self-reflective and self-reflexive, he still writes: ‘They’re like people we’re capable of loving because they’re not difficult. I also wish this for what I have written here’ or ‘When she smiles and nothing befalls her, when she reveals herself in her untroubledness, how good Nature then is.’. These sentences are very beautiful. They restore hope in the world and offer that hope as universal beneficence. In contrast to Kafka, for Walser there is an infinite amount of hope and it is for us. And it is told to us through simple, subjective impressions of the world being presented objectively, or, alternatively, as a wish from the author to the reader that we are invited to assent to and cannot but assent to in response to its charm. Each of these quoted sentences finishes a story and generously offers its riches for the world. Robert Walser incites me to belle-lettristic flights of fancy and he knows he’s doing it. There is a story, or a feuilleton, an essay, a sketch, a récit or whatever we call these unclassifiable little works, in this collection, entitled ‘The Belletristic Book’. Here Walser writes, ‘I believe I may advise novelists to be enchanting beyond words and, as far as technique goes, outrageously sophisticated, yet without in the least behaving as if they knew a lot or as if life had dealt harshly with them, both of which create an impression of disingenuousness’. It’s clear that Walser sometimes takes his own advice. When he deals with nature, particularly, this is exactly what we are given. For example in ‘Lake Piece’ we are told ‘this piece is very simple, it’s about a beautiful summer evening and many people who promenaded back and forth along the shore of a lake.’ Here, ‘everything transformed itself into sonorous life and into a sonorous beauty; the world was like kindness itself, and one could no longer find fault with life, with human existence’. There is something to be said for this aspect of Walser’s writing. He enchants a world that, as he was writing, was becoming more and more completely disenchanted, by the First World War, by Taylorist and Fordist techniques, and by the rise of fascism. In Walser’s belles-lettres, then, there is something political, an insistence that the world does not have to be like this, that it can still be good, and beautiful, and full of hope. This seems to me to be an underecognised element of modernism, particularly of the modernist literature written in the German language, which is so often understood and depicted as being a dour, nightmarish prevision of and response to the horrors of Nazism. Yet in Walser, Franz Kafka and Walter Benjamin, a constellation of kindred spirits, the latter two heavily influenced by the former there is always another pole, invested in an enchanted and sometimes almost childlike hope in the world. This politics of the beautiful and enchanted seems to already take Walser away from the bourgeois refinement of belles-lettres, the superficiality of the easily digestible, even as he claims an affinity with it. The issue of what Walser draws attention to as ‘sophisticated technique’ also remains, and this is very far from belles-lettres. His sophistication is modernist through and through. At times this takes the form of the cryptic, aphoristic sentence that demands time and thought to be comprehended and for the text to be worked on in light of it. ‘The Belletristic Book’ ends with a statement quite the opposite of the light enchantment of its titular style: ‘Just like people, sentences seem dependent upon being content with their fate, and fate lies opaque in the womb of time’. In another story, ‘Female Portrait’ Walser states, echoing Nietzsche’s definition of his own aphorisms, that ‘my intention is to dance with words’. Both these statements also draw attention to the process of writing itself, that endless modernist obsession. Almost every single one of these eighty-one texts draws attention to its own writtenness in the most explicit way: ‘I confess that the invention of the story I’m telling here has caused be the greatest difficulties’; ‘I saw you early from the window and now I’m writing to you’. There are too competing tendencies then: the light thought that will enchant the world and the sophisticated, complex, self-reflexive technique that will give birth to it. This pattern repeats itself in each text. For each quotation I cite I could produce many near-identical ones from elsewhere in the collection. However, This is not to Walser’s detriment He is compulsively readable in his repetitions. To do his work justice one must either quote from a single story that can stand in for all or quote the book in its entirety. The part stands in for the whole just as each minute event can possibly transfigure the whole world. As such, Walser offers a combination of enchantment, technique and repetition. Any and every quotidian moment can be enchanted but only insofar as how that is translated into words which are questioned, explored, and played with. This said, there are also four clear categories that the stories fall into, certain moments and ways of using language that Walser obsessively returns to: depictions of nature, landscape or place usually prompted by the narrator’s experience on a walk, portraits of people, games with language (for example in a story called ‘The Nimble and the Lazy’ where Walser experiments with switching around and combining these two terms for two pages) and responses to other books. It is the last of these that are possibly the most interesting and which provide a key to Walser’s work. If his texts are depictions of the attempt to translate sensory impressions into words that offer hope and enchantment, then these responses to books are translations of a text from one form into another, from its own language into the same language. Thus in ‘An ABC In Pictures by Max Liebermann’, Walser takes the pictures of letters, that remain pictures rather letters and translates them into language. It is ‘a book without words; it tells its story in pictures’ and yet it is also a book which is the basis of language, an alphabet. These pictures resist ‘any attempts at comparison’ and yet he charmingly extracts their linguistic nature from within them, ‘Each single picture nuzzles up to a letter, a piece of the ocean to B, a childish laugh to F, crying to U, zest for life to Z, hardship to K’, just as the images themselves, in Walser’s language, slip into experiences that cannot be captured by images. Surely, though, this means they cannot be captured by language either. The words ‘zest for life’ are not zest for life, nor can a picture capture this. Walser is a translator who recognises that language slips away from the thing itself; even your own language, your native tongue, is a failed translation. He advises you to ‘seek out the book for yourself and see where I might have slipped up’. This wistful, melancholy thought perhaps undercuts the hope I was so rapturous about when I began this review. The question remains: how can we reconcile Walser’s invitation to soar with the beauty of the quotidian, rendered precisely in these short pieces, and the inevitable failure of language to capture the reality it invests hope in? There are perhaps two options. One could lament this failure of language and give up hope, or, like Walser, to return to the quest to capture reality in language, expecting next time to get closer, to fly higher, paradoxically to escape into reality caught. Robert Walser (1878–1956) was born into a German-speaking family in Biel, Switzerland. He left school at fourteen and led a wandering, precarious existence while writing his poems, novels, and vast numbers of the “prose pieces” that became his hallmark. In 1933 he was confined to a sanatorium, which marked the end of his writing career. Among Walser’s works available in English are Jakob von Gunten and Berlin Stories (available as NYRB Classics), The Tanners, Microscripts, The Assistant, The Robber, Masquerade and Other Stories, and Speaking to the Rose: Writings, 1912–1932. Tom Whalen is a novelist, short-story writer, poet, critic, and the co-editor of the Robert Walser issue of the Review of Contemporary Fiction. Nicole Köngeter is a freelance translator and teacher of English and German in southwest Germany. Annette Wiesner’s translations of Robert Walser have appeared in Connecticut Review, Kestrel, and Witness. Tristan Burke writes academically on nineteenth-century novels and has written about literature, cinema and critical theory for 3:AM Magazine, The Manchester Review and the Everyday Analysis Collective. Image: calligraphy, Johannes Lundberg, Creative Commons Girlfriends, Ghosts, and Other Stories is published by NYRB Classics. Author and translator bios courtesy of the same. Posted in Book reviews and tagged girlfriends ghosts and other stories, robert walser. Bookmark the permalink. Against Everything: On Dishonest Times by Mark Greif (Pt. 1) — Thom Cuell and Tomoé Hill Commute — Katie Fanthorpe	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line929
__label__cc	0.741951	0.258049	ALCS Game 1: It’s Godzilla! by Dan on October 13, 2004 in MLB, Postseason no comment Yesterday’s game: Yankees 10, Red Sox 7 Yankees lead series, 1-0 After it was 8-0, I wasn’t watching. So I guess I missed the actual game. Well, it clearly showed us a few things: 1. The Red Sox are never out of it. We already know the Yankees – they of the 61 come-from-behind victories this season – fit that description. The Red Sox have all year, the way they can hit. But there are some who feel that Boston is a different team when playing the pinstripes. Last night showed that such an assumption is false. 2. Curt Schilling is probably hurt. We know he “tweaked” his ankle, but that performance last night was not a Schilling performance. He’s a big-game pitcher; last night’s game was the reason he came to Boston. He may not be able to pitch again in this series. There’s more to be said here, but it can’t be said until after tonight’s game. 3. Hideki Matsui is the difference in the Yankees lineup this year. He’s had another year to adapt to baseball in the U.S., and as many predicted, he put up better numbers this season. Bernie Williams is clearly on the decline and while he’ll still come through with some big hits, he’s not the Bernie of old. Derek Jeter is as he always was, and Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield will always be feared. But Matsui is a key to the lineup, in part because he’s their most powerful left-handed bat (with the exception of part-timers Tony Clark and Ruben Sierra). When the series moves to Boston this weekend, getting Matsui out with runners on second and third and two outs will be more than just two potential runs kept off the board. It could be a three, four run turnaround when the Sox start slamming the ball off the Green Monster and send Matsui scurrying around left field like a 6-year-old chasing gulls on the beach. At least it’s simple for the Red Sox tonight: Get seven solid innings (NO MORE) out of Pedro Martinez, then turn a two- or three-run lead over to the bullpen. Then head up to Beantown to start over in a best-of-five series. Tagged ALCS, Curt Schilling, Hideki Matsui, Red Sox, Yankees	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line932
__label__wiki	0.868538	0.868538	The Mets are Wright on the Braves by Dan on July 27, 2006 in Mets no comment Back in 1999 — as much as I hate to admit it — Chipper Jones won the National League MVP award with what he did against the Mets in September. Atlanta beat New York by 6 1/2 games that year, but on Sept. 21, the teams began a three-game series at Turner Field with the Braves holding a two-game lead. They played six times in the next nine days, and Atlanta won five of them. Chipper batted .300 with four home runs, six runs and nine RBI in those six games. He hit .556 in the three-game sweep of the first series in Atlanta and homered in each of the games, going deep twice in the first one. In his career, Chipper has played the Mets 160 times and has the following stats: .330 average. 422 OBP, .574 SLG, .996 OPS, 116 runs, 29 doubles, 35 homers, 107 RBI, 94 walks, 88 strikeouts and 19 stolen bases. That’s an MVP year in itself. He’s enjoyed Shea Stadium, too, hitting 17 of those 35 homers in Queens. No wonder he named one of his children Shea. But the Mets may now have their answer to Chipper. While Atlanta’s third baseman may never again get through a season without a nagging injury or a disabled-list stint, the Mets have David Wright only beginning to emerge. OK, he’s probably emerged, but he’s still developing, still getting better. The best part, however, is that he’s turning into the Mets’ version of Chipper, not just overall, but in this NL East rivalry as well. He’s off to a good start. In his 41 career games against Atlanta, Wright is batting .301 with a .385 OBP, .589 SLG, .974 OPS, 19 runs, nine doubles, 11 homers, 24 RBI, 18 walks, 27 strikeouts and four stolen bases without being caught. And, like Chipper, he’s doing slightly better on Atlanta’s home turf — six homers and 12 of his 24 RBI have come at Turner Field. All those women who show up to Shea with “Mrs. Wright” t-shirts had better get used to the thought of a son named Turner Wright. Conveniently, Wright’s 41 games against Atlanta are just about one-fourth of Chipper’s 160 against the Mets. Extrapolating Wright’s career numbers against the Braves gives you: .301 average, .385 OBP, .589 SLG, .974 OPS (the averages won’t change when you simply multiply the numbers that make them up), 76 runs, 36 doubles, 44 homers, 96 RBI, 72 walks, 108 strikeouts and 16 stolen bases. With a 44-homer pace, you have to figure the runs and RBI will come up, particularly if the Mets can keep a strong lineup in front of Wright over the next 10 years. He’s also got a few years to truly settle in and cut down on the strikeouts and bring up his walks — plus, you figure the Braves will walk him intentionally more often. The point is, I have a feeling that once Wright hits the 160-game mark against Atlanta, his numbers will be very similar to those Chipper has put up against New York. Here’s hoping Wright continues the trend this weekend in Atlanta. Tagged Braves, Chipper Jones, David Wright, Mets, statistics	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line933
__label__cc	0.50713	0.49287	How to Celebrate Black History Month in D.C.! Chris Wiegand 2/8/18 We’re now a little over a week into Black History Month, and the festivities are in full swing! Since 1976, February has been officially recognized as Black History Month, an annual celebration of the renowned achievements of African Americans throughout history. Our nation’s capital has no shortage of upcoming events commemorating the ways in which African Americans have played a central role in influencing our country’s culture. By looking online, you can find a seemingly infinite list of options available for celebrating Black History Month. Understandably, having to choose just a handful of these events is overwhelming, and it’s no help that February is the shortest month of them all! Here are a few of our favorites: Portrait Story Days at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Throughout the month of February, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will be hosting exhibitions on several significant figures in African American history, including Muhammad Ali, Wilma Rudolph, and Rosa Parks. Beginning February 10, guests will hear stories and create their very own art inspired by the individual being recognized. These events are an especially great opportunity for parents to engage children in the tales of those whose contributions helped shape the world we know today. 92nd Annual Black History Luncheon This year’s luncheon showcases the impact of African American military personnel within the United States Armed Forces and will feature discussions on pertinent topics highlighting the noble contributions African Americans have made in guaranteeing equal liberties to all. 2018 D.C. Black History Month Film Festival Beginning February 16 at 6 p.m., Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of African American Affairs will partner with the Urban Film Review to host a two-day motion picture extravaganza at the Lincoln Theatre. This event is an opportunity to support local high school artists exhibiting their talents and joining the community in celebrating African American greatness in film. The Legacy of Harriet Tubman: A One-Woman Performance by Cortenia Smith The spirit of Harriet Tubman returns in Cortenia Smith’s performance, hosted at the Petworth Neighborhood Library on February 10. Textbooks are simply incapable of summarizing the immeasurable strength required of a woman risking it all to liberate as many slaves as possible. Smith’s performance casts the spotlight on the attributes of Harriet Tubman that contributed to her work as an abolitionist, including her grace, her faith and, of course, her courage. Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation’s Capital Professors Chris Myers Asch and George Derek Musgrove will be discussing topics from their book, "Chocolate City", on February 16th at the William G. McGown Theatre. This program will highlight the role of our nation’s capital as an historic monument for civil rights. Following what is sure to be a tenacious dialogue, the event’s hosts will have a book signing. "Black Panther" Movie Screenings Several local organizations are inviting you to join them in celebrating Black History Month by attending premieres and private screenings for what is sure to be Marvel’s latest cinematic success, "Black Panther." Many of these events are putting proceeds towards charitable donations to local nonprofits, while others are offering generous goodie bags to its attendees, or trivia and prizes. Gather your friends or family (or both!) and enjoy an exciting Black History Month event together. Are there any other events you’d recommend for celebrating Black History Month? Let us know in the comments below! Here are five Valentine's Day outfits for any kind of date! The Ultimate Virginia Bucket List OCN Parental Composure Podcast: Kids Getting Into Mischief, Adulting, and More! You Know You're From Northern Virginia If...	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line942
__label__cc	0.579019	0.420981	Grant Me Grace to Accept My Blessings Sometimes I think we should rename Thanksgiving Day to “Lord grant me grace to accept my blessings” Day. Too often we fail to realize all that we do have or we assume we had something to do with it and we cut grace out of the picture. Sometimes we look with suspicion on the opportunities presented to us and rather than seeing the wrong turn we made as a chance for something new, we just see it as a way to get lost. Powerless Prayer? Does prayer change anything? That seems to be a question that some are asking in light of the awful massacre at the First Baptist Church in Texas. After such a diabolical mass shooting, many people said things such as, “We send our thoughts and prayers to the families.” Almost immediately, others declared that prayer is useless; after all, they reasoned, if prayer worked, the tragedy would never have occurred, especially in a place where people were praying. Fair enough. I realize that some people were using the tragedy for political purposes to push for more gun control; others seem to have been drinking vinegar for breakfast or had a bad case of hemorrhoids, but others were sincere in their questioning of the efficacy of prayer. Another Supremes Top Ten It’s been a year since Trump trumped. And what a year it has been! The way I see it, it has really been the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. Everything is coming to light, and the contrast that has been revealed is very stark. Compromise seems to be off the table. One side wins and one side loses seems to be the wave of the future. But we are trying. By we, I mean the religious community. Our culture has changed drastically and is no longer in sync with the Judeo-Christian values of our past. Because of the efforts of mostly unelected judges, even our laws now often reflect an anti-religious bias. When I was a boy growing up in Quaker Pennsylvania, we had the Blue Laws. All non-essential businesses had to close on Sunday. It was the Lord’s Day and since the majority of people worshiped on Sunday, not having to be open for business made sense for most employers. That all changed as some people fought hard for the right to work seven days a week without a day off. PP Can Run But Not Hide Even though another Respect Life Month has come and gone, our 40 Days for Life is still going strong. Thank you for your support. The relocation of the Planned Parenthood Clinic to Baseline and McClintock presents some challenges, and the design of the plaza obstructs our visibility to those entering the clinic and from offering sidewalk counseling to those who want options. In order to increase visibility, the Aid to Women Center is opening an additional site right next door to the Planned Parenthood Clinic! In the short time the new Aid to Women Center (it will continue to operate at the Apache Road location) was opened next door to the former PP Clinic on Apache Road, it provided many, many women options which they never knew existed. It made a dent in the abortion business at that clinic. As the saying goes, PP can run, but it cannot hide. Over the past dozen years, our Parish has supported a variety of youth programs aimed to keep the next generation connected to the Church. One of these programs is designed to help young people who struggle with issues such as substance abuse, cutting, eating disorders, pornography and other similar issues. The FullCircle Program has grown and developed over these years, and this year we have seen a big increase in requests for assistance from families. No doubt the opioid explosion is fueling a lot of the new requests. To better manage the increased numbers, we added an additional full-time staff counselor. Additionally, we have increased our outreach to many of the area schools, including Seton Catholic and Brophy, so that they have more tools to help their students. We all Have One Nun-sense, nun-vasion, nun-the-less, is coming next weekend as we host the Annual Diocesan Vocations Event. Yes, expect an invasion of nuns, sisters, consecrated women as they are variously called. It all begins at the 9:00am. Mass where Bishop will be the Celebrant. This is also a “your parents are coming to visit so straighten up the house” kind of letter! In addition to welcoming our Bishop, we will welcome religious communities of women (a few men’s communities, too) of every flavor that serve here in our Diocese. Our goal is to expose as many young people as possible to the work of the religious in our Diocese and have them consider if it is a way of life they are being called to. For the rest of us who already have our vocations set, it is a time to pray for vocations to the religious life and to thank those who serve us here in the Diocese. How did we get here from there? In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue…so goes the rhyme. But now some in our fair land want to send Columbus back to ‘the other side” as my grandmother would say. The other side of the ocean that is. But what we have once again is some who insist on judging yesterday’s behavior with today’s information. During its heyday, if you can call it that, the Klu Klux Klan targeted statues of Columbus and all things that were associated with the explorer. Christopher Columbus that did not fit into their white supremacy world view. He was not English or Protestant but Italian and worse, Catholic. As those of us who had grandparents or great-grandparents who came from southern Europe, know from their stories that they were not considered white people. In fact, it would come as a shock to them that Columbus is now being derided as a symbol of white supremacy. Those who are now insisting images of Columbus be consigned to the waste bin can now partner with the KKK. Strange bedfellows. I admit, one of my “guilty pleasures” is, well, Las Vegas. The town fascinates me. There’s really nowhere like it: not Reno or Laughlin, Atlantic City or Macau nor even Monte Carlo. Where else can you have breakfast in Paris, pranzo in Venice, supper in New York and dessert in Egypt? Someone even came up with the idea to build a lake in the middle of the desert and put in it dancing fountains choreographed to music! Human imagination and ingenuity at its most entertaining. Las Vegas is a fun reality escape for most adults for a day or two unless you are prone to greed, lust or too much booze. With all its illusions and excess, don't forget that God is also very much present in Las Vegas. Not so much for praying that you hit the progressive or win your money back. No, not in that sense. Rather the Church in Las Vegas is big and growing way beyond the Strip. My old friend, from way back when, Bishop Pepe (we were assigned together to the same Parish back in our Philly days) is in a nice competition with Bishop Olmsted to see who holds the record for the fastest growing Catholic Diocese in the US. At this point, I think Bishop Olmsted is a bit ahead! When I came to Arizona, I was predisposed to not like Sheriff Joe. I had worked in Jails and Prisons for about a dozen years and “the toughest Sheriff in America” was pretty infamous in the correctional world. His use of striped uniforms, pink underwear, and bologna sandwiches always seemed to me an unnecessary humiliation that didn't add much to correctional goals. I admit I had some liking for the chain gangs, not so much the chains but putting inmates to work, as most of them actually prefer to do something rather than sit around idle all day. A Permanent Resolution for the Dreamers We all probably have a relative or a neighbor whose vocation it is to complain - constantly. They bemoan the state of affairs but never lift a finger to help better things. They quickly get boorish. So, it goes with those who are having a spittle-flecked hissy fit and engaging in extreme self-righteous moral preening over the President’s recent executive order winding down the DACA program. I’m thinking specifically about our congressmen and senators. The President has thrown them the ball, but they seem reluctant to catch it and put some points on the board. I recently heard Sen. McCain snarl and scoff at how unfair it is to rescind these work visas for the DACA recipients. Along with so many others, he kept chanting how mean and evil Trump is and how this is the worst thing ever to happen in the history of ever. But what he did not say is that the Constitution gives Congress the explicit authority to PERMANENTLY fix this problem and that, as a Senator, he would lead the effort to give the Dreamers permanent legal status. No, he did not say any of that. He seems content to complain about the sad state of affairs. You might recall the words of the Marvin Gaye song, “What’s Goin’ On?” “Father, Father, we don't need to escalate; war is not the answer. Only love can conquer hate.” There is a great deal of escalation going on these days, and worse still, it seems too few are trying to de-escalate the tension and conflict. De-escalation is a key goal in any conflict situation, so that calm heads can prevail and solutions are found. One area in which there has been increased escalation is between many communities and local law enforcement. We are all familiar with the clashes and cases of excessive use of force, as well as claims of racism. Hostility between law enforcement and the community never works out well - especially for the community. After all, that thin blue line is often all that separates us from the law of the jungle. Additionally, when things really go south, it will be the local police, who live in our communities and are our family members and friends that we must rely on and who will be loyal to us. Iconoclasm – the destruction of images or hostility towards visual representations in general - has come to Marin County. San Domenico Catholic School in San Anselmo, CA, has decided to remove many of the statues that graced its campus so as to create a less “in-your-face” Catholic environment. Now to be fair, you can make a case for toning things down in service of a subtler evangelization effort. This can be a workable strategy, especially if the clientele is not familiar with Catholic devotional practices, and you want to gently begin the process of evangelization. But that does not seem to be the case here. The school also removed the word “Catholic” from its mission statement and made the school uniforms “less Catholic” in appearance. The school has simply lost its reason for being. It apparently wants to be a high end (tuition is $30k+) all-inclusive school “in the Catholic tradition.” So be it. But the school should be honest to its students and families that it is no longer part of the educational ministry of the Church and that it is not interested in forming young minds and hearts to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line948
__label__wiki	0.925578	0.925578	Wonder Woman: banned in Beirut Nora Barrows-Friedman on July 2, 2017 Lebanon has banned the blockbuster movie Wonder Woman, featuring the former Israeli soldier Gal Gadot. Gadot, who plays the lead role in the movie, served in the Israeli army during the bombing of Lebanon in 2006. The attack on Lebanon killed 1,200 civilians, a third of them children, during a 34-day period. Human Rights Watch has reported that as many as 4.6 million cluster bombs were dropped on Lebanon by Israel. In 2014, during Israel’s 51-day attack on Gaza, Gadot praised the Israeli army. Rania Masri, an activist with the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel in Lebanon told The Electronic Intifada that banning the film is in accordance with Lebanon’s boycott law. The 1955 law specifically prohibits financial transactions between Lebanon and any Israeli or Israeli institution, she said. Last year, campaigners pressured the government to issue the same ban against Batman v Superman in which Gadot also appeared, but “nothing happened with regards to banning the film,” Masri, who is also a writer and academic, explained. Major western media outlets have labeled the film ban an act of “censorship.” Masri argued that this was a legitimate implementation of Lebanese law and not an act of censorship over the film’s content. Wonder Woman has been banned because it features a former Israeli soldier in the lead role, Masri explained. The banning is an act of resistance “against normalizing with an apartheid settler-state that continues to this date to occupy not only all of Palestinian territory – and we consider all of Palestine to be occupied—but also Syrian territory in the Golan Heights [and] Lebanese territories in the Shebaa Farms,” she said. Eleven years after Israel was defeated in the 2006 war, Israel’s leaders continue to threaten the entire Lebanese population with another war, Masri said. In March, the far-right Israeli politician Naftali Bennett openly threatened Lebanese civilians and declared that “Lebanese institutions, its infrastructure, airport, power stations, traffic junctions [and] Lebanese Army bases” are “legitimate targets.” Bennett warned that Israel would send Lebanon “back to the Middle Ages” if another war breaks out. Nora Barrows-Friedman is an Oregonian and a staff writer for the Electronic Intifada. The June 8, 2017 edition also has an audio interview with Rania Masri. In the winter of 1992, national news services ran a…	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line949
__label__wiki	0.677318	0.677318	New Chinese supercomputer named world’s fastest; ORNL’s Titan drops to No. 3 Posted at 9:40 am June 20, 2016 Jeff Nichols, associate director for computing and computational sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in front of Titan, which was the world’s fastest supercomputer in November 2012 but is now ranked No. 3. (File photo courtesy ORNL/October 2013) China maintained its number one ranking in the latest edition of the TOP500 list of the world’s top supercomputers, but with a new system built entirely using processors designed and made in China. China now has the top two supercomputers on the semiannual TOP500 list, and Titan at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has dropped from number two to number three. The new Chinese supercomputer, Sunway TaihuLight, is capable of 93 petaflops, or quadrillions of calculations per second, a press release said. It displaced Tianhe-2, an Intel-based Chinese supercomputer that had claimed the number one spot on the past six TOP500 lists. Tianhe-2 achieved a speed of 33.86 petaflops, or more than 33,000 trillion calculations per second, in a test known as the LINPACK benchmark. Titan, a Cray XK7 system installed at ORNL, a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory, achieved 17.59 petaflops. Titan was the top system for a short time. It was number one in November 2012, but it was bumped to number two behind Tianhe-2 in June 2013. This is the first time it has been number three. The latest list marks the first time since the start of the TOP500 that the United States is not home to the largest number of systems. With a surge in industrial and research installations registered over the last few years, China leads with 167 systems and the U.S. is second with 165. China also leads the performance category, thanks to the number one and number two systems, the press release said. As big as a basketball court, Titan is 10 times faster than Jaguar, the computer system it replaced. Jaguar, which was capable of about 2.5 petaflops, had ranked as the world’s fastest computer in November 2009 and June 2010. Titan is used for research in areas such as materials research, nuclear energy, combustion, and climate science. Sunway TaihuLight was developed by the National Research Center of Parallel Computer Engineering and Technology, or NRCPC, and installed at the National Supercomputing Center in Wuxi, China. Tianhe-2 was developed by China’s National University of Defense Technology. The newest edition of the TOP500 list was announced Monday, June 20, at the 2016 International Supercomputer Conference in Frankfurt, Germany. The closely watched list is issued twice a year. The ranking program uses a series of linear equations to test computer systems around the world. Here is more information from the press release: Sunway TaihuLight, with 10,649,600 computing cores comprising 40,960 nodes, is twice as fast and three times as efficient as Tianhe-2. The peak power consumption under load (running the HPL benchmark) is at 15.37 megawatts, or six gigaflops per watt. This allows the TaihuLight system to grab one of the top spots on the Green500 in terms of the performance/power metric. Rounding out the Top 10 supercomputers are: Sequoia, an IBM BlueGene/Q system installed at DOE’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Fujitsu’s K computer installed at the RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science (AICS) in Kobe, Japan; Mira, a BlueGene/Q system installed at DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory; Trinity, a Cray X40 system installed at DOE/National Nuclear Security Administration/Los Alamos National Laboratory/Sandia National Laboratory; Piz Daint, a Cray XC30 system installed at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre and the most powerful system in Europe; Hazel Hen, a Cray XC40 system installed at HLRS in Stuttgart, Germany; and Shaheen II, a Cray XC40 system installed at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. The European share of 105 systems (compared to 107 in November 2015) has fallen and is now lower than the dominant Asian share of 218 systems, up from 173 in November. Germany is the clear leader in Europe with 26 systems followed by France with 18 and the UK with 12 systems. In Asia, Japan trails China with 29 systems (down from 37). Cray continues to be the clear leader in the TOP500 list in total installed performance share with 19.9 percent (down from 25 percent). Thanks to the Sunway TaihuLight system, the National Research Center of Parallel Computer Engineering and Technology takes the second spot with 16.4 percent of the total performance—with just one machine. IBM takes the third spot with 10.7 percent share, down from 14.9 percent six months ago. HPE is third with 12.9 percent, down from 14.2 percent six months ago. For the first time, the data collection and curation of the Green500 project is now integrated with the TOP500 project. The most energy-efficient system and number one on the Green500 is Shoubu, a PEZY Computing/Exascaler ZettaScaler-1.6 System achieving 6.67 gigaflops per watt at the Advanced Center for Computing and Communication at RIKEN in Japan. Other Highlights from the Overall List Total combined performance of all 500 systems has grown to 566.7 petaflops, compared to 420 petaflops six months ago and 363 petaflops one year ago. This increase in installed performance also exhibits a noticeable slowdown in growth compared to the previous long-term trend. There are 95 systems with performance greater than a petaflop on the list, up from 81 six months ago. Intel continues to provide the processors for the largest share—455 systems or 91 percent—of the TOP500 systems. The share of IBM Power processors is now at 23 systems, down from 26 systems six month ago. The AMD Opteron family is used in 13 systems (2.6 percent), down from 4.2 percent on the previous list. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has the lead in the total number of systems with 127 systems (25.4 percent) followed by Lenovo with 84 systems. Cray now has 60 systems, down from 69 systems six months ago. HPE had 155 systems six months ago. IBM is now fifth in the systems category with 38 systems. A total of 93 systems on the list are using accelerator/coprocessor technology, down from 104 in November 2015. Sixty-seven of these use NVIDIA chips, 26 systems with Intel Xeon Phi technology, three use ATI Radeon, and two use PEZY technology. Three systems use a combination of NVIDIA and Intel Xeon Phi accelerators/coprocessors.The average number of accelerator cores for these systems is 76,000 cores per system. The entry level (No. 500) to the list moved up to the 285.9 teraflops mark on the LINPACK benchmark, compared to 206.3 teraflops six months ago. The last system on the newest list would have been listed at position 351 in the previous TOP500. The performance of the last system on the list (No. 500) has systematically continued to lag behind historical trends for the last six years and now clearly continues to run on a different growth trajectory than before. From 1994 to 2008, it grew by 90 percent per year, but since 2008 it has only grown by 55 percent per year. About the TOP500 List The first version of what became today’s TOP500 list started as an exercise for a small conference in Germany in June 1993. Out of curiosity, the authors decided to revisit the list in November 1993 to see how things had changed. About that time they realized they might be onto something and decided to continue compiling the list, which is now a much-anticipated, much-watched, and much-debated twice-yearly event. The TOP500 list is compiled by Erich Strohmaier and Horst Simon of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Jack Dongarra of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and Martin Meuer of ISC Group, Germany. More information will be added as it becomes available. The Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer in Wuxi, China, was named the number one system in the 47th edition of the TOP500 list of the world’s top supercomputers, which was released Monday, June 20, 2016. Sunway TaihuLight achieved a speed of 93 petaflops, or quadrillions of calculations per second, on the LINPACK benchmark. (Photo by TOP500.org) Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: China, Cray XK7, International Supercomputer Conference, Linpack benchmark, National Research Center of Parallel Computer Engineering and Technology, National Supercomputing Center, National University of Defense Technology, NRCPC, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, petaflops, Sunway TaihuLight, supercomputers, Tianhe-2, Titan, Top500 List, U.S. Department of Energy If you haven't already, please consider subscribing to Oak Ridge Today. You don't have to subscribe to read most of our stories, but your subscription does provide benefits, including access to premium content. And it will help us cover local news for you day and night, as best we can. You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month. You can read more about your options here. We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers: Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks) We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here. If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support. We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines: 1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address. 2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal. 3) Stick to the issues. 4) No profanity. 5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article. We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion. More U.S. Department of Energy News Rachel Andrews, a graduate of Roane State, is shown in an Oak Ridge National Laboratory lab getting serum bottles ready for an incubation experiment. (Photo courtesy Lynn Freeny/U.S. Department of Energy) By Bob … [Read More...] David Mandrus A materials science professor in the University of Tennessee’s Tickle College of Engineering has received a five-year $1.7 million award from a leading scientific foundation for research in the emerging … [Read More...] Volkswagen, UT, ORNL announce collaboration, innovation hub Volkswagen Group of America will lease space in the Innovation North building on the UT Research Park campus. (Photo courtesy University of Tennessee) Volkswagen Group of America, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and … [Read More...] Humphries named ORISE group manager for ORNL office Leigha Humphries Leigha Humphries has been named group manager for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education office at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In her role, Humphries will provide leadership … [Read More...] About 600 experiments affected by HFIR shutdown The High Flux Isotope Reactor vessel at Oak Ridge National Laboratory resides in a pool of water illuminated by the blue glow of the Cherenkov radiation effect. (Photo courtesy ORNL) About 600 experiments and roughly … [Read More...] More DOE	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line950
__label__cc	0.559604	0.440396	World leaders reluctantly bow to Trump on trade amid showdown between US and China over tariffs After hours of tense negotiation, world leaders of the G20 have signed off on a summit-ending agreement reaffirming a commitment to multilateral trade and a “rules-based international order” – but the real winner may yet be Donald Trump. There is no doubt of the impact the US president has on the world stage, with the final communique from the two-day meeting in Buenos Aires having to tip-toe around American demands. The message involved a pledge to reform the World Trade Organisation (WTO), with Mr Trump having built his campaign for the presidency on the idea that America was being treated unfairly on trade issues. The statement – which involved negotiations that lasted through the night – did not mention the word “protectionism” after negotiators said that had met resistance from the United States. The EU, and its individual members, had been looking to put pressure on Mr Trump over the issue, given his ‘America First’ doctrine, but officials said they had felt resistance from Washington on almost every issue. Here’s what we should hope to come out of the G20 summit Mr Trump and his team were also the lone holdouts on language in the statement over global warming. The joint statement signed by all 20 member nations said 19 of them reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris climate accord, with the US having previously announced its withdrawal from the pact. Apparently Saudi Arabia, Russia and Turkey all wavered on the issue of climate change before siding with the majority. Hardliners in Mr Trump’s administration, such as national security advisor John Bolton, will take heart from the fact that there could be some movement on such issues. On global commerce, the statement says the 20 countries support multilateral trade but acknowledge that the current system does not work and needs fixing, via “the necessary reform of the WTO to improve its functioning”. Tagged politics, world Social media, fake news, and political communities IMAGE IMAGE: POLITOSCOPE DISPLAY SHOWING TWITTER ACCOUNTS THAT COMMENTED ON THE PENELOPEGATE SCANDAL. THE REDDER AN ACCOUNT, THE MORE TWEETS IT POSTED ON THIS TOPIC. view more CREDIT: CNRS / ISC-PIF–CHAVALARIAS D, GAUMONT N, PANAHI M. 2018. CNRS and EHESS researchers analyzed nearly 60 million political tweets posted during the 2017 presidential election in France. […] Here’s What Barack Obama Is Doing Now fter many months out of the political spotlight, Barack Obama has recently made a series of high-profile speeches. His first was a eulogy delivered at John McCain’s funeralin Washington D.C. The former president had been handpicked by Senator McCain to speak at the funeral—along with the 42nd president, George W. Bush—and used it as an […] Mueller Preparing Endgame For Russia Investigation Special counsel Robert Mueller’s prosecutors have told defense lawyers in recent weeks that they are “tying up loose ends” in their investigation, providing the clearest clues yet that the long-running probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election may be coming to its climax, potentially in the next few weeks, according to multiple sources close […] Facebook group vents anger at Nepal’s leaders One Reply to “World leaders reluctantly bow to Trump on trade amid showdown between US and China over tariffs”	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line952
__label__wiki	0.527387	0.527387	PRESS RELEASE. Cambridge, UK, 14th June 2013. Also available in Chinese, German, Russian, Spanish and other languages here. Open data and transparency will be one of the three main topics at the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland next week. Today transparency campaigners released preview results from the global Open Data Census showing that G8 countries still have a long way to go in releasing essential information as open data. The Open Data Census is run by the Open Knowledge Foundation, with the help of a network of local data experts around the globe. It measures the openness of data in ten key areas including those essential for transparency and accountability (such as election results and government spending data), and those vital for providing critical services to citizens (such as maps and transport timetables). Full results for the 2013 Open Data Census will be released later this year. The preview results show that while both the UK and the US (who top the table of G8 countries) have made significant progress towards opening up key datasets, both countries still have work to do. Postcode data, which is required for almost all location-based applications and services, remains a major issue for all G8 countries except Germany. No G8 country scored the top mark for company registry data. Russia is the only G8 country not to have published any of the information included in the census as open data. The full results for G8 countries are online at: http://census.okfn.org/g8/ Rufus Pollock, Founder of the Open Knowledge Foundation, said: “We’re delighted that many G8 countries have indicated their support for open data but today’s results show that progress is lagging behind promise. We call upon them to make good on their commitments and take a leading role in opening up the world’s data, to enable real transparency and accountability.” Andrew Stott, former UK government Director for Transparency and Digital Engagement, who currently sits on the UK’s Public Sector Transparency Board, said: “This is excellent work by the Open Knowledge Foundation’s community on measuring the reality of open data for the most important datasets. It shows that good progress has been made in recent years. However it also shows that there is more for all countries to do in order to deliver the open data vision and it gives each country a clear agenda for further improvement.” Chris Taggart of OpenCorporates, the largest openly licensed database of companies in the world, said: "Company registers are the fundamental public record of the creation and existence of companies. Today we live in a world where large corporations can consist of opaque networks of thousands of interlinked companies, avoiding scrutiny and competition. Criminals, money launderers, corrupt officials and fraudsters routinely use networks of front companies to hide and move money. In this context it is essential that access to the statutory information is not just freely available, but available under an open licence and as machine-readable data. Today's results from the Open Data Census show that this message hasn't yet got through to many of the world's largest nations." David Eaves, co-founder of Open Data Day - which this year saw participants in 100 cities - and Openness advisor to the Mayor of Vancouver, said: At a moment when many G8 members are trying to find ways to make government data more accessible the G8 Open Data Census could not be more timely. As a tool it offers a simple, easy to understand and clear way of evaluating how the different G8 countries are performing. I hope the leaders of each of those countries look at the census and use it as a way to learn from their peers and drive further change within their own government. Charles Arthur, co-founder of the Free Our Data campaign and technology editor at the Guardian newspaper said: As co-founder of the Free Our Data campaign, I'd say that it's more important than ever for governments to make data available to us all so that we can understand and improve the world around us. To join the conversation about the Open Data Census, sign up to the Open Data Census mailing list CONTACT\ For enquiries please contact: press@okfn.org / +44 (0) 7795 176976 The Open Knowledge Foundation, St John’s Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WS UK. The G8 countries are meeting in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, UK, from June 17–18, 2013. The G8 countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Open data and transparency are one of the three main topics for this year’s event. See: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/g8-2013 The Open Knowledge Foundation is a global movement to open up the world’s data and see it used and useful, empowering citizens with new knowledge and insights, and enabling fair and sustainable societies. The Foundation catalyses activities which promote and build on freely reusable open data and open content – including public information, publicly funded research and public domain cultural content. See: http://okfn.org/ The Open Data Census is coordinated by the Open Knowledge Foundation, using a network of local data experts around the globe to audit the levels of openness in each country. Full results for the 2013 Open Data Census will be released later this year. The datasets in the census are: Election Results; Company Register; National Map; Government Budget (by sector); Government Budget (transactional level data); Legislation; National Statistical Office Data (economic and demographic information); National Postcode/ZIP database; Public Transport Timetables; and Environmental Data on major sources of pollutants. For further information about the census, see this blog post. The preview results for the Open Data Census for G8 countries are available online at: http://census.okfn.org/g8/ The Open Definition sets out the principles which define “openness” in relation to data and content, to ensure that it can be freely used, reused and redistributed, and that it is interoperable with other open materials. Open materials must be freely usable and distributable by anyone, anywhere, for any purpose. To ensure this, the Open Definition requires that open material is accessible, in a suitable format, and has an appropriate open licence associated with it. See: http://opendefinition.org/ The United Kingdom and the United States both say that open data is a priority issue for their countries and for the world. US President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron have both made strong, explicit commitments to opening up official data. In May 2013 Obama released an Executive Order “making open and machine readable the new default for government information”, which was widely heralded as a major step. Over the past few years, the UK has released some of the most detailed spending information released by any government. The Open Government Partnership is an international initiative to gain multilateral action on government openness, founded in 2011. Fifty-nine countries have subscribed to the Partnership so far. Half of the G8 countries are members of the Open Government Partnership (Canada, Italy, UK, US) and half are currently not (France, Germany, Japan, Russian Federation). Russia withdrew from the Open Government Partnership in May. See: http://www.opengovpartnership.org/	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line953
__label__wiki	0.579876	0.579876	Federal Court Stops Trans Military Ban in Doe v Trump Posted on October 30, 2017 July 30, 2018 by notransmilitaryban Court Agrees with NCLR and GLAD that Ban’s Harms To Transgender Service Members and Those Trying to Enlist Are Severe and Unacceptable Read our FAQ on this ruling (WASHINGTON, D.C., October 30, 2017)—Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and enjoined the transgender military ban, the discriminatory policy challenged in Doe v. Trump, the first case filed against President Trump’s transgender military ban. The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD, co-counsel in the case, issued the following statement: “This is a complete victory for our plaintiffs and all transgender service members, who are now once again able to serve on equal terms and without the threat of being discharged,” said Shannon Minter, NCLR’s Legal Director. “We are grateful to the court for recognizing the gravity of these issues and putting a stop to this dangerous policy, which has wreaked havoc in the lives of transgender service members and their families.” “This court saw straight through the smokescreen the government tried to create to hide the bias and prejudice behind Trump’s change in military policy. This clear, powerful ruling confirms that there is no legitimate reason to exclude transgender people from military service,” said Jennifer Levi, Director of GLAD’s Transgender Rights Project. “Fighting discrimination isn’t easy, and to all the transgender members of the armed forces or those looking to join, I want to say thank you for your courage, not only in fighting for our country, but in fighting for the constitutional values of equality and justice.” NCLR and GLAD have been at the center of the legal fight challenging Trump’s military ban since filing Doe v. Trump, on August 9 on behalf of five transgender service members. On August 31, NCLR and GLAD filed a motion in Doe asking the court to immediately block the president’s policy and adding two named plaintiffs who have had their plans for a career in military service thwarted by the ban – Regan Kibby, a Midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and Dylan Kohere, a first-year student at University of New Haven in West Haven, Connecticut denied participation in the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program because of the ban. The two organizations are also co-counsel in a second suit challenging the ban, Stockman v. Trump, brought by Equality California. Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, and education, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status, and sexual orientation. www.GLAD.org The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www.NCLRights.org Previous Post GLAD, NCLR Call Out Trump Administration’s Attempt to “Paper Over the Wreckage” Next Post GLAD, NCLR, EQCA Hit Back Again at Trans Military Ban	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line956
__label__wiki	0.865706	0.865706	These courageous individuals, both named and anonymous, are standing up on behalf of their community and will make a difference for generations to come. Regan Kibby Midshipman Kibby has completed two years of education at the United States Naval Academy with a double major in English and history. He was inspired to serve both by his father, a Navy veteran, and his early childhood years in San Diego, a military town with a large Navy base, before moving to North Carolina with his family. He stated that he has always felt that he has a duty to serve. In high school, he enrolled in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) and by junior year dreamed of attending a military service academy. Military service academies are extremely competitive and accept fewer than 10 percent of applicants. The Naval Academy, as do many other service academies, requires a Congressional nomination. After a competitive application process, Midshipman Kibby was accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy. During his first year at the U.S. Naval Academy, Midshipman Kibby came out as transgender, shortly after the time that then Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter issued an order announcing that transgender people could serve openly in the military. He followed protocol, informing his peers and his chain of command. If President Trump’s transgender military ban is implemented, Midshipman Kibby will not be permitted to complete the degree he has spent two years working toward or the career that he has spent a lifetime dreaming of and preparing for through years of JROTC. Midshipman Kibby said, that President Trump’s transgender military ban “ruins transgender servicemembers’ lives and ends the careers of trained, qualified members of our military for no reason other than who they are. After a lifetime of feeling a sense of duty and preparing to serve, reading Trump’s tweets was painful, and I saw my future crumbling.” Dylan Kohere Dylan Kohere is an eighteen-year-old first-year student at the University of New Haven in West Haven. Kohere grew up in New Jersey, and was inspired to serve by his grandfathers’ military service. His goal is to spend his entire career in the military. Kohere came out as transgender during his freshman year of high school, where he was supported by friends and family members and served as president of his school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. After President Trump’s announcement of a ban on transgender people serving in the military, he was barred from joining the ROTC Program, including being denied the ability to partake in physical training or ROTC labs. While Plaintiff Kohere has continued to take ROTC academic classes, he never enrolled in the ROTC Program because of the ban. Kohere said, “A big part of the reason I was comfortable coming out as transgender to the ROTC was the announcement in the summer of 2016 that transgender people would be able to serve openly in the military. I was so excited that I would be able to achieve my goal of serving while remaining true to who I am.” Nicolas Talbott Nicolas is 24 years old and lives on a family farm with his grandmother in Lisbon, Ohio. Talbott’s grandmother relies on him for whatever income he can provide. Talbott graduated from Kent State University in 2015 with a degree in sociology and criminology. While in college, Talbott became interested in working on issues of global security and counterterrorism and now wants to serve his country as an Airman in the Air Force National Guard. He is currently in the process of enlisting. Talbott said, “When I read President Trump’s tweets, my heart sank. I feared that I would never be permitted to fulfill my longtime dream of military service. Small towns like Lisbon, Ohio—where I live—do not have many job opportunities. I am actively searching for a job where I can support myself and my grandmother who is unwell. Enlisting in the military provides a stable job, steady income, health benefits, and the pride of serving my country.” Aiden Stockman Aiden Stockman is 20 years old and lives in Yucca Valley, California. From an early age, Stockman knew that he wanted to pursue a military career. He researched and prepared to enlist in the Air Force, speaking to veteran friends and family about their experience and taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test. He has been dreaming of enlisting in the military his whole life. Stockman said, “In a few abrupt lines and seemingly without any reason at all, President Trump reversed the military’s decision. I felt sick—crushed, like someone had just pushed me to the ground. But I’m a fighter. And I know that I am just as capable of serving in the military as any of my peers.” Read more about Aiden. Tamasyn Reeves Tamasyn Reeves lives in California and is 29 years old. She comes from a military family and has wanted to serve in the U.S. Navy for as long as she can remember. Her grandfather, several uncles, and cousin all served—as a child she thought that when her time came, she would serve as well. She grew up with her grandfather telling her stories about his time in the Navy, serving aboard the U.S.S. Kiersarge during the Korean War and noted that he spoke about his time both on the ship, in Japan, and about the bonds he forged with his fellow sailors. Reeves was devastated when President Trump announced his transgender military ban. Reeves said, “Being singled out in this way by the President of the United States and by the U.S. Armed Services sends a devastating message that somehow transgender people are inferior to other people. I do not understand why people who are motivated and otherwise qualified to serve in the military are being prohibited from doing so.” Jacquice Tate Jacquice Tate is 27 years old and currently serves as a Sergeant, E-5 Rank, in the United States Army. He is originally from Abeline, Texas. Tate began his military career approximately 10 years ago in July 2008. He has served domestically, in Germany, and has deployed to Iraq. He has received an Army Commendation Medal, multiple Army Achievement Medals, Certificates of Appreciation, and two Colonel Coins of Excellence. He attended basic training and then progressed to Advanced Individual Training (“AIT”) to become a “31 Bravo” or military police officer. After completing AIT, he was stationed in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, joining the 472nd Military Police Company. In 2010, he deployed to Ramadi, Iraq and was promoted from Private First Class to Specialist. He was awarded an Army Commendation Medal. He then completed a Warrior Leadership Course, graduating on the Commandants List, an honor that goes to the top 15 students in a class of more than 100, and was made a leader of his Military Police team. During Tate’s time off, he spent more than 200 hours helping to feed the homeless and participated in nearly every off-post event that required support until late in 2013. From 2013 – 2014, Tate was stationed in Germany and then at West Point. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2015 and now holds a position in his company’s Arms Room. Tate’s family relies on his military income for support. After Trump’s announcement, Tate’s chain of command promised to fight for him but noted that this decision is ultimately out of their hands. Tate said, “The ban demeans my years of military service. It tells my fellow soldiers that I am less than them and I worry that this will weaken our close bond.” THE UNNAMED PLAINTIFFS OF DOE v. TRUMP Jane Doe 1 Jane Doe 1 has served with distinction in the United States Coast Guard for more than a decade. In reliance on the issuance of the policy permitting open service by transgender servicemembers, Jane Doe 1 notified her command that she is transgender. After doing so, she continued to proudly serve. Following President Trump’s tweets, Jane Doe 1 submitted a prospective letter of resignation stating that she would resign rather than be involuntarily terminated on account of her transgender status. Were the Department of Defense to retreat from the policy announced by President Trump, Jane Doe 1 would withdraw her resignation and continue to serve. Jane Doe 2 has been enlisted in the National Guard since 2003 and has been on active duty in the United States Army since 2006. Jane Doe 2 notified her command that she is transgender after the United States Department of Defense announced in June 2016 that it would allow transgender servicemembers to serve openly in the military. Since informing her command that she is transgender, Jane Doe 2 has continued serving in her post without incident. Jane Doe 2’s current contract with the military extends through November 2018. She is counting on the compensation and benefits accrued during that time to pay for further education and training to begin a civilian career, but she fears that the ban may result in early termination of her contract. Jane Doe 3 has served in the United States Army since 2015. She has previously been deployed to Afghanistan and, at the time GLAD and NCLR filed Doe v. Trump, she expected to be deployed to Iraq soon. In reliance on the Department of Defense policy permitting transgender people to serve openly in the military, Jane Doe 3 notified her command that she is transgender. Afterward, she continued to proudly serve. Jane Doe 3’s current contract with the military extends through December 2018. She plans to renew her contract, but fears that she will not be allowed to do so because of the ban. Jane Doe 4 has served in the United States Army since 2000. In reliance on the Department of Defense policy permitting transgender people to serve openly in the military, Jane Doe 4 met with her commanding officer to identify herself as transgender. After coming out as transgender, Jane Doe 4 continued to proudly serve. Jane Doe 4’s current contract with the military extends through June 2018. She plans to renew her contract to complete two additional years of service following the expiration of her current contract so that she can reach twenty years of service and receive retirement benefits. She fears that the President’s directive banning transgender people from military service will result in her discharge from the military before she can reach this twenty-year benchmark, thus leading to a substantial decrease in her retirement payments. Jane Doe 5 has been an active duty member of the United States Air Force for nearly twenty years, serving multiple tours of duty abroad, including two in Iraq. After June 2016, in reliance on the announcement that transgender people would be permitted to serve openly, she notified her superiors that she is transgender. After coming out to her superiors, Jane Doe 5 continued to proudly serve. Jane Doe 5’s livelihood depends on her military service. Separation from the military would have devastating financial and emotional consequences for her. THE UNNAMED PLAINTIFFS OF STOCKMAN v. TRUMP Jane Doe is originally from a small New England town and currently serves as a Staff Sergeant, E-5 Rank, in the United States Air Force. Doe is a Risk Management Framework Program Manager at a strategically important overseas base. Doe enlisted in the Air Force in 2010, entering as an Airman First Class—the highest enlistment rank possible. In 2011, Doe deployed to the Middle East and received an early promotion to Senior Airmen, E-4 rank and earned her first Air Force Achievement Medal. After completing her first deployment in 2014, Doe served as a Combat Crew Communications Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, earned a promotion to Staff Sergeant on her first try, and was awarded an Air Force Commendation Medal for distinctly exemplary service. Doe then deployed to the Middle East for a second time and earned her second Air Force Achievement Medal. When Doe saw Trump’s tweets, she worried that these statements would destroy the career she’d worked so hard to build—despite all of her achievements and sacrifices for her country. John Doe 1 John Doe 1 is 28 years old and is currently a Non-Commissioned Officer E-5 Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force. He grew up with his dad telling him stories about his 30 years of service in the United States Marine Corps and has wanted to serve in the military since he was a child. Sometimes as a child he would put on his father’s uniform and pretend that he was a marine like him. At 23, Doe enlisted in the Air Force after completing his college degree. He entered basic training in 2012 and then continued on to technical school where he was selected to be an Airmen Leader. He was promoted to Senior Airman ahead of schedule and was then selected for an instructor position in the Air Force Intelligence Community. In 2016, he received a “must promote” recommendation from his command—one of the strongest endorsements for promotion your command can give. He was then promoted to the Non-Commissioned Officer rank of Staff Sergeant, attending Airmen Leadership School and receiving the Academic Achievement Award as a top student in his class. Currently, Doe is also a class instructor and is known as a subject matter expert in the information technology requirements of our intelligence gathering community. When he saw President Trump’s transgender military ban announcement, Doe said that he felt betrayed by his Commander in Chief, worried about what would happen to him and other transgender servicemembers, and without military service, worries how he will afford housing, food, clothing, and health insurance. John Doe 2 is 20 years old and currently serves as an E-4 Specialist Operator-Maintainer in the United States Army. Doe states that he was not from a wealthy family, and in 8th grade decided that he would join the military because it provided educational training opportunities and a pathway toward a meaningful career. As a high school sophomore, he began speaking with recruiters from every branch of the armed forces and ultimately decided to enlist in the Army because he felt that they had shared a really honest perspective with him about what would be both good and hard about serving in the U.S. military. He enlisted at 17, and by the time he turned 18 was already in basic training. During his two years of service, he has worked his way up and received an early promotion—as well as two Colonel Coins of Excellence. He and his wife depend on the income he brings into the household for housing, food, and basic necessities. His wife also depends on his health benefits. When President Trump announced his transgender military ban, Doe was deeply saddened by the potential loss of his job since graduating from high school and his future career. Join with us to support transgender troops.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line957
__label__wiki	0.602666	0.602666	THEORY FOR MANDOLIN AND FIDDLE with Chad Manning Learn the basics of music theory as it relates to four-string instruments tuned in fifths. Chad’s practical approach will deepen your knowledge of chords, scales, and arpeggios, and help you integrate them into your playing. CHAD MANNING Chad Manning is a Bay Area bluegrass, old-time, and swing fiddler who currently plays with the David Grisman Sextet, the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, and Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands. Over the years he has toured with many bluegrass greats such as J.D. Crowe, Curly Seckler, Alan Munde, and Tony Trischka, to name a few. Chad also finds great joy in teaching and working with all levels of adult fiddle students. He and his wife, Catherine, teach more than a hundred students at their studio in Berkeley, California. chadmanning.com Watch the video above to get a taste of what you’ll learn in Chad Manning’s Theory for Mandolin and Fiddle course. Theory for Mandolin and Fiddle Sample Lesson Major Chord Arpeggios Learn how major chord arpeggios are constructed and how to find them on the mandolin/fiddle fingerboard. With Notation and Tablature Questions About Your Course? If you have questions about the course or a specific lesson, or want to request a lesson from your instructor, you can email instructors@pegheadnation.com Lesson Checklist Download a PDF list of all the Theory for Mandolin and Fiddle lessons so you can keep track of your progress. Theory for Mandolin and Fiddle Lessons A Theory for Mandolin and Fiddle subscription includes: In-depth instruction on chord and scale theory for instruments tuned in fifths More than 30 practical, hands-on theory lessons designed specifically for fiddlers and mandolinists Notation and mandolin tablature for every lesson Lessons on improvising and soloing using different tonalities and arpeggios High-quality video with multiple camera angles so you can see closeups of both hands in action. New lessons added every month Play-Along Tracks so you can practice what you’ve learned Get started now! Use promo code ChadLand at checkout and get your first month free or $20 off an annual subscription. Subscribe to Theory for Mandolin and Fiddle today and get access to all of these lessons. Major Scales, Part 1: Finger Patterns Get started in your exploration of music theory for mandolin and fiddle by learning major scales in different positions in the “bluegrass keys” of G, A, Bb, B, C, D, E, and F. Chad starts by defining a major scale and then shows you how the major scale is symmetrical on an instrument tuned in fifths. He also shows you the different finger patterns for major scales, with scales starting on each finger: index, middle, ring, and pinky. Major Scales, Part 2: Circle of Fifths and Two-Octave Scales Learn about the circle of fifths and how to use it to determine how many sharps or flats a given key has. Chad walks you through two-octave scales in the “bluegrass keys” of G, A, Bb, B, C, D, E, and F, and talks about learning to see the entire scale on the fingerboard. BASIC CHORDS AND ARPEGGIOS Major Chord Arpeggios Learn how major chord arpeggios are constructed and how to find them on the mandolin/fiddle fingerboard. You’ll learn the different finger patterns for major arpeggios in bluegrass keys, with advice on visualizing each pattern and different ways to practice them. Minor and Seventh Chord Arpeggios Learn how to construct minor chords and various kinds of seventh chords, including major seventh, dominant seventh, minor seventh, and minor/major seventh. Chad shows you the arpeggios in open position, their symmetrical finger patterns, and how to visualize them on the fingerboard. You’ll also learn to find all the arpeggios as barre chords. THE HARMONIZED MAJOR SCALE The I, IV, and V Chords Learn about the harmonized major scale and how the chords built on the root, fourth, and fifth steps of the major scale are all major chords. Chad shows you the importance of knowing the I, IV, and V chords in every bluegrass key, explaining how to find the IV and V chords in whatever key you’re in and use them to play “bluegrass chord progression #1” in all the bluegrass keys. THE MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE The Major Pentatonic Scale The major pentatonic scale is useful for improvising on bluegrass, country, and folk tunes. You’ll learn the four main finger patterns for the major pentatonic scale and learn to see them as shapes. You’ll also learn to identify the sound of the pentatonic scale and how to make up your own melodies. Soloing with the Major Pentatonic Scale Learn how to use the major pentatonic scale to create solos and improvise on “bluegrass chord progression #1,” which is used in songs like “Your Love Is Like a Flower,” “Bury Me Beneath the Willow,” and others. Chad shows you how to use the pentatonic scale to play “G-runs” on the E, A, and B chords (the I, IV, and V chords in the key of E), and how to modify the basic G-run into other major pentatonic scale phrases. “Bluegrass Chord Progression #1” Play-Along Track: Key of E Use this video to practice soloing on bluegrass chord progression #1” in the key of E at slow and medium tempos with guitar accompaniment. Check the Play-Along Tracks page for play-along tracks of bluegrass chord progression #1 in all the bluegrass keys: G, A, Bb, B, C, D, E, and F. MORE PENTATONIC SCALES Boogie-Woogie-Scale Licks Chad refers to the five-note scale that consists of the 1, 3, 5, 6 and b7 of the major scale as the “boogie-woogie scale.” It’s very handy for playing bluesy licks and lines. You’ll learn a two-measure boogie-woogie-scale lick starting on each note of the scale and how to play the licks on all the chords of “bluegrass chord progression #1” in the key of D. Chad also gives you advice on making up your own licks starting on different scale tones. Minor Pentatonic and Blues Scales Learn how to use the minor pentatonic and blues scales to play over bluesy progressions. Chad shows you the A minor pentatonic scale and how to improvise over an A blues with the A minor pentatonic scale. Then he shows you how to add the flatted fifth “(flat five”) to the minor pentatonic scale to create the blues scale and how to use the blues scale to solo on an A blues. You’ll also learn how to use the A minor blues scale to play in the key of C major. Adding Flat Thirds to Major Triads and Pentatonic Scales The flat-third/major-third embellishment is a staple of blues, bluegrass, and jazz licks. Learn how to add the flat third to major triads and substitute the flat third for the second in the major pentatonic scale and boogie-woogie scale. DOMINANT CHORDS Dominant Seventh Chords Learn about dominant seventh chords and arpeggios. The dominant seventh chord (often just called a seventh) consists of a major triad and a flatted seventh and is often used as the V chord in a progression. Chad walks you through dominant seventh chord construction and gives you some exercises using dominant seventh arpeggios moving around the circle of fifths. Dominant Ninth Chords Ninth chords are used like dominant seventh chords, so whenever there’s a dominant seventh chord in a chord progression, you can add the ninth to give it a jazzy sound. Chad shows you a basic ninth chord arpeggio and gives you exercises using ninth arpeggios on the chord progression from “Sweet Georgia Brown” in the keys of F and G. MAJOR SCALE PATTERNS Learn to play major chord arpeggios over “bluegrass chord progression #1” in the key of G. You’ll also learn a couple of simple quarter-note scale patterns that connect chord tones as well as a more complicated eighth-note pattern. MODES In this lesson on modes, you’ll learn both how each mode relates to its parent major scale and how each mode is constructed individually. Chad starts by showing you how the modes are derived from the major scale, using the G major scale as an example. He walks you through each mode, naming them and showing you how each one starts on a different step of the major scale. He also shows you how the Dorian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Lydian modes (the modes most often used in bluegrass and old-time music) differ from the major scale. 10-MINUTE PRACTICE ROUTINE Chad helps you create a practice routine for working on theory that includes two-octave major scales, modes, diatonic triads, seventh chords, pentatonic scales, and more. The routine will take you 5–15 minutes depending on your fluency with the material. Chad goes through the routine from beginning to end in the key of A, calling out each scale, mode, etc., as he goes. SOLOING AND IMPROVISING Playing in F Chad gets away from all the heady theory and shows you how to take all the theory you’ve been learning and play in a key that may not be too familiar for fiddle and mandolin players: the key of F. You’ll learn the first-finger “capo position” in F, the major pentatonic scale in that position, and how to improvise on bluegrass chord progression #1, a 12-bar blues, and a standard swing progression (“rhythm changes”) using the major pentatonic and other scales, including the F blues scale, D minor blues scale, and F minor blues scale. The Harmonic Minor Scale and Gypsy Jazz Learn how to use the harmonic minor scale to improvise on a Gypsy jazz tune like “Minor Swing.” Chad reviews the harmonic minor scale in the key of A minor and shows you how you can play it over the “Minor Swing” chord progression, which uses Am, Dm6, and E7 chords. He also talks about targeting different notes and introduces you to a diminished chord arpeggio, which you can use to play over the E7 chord. Improvising in D Modal In roots music, the word “modal” usually does not refer to a specific classical mode, but to a tonality that often uses the flatted seventh and either the flatted third or major third (and sometimes both). Chad explains the sound, sometimes called “mountain modal,” and shows you the D modal scales, one with the major third and one with the minor third. He also shows you how to add drones on the A and D strings, slides and hammer-ons, and unison drones, as well as where to find the notes in second and third positions. Improvising on the Circle of Fifths: “Sweet Georgia Brown” The trad jazz standard “Sweet Georgia Brown” is a great tune for practicing improvising on circle-of-fifths progressions. Traditionally played in the key of F, the chord progression for the first half of “Sweet Georgia Brown” consists of four bars each of D7, G7, C7, and F, giving you ample time to practice your dominant scales on each chord. Chad begins by showing you the melody to “Sweet Georgia Brown,” and then gives you an exercise outlining dominant-nine arpeggios for D7, G7, and C7. Approach Notes Learn a common swing and jazz technique for improvising with arpeggios, using the “Sweet Georgia Brown” circle-of-fifths progression. Chad shows you how to “approach” each note of an arpeggio from a half step below, as well as a scale tone above, to create phrases that add tension and variety to arpeggio-based phrases. Major Six Sounds Chad continues using the “Sweet Georgia Brown” circle-of-fifths progression to demonstrate another harmonic choice you can make: the sixth degree of the major scale, which can give your playing a bright, swingy sound. Chad demonstrates the major six sound and then shows you a number of places to find it on the fiddle and mandolin, with some cool double stops and swingy melodic licks. Chords Within Chords In this lesson, Chad shows you some of the chords that exist within larger chords. For example, the fifth, seventh, and ninth of a dominant nine chord equal a minor triad built on the fifth of the chord. Chad demonstrates how you can use this on the “Sweet Georgia Brown” circle-of-fifths progression to focus on the higher notes of the chord you’re playing. He also shows you how to use a Dorian scale that starts on the fifth of the chord to achieve a similar effect with a scalar melody rather than just an arpeggio. Circle of Fifths Review in D Chad reviews all of the concepts he’s been illustrating using the “Sweet Georgia Brown” circle-of-fifths progression, but this time in the key of D. “Sweet Georgia Brown” in F allows you to practice on D7, G7, C7, and F chords, but if you move it to the key of D, you’ll be able to practice on B7, E7, A7, and D chords. Chad reviews the major and dominant nine arpeggios for these chords as well as approach notes, major sixths, and “chords within chords.” Building Bluegrass Vocabulary in the Key of C In this lesson, Chad helps you build a vocabulary of bluegrass phrases in the key of C, using some call-and-response exercises. Most of these phrases are based on the major pentatonic scale, with the addition of the flatted seventh and flatted third, as well as some chromatic lines. The Altered Dominant Scale In this lesson, Chad takes a little digression from the path he’s been taking, with a lesson on the altered dominant scale, which is used in modern and mainstream jazz to give a dissonant or exotic sound to dominant chords. You’ll learn to use the altered dominant scale on the D7 chord in a ii–V7–I progression in the key of G. Improvising in B Modal To improvise and play solos on bluesy bluegrass songs in the key of B, you can use the B minor pentatonic scale, as well as a version of the scale with a D# substituted for D♮. Chad starts by showing you the B minor pentatonic scale and giving you ideas for improvising with the scale. Then he shows you the scale with the D# and how to improvise with that scale, and alternate between the two scales. How High the Moon “How High the Moon” is a jazz classic that changes tonality every two to four measures. In this lesson, you’ll learn the melody as well as the scales and arpeggios you can use to improvise on the melody. Improvising on “How High the Moon” Chad gives you advice on improvising on “How High the Moon” using the scales and arpeggios you learned in the previous lesson. He shows you how to make musical phrases out of the scales and arpeggios by playing with dynamics and expression, and how to create melodies out of the notes of the arpeggios. Chad also shows how to play a chorus of Ella Fitzgerald’s classic recording of “How High the Moon” on the fiddle or mandolin, and how her notes correspond to the arpeggios and scales you’ve been using to improvise on the tune. DOUBLE-STOPS AND DOUBLE-STOP SCALES Double-Stop Vocabulary in the Key of A In this lesson, Chad shows you some typical bluegrass double-stop licks in the key of A. He shows you licks on all the string sets, how to combine them to make longer licks, and how to phrase them in different ways. Double-Stop Scale in the Key of F Learn the double-stop scale in the key of F, both with a low harmony and high harmony. After showing you the F major scale, Chad walks you the F major scale with a low harmony, which has four double stops on the G and D string pair, and four double stops on the D and A string pair. Then he shows you the F major scale with a high harmony, which has four double stops on the D and A string pair, and four double stops on the A and E string pair. Chad also shows you which major and minor chords can be used with each double stop. Double-Stops Up the Neck For this lesson, Chad enlists his son Jasper Manning to show you how to think about using double-stops up the neck in your solos. Jasper walks you through the three main double-stops on the top two strings for G, A, D, E, B, C, Bb, and F chords and shows you how to find the same double-stop shapes on the other two sets of strings. He ends by playing a solo on the bluegrass fiddle tune “Big Sandy River” using double-stops and licks based on double-stop positions. See Other Peghead Nation Courses Want to offer feedback or suggest a lesson? Need help with the site?	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line969
__label__cc	0.637006	0.362994	Home » Portfolio » Sea Green Posted by peter on Mar 1, 2013 in Portfolio \| 0 comments The Barangaroo Harbor area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was once a bustling harbor, with warehouses and ships crowding the waterfront. In recent years, however, traffic at the 22,000-hectare (54,363-acre) site petered out, leaving a dismal spread of disused container wharves. To remove the blight on Sydney’s waterfront—and rejuvenate the local economy—the New South Wales government launched a AUD6 billion redevelopment project to transform the port into an urban destination featuring a new headland park, public waterfront paths, a civic arts area, commercial office towers and apartments. Launched in 2003, the project is expected to end in 2020. When completed, it will accommodate up to 23,000 workers and residents, and host an estimated 12 million annual visitors. But the project’s goals go beyond the aesthetic and commercial. Sustainability is a common thread through all aspects of the redevelopment. “Sustainable designs and initiatives have served as instrumental project components at each delivery stage—environmentally, socially and economically,” says Phil Paris, development director at the Sydney-based Barangaroo Delivery Authority, which is leading the project. “We will be carbon-neutral and water-positive, generate zero waste, and enhance the well-being of the community.” In April 2008, bidding opened globally for the development rights for the southern precinct known as Barangaroo South. Following a comprehensive review process in the categories of finance, risk, design, sustainability, planning and delivery, marketing and promotion, and capability, two organizations were asked to further develop their proposals. Before starting construction in 2011, the delivery authority embarked on extensive community consultation, including the public display of both proposals. “Given its scale and importance, Barangaroo has and will continue to attract a variety of opinions and ideas,” says Natalie Soltyszewski, project spokesperson. “We welcome those ideas and have a comprehensive engagement program in place to capture them. The public display of the proposals was to share with the community the designs submitted by both proponents.” Finally, in November 2009, the competition for the public domain design of Headland Park was launched. The park is expected to open in 2015, with the first commercial buildings at Barangaroo South opening that same year. When that happens, the prime parcel of Sydney waterfront will once again be open to its public. The development’s coastal frontage creates ample opportunity for water conservation efforts. The facilities will use recycled water for flushing toilets, irrigation and fire sprinklers. Throughout the construction process, the Barangaroo team has required external agencies, contractors and vendors to manage onsite activities while keeping sustainability in mind by: Manufacturing soil on-site from sandstone and recycled waste Sorting and separating waste for recycling or reusing, thereby reducing landfill waste by 97 percent during the construction phase Complying with heating and cooling restrictions to save energy Planting only native plants and trees in Headland Park—90 percent of which will be common species Building a Green Zone The Barangaroo team is maximizing every feasible opportunity to make the project sustainable. On-site solar power generators, combined with an off-site solar farm in the region, will create more electricity than the development will use. The excess electricity will power approximately 5,000 homes. Barangaroo consists of three major developments, each slated for completion at different times: Headland Park: More than 50 percent of Barangaroo is dedicated to public space, and most of that will be in the Headland Park area, which is currently under construction and slated to open in 2015. It will feature restored headlands and a 2.2-kilometer (1.4-mile) public foreshore walk. The project calls for building up the headlands’ height while emphasizing their natural shape. Barangaroo Central: The creative heart of the region, the central area will feature a civic arts space managed by the Barangaroo Delivery Authority. It is currently in the design phase. Barangaroo South: The area’s commercial center will include premier real estate in hopes of attracting financial organizations, as well as residential development. “Headland Park is not a business-as-usual product, and therefore detailed design studies have been undertaken in relation to how it will be built. We are setting a project culture plan dedicated to ensuring that we create a high-performance team from the top down, with all members being inducted into the culture and understanding the project vision, values and objectives,” Mr. Paris. says. “We will also be providing and promoting access to facilities for walking, cycling and recreation through design for active living and healthy lifestyles.” To further encourage sustainable lifestyles, Barangaroo offers easy access to public transportation and electric-car power stations. The Sustainability Framework The Barangaroo Delivery Authority maintains close relations with its major development and construction partners by working side-by-side with them throughout the process. Dedicated development managers from the authority and the major contractor for each development area oversee the implementation of the project’s values, objectives, and specific policies and initiatives. “As part of their contractual agreements, all major development and construction partners are required to ensure these elements flow down to their subcontractors,” Mr. Paris says. Vendor contracts include stipulations that retailers and suppliers avoid excessive packaging, reduce waste, and offer healthy food choices from local and sustainable sources. In addition, the authority emphasizes the importance of offering affordable retail and office space to encourage new enterprises. Sidebar: Life Lessons Sustainability isn’t limited to environmental consciousness; it can also mean teaching local workers the skills they’ll need to continue the project’s vision once construction is completed. The Barangaroo team implemented a workplace policy and learning model that provides formal and non-formal learning opportunities to promote ongoing sustainability education. Both of Barangaroo’s major development and construction partners are currently implementing the model via workplace participation programs, which entail: Providing up to eight hours of training relevant to sustainability principles and practices employed across the project Using apprentices or trainees on 20 percent of all trade work contracted or subcontracted on site Accessing funding opportunities via partnerships with relevant agencies and learning providers Providing key workers with affordable housing, as well as green skill-building and local employment opportunities Article Appears in PMI’s PM Network March 2013 issue. “I had the pleasure of hiring Peter Fretty on countless occasions while I was an editor at Imagination Publishing, where his name is no doubt on a list of favorite go-to freelance writers for a large staff of editors in charge of a diverse collection of publications. For both my colleagues and me, Peter was always an obvious choice. The reason: He is fast, reliable and consistent—which few freelancers are. No matter the subject or the deadline, Peter was always eager, ready and willing to tackle it. He always turned in his work in full and on time, and always wrote the assignment exactly as you\'d asked him to write it. As an editor, I hired some writers only once; I hired Peter, however, again and again for several years and would highly recommend him to any editor who needs a driven, dependable and versatile freelance writer.” by Matt Alderton	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line971
__label__cc	0.516036	0.483964	ExhibitionsArtistsPublicationsArt FairsNewsGallery Jon Pylypchuk Waiting for the Next Nirvana January 9 – February 29, 2020 Troy Brauntuch A Strange New Beauty 35 E 67th Street January 15 – March 14, 2020 Recirculating Goods February 27 – May 2, 2020 Hiroki Tsukuda March 5 – April 18, 2020 View All456 W 18th Street35 E 67th Street537 W 22nd Street535 W 22nd Street26 Wooster Street View All2019-20172016-20142013-20112010-20082007-20052004-20022001-19991998-19961995-1994 35 E 67th Street November 6 – December 20, 2019 Walead Beshty Abstract of A Partial Disassembling of an Invention Without a Future: Helter-Skelter and Random Notes in Which the Pulleys and Cogwheels Are Lying Around at Random All Over the Workbench 456 W 18th Street October 24 – December 14, 2019 Wade Guyton and Stephen Prina 456 W 18th Street September 12 – October 5, 2019 English for Foreigners (abridged) 35 E 67th Street September 11 – October 26, 2019 Dana Hoey Dana Hoey Presents 456 W 18th Street June 27 – August 2, 2019 Condo New York: Edouard Malingue at Petzel Chou Yu-Cheng, Tromarama 35 E 67th Street June 27 – July 26, 2019 Andachtsbild Curated by Karel Schampers 35 E 67th Street May 3 – June 22, 2019 Pharmaceutria 456 W 18th Street April 24 – June 15, 2019 Strategic Vandalism: The Legacy of Asger Jorn’s Modification Paintings Curated by Axel Heil and Roberto Ohrt 456 W 18th Street March 5 – April 13, 2019 Eccentric Reflexivity 1988–1994 35 E 67th Street February 28 – April 27, 2019 35 E 67th Street January 22 – February 16, 2019 Dana Schutz Imagine Me and You 456 W 18th Street January 10 – February 23, 2019 Hell Has Everything 456 W 18th Street November 8, 2018 – January 5, 2019 Midtown Paintings: 1998–2001 35 E 67th Street November 1, 2018 – January 5, 2019 456 W 18th Street October 26 – 27, 2018 Martin Kippenberger, Maria Lassnig, Albert Oehlen, Dana Schutz 35 E 67th Street September 12 – October 27, 2018 Charline von Heyl New Work 456 W 18th Street September 6 – October 20, 2018 Condo New York: Nanzuka at Petzel Haroshi, Makoto Taniguchi, Masato Mori 35 E 67th Street June 29 – July 27, 2018 2017 456 W 18th Street June 28 – August 3, 2018 Patagonia 456 W 18th Street May 4 – June 16, 2018 Dirk Skreber days before 35 E 67th Street May 2 – June 23, 2018 Sean Landers 35 E 67th Street March 1 – April 21, 2018 Cosima von Bonin WHAT IF IT BARKS? 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2005 New Sculpture 537 W 22nd Street November 11, 2004 – January 15, 2005 537 W 22nd Street October 9 – November 6, 2004 Perpetual Photos 537 W 22nd Street September 1 – October 9, 2004 537 W 22nd Street May 7 – June 5, 2004 Homo Faber and Exquisite Corpse 537 W 22nd Street April 3 – May 1, 2004 Troy Brauntuch, Keith Edmier and Richard Phillips Lost Weekend 537 W 22nd Street November 11 – December 20, 2003 537 W 22nd Street October 11 – November 8, 2003 Coma Sculptor 537 W 22nd Street September 6 – October 4, 2003 Group Show curated by Mark Fletcher 537 W 22nd Street June 5 – August 1, 2003 Alien Seasons 537 W 22nd Street April 25 – May 27, 2003 Kalt Modern Teuer 537 W 22nd Street March 7 – April 19, 2003 and now occasionally, and reluctantly, I lift my head from where it usually hangs in shame 537 W 22nd Street January 23 – March 1, 2003 Heads 537 W 22nd Street January 23 – February 22, 2003 Leuchtland 537 W 22nd Street September 5 – October 19, 2002 537 W 22nd Street May 11 – June 1, 2002 Moon Bitches 537 W 22nd Street February 16 – March 23, 2002 537 W 22nd Street January 12 – February 9, 2002 Crystal 537 W 22nd Street November 16 – December 22, 2001 Pinhole Cameras 537 W 22nd Street October 12 – November 10, 2001 America 537 W 22nd Street September 8 – October 6, 2001 Idio 537 W 22nd Street May 12 – June 16, 2001 One Thousand Pictures Falling From One Thousand Walls 537 W 22nd Street April 7 – May 5, 2001 Galerie Max Hetzler, 1991 (Ten Years After) 537 W 22nd Street February 23 – March 31, 2001 The Crying, No Arms, Mournful Thoughts Society 537 W 22nd Street January 13 – February 17, 2001 The Event: Petrified Lightning from Central Florida (With Supplemental Didactics) 537 W 22nd Street October 20 – November 24, 2000 Jack Lemmon's Legs and Other Libraries 26 Wooster Street April 28 – May 3, 2000 Charline von Heyl Paintings, Dana Hoey Photographs 26 Wooster Street March 31 – April 22, 2000 Paul Myoda Dust 26 Wooster Street February 18 – March 25, 2000 Keith Edmier Sculpture, Richard Phillips Drawings 26 Wooster Street January 7 – February 12, 2000 26 Wooster Street November 19 – December 22, 1999 Nicola Tyson Paintings and Works on Paper 26 Wooster Street October 15 – November 13, 1999 Real Stories II Group Show 26 Wooster Street September 10 – October 9, 1999 Phoenix 26 Wooster Street April 30 – May 29, 1999 Push Comes To Love 26 Wooster Street January 15 – February 20, 1999 26 Wooster Street September 12 – October 10, 1998 Natural Copies & Visible Markers 26 Wooster Street April 18 – May 16, 1998 Sharon Lockhart 26 Wooster Street March 6 – April 4, 1998 Anastasia 26 Wooster Street October 18 – November 29, 1997 Clouds 26 Wooster Street May 3 – June 14, 1997 26 Wooster Street March 15 – April 19, 1997 26 Wooster Street October 26 – December 7, 1996 It Hangs Out There 26 Wooster Street April 13 – May 18, 1996 Curated by Joshua Decter 26 Wooster Street January 19 – February 24, 1996 26 Wooster Street March 3 – April 15, 1995 Hawaii 26 Wooster Street January 21 – February 15, 1995 26 Wooster Street November 4, 1994 One Component of the Work is That the Show Will Have Many Titles, One of Them Being: MoCA. Three Prints Per Second 26 Wooster Street January 29 – February 26, 1994 Tel 212 680 9467 Tuesday–Saturday info@petzel.com @petzelgallery	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line972
__label__wiki	0.58216	0.58216	News tagged with fermi national accelerator laboratory Related topics: particle accelerator Sorry, no news articles match your request. Your search criteria may be too narrow. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), located in Batavia near Chicago, Illinois, is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics. As of January 1, 2007, Fermilab is operated by the Fermi Research Alliance, a joint venture of the University of Chicago and the Universities Research Association (URA). Fermilab is a part of the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor. Fermilab's Tevatron is a landmark particle accelerator; at 3.9 miles (6.3 km) in circumference, it is the world's second largest energy particle accelerator (the CERN LHC is 27 kilometres in circumference). In 1995, both the CDF and D0 (detectors which utilize the Tevatron) experiments announced the discovery of the top quark. In addition to high energy collider physics, Fermilab is also host to a number of smaller fixed target experiments and neutrino experiments, such as MiniBooNE (Mini Booster Neutrino Experiment), SciBooNE (SciBar Booster Neutrino Experiment) and MINOS (Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search). The MiniBooNE detector is a 40-foot (12 m) diameter sphere which contains 800 tons of mineral oil lined with 1520 individual phototube detectors. An estimated 1 million neutrino events are recorded each year. SciBooNE is the newest neutrino experiment at Fermilab; it sits in the same neutrino beam as MiniBooNE but has fine-grained tracking capabilities. The MINOS experiment uses Fermilab's NuMI (Neutrinos at the Main Injector) beam, which is an intense beam of neutrinos that travels 455 miles (732 km) through the Earth to the Soudan Mine in Minnesota. In the public realm, Fermilab is host to many cultural events, not only public science lectures and symposia, but classical and contemporary music concerts, folk dancing and arts galleries, when the Homeland Security Advisory System permits. Currently the site is open to all visitors from dawn to dusk who present valid photo identification. A small herd of American bison, started at the lab's founding, lives on the grounds symbolizing Fermilab's presence on the frontier of physics and its connection to the American prairie. Asteroid 11998 Fermilab is named in honor of the laboratory.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line978
__label__wiki	0.611961	0.611961	Home Net Worth Gervonta Davis Net Worth: How Rich is Tank Davis Actually? Gervonta Davis Net Worth: How Rich is Tank Davis Actually? Gervonta Davis is an American boxer. He is currently ranked as the world’s second-best active super featherweight by The Ring magazine. As of 2019, Gervonta Davis net worth is $3 million. Davis was born on November 7, 1994, in Baltimore, Maryland. He started training boxing since he was five years old. As an amateur, he has won many national championships. From 2006-2005, he won three straight National Silver Gloves Championships. In 2012, he won National Golden Gloves Championship. He also has two National Junior Olympics gold medals, two National Police Athletic League Championships, and two Ringside World Championships. Davis finished his amateur career with a record of 206-15. Davis made his professional debut at the age of 18 against Desi Williams. He won the bout via 1st round knockout. After that, he went on to win a series of fights against boxers like Jacob Ninow, Jonathan Gears, Rafael Casias, Eric Jamar Goodall, and Hector Lopez. On September 12, 2015, Davis defeated Recky Dulay in just 94 seconds. On October 30, 2015, Davis defeated former featherweight world titleholder Cristobal Cruz. On June 3, 2016, Davis knocked out Mario Antonio Macias with his first punch of the fight, which lasted only 41 seconds. For his 17th professional match, he challenged Jose Pedraza for the IBF junior lightweight title. He defeated Pedraza in a seventh-round knockout to win the IBF junior lightweight title. For that fight, he earned $75,000 compared to Pedraza who earned $225,000. On May 20, 2017, Davis defended his title against Liam Walsh. He stopped Walsh in the third-round knockout to retain his IBF title. On April 21, 2018, Davis challenged Jesus Cuellar of Argentina for the vacant WBA super featherweight title. He knocked out Cuellar in the 3rd round to win the title. After that, he went on to retain his super featherweight title against both Hugo Ruiz and Ricardo Nunez. Related Alexander Nix Net Worth- How Rich is Alexander Nix Actually? So far, the 24-year-old boxer had 22 fights. He has won all of them with 21 coming via knockout. He is considered to be one of the best boxers to be seen in the coming years. Gervonta Davis Net Worth: $3 million Previous articleTevin Farmer Net Worth: How Rich is Tevin Farmer Actually? Next articleGrant Thompson Net Worth: How Rich was The King of Random?	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line986
__label__wiki	0.791484	0.791484	Jay Sewell death: Man and parents jailed for love rival killing Jay Sewell was fatally stabbed through a car window, the Old Bailey heard A man who recruited his parents and a group of his friends to kill a love rival has been jailed for life. Daniel Grogan, 20, was “consumed with hatred and jealousy” of Jay Sewell, 18, after finding out he was seeing his ex-girlfriend, the Old Bailey heard. Mr Sewell was attacked by a group of people in Lee, south-east London, on 11 December 2018. Grogan was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 21 years having previously been found guilty of murder. The court was told Grogan deliberately engineered a stand-off with Mr Sewell and his ex-girlfriend Gemma Hodder near to his family home. Ms Hodder, 18, had driven her partner and some of their friends from Kent to see Grogan when they were set upon by a group armed with knives, hammers, a 4ft (1.2m) fireman’s axe and wooden sticks. (Clockwise from top left) Daniel Grogan, Ann Grogan, Robert Grogan, Francesca Grogan, Charlie Dudley, Jamie Bennett, Liam Hickey Mr Sewell was fatally attacked through the car window while his friend Charlie Pamphlett was stabbed in the back but survived, jurors were told. Judge Wendy Joseph QC said Grogan “desired only revenge on Gemma and Jay” and had been driven by “self serving anger beyond logic”. The 20-year-old was also jailed for five years for wounding with intent and three-and-a-half years for violent disorder, with the sentences to be served concurrently. Other members of Grogan’s family and friends also received jail sentences for their parts in the killing: Grogan’s 58-year-old father Robert, who had armed himself with an axe, was sentenced to 14.5 years for manslaughter, six years for wounding with intent and three-and-a-half years for violent disorder His 55-year-old mother Ann was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years for manslaughter and three-and-a-half years for violent disorder to be served concurrently His friend and neighbour Charlie Dudley, 26, of Grove Park, was jailed for 16 years for manslaughter, six-and-a-half years for wounding with intent and three-and-a-half years for violent disorder, to be served concurrently His cousin Liam Hickey, 19, of Eltham, was sentenced to three years detention in a Young Offenders Institution for wounding with intent and two years for violent disorder, to be served concurrently In an impact statement read in court, Mr Sewell’s mother Sharon Louch said there was “no sentence this court or any other can pass which can come close to healing the pain or make up for not being able to look at my Jay’s face or hear him laugh”. “Jay you were a blessing and made us proud from the day you came to us until the moment you were taken,” she said. Others were previously sentenced over the attack: Francesca Grogan, 30, of Sibthorpe Road, was jailed for 12 months for violent disorder Jamie Bennett, 32, of Sibthorpe Road, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for violent disorder A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named, was handed a nine-month rehabilitation order and a supervision order for violent disorder. washing machine Bewbush	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line987
__label__wiki	0.812705	0.812705	Will the Green New Deal Work? Here's What the Research Says. The Green New Deal that some Democrats are now championing is unlike anything this country has ever done before. But scientists have been studying policies like these for decades, and their research can tell us a bit about what might happen should we pass this sweeping new vision for climate action and economic equality. Francie Diep Windswept states are likely to benefit from the Green New Deal. (Photo: David McNew/AFP/Getty Images) If you've been paying any attention to politics, you've probably heard of the Green New Deal. Some high-profile Democrats—most notably New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—have been championing it, getting it into headlines everywhere. The Green New Deal is a sweeping government program that's equal parts economic aid for those left behind in America's current economy and a rescue mission for the global climate. It proposes to employ everyone who wants to be, and relieve poverty, by making the American economy 100 percent fossil fuel free. The idea is that one will drive the other: We'll fund jobs and health care and mitigate historic inequalities by investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency technology and eliminating the United States' contribution to climate change. And the government will pay for it. Will the Green New Deal work? How many jobs will it create, and how many will it destroy? Can America really afford something like this? These are big, important questions. Luckily, science has answered some of them. It's hard to predict exactly what will happen, researchers say, because the official proposal doesn't go into enough detail. Ocasio-Cortez told Politico on Tuesday that she's drafting a resolution that will contain more specifics. In the meantime, some of the Green New Deal's components have been studied for decades and we can get broad answers to questions of who it'll affect, and how. We've addressed several of those questions with help from researchers and existing studies, and we'll publish the answers over the next few weeks. Below is our first batch of questions about what the Green New Deal will mean for jobs. How Many Jobs Will the Green New Deal Kill and Create? Every economist I talked to agreed: The Green New Deal would be a job creator. Most said it's impossible to know exactly how many jobs it will add to the economy, but studies generally show that government investments in green technology boost employment possibilities. That's not to say no jobs will be destroyed. Obviously some will—including all of those associated with the mining, refining, and burning of coal, oil, and gas. But studies generally find that green investments create more jobs than they eliminate because there's a lot of infrastructure that needs to be built to make the economy carbon-free, while the number of fossil fuel-dependent jobs is comparatively small. Still, those jobs are central to the well-being of the people who hold them and their families. The Green New Deal proposes to aid individuals and communities where de-carbonization will take away jobs. That doesn't have to be an empty promise—economists I spoke to say it's possible, if challenging, to transition workers whose jobs have become irrelevant to new careers. (More on this later.) Some factors might make the Green New Deal's job numbers smaller. For example, if our new green energy turns out to be more expensive than electricity is now, people and companies may be inclined to use less of it and thereby create fewer jobs, says Sylwia Bialek, an economist at the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University. If you're looking for numbers, this report is the closest thing I've seen to quantifying the Green New Deal. It published in 2014, at the behest of the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank. A team of economists from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst calculated what would be needed to cut the U.S.'s carbon emissions by 40 percent in 20 years. The study found that the American government and private companies would have to invest a collective $200 billion a year, the government should collect about $200 billion a year in carbon taxes, about 1.5 million jobs would be destroyed, and 4.2 million new jobs would be created. "We could extrapolate, based on the work that we've done here, just to get some really rough numbers," says Heidi Peltier, one of the researchers who worked on the report. So: If a 40 percent emissions cut cost $200 billion a year and created a net 2.7 million jobs, then a 100 percent emissions cut might cost $800 billion a year and create a net 6.8 million jobs. "It's not necessarily going to be linear like that, but it might give us a ballpark, at least," Peltier says. Others caution that the report's numbers are probably too rosy, but agree that the idea that the Green New Deal will create new jobs, on the whole, is correct. What's Going to Happen to People Who Don't Have Jobs Under the Green New Deal? At least in the short term, the Green New Deal will create winners and losers. You might guess who's who just by looking at which parts of the country are abundant in coal, oil, gas, wind, and sun, says Dave Swenson, an economist at the University of Iowa. Thus, we might expect the sunny South and Southwest, windswept Great Plains, and states that are amenable to offshore wind turbines to benefit. Top fossil fuel-producing states, such as Wyoming, West Virginia, Texas, and Pennsylvania, might be in for a rough transition. The Green New Deal promises to help those whose livelihoods are rendered obsolete by the new economy. It says it will "diversify local and regional economies, with a particular focus on communities where the fossil fuel industry holds significant control over the labor market." It also pledges to aid all struggling communities, regardless of whether decarbonization was the cause of their troubles. Over the past decade, hundreds of programs across the U.S. have aimed to help disadvantaged Americans by preparing low-income workers to enter industries poised for growth, such as health care, information technology, and, yes, green energy. Think of them as mini Green New Deals for different fields. Studies of these programs reveal what makes them succeed and fail. Researchers who studied three successful programs—in Madison, Wisconsin; Boston; and New York City—offered their ideas for what made these programs able to boost both the employment rates and wages of their program participants. Researchers thought the keys to success included having good relationships with employers in their communities, so they could understand what skills companies were looking for, and screening program participants to make sure they would be good matches for local companies. These characteristics helped programs land jobs for some traditionally difficult-to-place workers, including people who were formerly incarcerated. Another study, which included both successful and unsuccessful programs, found that one unsuccessful program (its participants earned no more than non-participants) struggled to adapt to changes in the labor market. So much for job training programs for disadvantaged workers. What about job retraining programs? They have a much worse reputation. One study of government-funded retraining, for laid-off workers whose jobs had been shipped overseas, found that the training didn't help them earn any more than their peers who hadn't participated. Four years after their training, program participants, especially older folks with less education and who had had high salaries before they were laid off, earned less than before their lay-offs, on average. The study's researchers write that it's possible that four years wasn't long enough to see the effects of the training. In studies, it's much harder to show positive effects from worker retraining than from programs that simply place people who have always had a hard time in the job market, says Carolyn Heinrich, a public policy professor at Vanderbilt University. Often, with worker retraining, she says, "what we're not able to do is get to them where they were before." People might have to start over in a new industry, at a lower level than they're used to. Or, if a disappeared industry affects their entire region, they may have to move (but then, how to sell a house in a region where jobs have been gutted?). "So it looks like a negative impact, right?" Heinrich says. "Compared to people who just go out and start working." JobsGreen New DealJob TrainingAlexandria Ocasio-CortezFossil FuelsRenewable Energy Francie Diep is a staff writer at Pacific Standard, where she specializes in health and drug policy and the intersections of culture and science. Previously, she covered science, health, and science policy for Scientific American, Popular Science, and Smithsonian. Can the Green New Deal Really Meet America's Energy Needs Without Fossil Fuels? Anything is possible, if you're willing to pay the price. What's Next for the Green New Deal? Republicans in Congress have criticized progressives' Green New Deal as an impractical, ludicrous, or even dangerous plan. What are they offering in its place? Greg Carlock Explains Why the Green New Deal Is About Your Kids' Kids' Kids Last September, Carlock wrote a draft of a Green New Deal—long before most people had even heard of the idea. Why the Social Policies in the Green New Deal Are Essential to Its Success Green New Deal detractors argue that the economic policies in the plan are extraneous. They're wrong. New York City's 'Green New Deal' Shows How Cities Could Deal With Climate Change The city recently passed groundbreaking climate legislation, including the largest mandated pollution reduction in any city in the world. Did Fox News Quash Republican Support for the Green New Deal? New research finds that the cable channel played an important role in shaping opinion about the GND.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line988
__label__wiki	0.887418	0.887418	The Trump Administration Is Reportedly Separating Hundreds of Immigrant Children From Their Parents A lawsuit filed Monday aims to reunite a Congolese mother and her daughter, ripped apart at separate detention facilities as part of an apparent plan to discourage new asylum seekers. Massoud Hayoun The Trump administration is reportedly considering detaining parents separately from their children. (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images) The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit this week against federal immigration officials in an effort to reunite an asylum seeker and her daughter who are being held at separate detention facilities located some 2,000 miles apart. The incident is one of what the advocates claim are hundreds of similar separations transpiring across the country, part of a greater effort by the Trump administration to dissuade immigrants from coming to the United States at all. In the lawsuit filed by the ACLU on Monday, a woman referred to only as Ms. L arrived in San Diego in November from the Democratic Republic of Congo with her daughter, referred to as S.S. After some preliminary questions about the circumstances of Ms. L's arrival, U.S. immigration officials determined that she was in grave enough danger to potentially receive asylum in the U.S. and allowed her case to continue to the next stage of consideration. At first Ms. L was housed, along with S.S., in what she describes as a sort of motel, the lawsuit says. But after about four days, immigration authorities placed Ms. L in a San Diego immigrant detention facility and shipped her child to a separate facility in Chicago. The complaint paints a bleak picture of how events transpired. "When the officers separated them, Ms. L could hear her daughter in the next room frantically screaming that she wanted to remain with her mother," the complaint reads. "No one explained to Ms. L why they were taking her daughter away from her or where her daughter was going or even when she would next see her daughter." The lawsuit clarifies that authorities made no accusations nor is there any evidence that Ms. L is unfit to raise her daughter. Under previous administrations, it has been protocol to keep families together, the lawsuit also claims. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to Pacific Standard's request for comment on Ms. L and her daughter, nor did the agency respond to request for comment on the policies that allow for their separation. The ACLU says that Ms. L's separation is one of many such forced splits. "According to advocates, there have been hundreds of separations nationwide," says Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project. "Based on reports, the administration apparently believes that separating young kids from their parents will deter future asylum applicants." Numerous reports have surfaced in recent months of ICE separating families, both asylum-seeking and undocumented arrivals, and placing parents and children detention facilities hundreds or thousands of miles apart from one another. Gelernt says this immigration tactic, which he credits as an attempt by the White House to make good on President Donald Trump's tough talk on immigrants, amounts to a gross human rights violation. "This horrific practice violates due process and has been uniformly denounced by medical experts. This individual initial test case will hopefully establish precedent but it will not by itself end the practice," he says. While the suit seeks to reunite S.S. and Ms. L, the ACLU is also looking to influence larger, more systematic reform as a way to halt a practice that—like much of immigration enforcement—is shrouded in confidentiality. "We are looking at bringing additional actions in the very near future that will challenge the practice on a larger scale," he says. "We hope, however, the administration will reconsider this practice without the need for further litigation." The Trump administration has, in addition to the ramped up raids on and detentions of undocumented immigrants, engaged in what is often interpreted as an ongoing push to dissuade newcomers, undocumented and otherwise, from coming to the U.S. in the first place. Last month, ICE raided 7-Elevens across the country, arresting a slew of undocumented employees and launching audits of the employers. The raids sought not just to detain undocumented laborers, but also to discourage businesses from employing them. Officials said the underlying imperative was to discourage potential immigrants from arriving in the U.S. without documentation; without the possibility of formal employment, they argued, there's no incentive for undocumented people to come to the U.S. "Businesses that hire illegal workers are a pull factor for illegal immigration and we are working hard to remove this magnet," ICE Deputy Director Thomas Homan said in a press statement on the operation. Critics, saying that just because undocumented people can't find work at visible franchises governed by U.S. labor law like 7-Eleven doesn't mean they'll stop coming or turn around and go back to their countries of origin. Rather, they will enter informal, unmonitored sectors in order to make ends meet. The Trump administration's bid to make immigration unattractive has gone beyond workplace raids; it has also discouraged the American relatives of immigration applicants from using public services. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security issued a new draft immigration rule that would make it count against family-based immigration applications when the applicant's American relatives use services like food stamps or housing assistance. A copy of the draft rule, published by Vox, echoed Homan's view that the administration should de-incentivize immigrants from coming to the U.S. in the first place. "The availability of public benefits must not constitute an incentive for immigration to the United States; and Aliens in the United States must not depend on public resources to meet their needs," the draft reads. The policies, taken together with Ms. L's story, paint a grim reality for immigrants in the U.S. LawsuitImmigrationImmigration And Customs EnforcementAmerican Civil Liberties UnionDepartment Of Homeland SecurityDemocratic Republic Of Congo Massoud Hayoun is a contributing writer to Pacific Standard. Inside the ACLU's Suit to Stop ICE From Separating Immigrant Families The Department of Homeland Security maintains that it does not habitually separate detained asylum-seekers from their children without just cause. Advocates Fear the New Trump Administration Rule Will Keep Migrant Children in Detention for Even Longer The ACLU warns that a new rule allowing the government to look into potential guardians' immigration status will leave the children with nowhere to go but detention facilities. Amid a Flurry of Immigration Scandals, Activists Stay Focused on the Trump Administration's Separation of Families As questions of children left unaccounted for by immigration authorities mount, rights advocates say the Trump administration's separation of parents and children remains the real issue. Vilma Carrillo, an Immigrant Woman Separated From Her Daughter, Has Been Released From ICE Custody Immigrant rights groups rejoiced as authorities reunited a Guatemalan woman and her daughter Friday. The Trump Administration Is Still Separating Families Over Minor Offenses At least 911 immigrant children have been separated from their parents at the border since June of 2018. The Trump Administration Is Failing to Uphold Its Commitments to Vietnamese Refugees An Asian-American rights group sued ICE last week over heightened detentions of Vietnamese—detainments that also threaten to undermine American credibility abroad.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line989
__label__cc	0.622952	0.377048	Open Rank Professor of Education, Educational Psychology-Institute for CyberScience Co-Hire Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education Position Available: One open-rank, tenure-track position in Educational Psychology co-funded by the Institute for CyberScience (ICS). Beginning: Fall Semester 2020. Details: The Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education in the College of Education and the Institute of CyberScience at The Pennsylvania State University invite applications for an open rank, tenure-track position with primary responsibilities in teaching and research in the Educational Psychology program. The science of learning, teaching, and assessment is at the core of Educational Psychology at Penn State. Students in our graduate program explore how people learn across the lifespan and ways that learning and teaching interconnect and reciprocally influence each other in formal and informal educational settings. Faculty members conduct research in their area of expertise and provide support to graduate degree programs in Educational Psychology and other programs (e.g., CyberScience). Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion with an emphasis on structurally contingent identities such as race/ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, and national origin. We foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusion as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission. Therefore, we are seeking candidates whose research, teaching, and service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and inclusion in higher education. Appointment Conditions: This position is a tenure track, 36-week faculty appointment in the Educational Psychology program with the possibility of supplemental summer appointments in research and/or teaching. This position is co-funded by the College of Education and the Institute for CyberScience. The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more. The College of Education at Penn State is committed to supporting the work-life balance of its faculty members. Penn State has a strong commitment to the diversity of its workforce, and we encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds. Responsibilities: The successful candidate will: have an active program of research; be responsible for teaching residential and online undergraduate and graduate courses; advise master’s and doctoral graduate students; and provide service to the Department, College, University, and professional organizations or other external agencies. Required Qualifications: Candidates must have an earned doctorate in Educational Psychology, Learning Sciences, Applied Cognitive or Developmental Science, or a closely related field at the position start date. Candidates who have completed all doctoral work but have not yet defended their dissertation at the time of the application will also be considered. Candidates must also demonstrate a commitment to a significant program of research that has the potential to secure external funding, commensurate with experience. Candidates must provide evidence of excellence in teaching and advising, commensurate with experience. Candidates must show potential to work with underserved and/or underrepresented populations. We seek a candidate who develops and uses innovative methods to analyze large datasets in the service of improving the design of, and research on, theoretically grounded interventions that foster learning and instruction as well as the measurement of learning outcomes. Examples of such methods may include, but are not limited to, using unsupervised/supervised machine learning algorithms to explore learning processes, applying natural language processing to identify productive discourse patterns, running complex simulations of how an intervention may alter learning processes, or combining predictive models with observational datasets to improve outcomes (e.g. data assimilation). This list of examples is not exhaustive; other suitably innovative methods for analyzing large datasets in the service of improving learning and instruction will be considered. As an ICS co-hire, the successful candidate will have expertise in cyber-enabled research, including the development and application of innovative computational methods, and is expected to engage in interdisciplinary research that relies substantially on some combination of big data, complex simulations, machine learning, and related methodologies. Further information on the institute and its co-hires can be found: http://ics.psu.edu. Desirable Qualifications: The strongest candidates will have: An established record of publication or the promise of such a record of publication; Evidence of engagement in theoretically-driven research aimed at the development of interventions to support education and improve learning outcomes; Ability to teach courses on campus (University Park) and online at the undergraduate and graduate levels in quantitative research methods, implementation science, and/or learning theories; An established record of receiving competitive grants or the promise of such record of receiving competitive grants; The ability to advise master’s and doctoral graduate students; Commitment to providing service to the Department, College, University, and professional organizations or other external agencies. The Pennsylvania State University: Penn State [http://www.psu.edu] is a comprehensive, multi-campus research university serving all regions of the Commonwealth, as well as the nation and the world in instruction, research, and service roles that require responsiveness to and support from society`s public and private sectors. As a land-grant university, Penn State is responsible for providing a wide array of programs in the professional and technical disciplines, as well as a balanced offering of undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts and sciences. Penn State shares with other major research universities the traditional responsibilities to discover, develop, preserve, and disseminate knowledge. Penn State libraries was also recently ranked 2nd among public university libraries in the USA in the 2015-2016 Association of Research Libraries Library Investment Index. The University Park campus is located within State College, PA, which was recently ranked as one of the top college towns in the country by the American Institute for Economic Research. Located in a valley in the Appalachian Mountains, in Centre County, Pennsylvania, employment at Penn State offers incredible opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the central Pennsylvania outdoors combined with the culture, sports, and entertainment a large university community can bring, and is within drivable distance from Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and New York City. The College of Education: The College of Education (https://ed.psu.edu) at Penn State was established in 1923 to deepen and extend knowledge about the formation and utilization of human capabilities. It offers resident degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, online learning programs at the graduate level, as well as an extensive outreach effort aimed at continuing professional development for educators at distant locations. The College`s research program is also extensive and College faculty members secured over $36.7 million in external support during the past three years from a wide range of national and state government agencies, private foundations, and corporations. The College`s location within a large, research-oriented, land-grant University provides numerous opportunities for studying education from multidisciplinary perspectives in the context of a university-wide commitment to making life better for all citizens. The College houses four academic departments: Curriculum and Instruction; Education Policy Studies; Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education; and Learning and Performance Systems. The departments offer eight undergraduate majors to more than 2,250 students and 11 graduate programs, under authority of the Graduate School, to nearly 1,000 students. Recent surveys rank the Penn State College of Education among the top colleges, schools, and departments of education in the United States and the world. The Educational Psychology program’s goal is to conduct translational research through grounded theoretical model building and empirical investigations with overt sensitivities to critical questions of educational importance. The Institute of CyberScience: The Institute for CyberScience (ICS; https://ics.psu.edu/), one of Penn State’s five university-wide research institutes, connects researchers from numerous disciplines to answer critical scientific questions and societal issues through cyber-enabled research and methodology. ICS has nearly 300 affiliated faculty, with over 20 tenure-track co-hired faculty, engaged in interdisciplinary computation and data enabled research. Our affiliated faculty utilize our ICS operated Advanced Cyber Infrastructure (ICS-ACI), Penn State’s high-performance research cloud, which is in the top 15 among our peers. Application procedures: Applicants must submit: (a) a cover letter discussing your qualifications for the position, (b) current curriculum vitae, and (c) up to three representative reprints or preprints of scholarly publications (if available). In addition, (d) please have up to three academic reference letters emailed directly to Janel Fitzgerald, Administrative Assistant at jnf5098@psu.edu. Applications received by Nov. 15, 2019 are assured full consideration; however, applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. Interested persons must submit materials electronically to this link: https://psu.jobs/job/91574. You may direct questions related to this search to: Dr. Matthew McCrudden, Educational Psychology-ICS Co-Hire Search Chair, 333 Cedar Building, University Park, PA 16802, mtm402@psu.edu.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line991
__label__cc	0.726055	0.273945	Home » News » Gratitude Improves Health Outcomes Gratitude Improves Health Outcomes A new psychological study finds that recognizing the positive aspects of life results in improved mental and physical health among patients with asymptomatic heart failure. “We found that more gratitude in these patients was associated with better mood, better sleep, less fatigue, and lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers related to cardiac health,” said lead author Paul J. Mills, Ph.D. In the study, gratitude was defined as part of a wider outlook on life that involves noticing and appreciating the positive aspects of life. This perspective can be attributed to an external source (e.g., a pet), another person or a non-human (e.g., God). Gratitude is also commonly an aspect of spirituality, said Mills. Although research has shown that people who considered themselves more spiritual have greater overall well-being, including physical health, research combining spirituality and gratitude has not been performed. In the new study, Mills and his colleagues examined the role of both spirituality and gratitude on potential health markers in patients. The study has been published in the journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice. Researcher followed 186 men and women who had been diagnosed with asymptomatic (Stage B) heart failure for at least three months. Stage B consists of patients who have developed structural heart disease (e.g., have had a heart attack that damaged the heart) but do not show symptoms of heart failure (e.g., shortness of breath or fatigue). This stage is an important therapeutic window for halting disease progression and improving quality of life since Stage B patients are at high risk of progressing to symptomatic (Stage C) heart failure, where risk of death is five times higher, according to Mills. Using standard psychological tests, the researchers obtained scores for gratitude and spiritual well-being. They then compared those scores with the patients’ scores for depressive symptom severity, sleep quality, fatigue, self-efficacy (belief in one’s ability to deal with a situation), and inflammatory markers. They found higher gratitude scores were associated with better mood, higher quality sleep, more confidence in self-care, and less inflammation. Discovering the relationship between gratitude and inflammation is especially important as inflammation can often worsen heart failure. What surprised the researchers about the findings, though, was that gratitude fully or partially accounted for the beneficial effects of spiritual well-being. “We found that spiritual well-being was associated with better mood and sleep, but it was the gratitude aspect of spirituality that accounted for those effects, not spirituality per se,” said Mills. To further test their findings, the researchers asked some of the patients to write down three things for which they were thankful most days of the week for eight weeks. Both groups continued to receive regular clinical care during that time. “We found that those patients who kept gratitude journals for those eight weeks showed reductions in circulating levels of several important inflammatory biomarkers, as well as an increase in heart rate variability while they wrote. Improved heart rate variability is considered a measure of reduced cardiac risk,” said Mills. “It seems that a more grateful heart is indeed a more healthy heart, and that gratitude journaling is an easy way to support cardiac health.” Source: American Psychological Association/EurekAlert! Nauert PhD, R. (2018). Gratitude Improves Health Outcomes. Psych Central. Retrieved on January 29, 2020, from https://psychcentral.com/news/2015/04/10/gratitude-improves-health-outcomes/83374.html Last updated: 8 Aug 2018 (Originally: 10 Apr 2015)	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line992
__label__wiki	0.676676	0.676676	Event: IKG PTU launched "Knimbus Mobile application" for its students The era of collecting knowledge from hard books, journals, syllabus documents or notes is totally changed now. At this time infinity knowledge is available on smart phones, and it has come true in I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University too. By considering era's demand, IKG PTU's Library (Knowledge Resource Centre) launched a mobile app on Thursday. This initiative has been done by the Team of Knowledge Resource Center. Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Ajay Kumar Sharma launched this mobile app and give green signal to its maximum use. He forwarded this event as his Vision's success. On this occasion, Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Sharma said that it is the responsibility of Technical University to provide the best technology resources to all its stakeholders. The university is now so capable for that and now by these kinds of initiatives, University is fulfilling its every responsibility. He congratulated the team of Knowledge Resource Center and reiterated its promise that the day is not far when the IKG PTU will touch peak in Tech-Savvy World. He said that today student's needs tech-savvy education in hi-tech era. University Registrar Dr. Sukhbir Singh Walia also joined launching session and he also congratulate to library staff and students for this initiative! He inspired students to use the most of this app in his address. University's Knowledge Resource Center Incharge Ms. Madhu Middha said that students will be registered with Library by providing their email address through their academic department heads, after which they download this app from Android and Apple Mobile phones by using Play Store services and get registered through Email, password, which will be available on their email address. He told that thousands of E-books, E-journals, notes etc will be available through this app.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line994
__label__cc	0.591788	0.408212	Is Campaign Finance Reform Actually Necessary? Today there is mounting anxiety that corporations and certain elite individuals are corrupting politics by spending excessive amounts of money on electoral campaigns. People blame the Supreme Court’s decisions in Citizens United andMcCutcheon for deregulating the election campaign system. Congress has responded to this hostile climate by introducing Senate Joint Resolution 19 in order to reform the controversial electoral system. Author: Sophia Dai, L’16 Historical attempts to regulate campaign financing were ineffectual and often created new problems.The aim of the 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) was to increase donor accountability by requiring more transparency and disclosure in federal campaigns. Congress increased the regulation in 1974 to cap campaign contributions. Proponents of the bill argued that the wealth of certain individuals would corrupt politicians and the political system as a whole. As a way of circumventing these contribution caps, PACs (political action committees) became essential to national elections. Although PACs existed prior to FECA, they were primarily used by unions and were insignificant to elections. Since donors were no longer able to contribute unlimited amounts personally to campaigns, they began to donate substantially to PACs in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Donors, no longer subjected to individual caps or disclosure requirements, spent more than they had prior to the 1974 FECA Amendment. Despite the intentions to eliminate political corruption and excessive spending in federal campaigns, FECA essentially helped generate more spending by establishing powerful PACs. In further efforts to reform campaign financing, Congress passed the 2002 McCain-Feingold Act, or the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA). This act sought to prohibit national party committees from raising and spending funds not subject to federal limits, and banned corporations and unincorporated entities from placing broadcast ads to name federal candidates. Proponents of BCRA argued this bill would decrease the amount of campaign spending, increase accountability by politicians, and would ultimately lead to more equalization between the electorate. To avoid the provisions in the Act which banned soft money, wealthy contributors gave huge amounts to independent organizations under §527 of the IRS code. Before BCRA, parties and candidates had to take responsibility for the quality of political discourse. After BCRA, “shadow parties” (short-lived special interest groups that focused on particular issues or elections) became extremely influential. Because more respectable organizations were unable to use soft-money funds to create ads, these unknown groups were able to run more attack ads that were substantially more damaging and less accountable. The consequence of this regulation decreased accountability and transparency rather than increased it. Since 1974, total congressional campaign spending has increased from $77 million to $1.8 billion in 2010. Reform measures to decrease spending and corruption have not been successful. The $2,500 cap set on individual donations to individual campaigns pushed money into independent groups (PACs, 527s, and 501(c)4s). Wealthy individuals now funnel substantial money into Super PACs. These independent, expenditure-only committees are not subject to campaign limits and as they act as independent organizations, politicians are able to deny involvement with these groups. Today, there are about 1,090 Super PACs contributing actively in federal elections and as of July 2014, these groups reported total spending at $242,129,104. These groups only exist to circumvent the contribution cap, and they create less accountability in political campaigns. If Congress eliminated these contribution caps, it would eliminate the need for these organizations entirely. According to the paper, “Do State Campaign Finance Reforms Reduce Public Corruption?” by scholars, Adriana Cordis and Jeff Milyo, reform efforts have little effect on reducing public corruption. If the Democrats hope to actually eliminate “corrupt” politics, then campaign finance reform measures need to be repealed. Senate Democrats have recently introduced a constitutional amendment in order to combat excessive spending in politics. SJ Res 19 would effectively amend the First Amendment to enable Congress to prohibit corporations from contributing money during federal electoral campaigns. This bill is aimed at restoring democracy to the American people who have lost their voice in politics to big business and the elite class. It essentially seeks to reverse the Citizens United and McCutcheon decisions, but it goes substantially further than reversing the Supreme Court—it alters our present concept of free speech and muzzles corporations. Take in the gravity of that statement. Aside from child pornography and cases in which speech is used to incite panic, free speech has never been infringed upon. The Bill of Rights has never been successfully amended and for good reason. The fundamental principles that bind our nation should not susceptible to frequent changes. This amendment essentially attacks all corporate entities, including the Sierra Club, the NAACP, and every labor union. But while it denies corporate free speech, it expressly exempts media corporations such as MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News from this absolute restraint. So while the ACLU will no longer be able to contribute money during elections and exercise their speech, the NY Times can. This arbitrary selection by Congress of who suffers the restraint sets a dangerous precedent: a legislature that can pick and choose who has a right to speech is far too powerful. Any enemy of the current party in power could be silenced. Harry Reid and Senate Democrats in the Senate Judiciary Committee frequently name Charles and David Koch as examples of vile tyrants of industry who have corrupted the electoral system with excessive money. But this comparison is attack is unjust in light of the 2012 electoral numbers. President Obama raised $715,677,692. SJ Res 19 has little chance of passing the Senate, let alone receiving enough support to actually amend the Bill of Rights—and the Democrats know it. In order to pass a constitutional amendment in the Senate, 67 senators need to vote for it, and for the 113th Senate, that requires at least 12 GOP votes. As this amendment has about nil chance of receiving bipartisan support, the effort here is little more than political posturing to vilify Senate Republicans before the 2014 elections. There is too much money in American politics, but the solution does not lie in wasting tax dollars on introducing and pushing a bill that has no possibility of success. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), in a rather cheeky but undeniably clever move, proposed an alternate amendment to Senator Durbin’s amendment, which simply reiterated the First Amendment. Essentially, anyone who voted against his amendment would vote against one of the most fundamental provisions in the Constitution that has been ingrained in American culture for over 200 years. Although this move might be criticized as pointless and pert, the point he makes is not. By allowing Congress to restrict free speech now, even in this limited capacity, we inch away from an ideal that we will not be able to return to. In order to preserve the freedoms that are so meaningful to us, we cannot move away from the past. Any advance beyond these original principles is not a move towards progress but a step away from it. Instead of abandoning freedom of speech so impulsively due to a momentary, contemporary problem, we must return to the First Amendment. As President Coolidge said, “If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final.” Our right to freedom of speech is final and we cannot allow any backtrack. Editor’s Note: Sophia Dai was recently wrote a summer dispatch on Penn Law’s website. Sophia’s dispatch is “is one in a series of firsthand accounts by Law School students about how their summer employment opportunities are preparing them for their legal careers. Dai is spending her summer clerking in the U.S. Senate’s Judiciary Committee.” Read the dispatch here. Additional Blog Posts The effects of the US-China trade war on US Exports Flying in the Face of Airbus Tariffs: An Analysis of the World Trade Organization Ruling Regulating Consumers’ Rights to Repair Products: The Debate Between Convenience and Intellectual Property Rights Student Blog Disclaimer The views expressed on the Student Blog are the author’s opinions and don’t necessarily represent the Wharton Public Policy Initiative’s strategies, recommendations, or opinions. Last modified on Jun. 8th, 2017 at 3:54pm by John Galm. Matthew Stengel	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line995
__label__cc	0.678028	0.321972	Latino/a Children & Young Adult Writers on the Art of Storytelling Forthcoming January 2018 Children’s and young adult literature has become an essential medium for identity formation in contemporary Latino/a culture in the United States. This book is an original collection of more than thirty interviews led by Frederick Luis Aldama with Latino/a authors working in the genre. The conversations revolve around the conveyance of young Latino/a experience, and what that means for the authors as they overcome societal obstacles and aesthetic complexity. The authors also speak extensively about their experiences within the publishing industry and with their audiences. As such, Aldama’s collection presents an open forum to contemporary Latino/a writers working in a vital literary category and sheds new light on the myriad formats, distinctive nature, and cultural impact it offers. Uma Krishnaswami, author of Book Uncle and Me These insightful, widely ranging interviews showcase the defining children’s and YA Latina/Latino writers and illustrators of our time. They speak about tapping the magic of story, taking risks, crafting identity; about crossing or defying or blurring the borders of language and experience. Aldama’s scholarship brings vital cultural and artistic realities to the page for the benefit of all those who care about young readers. Mary Pat Brady, Cornell University Alongside an elegant and thoughtful introduction, Aldama has provided us with a superbly illuminating set of interviews with some of this century’s most innovative and challenging writers. He sheds new light on the incredibly rich ideas and vision of Latino and Latina artists and writers and guides our reading with compelling questions. Andrea Lunsford, Emerita, Stanford University If you love stories, prepare for a very special treat. In this volume, you will encounter Latino/a authors and artists who tell the stories that led to their artistic creations—the long journeys they have taken to open a space for Latino work, for Latino voices, for Latino ways of engaging the world. In Aldama’s deeply informative and moving interviews, we come face to face with the rich creative spirits that have given rise to a perfect feast of Latino/a children’s and young adult fiction, nonfiction, and art. Shirley Brice Heath, Emerita, Stanford University Aldama, along with all the authors included in this volume, have been reading and listening to stories told by young and old in homes, neighborhoods, and churches. This book reminds all of us to do the same and to consider the learning and reading lives of young people ordinarily left out of consideration in the literature of children and young adults. Creative depth, intellectual yearning, and vibrant imaginations shine through the wisdom of this book. Every reader should read these pages and take up the charge to spread this wisdom in every way possible. From Amazon \| From Barnes & Noble	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line997
__label__cc	0.74413	0.25587	Your One Stop Shop For A Kingman Area Adventure by Jim Hinckley \| Apr 29, 2017 \| Things to Do in Kingman \| 0 comments The Promote Kingman initiative is about to become your one stop shop for a Kingman area adventure. Promote Kingman is taking the next step in the transformation of Kingman into a destination through development of a program that would allow an individual or tour company director to have all arrangements for an overnight visit or a week long vacation facilitated for them with one phone call or email. In addition to the promotion of Kingman as a destination, this would provide additional marketing value for partner businesses and organizations. A Promote KIngman tour led by Jim Hinckley stops at the territorial era jail for stories about murder and mayhem. Recently, in partnership with author Jim Hinckley, Promote Kingman began offering illustrated historic district walking tours that utilize photos provided by the Mohave Museum of History & Arts. The tours are approximately two miles in length and on average require at least an hour and a half. Times vary, however, as stops are made at galleries, shops, and microbreweries along the way upon request. There are two tours currently scheduled, one on the evening of May 5 and another on the morning of May 7. Custom tours can be arranged but require minimum seven days notice. On the evening of May 5, commencing at the Powerhouse Visitor Center parking lot, 6:00 P.M. historian and author Jim Hinckley will lead a neon nights tour. The cost is $10 per person. This tour follows the Route 66 corridor and Beale Street, with short side trips to historic sites as the church where Clark Gable and Carol Lombard wed in 1939. A highlight of the tour is colorful neon signage, restored as well as recreated. The Sunday morning tour follows much of the same course but also includes a section of pre 1921 National Old Trails Highway. Route 66 in Kingman, Arizona circa 1950 courtesy the Mohave Museum of History & Arts. Also in partnership with Jim Hinckley, presentations can be arranged for small or large groups. Hinckley has made presentations on Route 66, southwest, and Kingman history as well as the history of the American auto industry before 1940 at events internationally. On May 7, he addresses a New Zealand based tour group that is traveling the length of Route 66. An example of other services that are being developed as part of this initiative is a hosted reception for US Bikers, a Netherlands based motorcycle tour company. Tentative plans include participation by Kingman Cruizers to provide transportation, and attendance by members of the Route 66 Association of Kingman. The tour company expressed interest in this as a similar event several years ago is still talked about by clients. Linked with this is another innovative Promote Kingman marketing project that fosters increased awareness about area attractions and amenities, and further develops a sense of community, is a weekly Facebook live program featuring interviews with community and business leaders. The interactive Friday morning Jim Hinckley’s America program grows in popularity each week. The recent broadcast from the restaurant at Grand Canyon West received questions from several countries, and had a reach of more than 4,000 people. Facilitation of an adventure filled weekend or vacation is not limited to visitors. This service is ideal for people with family visiting from out of town, or people along the Colorado River looking to beat the heat during the months of summer. Artist Gregg Arnold at the new Grand Canyon West restaurant during the Jim Hinckley’s America Facebook live program.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line998
__label__wiki	0.890229	0.890229	The 25 Best, Most Exciting Action Movies on Netflix Right Now January 6, 2020 – 12:00 PM – 1 Comment By Samuel R. Murrian Parade @SamuelRMurrian More by Samuel R. How Madonna Became the Ultimate LGBTQ Icon: A Timeline Troop Zero Star Viola Davis on This Year’s Oscar Nominations: “We Have to Do Better” Uma Thurman in 'Kill Bill: Vol. 2' Here’s some good news: Right now, Netflix is host to a virtual library of heart-pounding action films from around the world! We want to help you make your next selection to stream at home, so we’ve selected the best. Whether you’re looking to take a new home theater setup for a test drive, or if you’re just searching for an armrest-gripping good time, we recommend these action-packed favorites! These are the best, most exciting action movies you can watch on Netflix right now. Harrison Ford in 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' (Paramount Pictures) 1. The Indiana Jones series They’re all here, from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). Created by George Lucas as an homage to 1930s serials and directed by Steven Spielberg, these movies have a way of bringing out the kid in anyone who watches them. The black sheep of this series, Temple of Doom, deserves more attention and praise than it gets. It’s arguably even more preposterously entertaining than Raiders, and it’s so terrifying it inspired the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating. It holds up as a rollercoaster blast. In 2003, The American Film Institute named Harrison Ford‘s hilarious, sexy and valiant, fedora-sporting professor Jones the second-greatest film hero ever, behind only Gregory Peck‘s Atticus Finch. Spielberg and Ford are both returning for the forthcoming, as-of-yet untitled fifth installment that’s rumored to start shooting this year. Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh in 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (Sony Pictures Classics) 2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) A classic that fully deserves its reputation, Ang Lee‘s wuxia (that’s a genre of Chinese martial-arts fiction set in ancient China) drama has electrifying stunt work–and more importantly, it tells a heartfelt, romantic story about morality and courage. Crouching Tiger was nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. It won four, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography. The Netflix-original sequel, also available to stream, is nowhere near as great, but it does boast a return from the mighty Michelle Yeoh. Related: Parade.com’s Review of Shadow Elijah Wood in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' (New Line Cinema) 3. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) In the Empire Strikes Back of Peter Jackson‘s landmark trilogy, the Fellowship is separated; the characters we came to love in Oscar-winning The Fellowship of the Ring embark upon side quests, growing as they navigate morally murky territory. The climactic nighttime Battle of Helm’s Deep is this series’ most , maybe even the high-water mark for the fantasy genre. Compare it to the infamously underlit (nobody could tell what was going on) Battle of Winterfell from Game of Thrones‘ embarrassing final season. Yikes. The Two Towers was nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture, winning for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects (surprising no one). Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in 'Bad Boys II' (Columbia Pictures) 4. Bad Boys (1995) and Bad Boys II (2003) With trilogy closer Bad Boys For Life slated for a January 2020 release, now is a great time to refresh your memory of the first two installments of Michael Bay‘s explosion-fueled buddy cop action comedy. Martin Lawrence and Will Smith star as Miami narcotics detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey. After you’ve watched Bad Boys II, be sure to watch Edgar Wright‘s Hot Fuzz, a buddy cop comedy that playfully references the Bay blockbuster as a fanboy classic. 'Kung Fu Hustle' (Sony Pictures Classics) 5 . Kung Fu Hustle (2004) An inspired blend of Looney Tunes, Chinese wuxia films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and an R-rating, Stephen Chow‘s martial-arts opus is a triumph that transcends language barriers. Kung Fu Hustle received critical acclaim upon release, and was a financial success. It was re-released in 3D in Asia and America on its tenth anniversary. Related: The 15 Best, Funniest Comedies on Netflix Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore in 'Charlie's Angels' (Columbia TriStar) 6. Charlie’s Angels (2000) and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003) The ABC detective drama that all by itself set up the term “jiggle TV” was reinvented for the new millennium in the runaway hit action/comedy starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu. Bottom line: the three leads are million-watt movie stars, well-cast, and they have chemistry. They shine in this upbeat, kinetic caper. The principles returned for 2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, which sadly got bogged down in too much silliness and wasn’t as successful with critics or audiences. This admittedly featherweight franchise started out super-strong, and it’s a pity it didn’t last for at least another installment or two. Charlie’s Angels is peak “wire-fu,” the aerial combat style that was hugely, briefly popular around the turn of the century in films like The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The action scenes here—though largely impossible—are graceful and undeniably a ton of fun to watch. A film reboot, directed by Elizabeth Banks and starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, opened in theaters fall 2019. Sadly, it tanked. Anne Hathaway and Steve Carell in 'Get Smart' (Warner Bros.) 7. Get Smart (2008) Though it’s not the genuinely great comic thriller it could have been, this adaptation of Mel Brooks and Buck Henry‘s James Bond-spoofing TV show has an admirably balanced laughs-to-action ratio, and it boasts billion-watt charismatic leads: Anne Hathaway and Steve Carell. The plot wobbles on occasion, but if you’re just looking for some agreeable, sometimes exciting and consistently amusing entertainment, Get Smart shouldn’t disappoint. Related: The 15 Steamiest Movies on Netflix Right Now 'Incredibles 2' (Disney/Marvel) 8. Incredibles 2 (2018) Incredibles 2 arguably matches its predecessor’s wit and sunny irreverence, and in terms of sheer, giddy watchability. The wizard Brad Bird is in top form here. Incredibles 2 doesn’t quite have the patiently developed heart and emotional oomph that made the original one of Pixar’s crown jewels, but thanks to over a decade’s worth of advancements in technology, the action is arguably even more kinetic and thrilling. Related: Craig T. Nelson Talks Recovery, Life Lessons and Random Acts of Kindness Daniel Craig in 'Layer Cake' (Sony Pictures Classics) 9. Layer Cake (2004) Before he was Bond, Daniel Craig made waves as London criminal XXXX, a veteran of the drug trade who wants out. Layer Cake marked the directorial debut of Matthew Vaughn, who went on to helm major Hollywood hits like Kingsman and X-Men: First Class. Related: The Best Movies of 2019, Ranked Gong Yoo in TRAIN TO BUSAN 10. Train to Busan (2016) A slam-dunk mash-up of genres from South Korea, Sang-ho Yeon’s Train to Busan is the freshest zombie film in at least a decade. Yoo Gong stars as a selfish workaholic who becomes trapped aboard a speeding train along with his estranged daughter and several strangers during an outbreak. No need to be wary of the subtitles, once Train to Busan gets warmed up, it never relents. Though the film is scary, gross, funny and sad–everything you want a zombie flick to be–it perhaps works best as an action film. Yeon stages set piece after thrilling set piece with kinetic energy and inventiveness that put several American summer blockbusters to shame. The biggest reason the movie clicks is the attention to character; this is a touching and well-acted father-daughter story, only with a lot of blood and guts as an added bonus. Related: The 20 Best, Scariest Horror Movies on Netflix Chris Evans in 'Snowpiercer' (Radius-TWC) 11. Snowpiercer (2013) Based on a French graphic novel, Korean director Bong Joon-ho‘s relentlessly paced action thriller is set aboard a speeding, globe-spanning train, carrying the last remnants of humanity after global warming has turned Earth into an iceberg. Snowpiercer received substantial critical acclaim, and stars Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton and Ed Harris. With a budget of $40 million, it remains the most expensive Korean production ever. Related: The 15 Best, Most Suspenseful Thrillers on Netflix Natalie Portman in 'V for Vendetta' (Warner Bros.) 12. V for Vendetta (2006) Remember, remember… this critical and commercial success from 2006? This adaptation of Alan Moore and David Lloyd‘s DC Comics series was a large-scale creative risk that mostly paid off. A dystopian UK-set thriller about a vigilante freedom fighter intent on overthrowing a fascist government, V for Vendetta was ahead of its time–especially for studio fare–for its affecting depiction of a sympathetic LGBTQ subplot. Hugo Weaving‘s performance as V has become fairly iconic, and the ever-reliable Natalie Portman won a Best Actress Saturn Award for her turn as working-class hero Evey. Related: The 15 Best LGBTQ Romance Movies of All Time Theatrical poster for 'Avengers Infinity War' (Disney/Marvel) 13. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Though it isn’t as great on its own terms as Endgame, the Infinity Saga ended so well that it’s somehow made this penultimate Avengers movie even stronger than it was in 2018. The filmmakers were so organized and focused that the series arguably works better as a whole than as the sum of its parts. Infinity War has wonderful performances all across the board. The best are from Zoe Saldana and Josh Brolin, who give what is possibly the MCU’s richest plot thread a weight that at times feels downright Shakespearian. The battle of Wakanda near the end is pretty fun stuff, too. Related: 5 Reasons Avengers: Endgame Became the Biggest Movie of All Time Concept art for 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' (James Clyne) 14. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) There are ingredients for a special film in here: a serviceable story, a solid script, and many terrific actors. But Solo is uneven; jarring moments of meta-humor, like Han speaking Wookie or Han getting his name from a customs agent (that one gets a face-palm every time) and exhausting myriad winks to the older films, undermine an otherwise respectable narrative. On the bright side of things, the cast is uniformly outstanding, and it can’t be overstated how much they help this movie out. Emilia Clarke is a presence as the galaxy far, far away’s first femme fatale. Paul Bettany is a genuinely scary, menacing villain who could have used more screen time. Alden Ehrenreich had virtually impossible shoes to fill and insurmountable hype to live up to, and ultimately—he does a fine job with the role. It’s a winning performance. John Williams didn’t score Solo, and he’s is sorely missed. As is the Force and the spirituality fans have connected with since day one. The second half of Solo is overall more entertaining than the first, and it’s no coincidence that this is the part of the movie when Donald Glover’s Lando Calrissian steps in along with his robot partner L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). Glover and the Emmy-winning Fleabag star aren’t just having a moment right now; they’re planting the seeds of extraordinary respective careers. Glover and Waller-Bridge aren’t afraid to get weird [in the right ways] and take risks. The best part of Solo is a A train heist in the first act is thrilling and fresh enough to make us wish Lucasfilm had greenlit a standalone heist movie in the Star Wars universe– instead of this origin story no one really asked for. Lynne%20Collins%20and%20Taylor%20Kitsch%20in%20'John%20Carter' (Disney) 15. John Carter (2012) This adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs‘ early 20th century sci-fi adventure stories is one of the highest-profile box-office cautionary tales in history; right up there with Heaven’s Gate and Ishtar. Here’s the thing, though: on its own merits, the movie is actually pretty good. And if you’ve never seen it, it’s more than worth a look. Taylor Kitsch stars as a Confederate Army captain who is transported to Mars. For cinephiles, John Carter is a fascinating example of how an enormous, skillfully crafted movie can stumble at the box office. For casual viewers, it offers plenty of popcorn-munching action thrills. John Carter contains action violence, about on the level of any Star Wars movie. Related: The 15 Best Family Movies on Netflix THE%20MATRIX,%20Carrie-Anne%20Moss,%20Keanu%20Reeves,%201999. (Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection) 16. The Matrix (and two sequels) 1999-2003 The Wachowskis‘ groundbreaking, kinetic mind-bender set in a simulated reality hasn’t lost any of its luster; it’s a pulse-raising masterwork of sci-fi and action. The American Film Institute named it one of the most heart-pounding movies of all time. Following a huge box-office haul, stellar reviews, and lingering cultural impact, The Matrix was one of the hottest IPs on the planet at the turn of the century. The picture won four Academy Awards: two for sound, and it bested Star Wars: The Phantom Menace for a visual effects trophy. Its biggest upset win that night was when it snagged Best Film Editing (Best Picture winner American Beauty was favored). Bottom line: The Matrix does what so many blockbusters promise, but so few pull off: It fills us with a sense of wonder and amazement. As for the Matrix sequels (shot back-to-back, and both released in 2003): Reloaded is an uneven disappointment, with one of the best car chases ever, two delicious French villains–and a lot of pretentious, patience-testing filler. Revolutions is a total bust; what was once thrillingly original had officially become ordinary, dull and joyless. Here’s hoping the recently-announced fourth installment brings gives this once-towering franchise a shot in the arm. Related: The 20 Coolest, Most Unforgettable Action Heroines Ever Theatrical%20poster%20for%20'Sin%20City'%20 17. Sin City (2005) Given advances in special effects over the past 1.5 decades, not to mention the over-saturation of effects-heavy tentpoles, it might be tough for fresh eyes to appreciate how radical and eye-popping this neo-noir was at the time of release. Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller co-directed this adaptation of Miller’s hardboiled, gory-as-hell and nudity-sprinkled graphic novel (Quentin Tarantino even directed one sequence). Even if the wow factor of the visuals has faded a bit today, it’s still quite fetching, and the classic-noir-inspired, twisted characters are a lot of fun. The long-delayed sequel A Dame to Kill For was mostly underwhelming, even irritating, save for a deliciously gonzo performance from the ever-reliable Eva Green. Related: We Ranked All Nine Quentin Tarantino Movies, Including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Ron Perlman in 'Hellboy' (Columbia Pictures) 19. Hellboy (2004) Everything Guillermo del Toro touches becomes movie magic and that’s that. The young-at-heart imagination and skillful artistry of the Oscar winner is vibrant and intoxicating in this early success, which has a gleeful, delicious performance by Ron Perlman. Hellboy was followed by a superior sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Due to complicated behind-the-scenes stuff, what was intended to be a trilogy sadly never got its part three. A Hellboy reboot, without the Del Toro joy and wonder, came and went in 2019. The less said about it, the better. (Theatrical poster for 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King') 20. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Though it’s perhaps not quite as riveting as the previous two installments (nearly a dozen endings drag on a bit), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is one of Hollywood’s most wholly successful series closers ever. Compare this to the structurally disastrous, confusing Rise of Skywalker. Yikes. In the words of Best Picture presenter Steven Spielberg, Return of the King performed a “clean sweep” of the 2004 Academy Awards, winning in every nominated category. With 11 wins in total, it’s tied with Titanic and Ben-Hur for the all-time record. Uma Thurman in 'Kill Bill' (Miramax) 21. Kill Bill (Volumes 1 & 2) Released theatrically in two volumes, Kill Bill is best enjoyed as The Whole Bloody Affair (which is long overdue on Blu-Ray). More than a mere cut and paste, the supercut makes a few key changes (like removing the cliffhanger from part one) that up the drama considerably. That makes the stunningly choreographed– sometimes phantasmagorically gory–action matter that much more. A lot of the credit for this top-shelf action picture goes to Tarantino’s longtime editor Sally Menke, who tragically passed away in 2010. She was a modern master in her field. The best part: Uma Thurman‘s towering, comical, full-bodied, maternal tour-de-force as the justice-seeking Bride deserved Oscar attention. The movie is a (admittedly, brilliantly constructed and relentlessly entertaining) revenge fantasy; Thurman gives it a soul. The late David Carradine is magnificent, too. Leonardo DiCaprio in 'Inception' (Warner Bros.) 22. Inception (2010) Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard, director Christopher Nolan‘s follow-up to game-changing The Dark Knight is a mind-bending sci-fi actioner with themes of regret, dreams and grief. Inception was a massive success, grossing over $828 million at the box office. It was nominated for eight Oscars including Best Picture, winning for cinematography, sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects. Famke Janssen, Pierce Brosnan and Isabella Scorupco in 'Goldeneye' (MGM/ United Artists) 23. Goldeneye (1995) A breath of fresh air delivered Bond to the ’90s. Directed with muscle and wit by Martin Campbell (who returned a decade later for Casino Royale), Goldeneye is a terrific action thriller, with the kind of set pieces that help define the Bond brand. Also, there’s lots of sex, jokes, and vibrantly performed characters. Our hero is thoughtfully deconstructed some here, too, like when Judi Dench‘s M labels him “a sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War.” Goldeneye the movie is now synonymous with the video game that followed two years later. Widely considered one of the very best games ever, the first-person shooter left more of a cultural impact than the film. The best part? Goldeneye has no less than four of Bond’s most memorable villains, including Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), General Ourumov (Gottfried John), and Boris Grishenko (Alan Cummings). Famke Janssen kind of upstages everyone, though–as Xenia Onatopp, a baddie who suffocates opponents with her thighs. Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Pryce, Teri Hatcher and Pierce Brosnan in 'Tomorrow Never Dies' (MGM/ United Artists) 24. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) Brosnan’s second Bond outing had a rocky production, but that doesn’t really show at all in the finished product. The follow-up to Goldeneye checks all the boxes of what we want from a Bond adventure with style and enthusiasm. That’s all it does, really–but hey, the formula works. Michelle Yeoh, one of modern world cinema’s great chameleons, kicks cosmic amounts of butt as Colonel Wai Lin. The movie would have worked better without the tacked-on romance, if the two agents had simply worked as equals. Yeoh has hardly aged at all since 1997, and she still does her own stunts. Maybe Wai Lin can return to the series? The best part? Tony Award-winning Game of Thrones alum Jonathan Pryce rips apart and devours every scene he’s in as villainous Elliot Carver, a megalomaniacal newspaperman. Pierce Brosnan as James Bond and Sophie Marceau as Elektra King in Michael Apted's THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (MGM/ Eon) 25. The World is Not Enough (1999) Handsome, exciting, hilarious–the second-best Brosnan outing doesn’t get the credit it deserves. The main target for criticism over the years has been Denise Richards as nuclear physicist Dr. Christmas Jones. This is clear-eyed realism compared to many earlier Bond films, and even some of the elements of Fleming’s novels. Richards has a good time in the role, too: funny, likable and extremely good-looking. The Christmas criticisms just don’t add up in context. Roger Ebert gave The World is Not Enough the highest rating of the Brosnan outings. He called it “a splendid comic thriller, exciting and graceful, endlessly inventive.” The best part? This picture belongs to Sophie Marceau as oil heiress Elektra King, whose diabolical wickedness reveals itself layer by layer. Elektra is a maniac, the series’ only female big bad to date– and the only woman Bond has killed in cold blood. The follow-up to The World is Not Enough, 2002’s Die Another Day, is also streaming on Netflix now. It’s terrible, though. Related: We Ranked the Entire James Bond Movie Series, Worst to Best (Disney/Marvel) Action-packed honorable mentions on Netflix: Oscar winner Black Panther (2018), Gerard Butler in testosterone-heavy Olympus Has Fallen (2013), Antonio Banderas in The Mask of Zorro (1998), campy Nicolas Cage fun Ghost Rider (2007) and Michael Bay‘s latest, 6 Underground (2019) starring Ryan Reynolds. Want an entire overview of what’s on the streaming service in January? Here’s a list of everything coming to Netflix.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1004
__label__wiki	0.799735	0.799735	European Baby Formula That Is Illegally Sold in the United States Carries Risks, Pediatricians Warn HiPP, Holle and other brands are not registered with the F.D.A., but that hasn’t stopped parents from buying them from third-party vendors. By Christina Caron and Jessica Grose CreditPhoto Illustration by Caroline Tompkins for The New York Times For Jessica Bates, 40, a first-time mother in Washington, D.C., it was an easy decision to stop feeding her 2-month-old son American infant formula and to switch to HiPP, a brand headquartered in Germany: Not only did her nanny recommend it to ease digestion, mothers were raving about European formulas on social media. Buying HiPP online was also easy. Deciphering the German label was not. Ms. Bates and her husband could not understand the directions. Further complicating matters, they lost the scoop that came with the container. So they grabbed the scoop from a container of American formula, only to later learn it was larger than the scoop HiPP provided. “Basically we made it too thick for him the first couple of times and he projectile vomited all over us and we were like, ‘Oh my God, what have we done?’” They soon figured out the right ratio of powder to water. And even though each 500g container of organic HiPP formula cost nearly $40 — about 80 percent more than the organic American brand Earth’s Best — they stuck with it. “I think in the moment I was just desperate to make things go as well as possible for him,” said Ms. Bates, who had struggled to breastfeed after her emergency C-section and ended up relying exclusively on formula. To her, the European formulas seemed “more natural,” she said — more like breastfeeding. In searching for the best alternative to breastfeeding, some parents are turning to formulas produced by European brands like HiPP and Holle, which are assumed to be superior to those made by American companies. But according to representatives from HiPP, Holle and Töpfer, these products are not registered with the Food and Drug Administration and do not have official distribution channels in the United States. That means importing and selling these formulas in the United States is illegal, the F.D.A. said. But they are still entering the country via third-party vendors. The potential dangers are numerous. Children can fall ill or become malnourished if parents inadvertently use an incorrect formula-to-water ratio; unofficial formula vendors may not store the powdered formula properly, raising the possibility of bacterial contamination, product deterioration or loss in nutrient density; there is no system in place to notify consumers in the United States if any of these formulas are recalled; and while many European formulas contain the nutrients required in the United States, some do not. In addition, parents in the United States may not realize that European formulas labeled hypoallergenic aren’t meant for children with cow’s milk allergies. Dr. Steven Abrams, chair of the committee on nutrition at the American Academy of Pediatrics and director of the Dell Pediatric Research Institute in Austin, Tex., said he would “strongly discourage” parents from using formulas that aren’t regulated by the F.D.A. Infant formula “has to be absolutely nutritionally complete and handled in a very safe way, from the moment of manufacture to the moment it gets into their house and into the baby,” Dr. Abrams said. “The laws and the rules exist for a reason. And that’s because even a single mistake in any of this will just have terrible outcomes for babies.” Bypassing F.D.A. requirements It is unclear whether any American infants have become ill after consuming European infant formula because products that are not registered with the F.D.A. are not monitored by the agency. However, in 2016 and 2017, the F.D.A. was notified of six adverse events linked to imported European formulas: three from HiPP, two from Holle and one from Lebenswert. The complaints included fever, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and salmonellosis. While there is no conclusive link between these products and the reported illnesses, the adverse events were concerning to Dr. Dina M. DiMaggio, the lead author of a recent study that compared European formulas with F.D.A labeling and nutrient requirements. In the study, published in May in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Dr. DiMaggio and her colleagues contacted third-party vendors selling to United States consumers to determine their most popular European infant formulas. They then examined 14 of the most frequently purchased European powdered formulas imported into the United States, including ones distributed by HiPP, Holle, Lebenswert and Töpfer. None of the 14 formulas studied met all of the F.D.A.’s labeling requirements: nine of the formula labels, for example, were not written in English and 10 of the 14 formulas did not have all of the required nutrients listed on their labels. “Parents should turn to their pediatricians to find out what’s the best formula,” she said. “We’re finding that that’s not the case. A lot of pediatricians don’t know that parents are using European formula.” The study also noted another potential problem: European formulas labeled hypoallergenic, like HiPP HA Combiotik, contained partially hydrolyzed milk proteins. Although these proteins were once believed to prevent food allergy, they are not meant for children with cow’s milk allergies and would not be labeled hypoallergenic in the United States. “In the U.S., for a formula to be considered hypoallergenic it has to undergo clinical research trials and be able to demonstrate that 90 percent of those with cow’s milk allergies will tolerate it,” said Marion Groetch, the director of nutrition services at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. These formulas, which are either extensively hydrolyzed or amino acid-based, are usually only available via prescription in Europe, Ms. Groetch added. ‘Parents are being misled’ The F.D.A. maintains a "red list” of international infant formulas that will be detained if they are imported into the United States because they fail to meet the F.D.A.’s nutrient and labeling requirements. It includes formulas from HiPP and Holle. But third-party vendors keep bringing them into the country. The formulas can be found on eBay, European websites that ship to the United States and American websites that import the formula for commercial use despite the F.D.A.’s restrictions. And once this formula leaves a company’s official distribution channel, the “chain of control” is lost, said Dr. Anthony F. Porto, a pediatric gastroenterologist and associate professor of pediatrics at Yale University who was one of Dr. DiMaggio’s co-authors. Holle’s website even includes a disclaimer for consumers in the United States. “We regret that we are not able to address any of your concerns,” the website says, adding that if customers in the United States have purchased Holle from a retailer not listed on the company’s homepage, “kindly direct your inquiry at the retailer from whom you have purchased the product.” The laws on infant formula importation are somewhat hazy. While Customs and Border Protection says on its website that commercial imports of baby formula require registration with the F.D.A., it also notes that “these requirements do not apply to food accompanying a traveler into the U.S. or sent by an individual to someone in the U.S.” “I didn’t really care what the science said or nutritionally what was in there as long as he was taking it and it was sustaining him,” said Dr. Christina Garza, 40, who used Holle after her breastfed son developed blood in his stool. “There was all this pressure to produce this ‘pure’ food for my kid that wasn’t going to upset his digestive tract.” Online testimonies expounding on the benefits of European formula are numerous — in some cases, the formulas are touted by bloggers who partner directly with the third-party sellers and profit from affiliate links. Dr. DiMaggio and Dr. Porto became interested in European formulas after they noticed parents choosing to give their infants HiPP and Holle — and saw the brands popping up in conversations in Facebook parenting groups. The HiPP & Holle Formulas Parent Support Community Facebook group, for example, has nearly doubled since last year and now has more than 10,000 members. In a separate study presented in April at a national pediatrics conference, the two doctors collaborated with Dr. Nan R. Du, a pediatric resident at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, and other colleagues to survey 552 families at Pediatric Associates of NYC, a large private pediatric practice where Dr. DiMaggio works. Of the 372 families who used formula, 20 percent said they were currently using European infant formulas. The survey, which was conducted between November 2017 and March 2018, showed that the two most commonly used brands were HiPP and Holle, the researchers said. White mothers with college degrees and household incomes greater than $200,000 were the ones most likely to use European infant formulas, according to the survey. The families’ reasons for choosing European brands included the perception, perpetuated by blogs and social media groups, that European infant formulas contained higher-quality ingredients. In some respects, food safety standards for products sold in the European Union are stricter than those imposed by the F.D.A. But there’s no scientific evidence that imported European formulas are better for babies, pediatricians have said. “Parents are being misled in their exhausted, 3-o’clock-in-the-morning-my-child’s-not-sleeping-Googling-state,” Dr. Porto said. Although the F.D.A. does not approve infant formulas, all formulas marketed in the United States must meet federal nutritional requirements. Each of the European formulas in the May study met these requirements except for Töpfer Bio 1, which listed less than the F.D.A.-required amounts of vitamin A and copper, the study authors reported. The researchers also noted that they could not determine the levels of linoleic acid, a fatty acid that is important for brain development, for 10 of the 14 formulas because they were not listed on the manufacturer’s websites nor on the labels. Those that did include linoleic acid on the label had levels that fell within the accepted F.D.A. range. Overall, the researchers’ main concern was not necessarily with the formulas’ composition, but with the way they are entering the country and how the labels are being interpreted. If a formula were recalled in Europe, consumers in the United States would be unlikely to hear about it right away. The French dairy company Lactalis pulled more than 7,000 tons of potentially contaminated baby formula and other powdered milk products across more than 80 countries during 2017 and 2018. This year it issued another recall. The European Union has been criticized for lax oversight of industrial food companies and weak reporting standards, especially since European governments generally allow food companies to self-report problems to regulators. In the Lactalis case, neither the company nor regulators identified the problems before they reached consumers. One centralized place to find recall information in Europe is the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed consumer portal, but it does not disclose the names of companies or brands. Those can be found in the alerts generated by each country. Routine monitoring of powdered infant formula is especially important because powdered formulas cannot be sterilized and are at risk for contamination. “If you’re getting them from the internet, you don’t know where they’ve been stored, you don’t know how they’ve been transported,” Ms. Groetch said. “You don’t know whether they’re going to last until their expiration date if they’ve been held at very high heat.” Felix Kurichithanam, a spokesman for Holle, said the company is making plans to register with the F.D.A. and enter the American market in 2020. It aims to make its formula available in brick-and-mortar stores and also online through the company’s distribution channel, currently not available in the United States. Are European formulas any better? According to Dr. Abrams, the United States has such a wide variety of infant formulas there’s no need to purchase it from Europe. “There isn’t something magical about these European formulas. Every single type of formula that they have there exists in numerous different versions in the United States,” he said. Parents who are looking for organic formula or formula derived from grass-fed cows can find those options in the United States as well, he said, although there is no research to suggest that those types of formula are more nutritious. “It’s not like you’re buying cow milk off the shelf,” Dr. Abrams said. “All these formulas, especially the partial hydrolysates, are heavily processed. What the cow’s eating doesn’t really affect much of anything.” Some babies tolerate certain formulas better than others, so it’s common for parents to experiment a bit to find the best one — especially if their child appears to be uncomfortable. Dr. Garza, whose son was experiencing gastrointestinal distress, used American formulas before discovering that her son seemed to like Holle better. “Even as someone who’s trained in evidence-based medicine — you know what? If it’s working anecdotally for someone and it will get me sleep and my kid will not be pooping blood, I’ll try it,” she said. But Dr. Abrams cautioned parents to first speak with their pediatricians and try a brand that is registered with the F.D.A. rather than a European brand sold by a third-party vendor. “There simply is not any suggestion of a health benefit that is provided by these formulas that is not provided by a U.S. formula,” he said. [Read our guide on how to feed a combination of breastmilk and formula] Newborn Feeding More in Feeding & Nutrition Feeding a Preemie Means Swallowing Your Pride My daughter’s health needs changed the way I think about food, control and pleasure. Your Baby Doesn’t Need to Go Paleo Here’s how to keep diet culture off your family table. Do ‘Baby-Friendly’ Hospitals Work for All Moms? Ditching formula, nurseries and pacifiers is supposed to help encourage breastfeeding, but the research is mixed on whether the ‘Baby-Friendly’ approach is best. See all Feeding & Nutrition	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1006
__label__wiki	0.605583	0.605583	Luci Gutierrez If You’re Pregnant and Working, Know Your Rights Decades after the passage of a federal law protecting pregnant women in the workplace, pregnancy discrimination persists. By Robin Shulman Despite the passage of a law prohibiting pregnancy discrimination 40 years ago, claims of discrimination remain widespread. Federal laws that may affect pregnant women in the workplace include those related to civil rights, disability and family leave. Many states and municipalities have passed additional laws aimed at protecting pregnant women against workplace discrimination, and local laws on family leave, civil rights, and disability may also apply. Consider whether you might need accommodations, or even a different assignment, during your pregnancy, and how to request those things. If you are being discriminated against or refused accommodation during your pregnancy, consider whether to advocate for yourself or to seek legal advice. Understand that the climate for pregnant women in the workplace is changing rapidly, and that your voice may help. More than 40 years ago, Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act to protect pregnant women in the workplace. The law made it illegal for employers to consider pregnancy in decisions about hiring, firing and promotion. Today it offers pregnant women the same accommodations and protections as their colleagues with other kinds of health issues or disabilities — people who are “similar in their ability or inability to work.” Yet decades after the passage of the act, pregnancy discrimination persists. “It’s still a widespread problem,” said Dina Bakst, the co-director of A Better Balance, a national organization that promotes policies that protect workers who are juggling family and caregiving responsibilities. Pregnancy discrimination claims filed at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have soared over the past two decades. Tens of thousands of women have taken legal action alleging pregnancy discrimination at companies including AT&T, Walmart, Merck, Whole Foods, 21st Century Fox and even — in an indication of the pervasiveness of the problem — Planned Parenthood and other organizations built for women. Often, women either don’t know their rights or don’t know how to assert them, especially on the timeline of a pregnancy. Some states and municipalities have passed additional laws protecting pregnant workers, so a woman seeking information about her rights as a pregnant employee must navigate a confusing web of federal, state and local laws. In some states, public conversation around new laws has served to clarify requirements for employers and led to a drop-off in discrimination claims, advocates for women say. Elsewhere, women who better understand their rights are more likely to confront discrimination. Still, bias against pregnant women in the workplace is often unapologetic. “A lot of employers are open about their biases,” said Gillian Thomas, a lawyer with the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union. “They’ll say, ‘I can’t afford to have you home, it’s our busiest time of year.’ ” Low-wage workers are more likely to be fired on the spot after telling employers they’re pregnant, according to a 2011 report by the Center for WorkLife Law, a national research and advocacy organization. Professional women often face more subtle forms of discrimination: They may be steered away from plum assignments and research opportunities, be taken off the partner track or the path to tenure and denied raises or bonuses. Pregnancy discrimination strikes at a critical moment in a woman’s career, during a huge life change; it is the opening salvo in what can become an onslaught of discrimination related to parental leave, breastfeeding and child care. (The pay gap between heterosexual spouses widens dramatically during the two-year period beginning one year before the birth of the first child and continues to grow over the next five years, according to a 2017 paper published by the Census Bureau.) A woman’s experience of discrimination — or of goodwill and support — during pregnancy can impact her decision-making about whether to change jobs or professions, reduce her hours or quit. For this guide, I consulted two lawyers, a human resources consultant, a researcher at an academic center on employment law, the director of a nonprofit that advocates for more family-friendly workplace policies and several women who said they experienced professional discrimination while pregnant. Know your federal rights. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act prohibits an employer with 15 or more employees from discriminating against a pregnant employee, including in hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, training and benefits such as leave and health insurance. A supervisor cannot, for example, stop a pregnant woman from traveling to a conference out of purported concern for her health. The manager cannot deny a pregnant worker a promotion on the assumption that she will be less committed to her job. The supervisor cannot temporarily assign a pregnant worker to a less desirable job because of supposed concerns. All of this is illegal. The law does not require an employer to accommodate a pregnant worker if the company is not already offering similar accommodations to other workers (for instance, someone with a heart condition). The Americans With Disabilities Act requires the employer to provide a reasonable accommodation that allows the employee to do the job, but what that accommodation consists of — more frequent breaks, for example, or a stool to sit on — varies depending on the job and the nature of the disability. A pregnant worker may not receive the precise accommodation she had sought — but the accommodation is expected to work reasonably for both employee and employer. Federal legislators have proposed a new pregnancy anti-discrimination law, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, to make employers responsible for accommodating reasonable needs. Similar legislation has been proposed each year since 2012 but has yet to receive a hearing in Congress. The proposed legislation would create a new right to pregnancy accommodation from any employer, instead of only requiring accommodation if someone else at the company is already receiving it. Another existing law, the Family and Medical Leave Act, requires an employer to offer unpaid leave to workers with temporary disabilities, including pregnancy — but it covers only employers with 50 or more employees, and the employee must have worked for at least one year, and for at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months. These requirements exclude nearly 40 percent of American workers. Know your local rights. As of May 2019, at least 25 states and five cities had passed their own laws requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant employees. But confusion can arise when local, state and federal laws offer different protections. When health complications arising from a difficult pregnancy trigger coverage by local disability laws, for example, multiple human rights laws and family leave laws may also come into play. A Better Balance provides a searchable database of laws in every state, and workers can also call its helpline, 1-833-NEED-ABB, or 415-703-8276 for the Center for WorkLife Law. Consider what accommodations you really need. Sometimes the solution is as obvious and simple as an extra bathroom or rest break, or permission to carry a water bottle on the warehouse floor. But you might need more complex changes or a new job assignment altogether. The Center for WorkLife Law, a project of the University of California Hastings College of Law, publishes a list of typical accommodations for common medical issues during pregnancy. If you have medical needs and restrictions, bring a doctor’s note using clear, medical language. (Here’s a state-by-state guide for doctors writing the note.) Lyndi Trischler was a police officer in Florence, Ky., when she got pregnant with her second child. The pregnancy made much about her job untenable, beginning with elements of her duty uniform. As her body changed, wearing her gun belt became painful, and her heavy bulletproof vest gave her breathing trouble and heart palpitations. Denied a desk assignment, Trischler was about 26 weeks into her pregnancy when, she recalled, “I just couldn’t physically do it anymore. I was worried about my safety, my coworkers’ safety, my baby’s safety.” She brought a discrimination claim, and the Department of Justice eventually settled with the city, bringing about a change of policy. Women in office jobs may need different sorts of accommodations. Nilab Rahyar Tolton was a rising “superstar” in a California office of Jones Day, one of the world’s largest law firms, according to a class-action discrimination lawsuit her lawyers later filed against the company. While Tolton was pregnant with her second child, she was assigned to high-pressure cases that required overnight work and air travel at a point in her pregnancy when that was prohibited. Her doctor wrote a note saying she must reduce her workload. Yet a partner at the firm chastised her for not working hard enough and accused her of lying about her medical limitations, according to the complaint. After her parental leave, she was told to find another job. Pregnant women struggling beyond their limits to please their employers can experience serious health consequences. Consider advocating for yourself or seeking an advocate. If you believe you’re being discriminated against, organizations such as A Better Balance and the Center for WorkLife Law can explain how to advocate for yourself, help you write a letter to your employers, and connect you with lawyers — usually for a fee, but often on contingency. Many states have women’s law centers, and if your income is low, a legal aid society may be able to help. Takirah Woods was a family services worker for the state of New Jersey whose job sometimes required her to lift young children who were in state custody because of abuse and neglect. During her high-risk pregnancy, her doctor prohibited lifting, and her supervisor initially reassigned her to cases with older kids — until a human resources manager told her she had to take unpaid leave. “I felt devastated and angry,” Woods said. Her doctor told her about a state law that had recently come into effect to protect pregnant workers, but Woods’ employer wouldn’t budge, she said. She asked A Better Balance to send a letter outlining the employer’s obligations under the law. A few weeks later, the employer offered her a higher-paying light-duty position. “Women have to do their research,” she said, “and there are people who can help.” Employers concede at least as frequently as they resist change, advocates say. Things are changing. We are in the midst of a cultural shift with regard to the treatment of pregnancy in the workplace. More than 80 percent of women give birth to a child at some point during their working years, and more of them are working for longer periods. The law is only the first step, said Bakst of A Better Balance. “Women need to know their rights and feel like they can take advantage of the law for it to be meaningful,” she said. As they speak up, workplaces will continue to change. In the #MeToo era, women are sharing stories. “After announcing pregnancy was transferred within office to less challenging job,” wrote one woman on Twitter. “Worked for a small business here in Florida that fired two receptionists while I was there because they were pregnant,” wrote another. “So gross.” Advocates say that sharing experiences, naming and shaming could shift public debate, but caution that making the wrong details of a problem public could later impact any future legal claim. Many employers realize they must create family-friendly policies to attract and retain talent. And new solutions help employers cover accommodations and leave — not only for pregnancy, but also for employees caring for a parent, spouse or child, or managing their own medical or personal issues. Companies can cross-train employees to do other jobs, build contingency plans for absences into everyone’s job descriptions and add floater positions to the staff, said Cynthia Thomas Calvert, a senior adviser to the Center for WorkLife Law who also helps companies build family-friendly policies. “Clients will say, ‘I’m still the same person. I’m still the same valued employee that I was before I got pregnant.’ It is shocking to me that employers are willing to throw away that talent,” said Kate Mueting, one of the country’s leading plaintiff attorneys on pregnancy discrimination. Robin Shulman is a freelance journalist, a parent and the author of the book “Eat the City.” Dina Bakst, co-founder and co-president, A Better Balance. Author of the book “Babygate: What You Really Need to Know About Pregnancy and Parenting in the American Workplace.” May 16, 2019 Cynthia Thomas Calvert, senior adviser, Center for WorkLife Law, University of California Hastings College of Law. Founder of Workforce 21C, consultant on family-friendly policies in the workplace. May 28, 2019 Phyllis Hartman, Pennsylvania-based HR consultant, active in the national Society of Human Resource Management. May 25, 2019 Kate Mueting, partner and co-chairwoman of Title VII practice, Sanford, Heisler, Sharp, LLP. June 1, 2019 Gillian Thomas, senior staff attorney, Women’s Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union. Author of the book “Because of Sex: One Law Ten Cases, and Fifty Years That Changed Americans Women’s Lives at Work.” May 23, 2019 Lyndi Trischler, police officer in Florence, Ky. May 20, 2019 Takirah Woods, child protective services worker in New Jersey. May 21, 2019 Pregnancy Accommodations: Learn More About Your Workplace Rights, Pregnant@Work, an initiative of the Center for WorkLife Law, University of California Hastings College of the Law Poor, Pregnant and Fired: Caregiver Discrimination Against Low-Wage Workers, Stephanie Bornstein, Center for WorkLife Law, University of California, Hastings College of the Law Long Overdue: It is Time for the Federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, A Better Balance, May 2019 Caregivers in the Workplace: Family Responsibilities Discrimination Litigation Update 2016, Cynthia Thomas Culvert, Center for WorkLife Law, University of California at Hastings The Parental Gender Earnings Gap in the United States, by YoonKyung Chung, the Robert Graham Center; and Barbara Downs, Danielle H. Sandler and Robert Sienkiewicz, U.S. Census Bureau, November 2017 Men, Fathers and Work-Family Balance, Erin Rehel and Emily Baxter, Center for American Progress, February 4, 2015 “Because of Sex: One Law, Ten Cases, and Fifty Years That Changed American Women’s Lives at Work,” Gillian Thomas, Picador, 2016 Created on July 18, 2019 More in Work & Money Have a Baby and Still Want to Get Things Done? Embrace the ‘split shift,’ focus on high-value tasks and, above all, lower your standards. How to Tell Your Boss You’re Pregnant Prepare yourself for both positive and negative reactions before sharing your happy news. Is a Nanny Share Right for Your Family? If you need child care part time or want to save on costs, sharing a caregiver may be the way to go. See all Work & Money	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1008
__label__cc	0.718816	0.281184	Where You Are Quotations Where You Are Quotes from: Esther Hicks Booker T Washington Snapshots Quotes A record is just a snapshot of where you are at any time. Heaven Quotes Paradise Is exactly like Where you are right now Only much much Better. Getting Lost Quotes The more you let yourself be distracted from where you are going, the more you are the person that you are. It's not so much like getting lost as it is like getting found. No matter what you do or where you are, you're going to be missing out on something. Where you are in consciousness has everything to do with what you see in experience. Eric Butterworth I believe that acting in any medium is the same thing, it's discovering the truth in where you are. Where You Come Quotes Remember who you are and where you come from; otherwise, you don't know where you are going. But you can travel on for ten thousand miles, and still stay where you are. And I think for me theres a lot of neurosis involved with where you should be or thinking about where you are all the time instead of being where you are. Computing is kind of a mess. Your computer doesn't know where you are. It doesn't know what you're doing. It doesn't know what you know. Causes Quotes You cannot let where you are today cause you to get stuck. I'm going to be my best right now. That's what faith is all about. Loved Ones Quotes When you don't have much money, you worry that they'll just put you in the ground someplace and your loved ones won't know where you are. I like being involved in businesses where you are kicking ass. Ends Quotes Dying doesn't end anything - it just changes where you are Charles de Lint Objects Quotes Nirvana is where you are, provided you don't object to it. Greatness depends on where you are coming from. Answers Quotes Weakness or strength: you exist, that is strength. You don't know where you are going or why you are going, go in everywhere, answer everyone. No one will kill you, any more than if you were a corpse. Right Now Quotes The perfect place to begin is exactly where you are right now. New Beginnings Quotes When there is a start to be made, don't step over! Start where you are. Ninety Nine Quotes Ninety nine percent of the time it's not urgent and to create a culture where you are constantly plugged in and expected to be always-on is to create a culture of burnout. Deep Water Quotes [God says] Discipleship is not limited to what you can comprehend - it must transcend all comprehension. Plunge into the deep waters beyond your own comprehension, and I will help you to comprehend even as I do. Bewilderment is the true comprehension. Not to know where you are going is the true knowledge. My comprehension transcends yours. Unless you move, the place where you are is the place where you will always be. Start where you are with what you have, knowing that what you have is plenty enough. Success is not measured by where you are in life, but the obstacles you've over come Whenever you are immersed in compulsive thinking, you are avoiding what is. You don't want to be where you are. Here, Now. Never Forget Quotes Never forget those who believed in you. They are why you are where you are. Deborah Roberts Moments Quotes Where you are is of no moment, but only what you are doing there. It is not the place that ennobles you, but you the place, and this only by doing that which is great and noble. Fundamentals Quotes When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point. The only way to know where you are is by where you have just been. Definitions Quotes Wasn't that the definition of home? Not where you are from, but where you are wanted You have to be where you are to get where you need to go. Life is about where you are right now, and the choices you make. You should think about your character. Know where you are changing, how you will be changed, what cannot be changed back again. Knowing where you are going takes the uncertainty out of getting there Anne Graham Lotz Somewhere Else Quotes You've got to make the most of where you are. Then, when you're somewhere else, you've got to have the ability to fulfill that. You have to adjust to where you are but the French are all together - the guys and the women. It's good. The place where you are now is vital. The path toward victory opens from where you stand. If you would truly bring peace to the world, identify with that place within you where you are Peace. Do not travel to other dusty lands, forsaking your own sitting place; if you cannot find the truth where you are now, you will never find it. You are where you are today because youve chosen to be there. If you don't have time to do it right you must have time to do it right you must have time to do it over. If you don't know where you are going, how do you know when you get there? If you don't risk anything, you risk even more. Self Development Quotes You don't have to go where you don't want to be to get where you want to be. You can go from where you are to where you want to be. You can get to where you want to be from wherever you are-but you must stop spending so much time noticing and talking about what you do not like about where you are. Where You Are Going Quotes The image of where you are going has to be more dominant than the image of where you are. Would Be Quotes Begin where you are. It would be unscientific to begin anywhere else. Ernest Holmes Where you come from is gone, where you thought you were going to never was there, and where you are is no good unless you can get away from it You train best where you are the happiest. Frank Shorter You are not at home where your residence are but where you are understood. Where you are born--what you are born into, the place, the history of the place, how that history mates with your own-- stamps who you are, whatever the pundits of globalisation have to say. It is more important to know who you are than where you are going, for where you are going will change as the world around you changes. James C. Collins How you see where you are always depends on where you've been. Jacqueline Novogratz Yoga Quotes Changing the world begins with the very personal process of changing yourself, the only place you can begin is where you are, and the only time you can begin is always now. Gary Zukav Adventure is making the distant approach nearer but romance is having what is where it is which is not where you are stay where it is. Always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you are, you will have nothing to fear. The horse would plough, the ox would drive the car. No; do the work you know, and tarry where you are. Farewell! O Gandalf! May you ever appear where you are most needed and least expected! Playboy Quotes Loneliness doesn't have much to do with where you are. Decide that you are not going to stay where you are. J. P. Morgan In creativity, as in running, you have to start where you are. Leadership is about going somewhere. If you and your people don’t know where you are going, your leadership doesn’t matter. I exist in two places, here and where you are. Has Beens Quotes Where you have been is not nearly as important as where you are and where you're going. Marvin J. Ashton The problem isn't finding out where you are gonna go-its figuring out what you are gonna do once you get there that is! (Jamie Sullivan) Get Away Quotes It’s not that you have to achieve anything, it’s that you have to get away from where you are. I understand that change is frightening for people, especially if there's nothing to go to. It's best to stay where you are. I understand that. Who You Are Quotes Be happy with who you are, where you are, for this is the way. I don't know what he means by that, but I nod and smile at him. You'd be surprised at how far that response can get you in a conversation where you are completely confused. Finding Yourself Quotes To survive you must find yourself then it won't matter where you are. Laurence Gonzales There is always something to miss, no matter where you are. Patricia MacLachlan escapism isn't good or bad in itself. what is important is what you are escaping from and where you are escaping to. The only path to amazing runs directly through not-yet-amazing . But not-yet-amazing is a great place to start, because that's where you are. For now. Steps Quotes If you do not step forward you will always remain where you are. The view changes from where you are standing. Words can wound, and wounds can heal. All of these things are true. I could be blindfolded and dropped into the deepest ocean and I would know where to find you. I could be buried a hundred miles underground and I would know where you are. ...to find where you are going, you must know where you are. Bloom where you are planted! There is nothing to be gained by waiting for a better situation. You see where you are and you do what you can with that. Jacob K. Javits The truth is that there is no journey. You are right now what you are attempting to be. You are right now where you are attempting to go. Why I'm Not Where You Are Insperational Quotes Success. Is not the position where you are standing, but which direction you are going. Privacy Quotes We know where you are. We know where you've been. We can more or less know what you're thinking about; Hell must be a place where you are only allowed to read what you agree with. If you have any notion of where you are going, you will never get anywhere. Self Quotes Where you're from only matters in relation to where you are. Where you are is where it's at.... Don't ever give up & don't ever give in. Looks Quotes Look where you are going because you will inevitably go where you are looking. The place to observe nature is where you are. This is what I love about novels - both reading them and writing them. They jump into the abyss to be with you where you are. If you don't know where you come from, it's difficult to determine where you are.- It's even more difficult to plan where you are going. Joseph Lowery Well, when one's lost, I suppose it's good advice to stay where you are until someone finds you. Bigs Quotes They are this horrible thing where you are distorted. The chin is too big, the head is too small. No, this is electronic masturbation. I've always been fascinated by maps and cartography. A map tells you where you've been, where you are, and where you're going -- in a sense it's three tenses in one. You can't work on everything all the time, so start where you are. As a quarterback, can you throw it where you are looking? Just where you are-that's the place to start! Want To See You Quotes You can't go and anticipate what it is that you want to see. You just have to be present. Be where you are. Honey, Maggie Jones said. Victoria. Listen to me. You're here now. This is where you are. Kent Haruf Are you willing to stay right where you are and let the Lord do great things through you, though no one may seem to notice at all? Perhaps to lose a sense of where you are implies the danger of losing a sense of who you are. Degrees Quotes You can almost measure where you are in life by the degree to which you have begun looking back rather than ahead.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1011
__label__wiki	0.536871	0.536871	More Renovations For Ohio Stadium Next Year By Esther Honig • Mar 29, 2016 Ohio Stadium could see $24 million in new renovations. Wikimedia / WOSU The Ohio State University Athletics Department announced a proposal to upgrade and preserve Ohio Stadium. The $42 million project is another phase in the long-term renovation plan. If it’s approved the 94 year-old structure will get a fresh coat of cement on C-deck and a new set of electrical transformers. Athletics Director Gene Smith says many of the other renovations will improve the fan experience. “We’re also adding some amenities like the loge seating and the suites and the lighting and the sound system and all those type of things so yeah, it’s a great project,” Smith Said. More than 2,000 seats will be removed to make way for nearly 50 new loge boxes and luxury suites. The project is set to begin next year and be completed by 2020. Beer, Wine Will Be Sold At The 'Shoe This Fall By Mandie Trimble • Aug 21, 2015 Ohio State University will sell beer and wine to a limited number of football ticket holders this fall, as part of a pilot program.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1013
__label__cc	0.718225	0.281775	Home / News / Press Releases Close to 50 JFS Volunteers Delivered Passover Items to Food Pantry Clients as Part of Good Deeds Day Boca Raton, FL— [March 16, 2015]—Volunteers from Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services (JFS) participated in International Good Deeds Day, this past Sunday, March 15th. International Good Deeds Day is an annual, global tradition that includes countless good deeds being done all around the world. Last year, over half a million participants in 50 countries worldwide gave over 2 million volunteer hours, making Good Deeds Day the largest and most far- reaching day of good deeds. People from all backgrounds, cultures, and ages have united around the simple idea of Good Deeds Day, and many continue to volunteer all year round. Participants delivered Passover items to clients of the Jacobson Family Food Pantry, a program of JFS, which serves residents in need in the Boca Raton, Highland Beach and Delray Beach areas. The March 15th effort alone is expected to impact over 100 clients. The balance of deliveries to the remainder of Food Pantry clients will be made by JFS over the next 1-2 weeks. JFS volunteers preparing to make their Passover deliveries. Event Co-Chairs for the Good Deeds Day event are Lisa Goodman, Patti Jacobs and Robin Siegal. Siegal, who delivered packages with her family commented, “As a volunteer I believe you get more than you give. We had memorable experiences with our deliveries and we are grateful for the opportunity we have been given through JFS.” “We were very proud to be a part of Good Deeds Day,” said Danielle N. Hartman, President and CEO of JFS. “The timing could not have been more perfect. Although we make bi-weekly deliveries to our Food Pantry clients, it was great to have kicked off our period of special Passover deliveries on Good Deeds Day. These packages include many additional items above and beyond the regular allocation that are special for Passover, which begins April 3rd.” Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services (JFS) provides help, hope and humanity through a comprehensive range of programs and services which support people of all ages and beliefs. With locations in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, JFS programs and services include food and financial assistance, senior services, counseling and mental health services, career and employment services and many volunteer opportunities. Funding is provided by private and corporate support, grants, special events and individuals who reach thousands in need each year. For more information about the services JFS provides, volunteer and donor opportunities, please contact 561-852-3333. Learn more at www.ralesjfs.org	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1014
__label__cc	0.562714	0.437286	Michael Douglas on the upside of cancer January 24, 2011 / Randal / The Tentative Apologist / 13 Comments It came as a shock to many last August when Michael Douglas, in an appearance on David Letterman, announced that he had been diagnosed with stage four throat cancer. And the Letterman public appearance would be the last one before disappearing down the black hole of seven weeks of intense radiation therapy. Douglas has since reemerged cancer free and last night (January 23) he appeared on Dateline NBC with Matt Lauer. Horrible events like a cancer diagnosis often raise the question “Why God?” That is, why would a loving God allow human beings to undergo such terrible experiences? And Douglas’s path to healing was terrible indeed. He observes that there were days he couldn’t get off the couch. His mouth filled with agonizing sores as the radiation accomplished its Blitzkrieg task until eventually he couldn’t even swallow. As Douglas reflected in the interview, “I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.” And yet as is often the case with those who have experienced such trials of suffering, one can see glimpses of the goodness that can emerge. In the interview Lauer quoted Douglas as saying “Cancer has shown me what family is. It has shown me a love I never knew really existed.” After Lauer asked Douglas to comment on these words he added: “It’s something that most all cancer patients and survivors have gone through. But there’s a new depth …. So all of a sudden the affection from my family, from my friends, and from my fans hit me at a much deeper level than I would have ever imagined before. It gave me a new appreciation of just how valuable, how precious good friends are and family.” The reality is that we live in a fallen world. It is a world where terrible things happen. It is a world where uncontrolled cellular growth can take hold in a human being and threaten that individual’s very life. But in the midst of those trials God can work and not simply to eliminate the suffering in the organism as soon as possible but to remake the life more profoundly than ever. A heart attack, car accident or diagnosis of cancer, though horrible in itself, can be the occasion to show us that love we never knew really existed. cancer, God, Michael Douglas, problem of evil, theodicy	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1015
__label__cc	0.740834	0.259166	Guide to: Hail to the Chief? Louie Gohmert Lyndon LaRouche Spiro T. Agnew Persons of interest Michael Steele Vince Foster Wiley Drake "Going Galt" is a fantasy of right-wingers that if you impose any kind of regulation on the rich they will simply give up making money and go live in a hole eating dirt. It completely ignores the fact that most rich people are rich because they like running businesses, engaging in deals, and generally making money. The name derives from the writings of Ayn Rand, an imaginative but eccentric Russian-American novelist and darling of basement-dwelling libertarians. It became a catchphrase for right-wing bloggers to describe a fantasy response to changes in American tax policy proposed by former President Barack Obama. The idea is that having to pay 4.9% more in taxes on income above $250,000 per year constitutes such an intolerable burden that affected people should deliberately cut back on their business to lower their income to $249,999 per year (which is truly indicative of how little they understand the American tax bracket system), or flee the U.S. altogether.[1] It is largely promoted by idiots who can't do math, and by scaremongers trying to take advantage of idiots who can't do math (or can't be bothered to). 1 Who is John Galt? 2 How it usually ends up 3 Why it's not going to happen 4 Gone Galt? 5 Fun fact Who is John Galt?[edit] As the name implies, this is inspired by the character of John Galt, the "hero" of Ayn Rand's Objectivist doorstopper, Atlas Shrugged, who destroys civilization to avoid paying taxes.[2] They apparently think this is a good idea, and hope to follow in his footsteps. In the novel, John Galt declared his opposition to collectivism by starting a community called Galt's Gulch.[note 1] He expressed his opposition to organized labor by organizing (what else?) a strike. In real life, John Galt was a notable Scottish novelist and biographer of Byron, and a figure in 19th century Canadian history. That is not the answer most readers expect. Also, a "Galt" is a castrated pig in Scandinavian. So if a Swede looks worried when you announce that you are going Galt it is not because he feels the Socialist system crumble. How it usually ends up[edit] Eric Dondero, a man deemed too crazy for the Ron Paul campaign, has proposed going Galt, going so far as to recommend people should quit their jobs if they work for a Democratic voter.[3] So much for capitalism, eh? In practice, though, if anyone has actually gone Galt, it's had no measurable effect. As a result, the usual response to a Galt-going threat is "so go already." In 2013, however, a Galt's Gulch in Chile was announced by anarcho-capitalist Jeff Berwick.[4] You too can reserve a spot today (Unless you're a dirty collectivist, that is)! Turns out all is not well in Rand's realized Capitalist paradise—seems good old-fashioned greed got in the way of idealism.[5] Why it's not going to happen[edit] If you ask a left-winger they'll tell you that business people like having power, making deals, crushing trade unions, appearing in Forbes magazine, going to galas, hanging out with celebrities, and preparing a Presidential bid. If you ask a right-winger, they'll tell you that business people like creating jobs, building businesses to pass on to their children, and making America great again. None of these things can be done while living up a tree in the Amazon rain forest. Gone Galt?[edit] A number of US companies and individuals are already based abroad, or have bank accounts in the Cayman Islands, Switzerland etc. Most of these are megarich people, not well-off wannabes. The results of dozens of corporations gone Galt can be seen in the US economy today. As any U.S. passport will remind one, though, "All U.S. citizens working and residing abroad are required to file and report on their worldwide income." Expatriating citizens must have been tax compliant for the past five years and must pay exit taxes and fees before they can renounce their U.S. citizenship.[6] On a happier note, some survivalists who have disappeared into the wilds have done civilized society a great favor. Enjoy the undercooked bear burger folks! Fun fact[edit] The phrase is seldom if ever used in Scandinavia, because in Norwegian and Danish, gå galt means "go wrong" or "go crazy." Galt's Gulch Chile Men Going Their Own Way, for the MRA version of this concept. Rapture, for the supernatural woo version of this concept. Not to be confused with the city in BioShock, a better supernatural woo version of this concept. Tax protester We Surround Them Seasteading, one method of going Galt. Who Is John Galt? We don't know! Where the Rawlsian Rubber meets the Randian Road. Bob the Angry Flower gives it a shot ↑ Ayn Rand also had an organization of devoted followers. ↑ "Ask Dr. Helen: Is It Time to ‘Go John Galt’?" Oh, Pajamas... ↑ "Atlas Shrugged 2: Shrug Harder" ↑ The end of liberty in 'Merca! ↑ "Ayn Rand's Vision of Galt's Gulch Has Become Reality as of Today" ↑ Gawker.com: archive.is, web.archive.org "Ayn Rand's Capitalist Paradise Is Now a Greedy Land-Grabbing Shitstorm" ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2014/08/28/u-s-hikes-fee-to-renounce-citizenship-by-422/ Retrieved from "https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Going_Galt&oldid=2150532" Libertarian wingnuttery	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1018
__label__cc	0.520995	0.479005	Conserving Working Lands, Native Species, and Fertile Soil — Read The Dirt Read The Dirt “You’re making the wrong mistakes.” -Robin D. G. Kelley Conserving Working Lands, Native Species, and Fertile Soil by: Methow Conservancy Posted on: December 15, 2010 By Mary Kiesau It’s not on the endangered species list, it’s not listed in a field guide, it doesn’t fly or swim, yet farmland is a keystone to conservation. Biologists, planners, and landowners of the Methow Valley watershed, located in eastern Washington’s Okanogan county, have been working on this principal with the Methow Valley Conservancy since 1996. Some might argue that farming harms the natural flow of our rivers, increases the spread of weeds, and is not compatible with a modernizing economy. Around the globe, the rise of industrial agriculture has put farming and conservation at odds, but the farms of the Methow Valley show that food production and conservation are, in fact, compatible and sustainable. Farming has been a dominant part of the Methow Valley landscape for over 125 years. Many of the open fields across the valley floor were cleared by the calloused hands of pioneers behind horse-driven plows. Families like the Prewitts, Lehmans, Stokes’, Boesels and Stennes’ have left us with a legacy of tilled fields, orchards, water diversions, and generations of people who have known and loved this valley. These families have also left a grand legacy of conservation, having protected some of the best working soils and ranchland using permanent conservation easements. Conservation easements are written legal agreements between a willing landowner and a public entity or land trust that permanently protect specific conservation values and conditions including wildlife habitat, working farms and ranches, scenic views, open space, and riverfront. Easements typically reduce or eliminate future development in order to protect these conservation values, and in all cases the landowner retains ownership of their land, most still living on the land itself. Easements enacted by the Methow Conservancy become permanently tied to the land no matter who owns it in the future, and are tailored to the different needs of each property to better protect its unique conservation values. We believe in the effectiveness of easements because they address the specific values of a particular land and directly involve private landowners. One of the Methow Conservancy’s very first conservation easements was a farmland easement completed with a long-time ranching family in the heart of the Valley’s farming corridor. The Conservancy built upon establishing that key easement by continuing to provide an open door and seek advice from farmers and community leaders, share and discuss their goals with local and county public officials, and seek new and innovative grant funding. In 2003, the Methow Conservancy was the first organization in eastern Washington to be awarded funds through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmland Protection Program. The funds helped protect over 350 acres of the Stokes Ranch outside of Twisp, Washington. Almost two-thirds of the Methow Conservancy’s operating budget comes from individual, personal donations. The Conservancy’s 1,000 contributing members span across 31 states and several other countries. Furthermore, in the last five years alone the Methow Conservancy has sought and been awarded over $10 million in public grants for projects such as salmon recovery, scenic byway maintenance, and farmland preservation. Ensuring that working lands, native species, and fertile soil will always be in the Methow Valley requires more than protecting these lands from development. Over the past 15 years, the Methow Conservancy has created a well-known and highly popular repertoire of education programs and field classes that focus primarily on agricultural themes. In 2007, the Methow Conservancy teamed up with the American Farmland Trust (AFT) to conduct a Cost of Community Services (COCS) study with Okanogan County. The study found that farm, forest, and open lands more than pay for their required municipal maintenance services. For each dollar that Okanogan County receives in revenue from working and open lands, they spend only 56 cents providing services to those lands. In contrast, for each dollar in revenue the county gets from residential lands, the county spends $1.06 providing services to this land type. The report concluded that, “In addition to helping maintain fiscal balance, agricultural lands help sustain the local economy, contribute to economic diversity and rural character, and help shape the overall quality of life in the region.” The study allowed the Methow Conservancy to raise awareness about the economic role farming plays in the community. The work also continued to build an important relationship between Okanogan County and the Methow Conservancy. In 2008, the first farmland conservation project to come from a cooperative agreement between Okanogan County and the Methow Conservancy was completed, protecting 110 acres of highly productive agricultural land owned and farmed by Charles Lehman. The project was made possible by a new State Farmland Preservation fund as part of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP). This project was the first farmland preservation project in Washington completed under this new state program. Okanogan County Commissioner Bud Hover said, “This project is a good example of how we can work together to preserve productive farmland and in doing so retain the rural character and agricultural economy of Okanogan County.” Today’s farmers in the Methow play a critical role in increasing soil quality and slowing weed invasion through crop rotation and planting nitrogen-fixing species. They challenge the assumption that global food production will crowd out family farms, and they keep the rural working landscape and history of the Methow Valley intact. Our farmers have also made great strides from an ecological standpoint. In an effort to coexist with complex species like salmon, many farmers have improved irrigation efficiency by converting antiquated “hand lines,” or flood irrigation, to high-efficiency center pivots that use substantially less water. Furthermore, many barriers to fish passage in the region, such as culverts, have been replaced with bridges and fish ladders so that ponds, wetlands, and streams can stay connected to rivers. To date, the Methow Conservancy has protected nearly 1,500 acres of core working farmland in the Methow Valley. Methow Conservancy Executive Director, Jason Paulsen says, “Protecting farmland also protects an irreplaceable way of life in the Methow Valley. We are grateful and proud that our community of members believes in keeping local farmers working, protecting farmable soils, and maintaining the rural character of the Methow Valley. Through their support we are able to help protect the farmland and farming heritage of the Methow Valley.” For more information about the Methow Conservancy’s work go to www.methowconservancy.org One Response to “Conserving Working Lands, Native Species, and Fertile Soil” Starting step by step is the way to go. Small steps could bring in a huge difference. Just using alternative fuels can bring a major change in environmental conditions. It is time to put an end to fishing to make personal profits at the stake of the environment. The current situation is our fault and it is up to us to amend it. by: green fundson: Friday 21st of January 2011 Articles On Dirt Dirt: Dirt	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1019
__label__wiki	0.650108	0.650108	Martha's Vineyard Basketball How a Resort League Defied Notions of Race and Class Bijan C. Bayne Year round on Martha’s Vineyard Island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, residents and vacationers have played basketball—almost since the game was invented. The Oak Bluffs summer league on the Island was innovative, ethnically diverse, welcomed female players, and fostered thousands of friendships. President Obama, NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving, and Family Matters sitcom star Jaleel White have all played basketball on Martha’s Vineyard, as did future college stars, authors, war heroes, and entrepreneurs. Their stories touch current events from World War I through the Civil Rights Movement—and even include the filming of the blockbuster Jaws. Martha’s Vineyard Basketball: How a Resort League Defied Notions of Race and Class follows the rich history of basketball on the Island and tells the stories of the players and coaches themselves. During the heyday of Martha’s Vineyard basketball in the 1970s and ‘80s, the courts provided a place for friendships that looked past social class and race—a unique situation given that nearby cities such as Boston were sites of violent demonstrations against integration. Original interviews with those who were there not only reveal the racial dynamics on Martha’s Vineyard, but also relate amusing anecdotes of encounters with celebrities that include Charles Lindbergh, James Cagney, Frank Sinatra, and future star James Taylor. Martha’s Vineyard Basketball reveals little-known aspects of the Island, shares the realities and triumphs of residents and vacationers alike, and demonstrates the unifying power of basketball. New Englanders, basketball fans, and those interested in race and class relations will all find this book a noteworthy account of a singular place. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Pages: 240 • Trim: 6¼ x 9 978-1-4422-3896-1 • Paperback • March 2015 • $50.00 • (£32.95) 978-1-4422-3897-8 • eBook • March 2015 • $47.50 • (£32.95) Subjects: Sports & Recreation / Basketball, History / United States / State & Local / New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT), Social Science / Discrimination & Race Relations Bijan C. Bayne is an award-winning Washington-based freelance columnist and critic and a founding member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Herald, and SLAM, among others. Bayne is the author of Sky Kings: Black Pioneers of Professional Basketball, which was named to the Suggested Reading List of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Foreword by Wil Haygood Preface: The Courts: A Summer Love Affair Chapter 1 The Poorest County in Massachusetts Chapter 2 A Love of the Game Chapter 3 They Are Your Basic Schoolyard Ballplayers Chapter 4 “Those Kids Can Play!” Chapter 5 The Jaws Years Chapter 6 The Black Vacation Haven Chapter 7 Friendships Before Facebook Chapter 8 The Hog Call and “No Form Norm” Chapter 9 “That’s All There Was to Do in the Winter” Chapter 10 Coming of Age Chapter 11 Seasons of Change Afterword: A Look Forward and Backward Commonly Used Terms: A Vineyard Basketball Glossary Why not prepare for the end of winter and the beginning of spring with a good book? Bijan C. Bayne's Martha's Vineyard Basketball: How a Resort League Defied Notions of Race and Class . . . will inspire, motivate and entertain you. — BET (Black Entertainment Television) Martha’s Vineyard may not be commonly regarded as a basketball mecca. But Bijan Bayne’s new book Martha’s Vineyard Basketball: How a Resort League Defied the Notions of Race and Class puts it on the map. . . .The award winning author incorporates recollections of his family with anecdotes and eyewitness impressions from other longtime residents. Martha’s Vineyard Basketball is a homespun narrative of the storied lore of Massachusetts roundball that reinforces the notion that no man is an island. — SLAM Magazine We have long known about tolerant race relations here. Now we have the chance to understand basketball’s contribution to Vineyard culture, and also its long history here. . . .Everyone involved in Vineyard basketball should read the book. You just might find your name in it. — Martha's Vineyard Gazette The narrative weaves connections between politicians, NBA stars Ray Allen and Julius Erving, TV stars, and local athletes and coaches, in a manner that blurs degrees of separation. . . .Martha’s Vineyard Basketball is a folksy read. The reader can hear the story being told. If you are one of the hundred-plus people named in this book, you’re in for a great trip down Memory Lane. If you like an authentic retelling of American life in the 1960s and 1970s, you’ll enjoy this one as well. — Martha's Vineyard Times [The book is] a reminder of how rare it was (and is) for a playground to be full of people from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. Rare, and vital. — Martha's Vineyard Magazine Martha's Vineyard Basketball is more than a just history of basketball on the hard court and pavement of a small slice of Massachusetts. It captures a place and past time with a depth of detail and feeling that can be summed up in one simple word: love. — Karyn Parsons, actor, writer, and producer In an era of extreme racial segregation in the 1950s, and racial rage and uprisings in the late 1960s and early 1970s, African Americans and whites came together not by race, but by basketball skill. This is an absolutely fascinating read about a little-known chapter in both the history of Martha’s Vineyard and an unusual example of racial harmony. Martha’s Vineyard has always been a special place for vacationers. Who knew that it was also a special place for basketball players! — Julianne Malveaux, economist and author Bijan Bayne's book about Martha's Vineyard is fascinating and captures the essence of the Vineyard. My wife and I were told about the Vineyard many years ago and have moved from visiting the Vineyard to owning a home in Oak Bluffs. When I think of the Vineyard, I recall meeting and representing Dorothy West there and hearing great stories about Black life on the Vineyard. Bijan's book captures the heart and soul of a great place to vacation, relax, read and raise a family. This book is not only a summer delight while relaxing on the beach, but a great read near your fireplace in the winter. — Charles J. Ogletree, Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, Harvard Law School [In this] passionately-written history. . . .Bayne demonstrates an impressive memory, vividly recalling the minutest details about the games and players that inspired his love for Martha’s Vineyard basketball. . . .Bayne’s authenticity in retelling the story of Martha’s Vineyard basketball as well as his fervor for 'The Courts' transform . . . [a] history into somewhat of love note that basketball enthusiasts, New Englanders, non-academics, and nostalgic visitors to the island will enjoy. . . .Bayne’s chronicling of the summer resort league in Oak Bluffs . . . make for a remarkable account that evinces both the allure of Martha’s Vineyard and the unifying power of basketball. — Sport in American History	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1024
__label__cc	0.718362	0.281638	RepliCel Life Sciences Finishes Enrolment for its Tendon Repair and Skin Rejuvenation Clinical Trials 4 years ago Apr 19, 2016 Results from both trials will support commercialization initiatives, partner discussions and continued clinical development VANCOUVER, BC – April 20, 2016 – RepliCel Life Sciences Inc. (OTCQB: REPCF) (TSX.V: RP) (Frankfurt: P6P1), a clinical stage regenerative medicine company focused on the development of autologous cell therapies, announced today that it has enrolled its final patients for both its RCT-01 and RCS-01 clinical trials. This ensures clinical data for both trials will be analyzed and released near year-end. Positive safety data will allow the company to move forward with phase 2 trials for both products in 2017. Data pertaining to the products’ effects post-injection will inform and guide the company’s product development and clinical trial strategy for both tendon repair and skin rejuvenation applications. RCS-01: Skin Rejuvenation RCS-01 is a proprietary cell-therapy product comprised of non-bulbar dermal sheath (NBDS) which are type 1 collagen-expressing fibroblasts derived from the hair follicle. The phase 1, single-centre trial currently ongoing in Dusseldorf, Germany, is investigating injections of RCS-01 as a treatment for UV-damaged and aged skin. The trial had projected enrollment at 30 participants; 15 male and 15 female. While the female cohort of the trial has been completely enrolled, the slow pace of male enrolment combined with an anticipation that this product will be largely targeted for female consumers, led to the decision to finish enrolment at the 17 participants already enrolled. The complete data set of the female cohort will permit study analysis for this subset of subjects as originally planned. RCT-01: Tendon Repair RCT-01 is a proprietary cell-therapy product comprised of non-bulbar dermal sheath (NBDS) which are type 1 collagen-expressing fibroblasts derived from the hair follicle. The phase 1/2, single-centre trial currently ongoing in Vancouver, British Columbia, is investigating the use of RCT-01 as a treatment for chronically injured ankle (Achilles) tendons otherwise called Achilles tendinopathy or tendinosis. The original targets for this trial were 28 participants to be injected by the end of Q1 2016 such that data would be available from this trial near year-end 2016. In order to ensure data near year-end 2016, the company decided to complete enrolment at the 10 patients currently enrolled. “We have adjusted our plans for the RCT-01 clinical trial in part because it started later in 2015 and enrolled slower than originally anticipated. While the trial did not meet projected enrolment targets, we are confident the safety and preliminary efficacy data obtained by year-end will provide a signal of the product’s potential to regenerate chronically injured tendon that has failed to respond to other treatments. This will allow our teams to effectively plan larger phase 2 trials in 2017 which are powered to be statistically significant for clinical efficacy (evidence the product works as intended)”, stated Vice-President of Clinical Affairs, Darrell Panich. “Future trials involving products from our non-bulbar dermal sheath (NBDS) platform will be designed to investigate the efficacy of these products at different dose levels and treatment frequencies while continuing to collect other data that will be used to support eventual RCS-01 and RCT-01 marketing applications by our commercial partners.” “The delivery of clinical data when promised is important to management”, said R. Lee Buckler, President & CEO, RepliCel Life Sciences Inc. “We have made critical decisions to keep our commitment to the financial community and we believe the data from these trials will facilitate us closing a licensing and co-development deal on one or both of these products similar to the kind we have in place with Shiseido Company for our RCH-01 product”, he added. About RepliCel’s NBDS Fibroblast Platform RepliCel’s NBDS fibroblast platform has the potential to address numerous indications where impaired tissue healing has been stalled due to a deficit of active fibroblast cells required for tissue remodeling and repair. RepliCel’s proprietary NBDS fibroblast cells, isolated from healthy hair follicles, are a rich source of fibroblasts unique in their high-level expression of the necessary proteins, such as Type I collagen, required to jump-start the stalled healing cycle. The company is developing a series of products from this platform that have the potential to address large commercial markets in the areas of musculoskeletal and skin-related conditions. To learn more about RepliCel’s RCT-01 treatment for chronic tendinosis please watch our video: www.youtube.com/watch?t=23&v=kaa0hiJyeV4 RepliCel is a regenerative medicine company focused on developing autologous cell therapies that address conditions caused by a deficit of healthy cells required for normal healing and function. The Company’s product pipeline is comprised of two ongoing clinical trials (RCT-01: tendon repair and RCS-01: skin rejuvenation) as well as its RCH-01: hair restoration product under exclusive license by Shiseido Company for certain Asian countries. All product candidates are based on RepliCel’s innovative technology, utilizing cell populations isolated from a patient’s healthy hair follicles. The Company has also developed a proprietary injection device (RCI-02) optimized for the administration of its products and licensable for use with other dermatology applications. Please visit www.replicel.com for additional information. Telephone: 604-248-8693 / lee@replicel.com MEDIA/INVESTOR RELATIONS: Jacqui Specogna Telephone: 604-248-8730 / js@replicel.com Certain statements in this press release related to the Program are forward-looking statements and are prospective in nature. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events, and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may”, “should”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, “estimate”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “believe” or “continue”, or the negative thereof or similar variations. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding the number of Warrant Holders that may participate in the Program, the use of proceeds and final regulatory approval. Such forward-looking statements should therefore be construed in light of such factors, and the Company is not under any obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1031
__label__wiki	0.761396	0.761396	The physicist Pascal Hersen, new director of the Curie Physical Chemistry unit Pascal Hersen, CNRS director of research in biophysics, has taken over as director of the Curie Physical Chemistry unit (UMR 168 CNRS/Institut Curie). Following a call for tenders, his application was supported by an international recruitment committee and by the Scientific Advisory Board of Institut Curie, and approved by the director of the Research Center. He replaces Axel Buguin, interim director of the unit following the sudden death of Maxime Dahan in 2018. Until now, Pascal Hersen (PhD), 42 years old, headed an interdisciplinary team of around fifteen researchers at the Laboratoire matière et systèmes complexes in the Physics Department at Université Paris Diderot. His work is in a new field of research – cybergenetics – which involves determining how cells process information, how they adapt dynamically to changes in their environment and to what extent it is possible to control the cellular processes. This physicist joins the Institut Curie Research Center to head up the Curie Physical Chemistry unit (UMR 168 CNRS/Institut Curie). The work of the Curie physical chemistry unit, whose aim is to propose a physics-related vision of the fundamental processes at work in living cells, using methods and concepts from experimental and theoretical physics, and the work in the field of cybergenetics conducted by his team joining the unit, will be mutually enhanced. “We are developing computerized feedback loops to control the level of gene expression in real time at the single-cell level. This new technological approach combines microfluidics, microscopy, synthetic biology, optogenetics and theory of control,” he explains, “and we are looking to determine whether or not to apply this approach to a variety of contexts from controlling gene expression in single cells to spatial orchestration of multicellular dynamics.” “Within the unit, and without prejudice to the interactions with the other research units, a great many collaboration projects are taking shape,” comments Prof. Axel Buguin, interim director of the unit since the death of Maxime Dahan last July. “The research subjects perfectly match those developed in the unit involving quantitative biology. They will benefit from our involvement in the Institut Pierre-Gilles for microfluidics.” For one year, Prof. Buguin, who was deputy director alongside Maxime Dahan, worked tirelessly to manage the transition and prepare for the future of the research unit and the some 120 people working there. It has been decided that Mathieu Coppey, head of the Cellular organization and imaging team (LOCCO), will be the unit’s deputy director. Encouraged by meetings with team leaders in the unit, as well as with most of the research unit directors on the Paris site of the Research Center, the new unit director was able to observe the “wonderful interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, as well as a rich ecosystem of resources and researchers. Within this exceptional context, the unit will strive to contribute to the Curie research-care continuum model by developing innovative research projects focused on the physics of cancer, from understanding the elementary behavior of cells and tissues, to the medical applications.” Pascal Hersen has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications, filed two patents and helped create a start-up. He is the beneficiary of an ERC Consolidator grant (SmartCells). He was involved in founding the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire (CRI), today attached to the University of Paris, and was auditor for the Institut des hautes études pour la science et la technologie (IHEST).	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1033
__label__wiki	0.661834	0.661834	Genocide Prevention through Changing the United Nations Security Council Power of Veto Butters, Michelle Butters, M. (2007). Genocide Prevention through Changing the United Nations Security Council Power of Veto (Thesis, Master of Arts (MA)). The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/2386 In 1948 the international community in reaction to the horrors of the holocaust sought to eradicate genocide forever by creating the 'Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide'. This Convention criminalised the preparation and act of genocide by international law, making all individuals accountable irrelevant of status or sovereignty. But the Convention has not been enough to deter the act of genocide from occurring again, and again, and again. Worst, the international community has been slow to react to cases of genocide. The problem with preventing and punishing genocide is hindered by the power and right of veto held by permanent members of the UNSC. The UNSC has been given the responsibility to maintain international peace and security and is the only entity that can mandate an intervention that overrides the principle of non-intervention. The aim of this thesis is to show that the veto has been a crucial factor in stopping the prevention of genocide, thus it is imperative that the veto change. This study argues that to effectively prevent and punish genocide the veto needs to be barred from use in cases of genocide. It looks at different cases since the Armenian genocide during WWI through to the Darfur genocide which is still in process. The case of Armenia is significant because for the first time, members of the international community were prepared to hold leaders of another state accountable for their treatment of their own citizens. However the collective will to bring justice to those accountable waned coming to an abrupt end in 1923. The holocaust followed in WWII; six million Jews died, and numerous other groups were targeted under the Nazi's serial genocide. The shock of the holocaust led to the Genocide Convention. But thirty years later during the Cold War, Cambodia became embroiled in a genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge. The international community silently stood by. The USSR, China, and the US all had their reasons to stay out of Cambodia, from supporting a regime with a likeminded political ideology to war weariness from Vietnam. In the 1990s, genocides in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Kosovo) followed. The former was neglected by the US's unwillingness to be involved in another peacekeeping disaster. The two genocides in the former Yugoslavia were affected by Russia and China's reluctance to use military force even after the clear failure of serial negotiations. Finally, in 2003 Darfur became the latest tragedy of genocide. Again, Russia and China have been timid of calling the conflict genocide thus avoiding any affirmative action to stop it. These cases all show that where one state is unwilling to be involved in stopping genocide, their right and power to the veto stops or delays the international community from preventing and punishing genocide, regardless of whether the veto is used or merely seen as a threat. Therefore, for future prevention of genocide, the veto needs to be changed to prevent its use in times of genocide.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1041
__label__cc	0.724892	0.275108	Book Review of 'Asia Literate Schooling in the Asian Century', edited by C. Halse, London, UK, Routledge, 2015. ISBN 978-0-415-72853-8 Salter, Peta (2017) Book Review of 'Asia Literate Schooling in the Asian Century', edited by C. Halse, London, UK, Routledge, 2015. ISBN 978-0-415-72853-8. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 37 (4). pp. 629-633. DOI: 10.1080/02188791.2017.1314430 View at Publisher Website: https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2017.13... [Extract] The seeming “rise of Asia” and the advent of the “Asian century” has resulted in significant shifts to the gaze Western-orientated countries cast to Asia. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada are increasingly challenging their colonial origins to ponder the possibilities of realigning themselves along new geo-political, cultural, and geographical orientations. This realignment takes many forms. In Australia it is referred to as “Asia literacy”, a term of debated origins but one that has nevertheless proved itself to be enduring, though inherently problematic, policy speak. Promoted primarily as an education solution to various economic, strategic, and cultural problems, it has failed to gain traction and widespread acceptance despite over 50 years of promotion by government bodies, policies, and interest groups. A major recurring criticism of the promoted solution is its inherent articulation within dominant instrumentalist discourse and colonial constructs (Salter, 2015; Singh, 1996; Takayama, 2016; Williamson-Fien, 1996). Article (Book Review) 13 EDUCATION > 1303 Specialist Studies in Education > 130302 Comparative and Cross-Cultural Education @ 100% 93 EDUCATION AND TRAINING > 9303 Curriculum > 930302 Syllabus and Curriculum Development @ 100%	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1043
__label__wiki	0.938676	0.938676	Dadra and Nagar Havelli Incidents and Statements involving Achik National Volunteer Council: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 1998-2012 The Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) was formed in December 1995. It was proscribed on November 16, 2000. The outfit, signed a ceasefire agreement with the Govenrment of India on JUly 23, 2004. The ANVC aims to carve out a homeland called ‘Achik Land’ in the areas of Garo Hills. The proposed ‘Achik Land’ comprises the present districts of Garo Hills in Meghalaya and a large chunk of Kamrup and Goalpara district of Assam. The ‘Garo majority' in these areas is used as the argument for this demand. The ANVC differs from the other Garo separatist organisation, Garo National Council (GNC), which aims for a Garo State comprising only the three districts of the Garo hills. Dilash R. Marak is the ‘Chairman’ of the ANVC. The outfit’s ‘Commander-in-Chief’ is Jerome Momin. Among the other leaders are ‘General Secretary’, Wanding R. Marak, ‘Publicity Secretary’, Artist Sengsrang Sangma, ‘Joint Secretary’, Janggam Momin, and ‘Finance Secretary’ Rickie Sangma. The outfit divides its area of operation into several zones and each zone is headed by a ‘commander’. The cadres who function as commanders of different zones are: Chenang Marak (Eastern Zone), Goran Sangma (Southern Zone), Batjang Shera (Western Zone), Ranggam Marak (West Khasi Hills). Area commanders function below the zonal commanders in the operational hierarchy. Sohan D. Shira functions as the ‘Area Commander’ of Williamnagar. The leadership maintains strict vigil on the activities of its cadres. This was manifest in the threats it issued in the year 2000 to its surrendering cadres, who were doing so under the rehabilitation package announced by the Union Government in the year 1998-99, and their family members. The outfit also warned them not to join any other outfit. Area of Operation The ANVC, during its active days, was active in the Garo Hills and in certain parts of the West Khasi Hills. It maintained its headquarters at Cheram in the Garo hills area. Among its activities were extortion from the business community in the name of ‘fund collection’. Besides that, the outfit also pumped fake currency into circulation. The outfit was reportedly formed with the assistance of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Issak Muivah (NSCN-IM). However, it has severed its entire links with the Naga outfit as well as with the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). The outfit now maintains links with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), especially after the latter wound up some of its camps in Bhutan and is in the process of relocating them in the Garo Hills. The ANVC has some of its camps in Bangladesh. It is also involved in fake currency circulation initiated by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan's external intelligence agency. In Meghalaya, ANVC, along with the other prominent outfit, HNLC, abets this infusion of fake currency and in turn receives considerable operating funds. Extortion remains the major source of funding for the ANVC. Incidents of abduction are frequent in the state. Money is regularly collected from the trading community of the area in the name of ‘fund collection’. However, extortion remains the major source of funding for the ANVC. Incidents of abduction are frequent in the State. Money is regularly collected from the trading community of the area in the name of ‘fund collection’. On July 23, 2004 a cease-fire agreement was signed between the Government of India and the ANVC for a period of six months. A seven member ANVC team, with the notable absence of Chairman Dilash Marak and Commander-in-Chief Jerome Momin signed the agreement in New Delhi. The agreement has since been periodically extended. A ceasefire-monitoring cell has been set up at the Coal India Complex at Araimile in Tura, headquarter of the West Garo Hills district. Two designated camps for housing the surrendered militants have also been set up at Samada and Chokpot in the Garo Hills region. Source:Compiled from news reports and are provisional.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1046
__label__wiki	0.593256	0.593256	January 5, 2018 by Serena No preamble. Let’s get to my favorite reads in 2017: This is also tied with his chapbook, Story Problems. WHAT BOOKS WERE ON YOUR LIST OF FAVORITES FOR 2017? Filed Under: announcements, Best of 2017 Tagged With: abigail reynolds, Abnormal Repetitive Behaviors, Ada Twist Scientist, Andrea Beaty, Angie Thomas, Born A Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood, Breaking and Holding, breakup/breakdown, Caitlin Hamilton Summie, Charles Jensen, Conceit & Concealment, Dear Almost, Home No Home, Interrobang, It's Just Nerves: Notes on A Disability, Jennifer Joy, Jessica Piazza, Judy Fogarty, Kate Quinn, Kelly Davio, Kin Types, Leslie Heywood, Lilac Girls, Luanne Castle, Martha Hall Kelly, Matthew Thorburn, Naoko Fujimoto, Owl Diaries: A Woodland Wedding, Owl Diaries: Baxter Is Missing, Owl Diaries: Eva and the New Owl, Owl Diaries: Eva Sees a Ghost, Owl Diaries: Eva's Treetop Festival, Owl Diaries: The Wildwood Bakery, Owl Diaries: Warm Hearts Day, Pam Jenoff, Rebecca Elliott, Riana Everly, Story Problems, Teaching Eliza, The Alice Network, The Hate U Give, The Honorable Mr. Darcy, The Orphan's Tale, The Sympathizer, To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts: Stories, Trevor Noah, Viet Thanh Nguyen May 12, 2017 by Serena Paperback, 371 pgs. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, which was our April book club selection, is a novel that satirizes the aftermath of the Vietnam war, but it also is a serious examination of identity from the point of view of someone who is a subversive and a mole within the South Vietnamese military at the time of the war. The Captain, who remains unnamed, is in the South Vietnamese military but feeding information to the People’s Army of Vietnam (communists) through his childhood friend, Man. Meanwhile, their third childhood friend, Bon, has been trained as an assassin by the CIA. Balancing his friendship with his duty to the communists becomes a balance that the Captain often loses, but as he has so few real connections with others, it is his friend Bon who pays the highest cost. “I am a spy, a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces. Perhaps not surprisingly, I am also a man of two minds. I am not some misunderstood mutant from a comic book or a horror movie, although some have treated me as such. I am simply able to see any issue from both sides. Sometimes I flatter myself that this is a talent, and although it is admittedly one of a minor nature, it is perhaps also the sole talent I possess.” (pg. 1) In many ways the opening of the novel will signal to the reader that everything told by the Captain may be untrue or at least partly. But he also seeks to set himself up as a sympathetic character who is torn not only by his heritage — the son of a Vietnamese mother and French priest — but also by his knowledge of America from being abroad at school and his communist leanings. After fleeing Vietnam with the General when the Americans lost the war to the communists, the Captain longs to return, but he is repeatedly told that he must remain a mole among those exiled to America to ensure they are not planning a return. He is forced to swallow more of the bitter pill that his life is not his own, even in America. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen provides a deep look at issues of mixed cultures and races, how they are treated in Vietnam and America during this time period, and how difficult it was to reconcile defeat on either side. It also asks the bigger questions about revolution and the disillusionment of passionate idealists. Corruption of any revolution can occur, and that can be the most devastating for the passionate idealist, but how does it affect those who can see both sides of the equation? And is the real crime to have done nothing or to not have truly chosen a side to be on — right or wrong? RATING: Cinquain What the Book Club Thought: The discussion compared the novel to 1984 and to Catch-22 for its satire, but mostly, we were engrossed in the plight of the Captain and his identity issues. We found it hard for him as a European-Vietnamese man with communist and American-leaning tendencies to reconcile all that he was and commit himself to one cause. Overall, most of the members at the meeting “enjoyed” the book, though one or two members were less than thrilled by the disembodied scenes in the interrogation room, which they felt took them out of the story. Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel The Sympathizer is a New York Times best seller and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Other honors include the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the Edgar Award for Best First Novel from the Mystery Writers of America, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction from the American Library Association, the First Novel Prize from the Center for Fiction, a Gold Medal in First Fiction from the California Book Awards, and the Asian/Pacific American Literature Award from the Asian/Pacific American Librarian Association. His other books are Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War (a finalist for the National Book Award in nonfiction) and Race and Resistance: Literature and Politics in Asian America. He is the Aerol Arnold Chair of English and Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. His next book is a short story collection, The Refugees, forthcoming in February 2017 from Grove Press. Filed Under: challenges, fiction, historical fiction, New Authors Challenge, purchased, Read in 2017, reviews Tagged With: book club, Grove Press, The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen December 4, 2016 by Serena Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog. March, Vol. 1-3 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell, which I purchased. Congressman John Lewis (GA-5) is an American icon, one of the key figures of the civil rights movement. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper’s farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to the 1963 March on Washington, and from receiving beatings from state troopers to receiving the Medal of Freedom from the first African-American president. The Performance of Becoming Human by Daniel Borzutzky, which I purchased. Winner of the 2016 National Book Award in Poetry. Daniel Borzutzky’s new collection of poetry, The Performance of Becoming Human, draws hemispheric connections between the US and Latin America, specifically touching upon issues relating to border and immigration policies, economic disparity, political violence, and the disturbing rhetoric of capitalism and bureaucracies. To become human is to navigate these borders, including those of institutions, the realities of over- and under-development, and the economies of privatization, in which humans endure state-sanctioned and systemic abuses. Borzutzky, whose writing Eileen Myles has described as “violent, perverse, and tender” in its portrayal of “American and global horror,” adds another chapter to a growing and important compilation of work that asks what it means to a be both a unitedstatesian and a globalized subject whose body is “shared between the earth, the state, and the bank.” The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, which I purchased. The winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, as well as five other awards, The Sympathizer is the breakthrough novel of the year. With the pace and suspense of a thriller and prose that has been compared to Graham Greene and Saul Bellow, The Sympathizer is a sweeping epic of love and betrayal. The narrator, a communist double agent, is a “man of two minds,” a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who arranges to come to America after the Fall of Saigon, and while building a new life with other Vietnamese refugees in Los Angeles is secretly reporting back to his communist superiors in Vietnam. The Sympathizer is a blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping espionage novel, and a powerful story of love and friendship. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, which I purchased. Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hellish for all the slaves but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood – where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned and, though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted. In Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor – engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven – but the city’s placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. Even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the unique terrors for black people in the pre-Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is at once a kinetic adventure tale of one woman’s ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shattering, powerful meditation on the history we all share. The Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Beau North and Brooke West, a giveaway win. After Elizabeth Bennet rejects his marriage proposal, Fitzwilliam Darcy finds himself in the most unusual of circumstances. At first believing the extraordinary turn of events has granted him an inexplicable boon, he is eager to put the humiliating proposal behind him. He soon discovers that he is trapped in the same waking dream with no end in sight and no possible escape. All that he holds dear—his name, his home, his love—remains ever out of reach. How will he find his way back to his normal life? Will one mistake haunt the rest of his days? It will take all of his fortitude to weather the storms of his strange new fate, and all of his courage to grasp the promise of his future. Filed Under: mailbox monday, meme Tagged With: Andrew Aydin, Beau North, Brooke West, Colson Whitehead, Daniel Borzutzky, John Lewis, March Vol. 1-3, Nate Powell, The Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy, The Performance of Becoming Human, The Sympathizer, The Underground Railroad, Viet Thanh Nguyen	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1047
__label__cc	0.720943	0.279057	So obviously it’s 2014 and supposedly Microsoft said that the servers would shut down in summer of 2013 for Halo 2 Vista. I had the good fortune of being able to purchase the game, play online, and beat the campaign. Again… It does not run as good as I want on my PC. However, it’s still very fun to play. I found Easter Egg, Scarab Gun and blew up everything in my path. It was amazing to finally be able to use such a weapon. Aside from that, I found multiplayer was difficult to do anything in. There were less than 50 players, and sometimes I couldn’t even connect to the damn server. I honestly really good at Halo, but Halo 2? I couldn’t beat the other players, they were always about 6 kills ahead of me. It’s usually the other way around, but that’s in Halo; Reach, Halo 3, and Halo 4. Anyway, the online experience was “meh” as in like above 5 out of 10. The game itself must be around 8 to 10. A weird thing though is that the achievements were a little off. Complete the campaign on Normal Difficulty, worth 100g. There rest are 10, 20, 30, and 50 gamer score for any other in-game achievement. Other than that, the game is fun, multiplayer is a bit different, and I frankly can’t stop playing in the past with this great game. 343 owned and it’s affiliates. I do not own this image. I do not own this image, it belongs to rightful and respected owners: 343industries and Microsoft. 343 Industries, 343i, Burdened Legacy, Halo, Halo 2, Halo 2 Vista, Microsoft Gaming, Multiplayer, OHHHH YAH!, PC, Windows, WIndows 7, Windows Live, Windows Vista, Windows XP	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1048
__label__cc	0.677441	0.322559	Chris Berardo Chris Berardo - Take a Little Love Silvermine, CT's Chris Berardo has spent the last several years touring much of the country, playing hundreds of shows with the likes of The Doobie Brothers, Dickey Betts & Great Southern, The Marshall Tucker Band, Reckless Kelly, America, Three Dog Night and many others, as well as countless appearances as headliners everywhere from top-notch listening rooms to beer-soaked bar rooms. With his fourth album slated for release Spring 2018, there is much to look forward to … Wilder All the Time (produced by David Abeyta) maintains many of the same qualities that distinguished Berardo's prior recordings. The rousing melodies, heartfelt harmonies, jangly guitars and moments of acoustic beauty are all prominent throughout, as are Berardo's soaring, expressive vocals, which drive some of his most resonant compositions to date. Finally, though, the harder edge and vibe of Chris’s live shows can be felt on these masterfully crafted ten new songs. Chris Berardo & The DesBerardos are for folks who refuse to be bound by useless categories ... Rock, Pop, Country? Hell Yeah! Artist is seeking the following professional connections: Publishing Subgenre: Rock From: Silvermine, CT Events featuring Chris Berardo Chris Berardo at Saxon Pub	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1049
__label__cc	0.570853	0.429147	Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda Books For All The Books That Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda Been a Contender More Reasons I Started This Blog Kelly January 15, 2018 Image The Middle of the Pile: The Cloister Walk, by Kathleen Norris Time on to-read: Years and years. I found it at a used book sale this summer. Reason for not reading yet: As with any book that’s similarly concerned with spirituality, there’s a whole lot of “I’ve gotta wait until I’m in the right mood,” that goes on, thinking that you have to feel in a state of grace, or a state of neediness, to appreciate something like this. Reason for finally picking up: New Year’s book resolution to recommit myself to challenges, and to ignore the voice that says that my mind isn’t good enough to read certain books right now. Verdict: Your mileage may greatly vary, but I got plenty from this slow walk amongst the cloisters. In the early 1990s, Kathleen Norris spent nine months at the Benedictine monastery of St. John’s in Collegeville, Minnesota. She had signed on, several years beforehand, to become an “oblate” of the order. The word “oblate” comes from the old Latin for “offering”, but in reality has come to mean someone associated with the order who tries to live by their ideas as much as possible, while maintaining their secular life otherwise. As I understand it, this means living by the slim text of The Rule of St. Benedict, a ninety-six page volume that, as I understand it, is really the slimmest of all rulebooks for an order like theirs. The monks live communally and share everything- food, living space, chores (it is written into the rules that not even the abbott is excused from kitchen duty, and the prioress of nuns herself washes bodies for burial). Many of them have jobs in the wider community as well, as teachers and counselors and nurses- but not all. Some serve the order itself- tending their farms, cleaning their abbeys, as liturgical directors, musicians, administrators. The Benedictines believe deeply in hospitality-the monastery is not considered complete without a guest or two staying with them. The most interesting of these principles, to me, however, was the order’s deep engagement and focus on the psalms. It is a first principle of their worship that they read the psalms straight through, at least some portion of it each day. When they reach the end, they start over again, month after month, year after year, until the verses become as familiar to them as breathing, until they occur to them unbidden, while out watching a sunset one evening, deep in the midst of depression, suddenly appearing and able to save them from themselves, with a seemingly spontaneous gift of praise (a beautiful gift of a thing that happens to Norris after she returns home to the bare plains of South Dakota after her stay with the monks). The most obvious comparison for this book is Patrick Leigh Fermor’s A Time to Keep Silence, which I read last year. They are both writers who have chosen to live with and like monks for extended periods of time. They both have engaged with different orders and repeatedly returned to the Benedictines as the most human of the lot, the ones they consider their closest friends. They both use their time to inwardly reflect on who they are at the moment, and to get to know the monks and nuns they’re living with. But what’s different is that Norris focuses far more on the religious texts that are at the center of life there, while Fermor is far more concerned with explaining the orders to others and looking into their history, and, of course, as with all Fermor, with navel-gazing about his own inner feelings from one moment to the next. Norris shares her life with us in glancing ways, but never makes herself the point the way that Fermor does. There’s value in both, but I thought Norris’ book likely approached what it was like to live as a member of a monastic community far more than Fermor did. Organ of St. John’s Abbey This book, therefore, is really about what engagement with literature, with pure words, as much as it is about religion. Norris is a poet, and approaches her time with the monks from that perspective. Each chapter is structured around a reading, a line, or a life of a saint she encounters while attending worship with the monks. The readings appropriately follow the wheel of the year, and the saint’s days and feast days that mark its change. She tells the tales of obscure saints we’d never otherwise hear of, attempts to genuinely engage with parts of the bible that others consider a drag (poor complaining, doleful Jerome), and looks hard at other bits that are generally politely excised from modern day worship (such as the really angry, vengeful, not-at-all admirable bits of the psalms), and reframe their meaning and purpose for what she calls a modern “literal minded” audience. Indeed, one of her repeated insights is that we, as a society, have lost the knack of living metaphorically. Not only has our religion abandoned it, we distrust it in our literature and reject as useless its expression, unless it is a lesson on how to deconstruct poems for the purposes of a test later. Of course, she would think this, as a poet. It personally took me a few tries to understand fully what she meant by this. I think I’ve maybe got some of it in the end though- she talks about how life without metaphor is unbearable to her. That may sound helplessly elitist, but I really don’t think it is. It’s just a poet’s way of saying what most of us feel the need to say: that there’s more than this, that there must be more than this. Life needs metaphor, that something more, to give it weight, to give us a sense that there is something more, to give us that hint of magic beyond the utilitarian that transforms us. It’s just that, as a poet, she finds it in words. And so, living in a community as dedicated to words as monks and nuns do, do the religious communities she interacts with. It explained a great deal to me about why I see so much religion in poetry, especially in the modern era. Their way of life, their priorities, being what Norris calls a “necessary other” outside the wheel of life- devoted to slow contemplation, epiphany, to the endless, repeated contemplation of words, often the same words, over and over again until they find new meaning in them. The older I get, the more I see that it is the daily rhythm of your life, how you allow your body and mind to experience the world, that matters more than your job title, or even the content of what you do each day, in making you the person that you are, so this really resonated with me. The ancients spoke of masticating the words of scripture in order to fully digest them. Monastic “church” reflects a whole-body religion, still in touch with its orality, its music… I find it a blessing that monks still respect the slow way that words work on the human psyche. They take the time to sing, chant and read the psalms aloud, leaving plenty of room for silence, showing a respect for words that is remarkable. In monastic life, this practice is called “lectio divina”, a holy reading that challenges each Benedictine Psalter- Medieval, in the Oxford library. listener to actively engage with the text. For the rest of us, isn’t it just like reading a personal classic, re-visiting a childhood tale that was magic for you? It’s about getting to know a text so deeply that you could recite lines by heart, and likely have interpreted it and re-interpreted it so many times that its almost as if a different person read it each time. It reminded me of that feeling I get reading Possession, Anna Karenina, Austen, Elizabeth von Armin. That feeling that you know this thing, you know it somewhere and can’t articulate it, but if you just listen to them say it over and over, you might get it somewhere. It’s why I read Mrs. Dalloway once through without understanding a word and then started all over again. Dedicated monastic life in the style of the Benedictines is just bibliophilia, made divine. There are some parts of the text that are more grounded in the everyday. I found these parts of the book about evenly compelling and dated. There’s an absolutely fascinating chapter on the self-serving, propaganda-filled canonization of St. Maria Goretti in the 1950s that feels like it might have come straight out of a #metoo thinkpiece- its about rape culture and manipulation and forcing women to be something they never were, all in the interests of maintaining power and patriarchal authority (the chapter that follows about the purpose of “virgin martyr” stories in general is equally right on). There’s some wonderful parts where she acknowledges why some people see the word “Christian” as fake, hypocritical and harsh after the likes of Pat Robertson and Newt Gingrich in the ’90s using it for some pretty evil purposes (and slams their style of Christianity very effectively), but also some very ’90s moral panic about young girls dressing too provocatively and getting belly-button piercings too young right after it. She favors ritual and ceremony in a way that I think a lot of us are starting to acknowledge makes a lot of sense (or at least I am- as an aid in mindfulness, keeping your priorities in order, and giving weight to time), but can also sometimes use this in sentimental rather than truthful ways, such as her sentimental peons to small town rural America, written in such a way that would send alarm bells ringing in the heads of many who have come to see it as a coded reference to conservatives’ nostalgia for a 1950s utopia that never existed. I’ve struggled in the past with really connecting with Serious Women Writers from the ’80s and ’90s.*** I get the cloistered, subversive, imaginative 19th century women, the early 20th century writers just breaking free in all sorts of ways big and small, the determined, caustic, laser-eyed women from the 50s. But with the, ’80s and ’90s writers, I wasn’t able to see past how Serious indeed they seem to feel they need to be in order to to be taken, well, seriously. But of course I get why now, now that I’m older, what they lived through, what men made them go through every day, what academia must have been like, and that we’re finally talking about everything we’re talking about and men can’t make it go away. There’s a reason Margaret Atwood is popular again, and nobody’s brushing what she has to say under the rug anymore. It’s like the much older sister you weren’t quite ready to understand yet, and to love openly despite her flaws. Norris is one of their number, and I’m ready to love her, if not agree with her on every score. One of my favorite lines from the book is when she’s talking about the difference between academics and poets, after a meeting with academics, where she feels her insights are rejected on every score: Scholars speak with authority, and they must, as they are trying to convince the reader that they have a worthwhile point of view. On the other hand, poets speak with no authority but that which the reader is willing to grant them. Our task is not to convince, but to suggest, evoke, explore. And to a poet, which at its root means “maker”, is to be a maker of phenomena, speaking… only because the words are given to you. She’s got at something there, I think, not only about poetry, but about anyone’s encounter with the divine. No list of rules in the book can make a religion, which is a whole way of life that relies on the authority the reader is willing to grant them- that’s faith. That’s a kind of faith, a “living poem”, as Norris says. Liturgy as poetic knowledge, religion as a metaphor that we make our own- the freedom of that…. I think a lot of people would show up for that, if only we could all be still and quiet enough, for long enough, to listen. I honestly think that this was a way of fighting the Contract for America folks by letting them see how much she was “one of them” and loved what they loved, so then she could say what she said about their version of Christianity. Establishing her cred so she could point out what Jesus was really about. And yes, genuinely trying to express what she finds valuable about living in a small community. (The humanizing stories they tell about both of them are the most wonderful parts of both books- Hey! Monks drink and swear! Nuns talk about sex, falling in love and masturbation on the regular to keep themselves honest. Hey, that abbott cracked a dirty joke! Did you know that monks argue about work vs. life balance too, and sometimes also have to treat themselves for depression, or go into therapy for being workaholics? And just lovely little lines like the story about monk who stopped wearing his habit while he traveled because, he said wryly, “I grow wearing of the so-called confessions of drunks who happened to be seated next to me”). **A.S. Byatt excepted here- and to be honest, only Possession– that gorgeous thing that somehow manages to be commanding and passionate at the same time, and stared you down with its intelligence while never losing heart. What a feat that book is- I realize it over and over again. Mark Housley on March 18, 2018 at 7:57 pm I stumbled upon you on Goodreads and followed you here. The few reviews I’ve read of yours are amazing. This review makes me want to read this book even though it is light years out of my comfort zone. I just wanted to say thanks for your reviews (I’m planning on reading a lot of them). I am envious of your students for whatever class you are teaching. If you don’t mind, I’m going to friend you on GR 🙂 Kelly on March 19, 2018 at 8:44 pm Thanks so much for the compliments! I was surprised by how much I liked this one too- I’ve had it on my shelf for years, and picked it up very uncertainly, but so glad I did. See you on GR! B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog B&N Reads My Year in Reading, 2017	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1053
__label__wiki	0.85676	0.85676	Big Stamp Colour Changing Gin Kit Leasehold ownerships: what you need to know Interview with Jack Whitehall for Jack Whitehall: Stood Up Year-Round Plants You Should be Growing in Your Garden There are all sorts of opportunities if people put their minds… Peak Yoga Studio supports two top Sheffield charities Outreach scheme inspiring young people to go onto higher education reaches… Singer Paul Pashley raises more than £2,000 for hospice Roxy on a roll for charity Freemasons donation helps stroke survivors to rebuild their lives By James Rampton In his live shows, Jack Whitehall likes to begin with a bang. Take the way he started the show on his last arena tour. “I love a big entrance,” the hugely popular comedian explains. “So last time I came on stage on a horse. In the first show, it did a sht on stage as soon as it came on. The audience were in absolute hysterics – especially as I had to clean it up before I could start the show.” “Because it was so funny, I thought, ‘We need that to happen every night. Either we feed the horse extra before we come on or we plant a sht on stage.’ We opted for the latter. So we planted sh*t on stage, and every night it got a huge laugh. The downside was, I also had to clean it up every night!” You can expect similarly brilliant comic moments from Whitehall’s new show, Stood Up, which is touring the UK and Ireland this autumn – his biggest such tour ever. Justly feted for his superb work on television, the comedian is, if anything, even more at home in the live arena. Whitehall is a dazzlingly funny stand-up. Often making himself the butt of his jokes, he generates wave upon wave of laughter in the auditorium. But be warned, he has a really loyal following, and his shows sell-out very rapidly – with many of the original dates already sold out and additional dates added to cater to demand, so you are advised to book early. It is very easy to see why he is perhaps the best loved comedian in the country. That is not just my opinion. Newspaper critics have been queueing up to pay tribute to Whitehall’s stand-up. The Times asserts that, “If you’re going to do arena comedy, this is how to do it”, while the Daily Telegraph declares that, “Jack Whitehall’s refusal to grow up is just what we need right now.”. Meanwhile, the Evening Standard enthuses that Whitehall delivers what, “may well be the most spectacular arena stand-up show ever.” You will no doubt be very pleased to hear that Whitehall is just as compelling off stage. In person, he combines wit and warmth in the most magnetic fashion, and it is a sheer delight to spend an hour in his company. It is like being treated to a command performance – to an audience of one. Having been away from the stand-up arena for a while making hit movies and TV shows, Whitehall is very happy to be back doing what he adores above all else. Most recently seen in Lasse Hallstrom’s film, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, opposite Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman, alongside Rosie Perez in the second series of Sky One’s Bounty Hunters (which he co-wrote), in Amazon series Good Omens with Jon Hamm, David Tennant and Michael Sheen and as the first-ever guest host of The Graham Norton Show, the comedian outlines why stand-up gives him such a buzz. “I love the rapport you get with a live audience. “It’s great that I’ve built an audience over the years. It’s very exciting that they know me and have seen the progression of my stand-up. They shout things out and that becomes part of the show. “I love the thrill of stand-up – it’s really immediate. It’s so exciting to be able to go on and get an instant reaction from the audience. I also love the fact that anything can happen – it is different every single night. You can change things on the spur of the moment. You’re totally in control.” Whitehall, who has also starred in such lauded TV shows as Decline & Fall, Fresh Meat, Bad Education, Backchat and A League of Their Own (which received a BAFTA Award in 2014 for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme), continues that, “It’s great making film and TV and writing scripts. But often you wait months before it goes out. “There is something so appealing about being able to get up on stage in front of an audience and have a very authentic, instantaneous and organic experience with them. I love that element of stand-up. When you go away and do writing and acting, you miss that. You get the itch to return to stand-up. It’s a bug. I’d find it very hard ever to quit it. I’ll always come back to it. It’s my first love.” The other terrific aspect of Whitehall’s stand-up is that he thrives on creating a show with a capital S. He is always determined to give his audience wonderful value for money. The comedian, widely celebrated for the travelogue series, Travels With My Father, which returns to Netflix for a new series in September, observes that,: “Doing an arena show, you have to make it feel like it belongs in an arena. So you have to do stuff that could only happen in an arena. I really like big production values. You want put on a proper show in an arena. Musicians do it, so why shouldn’t comedians? “If people come to arena shows, they have made an effort. They have paid money for the tickets and got a babysitter, so you want to give them a real show. I love a bit of a fanfare and throwing in a few surprises that make it feel like a big event. It’s the musical-theatre fan inside me. How close is that fan to the surface? He’s out and proud now! You have to embrace it.” It is fair to say, however, that Whitehall’s production values do not always go according to plan. When they do go wrong, though, it simply adds to the hilarity of the evening. Remember the incontinent horse? The stand-up, who has hosted The BRIT Awards for the last two years, welcomes such moments of unscripted comedy. “It’s great when something unexpected happens in the moment. My stage caught fire in Leeds once, and that suddenly became the show. I have pyrotechnics on stage because I always try to make my shows like a Beyonce gig. “But that night in Leeds the pyrotechnics went off in the wrong direction and part of the stage caught fire. The audience were laughing so hard because they thought it was part of the show. They didn’t know that something had gone seriously wrong and that I was in peril. But they were just laughing away, totally oblivious to that.” “At first, I didn’t even realise what was going on because I had my back to the fire. Suddenly, the stage manager rushed on stage, grabbed me and dragged me off. I said, ‘What the hell is going on?’ He replied, ‘Look, the stage is on fire!’ It was all quite dramatic, but the audience really loved it.” Whitehall, who next year will be starring opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt in Disney blockbuster movie, Jungle Cruise, proceeds to reveal what subjects he will be addressing in Stood Up. “You’re always reflecting on what’s going on in your life. I’ve been travelling a lot with my dad recently, so I’ll be talking about going around the world with him. “I’ll be discussing stuff about being in America, too, and how different I find that from the UK. I’ll also be talking about the sensitivity of the world at the moment and how it is very easy to cause offence and end up in trouble. Skirting that line can be very difficult.” The stand-up also discloses that he may tackle the hottest topic in British politics at the moment: Brexit. “I’m trying to find some fun in Brexit, but it’s quite hard. It’s like a dirty word. The whole audience clenches up when you mention it. That’s a challenge in itself. How can you do Brexit material and make people laugh about it?” Whitehall will, of course, also be dreaming up another grand entrance for Stood Up. “This show will definitely have some party tricks. In my first arena show, I came on stage on a Segway, and then the next time it was a horse. So God knows how I’m going to top that!” Finally, what does Whitehall hope that audiences will take away from Stood Up? “I love to make my shows really fun and silly. On stage I like to create a lot of joy and silliness, as I think the world is a depressing enough place as it is. I hope my show will be a fun distraction. I will be trying to get people beaming as they leave the auditorium at the end of the evening. “We are living in troubled times. Without wishing to give what I do any higher meaning, I think it’s really good to be distracted and laugh like an idiot for two hours.” Tickets for Jack Whitehall’s UK and Ireland tour of Stood Up are available at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/jack-whitehall and‎ www.jackwhitehall.com. NEUÚ Seaweed Skincare Peddler Night Market Veg Out Brinley Williams Personalised Pillar Candle Prestige Flowers – British Summer Bouquet Outreach scheme inspiring young people to go onto higher education reaches... Have you got a news story for us? Big Stamp wants to hear all your relevant interest stories, press releases, special nights and other news so we can share it with all our lovely readers. Your source for local Sheffield information to fulfil your entertainment and shopping needs. © 2020 - Big Stamp - Privacy Settings	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1057
__label__wiki	0.718159	0.718159	Home2018April (Page 7) Making a Case for Kailahun There’s now a loose saying among Sierra Leoneans that any menace that starts in Kailahun District, Eastern Sierra Leone, will definitely spread across every region of the country. (Photo: KAILAHUN: The general mood was one My Hero, Kelvin Kamara aka Am... He defied death the day the earth caved in on August 14, 2017, in Freetown. With an asthmatic Public Health System and an Emergency Response in comatose, my hero defied the downpour of rain that Sierra Leone deserves coopera... for the common good - not a scorched earth approach Sierra Leone makes history again- of the right type this time. The country has engineered a second turn-over of government, in its young democratic life- with Life and Entertainment / Technology Africell Hailed As Bedrock in... "AiRadio is undoubtedly one of the best radio stations in town and I can defend that with all amount of certainty,” Alfred Tholley a trader on Rawdon Street categorically stated. He further elucidated that the President Bio: Your Time Star... Mr. President, the lesson of history is that many never learn the lesson of history. (Photo: President Julius Maada Bio) Therefore amidst the festival of claps and back-slapping, kindly realise the enormity of the task ahead State House press release on... It has pleased the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, to establish a Governance Transition Team with the following Terms of Reference (ToR): Serve as Focal Point Statement By The Sierra Leone... Press Release April 5, 2018 - The Executive, Advisory Council and entire Membership of the Sierra Leone Ex-Service Personnel Association Overseas, SLESAO, would like to congratulate Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio on his election as Statement attributable to the... The Secretary-General takes note of the announcement by the National Electoral Commission on 4 April of the final results of the presidential run-off election in Sierra Leone. He congratulates Mr. Julius Maada Bio on his Announcements / Featured Statement by US Embassy on Si... The U.S. Department of State would like to congratulate the next President and Vice President of Sierra Leone. The National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone has declared Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio and Dr. Mohamed Breaking News / Politics SLPP’s Julius Maada Bio... In a run off vote Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) won Sierra Leone's 2018 presidential election, reportedly taking 51.81% of the votes with All People's Congress (APC) Party contender, Dr. Announcements / Press Releases / Technology NATCOM refutes blocking inter... THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (NATCOM) HEREBY WISHES TO DRAW THE ATTENTION OF THE PUBLIC TO UNFOUNDED AND BASELESS MESSAGES MAKING THE ROUNDS IN THE MEDIA, ESPECIALLY SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT THE COMISSION BLOCKED/TERMINATED INTERNET ACCESS TO Invitation for Bids Sierra Le... Procurement of LED Floodlights Procurement Number: SLAA/HEM/NCB/003/2018 The Sierra Leone Airports Authority has allocated funds towards the procurement of LED Floodlight to improve on the brilliance of the Freetown International Airport and now invites sealed bids from	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1060
__label__wiki	0.769922	0.769922	sixth planet from the Sun This article is about the planet. For other uses, see Saturn (disambiguation). Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. It is the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is one of the four gas giant planets, along with Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. Pictured in natural color approaching equinox, photographed by Cassini in July 2008; the dot in the bottom left corner is Titan /ˈsætərn/ ( listen) Named after Saturnian, Cronian Orbital characteristics Epoch J2000.0 1,514.50 million km (10.1238 AU) Perihelion 1,352.55 million km (9.0412 AU) Semi-major axis Eccentricity Orbital period 29.4571 yr 10,759.22 d 24,491.07 Saturnian solar days Synodic period 378.09 days Average orbital speed 9.68 km/s (6.01 mi/s) Mean anomaly 2.485° to ecliptic 5.51° to Sun's equator 0.93° to invariable plane Longitude of ascending node Argument of perihelion Known satellites 62 with formal designations; innumerable additional moonlets. Mean radius 58,232 km (36,184 mi)[a] Equatorial radius 9.449 Earths Polar radius Flattening 4.27×1010 km2 (1.65×1010 sq mi)[a] 83.703 Earths 8.2713×1014 km3 (1.9844×1014 cu mi)[a] 763.59 Earths 5.6834×1026 kg 0.687 g/cm3 (0.0248 lb/cu in)[b] (less than water) Surface gravity 10.44 m/s2 (34.3 ft/s2)[a] Moment of inertia factor 0.210 I/MR2 estimate 35.5 km/s (22.1 mi/s)[a] Sidereal rotation period 10h 33m 38s Template:+- [1][2] Equatorial rotation velocity 9.87 km/s (6.13 mi/s; 35,500 km/h)[a] Axial tilt 26.73° (to orbit) North pole right ascension 40.589°; 2h 42m 21s North pole declination 83.537° 0.342 (Bond) 0.499 (geometric) Surface temp. 134 K (−139 °C) 84 K (−189 °C) Apparent magnitude −0.55 to +1.17 Angular diameter 14.5″ to 20.1″ (excludes rings) 140 kPa[3] Scale height 59.5 km (37.0 mi) Composition by volume by volume: 96.3%±2.4% hydrogen (H 3.25%±2.4% helium (He) 0.45%±0.2% methane (CH 0.0125%±0.0075% ammonia (NH 0.0110%±0.0058% hydrogen deuteride (HD) 0.0007%±0.00015% ethane (C Ices: ammonia (NH water (H 2O) ammonium hydrosulfide (NH 4SH) Inside Saturn is probably a core of iron, nickel, silicon and oxygen compounds, surrounded by a deep layer of metallic hydrogen, then a layer of liquid hydrogen and liquid helium and finally, an outer gaseous layer.[4] Saturn has 82 known moons orbiting the planet. 53 are officially named and 29 are waiting to be named.[5] The largest moon is Titan, which is larger in volume than the planet Mercury. Titan is the second-largest moon in the Solar System. The largest moon is Jupiter's moon, Ganymede. There is also a very large system of rings around Saturn. These rings are made of ice with smaller amounts of rocks and dust. Some people believe that the rings were caused from a moon impact or other event. Saturn is about 1,400,000,000 km (869,000,000 mi) from the Sun. Saturn takes 29.6 Earth years to revolve around the Sun. Saturn was named after the Roman god Saturnus (called Kronos in Greek mythology).[6] Saturn's symbol is ♄ which is the symbol of Saturnus' sickle.[7] 1 Physical features 1.1 Atmosphere 1.1.1 Storms and spots 1.3 Magnetic field 2 Rotation and orbit 3 Planetary rings 3.1 History 3.2 Physical features 3.3 Spokes 4 Moons 5 Exploration 7 Related pages Physical features Saturn compared with the size of the Earth Drawing of Saturn by Robert Hooke in 1666 Saturn is an oblate spheroid, meaning that it is flattened at the poles, and it swells out around its equator.[8] The planet's equatorial diameter is 120,536 km (74,898 mi), while its polar diameter (the distance from the north pole to the south pole) is 108,728 km (67,560 mi); a 9% difference.[9] Saturn has a flattened shape due to its very fast rotation, once every 10.8 hours. Saturn is the only planet in the Solar System that is less dense than water. Even though the planet's core is very dense, it has a gaseous atmosphere, so the average specific density of the planet is 0.69 g/cm3. This means if Saturn could be placed in a large pool of water, it would float.[10] The outer part of Saturn's atmosphere is made up of about 96% hydrogen, 3% helium, 0.4% methane and 0.01% ammonia. There are also very small amounts of acetylene, ethane and phosphine.[11] The north polar hexagonal cloud first found by Voyager 1 and later by Cassini Saturn's clouds show a banded pattern, like the cloud bands seen on Jupiter. Saturn's clouds are much fainter and the bands are wider at the equator. Saturn's lowest cloud layer is made up of water ice, and is about 10 km (6 mi) thick.[11] The temperature here is quite low, at 250 K (-10°F, -23°C). However scientists do not agree about this. The layer above, about 77 km (48 mi) thick, is made up of ammonium hydrosulfide ice, and above that is a layer of ammonia ice clouds 80 km (50 mi) thick.[11] The highest layer is made up of hydrogen and helium gases, which extends between 200 km (124 mi) and 270 km (168 mi) above the water cloud tops. Auroras are also known to form in Saturn in the mesosphere.[11] The temperature at Saturn's cloud tops is extremely low, at 98 K (-283 °F, -175 °C). The temperatures in the inner layers are much higher than the outside layers because of the heat produced by Saturn's interior.[12] Saturn's winds are some of the fastest in the Solar System, reaching 1,800 km/h (1,118 mph),[13] ten times faster than winds on Earth.[14] Storms and spots Saturn's atmosphere is also known to form oval shaped clouds, similar to the clearer spots seen in Jupiter. These oval spots are cyclonic storms, the same as cyclones seen on Earth. In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope found a very large white cloud near Saturn's equator. Storms like the one in 1990 were known as Great White Spots. These unique storms only exist for a short time and only happen about every 30 Earth years, at the time of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.[15] Great White Spots were also found in 1876, 1903, 1933, and 1960. If this cycle continues, another storm will form in about 2020.[16] The Voyager 1 spacecraft found a hexagonal cloud pattern near Saturn's north pole at about 78°N. The Cassini−Huygens probe later confirmed it in 2006. Unlike the north pole, the south pole does not show any hexagonal cloud feature. The probe also discovered a hurricane-like storm locked to the south pole that clearly showed an eyewall. Until this discovery, eyewalls had only been seen on Earth.[17] Saturn's interior is similar to Jupiter's interior. It has a small rocky core about the size of the Earth at its center.[8] It is very hot; its temperature reaches 15,000 K (26,540 °F (14,727 °C)). Saturn is so hot that it gives out more heat energy into space than it receives from the Sun.[12] Above it is a thicker layer of metallic hydrogen, about 30,000 km (18,641 mi) deep. Above that layer is a region of liquid hydrogen and helium.[18] The core is heavy, with about 9 to 22 times more mass than the Earth's core.[19] Saturn has a natural magnetic field that is weaker than Jupiter's. Like the Earth's, Saturn's field is a magnetic dipole. Saturn's field is unique in that it is perfectly symmetrical, unlike any other known planet.[20] This means the field is exactly in line with the planet's axis.[20] Saturn generates radio waves, but they are too weak to be detected from Earth.[21] The moon Titan orbits in the outer part of Saturn's magnetic field and gives out plasma to the field from the ionised particles in Titan's atmosphere.[22] Rotation and orbit Saturn's average distance from the Sun is over 1,400,000,000 km (869,000,000 mi), about nine times the distance from the Earth to the Sun. It takes 10,759 days, or about 29.8 years, for Saturn to orbit around the Sun.[23] This is known as Saturn's orbital period. Voyager 1 measured Saturn's rotation as being 10 hours 14 minutes at the equator, 10 hours 40 minutes closer to the poles, and 10 hours 39 minutes 24 seconds for the planet's interior.[24] This is known as its rotational period. Cassini measured the rotation of Saturn as being 10 hours 45 minutes 45 seconds ± 36 seconds.[25] That is about six minutes, or one percent, longer than the radio rotational period measured by the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft, which flew by Saturn in 1980 and 1981. Saturn's rotational period is calculated by the rotation speed of radio waves released by the planet. The Cassini−Huygens spacecraft discovered that the radio waves slowed down, suggesting that the rotational period increased.[25] Since the scientists do not think Saturn's rotation is actually slowing down, the explanation may lie in the magnetic field that causes the radio waves.[25] Planetary rings Main article: Rings of Saturn Saturn is best known for its planetary rings which are easy to see with a telescope. There are seven named rings; A, B, C, D, E, F, and G rings.[26] They were named in the order they were discovered, which is different to their order from the planet. From the planet the rings are: D, C, B, A, F, G and E.[26]:57 Scientists believe that the rings are material left after a moon broke apart.[26]:60 A new idea says that it was a very large moon, most of which crashed into the planet. This left a large amount of ice to form the rings, and also some of the moons, like Enceladus, which are thought to be made of ice.[26]:61 The rings were first discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610, using his telescope. They did not look like rings to Galileo, so he called them "handles". He thought that Saturn was three separate planets that almost touched one another. In 1612, when the rings were facing edge on with the Earth, the rings disappeared, then reappeared again in 1613, further confusing Galileo.[27] In 1655, Christiaan Huygens was the first person to recognise Saturn was surrounded by rings. Using a much more powerful telescope than Galilei's, he noted Saturn "is surrounded by a thin, flat, ring, nowhere touching...".[27] In 1675, Giovanni Domenico Cassini discovered that the planet's rings were in fact made of smaller ringlets with gaps. The largest ring gap was later named the Cassini Division. In 1859, James Clerk Maxwell showed that the rings cannot be solid, but are made of small particles, each orbiting Saturn on their own, otherwise, it would become unstable or break apart.[28] James Keeler studied the rings using a spectroscope in 1895 which proved Maxwell's theory.[29] The rings range from 6,630 km (4,120 mi) to 120,700 km (75,000 mi) above the planet's equator. As proved by Maxwell, even though the rings appear to be solid and unbroken when viewed from above, the rings are made of small particles of rock and ice. They are only about 10 m (33 ft) thick; made of silica rock, iron oxide and ice particles.[26]:55 The smallest particles are only specks of dust while the largest are the size of a house. The C and D rings also seem to have a "wave" in them, like waves in water.[26]:58 These large waves are 500 m (1,640 ft) high, but only moving slowly at about 250 m (820 ft) each day.[26]:58 Some scientists believe that the wave is caused by Saturn's moons.[30] Another idea is the waves were made by a comet hitting Saturn in 1983 or 1984.[26]:60 The largest gaps in the rings are the Cassini Division and the Encke Division, both visible from the Earth. The Cassini Division is the largest, measuring 4,800 km (2,983 mi) wide.[31] However, when the Voyager spacecrafts visited Saturn in 1980, they discovered that the rings are a complex structure, made out of thousands of thin gaps and ringlets. Scientists believe this is caused by the gravitational force of some of Saturn's moons. The tiny moon Pan orbits inside Saturn's rings, creating a gap within the rings. Other ringlets keep their structure due to the gravitational force of shepherd satellites, such as Prometheus and Pandora. Other gaps form due to the gravitational force of a large moon farther away. The moon Mimas is responsible for clearing away the Cassini gap.[31] Recent data from the Cassini spacecraft has shown that the rings have their own atmosphere, free from the planet's atmosphere. The rings' atmosphere is made of oxygen gas, and it is produced when the Sun's ultraviolet light breaks up the water ice in the rings. Chemical reaction also occurs between the ultraviolet light and the water molecules, creating hydrogen gas. The oxygen and hydrogen atmospheres around the rings are very widely spaced.[32] As well as oxygen and hydrogen gas, the rings have a thin atmosphere made of hydroxide. This anion was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope.[33] The spokes in Saturn's rings, photographed by Voyager 2 The Voyager space probe discovered features shaped like rays, called spokes.[34] These were also seen later by the Hubble telescope. The Cassini probe photographed the spokes in 2005.[34] They are seen as dark when under sunlight, and appear light when against the unlit side. At first it was thought the spokes were made of microscopic dust particles but new evidence shows that they are made of ice.[35] They rotate at the same time with the planet's magnetosphere, therefore, it is believed that they have a connection with electromagnetism. However, what causes the spokes to form is still unknown. They appear to be seasonal, disappearing during solstice and appearing again during equinox.[36] Saturn has 53 named moons, and another nine which are still being studied.[37] Many of the moons are very small: 33 are less than 10 km (6 mi) in diameter and 13 moons are less than 50 km (31 mi).[38] Seven moons are large enough to be a near perfect sphere caused by their own gravitation. These moons are Titan, Rhea, Iapetus, Dione, Tethys, Enceladus and Mimas.[39] Titan is the largest moon, larger than the planet Mercury, and it is the only moon in the Solar System to have a thick, dense atmosphere.[40][41] Hyperion and Phoebe are the next largest moons, larger than 200 km (124 mi) in diameter. In December 2004 and January 2005 a man-made satellite called the Cassini−Huygens probe took lots of close photos of Titan. One part of this satellite, known as the Huygens probe, then landed on Titan. Named after the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens, it was the first spacecraft to land in the outer Solar System.[42] The probe was designed to float in case it landed in liquid.[42] Enceladus, the sixth largest moon, is about 500 km (311 mi) in diameter. It is one of the few outer solar system objects that shows volcanic activity.[43] In 2011, scientists discovered an electric link between Saturn and Enceladus. This is caused by ionised particles from volcanos on the small moon interacting with Saturn's magnetic fields.[43] Similar interactions cause the northern lights on Earth.[44] Saturn as seen from the Cassini spacecraft in 2007 Saturn was first explored by the Pioneer 11 spacecraft in September 1979. It flew as close as 20,000 km (12,427 mi) above the planet's cloud tops. It took photographs of the planet and a few of its moons, but were low in resolution. It discovered a new, thin ring called the F ring. It also discovered that the dark ring gaps appear bright when viewed towards the Sun, which shows the gaps are not empty of material. The spacecraft measured the temperature of the moon Titan.[45] In November 1980, Voyager 1 visited Saturn, and took higher resolution photographs of the planet, rings and moons. These photos were able to show the surface features of the moons. Voyager 1 went close to Titan, and gained much information about its atmosphere. In August, 1981, Voyager 2 continued to study the planet. Photos taken by the space probe showed that changes were happening to the rings and atmosphere. The Voyager spacecrafts discovered a number of moons orbiting close to Saturn's rings, as well as discovering new ring gaps. Drawing of Cassini in orbit around Saturn On July 1, 2004, the Cassini−Huygens probe entered into orbit around Saturn. Before then, it flew close to Phoebe, taking very high resolution photos of its surface and collecting data. On December 25, 2004, the Huygens probe separated from the Cassini probe before moving down towards Titan's surface and landed there on January 14, 2005. It landed on a dry surface, but it found that large bodies of liquid exist on the moon. The Cassini probe continued to collect data from Titan and a number of the icy moons. It found evidence that the moon Enceladus had water erupting from its geysers.[46] Cassini also proved, in July 2006, that Titan had hydrocarbon lakes, located near its north pole. In March 2007, it discovered a large hydrocarbon lake the size of the Caspian Sea near its north pole.[47] Cassini observed lightning occurring in Saturn since early 2005. The power of the lightning was measured to be 1,000 times more powerful than lightning on Earth. Astronomers believe that the lightning observed in Saturn is the strongest ever seen.[48] a Refers to the level of one bar atmospheric pressure b Orbital information is based on the barycentre of the Saturn system, the centre of mass, not the geometric centre. Barycentre measurements are used because they are not changed by the daily movement of the moons.[49] List of planets ↑ McCartney, Gretchen; Wendel, JoAnna (18 January 2019). "Scientists Finally Know What Time It Is on Saturn". NASA. Retrieved 18 January 2019. ↑ Mankovich, Christopher (17 January 2019). "Cassini Ring Seismology as a Probe of Saturn's Interior. I. Rigid Rotation". The Astrophysical Journal 871 (1): 1. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aaf798. ↑ Knecht, Robin (24 October 2005). "On The Atmospheres Of Different Planets" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017. ↑ Brainerd, Jerome James 2004. "Giant gaseous planets". The Astrophysics Spectator. Retrieved 2010-07-05. ↑ "Planetary Satellite Discovery Circumstances". NASA. Retrieved 2019-12-28. ↑ "Cronia (Kronia)". Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary. 2010. Retrieved 2011-07-11. ↑ Crystal, Ellie. "Saturn Mythology". Crystalinks.com. Retrieved 2007-02-28. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Saturn". Information Leaflet No. 42. Royal Greenwich Observatory. 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-26. ↑ "Cassini–Huygens Saturn arrival" (PDF). Press kit June 2004. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. p. 9. Retrieved 2011-06-25. ↑ Verba, Joan Marie (1991). Voyager: Exploring the outer planets. FTL Publications. p. 20. ISBN 0982523203. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Saturn". MIRA: field trips to the stars: the Solar System. Monterey Institute of Research in Astronomy. 2006. Retrieved 2011-06-19. External link in \|publisher= (help) ↑ 12.0 12.1 "A gas giant with super-fast winds". Cassini: unlocking Saturn's secrets. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2007. Retrieved 2011-06-19. ↑ Wilkinson, John (2009). Probing the new solar system. CSIRO Publishing. p. 208. ISBN 9780643095755. Retrieved 2011-05-23. ↑ Sullivant, Rosemary. "Saturn's storms run rings around Earth's". Cassini: unlocking Saturn's secrets. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved 2011-05-24. ↑ S. Pérez-Hoyos, A. Sánchez-Lavega, R.G. French, J.F. Rojas. (2005). "Saturn's cloud structure and temporal evolution from ten years of Hubble Space Telescope images (1994–2003)". Science Direct. Retrieved 2011-06-19. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) ↑ "The 1990 Great White Spot of Saturn". 1993 Yearbook of Astronomy. W.W. Norton & Company, London. 1992. pp. 176–215. ↑ McKee, Maggie (2006-11-06). "Spectacular storm rages on Saturn's south pole". New Scientist Magazine. Retrieved 2011-04-21. ↑ "Saturn". Solar System. National Maritime Museum. 2005-10-04. Retrieved 2011-06-19. ↑ Fortney, Jonathon J. (2004). "Looking into the giant planets". Science 305 (5689): 1414–1415. Retrieved 2007-04-30. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Sutton, Christine (1981-08-27). "Saturn yields to Voyager's brief caress". New Scientist Magazine. Retrieved 2011-06-19. ↑ Smith, A. G.; Carr, T. D. (1959). "Radio-Frequency Observations of the Planets in 1957–1958". The Astrophysical Journal 130: 641–647. doi:10.1086/146753. ↑ Russell C.T.; Luhmann J.G. (1997). "Saturn: magnetic field and magnetosphere". Encyclopedia of Planetary Sciences. New York: Chapman and Hall. pp. 718–719. Retrieved 2011-06-20. ↑ "NASA image of Saturn featured in Time Magazine's 'Year in Pictures'". NASA in your life. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2009-12-30. Retrieved 2011-06-24. ↑ "Saturn: orbital and rotational information". MIRA: field trips to the stars: the Solar System. Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy. 2006. Retrieved 2011-07-06. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Martinez, Carolina (2004-06-28). "Scientists find that Saturn's rotation period is a puzzle". Cassini: unlocking Saturn's secrets. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved 2011-06-24. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 26.6 26.7 Lovett, Rick (June/July 2011). "Dance of the rings". Cosmos (39): 57. http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/. Retrieved 2011-06-21. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Baalke, Ron (2005). "Historical background of Saturn's rings". www2.jpl.nasa.gov. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved 2011-07-06. ↑ Maxwell, James Clerk (1859). "James Clerk Maxwell on the nature of Saturn's rings". www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-06-19. ↑ Brashear, Ronald (May 1999). "Christiaan Huygens and his Systema Saturnium". Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Retrieved 2011-04-19. ↑ "Saturn: Rings". Solar System exploration. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2011-03-22. Retrieved 2011-06-19. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "StarChild: Saturn's Cassini Division". The Solar System. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-19. ↑ Rincon, Paul (2005-07-01). "Saturn rings have own atmosphere". BBC News. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2011-06-19. ↑ Johnson, R.E. (2006). "The Enceladus and OH Tori at Saturn". SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service. Retrieved 2011-06-19. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Malik, Tariq (2005-09-15). "Cassini Probe spies spokes in Saturn's rings". space.com. Retrieved 2011-04-26. ↑ "Cassini exposes puzzles about ingredients in Saturn's rings". Cassini: unlocking Saturn's secrets. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2011-05-24. ↑ "Spoke's reappear on Saturn's rings". Astronomy Picture Of The Day. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2011-04-26. ↑ "Saturn: Moons". Solar System exploration: planets. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-21. ↑ "About Saturn and its moons". Cassini Solstice Mission. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-25. ↑ Stott, Carole; Robert Dinwiddle, David Hughes and Giles Sparrow (2010). Space. DK Books. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-7566-6738-2. Retrieved 2011-06-20. ↑ McKay, Chris (2005-10-27). "Titan: a moon with atmosphere". Astrobiology Magazine. Retrieved 2011-06-20. ↑ Zubrin, Robert (1999). Entering space: creating a spacefaring civilization. Section: Titan: Tarcher/Putnam. pp. 163–166. ISBN 978-1-5854-2036-0. ↑ 42.0 42.1 "Huygens". Solar System exploration. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-22. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Lloyd, James (2011-04-21). "Footprint detected from one of Saturn's moons". cosmosmagazine.com. Retrieved 2011-04-21. ↑ "Aurora from Saturn moon 'circuit'". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2011-04-21. Retrieved 2011-07-06. ↑ "The Pioneer 10 & 11 Spacecraft". Ames Research Center, NASA. 2005-10-08. Archived from the original on 2006-01-30. Mission Descriptions. Retrieved on 2007-07-05. ↑ "Radical! Liquid water on Enceladus". Science News. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2006-03-09. Retrieved 2011-06-20. ↑ Rincon, Paul (2007-03-14). "Probe reveals seas on Saturn moon". BBC News. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2011-06-20. ↑ "Astronomers find giant lightning storm at Saturn". sciencedaily.com. 2006-02-15. Retrieved 2011-06-20. ↑ Shirley, James H.; Fairbridge, Rhodes W. (1997). Encyclopedia of Planetary Sciences. New York: Springer. p. 62. ISBN 9780412069512. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Refers to the level of 1 bar atmospheric pressure ↑ Based on the volume within the level of 1 bar atmospheric pressure Find more about at Wikipedia's sister projects News stories from Wikinews Source texts from Wikisource Learning resources from Wikiversity "Images of Saturn". spacetelescope.org. 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-19. "Saturn Earth comparison". Saturn fact Sheet. NASA. 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-19. Vladimir V. Tchernyi, Andrew Ju. Pospelov, Serge V. Girich (2009). "Studies on the Rings of Saturn". The Academy for Future Science. Retrieved 2011-06-19. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Theoretical description of the rings of Saturn. "Eerie sounds of Saturn's radio emissions". Cassini: unlocking Saturn's secrets. NASA. 2008. Retrieved 2011-06-19. A WAV file of radio emissions from Saturn. "Bizarre hexagon on Saturn". News and Features. NASA. 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-19. Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saturn&oldid=6792621"	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1061
__label__cc	0.737763	0.262237	Office of Public Safety & Security Student Life \| Saint Joseph's University Crime Bulletins & Safety Tips Reports & Policies Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report Shuttles & Escorts Certified Driver Training Active Shooter Guidelines Category: Crime Bulletins By cklose In Crime Bulletins March 24, 2017 Verizon has made us aware of the “809” area code scam. You may receive on your pager, voicemail or email a message saying to call a phone number that begins with the area code 809. If you return this call your phone bill could be charged in excess of $2400 for only a few minutes. This area code is located in the British Virgin Islands where it is not required that you be notified about a charged call. Verizon has issued alerts on other Caribbean area codes that could also be scams. They are 242, 246, 264, 268, 284, 340, 441, 473, 649, 664, 758, 767, 784, 787, 868, 869 and 876. In short, if you do not recognize the number DO NOT RETURN THE CALL. Another popular scam is the Nigerian Email Fraud. This is an email you may receive from someone in Nigeria or other South African country who claims to have millions of dollars. The sender says they are trying to move large sums of money by offering a substantial percentage of the cash in return for allowing them to deposit it into your bank account. The reasons have been money received for completed contracts, death inheritance and insurance payouts after airplane crashes. If you respond to the email you are asked for forward a good faith deposit to handle expenses. Several arrests have already been made in England and the United States Secret Service is investigating this scam. They have identified it as Project 419. Customers are receiving faxed letters enticing them to fax the letter back for information on how to “Get Rich Quick”. The directions are to fax to 900 numbers and wait for details to be returned. The details are never returned and the customers average wait times of between 10 and 20 minutes. These fax calls are then billed back to the customer for $2.95 a minute. Customers are receiving emails from customerservice@onlineshopping.com stating that $498.98 has been charged to their account. They are instructed to call customer service at 01-239-444-6257 and press “4” for customer service. This is not a real customer service number and no one will ever answer. The customer will remain on hold while international charges accrue on their phone bill. In the event of an emergency, dial 911 SJU Resources About SJU Giving to SJU HEOA Information Follow SJU Apply Online Visit SJU 5600 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131 • 610-660-1000	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1066
__label__cc	0.744456	0.255544	Deputy Chief Operating Officer Mark Castle is Chief Operating Officer of Mace and joined the company’s Group Board in January 2013. Mark originally joined Mace in 2004, tasked with creating and leading a fixed price contracting business focusing on major projects. Mace’s construction turnover in 2018 grew to £2 billion. Refocusing the business into a number of customer-facing sectors, with consistency of service and product delivery, has been central to driving that diversification. Mark’s role also encompasses strategic leadership on major construction projects, such as Emirates Air Line cable car, Tate Modern extension, Tottenham Hotspurs’ new stadium and Chelsea Barracks. Mark has worked at board level since 1993, having joined the construction industry in 1981 as a trainee with Mowlem. In 1998 he was appointed Managing Director for Construction in London for Wates, prior to becoming an Executive Director in 2001. Following this, he was Managing Director for Structure Tone Inc, a construction group based in the USA with interests in the UK, Ireland, Europe and Asia. Mark was previously Chairman of Build UK and is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1070
__label__wiki	0.607889	0.607889	March 28, 2018 dpdevitt 1 Comment With the Easter holidays starting yesterday, it is time to take stock and reflect on the term past. Since the last edition of the ‘Draconian,’ we have lost two very dear Old Boys: Martin Collier and Cyril Emmett. Three have been wounded, 2 have been made CB, 3 have got the DSO, 3 have had bars to the MC, 6 have won the MC, 1 OBE, 3 special promotions, 2 have been given the Croix de Guerre, 18 Mons Stars have been won and 12 have been mentioned in Despatches. Capt. Reggie Carr-White (Indian Army) had the honour of introducing to the King two from the parties of Indian officers who visited England from the Western Front. At this investiture were Capt. Geoffrey Rose (OBLI) receiving a bar to his MC and Lieut. Stopford Jacks (RFA) his MC. I had great pleasure in handing to Miss Bagguley and Miss Williams each a cheque for £100, and a considerable sum will be paid later on. Miss Bagguley has been a valued member of staff for nearly 30 years, and we are fortunate enough to continue to retain her services. Miss Williams, owing to her brother’s blindness, has to live in London now, after 17 years at the OPS. She is at present at work at the Food Control Office, and made a pretty little speech, promising to do her best for our meat supply! I am sorry to say that war economy has compelled me to part with my dear macaws. Their cheerful bray and quaint ‘Form Fours’ and ‘Goodbye’ will no longer drown the voices of Mr Vassall and Miss Beevor, when conducting their attentive classes. I often long to go to Liverpool and buy them back! Polly and Joey I still happily retain to delight my little Lodge tea-parties. The Matron tells me that Miss Field has collected from the School more eggs than all the other contributors put together. The total for the last two terms is 1,813, and the grand total 6,749 since Mr Fletcher spoke to us in December 1916. Colonel Hoare talked to the boys about the War Savings Association, and a sum of about £40 was collected from the boys for “Destroyer Week.” The health of our boarders is an important concern for any housemaster and my brother, Hum Lynam, is providing some interesting “House Notes” for the ‘Draconian’: “On the whole we have been exceedingly fortunate in the matter of health, though early in the term we had cases of ‘flu’, and soon after half-term we started measles. The latter was limited to seven cases, all quite normal in character, and the epidemic ceased before the end of term… If the weighing machine is a good judge of health, it appears that the substitution of cereals and vegetables for a considerable percentage of meat food is all to the good. All boys, except three, increased in weight, some to an extraordinary degree; and several of these had lost weight in the Christmas holidays. The combination of magnificent weather, a short term and the ‘new’ feeding have kept the sick rooms practically empty, except for a few epidemic cases.” I fear that the events on the Western Front will over-shadow our holiday. It is clear now that the German Advance has been a significant one; indeed it seems we have now been driven back to where we were before the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Along with their families, I will be pleased to hear that our Old Boys have come through unscathed. The Summer Term will start on Tuesday 30th April. EggsInfluenzaMacawsMiss BagguleyMiss Williams March 24, 2018 dpdevitt Leave a comment Sous-Lieut. Noel Sergent (French Artillery) has been enjoying an interesting job as an ‘officier d’antenne’, receiving messages from aeroplanes and then transmitting them on to his Battery for action. He has written to tell of us of his first experience of flying: 13.3.18. 6th Groupe, Secteur 21. “While they were preparing, a young observer came up and offered me his warm things, which are a kind of combinagger which you put over your boots and bags and coat and everything, and button up down the front. It is fur-lined and is guaranteed to keep you warm at any temperature. Then he gave me his gloves and a fur-lined foot-bag, which I declined as it wasn’t cold, and a woolly cap, then an aviator’s helmet over the top and goggles. I felt like a diver with all that on, and climbing in was a bit of a job. The young hero [the pilot] got in first in front between between two hefty great motors, and I climbed in behind and sat on a kind of piano stool which slides backwards and forwards… Then he set the motor working and we manoeuvred into position with a mechanic hanging on to each wing, taking gigantic hops like a couple of fleas. Once in position, we stopped dead and the pilot told me to strap myself in and put on my goggles… He then set the two motors going full split and we got going fast (about 90 or 100 miles an hour) and before I knew where I was, I looked down and there was a map underneath. I had told the fellow I wanted to fly over the 6th Groupe so he did and came right down over the groupe and they all came out and waved their hands at me, and I dropped a message of good will saying that I was tired of war on earth and was migrating to the moon! Then we made for the lines and went up to about 600 metres and I observed our batteries until we got over the Yser, which is no man’s land – or rather water… We flew up and down the Yser for a bit and then my friend suddenly swooped down to 300 metres. The Germans didn’t like this, but we got away before their machine-guns got going properly… My word, you should have seen the houses of La Panne flying past. After that, as soon as we crossed the French frontier we went up again, then down to the Kennel. It was all great fun and the pilot was a very clever fellow… But the end of the story is that his Squadron Commander was at La Panne and saw us playing monkey tricks, so my friend got 18 days ‘arrêt de riguer.'” From what Noel says, it appears that he is stationed near the French/Belgian border – La Penne being on the coast not far from Dunkirk. The letter was written before the Germans launched their offensive on March 21st, and things may be less relaxed now, even if the main area of fighting is further south. The newspapers suggest that the German attacks are being resisted successfully. Sir Douglas Haig’s communiqué of Friday 22nd is reassuring of that: French ArtilleryNoel SergentRepton School Flight Sub-Lieut. Cyril Emmett (RNAS) Although there has been a lull in the fighting on the ground, the war in the air goes on unabated. It is with considerable regret that I have to inform you of the death of Cyril Emmett – the first of our Old Boys to have become a flying casualty. Having left Repton School, he joined the RNAS in May 1917 and proceeded with training to be a pilot. He was posted on January 17th to 12 Squadron at Dunkirk, where, we are told, he proved himself to be a very capable officer and a good pilot. The Squadron Commander has informed the family that Cyril did not die in aerial combat, but rather that it was a flying accident of the sort we too often read about. Last Friday (March 15th), he was taking off from the aerodrome when he experienced difficulties. “He appears to have choked his engine. He tried to regain the aerodrome, but crashed to the ground from a height of about 200 feet. On examination, the surgeon states skull fractured, that death must have been instantaneous.” He was buried the following day at the Town Cemetery in Dunkirk, the length of his service having been barely two months. His C.O wrote: 18/3/18 “I, in company with officers and men of his Squadron attended his funeral, which took place last Saturday afternoon, and as an appreciation of his sterling qualities this Squadron sent a large wreath.” Cyril was always so full of life and pluck that it was a joy to be with him. He was a merry and popular Dragon. Cyril EmmettRepton SchoolRNAS There has been much written on the Battle of Cambrai – a battle that started so well, yet ended in disappointment. It has certainly enhanced the reputation of the Indian troops, amongst whom is Capt. Regie Carr-White (Indian Army). He sent us a capital account of his experiences at Cambrai with Hodson’s Horse, including these remarks on the achievements of other Indian troops who fought there: “Later, we heard what the other cavalry regiments had done, and nothing beats what the 2nd Lancers (Indian Army) did. They charged German trenches mounted, and got into them with the lance, and some of their troops had to jump the wire. I admit the wire was low and the Germans hadn’t had time to rig up much, but in full marching order it was some feat… These Lancers had the heaviest casualties, and their casualties amongst the horses were enormous. I believe for days afterwards there were droves of horses wandering about grazing between the German and British lines. One feels sorrier for the horses than for the men, and a badly wounded horse is a beastly sight. The Guards’ Colonel, I believe, wrote to the Colonel of the other Indian cavalry regiment in our brigade and said ‘The Guards will be proud to fight alongside the Indian cavalry any old day’…” Some well-deserved recognition has now been recorded in the House of Lords (as reported yesterday in the ‘Daily Telegraph’): Regie’s admiration for the Indian troops knows no bounds: “Nobody takes into account the fact that they had just come from the Indian hot weather (120 degrees in the shade in some places) into cold which was unbearable to them. They had no real warm clothing, they had to put up with gas and shells and bombing such as they had never conceived, and every form of beastliness. After all, the majority when they join are very, very simple peasants, some have hardly ever been in a train… The men that went with Jack Smyth on his VC show, probably the bravest in this war, never flinched or turned back. The more I think of those first Indian Divisions that came to France, the more I am amazed at what they put up with and did. The Indian cavalry here in France haven’t had any leave for three years, and there is no doubt they are now very home-sick and longing to get back, but still they are as cheery as ever.” CambraiIndian ArmyIndian CavalryReggie Carr-WhiteRepton School Progress is being made on the matter of a War Memorial and the statement below will appear in the April edition of the ‘Draconian.’ A meeting was held on Thursday March 7th. Present were: Capt. WW Fisher CB MVO RN, Lieut.-Col W Collier RMAC, Capt. WT Collier MC RAMC, Lieut. SSG Leeson RNVR, Rev. LJ Percival, GC Vassall, AE Lynam, CC Lynam. The other members of the Committee, viz Lieut.-Col SC Taylor DSO, CRL Fletcher, EB Poulton, Capt. GC Drinkwater, Lieut. JCB Gamlen, F Sidgwick, Capt. TO Thompson RAMC and A Beresford Horsley could not attend. In choosing the Committee an endeavour was made to cover the years since the School came into existence. Mr Horsley, the father of four boys at present in the School, represents ‘the present time.’ Certain definite lines were discussed and approved. The objects of the War Memorial should be to inform and inspire present and future Dragons. The proposal of a building, whether Chapel or Hall, is open to objections: (a) it would require a larger sum of money than we could expect to receive, remembering that our boys are not drawn from the wealthy classes, (b) a building, except at enormous expense, could not be put up for several years after the war is ended, (c) though it might be a useful adjunct to the School, it would not fulfil the objects as stated above: it would be taken, in after times, as a natural part of the School buildings. There should be no possibility of the idea that the fund raised was for the pecuniary benefit of the School as a property – and this consideration rules out bursaries or exhibitions to be held by boys at the School. The Committee unanimously approved of the proposal that a sculptured Cross should be erected in a prominent place in the School grounds, with a pedestal on which the names of Old Boys and Masters who have given their lives in the cause of duty should be inscribed; and that books and albums should be provided which should give further information about them and their deeds. Any balance that remained might well go to aid the very useful Leaving Exhibition* fund, but this will be discussed again at a future meeting. It was hoped that all Old Boys or their parents would subscribe, rather than that a few should give large sums. As a result of subsequent conversations and correspondence, it was decided that some annual commemoration, in the way of an Encenia** should be held. It maybe added that Mr C Lynam FRIBA, FSA, the father of the present Headmaster, and the author of many works on Archaeology and an expert student of Old Crosses, has promised to give a design and description of a sculptured Cross. The drawings will be sent to the Old Boys and will appear in the ‘Draconian’. This does not, of course, imply that the particular design will necessarily be accepted. Any money received is invested in War Bonds, so as to be at the disposal of the Country. The fund currently stands at a sum of £263. * (The Leavers’ Exhibitions date back to 1908, when on being asked what I would like to mark my 50th birthday, I said I would much appreciate subscriptions to a Leavers’ Fund to enable me to give leaving exhibitions to help boys whose parents are not very well off to go to good public schools. The first such award was made to the future V.C. winner, Jack Smyth). ** (For those whose Greek is a little rusty, an Encenia is a festival of renewal). March 7, 2018 dpdevitt 1 Comment There has been a most welcome lull in the fighting in France, although we are led to believe that the Germans are planning a major offensive for the Spring. However, we have received the news that on January 20th 2nd Lieut. Edmund Fisher (RFA) was taken ill and was sent to No.8 General Hospital in Rouen. His letter is remarkably cheery, in the circumstances: “Here I am. Well, to begin with, my old friend indigestion on the march. The American doctor we have, tried valiantly, but eventually had to despatch me in a little ambulance. It was a job to get one that would do anything else but send one on. Eventually, after bumping about most of the day, a Central Clearing Station took me in. Next day, I was sent to the base and a journey of 12 hours in the train. Fairly crowded beds on the floors and then bang! I was dropped by exhausted bearers on this ward floor. Here all is well. I have been given the cosiest corner. The VADs and sisters are of the best and the other officers a good sample. No fever now. Je suis bien content.” Although Edmund considered himself “bien content”, the news the family received from the CCS dated January 21st was that he was seriously ill with appendicitis. Subsequently, Edmund has been transferred to the Lady Inchcapers Military Hospital, 7 Seamore Place in London on February 11th. (It is a small hospital with only 10 beds and is affiliated to Queen Alexandra’s Military Hospital in Millbank). We hope that he can now make a good recovery. Edmund FisherHaileybury CollegeRFA Lieut. Blake Budden (Middlesex), now interned in Holland, has written to us with an account of his time in captivity in Germany. He was, by chance, in Germany in July 1914 and on trying to leave, was refused a train ticket. “On the Wednesday before the War, i.e July 29th, I was refused a ticket at the station (Marburg) except to Cologne, and as I considered myself safer from arrest in a quiet little non-military town, I decided to stay where I was. I did this the more as I was sure that we should get the regulation 48 hours to leave the country. When I was arrested on the Wednesday, I was taken to a punishment cell in the barracks and personally, as you might say, I was well treated except by the Commandant, who told me that I was not fit to be on the pavement, but that the gutter was the proper place for me. They gave me a bed in my cell, but when I tried to go to sleep I was kept awake by a peculiar itching which I thought was gnats, but which on striking a match turned out to be bug bites. I had 52 of them, as I counted next morning. I complained and was removed to a civil prison, where I remained nearly a week, i.e until 11th August 1914. I think that I was then removed to Magdeburg, where I was placed in the civil prison where, with the slight exception that I did not have to work or clean my cell, I was treated exactly like a criminal, no smoking, no books, no company etc., three-quarters of an hour walk a day; up at 5.45 and bed at 7.30. During the day, my bed was folded against the wall and locked so that I could not use it. After five days of that, I was removed to the fortress and given a room with a Frenchman, who was taken away two days later and then I was kept in solitary confinement until Sept. 4th. By this time, my shoes were in holes and my linen in a pitiful state. I had the Bible and four German books, a Dictionary and a pocket Stevenson, and three hours’ walk a day in a small garden surrounded by high walls. The other prisoners, who were Belgians, were allowed to be together, but I was kept severely apart from them. This lasted until September 4th, when I went to Torgau, where I met almost all the British Officers who had not been seriously wounded, of whom I now find a very large number here. In Torgau I was not so hungry but in Magdeburg I was desperately so, and they gave me nothing but beer to drink, which made me ill. From Torgau I was sent to Halle, but before I went I had three rumours given me for being sent. Firstly that I was going to be shot, secondly that that I was going to be tried, and thirdly that I was going home. None of them was true. In Halle the conditions were appalling, especially the dirt and bad sanitary arrangements. On Oct. 14th we left for Celle and arrived at 8 pm on the 15th after an adventurous journey, in the course of which we got into a wrong camp and were nearly handled as ‘franc-tireurs‘. That would have been pretty ghastly too, I can tell you. As you know, I remained there until I got to Holland, with the exception of a few days spent at Ruhleben, where we were taken by mistake in Nov. 1915.” News of other Old Dragons in captivity is scant. Cyril King is also at Ruhleben, we think. It is believed that both Capt. William Leefe-Robinson (RFC) and Capt. Aubrey de Selincourt (RFC) are in the Holzminden Camp and 2nd Lieut. Peter Warren (RFC) is at Karlesruhe. Blake BuddenHalleRepton SchoolTorgau	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1072
__label__wiki	0.73098	0.73098	SLT and Mobitel together with the Ministry of Telecommunication and IT comes forward to assist flood victims in affected areas Sri Lanka Telecom and Mobitel, the nation’s leading Integrated communication services providers join hands with the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology to support the Disaster Management Centre to help victims hit by heavy rains and subsequent floods that have occurred in the northern and eastern parts of our country, especially in Kalkudai and Ampara areas. Sri Lanka Telecom and Mobitel believe that it is a responsibility of the company to support the government in its disaster relief efforts to help people stranded in flood affected areas. At a Press Conference held on 16th January regarding the government’s disaster relief efforts, Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology gave his comments, saying, “Due to the heavy rains and subsequent flooding that occurred during the past few weeks in the Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka, especially in the Pollonnaruwa and Madakalapuwa Districts, a large number of people living in those areas have been severely affected and displaced. Not only their homes and possessions were affected, but they have also lost their clothing and school books have also been destroyed. At such a time as this, I believe that it is our duty and responsibility to come forward and provide some sort of relief to our own brothers and sisters who have been affected by these floods. We would like to announce that the newly formed Ministry of Telecommunication and IT together with Sri Lanka Telecom and Mobitel, (two organizations that come under the purview of the Ministry of Telecommunications and IT) have embarked on disaster relief projects, which were commenced today, to provide essential items to the flood victims in affected areas.” The severe flooding has had a devastating impact on the general public and many SLT customers, and has also affected the company’s network, disrupting telephone services in these areas. The Company assures its customers and the public that SLT staff are working around the clock to restore services and to support national disaster relief efforts. The Disaster Recovery Management team of SLT is in the process of enabling all its regional offices and field maintenance centers as collection centers for essential goods for distribution to flood victims. The company, together with the Ministry of Telecommunication & IT and the Disaster Management Centre will co-ordinate the distribution of collected goods amongst the flood victims. SLT will maintain records of donors including their name, description of collected items, quantity and the name of the person handing over the items and the company will assume responsibility for the proper and safe storage of collected items until they are handed over to the relevant authorities for distribution. The company’s island wide offices will be open to receive goods from the public with effect from 17th January. SLT has also made telephone facilities available to the public at its island wide Regional Offices and also at the flood victim camps to enable essential telephone calls to be made ‘free-of-charge’ to and from camps, to enable people to communicate with their loved ones in affected areas, free of charge during this disaster situation. SLT and its fully owned subsidiary Mobitel will also encourage and enable our customers to donate by sending a text message from their Mobitel mobile phone or SLT CDMA fixed phone to the special number “5050”, the customer will be charged Rs 10 for each text message which will be matched Rupee for Rupee by SLT or Mobitel as the case may be and donated to the relief efforts. To donate, our customer simply needs to send the message donation@sltnet.lk to the special number 5050. Commenting on the flood situation in the country, and the role played by SLT in relief efforts, Nimal Welgama, Chairman of SLT said, “The recent flood situation is very disturbing and our hearts go out to the many families that have been affected. As the National Communication Provider, it is our responsibility to come forward and support our nation during this difficult time. The Disaster Recovery Team of SLT and all other SLT staff are working tirelessly to restore the communications network to provide maximum assistance and support to relief efforts and personnel.” Greg Young, Chief Executive Officer of SLT added, “We have watched with sadness and concern the devastating effects of these floods. SLT will do our maximum to help the people affected and the army, navy, police and air force personnel who are battling to provide urgent aid to flood victims in the country. We encourage our customers to consider donating to these relief efforts through our special text message program, details of how to contribute will be sent by text to all our Fixed CDMA and the Mobitel customers. In addition, SLT offices will be open to the public from 17th January to receive donations for distribution to flood victims and we urge donors to generously provide your support especially for priority needs such as clean water, food and clothes.”	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1073
__label__wiki	0.562103	0.562103	SUEZ wins a €72 million contract to improve the water distribution service in India Skyline of Mangalore city viewed from the St. Aloysius tower. Credit: Wikipedia As an expert in water and waste for 150 years that is present on the 5 continents, SUEZ harnesses all its capacity for innovation to work for the efficient and sustainable management of resources. TwitterLinkedInYoutubeWeb SUEZ has won the contract for the extension, rehabilitation and operation of the drinking water distribution system of the entire city of Mangalore, located 350 kilometers away from Bengaluru, the capital city of the State of Karnataka. This 11,5-year contract, worth €72 million for SUEZ, will ensure a 24/7 water supply for the city's 550,000 inhabitants. Mangalore is a large port city on the West Coast of India and a development hub for oil & gas, petrochemical and iron ore industries. It is one of the 108 Smart Cities designated by the Indian government to host technologies related to mobility, renewable energy, water and waste management to shape the Indian city of tomorrow. The new contract won by SUEZ is part of this policy. The objective of this 24/7 water supply project, financed by the Asian Development Bank, is to upgrade the entire distribution system to cater to demand as per the needs of the year 2036. The project includes the extension, rehabilitation and operation of the drinking water distribution system (tanks, water network, house connections, meters, valves, etc.) which covers an area of 132 km2, including 96,300 connections and a 2,148-km water distribution network. The works, which will last three years, cover the design and laying of 1,388-km of drinking water network and the design and construction of a filter house, clear water sump and pumping stations. This works phase will be followed by an eight-year period of operation and maintenance of the entire drinking water distribution system. SUEZ will also be responsible for improving the network’s performance, water quality and customer service through the creation of a 24/7 call center and customer agencies to provide a personal service and efficient resolution of requests and complaints. Ana Giros Calpe, SEVP Group-International (AMEI/Asia/Australia), Consulting, Indus. Key Accounts, said: "With a presence of more than 30 years in India, initially in the water treatment infrastructure market, SUEZ has successfully diversified its activities into the water services market with a first contract in 2012 for the improvement of drinking water distribution and services for Malviya Nagar district, New Delhi. Since then, in this field, SUEZ has had solid references in this market, where we now bring our expertise to major cities such as Kolkata, Davanagere, Coimbatore, Udupi and Puttur. Today, we are proud to partner with Mangalore City Corporation initiating this project to improve drinking water services that will benefit its rapidly growing population in the long term." 07/01/2020 · Business · 118 SUEZ renews contract to operate one of the largest wastewater recycling plants in US 02/01/2020 · Business · 45 SUEZ is awarded a contract for producing and distributing drinking water in Senegal SUEZ expands its ultrafiltration Global Membrane Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Hungary SUEZ wins two water contracts in Southeast Asia Bertrand Camus announces SUEZ's new organization Suez deploys digital solutions to optimise drinking water networks in Qatar and in Oman 29/11/2019 · Waterpeople · 76 Jean-Louis Chaussade confirms he will leave SUEZ Board 28/11/2019 · Waterpeople · 252 Marie-Ange Debon to leave SUEZ group Suez wins $78 million contract in Connecticut, U.S. SUEZ wins the contract to manage the sewage treatment infrastructure at the City of Lucknow, India SUEZ takes a minority share in Inflowmatix SUEZ recycles wastewater in Cap d’Agde, France Suez wins c. €1 billion wastewater treatment contract in Dongying chemical industry park in China SUEZ signs 7 new contracts in the management of industrial water 05/09/2019 · Business · 129 1 Nadine Leslie named to lead Suez North America Flander's leading water operator water-link adopts Suez software INCLAM Group Manuel Gomez del Pino	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1074
__label__wiki	0.854662	0.854662	Current Transaction Announcements Stephens Investment Banking served as exclusive financial advisor to ABCFinancial on its pending sale to ThomaBravo Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager for Camping World Holdings’ $271 million secondary offering. (click here for a company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager for GMS, Inc.’s $165 million secondary offering. (click here for company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager for Camping World Holdings, Inc.’s common stock offering. (click here for company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager for TrueCar, Inc.’s common stock offering. (click here for a company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager for GMS Inc.’s $203 million secondary offering. (click here for a company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager for Foundation Building Materials, Inc.’s $179mm initial public offering. (click here for a company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a bookrunner for Abraxas Petroleum Corporation’s $60.0mm follow-on offering. (click here for a company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager for Keane Group Holdings’ initial public offering. (click here for a company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager for Carolina Financial’s $44.0mm follow-on offering. (click here for a company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager Callon Petroleum Company’s $656.0mm follow-on offering. (click here for a company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager for Genesee & Wyoming Inc’s $300.0mm follow-on offering. (click here for a company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a bookrunner for DXP Enterprises, Inc.’s $42.6mm follow-on offering. (click here for a company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager for Forterra, Inc.’s $331.6mm initial public offering. (click here for a company press release) Stephens Investment Banking served as a co-manager for RSP Permian Inc.'s $874.5mm follow-on offering. (click here for a company press release) The announcements on this page shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. The announcements do not purport to contain a complete description of the securities, markets or developments referenced therein. With respect to announcements regarding registered offerings of securities, registration statements relating to such securities have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and declared effective as set forth in the press release applicable to such securities. Offerings of registered securities will be made only by means of the prospectus described in the applicable press release, copies of which may be obtained, when available, from Stephens Inc., Attn: Syndicate Desk, 111 Center Street, Little Rock, AR 72201. With respect to announcements regarding unregistered offerings of securities, the securities to be offered have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and applicable state securities laws.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1081
__label__wiki	0.900947	0.900947	After countless scandals, can Vince Tyra save Louisville? Pat Forde July 12, 2019, 5:46 AM UTC Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra speaks to the media during a press conference. (AP) LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Vince Tyra was a lot of things before he became the Louisville athletic director — he was a collegiate pitcher of some renown, a businessman in myriad roles, even an amateur sports writer. On Sunday mornings during the college football season, Tyra would assume his alter ego, Pigskin Pete, and type out barb-laced comedic recaps of games played by the alma maters of his colleagues at Broder Bros., a sporting-goods distributor. Tyra, the CEO of the company, would bang out articles that spoofed several teams, coaches and players, then distribute them to his buddies via email. “I did that for a long time,” the 53-year-old Tyra said, sitting in a conference room outside his office on the Louisville campus earlier this month. “It became a Sunday morning deadline, I had to get the article out. I’ve since moved on from that job.” Tyra’s job now is to craft an altogether different story, one of redemption for the tarnished Louisville Cardinals. It could be a tough plot line to pull off. The story arc could well depend on how the NCAA deals with what could be the most controversial of all the cases to come out of the federal investigation of college basketball. The NCAA will be tasked with finding a balance between crediting the Cardinals for a complete leadership overhaul and crushing the Cardinals for back-to-back major scandals. Tyra, an athletic administration outsider until 21 months ago, is trying to tip that balance in favor of his school. Louisville and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member North Carolina State figure to be the litmus tests for schools that have turned over their athletic administration since the federal corruption investigation broke in 2017. Both schools have new leadership in athletics and in the basketball office, but could still be vulnerable to institutional penalties that impact them. The eternal question of the fairness of punishing players and coaches who weren’t involved in the violations will inevitably be raised. No school acted more decisively than Louisville in response to being implicated in the federal corruption scandal. But then again, no school needed to more than Louisville. When Tyra holds organizational meetings with his athletic staff, he always begins it with a reminder: “We are on probation. Not the basketball program, the whole department.” This is Louisville’s inconvenient truth. This is Louisville’s compromised position. This is the reality the school is trying to push into the past, even as it continues to loom over the future. The Cardinals were hammered by the NCAA in June 2017 for the infamous strippers-and-prostitutes parties in an on-campus dorm that were arranged for recruits and players by staffer Andre McGee. Sanctions included vacating the 2013 national men’s basketball championship, leaving Louisville with the ignominious distinction of being the first school to lose a men’s hoops national title via scandal. Legendary coach Rick Pitino also was hit with a five-game suspension for the 2017-18 season, a penalty he opposed bitterly. The school already had self-imposed a postseason ban on the 2016-17 team, hoping that would mitigate the NCAA’s penalties, but it didn’t. That was bad. What came out some three months after that NCAA ruling made the situation much, much worse. When the FBI and the Southern District of New York began spilling forth the contents of its investigation into corruption in college basketball on Sept. 26, 2017, it didn’t take long to identify the school referred to in the federal indictment as “University-6.” That was Louisville, and its involvement in this sting operation was a disaster. The feds alleged that a deal was struck between Louisville, apparel company Adidas and recruit Brian Bowen to become a Cardinal in exchange for $100,000. An FBI wiretap also recorded Louisville assistant Jordan Fair discussing arrangements for a deal for another recruit, who did not sign with the school. (In a trial a year later, Bowen’s father said he received $1,300 from Cardinals assistant Kenny Johnson, and prosecutors said Fair gave $900 to another, unnamed recruit.) This sudden immersion in repeat NCAA offender territory left Louisville little choice but to act quickly and drastically. Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino and powerful athletic director Tom Jurich, who had transformed the athletic department into one worthy of inclusion in the ACC, were placed on administrative leave the day after the feds announced their investigation. Both were fired shortly thereafter. Into this chasm of a leadership void stepped Tyra, who had never worked in college athletic administration. Most figured he would hold the job for a matter of weeks, maybe months. But by March 2018, the son of an all-time Louisville basketball great, Charlie Tyra, was taking on the job full-time. By then, he had already started envisioning the roadmap back to respectability. Part of that journey was a meeting in late 2017 with NCAA brass, wherein Tyra stated his case to president Mark Emmert, general counsel Donald Remy and then-vice president Oliver Luck, who oversaw Enforcement. “These are the steps we’re going to take to be a different poster child — for the good, not the bad,” Tyra told them. “We’re going to run a clean program and we’re going to teach that.” Tyra has followed up that intent with action. He’s not just talked in vague platitudes; he’s gotten specific and gotten busy. In a gesture of commitment to balancing Louisville’s athletic budget, Tyra cut his own 2017-18 salary by $350,000. “We got rid of some wants versus some needs,” he said. That was part of a restructuring that included getting rid of some staff, including three high-ranking athletic department members — most notably Tom Jurich’s son, Mark. Last October, Tyra ponied up $100,000 more of his own money to start an Ethical Leadership Excellence Program via the U of L business school. Of note: Adidas is kicking in $1 million over 10 years to the project. That communion of the scandal-scarred was greeted by more than a few jokes around the college athletic landscape — of all entities to be partnering to promote ethical leadership? Tyra bristled at the mockery. This is part of that plan to become a poster child for good. “Winning through virtues,” he said. “I personally invested to start that.” The commitment to compliance has translated to written goals. Tyra had a goal sheet printed that has this as its No. 1 objective: “At the end of 2023, the University of Louisville athletic department will be able to say that, in the past three years, there have been no Level I or Level II NCAA violations by anyone affiliated with the department.” Of course, NCAA judgement figures to be handed down long before anyone knows whether that goal is met. Louisville does not appear to be at the front end of the NCAA’s enforcement pipeline of cases. More notices of allegations are coming in relative short order, but Tyra said that no investigators have come to campus for interviews. Nothing appears imminent — but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to worry about. “We don’t know what we don’t know,” Tyra said. “What we do know, internally, we’re comfortable with. But I don’t know that you ever feel total comfort when you’re dealing with these scenarios — and, more importantly, how the NCAA intends to handle it.” How the NCAA handles Louisville — the most proactive of all scandal-implicated schools, but also the most compromised — will be a fascinating case. Vince Tyra is doing his best to write a happy ending, but the outcome seems far beyond his control. OBJ challenges top QBs with jaw-dropping throw Strip club event at Trump golf club canceled 'Robot umpires' debut in baseball league Chargers star wants new deal, makes sudden threat	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1086
__label__cc	0.571504	0.428496	Independent Review of Learning Disability and Autism in the Mental Health Act Final consultation – Stage 3 of the review Response by Social Work Scotland Social Work Scotland is the professional body for social work leaders, working closely with our partners to shape policy and practice within social services. We welcome the intention to review and reform mental health legislation in Scotland, and we are grateful for this opportunity to comment on stage 3 of the independent review of Learning Disability and Autism in the Mental Health Act. We offer a response to the following areas within the consultation document, and we are happy for the review to publish our response. What Scotland needs to do We think that Scotland’s mental health law needs to change for autistic people and people with learning disability. We think that the law needs to change to comply with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We also think that it needs to change to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights in full. Social Work Scotland fully supports the approach taken by the review to embed human rights into mental health legislation in Scotland, and we consider the emphasis on the human rights principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) vital and welcome. We appreciate that the changes put forward by the independent review are progressive and ambitious, and we would support the review’s aspirations at this stage. We would wish to emphasise that the practical implications are significant, particularly given the existing economic, workforce and organisational challenges facing Health and Social Care Partnerships, and we put forward our views on this in later sections of the response. Implementation of such transformational change needs to be practical, workable and sensible, and should enable people, their carers, family, and professionals to build positive relationships and enhance lives. We understand that the independent review of Learning Disability and Autism in the Mental Health Act will feed into the review of mental health legislation, chaired by John Scott QC. We look forward to considering the findings and recommendations that emerge from this wider review, particularly in relation to the lived experience of legal compulsion. How we understand autism, learning disability and mental health We suggest that Scotland needs to move to understanding autism and learning disability as disabilities, not as mental disorders. We think that Scotland’s mental health services for autistic people and people with learning disability need to move to a human rights culture. In Scots law, everyone is presumed to have legal capacity. We suggest that it should not be possible to challenge the legal capacity of autistic people or people with learning disability. Social Work Scotland is of the view that people with learning disability and autism are not well served by the existing legal definition of disorder, and wholeheartedly agrees that autism and learning disabilities should be defined as impairments and disabilities and not as mental disorders. Disability is a better signifier for understanding experiences and life aspirations, and identifying the best social, economic and cultural supports for people with lifelong impairments. This change in definition will require a significant and profound shift in professional and legal understanding towards the social model of disability. The principle that disability results from the interplay of the person’s impairment with disabling social and environmental factors, rather than residing wholly with the person, should thread through the wider review of mental health legislation and beyond. The notion of reciprocity embedded in the current Act will become all the more significant. Despite the definition of ‘treatment’ under the current Act including non-medical intervention such as accommodation and personal support, we consider the current Act reinforces the medical model, whereas the national learning disability strategy, Keys to Life complies fundamentally with a rights based approach. A core component of social work practice is understanding and enabling reasonable risk in order to support people to live full, interesting and self-determined lives. We understand the issues inherent in balancing risks and rights. We recognise that in order to support reasonable risk, professionals have to intervene early in the problem trajectory before a crisis escalates. This requires accessible and well-structured resources, a suitably trained workforce, and timely local service responses. Support for decision making We suggest that Scotland should make change to comply in full with a key right in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the right to equal recognition before the law. To make it possible for autistic people and people with learning disability to have and use their legal capacity, Scotland would have to give strong support for decision making. We make a range of suggestions on how this support should be set up. We also discuss how we think decisions should be made on psychological interventions, psychotropic medication, and at times of crisis. Social Work Scotland fully supports the position that people with learning disability and with autism should enjoy the same rights as all. Supported decision making should be made available to realise their right to make decisions. There are wide ranging implications in taking this position, which include review of. the Adults with Incapacity Act under the wider legislative review, the development of new models of practice across social work and health, and analysis of resource and workforce implications. We agree with the statements made about the role of the unpaid carer. However there should be acknowledgment that there can be a need to navigate complex differences of view within families about the best option for the person with disability. We understand that the wider Scott review will address adults with incapacity legislation, and look forward to considering this in due course. Social Work Scotland fully endorses the principles of advocacy, however offering advocacy on an opt-out basis would be significantly challenging. The current supply of independent advocacy barely covers basic statutory duties. There is a difficulty in recruiting volunteer advocates. In some areas, due to short supply, only instructed advocacy is undertaken by advocacy providers. It would require considerable additional strategic investment to rectify the shortfall, in the context of existing health and social care financial and workforce challenges. We do not think that the Mental Health Tribunal is an appropriate route to deal with breaches of human rights. The MHT’s focus and expertise is to support the current Act. If we intend to move away from disorder to human rights, then this requires a more appropriate and competent route to dealing with human rights issues. We suggest that there is consideration given to developing a separate system to address this. Social Work Scotland supports the suggestion that a duty is placed on professionals to demonstrate that they have taken reasonable steps to support decision making. We support the use of evidence-based, adapted psychological therapies, and agree that more work needs to be done to understand prescribing practices. We agree with the principle that a person’s human rights, will and preference should be supported even in times of crisis, although there are significant challenges to support this if risk has escalated. Social Work Scotland supports the development of a model of ‘safe places’. We would ideally want to intervene early to prevent crisis from occurring or escalating. We understand less well what secure support centres would look like in practice. We understand it to be an alternative to hospital provision. Whilst we would agree that mainstream mental health inpatient provision is not suitable for people with learning disability or autism, alternative provision will be significantly resource intensive. Support, care and treatment We suggest that autistic people and people with learning disability should be given rights in law to have access to the support, care and treatment that they need. We also makes suggestions on how support, care and treatment could be provided for women, children and offenders, in ways that respect human rights. We discuss some duties that would need to be placed on public authorities to make these rights real. Social Work Scotland supports the legal access to support, care and treatment on the understanding that considerable attention is required as to how this will be implemented in practice. Social Work Scotland supports the assertion that autism is not well understood across mental health and wider health and social care services, however we would question the need to set up a standalone national autism service. We agree with the statements made by the review about the need to address discriminatory practice; and we support the application of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as an additional mechanism to secure rights for children and learning disability and with autism. The complexity of overlapping legislation can obscure some key developments and interrelated duties and graphic representation of legislation that must be considered can be helpful for practitioners. For example, The Scottish Transitions Forum provides an illustration at transitional ages and stages[1]. We agree that the changes should apply equally to people who offend, and think that the justice system should allow advice and support to be provided at an earlier stage in the process to avoid unnecessary trauma to the individual or inappropriate court disposals. Where support, care and treatment happens We suggest that there should be a shift towards voluntary support and care that emphasises social support and care. We suggest a shift away from compulsory treatment in hospitals that emphasise medical treatment. We suggest places where support, care and treatment should happen. This includes a new type of service which we call secure support centres. Social Work Scotland agrees with the statement that there should be a shift towards voluntary social support and care away from compulsion, and we welcome the suggestion of the safe places model. However, we think that there is a lack of reflection in the report of the significant operational challenges of supporting people with challenging behaviour in community settings, of the inherent complexity of support people through transitions, demographic changes and the pressures on resources. We would emphasise that the consequences of introducing the progressive approach outlined in the report with insufficient resources and untested or unworkable models of practice would be catastrophic. We would like to understand what is envisaged for rural and island geographies. We are not attracted to the suggested secure support services model and it is not clear how the review envisages the use of such centres. There would appear to be a contradiction in section 5.3 regarding the end of compulsory treatment in hospital for people with learning disability and autism, yet supporting the detention in specialist secure support centres. The distinction between hospital and secure centre is unclear. We think that determined focus and resourcing of the right community resources to meet individuals’ needs would mitigate the need for secure care provision. Our experience of similar provision (e.g. health care houses) is that they become full almost immediately and that there is a lack of adequate and appropriate specialist resources available for long term support and care. How professionals make decisions We suggest that Scotland should make changes to move closer to compliance with the right to liberty and security. This is another key right in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We suggest that Scotland is not yet ready to end all detention on the basis of disability, or all compulsory treatment, in a safe way. We suggest that human rights assessments should be the basis for all professional decision making for autistic people and people with learning disability. We suggest new roles for a broad range of professionals. Social Work Scotland recognises that the matter of supported or substitute decision making is complex and it is challenging to consider how we can respect and comply with human rights in a practical and straightforward way. Whilst we think that the concept of Human Rights Assessment as a proportionality test is not sufficiently clarified in the report, we do not think that it requires a specialist social worker i.e. Mental Health Officer to undertake a Human Rights Assessment. Social work as a profession already has embedded the purpose of supporting human rights in its values and codes of practice[2], and it would be within the competence of social workers to carry out the type of human rights based assessment outlined in section 6.1. It has been recognised that the role of the MHO is under pressure across Scotland with insufficient capacity to meet current duties and demands. The proposal does not have the support of Social Work Scotland’s Mental Health Officer group as it is thought to be impractical for an already overstretched group of professionals. As noted earlier, we consider there to be a mismatch in assigning a human rights role to the Mental Health Tribunal, and would suggest that challenges to human rights should be considered in a separate forum. We agree that the disability experienced by many people is in large part due to societal inadequacies, and that ideally the right kind and level of support should be available to all who need it. However, we also believe that the provision of this level of support is impractical in the current economic situation. We would support a move towards reducing the use of compulsory treatment and deprivation of liberty while accepting that this may still be required to keep people safe. The future criteria outlined on p83 needs to be further clarified and developed into a workable process. We are concerned about how the future criteria can be constructed as to be evidenced. It is not clear how the process would work in practice, for example how a human rights assessment could be carried out quickly so as to allow protective intervention for a person in crisis. As noted previously, Human Rights Assessments could be undertaken by the social worker or other professional care managers if provided with additional training (section 6.3). We would support the intention to provide additional education on autism and learning disabilities. This is already included in social work training to a certain extent. It would be difficult to ensure that all students received more intensive training within their basic qualification curriculum. Again, there would be a significant resource implication. We do not agree with the statement that Mental Health Officers would need to be employed independently of social work departments. MHOs are independent professionals who currently must be employed by a local authority. We would question how they could be employed other than within a statutory social work service. We agree that social work should have a more central remit in the support, care and treatment of people with autism and learning disability, and we support the use of Chief Social Work Officers, rather than Chief Officers, in the role of Responsible Officer. How decisions are monitored We think that Scotland needs mental health law and services based on human rights. We think that autistic people and people with learning disability should be routinely involved in developing, implementing and monitoring the law and services. We suggest that the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland and the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland should be more authority to protect the rights of autistic people and people with learning disability. We make a range of suggestions on how human rights should be monitored. Social Work Scotland is supportive of the intention to strengthen monitoring and regulatory scrutiny in order to ensure compliance with human rights. However, as previously noted, Social Work Scotland is unconvinced about the increase in role and remit for existing mental health bodies given the intention to remove learning disability and autism from the mental health act. We think that the roles of other monitoring bodies (Care Inspectorate, SSSC, local authority complaints systems) need also to be determined. We suggest changes to make the criminal justice system fairer for autistic people and people with learning disability. We suggest that Scotland uses ‘intermediaries’ to support suspects and defendants who have communication impairment. We suggest a change to how disability is understood in criminal law. This change could make it possible for person to be held responsible for an offence, but also to have adapted consequences that take account of the person’s disability. We suggest that punishment, treatment and support to stop offending should be clearly separated out in law for autistic offenders and offenders with learning disability. We suggest that punishment should not be longer for these offenders than for any other offenders. Social Work Scotland is broadly supportive of the principles set out in sections 8 and 9, with the aforementioned caveat regarding adequate resourcing. We would like to see more explanation of how this sits within the wider forensic, court, and prison system. We agree with the intention to make the justice system fairer for autistic people and people with learning disabilities. We regard the suggested use of intermediaries as a positive step to be scoped and defined, while at the same time note some of the current challenges and recommendations as outlined in the research by SOLD/ARC Scotland (2015)[3]. While this intention to change how disability is understood in criminal law appears laudable and congruent with an effective, balanced and fair system, we would need to be able to see how this would be achieved in order to comment, given the complexity of inter-related impairments in functioning and capacity, some of which may be difficult to delineate/diagnose with indisputable clarity. Separating out punishment, treatment and support makes sense as an intention, however, we would need to see the detail of how such clarity of categorised action would be delineated. Although in many instances custodial punishment diminishes capacity to change, some punishment can influence positive behaviour change by means of deterrence/understanding of boundaries and consequences. Some alternatives disposals are therapeutic, and some people experience some therapies as punitive or restrictive. In short, there is not a binary option of punishment or treatment. There is likely to be a continuum in which some disposals are simply punitive and others are simply therapeutic but in many instances a balance of punitive and therapeutic intention and impact are played out. All compulsory options and disposals must be proportionate, safe for the public, effective (on balance of probability from evidence about approaches and assessment of the person) and not significantly harmful for the person in terms of long term further impairment of health and development. The suggestion that punishment should not be proportionately longer, is extremely complex territory to which to respond. In general, we agree with the suggestion but have concerns about the confidence with which you will be able to categorise types where a combination of conditions, factors and impairments are present. There may be instances in which the combination of factors that includes impaired capacity due to learning disabilities or affected by autism increases the likelihood of repeated and seriously harmful behaviours. Might this not affect disposal in some situations, with due assessment and attention to capacity, needs, rights, the ability to treat etc? Where support, care and treatment happens for offenders We suggest that rehabilitation should usually happen in the community, for offences that would usually lead to community rehabilitation for anyone else. We suggest that offenders should usually be given support, care or treatment in the community or in rehabilitation centres, not in hospitals. We suggest that prison should only be used for autistic offenders or offenders with learning disability when it is specially designed or adapted to meet the person’s needs. We agree that rehabilitation should usually happen in the community when this safely achievable The location for support, care and treatment depends on the nature and consequences of the behaviour; the safety of the public; existence of appropriate resources relative to the needs and capacity to change of the individual; and the effect of the disposal in relative terms with each option. In principle we agree that specially designed or adapted prison settings would be ideal. We would be more confident about this response when we understand the range of adaptations under consideration. There is no mention of the role of the Appropriate Adult in the report. We note that the Appropriate Adults scheme will require to be redesigned to comply with a human rights approach, and the scheme tailored to fit with redesigned operational systems required for the new approach. 10. What this means for the law We suggest that autism and learning disability should no longer be defined as ‘mental disorders’ in Scotland’s Mental Health Act. We suggest that Scotland develops a new law to give ‘positive rights’ for support, care and treatment to autistic people and people with learning disability. We give a summary of the changes that we are suggesting for criminal law. We suggest how Scotland might prepare to end detention on the basis of disability, and to end compulsory treatment, at some time in the future. Social Work Scotland supports the position that learning disability and autism should no longer be defined as mental disorders. [1] https://scottishtransitions.org.uk/flowchart/legislation-flowchart-2nd-edition-2/ [2] https://www.sssc.uk.com/the-scottish-social-services-council/sssc-codes-of-practice/ [3] https://arcscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/criminal-justice-pathway.pdf	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1097
__label__cc	0.605666	0.394334	How Reading App Caribu Makes Bedtime Stories High-Tech Adam Rowe December 8th 2016 10:30 am Reading to your little one before bed is a time honored tradition. But with more and more parents being forced to travel away from their children for any myriad of reasons, finding a way to keep up the tradition is harder than ever. Fortunately, one app is trying to change that. Caribu is a reading app designed to foster long-distance relationships, by allowing a child and a parent to see each other through a live video stream while reading a children's book together. The app syncs everything, making sure that family members are all literally on the same page, and even offers interactive treats like connect-the-dot puzzles. It's an elegant solution to a problem common to today's world: connecting with people over a long distance. We were lucky enough to interview Caribu's CEO Maxeme Tuchman alongside cofounder and CTO Alvaro Sabido to learn more about the app's birth and evolution. You have a unique app. How did you get Caribu started? Alvaro: “Caribu was born out of Imperial College in London and it was inspired by a photo of a soldier trying to read a story to his child by holding up a storybook to his laptop’s webcam. My experience having moved countries often as a child and being read to every day motivated me on a personal level to try and solve a situation that has become commonplace. After winning both the Master’s and the MBA’s business plan competitions receiving prize money and very positive feedback from the judges panel, we decided to go ahead and try to turn this concept into the best experience we could. Four of us from our study group came on board as the original founders and we launched the first version of Caribu in January 2014. Shortly after, we were accepted into Microsoft Venture’s London accelerator and the UKTI Sirius Programme where we received mentorship and office space for the next year which helped us grow and establish valuable relationships with our partners.” What were some challenges you overcame along the way? Alvaro: “One of our greatest challenges was finding a voice for our brand. We were four men in their 20s and, while having the right skill set to produce a great product our customers loved, we had a hard time gaining insight into our customer’s needs as we ourselves were not the target demographic. Another challenge we faced was acquiring and curating quality content. Caribu allows customers to purchase books inside it’s in-app bookstore. We were aware that, being in the early childhood storybook market, recognizable brands are on the top of the drivers for purchases and recommendation. We were only able to partner with smaller independent publishers at first because the larger brands required either a very large user count or a very large upfront payment. Our big break came late 2014 when we brought Mattel on board alongside four of their most recognized brands including Thomas the Tank which marked a turning point in our credibility within the publishing world and our growth as a platform for the best quality storybooks.” Could you share the coolest moment you've experienced as CEO of Caribu? Maxeme: “There have been a lot of great moments since joining the company in August but I’d have to say that my favorite was reading a book with Asher. Asher is the oldest of three kids (he’s 7). His dad is in the military and they live on base. His grandparents live in Nevada and he’s a struggling reader. It felt like we had built this app for him! We both added each other as friends and we started reading a book. His eyes lit up as he started sounding out words. He loved the video feature and started running around the house to have his little sister say hi to me. He challenged her to read a page and helped her along. He then ran to his mom to tell her he wanted to read a book with Nanna next. She grabbed the iPad and was like ‘How did you do that!? He hates to read! He struggles with it and never wants to read with everyone. Now he wants to read with Grandma!?' This is what we do.” What are your future plans? Maxeme: “Our first step is to introduce Caribu to the U.S. market. Being ‘born' in the UK has made Caribu a new resource to U.S. families and we want to make sure people in our target markets know about it. The app is pretty helpful for parents who work late or travel often, parents who are deployed in the military, divorced parents, aunts and uncles that want to stay in touch, and of course grandparents that live far away. After that, we want to move into the literacy market. I’ve been working in the education space for about 15 years and there is nothing more important than early childhood literacy. Our platform already lends itself perfectly to increasing the amount of time kids are reading and being read to so it’ll be a natural progression to now work on increasing literacy skills.” Have any advice for a newbie app developer hoping to follow a path similar to yours? Alvaro: “My advice would be to be optimistic about your vision but measure everything so you can make informed decisions every step of the way and know for sure if your idea is going in the right direction. Know that it will be difficult. Often, people seem to forget the difference between the momentary ‘fun' part of building an app and the unavoidable reality of needing to manage a company with all the responsibilities that come with it. If you are a technical founder, I would advise to find a partner with a complementary skill set that understands the intricacies of managing a business.” Maxeme: “Just to echo that last point… Alvaro and I both have business degrees but he’s the technical genius. Bringing me on to run the business side helps him focus on what he needs to do to keep the app updated and responsive to our customer’s needs. We've gotten a ton of positive feedback from investors about his ability to recognize that us joining forces is the catalyst that will take Caribu to the next level.” Adam Rowe @AdamRRowe Adam is a writer at Tech.co and has worked as a tech writer, blogger and copy editor for the last decade. He's also a Forbes Contributor on the publishing industry (and Digital Book World 2018 award finalist) and has appeared in publications including Popular Mechanics and IDG Connect. When not glued to TechMeme, he loves obsessing over 1970s sci-fi art.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1099
__label__wiki	0.956077	0.956077	Welcome to the December 3, 2014 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for IT professionals three times a week. Updated versions of the ACM TechNews mobile apps are available for Android phones and tablets (click here) and for iPhones (click here) and iPads (click here). Reinventing the Internet to Make It Safer See It, Touch It, Feel It Stephen Hawking Warns Artificial Intelligence Could End Mankind NSA Releases Open Source Tool for High-Volume Data Flows CCC BRAIN Workshop--A Neuroscientist's Perspective MIT Engineers Have High Hopes for Cheetah Robot UNSW Researchers Aim to Secure Smartwatches for e-Health Computer Equal to or Better Than Humans at Cataloging Science Study Suggests Encouraging STEM Classes Triggers Interest in College Students Bitcoin Lets Users Avoid Censorship Brain Inspired Data Engineering Firmer Footing for Robots With Smart Walking Sticks Artificial Intelligence and Life Beyond the Algorithm: Alan Turing and the Future of Computing The New York Times (12/02/14) Nicole Perlroth A research program that began as an effort to discover what an Internet built from the ground up today might look like has spawned innovations that companies are using to improve the security of the Internet. Five years ago, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launched the Clean Slate program to conceptualize computer systems built from the ground up with modern security insights. Clean Slate consists of the Clean-Slate Design of Resilient, Adaptive, Secure Hosts (CRASH) program, which focuses on designing systems that are hard to breach and have the ability to operate and heal themselves when compromised; and the Mission-Oriented Resilient Clouds program, which aims to build similar computer networking and cloud computing systems. The Clean Slate projects are now wrapping up and have yielded some innovations with commercial potential. Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Howard E. Shrobe, who oversaw Clean Slate until last year, highlights the CRASH program's Clean Slate Trustworthy Secure Research and Development project, which uses software and other technologies to run computers in a "safe mode" designed to protect them from cyberattacks exploiting buffer overflows. "It was always my intent to offer a menu of technical options that companies who make computers and computer software could introduce into the commercial stream," Shrobe says. "We're beginning to see some of that work take effect now." View Full Article - May Require Free Registration \| Return to Headlines \| Share University of Bristol News (12/02/14) University of Bristol researchers have developed a method to produce three-dimensional (3D) shapes that can be felt in mid-air. The researchers say their method could change the way 3D shapes are used, enabling surgeons to explore a computed tomography (CT) scan by enabling them to feel a disease using haptic feedback. The new method uses ultrasound, which is focused onto hands above the device and can be felt by the user. The device focuses complex patterns of ultrasound, which causes air disturbances that can be seen as floating 3D shapes. The method also involves directing the device at a thin layer of oil so the depressions in the surface can be seen as spots when illuminated by a lamp. The system generates an invisible 3D shape that can be added to 3D displays to create an object that can be seen and felt. "Touchable holograms, immersive virtual reality that you can feel and complex touchable controls in free space, are all possible ways of using this system," says University of Bristol researcher Ben Long. "In the future, people could feel holograms of objects that would not otherwise be touchable, such as feeling the differences between materials in a CT scan or understanding the shapes of artifacts in a museum." The research will be presented at this week's SIGGRAPH Asia 2014 conference in Shenzhen, China. View Full Article \| Return to Headlines \| Share BBC News (12/02/14) Rory Cellan-Jones Responding to questions about an update to the system he uses to communicate, British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking says he worries about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. Hawking was being interviewed by the BBC about the new system he is using to help him communicate, which incorporates artificial intelligence in the form of machine-learning techniques. Hawking says although artificial intelligence is yielding many useful and positive advancements, such as his text-to-speech system, he fears more advanced technology, which could match or surpass human intelligence, might threaten the human species. "It would take off on its own, and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate," Hawking says. "Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn't compete and would be superseded." He is the latest scientific luminary to raise concerns about artificial intelligence. Earlier this year Elon Musk caused a stir when he called artificial intelligence "our biggest existential threat." In the interview, Hawking also discussed the potential dangers of the Internet, in particular the need for Internet companies to balance the privacy and freedom of users with the need for greater security. Government Computer News (12/01/14) Private-sector programmers have an opportunity to examine and improve the code for the U.S. National Security Agency's (NSA) Niagarafiles (Nifi) data flow system. NSA has released the code for Nifi, which automates data flows among multiple computer networks, even when data formats and protocols differ. Based on the concepts of flow-based programming, Nifi is designed to manage data flow in massive distributed computing systems operated by many teams and organizations. Nifi "provides a way to prioritize data flows more effectively and get rid of artificial delays in identifying and transmitting critical information," says lead Nifi developer Joseph L. Witt. NSA says the tool could potentially enable organizations to quickly control, manage, and analyze the flow of information from geographically dispersed sites, thus creating comprehensive situational awareness. Programmers could improve Nifi with additional enhancements and applications, according to the agency. NSA has made the Nifi code available through the Apache Software Foundation. "We use open source releases to move technology from the lab to the marketplace, making state-of-the-art technology more widely available and aiming to accelerate U.S. economic growth," says NSA's Linda L. Burger. CCC Blog (12/01/14) Martin Wiener; Helen Vasaly The Computing Community Consortium and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) are hosting a workshop in Washington, D.C., this week that brings together computer scientists and neuroscientists to discuss issues surrounding the interface between the neural and computing sciences. The scientists will discuss the intersections of neural research and machine learning, the limits of computer science imposed by human perception and cognition, cortical processing models, and efforts to connect the latest in neuroscience and neural computing. All of the talks will be live-streamed to the public. NSF's Martin Wiener says the event will help build on existing successful collaborations between the neural and computer sciences. He notes both fields have benefited from innovations in the other. Machine learning, for example, has led to the advent of multi-voxel pattern analysis of fMRI data and better pattern classification of electroencephalography and electrophysical recordings. Meanwhile, breakthroughs in neural science have helped foster the creation of neural computing systems that are helping to tackle sticky computer science problems. Wiener notes one area that is particularly benefiting is computer vision. He says neural chips and systems are more readily able to carry out the pattern recognition work necessary in this field than traditional computer hardware. Associated Press (12/01/14) Rodrique Ngowi Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have developed a cheetah-inspired robot that can run on batteries at speeds of more than 10 miles per hour, jump about 16 inches high, land safely, and continue running for at least 15 minutes. The researchers designed 12 lightweight motors, electronics that control power for the motors, and an algorithm that determines the amount of force a leg should exert to maintain balance while running. An onboard computer organizes data from various sensors and sends commands to each motor. "This is kind of a Ferrari in the robotics world, like, we have to put all the expensive components and make it really that instinctive," says MIT professor Sangbae Kim. Sensors inside the robot measure the angle of each leg and that information is sent to an onboard computer that organizes data from the Inertial Measurement Unit. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Kim says insights learned from the design of their prototype could have real-world uses, including revolutionary prosthetics, wearable technologies, all-terrain wheelchairs, and vehicles that can travel efficiently in rough terrain much like animals do. "In the next 10 years, our goal is we are trying to make this robot to save a life," he notes. Computerworld Australia (12/02/14) Adam Bender The Australian Research Council has awarded a team of University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers a $322,800 grant to conduct experiments on boosting the security of wearable technology. The researchers aim to develop technology that can be incorporated into wearable fitness devices to make them secure and trusted enough to feed their data into mainstream health systems. In addition, the wearable technology could enable doctors to remotely monitor the health of patients in their homes and provide greater detail about a patient's health to improve diagnosis. "Secure, non-intrusive medical monitoring can offer quality-of-life for millions of patients with chronic conditions or age-related illnesses, while providing critical data for health care providers at dramatically reduced cost," says UNSW professor Vijay Sivaraman. The grant is expected to produce ultra-lightweight algorithms and mechanisms that execute in wearable devices to safeguard the integrity of the data, according to Sanjay Jha, director of UNSW's Cyber Security and Privacy Laboratory. "If health-care professionals and medical insurers are to trust the data coming from wearable devices, they also need to be confident that the provenance, namely the context--the person, time, and place associated with the data--is genuine, that the device integrity has not been compromised by malware, and that the data has not been tampered in transit or storage," Jha says. University of Wisconsin-Madison (12/01/14) David Tenenbaum University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) researchers have developed a computer system that could extract data from scientific publications and place it in a database at least as well as scientists. The UW-Madison researchers tested the PaleoDeepDive machine-reading system against scientists who manually entered data into the Paleobiology Database. "We demonstrated that the system was no worse than people on all the things we measured, and it was better in some categories," says UW-Madison professor Christopher Re. The researchers built the DeepDive machine-reading system and the HTCondor distributed job management system to create PaleoDeepDive. "We extracted the same data from the same documents and put it into the exact same structure as the human researchers, allowing us to rigorously evaluate the quality of our system, and the humans," says UW-Madison professor Shanan Peters. The system looks at the entire problem of extraction as a probabilistic problem. "Information that was manually entered into the Paleobiology Database by humans cannot be assessed or enhanced without going back to the library and re-examining original documents," Peters says. "Our machine system, on the other hand, can extend and improve results essentially on the fly as new information is added." Indiana Daily Student (11/30/14) It is just as important to help students maintain an interest in mathematics and science as it is to spark that interest, according to new study from Indiana University (IU) researchers. IU professor Adam Maltese and co-researchers Christina Melki and Heidi Wiebke conducted a study of 8,000 college students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as in non-STEM disciplines. Most respondents who completed STEM degrees said it was their own passion for the field that was critical to getting them to pursue STEM studies. Twenty-six percent said teachers were their biggest influence, while 34 percent said they cultivated their interest in STEM subjects on their own. Respondents who first became interested in STEM in middle school or later were more likely to complete a degree than those who became interested at an earlier age, and they were more likely to say teachers were their main influence. Overall, the study suggests many combinations of events and timing spark and maintain interest in STEM. "This precludes finding a 'silver bullet' intervention, but it is really important as it indicates there are multiple ways to enter these paths," Maltese says. Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands) (11/27/14) Eindhoven University of Technology student Krzysztof Okupski has developed software that encrypts messages for the Bitcoin network. The system consists of two programs, one that posts messages and creates 1 million Bitcoin accounts, free of charge, enabling money to be transferred between those accounts. Okupski says users have many options due to the number of different accounts and because they can divide money into multiple parts. The second program reads messages and converts the chain of transactions back into text. All that is required is an identifier through which the program knows where it has to begin reading the transactions. With Okupski's system, it would cost about 50 cents to send an A4 page of text. He says the system also enables users to avoid censorship because a regime would not be able to restrict messages that are posted in the transaction chain anywhere else in the world. "Even if only your account number is known by the Bitcoin network, it's still possible in theory--using the [Internet protocol] address--to trace the owner of an account," says Boris Skoric, Okupski's supervisor and a researcher at Eindhoven. "But the readers of messages are always totally anonymous." IMDEA Networks (11/26/14) IMDEA Networks launched the BRAin inspired Data Engineering (BRADE-CM) research project in October. BRADE-CM seeks to add to the emerging generation of computation and information processing systems for large-scale data sets that are based on the workings of the brain. Researchers view the brain as an ideal model for information processing and have developed a number of bio-inspired systems in recent years. The scientific community continues to gain a better understanding of the brain's structure and its cognitive and transmission processes, providing a unique opportunity for designing novel information and communications technology (ICT) systems. The IMDEA Networks Institute in Madrid is part of an interdisciplinary team with a multi-tiered research approach that spans neuroscience, the development of imaging instrumentation, the modeling of complex systems and networks, and the design of ICT systems. IMDEA will work with the NETCOM Group from the Carlos III University of Madrid, the NEUROCOM group from the Complutense University of Madrid, and the BiiG group from the Foundation for Biomedical Research of the Gregorio Maranon Hospital. The project, which ends in September 2018, also has the support of several national and international universities and ICT companies. National Science Foundation (11/25/14) Stanford University researchers have developed SupraPed, a robotic platform that uses "smart staffs," inspired by walking sticks, to better balance and move over uneven terrain. SupraPed can use the staffs to explore the terrain, expand the range of movements that are possible, and communicate a sense of touch to a human at a remote site. The research is supported by a U.S. National Science Foundation grant as part of the National Robotics Initiative, which is an effort to develop the next generation of robots that work beside or cooperatively with people. The smart staff is equipped with three-dimensional vision capabilities and tactile sensors that can assess the surface's topography, the friction of the material, its ability to sustain weight, and other relevant information. The Stanford researchers also created a suite of algorithms and control mechanisms enabling the robot to incorporate and control the staff. The algorithms are focused on the relationship between internal forces and movement control, enabling them to overcome existing problems and provide improved stability for the SupraPed. Some of the existing problems included balancing a changing center of mass during an activity, which is difficult in rough, irregular terrain, and even tougher with a system that employs input from four independent surfaces to balance and move. Tech Republic (11/25/14) Steve Ranger University of Leeds professor S. Barry Cooper says although computing pioneer Alan Turing died more than 50 years ago, many of his ideas are still influencing computer science today. "He is bringing ideas about computation to different areas and that's what's really significant about Turing--he made all these connections and he had a global over-arching view of how computation worked in many different contexts," says Cooper, who co-authored a book on Turing. The British mathematician is most remembered for his work helping to crack German codes during World War II and what he called "The Imitation Game," now more commonly known as the Turing Test, a proposed method for determining whether or not a machine has achieved a human level of intelligence. Turing was a strong believer in the inevitability of machine intelligence, and predicted machines would have human-like intelligence by the end of the 20th century. Although this prediction proved incorrect, Turing's mathematical thinking is in ascendancy with the primacy of algorithms and data science. However, Cooper notes Turing also recognized the power of non-mathematical thinking and that there are some problems beyond its ability to solve. "This is why he is still significant to us, he was thinking about issues that are still issues for us and in very basic ways that are still valid," Cooper says.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1101
__label__wiki	0.873383	0.873383	Editor's Note: In the March 26 edition of TechNews, it was mistakenly mentioned that Technische Universität Wien is in Germany, when it actually is in Austria. We regret the error. France to Spend $1.8 Billion on AI to Compete with U.S., China Watch a Computer Learn to Play 'Doom' Inside a Dream NASA Achieves Optimal Energy Efficiency With First Modular Supercomputer Microsoft Edges Closer to Quantum Computer Based on Elusive Particle Overcoming a Battery's Fatal Flaw Future Electric Cars Could Recharge Wirelessly While You Drive Improving Information Security by Giving Employees Options Scientists Develop Tooth-Mounted Sensors That Can Track What You Eat Ultrasound Patch Could Make it Easier to Inspect Damage in Odd-Shaped Structures Robotic Arm Could Service Satellites or Pick Apples Groundbreaking Research Results in Artificial Intelligence Mathieu Rosemain; Michel Rose French President Emmanuel Macron has promised $1.85 billion in public funding dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) research by 2022, as part of an effort to reverse a brain drain in the country and catch up with the U.S. and China in the field. The investment is part of an AI strategy that is based on a report highlighting the assets and drawbacks of France in the AI space. Macron says he wants to turn France into a "start up nation" by easing labor laws and making bigger investments in technology. These moves should create jobs, alleviate the domination of Google and Facebook, and lay the groundwork for France to become a worldwide leader in the field. The first goal of the new funding plan is to make better use of the French higher education system that trains scientists, only to watch them leave for jobs at top U.S. technology companies. Jordan Pearson Researchers at the University of Bern in Switzerland have taught a machine to "hallucinate" its idea of what the video game "Doom" looks like, and then got a virtual agent to play its own dream version of the game so it could learn how to play the real thing. The process first uses a deep-learning model that creates a compressed version of the game environment based on a snapshot, then another model takes that information to output a probability distribution of what the next frame might resemble. These models collectively constitute the virtual agent's abstract perspective of the "world," and a controller model with access to the reward functions of the game is employed to make selections on the next course of action based on the previous model's predictions. The researchers think this strategy could make it possible for the engines that render video games to rapidly calculate complicated physics in the background. HPCwire Bill Mannel The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has realized new levels of water and power efficiency and performance in its Modular Supercomputing Facility (MSF). With a blend of natural resources and adiabatic technology, the MSF uses less than 10 percent of the energy used in traditional supercomputing facilities. The supercomputer employs outdoor air and rooftop adiabatic coolers for rapid system cooling, drawing warm air through water-moistened pads, then chilling and venting it as the water evaporates. The module also features four HPE E-cells (which use a closed-loop cooling technology to release heated air outside the datacenter) for greater thermal efficiency. Says NASA's Bill Thigpen, configuring the MSF in this manner "makes it possible for us to be flexible and add computing resources as needed, and we can save about $35 million--about half the cost of building another big facility." Jeremy Kahn Microsoft researchers at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have generated elusive Majorana fermions, which could be used to create quantum computers with much lower error rates. The researchers say they have evidence of the particles' existence in a tiny wire comprised of both semiconducting and superconducting materials, and Microsoft will now attempt to braid these fermions to create quantum bits (qubits). Delft's Leo Kouwenhoven says his team's goal is to create a working qubit using Majorana fermions by the end of this year. Kouwenhoven says Microsoft is convinced that the calculations of its quantum computer will feature between 1,000 and 10,000 times greater accuracy than existing machines have been able to achieve. Texas Advanced Computing Center Aaron Dubrow Researchers at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) and Texas A&M University are using the Stampede and Lonestar supercomputers at the Texas Advanced Computing Center to develop next-generation lithium-metal batteries. These batteries could eventually be used for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and smart grids, which require significantly more energy capacity than the consumer devices for which lithium-ion batteries have proven successful. The team is using supercomputers to understand the core chemistry and physics at work in the formation of dendrites (clumps of lithium atoms that can cause batteries to heat up) and to engineer new materials that can mitigate dendrite growth that occurs with extended battery cycling. A new coating material could solve the dendrite problem by protecting the lithium metal and making the ion deposition smoother. The researchers say a graphene oxide nanosheet sprayed onto a glass fiber separator can be inserted into the battery, allowing lithium ions to pass through it but slowing and controlling how the ions combine with electrons from the surface to become neutral atoms. Trent Knoss University of Colorado-Boulder (CU Boulder) researchers are working on the development of electric vehicles that may one day be able to recharge while driving down the highway, drawing wireless power directly from plates installed in the road. Such an arrangement could allow cars to drive thousands of miles without having to plug in for a recharge. CU Boulder professor Khurram Afridi and colleagues have spent the past two years creating a proof of concept for wireless power transfer that transfers electrical energy through electric fields at very high frequencies. Enabling the transfer of large amounts of energy across greater physical distances to in-motion platforms from low-cost charging plates would expand the technology's potential applications beyond small consumer electronics. The technology can now transmit kilowatts of power at megahertz-scale frequencies. In the near future, Afridi says, the technology could help warehouses eliminate the need to idle robots and forklifts for recharge. Eric Hollenbeck A recent study suggests information security managers could help motivate employees to prioritize security by avoiding, authoritative commands in favor of providing relatable messages offering how employees can better protect their data and systems. Washington State University researcher Rob Crossler says employees might not realize they are jeopardizing company data, or be less interested in security because they are not handling personal data. Crossler recommends information systems managers avoid messaging that is too rigid, focusing instead on different strategies for protecting information and responding to threats. Organizations should provide security training on a year-round basis, and encourage employees to immediately report security issues without fear of reprimand, he says. Tufts Now Mike Silver Tufts University researchers have built miniaturized sensors that, when mounted directly on a tooth, transmit information to a mobile device on one's glucose, salt, and alcohol intake. Such sensors could enable the tracking of an individual's consumption of a wide range of nutrients and chemicals, as well as their physiological states, the researchers say. The 2mm x 2mm sensors easily fit on a tooth and can flexibly conform to its irregular surface. The sensors are equipped with a central "bioresponsive" layer that absorbs the nutrient to be detected, and two square-shaped gold rings as outer layers. These layers function as a tiny antenna, collecting and transmitting radio waves; an incoming wave hits the sensor, and some of the wave is cancelled out while the rest is transmitted back. The sensor can change its "color," shifting its electrical properties to allow nutrients and other analytes to be detected and measured. UC San Diego News Center Liezel Labios Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have developed a flexible patch that could help perform ultrasound imaging on objects difficult to inspect with conventional ultrasound equipment, such as machine and building parts. Current ultrasound devices are difficult to use on objects that lack perfectly flat surfaces. The new device is a thin patch of silicone elastomer on which an array of small electronic parts is connected by spring-like structures. In testing on a wavy aluminum block with defects two to six centimeters beneath the surface, the probe was able to image the 2-millimeter-wide holes and cracks inside the block. The researchers say the device could be used on different parts of a bridge to continuously monitor for cracks. American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel have developed the minimally actuated serial robot (MASR), which uses only two motors to travel along a structure and rotate the joint it needs to flex. "This unique minimalistic configuration, which can be applied to any serial robot with two or more links, reduces weight, size, and cost," says BGU professor David Zarrouk. He notes the MASR design is ideal for space applications due to its light weight, and could be used to repair satellites; another potential application he envisioned was picking fruit. "The configuration of the MASR robot combines the best characteristics of existing robot technologies to achieve a high level of accuracy and control," Zarrouk says. University of Agder (Norway) Atle Christiansen Ole-Christoffer Granmo, a professor at the University of Agder in Norway and director for the university's Center for Artificial Intelligence Research, has proposed a new method for finding algorithms for artificially intelligent machines. Granmo has created a Tsetlin Machine that uses a number to remember experiences, which learned picture recognition with the help of adding or subtracting from a number. Controlled by sentence logic, the Tsetlin Machine was able to best established pattern recognition methods in both precision and speed. "This find means that everyone gets a new tool to work with," Granmo says. He adds that the tool "can be used on language, power production, and the understanding of pictures, for example in the interpretation of x-rays."	cc/2020-05/en_head_0067.json.gz/line1102

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