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Home Music Reviews Album Reviews Derrick Morgan: Moon Hop Expanded Edition – Album Review
Derrick Morgan: Moon Hop Expanded Edition – Album Review
Ian Canty
Derrick Morgan: Moon Hop Expanded Edition
2CD/DL
Released 8 March 2019
2CD set bringing together the Moon Hop and Derrick Morgan In London albums, plus bonus tracks compiling all the singer’s work for Pama Records………LTW’s Ian Canty meets the man who put the moon in Skinhead Moonstomp…………..
Derrick Morgan was only three years old when he was sent to Kingston to live with his mother. Having been initially raised in the small rural settlement of Stratton by an aunt, the youngster’s poor vision was giving cause for concern. In the hope that the doctors in the big city could help remedy the situation, he made the journey. Unfortunately the medical experts could offer no real hope of improvement and Derrick settled into life in the capital.
Becoming a fan of the American R&B that kept most of the island’s youth rapt, he entered the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour, a talent show that was the starting place for many a future star including the Wailers, Desmond Dekker and Millie Small. Singing a couple of Little Richard numbers, Morgan triumphed and as a result spent a couple of years performing alongside popular Jamaican comedians Bim and Bam. After that Morgan looked to make waves on Kingston’s recording scene. He successfully attended an audition for Duke Reid and the tracks he set down were aired on the Duke’s radio show. This was his big break.
Work for other producers followed, but Derrick really hit the big time with a track he cut for Simeon “Little Wonder” Smith entitled Fat Man. This was a big Jamaican hit and set Morgan on his way to becoming the top star on the island. Morgan’s gutsy vocal style was well suited to R&B and the Ska craze that followed, often in duet juxtaposed with a honey-voiced partner like Hortense Ellis or Patsy Todd. As the beat slowed with Rocksteady and smoother voices generally prevailed, he slowed down his recording schedule but still scored with strong material, including another of his key recordings Tougher Than Tough. He also made his first moves in production and by the time of the offerings on Moon Hop: Expanded Edition he was producing the majority of his own work.
By 1968 the interest in the UK for Jamaica recordings was reaching fever pitch. Trojan had set themselves up as the leading power in UK-issued Reggae, but Pama Records were running them a close second. Set up in the mid-60s by the three Palmer brothers Carl, Harry and Jeff, the label had switched over from Soul when the demand for Ska and Rocksteady records rose. They licenced many disc that were big favourites of both the Jamaicans now settled in Britain and the new young fans of the sound. Pama’s almost crude graphics (particularly for the Punch label, which mainly released Lee Perry productions) worked in their favour, as the rough and ready approach perfectly dovetailed with the skinhead attitude of the time. Trojan and Pama became rivals, something that was exacerbated by some JA producers selling their wares to both labels (including Seven Letters by Derrick, which appeared on both Pama and Trojan) – often resulting in a mad rush to get a disc out and up the charts before one another.
Derrick Morgan was the ace in Pama’s pack and his Moon Hop for the label so nearly gave them a hit on the national charts. With the Apollo moon landing in July 1969 the whole world seemed momentarily obsessed with space and Morgan’s single was trailed by a great, slightly daft press advert (reproduced in the booklet here) which proclaimed “Derrick Morgan was the first man on the moon and he brought back a new dance called the Moon Hop”. The record had an irresistible drive and the Yeah Yeah Yeah etc refrain went down very well with the fans. So much so that Symarip’s Skinhead Moonstomp was released in its wake, sounding somewhat similar to Moon Hop to put it mildly, with only the spoken intro and guitar differentiating it.
Soon after the first collection here was released on Pama early in 1970, titled after the near hit to capitalise on its success. It was pretty much state of the art as far as Boss, Original or Skinhead (take your pick) Reggae was concerned. Twelve upbeat chuggers, ten of which saw release as singles on Pama’s Crab offshoot, all built for dancing and as sharp as the crease in your dog-tooth strides. Derrick had the happy knack of being able to craft catchy stormers that ruled the dancefloors and stick pleasantly in the mind.
Starting off with the Skinhead-inclusive A Night At The Hop, Morgan follows with the wind tunnel effect of Man Pon Moon, a sign that he employed no little innovation in his productions. This was emphasised by Derrick Pop The Top, a proto-Dub recut of his Fatman hit of a few years before. Give Me Lovin’ (unreleased at the time this album debuted, along with the nicely skanking This Ain’t My Life) demonstrated that he could easily handle slower songs as well as the Skin crunchers, a great Reggae love song that must have been the cue for catching the eye of your desired partner in the dancehall.
Moon Hop itself still captures the thrill of joyous abandon and I Wish I Was An Apple has some great sax adding to the slightly unorthodox subject matter. Whether it is throwing in a light Funky feel into Just A Little Lovin’ or reaching right back to the Blues on Oh Babe (Sick And Tired), Morgan and his musicians always strike just the right touch. No wonder the Moon Hop LP was a big seller and remains well loved today.
Moving onto the bonus tracks, we have 14 extra offerings from around the same time as the original album (1968-70), released by the network of Pama labels (mainly Crab, but also Unity and Pama itself). Among them are plenty more highlights, Derrick’s standard of work at the time was usually pretty high. He knew how to keep things interesting lyrically and musically while also catering for the dances with some hot rhythms. In the company of Lloyd Campbell and Denzil Dennis he even conjures a pretty good go at recasting Twist And Shout in a Reggae mode as the Black Beatles! Who’s Making Love uses the Moonstomp rhythm but throws in a nice bit of Soul organ too.
Though a lot will know A Rockin’ Good Way from the Shakin’ Stevens/Bonnie Tyler duet in the 80s, here between the singers (Derrick and Jennifer Jones) you get a real sense of chemistry – it works far better. The busy and cool rhythm of What A Thing catches the ear also, but there is a pleasingly high quality on show throughout.
The second disc here presents the earlier 1969 album Derrick Morgan In London, actually a collection of singles cut back in Jamaica. There is more reliance on R&B cover versions here than on Moon Hop, but as Morgan’s raw voice could always do that kind of song justice, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Indeed he does a great job on the Pomus/Spector song My First Taste Of Love and there is a creditable attempt to recast the old Ben E King number Stand By Me into a rhythm-busting Reggae track. Too Bad harks back to Rocksteady’s slower groove and a jaunty Make It Tan Daey is highly enjoyable. Some nice guitar work enlivens Come What May and River To The Bank is a superb set closer, a very cool version of a traditional Jamaican number with an appealing flute line.
We get another 10 bonus tracks on this disc, compiling everything else Morgan released on Pama. These include some of his big Jamaican hits like Belly Woman and Time Hard, which made an impact over in the UK too if not quite conquering the charts. The latter owes a bit of a debt to Lee Perry’s People Funny Boy, but certainly makes cuts the mustard. Hey Boy, Hey Girl is the joker in the pack, with George Dekker reaching high to replicate a female vocal in the duet! Bringing the collection to a close is a very neat 1970 version of Fat Man, drenched with echo and Dub effects.
This is another fine 2CD pairing by Doctor Bird – Derrick Morgan may have kept a lower profile in recent years, but at the time when the Reggae beat was born, few understood it better and produced such a fine body of work. Also there is great news that Derrick is still out there touring and is due to play some shows in the UK this year. Moon Hop: Expanded Edition is ample proof of his prowess in producing high quality original Reggae grooves and damn fine listening to boot.
All words by Ian Canty – see his author profile here
Moon Hop
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HomeCommunity EventsOur Time Offers ‘70s Nostalgia, Lots of Laughs
Our Time Offers ‘70s Nostalgia, Lots of Laughs
06/19/2018 Maryalene LaPonsie Community Events, Non-Profits 0
Rob Freund (l) as Doug and Sam VanderVeen as Bobby in Our Time.
Over the weekend, local audiences got their first peek at a play from award-winning writer Ken Levine. The production, Our Time, had its West Michigan premiere in the LowellArts gallery on Friday and Saturday night in front of capacity crowds. It will be performed again this weekend on June 22 and 23 at 7:30pm.
With Our Time, Levine – best known for his work on M*A*S*H, Cheers and other sitcoms – crafted a play that delivers laughs alongside a heavy dose of ‘70s nostalgia. While there are universal themes that will appeal to audiences of all ages, the production may be best appreciated by those who came of age during the decade and understand the Mary Tyler Moore and Richard Lewis references as well as the novelty of cable TV and coffeemakers
Be aware that if you like your comedy PG, this may not be the play for you. Strong profanity is used throughout the production. There are also quite a few sexual references and situations including an extended sequence near the start in which the “action” takes place off stage but there is little doubt as to what is supposed to be happening.
However, if you don’t mind f bombs and sex talk, Our Time is raucous fun and had the opening weekend crowds in stitches.
Strong Cast Delivers Pitch-Perfect Performance
Allison Kvanaugh (l) as Sarah and Zach Conrad as Alan.
In addition to the strong script, Our Time was a hit this past weekend thanks to great casting and stellar performances.
Undoubtedly, one of the struggles of small community theaters is casting shows from a limited pool of local actors. Indeed, LowellArts had originally planned to perform Going…Going…GONE!, also written by Levine, but were unable to fill one role. But getting the right performers apparently wasn’t a problem with Our Time.
Set in the ‘70s, the play follows four young adults trying to break into the world of comedy. There’s Sarah, played by Allison Kavanaugh, who has the talent and is trying to find her place in a genre dominated by men. Her gay writing partner Alan, performed by Zach Conrad, insists this is the golden age of sitcoms and that the duo needs to remain in LA to work on scripts. Sarah isn’t so sure and wonders if the new Saturday Night Live show in New York City represents the future of comedy.
Meanwhile, Zach’s roommate Bobby is an earnest but decidedly unfunny Jewish comic. Played by Sam VanderVeen in his debut performance with LowellArts, Bobby invites Doug to share a room in their apartment.
While all the performances are strong, it is Rob Freund, in the role of Doug, who steals the show. Fruend both looks and plays the part of a ‘70s radio disc jockey who probably shouldn’t get all the girls but does anyway.
The play is directed by Brent Alles. The Wyoming resident first appeared in a Lowell production 1999 and has been coming back to the community for 19 years to direct and perform. Alles says there is something special about the performing arts in Lowell. “I think the community is so enthusiastic about it,” he explains. “The people are so receptive.”
Levine On Hand for Debut Performances
Director Brent Alles (l) with playwright Ken Levine.
There was a special member of the audience for the first two performances of Our Time. Levine traveled from Los Angeles to see the Lowell production and mingle with guests. “It’s great fun to see different interpretations and to hear the audience,” he says. “It’s interesting because certain things that work one night don’t work another night.”
Our Time is autobiographical in the sense that it draws on some of Levine’s experiences trying to break into the comedy writing business. He teamed up with Dave Isaacs and their work eventually made it onto the small screen. The two were nominated for numerous awards for their work on M*A*S*H, Cheers and Fraiser. Of those, they won several, including an Emmy for Cheers.
While Levine is best known for those shows, he says one of the projects that gives him the most pride is Almost Perfect. Running from 1995-1996 on CBS, the sitcom is one he co-created with Isaacs and Robin Schiff.
“Working on a television show is extremely rewarding for many reasons,” Levine says. However, it involves long hours and tremendous pressure. After about 20 years in the industry, the writer was happy to move on to other pursuits and has found playwriting lets him flex his comedy muscles without having to put in 70-80 hour weeks.
Two More Chances to See Our Time
Zach Conrad as Alan
If you missed the opening weekend of Our Time, you still have two chances to see the play this weekend. Unlike other recent plays which have been performed in Larkin’s Other Place, this production is being staged in the LowellArts gallery at 223 W. Main St.
Performances will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 22 and 23, at 7:30pm. There is no reserved seating for Our Time so show up early to grab the best spot.
“Ken is obviously a hilarious writer,” Alles says when asked why people should come out to see Our Time. “Beyond the comedy, what I like about this play is that the characters have heart.”
As for Levine, he says he wanted to address the theme of new beginnings in the play but even more so, he wanted there to be plenty of laughs. Based on the reaction of audiences during the opening weekend, he has succeeded on both fronts.
You can buy tickets online in advance of this weekend’s play. The LowellArts website also has more about the West Michigan debut of Our Time. For more on Ken Levine, stop by his website, follow him on Facebook or tune in to his podcast Hollywood & Levine.
LowellArts Theater
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OVO GROUP LTD STATEMENT ON MODERN SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
This Statement has been published in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the “Act”). It sets out the steps taken by OVO Group Ltd (“OVO”) to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking in its operations and supply chains during the financial year ending 31 December 2018.
OVO fully supports the aims of the Act and recognises that slavery and human trafficking is a global issue which needs to be addressed by all companies within all industries.
OVO’S STRUCTURE AND BUSINESS
Founded in 2009, OVO is the UK’s largest independent energy technology company and supplier with a mission to bring affordable, clean energy to everyone.
OVO’s businesses are organised into two primary areas: Retail and Kaluza.
Across a number of Retail brands, we serve 1.5 million customers with intelligent energy services. OVO Retail’s core business is supplying electricity and gas, and related products and services, to domestic customers within the UK.
Kaluza
Our intelligent grid technology company is leading the digital transformation of the electricity system. We provide software and hardware solutions as well as in-home installation services to a range of B2B partners.
This statement covers all OVO subsidiaries required to provide a statement under the Act, and includes:
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Intelligent Energy Technology Ltd (trading as “Kaluza”)
Hybrid Energy Solutions Ltd (trading as “ChargedEV”)
OVO’s WORKFORCE
As of 31 December 2018, OVO employed approximately 2,000 direct employees. Some services (e.g. facilities management, customer call centre, IT services, meter and device installations, debt collection and the manufacture of intelligent energy technology devices) are partly outsourced to third parties. Additionally, the trader network used by Corgi to perform boiler installation and other in-home maintenance services comprises independent trade professionals that are not directly employed by OVO.
OVO’S SUPPLY CHAINS
During the 2018 financial year, OVO had approximately 1,230 Tier 1 suppliers.
OVO’s main 2018 supplier spend related to:
– the procurement of electricity and gas from our wholesale commodity provider;
– the manufacture, supply and installation of smart gas and electricity meters by third parties;
– the procurement and installation of energy technology products such as electric vehicle chargers, domestic storage heaters and smart thermostats; and
– the provision of software and technology platforms.
Over 99% of OVO’s 2018 Tier 1 supplier spend was with suppliers based in European countries that are considered to have a low prevalence of slavery according to the Global Slavery Index.
POLICIES IN RELATION TO SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
OVO has, and is further developing, several policies that are relevant to the prevention of slavery and human trafficking, both across our own business and within our supply chain.
Policies relevant to our own business
Internal policies include the OVO Code of Ethics, setting out the core values and principles underpinning how we operate, and a Whistleblowing Policy, outlining our process for escalating and handling concerns and potential wrongdoing. In 2018, we initiated a review of the OVO Code of Ethics to enhance its requirements and make it more relevant to our business operations. The revised Code of Ethics, which includes an explicit commitment to eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking, will be implemented in 2019.
Policies relevant to our suppliers
In 2018, OVO initiated the development of a Supplier Code of Conduct to set out the standards, principles and values to which OVO expects its suppliers to adhere, including a commitment to eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking. The Supplier Code of Conduct will be implemented in 2019 and will require suppliers to cascade these commitments through their supply chain.
The manifestations of Modern Slavery are complex and hidden. We are developing our risk assessment process for both our own business operations and our supply chain including by focussing on countries and activities where modern slavery and forced labour concerns may exist.
– Outsourced operations in certain countries considered to be higher-risk in terms of labour and human rights issues.
– Upstream raw materials sourcing for the manufacture of energy technology products such as electric vehicle chargers, domestic storage heaters and smart thermostats.
DUE DILIGENCE PROCESSES
We are committed to the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility and to conducting business in a lawful and responsible manner, including engaging with suppliers who uphold the same standards.
We are continuing to strengthen our procedures for onboarding new suppliers and monitoring and engaging suppliers in-life.
ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS
We recognise the need not only to tackle modern slavery but also to assess the effectiveness of the measures we have taken. During 2019 we will develop reporting mechanisms to gather data and to develop KPIs to monitor performance in this regard.
TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING
Targeted training on the revised Code of Ethics, Supplier Code of Conduct and slavery and human trafficking risks will be delivered to all relevant employees during the 2019 financial year.
We recognise that the eradication of modern slavery and human trafficking is a continuing, collaborative and evolving process.
Our priorities for the year ahead are:
– Implementing a revised OVO Code of Ethics and a new Supplier Code of Conduct.
– Extending our risk mapping and analysis to focus on key risk areas.
– Developing our supplier due diligence processes.
– Continuing to strengthen employee awareness of modern slavery and forced labour, including through training programmes.
– Developing monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
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CFO, OVO Group
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Home › Law Advice › Financial Law › Banking Law › ARTICLE
Investment Terms L-Q
Click here for Investment Terms A-K.
Large Order Execution (LOX) Procedures: Rules in place at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange that authorize a member firm which receives a large order from an initiating party to solicit counterparty interest off the exchange floor prior to open execution of the order in the pit and that provide for special surveillance procedures. The parties determine a maximum quantity and an "intended execution price." Subsequently, the initiating party's order quantity is exposed to the pit; any bids (or offers) up to and including those at the intended execution price are hit (acceptable). The unexecuted balance is then crossed with the contraside trader found using the LOX procedures.
Large Traders: A large trader is one who holds or controls a position in any one future or in any one option expiration series of a commodity on any one contract market equaling or exceeding the exchange or CFTC-specified reporting level.
Last Notice Day: The final day on which notices of intent to deliver on futures contracts may be issued.
Last Trading Day: Day on which trading ceases for the maturing (current) delivery month.
Leaps: Long-dated, exchange-traded options.
Leverage Contract: A contract, standardized as to terms and conditions, for the long-term (ten years or longer) purchase (long leverage contract) or sale (short leverage contract) by a leverage customer of leverage commodity which provides for: (1) participation by the leverage transaction merchant as a principal in each leverage transaction; (2) initial and maintenance margin payments by the leverage customer; (3) periodic payment by the leverage customer or accrual by the leverage transaction merchant to the leverage customer of a variable carrying charge or fee on the initial value of the contract plus any margin deposits made by the leverage customer in connection with a short leverage contract; (4) delivery of a commodity in an amount and form which can be readily purchased and sold in normal commercial or retail channels; (5) delivery of the leverage commodity after satisfaction of the balance due on the contract; and (6) determination of the contract purchase and repurchase, or sale and resale, prices by the leverage transaction merchant.
Leverage Dealer: See Leverage Transaction Merchant.
Leverage Transaction Merchant: Any individual, association, partnership, corporation, or trust that is engaged in the business of offering to enter into, entering into, or confirming the execution of leverage contracts, or soliciting or accepting orders for leverage contracts, and who accepts leverage customer funds or extends credit in lieu of those funds.
Licensed Warehouse: A warehouse approved by exchange from which a commodity may be delivered on a futures contract. See Regular Warehouse.
Life of Contact: Period between the beginning of trading in a particular futures contract and the expiration of trading. In some cases this phrase denotes the period already passed in which trading has already occurred. For example, "The life-of-contract high so far is $2.50." Same as Life of Delivery or Life of the Future.
Limit (Up or Down): The maximum price advance or decline from the previous day's settlement price permitted during one trading session, as fixed by the rules of an exchange. See Daily Price Limits.
Limit Move: A price that has advanced or declined the permissible limit during one trading session, as fixed by the rules of a contract market.
Limit Only: The definite price stated by a customer to a broker restricting the execution of an order to buy for not more than, or to sell for not less than, the stated price.
Limit Order: An order in which the customer specifies a price limit or other condition, such as time of an order, as contrasted with a market order which implies that the order should be filled as soon as possible.
Liquidation: The closing out of a long position. The term is sometimes used to denote closing out a short position, but this is more often referred to as covering. See Cover.
Liquid Market: A market in which selling and buying can be accomplished with minimal price change.
Local: A member of a U.S. exchange who trades for his own account and/or fills orders for customers and whose activities provide market liquidity. See Floor Trader.
Locked-In: A hedged position that cannot be lifted without offsetting both sides of the hedge (spread). See Hedging. Also refers to being caught in a limit price move.
London Gold Market: Refers to the five dealers who set (fix) the gold price in London: Mocatta & Goldsmid, N. Rothschild & Sons, Johnson Matthey, Sharps Pixley, and Samuel Montagu & Co.
London Option: A generic term sometimes used to describe options on physical commodities or on futures contracts traded abroad (typified by options on London commodity markets). These options, which often had nothing whatsoever to do with legitimate foreign markets, gained notoriety--prior to their ban in the United States in 1978--because of the sales practices and fraud allegations associated with the American dealers who sold them.
Long: (1) One who has bought a futures contract to establish a market position; (2) a market position which obligates the holder to take delivery; (3) one who owns an inventory of commodities. See Short.
Long Hedge: Purchase of futures against the fixed price forward sale of a cash commodity.
Long the Basis: A person or firm that has bought the spot commodity and hedged with a sale of futures is said to be long the basis.
Lookback Option: An option whose payoff depends on the minimum or maximum price of the underlying asset during some portion of the life of the option.
Lot: A unit of trading. See Even Lot, Job Lot, and Round Lot.
LTM: Leverage Transaction Merchant.
Maintenance Margin: See Margin.
Managed Account: See Controlled Account and Discretionary Account.
Margin: The amount of money or collateral deposited by a customer with his broker, by a broker with a clearing member, or by a clearing member with the clearinghouse, for the purpose of insuring the broker or clearinghouse against loss on open futures contracts. The margin is not partial payment on a purchase. (1) Initial margin is the total amount of margin per contract required by the broker when a futures position is opened; (2) Maintenance margin is a sum which must be maintained on deposit at all times. If the equity in a customer's account drops to, or under, the level because of adverse price movement, the broker must issue a margin call to restore the customer's equity. See Variation Margin.
Margin Call: (1) A request from a brokerage firm to a customer to bring margin deposits up to initial levels; (2) a request by the clearinghouse to a clearing member to make a deposit of original margin, or a daily or intra-day variation payment, because of adverse price movement, based on positions carried by the clearing member.
Market Correction: In technical analysis, a small reversal in prices following a significant trending period.
Marketer: See Distributor.
Market-if-Touched (MIT) Order: An order that becomes a market order when a particular price is reached. A sell MIT is placed above the market; a buy MIT is placed below the market. Also referred to as a board order.
Market Marker: A professional securities dealer who has an obligation to buy when there is an excess of sell orders and to sell when there is an excess of buy orders. By maintaining an offering price sufficiently higher than their buying price, these firms are compensated for the risk involved in allowing their inventory of securities to act as a buffer against temporary order imbalances. In the commodities industry, this term is sometimes loosely used to refer to a floor trader or local who, in speculating for his own account, provides a market for commercial users of the market. See Specialist System.
Market-on-Close: An order to buy or sell at the end of the trading session at a price within the closing range of prices. See Stop-Close-Only Order.
Market-on-Opening: An order to buy or sell at the beginning of the trading session at a price within the opening range of prices.
Market Order: An order to buy or sell a futures contract at whatever price is obtainable at the time it is entered in the ring or pit. See At-The-Market.
Mark-to-Market: Daily cash flow system used by U.S. futures exchanges to maintain a minimum level of margin equity for a given futures or option contract position by calculating the gain or loss in each contract position resulting from changes in the price of the futures or option contracts at the end of each trading day.
Maturity: Period within which a futures contract can be settled by delivery of the actual commodity.
Maximum Price Fluctuation: See Limit (Up or Down).
Member Rate: Commission charged for the execution of an order for a person who is a member of the exchange.
Minimum Price Contract: A hybrid commercial forward contract for agricultural products which includes a provision guaranteeing the person making delivery a minimum price for the product. For agricultural commodities, these contracts became much more common with the introduction of exchange-traded options on futures contracts, which permit buyers to hedge the price risks associated with such contracts.
Minimum Price Fluctuation: Smallest increment of price movement possible in trading a given contract.
Momentum: In technical analysis, the relative change in price over a specific time interval. Often equated with speed or velocity and considered in terms of relative strength.
Money Market: Short-term debt instruments.
Naked Call: See Naked Option.
Naked Option: The sale of a call or put option without holding an offsetting position in the underlying commodity.
Naked Put: See Naked Option.
National Futures Association (NFA): A self regulatory organization composed of futures commission merchants, commodity pool operators, commodity trading advisors, introducing brokers, leverage transaction merchants, commodity exchanges, commercial firms, and banks, that is responsible--under CFTC oversight--for certain aspects of the regulation of FCMs, CPOs, IBs, LTMs, and their associated persons, focusing primarily on the qualifications and proficiency, financial condition, retail sales practices, and business conduct of these futures professionals.
Nearbys: The nearest delivery months of a commodity futures market.
Nearby Delivery Month: The month of the futures contract closest to maturity.
Negative Carry: The cost of financing a financial instrument (the short-term rate of interest), when the cost is above the current return of the financial instrument. See Carrying Charges and Positive Carry.
Net Position: The difference between the open long contracts and the open short contracts held by a trader in any one commodity.
NFA: National Futures Association.
NOB Spread: Note Against Bond. A futures spread trade involving the buying (selling) of a Treasury note futures contract and the selling (buying) of a Treasury bond futures contract.
Non-Member Traders: Speculators and hedgers who trade on the exchange through a member but do not hold exchange memberships.
Nominal Price (or Nominal Quotation): Computed price quotation on futures for a period in which no actual trading took place, usually an average of bid and asked prices.
Notice Day: Any day on which notices of intent to deliver on futures contracts may be issued.
Notice of Delivery: A notice that must be presented by the seller of a futures contract to the clearinghouse. The clearinghouse then assigns the notice and subsequent delivery instrument to a buyer. Also Notice of Intention to Deliver.
Notional Amount: The amount (in an interest rate swap, forward rate agreement, or other derivative instrument) or each of the amounts (in a currency swap) to which interest rates are applied (whether or not expressed as a rate or stated on a coupon basis) in order to calculate periodic payment obligations. Also called the notional principal amount, the contract amount, the reference amount, and the currency amount.
Offer: An indication of willingness to sell at a given price; opposite of bid.
Offset: Liquidating a purchase of futures contracts through the sale of an equal number of contracts of the same delivery month, or liquidating a short sale of futures through the purchase of an equal number of contracts of the same delivery month. See Cover.
Omnibus Account: An account carried by one futures commission merchant with another futures commission merchant in which the transactions of two or more persons are combined and carried in the name of the originating broker rather than designated separately.
On Track (or Track Country Station): (1) A type of deferred delivery in which the price is set f.o.b. seller's location, and the buyer agrees to pay freight costs to his destination; (2) commodities loaded in railroad cars on track.
Opening Price (or Range): The price (or price range) recorded during the period designated by the exchange as the official opening.
Opening, The: The period at the beginning of the trading session officially designated by the exchange during which all transactions are considered made "at the opening."
Open Interest: The total number of futures contracts long or short in a delivery month or market that has been entered into and not yet liquidated by an offsetting transaction or fulfilled by delivery. Also called Open Contracts or Open Commitments.
Open Order (or Orders): An order that remains in force until it is canceled or until the futures contracts expire. See Good 'Til Canceled and Good This Week orders.
Open Outcry: Method of public auction required to make bids and offers in the trading pits or rings of commodity exchanges.
Option: (1) A commodity option is a unilateral contract which gives the buyer the right to buy or sell a specified quantity of a commodity at a specific price within a specified period of time, regardless of the market price of that commodity. Also see Put and Call; (2) A term sometimes erroneously applied to a futures contract. It may refer to a specific delivery month, as the "July Option."
Option Buyer: The person who buys calls, puts, or any combination of calls and puts.
Option Grantor: The person who originates an option contract by promising to perform a certain obligation in return for the price of the option. Also known as Option Writer.
Original Margin: Term applied to the initial deposit of margin money each clearing member firm is required to make according to clearinghouse rules based upon positions carried, determined separately for customer and proprietary positions; similar in concept to the initial margin or security deposit required of customers by exchange regulations. See Initial Margin.
Out-of-the-Money: A term used to describe an option that has no intrinsic value. For example, a call at $400 on gold trading at $390 is out-of-the-money 10 dollars.
Out Trade: A trade which cannot be cleared by a clearinghouse because the trade data submitted by the two clearing members involved in the trade differs in some respect (e.g., price and/or quantity). In such cases, the two clearing members or brokers involved must reconcile the discrepancy, if possible, and resubmit the trade for clearing. If an agreement cannot be reached by the two clearing members or brokers involved, the dispute would be settled by an appropriate exchange committee.
Overbought: A technical opinion that the market price has risen too steeply and too fast in relation to underlying fundamental factors. Rank and file traders who were bullish and long have turned bearish.
Overnight Trade: A trade which is not liquidated on the same trading day in which it was established.
Oversold: A technical opinion that the market price has declined too steeply and too fast in relation to underlying fundamental factors. Rank and file traders who were bearish and short have turned bullish.
P&S (Purchase and Sale Statement): A statement sent by a commission house to a customer when any part of a futures position is offset, showing the number of contracts involved, the prices at which the contracts were bought or sold, the gross profit or loss, the commission charges, the net profit or loss on the transactions, and the balance.
Paper Profit or Loss: The profit or loss that would be realized if open contracts were liquidated as of a certain time or a certain price.
Par: (1) Refers to the standard delivery point(s) and/or quality of a commodity that is deliverable on a futures contract at contract price. Serves as a benchmark upon which the base discounts or premiums for varying quality and delivery locations. (2) In bond markets, an index (usually 100) representing the face value of a bond.
Path Dependent Option: An option whose valuation and payoff depends on the realized price path of the underlying asset, such as an Asian option or a Lookback option.
Pay/Collect: A shorthand method of referring to the payment of a loss (pay) and receipt of a gain (collect) by a clearing member to or from a clearing organization that occurs after a futures position has been marked-to-market. See Variation Margin.
Payment-in-Kind: Refers to an alternative to cash payments to producers of various commodities under the U.S. Department of Agriculture acreage control program authorized by Congress in 1985. The payments consisted of generic certificates which could be exchanged for commodities held in government warehouses or redeemed for equivalent monetary value.
Pegged Price: The price at which a commodity has been fixed by agreement.
Pegging: Effecting commodity transactions to prevent a decline in the price of the commodity so that previously written put options will expire worthless, thus protecting premiums previously received.
Pit: A specially constructed arena on the trading floor of some exchanges where trading in a futures contract is conducted. On other exchanges the term "ring" designates the trading area for a commodity. See Ring.
Pit Brokers: See Floor Broker.
Point: A measure of price change equal to 1/100 of one cent in most futures traded in decimal units. In grains, it is of one cent; in T-bonds, it is one percent of par. See Tick.
Point-and-Figure: A method of charting which uses prices to form patterns of movement without regard to time. It defines a price trend as a continued movement in one direction until a reversal of a predetermined criterion is met.
Point Balance: A statement prepared by futures commission merchants to show profit or loss on all open contracts by computing them to an official closing or settlement price, usually at calendar month end.
Pork Bellies: One of the major cuts of the hog carcass that, when cured, becomes bacon.
Portfolio Insurance: A trading strategy which attempts to alter the nature of price changes in a portfolio to substantially reduce the likelihood of returns below some predetermined level for an established period of time. This can be achieved by moving assets among stocks, cash and fixed-income securities or, with the advent of stock index futures contracts, by hedging a stock-only portfolio by selling stock index futures in a declining market or purchasing futures in a rising market. The objective is to create an exposure similar to that of a stock portfolio with a protective purchased put option.
Position: An interest in the market, either long or short, in the form of one or more open contracts. Also, "in position" refers to a commodity located where it can readily be moved to another point or delivered on a futures contract. Commodities not so situated are "out of position." Soybeans in Mississippi are out of position for delivery in Chicago, but in position for export shipment from the Gulf.
Position Limit: The maximum position, either net long or net short, in one commodity future (or option) or in all futures (or options) of one commodity combined which may be held or controlled by one person as prescribed by an exchange and/or by the CFTC.
Position Trader: A commodity trader who either buys or sells contracts and holds them for an extended period of time, as distinguished from the day trader, who will normally initiate and offset a futures position within a single trading session.
Positive Carry: The cost of financing a financial instrument (the short-term rate of interest), where the cost is less than the current return of the financial instrument. See also Carrying Charges and Negative Carry.
Posted Price: An announced or advertised price indicating what a firm will pay for a commodity or the price at which the firm will sell it.
Prearranged Trading: Trading between brokers in accordance with an expressed or implied agreement or understanding, which is a violation of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations.
Premium: (1) the amount a price would be increased to purchase a better quality commodity; (2) refers to a futures delivery month selling at a higher price than another, as "July is at a premium over May;" (3) cash prices that are above the futures price, such as in foreign exchanges. If the forward rate for Italian lira is at a premium to spot lira, it is selling above the spot price. See Contango, Discount; (4) the money, securities or property the buyer pays to the writer for granting an option contract.
Price Basing: A situation where producers, processors, merchants or consumers of a commodity establish commercial transaction prices based on the futures prices for that or a related commodity (e.g., an offer to sell corn at 5 cents over the December futures price). This phenomenon is commonly observed in grain and metal markets.
Price Discovery: The process of determining the price level for a commodity based on supply and demand factors.
Price Manipulation: Any planned operation, transaction or practice calculated to cause or maintain an artificial price.
Price Movement Limit: See Limit (Up or Down).
Primary Market: (1) For producers, their major purchaser of commodities; (2) in commercial marketing channels, an important center at which spot commodities are concentrated for shipment to terminal markets; and (3) to processors, the market that is the major supplier of their commodity needs.
Principals' Market: A market where the ring dealing members act as principals for the transactions they conclude across the ring and with their clients.
Privileges: See Option.
Program Trading: The purchase (or sale) of a large number of stocks contained in or comprising a portfolio. Originally called "program" trading when index funds and other institutional investors began to embark on large-scale buying or selling campaigns or "programs" to invest in a manner which replicated a target stock index, the term now also commonly includes computer aided stock market buying or selling programs, portfolio insurance, and index arbitrage.
Prompt Date: The date on which the buyer of an option will buy or sell the underlying commodity (or futures contract) if the option is exercised.
Public: In trade parlance, non-professional speculators as distinguished from hedgers and professional speculators or traders.
Public Elevators: Grain elevators in which bulk storage of grain is provided for the public for a fee. Grain of the same grade but owned by different persons is usually mixed or commingled as opposed to storing it "identity preserved." Some elevators are approved by exchanges as "regular" for delivery on futures contracts.
Purchase and Sale Statement: See P&S.
Puts: Option contracts which give the holder the right but not the obligation to sell a specified quantity of a particular commodity or other interest at a given price (the "strike price") prior to or on a future date. Also called "put option," they will have a higher (lower) value the lower (higher) the current market value of the underlying article is relative to the strike price.
Put Option: An option to sell a specified amount of a commodity at an agreed price and time at any time until the expiration of the option. A put option is purchased to protect against a fall in price. The buyer pays a premium to the seller/grantor of this option. The buyer has the right to sell the commodity or enter into a short position in the futures market if the option is exercised. Also see Call Option.
Pyramiding: The use of profits on existing positions as margin to increase the size of the position, normally in successively smaller increments.
Quick Order: See Fill or Kill Order.
Quotation: The actual price or the bid or ask price of either cash commodities or futures contracts.
Click here for Investment Terms R-Z.
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Courts, Congress, and the Conduct of Foreign Relations
Assistant Professor, UCLA School of Law
For their generous engagement with this project, I am grateful to Aslı Bâli, Will Baude, Curt Bradley, Sam Bray, Josh Chafetz, Zach Clopton, Stephen Gardbaum, Carole Goldberg, Robert Goldstein, Jon Michaels, Kal Raustiala, Richard Re, Ryan Scoville, Shirin Sinnar, Stephen Vladeck, the editors of The University of Chicago Law Review, and participants in the Junior Faculty Federal Courts Workshop, Southern California International Law Scholars Workshop, and UCLA School of Law Summer Works-in-Progress Workshop. Andrew Brown, Nicholas Garver, Danielle Hesse, and Joshua Ostrer provided excellent research assistance.
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In the US constitutional system, the president generally conducts foreign relations. But not always. In recent years, the courts and Congress have repeatedly taken steps to interact directly with foreign governments. Nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations occurs when the courts or Congress engage in or take actions that result in the opening of a direct channel of official communications between the US nonexecutive branch and a foreign executive branch. Nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations raises serious constitutional questions, but to date there is no clear rubric for analyzing the constitutionality of the judiciary’s or Congress’s actions. Moreover, nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations is likely to become more frequent due to changes in technology, foreign governments’ increasing sophistication about the US government, hyperpartisanship in the United States, and what might be called the “Trump effect.”
Building on Justice Robert Jackson’s iconic tripartite framework from Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co v Sawyer, this Article proposes a converse Youngstown framework for determining when nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations is constitutional. The converse Youngstown framework judges the constitutionality of the courts’ or Congress’s actions in light of executive authorization or condonation (Category 1), executive silence (Category 2), or executive opposition (Category 3). The converse Youngstown framework offers significant advantages over the current ad hoc approach to analyzing nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations, and it avoids some of the pitfalls that critics have identified with traditional Youngstown analysis. First, it more accurately reflects the fact that the president isn’t the only actor who exercises foreign relations initiative. Second, it avoids much of the indeterminacy that plagues traditional Youngstown analysis. Finally, it simplifies the constitutional analysis of nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations by explaining why easy cases are easy, allowing courts to engage in constitutional avoidance in some cases, and showing how Congress and the courts may sometimes trump the executive, even in Category 3.
In the US constitutional system, the executive branch generally conducts foreign relations.1 But in recent years, the nonexecutive branches—the judiciary and Congress—have challenged the exclusivity of the president’s authority to conduct foreign relations by opening direct channels of communication with foreign governments’ executive branches. For example, in January 2015, Speaker of the House John Boehner invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress, breaking protocol by failing to coordinate with the White House.2 Two months later, forty-seven Republican senators, led by Senator Tom Cotton, penned a letter to the leaders of Iran in an attempt to undermine the executive branch’s negotiations to halt Iran’s nuclear program.3 More recently, Senator John McCain independently reached out to the Australian ambassador to smooth over relations after President Donald Trump “abruptly ended” a call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.4
These contacts challenge conventional understandings about the constitutional separation of powers. Although the judiciary decides cases related to foreign affairs,5 and Congress exercises fiscal, treaty, and other powers that affect foreign relations,6 generally the executive branch actually conducts foreign relations, interacting directly with representatives of foreign governments’ executive branches.7 The Netanyahu invitation and other examples deviate from this model. Moreover, courts, Congress, executive officials, and commentators lack a framework—much less an agreed-upon framework—for assessing whether the actions nonetheless comply with the Constitution.
Actors within and outside the three branches of government often analyze separation-of-powers disputes using the tripartite framework set out in Justice Robert Jackson’s concurring opinion in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co v Sawyer.8 Jackson’s Youngstown framework assumes, however, that the action in question is an executive action that must be judged in light of Congress’s approval, silence, or disapproval. The Netanyahu invitation and other examples disrupt this assumption: their defining feature is the initiative exercised by the nonexecutive branch in engaging in direct contacts with foreign governments.
Building on the Netanyahu invitation, the Cotton letter, and additional historical and recent examples, this Article identifies “nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations” as a discrete category of constitutional questions and then proposes a “converse Youngstown” framework for resolving separation-of-powers disputes when the branch whose actions are at issue is Congress or the judiciary.
Nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations occurs when a nonexecutive branch—the courts or Congress—engages in or takes actions that result in the opening of a direct channel of official communications between the US nonexecutive branch and a foreign executive branch. Although the courts and Congress often take actions that affect foreign policy, the direct conduct of relations with foreign governments has long been understood as the province of the executive.9 It is precisely the incongruity of conduct that would be considered diplomacy if done by executive officials being undertaken by nonexecutive officials that renders the actions constitutionally suspect.10
The need to determine the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations (or “nonexecutive foreign relations,” for short) is rendered more urgent because several factors suggest that the phenomenon is likely to become more frequent going forward. Most basically, technology has made international communications easier, and, as other scholars have noted,11 technology facilitates the formation of horizontal transnational government networks between US government entities and their foreign counterparts. It does the same for the diagonal transnational networks—that is, Congress to foreign executives and the judiciary to foreign executives—at issue in nonexecutive foreign relations. Foreign governments have also become more sophisticated about disaggregating the US government. Increased familiarity with the US policy process allows foreign governments to forum shop, reaching out to potentially sympathetic audiences in US government entities other than their traditional State Department interlocutors. Perhaps most importantly, the hyperpartisanship that dominates US political discourse, especially when combined with the Trump administration’s perceived incompetence at and inattention to diplomacy, will incentivize US officials outside the executive branch to reach out to foreign governments. It may also incentivize foreign officials to seek interlocutors outside the executive branch in order to hedge their bets by engaging broadly with actors across the US political spectrum.
By definition, all incidents of nonexecutive foreign relations involve the same powers on the part of the executive—namely, the powers to appoint ambassadors with the advice and consent of the Senate and to receive ambassadors. Nonexecutive foreign relations incidents vary, however, in which powers (if any) of the nonexecutive branch they involve. This variance allows for the creation of a typology of nonexecutive foreign relations incidents based on whether the nonexecutive branch is receiving communications from a foreign government (“inbound nonexecutive foreign relations”) or is purporting to convey information to a foreign government (“outbound nonexecutive foreign relations”). The difference between inbound and outbound nonexecutive foreign relations affects the constitutional analysis.
This Article’s proposed converse Youngstown framework provides an analytically rigorous method for executive-branch officials, legislators, judges, and scholars to determine when nonexecutive foreign relations are and are not constitutionally permissible.12 The converse Youngstown framework ensures that the actions of the legislature or the judiciary are judged not only by reference to the textual constitutional allocation of power, but in light of executive authorization or condonation (Category 1), executive silence (Category 2), or executive opposition (Category 3). As in traditional Youngstown analysis, the converse Youngstown framework reveals how the relationship between branches of the federal government can affect the constitutionality of each branch’s actions.
The converse Youngstown framework offers significant benefits over the current ad hoc approach to analyzing nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations, and it also avoids some of the pitfalls that critics have identified with traditional Youngstown analysis.
First, while the traditional Youngstown framework is designed to evaluate instances when the president exercises initiative, the converse Youngstown framework accounts for the fact that sometimes Congress and the judiciary prevail in a race to act. Converse Youngstown may actually incentivize greater initiative taking by the nonexecutive branches by mandating careful consideration of their constitutional positions. Such initiative taking may have the salutary effect of defending Congress and the judiciary against executive claims that they have acquiesced to executive assertions of power.
Second, the converse Youngstown framework is less susceptible to the indeterminacy that critics argue plagues the traditional Youngstown framework. In particular, Professor Laurence Tribe has recently assailed Youngstown for being indeterminate with respect to Category 2 cases—when the president acts in the face of congressional silence. Converse Youngstown avoids this concern to a large extent because, due to structural differences between the branches, the president is less likely than Congress to remain silent, suggesting that there will be fewer Category 2 cases in converse Youngstown. Moreover, converse Youngstown makes clearer the import of Category 2 cases that do occur. The comparative ease with which the president can respond to actions by the nonexecutive branches suggests that silence by the executive is a more meaningful signal of approval or acquiescence than silence by Congress, which faces structural impediments to action.
Finally, the converse Youngstown framework simplifies the analysis of the constitutionality of nonexecutive foreign relations. The current ad hoc approach to assessing the constitutionality of particular nonexecutive foreign relations incidents does not account for the importance of the executive’s approval, acquiescence, or opposition.
The converse Youngstown framework explains why easy cases are easy. In Category 1 cases, the converse Youngstown framework changes the question from whether the nonexecutive branch has independent authority for its action to whether the nonexecutive branch’s power (if any) plus the power of the executive is constitutionally sufficient. Because the executive’s power alone is likely to be sufficient in many instances, converse Youngstown makes nonexecutive foreign relations incidents, done with the approval of the president, easy questions. It also allows adjudicators to engage in constitutional avoidance, obviating the need to determine the precise scope of the nonexecutive branch’s constitutional power in cases in which the executive’s power alone is sufficient.
In addition, the converse Youngstown framework improves upon ad hoc analysis for hard cases—those in Category 3, when the president disapproves of the actions of the nonexecutive branch. Using the converse Youngstown framework to assess Category 3 examples from Part II shows that the president should often prevail when the nonexecutive branch engages in outbound nonexecutive foreign relations, but that the implied powers of both Congress and the judiciary generally put their assertions of inbound nonexecutive foreign relations power on better footing. As the Supreme Court’s recent opinion in Zivotofsky v Kerry13 (“Zivotofsky II”) demonstrates, the president can sometimes prevail even in Youngstown Category 3.14 Similarly, Congress and the courts can prevail in converse Youngstown Category 3.
This Article proceeds in three Parts. Part I reviews traditional Youngstown analysis, highlighting how courts and nonjudicial actors have deployed Jackson’s tripartite framework. Part II defines a typology of nonexecutive foreign relations incidents based on the constitutionally significant distinction between inbound and outbound foreign relations and proposes several reasons why nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations is likely to accelerate. Part III then develops the converse Youngstown framework and identifies the benefits it provides over both ad hoc and classic Youngstown analysis.
I. Traditional Youngstown Analysis in Theory and Practice
The facts of Youngstown are well known. During the Korean War, a labor dispute arose between steel workers and steel companies, and to avert a nationwide strike that would have jeopardized the war effort, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 10340, which authorized the secretary of commerce to seize and operate certain steel mills.15 The steel companies sued, arguing that the seizure was unconstitutional.16 In a short opinion by Justice Hugo Black, the Supreme Court rejected the executive branch’s argument that the president had inherent constitutional power to issue the seizure order and invalidated the order on the ground that it effectively made law—a power entrusted to Congress, not the president.17
Justice Jackson’s concurrence has long overshadowed Black’s majority opinion.18 Jackson, drawing on his own prior experience as an executive-branch lawyer,19 took a functionalist, practice-based approach to resolving separation-of-powers disputes.20 Jackson recognized that “[p]residential powers are not fixed but fluctuate, depending upon their disjunction or conjunction with those of Congress.”21 To channel judicial analysis of this presidential power fluctuation, Jackson proposed a tripartite framework.22
Category 1 includes instances “[w]hen the President acts pursuant to an express or implied authorization of Congress.”23 There the president’s “authority is at its maximum, for it includes all that he possesses in his own right plus all that Congress can delegate.”24 Presidential actions in Category 1 are, according to Jackson, “supported by the strongest of presumptions and the widest latitude of judicial interpretation.”25
Category 2 involves presidential action and congressional silence, creating a “zone of twilight in which [the president] and Congress may have concurrent authority, or in which its distribution is uncertain.”26 The president “can only rely upon his own independent powers,” but “congressional inertia, indifference or quiescence may sometimes, at least as a practical matter, enable, if not invite, measures on independent presidential responsibility.”27 Unlike Categories 1 and 3, which each come with a substantive presumption or guide as to the ultimate constitutional outcome,28 Jackson is vague as to how courts should approach Category 2 cases. He notes only that the resolution of Category 2 cases will “likely [ ] depend on the imperatives of events and contemporary imponderables rather than on abstract theories of law.”29
Finally, Category 3 involves instances in which “the President takes measures incompatible with the expressed or implied will of Congress.”30 In Category 3, the president’s “power is at its lowest ebb,” encompassing “his own constitutional powers minus any constitutional powers of Congress over the matter.”31 Jackson instructs that courts, which must “scrutiniz[e] with caution” presidential actions in Category 3, can uphold the president’s actions “only by disabling the Congress from acting upon the subject,”32 that is, by holding the issue to be within the president’s sole “domain and beyond control by Congress.”33 Jackson deemed Truman’s steel seizure to be a Category 3 case and accordingly voted to invalidate the executive order.34
Until 2015, the president had never prevailed in a Category 3 case in the Supreme Court. That changed in Zivotofsky II. The Court held that the president has the exclusive power to recognize foreign sovereigns and therefore that the president could defy a congressional statute that purported to allow a US citizen born in Jerusalem to have his place of birth listed as “Israel” in his passport.35 Chief Justice John Roberts noted in dissent the unprecedented nature of the president’s Category 3 win, asserting that “[n]ever before has this Court accepted a President’s direct defiance of an Act of Congress in the field of foreign affairs.”36
Jackson himself recognized in Youngstown that the tripartite framework was “over-simplified”37—a characterization scholars and the Court have echoed38—and that it only “roughly” distinguishes the “legal consequences” of the different permutations of presidential action and congressional approval, silence, and disapproval.39
Nonetheless, Jackson’s framework for analyzing the constitutionality of presidential actions in areas of claimed concurrent congressional power has proven to be an enduring and popular method for evaluating separation-of-powers questions. The Supreme Court has cited Jackson’s concurrence in dozens of cases, including in nineteen majority opinions.40 The executive branch also often relies on Jackson’s opinion. The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has cited Jackson’s concurrence in dozens of opinions,41 including to analyze issues like the scope of the treaty power42 and war powers.43
Many of the separation-of-powers disputes to which the Youngstown framework applies do not end up before courts due to problems of standing or justiciability, among others.44 The use of Youngstown outside the courts—by the executive and Congress—is at least as important as its use within them, and more fraught because of the absence of an authoritative decider to resolve disputes between the branches.45
Reliance on Jackson’s Youngstown concurrence is often coupled with resort to another separate opinion in Youngstown, namely the concurring opinion by Justice Felix Frankfurter. Frankfurter’s concurrence emphasized the importance of historical practice to understanding the constitutional separation of powers. He explained, “[A] systematic, unbroken, executive practice, long pursued to the knowledge of the Congress and never before questioned, engaged in by Presidents who have also sworn to uphold the Constitution . . . may be treated as a gloss on ‘executive Power’ vested in the President.”46 The Supreme Court itself,47 as well as commentators48 and executive-branch entities,49 have recognized the importance of “historical gloss” in resolving separation-of-powers questions. Appeals to historical practice “are particularly common in constitutional controversies implicating foreign relations,”50 likely due to the implicit nature of many of the constitutional foreign affairs powers. Historical practice is often deployed in particular to argue that one branch has acquiesced in a claim of power by a coordinate branch.51 Like Jackson’s concurrence, Frankfurter’s opinion is relied on outside the courts.52
Evidence from historical practice can complement Jackson’s tripartite framework. As Professors Curtis Bradley and Trevor Morrison have explained, “Historical practice is potentially relevant in each of” the three Youngstown categories.53 Historical practice can shed light on: whether Congress supports or opposes presidential action, placing it in Categories 1 or 3; whether the president’s power in a Category 3 case is exclusive, leading to a presidential victory despite congressional opposition; and how power is allocated in areas of shared authority but congressional silence, that is, in Category 2.54
The challenge with both Youngstown opinions is that they were written for and have since been applied primarily in instances in which presidential actions are at issue. But the president is not the only actor challenging the separation of powers. Increasingly, Congress and even the judiciary are conducting foreign relations, as detailed in the next Part.
II. Nonexecutive Conduct of Foreign Relations
Nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations (or “nonexecutive foreign relations” for short) requires a nonexecutive branch—the courts or Congress—to engage in or take actions that result in the opening of a channel of direct communications with a foreign executive branch. Nonexecutive foreign relations captures communications to and from foreign governments that are undertaken or purport to be undertaken in an official, institutional capacity, not communications undertaken in a personal (that is, unofficial) capacity.
The boundaries of what counts as “conduct” of foreign relations may change depending on the circumstances. One possible definition of actions that should be considered “conduct” of foreign relations would be actions by a constitutionally significant majority of a nonexecutive branch—for example, a majority of a court, a majority of both houses of Congress, or a supermajority of the Senate as required to ratify a treaty.55 In some circumstances, however, the actions of a constitutionally significant minority might be relevant. Consider, for example, communications to a foreign government by a minority of senators, but a minority sufficient to block ratification of a treaty (that is, at least thirty-four). In other circumstances, the actions of even a single congressperson or judge could be sufficient to constitute the conduct of foreign relations. One district judge could accept a filing by a foreign government. One senator’s statements could interfere with treaty negotiations or adversely affect relations with a foreign government. The potential relevance of the actions of a single individual should not be surprising. Much of US foreign relations is conducted by individual executive-branch officials (albeit with significant support from staff and others in the executive branch). The United States deploys one ambassador to each country, plus a number of subject-matter-specific ambassadors to international gatherings and institutions.
Whether the actions of less than a constitutionally significant majority of a nonexecutive branch constitute the conduct of foreign relations will be a fact-specific inquiry. Relevant factors could include the perception of the foreign government involved: Would that government be likely to believe that the conduct is significant? Another factor could be to consider a substitution effect. If the nonexecutive official’s or officials’ actions effectively substitute for an action that could be or has previously been done by the executive, then the nonexecutive’s action constitutes conduct of foreign relations.
Nonexecutive foreign relations provides examples of diagonal transnational networks—that is, transnational networks between one country’s executive branch and another country’s legislature or judiciary.56 The existence of transnational networks among government officials has garnered significant attention in recent years.57 Scholars like Anne-Marie Slaughter have focused on the disaggregation of modern states into component parts, such as judiciaries, legislatures, and regulatory agencies that engage with their counterparts abroad.58 But while existing scholarship has focused primarily on “[h]orizontal government networks” “link[ing] [ ] counterpart national officials across borders”—judge to judge, legislature to legislature, regulator to regulator59—nonexecutive foreign relations involves diagonal networks running from the US judiciary or legislature to foreign governments’ executive branches.60 These diagonal transgovernmental interactions raise different issues from the horizontal governmental networks and pose serious questions for the US constitutional system and the conduct of US foreign relations.61
The next Section uses examples to develop a typology of nonexecutive foreign relations.
A. A Typology of Nonexecutive Conduct of Foreign Relations
Nonexecutive foreign relations can be inbound or outbound. Inbound instances involve Congress or the courts receiving communications from foreign executives, whereas outbound instances involve US nonexecutive branches transmitting communications directly to foreign governments. Some examples of nonexecutive foreign relations involve aspects of both inbound and outbound. For example, Speaker Boehner’s invitation to Prime Minister Netanyahu was an outbound communication that solicited an inbound communication—Netanyahu’s address to Congress.
Both inbound and outbound nonexecutive foreign relations have constitutional implications. The Constitution affords the president the power to conduct both outbound foreign relations by appointing ambassadors “by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate”62 and inbound foreign relations by “receiv[ing] Ambassadors and other public Ministers.”63 The Supreme Court’s Zivotofsky II opinion cites the president’s powers as to both inbound and outbound foreign relations to support its conclusion that “Congress . . . has no constitutional power that would enable it to initiate diplomatic relations with a foreign nation.”64 The Court in United States v Curtiss-Wright Export Corp65 put the point even more bluntly, stating that “the President alone has the power to speak or listen as a representative of the nation.”66
As the examples in this Section show, however, there are in fact both multiple speakers and multiple listeners when it comes to the US government’s interactions with foreign governments.67 The converse Youngstown framework set out in the next Part will explore which nonexecutive foreign relations scenarios, with their multiplication of speakers and listeners, are constitutionally permissible and which are constitutionally problematic.
1. Inbound.
The most basic example of inbound nonexecutive foreign relations occurs with respect to courts. The judiciary routinely receives filings from foreign sovereigns that are plaintiffs or defendants in cases before the courts.68 The Supreme Court has noted the “long-settled general rule” that “a foreign nation is generally entitled to prosecute any civil claim in the courts of the United States upon the same basis as a domestic corporation or individual might do.”69 This entitlement is limited to governments that are “at peace with” and “recognized by the United States,”70 a status that the Court has held to be subject to the executive’s determination.71 In a recent article, Professor Hannah Buxbaum identified nearly “300 claims lodged by foreign sovereigns in U.S. courts.”72 All of these filings are examples of nonexecutive foreign relations: communications between a foreign sovereign and a nonexecutive branch of the US government, namely the judiciary.
In addition to filing with US courts when they are parties to cases, foreign sovereigns also communicate with US courts as amici curiae. One important example of the Supreme Court as a nonexecutive foreign relations actor stems from the Court’s instigation of a shift in the filing practices of foreign governments.73 Prior to 1978, foreign governments that wished to provide their views to the Supreme Court about pending cases in which they were not parties sometimes filed amicus briefs directly with the Court but more often transmitted diplomatic notes to the State Department, which passed the notes to the solicitor general who then filed them with the Court.74 In a 1978 case, however, the diplomatic-note practice caused concern at oral argument. Zenith Radio Corp v United States75 raised issues about international trade, and the United States, which was the respondent, transmitted diplomatic notes from the European Commission and Japan, which supported the petitioner.76
The State Department’s Digest of United States Practice in International Law chronicles the Supreme Court’s action and the Justice and State Departments’ responses.77 In a letter to State Department Legal Adviser Herbert Hansell, Solicitor General Wade H. McCree explained that the Clerk of the Supreme Court wrote to McCree “stating that the procedure of transmitting diplomatic notes to the Court is not authorized by the Court’s rules,” and that “foreign governments ordinarily should make their presentations to the Supreme Court in a way authorized by the Court’s rules.”78 McCree noted that the Japanese diplomatic note “became a subject of concern” during oral argument in Zenith Radio, and he concluded:
[T]he fact that the note was provided to the Court by us [the United States] as a litigant in the case tended to confuse the presentation of the issues in a way that did not improve the prospect that the final decision would be favorable to the interests of the Government of Japan.79
McCree therefore suggested that the State Department “discourage foreign governments from presenting diplomatic notes to the Department of State with requests that the notes be transmitted to the Supreme Court” and instead “request foreign governments to communicate their views to the judicial branch through the more effective method preferred by that branch—the filing of formal briefs.”80
In a circular diplomatic note transmitted to embassies in Washington, the State Department informed foreign governments of the Supreme Court clerk’s letter to the solicitor general and explained that the State Department would “no longer transmit diplomatic notes submitted to it by foreign governments with respect to cases pending in the Supreme Court” or federal courts of appeals.81 The State Department noted that the Supreme Court rules permit “any person to file a brief as amicus curiae with the consent of the parties to the case, or by motion in the absence of such consent” and that the courts of appeals have a similar rule.82 The United States further precommitted that it would consent to the filing of a foreign sovereign amicus brief in any case in which it is a party, and noted that even if the other party refused consent, the Court would “almost certainly grant the motion of a foreign government for leave to file a brief.”83
The State Department also began declining foreign governments’ requests to convey to courts the foreign governments’ intent not to file in particular cases.84 The Digest notes that the State Department’s decision to decline to transmit Canada’s decision not to file in a district-court case
reflected a growing consensus within the U.S. Government that from a standpoint of international, as well as domestic, law, there was no reason why foreign governments should not in most cases present their views . . . to the courts in the United States directly rather than through the diplomatic channel.85
The Supreme Court instigated a change in how foreign governments communicate with the US judicial branch. Before the Supreme Court clerk’s letter to the solicitor general, foreign government amicus briefs were not unprecedented, but after the letter and the State Department’s diplomatic note, they became the exclusive way in which foreign governments present their views to US courts.86 The Supreme Court effected this change indirectly. The Court did not itself directly communicate with foreign governments; rather, it simply communicated to the Department of Justice that the department’s own filing of the diplomatic notes was not in compliance with the Court’s rules.87 It appears from the solicitor general’s portrayal of the events that it was the solicitor general who closed the loop between the Court’s letter—stating that the filing of diplomatic notes was not authorized by the Court’s rules—and the filing of amicus briefs as a way for foreign governments to comply with the Court’s rules.88 And the executive branch went further than the Court suggested. The State Department declared that the executive branch would no longer transmit foreign governments’ views to either the Supreme Court or the federal courts of appeals,89 nor would the executive transmit foreign governments’ decisions not to file.90 The State Department later extended the nontransmittal policy to federal district courts and to state courts, though maintaining that it would review such requests “on a case-by-case basis.”91
In sum, the Supreme Court instigated the shift in practice from diplomatic notes to amicus briefs, thereby broadening a direct, unmediated line of communication between foreign executives and the US judiciary, but the US executive branch consented to and widened the scope of the communications channel by declining to transmit foreign governments’ views to any US court. As I explored in detail in a prior article,92 federal courts today routinely engage in inbound nonexecutive foreign relations by receiving foreign governments’ amicus briefs in addition to receiving filings by foreign sovereigns as parties.
2. Mixed inbound/outbound.
On January 21, 2015, Boehner invited Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress about ongoing negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program.93 Foreign heads of state addressing Congress is not unusual.94 But the invitation to Netanyahu was unprecedented because it was not coordinated with the executive branch.95 Boehner admitted that he deliberately failed to notify the White House of the invitation in order to “‘make sure there was no interference’ from the administration,”96 and he asserted that “Congress ‘can make this decision on its own.’”97 For its part, the White House noted that it learned of the invitation only shortly before Boehner publicly announced it, and that the invitation was a “departure” from “typical protocol.”98 The White House further announced that President Barack Obama would not meet with Netanyahu, who faced an election in mid-March, because of a “long-standing practice and principle” of not meeting with “heads of state or candidates in close proximity to their elections, so as to avoid the appearance of influencing a democratic election in a foreign country.”99
Boehner issued the invitation against the backdrop of contentious negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. In his State of the Union address in January, Obama called on Congress to refrain from imposing additional sanctions on Iran while the United States and other powers negotiated a framework agreement with Iran to halt its nuclear program.100 Congressional Republicans and Netanyahu opposed the negotiations. 101 The day he issued the invitation, Boehner reportedly told Republican lawmakers, “Obama ‘expects us to stand idly by and do nothing while he cuts a bad deal with Iran . . . . Two words: Hell no!’”102 Netanyahu, having accepted Boehner’s invitation, addressed Congress on March 3 and argued strenuously against the negotiations with Iran.103
The invitation and Netanyahu’s subsequent speech appear to have been aimed at influencing US policy and public opinion with respect to negotiating with or sanctioning Iran.104 Boehner explained in an interview that:
[W]hen it comes to the threat of Iran having a nuclear weapon—these are important messages that the Congress needs to hear and the American people need to hear. And I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu is the perfect person to deliver the message of how serious this threat is.105
He also claimed, however, that he was “trying to . . . strengthen the president’s hand” in the negotiations with Iran, presumably by threatening sanctions.106 Despite opposition from congressional Republicans and Netanyahu, the United States and Iran, along with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, reached agreement in July 2015 on a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.107
Boehner’s invitation to Netanyahu sparked debate among legal commentators about whether Boehner’s actions complied with the Constitution. Some argued that the invitation was unconstitutional because Article II, § 3 of the Constitution gives the president the exclusive power to “receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers.”108 Others argued in favor of the invitation’s constitutionality on a variety of grounds. Some pointed to the evolution of less formal communications between congressmen and foreign governments to argue that constitutional practice supports the constitutionality of the invitation.109 Others argued that the president’s failure to exercise his constitutional power to bar Netanyahu’s entry into the United States constituted implied consent to the address to Congress.110 Another commentator suggested that the invitation was constitutional because it did not interfere with the president’s power to receive ambassadors and because “[h]earing from foreign leaders . . . can support” congressional powers, such as appropriating funds for foreign policy and ratifying treaties.111
As these arguments reveal, commentators not only disagreed as to the ultimate constitutionality of the invitation, but also as to the appropriate framework with which to evaluate it. Part of the divergence stems from the fact that the Netanyahu incident has aspects of both inbound and outbound nonexecutive foreign relations. Boehner’s initial invitation letter to Netanyahu was outbound—a direct communication to a foreign head of state from the legislative branch. Netanyahu’s acceptance and ultimate speech to Congress, on the other hand, were inbound—direct communication from a foreign executive to a nonexecutive branch of the US government (here, Congress). Some of the dispute over the incident’s constitutionality involves dueling claims about authority to conduct foreign relations versus Congress’s authority to receive information pertinent to fulfilling its functions.
A more routine example of mixed inbound/outbound nonexecutive foreign relations is congressional travel abroad.112 As Professor Ryan Scoville has documented, congressmen frequently visit foreign countries to inform themselves about issues related to their legislative responsibilities.113 Such trips are mixed inbound/outbound because in meetings with foreign government representatives, congressmen receive information and gather facts (inbound), but may also communicate messages (outbound). The executive branch often supports congressional travel abroad.114
Sometimes, however, congressional travel proves controversial. In 2007, then–Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and discussed a variety of regional security issues.115 President George W. Bush criticized Pelosi’s visit on the ground that it “sen[t] mixed signals”116 at a time when the Bush administration was trying to isolate Syria diplomatically.117
More recently, in January 2017, Representative Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii, traveled to Syria on a “fact-finding trip” and met with al-Assad.118 Gabbard had “called for the [Obama] administration to abandon all assistance to armed groups and stop seeking Assad’s overthrow,”119 and fellow congressmen criticized her meeting with Assad.120 Although the Defense Department was aware of Gabbard’s trip,121 neither Obama nor Trump administration officials commented on it.122
Another possible, although so far hypothetical, example of mixed inbound/outbound nonexecutive foreign relations could come from the Supreme Court. The Court routinely “calls for the views of the solicitor general” (CVSGs), essentially inviting the executive branch to file a brief expressing its views on whether the Court should grant certiorari in a case or on which way the Court should rule on the merits.123 The Court occasionally calls for the views of parties other than the solicitor general. For example, the Court has called for the views of the houses of Congress and states, among others.124 As the Court becomes increasingly accustomed to amicus briefs from foreign sovereigns, it might call for the views of a specific foreign government or governments in a future case in which the foreign sovereign’s views would be particularly material to the Court’s consideration. For example, in a case about extraterritorial application of US law—an issue on which the Court has been especially solicitous of foreign governments’ briefs125—the Court might request the views of governments whose domestic enforcement efforts would be impacted by application of US law abroad. Such an action by the Court would be analogous in form to the Netanyahu invitation: an invitation from a nonexecutive branch (outbound) for a foreign executive branch to provide its views to the Court (inbound). What the Court scenario would lack, of course, is the literal receiving of a foreign ambassador, and the Court’s request would also occur in the shadow of the executive branch’s own precommitment to consent to the filing of any foreign sovereign amicus brief.126
3. Outbound.
The Iran nuclear deal negotiations sparked another example of nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations by Congress, specifically an outbound example.127 On March 9, 2015, forty-seven Republican senators, led by Senator Cotton, released an “Open Letter to the Leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”128 The letter began by noting that the Iranian leaders “may not fully understand our constitutional system.”129 It then warned that the senators would regard an agreement “not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei” that could be revoked by the next president or modified by Congress.130 After releasing the letter, Cotton took the extraordinary step of tweeting the letter directly to Iranian leaders, including Ayatollah Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani, and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.131 Zarif responded by tweeting back a link to remarks in which he responded to the letter, calling it a “propaganda ploy” and “unprecedented in diplomatic history” and arguing that the senators “do not understand international law.”132
The senators intended the letter to undermine then ongoing negotiations over the nuclear deal,133 and the White House blasted their interference. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest called the letter “the continuation of a partisan strategy to undermine the President’s ability to conduct foreign policy and advance our national security interests around the globe,”134 and he noted that interfering in ongoing negotiations “is not [ ] the role that our Founding Fathers envisioned for Congress to play when it comes to foreign policy.”135 Vice President Joe Biden issued a strongly worded statement declaring that the letter “ignores two centuries of precedent and threatens to undermine the ability of any future American President, whether Democrat or Republican, to negotiate with other nations on behalf of the United States.”136 Biden further highlighted the long history of US international agreements made without Congress’s approval, and noted that in his thirty-six years in the Senate, he could not “recall another instance in which Senators wrote directly to advise another country—much less a longtime foreign adversary—that the President does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them.”137
Many commentators and media outlets derided the letter on a variety of grounds.138 Separation-of-powers concerns even made their way into major newspapers’ editorials. The Los Angeles Times, for example, argued, “[N]egotiating with foreign nations is the president’s job. The Republican senators’ meddling in that responsibility is outrageous.”139 The Boston Globe called the letter a “breathtakingly reckless intrusion into international diplomacy” that “undercuts the president’s traditional authority to oversee the shaping of foreign policy.”140
Legal commentators debated similar issues.141 Professor Josh Chafetz has argued that the Cotton letter is constitutionally protected based on a broad understanding of the Speech and Debate Clause.142 Professor Julian Ku noted that the letter “could be criticized as an unconstitutional interference in the President’s inherent power to conduct foreign affairs” and “is very unusual.”143 He nonetheless concluded that the letter “skirts, but manages to avoid, any unconstitutional interference” because it “does not state U.S. policy” and is instead “[p]hrased merely as a letter ‘bringing attention’ to the U.S. constitutional system.”144
Professors Robert Howse and Ruti Teitel, on the other hand, argued that the letter was a “flagrant violation of at least the spirit” of the principle that “the President is the sole representative of the United States ‘with foreign nations’” and, “in the words of the Supreme Court, ‘the President alone has the power to speak’ with other states on America’s behalf.”145 Professor Marty Lederman similarly noted that the letter “is deeply transgressive of constitutional values and traditions,” if not of the Constitution itself.146
As the executive-branch, popular-media, and legal-expert reactions to the Cotton letter reveal, the senators’ direct communication to a foreign government during delicate negotiations and in an overt attempt to interfere with those negotiations is at least constitutionally troubling, if not strictly violative of the Constitution.
The Cotton letter incident shares some similarities with a historical antecedent. In 1984, ten Democratic congressmen sent a letter to Nicaragua’s then–Coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction—who later became President—Daniel Ortega urging him to ensure free and open elections.147 Known as the “Dear Comandante” letter,148 the missive explained that the congressional signatories opposed the Reagan administration’s support of “military action directed against the people or government of Nicaragua,” and argued that if Ortega held free and open elections, “[t]hose responsible for supporting violence against your government . . . would have far greater difficulty winning support for their policies.”149 Newt Gingrich, then a Republican congressman, condemned the letter, arguing that it “clearly violates the constitutional separation of powers” and “undercut[s] the [Reagan] Administration’s foreign policy.”150
More than a year later, the Reagan administration’s Secretary of State George Shultz gave a speech criticizing the letter and trips by congressmen to Nicaragua, arguing that the Reagan administration “‘cannot conduct a successful policy’ toward Nicaragua when legislators” act as “self-appointed emissaries to the communist regime.”151 Shultz also noted, however, that congressmen have the right to travel to and review the situation in Nicaragua,152 and after meeting with Democratic congressmen later in the day, he “reversed course,” telling reporters that “any phrase that might be interpreted as criticism” of the congressmen “is not a proper interpretation.”153
B. Drivers of Nonexecutive Foreign Relations
The phenomenon of nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations is not new. For decades, foreign governments have filed amicus briefs, and congressmen have intervened with foreign governments for even longer.154 But the salience of nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations increased in 2015 with the Netanyahu address to Congress and the Cotton letter. Some of the drivers discussed below suggest that although nonexecutive foreign relations have occurred in the past, they are likely to be more frequent going forward.
Technology. Technology facilitates communication, and communications among government actors are no exception. Advanced communications technology is not necessary for nonexecutive foreign relations communications,155 but it does make communications across borders faster, cheaper, and easier. Scholars have argued that the information technology revolution has spurred global networks both among government officials and outside of governments.156 In a study of transgovernmental networks among regulatory agencies, for example, Professor Kal Raustiala noted that every regulator he interviewed cited “advances in information technologies . . . as a central permissive cause of the contemporary network phenomenon.”157
In the same way that they enable horizontal governmental networks, technological advances facilitate diagonal communications between foreign executives and US nonexecutive branches. New technologies may just replace earlier counterparts in the way that email can substitute for a mailed letter or a fax machine. But as Cotton’s tweets to Iranian leaders and the Iranian foreign minister’s tweeted response reveal,158 new technologies can also create communication channels that are different in kind from prior options.
Sophistication about disaggregation. Another driver leading foreign executive branches to engage the US judiciary and Congress may be foreign governments’ increasing sophistication about the relative powers of the branches of the US government. As foreign executive branches interact directly with parts of the US government other than the State Department, they may come to better understand the policy process within the United States and the policy bottlenecks and power centers. This understanding may reveal more diverse avenues of engagement than the traditional State Department–foreign ministry route. For example, Professor Peter Spiro has argued that foreign governments’ “increasing sophistication . . . when it comes to internal U.S. governance structures” has led them to “play the system directly” by “participat[ing] in U.S. judicial proceedings not just as defendants (which more likely involves a lack of sophistication) but increasingly as plaintiffs and amici curiae.”159 While existing scholarship has explored how disaggregation impacts international law and US compliance with international law,160 this Article takes a different approach, focusing instead on the constitutional implications of foreign governments’ interactions with the disaggregated pieces of the federal government.
Fractionalization in the United States. Advances in communications technology and increased knowledge among foreign governments about the US system help to create the conditions for nonexecutive foreign relations, but they do not explain what causes nonexecutive foreign relations to move from potential to actual. The trigger for many of the instances of nonexecutive foreign relations discussed above, particularly those undertaken by Congress, appears to be serious policy disagreements between government officials of opposing political parties.161
Divided government—when one party controls the presidency and the other party controls Congress—may foster nonexecutive foreign relations. In such a circumstance, the party controlling Congress can use levers of congressional authority, such as issuing invitations and engaging in foreign travel, to engage in nonexecutive foreign relations. The Netanyahu invitation and the Cotton letter are prominent examples: Republican leaders of Congress used the powers of their offices in an attempt to derail the foreign policy of a Democratic president.162
But divided government is not necessary for nonexecutive foreign relations to occur. Examples of nonexecutive foreign relations from the courts do not depend on the same political dynamics as executive-legislative divided government. Moreover, even when a single party controls both the presidency and Congress, minority legislators may attempt to engage in nonexecutive foreign relations using different tactics than a legislative majority has at its disposal. In fact, unified government may increase the odds of nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations by minority legislators: if policy divisions and fractionalization make working with the executive and legislative majority untenable, minority legislators may have a greater incentive to engage in nonexecutive foreign relations through in-person visits abroad or sending of messages precisely because they lack other mechanisms for affecting policy.
Fractionalization in the US political system incentivizes not just US actors but also foreign countries to engage in nonexecutive foreign relations. The existence of deep disagreements—if not outright animosity—between US government branches or majority and minority parties makes it prudent for foreign governments to attempt to engage multiple actors to understand the full range of views held by those with some potential to influence US policy, either currently or after the next election cycle. Fractionalization also creates the possibility that foreign governments can forum shop. If a foreign government is stymied by the executive branch, it might find a more receptive audience in Congress or the courts.163 Netanyahu’s address to Congress, for example, seemed designed precisely to find a friendly audience, avoiding Obama, with whom Netanyahu had had a troubled relationship,164 and engaging directly with congressional Republicans, who the prime minister (correctly) believed were more receptive to his arguments for a tougher approach to Iran.165
Professor Michael Ramsey noted that Netanyahu’s engagement with Congress, perceived to be more aligned with Israeli policy than the president, echoes an incident from the Founding era.166 In 1793, French Ambassador Edmond Genet “sought to enlist U.S. support for France in its conflict with Britain,” and when President George Washington “insisted on neutrality, Genet attempted to communicate directly with Congress, which he suspected was more sympathetic to France.”167 The Washington administration, in a series of letters from Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, instructed Genet to communicate only with the president.168 Jefferson explained, “[B]y our constitution all foreign agents are to be addressed to the President of the US[,] no other branch of the government being charged with the foreign communications.”169
As the Genet example illustrates, forum shopping isn’t new, but the current era of hyperpartisanship and fractionalization may make it more appealing and more common.
The Trump effect. The Trump administration’s perceived incompetence at and inattention to diplomacy may provide yet another spur for domestic and international actors to seek one another out, circumventing the executive branch.170 Missteps by Trump, such as failing to affirm the United States’ continued commitment to NATO171 and proposing deep cuts to the State Department’s budget,172 have provoked congressional pushback.173 And in at least one instance, a legislator has stepped in directly to countermand Trump. In a February phone call, “President Trump blasted Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over a refugee agreement and boasted about the magnitude of his electoral college win” before “abruptly end[ing]” the call.174 In an attempt to smooth things over, Senator McCain called Australia’s ambassador to the United States to “express [ ] unwavering support for the U.S.-Australia alliance.”175
If the Trump administration continues its combination of diplomatic gaffes and lack of engagement through normal State Department channels, more congressmen may engage in direct communications with foreign governments, and foreign governments may increasingly seek out interlocutors among the legislators.176
The likelihood that nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations will become more frequent makes development of a legal framework to assess its constitutionality all the more crucial. The next Part takes up that task.
III. The Converse Youngstown Framework
While the traditional Youngstown framework provides guidance on how to assess presidential and executive-branch actions, it does not address the increasingly frequent circumstances in which the president is cast in a reactive role.177 The converse Youngstown framework proposed here addresses precisely those situations in which Congress or the courts are the initial actors and the executive branch reacts to their initiative. The two Youngstown frameworks are not mutually exclusive. Many separation-of-powers disputes are iterative processes wherein, for example, the president takes an action, Congress reacts, then the president reacts to Congress’s reaction, and so on. Which framework applies depends on which branch’s action is at issue. Traditional Youngstown applies when the action at issue is the executive’s; converse Youngstown applies when the action at issue is Congress’s or the judiciary’s.
Many of the situations to which converse Youngstown will apply, like many instances in which traditional Youngstown applies, will be nonjusticiable and not ultimately resolved or resolvable by courts.178 The converse Youngstown framework can nonetheless help to guide analysis of separation-of-powers disputes by government officials, such as OLC179 and legislators,180 who are on the front lines of such debates.181 It will also be useful to scholars focused on the respective powers of the three branches.
The frequent absence of courts as authoritative adjudicators of separation-of-powers disputes does not diminish the constitutional-law nature of such questions. Although “there is a strand of British (and, more generally, Commonwealth) constitutional thinking that would limit the term ‘constitutional law’ to norms that are enforceable by the judiciary,” such a limitation “does not map well onto U.S. constitutional understandings” and constitutional-law scholarship.182 Rather, in the United States, extrajudicial constitutional decisionmaking by the political branches is accepted and frequent.183
Moreover, judicial decisions remain relevant even for nonjusticiable constitutional questions. When either Youngstown or converse Youngstown apply in nonjusticiable circumstances, those applying the frameworks can benefit from courts’ application of Youngstown in prior cases that did raise justiciable questions. Youngstown cases can illuminate later converse Youngstown situations by, for example, construing the powers of multiple branches in a way that can be used in later outside-the-courts analyses, holding that certain powers are exclusive to one branch and thus perhaps determinative in later assessments, or providing methodological guidance on issues like the relevance of historical gloss. Thus, converse Youngstown analysis can benefit from the penumbras of judicial pronouncements in much the same way that nonjusticiable Youngstown situations do.
Part III.A develops the converse Youngstown framework. Part III.B then argues that the converse Youngstown framework provides significant benefits over the current ad hoc approach to analyzing nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations and avoids some of the pitfalls that critics have identified with the traditional Youngstown framework.
A. Converse Youngstown for Nonexecutive Foreign Relations
Youngstown and converse Youngstown share the same basic goal of guiding determination of the relative constitutional powers of competing branches. Both frameworks are triggered by explicit or implicit claims of power over an issue by more than one branch of the federal government. To put it another way, both Youngstown and converse Youngstown depend on at least two branches of the federal government claiming constitutional authority over a particular issue. Once this circumstance is identified, the choice of the Youngstown framework versus the converse Youngstown framework depends on which branch’s action is at issue. If the president’s action is at issue, Youngstown applies; if the actions of Congress or the courts are at issue, then converse Youngstown applies.
The converse Youngstown framework focuses on the president’s position vis-à-vis acts of Congress or the courts. In traditional Youngstown analysis, the president is the actor, and Categories 1 to 3 are defined by Congress’s position—authorization, silence, and opposition, respectively. Converse Youngstown flips the actor and reactor roles.
A situation falls within converse Youngstown Category 1 when Congress or the courts take an action that is authorized by, coordinated with, or mediated through the executive. For nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations, Category 1 involves instances in which Congress or the courts engage foreign governments in direct communication that the US executive branch explicitly or implicitly approves.
A quintessential example of Category 1 as applied to nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations is the routine interactions between congressmen and foreign governments when congressmen travel abroad on congressional delegations (or “codels”). Such official trips are coordinated with the State Department, which provides in-country embassy support to visiting lawmakers, and they also often involve the Defense Department, which may provide military transportation for lawmakers.184 By these actions (and absent any other expressed disapproval of the trip), the executive can be understood either to tacitly consent to the legislators’ activities or to retain some control over their actions.
Another example of converse Youngstown Category 1 is typical invitations for foreign leaders to address Congress. Beginning with King Kalākaua of Hawaii in 1874, more than one hundred foreign leaders or dignitaries have addressed Congress.185 Usually invitations for foreign leaders to address Congress are coordinated with the executive branch,186 with the executive explicitly or at least tacitly by its coordination actions approving of the invitations. The 2015 invitation to Benjamin Netanyahu was anomalous precisely because it was not coordinated with or approved by the White House.
Categories 2 and 3 of converse Youngstown similarly parallel their regular Youngstown counterparts. In converse Youngstown Category 2, Congress or the courts engage in direct communications with a foreign government and the president remains silent, neither approving nor disapproving the action. In converse Youngstown Category 3, Congress or the courts engage in direct communications with a foreign government, and the executive branch actively opposes or denounces the nonexecutive branch’s action.187 The next Section explores in detail examples of Category 2 and Category 3 and the constitutional questions they raise.
B. Benefits of the Converse Youngstown Framework
The converse Youngstown framework provides several advantages over the current ad hoc methods of analyzing instances of congressional and judicial involvement in foreign relations,188 and it is less susceptible to some of the criticisms lodged against the traditional Youngstown framework.
1. Captures and encourages initiative.
The converse Youngstown framework captures the reality that the scrappiness often attributed to the executive in areas of shared power is not exclusive to that branch. Professor Louis Henkin explained that “[c]oncurrent power often begets a race for initiative and the President will usually ‘get there first.’”189 But usually is not always, and as the examples in Part II.A show, sometimes Congress or the judiciary “gets there first.”
In Youngstown itself, Justice Jackson worried that Congress’s power would be overwhelmed by executive initiative. He explained that he had “no illusion that any decision by this Court can keep power in the hands of Congress if it is not wise and timely in meeting its problems.”190 He warned that “there was worldly wisdom in the maxim attributed to Napoleon that ‘[t]he tools belong to the man who can use them,’”191 suggesting that the executive would usually seize and use shared powers. But Congress and the judiciary have proven capable of seizing and using tools at their disposal to assert power in foreign relations.192
The converse Youngstown framework mandates the identification of constitutional powers (if any) at issue for each branch and weighs competing powers against one another, rather than simply looking to the executive branch powers in play. The addition of converse Youngstown to the Youngstown landscape ensures that there is a framework for analyzing assertions of power, regardless of which branch is using the tools at its disposal.
In addition, the converse Youngstown framework may actually encourage the nonexecutive branches to take the initiative more often. By mandating consideration of any constitutional powers implicated by the nonexecutive branches’ actions, the framework incentivizes those branches to make constitutional arguments. Of course, the executive may object to congressional or judicial actions, but that’s just the start, not the end, of the constitutional analysis for a converse Youngstown Category 3 case. Assertion of constitutional authority can play an offensive role in asserting legislative or judicial prerogatives, but also a defensive role, blocking executive claims that the nonexecutive branches have acquiesced in executive dominance over particular issues.
Moreover, even if one president objects to an instance of nonexecutive initiative, such an aberrational (in the sense of out of line with past presidents) objection may be insufficient to trigger converse Youngstown Category 3. Analyses of both historical gloss and acquiescence make related points. As Justice Frankfurter explained in Youngstown, historical gloss on the separation of powers comes from “systematic, unbroken, executive practice, long pursued to the knowledge of the Congress and never before questioned.”193 When an executive objection to a congressional or judicial practice is instead unsystematic and illustrative of a break with past practice, perhaps the aberrant objection should be disregarded, keeping the nonexecutive branch in converse Youngstown Category 2.
Similarly, in assessing how to evaluate one branch’s nonobjection to another’s actions, scholars have argued that acquiescence cannot be inferred from a single instance of nonobjection because “[o]therwise, the outlier decisions of a single administration could change the constitutional order.”194 Just so. Therefore, if many presidents have explicitly or impliedly approved of a type of nonexecutive foreign relations, then one president’s opposition may be insufficient to move the conduct into Category 3. Aberrant executive objections—especially ones that do not appear to be based on rigorous analysis—should not be sufficient to disrupt prior executive acquiescence to congressional or judicial practice.
For all of these reasons, the converse Youngstown framework both captures the initiative that Congress and the judiciary may exercise and incentivizes them to undertake additional actions.195
2. Decreases indeterminacy.
The converse Youngstown framework avoids some of the pitfalls that critics observe in the traditional Youngstown framework. In particular, converse Youngstown decreases, though does not eliminate, the indeterminacy that dogs traditional Youngstown analysis.
Critics have assailed Youngstown for being indeterminate on at least two dimensions.196 Professor Tribe recently highlighted indeterminacy in Youngstown Category 2, calling “the nearly sacrosanct triptych [ ] deeply ambiguous on the key question of what to make of congressional silence.”197 Tribe argues that Youngstown fails to provide a
normative framework for deciding: (1) which kinds of presidential action in the relevant sphere are void unless plainly authorized by Congress ex ante; (2) which are valid unless plainly prohibited by Congress ex ante; and (3) which are of uncertain validity when Congress has been essentially “silent” on the matter although dropping hints about its supposed “will.”198
The converse Youngstown framework is less susceptible to indeterminacy in Category 2. The differences between Youngstown and converse Youngstown on this score stem from the differing institutional features of the counterparty branch in each framework. In traditional Youngstown, the executive acts, and then the question is what position, if any, has Congress (the counterparty) taken. Very often Congress is silent, and that silence may be attributable to a variety of factors. Congressional silence may indicate congressional acquiescence in the executive’s claim of power.199 But structural features of the legislative branch, rather than considered congressional agreement with the executive, may often explain congressional silence.200 “Structural [i]mpediments to [c]ongressional [a]ction,” including voting rules and veto gates, make it difficult for Congress to pass legislation to counter executive initiative.201 Moreover, collective-action problems limit the incentives for individual congressmen to act to protect the prerogatives of the institution because the benefits of such action inure to Congress as a whole, rather than to the individual legislator.202 These features do not suggest that Congress is impotent to check claims of executive power,203 just that Congress often will not formally act to approve or disapprove of executive action. Congressional failure to act—whether out of agreement or inertia—causes cases of contested power to be in the indeterminate Category 2.
The converse Youngstown framework is less susceptible to this concern because it posits that the governmental actor is either Congress or the courts, which thereby casts the executive in the role of counterparty. The executive is very differently structured and incentivized than Congress.204 The executive, by design, is comparatively more nimble than Congress and can act quickly.205 The unitary nature of the executive ensures that it does not suffer from the same collective-action problems that restrain congressional action and that the executive captures the benefits of expending capital on protecting the branch’s institutional prerogatives, making it more likely to do so.206 These features mean that the executive is much more likely than Congress to (re)act when its powers are challenged.207 In converse Youngstown situations, executive silence will be rare,208 which means far fewer Category 2 cases than traditional Youngstown and thus less indeterminacy.209
Converse Youngstown not only decreases indeterminacy by limiting the number of Category 2 cases; it also clarifies the import of those Category 2 cases that do occur. As noted above, traditional Youngstown Category 2 cases involve congressional silence, and “assigning interpretive consequences to congressional silence or inaction is perilous at best” because congressional silence may indicate agreement or simply reflect inertia.210 In converse Youngstown Category 2, the silence is executive, not congressional, and executive silence is arguably more meaningful. Because the executive does not have the structural impediments to action and collective-action problems that Congress does, inertia is less likely to be the cause of executive silence. In other words, because it is so (comparatively) easy for the executive to speak and to disapprove the actions of the other branches,211 executive silence is more likely to indicate meaningful agreement with (or at least nonobjection to) the acting branch’s claim of authority.212 Understanding executive silence in converse Youngstown as more communicative than congressional silence in traditional Youngstown further limits indeterminacy in Category 2.
Although converse Youngstown mitigates the Category 2 indeterminacy critique, that’s not the only indeterminacy problem with Youngstown. Commentators have raised a separate critique of indeterminacy in Category 3 cases, when the president acts in opposition to the expressed will of Congress. Henkin noted that in Category 3, “Jackson[’s] ‘arithmetic’” does not “suggest which branch prevails in case of conflict between them.”213 A fairer description might be that Jackson does suggest, but does not settle, which branch should prevail in Category 3.
Prior to Zivotofsky II, Category 3 was understood to include a strong presumption that the president loses, something akin to the maxim that in other constitutional contexts “strict scrutiny” is “‘strict’ in theory and fatal in fact.”214 Category 3 might have been glossed as presumption in theory, fatal in fact.215 But that changed in Zivotofsky II when, for the first time, the Supreme Court upheld a presidential action in foreign relations that contravened a statute.216 Prior to the Court’s decision, Category 3 indeterminacy was more hypothetical than actual. But Zivotofsky II’s holding brings to the fore the Category 3 indeterminacy inherent in the original Youngstown framework.217
Converse Youngstown largely mirrors the Category 3 indeterminacy issue from Youngstown. In the foreign relations context and in the wake of Zivotofsky II, however, Category 3 in converse Youngstown may be slightly less indeterminate. Converse Youngstown Category 3 does not arithmetically resolve which branch should prevail, but like Youngstown, it implies a presumption that the acting branch—Congress or the courts—will lose when faced with opposition from the counterparty (the executive). Category 3 in both frameworks at least starts with a presumption, making it more determinate than Category 2, which in classic Youngstown puts no thumb on the scale for either branch.
In some cases, however, the presumption of congressional or judicial loss in converse Youngstown Category 3 cases may be somewhat stronger than the presumption of executive loss in classic Youngstown Category 3. In converse Youngstown Category 3, the presumptive winner is the executive, whose power over recognition decisions the Supreme Court recognized to be exclusive in Zivotofsky II.218 For nonexecutive foreign relations scenarios in which the executive power at issue is recognition, therefore, it will be difficult for Congress or the courts (the presumptive losers) to overcome the presumption that the executive should prevail. In other words, converse Youngstown does not solve the Category 3 indeterminacy problem, but for certain foreign relations cases, it does align the presumption about which branch prevails with the executive, who the Supreme Court has held has at least one exclusive power related to foreign relations.
3. Simplifies constitutional analysis.
By taking into account the relative position of the executive branch as to the actions by the nonexecutive branch, the converse Youngstown framework simplifies the constitutional analysis.
The simplification of the constitutional analysis is particularly apparent with respect to cases in converse Youngstown Category 1. Instead of asking whether the nonexecutive branch has the constitutional authority to take the action it has taken, the converse Youngstown framework asks whether the nonexecutive branch plus the executive branch (which has approved the nonexecutive branch’s action) have the constitutional authority. The nonexecutive branch does not have to prevail based on the strength of its own power alone; rather, it benefits from the boost provided by executive approval.
Different theories could explain the nature of the constitutional boost provided by the executive’s approval. Presidential approval could be considered a delegation to the nonexecutive branch,219 such that congressional or judicial communications to foreign governments would effectively represent exercises of delegated executive power.220 Alternatively, executive approval may suggest that preexisting congressional or judicial power should be construed broadly. Presidential endorsement demonstrates that the nonexecutive branch’s actions are helpful to or desired by the executive, and thus that any concern about the nonexecutive branches’ infringement on executive power would be misplaced, opening the door to reading whatever power the nonexecutive branch possesses to its outer limits.
Regardless of the precise explanation, long-standing practice supports the executive effectively deputizing members of the other branches.221 “[T]hroughout American history,” members of Congress “have served as members of or advisers to the U.S. delegation negotiating a treaty.”222 For example, President William McKinley “appointed three Senators to a commission to negotiate a treaty with Spain” in 1898,223 and fully half of the members of the US delegation to the San Francisco Conference to negotiate the UN Charter were sitting members of Congress.224 The executive’s occasional decision to include congressmen in treaty negotiations is “now common and no longer challenged.”225 The same logic can justify, for example, senators’ and representatives’ more ad hoc interactions with foreign officials while traveling abroad.
Accounting for the confluence of the executive and nonexecutive branches’ authority allows adjudicators of the constitutional question, whether legislators, judges, or executive officials, to engage in constitutional avoidance. As the Supreme Court has explained, “If there is one doctrine more deeply rooted than any other in the process of constitutional adjudication, it is that we ought not to pass on questions of constitutionality . . . unless such adjudication is unavoidable.”226 Converse Youngstown renders some constitutional adjudications avoidable for Category 1 cases. In particular, the converse Youngstown framework makes it unnecessary to decide the precise scope of the nonexecutive branch’s power so long as the executive’s power alone or a broad understanding of the nonexecutive branch’s power is sufficient to surpass the constitutional threshold.
Take, for example, routine invitations for foreign leaders to address Congress. These invitations are typically done with the approval of and in coordination with the executive branch. For such coordinated invitations, the constitutional analysis is simple: assuming the president’s power to receive ambassadors covers inviting a foreign leader to come to the United States, and Congress agrees to hear the leader’s remarks, then there is no need to assess the magnitude of Congress’s independent power to invite and hear from a foreign leader or to do so over the objections of the executive branch.
A similar analysis applies for routine congressional travel abroad. The executive branch approves explicitly, or at least implicitly, the legislators’ travel by providing transportation, coordinating meetings, and supplying other types of support.227 So long as the executive branch’s power alone provides sufficient constitutional justification for having US citizens meet with foreign government representatives, there is no need to determine what (if any) independent power Congress has to conduct the activities.
Consider also the Supreme Court’s instigation of the shift from foreign sovereigns filing diplomatic notes to filing amicus briefs. This is a Category 1 case because the executive agreed to the Supreme Court’s determination that foreign sovereign views should no longer be communicated via diplomatic notes.228 The executive chose how to respond to the letter from the Supreme Court clerk indicating that the diplomatic-note practice was contrary to the Court’s rules, and in acceding to the Court’s letter, the executive actually went beyond the letter, declaring that not only would it cease transmitting diplomatic notes to the Supreme Court, but it would also cease transmitting them to courts of appeals and eventually district courts as well.229 Because the Court and the executive agreed, so long as the executive’s power to communicate with foreign governments, considered in isolation, is sufficient to support the shift from diplomatic notes to amicus briefs, there is no need to determine whether the Supreme Court would have had independent constitutional authority to effectuate the shift.
As these examples illustrate, by situating the nonexecutive foreign relations analysis within a framework that explicitly accounts for the combined power of the executive and nonexecutive branches, the converse Youngstown analysis allows adjudicators, in the words of Justice Louis Brandeis, to avoid “anticipat[ing] a question of constitutional law in advance of the necessity of deciding it.”230 Nailing down the independent powers of each branch is necessary for Category 2 and 3 cases, but not for Category 1 cases. Converse Youngstown thereby helps to explain why easy cases are easy and to make some cases easier by rendering some constitutional holdings avoidable.231
Before turning to Category 3 cases, an important caveat is worth highlighting. The discussion of converse Category 1 cases does not imply that if Congress or the courts receive executive support, they can do anything. As in traditional Youngstown Category 1, the branches’ actions even—or perhaps especially—when they agree are cabined by constitutional limits, including protections for individual rights. However, in the foreign relations context in which both Youngstown and converse Youngstown would most often be deployed, the interests at stake are typically the powers of coordinate branches of government, not the rights of individuals.232
Although the converse Youngstown framework does not eliminate Category 3 indeterminacy, it nonetheless adds value by channeling the analysis of competing powers in circumstances in which the executive objects to congressional or judicial conduct of foreign relations. Like traditional Youngstown, converse Youngstown does not answer the question of how to determine whether there are competing powers at issue, but once claims of competing power are made, both frameworks provide a presumptive prevailing branch and thereby frame the analysis.
In describing Category 3 in his Youngstown concurrence, Jackson appears to suggest two alternative—though related—analyses. The first is an arithmetic weighing up of the competing powers that instructs that the president can prevail when “his own constitutional powers minus any constitutional powers of Congress over the matter” generates a positive result.233 The second formulation instructs that “[c]ourts can sustain exclusive Presidential control in such a case only by disabling the Congress from acting upon the subject.”234 This second formulation may simply be a special application of the arithmetical formula: a power of the president minus an erroneously claimed power of Congress results in a power of the president and thus a presidential win.
The second formulation—the exclusive formulation—may be the one appropriate for easy Category 3 cases—that is, those in which Congress lacks the power it claims. This would explain the Supreme Court’s formulation of Category 3 in Zivotofsky II. There, Justice Anthony Kennedy’s opinion for the Court explained that “[t]o succeed in this third category, the President’s asserted power must be both ‘exclusive’ and ‘conclusive’ on the issue.”235 The Court went on to hold for the president—despite Congress’s opposition—on the ground that “Congress . . . has no constitutional power that would enable it to initiate diplomatic relations with a foreign nation.”236 In the Court’s framing, at least, Zivotofsky II was an easy Category 3 case: the president’s recognition power was exclusive, so there was no congressional power to subtract. The result would have been the same, regardless of which verbal formulation of Category 3 the Court employed. The two formulations of Category 3 are not, however, interchangeable for “hard” Category 3 cases: those in which competing branches each possess some competing powers and deploy their powers in opposition to one another.
For purposes of converse Youngstown, the arithmetic formulation gains increased importance. Because converse Youngstown casts the executive in the role of counterparty, there are unlikely to be many easy Category 3 cases. It would be a rare case in which the executive would be entirely “disable[ed] . . . from acting upon the subject” when the subject touches on foreign relations.237 If the totally disabled formulation were the only understanding of Category 3, then converse Youngstown would suggest that Congress or the courts would always lose Category 3 cases because the executive would have some power to act upon the subject. The arithmetic formulation, however, includes greater flexibility and better captures the likely scenario in foreign relations cases—that such cases will often be hard cases in which both the executive and the nonexecutive branch have some power.
Zivotofsky II did not have to confront the complexities of the arithmetical formulation because it held that Congress had no power over recognition. In making this “easy” Category 3 holding, however, the Court provided some guidance on the antecedent question of the scope of executive and congressional powers in foreign relations. The United States argued that “the President has ‘exclusive authority to conduct diplomatic relations,’ along with ‘the bulk of foreign-affairs powers,’”238 citing Curtiss-Wright Export Corp.239 The Court pointedly “decline[d] to acknowledge that unbounded power”240 and instead emphasized that Congress retains important authorities over foreign relations:
In a world that is ever more compressed and interdependent, it is essential the congressional role in foreign affairs be understood and respected. For it is Congress that makes laws, and in countless ways its laws will and should shape the Nation’s course. The Executive is not free from the ordinary controls and checks of Congress merely because foreign affairs are at issue. It is not for the President alone to determine the whole content of the Nation’s foreign policy.241
Zivotofsky II is at once a strong executive-power holding because the president prevailed in Category 3, but also an executive-power defeat because of its explicit rejection of the executive’s broader claim of exclusive power over foreign relations.
For purposes of converse Youngstown analysis, although Zivotofsky II relied on the “totally disabled” formulation of Category 3, the Court also suggested that outside the recognition context, it remains open to claims of foreign relations power by the nonexecutive branches. Nonexecutive foreign relations cases, therefore, are likely to be “hard” Category 3 cases in which branches have competing claims of power, requiring an arithmetic resolution.242
Although the converse Youngstown framework does not resolve the Category 3 indeterminacy inherent in the Youngstown framework, it can at least help to move beyond the mere identification of branches’ competing claims to authority to a regularized analysis. Ultimately, the resolution of Category 3 cases will be fact specific and may often depend on one’s view of the underlying constitutional powers and appropriate methods of constitutional interpretation. On hard Category 3 cases in both Youngstown and converse Youngstown, reasonable minds may differ on the outcome.
Three examples—two actual and one hypothetical—can help to illustrate the utility and limits of the converse Youngstown framework for Category 3 cases. The Cotton letter and the Netanyahu invitation are Category 3 cases. In both instances, Congress or a meaningful subset of Congress243 engaged directly with foreign government officials, and the president expressly disapproved. The hypothetical example is a reimagining of the Supreme Court’s instigation of the shift from foreign governments filing diplomatic notes to filing amicus briefs, but one in which instead of going along with and expanding on the Supreme Court’s desire not to receive diplomatic notes, the executive branch disagreed and attempted to continue filing diplomatic notes on behalf of foreign governments.
Taking first the Cotton letter, the converse Youngstown framework instructs that the first step is identification of competing constitutional powers. On the executive-branch side, two powers may be implicated. The first is the general implied power to conduct foreign relations, stemming from the president’s constitutional authority to “receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers.”244 Most legal commentators who have considered the Cotton letter’s constitutional implications focus on potential interference with this presidential power.245 A similar interference argument could be made with respect to the president’s power to “make Treaties” with the advice and consent of two-thirds of the Senate.246 Although the Iran agreement was ultimately concluded as a political commitment,247 not an Article II treaty, there was ambiguity on the agreement’s form when the senators sent the Cotton letter.248 The president’s authority to “make Treaties” is understood to include implied authority to negotiate them,249 and thus the Cotton letter arguably could be understood as an interference with the president’s negotiating authority, in addition to interference with the president’s authority to communicate with foreign governments more generally.
With the presidential authorities on one side, the congressional side of the equation is more problematic. The Cotton letter itself does not purport to invoke any constitutional authority. The strongest possible argument would stem from the Senate’s role in advising and consenting to treaties,250 but even as to that clear textual power, the justification for transmitting the Cotton letter to a foreign government’s executive branch is not clear.251 Traditionally, the Senate’s role has not extended to involvement in negotiations,252 which are left to the president, with the Senate (or Congress as a whole in the case of congressional-executive agreements) weighing in on a proposed treaty text after it has been negotiated.253 Alternatively, the senators might have argued that they were seeking to protect the Senate’s interest in ensuring that the Iran agreement was concluded as an Article II treaty so that the Senate would have the opportunity to advise and consent (or not) to the deal. Assuming such a penumbral power exists, there may be permissible and impermissible ways to exercise it. Such an argument, for example, could support sending something like the Cotton letter to the US executive branch as part of the routine sparring among the branches about the scope of executive and congressional power. The Senate’s power to advise and consent to treaties, however, does not obviously indicate as a matter of text or history any congressional authority to communicate with foreign powers negotiating with the US executive branch.
Deploying the arithmetic approach, Congress and the subset of senators who sent the Cotton letter appear to have little constitutional power to support their actions and in fact invoked none. Subtracting the president’s substantial foreign relations and treaty-negotiating powers from the baseline of minimal congressional authority results in a loss for Congress. This may be a common result for the instances of nonexecutive foreign relations described as “outbound” in Part I. The implied power of the president to engage in direct communications with foreign governments will be present in all such circumstances, and neither Congress nor the courts have a clear constitutional power to transmit messages to foreign governments unless potentially acting at the direction of the executive (which would be Category 1, not Category 3) or, in the case of the courts, engaging in routine communications with foreign sovereigns who are parties in cases before the courts.
Although finding constitutional footing for outbound nonexecutive foreign relations may often be difficult,254 instances involving inbound nonexecutive foreign relations—receipt by Congress or the courts of direct communications from foreign governments—find firmer constitutional footing, as illustrated by the next two examples.
The Netanyahu address to Congress presents a more complex question for the Category 3 analysis. As explained in Part II, the Netanyahu example is mixed inbound/outbound nonexecutive foreign relations: the invitation from Speaker Boehner to Netanyahu was an outbound communication conveying a message—an invitation—to Netanyahu, but Netanyahu’s speech itself was inbound nonexecutive foreign relations, delivery of a message from a foreign government to Congress. The characteristics of inbound nonexecutive foreign relations, however, dominate this case. The outbound communication was incidental to the inbound communication and did not purport to convey substantive policy messages, though of course the sending of the invitation at all did communicate a message of willingness to engage with Netanyahu at a time when the executive branch was not willing to do so.
The same process for analysis applies. First, what power or powers of the executive branch are implicated by the Netanyahu address? Again here, the president’s power to receive ambassadors is at issue and potentially infringed.255 Congress literally received, over the executive’s objection, an “Ambassador[ ] [or] other public Minister[ ].”256
Unlike in the Cotton letter case where Congress sent an outbound message, Congress has an implied constitutional power on its side of the ledger in hearing from Netanyahu. In addressing why he invited Netanyahu, Boehner explained:
Boehner’s view of congressional power finds support in Supreme Court cases that have recognized an implied power of Congress to obtain information in support of its legislative function.258 As the Court noted in a 1927 case, “the power of inquiry . . . is an essential and appropriate auxiliary to the legislative function.”259 The Court explained:
A legislative body cannot legislate wisely or effectively in the absence of information respecting the conditions which the legislation is intended to affect or change; and where the legislative body does not itself possess the requisite information—which not infrequently is true—recourse must be had to others who do possess it.260
The Court has described Congress’s power of investigation or inquiry as “broad”261 and explained that “[t]he scope of the power of inquiry . . . is as penetrating and far-reaching as the potential power to enact and appropriate under the Constitution.”262 But the Court has explained that “the power is not [ ] without limitations” and must be linked to some legitimate action of Congress, such as legislation or appropriations.263 The Court has also declined to recognize a congressional power to inform the public, as opposed to informing itself.264 Thus, Boehner’s claim of constitutional authority for the Netanyahu invitation must rest on the first part of his explanation—the need for Congress to hear from Netanyahu—rather than the second part, highlighting the need for the US public to hear from him.
The implied legislative power of inquiry or investigation provides a counterweight to the executive’s constitutional power to receive ambassadors in circumstances of inbound nonexecutive foreign relations. When Congress requests or receives a communication from a foreign government official that appropriately falls within the ambit of its power of inquiry—that is, the communication relates to actual or potential legislation or is ancillary to another congressional power—Congress begins the arithmetic analysis with a positive score.
Congress could arguably invoke the power of inquiry as to the Netanyahu speech.265 In recent years, Congress has considered and adopted legislation sanctioning Iran for its nuclear program.266 Moreover, at the time of Netanyahu’s address, the form of the Iran deal was unclear. Congress might have therefore argued that hearing from Netanyahu was incident to its power to approve international agreements. This argument, however, is hampered by the fact that the invitation came from the speaker of the House, not from the Senate, which has primary responsibility for approving treaties. Nonetheless, it might be incidental to the legislative power to approve congressional-executive agreements. In other words, the legitimacy of Congress’s claim to engage in inbound nonexecutive foreign relations depends on whether the foreign government’s communications can reasonably be argued to relate to a legitimate function of Congress, such as legislation, appropriations, or advising and consenting to treaties.267
Both Youngstown and converse Youngstown provide guidance on what to consider in resolving interbranch power disputes, but neither determines which branch prevails once competing powers are identified. A constitutional adjudicator’s determination about which branch prevails in Category 3 will be fact specific, depending on the circumstances of a particular case, which powers are invoked, and the strength of each branch’s arguments for the existence and scope of its claimed powers. A determination about which branch prevails in Category 3 will also likely vary depending on an interpreter’s views of the relative salience of different kinds of arguments the branches might make. For example, an interpreter may rely on the extent of interference one branch poses to the other branch’s power,268 the historical practice to support each branch’s claims,269 or the intent of the branches, especially whether they intended to interfere with the other branch’s exercise of its competing power.270 Reasonable minds may disagree about the relative importance of these factors or may add others, and reasonable minds will certainly disagree about the application of these factors to specific facts.271
The Netanyahu address to Congress over the president’s objection is a close question. Some factors cast serious doubt on Congress’s position. In particular, the reception of a foreign governmental leader over the executive’s objection was unprecedented. Congress therefore has no support in historical practice, and the long-standing practice of foreign leaders addressing Congress only in coordination with the executive branch instead supports the president’s position. Moreover, the Netanyahu invitation was widely understood as an attempt to interfere with the Iranian nuclear deal negotiations, suggesting that Congress did intend to interfere with the president’s power to communicate with foreign governments and to negotiate agreements. On the other hand, the degree of interference with the president’s communication and negotiation powers appears, at least in retrospect, to have been minimal. The Iran deal was concluded, and it was done in a form that did not require Senate or congressional approval. As the debates among legal commentators about the constitutionality of the invitation reveal,272 reasonable minds can reach different results on this case, but deploying the converse Youngstown framework would clarify the terms of debate by directing consideration of the powers of both branches and providing a mechanism for weighing their interaction.
A final example of Category 3 analysis rests on a hypothetical. Suppose that upon receiving the Supreme Court clerk’s letter stating that filing of diplomatic notes did not comply with the Court’s rules, the Department of Justice had attempted to continue filing them instead of taking its actual approach of declining to file diplomatic notes with the Supreme Court or the lower federal courts. The branches would have clearly been in opposition, with the Supreme Court asserting its right to control who can file and how they can file with the Court, and the executive asserting that regardless of the Court’s stated rules, the executive had the right to present foreign governments’ views to the Court.
In this hypothetical Category 3 case, the executive’s asserted power would again have been the implied power to conduct foreign relations and to handle communications to and from foreign governments. But the Court would have had a strong claim to power on its side as well—namely, the implied or inherent power of courts to control their own processes. The Supreme Court has recognized the “inherent power of every court of justice to control its own process.”273 In particular, the Court has explained that “[g]uided by considerations of justice, and in the exercise of supervisory powers, federal courts may, within limits, formulate procedural rules not specifically required by the Constitution or the Congress.”274 The courts’ inherent authority includes the power to appoint persons, such as amici and special masters, to assist the court in carrying out its functions, as well as to allow participation by those who can assist the court.275 Rules governing how interested parties may (and may not) communicate their views to the court fall within the category of procedural rules that are part of the courts’ inherent constitutional power.
Having identified competing constitutional powers, which branch would or should prevail in this hypothetical scenario? Considering again factors such as the degree of interference into each branch’s powers, intent to interfere with the other branch’s powers, and historical practice, there is a strong case that the Court should prevail. The shift from the executive branch filing diplomatic notes to foreign governments filing their own amicus briefs directly poses a minimal interference with the executive’s power to communicate with foreign governments. Prior to the shift, the executive was essentially fulfilling a ministerial, pass-through role, simply transmitting the views of foreign governments to the Court. Sometimes those views were even contrary to the executive’s own position, as in Zenith Radio itself, the case that prompted the Court to protest the filing of diplomatic notes.276 If the executive wishes to contradict or simply opine on the views of a foreign government filed before the Court, it can file an amicus brief, and per the Court’s rules, the executive has an automatic right to file (provided it complies with the filing deadlines) and need not seek leave of the Court.277
By the time of the shift from diplomatic notes in 1978, long-standing historical practice also supported the filing of amicus briefs by foreign governments.278 Foreign governments’ embassies filed briefs as early as 1919,279 and foreign governments began filing briefs in the name of their governments, rather than their embassies, in 1952280—all without apparent objection by the executive branch.
Moreover, there is no evidence that by highlighting the noncompliance of the diplomatic-note practice with its rules the Court intended to interfere with the executive’s power to communicate with foreign governments. To the contrary, the Court would have been well aware that foreign governments had communicated their views to the Court directly through amicus briefs for nearly six decades without objection by the executive. Even if the executive could have made a claim of interference with executive authority, it had, in essence, already acquiesced to a direct channel of communication between foreign governments and the Supreme Court in the decades preceding the Court’s letter.281
Additionally, the Court’s move to have foreign governments’ views communicated solely by amicus briefs worked a regularization of its processes, ensuring that both the United States and foreign governments were treated like all other parties wishing to communicate with the Court. The fact of regularization, rather than exceptionalism, supports the argument that the Court did not intend to interfere with the executive; it was simply policing compliance with its normal processes—processes derived from its inherent authority.
For all of these reasons, had the executive continued to attempt to file diplomatic notes after receiving the Court’s letter, that hypothetical may have been a converse Youngstown equivalent of Zivotofsky—a Category 3 case in which the presumed losing branch nonetheless prevails.
Nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations has already sparked several recent incidents of interbranch friction. And technology, foreign governments’ increasing sophistication about the US government, hyperfractionalization in US politics, and the “Trump effect” may make nonexecutive foreign relations more frequent and more contentious going forward.
Moreover, the converse Youngstown framework need not be limited in application to the conduct of foreign relations questions that this Article addresses. Converse Youngstown can be applied to other interbranch separation-of-powers disputes. For example, the converse Youngstown framework could be used to analyze a court’s attempt to solicit the views of particular executive branch departments about a pending case. The Seventh Circuit made such a request in 2014 in an antitrust case, when, in response to the filing of an amicus brief for the United States signed by the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission, the court issued an order “invit[ing]” the Departments of Commerce and State to file amicus briefs on the foreign relations impacts of the case.282 The executive branch declined the court’s “invitation.”283 The converse Youngstown framework could also be used to assess the constitutionality of congressional actions, such as resolutions that purport to place limits on the president’s war powers.284
The converse Youngstown framework avoids some of the weaknesses of the traditional Youngstown analysis, but more importantly, it fills out the picture for separation-of-powers disputes. The Youngstown and converse Youngstown frameworks together ensure that constitutional interpreters in any branch of government and scholars outside the government can systematically evaluate competing constitutional claims to power.
1. See, for example, American Insurance Association v Garamendi, 539 US 396, 414 (2003) (“[T]he historical gloss on the ‘executive Power’ vested in Article II of the Constitution has recognized the President’s ‘vast share of responsibility for the conduct of our foreign relations.’”), quoting Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co v Sawyer, 343 US 579, 610–11 (1952) (Frankfurter concurring); First National City Bank v Banco Nacional de Cuba, 406 US 759, 767–68 (1972) (noting that the Court “has recognized the primacy of the Executive in the conduct of foreign relations” and that the executive branch is “charged . . . with primary responsibility for the conduct of foreign affairs”). See also Curtis A. Bradley and Jack L. Goldsmith, Foreign Relations Law: Cases and Materials 145–46 (Aspen 6th ed 2017) (“Congress has an elaborate institutional machinery devoted to foreign relations[, but] despite its broad powers and institutional expertise, Congress generally does not conduct U.S. foreign relations.”); id at 155 (“[T]he President is often described as having the dominant role in the conduct of U.S. foreign relations.”); Louis Henkin, Foreign Affairs and the United States Constitution 42 (Clarendon 2d ed 1996) (“That the President is the sole organ of official communication by and to the United States has not been questioned and has not been a source of significant controversy.”).
2. See notes 93–111 and accompanying text.
4. Greg Miller and Philip Rucker, ‘This Was the Worst Call by Far’: Trump Badgered, Bragged and Abruptly Ended Phone Call with Australian Leader (Wash Post, Feb 2, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/9XTY-F9NP. See also Statement by SASC Chairman John McCain on U.S.-Australia Alliance (John McCain, Feb 2, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/M6VF-Z9DJ (reporting on McCain’s phone call with Ambassador Joe Hockey).
5. See, for example, RJR Nabisco, Inc v European Community, 136 S Ct 2090, 2099–2106 (2016) (addressing the extraterritorial reach of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act); Samantar v Yousef, 560 US 305, 325 (2010) (holding that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act does not govern a defendant’s claim to foreign official immunity); Medellín v Texas, 552 US 491, 504–06 (2008) (discussing the doctrine of treaty self-execution).
6. See US Const Art I, § 8 (giving Congress the powers, inter alia, to “regulate Commerce with foreign Nations” and to “declare War”); US Const Art II, § 2 (qualifying the president’s treaty power by requiring “the Advice and Consent of the Senate” in the process). See also, for example, American Insurance Association, 539 US at 414 (recognizing that the president has independent foreign affairs powers, but that “Congress holds express authority to regulate public and private dealings with other nations in its war and foreign commerce powers”); Bradley and Goldsmith, Foreign Relations Law at 146 (cited in note 1) (noting that “Congress [ ] exercises significant influence on U.S. foreign policy” because of its “power of the purse” and other institutional powers); id at 136 (“Article I of the Constitution confers on Congress numerous powers relating to the conduct of foreign relations.”) (emphasis added).
7. See note 1 (collecting sources).
8. 343 US 579, 635–38 (1952) (Jackson concurring).
9. See Bradley and Goldsmith, Foreign Relations Law at 172 (cited in note 1) (“In practice, the Executive Branch exercises a virtual monopoly over formal communications with foreign nations.”); Henkin, Foreign Affairs at 88 (cited in note 1) (“Since the early years [ ], Congress has not seriously doubted that the President is the sole organ of communication with foreign governments: Congress does not speak or receive communications on behalf of the United States, or negotiate with foreign governments, or ‘conduct foreign relations.’”); Curtis A. Bradley and Jack L. Goldsmith, Presidential Control over International Law, 131 Harv L Rev 1201, 1258 (2018) (noting that the president is “understood to be the official organ of the United States in diplomacy”). See also note 1 (collecting sources).
10. I do not use the term “diplomacy” to describe nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations because to do so carries normative implications. Calling judicial or legislative interactions with foreign executives “diplomacy” may have a legitimating effect that suggests the actions are necessarily constitutional. Or, on the other hand, it could suggest that the judicial and legislative actors are acting unconstitutionally by taking on executive-branch roles as diplomats. To avoid either implication, I have chosen the neutral term “nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations” (“nonexecutive foreign relations,” for short), saving the constitutional assessment for Part III. But see Ryan M. Scoville, Legislative Diplomacy, 112 Mich L Rev 331, 334 (2013) (defining the term “legislative diplomacy” as “diplomacy by Congress or one of its members”).
11. See note 156 and accompanying text.
12. This Article focuses on nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations, but the converse Youngstown framework can be applied to other constitutional disputes as well. See notes 282–84 and accompanying text (discussing other scenarios).
13. 135 S Ct 2076 (2015).
14. Id at 2084, 2096 (holding that the president prevails in a Youngstown Category 3 case in which the president, based on his power to recognize foreign sovereigns, defied a statute that purported to require him to list “Jerusalem, Israel” on passports).
15. Executive Order 10340 (1953), 3 CFR 65, 66.
16. Youngstown, 343 US at 583.
17. Id at 588–89.
18. See Henkin, Foreign Affairs at 94 (cited in note 1) (noting that Jackson’s Youngstown concurrence “has become a starting point for constitutional discussion of concurrent powers”); Sarah H. Cleveland, Hamdi Meets Youngstown: Justice Jackson’s Wartime Security Jurisprudence and the Detention of “Enemy Combatants,” 68 Albany L Rev 1127, 1128 (2005) (“It is impossible to exaggerate the significance of Justice Jackson’s concurrence in Youngstown for U.S. foreign relations jurisprudence.”); Edward T. Swaine, The Political Economy of Youngstown, 83 S Cal L Rev 263, 266 (2010) (noting that Jackson’s tripartite framework “has become Youngstown’s enduring legacy”).
19. See, for example, Noah Feldman, Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR’s Great Supreme Court Justices 366–67 (Twelve 2010) (discussing the positions that Jackson had taken on executive power when he served as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s attorney general). Jackson cited his prior executive-branch experience in his opinion. Youngstown, 343 US at 634 (Jackson concurring) (“A judge, like an executive adviser, may be surprised at the poverty of really useful and unambiguous authority applicable to concrete problems of executive power as they actually present themselves.”) (emphasis added); id at 647 (Jackson concurring) (“[A] judge cannot accept self-serving press statements of the attorney for one of the interested parties as authority in answering a constitutional question, even if the advocate was himself.”).
20. See Youngstown, 343 US at 635 (Jackson concurring) (arguing that “[t]he actual art of governing under our Constitution does not and cannot conform to judicial definitions of the power of any of its branches based on isolated clauses or even single Articles torn from context,” but rather “the Constitution [ ] contemplates that practice will integrate the dispersed powers into a workable government”).
21. Id (Jackson concurring).
22. Id at 635–38 (Jackson concurring).
23. Id at 635 (Jackson concurring).
24. Youngstown, 343 US at 635 (Jackson concurring).
28. See Youngstown, 343 US at 637–38 (Jackson concurring). See also Swaine, 83 S Cal L Rev at 280 (cited in note 18) (“In the judiciary’s hands, at least, Jackson’s categories serve both a sorting function (identifying which category applies to a given case) and a standard-setting function (articulating how each set of circumstances should be scrutinized).”) (emphasis omitted).
29. Youngstown, 343 US at 637 (Jackson concurring). See also id at 637 n 3 (Jackson concurring) (discussing President Abraham Lincoln’s suspension of the writ of habeas corpus at the start of the Civil War and Congress’s later ratification of that action).
35. Zivotofsky II, 135 S Ct at 2081, 2096.
36. Id at 2113 (Roberts dissenting).
38. See, for example, Dames & Moore v Regan, 453 US 654, 669 (1981) (“[I]t is doubtless the case that executive action in any particular instance falls, not neatly in one of three pigeonholes, but rather at some point along a spectrum running from explicit congressional authorization to explicit congressional prohibition.”); Daniel Bodansky and Peter Spiro, Executive Agreements+, 49 Vand J Transnatl L 885, 897 (2016) (endorsing the understanding of the Youngstown framework as a spectrum, rather than an oversimplified three-category scheme).
40. The majority opinions that cite Jackson’s concurrence include: Old Dominion Branch No 496 v Austin, 418 US 264, 273 n 5 (1974); United States v Nixon, 418 US 683, 707 (1974); Buckley v Valeo, 424 US 1, 122 (1976) (per curiam); Nixon v Administrator of General Services, 433 US 425, 443 (1977); Chrysler Corp v Brown, 441 US 281, 306 n 37 (1979); Dames & Moore, 453 US at 660–62, 668–69, 674, 678; Bowsher, 478 US 714, 721–22 (1986); Morrison v Olson, 487 US 654, 694 (1988); Mistretta v United States, 488 US 361, 381, 386, 408 (1989); United States v Munoz-Flores, 495 US 385, 394 (1990); Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority v Citizens for the Abatement of Aircraft Noise, Inc, 501 US 252, 276 n 22 (1991); Barclays Bank PLC v Franchise Tax Board of California, 512 US 298, 329 (1994); Clinton v Jones, 520 US 681, 696–98, 701 n 35 (1997); Loving v United States, 517 US 748, 756 (1996); Crosby v National Foreign Trade Council, 530 US 363, 375 (2000); American Insurance Association v Garamendi, 539 US 396, 414–15, 427 (2003); Boumediene v Bush, 553 US 723, 742–43 (2008); Medellín v Texas, 552 US 491, 524–25, 527–30 (2008); Zivotofsky II, 135 S Ct at 2083–84, 2087. For other cases in which Justices cite Jackson’s concurrence in concurrences or dissents, see, for example, Immigration and Naturalization Service v Chadha, 462 US 919, 962 (1983) (Powell concurring in the judgment); id at 978, 984 (White dissenting); Clinton v City of New York, 524 US 417, 472 (1998) (Breyer dissenting); Hamdi v Rumsfeld, 542 US 507, 552 (2004) (Souter concurring in part and dissenting in part); id at 562–63 (Scalia dissenting); id at 583–85 (Thomas dissenting); Hamdan v Rumsfeld, 548 US 557, 638 (2006) (Kennedy concurring in part); Free Enterprise Fund v Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, 561 US 477, 519 (2010) (Breyer dissenting); Zivotofsky v Clinton, 566 US 189, 215 (2012) (“Zivotofsky I”) (Breyer dissenting). The circuit courts have also relied heavily on Jackson’s opinion, citing it in well over one hundred cases as of early 2018.
41. A search of Westlaw’s “U.S. Attorney General Opinions” database for “Youngstown /s Jackson” retrieves thirty OLC opinions, as of February 7, 2018, that cite Jackson’s concurring opinion.
42. See, for example, Office of Legal Counsel, Validity of Congressional-Executive Agreements That Substantially Modify the United States’ Obligations under an Existing Treaty, 20 Op Off Legal Counsel 389, 395 (Nov 25, 1996) (applying Jackson’s framework in determining that Congress may authorize the president to modify via executive agreement US obligations under a preexisting treaty); Office of Legal Counsel, Whether Uruguay Round Agreements Required Ratification as a Treaty, 18 Op Off Legal Counsel 232, 244 (Nov 22, 1994) (relying on Jackson’s framework to conclude that the joint authority of the president plus Congress means that an international agreement need not be concluded as an Article II treaty).
43. See, for example, Office of Legal Counsel, Deployment of United States Armed Forces into Haiti, 18 Op Off Legal Counsel 173, 173, 175 (Sept 27, 1994) (relying on Jackson’s framework to conclude that the president had authority to deploy US military forces into Haiti).
44. See Jack Goldsmith, Zivotofsky II as Precedent in the Executive Branch, 129 Harv L Rev 112, 133 (2015) (noting that “[s]eparation-of-powers disputes between the branches in foreign relations—including direct clashes of the sort at issue in Zivotofsky II—arise all the time but are rarely adjudicated” due to “the absence of a plaintiff with standing and a cause of action,” the political question doctrine, and other justiciability problems).
45. See, for example, National Labor Relations Board v Noel Canning, 134 S Ct 2550, 2617 (2014) (Scalia concurring in the judgment) (“It is not every day that we encounter a proper case or controversy requiring interpretation of the Constitution’s structural provisions. Most of the time, the interpretation of those provisions is left to the political branches.”); Bodansky and Spiro, 49 Vand J Transnatl L at 919–20 (cited in note 38) (“Much of the constitutional law of foreign relations has developed through practice outside the courts [because] of the modern judicial tendency to evade engaging the merits of foreign affairs disputes.”).
46. Youngstown, 343 US at 610–11 (Frankfurter concurring).
47. See, for example, Noel Canning, 134 S Ct at 2560 (“[T]his Court has treated practice as an important interpretive factor even when the nature or longevity of that practice is subject to dispute, and even when that practice began after the founding era.”); id at 2594 (Scalia concurring in the judgment) (“[W]here a governmental practice has been open, widespread, and unchallenged since the early days of the Republic, the practice should guide our interpretation of an ambiguous constitutional provision.”).
48. See, for example, Curtis A. Bradley and Trevor W. Morrison, Historical Gloss and the Separation of Powers, 126 Harv L Rev 411, 412–13 (2012) (highlighting that “[a]rguments based on historical practice are a mainstay of debates about the constitutional separation of powers” and “are especially common in debates over the distribution of authority between Congress and the executive branch”). See also Curtis A. Bradley and Trevor W. Morrison, Presidential Power, Historical Practice, and Legal Constraint, 113 Colum L Rev 1097, 1108–09 & nn 45–47 (2013) (collecting scholarly uses of historical practice).
49. See, for example, Bradley and Morrison, 113 Colum L Rev at 1105–07 (cited in note 48) (discussing the prominent role that historical practice has played in opinions issued by OLC).
50. Bradley and Morrison, 126 Harv L Rev at 420 (cited in note 48).
51. See id at 414 (arguing that acquiescence is “[t]he most common reason” for invocation of historical practice in separation-of-powers cases).
52. A search of Westlaw’s “U.S. Attorney General Opinions” database for “Youngstown /s Frankfurter” retrieves ten OLC opinions, as of February 7, 2018, that cite Frankfurter’s concurrence. See, for example, see Office of Legal Counsel, Authority to Use Military Force in Libya *7 (Apr 1, 2011), archived at http://perma.cc/B9R5-L5YN (discussing “historical gloss” in the context of war powers).
53. Bradley and Morrison, 113 Colum L Rev at 1105 (cited in note 48).
54. See id at 1105; Bradley and Morrison, 126 Harv L Rev at 419–20 (cited in note 48).
55. US Const Art II, § 2, cl 2 (explaining that the president “shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur”).
56. See Kristen E. Eichensehr, Foreign Sovereigns as Friends of the Court, 102 Va L Rev 289, 291–92 (2016) (coining the term “diagonal” to describe transnational networks between foreign executive branches and the US judiciary, specifically in the context of foreign sovereign amicus briefs filed with the Supreme Court). See also Peter J. Spiro, Globalization and the (Foreign Affairs) Constitution, 63 Ohio St L J 649, 722–23 (2002) (noting, in discussing disaggregation of national governments, that the participation of foreign governments in foreign relations cases is “becoming routine”); Zachary D. Clopton, Diagonal Public Enforcement, 70 Stan L Rev *5 (forthcoming 2018), archived at http://perma.cc/8W6Q-KQ8H (adopting the “diagonal” idea to describe “diagonal public enforcement” in which foreign executive branches use US courts to enforce US law).
57. See, for example, Anne-Marie Slaughter, A New World Order 31 (Princeton 2004) (arguing that as the state “disaggregat[es],” “[i]ts component institutions—regulators, judges, and even legislators—are all reaching out beyond national borders” and “creat[ing] horizontal networks” with their foreign counterparts). See also generally, for example, Kal Raustiala, The Architecture of International Cooperation: Transgovernmental Networks and the Future of International Law, 43 Va J Intl L 1 (2002) (discussing the rise and import of transnational regulatory networks).
58. See Slaughter, A New World Order at 12 (cited in note 57) (discussing the idea of the “disaggregated state” as “the rising need for and capacity of different domestic government institutions to engage in activities beyond their borders, often with their foreign counterparts,” and identifying examples including “regulators pursuing the subjects of their regulations across borders; judges negotiating minitreaties with their foreign brethren to resolve complex transnational cases; and legislators consulting on the best ways to frame and pass legislation affecting human rights or the environment”).
59. Id at 13. See also id at 19 (“The structural core of a disaggregated world order is a set of horizontal networks among national government officials in their respective issue areas, ranging from central banking through antitrust regulation and environmental protection to law enforcement and human rights protection.”); id at 13–14 (contemplating “vertical government networks, those between national government officials and their supranational counterparts,” such as the relationship between national courts in Europe and the European Court of Justice).
60. See Eichensehr, 102 Va L Rev at 291–92 (cited in note 56) (originating the idea of diagonal transnational networks).
61. See Part III.
62. US Const Art II, § 2, cl 2.
63. US Const Art II, § 3.
64. Zivotofsky II, 135 S Ct at 2086.
65. 299 US 304 (1936).
66. Id at 319. See also Transcript of Oral Argument, Zivotofsky v Kerry, Docket No 13-628, *21 (US Nov 3, 2014) (available on Westlaw at 2014 WL 7661633) (reflecting Justice Elena Kagan’s statement that “what we usually say about diplomatic communication is that whatever Congress’s other foreign affairs powers are, the power of diplomatic communication belongs to the President and the President alone; that in that realm we only speak with one voice”).
67. See Eichensehr, 102 Va L Rev at 301 (cited in note 56) (“Although the Court has repeatedly stated that the United States must speak with ‘one voice’ in foreign relations—the President’s voice—its acceptance of foreign sovereign amicus briefs makes clear that there are multiple listeners in the U.S. government.”) (citation omitted).
68. See Hannah L. Buxbaum, Foreign Governments as Plaintiffs in U.S. Courts and the Case against “Judicial Imperialism,” 73 Wash & Lee L Rev 653, 666–67 (2016) (describing and creating a typology of claims brought by foreign governments as plaintiffs in US courts); Clopton, 70 Stan L Rev at *5 (cited in note 56) (discussing one species of claims brought by foreign governments as plaintiffs). Foreign governments are also frequently defendants in US courts, and in that posture, their susceptibility to suit is governed by the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act §§ 2(a), 3, 4(a), 5, Pub L No 94-583, 90 Stat 2891, 2891–98 (1976), codified at 28 USC §§ 1330, 1332(a), 1391(f), 1601–11. Court communications to foreign government parties in such cases could also be considered outbound nonexecutive foreign relations.
69. Pfizer, Inc v India, 434 US 308, 318–19 (1978).
71. Id at 320 (“[I]t is within the exclusive power of the Executive Branch to determine which nations are entitled to sue.”).
72. Buxbaum, 73 Wash & Lee L Rev at 656 (cited in note 68).
73. For a more extensive treatment of foreign sovereign amici, see generally Eichensehr, 102 Va L Rev 289 (cited in note 56).
76. See Marian Lloyd Nash, Digest of United States Practice in International Law 1978 561 (US Department of State 1980).
78. Id at 561 (reproducing Letter from Wade H. McCree, Solicitor General of the United States, to Herbert J. Hansell, Legal Adviser of the Department of State, May 2, 1978).
79. Id.
80. Nash, Digest of United States Practice at 561 (cited in note 76).
81. Id at 560.
84. Nash, Digest of United States Practice at 561–62 (cited in note 76) (explaining that in June 1978—after the solicitor general’s letter to the Legal Adviser had been received, but before the State Department communicated its new policy to the embassies—the State Department declined to relay Canada’s decision not to file in a particular case to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York).
85. Id at 562 (emphasis added).
86. See Eichensehr, 102 Va L Rev at 298–302 (cited in note 56).
87. See Nash, Digest of United States Practice at 561 (cited in note 76). This account corresponds to the way the solicitor general recounts the letter from the Supreme Court clerk in his letter to the State Department Legal Adviser. The Digest does not provide the text of the Supreme Court clerk’s letter. See id.
88. See id.
91. Marian L. Nash, Contemporary Practice of the United States Relating to International Law, 73 Am J Intl L 669, 678–79 (1979). See also Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale v United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, 482 US 522, 554 n 5 (1987) (Blackmun concurring in part and dissenting in part) (noting in 1987 that the State Department “in general does not transmit diplomatic notes from foreign governments to state or federal trial courts”).
92. See generally Eichensehr, 102 Va L Rev 289 (cited in note 56).
93. Letter from John A. Boehner, Speaker, House of Representatives, to Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel (Jan 21, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/F3J9
-UY2Q. See also Speaker Boehner Invites Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to Address Congress (Speaker Boehner’s Press Office, Jan 21, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/ZK4L-SLTL.
94. See Joint Meeting & Joint Session Addresses before Congress by Foreign Leaders & Dignitaries (US House of Representatives, Sept 26, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/FUB6-TD2P (providing a list of foreign leaders and dignitaries who have addressed Congress).
95. See Elizabeth A. Cobbs, Why Boehner’s Invite to Netanyahu Is Unconstitutional (Reuters, Mar 2, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/WCE3-M23D (“Boehner’s decision to invite a foreign head of government to address Congress without first consulting the sitting president has no precedent in American history.”); David Nakamura, Sean Sullivan, and David A. Fahrenthold, Republicans Invite Netanyahu to Address Congress as Part of Spurning of Obama (Wash Post, Jan 21, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/5XT6-UT3A (explaining that the Netanyahu invitation “was a departure from normal procedure, in which the executive branch—and not a legislative leader—would coordinate the visit of a head of state”).
96. Nick Gass, Boehner Defends Netanyahu Invitation (Politico, Feb 15, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/9U9R-LCHC (quoting House Speaker John Boehner).
97. Nakamura, Sullivan, and Fahrenthold, Republicans Invite Netanyahu (cited in note 95) (quoting Speaker Boehner). See also Background on Invitation to Prime Minister Netanyahu (Speaker John Boehner, Jan 28, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/N9MM
-C9QB (“As Speaker Boehner has said, the Congress is a separate and co-equal branch of government. It was the Speaker’s right to invite the Prime Minister of Israel.”).
98. Press Gaggle aboard Air Force One En Route Boise, Idaho (White House Office of the Press Secretary, Jan 21, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/42G2-ZK7S (quoting White House Press Secretary Joshua Earnest).
99. Krishnadev Calamur, Citing Proximity of Israeli Election, Obama Won’t Meet with Netanyahu (NPR, Jan 22, 2015), online at http://www.npr.org/sections/
thetwo-way/2015/01/22/379095373/israels-netanyahu-accepts-invitation-to-address
-congress (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable) (quoting White House spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan).
100. Remarks by the President in State of the Union Address (White Office of the Press Secretary, Jan 20, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/FU6H-KGQP.
101. See Lisa Mascaro and Kathleen Hennessey, White House Says Boehner Broke Protocol with Netanyahu Invitation (LA Times, Jan 21, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/EWE4-YJNP (noting that Netanyahu had “repeatedly warned against easing sanctions against Iran and supported adopting a tougher approach”).
102. Nakamura, Sullivan, and Fahrenthold, Republicans Invite Netanyahu (cited in note 95) (quotation marks omitted).
103. See The Complete Transcript of Netanyahu’s Address to Congress (Wash Post, Mar 3, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/662H-DZFR (arguing that the deal “doesn’t block Iran’s path to the bomb; it paves Iran’s path to the bomb”).
104. See note 257 and accompanying text.
105. Rep. John Boehner Sounds Off on Fight over Homeland Security Funding; Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore Explains Stance on Same-Sex Marriage (Fox News, Feb 15, 2015), online at http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2015/02/15/rep-john-boehner
-sounds-fight-over-homeland-security-funding-alabama-chief-justice-roy (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable).
106. Id.
107. Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (US Department of State), archived at http://perma.cc/FT2Z-P4CG. See also Michael R. Gordon and David E. Sanger, World Leaders Strike Agreement with Iran to Curb Nuclear Ability and Lift Sanctions, NY Times A1 (July 15, 2015) (explaining the elements of the deal).
108. US Const Art II, § 3. See also Michael Ramsey, Is Netanyahu’s Address to Congress Unconstitutional? (Originalism Blog, Jan 25, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/D6YP
-678V; David Bernstein, Is Netanyahu’s Address to Congress Unconstitutional? (Wash Post, Jan 25, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/CX96-VWT7.
109. See, for example, Peter Spiro, More on Boehner’s Netanyahu Invite (and What It Says about Constitutional Change) (Opinio Juris, Jan 27, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/4QPF-3PW5; Ryan Scoville, Boehner Invites Bibi: A Closer Look at Historical Practice (Just Security, Jan 27, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/U89W-FSVV (noting a long-standing practice of “legislative diplomacy” without taking a position on whether the differences in the Netanyahu invitation are “material in a constitutional sense”).
110. See, for example, Seth Barrett Tillman, A Response on Netanyahu’s Address to Congress (Originalism Blog, Jan 26, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/3M6F-R4VU; Gerard Magliocca, Netanyahu’s Address to a Joint Session Is Not Unconstitutional (Concurring Opinions, Jan 26, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/S744-R4PH.
111. Adam J. White, The Constitution Doesn’t Let President Close Congress’s Doors to Israel (Weekly Standard, Jan 26, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/R4RB-K6AA.
113. See Scoville, 112 Mich L Rev at 339–49 (cited in note 10). For examples of foreign travel by congresspersons, see Foreign Travel Reports (Office of the Clerk, US House of Representatives), archived at http://perma.cc/QW72-QDRY (providing a searchable database of congressional foreign travel expenditures). Foreign travel reports are also published in the Congressional Record. See, for example, Foreign Travel Financial Reports, 115th Cong, 1st Sess, in 163 Cong Rec S 752–61 (daily ed Feb 6, 2017).
115. See Hassan M. Fattah and Graham Bowley, Pelosi Meets with Syrian Leader (NY Times, Apr 4, 2007), online at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/04/world/
middleeast/04cnd-pelosi.html (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable) (describing the issues discussed in the meeting).
116. President Bush Makes Remarks on the Emergency Supplemental (White House Office of the Press Secretary, Apr 3, 2007), archived at http://perma.cc/T86Q-5VMX.
117. See David Stout and Hassan M. Fattah, Bush Assails Pelosi’s Trip to Syria (NY Times, Apr 3, 2007), online at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/world/americas/
03iht-pelosi.4.5130701.html (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable); Fattah and Bowley, Pelosi Meets with Syrian Leader (cited in note 115) (noting that several Republican congressmen had also met with al-Assad, but that Bush did not mention them in criticizing Pelosi’s meeting).
118. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Returns from Syria with Renewed Calls: End Regime Change War in Syria Now (Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Jan 25, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/SJ4U-UEFW. See also Tulsi Gabbard’s Syria Meeting with Assad Sparks Outcry (BBC, Jan 27, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/B6F6-ZE4Q.
119. Karen DeYoung, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Makes Unannounced Trip to Syria (Wash Post, Jan 18, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/76A4-GXF3.
120. See Mike Lillis, Gabbard Meeting with Assad Draws Disgust from Fellow Lawmakers (The Hill, Jan 26, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/EU7B-PK2X (collecting comments).
121. See id (quoting a Defense Department spokesman).
122. See Ryan Scoville, A Legal Analysis of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s Trip to Syria (Lawfare, Feb 14, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/2DZ9-C286 (arguing that the executive branch may have “quietly endorsed the trip: The Pentagon knew about it in advance, and yet there’s no public evidence of an objection”).
123. See Neal Devins and Saikrishna B. Prakash, Reverse Advisory Opinions, 80 U Chi L Rev 859, 881–83 (2013) (detailing the frequency with which the Court requests the views of the solicitor general and the solicitor general’s perceived duty to respond).
124. Id at 883–84.
125. See, for example, Morrison v National Australia Bank Ltd, 561 US 247, 269–70 (2010) (discussing amicus briefs filed by the United Kingdom, Australia, and France complaining that extraterritorial application of US securities laws interferes with their securities regulations, and explaining that the Court’s test will avoid such interference).
126. See note 83 and accompanying text.
127. Instances of outbound nonexecutive foreign relations frequently raise questions about the Logan Act. See Logan Act, 1 Stat 613, 613 (1799), codified at 18 USC § 953:
Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
See also Steve Vladeck, The Iran Letter and the Logan Act (Lawfare, Mar 10, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/N26B-EY3U (arguing that there are significant legal and political obstacles to prosecution of the Cotton letter signatories under the Logan Act); Peter Spiro, GOP Iran Letter Might Be Unconstitutional. Is It Also Criminal? (Opinio Juris, Mar 9, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/JNC6-RQE6 (arguing that the Cotton letter meets the elements of a Logan Act violation). See also Ryan Goodman, Many Think This Law Is Obsolete. It Could Actually Be a Big Problem for Trump. (Wash Post, Apr 5, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/5CD5-UE7S (arguing that despite the lack of convictions under the Logan Act, it “has been ‘enforced’ and relied upon time and again by the executive branch,” including to expel “foreign ambassadors . . . for aiding and abetting violations” and to restrict and suspend US passports). The Logan Act, which has not been the basis for a prosecution since 1803, see Vladeck, The Iran Letter (cited in note 127), stretches more broadly than outbound nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations because it covers any US citizen, not just legislative or judicial officials. But the Act is also narrower than nonexecutive foreign relations because it is limited to correspondence intended to influence a foreign government “in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States” or “to defeat the measures of the United States,” whereas outbound nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations is not so limited. 18 USC § 953. However, the two could interact if, for example, debates about the constitutionality of instances of nonexecutive foreign relations were taken to shape the interpretation of “without authority of the United States” in the text of the Logan Act. Id.
128. Tom Cotton, et al, Open Letter to the Leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Mar 9, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/KZ73-5UX7.
131. See Megan Specia, Republican Senators’ Open Letter to Iran Sparks Fierce Twitter Spat (Mashable, Mar 10, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/BC76-S599 (chronicling tweets).
132. Id (quoting the text of an article containing Zarif’s response).
133. Greg Jaffe and Sean Sullivan, Republican Letter to Iran Intensifies Dispute with White House (Wash Post, Mar 9, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/X2XT-A9E2 (explaining that the letter was “designed to kill any potential deal”); Peter Baker, G.O.P. Senators’ Letter to Iran about Nuclear Deal Angers White House (NY Times, Mar 9, 2015), online at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/10/world/asia/white-house-faults-gop-senators-letter-to
-irans-leaders.html (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable) (“The letter appeared aimed at unraveling a framework agreement even as negotiators drew close to reaching it.”).
134. Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 3/9/2014 [sic] (White House Office of the Press Secretary, Mar 9, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/GF8Y-VN66.
136. Statement by the Vice President on the March 9 Letter from Republican Senators to the Islamic Republic of Iran (White House Office of the Vice President, Mar 9, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/C7T2-FQBH.
138. For a compilation of negative coverage of the letter, see Josh Earnest, Round-Up: Editorial Boards from around the Country Respond to the 47 Republican Senators (White House, Mar 11, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/M93F-GMFQ.
139. Republican Senators Go Nuclear with Missive to Iran (LA Times, Mar 11, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/GRA4-ACB2.
140. GOP Letter to Iran Is a Reckless Intrusion into Nuclear Talks (Boston Globe, Mar 10, 2015), online at http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2015/03/10/gop-letter
-iran-was-reckless-intrusion-into-nuclear-talks/ztJVtjcXFo1jBUDz8P03kJ/story.html (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable).
141. Academics also raised additional concerns about the letter. For example, Professor Jack Goldsmith pointed out that the letter erred in stating that the Senate ratifies treaties, when in fact the Senate votes on a resolution of ratification that, if approved, allows the president to ratify. Jack Goldsmith, The Error in the Senators’ Letter to the Leaders of Iran (Lawfare, Mar 9, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/UCP3-9NXK. The letter also sparked a separate discussion of whether the signatories violated the Logan Act. See note 127.
142. Josh Chafetz, Congress’s Constitution: Legislative Authority and the Separation of Powers 229–31 (Yale 2017). Because of the many constitutional powers of Congress that relate to foreign relations, Chafetz is certainly correct that “we should be deeply skeptical of any attempt to give the president the sole authority to define, construct, and delimit American interests or positions on the world stage.” Id at 230. However, Congress’s powers to help define US interests and shape foreign policy through the confirmation of executive-branch officials, the power of the purse, and voting on treaties, among others, do not necessarily mean that Congress has or should have constitutional sanction to conduct foreign relations as I and other foreign relations scholars define that term. See note 1 and accompanying text. In stating that “multiple institutions of government—most definitely including the members and houses of Congress—take part in conducting foreign relations,” Chafetz, Congress’s Constitution at 230 (cited in note 142), Chafetz appears to use a broader understanding of “conduct,” though he also endorses congressional conduct of foreign relations, narrowly defined. See id at 231 (endorsing the constitutionality of the Cotton letter and arguing, with approval, that “[b]y purporting to write directly to the Iranian regime, the signatories to the letter asserted that they were . . . entitled to a seat at the diplomatic table”).
143. Julian Ku, 47 US Senators Send Iran’s Leader an Unnecessary(?) Primer on How US Constitution Works (Opinio Juris, Mar 9, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/9ETL-EPQZ.
145. Robert Howse and Ruti Teitel, Legal Flaws in the 47 Senators’ Letter to Iran (Just Security, Mar 10, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/2BGA-J92S, quoting Curtiss-Wright Export Corp, 299 US at 319.
146. Marty Lederman, The Cotton Letter . . . and the Vice President’s Response (Just Security, Mar 10, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/Q8LE-PE6F.
147. See Jim Wright, et al, Ten Congressmen Send a Message to Managua, Wall St J 34 (Apr 17, 1984) (reprinting the full text of the letter). See also Steven V. Roberts, Congress; Letter to Nicaragua: ‘Dear Comandante,’ NY Times A14 (Apr 20, 1984).
148. See, for example, That ‘Dear Comandante’ Letter, Wash Post A20 (May 3, 1984).
149. Ten Congressmen Send a Message to Managua, Wall St J at 34 (cited in note 147).
150. Roberts, Congress; Letter to Nicaragua, NY Times at A14 (cited in note 147).
151. Don Oberdorfer, Shultz Backs Off Attack on Meddling by Congress; Lawmakers Confront Him about Nicaragua, Wash Post A24 (May 24, 1985).
152. See R. Gregory Nokes, Reagan, Shultz Criticize Congress on Nicaragua; Lawmakers Don’t Like It (Associated Press, May 24, 1985).
153. Oberdorfer, Shultz Backs Off Attack on Meddling by Congress, Wash Post at A24 (cited in note 151) (quoting Shultz and noting that Shultz “seem[ed] to exonerate the authors of the letter”).
154. See Scoville, 112 Mich L Rev at 351–54 (cited in note 10) (discussing the history of congressional contacts with foreign governments).
155. See notes 166–69 and accompanying text (discussing the Genet episode).
156. See, for example, Raustiala, 43 Va J Intl Law at 12 (cited in note 57) (“Technological advances provide the means for networks to develop with greater frequency and at lower cost.”); Melissa A. Waters, Mediating Norms and Identity: The Role of Transnational Judicial Dialogue in Creating and Enforcing International Law, 93 Georgetown L J 487, 497 (2005) (“The revolution in information technology [ ] has produced a worldwide communications capacity that empowers and energizes loose networks of nongovernmental organizations and so-called ‘epistemic communities,’ which as a result play an increasingly important role in shaping the global agenda.”) (citation omitted).
157. Raustiala, 43 Va J Intl Law at 12 (cited in note 57).
158. See notes 131–32 and accompanying text.
159. Spiro, 63 Ohio St L J at 683 (cited in note 56) (citations omitted). See also generally Buxbaum, 73 Wash & Lee L Rev 653 (cited in note 68) (assessing the claims that foreign governments bring as plaintiffs in US courts); Eichensehr, 102 Va L Rev 289 (cited in note 56) (analyzing the role of foreign governments as amici curiae).
160. See, for example, Raustiala, 43 Va J Intl Law at 91–92 (cited in note 57) (discussing the impact of transgovernmental networks on international law); Peter J. Spiro, Disaggregating U.S. Interests in International Law, 67 L & Contemp Probs 195, 196 (Autumn 2004) (exploring how “disaggregated governmental components beyond the traditional foreign policy apparatus[ ] may be developing an institutional interest in the acceptance of” international law).
161. Examples include, among others, Democrat Pelosi’s trip to Syria during the Republican Bush administration, see notes 115–17 and accompanying text; Republican Boehner’s invitation to Netanyahu during the Democratic Obama administration, see notes 93–107 and accompanying text; and the Cotton letter by Republican senators during the Obama administration, see notes 127–137 and accompanying text.
162. See David E. Pozen, Self-Help and the Separation of Powers, 124 Yale L J 2, 4–12 (2014) (proposing that unilateral executive actions by the Obama administration should be conceived of as “constitutional self-help”—the use of generally impermissible means that become permissible because done in response to a prior impermissible act by Congress). Some commentators have argued that the Netanyahu invitation was a form of congressional self-help in retaliation for perceived executive unilateralism on other issues or executive resistance to cooperation over inviting Netanyahu. See, for example, Bernstein, Is Netanyahu’s Address to Congress Unconstitutional? (cited in note 108) (suggesting that Boehner viewed the invitation as self-help based on an interview in which, as reported by Bernstein, Boehner “suggested that given that President Obama has been ignoring Congress’ constitutional prerogatives, as by unilaterally rewriting immigration law, Congress can retaliate by ignoring the president’s constitutional prerogatives”); Josh Blackman, Gridlock and Congressional Power (Josh Blackman’s Blog, Jan 26, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/9M24-CTUR (citing Boehner’s invitation to Netanyahu as a potential example of self-help per Professor David E. Pozen and noting that “[u]nder normal circumstances, the President would likely approve of the Speaker wishing to invite the [Prime Minister] of an ally to address Congress. But we are not living in normal times”). To the extent that a desire to engage in self-help may describe the instances of nonexecutive foreign relations that I discuss, I consider “self-help” as a descriptive label here, not one with the normative, justificatory import that Pozen separately proposes.
163. Spiro, 67 L & Contemp Probs at 215 (cited in note 160) (“The United States is no longer a monolith for purposes of international law and relations; it is now, rather, an arena in which global forces can play at the game of transnational politics and rational institutional action.”).
164. See, for example, Peter Baker and Jodi Rudoren, Obama and Netanyahu: A Story of Slights and Crossed Signals (NY Times, Nov 9, 2015), online at http://www
.nytimes.com/2015/11/09/us/politics/obama-and-netanyahu-a-story-of-slights-and-crossed
-signals.html (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable) (chronicling tensions between Obama and Netanyahu).
165. See, for example, David E. Sanger, In Reprieve to Obama, Senate Democrats Agree to Wait on Iran Sanctions (NY Times, Jan 28, 2015), online at http://www
.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/world/middleeast/house-hearing-iran-nuclear-talks-sanctions
.html (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable) (chronicling congressional support for imposing additional sanctions on Iran).
166. Ramsey, Is Netanyahu’s Address to Congress Unconstitutional? (cited in note 108).
168. See Saikrishna B. Prakash and Michael D. Ramsey, The Executive Power over Foreign Affairs, 111 Yale L J 231, 321–22 (2001) (recounting the correspondence between Jefferson and Genet). For a detailed chronology of the disputes accompanying Genet’s tenure as ambassador, see Curtis A. Bradley and Martin S. Flaherty, Executive Power Essentialism and Foreign Affairs, 102 Mich L Rev 545, 664–76 (2004).
169. Letter from Thomas Jefferson, US Secretary of State, to Edmond Charles Genet, French Ambassador to the United States (National Archives, Oct 2, 1793), archived at http://perma.cc/PEM7-F5AP. See also Letter from Thomas Jefferson, US Secretary of State, to Edmond Charles Genet, French Ambassador to the United States (National Archives, Nov 22, 1793), archived at http://perma.cc/RWT2-JVPY (deeming the president to be “the only channel of communication between this country and foreign nations”). Eventually, Genet’s hijinks prompted the Washington administration to request that France recall him as ambassador, and some of Jefferson’s reprimands to Genet for attempting to contact Congress occurred after recall was requested, but before France’s decision to recall Genet reached the United States in January 1794. See Bradley and Flaherty, 102 Mich L Rev at 670–71, 673–74 (cited in note 168).
170. See, for example, Morgan Chalfant, Worries Mount about Vacancies in Trump’s State Department (The Hill, May 21, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/D7H4-5AQV (discussing how the lack of political appointees signals that diplomacy and US alliances are not a priority for the Trump administration); Eliana Johnson and Michael Crowley, The Bottleneck in Rex Tillerson’s State Department (Politico, June 4, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/XMK2-XC4Y (discussing ongoing State Department vacancies at the political-appointee level).
171. See Michael D. Shear, Mark Landler, and James Kanter, In NATO Speech, Trump Is Vague about Mutual Defense Pledge (NY Times, May 25, 2017), online at http://www
.nytimes.com/2017/05/25/world/europe/donald-trump-eu-nato.html (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable) (noting that at his first NATO summit, Trump “declin[ed] to explicitly endorse NATO’s mutual defense pledge” and instead “lash[ed] out at fellow members for what he called their ‘chronic underpayments’ to the alliance”).
172. See Carol Morello and Anne Gearan, Senators Sharply Question State Department Budget Cuts (Wash Post, June 13, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/8B86-JN9T (reporting that Trump’s budget proposed cutting the State Department’s budget by roughly 30 percent).
173. See, for example, The Latest: Senate Jabs Trump in Unanimous Vote on NATO (Boston Herald, June 15, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/7S7D-ZUUD (reporting that the Senate voted unanimously in favor of a resolution reaffirming NATO’s mutual defense commitment); Morello and Gearan, Senators Sharply Question State Department Budget Cuts (cited in note 172) (reporting on bipartisan criticism of the Trump administration’s proposed State Department budget cuts, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham’s statement that the proposed cuts are “radical and reckless when it comes to soft power”).
174. Miller and Rucker, ‘This Was the Worst Call by Far’ (cited in note 4).
175. Statement by SASC Chairman John McCain (cited in note 4). See also Peter Baker, Emmarie Huetteman, and Glenn Thrush, McCain Steps In to Ease Tension with Australia over Trump Insult (NY Times, Feb 2, 2017), online at http://www
.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/us/politics/trump-congress-tax-code.html (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable) (reporting on McCain’s “remarkable statement” recounting his call).
176. See, for example, Jennifer Steinhauer, World Leaders Wary of Trump May Have an Unlikely Ally: Congress (NY Times, June 20, 2017), online at http://www.nytimes
.com/2017/06/19/us/politics/world-leaders-wary-of-trump-may-have-an-ally-congress.html (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable) (detailing numerous actions by Congress to resist the Trump administration’s foreign policy positions).
177. See Henkin, Foreign Affairs at 95 (cited in note 1) (noting that “[t]he Jackson formula was written from the President’s perspective,” and raising the possibility of “a parallel formulation [that] might address the powers of Congress in relation to those of the President, and might be somewhat different”).
178. See notes 44–45 and accompanying text. Some circumstances in which converse Youngstown would apply might in fact be justiciable. For example, imagine a scenario in which Congress overrides a presidential veto founded on constitutional objections by enacting a statute that conveys rights for or imposes burdens on private parties, who would then have standing to sue.
179. See, for example, Dawn E. Johnsen, Functional Departmentalism and Nonjudicial Interpretation: Who Determines Constitutional Meaning?, 67 L & Contemp Probs 105, 113–14 (Summer 2004) (arguing that “the political branches do engage in principled constitutional interpretation,” and citing Department of Justice legal opinions as an example). See also notes 41–43 and accompanying text (discussing OLC citations to Jackson’s Youngstown framework).
180. See Paul Brest, The Conscientious Legislator’s Guide to Constitutional Interpretation, 27 Stan L Rev 585, 587–88 (1975) (arguing that “legislators are obligated to determine, as best they can, the constitutionality of proposed legislation” and that “[t]he modern legislative committee, staffed by lawyers and others having expertise in particular areas of policy and law, is competent to consider the constitutional implications of pending measures”).
181. See Johnsen, 67 L & Contemp Probs at 115 (cited in note 179) (arguing that “[t]he absence of judicial review . . . does not signify the absence of constitutional limits,” but rather that “[c]onstitutional fidelity . . . often depends on the branches’ effectiveness in determining their own constitutional obligations and then exercising principled self-restraint, as well as on the branches’ substantial powers to check each other and on the ultimate power of the electorate”).
182. Curtis A. Bradley, Treaty Termination and Historical Gloss, 92 Tex L Rev 773, 832 (2014). See also Mark Tushnet, Taking the Constitution Away from the Courts x–xi (Princeton 1999) (noting that “constitutional interpretation goes on outside the courts” and arguing that such interpretation is in fact “law because it is not in the first instance either the expression of pure preferences by officials and voters or the expression of unfiltered moral judgements”).
183. See Jack Goldsmith and Daryl Levinson, Law for States: International Law, Constitutional Law, Public Law, 122 Harv L Rev 1791, 1813 (2009) (“A far greater number of constitutional issues [than are decided by courts] will never be heard by any court and are decided by nonjudicial political actors in Congress, the executive branch, and state governments.”).
184. See, for example, Department of Defense, Directive No 4515.12: DoD Support for Travel of Members and Employees of Congress *1–2 (Jan 15, 2010), archived at http://perma.cc/KHW4-FCSG (discussing the Defense Department’s support for congressional travel); Bureau of Legislative Affairs (US Department of State), archived at http://perma.cc/46ZN-SGMY (noting that the Bureau of Legislative Affairs “facilitates Congressional travel to overseas posts for Members and staff”); Scoville, 112 Mich L Rev at 339–40 (cited in note 10) (discussing State Department and Defense Department roles in supporting congressional travel abroad).
185. Joint Meeting & Joint Session Addresses (cited in note 94).
186. See, for example, Jacob R. Straus, CRS Insights: Foreign Heads of State Addressing Congress *1 (Federation of American Scientists, Feb 27, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/8H93-RJ2P (“[S]ome form of consultation protocol may exist between the executive and legislative branch when foreign leaders visit the United States on official duties and the leader will be invited to speak to Congress. However, no such procedure is codified in law or in House or Senate Rules.”). See also Nakamura, Sullivan, and Fahrenthold, Republicans Invite Netanyahu (cited in note 95) (calling the Netanyahu invitation “a departure from normal procedure” because it was not coordinated with the executive branch); Visits (US Department of State), archived at http://perma.cc/9N9A-PQ76 (explaining that the State Department’s Office of the Chief of Protocol “plans, arranges and executes detailed programs for visiting Chiefs of State and Heads of Government”).
187. The utility of the converse Youngstown framework is not limited to instances of nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations. For examples of additional situations in which the converse Youngstown framework could be deployed, see notes 282–84 and accompanying text.
188. Consider Adrian Vermeule, Chevron as a Legal Framework (JOTWELL, Oct 24, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/R56T-Z386 (arguing that Justice Jackson’s Youngstown concurrence “supplied a capacious-but-coordinating legal framework that allows various judges on various occasions to express the major competing concerns about the relationship between legislative and executive power” and that “it has the great virtue of giving [judges] a conceptual structure within which to speak to one another and disagree with each other”).
189. Henkin, Foreign Affairs at 93 (cited in note 1).
190. Youngstown, 343 US at 654 (Jackson concurring).
191. Id (Jackson concurring).
192. See Transcript of Oral Argument, Zivotofsky v Clinton, Docket No 10-699, *10 (US Nov 7, 2011) (available on Westlaw at 2011 WL 7005874) (reflecting Justice Antonin Scalia’s description of the “usual inter-branch hand wrestling” in which Congress “has an innumerable number of clubs with which to beat the executive”); Bradley and Morrison, 126 Harv L Rev at 457 (cited in note 48) (discussing Jackson’s quotation of Napoleon and noting that the “observation is generalizable to the preservation of executive as well as legislative power”).
193. Youngstown, 343 US at 610 (Frankfurter concurring). See also 18 Op Off Legal Counsel at 178 (cited in note 43) (“[A] pattern of executive conduct, made under claim of right, extended over many decades and engaged in by Presidents of both parties, ‘evidences the existence of a broad constitutional power.’”), quoting Office of Legal Counsel, Presidential Power to Use the Armed Forces Abroad without Statutory Authorization, 4A Op Off Legal Counsel 185, 187 (Feb 12, 1980).
194. Bradley and Morrison, 126 Harv L Rev at 454 (cited in note 48).
195. A similar argument may apply to state initiatives with respect to foreign relations, which are becoming increasingly frequent in the Trump era. Although the primary legal framework for assessing the permissibility of states’ actions is preemption, the Supreme Court in preemption cases has considered the extent to which the federal government is unified or divided over the potentially preemptive federal policy or action. For example, in Crosby v National Foreign Trade Council, 530 US 363 (2000), the Court relied on the fact that the president was acting in Youngstown Category 1—with Congress’s approval—in imposing sanctions on Burma as a reason to find that stricter Massachusetts sanctions were obstacle preempted. Id at 375–77. In other words, the fact that Congress and the president agreed caused the Court to increase the scope of federal preemption vis-à-vis the states. Similar reasoning may apply to Category 3 cases in either the classic Youngstown or converse Youngstown frameworks: if Congress and the president disagree, courts may use the disagreement as a justification for finding a narrower scope for federal preemption, leaving states with more freedom to act. This possibility is a reason for Congress to disagree with President Trump—and to do so vocally—on issues like withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. See, for example, Michael D. Shear, Trump Will Withdraw U.S. from Paris Climate Agreement (NY Times, June 1, 2017), online at http://www
.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/climate/trump-paris-climate-agreement.html (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable). Even if Congress’s opposition does not stop the presidential action, it might have the more indirect effect of shrinking the preemptive scope of federal power to allow state initiatives to proceed. See, for example, Hiroko Tabuchi and Henry Fountain, Bucking Trump, These Cities, States, and Companies Commit to Paris Accord (NY Times, June 1, 2017), online at http://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/
climate/american-cities-climate-standards.html (visited Feb 7, 2018) (Perma archive unavailable). I plan to explore further the federalism implications of Youngstown and converse Youngstown in future work.
196. Henkin adds perhaps a third type of indeterminacy critique in arguing that “Justice Jackson did not tell us, or offer a principle that might help us determine, which powers are concurrent.” Henkin, Foreign Affairs at 95 (cited in note 1). This argument may demand unnecessary work from the Youngstown framework. The question of which powers are concurrent can be answered by looking to constitutional text, historical practice, or the claims of competing branches. The Youngstown framework is needed to help adjudicate competing claims to power, not to identify such competing claims in the first instance.
197. Laurence H. Tribe, Transcending the Youngstown Triptych: A Multidimensional Reappraisal of Separation of Powers Doctrine, 126 Yale L J F 86, 91 (2016).
198. Id at 92.
199. See Henkin, Foreign Affairs at 93 (cited in note 1) (“When the President acts and Congress is silent, there is often a justifiable presumption that Congress has acquiesced in, even approved, what the President has done; if so, the action can be seen as supported by the constitutional powers of both branches.”); Bradley and Morrison, 126 Harv L Rev at 433–36 (cited in note 48) (distinguishing between acquiescence as implicit agreement by Congress to the executive claim and acquiescence as waiver of Congress’s powers).
200. See Terry M. Moe and William G. Howell, The Presidential Power of Unilateral Action, 15 J L, Econ & Org 132, 140 (1999) (“Congress is burdened by collective action problems and heavy transaction costs that make it extremely difficult for that institution to fashion a timely, coherent response to presidential action, or even to respond at all.”).
202. See, for example, id (noting that “[b]ecause Congress is a plural body,” all members of Congress “benefit from the protection and enhancement of legislative authority even if some of them do not contribute to the effort,” and therefore that “each individual member has relatively little incentive to expend resources trying to increase or defend congressional power, since he or she will not be able to capture most of the gains”); Moe and Howell, 15 J L, Econ & Org at 144 (cited in note 200) (explaining that congressmen, each motivated to secure their own reelection, “are trapped in a prisoners’ dilemma: all might benefit if they could cooperate in defending or advancing Congress’s power, but each has a strong incentive to free ride in favor of the local constituency”).
203. For example, Congress has less formal tools, such as “oversight hearings, nonbinding resolutions, the threat of contempt proceedings, and public disclosure of information,” which “are not subject to the collective action problems that beset the formal legislative process.” Bradley and Morrison, 126 Harv L Rev at 446 (cited in note 48). Professors Bradley and Morrison argue that these less formal options for expressing congressional disapproval of executive action should be taken into account in Youngstown analysis and that doing so would reduce the number of cases in which interpreters try to draw meaning from silence. Id at 451 (“[I]nclud[ing] a wider array of congressional responses to executive action will substantially shrink the universe of cases where Congress can truly be said to have remained silent, which will in turn shrink the number of cases drawing inferences from such silence. That is all to the good.”).
204. See id at 439–40 (“Congress and the President are not equally situated in their ability to take action.”).
205. See, for example, Edward S. Corwin, The President: Office and Powers 200 (NYU 2d ed 1941) (noting that in the “struggle for the privilege of directing American foreign policy . . . the President has . . . certain great advantages,” including “the unity of the office, its capacity for secrecy and despatch,” and “the fact that it is always on hand and ready for action, whereas the houses of Congress are in adjournment much of the time”).
206. See Bradley and Morrison, 126 Harv L Rev at 452 (cited in note 48) (“The executive branch faces fewer collective action and veto obstacles than does Congress, and thus it is easier for the President and those serving under him to take legally consequential steps to protect executive prerogatives.”); Moe and Howell, 15 J L, Econ & Org at 144–45 (cited in note 200) (explaining that “Presidents are not hobbled by” the collective-action problems that plague Congress and that “not only is the presidency a unitary institution with the capacity for coherent action, but there is also substantial congruence between the president’s individual interests and the interests of the institution”).
207. See Moe and Howell, 15 J L, Econ & Org at 145 (cited in note 200) (noting a “fundamental imbalance” in which “Presidents have both the will and the capacity to promote the power of their own institution, but individual legislators have neither and cannot be expected to promote the power of Congress as a whole in any coherent, forceful way”).
208. Henkin, Foreign Affairs at 93 (cited in note 1) (“A President is less likely to remain silent when Congress acts in what he considers his domain.”).
209. Category 2 cases are, of course, still possible. The “Dear Comandante” letter may be an example. The Reagan administration apparently offered no official statement for more than a year, at which point the secretary of state condemned the letter before repudiating the criticism later the same day. See notes 147–53 and accompanying text. See also notes 68–72 and accompanying text (discussing the routine filings by foreign sovereigns as parties in cases before US courts—filings that do not typically occasion endorsement or objection by the executive).
211. To object to legislation, for example, the president may exercise the veto, express concerns in a signing statement, or “publicly refus[e] to enforce or comply with the statute,” and “[p]residential administrations regularly avail themselves of one or more of these means, on the understanding that failure to do so could be taken as acquiescence.” Id at 452–53 (cited in note 48). The president can also object to nonlegislative congressional or judicial actions in other ways, such as in public statements. See, for example, Michael J. Glennon, The Use of Custom in Resolving Separation of Powers Disputes, 64 BU L Rev 109, 140 (1984) (arguing that the president can object to congressional actions through “[p]ress releases, statements made upon signing or vetoing of a bill, [ ] statements made during a press conference,” or statements by other executive officials that are attributable to the president).
212. See Henkin, Foreign Affairs at 93 (cited in note 1) (arguing that while executive silence is less likely than congressional silence, a president’s “failure to veto Congressional legislation or to protest other Congressional initiatives might also imply acquiescence and mute any objection that Congress lacks constitutional authority”); Bradley and Morrison, 126 Harv L Rev at 454 (cited in note 48) (arguing that “[e]xecutive silence . . . should generally carry greater weight than congressional silence” because executive-branch actors can easily object and they “understand that failure to object to legislative limits on executive authority may be treated as accepting their constitutionality”).
214. Gerald Gunther, The Supreme Court 1971 Term—Foreword: In Search of Evolving Doctrine on a Changing Court: A Model for a Newer Equal Protection, 86 Harv L Rev 1, 8 (1972). See also Adam Winkler, Fatal in Theory and Strict in Fact: An Empirical Analysis of Strict Scrutiny in the Federal Courts, 59 Vand L Rev 793, 794–95 (2006) (noting that Professor Gerald Gunther coined the phrase).
215. See Swaine, 83 S Cal L Rev at 311 (cited in note 18) (calling Category 3 “practically a death knell for executive branch action”).
216. See Zivotofsky II, 135 S Ct at 2113 (Roberts dissenting) (“For our first 225 years, no President prevailed when contradicting a statute in the field of foreign affairs.”); id at 2116 (Roberts dissenting) (arguing that the Court’s ruling for the president “takes the perilous step—for the first time in our history—of allowing the President to defy an Act of Congress in the field of foreign affairs”).
217. This indeterminacy bespeaks yet another similarity to the strict scrutiny framework: despite the popularity of the “fatal in fact” label, Professor Adam Winkler has shown that in practice “strict scrutiny is survivable in fact,” with “30 percent of all applications of strict scrutiny . . . result[ing] in the challenged law being upheld.” Winkler, 59 Vand L Rev at 796 (cited in note 214). Just so with presidential actions in Category 3, per Zivotofsky II.
219. In the traditional Youngstown context, Jackson described Category 1 as involving a congressional delegation to the president. See Youngstown, 343 US at 635 (Jackson concurring) (arguing that in Category 1, the president’s “authority is at its maximum, for it includes all that he possesses in his own right plus all that Congress can delegate”).
220. See, for example, Scoville, 112 Mich L Rev at 377 (cited in note 10) (arguing that Article II “empowers the president to delegate executive power to members of the House and Senate so that they can act on his behalf”).
221. For examples from the judiciary, see id at 379 (arguing that “official practice strongly suggests that horizontal executive delegation is permissible” and providing examples of presidents tasking Supreme Court justices to foreign relations–related activities, such as Jackson’s service as the chief US prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials). For congressional examples, see notes 223–25 and accompanying text.
222. Treaties and Other International Agreements: The Role of the United States Senate, S Prt No 106-71, 106th Cong, 2d Sess 109 (2001).
224. See id at 109–10 (detailing this and numerous other examples). See also Louis Fisher, “The Law”: Treaty Negotiation; A Presidential Monopoly?, 38 Pres Stud Q 144, 151–52 (2008) (recounting numerous examples of congressmen serving as members of or advisers to treaty-negotiating delegations).
225. Henkin, Foreign Affairs at 178 (cited in note 1). See also id at 82 & n * (cited in note 1) (noting that appointing congressmen to delegations to international conferences “no longer raises constitutional questions under Art. 1, sec. 6, cl. 2”). This is so despite earlier questions about the practice’s conformity with the Constitution’s Incompatibility Clause. See US Const Art I, § 6, cl 2 (“[N]o Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.”). See also Henkin, Foreign Affairs at 178 & n ** (cited in note 1) (detailing earlier examples of Incompatibility Clause controversies).
226. Spector Motor Service, Inc v McLaughlin, 323 US 101, 105 (1944). See also Department of Commerce v United States House of Representatives, 525 US 316, 343–44 (1999) (declining to reach the constitutional question presented due to the doctrine of constitutional avoidance); Richard H. Fallon Jr, et al, Hart and Wechsler’s The Federal Courts and the Federal System 77–81 (West 7th ed 2015) (discussing constitutional avoidance).
227. See Scoville, 112 Mich L Rev at 339–40 (cited in note 10) (discussing executive-branch support for congressional travel to foreign countries). See also note 184 and accompanying text.
228. See notes 77–83 and accompanying text.
230. Ashwander v Tennessee Valley Authority, 297 US 288, 346–47 (1936) (Brandeis concurring). See also Fallon, et al, Hart and Wechsler’s The Federal Courts at 77 (cited in note 226) (calling Brandeis’s concurrence the “nearly canonical citation for the avoidance doctrine”).
231. It is perhaps useful to note that the converse Youngstown framework would not prohibit adjudicators from assessing the power of each branch; it merely means that they do not have to for Category 1 cases. Providing adjudicators the discretion to address whichever question is easier—the power of each branch separately or the combined power of the branches—is consistent with, for example, the Supreme Court’s shift in qualified immunity jurisprudence to give courts discretion over the ordering of determinations about whether a constitutional violation occurred and whether the right violated was clearly established. See Pearson v Callahan, 555 US 223, 242 (2009) (“Our decision does not prevent the lower courts from following the Saucier procedure; it simply recognizes that those courts should have the discretion to decide whether that procedure is worthwhile in particular cases.”).
232. See Bradley and Morrison, 126 Harv L Rev at 416–17 (cited in note 48) (arguing in the related context of assessments of historical practice that “[h]istorical practice in the separation of powers context is distinctive [ ] in that it generally involves conduct by one political branch implicating the interests and prerogatives of the other,” rather than individual rights).
234. Id at 637–38 (Jackson concurring) (emphasis added).
235. Zivotofsky II, 135 S Ct at 2084.
236. Id at 2086.
237. Youngstown, 343 US at 637–38 (Jackson concurring).
238. Zivotofsky II, 135 S Ct at 2089, quoting Brief for Respondent, Zivotofsky v Kerry, Docket No 13-628, *16, 18 (US filed Sept 22, 2014) (available on Westlaw at 2014 WL 4726506).
239. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp, 299 US at 320.
241. Id at 2090 (citations omitted).
242. See Harold Hongju Koh, The National Security Constitution: Sharing Power after the Iran-Contra Affair 67 (Yale 1990) (arguing that with respect to foreign affairs powers, the Constitution “frequently . . . grants clearly related powers to separate institutions, without ever specifying the relationship between those powers. . . . Most often, the text simply says nothing about who controls certain domains”).
243. The inclusion of the Cotton letter as an example of nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations could be challenged on several grounds. First, the letter was signed by forty-seven Republican senators and did not claim to speak for the Senate as a whole. Second, the letter did not purport to speak for the United States—an action that would have been a clear subversion of the president’s authority to conduct foreign relations. Rather, the letter purported simply to provide information about the US constitutional system that Iran “should seriously consider as negotiations progress.” Cotton, et al, Open Letter (cited in note 128). See also Ku, 47 US Senators Send Iran’s Leader an Unnecessary(?) Primer on How US Constitution Works (cited in note 143). On the other hand, as to the first point, the letter was signed and sent on behalf of a group of senators sufficient to block adoption of an agreement with Iran as either an Article II treaty or a congressional-executive agreement (given the filibuster), making the group a potentially constitutionally significant bloc. See note 55 and accompanying text. And on the second point, the letter was apparently intended to and was understood as an attempt to interfere in ongoing negotiation of an agreement with Iran, which suggests an intent to interfere with the president’s authority to negotiate on behalf of the United States. On balance, although some might argue against inclusion of the Cotton letter as an example of nonexecutive conduct of foreign relations, the question is sufficiently close that I have included the example for purposes of discussion.
244. US Const Art II, § 3.
246. US Const Art II, § 2, cl 2.
247. Letter from Julia Frifield, Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, US Department of State to Representative Mike Pompeo *1 (Nov 19, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/C32V-LKYK (“The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is not a treaty or an executive agreement. . . . The JCPOA reflects political commitments between Iran, the P5+1 (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China), and the European Union.”). See also Jack Goldsmith, The Contributions of the Obama Administration to the Practice and Theory of International Law, 57 Harv Intl L J 455, 465–66 (2016) (discussing the status of the Iran deal as a political commitment).
248. For an overview of contemporaneous debates about the status of the Iran deal, see Stephen Collison, Iran Deal: A Treaty or Not a Treaty, That Is the Question (CNN, Mar 12, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/49XE-MHQ7; Carol Morello, In Iran Nuclear Talks, It’s All in a Name (Wash Post, Mar 12, 2015), archived at http://perma.cc/VSU9-9E9T (collecting disparate views).
249. See, for example, Treaties and Other International Agreements at 6 (cited in note 222) (“The first phase of treatymaking, negotiation and conclusion, is widely considered an exclusive prerogative of the President except for making appointments which require the advice and consent of the Senate.”); id at 97–98 (locating the president’s implied power to negotiate international agreements in the Article II, § 2 power to “make Treaties,” as well as the president’s powers to appoint and receive ambassadors and the Article II, § 1 vesting clause).
250. US Const Art II, § 2, cl 2 (“[The president] shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur.”).
251. See Henkin, Foreign Affairs at 81 (cited in note 1) (drawing a constitutional distinction between sense-of-Congress resolutions about international issues and “Congressional resolutions directly addressed to foreign governments,” which are “technically objectionable” because of the president’s status as the “sole organ of communication with foreign governments”).
252. See Treaties and Other International Agreements at 2–3, 27–38 (cited in note 222) (discussing the evolution of the Senate’s role with respect to treaty negotiation). One prominent historical episode deviates from the Senate’s traditional noninvolvement prior to advising and consenting to a negotiated agreement. In 1789, President Washington personally went to the Senate to consult on “the terms of a treaty to be negotiated with the Southern Indians.” Id at 33. The consultations went so badly that they are “famous as the first and last times that a President personally appeared before the Senate to seek its advice and consent.” Id. See also Chafetz, Congress’s Constitution at 281 (cited in note 142) (describing the incident with an emphasis on how a senator used procedural mechanisms to frustrate Washington).
253. See Treaties and Other International Agreements at 3 (cited in note 222) (“Although Senators sometimes play a part in the initiation or development of a treaty, the Senate role now is primarily to pass judgment on whether completed treaties should be ratified by the United States.”).
254. To be sure, congresspersons have other avenues that do not involve direct communications to foreign governments to express their views on foreign policy issues. They can, for example, make statements on the House or Senate floor, issue press releases, give speeches, and speak to the press. These avenues implicate other constitutional protections, including the Speech or Debate Clause and the First Amendment. US Const Art I, § 6, cl 1 (“[F]or any Speech or Debate in either House, [senators and representatives] shall not be questioned in any other Place.”); US Const Amend I (“Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”). Given the increasing sophistication of foreign governments about the US government and competing power centers within it, foreign governments are likely to be aware of statements relevant to their interests, even if such statements are not communicated to them directly. See notes 159–60 and accompanying text. See also Spiro, GOP Iran Letter Might Be Unconstitutional (cited in note 127) (“[T]he above-the-fold attention given to the Cotton letter shows that there is something out of the ordinary going on here. If he had said the same things on CNN no one would have paid any attention . . . . Not so as addressed to the Iranian leadership.”).
255. A clearer case of infringement would occur if Congress were to receive as a foreign head of state a representative of an entity, such as Taiwan, that the United States (via the executive branch) has declined to recognize. See Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Relations with Taiwan (US Department of State, Sept 13, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/4MZV-3JYY (describing the history and current nature of the US-Taiwan relationship).
257. Rep. John Boehner Sounds Off on Fight over Homeland Security Funding (cited in note 105).
258. For academic agreement on this issue, see Neal Devins, Congressional-Executive Information Access Disputes: A Modest Proposal—Do Nothing, 48 Admin L Rev 109, 111 (1996) (citation omitted):
Congress has broad investigatory powers to fulfill its responsibilities under the Constitution. . . . A key element of Congress’ ability to carry out this mandate depends on how much information is made available to it as it deliberates and then legislates. Absent access to accurate, relevant information, it would probably be impossible to legislate either effectively or wisely.
See also J.W. Fulbright, Congressional Investigations: Significance for the Legislative Process, 18 U Chi L Rev 440, 441 (1951) (explaining the view of a sitting senator that “[t]he power to investigate is . . . the most necessary of all the powers underlying the legislative function” because it “provides the legislature with eyes and ears and a thinking mechanism,” as well as “an orderly means of being in touch with and absorbing the knowledge, experience and statistical data necessary for legislation in a complex democratic society”); Morton Rosenberg, Congress’s Prerogative over Agencies and Agency Decisionmakers: The Rise and Demise of the Reagan Administration’s Theory of the Unitary Executive, 57 Geo Wash L Rev 627, 675 (1989) (noting that “no express provision of the Constitution . . . specifically authorizes the Congress to conduct investigations and take testimony for the purpose of performing its legitimate functions,” but “numerous decisions of the Supreme Court have firmly established that the investigatory power of Congress is so essential to the legislative function as to be implied from the general vesting of legislative power in Congress”); Scoville, 112 Mich L Rev at 382–83 (cited in note 10) (discussing “Congress’s implied power of investigation”).
259. McGrain v Daugherty, 273 US 135, 174 (1927). See also Eastland v United States Servicemen’s Fund, 421 US 491, 504 (1975) (“This Court has often noted that the power to investigate is inherent in the power to make laws.”).
260. McGrain, 273 US at 175.
261. Watkins v United States, 354 US 178, 187 (1957). See also id (noting that “[t]he power of the Congress to conduct investigations is inherent in the legislative process. . . . It encompasses inquiries concerning the administration of existing laws as well as proposed or possibly needed statutes,” “surveys of defects in our social, economic or political system for the purpose of enabling the Congress to remedy them,” and “probes into departments of the Federal Government to expose corruption, inefficiency or waste”).
262. Barenblatt v United States, 360 US 109, 111 (1959).
263. Id at 111. See also id at 111–12 (“Since Congress may only investigate into those areas in which it may potentially legislate or appropriate, it cannot inquire into matters which are within the exclusive province of one of the other branches of the Government.”); Watkins, 354 US at 187:
[B]road as is this power of inquiry, it is not unlimited. There is no general authority to expose the private affairs of individuals without justification in terms of the functions of the Congress. . . . Nor is the Congress a law enforcement or trial agency. These are functions of the executive and judicial departments of government. No inquiry is an end in itself; it must be related to, and in furtherance of, a legitimate task of the Congress. Investigations conducted solely for the personal aggrandizement of the investigators or to ‘punish’ those investigated are indefensible.
264. See Hutchinson v Proxmire, 443 US 111, 132–33 (1979) (explaining that although prior cases “hold[ ] that congressional efforts to inform itself through committee hearings are part of the legislative function,” Congress’s perceived “duty of Members to tell the public about their activities . . . is not a part of the legislative function or the deliberations that make up the legislative process”); Todd David Peterson, Congressional Investigations of Federal Judges, 90 Iowa L Rev 1, 33 (2004) (arguing that although “Congress frequently asserts that it possesses general authority to investigate for the purpose of informing the American public,” the Supreme Court has not “endorsed” such claims and instead “has suggested that the purpose of informing the American public is not within the core legislative mandate of Congress”).
265. The congressional power of inquiry or investigation may also be sufficient to justify congressional travel abroad and meetings with foreign government officials as part of fact-finding missions over the executive’s objection. See, for example, text accompanying notes 115–17 (discussing then-Speaker Pelosi’s travel to Syria and criticism from President Bush). The determination of the constitutionality of such an action will depend on the factors discussed below. See notes 268–70 and accompanying text.
266. See Iran Sanctions (US Department of the Treasury, Sept 25, 2017), archived at http://perma.cc/PU38-CEN3 (collecting statutes regarding Iran sanctions).
267. See Magliocca, Netanyahu’s Address to a Joint Session Is Not Unconstitutional (cited in note 110) (proposing that the standard for evaluating the constitutionality of the Netanyahu address “would be whether Congress is considering legislation related to the speech,” and that because it was considering a new Iran sanctions bill, “if Congress wants to hear from Netanyahu or anybody else with something useful to say about that, I think that they can”).
268. See Morrison v Olson, 487 US 654, 691 (1988) (assessing the constitutionality of a congressionally imposed “good cause” restriction on removal of an executive officer based on whether the restriction “unduly trammels on executive authority”).
270. See Zivotofsky II, 135 S Ct at 2095 (citing as one reason that a statute infringed the president’s exclusive recognition power “the undoubted fact that the purpose of the statute was to infringe on the recognition power”).
271. See Vermeule, Chevron as a Legal Framework (cited in note 188) (arguing that a “legal framework” has “staying power” when it is sufficiently “flexible to appeal to judges with competing views, who can all articulate their positions within the framework”).
273. Krippendorf v Hyde, 110 US 276, 282 (1884).
274. United States v Hasting, 461 US 499, 505 (1983) (citation omitted). See also Carlisle v United States, 517 US 416, 425–26 (1996) (affirming the authority of federal courts to formulate procedural rules).
275. See In re Peterson, 253 US 300, 312–13 (1920) (explaining that “[c]ourts have (at least in the absence of legislation to the contrary) inherent power to provide themselves with appropriate instruments required for the performance of their duties,” including the “authority to appoint persons unconnected with the court to aid judges in the performance of specific judicial duties, as they may arise in the progress of a cause”) (citation omitted); John F. Duffy, On Improving the Legal Process of Claim Interpretation: Administrative Alternatives, 2 Wash U J L & Pol 109, 142 (2000) (noting that the “judicial power to seek expert assistance” includes both inviting amicus briefs and “appoint[ing] nonwitness experts in appropriate cases”); Samuel Krislov, The Amicus Curiae Brief: From Friendship to Advocacy, 72 Yale L J 694, 699 (1963) (discussing evolution of amicus curiae participation as part of courts’ inherent powers).
277. See US S Ct Rule 37.4.
278. For additional details on the history of foreign sovereign amicus briefs, see Eichensehr, 102 Va L Rev at 297–302 (cited in note 56).
279. See generally Brief of Counsel for British Embassy as Amici Curiae, Strathearn Steamship Co v Dillon, Docket No 373 (US filed June 2, 1919).
280. See, for example, Lauritzen v Larsen, 345 US 571, 572 (1953) (noting an amicus brief filed by Denmark). See also generally Brief of the Royal Danish Government, as Amicus Curiae, Lauritzen v Larsen, Docket No 226 (US filed Nov 26, 1952) (available on Westlaw at 1952 WL 82186).
281. See Bradley and Morrison, 126 Harv L Rev at 435 (cited in note 48) (discussing acquiescence as waiver as “akin to the adverse possession doctrine in property law: if one branch of government has been engaging in a practice for a long time without any resistance, it (and potentially also third parties) may have formed reasonable expectation interests surrounding the practice”). See also id at 453–54 (arguing that executive silence or acquiescence is more meaningful than congressional silence).
282. Order of May 1, 2014, Motorola Mobility LLC v AU Optronics Corp, Civil Action No 14-8003 (7th Cir filed May 1, 2014). See also generally Brief for the United States and the Federal Trade Commission as Amici Curiae in Support of Panel Rehearing or Rehearing En Banc, Motorola Mobility LLC v AU Optronics Corp, Civil Action No 14-8003 (7th Cir filed Apr 24, 2014) (available on Westlaw at 2014 WL 1878995).
283. Letter from Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr to Gino J. Agnello, Clerk of Court, Motorola Mobility LLC v AU Optronics Corp, Civil Action No 14-8003 (7th Cir filed May 19, 2014).
284. See, for example, War Powers Resolution, Pub L No 93-148, 87 Stat 555 (1973), codified at 50 USC §§ 1541–48.
Courts’ Limited Ability to Protect Constitutional Rights
Notice-and-Comment Judicial Decisionmaking
Approaching the Limits of the Bankruptcy Code: Does Surcharging a Debtor’s Exempt Assets Go Too Far?
Amanda K. Bloch
Preventive Adjudication
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Growing Food Anywhere in the World with Rachel Wenman
September 28, 2017 in Episodes
Rachel Wenman is a native to Las Vegas and is a serial entrepreneur. She grew up as an athlete, won a Nevada State Championship at the age of 16, and attributes her success as an executive and business owner to the team sports she participated in while growing up. Today, Rachel is the Co-Founder of Urban Seed, an organization that is changing the way food is grown and distributed around the globe. When Rachel says they are on a mission to change the world, she means it.
Rachel also shares what her daily routine looks like, how she stays motivated through activation, the tool she uses every day, and using Trello as a task management tool.
Leadership Excursion Co. (@LeadExCo) specializes in hands-on leadership training including leadership training with horses. They provide team building, custom team and executive retreats, and business coaching services. Proponents of the betterment of women both personally and professionally, Leadership Excursion Co. hosts Spark Women’s Leadership Retreat. A retreat designed to educate and lift women up. Take advantage of free leadership tips delivered to your inbox every Monday.
The Coop, Las Vegas’ newest co-working office located in Summerlin, NV. The Coop offers shared or private office space, thoughtful amenities, and is conveniently located near restaurants, coffee, a grocery store, and other convenient stores all within walking distance.
The Value of Story with Nina Radetich
Meet Nina
Nina Radetich is the owner of Radetich Marketing & Media and utilizes the Duct Tape Marketing Consulting Network to support her business. Learn how Nina’s background as a news anchor helps her identify key stories to help in her clients’ marketing success. Nina also shares details on how she stays educated, finds balance in her personal and professional life, and the importance of communication.
Other items that were touched on in this episode:
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Search and Rescue
News 3’s Swiftwater Rescue Story
Teamwork (Project Managment Tool)
Finding Acceptance with Death and Grief
Dr. Robyn Donaldson is the Co-Founder of SolaceClub, an organization that provides thoughtful care packages to help support those who are grieving. SolaceClub was founded after the unexpected death of Dr. Donaldson’s husband. Listen in as Robyn shares her intimate journey of what caused her husband’s death, what she did to mourn, and how she manages to work through the grieving process.
Robyn also mentions the incredible support work done by volunteers of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Trauma Intervention Program (TIP). Visit their website to learn more or to make a donation.
Providing Educational and Conservation Efforts in Africa
September 6, 2017 in Episodes
Stacy James is the founder of Dazzle Africa, a non-profit that provides educational and conservation efforts through the support of donations and hosted African safaris. What started out as a trip with 6 other women to realize her dream of seeing elephants roam through the lobby of her hotel has turned into something much bigger than Stacy could ever imagine.
In 5 short years, Dazzle Africa has organically grown into an organization that not only gives individuals an opportunity to explore Africa but also provides vital resources to the surrounding community.
Dazzle Africa Specializes in:
Fully hosted safaris
Veterinarian services
Cessna airplane project
Community education and outreach
This is what an African Wild Dog looks like and here’s Mfuwe on a map.
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Chromosome translocations in multiple myeloma
Peter Leif Bergsagel, W. Michael Kuehl
Multiple myeloma (MM), a malignant tumor of somatically mutated, isotype-switched plasma cells (PC), usually arises from a common benign PC tumor called Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS). MM progresses within the bone marrow, and then to an extramedullary stage from which MM cell lines are generated. The incidence of IgH translocations increases with the stage of disease: 50% in MGUS, 60-65% in intramedullarly MM, 70-80% in extramedullary MM, and >90% in MM cell lines. Primary, simple reciprocal IgH translocations, which are present in both MGUS and MM, involve many partners and provide an early immortalizing event. Four chromosomal partners appear to account for the majority of primary IgH translocations: 11q13 (cyclin D1), 6p21 (cyclin D3), 4p16 (FGFR3 and MMSET), and 16q23 (c-maf). They are mediated primarily by errors in IgH switch recombination and less often by errors in somatic hypermutation, with the former dissociating the intronic and 3′ enhancer(s), so that potential oncogenes can be dysregulated on each derivative chromosome (e.g., FGFR3 on der14 and MMSET on der4). Secondary translocations, which sometimes do not involve Ig loci, are more complex, and are not mediated by errors in B cell specific DNA modification mechanisms. They involve other chromosomal partners, notably 8q24 (c-myc), and are associated with tumor progression. Consistent with MM being the malignant counterpart of a long-lived PC, oncogenes dysregulated by primary IgH translocations in MM do not appear to confer an anti-apoptotic effect, but instead increase proliferation and/or inhibit differentiation. The fact that so many different primary transforming events give rise to tumors with the same phenotype suggests that there is only a single fate available for the transformed cell.
Oncogene
40 REV. ISS. 4
https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1204641
Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance
Plasma Cells
Cyclin D3
Plasmacytoma
Genetic Recombination
B-Lymphocytes
MGUS
Primary translocation
Secondary translocation
Bergsagel, P. L., & Michael Kuehl, W. (2001). Chromosome translocations in multiple myeloma. Oncogene, 20(40 REV. ISS. 4), 5611-5622. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1204641
Chromosome translocations in multiple myeloma. / Bergsagel, Peter Leif; Michael Kuehl, W.
In: Oncogene, Vol. 20, No. 40 REV. ISS. 4, 10.09.2001, p. 5611-5622.
Bergsagel, PL & Michael Kuehl, W 2001, 'Chromosome translocations in multiple myeloma', Oncogene, vol. 20, no. 40 REV. ISS. 4, pp. 5611-5622. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1204641
Bergsagel PL, Michael Kuehl W. Chromosome translocations in multiple myeloma. Oncogene. 2001 Sep 10;20(40 REV. ISS. 4):5611-5622. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1204641
Bergsagel, Peter Leif ; Michael Kuehl, W. / Chromosome translocations in multiple myeloma. In: Oncogene. 2001 ; Vol. 20, No. 40 REV. ISS. 4. pp. 5611-5622.
@article{a033962b7b53443c958a2caf146765ea,
title = "Chromosome translocations in multiple myeloma",
abstract = "Multiple myeloma (MM), a malignant tumor of somatically mutated, isotype-switched plasma cells (PC), usually arises from a common benign PC tumor called Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS). MM progresses within the bone marrow, and then to an extramedullary stage from which MM cell lines are generated. The incidence of IgH translocations increases with the stage of disease: 50{\%} in MGUS, 60-65{\%} in intramedullarly MM, 70-80{\%} in extramedullary MM, and >90{\%} in MM cell lines. Primary, simple reciprocal IgH translocations, which are present in both MGUS and MM, involve many partners and provide an early immortalizing event. Four chromosomal partners appear to account for the majority of primary IgH translocations: 11q13 (cyclin D1), 6p21 (cyclin D3), 4p16 (FGFR3 and MMSET), and 16q23 (c-maf). They are mediated primarily by errors in IgH switch recombination and less often by errors in somatic hypermutation, with the former dissociating the intronic and 3′ enhancer(s), so that potential oncogenes can be dysregulated on each derivative chromosome (e.g., FGFR3 on der14 and MMSET on der4). Secondary translocations, which sometimes do not involve Ig loci, are more complex, and are not mediated by errors in B cell specific DNA modification mechanisms. They involve other chromosomal partners, notably 8q24 (c-myc), and are associated with tumor progression. Consistent with MM being the malignant counterpart of a long-lived PC, oncogenes dysregulated by primary IgH translocations in MM do not appear to confer an anti-apoptotic effect, but instead increase proliferation and/or inhibit differentiation. The fact that so many different primary transforming events give rise to tumors with the same phenotype suggests that there is only a single fate available for the transformed cell.",
keywords = "MGUS, Myeloma, Primary translocation, Secondary translocation",
author = "Bergsagel, {Peter Leif} and {Michael Kuehl}, W.",
doi = "10.1038/sj.onc.1204641",
journal = "Oncogene",
number = "40 REV. ISS. 4",
T1 - Chromosome translocations in multiple myeloma
AU - Bergsagel, Peter Leif
AU - Michael Kuehl, W.
N2 - Multiple myeloma (MM), a malignant tumor of somatically mutated, isotype-switched plasma cells (PC), usually arises from a common benign PC tumor called Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS). MM progresses within the bone marrow, and then to an extramedullary stage from which MM cell lines are generated. The incidence of IgH translocations increases with the stage of disease: 50% in MGUS, 60-65% in intramedullarly MM, 70-80% in extramedullary MM, and >90% in MM cell lines. Primary, simple reciprocal IgH translocations, which are present in both MGUS and MM, involve many partners and provide an early immortalizing event. Four chromosomal partners appear to account for the majority of primary IgH translocations: 11q13 (cyclin D1), 6p21 (cyclin D3), 4p16 (FGFR3 and MMSET), and 16q23 (c-maf). They are mediated primarily by errors in IgH switch recombination and less often by errors in somatic hypermutation, with the former dissociating the intronic and 3′ enhancer(s), so that potential oncogenes can be dysregulated on each derivative chromosome (e.g., FGFR3 on der14 and MMSET on der4). Secondary translocations, which sometimes do not involve Ig loci, are more complex, and are not mediated by errors in B cell specific DNA modification mechanisms. They involve other chromosomal partners, notably 8q24 (c-myc), and are associated with tumor progression. Consistent with MM being the malignant counterpart of a long-lived PC, oncogenes dysregulated by primary IgH translocations in MM do not appear to confer an anti-apoptotic effect, but instead increase proliferation and/or inhibit differentiation. The fact that so many different primary transforming events give rise to tumors with the same phenotype suggests that there is only a single fate available for the transformed cell.
AB - Multiple myeloma (MM), a malignant tumor of somatically mutated, isotype-switched plasma cells (PC), usually arises from a common benign PC tumor called Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS). MM progresses within the bone marrow, and then to an extramedullary stage from which MM cell lines are generated. The incidence of IgH translocations increases with the stage of disease: 50% in MGUS, 60-65% in intramedullarly MM, 70-80% in extramedullary MM, and >90% in MM cell lines. Primary, simple reciprocal IgH translocations, which are present in both MGUS and MM, involve many partners and provide an early immortalizing event. Four chromosomal partners appear to account for the majority of primary IgH translocations: 11q13 (cyclin D1), 6p21 (cyclin D3), 4p16 (FGFR3 and MMSET), and 16q23 (c-maf). They are mediated primarily by errors in IgH switch recombination and less often by errors in somatic hypermutation, with the former dissociating the intronic and 3′ enhancer(s), so that potential oncogenes can be dysregulated on each derivative chromosome (e.g., FGFR3 on der14 and MMSET on der4). Secondary translocations, which sometimes do not involve Ig loci, are more complex, and are not mediated by errors in B cell specific DNA modification mechanisms. They involve other chromosomal partners, notably 8q24 (c-myc), and are associated with tumor progression. Consistent with MM being the malignant counterpart of a long-lived PC, oncogenes dysregulated by primary IgH translocations in MM do not appear to confer an anti-apoptotic effect, but instead increase proliferation and/or inhibit differentiation. The fact that so many different primary transforming events give rise to tumors with the same phenotype suggests that there is only a single fate available for the transformed cell.
KW - MGUS
KW - Myeloma
KW - Primary translocation
KW - Secondary translocation
U2 - 10.1038/sj.onc.1204641
DO - 10.1038/sj.onc.1204641
JO - Oncogene
JF - Oncogene
IS - 40 REV. ISS. 4
10.1038/sj.onc.1204641
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Podcast feeds for sotm2019
sotm2019
Is the OSM data model creaking?
Martin Lucas-Smith
StateoftheMap Data Analysis & Data Model Playlists: 'sotm2019' videos starting here / audio / related events
The OSM data model has facilitated rapid growth of community-created geodata which third parties can build on. But as more accuracy is needed in routing, cartography, and other uses, is this data model good enough? We are trying to represent spaces as flows, which result in fundamental compromises and inaccuracies. This talk will discuss real-world cases where this compromise is increasingly problematic.
OpenStreetMap was designed to enable ordinary people to create open geodata that anyone can use and maintain easily. Traditional GIS concepts such as layers are dispensed with in order to make editing simple and accessible. In the same way that the web would never have taken off if HTML were not so accessible and tolerant of mistakes, this simplicity in OSM has meant a low barrier to involvement.
However, as OSM is becoming more widely used in the mainstream, the need for accuracy and quality is becoming more and more important. Cyclists need detailed turn data to enable high-quality routing that takes full account of safety. Satnav companies, need lane data, which is difficult to represent accurately. Pedestrian routing is barely in its infancy and high quality routing for people walking or using wheelchairs is hard to achieve.
At its root, OSM tries to represent spaces as flows (lines). This results in fundamental compromises and inaccuracies. What is good for routing is not always good for cartography, and vice-versa.
For instance, a street containing cycleways with pavements either side is usually represented as a single line with attributes. However, it is extremely challenging to represent properly all the parts of the street, and in general people simply don't bother: a single line with large numbers of attributes is unwieldy to edit (even when hidden by editor GUIs), and just as challenging for a router to interpret. Continual changes in the width of a street cannot be easily represented without segmenting the street heavily and creating a mess. Temporary disappearance of lanes makes editing complex. Routing ultimately ends up as a lowest common denominator result.
The alternative method of representing this same street is as a series of individual lines. But this is equally problematic. In this model, the street loses its coherence as a single entity - humans think of it as a street with multiple uses (walking, cycling, driving, trees). Where people have done this, attributes such as street names need to be kept in sync, and in practice separate pavements often fail to have names attached. Concepts such as the ability to cross from one side of the road to the other (or even switch lanes) are not modelled, with the result that a router may take the user to the end of the street then back down. And cartography ends up showing a series of parallel lines which looks messy and does not match the human perception of a street.
The bicycle tagging page on OSM provides a perfect demonstration of the current problem:
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Bicycle
It shows the complexity of representing many common scenarios, with increasingly incomprehensible tagging combinations. No router implements anything like all of this, and even expert OSM contributors would shy away at bothering to add this data.
Cycleways indeed are a good general example of inconsistent tagging. Cycleways separate to a road are sometimes tagged as an attribute of the street and sometimes as a separate geometry. What about a hybrid/stepped cycle lane of the kind seen in Copenhagen - is that a cycle lane or a cycleway? Do lane counts include cycle lanes or not? How is obstructive car parking represented? Is the one-way indication applicable to the cycle lane on the road? And so on.
Another example is junctions. Should traffic signals be treated spatially (i.e. represent the location of the traffic heads), or should they be treated linearly so that routing works properly? How should the linear model work accurately when there is only a single geometry for multiple directions? Have a look at the roads around the Arc De Triomphe in Paris - it is completely impossible for a routing engine to work out exactly how many signal delays should actually be attributed based on the presence of the marking of traffic signals in the data:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/48.87391/2.29536
This talk will discuss these cases, and provide a starting point for discussion on what should be done to improve the situation. As people are ever keener to add more detail to the map, and as more and more mainstream users look to OSM, we have to ask whether the current model is arguably creaking too heavily. Is there a way that we can represent spaces as a set of interconnected flows in some way?
The speaker, Martin Lucas-Smith, is one of the developers of CycleStreets, one of the earliest and most established dedicated cycle routing engines. As such, he has spent many years considering the kinds of tradeoffs represented by the current OSM data model.
sotm2019 1038 2019 Data Analysis & Data Model StateoftheMap 2019 OSM OpenStreetMap Heidelberg
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Jekyll Island Harbor
Jekyll Island, Georgia United States
Lat: 31° 2' 2.89''
Marinas near Jekyll Island Harbor
Jekyll Harbor Marina
6 reviews - 16 Low 8.0'
Jekyll Island Wharf - - - - - - - -
Lat31° 2' 2.89''
One of many barrier islands that line the Goergia Coast, Jekyll Island is located near Brunswick about 50 miles north of Jacksonville and 70 miles southwest of Savannah. The state of Georgia purchased Jekyll Island almost 60 years ago, and since then there has been a conservative stance toward development on the Island. According to law, no more than 35% of the island can be developed. Provisioning resources are limited, but there are several interesting park areas for beach combing, fishing or just relaxing.
Two marinas are located midway along Jekyll Creek with fuel and transient facilities.
Jekyll Island is approached from the north via Saint Simons Sound and the Brunswick River, and from the south via Jekyll Sound. Jekyll Creek runs behind the island carrying the Intracoastal Waterway route.
From the north, exit the Brunswick River at quick flashing green buoy 21, and then set a course for green daybeacon 1 and flashing red 2 at the entrance to Jekyll Creek. (You can use the Jekyll Island Range to help guide you in through the deepest water.) Once you have reached the creek entrance at green daybeacon 1 and flashing red 2, follow in green daybecon 5, red daybeacon 6, red daybeacon 8, and then quick flashing green 9. The lighted Jetty Range will guide you into the creek until the turn at red daybeacon 10.
From the Intracoastal route north through Saint Andrew Sound, first pickup flashing green 29 at Jekyll Point, and then follow the gradually winding course past red daybeacon 26, flashing green 27, and then flashing green 25 just south of ICW Mile 685 into Jekyll Creek.
There are two marinas on either side of the Jekyll Island Bridge (65-foot fixed vertical clearance). Though only one will accept transient guests, both have gas and diesel fuels. This is important, as the facilities are the last fuel stops before you reach Fernandina Beach in Florida, some 25 miles south.
Jekyll Island Calendar of Events
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Law Servicesadmin2017-03-14T10:03:34-04:00
We offer a Broad Range of Law Services
1006 Charles St. Suite 101 North Providence, RI 02904
1. Uncontested Divorce:
All issues in the case have been agreed to by the parties regarding division of marital assets, assignment of debts, medical and dental coverage, children issues, and alimony.
2. Contested Divorce:
A case in which one or more issues cannot be resolved without the Court’s intervention and may require a trial.
3. Custody:
Parents are trying to obtain a court order that the child/children reside with them.
4. Joint/Sole Custody:
Issues involving the decision-making part of being a parent. Joint custody meaning both parents have an equal say in making the major decisions regarding their child/children including, but not limited to medical, educational, and religious decisions. Sole custody means only one parent makes the major decisions regarding their child/children.
5. Visitation Rights/Parenting Time:
A case involving the right of a non-physical custodial parent’s right to visit with their child/children. Petitions to establish a parent’s visitation rights/ parenting time to their child/children. Contempt issues regarding the denial of one parent’s visitation time by the other parent. Modification/changing of the visitation schedule for numerous reasons. Motions to attempt to deny visitation for various reasons.
6. Child Support:
Filing a petition to establish a child support order. Contempt motions to enforce a child support order. Motions to modify/change a child support order for various reasons. Motions to terminate a child support order for various reasons.
7. Uncontested Adoptions:
Both biological parents agree/consent to the adoption taking place without the necessity of a trial.
8. Contested Adoptions:
One or both biological parents do not agree to the adoption taking place and a trial is needed to terminate the biological parents’ rights to the child/children.
9. Miscellaneous Petitions:
Cases where the parents have never been married and there are no Family Court orders specifying the parents’ rights and obligations to their minor child/children. The Miscellaneous Petition establishes the parental rights and obligations to the minor child/children.
10. Relocation Cases:
Issues involving a parent seeking to permanently leave the state of Rhode Island with the child/children. The law firm provides representation for parents attempting to leave Rhode Island and it also provides representation to those parents who attempt to prevent the other parent from permanently leaving Rhode Island with the child/children. Representation is provided for all issues arising under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act and Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act.
Always In Your Corner
Mark Sales 1006 Charles St. Suite 101
North Providence, Rhode Island 02904
Call Us For a Consultation
11. Paternity:
Cases involving whether or not a party is the actual biological parent of the child/children in question. The law firm represents clients who are trying to establish the paternity of the other parent. The law firm also provides representation to those parties defending against a paternity action that has been filed against them.
12. Grandparents Visitation Rights:
Legal matters involving grandparents who have been denied the right to visit their grandchild/grandchildren. The firm also represents biological parents who are opposed to having the grandparents visit with their children.
13. Restraining Orders:
Representation of clients attempting to obtain no contact orders against other family members or significant others with whom they have been involved in a romantic relationship. The firm also represents those individuals who contest the restraining orders and are attempting to have them dismissed by the Family Court.
14. Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs):
Cases involving the entry of and enforcement of orders awarding a former spouse a share of another spouse’s pension/retirement plan.
15. Post Final Judgment of Divorce Actions:
Any issues arising after the entry of the Final Judgment of Divorce between the parties.
16. Alimony:
Cases in which one spouse seeks financial support for himself/herself from the other party. The firm represents parties who seek an award of alimony and parties who oppose any request for alimony from the Family Court.
17. Property Settlement Agreements:
The firm drafts binding written contracts between the two spouses during their divorce case. Representation of clients is also provided to those who seek to enforce the terms of the written contract. The firm also represents those parties who attempt to prevent the enforcement of specific terms and provisions contained within the Property Settlement Agreement.
18. Prenuptial Agreements:
The firm drafts binding written contracts between parties who will be getting married to protect each party in the event that a divorce action is later filed. The Prenuptial Agreement generally deals with specifying what assets are not to be considered marital property in the event of divorce, the assignment of debts to particular parties to avoid claims for contribution toward alleged joint marital debt, and possibly even the waiver (giving-up) of alimony (spousal support), in the event of divorce.
19. Juvenile Proceedings:
Matters involving the representation of minors who have committed crimes in the state of Rhode Island.
20. DCYF Proceedings:
Issues involving cases brought against parents by the Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF). These cases generally charge the parents with neglect or abuse of their children. The firm also provides representation for Dependency cases where DCYF provides services for a child due to that child’s special needs which cannot be addressed by the parents. Parents who are facing having their parental rights to their child/children terminated by DCYF are also represented by the firm.
Have a Question and Need an Answer?
The firm drafts simple wills and wills with trusts for its clients. Simple trusts are also drafted.
Cases where a decedent’s estate must follow the proper procedures in the various Probate Courts throughout Rhode Island, in order to pay off the expenses of the decedent and distribute the assets to the heirs. The firm also represents people who are attempting to become the guardians of either adults or children who need assistance with decisions such as medical treatment, financial matters, and educational decisions. People attempting to adopt an adult person are also represented by the firm.
Representation of adults charged with criminal misdemeanors pending before the District Court of Rhode Island. The firm also files motions to expunge the criminal records of those people who have been convicted of committing crimes in the District Court and Superior Court.
The firm represents people who have been injured as a result of the negligent acts of other parties such as motor vehicle accidents and slip and fall cases.
Civil Actions
Any legal issues involving a non-criminal matter and traffic violations in the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal.
Drafting of lease agreements for landlords. Representation of landlords attempting to evict tenants for nonpayment of rent and breaking lease provisions. The firm also provides representation to tenants who are opposing evictions based upon nonpayment of rent and alleged breaking of the lease provisions.
The firm represents employees who are subject to collective bargaining agreements in labor arbitration matters. Former employees who have been denied their unemployment compensation benefits are also represented by the firm.
The firm assists clients who desire to establish businesses. Representation of clients to form their business entities such as partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies. The firm drafts various documents such as partnership agreements, articles of incorporation, articles of organization, operational agreements, and meeting minutes. Business entity existence is maintained by the drafting of annual reports and other documents.
Receive The Personalized Attention You Deserve
Mark Sales Law Office 1006 Charles St. Suite 101 North Providence, RI 02904
Having trouble, give us a call
Mark Sales Law Office, LLC is open seven days per week (Saturday through Sunday)
From 9:00 AM until 8:00 PM to serve its clients’ needs.
Email: mark@marksaleslawofficellc.com
Web: marksaleslawofficellc.com
Mark Sales is the only attorney who will litigate the client’s case and is solely responsible for negotiating a settlement of the client’s case. For more information please give Mark Sales Law Office a call today!
1006 Charles St. Suite 101
Copyright 2019 Mark Sales Law Office LLC | All Rights Reserved | Site Design ten12design.com
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Guests on Volume 82: Stephen Gardner on how modern culture weakens religion and establishes a new definition of the public; Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn on Tom Wolfe and Philip Rieff's diagnosis of cultural disorder; Wilfred McClay on how Philip Rieff's brilliant critique of modern disorder kept him from realizing a way out of our dilemma; David Wells on how Western culture has eclipsed fundamental assumptions about human nature and God; James K. A. Smith on the postmodern insight that our experience in the world requires interpretation (and that some interpretations are better than others); and Robert Littlejohn on how education should encourage wisdom and eloquence in students.
Stephen Gardner on how modern culture weakens religion and establishes a new definition of the public
Stephen Gardner's essay, "Psychological Man: Eros and Ambition in Democratic Desire," will be published in ISI's edition of Philip Rieff's The Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith after Freud (ISI, 2006)
"[T]herapy in Plato means not so much the care for us but our care for the gods, the assumption [being] that our care for the gods or for the Divine is what cures us of the intrinsic difficulties of human life."
—Stephen Gardner
Professor Stephen Gardner discusses Philip Rieff's analysis of modern culture and how he appropriated Sigmund Freud's work in the prescient The Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith after Freud . Gardner explains that Rieff and Freud both address what happens to people and society when they no longer orient themselves toward the transcendent. Rieff observed that people's ultimate aim becomes the fulfillment of desires while culture becomes an anti-culture, bent on liberating people so they might fulfill their desires, offering them therapy along the way. Gardner notes the difference between these understandings and those of the ancient world. He offers Plato's definition of therapy to demonstrate the incompatibility.
Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn on Tom Wolfe and Philip Rieff's diagnosis of cultural disorder
Lasch-Quinn is author of an essay in the reprint of Philip Rieff's The Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith after Freud (ISI, 2006)
"I think what's so intriguing about Rieff's work is that all of this emphasis on self and fulfillment of the self and satisfaction leads [to] a profound loss of self and therefore loss of any basis of satisfaction or fulfillment."
—Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn
Professor Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn notes that Philip Rieff addressed, in The Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith after Freud , the self-obsession that results when faith and the sacred no longer order society. The concerns of Rieff's work are also addressed by novelist Tom Wolfe. Both attend to the re-orienting of society but, Lasch-Quinn states, they each offer different critiques of the change. She explains Rieff's distinction between religion and religiosity, and also discusses the need for culture to place restrictions on individuals. She summarizes the great irony addressed in his work, which is that people become profoundly unsatisfied the more they pursue satisfaction.
Wilfred McClay on how Philip Rieff's brilliant critique of modern disorder kept him from realizing a way out of our dilemma
McClay has contributed to the opening matter in the reprint of Philip Rieff's The Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith after Freud (ISI, 2006)
"The more that you assume the analytic attitude is possible, the more that madness is the product, the more you are a prisoner of the world and of the world's preconceptions."
—Wilfred McClay
Professor Bill McClay summarizes a strength and weakness of sociologist Philip Rieff's work, and discusses what the weakness indicates about contemporary culture. Rieff, author of The Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith after Freud , demonstrates relentlessly that the emphasis on the therapeutic in society trivializes human experiences. However, he is not able to imagine a solution to the problem. McClay states that Rieff's analytic method and language are at least in part to blame, and explains the origins of the analytic habit along with the role "demystification" plays in it. He notes the risks involved in assuming an analytic attitude.
David Wells on how Western culture has eclipsed fundamental assumptions about human nature and God
Above All Earthly Pow'rs: Christ in a Postmodern World (Eerdmans, 2006)
"We [in the West] today are asking ourselves whether there is even such a thing as truth, and if there is whether we can know it. Now Christian faith simply cannot sustain itself without a belief in truth."
Professor David Wells explains his assertion that contemporary culture in the Western world is more hostile to the Christian faith than it was before the 1960s. Wells is author of Above All Earthly Pow'rs: Christ in a Postmodern World . Christian faith, he says, is predicated upon certain timeless and changeless truths; Western culture, however, does not believe in truth. Nor does it assume that there is a Supreme Being or moral absolutes. Wells notes which additional truths of the Christian faith have been eclipsed in the West.
James K. A. Smith on the postmodern insight that our experience in the world requires interpretation (and that some interpretations are better than others)
Who's Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church (Baker Academic, 2006)
"What you get in this picture of postmodernism is the sense that, look we're all telling stories about the world, but they're stories about the world . . . These are still stories about a givenness that pushes up against us."
Professor James K. A. Smith evaluates the suspicions many people harbor about postmodernism. Smith, author of Who's Afraid of Postmodernism: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church , names postmodernism's central problems while also identifying which components of the philosophy might encourage the Church to greater faithfulness. He explains that loss of confidence in logical demonstrations of universal, objective truths is not necessarily bad for Christian theology. He also discusses why the fact that postmodernism promotes particular stories over universal truths does not mean that the reality those truths describe no longer exists. Smith notes what it would mean for the Church to take postmodernism seriously for the sake of faithful obedience, rather than for cultural relevancy.
Robert Littlejohn on how education should encourage wisdom and eloquence in students
Wisdom and Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning (Crossway Books, 2006)
"Studying the liberal arts and sciences provides you with the skills you need to tackle virtually anything in life."
—Robert Littlejohn
Robert Littlejohn, headmaster of a classical Christian school, discusses the end goal of a classical liberal arts and sciences education, and how classical schools order their curriculum. Littlejohn is co-author of Wisdom and Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning . The book attends to logic and rhetoric and how training in these disciplines equips students for naming the world Christianly. Littlejohn states that schools with classical arts and sciences education understand their purpose as preparing students not only for college, but also for life-long learning and living well in the world after their formal schooling. In order to establish their curriculum, the schools determine which knowledge, skills, and virtues their graduates should have; the material for each grade is then oriented towards developing such graduates.
James K. A. Smith from the bonus track of the CD edition, on the relationship between ideas and cultural change
"We need a much more holistic picture of how we inhabit culture, which is why I'm now talking in terms of cultural institutions as comprising liturgies that form us in certain ways; the question is, 'What kind of people are we being made into by these liturgies?'"
Professor James K. A. Smith discusses the relationship between practices and ideas. Smith, author of Who's Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church , explains that postmodern thought highlights how ideas and practices shape each other dialectically. In other words, participating in certain practices influences the ideas people have about the world and their place in it; those ideas, in turn, help to determine which practices people adopt. Smith notes that the dialogue between practice and reflection characterizes the process of sanctification. He also attends to the tools postmodernity offers for critiquing modernity.
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Blackwater Distilling Company
Maryland’s distilling roots run deep. Prior to Prohibition, Maryland proudly produced what was widely regarded to be the nation’s finest whiskey, a distinct style called Maryland Rye. During the 13 years of Prohibition, Maryland’s enterprising farmers continued to turn their plentiful harvests into high-proof “swamp lightning” in stills hidden among the coves, inlets, and marshes of the Chesapeake, and oystermen and crabbers smuggled the “good stuff” up and down the Bay, evading Federal Revenue agents and the Coast Guard and finding safe haven among the close-lipped communities that lined the tidewater.
But rarely did they face harassment from local authorities. Maryland, the only state never to enact a Prohibition enforcement law, was known as the “wettest state” during Prohibition. It was during this time that Maryland figures such as Governor Albert Richie and author and Baltimore Sunpapers columnist H.L. Mencken rose to national fame for their vehement opposition to what they viewed as an egregious overreach of Federal authority, and rumrunners like Pete “King James” Kelly rose to infamy.
At Blackwater Distilling, founded in 2008 and Maryland’s first fully-licensed beverage alcohol distillery since 1972, we celebrate this brash, enterprising, and fiercely independent spirit by crafting distinctive spirits that stand apart from the crowd, using organic and local ingredients when possible.
Find Us On The Distillery Map
405 Cleat Street, Stevensville, MD 21666
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At First I was Afraid, I was Petrified
By Katherine Teitler
Mobile devices aren't going away; mobile security needs to evolve just as rapidly
All organizations know that flexibility, productivity, and personalization were drivers of the BYOD movement that started to take hold five, six years ago. Nowadays, the term is barely used, but BYOD'ing is commonplace at 99% of organizations, according to a new study conducted by IBM and sponsored by ISMG. Mobile device usage is ubiquitous, and even office-based employees reap the benefits of the ability to logon at any time from a tiny computer toted around in his or her pocket. According to the report, for which two hundred C-level security and technology leaders across all industries and geographies were surveyed, 63% of organizations allow personally-owned and enabled mobile devices and another 55% deploy corporate-owned but personally-enabled devices. Only 5% of organizations reported that mobile devices are not allowed.
This is good information, but Jason Hardy, Market Segment Manager for Mobile Security at IBM wrote, "My goal for the study was to identify if and how mobile was transforming the enterprise and what companies were doing to secure their mobile initiatives." These results are harder to discern from the data. A majority of respondents—59%—said that they derive business benefits from mobility, including enhanced productivity, but that leaves 41% of the 99% that allow mobile devices who can't report or don't know how mobility is impacting the organization. Hypothetically, even logically, mobility has transformed the way employees work. Without concrete data, though, the impact on the organization is all guesswork and speculation. Indeed, nearly three-quarters of respondents replied that they are unable to link mobile usage to any discernable changes in revenue, the primary business driver.
Business impact may not be easily quantified, but business leaders are recognizing that allowing employees to work from mobile devices opens a door to security and IT problems, not unlike other new innovations, but one that is complicated—and has been extended—by the myriad device types, platforms, and security standards of providers on the market. The most significant challenge of mobility, as reported by respondents, is a greater number of security risks and concerns than expected (63%) when deciding to employ a mobile strategy. While the data didn't specifically dive into those risks and concerns, in the survey analysis Hardy wrote that "the number one concern" he consistently hears from the market is, "How do I protect my devices? They are worried about what happens if that device is lost or stolen. What data is at risk, and what access might someone gain to their environment with that device?"
You felt like dropping in, just expecting me to be free
Backing these claims, the survey asked respondents to select the areas in which they will invest, pertaining to mobility, in 2016.
2016 Mobile Security & Business Transformation Study, IBM
More than half—54%—responded that their organizations will put money into securing the device itself and content contained on it. The largest category—access and fraud security—however is aimed at commerce conducted through a mobile device. A customer-centric approach is understandable; if customers are breached (and the incident is reported), a negative financial impact is nearly immediately felt (even if a long term effect isn't) and reputational damage can accompany a firm for years.
I grew strong, I learned how to get along
What are organizations doing to mitigate the probability of a security event? Forty-five percent of respondents said their organization has anti-virus and mobile malware detection deployed, another 42% uses mobile device management (MDM) or enterprise mobility management (EMM), and 41% have a mobile security gateway/VPN through which users must connect. Surely there is some overlap between categories, with the most mature organizations deploying a combination of security protocols.
Staggeringly, though, more than half of the organizations said they are unaware of a mobile-related incident in the past year. This doesn't mean one didn't happen, it just means that the person answering the survey doesn't know if it (or multiple "it"s?) did. Less than a quarter of respondents answered that they could claim data loss from a mobile security incident, and even fewer said that they can attribute data leakage or unauthorized mobile access to enterprise applications or files.
I'll survive
Taking this data at face value, organizations have a great chasm to cross in terms of how to handle mobile device security. Yes, we've come a long way since the late 1990s, but a lot of old tricks are still used to manage these ever-evolving devices, and surely it won't be long until incidents attributed to poor mobile device security will become prevalent.
Katherine Teitler
@katherinert15
Katherine Teitler is an industry thought leader and the current Director of Content for Edgewise Networks.
Code Signing: A Security Control that Isn’t Secured
Cloud Security and Privacy Audits: A 360 Degree Crash Course
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What’s Ray J Going to Do With Death Row Records?
Paras Griffin / Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images (2)
It's Friday, so you know what that means? Another episode of XXL's Hip-Hop Moments of Clarity, a podcast dedicated to breaking down the trending topics in hip-hop news.
For today's episode (Oct. 25), this week's hosts—XXL's Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Satten, XXL's Executive Editor John Kennedy (a.k.a. JFK) and hip-hop entrepreneur Rahman Dukes—speculate on Ray J's plans for Death Row Records, now that he's taken the label's reins from Suge Knight. Outlets originally reported that Suge had handed over his life rights to Ray J, yet the 54-year-old clarified that the singer is primarily working on the music aspect of Suge's current business while he's still incarcerated.
Other subject matter includes the ongoing feud between Gucci Mane and The Breakfast Club hosts Angela Yee and DJ Envy, which came to a head after the rapper had some harsh words for them during an interview with their co-host, Charlamagne Tha God. Other topics in this week's podcast include Juice Wrld's $15 million dollar suit from pop-punk band Yellowcard, T-Pain canceling his tour due to low ticket sales, Lil Nas X going diamond and YoungBoy Never Broke Again debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Listen to XXL's Hip-Hop Moments of Clarity podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Check out the latest episode of the podcast on YouTube below.
See 10 Times Rappers Went at Fox News
Source: What’s Ray J Going to Do With Death Row Records?
Filed Under: Gucci Mane, Hip-Hop Moments of Clarity, juice wrld, Lil Nas X, Ray J, Suge Knight, T-Pain, YoungBoy Never Broke Again
Copperas Cove 21st Annual MLK Unity March & Program 2020
BIZARRE: Shocked Family's Dog Gives Birth to Green 'Hulk' Puppy
Don't Ignore These Red Flags During Divorce Month
2020 B106 is part of the The XXL Network, Townsquare Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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NextLatin for Politics: When the World of Spoken Latin Goes Woke
FeaturedSociety
Jon Askonas on August 7, 2019
In the wake of mass shootings over the past few years, I’ve frequently thought about Doestoevsky’s novel about terrorism in Russia, Demons, sometimes known as The Possessed. The latter, older title is bad translation but good sociology. We spend too much time interrogating demons, and not enough understanding what unites the possessed.
The novel charts the descent into terror and terrorism of a group of young men in rural Russia, ostensibly led by the rakish-yet-passive nobleman Nikolai Stavrogin. One of the remarkable things about Stavrogin’s band of merry men is that none of them quite agree on what he stands for, what his great movement is. Ringleader Pyotr Stepanovich claims to be engaged in a far-reaching anarchist conspiracy. Kirillov believes he shares with Stavrogin a philosophical nihilism, while Shatov insists that Stavrogin converted him to a kind of theological nationalism. Dostoevsky’s point seems to be that any particular ideology is epiphenomenal to the seduction of ideology itself. What possesses the characters is not an ideology but a social-spiritual void that demands the infinite promise of surrender to a totalizing force. At one point, Dostoevsky references the story of Gerasene Demoniac. Jesus asks the evil spirit (singular) what his name is: “My name is Legion: for we are many.”
Unmoored from any kind of meaning-giving narrative, with enough time, education, and money to be discontented at the monotony and mediocrity of the everyday, these superfluous young men would latch on to any grand system that promised self-immolating sacrifice for a greater purpose, even if that purpose was just exposing and destroying the hypocrites and phonies. Dostoevsky doesn’t have much to say about what we might call “true believers” whose actions are dictated by “rational” though radical conclusions. He sees terrorism as a spiritual and not intellectual force. Dostoevsky’s characters are not driven to violence by ideology: they are driven to ideology by violence, metaphysical and spiritual violence first, leading to physical violence. As Dostoevsky sketches in the character of Shigalyev, a social theorist with lurid visions of a totalitarian state but little vision for the society it might build, the attraction of an ideology is not in its end vision but precisely in the means needed to realize it. The more radical the break, the more annihilatory violence will be required to bring it about.
What is causing this emptiness? Dostoevsky is the opposite of didactic, so he tends to leave evocative echoes. The abandonment of traditional structures as Russia entered modernity. A political economy that built a class of educated but alienated young men. Divine punishment for apostasy. What stands out to me today is that there are no fathers in Demons, save for Pyotr’s father Stepan Trofimovich, the stand-in for the absurdities and shortcomings of his liberal generation (essentially the Boomers of 19th century Russia). The abuse or abandonment of fatherly authority creates the conditions for possession.
The most obvious malefactor in Demons is acedia, the noonday demon. Understood by the Desert Fathers as a spiritual affliction leading to a restless inability to either work or pray, it was transmuted in the 19th century into a Romantic melancholic sensibility, in no place more powerfully than in Russia. Seeing it as a torpor permitting neither acts of creation nor worship of the Creator, medieval theologians correctly identified acedia as the spiritual and moral root of unbelief in monastic communities, taking hold far before intellectual arguments for the same.
In the Divine Comedy, those damned by acedia share a home in the fifth circle of hell, a black bog, with the Wrathful. “We were sullen in the sweet air that is gladdened by the sun, bearing in our hearts a sluggish smoke; now we are sullen in the black mire.” Despair of taking meaningful action, of a work that means something, slides ever too easily into an attempt to create meaning by the sheer violence of action, all while taking revenge against those who refused to live in the black mire. In Demons, one of the culminating acts of violence is arson in the village while the town notables are at a ball and literary festival hosted by a local official. What unites almost every site of this kind of terrorism is that it occurs in a place where other people are visibly happy.
There are also some critical differences that shape how this emptiness takes hold. Just as the nihilistic violence of Tsarist Russia became institutionalized with its own set of symbols and liturgies – secret societies, manifestos, bombs, the “propaganda of the deed“, so has mass shooting channeled American anomie into a grim liturgy with its own symbolic vocabulary of AR-15s, black t-shirts, body armor, internet manifestos, “active shooters”, lockdown drills, and breathless media coverage. Where acedia affected a distinctive class in 19th century Europe, and was probably linked to both massive social changes and the failure of political movements after 1848, we have democratized and mass-produced it. With the internet, video games, pornography, and a political economy of part-time service work, we have built the most powerful engines of acedia ever conceived.
What is to be done? America’s sickness is social and spiritual, not ideological and political. So, yes, pursue all of the obvious and not-so-obvious policy prescriptions. Unleash a state-sponsored campaign against nihilistic channers worthy of the legacy of COINTELPRO and the Patriot Act. But recognize that these are at best band-aid measures and, at worst, a form of delusional denial of the deepest roots of the problem.
As with most sins (individual and societal), the consequences that we hate are the inevitable byproduct of the sins that we love. We make an idol of “freedom” meant as license and unrestraint, the myth of the triumphant individual, and remove any barriers to his emancipation. For the sake of “the economy”, we idolize consumption and pleasure-seeking, and dismiss productive work and meaningful self-constraint. We deny the legitimacy of spiritual turmoil (with its necessary ramifications of human frailty, sin and responsibility, and need for redemption) and instead insist upon a therapeutic analysis which removes one’s agency even over one’s own mind. If we want to stop mass shootings, we need to build a different kind of society. What can it mean that we blink over the slaughter of schoolchildren and innocent revelers? Could it be any more obvious that mass shootings are not the isolated acts of unstable losers but a part of a battle for the American soul?
Posted in: Featured, Society
Posted by Jon Askonas
Jon Askonas is assistant professor of politics and a Fellow at the Center for the Study of Statesmanship at the Catholic University of America.
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themo15
Hammer meets nail. Thank you!
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Luc-Laurent Salvador
I would have had a more technical way of formulating the psychology of mass shooters, but since it is far from being common knowledge, an explanation based on acedia appears to me as very clever presentation of the problem. For my part, the only solution I see for the latter is what is called psychoeducation. It should be introduced into the education of the general public so that anyone could be made aware of the necessities of the agentic dimension of self.
Latin for Politics: When the World of Spoken Latin Goes Woke
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« Google Is Watching You
The Spare Design of Wikia Search »
Technology January 22, 2008, 4:28PM EST text size: TT
Of the many possible paths the struggling Internet company and CEO Yang can take, a strategic direction must be step one
by Robert Hof
Sprint’s Wake-Up Call
RIM: Growth Rules the Day
The Secrets of Microsoft’s Sync
Microsoft Pledges Fail to Move the EU
Gore, Geldof, Venter…And This Guy?
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Everyone from Wall Street analysts to former employees to advertising firms seems to know just what struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! (YHOO) should do to turn itself around. And each “solution” is a doozy: Lay off hundreds or even thousands of employees. Get out of the search ad business and just use Google (GOOG). Sell out completely to Microsoft (MSFT).
As persistent as all these rumors have been over the past year or more, the most radical versions of those moves are still unlikely to happen until Yahoo addresses it’s overriding problem: Its leaders—in particular co-founder and Chief Executive Jerry Yang—need to decide once and for all what Yahoo stands for in a new era dominated by search and social networking. And they must clearly articulate how they’re going to get it there.
Start at the Top
So far, that hasn’t happened. Last October, Yang outlined a strategic direction that to many observers was more of a three-pronged to-do list than a cohesive vision of Yahoo’s future. He said Yahoo would look to be the starting point for Internet users, extend its ad offerings to other sites, and open up its technology base to outside programmers and publishers to come up with spiffy new services for the company’s Web pages.
But many people, most of all investors, don’t think any of that will help consumers understand why they should spend more time using Yahoo than Google, Facebook, MySpace (NWS), or countless other services growing much faster in popularity. Even people at Yahoo, says one executive, aren’t sure which projects they should focus on, so efforts to improve services continue to move slowly. “I don’t think they understand where to go,” says Sramana Mitra, a Silicon Valley Web strategist who has written extensively about Yahoo’s challenges on her blog. “They’re running around like chickens.”
With inadequate direction from Yahoo’s leadership, it’s no surprise that nearly everyone has advice. Here’s the rundown on the possibilities—none of which seem likely to get Yahoo back on track in the absence of more fundamental thinking on Yahoo’s raison d’être :
Slash and burn. Fire 2,000 employees, Bernstein Research analyst Jeffrey Lindsay advised in a Jan. 11 report. He said that would give Yahoo more profits to pursue initiatives such as mobile search and video as well as acquisitions. The company is mulling layoffs, but more in the range of hundreds of employees. Deeper cuts, flagged privately by people at Yahoo as unlikely, sound more like wishful thinking by investors than sound advice. They presume that Yahoo is stumbling toward death’s door when it’s not: In its fourth-quarter report Jan. 29, the company is expected to show a 15% gain in sales, to $1.4 billion, though profits are expected to fall.
And despite a stock price that’s fallen 41% from last year’s Oct. 26 peak, a steady departure of executives, and continuing losses in its share of the Web search market to Google, Yahoo boasts strengths that belie the dire predictions of doom by naysayers. Yahoo gets 500 million visitors a month, still the most on the Web, and remains a leader in key areas such as e-mail, sports, and financial news and information. “They continue to have a ton of traffic,” says Kevin Lee, executive chairman of digital ad firm Didit.
That said, some layoffs seem both necessary and likely. Yahoo’s major acquisitions over the past year, such as Right Media, BlueLithium, and Zimbra, surely created redundant positions. If they haven’t been eliminated already, it’s time.
Give in to Google. Lindsay and others also think Yahoo should give up on its search efforts and just pay Google to drive its search engine. It’s easy to understand why. Yahoo keeps losing search market share to Google, whose engine handles from 56% to 66% of all queries, depending on who’s counting. By contrast, Yahoo’s share is usually from 18% to 21%. “The text-ad war has been lost,” says Scott Rafer, CEO of ad network Lookery and former CEO of MyBlogLog, which Yahoo bought a year ago.
But others think Yahoo would be crazy to cede such an important front, not to mention control of the Web’s most lucrative advertising opportunity. “It’s a pretty critical component of getting people to start with Yahoo and stay there,” says Ned May, director and lead analyst at market researcher Outsell. Just as important, data from searches, still the most important indication of a user’s intention to buy, ultimately may prove crucial for targeting display ads to individuals as well.
Notably, marketers and ad firms are rooting for Yahoo because they want a stronger No. 2 just to keep Google honest. “I would hate to see Google become almost a monopoly,” says Lee. If Yahoo can keep making even mild progress in search advertising—its revenue per search rose 20% in the third quarter—keeping it in-house seems worthwhile.
Sell out to Microsoft. If there’s one rumor that keeps coming back again and again, it’s this one. And with every replay, the speculation seems ever more driven by investors looking for a quick exit than by any actual deliberations by Yahoo or Microsoft. The software giant, which only last year spent the most it has ever put into an acquisition with the $6 billion purchase of aQuantive, seems unlikely to put up the upwards of $27 billion it would take to buy Yahoo. Such a deal would also carry big risks, as the merged company would likely lose even more ground to Google in the time it would take to integrate Yahoo’s and Microsoft’s operations and businesses.
Double down. In an impassioned call on the blog GigaOm on Jan. 22, Mitra advised Yahoo to forget about downsizing and “please put up a fight.” She said Yahoo has an unmatched opportunity on the emerging new Web, which she views as being dominated by highly specialized services. So, she advises, Yahoo should consider buying jobs site Monster.com (MNST) to complement Yahoo HotJobs, photo service Shutterfly to go with Yahoo’s Flickr site, travel sites such as Expedia (EXPE) or Priceline (PCLN) and more, to fill out the portal’s strengths in these specialized markets.
Problem is, Yahoo doesn’t seem to have the resources to get this aggressive. Its cash position of $2.2 billion trails laughably behind Google’s $13 billion stash and Microsoft’s $19 billion trove. And the stock market clearly isn’t valuing Yahoo’s shares enough to make them a powerful currency for deals. As much as Yang may want to follow this path, it’s unlikely he can.
There’s little doubt that very soon, Yahoo will need to focus on its potential advantages and jettison more operations that aren’t gaining traction. It has already started to do that, by buying ad firms Right Media and BlueLithium and deemphasizing flagging operations such as music, auctions, and third-tier social networking efforts like Yahoo 360.
No doubt more will be announced or at least hinted at during the Jan. 29 earnings update. Maybe there will be a significant layoff that will cut the fat or the old guard holding Yahoo back. Perhaps there’s a remote possibility of something more daring on the search front. But more than anything else, investors, partners, and employees will be looking to Yang for one thing: a clear, unmistakable statement about Yahoo’s strategic direction.
Hof is BusinessWeek‘s Silicon Valley bureau chief .
Posted in Semantic Web | Tagged yahoo | Leave a Comment
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The Daylights The Daylights
Black Dove
Rogue Machine
Richmond Park, Pt. I
Boy On The Moon
Guess I Miss(ed) You
Digital Kiss
Wins And Losses
Richmond Park, Pt. II
℗ 2010 87th Floor/Azoff Music
lilywhite79 , 09/14/2010
A great marriage of music. As expected, lots of great melodies and hooks from the boys. Vocals have really evolved. Guitars are on another level. Drums are a sonic daydream. It's like Tom Petty had a love child with 1987 U2 and raised it on really good European rock--and paid for classical training somewhere along the way with a strict, bun-haired, respectable teacher who instills music theory with nightmares. Brauer really punched some of the tracks in the teeth, like "The Last Time" and "Rogue." Youth really brought out a lot of the band's gifts--the elevation of complete song as story and melodic development. Great job guys!
TaylorBmusic , 09/14/2010
This album is their best work yet. The songs are so good and produced in a way that effectively communicates the songs in a way they've needed to be heard. I am convinced that this is one of the greatest bands from LA we will see in this new decade.
TheAlbumProject , 09/15/2010
Full Review: The Album Project
It’s evident from the first moment of any song that The Daylights are the real deal, whether because of the thick, unwavering rock music or because of the soft, tranquil sounds. An album of valleys and hills, these 15 songs create a rollercoaster of a ride that, if nothing else, is worth the price of admission just for the experience.
The band comparisons for The Daylights can run as wide as Muse to Coldplay, U2 to Paper Route. When “Black Dove” kicks into full gear around the halfway mark with static for the sake of noise and ringing guitars, Muse comes to the forefront as possible influences on the band’s style. “Terra Firma” on the other hand creates such a soaring experience that you can’t help but think of early U2. All of these comparisons make even more sense when you find out that the album was produced by Youth, who worked with The Verve and Paul McCartney, and was mixed by people who worked with everyone from U2 and The Rolling Stones to The Cure.
In the midst of all the legitimate rock ‘n roll music is “Boy On The Moon” which focuses on the keys and vocals for an atmospheric groove. “Quick Fix” whittles the band away to an acoustic guitar, that even by itself, sound larger than life. The few softer moments on the album provide for an escape, while they don’t ever cause a loss of momentum in getting through the 15 tracks.
Occasionally cliché, including the labeled “Interlude” and “Outro”, don’t affect the fact that The Daylights have created a record that’s a near perfect rock ‘n roll experience.
More By The Daylights
Shift and Blur EP
Sans Radio - EP
The Daylights [Deluxe Edition]
Rogue Machine (Don't Say That You Want Me)
Modern Fossils - EP
I Hope This Gets to You - Single
Calling Birds
Setting Fires
Let It Break
Starting Now - Single
Mississippi Twilight
Starpusher - EP
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Liz Phair Is Recording a Double Album with Ryan Adams
Chris Baker January 13th, 2017 - 3:44 PM
Often people like to reflect on the different generations of music and sometimes compare artists from the different eras. The 90’s is a particular era that many people are fond of when it comes to Rock, Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop and other genres. Artists who are able to rise to fame are used as references when discussing the greatness of the era. This is why it is so exciting for fans to hear that Liz Phair will be releasing new music for the first time since her last album effort.
According to STEREOGUM, Liz Phair has teamed up with Ryan Adams to create a double album. Phair has been working out of Ryan Adams’s Pax-Am studio. Adams tweeted photos from studio sessions and from these we can see that producer Don Was was also in the studio working to some capacity with Adams.
For fans who continue to follow the movements of Phair they are aware that she debuted a new song titled “Our Dog Days Behind Us” during a live performance last year.
Today we begin the new @PhizLair double album!!! #LizPhair #ExileInPaxAmVille pic.twitter.com/xw7Z5X6zDV
— Ryan Adams (@TheRyanAdams) January 13, 2017
Unreal. 5 songs in 1 day. All analog.
Back to those sounds & that rawness I first heard on Exile. @PhizLair is an American treasure pic.twitter.com/TcY5Snu0Rv
UPDATE (1/13, 9:30 PST): Ryan Adams has posted a “sneak peak” of a new Liz Phair song on his Instagram:
A video posted by Ryan Adams (@misterryanadams) on Jan 13, 2017 at 9:29pm PST
UPDATE (1/16): Ryan Adams has posted yet another sneak peak of a new Liz Phair song on his Instagram account. The two are recording the album at a rapid pace at his Pax Am Studios.
SNEAK PEEK: NEW LIZ PHAIR track
Recorded today at #PaxAm
Feat intro by DESTRO & @charliestavish @PhizLair @NateLotz @paxamrecords pic.twitter.com/EsOlnmq50U
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‘Kill Me Three Times’ Motion Poster Featuring Simon Pegg
Kill Me Three Times Motion Poster Featuring Simon Pegg
Movieweb Contributor
Ahead of its September 6 world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Simon Pegg released a unique motion poster for the thriller Kill Me Three Times on his Twitter page earlier this week. Take a look at the animated action, which features co-stars Alice Braga, Teresa Palmer, Sullivan Stapleton, Callan Mulvey and Luke Hemsworth, then read on for more details...
Ooh ooh check it out! Coming to a Toronto Film Festival near you. http://t.co/bjTDaLNhYa
— Simon Pegg (@simonpegg) August 24, 2014
Simon Pegg plays the mercurial assassin, Charlie Wofle, who discovers he isn't the only person trying to kill the siren of a sun drenched surfing town (Alice Braga). Charlie quickly finds himself at the center of three tales of murder, mayhem, blackmail and revenge.
With an original screenplay by James McFarland, the film also stars Sullivan Stapleton (as a gambling addict that attempts to pay off his debts through a risky life insurance scam), Teresa Palmer (as a small town Lady Macbeth), Callan Mulvey (as a wealthy beach club owner simmering with jealousy), Luke Hemsworth (as a local surfer fighting for the woman he loves) and Bryan Brown (as a corrupt cop who demands the juiciest cut).
Topics: Kill Me Three Times
Kill Me Three Times Trailer Starring Simon Pegg
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Sister act: Kim Yo Jong visit dominates South Korea headlines
Kim Yo Jong claps next to Kim Yong Nam at the women's preliminary ice-hockey match at the 2018 Winter Olympics
A friendly face promising better times, or a mask to conceal a brutal dictatorship? South Koreans are divided on Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North’s leader, and her landmark visit to their country.
The first member of the North’s ruling dynasty to set foot in the South since the end of the war, Kim has been an instant object of fascination for South Korean and global media since she rode down the escalator at Incheon airport on Friday, calmly surveying the scene.
She shook hands several times with the South’s President Moon Jae-in, cheered a unified ice hockey team with him, and conveyed her brother’s invitation to a summit in Pyongyang.
Every detail of her visit as the key member of a diplomatic delegation to the South’s Winter Olympics has been scrutinised, from the clothes she wore and her facial expression to the bag she was carrying and even her handwriting.
One calligraphy expert described her as “positive, upbeat and very goal-oriented” based on the precisely angular, somewhat girlish script she left in the guestbook at the South’s presidential Blue House.
Her brother — the third generation of her family to rule the isolated and impoverished North — will be pleased with her international diplomatic debut, said Yang Moo-Jin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies at Seoul.
“Kim kept smiling but at the same time was rarely seen having her head down during the visit, even to our president,” he said. “So maybe Kim Jong Un must be applauding at home.”
But reactions among ordinary South Koreans have been more mixed.
“They fired missiles until recently and conducted a nuclear test before suddenly launching this peace campaign,” businessman Kim Byoung-gwan told AFP. “I don’t trust it.”
Others questioned the attention devoted to her.
“All the media in the South and the around the world are going gaga about Kim Yo Jong,” said one commentator online.
“Looks like they would soon join the North’s propaganda media to worship and idolise her.”
Moon has long pushed engagement with the North — which is accused of widespread human rights abuses and subject to multiple sets of UN sanctions over its banned nuclear and ballistic missile programmes — to bring it to the negotiating table.
His approval ratings have fallen since the deal for the North to take part in the Games was struck, with the decision to field a unified women’s ice hockey team proving particularly controversial.
But one of the most widely welcomed moments of Kim Yo Jong’s visit was when both she and the North’s ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam stood as the South’s flag was raised and anthem played at the Olympics opening ceremony in Pyeongchang.
“I hate Moon and I hate the North,” read an online comment. “But the scene was undeniably impressive. I hope the action came from sincerity for peace, not a fake gesture.”
‘Smirk and sass’
Educated in Switzerland like her brother, Kim Yo Jong has risen rapidly up the ranks since he inherited power from their father Kim Jong Il, and she is now one of his closest confidantes in a country where elite politics have always been a family affair.
Officially she is first vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party, and has a position in its important propaganda operations.
But professor Yang explained her most vital role: “She is one of a very few people who can talk freely about anything with the leader Kim.”
Believed to be aged 30, her existence was barely known to the wider world until Kim Jong Il’s funeral in 2011, when she was seen standing right behind her brother on state television, looking tearful and ashen-faced.
She demonstrated a very different demeanour on her visit than the “deferential” one she does in the North, said Korean Peninsula Future Forum analyst Duyeon Kim.
“Here, she projects Royal Family air, power, nose held high w/slight smirk saying she’s superior over South, & charm w/smiles, sass,” she tweeted.
Beyond the Olympic imagery of togetherness and unity, many South Koreans are openly sceptical.
“The Kim family is a grandmaster of disguise,” said one.
Another declared: “Look at that girl acting like a well-behaving princess. No matter how nice she acts, nothing can sugarcoat all the human rights atrocities under her and her family.”
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Middling Culture
Tag: tastemakers
Lucas de Heere’s Wives and Daughters
20 Jun 2019 20 Jun 2019 by middlingculture, posted in history
In the mid-1560s, artist and writer Lucas de Heere moved to London from Ghent in the Low Countries. In his time in England, he produced works for leading figures at court while working with and teaching aspiring painters. After having lived here some ten years, de Heere compiled a description of England and a run-down of its chief “wonders,” replete with brilliant sketches of contemporary figures in a manuscript (British Library Add MS 28330) that quite literally gives us a picture of life in mid-Elizabethan England.
His images are arresting glimpses into the visual and material culture of the sixteenth century, and accordingly they represent a rich avenue of enquiry for a project such as ours—not least because they depict side-by-side the clothing, details, and practices of Elizabethans from across the social spectrum, from the Mayor and Aldermen of London to barons, MPs, and guardsmen:
British Library Add MS 28330. Lucas de Heere. Fo. 33r. http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Add_MS_28330
In this sketch, de Heere brings together in four figures depictions of urban and provincial life: a wife of a citizen of London, a wife of a wealthy citizen of London, a young daughter, and a country-woman. The sketch therefore represents subtle differences in dress and comportment between degrees or sorts of people—between the wife and the rich wife, the urban citizen and the country dweller. The country-woman is seemingly returning from the market or shops and is well dressed in frill neck and hat, though her white apron signifies a different way of navigating the social world to the city-dwellers; she holds gloves (a high-status accoutrement) in her left hand and poultry (a domestic workaday chore) in her other, perhaps distancing her from wealthier country households whose servants could take care of the shopping. Each of these details raises questions about how we define middling status and its variability, about what qualifying words such as “rich” (‘riich’) and “citizen” (‘burgher’) do for this group, and about gender and age: where does a young daughter sit in relation to her parents (and the labour market); in what ways might a woman’s social standing rest upon her husband’s civic and economic status; and how do women’s labour and activities speak to the cultural experiences of middling people?
Lastly, de Heere’s own activities and the social life of sketches such as these speak to other forms of middling culture. Elizabeth Goldring has shown in her recent biography of the artist Nicholas Hilliard that de Heere had particularly close interactions with England’s goldsmiths (Nicholas Hilliard: Life of an Artist, 79-83); indeed de Heere lived in London among an immigrant community of craftspeople that included glassblowers and stationers as well as goldsmiths (Returns of Aliens, ed. Kirk and Kirk: I, 441; II, 40). Goldsmiths represent a particularly curious example of a group who spanned a range of middling experiences (from the JAMS, or the just-about-managing, in modern parlance, to the highly influential and well-off) and who produce a range of crafted outputs within their profession (and, in this period, including a growing a number of artists). They are not only socially mobile but geographically mobile, trading in precious metals and, for the most successful, visiting London and the court to secure and deliver commissions. As such, they represent a group of “tastemakers” whose skills simultaneously respond to and influence elite interests but whose commercial realities remain in households and workshops in English cities.
Our project begins its study of the “middling” in Bristol, where (as elsewhere in England) the goldsmiths, exceptionally, had no local mystery but were under the centralised management of the London guild; they are therefore a group for whom the relationship between local and national identity is especially charged. How might the Bristolian goldsmith Humphrey Clovill’s household (which likely neighboured Nicholas Woolfe’s playhouse on Wine Street), with his moderate means and “wainescott, stayne clothes & pictures about the hall” (Bristol Probate Inventories I p.63 [1627]), fit into these experiences and representations? More broadly, what is the relationship between craft-based skills and “middling” identities? Behind De Heere’s sketch are the wider social networks of cultural production—one that sees goldsmiths, painters, and aristocrats conversing and collaborating, working at court while selling at home, and fundamentally pointing to the complex relationship between aesthetic creation and social status and mobility. These are issues we’ll be pursuing over the next few years.
Callan Davies
Tagged art history, British Library, callan davies, citizen, Elizabeth Goldring, elizabethan, Ghent, goldsmiths, Humphrey Clovill, immigration, London, Lucas de Heere, Nicholas Hilliard, Nicholas Woolfe, playhouse, sketch, tastemakers2 Comments
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Thomas P. Moran, MD
Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists, PC
Orthopedic Surgery, Board Certified < Accepting new patients for this specialty
Hand Surgery < Accepting new patients for this specialty
Sports Medicine < Accepting new patients for this specialty
Upper Extremity Surgery < Accepting new patients for this specialty
Arthroscopic Surgery, Arthroscopy, Elbow Surgery, Hand and Wrist Surgery, Orthopedics, Shoulder Surgery, Tendon Repairs, Trauma/Fractures
https://midstatemedical.org/ThomasMoran
Institute URL
https://CTOrthoinstitute.org
450 Boston Post Road
Guilford, CT 06437
2408 Whitney Avenue
Thomas P. Moran joined Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists, P.C., in October 1996. His areas of expertise are adult and pediatric fracture care, hand/elbow/shoulder surgery, arthroscopy, and tendon repairs.
Dr. Moran completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with distinction at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. He then went on to Cornell University Medical School, New York, NY, where he received The T. Campbell Thompson prize in Orthopaedics and was inducted into the AOA Medical Honor Society.
He began his surgical training with a General Surgical Internship at the University of Hawaii, and from there, completed his Orthopaedic Surgical Residency and Hand and Microvascular fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY.
He is a member of the American Academy for Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Medical Association and a diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Moran is married to Dr. Meena Moran, an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Yale-New Haven Hospital. They have two sons and a daughter and live in Guilford.
Cornell University School of Medicine MD
University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, General Surgery
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It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Movie Challenge….. Bombshell (1933)
mikestakeonthemovies November 26, 2015 3 Comments
Back to a pre-code assignment from blogger pal Kristina over at the Speakeasy. It’s time for our monthly challenge when we give each other a title we haven’t yet seen to help broaden our movie going experiences. Kristina loves the pre-code era of Hollywood and has given me an MGM title featuring one of the most famous actresses of the early days of talking motion pictures, Jean Harlow.
It’s practically art imitating life for this Harlow role as she is essentially playing a thinly veiled persona of Harlow the commodity while trying to maintain her sanity and still be herself behind all the glitter and fame. Screwball style.
Harlow as Lola Burns is the toast of Hollywood and the desire of most men as her face is splashed across the covers of Photoplay and other movie magazines. There’s even a glimpse of her taking on heavyweight champ Primo Carnera. When the publicity agent for Harlow’s studio Monarch Films Inc. continually gets her featured in one news article after another she begins to rebel, tired of the constant limelight.
With Lee Tracy as a rather unscrupulous publicity hound who can blame her. He just won’t let up on his scheming and when Harlow swears off her next picture he’s resorting to any means possible to keep her under the studio’s thumb.
Harlow is besieged with scalawags all about. Her father is played by Frank Morgan who hasn’t held a bottle he couldn’t empty in one gulp. Her no-count brother is played by Ted Healy, unfortunately minus his Three Stooges. These two leaches fit right in with Tracy and his never ending attempts to hold court over Harlow.
The film includes some real life in-jokes with Harlow (known as Baby to Clark Gable) who has to do some retakes for the famous Red Dust bath in a barrel scene. Harlow and Gable lit up the screen in this this 1932 release from Victor Fleming. Fleming it turned out also directed this comedy take on Harlow’s off screen troubles. Troubles that include rabid fans and one that today we would lock up as a confirmed stalker.
Poor Jean is going to go through a rapid succession of crazed scenes including a call to Motherhood which doesn’t work out to well. Her attempts to secure a child at the local adoption agency are hampered due to an ex-lover and the annoying presence of the always scheming Tracy.
Harlow then flees to a hotel getaway and luckily runs right into heartthrob Franchot Tone. It’s love at first sight and even Tracy who shows up with his usual self serving intentions can’t sway Harlow from the smooth romantic lines coming from her new beau.
“Your hair is like a field of silver daisies. I’d like to run barefoot through your hair! ”
Things may not go to smoothly for poor Jean when Tone’s wealthy father played by C. Aubrey Smith isn’t exactly enamored of a movie star’s lifestyle. Troubles are only compounded when Jean’s drunken father Morgan turns up doing his best at putting on airs of his own to no success.
All the while we have the annoying Tracy and his plotting schemes going on behind poor Jean’s back to lure her back to the limelight of tinsel town.
This is generally a light hearted romp though I suspect there’s some truth hidden in here as to Harlow’s real life which sadly was all too short. It’s not a stretch to see that Lola Burns is really a mirror image of what Harlow’s day to day life may have been like around the studio and the mobs of fans awaiting her at every turn.
Apparently this story was at one time linked to Clara Bow. The “It Girl.” The script even retains a line where Jean refers to being fed up with being just another “It Girl”.
Hoping to spot a scene that probably wouldn’t make the cut after 1934 when the new “code” was ushered into cinema you’ll see a bare shouldered Jean being attended to with her make up artists. It’s more than obvious during the scene that she isn’t wearing a bra either. Sinful!
Thankfully Mr. Hays would prevent such outright acts of impropriety in movie houses across the nation shortly thereafter.
Miss Harlow once again shines on camera and it’s easy to see how she captivated audiences during the early thirties. Beautiful and sassy. A great combination during any era.
Lee Tracy as the press agent hasn’t aged well. It’s a rather annoying character that just grates on the nerves. Perhaps I wouldn’t be so hard on him if had of been a fast talking Gable or a young Cary Grant assigned to the role. Also filling out the cast is a loud and quick tempered Pat O’Brien as a director/ex-lover of Jean’s and Una Merkel as her go getter around the house and studio.
There are plenty of Gable references within the script by John Lee Mahin. Mahin had also penned the popular Red Dust which was one of six films Harlow teamed up with Gable in. China Seas and her final film Saratoga among them.
A good time to be had here where the focus is clearly centered on the Queen of platinum blondes.
Be sure to head over and have a rowdy time and a pint of beer with a couple of good old boys at Kristina’s Speakeasy where she’s been challenged to watch a movie with one of her favorite actors and mine that had somehow slipped past her. I’m not sure what’s more sinful. Kristina not already seeing this engaging comedy or Harlow’s bare shoulders on camera!
1930's, Mad Movie Challenge
C. Aubrey Smith, Clark Gable, Franchot Tone, Frank Morgan, Jean Harlow, Lee Tracy, Pat O'Brien, Ted Healy, The Three Stooges, Una Merkel, Victor Fleming
First Monday In October (1981)
Decade By Decade Spotlight Featuring Burt Lancaster
Kristina Dijan says:
It’s been a while since I saw this one but I remember the in-jokes were pretty good, it’s one of the most fun movies about Hollywood from that time, and like you say, great feature for Harlow.
She’s so energetic in her performances and the rapid fire delivery works to her advantage. Another of those classic stars that burned brightly but not long enough. Good Pick!
Pingback: November 2015 In Review | Mike's Take On the Movies
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Actor Kevin Sorbo: “Building a wall is immoral, but killing a baby isn’t?”
Milne News Staff 12 months ago 2 min read
During his appearance Wednesday on “Fox News at Night with Shannon Bream”, actor Kevin Sorbo hit out at pro-abortion activists when he noted how they say that building a wall is immoral, but killing a baby isn’t.
During the conversation with Bream about how the Democrats were being pushed “further left on abortion” following Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s late-term abortion comments, Sorbo had his say on the matter.
“The audacity of the Left. You just had a segment on there talking about the wall. They tell us building the border wall is immoral, but killing a baby right at nine months is okay and that’s fine,” the 60-year-old actor said.
“You know, there’s a group of people about 70 years ago that decided what lives were worth living and what lives were not, and they were called the Nazis,” Sorbo added. “I mean, it’s incredible to me how far this country has fallen into such a weird, weird space. It’s just sad.”
Bream responded, “Well, and you know many on the left are going to say that’s not an accurate representation. We had someone from Planned Parenthood in the first part of our show and said that there really isn’t abortion up until birth, but we know that there are eight states now and DC that allows it pretty much up through a due date.”
“You know, Shannon, there’s a heartbeat at 22 days,” Sorbo responded. “At 22 days, there’s a heartbeat. If that’s not a life, then tell me what it is. Okay? You look back over the last century, if you want to talk about history – unfortunately, we don’t teach history anymore in schools – but if you look at the history, close to 100 million babies have been terminated ― their lives [have] been terminated in the wombs.”
“Women— I do a lot of speaking events. I do a lot of pro-life speaking events across the country. I’ve been doing it about seven years now,” he added. “People can go to KevinSorbo.net and check it out if they want me to come to their state.”
Sorbo continued, “But you look at what’s going on with these women that want abortions, they talk them into doing a sonogram. Of 100 percent [of] people that want abortions, and they do that sonogram, 80 percent change their mind. You know why? They hear a heartbeat, and they realize that heartbeat is not their own – 80 percent. We gotta get more of these sonograms out there. It’s very important for people to realize what’s going on inside their bodies.”
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Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates (3 November 2018): Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands
FIJI:
FLP to consider reinstating PWD to be responsible for roads infrastructure and terminate role of FRA. The Fiji Labour Party manifesto also says that they will appoint an independent commission with powers to inquire into allegations of corruption and to prosecute offenders, both in private and political office.
http://fijivillage.com/news/FLP-to-consider-reinstating-PWD-to-be-responsible-for-roads-infrastructure-and-terminate-role-of-FRA-sr9k52
Fiji Attends AIBA Congress. “This is a critical time in the history of amateur boxing, as it sees itself on the brink of expulsion from the Olympics as a political battle and governance issues threatens the sport exclusion from Tokyo 2020,” he said.
http://fijisun.com.fj/2018/11/02/fiji-attends-aiba-congress/
Senior FRCS staff fronts court on corruption charges; Court hears of alleged $4.1m loss caused. Shameem Khan, 48, charged with two separate counts of abuse of office and general dishonesty causing loss was granted bail by the Suva Magistrates Court.
https://www.fijitimes.com/senior-frcs-staff-fronts-court-on-corruption-charges-court-hears-of-alleged-4-1m-loss-caused/
Fiji CJ to rule on FICAC appeal two days before election. Fiji's Chief Justice is to deliver a judgement on an appeal against political party leader Sitiveni Rabuka's acquittal of electoral fraud on Monday the 12th of November.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/369859/fiji-cj-to-rule-on-ficac-appeal-two-days-before-election
NFP Man In Court. A lawyer and National Federation Party candidate appeared in the Rakiraki Magistrates Court yesterday charged with one count of conversion and one count of money laundering.
http://fijisun.com.fj/2018/11/02/nfp-man-in-court/
3 Former Executives Of Big Supermarket Chain Charged For Money Laundering. Three former executives of a major supermarket chain have been charged for their alleged involvement in deceptively obtaining more than $200,000 between 2011 and 2016 whilst employed at the headquarters in Nasinu.
http://fijisun.com.fj/2018/10/31/3-former-executives-of-big-supermarket-chain-charged-for-money-laundering/
Morauta seeks probe into PNG govt luxury car deal. A Papua New Guinea opposition MP has written to the Ombudsman Commission and Police Fraud Squad calling for inquiries into the APEC luxury cars scandal.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/370058/morauta-seeks-probe-into-png-govt-luxury-car-deal
Thousands hold 'Maserati strike' in PNG amid anger at Apec summit spending. “It’s a protest against the corruption associated with the hosting of Apec. It’s not a protest against world leaders, it’s a protest against our own corrupt, unaccountable politicians,” he said.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/26/apec-summit-papua-new-guinea-maserati-thousands-strike
Study finds PNG 2017 election largely neither fair or free. Many voters were denied a fair choice in last year's Papua New Guinea general election, according to analysis by the Australian National University.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/369869/study-finds-png-2017-election-largely-neither-fair-or-free
SOLOMON ISLANDS:
Solomons MP arrested and charged for corruption. A member of parliament in Solomon Islands has been arrested and charged with corruption.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/2018669354/solomons-mp-arrested-and-charged-for-corruption
COOK ISLANDS:
Cook Islands government ministries have a real problem when it comes to documentation supporting their figures in official financial statements. That’s the opinion of Audit Office head Allen Parker, who added poor internal controls and record keeping made auditing “very difficult”.
http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/71209-ministry-issues-dog-audit/71209-ministry-issues-dog-audit
Ocean floor holds rich future. Lynch said cobalt was currently only available from the Democratic Republic of Congo “and it is called ‘conflict cobalt’ because of tribal warfare, corruption and social impacts; the comment was made as tenders for applications to explore Cook Islands seafloor are set to open in January.
http://www.cookislandsnews.com/item/71099-ocean-floor-holds-rich-future
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Second man charged with sharing livestream of Christchurch massacre
Agence France-Presse / 02:19 PM March 20, 2019
Mourners lay flowers on a wall at the Botanical Gardens in Christchurch, New Zealand, Saturday, March 16, 2019. New Zealand’s stricken residents reached out to Muslims in their neighborhoods and around the country on Saturday, in a fierce determination to show kindness to a community in pain as a 28-year-old white supremacist stood silently before a judge, accused in mass shootings at two mosques that left dozens of people dead. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Christchurch, New Zealand —A 44-year-old man has become the second person charged with sharing a gruesome livestream video of the deadly attack at a Christchurch mosque.
Philip Arps, 44, was arrested by New Zealand Police on Tuesday, four days after 28-year-old Australian Brenton Tarrant went on a rampage at two mosques in the southern city, killing 50 people and injuring dozens more.
Arps was charged with two counts of distributing objectionable material under the Films Act, and was remanded in custody after appearing in Christchurch District Court.
He is due back in court on April 15.
A teenager appeared in court earlier this week on the same charge.
The livestream video was shot by the alleged gunman, who is currently facing one charge of murder for the killings at Al Noor and Linwood mosques.
The funerals of the first victims started on Wednesday, with more expected to take place later Wednesday and on Thursday as officials release the victims’ bodies to their families. /kga
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TAGS: Al Noor, attack, Brenton Tarrant, charges, court, far right, International news, Islam, Linwood, Livestream, mosque, Muslim, New Zealand, news, Religion, right-wing, white supremacist, world, world news
NBI, BIR , PNP raid Illegal cigarette factory run by Chinese in Pampanga
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Movie Review: 3 Bahadur
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Films’ latest venture is a computer-animated feature film in collaboration with ARY Films,…
Engaging the Audience
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Letter From India: A Suicide and a Padayatra
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Train to Nowhere
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Guts and Glory
A social activist and the leader of Swat’s first all-women jirga, Tabassum Adnan recently received…
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Art Review: Waseem Ahmed
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The War Within
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A Silver Lining
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Falling Short
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A People’s Man
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By Hiba Mahamadi | Movies | Published 5 years ago
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Films’ latest venture is a computer-animated feature film in collaboration with ARY Films, produced entirely in Pakistan. 3 Bahadur is about three 11-year-olds who use their superpowers to banish the evil Mangu from their hometown.
For those of us who grew up amid the Harry Potter craze, the characters and plot in 3 Bahadur will seem all too familiar. Saadi, like Harry, is the sensitive, brooding one whose past is mysteriously connected to Mangu’s; Kamil, like Ron, is the goofy one who is always worried about his stomach; and Amna, like Hermoine, is smart but fiery, always keeping a level head and usually the one to come up with a plan of escape. The trio is up against an extraordinarily evil man who, much like the villain in Harry Potter, seeks unlimited evil power.
However, 3 Bahadur gives this plot a refreshing Pakistani makeover: Mangu’s hideout is a tower that looks strikingly similar to Karachi’s Merewether Clock Tower; Kamil’s father runs a dhaba; the townspeople are mostly dressed in shalwar kameez; there’s an “aunty” who thinks it’s her God-given right to break queues, and another who ironically berates a man for getting in her way as she throws trash where it is expressly forbidden to do so. This is what makes the film so relatable, for adults and children alike.
But the best part about this film is that it offers a ‘child-friendly’ version of current affairs in Pakistan. There is one scene in which the bad guys are talking about Mangu’s clever plan of turning off the water supply in Andhairpur only to siphon it all off into his tankers and sell it at exorbitant rates in a nearby locality. This is precisely the reality of Karachi’s ongoing water crisis: residents rely on water tankers that are actually selling water from the main supply line at exceedingly high prices. The thugs then reveal another truth about tyrannical rulers: “If you keep people entangled in the small things, like water and electricity problems, they won’t question the greater injustices.”
Abounding with such intellectually stimulating gems, it is therefore surprising that the makers of the film found it necessary to label what is clearly a packet of crisps with the word ‘crisps,’ and what is unmistakably a bar of chocolate with the word ‘chocolate.’ This, along with the blatant product placement (a characteristic across Pakistan’s film and drama industry), takes from the film’s appeal. Store shutters and walls in Andhairpur are painted with the logos of Safeguard soap and Rio and Gluco biscuits, the film’s sponsors.
More importantly, the film might be too dark for younger children. There is evil magic, a bad guy whose eyes and body are made of fire, allusions to murder and torture, and guns and knives are openly displayed. While all this is a reality in Pakistan, especially Karachi, is it wise to expose small children to this reality so brusquely? 3 Bahadur also has the classic Disney trademark — the single-parent family. All three heroes have just one parent (even though Kamil mentions his mother, she is nowhere to be seen). The suggestion is of death or divorce, traumatic to children at any age.
The animation — which is the film’s main brag — is very Shrek-like in the beginning. And unlike most cartoons produced in Pakistan, the characters in 3 Bahadur are able to demonstrate a wide range of expressions, their lips actually form the words they utter, and the movement of their bodies is mostly natural.
The film has great lessons for children: speak up against what is wrong, establish trust in your communities, be united in the face of adversity, and intelligent in the choices you make. This is important for Pakistan’s youth if they are to banish crime, intolerance and dishonesty that has become our national identity.
But far more interesting is the way the film depicts a role reversal between adults and children. The fact that three 11-year-olds take it upon themselves to get rid of the town’s biggest criminal — while all the adults literally cower behind them — is unnatural, but a sad reality of our world today. Consider how a colouring book for adults has become a bestseller on Amazon.com; how a constituency in Scotland recently elected a 20-year-old to the UK Parliament; and, far more seriously, how children took the brunt of an adult’s war during the December 16 massacre at the Army Public School in Peshawar. While Kamil, Saadi and Amna’s battle against Mangu is great fun to watch, the truth is that they will probably suffer from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder because they are forced to carry a burden that is too heavy for their young shoulders.
Hiba Mahamadi was an Editorial Assistant at Newsline
Copyright © 2020 All Rights reserved by Newsline Magazine.
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Italy, Transport
Bagni di Lucca to Vicenza via Lucca, Prato, Bologna, Padova
My fellow WorkAway is quite pleased with herself. She happens to also be going from Bagni di Lucca to Vicenza today and she’s booked all her tickets via GoEuro.
In Italy, I don’t like booking tickets via the internet. a) Because it’s most of the time not cheaper but you’re stuck with a chosen itinerary. b) Most of the time I have no access to a printer and you have to print all tickets.
So getting from Bagni di Lucca to Vicenza turns into a competition between Maria and I. She’s paid €33, will start her journey on the 8:20 am train and arrive at the final destination at 2:57 pm.
Bagni di Lucca to Lucca
Lucca to Prato
Prato to Bologna
Bologna to Padova
Padova to Vicenza
Grudgingly, I agree to also go to the station for 8:20 am. I had planned to take the next train but it doesn’t feel right to make our host Rod go there twice in an hour.
I had looked up a cheap connection on trenitalia’s website: €26 with 4 changes in between, all on regional trains. I don’t find it in the ticket machine at Bagni di Lucca station. There is no counter.
In the end, I pay €13.75 to get to Bologna and invest another €10.10 into a ticket to Padova, holding off on buying the final leg because of the faint chance that I’ll rather take the bus.
Our train is five minutes late and instead of the usual 4 carriage bullet train, we try to squeeze into a 2 carriage version that looks like it shouldn’t have been on the tracks for at least 20 years. I have to stand for the whole half hour with my big pack on my back.
In Lucca, I say goodbye to Maria hoping we might meet again if not along the way bump into each other in Vicenza. She says: “Yes, that would be nice.” and we part ways.
I find one of the big yellow posters listing all partenze, departures, and stops along the way. I find Prato in the small print of a Firenze-bound train, leaving in 40 minutes from platform 4.
After a short wander through the station, I decide to give that €26 ticket another chance and go to the ticket machines. There, for the first time in a year of Italian train travel, I discover a button in the left bottom corner: “Show all connections”. Sure enough, when I tap the button a world of cheap, all regional train connections opens up: Lucca to Vicenza, €23. Shocked that it took me so long to find that button and elated by my new knowledge I head over to the platform.
Five minutes after I have gotten comfortable there Maria joins me. That’s her train to Florence. I immediately tell her about “Show all connections”. She nods but is a lot less excited than I am.
There is a guy on the train, traveling alone with only a small backpack. Yet, he somehow has managed to block 4 seats. I prop my backpack between two of his seats so Maria and I can sit next to one another and the backpack doesn’t block the aisle. We start chatting, he keeps apologizing for his English but it’s really good, just with a strong Italian accent. Upon hearing where I am headed he warns me that the Vicente eat cats and never to order rabbit in Vicenza as it would most likely be cheaper cat meat. I am amused. He seems very sincere about this. Before popping his bright yellow earset back in and dedicating himself to the sports section of his newspaper he also gives me a wine recommendation: “Have the Merlot.”
When we reach Prato after one and a half hours I bid goodbye to Maria again, again I express the hope we might meet again, on this journey or in Vicenza, Maria leaves with a “I don’t think so”.
Once again I find the yellow poster on the platform. I have to run.
The next train to Bologna leaves in less than five minutes, 4 platforms down.
I race down the steps of platform 3, along the corridor, back up to platform 7 and board the train with time to spare.
I arrive in Bologna Centrale five minutes late, get off the train and look for the next yellow poster to find my connection to Padova. Because Bologna station is so important it takes me a minute to find Padova in the small print of the Regionale Veloce 2232 to Venice at 12:20. There is a FrecciaArgento leaving 10 minutes earlier but the board shows it’s already 10 minutes delayed.
It’s a total casino. Most of the trains on the board are late, some by as much as 2 hours, other trains have been canceled. In front of every screen droves of people are shaking their heads, some frantically scrolling through their phones for a BlaBlaBla Car. Finally, the announcer explains that there has been an accident with human casualties somewhere between Bologna and Rimini and that there are buses to the South available.
My train North looks like it is on time. I have 25 minutes until it leaves. It’s not raining at the moment so I jump out of the station to grab lunch at Pizza Leggere across the street. At €3, the vegetarian pizza roll is overpriced, but I’ve been here before and know it’s worth it.
Coming into Padova we are 10 minutes late. Still, I could just cross the platform and step right into the train to Verona with a stop in Vicenza, which leaves in only 5 minutes.
Could.
I still don’t have a ticket to go to Vicenza and, instead of buying the ticket on the train, decide to find a ticket machine. Getting there takes a minute, and then I need two tries to convince the machine to issue me my €4.10 ticket. By then the train has left the station.
So I have to wait half an hour. I take a quick tour around the station forecourt. But it’s raining again. Touts are trying to sell umbrellas. Without much success. I go back inside and find my platform.
It dawns on me that I’ve beaten Maria, both in price and maybe also in speed because I don’t see her anywhere.
All the way into Vicenza and until I leave the train station behind me I keep a look out for Maria. I arrive at 2:52 pm.
She’s not there.
Proudly, I tell my tale of how I am the Master of Italian Trains to my house sitting hosts.
For some general advice on booking cheap train tickets (and other public transport in Italy), I recommend my post Your guide to traveling Italy on a budget by public transport.
Backpacking Brunei – How to Travel Borneo’s Green Heart (On A Budget)
So you are planning on backpacking Brunei, the small kingdom with more than 600 years of history on the island of Borneo, East of the Malay peninsula and Singapore, and Southwest of the Philippines? Let's adjust our expectations, shall we: Brunei-Darussalam
Brunei-Darussalam, Featured, Guides
#discoverbrunei: Cheap or Free Things To Do In Brunei
The official Brunei tourism logo sports the slogan “The Green Heart of Borneo.” That pretty much sums up the main draw of the country. As I laid out in my post on backpacking Brunei, it’s never going to be a
Brunei-Darussalam, Guides
10 things you didn’t know about accommodation booking with Booking.com
For years, I had been booking my accommodation strictly via hostel websites (directly via links I found on Google maps and via the portals hostelbookers, hostelworld, and Hostelling International's own hihostels.com). Then, I was approached by Booking.com to write about their
Accommodation Reviews, Featured, Web tools
Malaysia Guide – All The Info You Need To Help With Your Trip Planning
Traveling Solo In Myanmar – 7 Things I Learned About The Golden Country
Myanmar Train Adventures – Slow-going from Inle Lake to Thazi to Yangon
Irrawaddy Cruise from Mandalay to Bagan, Myanmar
Luang Prabang to Huay Xai – Luang Say Mekong River Cruise, Laos
Vietnam To Laos – Taking the Bus From Hanoi To Luang Prabang
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HomeNorth AmericaUS to Africa + Saui Arabia, India from mid $500s (Delta)
US to Africa + Saui Arabia, India from mid $500s (Delta)
Post Time: January 10, 2020 2:38 PM
January 10, 2020 notiflyr North America 0
None by yonkokilasi (Unsplash.com)
These are Round Trip Economy Fares and include your checked bag and early seat selection.
January through May, October through December
Pricing From low $500s
Baltimore (United States) (BWI)
Boston (United States) (BOS)
Chicago (United States) (CHI)
Fort Lauderdale (United States) (FLL)
Fort Wayne (United States) (FWA)
Houston (United States) (HOU)
Indianapolis (United States) (IND)
Kansas City (United States) (MKC)
Los Angeles (United States) (LAX)
Miami (United States) (MIA)
New York (United States) (NYC)
Orlando (United States) (ORL)
Seattle (United States) (SEA)
Washington (United States) (WAS)
Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) Find Hotels Find Activities
Abuja (Nigeria) Find Hotels Find Activities
Bamako (Mali) Find Hotels Find Activities
Beirut (Lebanon) Find Hotels Find Activities
Bengaluru (India) Find Hotels Find Activities
Cape Town (South Africa) Find Hotels Find Activities
Conakry (Guinea) Find Hotels Find Activities
Cotonou (Benin) Find Hotels Find Activities
Dammam (Saudi Arabia) Find Hotels Find Activities
Dar Es Salaam (United Republic of Tanzania) Find Hotels Find Activities
Delhi (India) Find Hotels Find Activities
Entebbe (Uganda) Find Hotels Find Activities
Kilimanjaro (United Republic of Tanzania) Find Hotels Find Activities
Kuwait (Kuwait) Find Hotels Find Activities
Lome (Togo) Find Hotels Find Activities
Mumbai (India) Find Hotels Find Activities
Nairobi (Kenya) Find Hotels Find Activities
Ndjamena (Chad) Find Hotels Find Activities
Niamey (Niger) Find Hotels Find Activities
Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) Find Hotels Find Activities
Yaounde (Cameroon) Find Hotels Find Activities
base fare: VL5L76M7,VL5L76M7
Baltimore (BWI) to Entebbe (EBB) for $615
Baltimore (BWI) to Nairobi (NBO) for $610
Baltimore (BWI) to Abidjan (ABJ) for $582
Boston (BOS) to Bengaluru (BLR) for $581
Boston (BOS) to Mumbai (BOM) for $581
Boston (BOS) to Delhi (DEL) for $581
Chicago (CHI) to Bengaluru (BLR) for $611
Chicago (CHI) to Nairobi (NBO) for $606
Chicago (CHI) to Kuwait (KWI) for $596
Chicago (CHI) to Entebbe (EBB) for $599
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Delhi (DEL) for $611
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Dammam (DMM) for $591
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Mumbai (BOM) for $605
Fort Wayne (FWA) to Nairobi (NBO) for $615
Houston (HOU) to Nairobi (NBO) for $562
Houston (HOU) to Bengaluru (BLR) for $581
Indianapolis (IND) to Yaounde (YAO) for $562
Kansas City (MKC) to Dar Es Salaam (DAR) for $562
Los Angeles (LAX) to Bengaluru (BLR) for $611
Los Angeles (LAX) to Beirut (BEY) for $591
Los Angeles (LAX) to Cape Town (CPT) for $608
Los Angeles (LAX) to Nairobi (NBO) for $604
Miami (MIA) to Dammam (DMM) for $591
Miami (MIA) to Delhi (DEL) for $610
Miami (MIA) to Mumbai (BOM) for $591
Miami (MIA) to Beirut (BEY) for $591
New York (NYC) to Dar Es Salaam (DAR) for $591
New York (NYC) to Conakry (CKY) for $608
New York (NYC) to Cotonou (COO) for $608
New York (NYC) to Abidjan (ABJ) for $582
New York (NYC) to Abuja (ABV) for $608
New York (NYC) to Bamako (BKO) for $582
New York (NYC) to Entebbe (EBB) for $611
New York (NYC) to Lome (LFW) for $591
New York (NYC) to Kilimanjaro (JRO) for $562
New York (NYC) to Ndjamena (NDJ) for $608
New York (NYC) to Niamey (NIM) for $591
New York (NYC) to Ouagadougou (OUA) for $608
Orlando (ORL) to Beirut (BEY) for $591
Seattle (SEA) to Dar Es Salaam (DAR) for $562
Seattle (SEA) to Nairobi (NBO) for $562
Seattle (SEA) to Entebbe (EBB) for $562
Washington (WAS) to Entebbe (EBB) for $615
Washington (WAS) to Nairobi (NBO) for $610
Washington (WAS) to Abidjan (ABJ) for $582
Washington (WAS) to Bengaluru (BLR) for $611
First Class: Europe to South America $2500s (Lufthansa)
France to Caribbean $333 (Air France
Vienna to China from low $400s (Air France, China Southern Airlines)
October 16, 2019 notiflyr Europe 0
Nice fares indeed. […]
US to London, Madrid, Barcelona from $241 (Delta Air Lines, KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines)
August 18, 2019 Notiflyr North America 0
More Europe Fares! Bring them on please! […]
US & Canada to Aruba and Grand Cayman from $350s
September 11, 2019 notiflyr Flight Deals, North America 0
Even winter fares to paradise come along occasionally 🙂 […]
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Word of the Week: Gameful
Gameful: Possessing the satisfying properties of well-designed games – “things like agency, emotion, and immediate feedback” (source: SuperBetter blog, June 13, 2012).
The concept of “a gameful life” is central to the work of Jane McGonigal, an American game designer and writer with a PhD in the psychology of games.
In 2011 McGonigal raised almost $65,000 on Kickstarter to launch Gameful.org, “a secret HQ for world-changing game developers.”
Continue reading "Word of the Week: Gameful" »
Posted at 05:28 AM in Games, Neologisms, Suffixes, Word of the Week | Permalink | Comments (0)
Word of the Week: Sea Lioning
Sea lioning: In social media, pestering a target with unsolicited questions delivered with a false air of civility.
Via Chez Apocalypse.*
“Sea lioning” is a very recent neologism inspired by a September 19 cartoon, “The Terrible Sea Lion,” by David Malki, who blogs at Wondermark.
“This comic is the most apt description of Twitter you’ll ever see,” wrote Dina Rickman in The Independent (UK) in late September. By early October “sealion” (verb) was appearing in tweets, and on October 23 Malki proudly announced that “‘sea lion’ has been verbed.”
The context for Malki’s cartoon and the subsequent verbing is Gamergate, a controversy involving misogyny and harassment in video-game culture (and also, sometimes, ethics and video-game journalism). On October 27, the technologist and blogger Andy Baio wrote on Medium:
Anyone who’s mentioned the #Gamergate hashtag in a critical light knows the feeling: a swarm of seemingly random, largely-anonymous people descending to comment and criticize.
I’ve been using Twitter for eight years, but I’ve never seen behavior quite like this. This swarming behavior is so prevalent, it got a new nickname — “sea lioning,” inspired by David Malki’s Wondermark comic.
It’s possible to interpret Malki’s comic in more than one way, as commenter David Hopkins observed:
The most interesting thing about it to me is that it’s quite ambiguous to me which of the parties is supposed to be “in the wrong”. The general reception of the strip seems to be “oh yes, I recognise that archetype, sea-lioning is an obviously terrible thing to do”. But that’s not at all how I read it originally.
* In the Chez Apocalypse definitions, “gaslighting” is derived from the title of the 1944 George Cukor film Gaslight, in which the Ingrid Bergman character is psychologically manipulated by her husband, played by Charles Boyer; the verb officially entered the lexicon in a 1969 psychological textbook, but had been circulating for more than a decade. “Gish galloping” is “the debating technique of drowning the opponent in such a torrent of small arguments that their opponent cannot possibly answer or address each one in real time” (RationalWiki), more conventionally known as “spreading.” “Gish gallop” was coined in 1994 by Eugenie Scott, the director of the National Center for Science Education, and is named for creationist Duane Gish.
Posted at 06:35 AM in Animals, Current Affairs, Eponyms, Games, Neologisms, Word of the Week | Permalink | Comments (1)
"Dibs"
My 2012-2013 subscription package for Berkeley Rep arrived in the mail last week. (Highlights: An Iliad, currently at the New York Theater Workshop; and The White Snake, a new offering from the always-spellbinding Mary Zimmerman.) On the back of the subscription form, under the heading “Why You Subscribe,” a bullet point caught my eye:
Dibs on special events like Robin Williams, John Leguizamo, and David Sedaris.
“Dibs”?
Of course I recognized the word—it’s playground slang for “a claim.” It seemed interestingly informal for a mainstream theater company’s subscription campaign. (But then again: playground, playful, plays!) It got me thinking: where does dibs come from?
Continue reading ""Dibs"" »
Posted at 08:15 AM in Etymology, Games, Slang, Theater | Permalink | Comments (9)
Chaise What?
An original box for a Barbie Go-Together Furniture Kit, circa 1963, is currently on display at the California Design, 1930-1965 exhibit at LACMA.*
“Chaise longue & side table with 3-D garden setting and accessories!”
Mattel no longer sells this kit, but even if it did, I doubt the seating element would be called a “chaise longue,” which is the correct term. (It’s French for “long chair.”) eBay sellers don’t accept that spelling: they all call it a chaise “lounge,” and so do many other Americans. (In Britain, apparently, the chaise longue is seen only in museums.) In fact, hewing to the correct pronunciation and spelling is liable to tag you as (a) a stickler, (b) a snob, (c) an interior decorator, or (d) French.
But beware the recency illusion: “longue” began shifting to “lounge” at least 150 years ago, according to Michael Quinion of World Wide Words. In his terrific memoir The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid**, Bill Bryson, who was born in 1951, recounts this story from his childhood in Des Moines:
I remember one day my father came in, quite excitedly, with a word written down on a piece of paper.
“What’s this word?” he said to my mother. The word was “chaise longue.”
“Shays lounge,” she said, pronouncing it as all Iowans, perhaps all Americans, did. A chaise longue in those days exclusively signified a type of adjustable patio lounger that had lately become fashionable. They came with a padded cushion that you brought in every night if you thought someone might take them. Our cushion had a coach and four horses galloping across it. It didn’t need to come in at night.
“Look again,” urged my father.
“Shays lounge,” repeated my mother, not to be bullied.
“Well, it’s just ‘long,’” my father said gently, but gave it a Gallic purr: “Shays lohhhnggg,” he repeated. “Isn’t that something? I must have looked at the word a hundred times and I’ve never noticed that it wasn’t lounge.”
“Lawngg,” said my mother marveling slightly. “That’s going to take some getting used to.”
“It’s French,” my father explained.
“Yes, I expect it is,” said my mother. “I wonder what it means.”
For the record, my family also owned a shays lounge with covers that didn't need to come in at night.
* LACMA is one of more than 60 arts institutions participating in Pacific Standard Time, a fascinating and multifaceted retrospective of Southern California art, architecture, and design from 1945 through 1980. I visited six of the participating museums last weekend: the Huntington, the Norton Simon, the Skirball, the Getty, the Hammer, and LACMA. Pacific Standard Time continues through May 2012.
** Highly recommended. The audiobook, which is read by the author, is especially wonderful: Bryson is as lively a reader as he is a writer.
Posted at 07:50 AM in French, Furniture, Games, History, Packaging, Pronunciation, Spelling | Permalink | Comments (6)
Bad Brand Names: ngmoco:)
Yesterday we looked at a brand name with a smiley face built into the letter E. Today the smiles continue in the form of an appended emoticon.
But I'm not smiling over ngmoco:). It's one peculiar, offputting name.
The company, which is based in San Francisco, develops games for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The prose on the ngmoco:) website is breathless ("We'll strive to raise the bar for gaming on the platform and our commitment to customers is that we'll always try to give you great games that showcase this amazing device in a broad range of categories") and randomly spelled (unvieled for unveiled). From the evidence, the company approached corporate naming with the same oxygen-deprived whimsicality.
Here's what linguist Benjamin Zimmer had to say about this name in a Language Log post:
The namers of ngmoco:) are setting the bar very high in the "weird Web 2.0 branding" department: it's all lower-case, with an emoticon tacked on at the end. And of course it starts with the consonant cluster ngm. If ng is supposed to represent the velar nasal [ŋ], then the cluster [ŋm] is something we'd only see in English medially in the word engma (one name for the velar nasal) or straddling a morphemic boundary as in hangman or ringmaster. Some languages might be able to handle initial [ŋm] — from a quick look, Wambaya in northern Australia appears to be one of them, and possibly some Inuit languages as well. (But not Vulcan, sadly.) In English, initial velar nasal is a no-no, let alone an initial cluster with another nasal, [m]. Even the syllabic velar nasal is a stumper for most Anglophones, as I discussed in my post on Maya Soetoro-Ng.
As it turns out, vocal calisthenics aren't required: the name is supposed to be pronounced en-gee-moco. NG as in No Good? No, as in Next Generation. And "moco" as in "mobile company." As for the colon-parenthesis, your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps it's intended to indicate a rising inflection at the end of the word? You know? Like in Valley Girl talk?
Besides the alien orthography, ngmoco:) has a problem shared by several other companies in its niche: moco is Spanish for mucus. Once you know that, it's hard not to think of booger jokes when you encounter mocoNews (breaking news about the mobile-content industry), MocoSpace (communities of mobile-device users), or Your Moco ("the best in mobile content").
There's also a Spanish website, Mocosoft, whose name is a snotty reference to Microsoft.
(In unrelated news, MoCo is often used as a shortening of Montgomery County, in Maryland. And in 2001 Nissan introduced a a tiny car called the Moco. The photos I've seen are, unfortunately, of a roundish mucus-green vehicle.)
But I digress. It's the unfathomability of ngmoco:) that's most problematic. Several months ago, two University of Michigan psychologists published the results of a test they conducted: they gave subjects lists of names the scientists said were food additives, but were names they'd made up. The more challenging the name—for example, Hnegripitrom—the more dangerous the students assumed the substance to be. (Read about the study here.)
ngmoco:) is supposed to represent harmless diversions. But its difficult name* works counter to its brand personality and makes its audience struggle to pronounce and comprehend it.
* Yes, the use of different-colored type provides a measure of clarification while you're on the company's website. But publications that write about the company won't reproduce the colors, and you can't hear red and blue in conversation or on the radio. If you have to rely on visual aids to clarify your name's pronunciation, the name isn't strong enough.
Posted at 07:12 AM in Bad Names, Emoticons, Games, Naming | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Word of the Week: Ludology
Ludology: The science of games. From Latin ludus, "game," which is also the source of ludicrous, delude (to mock, deceive), allude (Latin alludere: to joke, jest), prelude (something that is played beforehand), and other English words.
Writer and ludologist Clive Thompson spoke about his science in an April 19 "On the Media" segment about do-it-yourself XBox game development. (Transcript available Monday afternoon.) Thompson, who has been called "the Lester Bangs of ludology,"¹ writes about games on his blog, Collision Detection, and in publications such as Wired and the New York Times Magazine. Back in 2006 Thompson wrote:
In video game circles, the big debate these days is about whether video games are driven by narrative or by play-style — narrativology vs. ludology. I think both approaches are useful to understanding games, though I lean towards ludology as more germanely important. While narrative applies to novels, plays, TV, movies, and games, play — working within a set of rules that impose an arbitrary goal and make it tricky to achieve — applies only to games. It is what makes games most game-like.
I've had the privilege to work with a ludologist right here in the Bay Area. Nicole Lazzaro, founder of XEO Design, has been named one of Gamasutra's top 20 women in games. She's identified four "fun keys": easy fun, hard fun, people fun, and serious fun.
¹ Lester Bangs (1949-1982) was a gonzo rock 'n' roll critic. "The Lester Bangs of ludology" seems eminently qualified for enshrinement in The Rosa Parks of Blogs, a a ludicrously addictive blog by Mark Peters that collects examples of the snowclone "X is the Y of Z."
Posted at 09:50 AM in Games, Word of the Week | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Take Magnesium To Relieve These 6 Health Conditions
The fact that magnesium is involved in more than 300 biochemical processes in the body highlights how critical this mineral is for supporting and maintaining health. It also makes it easy to understand that magnesium can have a role in relieving many different types of pain.
Interest in the ability of magnesium to resolve pain, both acute and chronic, has been growing for years, as has the research into this phenomenon. Experts believe the reason magnesium can relieve pain is the fact that it is “a physiological antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor ion channel, and that the NMDA receptor plays a key role in central sensitization,” which is the main way magnesium kills pain by blocking the NMDA receptor in the spinal cord.
Here are some of the discoveries experts have made about the ability of magnesium to help manage different types of pain.
Arthritis and Magnesium
Magnesium helps strengthen bone, maintain joint cartilage, and assists with muscle function. Without enough magnesium, these essential processes cannot function optimally, which can contribute to and cause pain. Therefore, as noted by the Arthritis Foundation, it’s important to get enough magnesium (RDA is 320 mg for women and 420 mg for men), as many studies have reported that eating foods rich in magnesium and potassium improves bone density.
Read about do you need a magnesium supplement
Magnesium and Fibromyalgia
Managing fibromyalgia pain is especially challenging, and having access to an effective natural remedy is most welcome for many patients. Numerous studies have identified magnesium as one such treatment option. In a study conducted by experts at Mayo Clinic, for example, 24 women applied a transdermal magnesium chloride solution in spray form to each limb twice daily for four weeks. All of the women completed a questionnaire and survey about their experiences with the spray. Generally, the use of the magnesium resulted in a significant improvement in pain after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment.
Among people with fibromyalgia, it seems that magnesium inhibits the nerve receptors that are associated with the pain trigger points. In a study from Turkey, for example, the authors noted that magnesium citrate supplementation (300 mg/d) resulted in a significant reduction in tender points, fibromyalgia impact questionnaire scores, and depression scores.
A study appearing in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews noted that taking magnesium supplements can relieve painful menstrual cramps. Subsequent research also pointed out how important magnesium can be for relieving not only menstrual cramps but other symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome and post-menopause.
Read about are these foods high enough in magnesium?
Migraine and tension headache
Many people who suffer from migraine have a magnesium deficiency. Research has indicated that supplementing with 400 mg daily of chelated magnesium or magnesium oxide can reduce the frequency of migraine as well as lower the severity of pain. For individuals with tension headache, magnesium can help relieve muscle tension associated with head pain.
Neuropathic pain is believed to be associated with peripheral nerve issues, such as neuropathy associated with spinal stenosis, spinal cord injuries, and diabetes. Numerous studies have revealed the ability of magnesium to help reduce and manage neuropathic pain. For example, a report published in Current Medicinal Chemistry in 2016 noted that magnesium “has been shown to exert an analgesic effect on humans in conditions presenting…chronic (neuropathic) pain.”
The amount and level of pain experienced by people following surgery can be overwhelming and challenging to treat. Research suggests administering magnesium can significantly reduce pain and pain intensity. For example, 44 individuals who underwent bilateral total knee arthroplasty were given either magnesium sulfate or isotonic saline (22 patients each) during surgery. A comparison between the two groups of levels of postoperative pain and the amount of patient-controlled analgesia (fentanyl) and rescue analgesia (ketoprofen) used during the first 48 hours revealed that those in the magnesium group used significantly fewer rescue analgesics and fentanyl during the first 48 hours postoperatively.
[Editor's Note: Pure Essence Ionic Fizz ™ Magnesium is our favorite ways to supplement magnesium.]
Live Healthier. Be Informed. Get Inspired.
Read this next: 2019 Supplement Trends: What To Look For
– Arthritis Foundation. Magnesium
– Bagis S et al. Is magnesium citrate treatment effective on pain, clinical parameters and functional status in patients with fibromyalgia? Rheumatology International 2013 Jan; 33(1): 167-72
– Chiu HY et al. Effects of intravenous and oral magnesium on reducing migraine: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pain Physician 2016 Jan; 19(1): E97-112
– Engen DJ et al. Effects of transdermal magnesium chloride on quality of life for patients with fibromyalgia: a feasibility study. Journal of Integrative Medicine 2015 Sep; 13(5): 306-13
– Parazzini F et al. Magnesium in the gynecological practice: a literature review. Magnesium Research 2017 Feb 1; 30(1): 1-7
– Proctor ML, Murphy PA. Herbal and dietary therapies for primary and secondary dysmenorrhea. Cochrane Database Systematic Reviews 2001; (3):CD002124
– Shin HJ et al. Magnesium sulphate attenuates acute postoperative pain and increased pain intensity after surgical injury in staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. British Journal of Anaesthesiology 2016 Oct; 117(4): 497-503
– Smith HS, MD. How can magnesium help relieve pain?
– Srebro D et al. Magnesium in pain research: state of the art. Current Medicinal Chemistry 2016 Dec 12
– WebMD. Magnesium
Related Topics: Menopause, Magnesium, Women's Heath
Deborah is a freelance health writer who is passionate about animals and the environment. She has authored, co-authored, and written more than 50 books and thousands of articles on a wide range of topics. Currently, she lives in Tucson, Arizona.
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nLab
John Baez
Skip the Navigation Links | Home Page | All Pages | Latest Revisions | Discuss this page | Pages contributed to | Feeds |
nn-Community
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All Webs
I work on mathematical physics — which I interpret broadly as ‘math that could be of interest in physics, and physics that could be of interest in math’. I’m especially interested in nn-categories and their applications. I’ve spent a lot of time explaining these subjects on the web. You can see a sampling below. For a lot more stuff, see my website.
If you visit my personal web here, you’ll see my work with James Dolan on doctrines in algebraic geometry, and the preface of a book I edited with Peter May, called Towards Higher Categories.
Symmetries, Groups, and Categories
Categories, Quantization and Much More
Topos Theory in a Nutshell
The Tale of nn-Categories
The Tale of Groupoidification
Higher-dimensional algebra and topological quantum field theory, with James Dolan, Jour. Math. Phys. 36 (1995), 6073-6105.
Higher-dimensional algebra I: braided monoidal 2-categories, with Martin Neuchl, Adv. Math. 121 (1996), 196-244.
An introduction to nn-categories, in 7th Conference on Category Theory and Computer Science, eds. E. Moggi and G. Rosolini, Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science vol. 1290, Springer, Berlin, 1997.
Higher-dimensional algebra II: 2-Hilbert spaces, Adv. Math. 127 (1997), 125-189.
Higher-dimensional algebra III: nn-categories and the algebra of opetopes, with James Dolan, Adv. Math. 135 (1998), 145-206.
Spin foam models, Class. Quantum Grav. 15 (1998), 1827-1858.
Categorification, with James Dolan, in Higher Category Theory, eds. Ezra Getzler and Mikhail Kapranov, Contemp. Math. 230, American Mathematical Society, Providence, Rhode Island, 1998, pp. 1-36.
An introduction to spin foam models of BF theory and quantum gravity, in Geometry and Quantum Physics, eds. Helmut Gausterer and Harald Grosse, Springer, Berlin, 2000, pp. 25-93.
From finite sets to Feynman diagrams, with James Dolan, in Mathematics Unlimited - 2001 and Beyond, vol. 1, eds. Björn Engquist and Wilfried Schmid, Springer, Berlin, 2001, pp. 29-50.
Higher-dimensional algebra and Planck-scale physics, in Physics Meets Philosophy at the Planck Length, eds. Craig Callender and Nick Huggett, Cambridge U. Press, Cambridge, 2001, pp. 177-195. Also available as a webpage.
Higher-dimensional algebra IV: 2-tangles, with Laurel Langford, Adv. Math. 180 (2003), 705-764.
Higher-dimensional algebra V: 2-groups, with Aaron D. Lauda, Theory and Applications of Categories 12 (2004), 423-491.
Higher-dimensional algebra VI: Lie 2-algebras, with Alissa S. Crans, Theory and Applications of Categories 12 (2004), 492-528.
Quantum quandaries: a category-theoretic perspective, in Structural Foundations of Quantum Gravity, eds. Steven French, Dean Rickles and Juha Saatsi, Oxford U. Press,Oxford, 2006, pp. 240-265. Also available as a webpage
Higher gauge theory, with Urs Schreiber, in Categories in Algebra, Geometry and Mathematical Physics, eds. Alexei Davydov, Michael Batanin, Michael Johnson, Stephen Lack and Amnon Neeman, Contemp. Math. 431, American Mathematical Society, Providence, Rhode Island, 2007, pp. 7-30.
From loop groups to 2-groups with Alissa S. Crans, Danny Stevenson and Urs Schreiber, Homotopy, Homology and Applications, 9 (2007), 101-135.
Lectures on nn-categories and cohomology, with Michael Shulman, to appear in n-Categories: Foundations and Applications, eds. John Baez and Peter May.
The classifying space of a topological 2-group, with Danny Stevenson, to appear in the proceedings of the 2007 Abel Symposium, eds. Nils Baas et al.
Convenient categories of smooth spaces, with Alex Hoffnung.
Categorified symplectic geometry and the classical string, with Alex Hoffnung and Chris Rogers.
Categorified symplectic geometry and the string Lie 2-algebra, with Christopher L. Rogers.
Representations of 2-groups on higher Hilbert spaces, with Aristide Baratin, Laurent Freidel and Derek Wise.
Physics, topology, logic and computation: a Rosetta Stone, with Mike Stay, to appear in New Structures in Physics, ed. Bob Coecke.
Groupoidification made easy, with Alexander E. Hoffnung and Christopher D. Walker.
A history of n-categorical physics, with Aaron Lauda, to appear in proceedings of Deep Beauty: Mathematical Innovation and the Search for an Underlying Intelligibility of the Quantum World, ed. Hans Halvorson. Draft version.
Last revised on March 16, 2016 at 22:03:40. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.
EditBack in time (18 revisions)See changesHistory Cite Print TeX Source
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B&O PLAY Sound System Sets the Tone in the New Ford Focus Generation
August 03, 2018 Lifestyle Audio Lifestyle Automotive
Source: Ford
The premium sound and iconic design of B&O PLAY will spark emotions in the all-new Ford Focus, scheduled to go on sale September 2018. Building on the longstanding partnership between Ford and HARMAN, the Fourth Ford Focus generation provides an opportunity for HARMAN to demonstrate its superior sound quality at select consumer, press, and trade events over the summer.
Ushering in a new era of technology, comfort, space, and driving pleasure for Europe’s mid-size car customers, the new Ford Focus also introduces a new human-centric design philosophy that melds emotional exterior styling with leading-class aerodynamics. The Ford Focus line up is the most comprehensive ever, with different personalities such as the stylish Ford Focus Titanium, the sporty Ford Focus ST-Line, the upscale Ford Focus Vignale and the first Ford Focus Active crossover.
And when it comes to sound, the B&O PLAY Sound System delivers pure listening pleasure for all passengers, enabling them to get the most out of their music. The system is customized to blend seamlessly into the spacious premium interior of the vehicle and delivers great sound coupled with an exhilarant driving experience in every driving situation. Precisely tuned to achieve optimal sound performance, the B&O PLAY Sound System provides 675 watts of total amplifier power and features 10 high-performance speakers powered by 9 channels. A Digital Signal Processing amplifier (Adaptive Volume, Surround Sound, Power Manager) and static and dynamic sound tuning ensure a consistent listening experience inside the car regardless of road conditions.
At a recent experiential event built around the theme ‘Connecting Music Makers with Music Lovers’, guests enjoyed listening to a rousing live band transmitting their sound directly through the B&O PLAY Sound System in a Ford Focus parked outside the concert hall. Members of the audience could alternate between the stage area and the interior of the car, where the concert was streamed live to the car’s sound system. While watching the band play on a tablet screen, the passengers in the car discovered that the sound experience in both venues was of the same extraordinary quality.
Copyright: Stefan Schikedanz
“B&O PLAY and Ford provide customers with unparalleled and fascinating sound quality,” says Stefan Varga, Senior Acoustic Engineer at HARMAN, and dedicated musician in his private life. “With our special live performance in the car, guests were able to hear for themselves the outstanding capabilities of our sound system, establishing this system as a reference for experiencing high quality sound in a special way.”
The all-new Ford Focus is the latest example of the way Ford and HARMAN are bringing the transformative power of music to the car, elevating the commute and ensuring that every passenger hears the message, feels the bass, and loves the moment they’re in. The B&O PLAY Sound System can be ordered as an upgrade in the new Ford Focus.
Harman Kardon Citation Expands Home Audio Series
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Delivery of DSL access data and modem
Item no.:BE25487
You will find further information at section 3.1.3, 5.9.4 and 7.1.3 of the Technical Guidelines.
This article will be executed by the official service partner of Messe Düsseldorf.
Deutsche Telekom AG / T-Systems
Telekom Service Center Messe
eMail: telekom@messe-duesseldorf.de
This article will be invoiced by Messe Düsseldorf.
Additionals Conditions:
In addition to the Terms and Conditions of Use for the Online Order System (OOS), the Terms and Conditions for Participation of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, its Technical Guidelines and the Privacy Policy of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH (hereinafter summarily referred to as “Messe Düsseldorf GTCs”), other applicable provisions shall be the Further Terms and Conditions which are available under “Further Information” (including important notes on contractual execution). Should these Further Terms and Conditions be in conflict with the Messe Düsseldorf GTCs, the provisions of Messe Düsseldorf GTCs shall take precedence over provisions in the Further Terms and Conditions.
instead of the usual included router
A deposit corresponding to the deposit category will be included in the exhibitor invoice for all end devices issued.
The deposit will only be deleted subject to a return of the device in due time.
Deposit category I: € 100 (e.g. telephones)
Deposit category II: € 250 (e.g. modems, fax machines, routers, switches)
Deposit category III: € 650 (e.g. notebooks, PC with monitor)
Further details can be found in the General Terms and Conditions of Business point 8.6
PDF Conditions regarding the order and the delivery of the service (german)
PDF Conditions regarding the order and the delivery of the service (english)
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Relive Thrive Global Podcast’s Best Interviews, Success Tips and Tricks
posted by Sierra Marquina - Oct 15, 2018
The Thrive Global Podcast with iHeartRadio, hosted by Arianna Huffington, brings you insight from notable leaders, celebrities, athletes and influencers to learn how to prioritize well-being and tips and to give you the tools and microsteps needed to transform your life and go from surviving to thriving.
With insight from everyone ranging from actress and Honest Company CEO Jessica Alba to best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell and activist and award-winning journalist Elaine Welteroth, listeners have received a bevy of tips and tricks to avoid burnout and feeling overworked, not to mention, insight into successful lives of their inspirations.
Alba, along with fellow guests such as will.i.am, DJ Khaled, Chelsea Handler, Nate Berkus, and more, all seem to share one thing in common: Prioritizing themselves and maintaining a balanced work life.
While will.i.am has his mother to thank for going the extra mile for him as a child, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code Reshma Saujani explained why it’s also stepping away from motherhood for a minute that’s beneficial.
“We have been taught from the time that we’re young to put everybody else first,” Saujani shared with Huffington at the time. “One of my best friends told me, ‘Every new mom gets to pick one thing and make sure you pick it and stick with it,” she explained, “Because everybody else will eat up all your time.’”
Author Malcolm Gladwell also sets boundaries and restrictions when it comes to balanxing work and life. The writer never schedules meetings in the mornings and only checks his email every 24 hours!
To find out more tips and tricks from the success stories above, relive all the Thrive Global Podcast episodes and more here.
The Thrive Global Podcast with iHeartRadio, hosted by Arianna Huffington, where she speaks with notable leaders, celebrities, athletes and influencers to learn how prioritizing well-being — instead of burnout and overwork — has made them happier and more successful. This podcast provides tips, tools and microsteps to transform your life and go from surviving to thriving.
The Thrive Global Podcast is brought to you by Sleep Number.
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Making Up the Oyster Bed
By SUSAN RAY
Adam Waller and Tommy Waller
Oysters have been a part of brothers Tommy and Adam Waller’s lives for as long as they can remember. Growing up the oldest of seven children in Louisiana, oysters were always an important element of special family occasions. Their passion for oysters and coastal living sustainability led them to follow their dream and create The Oyster Bed, a reinvention of the oyster plate, and possibly the way we cook oysters. We recently spoke with Tommy Waller about his oyster obsession.
Oysters Bienville prepared on The Oyster Bed.
How did you first become interested in oysters?
Oysters have always been a part of special occasions with our family, but also became an important part of gatherings before my overseas military deployments. We would get together one last time as a family and share seafood and oysters and since Adam and I were the oldest of the seven children, we were depended upon to help shuck the oysters. Anyone who cooks oysters knows it’s a struggle to keep up with the shucking and cooking them on the grill. So the last time we had one of these gatherings was in November 2011, prior to my reserve Force Recon unit deploying to Africa. It was at this family event when the idea was born. We thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if there were some type of cookware that allowed you to use pre-shucked oysters?”
“From day one Adam and I tried to really think about and focus on the ‘why’ of our business. The first part of the ‘why’ is to bring people around the table and closer to God.” Tommy Waller
What gave you the idea to create the Oyster Bed?
We first tried putting the pre-shucked oysters in a muffin tin, but it didn’t work well. The oyster has seawater that drains and adds great flavor, but in the muffin tin it has nowhere to go. It just creates a soggy mess. When you cook the oysters on the half shell, sometimes you get the right consistency, but if the shell is flat then the oyster will shrivel and be kind of dry because all that good flavor from the seawater spills onto the grill. Experimenting led us to envision creating a way to make pre-shucked oysters taste delicious.
What inspires you when it comes to creating and marketing your products? And running your business?
Simon Sinek’s video, “Start with Why,” had a powerful impact on our business. Sinek says that every company should try to imagine that they have three circles. The very center circle is the “why,” which is the most important part of the business. From day one Adam and I tried to really think about and focus on the why of our business. The first part of the why is to bring people around the table and closer to God. The second reason is to recycle the oyster shells. Louisiana is losing the equivalent of a football field of wetlands every hour. Sending oyster shells back to the water helps to preserve the reefs. Our final goal is to cultivate creative cooking. It will be five to six years of being in business before we will pay ourselves so we feel like The Oyster Bed has a pretty great purpose.
Any particular chef or restaurant using the Oyster Bed in an innovative way?
We’re just starting to get into restaurant market. We are fortunate to have a relationship with some chefs from the Landry’s line of restaurants—a few of their chefs have just started to use the Oyster Bed. One of the chefs we’ve always been a fan of is chef John Folse. He’s given us the opportunity to cook around Louisiana, and connected us with people around the state. One of the guys I want to get together with is chef John Besh, especially since he’s a former Marine. We gave him a coveted “Le Perle” Oyster Bed during our Kickstarter Campaign.
What makes your product so unique?
We couldn’t believe that no one had ever thought of creating a cooking product that had a bunch of individual cooking wells that drained into a reservoir. What’s cool about the Oyster Bed is that even if you cook something other than oysters in it, as all the excess juices drain out of the well, they combine together in the reservoir for just the right flavor for whatever you are making. The Oyster Bed also cooks a pretty tasty surf and turf. If you start by searing a 6 or 8-ounce filet on the grill and then you finish it in that big reservoir as the shrimp and scallops cook then you get an incredible flavor. And the platter itself is unique in that it encourages oyster shell recycling by using pre-shucked oysters.
“Louisiana is losing the equivalent of a football field of wetlands every hour. Sending oyster shells back to the water helps to preserve the reefs.” Tommy Waller
What’s the process for creating the Oyster Bed?
We developed the cooking wells to hold 15 milliliters of cooking fluid. Adam measured the fluid retention in hundreds of oysters to get the perfect amount in the cooking wells.
What’s your favorite part about your job/business?
We love telling people about what we do and why we do it. And we love serving people oysters from the Oyster Bed. We were invited to cook for the Miss USA Pageant last year. And we obviously took our wives with us. The awesome thing was that some people were confused and thought our wives were part of pageant. We had a great time serving folks there. We were also invited to cook for the NOLA’s Backyard event. The Louisiana Seafood Marketing and Promotion Board invited some of the nation’s top professional chefs to taste the seafood. We got to serve them oysters, which was such an honor. Adam and I are not professionally trained chefs so we were humbled by it. I mean we don’t even have credentials to serve food in a fast food restaurant.
The Wallers sharing the Oyster Bed story at an event.
What has surprised you the most about your business?
The cost of doing business. We were surprised by the length of time an owner can go without giving himself a paycheck. We talked to someone who owned a foundry in Alabama who didn’t pay himself for twenty-three years. Adam and I are fortunate that we each have additional jobs. If we didn’t have those other jobs, we couldn’t do it. We focus on the why of the business. We’ve been blessed—whenever we need something it always comes through. We depend on the Lord to bless us.
What city do you think has the best oysters?
Obviously New Orleans is our favorite city for anything culinary. New Orleans is where it all comes together. I will tell you, though, and it’s probably the arduous nature of making it through the Marines, but probably some of the best I had were Apalachicola oysters in Panama City, Florida, after the last graded nighttime dive I had with the Marine Combatant Dive School. I think a lot of that was mental. A handful of Marines went to an oyster bar after we finished, and they were the best oysters I have ever eaten.
“When you’re in a land-locked state and you order oysters on a half shell, you can be thousands of miles from the ocean, and you can still taste the ocean.” Tommy Waller
How do you think the Kickstarter campaign influenced your business?
Kickstarter was a cool opportunity. So many people told us we had to do that. The neatest thing is that we became the number one Kickstarter campaign for the state of Louisiana. And, best of all, we got everyone their products when promised. And that doesn’t always happen with Kickstarter. Everyone who gave us their shipping address, got their product on time. Some products we even had to drive to people’s houses. Last Christmas out of all the orders we had, the shipping carrier failed to deliver two of them on time. Thankfully, those two were in Louisiana so Christmas morning I drove and delivered those Oyster Beds to them. We try to make sure the customer gets what they came for. It would have been impossible if it had been in Michigan or something.
What’s your best-selling product?
Right now it’s the large Oyster Bed. Restaurants like the small version. The larger one is by far the most popular with home cooks.
Le Grande, large Oyster Bed
Any new products on the horizon?
We do have some. I can’t talk too much about what they are. We would like to launch them in 2016, but it’s going to be tough because the amount of money it takes to apply for a patent and bring a product to market. It took us from 2011-2014 to bring the Oyster Bed to market. So we have product ideas we came up with last year that we hope to bring to market. It just depends on how many credit cards we can max out.
And, most importantly, what’s your favorite way to eat oysters?
I like to eat them raw. A friend of ours jokes that she can’t believe we went through all this effort to make this product because we like to eat them raw. Personally, I like them on an oyster boat out in the gulf—that’s my favorite with a cold beer. On an oyster boat you can just smell the ocean. When you’re in a land-locked state and you order oysters on a half shell, you can be thousands of miles from the ocean, and you can still taste the ocean. As a Marine, we eat and breath on the ocean. There’s so much history I have with the Marines having that taste of saltwater. When you’re doing a dive operation, there’s a little part of you that thinks, “This is badass.” I think about that every time I eat a raw oyster.
More about the Oyster Bed
Shop and learn more at TheOysterBed.com.
See the Oyster Bed evolution, from muffin tin to finished product.
Find 50+ baked oyster recipes, all easily adapted to the Oyster Bed.
Check out the Oyster Bed Kickstarter video:
Oyster Obsession contributor, Susan Ray, is a writer, editor, and communications professional based in Birmingham, Ala. A former book editor, Susan has edited books for Southern Living, O the Oprah Magazine, Country Living, and other publications.
Photos courtesy of The Oyster Bed and In A Half Shell.
Pingback: Mim's Oyster Dressing - Individual Dressing Servings - Oyster Obsession
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Orlando Informer Blog
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Bigfire: 3 big takeaways from Universal Orlando’s newest restaurant
June 11, 2019 Marc N. Kleinhenz0
June 11, 2019 Marc N. Kleinhenz
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The last time we checked in on Bigfire, Universal Orlando Resort’s newest gastronomical addition, the venue had just been announced; now, two months later, Universal invited us to a tour of the soon-to-open restaurant as part of a media event.
We were taken with Bigfire’s culinary premise, aesthetic bent, and – of course – tableside s’mores right from the beginning, but now, after an up-close-and-personal look at its food, theming, and drinks, we have to say that we’re fully hooked. Here are the three biggest takeaways we have from our all-too-brief experience at CityWalk’s destination for (smoked) American fare.
Bigfire has a backstory
Theming at Universal Orlando’s Bigfire
Yes, we had already known that Bigfire was created in conjunction with Universal’s theme-park designers (just the second restaurant to have this distinction, after the superb Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen), and, yes, we also previously had the eatery’s theming sketched out for us, as well – nostalgic summers by the water in a “grand lakeside lodge,” replete with oversized plaid blankets and retro camp lanterns.
But what we got tonight was Bigfire’s actual backstory – or, at least, the basic gist of it. It turns out that what we know as the finished restaurant today originally started out life as a small lakeside retreat for a family, when then began to attract more and more local families, which, in turn, made it grow and grow, adding on more sections and getting more people involved and having it become a full-fledged enterprise – although always with the core firmly in place of having fun and good times with friends and love ones.
The wood-fire grill at Universal Orlando’s Bigfire
It might not be a narrative anywhere near as involved as what we get for Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, but it’s just enough to finish selling the homey vibe of the premises and provide a connective tissue that runs all the way through the entire menu, from the appetizers to the drinks to the desserts – and not to mention the theming itself, with the titular wood-fire grill and the cozy lawn chairs out in the front. We were smitten by the exposition, and we’re pretty sure that you and your party of hungry eaters will be, too, even if it never explodes from subtlety to blatancy.
As Ric Florell, Executive Vice President of Resort Revenue Operations, said to us before we were able to dig in, “Welcome to our lake home.”
Bigfire’s big food
Creekstone Cowboy Ribeye at Universal Orlando’s Bigfire
Upon greeting all of us members of the press and introducing us to Bigfire’s menu, Universal made a bold claim: even if the dishes on hand might look suspiciously normal upon first glance, they’re actually anything but the standard fare.
This assertion hinges on the fact that the restaurant’s chefs prepare a good swath of the food on the giant (almost) titular wood-fire grill, deploying one of three different types of wood – cherry, pecan, or oak – to smoke it and give it a complementary taste. Now, the various types of wood do help to make Bigfire’s offerings slightly different, but it is only a subtle flavor elevation that isn’t overbearing; longtime park-goers may recall other offerings at Universal Orlando that are cooked on lumber for flavoring, such as the cedar-planked salmon at NBC Sports Grill & Brew that was previously served at Mythos. Overall, we have to say that we found the new eatery’s food to be on par with the other top choices at CityWalk, like Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food and VIVO Italian Kitchen.
As for early highlights of the culinary lineup, our first two picks also double as the clear favorites from the overall media gathered for the preview: the Pork Belly Mac ‘n Cheese was creamy, with very tasty bits of pork mixed throughout, and the Creekstone Cowboy Ribeye was the very definition of flavorful, with a sauce that complements the meat well. On a menu that’s fairly robust, you’d be hard-pressed to find something that’s more delectable.
Skillet-baked Chocolate Cake at Universal Orlando’s Bigfire
Except for the desserts, that is. The restaurant features three – the Dutch Apple Pie, Baked Alaska, and Skillet-baked Chocolate Cake – but it’s the last that really caught our attention. Bigfire’s take on the classic chocolate cake brandishes cherries around the crust, which provides surprising bursts of flavor in the otherwise-ordinary chocolate texture – a welcoming addition, and one that does live up to Universal’s hype of having the venue’s offerings feature a unique spin.
Even though we managed to get our hands on some of the eats and got an earful on the design choices, there was actually still quite a bit that we didn’t walk away with from our all-too-brief time at Bigfire. Let’s tackle this all in short order:
The menu at Universal Orlando’s Bigfire
The sample menu that Universal provided may have included everything from appetizers to entrees to sides, but it didn’t feature two particular sections that a number of our readers and podcast listeners have already asked about: namely, a dessert or kids’ menu. Of course, we have already managed to slightly address the former by listing all three items above, but the latter still remains elusive to us. Hopefully, given that this was only a media preview, we’ll be able to get more info on this in the not-too-distant future.
(Soft) opening
No word was offered on one of the most-sought-after pieces of Bigfire info: when the property will debut on the CityWalk scene. It seems like a number of individuals would even just content themselves with the soft-opening period, which is when the restaurant operates in a limited capacity for certain periods of the day in the lead-up to the official opening, but even here, unfortunately, we came up empty. Given that Universal has previously offered a vague timeframe of summer 2019, we have to assume that Bigfire’s grand debut will come sooner rather than later.
Now we come to the biggest issue of all. On that sample menu – and, even, on the multi-page drink menu that was offered to reporters – no prices were anywhere to be seen. We don’t know why this would be the case except to guess that the company is still knee-deep in the process of figuring out what everything should cost; what we do know is that it didn’t go unnoticed within the online themed community.
But that doesn’t mean that the numbers game came up a complete wash – reporter Gabrielle Russon managed to snag just a few prices, including $15 for the handcrafted burgers, $18 for the tableside s’mores (which serves two), and $22 for the six-ounce Top Sirloin steak.
Prices for #BigFire. S’mores, for example, costs $18 for 2, $9 for additional people. 6 oz Sirloin steak is $22; handcrafted burgers $15. @UniversalORL #CityWalk pic.twitter.com/SwHo670K3s
— Gabrielle Russon (@GabrielleRusson) June 11, 2019
Orlando Informer Podcast: be sure to listen to this week’s episode of the OI Podcast to hear even more of our thoughts on – and the community’s reactions to – Universal’s big Bigfire media event. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or give a listen here.
Bigfire is scheduled to open sometime this summer. You can read everything that we know about it over on our guide page.
Can’t wait to try out Bigfire for yourself? Discuss your picks for your first meal with 70,000+ other vacation planners and Universal fans in our OI Community Facebook group.
And be sure to follow Orlando Informer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news and tips at Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World, and other Orlando experiences.
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Marc N. Kleinhenz Marc N. Kleinhenz’s first dream in life was to be an astronaut. His second was an Imagineer. While neither completely worked out, he now works exclusively for Orlando Informer as a writer, editor, and podcast co-host. He’s also written for 32 other sites (including Screen Rant, IGN, The Escapist, and California Informer [OI's sister site]), has had his fiction featured in several publications, and has even taught English in Japan. Imagineering school won’t be too far behind.
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Home > Shopping > Russo's Mozzarella and Pasta
Russo's Mozzarella and Pasta
344 E. 11th St., New York, NY 10003 40.729879 -73.985319
nr. First Ave. See Map | Subway Directions
212-254-7452 Send to Phone
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Reader Rating: Write a Review
Price Range: ($$) Mid-Range
Type: Gourmet Marketplace
Products & Services: Gourmet Shops/Produce
Photo by Hazel Kiesewetter
Map Rate & Review
Mon-Sat, 8:30am-7pm; Sun, 10:30am-4:30pm
Nearby Subway Stops
L at First Ave.
American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Gourmet Shops/Produce
Right next door to the famous Italian pastry shop Veniero's (established 1894), Russo's Mozzarella and Pasta shop makes its presence known with a painted mural of an Italian meal. Like its neighbor and other notable Italian gourmet stores like diPalo's and Alleva, Russo's has endured for a long time—they opened in 1908. Inside this diminutive shop, you'll find every Italian provision you'd expect—fresh ravioli, tortellini, gnocchi and linguini, cheese, olive oil, and canned tuna imported from Italy, as well as sausage, pepperoni, anchovies, and pignoli nuts. Best bets are the fresh pastas and the large round ravioli in flavors like pumpkin, vegetable, and lobster, as well as the excellent fresh mozzarella with an ideal, pliant texture, oozing with whey, and best eaten right away. The lightly smoked mozzarella is good, but the cheese loses some of its great texture and the smoky flavor doesn't penetrate all the way through to the center. The selection of imported cheeses is narrow, but well selected, though it's all pre-cut in large chunks and wrapped in plastic, treatment that compromises the quality of the cheese. Items you once selected to your desired quantity are now prepackaged in pre-measured portions, but despite the changes, it's good to know that you can still find authentic Italian ingredients in the East Village. — Nancy Davidson
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ReMix Comments/Reviews
OCR00123 - EarthBound "Sound Stone (C Major)"
By Jivemaster, May 18, 2002 in ReMix Comments/Reviews
tempo-slow
Jivemaster
EarthBound 'Sound Stone (C Major)'
Spekkosaurus with a piano exclusive rendition of EarthBound. Quite realistic sounding, but the bad thing about this is the nasty high-end crackle which appears after the choir sound enters. It sort of ruins it in some way. Still, I really like the effort and bravery that went into this, but it's just a little long and some parts didn't keep my interest for long enough (especially when the bass plays on it's own).
Steffan Andrews
Goomba (+100)
I agree with Jivemaster on this track not being my best work. It was sequenced quite a while ago (in 2000), during the time that I was first learning how to create music using a computer.
SithProbe
Slime (+5)
a remake of this track? well we'll all be waiting (or I will at least)
Outstanding track. the beginning panio work doesn't flow a smooth as I think it should but that adds something to this remix that cannot be described.
This is a great remix.
PhantomMagi
Octorok (+25)
This is absolutely my favourite piece of all time.
I don't care what you all think of me.
This should be the Earthbound main theme.
Actually, I think it is...
Well, whatever.
Great piano work.
although, for the solo, it would have been pretty cool to have heard a lighter instrument play it. but oh well.
It's a great piece.
Definately deserves to be listened to.
And if you don't, I'll personally hunt you down and gut you.
bulletproofpossom
Glass Joe (+10)
This is one of the most incredible remixes i've ever listened to (more than 40 so far). Unfortunately, it is too short and I did notice the noise.
This is so great, I would like to learn to play it on the piano. *sigh* if only there were some way to read music in order to reproduce it.
In conclusion, props to spekkosaurus for this. Woo, Hoo!
Perndog
Snacks'N Jaxson (+1)
It's a great tune, and indeed a quality arrangement. But..um....this is F Major, folks. Am I the only one who noticed? And the second chord is a little funky...it's going from F to G, when the original is F to C.
Anyway, aside from the title and that chord, it sounds great. We need more piano-type mixes around here.
Rayagon
You've chosen a beautiful piece of music, and done it ultimate justice. I've just done my own mix of this, and I listened to yours again, and realized I didn't have sheiss on your wonderful adaptation. The melody is poignant and haunting, and you've got a great sense for heightening that sense.
Carrie-san
King Hippo (+15)
simply amazing. you took probably my favorite song from earthbound and tweaked it so nicely. i actually taught myself how to play this song on the clarinet and piano ....i have a problem X3; . anyway, it's very beautiful. a melodious,almost haunting melody that lingers with you after it's over. i feel like i'm sitting and playing earthbound all over again. great job. and a remake would be wonderful, i eagerly await it!
jessthemullet
This is one of my all-time favorite game tunes, and Spekkosaurus made it better. Great mix, in my opinion.
tyler_lucero
Eggplant Wizard (+50)
We're all still waiting for the aformentioned "remade and rearranged version..." I love this track, and can't wait to hear any improvements...
Txai
Chrono (+3000)
Hmmm..."Funky Bookas" is more amused for me. Good stuff. But this is very monotonous.
Ticadrius
Chocobo (+20)
I really like the overall feel of this piece, and this is really well-arranged. The sound, if maybe monotonous, certainly inspires at least some emotion. I enjoyed it.
However, one thing that costs Spekk marks in my book is the bass solo at 1'24". While it has grown on me over time, that is one part of this song that sounds forced and out of place to me. The conclusion, however, is magnificent.
But that aside, this is a phenomenal mix, one that every human on earth needs.
The only complaint I have is that the end was a little slow. 8/10
Gasdyf_Warefayer
What is everyone talking about? This is not a piece of music that you can just mix up and rearrange as you please! I don't know how many of you have actually played Earthbound, but this Remix is exactly how I would want the Soundstone Melody to be if they remade the game. Good job, Spekko, for understanding that sometimes, the less you do to a song, the better.
fuzzys1ippers
I love that song, and I would LOVE to learn to play it on the piano. Doesn't seem hard. Anyway I think it's very nifty, and Earth Bound is an awesome game. I own it but I think I lost my users manual. o.o I lent it to some dude once and he beat the game like in three days. *Shrug*
Straybow
This deserves a bump and I love you.
Jabberbox
why don[t you post your new one here?
Platinum Azure
No, you're not the only one who noticed. I noticed it immediately (and in fact, I renamed my file to reflect that after I listened to it-- it was bugging me).
I wasn't quite able to put my finger on the F to G thing, though. I knew it was odd, but it didn't sound that bad.
OceansAndrew
Unsung Heroes Director
There's a lot of flaws in this one, but there is an undeniable charm that shines through regardless. It's a great source song as well, and though the samples throughout are pretty terrible, there's a nice song progression, and the arrangement itself is pretty good. Some of the parts are a bit choppy, like the solo bass part, and a bit of the piano playing, but despite this, it's still worth a listen.
Opterion
Unfortunately I have to say this mix could use quite a bit of work. Dynamics are not much more than soft and loud; there's not much gray area. Great intro, the flowing melody sticks out here. The transition to next section feels a little choppy, but otherwise just need more dynamics as aforementioned. Choir is a good touch, sound mixing does need improvement, but the dropout to the bass was great. When the choir joins back in, the melody should have less an accent at the beginning of the notes.
The melody itself was great, but sound mixing needs improvement.
tweex
The first track from Steffan Andrews. Having already heard his more recent stuff, I can already imagine how this will only imrpove. While, yes, the samples are old and out dated, I agree that there is a certain charm to the piece. It almost has a Rug Rats feel to it that's sweet and adorable. The fighting tempo is probably the hardest thing for me to get past, but again, for a first piece done almost 10 years ago, I can't be too harsh! On to the next!
dANGER boy
Would be a great ReMix but for the crackles and pops in the samples. It sure as hell ain't my speakers...
Crulex
A little dated and a little short, but excluding any production issues, the opening piano's intent can be gleamed from it. I can hear the emotion wanting to come through, but it just seems to need that old decade polish that a lot of these need.
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Tag Archives: Florina H. Capistrano-Baker
Talk and Audio-Visual Show on Philippine Ancestral Gold
Nov18 by PEB
This is the last literary event for 2013 of our Bookshop. Co-sponsored by the Silver Lake Library, it is part of our continuing outreach program to make the Filipino presence in the community more visible, as well as to share with mainstream America the rich cultural background of Filipinos. If you will be unable to attend, we accept orders for autographed copies of this collector’s book. Call 310-514-9139 or email us : linda@philippineexpressionsbookshop.com
Event is free and open to the public. Seats are limited.
Street parking is available. RSVP by phone or email or reply to EVENTS in facebook.
Those who want to donate to Typhoon Yolanda Relief may bring canned goods which we will donate to the Historic Filipino Rotary Club who will ship them to the Philippines.
Philippine Ancestral Gold
Edited by Florina H. Capistrano-Baker
Essays by Florina H. Capistrano-Baker, John Guy and John Miksic
Publisher: Ayala Foundation and National University of Singapore Press (NUS). 2011. 300 pages.
ISBN 978-971-8551-72-1 HARDCOVER
ISBN 978-971-8551-74-5 SOFTCOVER
Winner of the 31st Philippine National Book Awards for Design
Philippine Ancestral Gold features more than 1,000 gold objects that were recovered in the Philippines from the 1960s to 1981 and now form part of the collection of the Ayala Museum in Manila. Many of these treasures were found in association with tenth-to-twelfth century Chinese export ceramics, and formal similarities with objects from other Southeast Asian cultures affirm regional affinities and inter-island trade networks that flourished in the region before there was regular contact with the Western world. Adornments of elite individuals and the deities they adorned include a spectacular array of golden sashes, necklaces, pectorals, diadems, earrings, finger rings, and arm and leg ornaments. Over 400 full-color photographs are included in the book which you will enjoy immensely.
“This important book provides a great deal of material that is almost unknown generally outside of the Philippines. Scholars working on many other topics will find it invaluable, especially those tracing the various maritime trade networks that operated throughout the greater Indian Ocean system.”
-Emma C. Bunker, Asian Art Department, Denver Art Museum.
“The authors are among the world’s most experienced specialists on this subject, and the line of vision from the Philippines and other parts of island Southeast Asia to the mainland is novel and most inspiring.”
-Andreas Reinecke, Commission for Archaeology of Non-European Cultures
of the German Archaeological Institute.
“All collections are valuable in different ways. The monetary worth of this one is incalculable. But its deeper value can be assayed only in consideration of its historical and academic significance and the self-knowledge and pride it gives to Filipinos.”
-Florina H. Capistrano-Baker
“…what distinguishes the Philippines goldworking tradition is that it displays a level sophistication only matched by the kingdoms of Java.”
-John Guy
“The Ayala Museum’s Gold Collection is perhaps the country’s greatest tangible cultural asset and can stand comparison with any other assemblage of gold artifacts in the world.”
-John Miksic
Also, visit the Ayala Museum website: www.ayalamuseum.org
Florina H. Capistrano-Baker received her Ph.D., M.Phil. and M.A.degrees in Art History from the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University in New York City. She was a researcher at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 1987-1994, director of the Ayala Museum (Philippines) from 2000-2006 and currently consulting curator at Ayala Foundation. She has taught at Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Bard Graduate Center and Skidmore College. She is the author of Art of Island Southeast Asia: The Fred and Rita Richman Collection in The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1994), Multiple Originals, Original Multiples: 19th-century Images of Philippine Costumes (2004), and Embroidered Multiples: 18th-19th Century Philippine Costumes from the National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden, The Netherlands(2007). Her latest book Philippine Ancestral Gold (2011) documents an important corpus of archaeological gold ornaments that give evidence of early maritime trade between the Philippines, China and Southeast Asia before Spanish and American colonization in the 19th century. Dr. Capistrano-Baker is the recipient of fellowships from Columbia University, American Association of University Women, Asian Cultural Council, Ford Foundation, Japan Foundation, Locsin Foundation and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.She is currently a Getty Research Institute Scholar here in Los Angeles.
Celebrate Small Business Saturday with us during this event.
Small Business Saturday is a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all that they do for their communities. Support your community bookshop who has blazed the special trail in marketing Philippine books in the US and who has served the Fil Am community for the last 29 years! During this event, we will display a small selection of titles that you might want to pick up as gifts for Christmas. Come to the lecture, enjoy the audiovisuals, network, see old friends, and at the same time, do your Christmas shopping. If you have a special title in mind, do let us know – call (310) 514-9139 and will bring it to the event for your pick up.
Leave a comment Posted in Book Talk Series, Events Tagged american, Ayala Museum, book launching, books, bookshop, ca, events, expressions, Filipina Authors, filipino, Filipino American, filipino books, Florina H. Capistrano-Baker, John Guy, John Miksic, los angeles, philippine, Philippine Ancestral Gold, philippine expressions, philippine expressions bookshop, philippines, Silver lake Library, small business saturday
NEW ARRIVALS as of January 27, 2014. Please click on any photo for details.
New Day Publishers, 2013
* Information Age Publishing , 2013
Anvil Publishing, 2013
Ateneo De Manila Univ Press, 2011
*CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013
University of the Philippines Press and Flipside Publishing, 2011
New Art Media
National Historical Commission of the Philippines, 2013.
Ateneo de Manila Press, 2013
*Akachic, 2013
Book Talk & Signing By Miss America, 2001 Angela Perez Baraquio Event Photos
Pinta* Dos Philippine Art Gallery Opening Photos
The 100th Anniversary Of Our Lady’s Apparitions At Fatima, 1917-2017
Book Talk & Signing By Miss America, 2001 Angela Perez Baraquio
Grand Opening Of Pinta*Dos Art Gallery
Authors Night
Book Talk Series
Pinay Gathering
Pinta* Dos Philippine Art Gallery Grand Opening
PHILIPPINE EXPRESSIONS BOOKSHOP
The Bookshop dedicated to Filipino Americans in search of their roots.
479 West Sixth Street, Suite 105
Historic Arts District, San Pedro, CA 90731
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274, USA
OPEN: Thursday to Saturday 3pm - 6pm
www.philippineexpressionsbookshop.com
orders@philippineexpressionsbookshop.com
"Do not go where the path may lead, go
instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson..
We have blazed the trail in promoting Philippine books in America. 2014 marks our 30th year of service to the Filipino American community. Mabuhay.
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Michael Ellis "Mike" Murphy
Michael Ellis "Mike" Murphy (born 1962) is a Republican political consultant, on the face of it.
"He advised Republicans including John McCain 2000, Rick Lazio, John Engler, Tommy Thompson, Spencer Abraham, Christie Whitman, Lamar Alexander 1996, and Arnold Schwarzenegger and George H. W. Bush, 1988. Murphy's campaign reveals a consistent loyalty to BushCo."
Let's look at these campaigns more closely to see if any patterns reveal themselves. On googling Murphy's name I saw some interesting points emerge.
Mike Murphy - Looking At The Record
1987 – Tommy Thompson – Won, served as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2001–05, appointed by George W. Bush.
1988 – George H W Bush – Won.
1995 – 2003 – John Engler, elected Governor of Michigan 1991 - Murphy worked as a consultant for the Engler Campaign in 1995. During the 1996 presidential election, Engler was considered by many[ political commentators and experts to be a serious potential vice presidential running mate for Republican nominee Bob Dole. However, Dole instead selected Jack Kemp, a former congressman, and HUD secretary.
1992 – George H W Bush – Lost, due to having ignored the proposals, 13 of them, provided for the use of satellite and Interactive TV by PhoneVoter, unlike Clinton.
1994 – Christine Todd Whitman – Won, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003.
1995 – Edward Spencer Abraham – Won, US Senate Michigan 1995 to 2001 and the tenth United States Secretary of Energy, serving under President George W. Bush, from 2001 to 2005. Abraham, a Republican, is one of the founders of the Federalist Society and a co-founder of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy. To date, Abraham is the last Republican to serve as a U.S. Senator from Michigan.
1996 – Lamar Alexander – Lost, campaign for GOP Nomination. Murphy as Media Consultant, blocked receipt of PhoneVoter materials sent by fax, snail mail or phone about 13 times. Other staffers were fighting for the services PhoneVoter offered.
1999 - Jeb Bush - Won, to be expected given Murphy's affiliations and to his father and brother.
2000 - John McCain – Lost, Mike Murphy aggressively went after the job as Media Consultant for the McCain Campaign and blocked receipt of the PhoneVoter Proposal at least 12 times. Brock delivered this to McCain as he stood outside the Straight Talk Bus on Primary Night, June 2000, as McCain was waiting to concede to W. McCain and his wife read this standing there and Cindy exclaimed, “John with this we could have won!” McCain immediately confronted Murphy who shrugged and said, “You got a conventional campaign.” Standing just a few feet from the two men Brock heard Mike Murphy loudly shout this to make himself heard over McCain. In 2000 both the Democratic Party and George H W Bush and George W Bush were using satellite. If Murphy was a professional he had to have known this.
Rick Lazio - Lost, was opposing Hillary Clinton, who has become an ally of BushCo.
John Engler, Engler endorsed Texas Governor George W. Bush in the 2000 Republican primary. After Bush secured the GOP nomination, Engler's name began to surface as a possible running mate for Bush. In his book Decision Points, Bush says that Engler was someone he was "close" with and could "work well with." Ultimately, Engler was passed over for the running mate position in favor of Dick Cheney, who orchestrated the War on Iraq to take back its oil fields for his associates.
2003 - Arnold Schwarzenegger - Won, Bush Co. knew he would never be a factor in National politics. Because of his name recognition and positives, he could not have been beaten and Bush had no reason to oppose him.
2006 - Mitt Romney – Was advisor until January 2006. This raises interesting questions that will be answered.
In 1996 Mike Murphy was working for Lamar Alexander, then the Governor of Tennessee, as a Media Consultant at the time PhoneVoter was contacting all declared candidates for the GOP nomination for president and received the information on PhoneVoter.
PhoneVoter kept notes on each interaction with those receiving their PhoneVoter Proposals. The notes have been kept and exist. The notes are below, including handwritten notes made over months, show who received and passed on the PhoneVoter Proposal for Satellite and other PhoneVoter Services.
Mike Murphy travelled with
John McCain throughout the entire campaign, 1999 - June 2000.
The PhoneVoter Contact Notes, Made by Brock d'Avignon
(Notes which are typed were made on an early HP and were copied as witten)
Typed text: Lamar Alexander 615 327 3350 TN Dan Pero, Manager asst Ben DuPuy
1808 West End Av. #600, Nashville TN 37203
Mike Murphy, Media Consultant 7601 Lewinsville Rd., #320, McLean VA 22102
message 31 OCT about proposal at TNHQ, will be at TNHQ +8NOV, is on MM’s desk
reminder message 6NOV to pick-up proposal at TNHQ
message for DuPuy to Pero & MM re DNC sat and RNC getting the big picture
message to MM, was in 1 day at HQ do not know if saw proposal, also DNC action
DuPuy is sending my proposal to MM 20 NOV & got sat DNC letter
Skymap to MM with connectivity mailed 20 NOV
(HANDWRITTEN NOTES) Send fax MM’s Producer Katherine Lorenz Satellite/Producer fax 703-556-4075
(Note reminding Brock of what has taken place)Std (standard) got in mail also DNC action gotten Skymap (Link to Lorenz)
Sent to KL, Barbour FAX/(check mark) Covlr (checkmark) Price list 30NOV 1995
Sent PVN R Sat2 Barbour penn (pending) update
(Post-it note) Cheap sat truck
March 12 Katherine Lorenz satellite (703) 556-9600 Fax 556-4075
Mike Murphy Alexander Campaign
INTERPRETED FOR YOU:
This shows that Michael E. 'Mike' Murphy, listed as the Media Consultant for the Alexander Campaign, address 7601 Lewinsville Rd., #320, McLean VA 22102 received a message received by the campaign October 31, 1995 at their Tennessee HQ. Murphy was to be at the TNHQ on November 6.
Another message was added noting Ben DuPuy, Manager, received a message through Dan Pero, his assistant which reads: Re: DNC (Democratic National Committee) Satellite and RNC (Republican National Committee) 'Getting the big picture' Brock writes a note saying, DuPuy is sending my proposal to MM 20 November and got satellite DNC letter Skymap to MM with connectivity mailed 20 November, the same day.
[This was a three page fax/letter originally to Haley Barbour, Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). Cover was PhoneVoter TV Network (PVN) and Campaigns On Satellite (COS) Page 2 & 3 were satellite availablity and prices for The RepubliCan Channel (This was what a channel for the Republican Party was called for purposes of selling a show to the Republican Party through the RNC in December 1995, that stated the DNC had already bought a satellite transponder, Galaxy X C-Band, effective DATE: January 1, 1996 through 31 December 1996 at a cost of $160K per month.]
This information was shared with ALL GOP candidates though some of them did not seen to know what a satellite was or could be used to accomplish.
Brock stopped mentioning Haley Barbour some months later when the Dole-Kemp Campaign mentioned to him that Barbour had forbidden GOP candidates from using Satellite, which also meant not using PhoneVoter TV show formats or Presidential Candidates' Debate Tournament.
These facts lead to the only reasonable explanation of Murphy's actions, which is that he was working for BushCo to ensure the strongest candidate in 1996, Lamar Alexander, did not have the advantage of satellite TV and PhoneVoter TV so that a manipulated political process could deliver the nomination to the least attractive candidate, Bob Dole.
This continued into 2000 when Murphy went after the position of Media Consultant for the McCain Campaign, persuading the candidate to hire him and then blocking knowledge and use of satellite and PhoneVoter TV again.
In 2000 John McCain was positioned to clean the clock of Preppy-Elite do nothing George W. Bush as the New Hampshire Primary made clear their choice of a candidate who had worked for a living, viewed serving his country seriously, and had not used the services of the same Dominatrix employed by William Bennett, Leola McConnell. To quote Leola's book, Lustful Utterances, “In 1984 I watched George W. Bush enthusiastically and expertly perform a homosexual act on another man, one Victor Ashe,” “Ashe is the current U.S. ambassador to Poland; and he too should come out, like former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevy, and admit to being a gay American.” “Other homo-erotic acts were also performed by then-private citizen George W. Bush. I know this because I performed one of them on him myself.” NOTE: The quote was taken from a partial copy of the book provided to Pillsbury-Foster by email directly from McConnell.
New Hampshire voters gave their votes to John McCain but this was soon followed by Super Tuesday, the simultaneous primaries elections that took place on March 8, 1988, in the Southern states of Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, and Georgia leading up to the 1988 November election. McCain was the outsider GOP candidate, the one who did not walk lock-step with what Americans would eventually recognize as the NeoConservative line of More Government, More War, and more money for themselves.
An article appearing in the Washington Post on March 1, 2000, titled, "The Conservative Press, Standing Divided for Bush," by Howard Kurtz continued the redefinition of the GOP. It was a full-press attack by 'journalists' not yet recognized as NeoCons.
If this was not enough, in parallel, a rumor spread by John Fund of the Wall Street Journal sunk the early promise for a GOP president who did not dance to the tune of the NeoCon WarMachine then organizing themselves for service in the White House of George W. Bush. The rumor spread by Fund accused McCain of having a dark-skinned love-child. This was an outrageous misstatement. John and Cindy McCain had adopted an orphan not related to either of them. McCain learned who was responsible while being driven through Manhattan soon after the Super Tuesday Returns were in and ordered this driver to drive to the Wall Street Journal to confront the perpetrator, John Fund.
The story, titled, John Fund and the Brown Badge of Courage, written by Melinda Pillsbury-Foster, is based on Fund's own statements conveyed to her by her daughter, Morgan, who was then living with Fund in New York. In 1996 Fund had conveyed a similar story to Melinda during a phone call he initiated. On that occasion, Bill Clinton was the father of the black love-child. Morgan had not heard the earlier story on Fund's action, conveyed to Melinda. During the phone conversation Fund urged Melinda to tell the story to fellow members of her Santa Barbara Chapter of the National Association of Federated Women. She declined to do so. Morgan, Melinda's daughter, reported to Melinda that Fund had gloated at having recycled the story from 1992, this time targeting McCain.
Another story in the Washington Post, " Along for the Ride" , by the same journalist, Howard Kurtz, which was published on March 12, 2000, again serves to confuse and mangle the core message of the McCain Campaign and its candidate. Imbedding in the wandering episodic article you learn Murphy went after his position in the McCain Campaign in January of 1999 when Murphy, "went to McCain's Senate office and delivered a 25-minute, 40-slide presentation on how he could win the nomination. Murphy's pitch: Skip the Iowa caucuses in favor of New Hampshire."
It was an entirely conventional campaign, according to the writer, who appears to have had information directly from Murphy.
PhoneVoter contacted the McCain Campaign twelve times with no response. Brock learned directly from John McCain Murphy had never mentioned the possibility of both satellite for distribution and interactive television, which would have, as Cindy exclaimed when she and John were handed the proposal, would have made McCain president. "John, we could have won with this!!!!"
d'Avignon, himself, handed the proposal to John McCain as he and Cindy McCain were standing next to their touring bus on the street next to the Beverly Hills Hotel on losing Primary Night in California, 2000. John McCain stormed over to Mike Murphy, demanding an explanation. What he received was a shrug from the blandly cool Mike Murphy who excused himself because he had run, "a conventional campaign". Brock advised McCain not to end his campaign that night, but consider turning Straight Talk Television into a RepubliCan Channel. McCain drove past a dozen satellite uplink trucks to concede to Bush. McCain thought about it and conceded two weeks later.
Our guess is that Mike Murphy was solicited to become a campaign consultant to eliminate candidates who might get in the way of the NeoCon Agenda and or BushCo.
Mike Murphy did the 2016 election kill data
Democrats Snark about GOP Cleveland Convention: ‘Pitfalls’ Will Include Tricorn Hats, Sarah Palin T-Shirts, and Limbaugh Ditto Heads
By JOHN FUND July 9, 2014, 12:48 PM
One of the costs for Republicans of siting their 2016 convention in Cleveland is putting up with local Democratic snark over the choice. The campaign of Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, the Democratic candidate for governor this year, was quick to send out a press release that exulted: “By picking Cleveland, Republicans are recognizing the hard work of Ed and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson in turning the city and county around.” MORE
Both Fund and Murphy appear to both have worked as agents,' available to manipulate events and sow disinformation. Fund pretends to be a Libertarian but if you pay him enough he will pretend to be anything you like.
See John Fund vs The Truth , by Justin Raimondo, published in Antiwar.com on April 26, 2006
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New Releases Bestsellers Young Readers Penguin Petit indian language publishing Penguin Custom Publishing Classics All Collections
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The Mad Piano Player/The Aristocrats Strike Back (feat. Josh Gondelman)
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The Story Pirates meet a gas station attendant (Josh Gondelman) who likes to tell excruciatingly long and boring stories. Featuring two new stories: “The Mad Piano Player,” a song about a boy who plays an explosive piano piece for the king, written by an 8 year old from Dubai named Kenan, and “The Aristocrats Strike Back,” a historical fiction story about peasants and aristocrats addressing inequality, written by Charlotte, a 9 year old from Nebraska.
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Home teacher homework help The personality theories of sigmund freud
The personality theories of sigmund freud
His father, Jakob Freud —a wool merchant, had two sons, Emanuel — and Philipp —by his first marriage.
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Sigmund Freud's Theories | Simply Psychology
A benefit for the Neuropsychoanalysis Foundation, it is celebrating the idea that psychoanalytic concepts like repressed impulses and unconscious drives remain important and relevant in this era of the neurobiological study of the brain.
If that seems surprising, so will this: Sigmund Freud, the creator of psychoanalysis, actually began his career as a neurobiologist, dissecting the nerves of crayfish.
But in his late 19th-century era, brain science was primitive. Even the basics of how a neuron worked were still mysterious. Freud abandoned objective science, developing a subjective approach to understanding the mind based on what his unhappy patients told him about their inner lives.
Psychoanalysis, the discipline he created, began as a technique to help miserable people. Its bottom line is that we do not know ourselves.
In his formulation, the mind constantly generates powerful wishes that are repressed — shut down by our own internal censors before we even become aware of them.
Much of what we do and think is shaped by these unconscious impulses, unbeknownst to us. Dreams, slips of the tongue and psychiatric symptoms are the result of desires distorted by the mental censors. A young Freud actually started out as a neuroscientist. The Granger Collection, NYC After Freud, psychoanalysis fractured into many schools of thought, but the idea of an inner world of unconscious conflict, and the notion that subjective experiences are meaningful and important, remain at the core of this view of human nature.
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Psychoanalysis was hostile to the idea of testing hypotheses through experiments. Neuroscience claimed to explain the brain but ignored its finest product: That is both a shame and an amazing intellectual opportunity, says the South African neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst Mark Solms, co-chair of the International Neuropsychoanalysis Society.The guides to anthropological theories and approaches listed below have been prepared by graduate students of the University of Alabama under the direction of Dr.
Michael D. Murphy. As always,!Caveat Retis Viator! (Let the Net Traveller Beware!). This is an electronic textbook ("e-text") created for my students in Personality Theories.
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Personality theories, types and tests Personality types, behavioural styles theories, personality and testing systems - for self-awareness, self-development, motivation, management, and recruitment.
It is our personality that makes us who we are, but how exactly do our personalities form? Personality development has been a major topic of interest for some of the most prominent thinkers in psychology.
Welcome to "Theories of Personality!" This course and "e-text" will examine a number of theories of personality, from Sigmund Freud's famous psychoanalysis to Viktor Frankl's logotherapy.
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Mike Patton Fanatic
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Tag Archives: concerning
Article: Latest Persecution News in Pakistan
Posted on May 19, 2012 by particularkev
The following link is to an article conerning the abduction and rape by three men of a young Christian girl in Pakistan.
For more visit:
http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue16267.html
Posted in Christianity, crime, Islam, Pakistan | Tagged abduction, article, Christian, Christianity, Christians, concerning, girl, Islam, men, Muslim, muslims, news, Pakistan, Persecution, rape, young | Leave a comment
Judges Rule Church in Bekasi, Indonesia Can Worship
Posted on September 18, 2010 by particularkev
Court revokes decree prohibiting Christian activities of HKBP Filadelfia.
JAKARTA, Indonesia, September 15 (CDN) — A court in West Java Province has revoked a local decree that forbade Christian activities of a church in Bekasi and has ordered officials to allow the Christians to establish a place of worship.
After months of conflict and legal battles, the State Administrative Court in Bandung on Sept. 3 revoked the Dec. 31, 2009 decree prohibiting Christian activities of Batak Christian Protestant Filadelfia Church (Huria Kristen Batak Protestant, or HKBP Filadelfia) in Jejalan village, Bekasi. The church had argued that the decree, along with the closure of their worship building on Jan. 12, resulted from pressure by Islamist groups that did not represent the wishes of the area residents.
The Rev. Palti Panjaitan of HKBP Filadelfia said he was happy that the church at last had found fair authorities who based their decisions on the rule of law, “unlike the regent of Bekasi, who often has been unjust in making a decision by tending to side with a small group of people.”
Since 2008 HKBP Filadelfia has sought permission for a place of worship from Bekasi Regent H. Sa’duddin, who declined to grant it under pressure from a small group of Islamists called the Forum Islamic Ummah Jejalen Raya Bekasi, according to church leaders. The group succeeded in pressuring the Bekasi district to seal the church’s temporary worship place on Jan. 12.
As a result, the church had been holding services on a strip of roadside land in front of the temporary site, using umbrellas to protect them from the intense heat of the sun and from sudden rainstorms.
The judges, identified only as Setiobudi, Irna, and Susilowati, ruled that the regent of Bekasi should issue a permit for the church to establish a place of worship.
“This point is important because if the regent of Bekasi does what the judge said, then we will build our church and no longer serve in the hot sun and the rains that sometimes come unexpectedly,” Pastor Panjaitan said.
He said the church will give notice to the area residents, government officials and security forces to accept the decision of the administrative court.
The regent was given 14 days to appeal, and a member of the church legal team, Parasian Hutasoit, said that the regent has no legal grounds to reject the judges’ decision.
“The decree of the regent of Bekasi is contrary to the constitution of 1945, which is the constitutional foundation of the Republic of Indonesia,” Hutasoit said. “The decree had violated Article 28 of the constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. Also, it was contrary to Article 29, which guarantees freedom of worship and Law No. 39, 1999, concerning human rights.”
HKBP Filadelfia is now able to worship in the building that was sealed by the regent in January, he said.
Regent Sa’duddin had ruled that the church needed to find a new place to construct its prospective permanent church building because local residents had rejected it – even though the church had secured approval from local residents when it submitted its application for a permit in 2008.
The local government never acted on the application, and Islamist organizations organized protests to pressure government officials to deny approval. The church on March 30 filed suit against Sa’duddin for unilaterally closing their building under construction.
Hutasoit said church leaders would try to approach the regent to discuss the matter further.
“We need not hurry to do that, because all that happens is God’s plan,” he said.
If efforts prove unsuccessful, then the church leaders will proceed to enforce the judges’ ruling through legal means, he said.
Posted in Christianity, Indonesia, Islam | Tagged 1945, 1999, 2008, ;province, able, accept, acted, activities, allow, appeal, application, approach, approval, area, argued, Article 28, Article 29, authorities, Bandung, based, Batak Christian Protestant Filadelfia Church, battles, Bekasi, build, building, called, Christian, Christianity, Christians, church, closure, concerning, conflict, constitution, constitutional, construct, construction, contrary, decision, decisions, declined, decree, deny, discuss, district, efforts, enforce, establish, fair, filed, find, forbade, forces, Forum Islamic Ummah Jejalen Raya Bekasi, found, foundation, freedom of religion, front, God, government, grant, grounds, groups, guarantees, H. Sa'duddin, happens, happy, heat, HKBP Filadelfia, holding, human rights, Huria Kristen Batak Protestant, hurry, identified, important, Indonesia, insuccessful, intense, IRNA, Islam, Islamist, issue, Jejalan, judges, land, last, Law No. 39, leaders, legal, local, making, matter, means, member, Muslim, muslims, needed, notice, officials, ordered, organizations, organized, Palti Panjaitan, Parasian Hutasoit, Pastor, people, permanent, permission, permit, Persecution, place, plan, point, pressure, pressuring, proceed, prohibiting, prospective, protect, protests, prove, rains, rainstorms, regent, reject, represent, Republic of Indonesia, residents, resulted, Rev, revokes, roadside, rule, rule of law, ruled, ruling, seal, secured, security, serve, services, Setiobudi, side, site, small, sought, State Administrative Court, strip, submitted, succeeded, sudden, suit, Sun, Susilowati, temporary, tending, umbrellas, unilaterally, unjust, unlike, using, village, violated, West Jave, wishes, worship | Leave a comment
Church Closure in Indonesia Called Unconstitutional at Hearing
Representative for HKBP congregation in West Java tells court sealing was illegal.
JAKARTA, Indonesia, June 18 (CDN) — In a hearing in its lawsuit against a local government, a representative for a church that Bekasi, West Java officials summarily closed earlier this year told an administrative court that the action was unconstitutional.
The Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP) Filadelfia church had filed a lawsuit on March 30 against the local government for its Jan. 12 sealing of the building under construction. Regent H. Sa’adudin on April 12 issued a decree to cease worship and other activities.
At a court hearing on June 2, the coordinator of the litigation team, Thomas Tampubolon, explained that the regent’s decree of Dec. 31, 2009 to seal the building conflicted with Indonesia’s 1945 constitution. He said the decree violated Article 28 of the constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.
“It also violates Article 29, which guarantees freedom of worship, and Law No. 39 (1999) concerning human rights,” Tampubolon said as he read the suit to an administrative court.
Tampubolon said that the decree also violated 2006 Joint Ministerial Decree No. 9 regarding the role of regional administrators in maintaining harmony between religious groups and in the construction of houses of worship.
Lastly, he said that the regent’s decree violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Indonesia ratified in 2005. The legal team requested that the Bandung Administrative Court issue an injunction staying the decree of the Bekasi regent.
Additionally, the team requested that the regent’s order be rescinded and that he be ordered to process the building permit request and to grant permission to construct a house of worship in accordance with current regulations.
Deddy Rohendi, a member of the regency defense team, replied that Tampubolon’s claims were false, and he requested that the court dismiss the suit.
“The regent’s decree was legal,” Rohendi said.
As the judges are considering the HKBP Filadelfia’s case, they are expected to travel to the village to interview citizens about the church building.
A member of the legal team who is also a member of the church, Parasian Hutasoit, said that the Filadelfia congregation was very upset with the Department of Religion and the Interfaith Harmony Forum because neither had acted upon the request for permission to build which was submitted on April 2, 2008.
“Our application has not been acted upon, and suddenly our church is sealed without clear reason,” he said.
Hutasoit said he regretted that the church had been forced to resort to court action. He added that he hopes the suit will force the government to show more care regarding the problem of places of worship and ensure the rights of groups such as HKBP Filadelfia that have obtained the required signatures of local people.
Harrassed
Prior to the hearing, Muslim opponents harassed the church’s Sunday worship, demonstrating against it on May 30, as they have on past occasions.
The group of women and children said they were from the Islamic Communications Forum of Jejalan Raya village. They gathered at 8 a.m. in order to hinder church members from worshipping in the area in front of the sealed building.
The Rev. Palti Panjaitan explained that the demonstration lasted about 15 minutes, ceasing after a community leader from Jejalan Raya village told the demonstrators they were causing a disturbance. Worship for the church is normally from 9 to 11 a.m.
“Only the building committee and the church leaders had come,” said Panjaitan.
He recounted that on May 27 the church learned a mob was going to demonstrate the next day and notified police.
“Apparently the demonstrators thought that because Friday was a holiday, we would have services,” Panjaitan said. “Actually, we did not have anything.”
He wished that the police would be more proactive about demonstrations. “As for the demonstrators, what more do they want? We have been forced to worship under the sky, on newspapers, in front of our sealed church, and they still demonstrate against us,” Panjaitan concluded.
On Jan. 3, a mob unrolled mats and sat in front of the church. “They wanted to keep us from worshipping,” Panjaitan said.
Seal Order
The Filadelfia Church was founded in April 2000 by Batak families in four village divisions in the North Bekasi area. They held Sunday worship in different homes on a rotating basis.
Citizens from the Islamic Communications Forum of Jejalan Raya village were disturbed by these house services. After the house services were banned, the congregation searched for a piece of land on which to build.
On June 15, 2007, HKBP Filadelfia was able to purchase land from a woman identified only as Sumiati. The Christians told her that they wished to build a church on the property, and Sumiati and her heirs signed affidavits stating that they agreed to this use. The Bekasi government issued the deed on Sept. 26, 2007.
After the purchase, the church began collecting signatures of local citizens in order to satisfy the requirements of 2006 Joint Ministerial Decrees No. 8 and No. 9 requiring at least 90 Christians and at least 60 non-Christians agreeing to construct a church building.
The church quickly obtained the required signatures, and on April 2, 2008 the head of Jejalan Raya village issued a letter recommending that the congregation be given a building permit. The letter was addressed to the Regent of Bekasi with copies to the Department of Religion, the Interfaith Harmony Forum and the District Officer of Tambun Utara (a sub-district of Bekasi).
Since then, nothing has been done. No building permit has been issued. Since Jan. 12 the Bekasi Regency Government has sealed the temporary building the church had been using. As a result, the congregation has been holding services in front of the building fence in the open air.
Umbrellas protect them from the tropical sun, where temperatures often reach 33 degrees Celsius (92 degrees Fahrenheit), and occasional rainstorms hit.
Posted in Christianity, Indonesia, Islam | Tagged 1945, 2000, 2005, 2006 Joint Ministerial Decree No. 9, 2007, 2008, 2009, accordance, acted, action, activities, addressed, administrative, administrators, affidavits, against, agreed, agreeing, application, area, Article 28, Article 29, Bandung Administrative Court, banned, basis, Batak, Bekasi, Bekasi Regency Government, between, build, building, building permit, called, care, case, causing, cease, ceasing, children, Christian, Christianity, Christians, church, citizens, claims, clear, closed, closure, collecting, committee, community, concerning, conflicted, congregation, considering, constitution, construction, coordinator, copies, court, current, decree, Deddy Rohendi, deed, defense, demonstrating, Department of Religion, different, dismiss, District Officer, disturbance, divisions, done, ensure, expected, explained, false, families, fence, filed, force, forced, founded, freedom of religion, Friday, front, given, government, grant, groups, guarantees, H. Sa'adudin, harassed, harmony, head, hearing, heirs, hinder, hit, HKBP, holding, holiday, homes, hopes, houses, human rights, Huria Kristen Batak Protestan Filadelfia Church, identified, illegal, Indonesia, injunction, Interfaith Harmony Forum, International Covenant on Civil and political Rights, interview, Islam, Islamic Communications Forum, issued, Jakarta, Jejalan Raya, judges, land, Law No. 39 (1999), lawsuit, leader, leaders, learned, legal, letter, litigation, local, maintaining, mats, member, mob, Muslim, muslims, newspapers, non-Christians, North Bekasi, nothing, notified, occasional, occasions, officials, open-air, opponents, ordered, Palti Panjaitan, Parasian Hutasoit, past, people, permission, Persecution, piece, places, police, prior, proactice, problem, process, property, protect, purchase, rainstorms, ratified, read, reason, recommending, recounted, regarding, regency, regent, regional, regretted, regulations, religious, representative, requested, requirements, rescinded, resort, result, Rev, rights, role, rotating, sat, satisfy, seal, sealing, searched, signatures, signed, sky, stating, staying, sub-district, submitted, suit, Sumiati, summarily, Sun, Sunday, Tambun Utara, team, temperatures, temporary, Thomas Tampubolon, travel, tropical, umbrellas, unconstitutional, unrolled, upset, use, using, very, village, violated, violates, West Java, wished, woman, women, worship, worshipping | Leave a comment
Baptist Church Ordains Gay Deacons
The Christian Post has recently posted an article on its website concerning the Texan Royal Lane Baptist Church and the ordination of gay deacons.
Read the article at:
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100529/dallas-baptist-church-ousted-over-gay-deacons/index.html
There is also an article in the Baptist Press at:
http://baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=33007
Posted in Baptist, Christianity, Homosexuality, Texas, The Church, USA | Tagged article, Baptist, church, concerning, deacons, gay, homosexual, Homosexuality, ordains, ordination, Royal Lane Baptist Church, Texan, Website | 1 Comment
Anglican leaders around globe decry ordination of lesbian bishop
In response to an openly gay woman being ordained a bishop in the Episcopal Church on Saturday, Anglican leaders from around the world decried the action as “gravely concerning and wrong,” with some adding that the move has “hurt and alienated” many within the Episcopal community, reports Catholic News Agency.
Fifty-five year-old Mary Glasspool, an openly parterned lesbian, was ordained a bishop at Long Beach arena on May 15. Some 3,000 people attended the ceremony which featured a procession with liturgical dancers in bright colored outfits, costumed dragons and drums, according to Virtue Online.
This recent move by the Episcopal church in the U.S. has caused tremendous controversy within the global Anglican church, prompting Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to issue a statement of caution when the announcement of Glasspool’s ordination was first made last year. He urged church leaders at the time to consider the “implications and consequences of this decision.” Archbishop Williams wrote in March that the Episcopal leaders’ later confirmation of Glasspool’s election as bishop-suffragen was “regrettable.”
Several world leaders within the Anglican community denounced Saturday’s ordination.
“The decision of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America to consecrate as a bishop a woman in a sexually active lesbian relationship is gravely concerning and wrong,” said Rev. Dr. H. William Godfrey, bishop of the the Anglican Church of Peru on May 15.
“It is impossible,” he added, “to know by what authority the Episcopal Church is taking this action. It is disobedient to the Word of God, to the teaching of the Church, and deeply hurtful and damaging to their Christian brothers and sisters.”
“It appears,” the bishop observed, “that their decision is being taken in accord with their instincts and feelings, and the ways of the liberal society in which they live, and that they have forgotten the moral values and teachings of the Holy Scriptures and their Church.”
A coalition of Evangelical Anglicans in Ireland issued a joint statement expressing support for those within the Episcopal community who feel “hurt and alienated” by Glasspool’s ordination.
“Many Christians of all traditions and denominations will share our sorrow and see Mary Glasspool’s consecration as a defiant rejection of pleas for restraint and, even more importantly, as a rejection of the pattern of holiness of life called for in Scripture and endorsed by believers over the centuries,” they wrote on Sunday.
Rev. Robinson Cavalcanti, Bishop of the Diocese of Recife in Brazil, said in a statement on May 15 that the ordination was “lamentable” and that it has caused “a de facto rupture” within the Anglican community.
The bishop of the Diocese of Caledonia, Rev. William Anderson, added that he “can only hope that the Archbishop of Canterbury will finally accept that bishops and national churches who choose to willfully ignore the teaching of the Anglican Communion and Holy Scripture, ought to suffer the natural consequence of choosing to go their own way – which is to say, that they ought to be considered to have left the Anglican Communion.”
Posted in Anglicans, Brazil, Christianity, Church of England, Episcopal Church of the U. S., Homosexuality, Pastoral Ministry, Peru, The Church, USA | Tagged accept, accord, action, active, alienated, Anglican, announcement, appears, Archbishop of Canterbury, arena, around, attended, authority, believers, bishop, bishop-suffragen, Brazil, bright, brothers, Caledonia, called, caused, caution, centuries, ceremony, choose, choosing, church, churches, Coalition, colored, community, concerning, confirmation, consecrate, consequences, consider, considered, controversy, costumed, damaging, dancers, de facto, decision, decried, decry, deeply, defiant, denominations, denounced, diocese, disobedient, Dr, Dragons, drums, election, endorsed, episcopal, Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church of the United States of America, Evangelical, expressing, featured, feel, feelings, finally, forgotten, gay, global, globe, go, gravely, H. William Godfrey, holiness, Holy, hope, hurt, hurtful, ignore, implications, importantly, impossible, instincts, Ireland, issue, issued, joint, lamentable, leaders, left, lesbian, Liberal, life, liturgical, live, Long Beach, Mary Glasspool, moral, move, national, natural, observed, openly, ordained, ordination, ought, outfits, own, partnered, pattern, people, Peru, pleas, procession, recent, Recife, regrettable, rejection, relationship, response, restraint, Rev, Robinson Cavalcanti, Rowan Williams, rupture, Scriptures, sexually, share, sisters, Society, sorrow, statement, suffer, support, teaching, traditions, tremendous, urged, USA, values, way, ways, willfully, William Anderson, within, woman, Word of God, world, wrong | Leave a comment
Rugby League: Some Thoughts on the Melbourne Storm
Posted on April 24, 2010 by particularkev
Like many rugby league fans I was stunned by the breaking news concerning the Melbourne Storm on Thursday evening. The Storm were never my number one team – that was Parramatta. However, the Storm were a team that I admired greatly, a brilliantly coached football team that had dominated rugby league in Australia for the last five years. They were the team to beat and they beat Parramatta in the Grand Final of 2009. Most fair-minded fans of the game were in awe of the Melbourne Storm and I used to love their football.
Now I feel cheated, as most rugby league fans do. Given the mighty resurgence of Parramatta in the lead up to last year’s Grand Final and their appearance in the Grand Final after some incredible wins in the finals, I felt the loss of the Grand Final along with the other Parramatta supporters – but the team had done their best and they hadn’t chocked.
Now we learn that they were playing an unfairly talent inflated team, paid for my illegal means and under the table payments, in total disregard of the salary cap rules that Parramatta and the other teams in the NRL were adhering to. The Parramatta team were playing a cheating team. Certainly many of the players and even some of the team management appear to have known nothing about the salary cap breaches. Yet by the actions of a few, the entire team were in fact cheats.
Parramatta have a right to feel cheated out of a premiership last year and Manly two years before that. These teams didn’t win the Grand Finals they played in, they lost them, so they don’t deserve the premiership title either. But it would have been a fairer opportunity for premiership glory to have been playing on a level playing field.
Shame on Melbourne – what hollow victories you had in 2007 and 2009, and what hollow minor premierships you gained from 2006 to 2008. At the moment I believe the Storm should be removed from the NRL completely – however, in time that view will be tempered, should the stories of players and officials of the Storm not knowing about the cheating prove true. At the moment however, it is difficult to believe that more people within the Melbourne Storm didn’t know about the cheating – including the players who received the extra payments.
More is to be revealed concerning this story in days to come I think.
Posted in Australia, Melbourne, news, Rugby League, sport | Tagged 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, actions, adhering, admired, appear, appearance, Australia, awe, beat, believe, best, big, breaches, breaking news, brilliantly, cheated, cheating, cheats, chocked, coached, completely, concerning, deserve, devastated, difficult, disregard, dominated, entire, extra, fact, fair-minded, fairer, fans, feel, felt, few, field, finals, football, gained, Game, glory, Grand Final, greatly, hollow, illegal, including, incredible, inflated, known, lead, learn, level, loss, lost, love, management, Manly, means, Melbourne, mighty, minor, moment, news, nothing, NRL, number, officials, one, opportunity, paid, Parramatta, payments, penalties, people, played, players, playing, premiership, prove, received, removed, resurgence, revealed, right, Rugby League, rules, salary cap, shame, stories, storm, story, stunned, supporters, table, talent, team, tempered, thoughts, time, title, Total, true, under, unfairly, up, used, victories, view, wins | Leave a comment
American arrested in Britain for declaring homosexuality is sin
An American street preacher has been arrested and fined £1000 in Glasgow for telling passersby, in answer to a direct question, that homosexual activity is a sin. Shawn Holes was kept in jail overnight on March 18, and in the morning pled guilty to charges that he had made “homophobic remarks…aggravated by religious prejudice,” reports Hilary White,LifeSiteNews.com.
Holes, a 47 year-old former wedding photographer from Lake Placid, New York, was in Glasgow as part of a preaching tour of Britain with a group of British and American colleagues. He said, “I was talking generally about Christianity and sin.”
“I only talked about these other issues because I was specifically asked. There were homosexuals listening – around six or eight – who were kissing each other and cuddling, and asking ‘What do you think of this?’” A group of homosexuals approached police with a complaint. Holes later said that the situation seemed like a “set-up by gay campaigners.”
“When asked directly about homosexuality, I told them homosexuals risked the wrath of God unless they accepted Christ.”
The charge, under the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, has angered freedom of speech advocates in Britain and has even been criticized by homosexualist campaigner Peter Tatchell who called the £1,000 “totally disproportionate.” Local Christians supporting the preaching ministry took up a collection and paid the fine.
Tatchell told the Daily Mail, “The price of freedom of speech is that we sometimes have to put up with opinions that are objectionable and offensive. Just as people should have the right to criticize religion, people of faith should have the right to criticize homosexuality. Only incitements to violence should be illegal.”
Holes relates that at the same time he had been asked for his views on Islam and had said he believed there is only one true Christian God and that the Prophet Mohammed is a “sinner like the rest of us.”
He said that two men who were listening spoke to police officers who approached him and said, “These people say you said homos are going to Hell.”
“I told them I would never say that, because I don’t use the term homo. But I was arrested.”
Peter Kearney, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Glasgow told the Scotsman, “We supported [hate crime] legislation but it is very difficult to see how this man can be charged for expressing a religious conviction.
“The facts of this case show his statement was clearly his religious belief. Yes, it is strong language he has used, but it is obviously a religious conviction and not a form of discrimination.”
Gordon Macdonald, of Christian Action Research and Education for Scotland, said, “This is a concerning case. I will be writing to Chief Constable Stephen House of Strathclyde Police for clarification of the guidance given to police officers in these situations.”
In related news, a district judge has thrown out the case against another street preacher, Paul Shaw, who was arrested on February 19 in Colchester over comments he made about homosexual activity. Shaw, who did not plead guilty, said, “I’ve preached regularly for about three or four years without incident.
“In four years, I’ve only dealt with homosexuality about twice.” Shaw told the judge that he was obliged to act according to his conscience and that homosexuality was a significant issue in Britain today. The case was dismissed through lack of evidence and written testimony from complainants.
Shaw said, “My reasons were twofold. Firstly, there is a consequence for the country and society if society does not appreciate the difference between right and wrong, particularly noticeable by homosexuality.
“As a nation, we are coming under God’s judgment not very far away in the future and there will be terrible consequences for this if it is not made unlawful again. Secondly, on a personal level, as with all other sins, it needs to be repented of in order to enter the Kingdom of God.”
District Judge David Cooper told Shaw, “There are other sorts of ‘sins’. Do you think you could concentrate on those for a bit?”
Meanwhile, a new study conducted on behalf of religious think-tank Theos has shown that nearly 1/3 of British people think that Christians are being marginalized and religious freedom has been restricted. The report’s author Professor Roger Trigg, wrote, “A free society should never be in the business of muzzling religious voices, let alone in the name of democracy or feigned neutrality.”
“We also betray our heritage and make our present position precarious if we value freedom, but think that the Christian principles which have inspired the commitment of many to democratic ideals are somehow dispensable,” Professor Trigg said.
Posted in Christianity, Homosexuality, Islam, Roman Catholicism, United Kingdom, USA | Tagged accepted, activity, advocates, aggravated, American, angered, answer, appreciate, approached, arrested, author, behalf, belief, believed, betray, Britain, British, business, called, campaigners, case, charges, Chief Constable, Christ, Christian Action Research and Education for Scotland, clarification, clearly, Colchester, colleagues, collection, coming, comments, committment, complainants, complaint, concentrate, concerning, conducted, conscience, consequence, consequences, conviction, country, crime, Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, criticize, criticized, cuddling, Daily Mail, David Cooper, dealt, declaring, democracy, Democratic, difference, difficult, direct, Discrimination, dismissed, dispensable, disproportionate, district, enter, evidence, expressing, facts, faith, feigned, fine, fined, form, former, freedom, freedom of speech, future, gay, generally, given, Glasgow, God, going, Gordon Macdonald, group, guidance, guilty, hate, hell, heritage, homophobic, homos, homosexual, homosexualist, Homosexuality, ideals, illegal, incident, incitements, inspired, Islam, issue, issues, jail, judge, judgment, kept, Kingdom, kissing, lack, Lake Placid, language, legislation, level, listening, local, man, marginalized, men, ministry, Mohammed, morning, Muslim, muslims, muzzling, name, nation, needs, neutrality, new, New York, news, noticeable, objectionable, obliged, obviously, offensive, officers, one, opinions, order, overnight, paid, part, particularly, passersby, Paul Shaw, people, personal, Peter Kearney, Peter Tatchell, photographer, plead, pled, police, position, preached, preacher, preaching, precarious, prejudice, present, price, principles, professor, prophet, question, reasons, regularly, related, relates, religion, religious, religious freedom, remarks, repented, report, rest, restricted, right, risked, Roger Trigg, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholics, Scotsman, set up, Shawn Holes, show, shown, significant, sin, sinner, sins, situation, Society, sorts, specifically, spoke, spokesman, statement, Stephen House, Strathclyde, street, strong, study, supporting, talking, telling, term, terrible, testimony, Theos, think, think tank, thrown, totally, tour, true, twofold, under, United Kingdom, unlawful, unless, USA, used, value, very, views, violence, voices, wedding, wrath, writing, written, wrong, wrote | Leave a comment
Christian Who Fled Iran Wins Asylum in Kenya
Posted on March 20, 2010 by particularkev
Judge rules Iranian convert from Islam requires protection from persecutors.
NAIROBI, Kenya, March 15 (CDN) — Mohammad Azbari, a Christian convert from Islam who has fled to Kenya, knows what it’s like to be deported back to his native Iran.
When it happened in 2007, he said, Iranian authorities pressured the government of Norway to return him and his wife Gelanie Azbari to Iran after hearing rumors that he had forsaken Islam.
“When we arrived in Iran, we were interrogated by security and severely beaten,” he told Compass in Nairobi, where he and his family fought to persuade the Kenyan government to decline Iran’s demand to deport him back. “My son got scared and began urinating on himself.”
A cousin managed to secure their release, but not before Iranian authorities had taken valuable – and incriminating – possessions.
“They took everything that I had – laptop, camera and some of my valuables which contained all my details, such as information concerning my baptism, and my entire profile, including that of my family,” Azbari said.
Azbari had been employed in the Iranian army before fleeing, he said, and authorities were monitoring his movements because they were concerned that, having left Islam, he might betray his country and reveal government secrets.
When he and his Christian wife, a native of the Philippines, first fled Iran in 2000, he was still a Shia Muslim. The previous year authorities had arrested his wife after finding a Christmas tree in their house in Tehran; Azbari was not home at the time and thus escaped arrest, but as authorities took his wife away they left their then 3-year-old son unattended.
“I was put in a small cell for two days,” Gelanie Azbari told Compass, through tears. “While in the cell two police guards raped me. It was the worst of all the nights I have had in my lifetime. Since that time I have been sick both physically and mentally.”
Authorities soon took her husband in for interrogation, suspecting he was a spy for foreign states.
Still a Muslim, Azbari allowed his wife to follow her Christian faith. He had grown accustomed to watching her pray as a Christian and watch the Jesus Film. As time went by, he developed an urge to embrace Christianity. They started reading the Bible together.
The idea of trusting in and following Christ filled him with fear, as it was against the law to convert from Islam – it would mean losing his life, he said.
“I started questioning our leaders, who see themselves as God,” he said. “The claim of Jesus as the prophet as well as the Word and spirit of God is indicated in the Quran. When I read in the Gospels of Jesus giving people rest, it made me want to decide to accept him as my Lord and Savior.”
Sensing danger, the family fled to the Netherlands in 2000, and it was there that Azbari embraced Christianity. In 2003 the family left the Netherlands for Norway.
Azbari was an avid student of his new-found Lord; while in Norway, he became seminary teacher of Christology.
Throughout, Azbari said, the Iranian government had been monitoring his movements. In 2007 Iranian officials persuaded the Norwegian government to send him, together with his wife and son Reza Azbari, back to Iran.
After their interrogation and mistreatment upon arrival in Iran, Azbari managed to call his sister, who connected him with the army general cousin who helped secure their release. His sister took them in, but his brother in-law was not happy with their Christian prayers; he began quarreling with his wife, Azbari’s sister.
“They began looking for trouble for us,” Azbari said. “Sensing danger, we then left the home and went to find a place to stay. Everywhere we tried to book in we were rejected, since we were people who had been deported.”
They began attending a church made up primarily of foreigners, where Azbari’s wife and son felt more at home than he did. His army general cousin found out and, angry that they had sought refuge in a church after he had secured their release, grew furious.
“He was very angry, as they had also discovered this information from the laptop they had confiscated and threatened that I should be arrested,” Azbari said. “I then decided to move to central Iran to look for employment, leaving my family behind.”
The couple felt they could not go to Gelanie Azbari’s homeland as the Philippines has such friendly relations with Iran, he said.
“To go back to Philippines or Iran is quite unsafe for us,” Azbari said.
In October 2009, his sister notified him that police were looking for him and his family.
“I then decided to flee the country through Turkey, then to Kenya where I was arrested and then deported to Turkey,” Azbari said. “In Turkey they could not allow me to enter the country, hence I was returned to Kenya.”
They were arrested in January for illegal entry into Kenya. On March 4, a judge at Chief Magistrate Court No. 3 of Kenya dropped the charges against him, declaring that Azbari required international protection from his persecutors. The court also directed that Azbari be given back all his documents and the 10,000 Kenyan Shillings ($US130) in bail he had deposited.
They had applied for asylum with the United Nations. Appearing before the court on behalf of Azbari on Jan. 15, a representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees had argued that he deserved asylum because his religious status had forced him to flee from his country of origin. On March 4 the court found that Azbari and his family require international protection under Section 82 of the laws of Kenya, and he was set free.
“We have witnessed the love of God and the sacrifices of what it means to love one in word and deed,” Azbari said moments after the decision. “We saw the love of Christ from the people who understood and stood with us.”
He thanked friends who introduced his family to Nairobi Pentecostal Church, which provided them spiritual strength. Three attorneys represented Azbari: Wasia Masitsa, a legal officer for the Urban Refugee Intervention Program; Christian lawyer John Swaka; and Laban Osoro of the United Nations. Rene Kiamba of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce had helped him post bail.
Posted in Christianity, Iran, Islam, Kenya, Netherlands/Holland, Norway, Pentecostalism, Philippines, Turkey, United Nations | Tagged 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009, accept, accustomed, against, allowed, angry, applied, argued, army, arrest, arrested, arrival, arrived, asylum, attending, attorneys, authorities, avid, bail, baptism, beaten, began, behind, betray, Bible, book, brother-in-law, call, camera, cell, central, charges, Chief Magistrate Court No. 3, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Christians, Christmas, Christology, church, claim, concerning, confiscated, connected, contained, convert, country, cousin, danger, decide, decided, decision, declaring, decline, deed, demand, deported, deposited, deserved, details, developed, directed, discovered, documents, dropped, embrace, employed, employment, enter, entire, entry, escaped, faith, family, fear, filled, film, finding, first, fled, flee, fleeing, follow, forced, foreign, foreigners, forsaken, fought, free, friendly, friends, furious, Gelanie Azbari, general, giving, God, gospels, government, grew, grown, guards, happened, happy, hearing, helped, himself, home, homeland, house, husband, idea, illegal, including, incriminating, indicated, information, international, International Christian Chamber of Commerce, interrogated, interrogation, introduced, Iran, Iranian, Islam, Jesus, John Swaka, judge, Kenya, Kenyan, Laban Osoro, laptop, law, laws, lawyer, leaders, leaving, left, lifetime, looking, Lord, losing, love, managed, mean, means, mentally, mistreatment, Mohammad Azbari, monitoring, movements, Muslim, muslims, Nairobi, Nairobi Pentecostal Church, native, Netherlands, new-found, nights, Norway, Norwegian, notified, officer, officials, origin, people, Persecution, persecutors, persuade, persuaded, Philippines, physically, place, police, possessions, post, pray, prayers, pressured, primarily, profile, prophet, protection, provided, quarreling, questioning, Quran, raped, read, reading, refuge, rejected, relations, release, religious, Rene Kiamba, representative, represented, requires, rest, return, reveal, Reza Azbari, rules, rumours, sacrifices, Saviour, scared, secrets, section 82, secure, security, seminary, send, sensing, set, severely, Shia, shillings, sick, Sister, small, son, sought, spirit, spiritual, spy, started, states, status, stay, strength, student, suspecting, teacher, tears, Tehran, thanked, threatened, together, tree, tried, trouble, trusting, Turkey, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, unattended, United Nations, unsafe, Urban Refugee Intervention Program, urge, urinating, valuable, waqnt, Wasia Masitsa, watch, watching, wife, wins, witnessed, Word, worst | Leave a comment
Why Bhutan’s Royalists Fear Christianity
Posted on February 11, 2010 by particularkev
Social, political factors behind country’s reluctance to allow Christianity to grow
THIMPHU, Bhutan, February 1 (CDN) — Bars, pubs and discos have become legal in Bhutan – a cause of concern for the older generation – but construction of worship buildings other than Buddhist or Hindu temples is still prohibited.
The prohibition remains in force even though Christians abide by Bhutan’s codes of conduct, speaking the Dzongkha language as well as the Nepali language at church gatherings, and wearing the national dress.
The National Assembly of Bhutan banned the practice of non-Buddhist and non-Hindu religions through edicts in 1969 and in 1979. But Christians do meet for Sunday worship, with attendance of more than 100 Christians in an underground church not unusual.
Why are Christians seen as a greater threat to the culture of the nation than the “democracy disco culture,” as one government official described the emerging subculture among the Bhutanese youth? It is believed that Christianity will create religious tensions in the country.
“There are reasons why Christianity is not being tolerated in the country,” said a former high government official who requested anonymity. “Look at the communal tensions in India and Nepal. Christianity can divide the Bhutanese society as well.”
He mentioned two incidents that appeared in the Bhutanese press last year, one in which 13 Christians allegedly hanged a woman they had accused of being a witch, and a suicide by a Hindu man who reportedly left a note saying his Christian wife and children were pressuring him to convert.
Christians here said these were isolated incidents that they strongly condemned.
“A majority of believers in Bhutan are not educated and are from lower economic backgrounds,” said the pastor of an underground church. “When open preaching is not allowed, this is what happens.”
Sound Christian teaching remains lacking, he said. There is a tremendous need for good Christian teaching and general education among the Christians in Bhutan, said the pastor.
“But little can be done given the restrictions we face here.”
Christians are only allowed to pray if someone is sick among their acquaintances, he added.
The government also fears that Christianity could cause societal tensions because of the general misconception that Christians lure others to the faith with money; converts are viewed with suspicion, said a government official on condition of anonymity.
“There should be one religion in one nation,” said the official, adding that religious freedom should be allowed only after educating people.
Threat from Within
Bhutanese officials are no strangers to religious conflict.
“You must also understand that the kind of Buddhism practiced in Bhutan is a minority sect within the two Buddhist divisions,” said the former government official.
A majority of Buddhists in Bhutan practice Vajrayāna Buddhism, also known as Tantric Buddhism, and belong to the larger Mahayana sect, one of the two major divisions of the religion along with the Theravada sect.
Theravada Buddhism has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asian countries, including Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Mahayana is practiced in a few East Asian countries, including Japan.
Unlike Theravada, which is more individualistic in its motivation, Mahayana Buddhism involves an aspiration to achieve enlightenment not only for one’s own sake, but for the sake of all “sentient” beings.
“There is a perceived threat to the Buddhist sect in Bhutan from the more powerful Theravada division,” said the source, without divulging more about the clash within Buddhism. “In such a scenario, how can you expect the government to willingly open doors to Christianity, which too is a threat?”
Of Bhutan’s more than 670,000 people, Christians are estimated to range in number between 3,000 and 6,000. Around 75 percent of the people practice Buddhism, and roughly 22 percent are Hindus, mostly of Nepali origin.
Monarchy and Buddhism
Religion is so closely linked to the monarchy in Bhutan that one cannot exist without the other.
The national flag of Bhutan, which consists of a white dragon over a yellow and orange background, also has religion in it. While the yellow half represents civil and political powers of the King, the orange signifies monastic traditions of Buddha’s teachings.
The religious link is protected in the new constitution, which was adopted in March 2008. Article 2 notes that the dual powers of religion and politics shall be unified in the person of the king, “who, as a Buddhist, shall be the upholder of the Chhoe-sid,” the traditional dual system of governance characterized by the sharing of power between the religious and political heads of the country.
Given that the king embodies religious and political authority, the common people worship him.
Additionally, Buddhism is woven into the national fabric. Bhutan is the only country in the world that employs a “Gross National Happiness” (GNH) equation to measure its people’s level of happiness, and the GNH assumes that all citizens are Buddhist. Respondents to the GNH survey are asked questions concerning “spiritual activities like meditation and prayers, and consideration of karmic effects in daily life.”
The introduction of democracy in Bhutan did not involve disturbing the religious and cultural status quo. While former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who served from 1972 to 2006, brought democracy to Bhutan without any demand for it, people believe his intentions were far from transforming the country into a full democracy.
It is believed that the political turmoil in neighboring Nepal partly influenced King Singye Wangchuck’s decision to make the country, at least on paper, a constitutional monarchy after over 100 years of absolute monarchy. A decade-long civil war led by the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist – which took more than 12,000 lives – is believed to be behind the abolition of the royal parliamentary system and the adoption of a socialist republic in Nepal. In 2006 the then-king of Nepal, Gyanendra, agreed to relinquish sovereign power to the people.
All sources in Bhutan confirmed that the present king, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (selected in 2006 but not crowned until 2008), was still the supreme ruler. Perhaps this is why both the ruling Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (Bhutan Peace and Prosperity) Party and the opposition People’s Democratic Party are royalists.
Pictures of kings of Bhutan are found everywhere in the country – in homes, shops, hotels, underground churches and on street walls. Many large posters with the kings’ pictures carrying the inscription “Kings of our Hearts” can be seen along the streets. Even public buses have “Our Kings Forever” painted on them.
“But you cannot expect things to change overnight,” said the former government official. “It’s not wise to allow development without any bridle. Things are improving slowly.
Added an optimistic source, “Freedom in the real sense of the word and in all spheres is bound to come to Bhutan. It’s just a matter of time.”
Posted in Asia, Bhutan, Buddhism, Cambodia, Christianity, Hinduism, India, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand | Tagged 1969, 1972, 1979, 2006, 2008, abide, abolition, absolute, accused, achieve, acquaintances, activities, adopted, adoption, agreed, allegedly, allow, allowed, anonymity, appeared, article 2, Asian, asked, aspiration, assumes, attendance, authority, background, backgrounds, banned, bars, behind, beings, believe, believed, believers, between, Bhutan, Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party, Bhutanese, bound, bridle, brought, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, Buddhists, buildings, Burma, buses, Cambodia, cannot, carrying, cause, change, characterized, Chhoe-sid, children, Christian, Christianity, Christians, church, churches, citizens, civil, Civil War, clash, closely, codes, common, communal, Communism, communist, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, communists, concern, concerning, condemned, condition, conduct, confirmed, conflict, consideration, consists, constitution, constitutional, construction, convert, converts, countries, country, create, crowned, cultural, culture, daily, decision, demand, democracy, described, development, discos, disturbing, divide, divisions, divulging, doors, dragon, dress, Druk Phuensum Tshogpa, dual, Dzongkha, east, economic, edicts, educated, educating, education, effects, embodies, emerging, employs, enlightenment, equation, estimated, everywhere, exist, expect, fabric, factors, faith, fear, flag, following, force, former, found, freedom, full, gatherings, general, generation, GNH, good, governance, government, greater, Gross National Happiness, grow, Gyanendra, half, hanged, happens, happiness, heads, high, Hindu, Hinduism, Hindus, homes, hotels, improving, incidents, including, India, individualistic, influenced, inscription, intentions, introduction, involve, involves, isolated, Japan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, karmic, king, King of our Hearts, kings, lacking, language, Laos, large, larger, led, left, legal, level, life, link, linked, lives, lower, lure, Mahayana, major, majority, man, matter, measure, meditation, meet, mentioned, minority, misconception, monarchy, monastic, money, motivation, nation, national, National Assembly of Bhutan, need, neighboring, Nepal, Nepali, new, non-Buddhist, non-Hindu, note, notes, number, official, older, open, opposition, optimistic, orange, origin, Our kings Forever, overnight, own, painted, paper, parliamentary, partly, party, Pastor, people, People's Democratic Party, perceived, Persecution, person, pictures, political, posters, powerful, powers, practice, practiced, pray, prayers, preaching, present, press, pressuring, prohibited, prohibition, protected, public, pubs, questions, range, real, reasons, religion, religions, religious, religious freedom, relinquish, reluctance, remains, represents, Republic, requested, respondents, restrictions, royal, royalists, ruler, ruling, sake, saying, scenario, sect, selected, sense, sentient, served, sharing, shops, sick, signifies, slowly, social, socialist, societal, Society, sound, source, southeast, sovereign, speaking, spheres, spiritual, Sri Lanka, status quo, strangers, street, streets, strongly, subculture, suicide, Sunday, supreme, survey, suspicion, system, Tantric, teaching, teachings, temples, tensions, Thailand, Theravada, Thimphu, threat, time, tolerated, traditional, traditions, transforming, tremendous, turmoil, underground, unified, unusual, upholder, Vajrayyana, viewed, walls, wearing, white, widespread, wife, willingly, wise, witch, within, woman, Word, world, worship, woven, yellow, youth | Leave a comment
King Herod the Great: Tomb Discovered?
Posted on November 27, 2009 by particularkev
The following video is a news report concerning the tomb of Herod the Great:
Posted in Archaeology, Bible, Israel, Jews | Tagged concerning, discovered, Herod, Herod the Great, king, King Herod, news, report, tomb, video | 1 Comment
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Home » News » Getting to know the candidates: Casey Cooper
Getting to know the candidates: Casey Cooper
The primary election is on Aug. 7, and the General Election is Nov. 6. This candidate supplied a photo and answers to a set of questions posed by the Post-Register.
Casey Cooper
Candidate for Grant County Treasurer, a four-year term.
Why are you running for office?
The Treasurer’s office has long had a reputation for poor service to the public, and more recently, poor cooperation and communication with the other county offices and taxing districts. I hope to bring the necessary leadership to solve those problems as well as returning an attitude of servant-hood that should be evident in a public servant.
What are the largest issues to deal with in the office?
The Treasurer’s office has been accused of providing poor and inconsistent quality of service. The Treasurer has been accused of not communicating or cooperating well with the other county officers and taxing districts. Both of these issues stem from poor leadership and cost the county, municipalities, and the people of this county, time and money. I have the leadership experience to bring service back and work with the other county officers and taxing districts to provide the quality services that our county deserves.
How would your service in office affect the Quincy Valley?
I would improve the customer service experience and work toward implementing electronic title transfer and electronic recording, as well as working to eliminate the fees related to electronic pay-ments. All of these things are available in nearby counties and are not cost prohibitive.
What are your top qualifications for the office?
I have BA in Business Administration with a minor in Coaching. This uniquely qualifies me as an administrator and mentor for the office staff. I have also been teaching the principles of servant leadership to young men for 21 years through the Royal Ranger program. I am a Navy veteran and have served as Fire and EMS incident command. All organized leadership courses teach that the span of control for a leader is 5-8 people. The idea of an elected treasurer that does the daily office work along with the other employees is antithetical to good leadership, and is most likely why the office has the problems we are currently having to deal with.
What else would you like Quincy Valley voters to know?
I plan to mentor and train the current office staff in the art and skill of servant-leadership. I plan to modernize the office to make paying taxes less painful and more convenient, and to have a consistent, positive dialog between myself and the other county officers. I want to work with the Assessor and the Auditor to improve the flow of work through our offices, to bring the offices into the age of electronic filing and recording, and to find the most cost effective way to do these things that will serve the community better. I want to come up with a unified proposal between all the offices that will meet those needs, for the approval of the County Commissioners.
The best way to contact you:
For more information, to make a donation, or to request a sign: www.cooper4treasurer.com
To ask questions: Facebook Message “Casey Cooper for Treasurer”
The Wenatchee World
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'Nikos Loukas','Private tours in Athens Greece','Minivan Minibus Taxi tours and transfers','private tours and transportation'
You are here: Home TWO DAYS ARGOLIS TOUR
TWO DAY ARGOLIS TOUR
This tour gives you the opportunity to explore the antiquities and beauties of Argolis leisurely, with an overnight stay in the picturesque town of Nafplion.
Leaving Athens behind we drive on the coastal road towards the West. Our first stop, after approximately one hour, is the Corinth Canal. There we’ll make a short stop, enough to see the Canal, (approximately 6 km long connecting the Aegean with the Ionian Sea) take photos and visit the local cafeteria. Twenty minutes later we’ll arrive at the small town of Ancient Corinth where we’ll visit the archaeological site with the unique monolithic Temple of Apollo (one of the oldest in Greece 585 B.C.,) the Bema from where St. Paul preached and the Museum.
Driving afterwards through the hills of Corinth, among thousands of olive trees and vineyards, we’ll arrive at the prefecture of Argolis where we’ll visit the archaeological site of Mycenae.
Mycenae, 'Rich in Gold', was the kingdom of mythical Agamemnon who dominated the Aegean Sea after the distraction of the Minoan Empire. The city looks out across the plain of Argos to the sea. Its elevated position and its huge Cyclopean Walls offered protection from surprise attacks by pirates and enemies. At the peak of its power (1300 B.C.) the population resided outside the fortress where the Royal Family had its Palace. The Palace, symbol of the power of the Mycenaean rulers, was reached by a large ramp beginning at the Lions Gate.
Outside the fortress lie the impressive beehive tombs including that ascribed to Agamemnon also known as the Treasury of Atreas.
After concluding our visit to Mycenae we’ll drive through the plain of Argos among endless farms of orange trees and forty minutes later we’ll arrive to the picturesque town of Nafplion (First capital of modern Greece from 1829 to 1834).
Nafplion is the most ancient city in Greece. According to the myth it was founded by Theseas who first conceived the idea of organized cities where people could live together. The city lies under the imposing rocks of Palamide the most formidable Venetian castle in the Eastern Mediterranean. The smaller Castle of Acronafplia (where the ancient city was founded) crowns Naflion and at the entrance of the harbor, in the Argolic Gulf, there is yet another, third Castle Bourtzi, situated on a small islet.
We’ll arrive at the hotel and the afternoon will be free to explore the old medieval quarter with the traditional restaurants hidden in the narrow, stone paved streets and the port with all the modern cafeterias with view to the Bourtzi Castle.
Alternatively you can enjoy swimming in the beaches near by. (Weather permitting).
After breakfast we leave the hotel to visit Palamide fortress. Here you will have a choice of either climbing the authentic stairway of 999 steps to the entrance of the castle or driving directly to the top!
Leaving Nafplion and driving through the winding roads of Argolis we are going to visit Epidaurus, famous for its ancient Theatre and the sanctuary of Asclepios.
The sanctuary of Asclepios was a healing centre as well as a cultural centre in ancient times. Epidaurus was built around the 4th Century B.C. and has a multitude of buildings most famous of which is the ancient Theatre of Epidaurus.
The Theatre of Epidaurus has reached our days almost intact. The view, aesthetics and acoustics of the theatre are breathtaking. It’s still in use today and hosts carefully selected theatrical plays, concerts, and festivals during the summer. For an actor to perform in the Theatre of Epidaurus is considered the greatest honour and the ultimate acknowledgement of his or her talent, if he wins over the tough audience.
After concluding our visit to Epidaurus, we’ll start out return trip to Athens.
All our private tours are flexible. It is always up to you to change the itinerary according to your wishes.
Admission fees, hotel and food are not included in the price of the trip
Sites’ Opening Hours
From 1st April until 31 October
From 01.11.2007 to 31.03.2008
Admission tickets to the sites:
Ancient Corinth: 8 euros including the Museum
Mycenae: 12 euros including the Tomb of Agamemnon
Epidaurus: 12 euros including the Museum
Reduced admission (50%) for visitors (Original passport or copy necessary)
Between 6-25 years old, from countries outside the E.U.
Senior citizens of the E.U. aged over 65
Everybody from Nov. 1st to March 31st
Free admission for visitors (Original passport or copy necessary)
Up to 25 years old from countries of the E.U
Children up to 5 years old from countries outside the E.U
Highschool & University students over 25 years old from countries of the E.U. (a certificate from the educational institution certifying tuition and its duration is necessary)
Days of free admission for all to archaeological sites & public Museums
• March 6 (In Memory of Melina Mercouri)
• April 18 (International Monuments Day)
• May 18 (International Museums Day)
• The last weekend of September (European Heritage Days)
• Oct. 28 (National Holiday)
• First Sunday of every month, from Nov. 1st to March 31st
1 January: closed
6 January: 08:30 - 15:00
Shrove Monday: 08:30 - 15:00
25 March: closed
Greek Orhodox Good Friday: 12:00 - 15:00
Greek Orhodox Good Saturday: 08:30 - 15:00
Greek Orhodox Easter Sunday: closed
Greek Orhodox Easter Monday: 08:30 - 15:00
May 1: closed
Holy Spirit Day: 08:30 - 15:00
15 August: 08:30 - 15:00
28 October: 08:30 - 15:00
25 December: closed
CORPORATE - BUSINESS
PRIVATE TOURS LIST
Athens Region
Central and Northern Greece
Mixed Tours
PELOPONNESE LIST
HALF DAY TO CORINTH
ARGOLIS FULL DAY TOUR
TWO DAYS ARGOLIS TOUR
ARGOLIS and OLYMPIA TWO or THREE DAYS
ARGOLIS-BASSAE-OLYMPIA (Three Days Tour)
ANCIENT CORINTH & OLYMPIA DAY TOUR
Contact us about this tour
nikosloukas@privategreecetours.com
nikosloukas1@gmail.com
Calling from: USA-CANADA:01130 - AUSTRALIA:00113 - EUROPE:0030
Copyright © 2019 Private Greece Tours. All Rights Reserved.
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Please log in to watch films (restrictions may apply)
Mon Souffle
Jihane Chouaib
France, Switzerland, Belgium, Lebanon
Busan IFF
Nada is going home. Or at least she wants to. When she comes back to Lebanon, she realizes she’s a foreigner in her own country. But there’s still a place she calls home: an abandoned house in ruins, haunted by the presence of her grandfather who disappeared mysteriously during the civil war. Something happened in this house. Something violent. A young woman searching for the truth and discovering herself.
Crime / Murder
Labels & Line Ups
TorinoFilmLab
Maximilien Seweryn
Francois Nour
Tommaso Fiorilli
Ludo Troch
Beatrice Wick
Bachar Khalife
PARAISO PRODUCTION DIFFUSION
WIDE MANAGEMENT
A fascinating premise.
Boyd van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter
A thoughtful and thought-provoking picture.
Wendy Ide, Screen Daily
Screen Daily Wendy Ide
Jihane Chouaib was born in Beirut just before the Lebanese Civil War, and spent her childhood in Mexico. She studied Philosophy and Theatre in France. Chouaib has directed five short films, including the critically acclaimed FROM UNDER LY BED (2005), which was presented at the Semaine de la critique at the Festival de Cannes. In 2012, her feature documentary DREAM COUNTRY was released in France. It was hailed in the press as “intensely emotional”, “a beautiful and sensitive film with universal testimonies about exile” and “a poetic manifesto”. GO HOME is her latest film.
From Under My Bed
GO_HOME_-_affiche.jpg
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Pain remains for couple victimized by 'friend'
JoAnne Marez — Dec 12th, 1993
By Joanne Marez
Talking about it, more than a decade later, still is like rubbing salt on a fresh wound.
Wilma Jordan still misses her house, Jim Jordan still mentally kicks himself, and both are acutely embarrassed.
Despite the passage of years, the Port Orchard couple still feels the effects of being victimized by a smoothtalking confidence man.
Today they live in an apartment instead of their charming little house on Division Street. Wilma works instead of staying home and enjoying her grandchildren.
But they are willing to dredge up old memories if it saves even one other couple from falling prey to someone like Roger Turner.
Turner, who operated a solar heating company, befriended Jim Jordan in a Port Orchard coffee shop several years ago, talked Jordan into going to work for him with the promise of $20 an hour and wound up bilking the couple out of their home.
"That guy could sell you a dollar bill for $2.25 and buy it back the next day for 50 cents," Jim Jordan said, shaking his head sadly.
Turner had all the trappings of a successful businessman -- fancy office, nice furniture, a cellular phone, copier. And he talked a good game.
Jordan completed a couple of jobs, installing the rails that held the solar heating units on the roof, but Turner always had an excuse for not paying him.
"It always was a plausible excuse," Jordan recalled. The business seemed to be going well, so Jordan didn't worry.
When Turner encountered a "temporary" cash flow problem, he turned to the Jordans for help. Could he use their house to secure a line of credid?
They agreed, but a few months later learned what they'd actually done was permit him to mortgage their house for the value of the equity. Turner then sold the mortgage to a mortgage company for $24,000, although the Jordans never saw a dime. The mortgage company turned around and sold the home for $65,000.
The Jordans and their daughters were in shock as they were evicted.
"You know, it was a little one-bedroom place when we bought it," Jim Jordan recalls. "We added on, little by little, and it was a nice place. We had it all paid off, and then through my stupidity, we lost it."
When Jim called a Bremerton lawyer to fight back, the lawyer turned him down because he, too, had been victimized by Turner. Soon they learned Turner had left a trail of victims in his wake.
At one point, Jordan said, Turner gave him a certificate assigning 12,500 shares of the company's stock to him, but it all was worthless.
Turner was prosecuted and a visiting judge from Pierce County gave him probation so he could work and make restitution. Instead, Turner moved to California, where he and his son were prosecuted for bilking a handicapped woman there.
He was returned to Washington to serve his prison term, then will go back to a California prison.
The emotional and financial toll will never be repaid, Jordan said.
"He didn't just take our house," he explained. "That (ouse was built with my blood, sweat and tears. We live in an apartment where we once lived in a house, we have rent receipts instead of tax receipts. He took it all away."
Wilma Jordan said it wasn't a fanci place, but she loved it. It's still painful to visit neighbors.
"I still miss it. And the worst thing, and I really don't know why, is that we have nothing to leave our children."
-- JoAnne Marez
A Change in the Air
The Michael Jordan logo is seen on the outside of the Niketown Store in Portland, Ore. AP photos by Rick Bowmer Nike Inc. officially released a new shoe designed to reflect the personality of LeBron James, who is expected to gradually replace Michael ... [Read More...]
SPECIAL REPORT: A QUESTION OF REASONABLE DOUBT: Justice? Or a case of mistaken identity?
ABOUT THIS SERIES The Sun today begins a three-day series examining the armed robbery of a cab driver in Bremerton on Nov. 26, 2000, and the subsequent arrest and conviction of two young men. It is based on 31 interviews conducted over the past six months, ... [Read More...]
Marilyn Wisher 69, sits in her living room. She took out a reverse mortgage to make ends meet. SHNS photo by Bryan Patrick/The Sacramento Bee Donald Chamberlin, 74, sits in his living room. Donald moved into his Sacramento home with his wife in 1979. When ... [Read More...]
TOP OF THE SECOND
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING 'What? Your ankle hurting? I scored 53 with a bad ankle. Buy yourself some Jordans and get out there.' - Michael Jordan, teasing the Bucks' Tim Thomas, who didn't dress for a recent Bucks-Knicks game. Square-out pattern Paul Harber of ... [Read More...]
CANCER VICTIME: Big wish in progress
With the support of the community, Fletcher Jordan and his family are on their way to Disneyland By Ray Miller Sun Staff On Tuesday morning, Susan Stark, a close friend of Theresa Jordan of Indianola, asked 7-year-old Fletcher Jordan how he was doing. ... [Read More...]
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American Top Team Head Boxing Coach Howard Davis Jr. – PRO MMA exclusive interview
May 6, 2009 May 6, 2009 by Jack Bratcher
When we here at PRO MMA (promma.info) learned that one of the legendary strikers in the sport of mixed martial arts, Chuck Liddell, after years and years of doing things the same way, sought the help of a new trainer to help him with his hands it got our attention. Who was this guy and why did Chuck need him?
Well, “this guy” was a 1976 Olympic gold-medalist boxer and Head Boxing Coach at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida named Howard Davis Jr. and Chuck needed him frankly because he was no longer getting away with some of the bad boxing habits that were easy to overlook when he was knocking people out.
Although from the old school of boxing, Howard Davis Jr. has fallen in love with the sport of MMA and its fighters. In fact, he has started a new MMA promotion entitled “Fight Time Promotions” which has already secured a TV deal and will launch this fall.
PRO MMA (promma.info) caught up with Howard this week to learn more about his plans as a promoter, his American Top Team fighters, his opinion on Liddell, the current state of boxing, and more. MMA is fortunate to have someone of his caliber involved, and we were fortunate to get a few minutes of his time. Ladies and gentlemen, it is our honor to present Mr. Howard Davis Jr…
PRO MMA: Howard, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with us here at PRO MMA (promma.info). How are you doing?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: I’m doing great. I’m having a wonderful day as usual.
PRO MMA: Howard, many of the MMA fans came to hear about you as Chuck Liddell’s boxing trainer for his last fight, but you’ve been working with American Top Team in Florida for some time. How long have you been with American Top Team and how did you end up working with ATT?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: I’ve with been with American Top Team since its inception. I knew very little about MMA when I started about six years ago. I worked from the ground up for American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida and it all started when I was working as a Computer Technician in New Jersey. I would get laid off after every job for a few days at a time. After one particular job, I got a call about working at American Top Team and that they were looking for a Boxing Director. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Florida or working with a different breed of fighters. My old boss kept my Computer Tech job open for me, but I never went back. I fell in love with Florida, with the MMA fighters and with ATT. I knew that this is what I really wanted to do.
PRO MMA: You spent eight weeks living with Chuck Liddell helping him prepare for his last fight. During that time your father passed away. Karla told me you only took a couple of days off from training Chuck to go to the funeral and deal with that situation. First of all, our condolences on your loss and our thoughts are with you and your family, but what was the experience like living and working with Chuck and how in the world were you able to remain so committed to the task at hand with the passing of your father?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: First, thank you so much Jack for the kind words about my father, Howard Davis Sr. My father always believed that when you start a job, you should always finish the job at hand! He was a firm believer in that, so my father’s words echoed in my mind about finishing what I had to do, so I got on a plane back to California soon after my father’s funeral in New York.
PRO MMA: You have been around the fight game your whole life. In your opinion do you think it is time for Chuck Liddell to retire? Do you think we will see him back inside the Octagon?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: Well, as a former fighter myself I have to say that this is a very personal decision to make, especially if you have been on top for a long time. The fighter has to decide in his heart and his mind when it’s the right time to step down. It’s not an easy decision to make because it will change your entire life. Who am I to make that decision for someone else? It has to come straight from the fighter himself.
PRO MMA: Any plans to work with Chuck in the future?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: First, I’m a friend. Second, I’m a trainer. So if Chuck needs me again, I will be there 100%. I will always be there and I have his back.
PRO MMA: Freddie Roach has been quoted as saying B.J. Penn has the best boxing in MMA. What is your thoughts on that statement and who has the best fundamental boxing skills in MMA in your opinion?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: Everybody has their opinion. I don’t agree with Freddie Roach at all. The beautiful thing about MMA is that you have many great fighters with excellent boxing skills including: Thiago “Pitbull” Alves, Din Thomas, Mike Thomas Brown and Chuck Liddell. These guys have great stand-up skills. I always tell my fighters that MMA is 80% ground and 100% stand up. When the bell rings everyone stands up first, that’s the first thing that happens during a MMA match, so you better have your stand up game on, from the start.
PRO MMA: Who are some of your MMA fighters at ATT that stand out in your mind has having great hands?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: You’re asking me to choose from one of my children sort of speak, but I will answer the question. Thiago “Pitbull” Alves, Mike Thomas Brown, Chuck Liddell and Din Thomas have great hands. These guys can be great boxers, if they ever chose to make that move.
PRO MMA: What is your opinion on Tim Sylvia getting in the ring with Ray Mercer? What do you think will happen in that fight?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: May the best man win! It’s an interesting dichotomy of a good stand up MMA fighter against a former world champion in boxing.
PRO MMA: What would happen if Anderson Silva got his wish and got in the ring with Roy Jones Jr., would Silva stand a chance? Why or why not?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: You’re talking about someone at the highest level in MMA against someone in a very high level in boxing. If it was MMA, I would give a 90% chance of winning to Silva. If it’s strictly boxing, I would then give Jones a 90% of winning. It’s two different genres of the sport. That brings me back to the comparison of MMA and boxing. There’s no comparison. There are some elements of boxing and MMA that are similar, but you can’t call boxing MMA and you can’t call MMA boxing. A boxer cannot choke another fighter, cannot kick, cannot arm bar, cannot leg lock another fighter. A boxer can’t take another fighter to the ground unless he knocks him out. I think Dana White did a brilliant job in comparing the two. The only thing that they have in common is doing battle in a confined environment.
PRO MMA: Howard, you have been an Olympic and professional boxer, a trainer, and now you are getting into the MMA promotion business with Fight Time Promotions. Do we have a date set for the first event entitled USA vs. BRAZIL and how did this whole thing come about and how did you come up with the theme of country vs. country?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: I’ve been to so many MMA fights, that I’ve lost count. Last year, I went to a fight with my business partner – Karla Guadamuz. I had a little down time after one of our ATT fighters won and I decided to go out and be a part of the audience and I sat down next to my partner – Karla. As I sat there, I got an epiphany and I thought that it would be a good idea to put together a show myself. My partner has a Marketing Firm and we sat down the next day and came up with different concepts including the company name: Fight Time Promotions, LLC. We then decided to come up with a complete USA VS Brazil show. My love for MMA and the fighters themselves motivates me every day to put on the best show that I can. Right now, we’ve secured a deal with Comcast Sportsnet, which will distribute the 2-hour show to take place in Ft. Lauderdale, to 35 million households. The show is set to take place in the fall and anyone who wants more information about sponsorship opportunities can visit: www.fighttimepromotions.com. We plan on doing 8 shows during the next 18-months.
PRO MMA: Will this be a hybrid boxing/MMA card or strictly MMA?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: No. It’s 100% MMA. It’s not a mixed bag of tricks. We looked into the whole MMA/Boxing mix, but we decided to keep it strictly to MMA.
PRO MMA: Do you have any names yet of who may be on the card and will it be mostly local Florida fighters?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: Since these fighters are going to be featured in front of millions, we are going to put an exciting MMA show for the fans to enjoy. The fighters for the Fight Time Promotions’ events will be coming from mostly Florida. We have such great talent in the Sunshine State, that we want to give those fighters a place to shine.
PRO MMA: What is your ultimate goal with Fight Time Promotions; how big do you want to do this thing?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: The ultimate goal for Fight Time Promotions is to produce quality MMA shows that will place up and coming fighters in the spotlight. Fight Time Promotions is going to be known for the 3 C’s: Commitment, Competitiveness & Champions! We are also going to be partnering up with non-profit groups that will benefit children and the less fortunate.
PRO MMA: Who are some of the up-and-comers at ATT we should be on the look out for?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: I would look for the “Miller” brothers (Cole & Micah) and Steve Bruno. These fighters have the makings of being the best. These guys are dedicated and have the talent to take them to the highest levels.
PRO MMA: You have really accomplished a lot in your life. What are you most proud of out of all you have done?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: My biggest accomplishment always takes me back to the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal Canada, when I won the Gold medal just days after my mother passed away. No other accomplishments before or after will ever replace the Gold Medal that I won for my mother.
PRO MMA: As one of the legendary boxers of our time, what is your opinion on the current state of professional boxing and where does it fit in now that MMA has become so popular? Do you still see a lot of kids come into the gym now who want to go into boxing now or is it mostly MMA?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: When I was growing up all the boxing gyms were full. We live in different times now with different economic situations. Boxers were a lot hungrier and had more exposure. You could watch a Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton or Alexis Arguello on regular TV as opposed to HBO or PPV. Boxing had much more exposure back then. Today, only the big money fights get the attention and everyone at the bottom gets very little. I would love to see more kids in the boxing gyms like I see little kids at American Top Team. Hopefully, boxing promoters will do something to showcase more talent and create competitive fights on all levels like it used to be. Today, if you don’t have a promoter, then you can’t get on a card, no matter how good you are. Some managers are even paying for opponents to keep their guys busy. It’s not the way that it was and it’s a shame because boxing is a beautiful sport.
PRO MMA: Finally, I have to ask, who would win and what would it look like if you and Al Stankie fought today?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: Ha! Funny. I can still throw 30 punches in 3 seconds at 53 years old!
PRO MMA: Thank you Howard. We will definitely be following Fight Time Promotions and keeping in touch and we wish you all the best. Do you have any final thoughts?
HOWARD DAVIS JR: Jack, I’m glad that you found me. I know that Karla had something to do with this. She’s always talking about me to people. I want to let people know about our company website and we are looking for some business sponsors for the shows. I’m happy that you guys are out there providing the public with great information. Please don’t ever hesitate to contact me, if there’s anything that I can do for you. I’m blessed to be a part of the MMA family and I plan on staying in it until I retire.
If you would like to learn more about Howard Davis Jr. and Fight Time Promotions, LLC or are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Fight Time Promotions MMA fight cards, visit www.howarddavisjr.com and www.fighttimepromotions.com.
PRO MMA (promma.info) would like to thank Howard’s partner and publicist, the KGC Marketing Team (Karla Guadamuz “Complete” Marketing Team) www.kgcmarketingteam.com
By: Jack Bratcher
Categories interviews Tags Al Stankie, American Top Team, American+Top+Team, ATT, boxing, Chuck Liddell, Cole Miller, Fight Time Promotions, Fight+Time+Promotions, Howard Davis Jr., Howard+Davis+Jr., interviews, interviews, Jack Bratcher, KGC Marketing Team, micah miller, photos, Steve Bruno, Thiago Alves Post navigation
Strikeforce Challenger Series hits the Pacific Northwest
Houston Alexander out of UFC 98
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Definition:Multiplication/Multiplier
< Definition:Multiplication(Redirected from Definition:Multiplier)
Let $a \times b$ denote the operation of multiplication on two objects.
The object $a$ is known as the multiplier of $b$.
That is, it is the object which is to multiply the multiplicand.
Note that the nature of $a$ and $b$ has deliberately been left unspecified.
They could be, for example, numbers, matrices or more complex expressions constructed from such elements.
In algebraic systems where multiplication is commutative, it is commonplace to treat both the multiplier and multiplicand as the same sort of object, and refer to them both as factors.
Linguistic Note
The word multiplicand means that which is to be multiplied.
The -and derives from the gerundive form of Latin verbs, expressing future necessity: that which needs to be done.
Retrieved from "https://proofwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Definition:Multiplication/Multiplier&oldid=402641"
Definitions/Multiplication
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About The Property Quarter
Members Space
Members' Posts
RICS Consultation on Guidance for Land Measurement
Kailan D'Arcy on 07 August 2019
0 comment(s) Property & Construction
Pioneering draft guidance for the measurement of land is under consultation until 17th September 2019, prior to formal adoption at the end of the year.
The document from the Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors (RICS) provides clear definitions for those measurements which are widely used in the property and planning sectors.
There are five core definitions proposed to assist with the global measurement of land:
Land Area should be used to refer to the legal title area of land, and is of particular relevance to agents and lawyers as it is the legally demised area of land.
Site Area should be used to refer to the area of land used for planning application purposes and is of importance to those involved in the development process as it is the area to which any permission for development relates.
Net Development Area should be used to refer to the area from which financial value is directly derived, by virtue of either being income producing or for sale, and is of relevance to development surveyors and valuers.
Plot Ratio is the ratio of Gross External Area (GEA) of a building or buildings at each floor area, under the International Property Measurement Standards, to the site area.
Site Coverage is defined as the ratio of the building footprint’s GEA to the site area at ground-floor level.
Tony Mulhall, associate director of the Land Professional Group (RICS) said:
“RICS is committed to regulating the property industry in the public interest, with the accurate and consistent measurement of land and property being absolutely fundamental to this. This Guidance is an important step forward which will harmonise practice in the built environment profession for the better around the world.”
You can respond to the consultation here
RRS David Attenborough & Building in the Antarctic
Kailan on 03/10/2019 0 comment(s)
Mark Carney Speaks at the Climate Action Summit in New York
Kailan D'Arcy on 01/10/2019 0 comment(s)
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CONVERSATIONS | B-SIDE LOOKS BACK AT A YEAR OF FLIPPING OVER THE A-SIDE
Wed 2 May
A coin and a vinyl record share similarities. They're round-shaped, have two sides and can make happy. If you flip a coin, you have a 50-50 chance it's heads or tails. You could say that's the same for flipping a vinyl record (please don't actually do this). But according to Nurali, Willemijn & Jurre, flipping a record results in a 100% chance of landing on the b-side. Since B-Side celebrates its 1 year anniversary, we've asked them about some highlights and how they plan on celebrating their birthday next Wednesday.
Hey guys! 1 year of praising b-sides, congrats! What are some highlight moment of this past year?
Noer: This would be Willemijn jumping on the speakers at our first edition. If Willemijn is on the speakers, you know it’s a party.
Jurre: For me this is two-sided, as I'm also playing records. But if I had to pick one moment it would be our last edition when I played for a packed Bovenkamer while the acid dripped from the walls for two hours straight…
Willemijn: There are just so many... I mostly like those hazy mornings when you leave the club all together; crew, friends and those last (wo)men standing who caused the DJ to extend his set for two more hours. I just can’t get enough of that.
How do you brief your DJs for a B-side night?
Noer: We don’t give instructions to our artists. Who are we to tell them what to play? The artists can figure out themselves what we stand for. It’s not about playing strictly b-sides – but about delivering great sets with tracks you don’t hear every day. Obviously some of them actually put a lot of effort in selecting solely b-sides. Sick, right?
We can imagine it being difficult. Cool to see some DJs strictly sticking to the b-sides. Who nailed it the best during this first year?
Jurre: I would pick all the “unknown” locals that played for us so far. Each and everyone did so well, even though they’re not very experienced to play for dancefloors.
Willemijn: Can I pick Jurre? You know what, I’m just going to do it. He just has a thing for filling the dancefloor, bringing the energy in with just a few tracks. He’s able to please a crowd with tracks or genres they didn’t know they liked before.
As next Wednesday is the anniversary, explain a bit on why you've invited Doc Sleep & Lokier for the celebration.
Jurre: We met them both personally in Berlin and were immediately caught by their sound and appearance. Their sound matches the vibe of B-side more than perfectly: dark and wavy, acid electro driven music.
Willemijn: I’m very glad we managed to cherry pick two quite unknown names for B-side, that have such a track record. It’s unbelievable Doc Sleep never played here before and Lokier only once. I can’t wait to jump on that speakers again.
Also can't wait to see Willemijn on the speakers while dancing to dark-edged electronica? Grab a ticket and join the birthday party next Wednesday.
< CONVERSATION | ANANSI'S MUSICAL JOURNEY TOWARDS GROOVY HOUSE CONVERSATIONS | AN INTRODUCTION TO SECOND WAVE >
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Sarah McInerney decides to leave Newstalk
Published: November 21, 2017 - 2:41 pm
Sarah McInerney is leaving her Newstalk programme, Between The Lines, and will present her last show on Saturday December 23rd.
The Sunday Times political correspondent moved from Drive to weekends just a few months ago as Ivan Yates took over Drivetime.
Chris Doyle from Newstalk comments: “On behalf of the team here in Newstalk I would like to thank Sarah for her hard work and commitment to the station and wish her every success in the future.”
The Communicorp station says a revised weekend schedule for Newstalk will be announced in due course.
Just a few days ago, Sarah’s former co-host Chris Donoghue decided he was leaving Newstalk after 14 years. He’s joining the Government as special advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney.
newstalkSarah McInerney
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Gunbird 2 (1998)
NOT ENOUGH RATINGS (1)
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Gunbird 2 (ガンバード2) is a 2D scrolling shooter developed by Psikyo and published by Capcom as a sequel to the original Gunbird. It was originally released in Japanese arcades in 1998, and was later ported to the Dreamcast in 2000 and released worldwide. An Android version was released in Korean in 2014, it came out worldwide on both Android and iOS in 2016. The arcade game was also included in Gunbird Special Edition for the PlayStation 2.
Psikyo,
Kuusoukagaku
Capcom, Virgin Interactive, PAL
Co-op, Multiplayer, Singleplayer
Sinkler
Collections with Gunbird 2 (1998)
Sega Dreamcast games
1 cake
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Gunbird 2 (1998) reviews and comments
GT Cube, Gotcha Force, Go! Go! Hypergrind, Gladius (2003), Grooverider: Slot Car Thunder
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Discrete & Computational Geometry
pp 1–23 | Cite as
Compact Packings of the Plane with Three Sizes of Discs
Thomas Fernique
Amir Hashemi
Olga Sizova
A compact packing is a set of non-overlapping discs where all the holes between discs are curvilinear triangles. There is only one compact packing by discs of size 1. There are exactly nine values of r which allow a compact packing by discs of sizes 1 and r. We prove here that there are exactly 164 pairs (r, s) allowing a compact packing by discs of sizes 1, r and s.
Circle packing Compact packing Triangulated packing
Editor in Charge: Kenneth Clarkson
The work of O. S. was supported within frameworks of the state task for ICP RAS 0082-2014-0001 (state registration AAAA-A17-117040610310-6). The work of Th. F. and A. H. was supported by the Partenariat Hubert Curien (PHC) Gundishapur.
The online version of this article ( https://doi.org/10.1007/s00454-019-00166-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
We thank Tom Kennedy for pointing us the reference [17], fortunately after we completed our proof so that our approach has not been influenced. We thank Thierry Monteil for answering various questions about SageMath, as well as Bruno Salvy for discussions on Gröbner basis. We thank the referees of a short conference version of this paper [9], as well as the referees of this long version.
454_2019_166_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (2.1 mb)
454_2019_166_MOESM2_ESM.zip (10 kb)
Supplementary material 2 (zip 10 KB)
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© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
1.Université Paris 13, CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 7030VilletaneuseFrance
2.Department of Mathematical SciencesIsfahan University of TechnologyIsfahanIran
3.Faculty of MathematicsHigher School of EconomicsMoscowRussia
4.Semenov Institute of Chemical PhysicsMoscowRussia
Fernique, T., Hashemi, A. & Sizova, O. Discrete Comput Geom (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00454-019-00166-y
Received 23 May 2019
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s00454-019-00166-y
Publisher Name Springer US
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Berlin Station Season 3 Episode 1 [8/10]
Olen Steinhauer creates spy thriller magic. His Milo Weaver trilogy finished, he has a new thriller out, The Middleman. But at the same time he’s created two kinetic seasons of Berlin Station, which I loved, and now here’s Season 3. Can it maintain the pace and characterisation verve of the first two outings? I can happily report that it most certainly can. In fact, Episode 1 rushes into the new backdrop, Russian incursions into its tiny neighbor Estonia, with such rapidity that I’m tempted to recommend you ground yourself first with at least Season 2. The familiar characters – spy Daniel Miller (ably portrayed by Richard Armitage, a better actor in motion than in repose), profane spy boss Kirsch (a standout performance as ever by Leland Orser), and spy boss Valerie Edwards (terrifically acted by Michelle Forbes) – are shoved straight into action, along with many regular or new bit players, so you need to pay heed. But the scriptwriting and direction are so assured that I think you can come to this tale with no prior experience. Tallinn in Estonia is a wonderful locale for mysterious nefarious activities (I’m biased, my parents came from there), action shocks abound, and the episode’s climax leaves one gasping for more. Once more a winner.
Upside Down Flowers by Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness [8/10]
How on earth did this brilliant singer-songwriter slide past me for so long? Andrew McMahon is an inspired word painter and melody creator and “Upside Down Flowers“ is his third solo after two successful band stints. He looks like full-on American white bread but make no mistake, there’s magic in every one of these eleven tracks. The musical style refers back to classic 70s and 80s high-blown rock, arranged beautifully enough to fit into that old sub-genre of “baroque pop-rock,” but none of it feels careworn, and perhaps that’s due to the way McMahon anchors most songs with his lovely piano figures. Butch Walker’s production (he’s also one of those multi instrumentalists) is sonically intelligent. Vocally McMahon can echo Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, or Billy Joel, but once again, there’s something aching and true about his voice that transcends those cheap “sounds-like” comparisons. Is “Upside Down Flowers“ an ode to lost times? It certainly said that to me, with its songs of family moves, tree houses, Vegas gambles, short-fling heartbreak, and new starts. Amongst the many highlights are “Ohio” with its road trip images and ornately worded chorus; the sweet-but-not-saccharine “Penelope,” and the cryptic, developing, lovely “Everything Must Go.” And if you love rock, I defy you to grace your ears with “Teenage Rockstars” without your heart swelling with half a century’s musical hopes and joys.
Bodyguard (from Jed Mercurio) Episodes 4-6 [7/10]
I rated the TV series “Bodyguard’s“ opening episode as only 5/10 but gave 8/10 to the next two episodes, so I had high hopes for the final three chapters. It seems the scriptwriters were determined to not only pile the pressures on bodyguard Budd (Richard Madden maintains his solid centrepiece acting), but to veer the plot in almost unbelievable directions. Me, I rode with the flow and relished the many complete surprises. The bit players rise to prominence over these three episodes; particularly notable is Pippa Heywood as the questioning cop. A finale bomb-related scene ratchets up the tension to screaming point. I rarely binge watch but I slammed the final two episodes. The closing plot wrap-up lets the clever overall script down and the closing scene annoyed me with its vacuity, but overall “Bodyguard” is a quintessential gritty British thriller that should achieve success.
Fade to Silence by David Bradwell [7/10]
The fourth in the series starring journalist Danny Churchill and fashion photographer Anna Burgin, “Fade to Silence” is an engaging, immersive adventure involving Balkan thugs, British corporations, crooked cops, and a complex murder. Danny and Anna are wonderful, engaging leads and the interplay between them is nuanced and absorbing. The plot is Byzantine, the locales strike true, and Bradwell has a sure sense of pace and plot. For all that dire situations abound, this “thriller” is not gritty, indeed it has the feel of a semi-cosy, if that’s a correct term, but I didn’t need blood and guts and terror to thoroughly enjoy the tale.
Naked Truth by Rick Pullen [5/10]
The second in a series featuring Washington reporter Beck Rikki, “Naked Truth” has a plot more twisty than any I’ve read this year, which should have been a boon. The story revolves around a dead U.S. chief justice and seems to involve every major politician and lawyer in the country, and the sequences of doublecrossing rivals some of those old Ludlum thrillers. The various settings are pithily described, the dialogue froths with wit and energy, and the unwinding of the plot is pleasingly relentless. But our hero Beck, while dogged and smart in the way that crime solvers need to be, rarely came alive to me, and Pullen’s machinations with different points of view merely moved from one cardboard character to another. I liked the intricacies of American reportage and, until towards the end, enjoyed trying (unsuccessfully) to second guess the plot surprises, but the one-sitting reading left me cold.
Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are by Robert Plomin [8/10]
Robert Plomin, a prolific and longstanding behavioral geneticist (itself a relatively new profession) has, with “Blueprint,” announced an Eden-facing (in his eyes, that is) grand theorem, namely that nature (aka our genes) trumps nurture (aka our environment). “I hope,” he writes, “this no longer sounds like just another pop-psychology claim without evidence to back it up.” He takes the reader steadily and stylishly through his work on twin studies, which purportedly dramatize the unexpectedly high influence of genetics – on so many matters of interest, from depression to braininess, from introspection to insomnia, from addiction to marriage stability. Then he and his peers tried and failed to find links between particular genes and psychological traits and outcomes. Now, they aggregate tens of thousands of “SNPs,” genetic morsels each contributing (he claims) a miniscule amount, into a grand “polygenic score.” One’s polygenic score causes (not just correlates with) a raft of psychological features. I enjoyed the book: Plomin writes clearly, with stylish gusto but also with precision, in a tightly organized fashion. I also recommend “Blueprint” as a layperson’s intro to this burgeoning field. Read it because you must. However, as a confused but numerate layperson, I caution you on his societally explosive conclusions. Two possible blind spots occur to me. Firstly, Plomin admits his results depend on the “environment” of a given time and place. Might it not be true that in a “better” environment, the influence of the gene becomes muted? Perhaps his results reflect our cruel, unsupporting world. Secondly, a “trust me” indecipherable “score,” without explanatory roots, has to be suspicious. What hidden complexities will be revealed with further time and enquiry, and will they rubbish his claims? Look, I’m dubious and suspect he is swept up by his own amazement, but I heartily recommend the scintillating read.
I rated the TV series Bodyguard’s opening episode as only 5/10. Plenty of mood but just mood. Well, by the middle of the six-episode series, the plot explodes, with twist after twist, so I recommend you plough on after the opener. Richard Madden sheds some of the stodginess of his initial portrayal of bodyguard Budd, and Keeley Hawes is terrrific as frosty Home Secretary Montague. The scriptwriters get more and more daring with each fresh episode, and the closing scenes of Episode 3 are stunning. The motives of the police and the security services grow to be gratifyingly murky, and all the supporting characters are well nuanced and credible. Will the second half continue to grip? The signs are auspicious.
Unlawful Things by Anna Sayburn Lane [7/10]
A historian enlists the aid of Helen Oddfellow, a London tour guide, the lure being a lost Marlowe masterpiece, and rapidly the two are in jeopardy, murderous jeopardy. If this sounds like Dan Brown territory, Unlawful Things is not like that at all, entirely to its credit. Debut thriller writer Anna Sayburn Lane plots like a dream, weaving together high-action drama and a fascinating historical puzzle. Helen is a splendid character, as is Nick, the journalist who teams up with her, and the supporting characters are complex and real. The settings in London and the countryside are beautifully evoked. The climax and postmortem are both timed to perfection. A great example of a thriller with intellectual panache.
McQueen directed by Ian Bonhote & Peter Etedgui [8/10]
Never been to a fashion show and never will, so a documentary on the life of designer Lee Alexander McQueen hardly beckoned. Luckily I embrace risk, for from the first frame, the co-directors (and Etedgui wrote the script) of “McQueen” gripped me. With no fancy back and forth, just a chronological telling, they employ an artful mix of interview, fashion show footage, and family-style footage to chart McQueen’s rise from Brit youth to Gucci-owned superstar, and then to his untimely demise at age 40 (that’s not a spoiler, this is a doco, right?). Quite what converts a boring documentary into compelling drama is never clear to me, but I commend this magic to you. The ancient theme of the fraught flip side of genetic creativity is handled without express messaging. The visuals are, of course, vivid. Even Michael Nyman’s music, which I’ve gotten sick of in movies, suits the moody ambience. All in all, McQueen is an expertly paced, absorbing documentary paean to an exhausting talent.
Net Loss (Quarterly Essay 72) by Sebastian Smee [8/10]
The visual arts elude this reviewer, so I’m normally unlikely to read Sebastian Smee, prominent Washington Post art critic, but his topic “Net loss: The inner life in the digital age” (the cornerstone piece in Quarterly Essay 72) is right up my alley. What an inspired impulse to read this nuanced, undogmatic, sharp look at the modern world of Facebook, Twitter and their kin! Smee tentatively labels himself a materialist like me but, as I do, he uses the language of spirituality and creativity as he proceeds to explore “the inner life with its own history of metamorphosis – rich, complex and often mysterious, even to ourselves.” His method isn’t didactic or technically philosophical. Instead he meanders through and around the short stories of Anton Chekhov, the films of Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch, a portrait by Paul Cezanne, a Rachel Cusk novel, Gillian Wearing’s paintings, and so on. How is social media altering the slippery “inner life,” he asks, and chips away at familiar charges of social media’s adverse impacts. Never more than hesitant, his explorations intoxicated me. In the end, he sees our modern response to mortality and aloneness is “to disperse ourselves, by being as widely visible as possible,” facilitated and urged on by the internet. Are we “excavating too much…?” Can “we find ways to pay attention again to our solitude…?” I cannot recommend too highly this exhilarating, wise reflection.
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Scotts-Monsanto GM Grass Threatens National Forests, Rivers, Ranchers, and Farmers
debcoffey environmental pollution, Food Safety, GMO anh-usa, environmental pollution, food safety, GM bentgrass, herbicides, Malheur National Forest, Plant Protection Act, Scotts-Monsanto 4 Comments
Source: anh-usa.org
By anh-usa
Now biotech companies want local residents to pay the costs of clean-up! Action Alert!
Over a decade ago, Scotts partnered with Monsanto to market a GM bentgrass resistant to glyphosate (Roundup). It was planted next to the Malheur National Forest in test plots ostensibly controlled by Oregon State University. Unbeknownst to most people, it was also planted all over the US—in California, Iowa, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and seventeen other states.
It was supposed to be confined and controlled, but it very quickly escaped and spread out of the test plots in Oregon into Idaho, and crossbred with natural grasses to create new breeds that were also resistant to glyphosate. It clogged up irrigation ditches, threatening food crops and contaminating pasture-raised cattle with GMOs. In addition to the immediate threats to farmers and ranchers, grass seed—which is among Oregon’s top five commodities—is now under threat.
Initially, Scotts-Monsanto tried to stop the spread and clean up the contamination. But it was unable to do so because the original bentgrass (and now the other grasses it cross-pollinated with) are glyphosate-resistant. More toxic herbicides have been brought in to try to keep irrigation ditches clear, and to stop the grasses from clogging and eventually killing waterways important to wildlife and humans.
Now, according to The Oregonian, Scotts-Monsanto is walking away from the monster it created, leaving farmers, ranchers, wildlife, and eventually the fishing industry (if it spreads to the Columbia River) to deal with it. The current conundrum is that herbicides necessary to kill the invasive GM grasses are toxic to aquatic life, including fish. Soon the grasses will become resistant to even the most toxic chemicals, and nothing will eradicate the invasive grasses but heavy equipment.
Worst of all, the effects of GM products replacing natural grasses and plants on wildlife were completely predictable.
Scotts-Monsanto was fined $500,000, the maximum penalty under the Plant Protection Act, and agreed never to sell GM bentgrass. In addition, the companies were ordered to eradicate the GM nuisance in irrigation districts so farmers could continue farming.
But the federal government is apparently stepping in to help Scotts-Monsanto avoid liability. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently deregulated the GM grass, a move that shifts the burden of controlling GM bentgrass from Scotts-Monsanto to local landowners and American taxpayers.
The law is clear: if a plant poses a risk, the USDA is not to deregulate it. Scotts-Monsanto has already signed an agreement not to sell the product. So why is the USDA violating the law and deregulating GM bentgrass? Why would Scotts-Monsanto ask that it be deregulated when it has agreed not to sell it? It may be because GM bentgrass has been planted all over the United States, and when it’s discovered that the Oregon scenario is happening in every state, Scotts-Monsanto can pin it on the government and the taxpayers avoiding responsibility for costly clean-ups.
There are precedents for farmers and consumers holding biotech companies legally accountable in these scenarios. Midwestern corn growers filed a class-action lawsuit against Syngenta last year, claiming the company’s GM corn contaminated their crops and cost them billions in international sales. In 2011, Bayer paid $750 million to Southern rice growers in a similar scenario.
We hope justice is done in Oregon, and the parties responsible for this mess are forced to clean it up.
Action Alert! Tell the USDA to stop offering legal liability protection to biotech companies. Please send your message immediately.
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The Effects of Culture Constructs Learning, Power, Identity and Conflict on Individual and Team Performance in a Fortune 500 Company
by Daniels, Genice M., Ph.D., Benedictine University, 2017, 141; 10630360
The quest to improve organizational performance and build effective organizational culture is prevalent today. This effort can be complex. This dissertation explores the question: Does culture change enable performance? If so, how? This dissertation focuses on the measurement of the four culture constructs: learning, power, identity, and conflict management and its relationship to performance. The article “Changing the Way We Change,” whose assertions I test in my research, provides a present-day view using all four constructs. Unique to this study, there is no known combination of the four constructs directly linked to organizational performance in research and additional empirical evidence to support enhancing organizational performance. Data from a Fortune 500 organization was analyzed and tested to see whether positive associations exist between these four constructs that enable performance change at various organization levels. The author utilized mixed-level and multilevel linear regression procedures of data analysis, and found that team empowerment and individual organizational identity significantly enabled performance change. Conversely, there was a negative relationship between employee empowerment and individual performance. Conflict management and performance also had a negative association. The paradox of organizational culture change and performance with suggestions for future research for scholars and implications for practitioners is discussed.
Advisor: Tenkasi, Ramkrisbnan V.
Commitee: Brock, William B., Sorensen, Peter F.
School: Benedictine University
Department: Organization Development
School Location: United States -- Illinois
Subjects: Management, Organizational behavior
Keywords: Culture, Learning, power, identity, Organizational performance, Performance, Team performance
Publication Number: 10630360
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by Latta, John, Ph.D. The University of Alabama. 2009: 304 pages; 3390650.
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by Kim, Su Jung, Ph.D. Northwestern University. 2011: 188 pages; 3456674.
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Kierra Sheard Tells How Proverbs 31 Inspired Her To Become an Entrepreneur
Kierra Sheard is a busy young lady. She just finished her first season as judge for ‘Sunday Best’. Now, she is venturing into new paths. he often reflects on her reluctance to participate in gospel.
She first came to the world’s attention as a nine year old, belting out vocals well beyond her years in a live recording of the hit, “The Will Of God,” which was on her mother’s 1997 solo debut release, Finally Karen. Until that point, Kierra had shown little interest in being a singer, and the family was unaware of her exceptional talent.
“I didn’t want to do the song with my mother and she had to make me practice,. I wanted to do nails – acrylic nails. My parents had bought me a nail tech table and all these products because that’s what I was interested in at that time.”
She really has the spirit of a builder. Check out what she told us exclusively below:
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source: Elev8.com
Entrepreneur , interview , Kierra Sheard
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Tag Archives: wine
Christmas campaign round-up 2013
With Christmas just around the corner, PRs are working at top speed to make the papers with their ‘quick and dirty’ festive stunts.
And because Christmas is the season of giving, I’m doing the digging to present you with the industry’s top campaigns this month. I’m actually giving you two gifts because I’ve just noticed a perfect pun in that previous sentence, but who’s counting?
The survey one
Costa Coffee has banned Sir Cliff Richard’s festive favourite – Mistletoe and Wine – after research revealed that it was most likely to make its customers exit the store.
But Costa has gone above and beyond to make this headline stand out by donating £10,000 to charity Youth Music, to encourage young people to record their own versions of Christmas classics.
The clever one
Retailer GAME has made up for its reduced presence on the high street in recent years by prioritising PR – and it’s paid off.
Hiring nine-year old Joe Leslie this month, as a ‘non executive director’, is a genius way to help clueless parents know their Call of Duty from their Grand Theft Auto.
The charitable one
St Mungo’s, a charity to help homeless people, has created limited edition Christmas wrapping paper, detailing the scientific viruses that they might face this winter.
For a charity that seeks to tackle homelessness, it’s successfully delivered a fresh message with an innovative angle.
The mad one
To complement O2’s Be More Dog campaign, the network provider is planning a party for the dogs from Battersea Dogs Home – and it’s getting its customers involved.
The more times you tweet using the campaign hashtag – #tweetattreat – the better the party will be. Now you wouldn’t want to let the dogs down would you?
The relatable one
Of all the retailers, I didn’t expect Harvey Nichols to launch a ‘canned laughter’ campaign (you don’t laugh at it, more smirk and think ‘I should get that for someone’ and then never do because it’s fluff).
The brand’s launched a range of gifts for women to give to their loved ones as a token to simply say ‘I spent the money on myself’. From a Christmas lunch in a tin (which has been done to death) to a sink plug, it’s been cited as ‘original and perfectly timed’ by Golden Goose PR. I say, they haven’t read this blog yet.
So, there you go – the top five Christmas campaigns of 2013 to date. If yours didn’t make the list just tweet me your favourites at @dmhwhite. I may even shuffle the leaderboard around!
Merry Christmas Prime Timers and a Happy New Year!
Tags: 2013, angle, Battersea, Battersea Dogs Home, be more dog, Blog, brand, call of duty, campaign, carol, charitable, charity, children, Christmas, classic, clever, coffee, complement, Costa, count, customer, customers, death, dig, dinner, director, dogs, donate, executive, exit, face, festive, fluff, game, gift, give, golden goose, grand theft auto, happy new year, Harvey Nichols, hash tag, headline, high street, hire, homeless, industry, Joe Leslie, key message, laugh, leader board, limited edition, mad, merry, mistletoe, money, newspaper, O2, paper, parent, party, PR, PR Example, present, Prime Time, prime timers, prioritise, public relation, pun, relate, research, retail, science, season, sentence, sink plug, sir cliff richard, smirk, social media, song, speed, spent, st mungos, store, stunt, survey, the drum, tin, tweet, Twitter, virus, wine, winter, women, work, youth music
Categories Brands, Events, Marketing, PR, Research, Social media, Top news
It’s been a bad week for tweets
Remember that silly tweet you posted? It was so unlike you. That ‘blame it on the heat of the moment’ tweet? It’s going to get you in trouble. Why? Because it’s been a bad week for tweets and it’s only going to get worse:
First, Paris Brown, a 17-year old Youth Police Commissioner for Kent, is getting slammed for tweets she posted three years ago (and deleted this week) that celebrate drink, drugs and rock and roll – all illegal at her age. But, like many before her, she’s standing her ground and refusing to leave her £15,000 role which sees her bridge the gap between young people and the police.
Paris’ former Twitter profile – @vilulabelle – played home to a range of ill-fitting updates for someone of her position, which causes me to wonder if she’s on the right career path. That’s if the police is still home to institutional ‘isms’? But that’s another matter.
The moral of this story is, Twitter doesn’t define your past, but if your digital footprint isn’t clean, it might impact your future.
I’ve said it before – we need to place more emphasis on online security and etiquette. If we can hire people to tidy away our social media profiles and passwords when we pass away, why aren’t we teaching young people to clear up their act now?
We could start with the hundreds of people who are celebrating the poor death of the UK’s first female Prime Minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher. So, much so, Lord Alan Sugar has come out of his office to dub them ‘scum’.
After passing away yesterday morning from a stroke, it prompted lots of people to ‘have their say’ including one Oddbins Crouch End employee.
Someone did enough damage in 140-characters to get themselves suspended for encouraging consumers to celebrate the news with money off champagne. Not out of the ordinary for a wine shop, but enough to cause offence.
Now deleted, Oddbins’ management apologised for its poor taste and timing, and has speedily announced its got a disciplinary meeting date in the diary, with the person in question, to have words.
The moral of this story is to pull scheduled tweets during big breaking news stories and get approval on all updates plugging the gap.
So, be careful what you say. A little birdie might just show you for what you really are
Tags: 140-characters, ageism, apologise, approval, bad week, Baroness, birdie, breaking news, bridge, career, careful, celebrate, champagne, clean, Conservatives, consumers, death, digital, drink, drugs, emphasis, employee, etiquette, female, footprint, future, Gap, heat of the moment, illegal, institutional, job, Kent, Lord Alan Sugar, manager, Margaret Thatcher, moral, Oddbins, office, online, Paris Brown, password, police, politician, position, prime minister, profile, racism, role, scheduled tweets, scum, security, sexism, social media, story, stroke, taste, teach, teenager, timing, tweet, Twitter, updates, vilulabelle, wine, young people, youth police commissioner
Categories Events, PR, Social media, Top news
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85. A homage to London’s Gherkin
Posted on 22 April, 2005 by Roads | 8 Comments
It’s easy to forget, when you live and work around this great metropolis, just what a marvel it is. London is at least 2 000 years old, and yet continues to metamorphose in front of our eyes. It’s a wonder to me that the views of London are so varied, so constant, and yet so changing – with the seasons, the shade of light, and my own life’s perspective. And on a grey Tuesday morning in April, I stood in the City and wondered all over again.
The London Marathon last weekend brought out my personal reel of race day flashbacks – those cinematic images which you store for a lifetime. Crossing Tower Bridge at 12 miles is a sight to match any in world running. And yet when I ran the event for the second time in 2004, it was the view just before it which caught my eye. Rounding the corner from Bermondsey High Street, the view of the London skyline opened up ahead of me. It was raining, I was wet, cold, and already more tired than I should have been, and yet there was inspiration in that view which stuck in my mind. I can still see it now.
I had run the race just three years before, in 2001, and yet something was different, this time. What was it ? It was only much later that I realised what it was, this difference of one remarkable new building which had grown up here since last I ran.
Sometimes the catalyst for change in London comes from undesirable sources. It was the Great Fire of London in 1666 which destroyed much of the mediaeval city, and 87 of its churches, including the old St Paul’s Cathedral. A disaster at the time, the fire was followed by a wave of rebuilding. Many of the old churches were rebuilt in daring new style by Sir Christopher Wren, who was also the architect for the ‘new’ St Paul’s Cathedral. Much reviled then, its design has become one of the landmarks of London.
And so, on a smaller scale, it was the IRA bombing of the Baltic Exchange in 1992 which was responsible for the latest addition to London’s skyline. Even once it was determined that neither the old listed building, nor just its façade, could be saved, the decision to demolish this small part of London’s trading history caused much heartbreak and hand-wringing. What could replace it ?
A competition was held, and a winning design selected. Work started in 2000, and in April 2004, just a year ago this month, the building opened. That building’s official name is 30 St Mary Axe, and it also goes under the soubriquet of the Swiss Re Tower. But to most of seven million Londoners, it is simply the Gherkin.
This was the new building which had been added to the skyline between my two London Marathons. Just one building, and yet – what architecture !
I had no plan to be here, this Tuesday morning in April, to celebrate its first anniversary, and yet as I headed out of Bank tube station into the morning, there stood the Gherkin behind the Bank of England, the City’s youngest daughter peeping around the skirts of The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street. My meeting nearby on the seventh floor disappointingly revealed only the black and grey austerity of the NatWest Tower, but on escaping later with some time for a stroll, where better for me to wander than through the old streets of the City in search of its newest inhabitant.
I knew I would find her, of course, and yet still I was surprised when I peered down a sidestreet to glimpse her, framed by the vertical walls of shining glass and concrete of the other blocks. For that is what they had become – just simple blocks, in comparison with the Gherkin. For despite her cucumbersome name, she really is a creation of beauty and grace, quite unlike any of her neighbours. I stood there for a moment, looking at the glass, at the curves, at the light, at the brilliance, the audacity and sheer simplicity of the concept – a spiral skyscraper. No wonder the design by Sir Norman Foster has won so many awards, since office blocks have simply never been like this before.
Arriving from Bishopsgate, the tower stands behind the new leaves of a pair of spindly trees. St Helen’s Church lies in front, with St Andrew Undershaft almost right beside, two buildings from a different age and belonging to a different paradigm of history, beginning almost nine hundred years past. The old and the new, standing together – it’s a common London theme, and just as startling for its new repetition today.
The Swiss Re Tower was opened to the public briefly last year, and I wandered around to see whether I could at least gaze upwards from within. But although it’s not the IRA we fear now, these are troubled times too, and other threats abound, particularly at election time, with its echoes of Madrid. I’d sauntered confidently past the Cockney guards posted at each corner of the grey granite plaza, but found my match in the politest of enforcers at the door, with his earpiece and microphone, fulfilling the updated rôle of tastefully besuited bouncer. He told me I couldn’t go inside.
It was a poor kind of homage which was on offer now, but I wanted to make it, nevertheless. And so I wandered across the street, to sit with an Italian coffee and pass a few minutes in tribute to the new friend that I had made.
At 180 m tall (around 600 feet) it may be three times the height of Niagara Falls, but it’s still only the sixth highest building in London. And yet, it is perhaps the most remarkable. It’s an entire design concept, not just a clever outline, with an internal layout arranged so that air circulates naturally, the convecting draughts cooling in summer and the lower sunlight maximised and reflected inwards in winter, lightening the space and warming its inhabitants. The result is an energy usage which is 50 % less than the conventional office blocks which surround it.
And yet, for all of that innovation, it is that external design which startles. I love views of London, and the beauty of the Gherkin is that she crops up, unexpected, in so many views across the city.
You may be on top of a bus in the East End, striding beside the Thames, or in a taxi crossing Waterloo Bridge at night, and suddenly, there she’ll be. Like so many other buildings, yet different.
And it’s clearly not just me who is fascinated – on one website alone I found no less than 87 views of the Gherkin snatched in places from Whitechapel to the West End. I’ve wondered about that prominence, and come up with the reason – it’s simply that a curving form means there’s always free space around the tower, from wherever you look.
I wandered back through the narrow City streets. A modern financial capital for the world, replete with street names from its market-trading past. East Cheap, Poultry, Mincing Lane, Lime Street. Down to Pudding Lane, and its Monument, marking where the Great Fire started. Across the Marathon course near 24 miles at Thames Street, and down to the river, whence London’s traded wealth originally came. And along the Thames Path towards my next meeting in the West End, that other, newer, Georgian city which lies alongside its Roman and mediaeval twin.
It really is a great city, this city, an amalgam of change. The Gherkin – Swiss Re Tower – 30 St Mary Axe – it’s a building of its time, just one of many that London has seen. There’ll be many more times, and more buildings to follow.
To grace its age, now, and to grace ages to come, that is the quality of great architecture. That to me, is London’s Gherkin, and there’ll be few fresh landmarks more graceful and remarkable than this.
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8 responses to “85. A homage to London’s Gherkin”
arthur rooney | 20 March, 2007 at 23:27 | Reply
The Gherkin – Swiss Re Tower – 30 St Mary Axe i have seen this building many times and wondered what it was that dominated so many scenes of london on tv being from scotland it was only on investigation my curiosity was fulfilled your article answered my question thank you
Roads | 21 March, 2007 at 00:51 | Reply
Thanks very much Arthur, and I’m glad that you enjoyed this article.
Phrases like ‘London Gherkin’ crop up in searches that lead to this site, almost every day, so it’s gratifying to know that it does provide some answers, of a kind at least.
It’s interesting to note that the building’s media team until very recently expressly forbade the use of the name ‘Gherkin’ in any of their official publicity as well as that of other organisations who use the building. They always insisted instead on use of the official name of 30 St Mary Axe.
That was understandable in many ways, since this kind of architecture surely commands a degree of respect. And yet, on a different kind of level, it looked like quite an impressive case of denial, and really just a little late. Because 7 million Londoners, and just about the rest of the world, already knew the building by exactly that name.
It makes me suspect that they might have been missing a marketing trick, right there. Because if a brand name works – use it.
I wonder if that policy is changing now, since the building has recently been sold by Swiss Re for £640 mm, bringing them a £300 mm profit in the three years since the tower was completed.
It seems remarkable that the building’s value has increased quite that much in such a short time, until you factor in the unique cachet of owning a stylish (and practical) London landmark with such instant worldwide recognition. And until you realise that this rate of price inflation is actually also pretty close to that achieved by almost every house in London over the same period.
In my recent post about Hyde Park, I note the new apartments under construction there which are now on sale off plan for £ 84 million each.
That’s an amazing figure, in any language, and makes one wonder if such prices really are sustainable, or if they’ll end in tears, one day not all that far away.
Many thanks once again for reading this site, and with all best wishes from me to Scotland.
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Roads | 2 May, 2007 at 19:49 | Reply
Thanks very much for linking to my article on The Gherkin. I see that you found the building from the tube station, much as I did.
That picture from the South Bank that you link to on your site does capture it very well.
In return, here is a marvellous panorama taken from Tower Bridge which says many of the same things about The Gherkin, and perhaps even more about London itself.
Keith Mansfield | 3 August, 2008 at 16:19 | Reply
A lovely article, Roads. I remember seeing the artists’ impressions of the Gherkin, crossing my fingers (and toes) and just hoping that it would actually make it off the drawing board and into reality. Then, from my flat, I watched as it began to take shape, growing gracefully upwards.
I maintain it’s the most beautiful skyscraper built anywhere for many a decade – perhaps since the Chrysler Building. It’s so perfect I used it for the spaceship in my children’s book, Johnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London (the Gherkin is the Spirit of London).
I absolutely adore your picture of the building with her green Christmas lights. Can you tell me where that came from originally. Never has the building looked more like a fantastic starship!
Roads | 4 August, 2008 at 12:08 | Reply
Thank you, Keith, and the very best of luck with your new book .
Yes, that night portrait is stunning. The building was still very new in 2005 and there wasn’t a lot of photography available then. Sadly there is so much more now that I couldn’t relocate that picture when I searched tonight.
However, this image by Geoff Hamilton shows a similar lighting scheme, and here’s another shot of a spacerocket-like Gherkin.
I finally made it to the top of the Gherkin a few weeks ago, and I’ll be writing about that long-awaited visit soon. In the meantime, many thanks again.
Robin Partington | 24 September, 2015 at 14:38 | Reply
This is odd, it is the first time that i have come across your article, and it is perhaps the best written in the 11 or so years since we finished the building. It is interesting to note that it was not always popular, with Mira Bar-Hillel running a long and vitriolic campaign in the Evening Standard throughout the planning process.
I have always thought that the building is feminine and i am glad that you agree. Unusually for a client team involved in the day to day running of the project, two of the three involved were women, Sara Fox and Carla Picardi working with Richard Griffiths, Sara taking the building through construction on site, which is even more unusual.
I love working on projects in London, and tall buildings, in the right location are very much a part of its history and chemistry, providing important points of punctuation, rather like a well constructed sentence, where height signalled the focus and hearts of proud and independent local communities. A look at the etchings from around the time of the great fire shows how London has grown, subsuming these ‘villages’ into a vibrant and ever changing whole….but without the loss of that intense community spirit or vitality, where locals are still intensely proud and defensive of their individual patches of London.
There are many things that I enjoy about the building, but i am fascinated by the way it has been received by the public, quickly becoming symbolic for London as a whole not just of its ‘village’, the City. I think one of the reasons that it will endure is because it is a happy, quiet and confident building, a complete and contented form. It was never going to be the tallest (it was a very diplomatic 10ft. shorter than Tower 42 the ‘NatWest Tower’ from the outset).
If you ever get the chance, do visit the spectacular restaurant and bar at the top inside the glazed dome….. simply the best view of London….where if you look carefully you will also see the only piece of curved glass in the building and that is on the very top.
Robin Partington
Director at Foster+ Partners responsible for The Gherkin, now with my own architecural practice Robin Partington & Partners on New Oxford Street by Centre Point (….another good building)
Roads | 28 September, 2015 at 08:48 | Reply
Thank you for your comment and I’m delighted that you liked this article in praise of the wonderful building that you built. Eleven years later, The Gherkin has only grown in stature as it has become a symbol of London, recognised all around the world.
I did finally make it past the door and high aloft to the top of The Gherkin, back in the autumn of 2008 when the dark clouds of the financial crisis were hanging over The City of London. As you rightly predicted, the view didn’t disappoint, but I found the steel and glass framework above us just as compelling, framing the evening sky in a dramatic airy cage soaring high over the solid floor we stood on.
London’s skyline continues to evolve — as it always has — if not always for the best. Perhaps the excitement of The Shard was captured most memorably by the adventurous souls who climbed it before it was finished, and the building has continued to grow on me ever since. It’s an addition to the landscape and to the view from the North Thames Path especially.
By contrast, the addition of 20 Fenchurch Street, The Walkie Talkie, has been more problematic, blocking for ever as it does the view of The Gherkin from the South Bank captured by Paul Catherall.
Building Design Magazine recently awarded The Walkie Talkie their Carbuncle Cup, and following this, The Guardian even suggested tearing it down altogether.
And yet, on a grey winter’s day, there is something grimly impressive about its sheer bulk on the skyline. As you say, Centre Point has made the transition from empty eyesore to Grade II listed building, so although The Walkie Talkie may not have many fans today, perhaps, with time, we’ll grow to like it better than we do now.
In the meantime, many thanks again for your work on The Gherkin. The building continues to enhance any day in London. As luck would have it, I’ll be enjoying a view of The Gherkin from Aldgate again this morning.
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Fire and Passion Vs Beermats
Posted on May 9, 2013 by Rik
Last night’s well attended public meeting held by TUSC in Rawmarsh illustrated an age old problem for passionate, but small and resource-poor groups such as TUSC. How do you compete to get your message heard when others (in this case UKIP) have the money to ‘shout’ louder?
The meeting was about to get under way in the Earl Grey pub when someone noticed the beermats – specially commissioned UKIP beermats, both sides carrying the UKIP message. Clearly, UKIP have thrown a lot of money at this round of local elections, and a party political beermat is a stroke of genius. We all (well, me anyway) look at beermats when we’re in a pub. We play with them, flip them, pick at them, and even read them. I’ll wager that those beermats have been read by people who would not normally look at an election leaflet. The number of potential voters reached by a beermat may not be large, but every vote counts in an age of voter apathy.
It may seem frivolous to talk about beermats but the principle is important. TUSC’s anti-austerity message needs to be heard as widely as anyone else’s message. It doesn’t really matter whether you agree with TUSC or not, we should all agree that no candidate should be ‘priced out’ of the democratic process by the greater resources available to others.
As for the meeting, Rotherham TUSC displayed all the fire and passion that we’ve come to expect from them. Andy Gray, the candidate for Rawmarsh, concentrated on the bedroom tax, and made a compelling case against this insidious attack on the least affluent. Martin Hickman, an active trade unionist and TUSC member warned of the dangers of apathy in a spellbinding ten minute talk. Last, but definitely not least, was Mary Jackson, TUSC candidate in the recent Mayoral election in Doncaster. Regardless of your politics, if you get a chance to talk to Mary, you should grab that chance – an amazing woman with some great stories and an ability to cut to the heart of the issue that a top cardiac surgeon would envy. Kudos to Andy’s agent, Chris Bingham, for turning what might have been a bit of a non-event into a very worthwhile evening.
Warren Vale
PS: Rotherham TUSC are beginning a local campaign against the bedroom tax. If you want to join their fight, I believe there is a meeting next week in Rawmarsh at the Earl Grey pub at 7pm. I’m sure they will post details with Rothpol as soon as they are able. Remember, the bedroom tax doesn’t care who you vote for, so don’t let it put you off that it’s a TUSC initiative. Maybe a chance to see some joint activity between TUSC, Respect and any concerned Independents?
Rothpol’s thanks goes to Warren Vale for this excellent piece. Other reader contributions always welcome.
This entry was posted in Information and tagged Andy Gray, Rawmarsh, Rawmarsh By-Election 2013, Rawmarsh Ward, TUSC by Rik. Bookmark the permalink.
45 thoughts on “Fire and Passion Vs Beermats”
Graham Wilson on May 9, 2013 at 3:14 pm said:
jill on May 9, 2013 at 10:01 pm said:
Having been at this meeting and seeing the UKIP beer mats I was reminded of an old Galloway saying and thought to myself instead of three bum checks it appears now to be four. People of Rawmarsh do yourselves a favour, don’t vote for bum cheeks.
Joe Robinson on May 9, 2013 at 11:55 pm said:
Andy is a great guy and a great candidate and I hope that the voters of Rawmarsh see what he and TUSC have to offer. He is the only name on the ballot paper that offers a real alternative to the mainstream parties. He will always fight for what’s best for the people of Rotherham. He will speak out about the bedroom tax and all the other injustices ordered by the con-dem’s and forced through by labour councils, whilst being called too soft by UKIP. Best of luck Andy. VOTE TUSC!
sheepshaun on May 10, 2013 at 12:22 am said:
May I also add that there was a TUSC public meeting in Maltby on Monday, in which there’s a community campaign being set up to lobby against the bedroom tax, similar to that in Rawmarsh. “Effects of the bedroom tax on Maltby residents” is being discussed at the next town council meeting – will be interesting to hear what’s said 🙂 and – Good luck Andy!
Joe Robinson on May 10, 2013 at 12:53 am said:
I’ll just add that I as a TUSC councillor added that to the agenda. Just a little proof that when elected TUSC will act against the con-dem attacks, unlike labour. I’m sure Andy will do the same when elected.
anne (@anteggs49) on May 10, 2013 at 8:44 am said:
I wish you luck Joe. What a shame ALL the town & Parish Council’s don’t get together and pressure RMBC to act. I hope you can convince Maltby council to do something but I suspect that even if you do RMBC will either ignore you or say ‘we don’t know if it’s legal’ as they did to the only Councillor who had the temerity to raise the issue.
Caven Vines on May 10, 2013 at 9:10 am said:
I am very pleased to hear how Andy is opposing the Bed Room tax But I dont seem to have seen anything in the press or any whare else he as mentioned it except on this site and what he is doing about it.
Again read the local press and you will see that UKIP have also opposed to this very unfair discrimative tax and will be challenging the Council on what they are doing to try and protect people from it.
And I dont recall seeing Andy’s Election address outlining what is policy is.
And as far as the Beer Mats go UKIP have for over 5 years now been fighting against PUbs Closing and am sure Beer Mats and our Save our Pubs posters have been seen throughout the country.
Joe Robinson on May 10, 2013 at 3:31 pm said:
After the con-dems autumn statement, which brought more misery to millions, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said “Its not enough, austerity needs to cut deeper and faster!” UKIP’s answer to the country’s problems is to increase the suffering of the lowest in society. You are little more than a hardcore tory party. TUSC are the only party offering an alternative to austerity, whether you claim to oppose the bedroom tax or not.
Colin Tawn on May 10, 2013 at 6:14 pm said:
If,as you claim UKIP is ‘little more than a hardcore tory party’ why did they win so many seats in the local elections? You forget they took seats from all three parties.
A rather unfair comment from you. Do you not believe in healthy debate? Is’nt a contra-view allowed to be expressed?
I notice you have not made any statements about the obscene salaries paid to RMBC ‘Executives’ or even Trades Union bosses.
I expected you would do more than issue slogans.
Caven Vines on May 10, 2013 at 3:43 pm said:
UKIPs Letter to the press re: Bedroom Tax
Caven Vines
UKIP Chairman Rotherham Branch
30 Whitley View Road
S61 2HL
cavenvines@aol.com
What timing for David Cameron to Introduce the Bedroom Tax Just as Mrs Thatcher Dies This tax is about as fair and sensible as the POLL TAX introduced by Mrs Thatcher or maybe her spirit and policies carry on in the Conservatives policy’s.
This Tax is totally wrong and unfair. Someone living alone in a 2 bedroom house cannot avoid the tax unless they move house. Which would almost certainly cause them massive disruption and expense. That’s if they could find some where to move to. This in effect clobbering the poor in such a way that they cannot escape from it without turning their lives upside down. And what about if their family require to visit where do they stay in a tent in the garden of the one bedroom house.
We recognise that the Benefits bill is far too high and the Philpott’s case illustrates how broken the system is. But the Bedroom tax is not part of the solution. The upset and heartbreak it will cause is not worth the comparatively small amount of cash that it will raise.
Cameron and his head in the sand MP’s really should be looking at the wider picture and start to think outside the box. The country is broke the infrastructure is in pieces and we are overrun by immigrants claiming benefits. Yet they still shell out £53million per day to the EU and £23million a day in foreign aid with the Romanians and Bulgarians waiting in the wings to fill the empty 2 & 3 Bedroom houses left vacant when the people who can’t afford to live in them because of the Bedroom Tax.
So maybe Mr Cameron is setting himself up as a never to be forgot Leader like the late Mrs Thatcher.
UKIP Rotherham
UKIP gained seats in tory heartlands due to a protest vote. It was a rejection of the major parties, not an approval of UKIP. I am totally prepared to debate any issue you wish, and yes of coarse you are entitled to your opinion (however far right it may be). You are right about the ridiculous salaries payed to executives, and I and TUSC have actually spoken out about it on numerous occasions.
Anonymous on May 10, 2013 at 11:50 pm said:
Who cares that UKIP claim to be opposed to the Bedroom Tax? They are a bunch of opportunists who will say anything to get votes. Apart from their xenophobic immigration policies and anti-EU stance they just make everything else up on the back of Nigel Farage’s fag packet.
Good luck to my good friend Andy Gray – a decent bloke and a proper socialist.
Anonymous on May 11, 2013 at 9:43 am said:
Nothing new about UKIP beermats. I first saw them in East Anglia in 2005 although they had the brewer on one side and UKIP on the other. Maybe it is sponsorship/advertising.
caven vines on May 12, 2013 at 11:08 pm said:
Maybe Andy Gray is a good chap and will do wonders for all But what is the TUSC manifesto what do you stand for you have todate not told any one any thing except you dont like the Bed room tax so whats new we all dont like it except the the Conservatives and labour cos we aint had any feed back from them only that it may not be legal to do owt about it. You see we also got involved with trying to save our Pubs as well as Saving us from Europe and the Bedroom Tax. and many more things people may not like all we say but at least we say what we are about and what we want to acheive So come on put your heads above the parapit and lets here what it is you truly represent then people would know if TUSC was worth voting for.If you dont tell us how can peole truly decide.
Joe Robinson on May 13, 2013 at 1:51 am said:
TUSC stands to ahieve socialism. Our policies are to make the rich pay for the financial crisis they caused rather than inflicting devastating austerity on the poorest in society.
We would nationalise the commanding heights of the economy, as well as utilities, railways and buses, to run for the benefit of all.
We are anti EU, because the free trade agreement allows for reckless gambling across borders by bankers and almost actively encourages tax evasion, not for your nationalistic reasons.
We call for the anti trade union laws to be repealed to protect the rights of the workers.
We call for a large program of house building to cure Britains housing shortage, a practical solution to the bedroom tax. Every council in the country has a large pot of money from Thatchers sale of council houses that she made it illegal to spend. This should be challenged and the money used to build council houses in every borough and county.
These are just a few things we campaign for. Unlike UKIP, TUSC have a full manifesto of policies that would actually help the people of Rotherham.
A regular reader on May 13, 2013 at 9:04 pm said:
I can understand many reasons for leaving the EU, even those I don’t accept, but this one just doesn’t make any sense to me.
Whilst being in the EU does possibly facilitate some forms of transfer-price based tax avoidance by non-banking corporations, most schemes use off-shore centres not in the EU – for example the British Overseas Territories of the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands which are both outside the EU.
…and as far as the bankers are concerned, their gambling is almost entirely across three centres, London, New York and and any one of Hong Kong/Singapore/Tokio/Sidney in the Far East .
(London dealers start work before the Far East market closes, and don’t go home until after New York opens. )
From the BIS Triennial FX survey 2010:
“Banks located in the United Kingdom accounted for 37% of global foreign exchange market turnover, followed by those in the United States (18%), Japan (6%), Singapore (5%), Switzerland (5%), Hong Kong SAR (5%) and Australia (4%).”
(http://www.bis.org/publ/rpfxf10t.pdf )
I would almost say that the EU are the good guys in this, and UK is more than a little bit naughty.
Where the EU has failed is in not enforcing standard corporate tax rates across all member states, something which UK would by the nature of things oppose, but it makes this all possible:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c638f73a-978f-11e2-97e0-00144feabdc0.html
Very commendable post, at least you’ve set out what you (TUSC) believe in.
I have a problem with what you have written:
Can you direct me to any country with a successful Socialist economy that has adopted your policies? I’ll be honest, I’ve searched and cannot find one. Perhaps I’ve missed one?
Anonymous on May 13, 2013 at 3:30 pm said:
Thats great so ware are they the full range of policies that will help the people of Rotherham no one I know has seen them
And are you wanting to turn the clock back to the 60’s & 70’s When the Unions played their part in dismantling our car industry with poor productivity poor build quality Just look at British Leyland Speke Plant in Liverpool,for a prime example of when it was left to trade unions to rule the roost, and that was long before Thatcher I think Wilson was around then.
I agree we need to take hold of Utilities and Transport and the Banks But it was Blair and Brown who allowed them to get us in this mess then they both bailed out with their own pockets full and the Tories have just helped them along
But I would be most interested in knowing just how you propose to do all this
Yes you a right it should be challenged but to date I haven’t read or seen any challenge from the TUSC but if i missed it please point me in the right direction.
I thought Trade Unions was main bank rollers to Milliband havn’t you got a say in how Labour would do things. if so why did they get us in this mess in the first place
“I agree we need to take hold of Utilities and Transport and the Banks But it was Blair and Brown who allowed them to get us in this mess then they both bailed out with their own pockets full and the Tories have just helped them along”.
Not really:=)
Notable privatizations in the UK under Thatcher included British Airways (1987), British Petroleum (gradually privatized between 1979 and 1987), British Aerospace (1985 to 1987), British Gas (1986), Rover Group (formerly British Leyland; 1988), British Steel (1988), British Telecom (1984), Sealink ferries (1984), Rolls-Royce (1987) and the regional water authorities (mostly in 1989). After 1979, council house tenants in the UK were given the right to buy their homes; one million had done so by 1986. (wikipedia).
Electricity privatisation began in 1990 – again under Thatcher.
The problems within the banking sector can be traced back to the so-called “Big Bang” in late 1986 (under Thatcher), which effectively deregulated the sterling banking sector, and in that same year little building societies were allowed to become fully-fledged banks (they had previously been heavily very regulated) and allowed to de-mutualise. .
Brown’s main contribution to the crisis in the banking sector was by setting up the tripartite regulatory regime for the banks – made up of the Bank of England, Financial Services Authority, and the Treasury . He could of course control the Treasury – and he was control-freak.. He then introduced the “light-touch” level of regulation.
(The Tories are now unwinding all Brown’s mess-up).
* the Co-op Bank’s current problems seem to stem from some over-expansionist (weak?) management buying the Britannia Building Society when it had got itself into lending on Commercial Properties at a time when perhaps it was not a good idea to be lending to that sector along with an overrun on costs on a much needed new banking system
Sadly nothing ever changes.
You keep saying TUSC have a full manifesto of policies that would help the people of Rotherham so ware are they no one seems to have seen them plus you dont say how you would implement them.
sheepshaun on May 13, 2013 at 10:58 pm said:
TUSC do stalls in town and on Maltby high street, if you’ve ever been to one and had a chat with the people there they explain the policies, or if you receive one of the many Socialist newspapers handed out there is a policy list in there; during the Maltby by-election campaign leaflets were distributed ward wide explaining what TUSC is and its policies and how they would be implemented, as well as in the Maltby-wide bedroom tax leaflet, plus you can always do a 2 second Google search, but seeing as that seems to be too much effort for you I’ve saved you the trouble: http://www.tusc.org.uk/policy.php
The reality is Labour have abandoned the working class, and in a working class town like Rotherham, Labour have failed us – a statement I’m sure you agree with.
I see you are backed by the RMT Union and others so that why you want to nationalise the Railways
And you have the Nerve to complain about being underfunded arnt we all.
Or maybe it’s the other way round:
.. because they support re-nationalisation of the railways, the RMT decided to support them.
If you need a strictly econnomic example of successful mixed market economies, look at china and the soviet union. Obviously their social policy is draconian but economically it works. In terms of social policy great strides have been made in latin america. And need I point out that southern europe is seeing million strong demonstrations involving our sister organisations. We aren’t stuck in the 70’s we are very much a new breed, we are the future.
Our main priority for Rotherham is to set a needs budget to stop austerity from causing any further harm to the town. The legal challenge to the bedroom tax is currently being looked at by the RMT, who as you point out are strong backers of TUSC, though if elected andy could try and force the issue within the council, as I have. The brutal cuts at Rotherham hospital must also be stopped. And we have campaigned against the EDL and other fascist groups. TUSC have numerous campaigns and policies that are well known by the public in Rotherham. UKIP merely turned up at the by-election and from what I can see it is they who have no local policies whatsoever. Your answers to the mess we are in is to ramp up the cuts, implement new taxes and crush the poorest among us. You say you aren’t tories, yet talk of joint candidates and coalition is common place in both parties? Already in this debate you have shown your parties vile opinion when you blamed the benefits system for the phillpots terrible actions. They were the actions of evil people, and to try and use that for political gain (as george osbourne did!) Is utterly appalling.
Sally Kate Taylor on May 13, 2013 at 8:17 pm said:
” Caven said: “as far as I am concerned any pact with the tories is pure speculation on thier part to cover up their failings AND I WILL STATE HERE AND NOW IN PRINT THAT IF UKIP EVER DO HAVE A PACT WITH THE TORIES I WILL NOT BE A MEMBER OF UKIP I DID NOT JOIN UKIP TO BECOME A TORIE Dont take every thing you read in the paper as being true.”
Forage has just been on the Politics Show – BBC 12 Noon Monday 13th May 2013.
He admitted UKIP have and are undertaking deals and pacts with local Conservative Offices and Tory MP’s re the General and other elections. I will hold you to your word Caven. .
Just as I thought China and the Soviet Union and the old 70’s Trade Unions Communisum
Much like the Demercratic republic of Rotherham
But I hope I am wrong and you are a new breed of Trade Unionists and I wish you well in your quest.If that is true.
And Just to enlighten you UKIP just dont turn up and neither do I I have also been challenging Rotherham Council for well over 15 years before Joining UKIP.
and yes beleive it or not I do admire people like you Joe who will stand up and have ago choose what party they stand for and I realy do hope you can stay the distance with all the knock backs you will have over the comming years like I have had but the seceret is to keep comming back eventuly it stops hurting as you keep banging your head on the brick wall of the staunch Labour following in Rothrham but it is slowly breaking The old Labour Monkey can,t last for ever.
Good luck on thursday I think politics apart we are both after the same thing for our town just got different view points on how to acheive it
I will keep up the fight, because we can certainly agree on 1 thing, the need to remove rotten labour in Rotherham!
Regular Reader
Well put and reserched but to me one thing stands out from this The Labour party when in government have never tried to reverse any of Thatchers doings only added to them so like you say nothing changes But we have to try
A regular reader on May 13, 2013 at 10:12 pm said:
Thatcher sold off (AKA privatised ) all the state assets she could, and then spent the money.
Where could any incoming government ever find the money to buy them all back? Taxation? There just was no way!
Compare what she did with the money coming in from North Sea Oil to what the Norwegians did.
One view on this is at: ( http://paulcolemanslondon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/thatcher-disputed-legacy-squandering.html )
Other way Norway
North Sea Oil’s other beneficiary – Norway – stashes revenues in a national deposit or ‘sovereign wealth’ fund. By 2013, Norway enjoys a growing $700 billion fund.
Thatcher did not follow Norway’s example. Nor did she allow the British National Oil Corporation – created by Labour energy secretary Tony Benn in the mid-1970s – to take a majority stake in the North Sea oil fields and invest in onshore industries, infrastructure and jobs.
In fact, Thatcher privatised BNOC in 1982, clearing the way for BP to buy it. She spent oil revenues on tax cuts for the wealthy and on welfare benefits for the growing mass of unemployed people.
Sovereign wealth
PriceWaterhouseCoopers economist John Hawksworth calculated in 2008 that had Britain saved and invested its oil revenues, the British people would’ve now enjoyed one of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds – comparable to the Arab oil state funds now buying up huge chunks of prime central London land and property.
I think it was Martha Gellhorn, the great WW2 war reporter who wrote “growing up is learning that not everything that’s broken can be repaired”.
…but it was definitely Joni Mitchell who wrote :
Till it’s gone
…. and then there’s nout that you can do about it.
if it ever does officialy then I will not disapoint you
Colin Tawn on May 14, 2013 at 12:06 am said:
You wrote-‘Our policies are to make the rich pay for the financial crisis they caused rather than inflicting devastating austerity on the poorest in society’ and in your next post you wrote;
‘.successful mixed market economies, look at china and the soviet union.’
That is not true. China has one of the largest concentrations of multi-millionaires and billionaires in the world while 15% of the Chinese population is classed as living in poverty and China’s tax rate is 20%, much lower than the 40-50% tax rates in the West. Russia also has a large number of billionaires and millionaires (and a thriving criminally controlled black market) There are no state owned steelworks in Russia. There are 12 oil companies in Russia, only one is owned by the Russian state and Russian electricity suppliers are privately owned.
Both China and Russia realised years ago State monopolies do not work. The introduction of capitalist methods and finance has enabled both these countries to attract more investment and given them the impetus to grow and compete with the West. Therefore I do not agree with your assertions that public ownership is for the ‘common good’, after all even Blair ditched Clause 4.
sheepshaun on May 14, 2013 at 9:47 am said:
If public ownership isn’t for the common good, then what is? We have privatised industries in the past and we have in many cases ended up with inefficient, price fixing oligopolies; look at the energy industry for example.
Do you think austerity is right then? I’ll ask two questions and it will be interesting to hear your response: a) who caused the financial crisis? – and b) who should pay for it?
You have misunderrstood my meaning, I do not by any means hold china or russia (though I actually said USSR) as examples of perfection. Far from it. These states are mearly examples of successful MIXED markets. They aren’t socialist or commmunist, they are both deformed workers states.
State run monoploys may not be as efficient as their capitalist counter parts the oligopolies that syphon the money into pockets of the rich. But the benefits of state ownership aren’t all economic, the social policy is equally important.
Alan Greenspan.
Mervyn King.
Gordon Brown.
Bill Clinton.
Andy Hornby.
Fred Goodwin.
Plus many more.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/aug/06/financial-crisis-25-people-heart-meltdown
I do not disagree with the notion bankers-in the loosest term- should repay their obscene bonuses and payoffs. The Labour party is fond of saying ‘tax cuts for millionaires’ Really? The current tax rate for wealthy people is 45%, under the last Labour government it was 40% for 11 years out of 13. Milliband is a multi-home owning millionaire Labour toff.
Every country in the western world has cut public services-not just Britain- but we cannot continue with a system where there were more Admirals than ships or where procurement procedures for our armed forces was out of control and not audited properly, or where civil servants abused government credit cards. We also have the admissions by former Labour governmnet ministers that immigration into Britain was used as a form of wage restraint, not to fill spurious vacancies that ‘will not be taken by British workers’.
Alistair Darling’s budget plans for 2010-2014 included raising Vat to 20% (Brown had overidden this plan in November 2009) and cutting public services so while we are all suffering, the current austerity is not the preserve of the Coalition government-which I do not support.
I hope I’ve answered your questions.
I assume that your list of names, and link are in answer to my comment regarding the origins of the recent crisis in UK banking.
Your Guardian link (from August 2012 is simply a follow up to a somewhat better piece of journalism from January 2009:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/26/road-ruin-recession-individuals-economy?
Of the people listed 18 were based in the US, one in Iceland and 6 in UK.
The UK ones are:
Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England
Gordon Brown, prime minister
Andy Hornby, former HBOS boss
Sir Fred Goodwin, former RBS boss
Steve Crawshaw, former B&B boss
Adam Applegarth, former Northern Rock boss
Prior to Thatcher’s 1986 Building Societies Act:
HBOS had been Halifax Building Society,
B&B had been Bradford and Bingley Building Society,
Northern Rock had been Northern Rock Building Society.
The Act allowed them all to de-mutualise and become banks, but the older craftier banks and big corporate borrowers saw how limited these new guys understanding of the international financial markets were and just took them to the cleaners.
Maybe that will help you get some understanding of how Thatcher’s 1986 Building Societies Act contributed to the later crisis.
Yes you have a very valid point But I do not agree with our front line troops paying the price for the procurement civil servants out of control spending. we now see that with the massive cuts already on our front line troops and more to come they are now expected to serve nine months tours on the front line with the threat of the sack when they get back. I dont see any ministers or top civil servants taking the hit for this waste and being put under the pressure our young service personal and their families are.
Theirs nothing to chose between the LIB/LAB/CON on this issue
1} Labour under Blair and Brown sent our troops to war with poor protection and equipment costing many lives.
2) The coalition sent them to war with the threat of the sack hanging over them.
then expecting them to make up the numbers by going on extended tours of duty.
We can’t look after our troops but can send millions abroad
You really could not make it up and they call UKIP clowns and fruitcakes.
There is no basis for you to keep opposing the cuts, where would you cut? Austerity is the capitalist policy, UKIP’s policy! You want faster, deeper more brutal cuts! So I must draw the conclusion that you are an unpricipled party who are merely trying to say what voters want to hear, while offering nothing real.
Joe Robinson on May 14, 2013 at 11:44 pm said:
This doesn’t read very clearly, I apologise. I meant to ask you is, you keep stating opposition to cuts on here, why when UKIP policy is for more cuts? Playing to the public perhaps?
John Wilkinson on May 14, 2013 at 6:49 pm said:
Joe you have to realise that if we didn’t give so much of our money to the wasteful and corrupt EU and on top of this £23 million per day in foreign aid, we would perhaps not need to have such serious cuts!
To put it in perspective, our net contribution to the EU together with our Overseas Aid spending add up to about 2% of government spending.
Colin Tawn on May 14, 2013 at 10:37 pm said:
Which equates to £14 Billion per year,every year.
Hardly loose change is it?
Really good point Colin, well said! 🙂
But there are no loose-change amounts in government spending.
If you ever need to make sense of the numbers, it’s best to divide them by 55 million to get the per capita cost.
Look, I remember Norman “Badger” Lamont idiotically throwing away £3.2 billion in one day trying to “defend” sterling and Gordon Brown throwing away far more than that selling UK’s gold stocks.
… and it was far richer people than we that took “our” money then!
At least its likely that some people poorer than we are getting something positive out of our ODA spending.
… and remember some of it flows back to the UK – I remember Caven Vines saying that ODA had funded some of his work in the 3rd World.
… and, via the World Bank and the UN I guess they must have contributed to funding my work out there.
Which of course means that you must have helped fund me! I just hope you don’t want your money, back with interest. 🙂
yes you are correct in saying the oversea’s aid did pay for some of my work in Africa and South america but them days it was controlled through the Crown Agents and the aided work went to British company’s I remember
not like now where its not controlled.
Hi Caven, I accept that, Please understand that I consider you an utterly OK man. I would never think of questioning your integrity,
Have you ever worked with UNCTAD? – they were the best people I ever worked with.
Hi No I dont think so I think all our projects was controlled in part by the Crown agent in Africa and parts of the Middle East
Other countries such as Canada Funded in part with the Crown projects south America In the Amazon But i think that was for extracting Minerals they funded local villages with water and health care projects out of the profits I think.Now thats a scary place to be when the Sun Goes Down all the Nasties come out to play.
Maybe we should write book so people know just what they have got here and how they should get off their backsides and vote to preserve the freedom and democracy we have enjoyed over the years instead the apathy that has set in today.
They would not beleive the things that go off in some of these countries
People disapear for just trying to go to work, Children allowed to die with such preventable illness like measels. all because of the greed and coruption of those in Power.
I have put in projects in Africa only to go back 12 months later to see them totaly distroyed and the operators killed all because some power crazed tyrant thought they was getting too educated and may become a threat to their power.
Ware people are made to watch puplic exicutions including us westerners working their such things like Beheading, stoning to death all for so called crimes we just take for granted as part of every day life Rape of young women and children is common place with no redress taken by the authorites.
If more people actualy saw this they may just value what we got and make the effort to preserve it
Because who would have thought in modern day europe we could have had a Bosnia.after 1945.
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April 27, 2018 rpggods
The Spectral Corsair: Episode XIV Part 1 – “In Space No One Can Hear Your Cat Scream”
Calumet City was abuzz with gossip about the fight, gossip about the Witchsmeller that had been in their midst. The people in the city took it as an opportunity to have a go at the Zalosians on the planet – there had been a growing unease about the Order of the Pariah’s expansionist plans in Odacon. Zalosian acolytes and sympathisers were targeted, some were killed, most fled.
Against this backdrop Bubaga Tamar, one of the Triumvirs who control Calumet, and the leader of the Salvagers conglomerate in the system, visited the crew on the Corsair. He had recognised Ozgare’s attempts to communicate with him, and felt some sympathy for them.
“Normally,” he said, “a breach of the peace in the city would carry the death sentence for those involved. But the Triumvirate has heard testimony that she was both the aggressor and a damned Witchsmeller, and we are quietly happy to have had the excuse to clean out some nests of Zalosian scum.” He leaned in closely, then murmured “and Resim Aldair is a name you should speak with caution in this city…”
Resim had arrived in Odacon a year before, and approached the Triumvirate to seek permission to run salvaging operations in the system. The Triumvirate said no. But Bubaga made a covert arrangement with him behind the backs of the other Triumvirs, for a share in Resim’s salvaging spoils. The other Triumvirs learned of the deal and dispatched a detachment to stop Resim. They found him near the Ash Belt, in orbit around Odacon’s binary black hole called Raeb, and left him for dead.
He was forgotten, until several months later when he re-appeared in Calumet, selling some magnificent portal builder artefacts and relics. The Triumvirs couldn’t let Resim operate unchallenged, as they had spread the story of his defeat and death as a warning to others who might want to loot the system. But the truce on Sharma held sway. Again they sent a detachment after Resim as he departed, but this time the detachment sent to kill him never returned.
Soon after Bubaga’s visit Abdelacar came to escort them to meet Resim. They rendezvoused in deep orbit with a class 5 salvaging vessel, called Khanfasar. They landed the Corsair in the ship’s main hanger, and headed for their destination: a base in orbit around a small moon deep in the Ash Belt, flying directly to avoid the portals – too many Legion ships, too many pirates, too many Zalosians…
The journey took two weeks, and while Hanbal and the crew were treated as honoured guests aboard Khanfasar it was clear they were being managed. Ajit used his talents of infiltration to scout the ship in the guise of a crew member. Khanfasar was a battered and old ship, and a design that was unfamiliar to them. In fact, the design was so old-fashioned it finally dawned on them that it was a Second Horizon design from the time of the Portal Wars. Also, the way the crew was treated was very strange, and most had some scars and dis-figurements. Ajit experienced this first hand – whilst scouting he was challenged by an officer, couldn’t answer her demands and was disciplined by a swift gash across his face, leaving a deep scar… He wasn’t uncovered as one of their guests though.
They eventually arrived at the base deep in the Ash Belt, a hollowed-out asteroid orbiting a barren moon hiding in the debris of the Belt. As they approached they could see what looked like a portal, shimmering in the same orbit as the moon. No one knew there was a portal here, and they said so. Abdelacar smiled knowingly:
“We are, shall we say, working on portal research. This portal was a remnant from the wars, and we are seeing if we can re-vitalise it…”
Hanbal and the crew went along with the flow, focussed totally on tjeir mission for Jubal: find Resim, hand his cat back, convince him to return to Kua. None of these clues, none of these hints, seemed to spark any suspicion within them, but they were wise enough to come armed. Khanfasar gingerly negotiated the narrow tunnels and channels in the depths of the asteroid, before they found a central chamber with a station built into the rock. They were soon taken aboard, escorted though the complex and into a Great Chamber. This chamber was large, carved into the rock, with a small central amphitheatre and heavy drapes across one long wall. Full of people, lounging and reclining – Resim’s entourage, so it seemed – with a small group of scientists hunched over computers, papers and data discs in one corner. They were beginning to get the sense that something was badly awry, and the phrase Nazareem’s Sacrifice started coming to mind…
They finally met Resim Aldair, but he was not what they had expected: terribly scarred and battered from multiple wounds, half-robot, half-man, with cybernetic arms and four spider-like cybernetic legs, and metallic structures all across what remained of his body. Karter looked on appreciatively, his cyber-addiction kicking in.
Resim approached and stood at his place, a plinth on one side of the amphitheatre.
“I may not be as you may have assumed. But life in the Ash Belt can be hard. I have seen things you people would not believe, and learned things you people couldn’t hope to comprehend. But, now you are here. Say your piece.”
Hanbal came forward with Shikoba, and told their story. Resim’s face remained impassive.
“That cat is not mine,” he finally said. “It is my daughter’s, and its presence here is clearly a threat from Jubal, through you, against me. That, and the fact you brought the Witchsmeller Alina almost to my door makes me question your motives. The Zalosians are trying to find me, trying to stop me in my destiny, to re-open the portals and restore the Third Horizon to the old ways. If you wish to build any trust, you must kill that cat immediately. Do it now.”
To say the crew were stunned would be an under-statement, and there was no agreement between them. Hanbal and Ozgare were aghast at the prospect, Fenwick and Karter were ready to kill the cat as ordered. An argument ensued but Resim instead offered the chance for one of the crew to entertain him by fighting in the arena. Karter agreed, but was quickly defeated by his opponent and was left bleeding and broken.
It started to dawn upon them that they had walked into a situation that was nothing close to what they had expected. Had Jubal been playing them from the start? Had Jubal known that Alina was a Witchsmeller? Were they just pawns in some bigger play, to be crushed by events? Abdelacar could see the way Resim was going, and was shocked by his transformation in the time he’d been away. And Hanbal and the crew were his friends, had saved his life: a pathetic death in this place was not fair for them, was not acceptable.
They chose to fight back.
Shots rained down on Resim, and he called forth a creature from the dark, an enormous Byara tore through the drapes and landed in the chamber, ready to defend its master. But it was too late for Resim, and he fell dead to the onslaught. The place fell into chaos.
Fenwick attacked the scientists, shooting one and then turning his fire on the computers themselves, having grabbed as many data discs as he could. They got Karter back to his feet, grabbed Resim’s body, and started a fighting retreat back to the Spectral Corsair…
To Be Continued. . .
View from the GM’s Chair:
I had expected this scenario to be the culmination of this campaign arc, and there were a few ways the scenario could conclude:
– I’d thought they would pick up the clues that they were walking into the clutches of the Nazareem’s Sacrifice much earlier, and that this might shape their plans. But it was only once they were in Resim’s presence that this really hit them.
– I’d also considered the possibility that this might become a great finale, if they decided that the danger of the portals being re-opened, and the threat of the portal wars re-starting, was so great they might do something selfless to stop it – maybe even sacrificing themselves. But no. They don’t seem to give a monkey’s chuff about a new portal war, and Ajit was even keen on the idea (on the basis that, as he’s an assassin, war is good for business!).
But, I’d mis-judged how long we would take (in real life gaming time) to get to the scene with Resim, so we ran out of time to finish the scenario, and this part of the campaign. Never mind. We will finish it next time, with the only disappointment being that Morgan (who plays Ajit) won’t be able to join us…
Previous STAR TREK Adventures #3: Captain’s Personal Log, Stardate 47188.4
Next STAR TREK Adventures #4: Captain’s Personal Log, Stardate 47201.7
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Home › Cowboy Boots › Ariat Mens Sport Western Boots Wide Square Toe Brooklyn Brown/Ashes
Ariat Mens Sport Western Boots Wide Square Toe Brooklyn Brown/Ashes
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A rugged everyday boot with classic western styling.
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Tag Archives: Deaw
Born to Fight: Dan Chupong, Tony Jaa’s Contemp.
So there’s this guy. Dan Chupong. And he’s pretty good at Muay-Thai boxing. He’s been in a few films and definitely poses a threat to Tony Jaa. Interesting? ou bet he is. Like his fellow Muay-Thai fighter, Dan Chupong changed his first name for a more international appeal and should be hitting it big any day now. Little known fact, he was in Ong Bak 2 and 3 as Tony Jaa’s main antagonist, the crow creature/master fighter (?). But not to be outdone by Tony, Dan Chupong has begun his own career in the action film business in Thailand. His first big hit? Born to Fight.
So, in this film, Deaw (Dan Chupong) is a policeman, investigating a illegal trading syndicate headed by General Jang Sei
This could be... painful.
Yang (Nappon Gomarachun). In the ensuing fight, Deaw’s partner, Lowfei (Santisuk Promsiri) is killed and Deaw swears revenge against the evil General, who is subsequently arrested and placed in a high security jail.
Years later, Deaw has decided to accompany his sister and her olympic team of Thailand to a small village to help relieve their poverty and poor livings. All seems well (and the creepy dad of one of the girls completely agrees) until SUDDENLY… A militant terrorist group swarms into the small village (of all the damn villages) and begins mercilessly destroying the villagers, men, women, and children alike. Once they’ve done slayed about half the villagers, they round up the rest, excluding Deaw, into the center of the village. Their reasoning? They want the general released in exchange for the villagers. Fair trade? Dan Chupong would beg to differ.
Ever think you'd see an ass-kicking this way?
And from this point on, a bunch of olympic athletes, along with Deaw, begin to work and twirk every. last. soldier. At this point it’s guns versus buns (of steel) and you know the soldiers stand no chance. If this movie speaks to any horrific disaster of the last 50 years, this movie says that ordinary people can destroy the shit out of any armed and dangerous terrorist group that makes the mistake of attempting to invade their shanty town. And with what you may ask? The natural landscape of rubbery tin roofs, hardened wicker balls of steel, and a plethora of soccer balls kicked yards away with deadly 3-D accuracy.
What is nice about this movie is that Dan Chupong isn’t the main stunt actor in this battle of sports. Although he lays low with the village idiot who is a master of California Knockout, he obtains some guns. Which, in fact, is this movie’s letdown. Tony Jaa doesn’t need guns. Dan Chupong does. Is that cheap? Well, Dan is his own man, and can decide if he wants to be unfair for himself. But I have to give him credit, he can really use a gun with supernatural deadly accuracy.
But yes, the stunts are good and real (as Panna Rittikrai shows at the end of every film, his stunt actors getting rather horridly injured) and the action is intense, although the special effects may lack that pizzaz. I gotta say that nuke is rather a bust. But, other than that, there is some actually decent acting from the
It just. gets. insane.
villagers that inspires true tears, or, at least, with me. That is definitely something lacking in Tony Jaa’s films, other than Jaa himself. He is a regular Greg Kinnear. With a jam packed action scene once all the plot has been laid out and all seems lost, then this movie is really worth the watch. And guess what? Another Dan Chupong review is on the way. 7.5 out of 10.
1 Comment | tags: Born to Fight, California Knockout, contemporary, creepy dad, crow creature, Dan Chupong, deadly accuracy, Deaw, decent acting, General Jang Sei Yang, good stunts, Greg Kinnear, guns, horrific disaster, injured, intense action, international appeal, investigation, Lowfei, militant terrorist group, Muay Thai Boxing, Nappon Gomarachun, nukes, olympic team, Ong Bak 2, Ong Bak 3, Panna Rittikrai, policeman, revenge, Santisuk Promsiri, small village, soccer balls, soldiers, Thailand, tin roofs, Tony Jaa, village idiot, wicker balls, worked | posted in Movies
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Tag Archives: Takashi Miike
Audition: Let’s Have a Call for All Killers
I was in a state of shock and awe after this film. I thought I had found my favorite horror films, but Audition really blew those out of the water. This perfect balance of horror and troubling thriller really sets the bar high for any films after 1999. Takashi Miike has made a masterpiece of a mindf@#$k with Audition. And the fact that Rob Zombie, John Landis, and Eli Roth said this film was difficult to watch, it has to be golden.
Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) is a recently widowed movie producer. He’s been quite distant and lonely lately, and his son, Shigehiko (Tetsu Sawaki) has noticed it. Encouraging his dad to at the very least start dating again, Shigeharu turns to his
The audition begins. This is one of those other shots they held really long so you couldn’t see her face. Chilling.
friend, Yasuhisa Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimura), a fellow movie maker for ideas. This is where he has a stroke of genius. In proposing a new movie idea, these two scoundrels will have an audition (hey, there’s the movie title!) for the leading lady. Shigeharu can choose his top 30 and narrow it down from there, giving the lead to the best actress, but he can claim his favorite choice for his wife.
Ballin’ disturbing images.
Feeling slightly uneasy about this, Shigeharu goes into it half-assed. He dawdles around until he finds a young woman who stops his heart still. Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina) is a former ballerina with a very high guard and a delicate personality. He tragic past and broken dreams intoxicate Shigeharu and he must have her at all costs. After a few dates, Shigeharu starts to notice something different about her. And once she disappears, he digs up a past he never wanted to find.
I have to say it, this is a dope ass film. It’s such a twisted film with a plot that leaves you with no idea what’s going on. What people talk about is the torture scene at the end. Needles, dismemberment, blood, this scene houses the entire NR rating for the
A feeling of unsettling fear…
whole film. People have left disgusted and sickened, but that’s what would have kept me in the film. I’ll admit it, I love torture and horror. Anything that makes people, as an audience, feel unclean is wonderful. For someone to go into a movie like this and realize something about their sensibilities by the time they leave is an experience worth having. It taps into our minds and shows us just how terrible the world can be. But shouldn’t be.
I was impressed with a lot of things about this movie. Eihi Shiina’s performance in this film was chilling and horrific. She seems to be such a nice little girl, but her unemotional, uncaring side is what frightens people. It makes people feel uncomfortable with how relentless and completely honest she is as a character. She hypnotizes the bugs into her web and leaves them there to die by her fangs.
You’ll never wanna guess what happens…
A lot of the film has these extremely long held camera shots in it. The action will stay on one angle and deliver a whole piece of dialogue without moving. You’re anticipating some movement (like you would with most films) but it doesn’t come yet. It waits, and waits, and waits until you feel uncomfortable. The whole movie is made to feel unsettling. It’s a tortuous waiting game of when will the knife fall, until it does (and only in the last 15 minutes).
The surreal quality at the end of the film also really spoke to me. You fade in and out of the torture scene, you see past events as Shigeharu couldn’t have seen them. The past is rewritten. You lose all sense of control and awareness as the drugs settle into Shigeharu. You completely give your control over to Asami, something that is unsettling for people to do, even in real life. You lose yourself to this poisonous flower and have no feeling of waking up. There is a bit of a jarring from this final scene that didn’t need to happen. No happy ending was necessary, and yet Takashi Miike allowed it to happen. It would’ve had such a sweetly unsatisfying ending if it had the villain succeeds ending…
But, all in all, this movie delivers on a horror lovers level and a thriller/psychological level. You feel off either way after you’ve watched this. And that’s what horror movies like this set out to do from the start. No wonder this has a cult
WHAT’S IN THE BAG?!?!?
following. It should have. Asian filmmakers know how to do the horror genre right, and this is no exception. This is the movie that made the rule. 9.4 out of 10.
Leave a comment | tags: 1999, amazing performance, Asami Yamazaki, Asian filmmakers, Audition, awareness, ballerina, best actress, blew out of the water, blood, broken dreams, bugs, call for all killers, chilling, completely honest, cult following, dad, dating, delicate personality, difficult to watch, disappearance, disgusted, dismemberment, distant and lonely, dope ass film, drugs, Eihi Shiina, Eli Roth, experience of a lifetime, fangs, favorite horror films, final scene, frightening, golden, happy ending though, horrific, horror, horror genre right, horror lovers, hypnotizing, impressive, jarring, John Landis, Jun Kunimura, knife fall, leadiny lady, long held camera shots, lose all sense of control, lose yourself, masterpiece, mindfuck, minds, movie makers, movie producer, needles, new movie idea, nice little girl, not much movement, NR rating, one angle, past events, perfect balance, poisonous flower, psyhcological thriller, realization about oneself, relentless, rewritten past, Rob Zombie, Ryo Ishibashi, set the bar high, Shigeharu Aoyama, Shigehiko Aoyama, sickened, son, spider, state of shock, stops his heart, stroke of genius, surreal quality, Takashi Miike, Tetsu Sawaki, torture scene, tragic past, troubling thriller, twisted, uncaring, unclean, uneasy, unemotional, unsettling, villain should've succeeded, waiting, waiting game, web, what's going on, widower, wife, wonderful, Yasuhisa Yoshikawa, young woman | posted in Movies
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Inside Sources: Bin Laden’s Corpse Has Been On Ice For Nearly a Decade
Posted: May 2, 2011 in US News, War on Terror
A multitude of respected intelligence officials and heads of state have both publicly and privately asserted that Osama has been dead for years.
A multitude of different inside sources both publicly and privately, including one individual who personally worked with Bin Laden at one time, told us directly that Osama’s dead corpse has been on ice for nearly a decade and that his “death” would only be announced at the most politically expedient time.
That time has now come with a years-old fake picture being presented as the only evidence of his alleged killing yesterday, while Bin Laden’s body has been hastily dumped into the sea to prevent anyone from finding out when he actually died.
In April 2002, over nine years ago, Council on Foreign Relations member Steve R. Pieczenik, who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State under Henry Kissinger, Cyrus Vance, and James Baker, told the Alex Jones Show that Bin Laden had already been “dead for months”.
Pieczenik would be in a position to know such information, having worked directly with Bin Laden when the US was funding and arming the terror leader in an attempt to drive the Soviets out of Afghanistan in the late 70′s and early 80′s (a documented historical fact that talking heads in the corporate media are actually denying today in light of developments).
“I worked with Osama bin Laden in ’78, ’81,” Pieczenik told Jones, adding that he later turned terrorist hunter during subsequent administrations.
“I found out through my sources that he had had kidney disease. And as a physician, I knew that he had to have two dialysis machines and he was dying,” Pieczenik told Jones during the April 24, 2002 interview.
“And you could see those in those films, those made-up photos that they were sending us out of nowhere. I mean, suddenly, we would see a video of bin Laden today and then out of nowhere, they said oh it was sent to us anonymously, meaning that someone in the government, our government, was trying to keep up the morale on our side and say oh we still have to chase this guy when, in fact, he’s been dead for months,” added Pieczenik.
White House Officials Debate Releasing Photographs of Bin Laden’s Corpse
Governor Brewer signs bill that starts border fence construction
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Finally, A Repulican Politician Who Gets It
Jindal urges GOP to stop being ‘stupid’
CNN’s Gregory Wallace
(CNN) – “We must stop being the stupid party.” “We must stop looking backward.” “We must stop insulting the intelligence of voters.”
Gov. Bobby Jindal held little back with his sharp words to Republicans Thursday evening, urging his own party to rethink their arguments against Democrats and appeals to voters in his remarks to party members attending the Republican National Committee’s Winter Meeting.
“We seem to have an obsession with government bookkeeping,” he told party members. “We as Republicans have to accept that government number crunching – even conservative number crunching – is not the answer to our nation’s problems.”
Instead of being the “party of austerity,” Jindal said, Republicans must “boldly show what the future can look like with the free-market policies that we believe in.”
“We must compete for every single vote: the 47 percent and the 53 percent and any other combination of numbers that adds up to 100 percent,” he said, notably invoking comments 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney made at a closed-door fundraiser about a bloc of voters who would not consider GOP candidates.
He also spoke out against those and other “completely unhelpful” comments from Romney in a November interview with CNN. In that interview, he signaled one of the seven points for the Republican Party’s future which he laid out Thursday: “The first step in getting the voters to like you is to demonstrate that you like them,” he explained Thursday.
Republicans “must reject the notion that demography is destiny, the pathetic and simplistic notion that skin pigmentation dictates voter behavior. We must treat all people as individuals rather than as members of special interest groups,” he said.
The Louisianan’s remarks further positioned himself as a forward-looking voice among the Republicans thought to have their eye on a White House bid in 2016. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus has directed a five-member panel known as the “Growth and Opportunity Project” to identify winning political strategies for the future, particularly in the area of minority outreach.
Jindal’s remarks were laced with criticism of and laugh lines at the expense of Democrats, such as “Which of you wants to sign up to help manage the slow decline of the United States of America? I sure don’t. That’s what we have Democrats for.”
He blasted the economic stimulus programs of President Barack Obama’s administration, invoking Solyndra when he said: “You can’t hire enough government workers or give enough taxpayer money to your friends who own green energy companies to create prosperity.”
But he was also distinctly blunt with his appraisal of the GOP.
Republicans have not only lost elections, he said, but lost issue arguments with Democrats.
“At present we have one party that wants to be in charge of the federal government so they can expand it, and one party that wants to be in charge of the federal government so they can get it under control,” he said, referring first to Democrats and then Republicans. “It’s a terrible debate, it’s a debate fought entirely on our opponents’ terms.”
Jindal allowed that his thoughts “may challenge your assumptions.”
“We must shift the eye line and the ambition of our conservative movement away from managing government and toward the mission of growth,” he said.
Republicans must move, he said, beyond a notion of “if we can just put together a spreadsheet and a power point and a TV ad, all will be well.”
Jindal was elected last year to lead the Republican Governor’s Association.
Priebus will be up for re-election as RNC chairman on Friday.
“I don’t think you should use that whole ORCA thing for your election tomorrow,” Jindal joked, referring to the Romney campaign voter turnout technology which was reportedly plagued with glitches on Election Day.
– CNN Political Director Mark Preston contributed to this report
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John Boysen
Jindal has it right for sure, but the question will be how long will he last. The GOP is very good at putting down anyone who doesn’t march to the Grand Ole Tune and Jindal appears to be swimming upstream. I find it fascinating when there is a questionable act “committed” by a Republican the Democrats and the media are all over the act doing everything just short of an execution, the fascinating part is that the mainstream Republicans will pile one. When the shoe is on the other foot i.e. a Democrat misbehaving, they are back 100% by fellow Democrats even if that person is completely guilty.
Basically the GOP need to get a backbone and stand for something, which I think is what Jindal is saying. In the recent fiscal cliff debate the GOP initially held their ground saying that we need to have spending cuts coupled with “revenue” increases in order to help balance the budget. As the argument went on their spines gradually turned to over cooked noodles and they yielded to a good deal if not everything the Democrats wanted. When we have the speaker of the house crying at a drop of a hat one wonders what kind of people are the GOP leaders… get a backbone. One would only hope that a person like Jindal will continue his campaign and we will see him or someone with backbone running int2016. We cannot continue to have a one party system.
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RichardB1001
I am totally with you on this. I am leery of Louisiana politicians, but Boehner is a wuss.
Bertha Adcox
Agree! Boehner is a wuss but he is just being a politician. Neither side seems to reach across the aisle to be a true representative of the people. Personally, I have voted along one party line for the last time.
smart move. If I was a few years younger, I would try to start a new party.
leeoff
Hey all, I came across this just now, thought I’d put in my two cents (I’ll bet you can’t wait. 🙂
I am heartened by what Jindal said as well, but I also think he leaves something vital out, and that is that it’s not just that Republicans haven’t explained themselves well, or been likable, etc. The real problem is that some of the policies they’ve espoused over the last few years are just awful! A few examples: absolute refusal to ever raise taxes under any circumstances; forced ultra sound for women seeking an abortion (now THERE’s a great use of taxpayer dollars); profiling Latinos in Arizona because they “appear” to be illegal; attempts by Wisconsin governor Scott Walker to eliminate public employees’ rights to collectively bargain; attempts in one southern state (can’t remember which) to give full human status to an unborn fetus; and these are just ones I can think of off the top of my head.
These are policies full of hatred and fear and blame, and the people they blame can’t help but get it. Romney’s 47% comment was no mistake or badly-worded comment. He, and many in the GOP, DO think that a vast majority of Americans are just takers, lacking integrity and personal commitment to self betterment. And that they just want a government hand-out. In my opinion, this attitude comes to us courtesy of Rush Limbaugh and his ilk, who are really just looking for ways to “entertain” (read “shock” and “outrage.”) The truth is not important to this guy, who has been the real head of the GOP attitude mill for the past several decades.
If you’re talking spineless, I think the spine they need to get would be the one that tells Rush to shut his trap, tells the far right crazy’s to get a grip, and reclaims the political center along WITH the majority of Democrats who are not nearly as radical as they’re usually painted. They should stop blaming everybody else and look to their own policies and consider who it is they’re catering to here. Currently it’s the Sarah Palins, Donald Trumps and various social regressives of the world, when they’d be better off steering towards the Chris Christies and Michael Bloombergs.
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A New Movie About Mr. Rogers
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January 17, 2020 | Ukrainian Foreign Minister Has Some Choice Words Of Lev Parnas, Who The Democrats Are Counting On For Impeachment, “I Don’t Trust A Word He Says”
January 17, 2020 | Virginia Democrats Introduce Ammunition Tax And Bans On Forms Of Hunting
BREAKING News Out Of LAS VEGAS
Posted By: Chris Badger Thomas July 17, 2018
Chris “Badger” Thomas RIGHT WING TRIBUNE–
The corporate owners of the Mandalay Bay casino filed suit against the victims of last year’s Las Vegas concert mass shooting, claiming it has no liability for the massacre, according to a published report on Monday.
MGM Resorts International went to federal courts in Nevada and California and took on more than 1,000 shooting victims, saying claims against the hotel giant “must be dismissed,” Fox News reports.
The company, which owns Mandalay Bay and the Route 91 Harvest festival venue, argues that it cannot be held liable for Oct. 1 deaths, injuries or other damages, adding that any claims against MGM parties “must be dismissed,” according to complaints filed Friday in Nevada and California.
“Plaintiffs have no liability of any kind to defendants,” the complaints argue.
The company cites a 2002 federal act that extends liability protection to any company that uses “anti-terrorism” technology or services that can “help prevent and respond to mass violence.” Review Journal news
The MGM lawsuits are a “blatant display of judge shopping” that “quite frankly verges on unethical,” according to Las Vegas lawyer Robert Eglet, who is representing several victims.
“I’ve never seen a more outrageous thing, where they sue the victims in an effort to find a judge they like,” the lawyer continued. “It’s just really sad that they would stoop to this level.”
MGM spokeswoman said Monday of the company’s lawsuits: “The Federal Court is an appropriate venue for these cases and provides those affected with the opportunity for a timely resolution. Years of drawn out litigation and hearings are not in the best interest of victims, the community and those still healing.”
The Vegas shooting has a million unanswered questions and I am sure we will never know the truth.
One thing is for sure, Vegas has more camera’s and security than most places in the United States and they damn well are covering up something and now are even throwing the victims and victim’s families to the wolves.
Chris “Badger” Thomas is a Veteran who served our country as an Army Combat Medic.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Has Some Choice Words Of Lev Parnas, Who The Democrats Are Counting On For Impeachment, “I Don’t Trust A Word He Says”
Virginia Democrats Introduce Ammunition Tax And Bans On Forms Of Hunting
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Optical spectrum, perceived color, refractive index, and non-adiabatic dynamics of the photochromic diarylethene CMTE
C. Wiebeler, C.A. Bader, C. Meier, S. Schumacher, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 16 (2014) 14531–14538.
10.1039/c3cp55490b
Wiebeler, Christian; Bader, Christina A.; Meier, CedrikLibreCat; Schumacher, StefanLibreCat
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.
Wiebeler C, Bader CA, Meier C, Schumacher S. Optical spectrum, perceived color, refractive index, and non-adiabatic dynamics of the photochromic diarylethene CMTE. Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2014;16(28):14531-14538. doi:10.1039/c3cp55490b
Wiebeler, C., Bader, C. A., Meier, C., & Schumacher, S. (2014). Optical spectrum, perceived color, refractive index, and non-adiabatic dynamics of the photochromic diarylethene CMTE. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 16(28), 14531–14538. https://doi.org/10.1039/c3cp55490b
@article{Wiebeler_Bader_Meier_Schumacher_2014, title={Optical spectrum, perceived color, refractive index, and non-adiabatic dynamics of the photochromic diarylethene CMTE}, volume={16}, DOI={10.1039/c3cp55490b}, number={28}, journal={Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.}, publisher={Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)}, author={Wiebeler, Christian and Bader, Christina A. and Meier, Cedrik and Schumacher, Stefan}, year={2014}, pages={14531–14538} }
Wiebeler, Christian, Christina A. Bader, Cedrik Meier, and Stefan Schumacher. “Optical Spectrum, Perceived Color, Refractive Index, and Non-Adiabatic Dynamics of the Photochromic Diarylethene CMTE.” Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 16, no. 28 (2014): 14531–38. https://doi.org/10.1039/c3cp55490b.
C. Wiebeler, C. A. Bader, C. Meier, and S. Schumacher, “Optical spectrum, perceived color, refractive index, and non-adiabatic dynamics of the photochromic diarylethene CMTE,” Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., vol. 16, no. 28, pp. 14531–14538, 2014.
Wiebeler, Christian, et al. “Optical Spectrum, Perceived Color, Refractive Index, and Non-Adiabatic Dynamics of the Photochromic Diarylethene CMTE.” Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., vol. 16, no. 28, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), 2014, pp. 14531–38, doi:10.1039/c3cp55490b.
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July 23, 2011 July 23, 2011 by Recruiterpoet - Professionalism With Flare
The Spirit of Jim Morrison Lives in Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse (September 14, 1983 – July 23, 2011)
“They tried to make me go to rehab but I said ‘no, no, no’
Yes I’ve been bad but when I come back you’ll know know know
I ain’t got the time and if my daddy thinks I’m fine
He’s tried to make me go to rehab but I won’t go, go, go”
Rehab – Amy Winehouse
Joining the ranks of Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Janis Joplin, all iconic musical legends who were taken during the prime of their lives and their influence, Amy Winehouse is dead at the age of 27. Almost an eeriness of the trans-global influence and defining style of music and the age and nature of their deaths. All these artists that penetrated our souls with their own pain brought a sound and integrity to their music that few have or will again. Given the rare talent each possessed and the inner demons they fought, it is almost a Shakespearean tragedy to bear witness to their ultimate demise.
Today, Amy Winehouse was found dead in our London apartment. The cause and circumstances around her death will of course be one of tabloid laureate for weeks to come, but the bottom line is that in the scheme of long term effects on the music industry and how we remember our idols, it will not matter. What will matter is that the music will continue on for generations to come and strangely in the wake of death, her message of life will come through to many troubled youths and adults who are looking for a sign of inner peace.
I am not nor do I pretend to be an authority of Amy Winehouse, but as an appreciator of talented poets who have the ability to write lyrics and music that penetrate deep into our inner psyche and help us find clarity in moments of grey, Amy Winehouse possessed a raw honesty that was needed in the music industry. She opened up her skin and let fans around the world watch her slowly bleed to death.
Amy struggled every day with fame, talent and addition. Did she want to be famous? Perhaps not, but in her intelligence and genius, she was able to shape messages through her lyrics and admit to her fans that she had problems and was trying to deal one day at a time. She gave us answers when we were afraid to ask the questions. She reached those that were most afraid and said “You are not alone”.
It is a painful day for fans around the world, but like every event, we had a way to invoke a rippling reaction. In a time with apathy has become almost a new religion, today’s youth needed a voice. She accepted the responsibilities of the job without accepting compromise. She did not follow a path but created one. Some jumped right on board while others were hesitant to take the risk.
Isn’t that what it was all about for Jim, Jimi, Kurt, Janis and Amy. It was about fucking the establishment of compromise and etching a legacy. All these poets were innovators who were flawed. Flawed not by their addictions, but by a world that so needed them, and thus they perished under the pressure. They didn’t want to be leaders, but they were forced into a role because they were granted the destiny to invoke change in a world desperate for it.
Goodbye Amy Winehouse and thank you for letting us see the world through your eyes, even for a short period of time.
Posted in Addiction, Age 27, Amy Winehouse, Curt Cobain, Death, Icon, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, London, music, Poetry, Rehab
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2 thoughts on “The Spirit of Jim Morrison Lives in Amy Winehouse”
jimmorrisonproject says:
Hi, I really enjoyed your post. Just wanted to let you know that I republished it on http://www.jimmorrisonproject.com.
Recruiterpoet - Professionalism With Flare says:
Thank you so much. That is a huge compliment to receive. Mark
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Mark Leon
Social Media Marketing Charleston
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Tag: 24 Hour Septic Tank Pumping in Avondale Estates
Septic Tank Repair Avondale Estates GA
When you call a Avondale Estates septic tank company, they will inspect for leaks and examine the scum and sludge layers in your septic tank.
The licensed plumbing company should note repairs completed and the septic tank condition in your system’s service report. If other repairs are recommended, hire a Avondale Estates professional septic tank company soon.
What Are Septic Tanks and How Do They Work?
Septic Tanks, many of us have them, others have sewer systems. We know that they are there, we know essentially what they do, but do we take the steps monthly to make sure they are functioning correctly? Many homeowners do not know how a septic tank works and therefore how to prevent the onset of problems. Here is some basic information to help you understand what causes septic tanks to back up, and how to avoid problems and the expense of repairing them.
To begin with let's get down to the ultra-basic. A septic tank is a tank that all the waste that flushes down toilets and goes down drains and sinks in your home winds up. This tank is designed to hold this waste, while bacteria and enzymes digest the waste. Eliminating all odor and reducing the waste into a liquid, which is then dispersed through leaching fields. So as long as the tank is storing the waste, and as long as the bacteria and enzymes are digesting that waste, things are going to run smoothly.
To find the best sewer and septic treatments, it is always best to seek out the opinions of experienced third-party review sites that can provide you, as consumers, a great deal of information. As you may already know, using a normal store bought septic cleaner simply isn't going to cut the mustard. To effectively treat a problematic septic system, you need to seek out a powerful treatment, and one that you can trust. The more we understand about septic tanks, the better equipped we are to make the necessary purchases to maintain one.
High Pressure Water Jetting - Basics You Must Know
Pressure Jetting Avondale Estates Georgia
Author durendawPosted on December 7, 2019 Tags 24 Hour Septic Service in Avondale Estates, 24 Hour Septic Tank Pumping in Avondale Estates, Chemical Treatments in Avondale Estates, Drain Fields Repaired in Avondale Estates, Emergency Septic Pumping in Avondale Estates, Emergency Septic Service in Avondale Estates, Emergency Septic Tank Cleaning in Avondale Estates, Emergency Septic Tank Services in Avondale Estates, Emergency Septic Tank Treatment in Avondale Estates, Foul Odors Coming From Septic Tank in Avondale Estates, How A Septic Tank Works in Avondale Estates, How Do I Know When To Pump My Septic Tank in Avondale Estates, How Much Does It Cost To Empty Septic Tank in Avondale Estates, How Often Should I Get My Septic Tank Pumped in Avondale Estates, How To Check Septic Tank Is Full in Avondale Estates, How To Tell If Your Septic Is Full in Avondale Estates, How To Tell If Your Septic System Is Backing Up in Avondale Estates, Install Septic Tanks in Avondale Estates, Jet Sewer Drain in Avondale Estates, Jet Sewer Drain Lines in Avondale Estates, Jet Sewer Lines in Avondale Estates, Leaching Field in Avondale Estates, Living With A Septic Tank in Avondale Estates, Main Sewer Line Clogged in Avondale Estates, Main Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Avondale Estates, New Drain Line Installation in Avondale Estates, New Septic Installation in Avondale Estates, Pooling Wastewater in Avondale Estates, Pressure Jet Sewer Lines in Avondale Estates, Pressure Jetting in Avondale Estates, Pressure Jetting Lines in Avondale Estates, Pressure Jetting Sewer in Avondale Estates, Pressure Jetting Water Lines in Avondale Estates, Replace Sewer Line in Avondale Estates, Replacing Sewer Line From House To Main in Avondale Estates, Septic Pumping Companies in Avondale Estates, Septic System Problems Gurgling in Avondale Estates, Septic System Problems in Avondale Estates, Septic System Problems Odor in Avondale Estates, Septic System Types in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Additives in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Cleaning Companies in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Cleaning in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Company in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Contractors in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Design in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Diagram in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Drainfield Problems in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Full After Rain in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Full Symptoms in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Maintenance Cost in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Maintenance in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Maintenance Products in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Problems Cost in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Problems Symptoms in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Problems When It Rains in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Pump Out Service in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Pump Replacement Cost in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Pumping Companies in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Pumping How Often in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Pumping in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Pumping Prices in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Repair in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Service in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Services in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank System in Avondale Estates, Septic Tank Treatment in Avondale Estates, Septic Tanks in Avondale Estates, Sewer Backups in Avondale Estates, Sewer Line From House To Street in Avondale Estates, Sewer Line Repair Covered By Insurance in Avondale Estates, Sewer Line Repair in Avondale Estates, Slow Drainage From Septic Tank in Avondale Estates, Tree Roots In Sewer in Avondale Estates, Tree Roots In Sewer Line in Avondale Estates, Tree Roots In Sewer Line Repair in Avondale Estates, Tree Roots In Sewer Line Replacement in Avondale Estates, Tree Roots In Sewer Pipes in Avondale Estates, Types Of Sewer Pipe in Avondale Estates, Unclogging Main Sewer Line in Avondale Estates, Warning Signs Of A Full Septic Tank in Avondale Estates, Why Is My Septic Backing Up in Avondale Estates
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Toronto Film Festival Coverage International Reviews International Videos Manga Horror Movies How ScreenAnarchy Works
Popcorn Frights 2019 Review: VILLAINS, Scary People Can Be Funny
Bill Skarsgård, Maika Monroe, Jeffrey Donovan and Kyra Sedgwick star in the dark comedy; Dan Berk and Robert Olsen directed.
What happens when horror meets the mainstream? Much, much laughter.
The film enjoyed its Florida premiere at Popcorn Frights Film Festival. The film will open nationwide on September 20, 2019, from ALTER, Gunpowder & Sky's horror brand.
'Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.' *
Mickey and Jules are lovable dopes. They pull off a small-time theft and imagine they are headed for the big time or, at least, a new life in a new place. Then they run out of gas on a lonely stretch of road. Inevitably, they end up in a beautiful home with a ghastly secret.
Surprisingly, this is all played for laughs in the hands of Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, who collaborated on the original screenplay and directed. Their previous directorial effort, The Stakelander (2016), based on Nick Damici's fine script, was a dark and brutal thriller. Before that, the duo wrote and directed Body (2015), which Anton Bitel at Projected Figures says "married the edgy sexual reversals of Wild Thing (1998) and the life-and-death struggles of Stuck (2007) into a Christmas cracker."
All this is to say, I expected Villains to be a home-invasion horror film, not a crackerjack comedy with dark edgings.
As Mickey and Jules, Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe demonstrate their range of talent. Though both may be best known for their horror roles (Skarsgård as Pennywise in It, as well as the small-screen Hemlock Grove; Monroe in It Follows), they nail the comic side of their characters here, while also radiating the intimacy, affection and concern befitting a devoted, loving couple. They are friends and lovers, and they will do anything to protect each other.
And protect each other they must, once they meet George (Jeffrey Donovan) and Gloria (Kyra Sedgwick). They appear to be a suburban couple who have stepped out of a promotional video, but appearances can be deceiving. In the past, both actors have shown their versatility and they impress once again with their dance between the lighter and darker (very dark) sides of their personalities.
Horror-comedies such as Villains are very much dependent on the lead characters, whether they engender empathy or manifest menace, and this quartet of actors -- not to forget young Blake Baumgartner, who handles her part quite well -- kept me entertained for the entire, and wisely brisk, running time.
Summing up: Now that's horror-comedy entertainment.
* The source of the supposed quote is difficult to pin down
Popcorn Frights runs through August 16 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US. For more information about the festival, visit the official site. For more information about the film, visit its official site.
Bill SkarsgårdDan BerkJeffrey DonovanKyra SedgwickMaika MonroePopcorn FrightsRobert Olsen
More about Villains
Review: VILLAINS, Crackerjack Comedy With Dark Edgings
North Bend 2019: VILLAINS Takes Home Top Prize at Second Annual Fest
VILLAINS: Official Trailer And Poster For The Horror-Comedy Pops by For a Visit
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Tag Archives: Hillary Clinton
The First 13 Ways I Found Out I Wasn’t Normal
(via hangingoutpost.blogspot.com)
1. I enjoy eating alone. With my headphones on. With the song “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses playing. On repeat. On full volume.
2. When a friend tries to start a conversation with me, my first thought is “This is not how life is supposed to go down. I am supposed to start talking to you. MAKE YOUR FACE STOP SAYING WORDS!” Then I run out of the dining hall because I need to google “how to talk to friends” in order to figure out what I did wrong.
3. When I take a shower, I like to cut off large chunks of my hair because it just doesn’t feel right on my head. Then when people ask if I got a haircut, Continue reading →
Tags: 1992 Toyota Tercel, animal, awkward, Bono, conversation, crazy, devil, dog barks, girls, Hillary Clinton, insane, Joshua D. Razo, list, murder, not normal, November Rain, Oxycontin, parade, Pop, Prince, Princess Fiona, Shrek, The Truman Show, U2, Utotopau, wildebeest
Categories General Heinous, Lists
Author Clint Taurus
Texting Hillary is my everything
Bet you anything she's sexting Howard Dean
By now, if you spend 23 hours and 45 minutes a day on the internet machine (15 minutes to shit and shower #hygiene) then you’ve probably seen the baller-fest that is this picture of Madame Secretary Hillary “Pimpz N Shit” Clinton. She sits in some sort of world-controlling military death machine, casually texting some biddies in her knock-off Ray Bans. The picture is, in essence, everything that shows why we need Hill to run for all of the offices in 2016. But why is this pikcha tearing up the online webverse? We’ve got a few ideas:
There’s like a 98% chance she’s sending an order to take out a terrorist
If you’re one of the bad people, this photo should give you shivers all up and down your spine and your neck and your heel and your inner thigh and your kneecap. That is the look of a woman who does not GAF at all. You just know she’s telling them to “try” to capture the terrorist, but if it just so happens that the only option is to fire indiscriminately into the room without looking, then so be it.*
She’s calmer than everyone because she’s smarter than everyone
LOL, look at everyone hurrying around in the background. What’re ya’ll doing? Trying to matter? Don’t even bother, your girl has it under control. See those stacks of paper in front of her? Those contain the knowledge. She has them memorized. U don’t. Put your laptops away, get off your phones, and sit quietly until Madame Secretary tells you to speak.
Hill has never looked better
Remember 90’s Hillary? With the headbands and the bright lipstick? GONE. What about 2008 Hillary? With those brightly colored pant suits? NAH MAN. This is HBIC attire at its finest. The dark suit says she may not have a pen15, but she’s got like 12 balls. The sunglasses say you don’t have the privelege of knowing where she’s looking. The Blackberry says she likes to have email at her fingertips, but a game of Angry Birds every now and then is great too. This is a woman who knows how to present herself, and we don’t hate it one bit.
The black and white makes it classy as shit
Woahhh this is so artsy. If only we could Instagram it so the hipsters can see it too.
It’s memeable
Fun fact: this is the most important attribute in any photo. If there isn’t a recurring theme that can be explained in a few short words of white text, why even bother putting the photo online? Like, what are we supposed to do with it? Look at it and not be heinous? YA, NO THANKS. PASS ON THAT ONE. This shit is splendid.
*NOTE: Sherman Ave fully supports the Geneva Convention, United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, and not war crimes. Plz don’t interpret that to mean we like war crimes. #KONY2012, ya dig?
Tags: 2016, Hillary Clinton, Internet, memes, phone, terrorist, text, Texting
Categories Lists, Politics
The 5 Worst Celebrity Endorsements of All Time
Who would have thought one little drilldo could cause so much damage?
5. Professor John Bailey’s Endorsement of DeWalt Hardware
DeWalt Hardware thought they had made the marketing move of the century when they signed John Bailey to endorse their products. Dewalt hoped that Bailey, a professor at Northwestern University who made international news for allowing the use of a fucksaw in an after-class demonstration to prove to students that – contrary to popular belief – females can indeed be brought to orgasm, would inspire others to invent new and creative uses for their products. The endorsement, however, had the opposite effect of that which was desired. As it turns out, it isn’t as beneficial as one would think to have your product associated with a mechanical pleasure machine.
At least he was never accused of juicing.
4. O.J. Simpson’s Endorsement of Minute Maid Orange Juice
“O.J. for O.J.!” With this slogan, how could any product fail? Well, if the O.J. that is being associated with the product happens to be widely recognized as a felon, there will be issues. The secondary slogan, “If the glove don’t fit-rus, get a dose of some citrus,” only made matters worse, throwing Minute Maid into the spotlight, saddling the company with the nickname a “Vitamin C-rial Killer,” and ultimately leading to allegations that the product itself was not of sufficient quality. This sweeping grassroots movement was spearheaded by the iconic muckraker Captain Juggles, who scrutinized Minute Maid in her song “Balls.” The timeless line, “Get those tiny tangerines out of here, I want them Florida Golds” instantly became the mantra of what is now referred to as the Fruit Juice Revolution. With this one ill-advised endorsement, Minute Maid effectively ruined its once-healthy reputation for ages to come.
These probably had a much better relationship with Hillary than Bill ever did
3. Hillary Clinton’s Endorsement of Tampax
As a proud member of the male gender, I refuse to know what tampons really do; I sometimes wonder if they’re vanilla-flavored cigars that women smoke in privacy because it’s not ladylike. My sister once explained it to me, but I stopped listening after I heard the word “vagina.” Regardless of the purpose they serve, it has been made painfully clear that tampons should not be endorsed by Former Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. But in early 2008, Hillary Clinton and Tampax entered into a mutually beneficial partnership: Clinton endorsed the product, and Tampax supported her campaign. However, the symbiotic relationship was short-lived, as Tampax instantly saw a dramatic drop in sales. Why? Market research indicates that, for lack of a better explanation, Americans really don’t like thinking about Hillary Clinton’s vagina.
Which explains why the cereal tastes like so many thousands of tears
2. Adolf Hitler’s Endorsement of Wheaties
I know what you’re thinking: “Why the fuck would anyone ever want Hitler to endorse their product?” As it turns out, Hitler was a very admirable political figure before he exterminated 11 million people. After he was elected TIME magazine’s Man of the Year in 1938, Wheaties – then a mere fledgling cereal producer – put him on the front of their cereal box, believing that an assertive, successful politician would be the perfect icon to promote their product. Unfortunately, Hitler’s subsequent invasion of Poland put an extremely negative spin on the advertising campaign; the situation only deteriorated when loud-mouthed General George S. Patton jokingly referred to Poland has “Hitler’s Breakfast of Champions.” Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, seeing the cereal box as a symbol of Germany’s cultural and racial superiority to the United States, began using the box as an image to unite and mobilize the German people for war. I don’t mean to imply that Wheaties is responsible for the Holocaust, but the writing’s on the wall.
The fallout was so bad that Reebok was forced to drop Christopher Reeve from their lineup
1. Stephen Hawking’s Endorsement of Air Jordans
In 2004, Nike commissioned a series of marketing studies that revealed a blatant trend in their sales: customers who identified themselves as “academically-oriented” were very unlikely to buy sneakers from Nike. In an effort to rectify this, Nike made one of the most spectacular public relations blunders in recorded history; they had their most popular shoes, Air Jordans, endorsed by paralyzed Oxford professor Stephen Hawking. If that wasn’t poorly construed enough, the commercials featured Stephen Hawking’s computer stating taglines such as “With Air Jordans, my physical potential is no longer a black hole!” and “Who needs the shoulders of giants when you have Air Jordans?” The mastermind of this advertising campaign likely befell the same fate that the North Korean national soccer team did after their 7-0 loss to Portugal in the 2010 World Cup.
Tags: Adolf Hitler, Air Jordans, balls, Bill Clinton, Breakfast of Champions, captain juggles, DeWalt Hardware, female orgasm, fucksaw, General George S. Patton, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton's vagina, John Bailey, Joseph Goebbels, mechanical pleasure machine, Minute Maid Orange Juice, North Korea, Northwestern University, O.J. for O.J.!, O.J. Simpson, Oxford, Stephen Hawking, Tampax, TIME Man of the Year, vagina, vanilla-flavored cigars, vitamin c-rial killer, Wheaties
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Board index Information Centre Public Information Center Press Releases
Press Release #9 - GRADUATION OF ACADEMY BATCH #3
Moderators: Executive Staff, Command Staff, OoAS: Public Relations and Information Division Command
Nicholas Gares
Deputy Sheriff (Bonus I)
Location: UK / TH
RC-RP Forum Name: War Crime
Postby Nicholas Gares » February 11th, 2018, 8:27 pm
ACADEMY BATCH #03 GRADUATION CEREMONY
By Deputy Sheriff III Jeffrey Ricketts • #274
Academy Batch #3 Graduation - © SANN CEO Pippa Ashworth
It is that time of the season again. For the first time in the year 2018, the graduation ceremony for Academy Batch #03 was held in the Ceremony Hall of Dillimore Sheriff’s Office. These Deputy Sheriff Generalists, who endured some of the most intense and lengthy forms of training, succeeded in their formal welcoming as fulltime deputy sheriff’s within the San Andreas County Sheriff’s Office. From 5 January to 16 January, the Recruitment and Training Unit received a total of 51 applications. Whilst a select few of these applications fell under the were duplicates, a total of 41 separate applicants had applied. Out of said number, 23 applicants had actually succeeded in making it to the academic stage. Only 16 of these academy students were able to take and pass their exams, where they were forwarded to the Field Training Stage on January 25. Only 12 of these academy students were able to meet expectations and endure the high set standards, with those who sat the Field Training Exam achieving majority success, with a positive pass rate of 92.3%.
FTU Graduation Statistics - © Captain Christopher Kenway
Before proceeding to the ins and outs of the graduation ceremony, although a significant amount of Generalists were unable to attend the ceremony, we would like to congratulate the following deputies in their push to progress through serving their community and State, as they are now serving within our ranks!
Arthur Henderson
Peyton Blonde
Jonathan Donaldson
Sebastian King
Oliver Moareno
Joseph Corey
Franklin Prinz
Esteban Herrera
Henry Greene
Jason Auclair
Vanessa Dean
John McDowall
Jason Radley
The ceremony took off at 4:00 this afternoon, with spectators settling themselves into the seats at the San Andreas County Sheriff's Office's ceremony hall. The Generalists were marched in under the command of Lead Detective Claude Fowler over to the front of the ceremony hall, where they were placed in order before handing over the spotlight to Captain Christopher Kenway. The Captain took us through the entire academic process, creating some what of a story as to how the Generalists ended up where they are now, and highlighting the obstacles they faced they they were able to overcome.
Following on from this, the microphone was passed over to Sheriff Deacon Bohannon, who expressed nothing besides pure delight and gratification in his speech. In his speech, he thanked all those who attended the ceremony, seeming very pleased by the fact that the graduation ceremony was not delayed due to uncontrollable emergencies, which consequently delayed the previous graduation of Academy Batch #2 by one hour and thirty minutes. Bohannon proceeded to reflect upon the future of the department, and particularly the role that the graduating Generalists play in preserving integrity and showing dedication in the department. And most importantly, letting them know that now is the start of a long and opportunity filled experience.
Bohannon delivering his speech - © SANN CEO Pippa Ashworth
Coming after the speech were the special awards. As per usual, a total of three awards were awarded to three Generalists based on their score in the academic exam, exceptional performance, and most improvement on the field. Congratulations on their achievement, the list goes as follows:
High Achiever Award - Jason Auclair
Exceptional Generalist Award - Peyton Blonde
Most Improved Generalist Award - Henry Greene
Auclair receiving his award - © SANN CEO Pippa Ashworth
After the special awards were handed out, the graduates repeated the oath after Sheriff Bohannon, formally swearing themselves in as law enforcement officers within the San Andreas County Sheriff's Office. The oath is goes follows:
The Oath wrote: I, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States; and the Constitution of the State of San Andreas, against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Consitution of the State of San Andreas; that I take this obligation freely. Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter, as a Deputy of the San Andreas County Sheriff's Office, so help me God.
Generalists repeat the Oath - © SANN CEO Pippa Ashworth
After the reciting of the oath, the crowd applauded the recent graduates in their success, wishing them good luck in their journey ahead of them.
After exiting the ceremony hall, Deputy Richard Hill was able to obtain a few statements from our recent graduates Sebastian King, John McDowall, and Jason Auclair, to get their opinion on how they found their time and what they look forward to in serving the San Andreas County Sheriff's Office.
Jason Auclair's Graduation Statement
"I was looking for a job, to be quite honest. I saw SACSO's facebook posts, decided to look through the governmental website, noticed that you were hiring, and thought that that would make an interesting career, so I applied. My application got accepted, and I attended the interview. It was the second batch of the academy, and to be honest, I did fail the interview. Maybe it was because I was too insecure, or maybe because I had little knowledge of certain things, but I didn't give up though. I did reapply, and I did end up to where I am now, thanks to my stubborn nature. The academy was where I learned practical police work, the procedures and the basic things associated with law enforcement. The deputies were quite helpful, especially on the academy. As for the patrolling experience, I spent most of the time with my field training deputy, Sergeant Harris, along with Deputy Bullock, both of which were very patient and helpful. Thanks to great examples such as them, I have been able to learn and adapt to my new working environment.
A general message and an advice from me to the general public - do not give up. Even if you get denied in the process of applying, never surrender. If you stick by those rules, you will succeed at the end. There are many good people in the Office who can assist you and help you, at any point of the day." John McDowall's Graduation Statement
"I applied for SACSO because I have always had a passion for Law Enforcement, I moved to Red County from California due to personal reasons and I had to give up my position as a Lieutenant in the LAPD. The academy was a great experience, it allowed me to gain all the knowledge I need to thrive at my job, I also met new people. The most interesting thing about my experience so far is when I had to solve an issue regarding a suspected bank robber, It turned out that after me taking a fair amount of time to investigate thoroughly, the bank robber was only trying to give himself a better image, his friend and the friends friend were arrested as they had shot the bank robber previously. If I were to say anything to Red Counties population, it would be this: SACSO aren't the bad guys, we put ourselves in harm's way so you don't have to, trust us and the work we do."
Sebastian King's Graduation Statement
"I applied for SACSO. It is quite evident that there has been a gradual increase in the rate of felonious activities during these recent years. For instance, we had a bomb-threat situation earlier near the Montgomery Bank which makes me believe that there's a dire need of individuals in SACSO who're capable & fit to resolve all these situations for the safety & betterment of the citizens of Red County. I have faith in what I've learned from my academics and I believe that I can really utilize and implement all the knowledge which would be beneficial to both the department & the residents of the County.
The academy was a difficult and instructive path. I am very happy that I was allowed to take this path and also achieved it. Without the good information from the supervisors I would not have made it, the information I received was much, but also important. Also the friendship that I made during the ride is also really nice. I
have learned how to deal with emotions and how to respond to them. It is a high point of my life this ride.
The interesting part of my patrol is that I am allowed to interact with civilians. I like to be a social person because there is a part in me that needs it. If someone needs help I am always ready, I think it is part of our job to help people still for small things. People who violate the law I will not let go just so quickly. There is a law for something that needs to be followed and I am honored that I can ensure that everyone follows the law on my patrols, so I can make our people feel safe in their city.
SACSO is there for you when you need it, we will make every effort to put you at ease in your own county. SACSO work well together to ensure that you are safe. IF you wish to join SACSO definitely do it because it is a unique opportunity in your life. We are a family and we help our community by serving them."
We also managed to speak with Director of Field Training, Captain Christopher Kenway, to get his general thoughts on how this academy batch went down.
Captain Kenway's Statement
"Batch three was a very competivie batch with well over 30 applications. With our high expectations and standards, only 18 of those candidates were successful in making it into the Academy. From there, 16 Students were promoted to Deputy Sheriff Generalist. Throughout this two week period of Field Training, Generalists had to complete a rigerous training programme and we are left with 12 successful Deputies ready to embark on their careers as Deputy Sheriff I's within the Sheriff's Office. Through their hard work and the dedication and expertise given to them by Field Training Staff and the Departmental Supervisory Teams we have 12 new deputies of whom I'm confident will serve this community to the best of their abilities, promote positive ethics and follow the core values of this Department. Congratulations to all."
As always, we wish to thank everyone for attending the Graduation Ceremony and for showing their support to not only the San Andreas County Sheriff's Office, but also the recent graduates themselves. We look forward to seeing them in the field and hope that in the next batch, we will see nothing besides the high levels of commitment seen in that of Academy Batch #03.
© San Andreas County Sheriff's Office, 2018
San Andreas County Sheriff's Office
Crest Road, Dillimore
911 → Non-Emergency
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Natalie Luque
RC-RP Forum Name: Abdulaziz
Re: Press Release #9 - GRADUATION OF ACADEMY BATCH #3
Postby Natalie Luque » February 11th, 2018, 8:29 pm
Hannah Olson
Good read Ricketts, Congratulations to the generalists as well.
Joined: December 12th, 2017, 11:31 pm
RC-RP Forum Name: Smajk
Postby Richard Hill » February 11th, 2018, 9:08 pm
Pleasent read, Ricketts! Great work from Recruitment & Training and the Generalists. I wish you all the best!
Return to “Press Releases”
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How can I find the net charge of a molecule?
Chemistry Matter Net Charge
Kathryn Celestine
Love the question.
All molecules and ionic compounds have a net charge of zero. That's it!! If you need to find the oxidation states on the individual atoms in a molecule, that is another matter. Please let me know if you need that additional information.
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What is the law of conservation of electric charge?
Can a polarized object have a net charge of zero?
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What are some common mistakes students make with the net electric charge?
See all questions in Net Charge
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What does it take to grow a solar company? How can you leverage sales processes to close more leads? How can you leverage additional products for more revenue? How can you grow with solar leads?
In collaboration with SolarEdge & Nico Johnson of MySuncast we launched a 3 part webinar series unpacking what it takes to building a successful & growing solar company.
Onward & Upward!
Part I – The Secret Formula to Growth
Part II – The Secret to Lead Conversion
Part III – The Secret to Revenue
Mandatory Solar Panels in California: San Francisco has passed a law stating that all new buildings are required to have solar panels on their roofs.
This historically significant bill, introduced by city supervisor Scott Wiener, was voted unanimously by the San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors. This makes San Francisco the first major American city to require the installation of solar panels.
in Solar Industry News by Dr. Kat
international news renewable energy solar legislations Solar Panel Installation
The cost of electricity varies greatly based on a number of factors: the prices of coal, natural gas, renewables and other sources of power.
Let’s examine some of the most important factors more closely:
#1 The capacity factor of different power sources
A capacity factor measures the running intensity of a generating unit.
A crucial shift has taken place last year: the average capacity factor of natural gas combined-cycle plants ended up higher than coal power plants.
For example, a capacity factor approaching 100% tells us that this unit is 1) operating near its maximum possible power output and 2) operating almost constantly. This increase of capacity factor indicates that electricity generation in the United States is shifting towards using a mix of energy sources. In fact, the use of coal steam power plants has experienced a steady decline in the past ten years, while the utilization of natural gas combined-cycle plants is much higher today.
in Solar Cost , Solar Industry News by Dr. Kat
coal fuel electricity costs electricity diversification electricity trends homeowner interest natural gas renewable energy
The solar industry had a record-breaking year in 2015: more than 135,000 solar panel installations were completed in the first half of 2015, and impressively, 40% of all new electricity-generating capacity came from solar. Approximately 785,000 American homes and businesses have gone solar, and with the extension of the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), there’s no sign of this momentum stopping.
We’re excited about the record-setting year for solar energy in 2015, and we believe 2016 will be even bigger than 2015!
in Polls , Solar Industry News by Scott Mueller
2016 top solar states
Congress Passes ITC Bill Pushing The Solar Industry Forward
The Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), a vital piece of legislation for the solar industry, was recently extended by Congress.
This extension aligns with American’s demand for solar energy, and continues to support a green energy future for the U.S.
What is the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), how does it work, and why is it important?
in Solar Cost , Solar Industry News by Scott Mueller
ITC ITC extension tax credit
Follow the Guvernator: Why California’s Solar Initiative is a Good Model for ITC Extension
The solar industry has emerged as a major economic driver and is becoming a robust industry. Over 170,000 people are employed by the solar industry.
The potential end of the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) could mean ½ of those jobs are lost in 2016.
Solar is providing increasingly cheaper and more reliable power, while allowing for domestic energy independence. In 2014, 32% of all new electric generation came from solar, largely because solar is economically viable. The abrupt end to this program will crush growth and set the industry back. What is needed is a clear ramp to allow a transition to new business models that allow for continued and possibly accelerated growth. You may have seen Schwarzenegger’s facebook post about climate change, but what you might not know is that he started the Million Solar Roofs initiative, which lead into the California Solar Initiative. Read on to find how why we should follow this model and extend the ITC.
in Polls , Solar Cost , Solar Industry News by Scott Mueller
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Why We Chose to Build Our Own Lead-Distribution Software
Everyone at SolarLeadFactory is proud to announce the release of our own fully-featured lead-distribution platform.
We developed this in-house to solve one problem: how can we provide better service and a better product to all our customers?
It’s a fundamental startup dilemma: build your own technology, or use what’s already available?
If we had a dollar for every time we were told not to build our own software–we still wouldn’t be rich–and we certainly wouldn’t be able to make this announcement: we’ve taken a bold step forward to provide the best product and service we can by developing our own state-of the art customer qualification and lead distribution platform.
In plain English this means we can, at a much higher degree of accuracy and quality, identify prospective solar customers and connect them with qualified solar installers.
in Lead Distribution , Startups by Clayton
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What do Homeowners Want to Know Most About Going Solar?
After working in the solar industry for over a decade, it’s hard to imagine not understanding the most fundamental details about solar power, including how much it costs, where it’s suitable, and so on.
But the reality is that the average homeowner doesn’t know that much about going solar.
In order to learn more we decided to directly ask prospective solar customers during the signup process (i.e. when filling out a solar request form). While we don’t claim to have come to a scientific consensus here (n=220) we do think these results are consistent with our experience in what potential solar customers most want to know.
And big surprise: everyone wants to know how much it’s going to cost.Continue reading
in Polls , Solar Cost by Scott Mueller
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Category Government & Corruption
Routine Activity Theory Implications on Increasing Crime Rate in Indian Society
Cohen and Folsen’s Routine Activity Theory of Crime, appeals to me at an intellectual level to understand the increasing rate of crime in Indian society. However, it contradicts my personal philosophy about human beings. The theory presumes that every human being basically has a criminal tendency and is capable of crime. I believe that human beings are inherently good and each human being irrespective of the crimes they have committed is capable of good deeds. Hence, I will try to discuss the theory without bias and balance the two opposing views. If I sound partial towards my philosophy, then forgive me from the goodness of your heart.
The theory was based on analysis of US crime data of 1947-1974. During this period the average income of families increased, number of people below poverty line decreased, education levels improved, and unemployment levels decreased. However, the rate of violent crime in urban areas increased – rape (174%), assault (164%), robbery (263%) and homicide (188%).
The Indian urban society is showing similar trends since liberalization in 1990s. While growth, income, economy, facilities, education etc. has significantly improved in urban areas, the rate of crime has increased exponentially. Before, in 1960s and 1970s, others would ostracize a middle class person if he were publicly involved in criminal activity. Now, nearly every second person is involved in a corrupt and unethical activity openly. Though we blame it on deteriorating social values, this theory helps us understand why we compromise the values and participate in a crime.
2. Concept
The theory states that “structural changes in routine activity patterns can influence crime rates by affecting the convergence in space and time of three minimal elements of direct contact predatory violations: (1) motivated offenders, (2) suitable targets, and (3) the absence of capable guardians against a violation”. Lack of any one of these reduces crime. However, the level of control exercised by the guardians has a direct impact on crime. Even if motivated offenders and suitable targets remain the same, if control reduces, crime increases. The theory states that income of the offender does not have any impact on his desire to commit crime and contradicts the popular notion that people with less income have a higher propensity to commit crime.
Now this can be understood in Indian context. The number of people living away from their traditional homeland has increased as more people are living in nuclear families or as singles in different cities. The change in social behavior has changed the routine activity of people as social controls of family and community have decreased. These aspects reduce the worry of motivated offenders on how their community will judge them if they participate in unethical behavior. Secondly, the same aspect makes suitable targets more vulnerable to crime as protective layers have reduced. Hence, due to this changing social structure, motivated offenders and suitable targets have both increased. With it, the corruption in law enforcement agencies has reduced control. The sum total of it all has increased the crime rates in Indian urban areas.
3. Effect
Then the theory states that motivated offenders cooperate to strengthen their efficiency in criminal activities. On the other hand, the potential victims join hands to gain collective strength to protect themselves from the attack. The challenge becomes bigger for potential victims when high-net worth individuals undertake criminal activities. The potential victims risk of victimization increases.
From the Indian context, the driver for change in social values has been the thirst for money and power. The higher level of ambition for being powerful and materialistically successful has motivated people to break the traditional social norms and move towards corruption and crime. Previously, the lack of a good criminal justice system was compensated by strict controls from family and community. Now all the three guardians have decreased control and the value of rewards gained from criminal activity is high. The other factor to consider is that voluntary help groups and social support groups are less in India; hence, the potential victims do not get the desired protection. As Cohen said – “it is ironic that the very factors which increase an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of life may also increase the opportunities for predatory violations”. Crime has become the by-product of freedom and prosperity as it has enmeshed itself in routine activities of daily life in Indian urban society.
My personal belief is that for every action, especially criminal or unethical activity, a person needs to ask whether they need to involve themselves in it. When one accepts rewards for the wrong reasons, one cannot avoid punishment for the wrong reasons also. Hence, why go for the wrong rewards in the first place; and if one has received them, why not return them? When one is in a financially strong position and survival does not depend on income from criminal activity, why not refuse to undertake that activity. No one can involve another in a criminal activity if the participants do not wish for any monetary benefits. Hence, to enjoy the benefits of life, say no to crime and unethical activities.
Routine activity theory – Crime Prevention Division – By Cohen and Folsen
By Sonia Jaspal • Posted in Ethics, Fraud Risks, Government & Corruption, Personal Ethics • Tagged Code of Conduct, Controls, Corporate Behavior, Corruption, Culture, Destructive Management, Ethics, Financial Crime, Fraud, Illicit Money, Integrity, Personal values, Risk
Satyagraha For Freedom From Corruption
Gandhi ji, in his book “History of Satyagraha in South Africa” narrates the coinage of the term Satyagraha and the journey of the movement. It is an amazing story of sacrifice, determination, and moral courage. Hence, I wondered whether we can use the concept to fight corruption in this century.
The irony is that Gandhi ji started the Satygraha movement in South Africa because Europeans passed unfavourable laws for Indians. They were scared of Indian traders and professionals taking a huge slice of the business, hence passed laws to restrict their liberty to live and trade freely. Greed was at the crux of it since there were plenty of natural resources in South Africa for Europeans, Blacks, and Indians. Now India is being destroyed by the greed of its leaders and public.
Gandhi ji’s story stands in stark contrast to the Anna Hazare led fight against corruption. Hazare’s was packaged as Gandhian inspired struggle but as results showed it was far from it. Hazare took the stance of my way and high way on the Lokpal Bill, whereas Gandhi ji believed in negotiation. Moreover, Hazare’s was a publicity driven exercise of a few fasts and he quickly distanced himself from it when he faced failure. Another aspect was that though thousands turned up in support at the initial stage, no one made use of that energy constructively and directed people to do something more than shout slogans on the streets. Hence, the euphoria disappeared after a short while, as the educated middle class needed an action plan to maintain their commitment.
It brings back to our understanding of Satyagraha. We generally confuse it with “passive resistance” and it was the same situation when Gandhi ji developed the concept a century back. Below are few points from the book:
1) Satyagraha
Gandhi ji considered Satyagraha as a soul-force. The Satyagrahies never used physical force even when they had the capability for it. In Gandhi ji’s word – “Satyagraha is soul-force pure and simple, and whenever and to whatever extent there is room for the use of arms or physical force or brute force, there and to that extent is there so much less possibility for soul-force. These are purely antagonistic forces in my view, and I had full realization of this antagonism even at the time of the advent of Satyagraha”
2) Passive resistance
The term “passive resistance” originated in Europe as a weapon of the weak. It was generally used when other options of fighting were not available. It was a method used by people without voting rights, or lacking public support. The people were not averse to using arms for attaining their goals. But they did not go for it because they didn’t think they would succeed with it. Hence, passive resistance was more of a strategic manoeuvre than commitment to non-violence.
3) Difference between the two
Gandhi ji described the fundamental difference in the concepts in the following paragraphs –
“The power of suggestion is such that a man at last becomes what he believes himself to be. If we continue to believe ourselves and let others believe that we are weak and therefore offer passive resistance, our resistance will never make us strong, and at the earliest opportunity we will give up passive resistance as a weapon of the weak.
On the other hand if we are satyagrahis and offer satyagraha believing ourselves to be strong, two clear consequences result from it. Fostering the idea of strength, we grow stronger and stronger every day. With the increase in our strength, our satyagraha too becomes more effective and we would never be casting about for an opportunity to give it up.
Again, there is no scope for love in passive resistance; on the other hand, not only has hatred no place in satyagraha, but it is a positive breach of its ruling principle. While in passive resistance there is a scope for the use of arms when a suitable occasion arrives, in satyagraha physical force is forbidden even in the most favourable circumstances. Passive resistance is often looked upon as a preparation for the use of force while satyagraha can never be utilized as such. Passive resistance may be offered side by side with the use of arms. Satyagraha and brute force, being each a negation of the other, can never go together.
Satyagraha may be offered to one’s nearest and dearest; passive resistance can never be offered to them unless of course they have ceased to be dear and become an object of hatred to us.
In passive resistance there is always present an idea of harassing the other party and there is a simultaneous readiness to undergo any hardships entailed upon us by such activity; while in satyagraha there is not the remotest idea of injuring the opponent. Satyagraha postulates the conquest of the adversary by suffering in one’s own person.”
4) Freedom From Corruption
Considering the above definition of Satyagraha and the differences highlighted by Gandhi ji, I haven’t seen very many noteworthy cases of mass movement of Satyagraha. Hazare’s movement just entailed short-term sacrifice and not a long-term struggle. When the public disappeared so did he.
The Satyagrahies courted prison and lived a simple life to fight for their cause. Hence, the question is that do we lack commitment and determination for long-term struggle to root out wrong habits. Is it possible and realistic to expect people to make these sacrifices in the present age of instant gratification. Can we expect Indian public to take a vow not to take or give bribes and kickbacks? Will it be expecting too much from the citizens to sacrifice a few luxuries. Will the public stay committed to the cause or leave it when it gets bored, to participate in the next novel thing.
We need to seriously think of eradicating corruption on this Independence Day. India has come a long way in one century but the corruption is eroding its sheen and destroying the country from within. We must not forget the sacrifices a whole generation of Indians made to ensure that the next generations live with freedom. Let us pledge to keep our souls free of greed.
Wishing all Indians a Very Happy Independence Day.
History of Satyagraha in South Africa by M.K. Gandhi
By Sonia Jaspal • Posted in Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics, Fraud Risks, Good Reads, Government & Corruption, Personal Ethics • Tagged Bribes, Code of Conduct, Corruption, Ethics, Financial Crime, Fraud, Illicit Money, Integrity, Leadership, Personal values, Politics, Scam
India’s Failures In Disaster Management
Floods in North India have left over 70,000 people stranded and 550 dead. Loss to property will run in billions. The on-going rescue efforts are yielding results but very slowly. The uncoordinated recovery response and efforts indicate lack of disaster management capabilities of the state.
India as a country does not have a properly implemented disaster management system. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India recent report – “Performance Audit Report on Disaster Management of India” highlights glaring deficiencies. Below are some of the key observations from the report. It is sufficient to make Indian citizens sleepless at night.
India with its geo-climatic conditions, high density of population, socio-economic disparities, politics and troubled relationship with neighboring countries, has high risk of natural and man-made disasters. In respect to natural disasters, it is vulnerable to forest fires, floods, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones. Man-made disaster risks are (1)war, bombing, terrorist attacks, and riots, (2) chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear crises, (3) hijacks, train accidents, airplane crashes and shipwrecks, etc.
Government passed the Disaster Management (DM) Act in 2005. According to the act, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was formed under the Prime Minister and the National Executive Committee (NEC) developed National Policy of Disaster Management, which was approved in 2009.
2. Failure in Formation of Disaster Recovery Plan
Until mid-2012, the National Executive Committee (NEC) had not prepared India’s National Plan for Disaster Management. Surprisingly, though India has faced a major disaster each year since development of DM Act, NEC has not met after May 2008. The Working Group it formed in 2007 never met after that.
Then the buck was passed to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to prepare a National Response Plan (NRP). It directed National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) to prepare the NRP. NIDM submitted a draft plan in April 2012, which was circulated by MHA to other departments.
The other two components of the National Plan for Disaster Management are National Mitigation Plan and National Capacity Building Plan. While the latter is still under preparation, some departments have submitted the mitigation plans.
Things are equally bad at State level. Just 14 states have submitted their State Disaster Management Plan. The lackadaisical attitude shows government’s complete disregard towards national and human safety.
3. Performance of National Disaster Management Authority
The CAG report states that – “So far, no major project taken by NDMA has seen completion. It was noticed that NDMA selected projects without proper groundwork, and as a result either the projects were abundant midway or were incomplete after a considerable period of time.”
The projects included earthquake vulnerability risk assessment, micro zonation of major cities, landslide risk assessment, national flood risk mitigation, national school safety program, mobile radiation detection system, national disaster communication system, etc. The natures of the projects indicate their criticality and importance for disaster management. Even the hazard maps for earthquakes, landslides, cyclone, tsunami and floods are incomplete or unavailable. Without these maps, the government is not even in a position to identify the high-risk areas.
The main reasons for delays in disaster management project planning are lack of committed groups, failure in communicating and coordinating with various ministries, shortage of staff and insufficient knowledge and expertise in these fields. Though funds were approved and allocated for various phases, things just haven’t got beyond conceptualization stage.
4. Mis-utilization of Funds
Government constituted National Disaster Response Fund and State Disaster Response Fund to deal with the disasters. The government approved Rs 33,580.93 crores for State Disaster Response Funds for a period of five years – 2010-2015. The report indicates that Ministry of Home Affairs is not receiving appropriate information from states on utilization of funds. Audit findings reveal that some states have misutilized funds for expenditures that were not sanctioned for disaster management. There was in a few cases significant delay in releasing funds. Additionally, some States didn’t invest the funds thereby incurring huge interest losses. This shows financial indiscipline in states management of funds.
Secondly, a separate National Disaster Mitigation Fund was to be constituted for reconstruction and restoration activities after the disaster. However, this has not been done till date. The States were required to form State Disaster Mitigation Fund and District Disaster Mitigation Fund. Quite a few states haven’t created the funds. Uttarakhand, the state reeling from floods, has just a State Disaster Mitigation Fund.
The situation is so bad, that the National Disaster Response Reserve of Rs 250 crores to buy relief material (blankets, tents, etc.) was not operational until audit time.
5. Disaster Management Communication
Department of Space commenced a Disaster Management Support programme in March 2003. The main seven projects started between 2003 to 2007 are incomplete till 2012. These are namely – National Disaster Management Informatics System, National Disaster Communication Network, Doppler Weather Radars, Satellite Based Network for Disaster Communication, Disaster Management Synthetic Aperture Radar, Airborne laser Terrain Mapping and Digital camera System and National Disaster for Emergency Management. Presently, if a disaster strikes and regular communication networks go down, there are no contingency methods available for communication to a disaster-hit area.
6. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
Ten Central Armed Police Forces battalions were formed of 1149 posts each. 27% of the posts were vacant in May 2012. The NDRF personnel don’t have sufficient training, facilities, equipment, and residential accommodation. With these constraints, it is difficult to imagine that they can effectively manage disasters.
Till recently, they didn’t even have deployment guidelines. In a few instances, they were deployed during elections. In one instance, they reached the disaster site without food, water, or tents for themselves. The local authorities had to give the same.
Up to June 2012, just seven states have constituted State Disaster Response Force. Even the local Regional Response Centres are ill equipped.
The impact can be seen at the local fire services level also. As per the Thirteenth Finance Commission, deficiencies in fire services are alarming. 97.54% of the country doesn’t have fire stations, 96.28% doesn’t have fire-fighting personnel, and 80.04% doesn’t have fire fighting and rescue vehicles. Shortage of trained manpower, vehicles, and equipment plague the existing fire service centers.
Locally, the states do have not mobile hospitals and trained trauma management doctors. There are no real medical facilities available for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear disasters at national level. This is seriously a pathetic state of affairs. Government bodies are showing no concern for human life.
After reading the report, I realized that Indians have just one option at present – pray to God that disaster doesn’t strike in their region. The governments at national, state and district levels have shown a negligent attitude towards disaster management. This is a classic case – funds are available but nothing has been done to implement the plan. Indian citizens can check with the local politicians and government bodies to assess the level of preparedness for disaster management. If required, local bodies can be formed in different constituencies and societies to act as disaster management task force. As it is a question of citizen safety, public activism will help in developing adequate disaster management capabilities.
CAG Report – Performance Audit Report on Disaster Management of India
By Sonia Jaspal • Posted in Government & Corruption, Risk Management • Tagged Communication, India, Leadership, Management Lessons, Risk, Risk Analysis
Missing Men of Honor
The Story of Disgrace
A wave of shame and disgrace washed over Indian Premier League’s (IPL) Rajasthan Royals team. Three players of the team – S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan – were identified as part of the spot fixing racket. Eleven bookies were involved. Investigators have found some evidence connecting it to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
As per police disclosure Chavan was paid Rs.60 lakhs by the bookies, Sreesanth and Chandila got Rs.40 lakhs each. By the number of matches they have played they would have earned a few crores each. The bookies lured the players by throwing parties and providing female escorts.
It is shocking that players with such international repute and excellent career opportunities would take a criminal route to earn money. One wonders what they were thinking. Were they joyously throwing up their hands in the air and dancing with happiness. Did they think that for a few millions they would be breaking the hearts, trust and expectations of billions of people, starting with their family?
It is reported that Rahul Dravid, the captain of the team suspected something. He made Sreesanth sit a couple of matches and the team managers asked him to leave the team. How painful it must have been for Dravid, a man reputed for gentlemanly conduct.
This isn’t the first time followers hearts have been broken by their idols. Now the cancer has spread through all facets of life. Indian politicians – Gandhi, Nehru, and Azad – were known for their impeccable behavior Congress leaders fought for Indian independence. They spent years behind bars to fight for a cause. Now Indian politicians spend time behind bars for corruption and fraud. Instead of feeling shame or humiliation, they get back into public life with renewed vigor to mislead people and make money. Over 30% of Indian politicians have a criminal track record.
The new breed, who have joined the infamous bandwagon are senior managers of Indian corporates. After Satyam and 2G telecom scam, their names appear frequently for being interrogated by CBI and spending time in jails.
Valuing Honor in Our Lives
So where has honor disappeared? Previously, the mark of distinction for a man was when people referred to him as – “he is an honorable man”. Having a dishonorable reputation was disastrous socially and professionally. Now, honorable men among leaders can be counted on figure tips.
As a world civilization, we need honor back in our bloodstream. Without it, humanity will reach new levels of depravity. We require men and women to work dedicatedly to get it back for the sake of next generation, though it is a challenging task.
The cynics will say it is a pipe dream and point out various flaws. The idealists look at the times gone by and wish the same could somehow come back. The practical breed has learnt to work like an automaton to earn a living and look at nothing else.
So where do we get our heroes who will change the world for us? The heroes have to pay a price. Lincoln, Gandhi and King – were all assassinated because they dared to bring about change. From the first step to the end of their journey they made personal sacrifices. They repeatedly saw failures, their hearts sank with despair and somehow they gathered their strength to walk on thorns again.
In the present world, who would wish to trade the high life, luxuries and comforts for a life full of dynamite?
But unless we do so, we are bestowing the next generation a dangerous life.
So our choice is between our generation and the next. Do we want to look that far ahead?
When we talk about change, our hackles rise. Even when it is obvious that we should change, we don’t want to. That is a human failing which 100% of us have. Our best excuse is that we can’t change the world, who would listen to us, how can all the people change? But if we study change, we just need 10% of the people to believe in our cause. That is, we need to influence just 1 in 10 people in our life. That doesn’t sound very difficult; all of us are capable of doing it. So why not give it a shot, and bring honor back in our lives. I leave you with words of Dorothy L. Sayers from Gaudy Night:
“If it ever occurs to people to value the honor of the mind equally with the honor of the body, we shall get a social revolution of a quite unparalleled sort.”
IPL match fixing
By Sonia Jaspal • Posted in Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics, Government & Corruption, Human Resource Risks, Management, Organization Culture, Personal Ethics • Tagged Code of Conduct, Corporate Behavior, Corruption, Culture, Destructive Management, Ethics, Fraud, Leadership, Management Lessons, Personal values, Politics, Scam
Human Rights Risk Management Process
The fire in a nine-story factory building in Bangladesh killed 400 people. More than 600 people remain unaccounted for. It housed five garment factories that supplied to international brands – J.C. Penny, The Children’s Place, Dress Barn, Primark, Wal-Mart etc. The workers were asked to come to work even when cracks appeared in the building the previous day.
Bangladesh is the second largest exporter of clothes and the workers get the lowest compensations. Just around USD 37-40 per month. The question arises why are the multinational organizations not following the UN Guiding Principles for Human Rights protection. The reason is simple; they want to show higher and higher profits to the investors.
In Delhi, in Munirka one will find numerous small factories full of workers making export garments. A friend of mine also ran one. I had bought a few shirts from her at cost price ranging from Rs 300-500 (USD 6-10). In one international visit, I found the same shirts selling in range of USD 15-30. The fivefold increase in price was because of the brand tag attached to the shirt.
The multinational buyers push the prices down and some supplier gives a rock bottom price. The others are forced to match that price to get the business. End result is that basic facilities are not provided to the workers and they work at really low wages. Unknown workers are paying with their lives in developing countries to satisfy the growth targets set by CEOs to earn their bonuses and keep investors happy. It is the dark side of capitalism which organizations want to hide.
In most companies, human rights risk management is not a focus area. The 2013 Global Risk Management Survey conducted by RIMS identified seven risks related to human resources among the top fifty risks. Though worker injury and harassment were included there was no specific emphasis on human rights risk management.
The risk management team can conduct annually or bi-annually a human rights risk management assessment. It requires attention not only from human resources perspective but from operational, financial, legal and reputational risks perspective. Any breach can result in huge losses.
Here are some of the steps mentioned in the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights and guide “Investing the Right Way” issued by Institute of Human Rights and Business.
1. Review the Human Rights Policy Statement
Human rights risk management is emerging as an important issue, especially with multinationals entering emerging markets and developing countries. They are expected to protect and respect rights of workers, communities and society. Investors can play a crucial role by influencing companies to promote human rights relating to gender equality, child labor, rights of indigenous people, land acquisition, mineral processing etc.
Hence, companies need to publish Human Rights Policy Statement on their websites. The UN Guiding Principle 16 states –
“As the basis for embedding their responsibility to respect human rights, business enterprises should express their commitment to meet this responsibility through a statement of policy that:
(a) Is approved at the most senior level of the business enterprise;
(b) Is informed by relevant internal and/or external expertise;
(c) Stipulates the enterprise’s human rights expectations of personnel, business partners and other parties directly linked to its operations, products or services;
(d) Is publicly available and communicated internally and externally to all personnel, business partners and other relevant parties;
(e) Is reflected in operational policies and procedures necessary to embed it throughout the business enterprise.”
As a first step risk managers need to check whether the organization has a human rights policy statement and the above mentioned steps have been adhered to.
2. Human Rights Impact Assessment
The second aspect of UN Guiding Principles is for companies to establish human rights due diligence processes. Guiding Principle 17 states:
“In order to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address their adverse human rights impacts, business enterprises should carry out human rights due diligence. The process should include assessing actual and potential human rights impacts, integrating and acting upon the findings, tracking responses, and communicating how impacts are addressed. Human rights due diligence:
(a) Should cover adverse human rights impacts that the business enterprise may cause or contribute to through its own activities, or which may be directly linked to its operations, products or services by its business relationships;
(b) Will vary in complexity with the size of the business enterprise, the risk of severe human rights impacts, and the nature and context of its operations;
(c) Should be on going, recognizing that the human rights risks may change over time as the business enterprise’s operations and operating context evolves.”
Human rights risk management is complex and challenging. If ignored, they can increase political risks and deteriorate relationships of the organization with the government. For example, Tata Motors wished to establish Nano manufacturing plant in Singur, West Bengal. The government allocated agriculture land using 1894 land acquisition rule, meant for public improvement projects, to take over 997 acres farmland. The farmers protested with help of activists and the then opposition leader Mamta Banerjee. Tata Motors moved out of West Bengal and established the factory in Gujarat. Multinationals looking for large tracts of land to establish factories are facing similar challenges in India.
Another aspect to look into is that scrap, waste disposal, sewage, environment pollution etc. from factories can impact food, water and health of local communities.
Decision needs to be taken whether investments should be made in countries or states with poor human rights record. In India, the Naxalite area is extremely conflict prone and business operations can have severe human rights impact.
Risk managers should evaluate the strategy and operations of the company from human rights, environmental, social and governance factors. The companies can face operational risks (project delays or cancellation), legal and regulatory risks (lawsuits and fines) and reputational risks (negative press coverage and brand damage). The impact assessment should be done from investors, customers, employees, society and supplier perspective. Identify business owners for the risks and devise appropriate risk mitigation plans to address adverse impact.
3. Grievance Mechanisms
UN Guiding Principles state that victims of corporate related human rights abuse should have access to judicial or non-judicial remedies. Companies should provide some remedies themselves and cooperate in the remediation process.
UN Guiding Principle 29 states –
“To make it possible for grievances to be addressed early and remediated directly, business enterprises should establish or participate in effective operational-level grievance mechanisms for individuals and communities who may be adversely impacted.”
However, this isn’t followed by the companies in true spirit. “A Vigieo analysis of human rights records of 1500 companies listed in North America, Europe and Asia revealed that, in the previous three years, almost one in five had faced at least one allegation that it had abused or failed to respect human rights.”
Ideally the investors in the company should ensure that grievance mechanisms exist and address human rights issues. The transparency and disclosure of the same in annual reports would highlight the financial, legal and reputational risks. However, the investors don’t seem to be bothered by it.
See the case of Apple. It reported Gross Profit Margin – 42.5%, Net Profit Margin – 26.7%, Revenue Per Employee – $ 2,149,835 and Net Revenue Per Employee – $ 573,255. It has 43000 employees in US and 20,000 outside US. However, Apple contractors hire an additional 700,000 people to engineer, build and assemble iPads, iPhones and Apple’s other products.
An Apple supplier in Taiwan, Foxconn was recently in the news for its workers attempting suicide. As per reports “Workers are required to stand at fast-moving assembly lines for eight hours without a break and without talking. Workers, sharing sleeping accommodations with nine other workmates, often do not know each other’s names. They do not have much time to get to know each other. The basic starting pay of 900 RMB($130) a month – barely enough to live on – can be augmented to a more respectable 2,000RMB ($295) only by working 30 hours overtime a week.”
See the difference the company earns per employee and the payment made to the supplier’s employees. Apple shows profits at the expense of lives of Taiwanese workers. The workers don’t have much of a grievance mechanism in China as the government stated that the suicides are within the normal suicide rate. Can Apple investors sacrifice some profit margin for safety and security of the contractual workers?
Another old example is the class action suit since 2001 on Wal-Mart Stores that involved 1.5 million current and former Wal-Mart female employees. It is the largest workplace bias case in US history.
4. Human Rights Reporting
The biggest challenge is that most of the human rights abuses are not reported. The victims of human rights exploitation hold little power in comparison to the exploiters. They can hardly take up the might of powerful businesses when they are struggling to get basic food and shelter. Secondly, in the developing and emerging countries, corruption levels are generally high. Hence, media, law enforcement agencies etc. are bribed by the power players to silence the victims. However, with internet and social media, things are gradually changing. People have a voice and collectively they can fight.
UN Guiding Principle 21 lays out the requirement for companies to communicate human rights impact externally. It states –
“In order to account for how they address their human rights impacts, business enterprises should be prepared to communicate this externally, particularly when concerns are raised by or on behalf of affected stakeholders. Business enterprises whose operations or operating contexts pose risks of severe human rights impacts should report formally on how they address them. In all instances, communications should:
(a) Be of a form and frequency that reflect an enterprise’s human rights impacts and that are accessible to its intended audiences;
(b) Provide information that is sufficient to evaluate the adequacy of an enterprise’s response to the particular human rights impact involved;
(c) In turn not pose risks to affected stakeholders, personnel or to legitimate requirements of commercial confidentiality.”
As per the UN principles, the reports must cover appropriate qualitative and quantitative indicators, feedback from internal and external sources including affected stakeholders.
Risk managers can evaluate the reports and the reporting process to ensure that all risks are properly addressed. They should evaluate whether cautionary steps are taken and nothing is being done to exacerbate the situation. They should highlight severe or irreversible risks to the management to ensure appropriate decisions are taken.
Inequalities in income are the main cause of human rights abuse. The rich want to get richer at the expense of blood and sweat of the poor, and sometimes life. The diamond manufacturers and sellers took the right step to publish that they do not source blood diamonds. Since 2003, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), supported by national and international legislation, has sought to certify the legitimate origin of uncut diamonds. Trade organizations – International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) and the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) – representing virtually all significant processors and traders – have established a regimen of self-regulation.
Other industries, be it technology, electronics or textile manufacturers, need to come out with similar steps to stop human rights abuse. The risk managers have a vital role to play in it. If we do not do anything, we are cheating this and the next generation of their right to live happily.
Investing the Right Way – A Guide for Investors on Business and Human Rights – By Institute of Human Rights and Business
Singur farmland- Tata Motors conflict
Apple financial ratios
Foxconn Case Study
Diamond industry sales clauses
2013 RIMS Global Risk Management Survey
By Sonia Jaspal • Posted in Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Enterprise Risk Management, Ethics, Financial Risks, Government & Corruption, GRC Dept. Functioning, Human Resource Risks, Management, Methodologies & Procedures, Risk Management • Tagged Bribes, Code of Conduct, Communication, Corporate Behavior, Corruption, Destructive Management, Diversity, Illicit Money, Integrity, Leadership, Personal values, Politics, Risk, Risk Analysis
Does Change Obstruct Ethics?
The media regularly reports that organizations are paying huge fines for ethical breaches. Politicians, defence officers and CEOs are getting exposed in illicit sexual relationships. It appears that present day leaders don’t feel obligated to show professional and personal ethics. One is forced to contemplate did the world always lack ethical discipline? Alternatively, is it that the volatile and dynamic business and political environment has contributed to the decline in ethical values?
In my view, history has shown that during times of massive change in social and political environment ethical values fall. As the environment stabilizes, ethical behaviour increases. I will give you the reason why I think so. Before that let me share with you this beautiful verse from “The Lines of Experience” written by Je Tsongkhapa over 2000 years back.
Ethical discipline is the water to cleanse the stains of wrongdoing,
And the moonlight to cool the painful heat of the kleshas (disturbing/ angry thoughts),
It makes you stand out from the crowd like a great mountain.
By its force, you can tame all beings without intimidation.
Knowing this, great beings guard like their very eyes
The ethical discipline to which they are committed.
I, the yogi, have practised in this way.
You, who aspire to liberation, do the same!
1. Income Inequality
In the present day, corruption levels are so high that a person who stands up for ethics is considered an idealistic fool. Whistle blowers face high level of retaliation and social isolation. Instead of society valuing an ethical person, it stigmatizes the person. However, if you notice carefully, the corruption scams are bigger in the emerging markets than the developed world. Transparency International Corruption Index shows increasing corruption trend in the emerging countries and decreasing trend in the developed world. In the last decade, population of the emerging countries suddenly enjoyed a better standard of living of which they were deprived of earlier. Hence, the changing business environment has inclined them to pursue financial goals at the expense of everything else.
2. Gender Inequality
Look at the impact of change from another lens. Worldwide women are facing higher levels of physical and psychological violence from men. A recent survey showed that working women face twice the level of abuse than housewives. Why is that so? Reason being that working women are challenging the male domination and supremacy established for centuries. Previously, women were doing as they were told and the housewives are still doing so. However, the working women are torchbearers for change and demanding equality. Hence, they are paying the price. The bias is so clear. Half the world population consists of women and the organizations call hiring women a “gender diversity” initiative.
3. Social Inequality
If you look at racial, social and political equality movements, the picture is the same. The Arab world reported increased violence during revolutions. In India, the under privileged and lower caste people face dire situations and prosecutions for demanding equality. Even seeing the American history, whites increased violence against blacks after abolition of slavery. Hence, even when the conflict is initially non-violent, violence increases when the existing world order is threatened. Those holding beneficial positions in the old order get combative to continue the status quo and compromise human rights. Corporate sector reflects the same problems. White males ruled the business world. Now women and men of different racial communities are challenging their established supremacy. Can we really expect competitive business leaders to give up a superior position without a fight for the goodness of humanity?
In all the three examples, I have highlighted the compromise of human values when social changes occur. Presently, the world population is facing change at all levels. Global economy is in recession, China is threatening US supremacy, emerging markets will become economic leaders, people revolutions has shaken autocratic rules in many countries, technology has connected the global population and women are taking important roles in society. With the political, social and economic dynamics changing the world, can we really expect higher level of ethical behavior in this decade?
Change brings conflict. Unfortunately, human psychology is such that a person holding a different opinion, from a mere opponent becomes a tough adversary to enemy number one whenever our self-interest is threatened. Hence, in this dynamic environment expecting high level of ethics from business leaders is somewhat unrealistic. We tend to isolate business and expect organizations to have higher level of ethical disciple than the society around them. When business is a subset of society, how can business leaders portray values different from society.
Until the new world order establishes, ethics and principles would be put on a back-burner. This viewpoint is definitely not what the regulators wish to hear. What do you think?
By Sonia Jaspal • Posted in Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics, Government & Corruption, Management, Personal Ethics • Tagged Corporate Behavior, Corruption, Culture, Ethics, Integrity, Leadership, Management Lessons, Personal values, Politics
Bharti Walmart India – Internal FCPA Investigation – Part II
The previous post raised more questions than gave answers. In light of the on-going investigation, it is difficult to predict results. However, I looked at the recently released FCPA Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It sets some clear guidelines and mentions earlier cases with similar issues. It is a good read for Indian managers working in multinationals dealing with FCPA compliance requirements. I am sharing below some insights about the implications of the case.
1. Liability of Indian Employees
As per reports, the CFO and the legal team were suspended during the course of the investigation. If the US Department of Justice decides to pursue a criminal case, these employees can be prosecuted.
Interestingly enough, the Indian managers consider their capability to bribe various government officials to get a job done as strength. One often hears them saying – “Oh, I have a contact; s/he will do the job for X amount of money. Don’t worry about the legal provisions, they can be circumvented.” Since one rarely hears any action being taken by regulators on the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act of India, hardly anyone hesitates to take or accept a bribe.
However, Indian employees working in multinationals have to think twice about paying a bribe to get a job done. The FCPA guidelines are strict. It states – “The FCPA’s anti-bribery provisions can apply to conduct both inside and outside the United States. Issuers and domestic concerns—as well as their officers, directors, employees, agents, or stockholders—may be prosecuted for using the U.S. mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce in furtherance of a corrupt payment to a foreign official.” Hence, even sending mails to US boss or colleague that involves a discussion of a bribe payment can make an Indian employee liable. Considering the provisions, the best policy for Indian employees is to keep their hands clean and follow the legal process diligently.
Another aspect to note is that a bribe does not need to be paid to hold an employee liable. The guidance note says – “Also, as long as the offer, promise, authorization, or payment is made corruptly, the actor need not know the identity of the recipient; the attempt is sufficient. Thus, an executive who authorizes others to pay “whoever you need to” in a foreign government to obtain a contract has violated the FCPA—even if no bribe is ultimately offered or paid.” Hence, Indian management and employees both can be prosecuted on this basis.
2. Challenges for Licenses
With the opening of the retail sector, multinationals need to obtain various licenses to operate in India. The challenge is getting the licenses according to their business strategy and plan.
For instance, IKEA recently obtained from Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to invest euros 1.5 billion to open 25 stores in India. However, IKEA was granted permission to open single brand stores for furniture only. It was denied permission to sell textiles, office supplies, food and drinks.
Now the question is, under these circumstances what options will the foreign investor consider? Will they agree to sell products according to permission? The permissions maybe denied for the most profitable lines of products. It may not make sense to sell products with low margins. Hence, they will have the difficult choice of either not entering the Indian market or attempt to influence the government agencies to grant permissions for selling other products. If the second option is chosen, there is a high probability of bribes being paid. More so, since Indian government officials know what will hurt the business venture of the foreign company, they might use denial tactics to coerce the organization into paying bribes. Hence, it is a vicious circle.
A LinkedIn member gave a useful suggestion to curb bribes in the licensing process. Rangarajan Gopalan, Investigator US Department of Homeland Securities in New Delhi, suggested a single window concept for obtaining licenses in retail industry. If government implements the suggestion, the retail companies will not have to run around 32 different agencies to get licenses.
3. Partner Liabilities
In the event of the holding-subsidiary relationship or joint venture partnership, the Indian company can be charged jointly and/or separately.
The guidance note illustrated the implications with a previous case. For instance, “a four-company joint venture used two agents—a British lawyer and a Japanese trading company—to bribe Nigerian government officials in order to win a series of liquefied natural gas construction projects. Together, the four multi-national corporations and the Japanese trading company paid a combined $1.7 billion in civil and criminal sanctions for their decade-long bribery scheme. In addition, the subsidiary of one of the companies pleaded guilty and a number of individuals, including the British lawyer and the former CEO of one of the companies’ subsidiaries, received significant prison terms.”
Hence, if the US company is ignorant of the bribes being paid by Indian employees to conduct business, the Indian employees can face criminal charges and the Indian organization may have to pay hefty fines.
The Indian organizations need to assess their FCPA compliance level and not take the issue lightly. The repercussions of ignoring the issue are huge. The legal and reputation risks can put the company to a great disadvantage. Moreover, the employees must follow the legal process rather than find ways to circumvent it.
FCPA Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
FIPB clears IKEA retail store plan
By Sonia Jaspal • Posted in Compliance, Government & Corruption, Risk Management • Tagged CFO, Code of Conduct, Controls, Corporate Behavior, Corruption, Ethics, Financial Crime, India, Integrity, Interrogation, Investigation, Risk
Bharti Walmart India – Internal FCPA Investigation – Part I
Walmart after the Mexico US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation identified India operations as a high risk. It commenced an internal investigation with the help of KPMG India and law firm Greenberg Traurig. Recently CFO and five officers of legal team were suspended. The legal team’s job entailed procuring licenses required for stores and other real estate approvals, taxation etc. Bharti Walmart has opened 18 stores till date. Hence, the suspicion is that these officers paid bribes to get the licenses.
According to the Economic Times article, multiple government permissions are required from the government. The Retail Association of India lists 51 different approvals from 32 different agencies. Seeing the corruption index of India and the way government departments’ function, I would be very surprised if an organization manages to obtain all the relevant licenses without any grease payments. Hence, the question is how will the organizations manage to function without paying bribes?
1. Dubious Dealings
Considering the huge operations of Bharti group, I would be very surprised if the bribes were paid without senior management approval. Most of the liaisons work has senior managers’ tacit or explicit approval. Therefore, is it right to suspend some after obtaining licenses. What happens in such a case to the license? Will the license be revoked, cancelled, or returned? If not, what is stopping the organizations from first taking the licenses by paying bribes and then doing a clean-up exercise to show their commitment to ethics?
2. Joint Venture Liabilities
The second issue that crops up is the working of the joint venture in such circumstances. Let us assume the investigation reveals bribes were paid. In such a situation, will Bharti group be expected to pay back the bribe money? Secondly, if the US authorities under a civil case fine Walmart for FCPA contravention, will Bharti be expected to pay the fine. Seeing the trend the fine could be huge and would wipe out profitability of the company. Moreover, US Department of Justice can pursue criminal liabilities. Then will the Indian officers be implicated for the same.
3. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Retail Industry
The government has recently allowed FDI in retail industry. The challenge is that in India, most of the retail operations operate by paying bribes at different levels. Hence, a foreign investor will not get a level playing field as the anti-corruption laws of their country bind them. The situation is serious. For instance, the next stage after obtaining licenses would require importing goods. The FCPA strictly prohibits paying bribes to custom officers whereas in India this is a common business practice. Can an organization wait for months to get its stock cleared by the custom officers? Now the foreign investors will analyse the reward versus risk scenario of their business plans for investing in retail industry in India.
The case opens up interesting aspects of risks of doing business in India. Corruption poses serious obstacles in doing fair business dealings. The FCPA and laws of various countries strictly prohibit paying bribes to foreign officials. The US government has followed some stringent measures against companies contravening the laws. Under such circumstances will the joint ventures between foreign investors and Indian counterparts work? India cannot change overnight, so what is the solution? Share your thoughts with me on this.
Bharti Walmart suspends CFO, legal team due to FCPA bribery probe
By Sonia Jaspal • Posted in Business Ethics, Compliance, Ethics, Fraud Risks, Government & Corruption, Risk Management • Tagged CFO, Corruption, Ethics, Financial Crime, Illicit Money, India, Integrity, Interrogation, Investigation, Leadership, Risk
Indian Social Values – Root of Corruption
Page three newspapers are full of celebrities’ rave parties, fist fights, sex scandals, botox treatments, etceteras. The not so rich idealize these celebrities and mimic all, to be the in-crowd. With these social values, can Indian’s consider it cool to be good?
The west puts India on the pulpit for its values. From Beatles to Julia Roberts, western celebrities talk about Indian culture of prayers, the land of discovering one’s spirit and sense of being. When majority of the middle class Indians themselves are lost, the crown of leader of spiritual world appears somewhat misplaced. Indians in the present world, from birth, get to understand that all human emotions come at a price. This may sound as a harsh statement, but is reality. Let us walk through the different phases of life of a middle class Indian to discover the spiritual compromises they make.
1. Indian Childhood
India post-independence from a land of leaders propagating good values has turned into a land people indulging in unscrupulous behavior in the name of social values. It starts with birth. From the 1960’s the desire to have a son grew among parents. Educated parents get female fetus aborted since the son has more value in the marriage market. The sex ratio is 109.4 males to 100 females in 2011. According to reports nearly 50,000 female fetus are aborted every month.
The reason for abortions is financial. According to the Indian system, a girl’s father in arranged marriages pays dowry for getting a husband for his daughter. Secondly, in the conservative families daughters aren’t allowed to work. Hence, the cost of raising a daughter, educating her, is lost while a son earns back the money for parents from working and getting a dowry. Therefore, sons get a better treatment from parents from birth. From food, clothes, education and hobbies the girl is forced to sacrifice for the brother. Basically, from the day a child is conceived, Indian parents put a value on the child. There is a profit and loss motive in child upbringing.
With these values apparent in the household from childhood, is it surprising that Indians ethical values are confused? Can a child raised on the basis of returns s/he will bring to the parents on becoming an adult, consider emotions and principles above money? Are parents raising kids or cattle for sale?
2. Indian Youth
Indian parents tom-tom about their love for their children and their dedication to keep the children with them. They look down on their western counterparts, who let the kids leave home between the age of 16-20 years to live on their own. In India, 30 year old unmarried sons and daughters can also be found living with their parents. It arises from an attempt to control who the youngster marries, specially for sons, so that a big fat dowry can be earned.
In respect to daughters, it is a need to keep their image unsullied. A daughter having an affair is a no-no among conservative families. Good girls don’t have relationship with boys. While the boys can have relationships with girls, and any girl who has a sexual relationship with a boy is of loose moral character. It it surprising that with this culture, Indian youth does not have normal relationships with the opposite gender.
India is the 4th most unsafe place in the world. Eve teasing or sexual harassment is rampant and young Indian women endure comments from men even when walking to office at 9 a.m. According to a survey of developing nations, Indian men are the most sexually violent, with 24% having committed a sexual crime. Another survey states 65% men believe sometimes a women deserves to be beaten. With these results and mindset, can one ensure gender equality at work?
An Indian’s professional mentor/buddy in the first job is the person who teaches them to fudge the reimbursement bills of their salary. For instance, employees are entitled to medical reimbursements. The friendly mentor will share information of a medical store from where fraudulent medical bills can be obtained by giving a cut.
After being raised in this culture, can Indian youth have independent thinking, proper adult relationships and professional values? Most lip sync their parents’ desires for them, rather than discovering and understanding their own being. Abnormal behavior – living with one’s parents in adulthood, harassing opposite gender – is socially considered normal. Normal behavior of having adult relationships, independent living and maintaining professional ethics, may make the youth a social outcast. After being raised in this social climate, can Indian youth make India the next superpower?
3. Indian Marriage
The biggest trade in India, is of arranged marriages. Marriages aren’t made in heaven, they are negotiated for the best deal. The sons are put up for sale and the daughters’ fathers attempts to purchase the best available husband for her, according to their financial position.
If one sees it from an economic angle, the husband to provide for the wife lifelong, takes upfront payment from his wife’s father. Looking from another angle, the woman gets a man to have sex with her for life after being paid by her father. Prostitution is illegal in India, and prostitutes are looked down upon. But sale and purchase of husband and wife is a socially accepted norm.
In rural areas, the situation is worse. If a couple belonging to different castes falls in love, the male members of the girl’s family do honor killing, they kill the couple. It is a crime to fall in love, and humiliating for the parents. From all this one can conclude that Indian rational of honor, esteem and self-respect is quite contrary to human race.
Even divorce involves social stigma. In reality, 90% of urban husbands have had extra marital affairs. Most of the urban wives are educated but don’t leave their marriages even after being aware of the affair, as their standard of living will become lower. India has one of the lowest divorce rates with just one in a hundred marriages collapsing. There are just around 10,000 or so divorce cases filed each year. Despite the fact that there were 8391 dowry deaths in 2010 and 90,000 cases of torture and cruelty towards women by their husbands. This is when most women don’t report to police due to sense of social shame. Aren’t the numbers ironical. Abusing women is considered a social privilege of the Indian male. Moreover, educated women prefer to take abuse rather than stand on their own two feet and earn their living.
Can Indian marriages teach valuing human emotions when they are nothing more than a financial transaction? After parent-child relationship, the second most precious relationship is of husband-wife. In India, both have monetary values attached to it. When critical relationships are not based on ethics, what is the probability of the society respecting professional ethics?
Indian ideas of honor, respect, ethics and principles are bunkum. A thief steals a women’s purse, he is a criminal. A husband steals his wife’s dignity and her father’s retirement saving, he is respectable. It is a case of sacrificing rational thinking to camouflage social ills.
Last week, the government issued a “White paper on black money”. The paper describes ways and methods to curb corruption and reduce black money. However, with this social environment, the best efforts are likely to fail. Can an average Indian be considered as having a fully developed “Conscience”? Anywhere close to spiritual awakening? What do you think?
Disappearing Daughters: Women pregnant with Girls pressured into abortion
Divorce Rate High Among Indian Techies
Dowry murders in India result in few convictions
Indian men most sexually violent, says survey of six developing nations
International Center for Research on Women
By Sonia Jaspal • Posted in Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics, Government & Corruption, Human Resource Risks, Management, Personal Ethics • Tagged Bribes, Code of Conduct, Communication, Corporate Behavior, Corruption, CSR, Culture, Destructive Management, Diversity, Ethics, Financial Crime, Fraud, India, Integrity, Leadership, Management Lessons, Personal values, Politics, Psychology, Risk, Scam, Sexual Harassment
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Winter Re-Wind: Classic UK Ride Dartmoor Coffin Roads
Online Feature
by Andi Sykes December 28, 2016 3:05 pm0
Pete jumps in the way-back-when machine to follow one of Dartmoor’s ways of the dead.
This article originally appeared in Issue 98 of Singletrack Magazine. Subscribers have full access to all current and previous Singletrack content as part of their subscription.
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Words and pictures by Pete Scullion.
From the off, the difficulty that would have been involved in moving a corpse-laden coffin to Lydford is hammered home. Past the youth hostel, the hill climbs steeply over rough, broken ground – and we climb too. Quartzite boulders snatch and grab at wheels while the dirt between them seems to offer little in the way of traction, despite the lack of moisture. As tyres scrabble for grip, lungs suck in the warm Devon air and expel it again in a similar fashion.
As we approach the summit of this first pitch, we are greeted by what can only be described as the most thickset animal I have ever laid eyes on. A man with a thick Devon accent sends advice to us two on our gaunt, in comparison, ponies, as his beast and its dinner plate-sized hooves easily negotiate what we found so arduous. “That, sir, is a fine steed,” I offer to the man on point. A proud smile and a nod of approval precedes: “Oh she’s a big girl alright.”
“The most thickset animal I have ever laid eyes on”
Once atop the broken climb we take a minute to enjoy the assembled Dartmoor ponies before heading through the felled plantation along a graded, sunken path. Before long, the original route of the coffin road shows itself. Under Bellever Tor our first stone row marks the way across the clipped grass, back into the cool darkness of the forest. This is our first true taste of what the Lich Way would have been like. Yellowed grass trampled thin by successive footfalls, flanked on either side by tall grass, rustling in the breeze, sitting atop thick tussocks.
Back into the woods again, the tall pines shade us from the warm spring sun that seems considerably stronger here than it does in my usual haunt of rural Stirlingshire. Soon, we cross a fire road and it’s clear that the Forestry Commission doesn’t have the same superstitions as those of the residents of medieval Dartmoor, as a ranger with mandatory collie dog in tow passes without a second thought. A sharp right turn and the path, sunken again, makes its way down to another intersection. The trees leave us for good and the real test begins.
Just one of the many medieval sights you will see along this route.
Thou shalt not pass.
In the late medieval period, when the Catholic church’s power dictated life from the arrival of a newborn to the journey to final rest, Britain’s population was expanding rapidly. (Bear with me – this is still a story about riding bikes, but we need the history bit first.) With that rapid growth came a similar increase in church construction. Older church minsters had long since relied on tithes and mortuaries for their income and associated power. Over time, bishops felt their power waning and reacted by connecting the outlying villages and churches to their ‘mother’ church by way of what was known as a corpse road. Holding the only licence to bury the dead in the area secured mortuaries their pay and snatched back power for the monks and bishops.
In order to avoid these routes being used by traders or drovers, the ‘ways of the dead’ would more often than not pass inhospitable terrain – and this is why they are now of interest to mountain bikers, because inhospitable terrain often means fun and remote trails. While it was believed the spirit would travel in a straight line from the home of the deceased to the church, the physical entity would need to be carried by the family and neighbours overland.
Everything looks more artistic in black and white
What was already a disagreeable task on the open uplands through the summer months, was made even more complex by way of superstition. It was believed that by crossing running water, by way of wet feet or stepping stones, or even by lifting the coffin over a stile, the spirit would be unable to return to haunt the living. As a result, rivers, streams and other obstacles were deliberately sought out. Blocking stones were often placed at strategic points to keep the spirit on its path to the burial site. Roads were (obviously) not as widespread in the 13th century as they are now, but intersections still occurred, and on these routes they were seen as dangerous boundaries between this world and the next. Coffin roads deliberately crossed remote ground to avoid intersections, where it was held that spirit guardians would protect the living and keep the Devil from becoming manifest.
Many coffin roads of old that have not been popularised by walkers, literature, or adopted as rights of way, have been reclaimed by nature over the last eight centuries. Plenty still exist, however, and they cross some of the most beautiful, as well as bleak, parts of Britain’s countryside. In Scotland, the Isle of Harris sports a coffin road that spans the island along a low mountain pass. This route, though, is the exception to the rule as it only delivered coffins to the east coast because that was the only place the earth on the island was deep enough to bury a casket.
Elsewhere north of the border, the traditional routes can be seen in places like Loch Lochy, just north of Fort William, where residents of Invergarry would haul their dead over the shoulder of Ben Tee or around the western slopes of Meall a’Choire Ghlais to the now-submerged sixth century church. Back in England, the residents of the ancient settlement of Haweswater in the north-west Lake District had the unenviable task of taking their coffins up and over the steep western flank of the water onto Swindale Common, before beginning the long trudge to the chapel in Keld. More often than not, any markers that lined the routes have been lifted for house or wall construction, or long since lost to Mother Nature.
Lich Way, crossing the lower third of Dartmoor’s National Park
Old into new.
But my chosen coffin road for this adventure is at the other end of the country. It’s the Lich Way, crossing the lower third of Dartmoor’s National Park. At the time, villages within what is now the National Park would have fallen under the jurisdiction of the Parish of Lydford, which was enormous, covering some 50,000 acres (200 square km). It brought the head of St Petrock’s church in the village vast wealth and the village was taxed at a similar level to London during the reign of Edward the Confessor, proving the centre’s importance at the time.
The Lich Way starts in the ancient settlement of Bellever, which is still a village nowadays and sits on the edge of a plantation forest that seems almost at odds with the treeless expanse of Dartmoor. From here, it extends north and west towards Lydford, and south and east towards Widecombe-in-the-Moor. In 1260, and after a complaint to the Bishop of Exeter, the more northern settlements were allowed to take their coffins to the latter settlement, rather than making the 12-mile onerous slog across the moor. However, newer, more southerly settlements still had to march to Lydford, while Bellever’s residents would still need to attend forest and stannary (local legislative) courts via the same route.
Jumping for joy
The only cover afforded by the tors lining the Lich Way are the large slabs of rock that sit high above the otherwise featureless moorland. This 12-mile trip would have been a full day of incessant slogging, even with dry conditions underfoot and the sun overhead. Come winter, this route would have likely been impassable with the arrival of snow.
Joining me to retrace the passage of the dead, on a bright spring day and on two wheels rather than two feet, is Dartmoor local and veteran racer, Tony Williams. Tony has guided and coached countless people in these hills, and knows the area well. As we set off on the ‘Way of the Dead’, Tony recounts the story of the Bridge of the Hairy Hands – a fairly unique tale that seems quite incredulous as Tony tells the story, a broad grin across his face.
and the ghost was BEHIND him!!
The bridge is reputed to be haunted by a pair of hairy hands, which originally belonged to a hard-working but unfortunate tin miner who inadvertently blew himself up while sneaking out of the dynamite store after an illicit lunch break. Dismembered by the blast, his hands are said to have landed in the stream which flows beneath the Moretonhampstead to Princetown road, and on dark misty nights they have been seen to grab hold of the steering wheels of passing vehicles as they cross the bridge, forcing the vehicles and their unfortunate occupants into the water – sometimes to their death.
Out onto the open moor, Tony mentions at the last windblown hawthorn that “we won’t see many of them for a while”. He’s right. Short stumps mark the route across the featureless farmland here, with a keen eye needed to keep on the right track. Above Powdermills, we reach the remains of another Dartmoor classic: the abandoned tin mine and workings. In the old wheelhouse, we stop for a bite to eat and put the world to rights before cracking on. Down the old mine track, we’ll be climbing for some time and not on anything but the aforementioned clipped grass.
Time for another spooky tale?
As Longaford Tor keeps us on the right track, the phrase of the ride makes its first appearance. “Imagine carrying a coffin over here…”, followed by shakes of the head. Even where the path is relatively well trodden, the going is anything but smooth. Closer to the tor, the rocks become more prominent, and while they offer more places to rest a casket, it’s tougher going on bike and body.
As the path tops out, Dartmoor presents itself. The gradual rise of the hills indicates what is to come. Despite the numerous fast, cruisy descents, the elevation change is that of a constant gain until the start of the long drop off the Merrivale Range into the Tavy Valley. As Tony and I play cat and mouse down towards the foot of Lydford Tor, startled dunlins take flight in small murmurations as we’re almost on top of them, making this fast, open blast that little bit more exciting. Erratic boulders of the right shape and angle make for some ad hoc airtime as we meet the first of our spirit blocks: moving water, in the form of the West Dart River.
No more ghosts! Time for some dusty trails
Spirited away.
Cowsic River provides our second barrier beneath Lydford Tor, before the climb to Conies Down Tor. The descents here are as fast as the rider is willing to go. Deathgrip the bars and you can keep it wide open – so long as you can dodge the rocks littered about the moor. Once on the right shoulder of the laughter-inducing Cocks Hill, the final barrier before the particularly bleak part of the ride is complete. The River Walkham sits in less of a hollow compared to the two previous streams and would have been less of a burden with a corpse-laden wooden box atop your shoulders. That said, by now we’ve been pedalling non-stop for almost seven miles, neither rider willing to concede any ground to the other.
From White Barrow the view over the rolling hills further west is magnificent, and on a clear day I’m sure the sea would be visible from up here. To the north and west lies Lydford, obscured by the hills north of Nattor Down, where on certain days the red flags of the MOD firing range can be seen flying. Venture out when the flags are up and you might not need a casket to take you to the cemetery with some of the ordinance flying about these parts.
If you look closely the birds are spelling the colour of your favourite sandwich…
After dispatching the fast, loose and dusty descent into the Tavy Valley, the feeling here is very different. Steep valley sides contrast with the expanse of the open moor. A bimble along the lanes connecting up the bridleways gives us more time to put the world to rights, before hauling ourselves over Kingsett Down and into the final cruise into Lydford.
As we make the church walls, flowers bright and vibrant against the cold grey of the Norman edifice, the complaints coming from our legs drive home the point that people once carried coffins along the same route. Happily I would be jumping into a four-wheeled cart with the power of one hundred horses after my ride, not walking home and not retracing my journey complete with all the hazards of peasant life in medieval England and the trials of the British winter.
Who needs GPS and technology?
The Castle Inn, my resting place for the night, sits with the Norman castle between itself and the church. This warped, ancient building would have no doubt played host to wealthier mourners and those attending the courts of the 16th century. Back then, ale, food and lodgings would have been the main trade of the inn, and little has changed in the last eight hundred years. What has changed, undoubtedly, is the atmosphere. My imagination brings me Tolkienesque scenes from Frodo’s encounter with Strider at the Prancing Pony, that have now been replaced by a more charming version of Hot Fuzz. Warmth is the reception from the open fire, the hot food and the comfy bed as my legs creak as much as the old, tarred rafters.
..by the time they arrived here they only had a little red left to paint the town…
Dartmoor’s Way of the Dead starts at the youth hostel in Bellever, which sits about a mile south of the B3212 outside Postbridge. The best place to park is in Bellever Forest FC site, just south of the hostel. The route is signposted throughout, but once on the open moor a map will help you stay on track should you miss one of the short marker posts. The route is approximately 12 miles from Bellever to Lydford. Once you are in the Tavy Valley, the route is less obvious, as the bridleway follows a D-road for a short while. Make sure to check the live firing timetable on the UK Government website to avoid being turned into jam by a 105mm Howitzer shell. The route is easily retraceable for those looking for a longer ride, or you could take two cars. The Castle Inn is the best place to stay should you need an overnight stop.
gov.uk/government/publications/dartmoor-firing-programme
castleinnlydford.com
UK Adventure
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Over The Hill – What can a group of OAPs teach us about mountain biking and life?
Scottish Moto Extravaganza! – Episode 1
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Siskiyou Land Conservancy Hires Local Crew for Smith River Restoration Effort
A ForestScapes sawyer examines the company’s work to thin overstocked conifers. Note the large redwood. The property contains the easternmost redwoods in the Smith River watershed.
Working alongside our landowner partners, from 2017-19 Siskiyou Land Conservancy will manage a three-year, $207,000 restoration grant from the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service to restore forest health, and replace failing culverts with a bridge, on the 148-acre South Fork Smith River Property that SLC protects with a conservation easement. Although SLC does not receive any income from this grant — all funds go to pay our contractors — it represents a significant advancement of what we consider a very important element of our programs.
We are very excited that the forest health work will be conducted by a new Humboldt County company, ForestScapes, whose employees live in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. It has long been our desire to promote restoration on the North Coast not just to benefit the health of regional habitats, but to provide good paying forest jobs as well. We are now doing this on the Smith River.
NRCS-funded restoration also began this year on the 183-acre Mad River property that Siskiyou Land Conservancy protected last year with a conservation easement. ForestScapes is doing this work as well.
Because SLC sees no income from the federal government for this work, donations from the public are important. Learn how to contribute here.
The forest work consists of thinning from below in 70 acres of densely stocked, recovering stands of redwood, Douglas fir, and hardwoods. In addition, two large, failing culverts on a year-round stream will be replaced with a bridge. (Thanks to Pacific Watershed Associates for all their great work on this part of the project.)
Failing culverts threaten aquatic habitat on a tributary to the South Fork Smith River. The culverts will be removed and replaced with a bridge.
We are also very excited that the project covers a rare two-acre habitat of meadows and Oregon white oak. The oaks are huge and probably close to 200 years old, but deer browse and competition from other tree species are having a devastating impact on young oak reproduction. So we are cutting back some of the competing trees — mostly young Douglas fir and canyon live oak — and caging oak seedlings before the deer can get to them.
A rare, 200-year-old Oregon white oak in the meadow, 2017. Without SLC’s restoration efforts there would be no young trees to replace these as they fall.
Caged to prevent deer browse, this young Oregon white oak will eventually replace the giant oaks whose acorns produce these seedlings.
State Finds New Evidence of Pesticide Contamination in Smith River Estuary
Easter Lily Pesticides in the News
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Corbyn is not the messiah… and the media is not the devil
Posted bystephenjdaisley August 27, 2018 Leave a comment on Corbyn is not the messiah… and the media is not the devil
Like all good messiahs, Jeremy Corbyn is out to save us from ourselves.
Refreshingly, his latest sermon avoided damning the Israelites and instead admonished us to beware the sins of fake news and media monopolies.
Delivering the Alternative MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival, the other JC preached of his ‘desire to create a media where journalists and media workers are set free from elite control, whether the billionaire class or government, that’s holding them back from producing their very best work’.
Turning to the gospel of tax and regulation, Corbyn foretold of a state-owned British Digital Corporation, an extension of the BBC with its own social media platform; a windfall tax on Facebook and Google to pay for it; a right for journalists to elect their editor and for BBC staff and licence fee payers to appoint the Corporation’s board, unless they fail to appoint enough women and minorities, that is.
This would ‘empower journalists, audiences and readers and reduce the power of media bosses and owners in the private sector’. The money-changers would be cast out from the temple and editors required to seek headline approval from the tea boy.
Naturally, a Corbyn government would also implement Leveson II, another costly media probe motivated by politics and spite. Corbyn described the result of this sinister proletarian dictatorship as ‘a free, democratic and financially sustainable media’. Our old saviour spoke Aramaic; our new one is fluent in Orwellian.
Heathen that I am, I hear behind Corbyn’s platitudes about popular empowerment and media democracy the same contempt for a free Press that the SNP, Donald Trump and other rabble-rousers have ginned up.
Yes, some of his proposals are reasonable. Granting charitable status to struggling local newspapers would prevent more of them going to the wall. Scrapping the ministerial veto over Freedom of Information disclosures would be welcome.
And while the ‘digital licence fee’ he wishes to see levied on social media giants is impractical, there is a pressing case for levelling the playing field between heavily regulated traditional media and the online free-for-all.
But these were just baubles to prettify the central ugliness of his thesis, which is that a Corbyn government should put a free and independent Press in its place.
In recent weeks, this newspaper and others revealed Jeremy Corbyn attended a wreath-laying ceremony for one of the masterminds of the Munich massacre, shared a takeaway with the leader of Hamas, and said British Zionists ‘don’t understand English irony’. Quite what has convinced him of the need for media reform we may never know.
Lamentably, there is a market for grievance and Corbynism the biggest supplier. The news media has become a target and there are demographics for whom media-bashing isn’t just a sideline but an integral element of their worldview.
Scottish nationalists are sure the BBC is a Westminster-orchestrated conspiracy against independence, while Brexiteers and Remainers will assure you with equal fervour that the Corporation is pursuing the agenda of either Brussels or Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Everywhere you look, there is a fixation with ‘bias’. I was browsing a holiday site last week that promised ‘unbiased’ information on the best countries to visit. Had the Swiss been on bad-mouthing the French again?
Bias has been redefined to mean ‘facts I disagree with’ or ‘events I don’t wish to be reported’. To be unbiased now means telling people what they want to hear. No wonder enthusiasts of Jeremy Corbyn, Nicola Sturgeon and Donald Trump speak of them in terms earlier generations reserved for religious icons. These are people looking for revealed truth and that’s something journalists can’t give you.
We can marshal evidence and present facts but it is up to you to decide the morality of matters. We have a romanticised notion of journalists: the chain-smoking, hard-drinking mavericks of Hollywood movies, wearing out shoe leather as they chase down leads. Real-world hacks can hardly live up to the idealistic renderings to be found in All the President’s Men.
Even so, we fail more often than we should. ‘You have brought this on yourselves,’ some of you will mutter. Others will exclaim the words that make all good journalists cringe. Hillsborough. Phonehacking. Those were low points in British journalism but in both cases it was other journalists who exposed the facts.
The culture that produced those shameful episodes no longer exists but newspapers have struggled to regain the public’s trust. They have also had to cut costs amid free-falling advertising revenues while seeing social media steal their readers and pick their pockets. Five years ago, 59 per cent got their news from print media. Today, it’s 36 per cent, trailing behind social media on 39 per cent.
Yet only 12 per cent told the Reuters Institute they trust the news they get from social media. Cynicism drives us to favour lies that reinforce our prejudices over facts that challenge us. Corbyn and those like him understand this and have worked it into their political philosophy as well as their strategy.
The demagogues of the 20th century had to keep the free Press away from the people. Their 21st century inheritors have convinced swathes of the people to keep themselves away from the free Press.
The object is the destruction of objectivity. If facts become relative and contingent on political preferences, it will no longer be possible to say what is true and what is false. Some people say Jeremy Corbyn called Palestinian terrorists ‘brothers’. Others say it’s all just a Zionist smear campaign. Who’s to say, really?
For all our sins, democracies will not function without us. There is no ‘mainstream media’ and ‘alternative media’. There are only facts and myths. We give you heresy, they give you hymnals.
To the world, John McCain was an American hero; to John McCain, he was simply an American. The Arizona senator served his country in public life and in uniform but on Saturday the old airman made his final skim of the horizon. He was 81 years old.
Shot down over Vietnam, McCain was tortured in the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ for five years but refused early release. Leave no man behind.
Beaten until he agreed to identify his squadron, McCain finally provided his captors a list of names. It was the Green Bay Packers football team.
He ran for President in 2008 against Barack Obama. McCain was the better man and would have made a better president but he stood no chance against historic cool.
In his passing, he leaves behind an enduring legacy. Courage has a name now and so too do dignity, honour and decency. Few men ennoble the American flag by serving under it and being buried with it. John McCain is one of them.
Scott Morrison, installed after a backroom coup over the weekend, is Australia’s fifth prime minister in ten years. Yet despite (or because of) its ever-changing governments, the economy Down Under is in its 27th year of uninterrupted growth. I reckon the Aussies are on to something. Maybe we should give it a burl and say ‘hooroo’ to Mrs May.
Agree? Disagree? Want to have your say? Email scotletters@dailymail.co.uk.
Originally published in the Scottish Daily Mail. Contact Stephen at stephen.daisley@dailymail.co.uk. Feature image © Sophie J. Brown by Creative Commons 4.0.
Posted bystephenjdaisley August 27, 2018 Posted inDaily Mail
Amazon Tax: A good policy in the bagging area
Sturgeon unveils latest list of things she won’t get round to because #Westminster
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Coach Kraus
Merkert Gymnasium
NE10 Men's Basketball
Donate to Men's Basketball Program
MOUNT VERNON NEWS: "Logan turning heads at college level"
By BILL DAVIS
NewsSports Editor
EASTON, Mass. — Anyone who has been there knows that college is completely different than high school.
But that doesn't mean you can't excel at both.
Ryan Logan has figured out how to do that on the basketball court. The 2013 Fredericktown High School grad, who dominated the game in the Mid-Buckeye Conference, is now doing the same at Stonehill College.
"It's been interesting," Logan recently told theNews when reflecting on his time as a college freshman. "It's been fun. It's a new experience."
The former two-time MBC Player of the Year and All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year is now one of the Skyhawks' top players. He's currently tied for the team lead in scoring (11.5 points per game) and leads the Northeast-10 Conference in three-point shooting (11-for-19, 57.9 percent). Logan is averaging 7.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and just under a steal per game.
Earlier this week, Logan was named the Northeast-10 Rookie of the Week for a league-leading third time, after scoring 17 points in his team's 72-66 loss at Chestnut Hill.
"I'm trying to be the best all-around player I can be," Logan said. "Every day, I try to work on everything I have, all my skill sets. There's no one thing to work on."
It's not too surprising that Logan is doing well at the NCAA Division II school. He averaged a double-double (23.0 points, 11.7 rebounds) in his final season at Fredericktown, and he led the area in steals (2.8) and blocks (3.0) per game. Over his high school career, he was named First Team All-District twice and established a school record for points (1,501). But the college game is a lot different, as Logan quickly found out.
"The quickness of how everything develops and the physicality of the game are a lot different than the high school game," Logan said. "Every play, every second, I have to give everything I have."
Logan has made plenty of new friends, both on the court and off, during his tenure at Stonehill. He's also learning that there isn't a lot of free time when you're a college student.
"School in college is a lot different. It takes up a lot more time," Logan said. "Time management is important. Finals are tough, but you have to grind through it.
"It's nerve-racking to be a new college student to be away from friends and everything. But this team has bonded really well, and we're all really good friends. Which is great, especially when you're 11 hours away from home."
The Skyhawks (3-7) are off until Saturday, Jan. 4, for a road game against Saint Michael's College.
In the meantime, Logan is relaxing at home, taking some time away from his studies and basketball for some much-needed rest. Logan hasn't picked a major yet, but he indicated he wants to do something regarding communications.
As for his on-court goals, they're pretty clear.
"I want to be an All-American and win a national championship," Logan said. "That would be a pretty cool thing to say when you move along in life."
May 23, 2014 PEOPLE MAGAZINE: "Marquis Taylor Mentors At-Risk Kids"
April 4, 2014 Stonehill Holds Annual Academic Excellence Recognition Breakfast
March 20, 2014 BROCKTON ENTERPRISE: "Providence College coach Ed Cooley has fond memories of days at Stonehill"
February 28, 2014 Logan Earns NE-10 All-Rookie Team Status
February 25, 2014 Logan Named Spalding NE-10 Rookie of the Week
February 25, 2014 Saint Anselm Holds Off Stonehill in Finale, 78-75
February 22, 2014 Stonehill Stuns Bentley, 97-83
February 19, 2014 Franklin Pierce Edges Stonehill, 76-73
February 15, 2014 Southern N.H. Turns Over Stonehill, 73-49
February 12, 2014 Stonehill Men’s Basketball Game at SNHU on Saturday Will Be Televised by WBIN-TV
February 11, 2014 Assumption Holds Off Stonehill, 82-78
February 8, 2014 Saint Michael’s Edges Stonehill, 66-64
February 6, 2014 Stonehill Turns Back Merrimack, 76-64
February 4, 2014 Wednesday's Basketball DH at Merrimack Postponed to Thursday
February 1, 2014 Stonehill Shoots Past Saint Rose, 75-73
January 28, 2014 Le Moyne Battles Past Stonehill, 68-65
January 25, 2014 New Haven Survives Stonehill Comeback, 67-63
January 23, 2014 Stonehill to Welcome Back 1989 NE-10 Championship Team, Formally Induct Jon Cronin, ’92 into NE-10 Hall of Fame
January 22, 2014 Southern Conn. State Quiets Stonehill, 110-84
January 18, 2014 Stonehill Flies Past Concordia (N.Y.), 102-66
January 11, 2014 Stonehill Homecoming Nets Win Over Pace, 79-68
January 8, 2014 Adelphi Stops Stonehill, 68-57
January 6, 2014 MOUNT VERNON NEWS: "Logan turning heads at college level"
January 4, 2014 Saint Michael’s Slips Past Stonehill, 86-82 (OT)
December 23, 2013 Logan Earns Second-Straight Spalding NE-10 Rookie of the Week Award
December 20, 2013 Chestnut Hill Defeats Stonehill, 72-66
December 16, 2013 Logan Collects Second Spalding NE-10 Rookie of the Week Award
December 10, 2013 Saint Anselm Shoots Past Stonehill, 97-81
December 7, 2013 Stonehill Turnovers Cue Southern N.H., 67-55
December 4, 2013 Stonehill Bounces Back Against Assumption, 61-56
November 26, 2013 Franklin Pierce Tops Stonehill, 75-61
November 23, 2013 Bentley Shoots Past Stonehill, 81-63
November 20, 2013 Turnovers Costly as Merrimack Rallies Past Stonehill, 83-77
November 16, 2013 St. Thomas Aquinas Rallies Past Stonehill, 78-67 (OT)
November 14, 2013 Stonehill to Host Offensive Skills Clinic Thanksgiving Weekend
November 12, 2013 Logan Named Spalding NE-10 Rookie of the Week
November 10, 2013 Second Half Surge Sends Stonehill Past Queens, 78-65
November 9, 2013 Stonehill Cruises Past Georgian Court in Opener, 75-58
November 8, 2013 Kraus Era Gets Started with Stonehill Tip-Off Classic
October 22, 2013 Midnight Madness is Just Two Days Away!
October 21, 2013 HUFFINGTON POST: "He Quit His Wall Street Job To Teach Basketball To Low-Income Kids"
August 12, 2013 Boynton Named Men’s Basketball Assistant at Stonehill
July 16, 2013 Kraus Named 14th Men’s Basketball Coach at Stonehill
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Ladies European Tour Thailand Open: Diksha plays bogey free final round to finish Tied-13th
Diksha Dagar, playing in her rookie year, is now eighth on the LET Order of Merit and second on the Rookie of the Year list.
Pattaya (Thailand) 23 June, 2019 23:28 IST
Diksha played her first three rounds in even par 72 each and ended the week at three-under 285. - Getty Images
Diksha Dagar played her best round of the week with a flawless three-under 69 to rise to Tied-13th from overnight Tied-25th at the Ladies European Tour Thailand Open.
Dagar, playing in her rookie year, is now eighth on the LET Order of Merit and second on the Rookie of the Year list.
In 10 starts, she has made nine cuts, won once, been in Top-5 twice and twice more in Top-20 including this week.
Diksha played her first three rounds in even par 72 each and ended the week at three-under 285.
India’s other women stars -- Tvesa Malik (75) ended Tied-48th at four-over 292 and Astha Madan had a final round of 75 for a total of eight-over 296.
Read: Aditi misses cut at Women’s PGA Championship
Thailand’s amateur star Atthaya Thitikul has won the Ladies European Thailand Championship for the second time in three years. The 16-year-old finished with a five-under-par 67 on a weather-interrupted final day to win by five shots from Esther Henseleit.
Thitikul’s triumph at Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club two years ago aged 14 years, four months and three days made her the youngest known winner of a professional golf tournament.
She backed up that success with a phenomenal performance at the same venue, posting rounds of 69, 67, 63 (a course record) and 67 for a winning total of 266, 22-under-par.
At 16 years, four months and three days, the No 5 ranked amateur in the world is the youngest player to win two Ladies European Tour titles and the most exciting prospect in women’s golf since Lydia Ko, who had won four professional titles by the same age.
German rookie Esther Henseleit shot a final round of eight-under-par 64 and as Thitikul is still an amateur, she collected the winner’s cheque for 45,000 euros, moving to second on the LET order of merit although she said that she would have preferred a trophy.
Germany’s Olivia Cowan finished third, with Norwegians Marianne Skarpnord and Tonje Daffinrud tied for fourth place. Hannah Burke, Beth Allen and Nattagate Nimitpongkul were joint sixth and Carmen Alonso tied for ninth with Chorphaka Jaengkit.
Thitikul’s second win in the tournament will renew the question of when she will turn professional, but with her second LET title, she will once again qualify for the Evian Championship and the AIG Women’s British Open, which means that European fans will get to see her perform in next month’s majors.
Reavie in control with six-shot lead at Travelers Championship
Hannah Green continues to lead Women's PGA Championship
Fitzpatrick on the charge in Munich as Kaymer falls away
Diksha Dagar
Barkley exit ruled out by Lampard as Loftus-Cheek steps up recovery
One-game ban for Real Madrid's Valverde no surprise to Simeone
Hodgson must be bored at home - Guardiola marvels at Palace boss
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Make Field Goals Worth 2 Points
It’s time to save NFL coaches from themselves.
By Nick Greene
Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett looks on during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on Oct. 20.
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Late in Sunday’s game against the Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys found themselves in unfamiliar territory: near the New England end zone. It had been a slugfest played in weather befitting seafaring disaster poems, and the Cowboys were down 13–6. Facing fourth-and-7 at the Patriots’ 11-yard line, Dallas head coach Jason Garrett had a choice: Go for it with a chance to tie the game, or attempt a field goal that would cut the deficit to 4. With only six minutes remaining, there was no guarantee that the Cowboys would get the ball back, and they’d need to score a touchdown anyway if they did. Surely the time was nigh? Cometh the hour, cometh the man!
Garrett kicked the field goal and the Cowboys lost, 13–9.
Field goals continue to be a bizarre addiction for NFL coaches. Teams often elect to punt or “take the points” on fourth down when analytics favor aggressiveness. By some calculations, Garrett’s decision on Sunday actually increased New England’s chances of victory.
It sadly didn't fit on the chart so compared to higher WP swing plays so the algorithm removed it, but the Cowboys field goal in the 4th quarter increased the WP by 1%
.... for New England https://t.co/SDR5niJBgr
— Lee Sharpe (@LeeSharpeNFL) November 25, 2019
While Garrett took a lot of grief for his conservative play-calling, even the league’s young and “forward-thinking” coaches fall into the same trap. The Arizona Cardinals may have hired Kliff Kingsbury to be their new-age offensive guru, but the man loves himself a field goal attempt in the red zone while trailing. Likewise, Rams wunderkind Sean McVay sends out the special teams unit on fourth-and-short more than any other coach in the league.
Clearly the prospect of seeing 3 points flash on the scoreboard is too tempting to resist. It’s time to save coaches from themselves: The NFL should make field goals worth 2 points.
Because a field goal is worth half as much as a touchdown, coaches find themselves trapped inside Zeno’s paradoxes whenever their team is trailing. Scoring in incremental nibbles makes it feel like they’re catching up, when in fact they’re just giving the other team more opportunities to widen the gulf. Here’s how Garrett explained his decision to kick against New England: “Just to give us a chance coming back the other way, fourth-and-7, you know, make it a four-point game. They go ahead and kick a field goal coming back, you still have a chance to be in the game.” Kick a field goal and the carrot is forever within reach.
To the eyes of football men, the number 2 looks abnormal and measly. They’ve lived their entire lives in chunks of 7s and 3s, so a 2-point field goal would be the shock to the system we need to kill off their bad habits. (Among the worst of those habits: kicking a field goal on fourth-and-short when leading by a field goal.) Games would be a great deal more entertaining because teams would go for it more frequently. On second thought, teams should be doing this already, so the 2-point field goal would make games precisely as entertaining as they already should be.
Sure, there would be some changes we’d all need to get used to. The most common scoreline in NFL history is 20–17, and that spread would become nearly nonexistent. (Games that follow that arithmetic would instead end 18–16, a score that’s been tallied in only eight games in NFL history.) Gambling lines would require some realignment, but it’s not like the betting public has anything to lose. And consider the fate of Scott Norwood, as Super Bowl XXV would have been tied 18–18 when he went wide right of the uprights, not 20–19. He could have rectified his mistake in overtime … or compounded it with another missed field goal. Either way, Scott Norwood would have had one more chance not to become Scott Norwood.
We’ve now reached the part of the article where I’d usually try to knock holes in my own argument and then debunk them to demonstrate my intellectual honesty. The problem is that I can’t find any problems with this argument. Instead, I’ll use this space to address the concerns of any professional kickers reading this.
Hello, kickers! Let me assure you that this proposal is in no way an attempt to make you extinct or even reduce your importance. There will still be opportunities for you to tie or win games; it’s just that the score will have to be slightly narrower to do so. Converting field goals is remarkably difficult and nerve-racking, and devaluing their worth only increases the importance—and frequency—of extra point attempts. Kickers, your jobs are safe.
Speaking of kickers, one of the all-time greats has proposed a scoring tweak of his own. In 2014, Adam Vinatieri suggested that kicks longer than 50 yards should be worth 4 points, citing the fact that kickers were becoming “too good.” As someone who plays (at least) half of his games in a dome, the Colts’ Vinatieri would stand to benefit tremendously from this adjustment. And, as the all-time NFL leader in points, he’d add a comfortable cushion to his lead. Nice try, pal.
Handing certain kickers an advantage would go against the NFL’s attempts to foster true parity. The league claims to strive for this ideal, and commissioner Roger Goodell told the Wall Street Journal that making the game competitive was his “core responsibility.” That quote came during collective bargaining agreement negotiations in 2011, but the key to keeping things fair lies not in salary caps. If coaches like Jason Garrett continue to make bad toe-related decisions (against a Bill Belichick–led squad, no less), then some teams will forever be at a disadvantage. The Garretts of the world will never be able to quit 3-pointers cold turkey. But at 2 points a pop, they’ll at last look at field goals with the appropriate level of disdain.
Nick Greene is a Slate contributing writer.
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Sloth Translations
One sloth, and a computer
I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!
The Villainous Daughter’s Butler ~I Raised Her to be Very Cute~
The Mage Will Master Magic Efficiently In His Second Life
Expecting to Fall into Ruin, I Aim to Become a Blacksmith ToC
My Death Flags Show No Sign of Ending ToC
Modern Fantasy – Prologue
Blacksmith Volume 2 Chapter 18
After returning to my room, I immediately opened the seal on the envelope and took a look at the paper inside.
This was the report that was described on the paper:
Perpetrators:
Leader: Maury Gapp
Followers: Tomilu Gain, Ryan Christopher
Details of Event:
Around 16:00 the three mentioned above had trespassed into the greenhouse.
After being caught by Toto Gapp, a dispute broke out inside.
Maury was then seen exiting the building holding something that looked like a plant.
The fields were then vandalised by the three, fleeing the scene after.
Toto Gapp then proceeded to intercept them, but they were too fast and got away.
Tomilu, and Ryan have both been confirmed to not have a direct relationship with Toto.
Toto is confirmed to be part from the branch family of Maury’s noble line. Toto was unilaterally targeted because of this relationship.
That is all, at the time this report was created.
I will ask for the usual remuneration for payment.
Before that though, I will request something to investigate the relationship between Eliza Deauville and Kururi Helan, of course, this will only be a joke.
Thank you for your payment.
Hey! What the hell’s with that end?!
Even so, this is a surprise. I didn’t know he had this kind of information network.
Well, this is a good thing if you disregard the end. Putting aside my complaints, this really is a great report.
If I had to describe my feelings after reading the report in one word.
It would be ‘anger’.
Judging by the contents, this is obviously an attack on Toto.
Moreover, this is just another way for him to exploit his position as part of the head family.
He didn’t even fight Toto one-on-one. There’s no way the Toto who doesn’t exercise much would be able to fend off three people.
Toto even gave chase afterwards and became tattered because of it.
Somehow, I see Toto’s pain in the palm of my hand.
It’s frustrating.
This report is really concise and easy to understand though, I think I might ask him again if I need more info on something.
Now who should I show this too…
No, that’s not enough for what they did.
I can’t forgive them! I’m going to get revenge on the three of them for sure!
They’re the reason why Toto couldn’t open up to us. It wasn’t his fault! The impact of what could happen between their families would be too severe. It was smart of him to give up the pursuit.
Well, when it gets down to it, this means that I can’t afford to just fight them directly. My relationship with Toto is already known, so that means if I do anything, it’ll automatically be linked back to Toto.
I can’t just stay silent and let things be though, I have no intention to forgive them for what they’ve done.
They might decide to continue their harassment if I leave them alone.
I need to take action!
After thinking about it for a while, I couldn’t think of any good ideas.
No matter what I do, it would always end up with them linking it back to Toto.
I don’t think about these things very often after all, I’m a pacifist.
How pathetic, I can’t even think of one way to take revenge for a friend.
I went to sleep that day thinking this over.
Falling asleep was worse, it made me recall a bunch of things.
I ended up having a nightmare that night.
Once morning came, after checking myself in the mirror I realized I was deathly pale.
That dream I say last night was awful, it gave me chills just remembering it. It would give goosebumps to someone on a warm day.
Its definitely a dream I don’t want to see again.
…it was a good idea though, for a nightmare.
Reflected in the mirror was my face breaking out into a grin. It might’ve been a nightmare, but it was a good dream,
Let’s try this out.
As the day went by, I set out to look for Maury Gapp in the classrooms.
It took a while, but eventually I was told that he was a student from the D-class.
I immediately went to confirm this, and there he was!
A guy with a cleft chin and flowing blond hair. That’s definitely Maury, no doubt about it.
What a damnable-looking face. I wanted to punch it just by looking at it.
No, wait… calm down Kururi. This and that are separate matters, I need to be calm.
Once school finished, I hurriedly ran to Class D to track down Maury.
In the end, I found him leaving with his two-person entourage out of the classroom.
I then proceeded to follow them, doing my best to be sneaky.
Eventually arriving at a deserted corner of the school building.
This is their usual hangout spot, you’ll see them gather here from time to time.
Apparently it’s also the place where they kept the goods they stole from Toto, the face pack plant was there, completely withered. There’s no way that it could be used now.
“Wasn’t the face that Toto made yesterday absolutely hilarious? He was crying so desperately for us to give this back, what a fool.” Maury said so as his entourage began to laugh.
‘What a humble guy’ I thought sarcastically.
“Whatever the case, this plant seems to have a great monetary worth to it! We’ll make a killing once it grows up!”
“Let’s do it, it’s already ours isn’t it?”
“Yeah, hahaha~”
Well not anymore.
I was clenching my teeth in response to the laughing of the trio.
Using transformation magic, I took on the appearance of one of the radish magic organisms.
A human-sized one.
Complete with a gross old-man’s face, and short unnatural limbs.
This is probably the biggest shame in my life, taking on such a grotesque appearance.
Why would I do such a thing you ask? Well, this is what happened to me in my dream last night.
I was attacked by a giant radish that wanted to get revenge on me for my herbicide massacre.
It was horrible, no matter how I begged forgiveness it continued to beat on me in revenge.
I shudder just by thinking about it.
Well, it did give me this idea on how to humiliate these guys.
“U~i, are you having fun?”
“W-what the hell are you?!”
The trio jumped up in surprise to my sudden appearance.
There is no such thing as mercy in my vocabulary right now, I’m going to give these guys hell.
“U~i, this is divine punishment for destroying all those herbs the other day.”
“How stupid, I don’t remember doing anything like that.”
One of the grunts threw those words at me, he probably doesn’t believe that this fairy-tale like situation is actually happening right now.
Well, it’s time for them to learn of their mistake.
It’s time to resort to violence!
I slammed my fist into the Maury’s face, blowing him away.
The grunts just stood there in shock, amazed at the powerful blow to the jaw I just dished out.
Maury grumbled “Get him…” as he tried to get up.
I wasn’t going to just let them attack me though, so I threw another punch into the grunt’s nose as I turned around.
“Ahhhh!!!”
That person fell while letting out a heartbreaking sound.
Grunt #2 wasn’t any harder to beat.
While I was distracted though, Maury took this opportunity and jumped me from behind.
I was somehow inverted mid-fall and was completely pinned down.
He rode on top of my belly, and began throwing punches at my face over and over again.
“Die! Die! Die! Die!” With every fist he threw down more verbal abuse. I was able to hold on for a little while, but at this rate…
This is bad, I won’t be able to keep the transformation up!
I need to change the situation!
Parrying one of the fists he swung down, I grabbed at it and twisted it with all my might.
“Owowow, that hurts!”
Maury’s face twisted in pain, while I pushed him off me and escaped.
As a result, I was somehow able to escape that bad situation there.
I hope you enjoyed beating because now…
It’s my turn.
“Dammit, just die already!”
To the me who had started to fight back again, Maury whipped out his hand and release flame magic.
Magic in a hand-to-hand fight is taboo!! Is what I thought, but I guess in his point of view he’s being attacked by a monster rather than another person. So I guess it’s more like self-defense then.
Flame magic caught onto the grass growing on my head.
“Hothothothothot! Uwawawawawawawawa~!”
I struggled to put it out, but I couldn’t reach it because of my short arms.
Realizing the this struggle was useless, I put it out by using a spell.
My human figure than appeared with a ‘Poof!’
“You’re… Kururi Helan! Haha, did you come to take revenge for a loser like Toto? Hahaha!”
Oops, that wasn’t supposed to happen.
Also it seems like they know about my relationship with Toto.
“Toto didn’t ask me to do this.”
“Do you think we’re stupid? We know all about your friendship, so after beating you up, we’ll strangle him just to the point before he croaks, to make sure he never messes with us again.”
“He really is uninvolved this time! This was all my idea!”
“Lies! As if we could believe that.”
“I’ll apologise for this, so beat me up all you want. Just leave Toto alone!”
“Oh? What a wonderful friendship, then I guess we’ll just have beat you up too!”
Smiling as they said that. I was suddenly hit with something at the back of my head, something that let out a sharp noise.
This is the first time I’ve ever felt this way. My fists were clenched and trembling at this feeling.
Maury sent a kick into my stomach and I went flying.
A dull sound cracked out when I fell. I think I might’ve just broken something.
This isn’t good though, I’m not sure how much of this I’ll be able to take.
“How about a deal then? We don’t really want to hurt you, but at the same time, we can’t just let this matter go as if it was nothing, right? Swear on your name as Kururi Helan. Handover Toto so he can get his punishment for this, punishment for biting the main house that has taken care of him all this time, and punishment for daring to be related to me in the first place!”
“Go to hell.”
I retorted with a whisper at the last moment, but they didn’t really like that response.
The three of them started to surround me, their fists clenched and ready to be swung.
Sorry Toto…
My plan was too shallow, I ended up involving you even though you tried to stay out of it so badly. I have no choice but to do this now, no matter how shameless it is.
I gently let out those words before activating my magic.
That day I was called to the teacher’s office.
I was reported for carrying out violence.
Needless to say, I was the one punished for starting it.
There was no excuse, so I just took whatever they threw at me head on.
I was to be locked up in the punishment room for three days because of this.
They call it a room, but it’s more of a cell really.
With that said, being locked up in it for three days to encourage reflection isn’t the worst punishment they could’ve given me.
Now I have three days to relax.
After entering the punishment room, I have all the time to think in the world about whether my actions were right or not.
I don’t think I was in the wrong, but that’s useless now. Might as well think about something else.
After school, Toto ended up paying me a visit.
“I heard about it. You got into a fight with Maury, didn’t you?”
I didn’t answer Toto’s question. I couldn’t even look at him.
“To recklessly start a fight with three people like that, you really are brave, you know that?”
“Please don’t blame yourself, I’m actually really grateful for what you did.”
I raised my head to look at Toto, completely surprised by his words.
“You thought I’d be angry? At first I was surprised yeah, but you know I’m not stupid enough to get angry at a friend who started a fight thinking about my well-being.”
“…but now you’re going be involved with a bunch of annoying stuff, right?”
“I’m not going to die from something like that though. Certainly, its going to be hard in my territory for a little while, but this is much better than before. My mood has been clearer than its ever been before, and I’m really glad about that.”
Toto said so while showing me a rare refreshing smile.
We talked for a bit before he had to leave.
Now that he was gone, I had nothing else to do, so I started thinking again.
He was like that because… I guess it’d be better if I didn’t answer this now.
I don’t really want to think right now.
That’s good, what I did wasn’t useless afterall.
Soon it’ll be seven, meaning it’s almost time for my evening rice.
It’s a little regrettable that I only get rice for dinner, but this is a punishment after all.
As I thought that, the door to the room had opened. Alright, it’s time for the rice!
“I passed the interview, so they allowed me to deliver a meal.”
“Eliza?!”
The person who entered while carrying a meal was Eliza.
Why?! I wasn’t just anxious about the meal she had, but about Eliza herself.
A meal? What? Why is Eliza here?
Maybe because it’s been awhile since the last time I ate, but I was more focused on the food she was holding there rather than herself.
I was that hungry.
“Eliza, why are you-”
“Its because I thought that you’d be bored in this place. Here, I brought my favourite book for you to read, I know you’ll enjoy it.”
“Oh, thanks. ‘The Flower Prince’ huh? …wait, isn’t this a fairy tale?”
“It is, but the contents of it are surprisingly dark.”
“Thanks anyway, it really is boring here, you know? So this will really help.”
“Well, I thought you might need it.”
Eliza let out a small giggle.
My impression of Eliza has completely changed from the calm image I had of her from before.
At first you would think she’s quite the cold person just by her looks, but if you actually got to know her, you would find that she’s actually quite the softy.
Looking at her pretty face that was happily smiling, my heart went and skipped a beat.
“Kururi, I’ve come to visit you.”
At that moment, as if to break that good atmosphere we had, came in Iris with her usual smile.
Immediately aware of Eliza’s presence, Iris’s expression had hardened.
“S-sorry, am I interrupting something?”
“No, its nothing. I’m actually really glad you came.”
“Really? Well pardon my intrusion then.”
She entered while saying so and sat down next to Eliza.
“So Eliza-san came here as well… I believe this is the first time we’ve actually talked face-to-face, I’m Iris, but you already knew that right?”
Iris’ slightly cold voice made the atmosphere even more uncomfortable as it was.
“Well, I had an idea.”
While Eliza’s sharp response just made it worse.
…I wonder what’s this unpleasant feeling that’s building up right now?
“Anyways, because you didn’t come to class today, I brought a copy of my notes for you.”
“Your notes?! Thanks!! I was a bit worried about missing classes with the exams so close, but I should be able to survive with this, thank you!”
“Don’t worry about it, I knew that you would want these.”
“You sure are attentive Iris, you’ll surely become a great bride someday.”
She responded with a “I don’t really know about that…” as she blushed while fiddling with her hair.
Iris seemed to be really happy from my praise.
“It’s a bit late, but why don’t you eat your meal now?”
Eliza asked me.
“I’ll do that later, I can’t just eat alone while you two are here. Maybe I’ll just study a bit for now.”
“As in, you’re going to start using those notes?”
Ugh, what am I supposed to say in this situation?!
“I always read a bit before I go to bed, so I don’t see why I should stop now. Well, I’m also looking forward to reading ‘The Flower Prince’ book you gave me as well.”
Eliza’s mood seems to have lightened up just now.
“Kururi… you got into a fight today, right? I heard it from Rail, I know that you did it while thinking about Toto, so I know that you weren’t in the wrong! No, after I heard about it, I thought you were really cool at that moment, I really did!”
Iris suddenly cut into the conversation, and started talking about today’s events.
Well, Iris was also angry about what happened to Toto. Contrary to my expectations, she actually seems happy with what I did.
“I can’t really say that was the best thing for me to do though. I ended up being a bother to Toto. After all, if I did nothing then he wouldn’t have gotten caught up into this family feud any further.”
“Of course you did the right thing! I believe you did!”
Now Eliza’s cutting into the conversation. Why?
“I also thought you were cool…”
She said with a low voice I could barely hear. I wonder why she’s so tense right now?
“You definitely did the right thing Kururi, I believe in you.”
Eliza said so with her eyes closed.
“I said I believed in you first…”
Iris followed up while looking away.
“Yeah uh, thanks.”
To this painful air that seemed to flow around them, I was somehow able to squeeze out a response.
“Kururi, we’re here.”
“Huh? Why’s it so quiet?”
Vaine and Crossy suddenly entered as well.
It looks like they’ve noticed the weird atmosphere here too.
Well, I guess now that they’re here things will get better, right?
Previous Chapter | ToC | Next Chapter
124 thoughts on “Blacksmith Volume 2 Chapter 18”
Pingback: Blacksmith Chapter 38 | Sloth Translations
missingnoleader says:
Nice that Eliza is now being more comfortable around him.
moridain says:
Yeah, I think those letters really helped to break the ice. 🙂
Shados says:
Well yeah, before that she certainly didn’t realize that he actually likes her.
CrispyNoodle says:
lol gimme more delicious eliza! <33 uh i mean more eliza chapters… *cough*
goblinrou says:
Remember ,guys, don’t transform into something that gives advantage to the opponent!
Those Extra turns in Persona/Smt are crucial!
Was a good chapter and shows that Kururi isn’t all that powerfull too.
May the U~i be with him!
kuroinfinity says:
In his defense though, he let them beat on him because they would get Toto involved because they found out his identity.
Also, he’s more of a magician rather than a knight, so he was actually holding back a lot during that fight until the end, when he actually decided to use magic himself.
He wasn’t even wearing his personally made magic equipment.
I wonder how strong he’d be if he went full force from the beginning? It’d probably be an instant-kill lol
diukes says:
Don’t defend him, he just lost this one.
accountmadeforants says:
Didn’t look that way to me. He literally said they could beat him up all they liked, as long as they kept Toto out of it. And he took some of their abuse.
Then they said some stupid shit about punishing Toto anyway, and he retaliated with magic. It’s unclear what the outcome was after that, but I’m pretty sure Kururi’s OP A-Class skills would wipe the floor with some D-Class hoodlums.
TheFactualGamer says:
No, the MC was an idiot for doing this. It was immature and pathetic and it overturned all the character development about him being an intelligent hard worker.
Right when I read the first paragraph, I came up with multiple solutions.
But the MC could only come up with disguising himself and then beating up the “villains.”
Where’s the intelligence he showed from before?
And then not only that, he got his own butt beat and acted pathetic and said something naive think like “you can beat me if you don’t hurt him.”
Anyone who has spent any amount of time in reality know that this would never work and would only serve to fuel the ego of the ones beating him up. He literally just told them that he is so weak and easy to control that he’ll let them humiliate him.
And then to put a pin in it, he goes and tries to justify all this bs by claiming it’s justice.
That is the mentality of a child.
In reality, It would be surprising if toto isn’t killed. Also, it wouldn’t be a far stretch for the MC to be disgraced and banished for assaulting people without provocation.
I won’t deny that Kururi’s an idiot. If anything, that’s been a theme throughout this story.
He’s got good intentions, he thinks things through to a certain extent, he’s hardworking, he’s strong… but he’s still completely oblivious to his surroundings and constantly takes all his schemes and preparations in a ridiculously stupid direction.
But that’s part of the fun, he’s just as silly as all the other characters in this story.
And I was responding to what I assumed was someone thinking it was Kururi having outright lost the fight, which is still up in the air (and very unlikely).
As for him being disgraced and banished for his actions… you do realize he’s a noble who’s close to royalty, knight families, and just about every noblewoman who cares about her beauty? (And has as of late assembled his private army of students…) And that his opponents are a bunch of dimwits who destroyed and stole his property? Or rather, destroyed and stole property that was shared with the first prince’s crush?
(And yes, he’s still an idiot all the same. But he’s our idiot.)
DarkLoki says:
HE FORGET ABOUT HIS ARMY, man where his club went when he need?
That only goes to prove my point.
He had so many other ways to solve the situation but instead he goes and beats up the kid, which is completely unjustified and is down right retarded.
zarvii says:
the way he deal with these is very idiotic
but I think he was just overcome by his emotions so he wasn’t able to think calmly
bellcross13 says:
he would have done better if he transform into a stronger forest spirit protector denizen if he is aiming for a plant revenge. Like for example forest troll.
uilliamredfern says:
Yep, moral of the story, if you have an army dedicated to stopping bullying, use it rather the give the enemy 3 to 1 odds.
The Brawler says:
In my opinion Kururi was a complete idiot how can you let others beat you thinking they are going to let your friend go because of that.
Noo what you do is beat them hard enough that they start to understand there are consequences
serious consequences
very serious consequences
Countrymage says:
He’s also an idiot for other reasons, because who isn’t going to suspect the expert on weird plants, when a large radish monster beats people who’ve hurt him?
why he doesn’t use his army?
Neko (寝児) says:
Imagine him summon a squad full of U~i radishes and he transform into U~i radish too, that would be terrifying
He didn’t do the U~i chant. That’s why he took a beating :p
Jokes asides it’s a bit refreshing to see a MC that doesn’t have everything go his way.
This is perfectly in keeping with the typical “caught in a love polygon” protagonist though, especially at the end there.
kouk2002 says:
Completely agree, he went in with a half arsed plan trying to not link it back to him and Toto and because of the transformation couldn’t really fight effectively.
If he was going to transform he should of just turned into Neko-sensei, he could of punished them and confiscated everything. He would of been half justified since they probably destroyed Neko-sensei’s drugs as well, and it was her own words that she taught that magic so people could assume her form.
There is one thing though, wasn’t Kururi supposed to have quite some status, both in his own family’s position in the country plus connections to royalty gained from the hot springs plus his high rank within the school based on his results.
Dodibones says:
he’s a friggin whitesmith, blacksmith with magic, he’s supposed to be tanky and risisting fire more.
janus01 says:
He was stupid to begin with to not use magic to beat them up while being transformed, nobody would ever known it was him. Typical beta east-asian MC who respects law above everything, well he deserves to be beaten up and punished then.
Khaled Mishal says:
Regretfully, The translation for this series is horrible.
What actually happened is that he was the one unijured and he was the one that fucked them up and broke Maury’s bones. The translator for this seriously needs to learn Japanese because this seems to be worse than MTL.
What happened is that when his radish form gone, Kururi tried to compromise with Maury telling him that Toto has nothing to do with this, that he acted on his own so you can do what you want with me but leave Toto out of this. Maury made fun of Toto and said he would crush him then go and crush Toto again.
Then Kururi rage reaches critical point (he’s been enduring for the whole day) and starts beating the shit of Maury and broke his bones and threatened him saying:
I made all these concessions and it’s still no good? Then I don’t need to endure anymore. If you try to do something the next time I will not forgive you. I swear by the name of Kururi Helan that I will crush you. If you lay a hand on Toto, I will crush you. If you lay a hand on something that’s mine, I will crush you. Even If you do something behind my back, I will crush you. Do you understand?
Oh, I just read the about me page and found that KuroInfinity already warned that his translation aren’t good so I apologize if I offended you. I just want to let you know that you really seem to make very critical and frequent mistakes in reading the story so much so that it turns into a different one and distorts the characters.
An advice:
1) If you want to know what you need to learn the most to understand the WNs you read and translate them better, it’s the Japanese Grammar. That’s what you seem to be lacking the most in your translations because you seem to often mistake what some character said to be said by a different character. Besides, once you understand the grammar, you can understand the gist of the sentence if it’s filled with new unknown words using an extension.
2) I’m emphasizing grammar because you can use an extension called rikaigu to learn the meaning of new words very fast just by hovering over a word. this extension really helped me when I was a beginner and I still use it to this day for obscure words.
34rthsp3ar says:
I just can’t help but think that all his training in both swords and magic meant nothingg if a small fry can beat him up so easily.
acefisher says:
He chose a bad form to fight in and then didn’t fight, to protect Toto, after he released the transformation. Also, he’s a pacifist.
and in the end, because they didn’t reach an agreement, Kururi did activate his magic, so I believe he won the fight.
Don’t defend this bs.
rozenmaiden says:
I don’t know why you call it BS. Well, Kururi isn’t win nor lose, i think. At least, he has his revenge. Well, he get punished tho. Well, he get what his deserve i think. And more than that, if he use his soldiers, i will said he is a moron. Why? Do you all think he will escape unscathed without punishment? It will just make many of his club members punished. Well, i don’t think he is calm enough tho. He is a it hot-blooded in this chap.
He’s an idiot because there’s so many other ways for him to have solved the problem but he chose the most barbaric and retarded way.
D2 says:
Xianxia is at the next door.
Well, it’s entertaining and makes us think that the ,more idiot a man is the more loveable he is right?
*forgot fron where that proverb is.
Colonel Rogers says:
It’s a teenager getting into a fight. Holy hell, you guys are harsh. Like legit. People aren’t reasoning things out with flawless logic 100% of the time like your ideal protagonist. He acted on his emotions and took on a shitty form after a dream he had. He’s no tactical genius, he’s just some dude who went to beat on some other dudes who picked on his friend. That’s what teenage boys do.
except he’s not a teenager. He’s older on the inside.
I just turned over your bs statement in 2 sentences.
King of Trouble says:
Like adults have never done anything stupid. Man would I love to live in that world.
The Cliché Writer says:
fitzwalter says:
I hope the author doesn’t make a love triangle here, just let Eliza wife Kururi and Iris be a good friend, damnit! Though maybe Iris just not happy with Eliza being closer to Kururi than her, and harbors no love feelings.
Yunchii says:
I bet that maury house gonna get crush by someone later!!!
Thanks for the chapter?
Could be an attempt to win Iris’ affection by the Prince, it’s how Kururi was supposed to marry Eliza, originally…
Kensei Seraph says:
Thanks, again, for the chapter.
Really really looking forward to the next chapter and am hoping that it will be out by the time I finish posting this comment.
мαᴌιηтσσтs says:
Aaaand the passive power of all LN MCs.
Power of being dense as fuck.
hidden passive
Not that well hidden, some of the gold diggers in those stories are after that rare dense matter, I think. Also it becomes normal occurrence of random people bouncing things off the MC’s skull, with no fear of real damage, like a certain butler…
shadnon says:
Why did he transform into a radish of all things…. lol
Radish is a type of plant so it’s the herb’s (which was destroyed) revenge.
ftxnexus says:
Kururi should have just threatened them, but guess not… If you use force, then just use raw force of you aren’t the scheming type…
I thought things got better when Eliza showed up, but why th fucking hell does Iris, Vaine and Cross have such damnable good timing?!?!…
Like, why not eat and praise Eliza’s cooking you idiot!!! praise best girl more!!!!!
I did like to see that she got more comfortable around Kururi tho :3
Ahem, Eliza didn’t cook it, she just delivered the rice.
If she did cook though then might as well bring her back home for the summer vacation.
You sure? Because she became quite sad, when he didnt want to eat then and there.
Man, with the fact that Kururi actually went and retaliated against Maury, I expect that Maury won’t have a pleasant school life after this. And since they attacked Iris’s field, I also have a feeling that the prince will do something too. He can’t be outdone by Kururi.
BielT says:
Well, I have the same fell, after all, Kururi has a big fan groupe (more like a Troop) and Eliza that like Kururi also has a strong fan base, not to mention that they destroyed Iris’s field so the Prince will most likely not let it pass.
So in the end they managed get in a fight with the 3 biggest and strongest groupes in the school…
shade0180 says:
There’s also the fact that Kururi has direct relation with the queen so any noble should be more wary of him even if they are still young.. you know the time that the queen personally putting words out for his hot spring.. seriously that should have a large impact here.
This would be considered bad writing.
In reality, MC would be disgraced and kicked out of school.
Sorry, I’m not seeing how it would lead the MC getting kicked out…
his fans are a little fanatic so I can picture then acting without Kururi knowing
and it is not like they can’t use the same methods these guy were using, so the school would not even know what was happening or at least would not have proof of it.
And they sure would not like to “unjustified” punish 40 or so Nobles right?
well that is only mine point of view and I too think it will not happen and would be a “Bad writing” because this is not the kind of work that it would happen (at least showing that it happened)
1. He assaulted someone unprovoked.
2. Showed actions unbecoming of a noble.
Unprovoked? After they do that? They have provoked him. Not like i can say his way is right tho.
And if you considered it as bad writing, just unread this novel then.
1. In any society, attacking someone who has not attacked you is illegal.
2. It’s immature that you can’t stand that someone is criticizing a book you like. The fact that you even thought that this was an acceptable thing to do, (even though you probably think that you are a book lover) just reinforces this point.
3. I’m guessing English isn’t your first language because unread is not the correct word to use in that sentence.
4. If you can’t handle comments, don’t read them.
5. Just because you like a series doesn’t mean that you can’t criticize it for its flaws.
Man(or girl) less, I don’t know what happened in the others comments but in this conversation we didn’t do anything to offend you
2nd you are judging a story that happens in another age and another world with our world morals
3: even in our world in the middle ages there were plenty of nobles that did away worse things, and in fact there were places that the “Nobles oblige” was just a cover and no one followed it
4 if a student could find out who destroyed the field, do you really think the school didn’t?
They could have softened the punishment because they knew what happened, but didn’t have proof to take down the Nobles (field destroyers)
5 and again I’m not trying to offend you, in fact if you careful read what I wrote in the other comments you will find that I didn’t even understand that you were talking about what happened in the chapter, alter all this conversation was about what would happen with the 3 guys after it
1. Wtf are you talking about? I’m not offended.
2. No I’m judging it by the rules they set themselves.
3. Thats not a valid argument.
4. That’s not a valid argument. I already stated that there is many other things he could have done but he chose the most idiotic thing to do. If he had waited and reported the situation, which is something that an actual smart Noble would do. Then there wouldn’t have been a problem.
5. What?
Well, by the way you wrote asking my age I thought you were offended for something
the 3 one was just a way to show you that that world too may have a ugly side like our world
the 4 well I’m not saying he couldn’t do other thing, in fact I too think it was stupid, but you didn’t get the point of what I said… ( I was talking about the school reducing Kururi’s punishment, because they know Maury’s doing but couldn’t punish Maury without proofs/ that is why Kururi wasn’t kicked out)
the 5 if you see the first post which I commented on, we were talking about Maury’s life after this case, and not Kururi’s so I do get your point now,
but like I said the conversation between me and acefisher wasn’t about it that was why I didn’t get what you were talking in mine first reply for you
myuu7 says:
i’ve been waiting for more eliza interactions
thank you very much xD
Florencie says:
The story about how he transformed into a raddish to beat up some people.I’m sure the only people who would appreciate it are the three who actually destroyed the garden. Or maybe not.
Mesmerised says:
Thanks for the chapter !
Pacifist problems . T.T
No, no if he got too violent it will reflect badly on his image.
A noble should fight in a “noble” way, Eliza in 2 (or 3) earlier chapters is a perfect example.
nelus4blood says:
Lol, the peanut gallary’s arival at the end of the chapter, rofl
And thank you kuroi, for your hard work and the new chapter!
CountryStyle says:
Wait doesn’t he have a cult to protect him?
That would completely expose him as the person who’s acting to get revenge.
Remember he wanted to beat them up, but he had to do so while hiding his identity so that it wouldn’t bring problems to Toto.
yu3kino says:
What the hell Kururi, how could you strike fear into your enemy with just one giant creepy looking radish. You should summon hundreds of mini creepy radish that will swarm on them endlessly no matter how many are killed. Well, he get to have both Eliza and Iris go deredere on him though. And poor prince, both heroine and his route rival girl already ditch him for another the guy. Even his best friend ditch him.
elhessan says:
blessing in disguise or out of the frying pan into something something? lol
anyway, thaks for the chapter..
helmcec says:
the MC is such a sinner. Iris don’t fall in love with him! you have no chance :p
Eliza is so cute! i’m happy to see her in this chapter 🙂
Sternav says:
Thanks for the chapter!! ❤ Loved the ending.. ^_^
framee says:
Cmon use your thug, haras them for damaging your property. Make ‘teir live in the school a hell one, bully them from shadow make the whole school look hostile to them.
Then cut their throat after you pull off their nails one by one.
fioret says:
Eliza ٩(๛ ˘ ³˘)۶♥
Thanks for the chap ^^
AlekAlcalá says:
Ugh I wanted to throw up after the fight thingy… NOT ANYMORE! Thanks to the Shuraba-like situation! Yes! Iris-tan is on the fight!!
Thanks for the chaptah!
BTW I bet the beaten up dudes will shout loser things when they encounter Kururi, if not they run away first xD
Keep the good but slooooooooooooow work, slooooooooooooooooth xD
psychobee says:
poor kururi to get beat up and his time with eliza alone was disturbed~
but i want him to beat them though or at least bring his many follower to give pressure!!
i think kururi’s forget that he have follower…
and there’s eliza jealousy for iris!!!
kyaa~ eliza being dere dere to kururi!!!!
and thanks for the chapter!!!
can’t wait for the next chapter today too!!
EternalHoarder says:
That was pathetic.
I don’t get how the MC thinks. He thinks that if he allows Maury to hit him, then Maury won’t cause problems for Toto. NO THATS NOT HOW IT WORKS. The only way to prevent Maury from doing that is by instilling fear in him. Beat him down without allowing for a shred of resistance.
And why is the MC the one that is punished. If he told the school about how Maury destroyed their plants, he wouldn’t be punished.
REALLY didn’t like this chapter.
Well I could bear with it if I think of this as a way to raise a flag with Eliza.
Well, if you want to instill trauma, it is simple. Just step on his genital. And heal it. And step it. And heal it. Do that until he beg for his life.
You know what? I miss Kururi’s religious cult. They even built a castle, isn’t it just the right time to invite some “guest” in? They should be enlightened of the mundane earthly entanglements.
That only makes it worse. In real noble society, it would show that the MC is unable to keep a level head and is unfit.
Nyesh says:
Yes and no. A lot of nobles inherited despite lacking a level head. It would mean that after he inherited this could come back to haunt him when it comes to making deals, forming social connections, etc – presuming that by the time he inherited he had not shown better judgement. If – by then – he has shown better judgement, then this might be seen as merely a rash action of his youth.
Don’t forget, Maury would also be viewed in the wrong in this instance: destroying the fields being worked upon by at least one lord of similar station (the MC). So he too would not come out looking very good in this instance. But again, so long as he doesn’t show a pattern of such behavior, then by the time he inherits this will only be viewed as a youthful indiscretion, a moment of rashness.
On the other hand, social networking is even more important to nobles than to others. Who you know is about as important as one’s actual station. A baron that is close to the king may have more sway than an earl who lacks the king’s ear. In this the MC may still have the upper edge. Hard to tell, since we so far know so little of the Maury family.
Lol no
Your presumption is completely ridiculous.
All the MC had to do was take the information that he got and gone to a teacher or anybody of authority and reported it.
However he went and beat up the kid.
So the MC is completely at fault no matter what bs justification comes up with.
Oh man, that awkward tension between Iris and Eliza.
Damn it all, I need some chapters from their perspective, it’s been a while since we got to see the way the outside world looks at Kururi… Heck, a cat is fine too, bring on the Neko-sensei chapter!
Lazy Cat says:
Should had taken a self defense class for sure.😒
Jeg says:
He doesn’t need to. He is clearly far stronger than those 3. It’s just that he ended up being the pussy in that situation.
seraphimaelstrom says:
Anymore Eliza chapters? Iris should just get lost and go marry the creepy prince already
Li (@Lifezin) says:
Harem fight! Thanks for this chapter!
ih8v2ch18 says:
/beginrant
What the heck was this crap.
WHERE IS THE INTELLIGENCE, WHERE IS ANY OF THE FIRST VOLUME FULL OF TRAINING.
I know this novel is currently focusing more on the social interactions between characters and not really on combat and MC’s potential for it…but really, this was especially out of character for him.
I know he is usually passive and has a hard time refuting people (I don’t really like this aspect of him), you can tell he’s at least logical and decisive when it comes to serious situations and opportunities. We saw none of that in this chapter. Cleverness? No. Strength? No. Magic? In the worst way possible.
From my imagination of this story thus far, his reputation (as well as close connections like Eliza) far exceeds that of the retard he confronted. He could’ve just leveraged like, any of their reputations.
The most easy and ACTUAL pacifist way to solve this would’ve been to:
>go to an official/teacher
>explain the investment/business idea of Toto and Kururi
>bring official/teacher straight into the scene where they’re gloating in public like idiots
>official/teacher punishes the turds
I don’t even care if he won the fight at the end, at this point it doesn’t matter since he got in trouble and made himself look like a freaking beta.
I really hope this is the low point of the novel and that the author was just trying to bring in some (infuriating) character development.
/endrant
*pant* *pant*
And how the heck do those two girls think he’s “cool” for what he did.
No he was pathetic.
Also, what kind childish bs is justifying this nonsense with a false sense of justice.
Well this development is one of those development that give us some insight about his anger. I don’t think it is a low point. Oh btw, Anger=Rash, i think. No matter how strong and smart he is still a child. (Yeah he is reincarnated and all, but he is reincarnated when he is teenager, so he is still a ‘child’, i think.) Well, not like he is justified to that.
kingofmangonia says:
the best course of action would be to supress the maury house with his own while also protecting tot, honestly, if the helen house is so freaking strong, why the hell can’t they, its not like they would be on par are they? side note: its your freaking plant, tell the freaking teachers they commited a freaking theft ._. and why the heck were they not punished for vandalizing personal property…
I hope we don’t end with the usual op but crappy mc😑
I was going to say that Kururi was being naive in his plan and should have seen it coming but I forgot that he’s a teenager so ofcourse he would be naive and not the smartest dude in the world. So it makes sense that he got his ass kicked before using magic to kick ass…
Kururi, Kururi, Kururi…you should know that Eliza has fallen for you.
She said with a low voice I could barely hear.
Soooo cuteeee! My heart when kyuun with that sentence…I’d hugged her, the lovely Eliza ❤
Although it seems Iris is also falling for Kururi (dude you are ruining the main game plot!) I'm still voting for the beautiful Eliza who got no friends but loves cats~
>In the middle of reading beginning
What do you mean you don’t know what to do?!
They committed theft, you, as a noble who had a business contract can go to the head of their household and demand reparations.
>thinking letting some stupid b-rated villain beat him up will solve anything
Just kill him
Wow… MC is a retard…
You know, it’s very childish to think that he’s in the right with their false sense of justice.
This is how we get people these days that brutally attack innocent people and then try to justify it by saying that they thought their victim supported fascism or something.
It’s immature and frankly, I expected better from the MC.
This chapter is obviously just mean to create the situation with Eliza
but by doing this in such a roundabout way, the author has made the MC appear completely stupid and pathetic.
blackrose156 says:
Thank you for the chapter . Great work!
Seinvolf says:
Thank u always for ur great work…
— I was attacked by a giant radish that wanted to get revenge on me for my herbicide massacre. —
The U~i army got their revenge…
— isn’t this a fairy tale?”
“It is, but the contents of it are surprisingly dark.” —
This Ojou-san really something…
— Well, I guess now that they’re here things will get better, right? —
What r u talking about Kururi, it’s only the start of the chaos…
swordbane says:
To all those saying that Kururi acted subpar remember that we don’t know all the variables. His stats changes following his transformation, as evidenced by his previous transformations. I would imagine a radish to have very little punch, so him actually managing to blow them off their feet is an achievement.
All he wanted to do was beat them up, he didn’t want to make them pay. There’s a difference. Helps explain why he didn’t utilise other indirect plans.
As fas as I know, Kururi has never used other magic while transforming. Transforming alone uses a lot of focus, so if he used magic there’s a chance that it might actually dispel the transformation.
Of course, this is just my way of justifying Kururi’s actions, most of the issues I raised is just mere conjecture, but hey I want to believe in Kururi haha.
Btw Eliza x Kururi ftw
Thank you for the chapter. I wonder if Eliza will start using his dorm room as a meeting place, the same as the others? Of course, if Iris really intends to start going after him, then she too will start hanging out there to keep Eliza from getting too far ahead of her. 😀
On the other hand, it would be really funny if their rivalry lead to Eliza and Iris becoming friends rather than enemies. That would really throw out Kurumi’s future insight.
So, the heir of the Maury family did something that could indirectly lead to the anger of Eliza (daughter of the prime minister) and Iris (currently being sought after by the crown prince). This is going to come back and bite them, isn’t it. 🙂
It would be amusing if Eliza and Iris move from enemies to frienemies due to their rivalry over Kurumi, but I wonder how likely that is to happen. I wonder if one or both will start also using Kurumi’s dorm as a place to meet, relax, etc. But Eliza’s guards / friends may have something to say about that. If he gets any more near-permanent guests, he may need to move out of the dorm and into his on-campus castle / clubhouse – which I’m sure would delight his private army of fans.
One last thing, for those speaking against Kururi’s actions, 1) he had little sleep the night before and was still somewhat exhausted when he went from planning to action, and 2) the several instances of speaking about how he couldn’t concentrated on the lessons he was attending, was pale, and was feeling bad lead me to believe he will ill at the time. This may or may not be the case, but if he was ill (or lacking sleep, or both) then his poorly thought out plan makes much more sense. Heaven knows I’ve made some poor decisions while sick or after an all-nighter.
Silber says:
Dear lord, I hope this doesn’t end up like Demodori where the Once strong and intelligent MC becomes a bubbly idiot.
canaria23 says:
reasons why Eliza fell~
the flower prince – her favorite book
the flower prince can create flowers out of magic
the flower kukuri made resembles the flowers in the book
maybe~
I know that it would come for eliza and iris to go against each other for the mc
but i didn’t know it would come so soon
Deal with it says:
Ummm what’s so amusing about the ending…..???? 😑
I failed to notice it, hmmm perhaps coz the mc was unbearable…..
Reaper Phoenix says:
Thanks 4 the chapter!
Kukuri is intelligent if you only look at his book intelligence, but his action this time was colored by his emotions. Even in real life there’s no shortage of intelligent people doing dumb things when they get emotional. Not to mention he’s a teenager and in his previous life he was a student when he died. Even if adding his age from both life would make him an adult, it doesn’t mean he has grown up. Making a mistake and KNOWING he made a mistake is part of growing up.
His punishment right now is actually realistic if the school look at his connections and investigated why he started that fight.
In that kind of school, if Kukuri was a commoner with little connections he would be diciplined harsher or even kicked out. This time his social position and connections protected him from harsher punishments.
Puru.The.Great says:
Ah that was interesting
It was fun but also not as our MC got beaten though voluntarily. The most amusing and interesting part was Eliza+Iris meet.
kom12z says:
Glup..
libraryrocker says:
Ahhhhhhhhh!!!! Ahhhhh!!! *screams in agony* It WAS a love triangle?!? I was sooooooo certain that Kururi was safely friendzoned in Iris’ heart, wth is this development!!! Nuuuuuooooooo!!!!! The lovely time with Eliza is thwarted!!! ;_; ;_; ;_;
Thanks so much for all your hard work!!!! You are the speediest sloth… ever…
Meatbun late delivery~
tachibanabot says:
……Iris likes MC huh…..sigh. with how the MC is, with his mindset of being stuck on marrying eliza in the future solely because thats what happened in the game, that ain’t gonna happen.
god the feeling of NTR I’m gonna get when she starts falling for the prince is gonna kill me.
ishira says:
Eeh? He got beaten!? What the hell those years of training then!? Just losing fat without gaining fighting power!? (Sorry but i kinda shocked here)
*sigh well, at least i can see Eliza going dere.
Chronos5884 says:
Oya…. things will get… oh boy.
Mech@ says:
Pathetic MC. “Noooo. I’ll do anything okay?! You can beat me, rape me or piss on me, But please don’t get angry at him *sobs* It was all my fault *hick* I’ll even give you Eliza, so please!”
Finally someone as shocked as me by this pathetic behavior, so many japanese (and korean) MCs are like that it’s so annoying. Beta cucks everywhere while he could have just pressured Maury given his power and even his influence (he knows many powerful people, at the very least he’s “known” to be close to the prince so he could use that by bluffing), I mean the possibilities were endless but noooo lets act like a submissive shit.
alexanderyou says:
He’s so pathetic. Like really, he could’ve just called a swarm of the raddish things to attack them, or just gone all “I’m a bigger noble than you” and ruined them and their families. How about announcing that those 3 and everyone related to them is banned from ever entering the hotsprings? That would make their families punish the living hell out of those little shits.
I’m sorry but the author is really unreliable at making characters and scenarios believable/interesting.
mighthose says:
A naval battle is erupting huh. DIE YOU COLONEL RIAJUU!
knightkatsuragi says:
did this chapter start the shuraba??!!
Eliza is too good, but this chapter made me think that it’s going in that bad direction again … eliza is going to harrass iris ’cause they both like kururi xD!
That was painful to read.
NightStick24 says:
Thanks for the translation!
Not too happy with this chapter… He’s been blacksmithing and training hardcore for years, he got formal instruction in combat, he’s a skilled mage, and he’s been built up as quite intelligent. Seems out of character to do something so utterly and completely ridiculous, then lose miserably like a complete and utter moron, to a couple random nobles who scored quite impressively low in exams. Just the strength from blacksmithing daily for years should have him packing quite a punch, not to mention real combat experience, digging, and magic skill. And that’s in addition to all the political power he has with his close relationship with the second prince and Queen as well as his territory being the most prosperous, and all the powerful people he’s aquainted with at the academy…
Kind of disappointing that he’s so spectacularly cowardly… Hopefully he gets better I guess?
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Blood & Ink
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Archive for July 19, 2019
Filmgoer’s Flamethrower #25 – Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
Posted: July 19, 2019 in Uncategorized
© 2019 G.N. Jacobs
Thieves lurk near parked cars, some of whom I haven’t even dreamed of for my die cast collection…yet. So after tapping Play to get back to the movie after updating my wishlist, I decide they must be thieves because they’re led by Giovanni Ribisi trying to look like car thief while also not looking like said car boost (at least to the folks in the movie). A quick tap on the cloned key fob or light just so touch on the slim-jim and the thief is already on your car seat imagining the wealth to own this ride. From here we have the title to tell us the car will be Gone in 60 Seconds.
How do you remake a classic car chase film, made so by being about 15 minutes of boring but instructive narrative and at least 60 minutes of just one car chase? Hire Nicholas Cage. Pay somebody to craft an actual script, even if it feels underwritten (see below). Hire other good actors to enjoy a few fun blastorama months doing a movie in Los Angeles featuring fast cars that they at least got to sit in. Sometimes this is all you need for all the movies likely to land between Star Wars 46 and Doctor Zhivago 2: The Escape to Lara.
Kip Raines (Giovanni Ribisi) steals a sweet pasta rocket and promptly gets distracted at a stoplight by the tomato in the shotgun seat next car over. Engines rev. The car thief puts the boyfriend at the wheel in his place. But, now the cops are on the hunt who follow Kip back to the hideout.
With the police bearing down, Kip and his guys skedaddle having chosen a location with easy escape routes. Approximately, twenty high end cars are left behind. One member of the crew splashes the shopping list painted on the wall with more of the blacklight paint. He obscures only part of the list leaving the listing for a particular car visible should another blacklight enter the warehouse. Another crew member smashes the blacklight on the way out, a plot point to keep the cops in the game. Everyone escapes. For now.
Atley Jackson (Will Patton) travels out of the city to find Randall “Memphis” Raines (Nicholas Cage) gainfully employed at his go-kart track somewhere in the warm interior of California. Atley explains to the former leader of the best car boost ring in California just what happened and how much trouble his younger brother, Kip, is in. Raymond Calitri (Christopher Eccleston) fronted $10,000 and didn’t get his cars. Calitri will kill Kip, if something isn’t done. And so, the dramatic proposition that carries over from the original movie unfolds: steal 50 high end cars on an impossible schedule, four days for prep and the thefts taking place in one 12-hour period at the end.
The police in the form of Detective Roland Castlebeck (Delroy Lindo) and Detective Drycoff (Timothy Olyphant) get a vote. As do a rival car theft ring (until easily disposed of at a diner hosting cops on their Code 7). The big bad Calitri gets his vote too, what with his promiscuous use of a car crusher to dispose of enemies and other deadbeats.
In strictest terms, I should be trashing this movie every which way. One, when’s there’s cars on the table, I grade on a generous curve. Two, even with the script concerns listed later the integrated whole is better than you’d think. Three, this movie is also proof that the right cast will elevate an underwritten script into something good enough to play endlessly on basic cable.
On the plus side, this movie trades on the creative team getting lucky in the character meetings well ahead of production. A guy, Sphinx (Vinne Jones), that doesn’t speak? Cool. Sway (Angelina Jolie), the union-mandated girl who exists to romantically frustrate the protagonist? Cool. Otto Halliwell (Robert Duvall), as the old-timey chop shop man who can identify a car from the roar of its engine. Extra cool, a substantially more interesting part.
Equally on the plus side, the great majority of these characters, even the ones not highlighted, get at least one scene that sort of acts as their “Now is the winter of our discontent” monologue that clues the audience into who they are and why they’re here in this movie. We get short snippets about bemoaning the lack of craftsmanship in auto theft while commenting on the death spiral between boosts and manufacturers over building an unstealable car. We get variations in motive, the thrill steal and Robin Hood. And with general uniformity, what this cast does with facial expressions and body language serving the bios fed at the meeting and not from the actual script saves the watchability of their respective characters and the movie.
We also get a decent older brother-younger brother abandonment conflict. Decent, as in some other writer would take five minutes to say more with the scenes between Mr. Cage and Mr. Ribisi. Could it have happened here? Maybe, but we’ll never know now.
Surprisingly, Angelina Jolie milks her turn as Sway for all the cookies. Described as the girl that Memphis wanted to take with him leaving town, but she wasn’t ready. And she went straight anyway because the fun factor boosting left the city with Memphis. Of everybody in this movie, Ms. Jolie and Sway do the most to make what must be functional and boring on paper spring to life on screen.
But, the things that are good about this movie are in different lighting (a blacklight pun, anyone?) the things that suck about this movie. The characters are set up pretty well with a web of longstanding interactions hinted at, but I can think of several of these threads that actually need to be on screen to have a legitimately good movie that doesn’t need my generous curve. Missed opportunities for other movies titled Gone in 60 Seconds.
What happens if the events of this movie put Memphis and Sway, however temporarily, on opposite sides? Don’t know, no one wrote this script. Even with a sex interrupted scene involving a gearshift and voyeurism upon the randy citizen and date who don’t know they’re about to lose the sweet pasta rocket parked out front, the paper version of this relationship needs the goose. On film, who cares? It works as is.
What happens if somebody staring at that horrifically blinking cursor realizes there exists loads of setup for a three-way generational conflict among the car thieves? We have the old guys, Otto and Atley aged out into supervising positions. Then in the middle Memphis comes back to town to put the old gang back together. And then we have Kip’s crew and the possibility of these clashing character styles and this doesn’t really go anywhere.
This also ties in with the fact that most of the characters on Kip’s younger crew really don’t belong in this movie. Tumbler (Scott Caan) gets in his moments. But, except for a certain character assigned to order pizza and collect laser cut keys from a dog given laxatives no one else on Kip’s crew stands out enough to avoid consolidation into two characters instead of four. A road less traveled for some other writers in the future.
All of the above is still covered by my blanket “Grading on a curve, a generous curve” opinion of this movie. The stunt driving and film techniques of the driving sequences are enough to hold most people’s interest. But, now we have the one thing where it’s harder to grade on my curve. The money chase named…Eleanor.
Eleanor, in all incarnations of Gone in 60 Seconds, is a 1967 Shelby 500 GT Mustang fastback. The protagonist steals this car last tripping the big chase either defines the whole movie (the original) or simply provides the climax. We remember the seemingly plotless original movie because Mondrian (original director H.B. Halicki) runs from every cop in Los Angeles and then switches out the broken but still magically drivable Eleanor 1.0 for the pristine Eleanor 2.0 at a car wash receiving line.
Taken as its own thing, this movie’s Eleanor chase is not bad, if also not particularly awe inspiring. It does what it does and sets up the fist and gunfight that buys Kip clear of the villain and Memphis clear of the cops. And I’ll take any kind of Evel Knievel jump on the Vincent Thomas Bridge. It just seems to me that the one place where the remake filmmakers really want to kiss the old fans’ asses is this chase. I suppose the short way to say this is that Eleanor looked too good with only minor damage to mirrors and cracked steaming radiator compared to the legendary damage of the original movie.
So there we have it, an underwritten but joyfully overacted movie on a day where these concepts cancel out (sometimes they don’t). A good reason to explain years of – “Gone in 60 Seconds is on.” – “Cool! Let’s watch!” – even after missing three commercial breaks. And what is my personal writing lesson? “Sorry, Eleanor, you want somebody a little gentler telling your story.”
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SOZ SATIRE
Soz Mag
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March 21, 2017 · 06:41
FURIOUS CHUCK BERRY FANS SLAM ‘DISRESPECTUL’ CHILD RAPE VICTIMS
Angry fans of rock and roll legend, Chuck Berry, have reacted furiously to what they deem to be disrespectful behaviour towards their idol by victims of child rape, claiming they were decidedly slow in coming forward to praise the late “Johnny B Goode” star and convicted paedophile following his death on Saturday.
We spoke to one outraged fan who had filled his Facebook and Twitter feeds with tributes to Berry throughout yesterday.
“It’s so disrespectful and small-minded of the victims of child rape to shun the great man in this way.
“Sure we all knew he had a predilection for having sex with children, that he paid 1.5 million bucks to women that he’d filmed going to the bathroom at his restaurant and that he served time in jail for trafficking a minor, but people need to forget all that trivial shit and concentrate on the effect the man had on the development of rock through the years. You know, important shit like that”
We also spoke to a 65-year-old woman who had been repeatedly raped by a man during her pre-teen years, who told us: “I can understand why people admire Mr Berry and it’s only right that they be allowed to express their upset at his death. However, I’d rather not do that and I’m sorry if I’ve upset anybody by keeping my own counsel on this one”
Concerns grow as hundreds of Trump supporters are poached for their hides
A Trump supporter’s hide, complete with tattoo, pictured on eBay last night
The Whitechapel Whelk has learned that hundreds of Donald Trump supporters in some of the southern states of America have been killed by hunters who have then skinned them and sold their hides on the internet.
The pelts can fetch up to $12 each on the black market and are famed for their thickness, their blotchy redness around the neck area, and all-weather durability.
Many end up as car seat covers, or, in the case of extremely large pelts, as builders’ tarpaulins, which can be used to cover piles of bricks or open cement bags overnight.
A White House insider told us last night: “This disgusting trade in President Trump’s supporters has to stop. It’s bad enough that our popularity is dropping off alarmingly without these unscrupulous people preying on what remains of our support.
“I wouldn’t mind…
Battle of The Boffins: Who’s the smartest? Brains out of Thunderbirds or a Brain’s faggot?
This short Q&A will finally give a definitive answer to the age-old question of who is the biggest boffin: Brains from Thunderbirds or a Brain’s faggot in rich gravy.
Here we go then!
Q: What is quantum mechanics?
Brains out of Thunderbirds answered: A branch of physics which is the fundamental theory of nature at small scales and low energies of atoms and subatomic particles
The Brain’s faggot asked for more time.
1-0 to Thunderbirds’ Brains
Q: How far is the sun from Planet Earth
Brains out of Thunderbirds answered: 92,955,807 miles using the theory of astronomical units.
The Brains faggot asked for a calculator
Q: What is the correct name for a meatball made from pork, offal and onions that is often enjoyed with a rich gravy accompaniment
Brains out of Thunderbirds answered: 186,000 miles per second.
The Brain’s faggot said: Is it a faggot?
‘Dear Deidre’ wife sues The Sun over husband’s underpants fetish
Undercrackers! Mr & Mrs Dell pictured after another unsatisfactory romp last night.
A 25-year-old Whitechapel woman whose husband is a model for theDeidre’s Photo Casebook, agony column in The Sun newspaper, has taken the paper to court, blaming them for her husband’s insistence on them both wearing their underpants during lovemaking sessions.
Mrs Tracy Dell, a local government worker, blames the newspaper for being the cause of her husband, Toby’s fetish and the reason why the couple are childless, despite their having tried for a baby throughout their 4-year marriage.
Mrs Dell wept repeatedly as she told us: “I can’t go on like this. I feel as if I’ve reached the end of my tether.
“Before we were married and he got the job with The Sun we had a perfectly normal loving relationship.
“Then, he began coming home after a Dear Deidre photo shoot insisting that we wear…
Stephen Fry held after man was ‘nutted’ outside Sherlock Holmes convention.
Two-fisted. Fry confronts journalists shortly before last night’s ill-fated convention
Actor and comedian, Stephen Fry, was being held in an East London police cell last night after an altercation outside a Whitechapel venue where a convention of fans of the victorian sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, had taken place earlier in the evening.
Following the disturbance, a 46-year-old man was taken to hospital with a suspected broken nose after Fry had allegedly head-butted him following a disagreement about the sub-plot of the iconic Holmes mystery: The Sign of Four.
An eye-witness to the alleged attack told reporters: “The evening had gone really well. We’d had a couple of guest speakers and then a showing of the 1939 version of The Hound of The Baskervilles starring Basil Rathbone.
“At the end of the evening, we all went to the bar for a drink. It was then that I noticed Stephen Fry and this…
London Born & Bred. I Blame Me Mum & Dad Personally.
SATIRE THAT CUTS LIKE A KNIFE AND THEN HIDES THE BAND-AIDS
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SOZ SATIRE · The Best of British Bullshit
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Last updated on October 16th, 2018
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Armin Rostami
Overview | His Activity | Analytics | History | Update
Want to see the actual history?
Become a Recruiting Advantage Member to be able to view this player's
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Senior Year (Sep 2017 - Aug 2018)
Choose a Year ------------------------------ Senior Year Choose a Ranking ------------------------------ Show Both Recruiting List Only TennisRPI Only
Recruiting List Percentile
TennisRPI Percentile
What is a percentile?
Your percentile is a value between 1 and 100 that indicates the percentage of players ranked below you. For instance, if you are ranked higher than 70% of all players, then you would be in the 70th percentile.
Why do you chart the percentile instead of the rank?
The number of ranked players in the TennisRecruiting.net lists changes from week to week, and the differences can be dramatic over long periods of time. For example, there may be only 500 players ranked before the busy summer season - and 1000 players ranked at the end. With these changes, your ranking may change significantly over long periods of time - and these changes are not necessarily correlated with your performance.
We have found that percentile does not fluctuate as widely as the raw rankings and better correlates with performance. Using percentiles makes the historical ranking charts more meaningful.
Why does the chart start at the 50th percentile?
The pool of players considered is much bigger than the players that we rank. Just meeting the eligibility requirements of our lists in terms of wins is an accomplishment. Since more than 50% of the players are ineligible across all classes, we decided to show from 50 to 100.
Page updated on Sunday, September 02, 2018 at 2:45:41 AM
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← An Update on the Slink Marking Bypass
Cycling Blindfolded with the Guide →
Wings and Chains With the Gordon Guide
Posted on January 13, 2015 by Sudent
This post reviews the Chapter 9 of Peter Gordon’s Sudoku Guide, entitled Forcing Chains and Grid Coloring. The guidance is very limited, and what there is, promotes guessing as opposed to solving by logic.
This verdict is confirmed in the first topic of the chapter, the XY wing. Going back to the Sysudoku schematic of the wing, picturing the wing and a victim candidate, I described it as a bv chain connected by weak links, in which a toxic set is generated. If either of the wing’s Z candidates is false, then the other wing’s Z has to be true. Since one of them is true, the Z candidate that “sees” them both is false.
Peter leaves the structure of the wing unspecified, but places it on the grid where the soft links are evident. When you try both X and Y values of the hinge, either value makes the outside Z false.
These descriptions may seem equivalent, but they are not. The sysudokie version expands easily into longer XY chains with matching end candidates, and into forms with weak links other than shared units. The Gordon guide version makes it to be a form of trial and error, which is fictitious, because if you recognize the structure, the result is always the same.
The Guide explains very few solving structures, but does explain the XYZ-wing. To do so, Peter introduces his concept of the “seeing”. A cell sees its buddies, which are its fellow occupants of its row, column and box. On that side of the pond, cells, not candidates, see each other.
The XYZ-wing is defined this way: “Any cell that is buddies to all three of the XYZ, XZ, and YZ cells cannot contain a Z.” Accurate enough, but what is he talking about? A toxic set of three Z candidates. It’s the outside Z that is the victim, not the cell containing it.
But why is a toxic set generated? Peter falls back on his forcing chain version: Whether the hinge cell is X, Y, or Z, the victim Z will be forced to false. We’d explain it that regardless of the hinge value one of the wing’s Z candidates has to be true.
Guide readers are to try X, Y , and Z and see what happens. Sysudokies are looking for possible “seeing” chains that tie together irregular wings or allow potential victims to see the toxic sets.
As to longer chains, here is the Gordon Guide’s advice:
“Sometimes you can find situations more complex than XY-wing or XYZ-wing where there are two possibilities, either of which leads to the same result. Here’s an example:”
An example of what? XY chains, and all other AIC are left out. Some guide.
So where do “Forcing Chains” of the chapter title come in? Peter seems to think that the act of trying multiple candidates of a cell to see what happens is a forcing chain. That would certainly be something experts don’t know about.
In the next section, Grid Coloring, Peter adds some helpful technology to picking a value to see what happens. Early on, I called this a truth net, and warned beginners of its nihilistic consequences. Grid coloring has nothing to do with Medusa coloring , the representation of slink nets intensely exploited by sysudokies. That “coloring” is addressed haphazardly in the next Guide chapter. Besides, Peter only applies Grid coloring to one value at a time, i.e. to X chains. Grid coloring is a little like the trials we use on very hard puzzles, except that it’s a single arbitrary value on trial, not a logically constructed set of values.
Can I mention, in connection with the bv scan, two more glaring omissions in this Guide? One is the Sue de Coq, a very effective elimination method. Even the verification of its structure solves puzzles. The second glaring omission is any real help for finding all possible wings, or chains of any type.
The title the final section in this chapter is Turbot Fish. You might be thinking that Peter will be talking about X-chains and loops. But no, it’s about his truth net, the grid coloring technique. Peter just wants to show us how grid coloring discovers a turbot fish. Ironically, the Guide is not published in color.
So here is the turbot fish, Example 30, ready for you to find it. Peter even defines it for you:
“It requires five cells that are arranged so that two pairs of cells are in the same rows, two pairs are in the same columns, and two cells are in the same box. If three or four of the pairs are the only places where a particular number can go, you have a turbo fish. If there are only two such pairs, then it still works, as long as those two pairs don’t share a cell. “
OK, got it? Start grid coloring. What’s that? Oh, Peter didn’t mention it, but we are looking for an X-loop. That’s how five cells can have pairs of the same number in two rows, two columns and a box.
A pair of the only two places a number can go is a slink. Now sketch this out. Got a piece of paper? If three of the loop links are slinks, you have either an eliminating almost nice loop(ANL), with the two winks together, or a confirming ANL, with the two winks apart. If only two are slinks, then the slinks must have a wink between them, and the two intersecting winks eliminate the intersection candidate. The four slink case is an eliminating ANL, with the two slinks apart from the wink used as winks.
So we have solved Gordon’s riddle and know what to look for. But now can you tell me why you would do that by picking a candidate to be true and following it around the grid to see what happens? That’s finding a turbot fish by grid coloring.
Thanks a bunch, Peter, but I think we’ll just do an X-panel. The 6-panel reveals two Turbot fish that have three slinks and share two of them.
If you sketch in the slinks and fill in the winks, they jump out at you. Sysudokies don’t search for Turbo Fish or any other special type of X-chain. They construct X-chains and watch them form loops, and toxic pairs. The X-panel helps you focus on that. From the 9-panel, a simple 9-chain ANL removes 9r4c5.
The Gordon Guide doesn’t cover X-chains, but has room for a laborious search for the very specialized, rarely encountered turbo fish. A perfect way to discourage new solvers. Don’t give it to a friend, without telling her about these review posts.
We’ll finish up our Guide review next time by reporting how Gordon overspecializes and fails to explain, alternate inference chains. AIC’s are a matter of some importance in advanced solving. Maybe you’d like to do the basic solving on his Example 32, which illustrates what he has named the Nonrepetitive Bilocation Cycle. We’ll checkpoint that, and tell you what it really is, next time.
This entry was posted in Advanced Solving, Expert Reviews, Gordon and tagged Gordon Guide Sudoku, Peter Gordon, regular XYZ-wing, Sudoku turbot fish, XY-chain, XY-wing. Bookmark the permalink.
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Home • Curriculum vitae of Andras Szilagyi
Curriculum vitae of Andras Szilagyi
2013- Research fellow, Institute of Enzymology, Research Center of Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
2012 Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry of Semmelweis University, Budapest
Prof. Péter Csermely's LINK group
2009 Mar-Aug Visiting professor at the Center for Bioinformatics of The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
Collaboration with Dr. Yang Zhang
2005-2011 Postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Bolyai János postdoctoral fellowship (-2008); Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (2008-)
2002-2005 Postdoctoral fellow at the Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, New York, USA
Prof. Jeffrey Skolnick's group
2002 Mar-Sep Postdoctoral fellow at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
1999-2002 Postdoctoral fellow at the Dept. of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
Scholarship from the Foundation for Hungarian Higher Education and Research
1993-2002 Research fellow at the Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Protein biophysics group of Prof. Péter Závodszky
Scholarship from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
1993-1998 Postgraduate school "Structural Biochemistry" at the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
Degree: Ph. D.
1987-1993 Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
Degree: M. S. (University diploma) in Physics and Biophysics
2000-2001 "Introduction to Bioinformatics" and "Mechanisms of protein folding" - special 28-hour courses given to graduate and postgraduate students at the Eötvös Loránd University
English (fluent; medium-level certificate in 1991)
German (high-level certificate in 1986)
2001 Young Scientists' Award of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
1996 Award of the "Qualitas Biologica" Foundation
Hungarian Biophysical Society
Hungarian Biochemical Society
Published on October 5th, 2014
Profile on other sites
At Google Scholar
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At ORCID
At MTMT
Email: szilagyi (dot) andras (at) ttk (dot) hu
Address: Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
Phone: +36 1 3826 717
Institute of Enzymology
Research Centre for Natural Sciences
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Shroud of the Avatar, Virtual Real Estate, and Keeping Control
We do not, to my knowledge at least, have a live MMORPG that has started life financed via Kickstarter as yet. There are a few on their way, such as Shroud of the Avatar and Camelot Unchained, but we still seem to be a long way from a state of “this is how these things work.” A trend does seem to be forming, or two trends really.
The first uses Kickstarter as a marketing scheme and litmus test for the popularity and financial viability of a given project. That a project can raise a given amount of cash from its Kickstarter campaign is used to secure further financing after the campaign. You can often pledge money afterwards for the same reward tiers as during the campaign, but player pledges were not, nor were ever planned to be, the primary financing for development. Oculus Rift is a good example of this. It had a successful Kickstarter that helped the project get off the ground. The ask was for $250K, and it came back with nearly ten times that much, falling shy of $2.5 million raised. But other financing based on that success helped it carry on, and the project raised a total of $91 million in capital before it was bought out. And while not everybody is happy that Facebook stepped in to buy up the whole thing, that is the way things work in what is essentially a very traditional way to raise capital.
On the Kickstarter MMORPG front, Camelot Unchained appears to be using this method. Their Kickstarter was very aggressive, setting a $2 million goal which they achieved with less than a day left to run on their campaign. But the promise was that if they could make that goal, other financing would be forthcoming, including Mark Jacobs himself kicking in a substantial amount of cash. So there was the new Kickstarter front end to what seems to me to be an otherwise traditional financing process; seed capital leads to further funding.
The other trend eschews traditional financing in a bid to maintain control over the project. As much as John Carmack has tried to sooth people, the idea that Mark Zuckerberg has the final say on what Occulus Rift becomes drives some up the wall. There is a great tradition of large companies buying smaller ones and just screwing them up and into extinction. To avoid this, you don’t sell out and you don’t give up control. That means after the Kickstarter campaign is done, you keep going after people to give you money. You keep taking money for same pledge tiers you had in the Kickstarter. You start up a cash store to sell additional special items to your fans. And you keep banging the drum, marketing hard, selling a dream or what might be the result.
The poster child for this trend is, without question, Star Citizen.
With $44 million already raised, Chris Roberts is selling the hell out of his vision of a space combat simulation RPG with MMO and single player elements, which is pretty damn good for somebody who hasn’t shipped a game in over a decade. And while you may believe that this will be the killer space sim app that will destroy EVE Online and every other space game or that this is the most spectacularly public long con in the video game industry ever, Chris Roberts has been able to both get funding and keep control of his baby.
And, in what I take as a blessing on some of my posts from last year, Richard “Lord British” Garriott de Cayeux appears to be taking this route. I spent some time comparing and contrasting Lord British and Mark Jacobs and their respective visions and Kickstarter campaigns because they feel, to me, like two very different personalities with different views. And now I get to carry on with that as their projects head down their separate paths. (Though, to be honest, I am probably making more out of this that is really there, but it keeps me amused.)
While we have been getting updates on Camelot Unchained, money is not something that gets brought up. They are much more likely to mention Nerf gun wars than money raised. Not that you cannot give them more money. They have that setup on their site. But it isn’t being played up as much as it could be. (So they have “only” raised another half million dollars since their Kickstarter at this point.)
Shroud of the Avatar, taking the control path, is becoming more focused on raising money. There is the usual running tally of funding. The project ended its Kickstarter campaign with just over $2 million, but now boasts of having raised over $4 million total for the project. And then there are the offers for backers such as the “add-ons” that people can purchase for use in New Britannia. These were enhanced considerably with the latest “Epic” project update, which looks to buy heavily into the Chris Roberts approach to raising more money. There are new pledge tiers, new stretch goals (ever the siren’s song with Star Citizen), and new add-ons.
And while the stretch goals (mounts and elves and boats and such) are supposed to help move along the funding, it is the add-ons that grab your eye.
Or, rather, it is the price of some of the add-ons.
Among the items added to the add-on store are whole towns, which run between $750 for a “Holdfast” to $4,000 for a whole “City.”
Your Town Options
And while towns will be purchasable with gold in-game at some point (QFT: “There will be a path to achieve this in game via in game gold purchase but the ownership of the scene will incur a rental fee.”) there will be ongoing rental overhead for the in-game option. So if you want to run your own town free and clear, real world cash is your option. Money talks and bullshit rents month to month.
And what do you get for your $750, assuming you are a cheapskate and just want a Holdfast? The add-on store says:
12,600 m2 of player lots
A design session with the Dev Team to define details including:
Name of Town
Location: Roughly which quadrant of the map. (Exact hex will be determined by Portalarium, Inc.)
Biome: Forest, Mountains, Grasslands, Swamp, etc.
NPC Building Definition (inn, smithy, etc.)
NPC names and stories
Lot Selection: Determine which lots of which size you want. For example at this size:
21 Village Lots
5 Village Lots + 1 Castle Lot
20 Row Lots + 1 Castle Lot
13 Village Lots + 1 Keep
13 Village Lots + 4 Town Lots
X Keys to X Locked Lots:Central Square with 1 NPC owned building
Keys equal to the number of lots chosen
Owner of the keys can lock and unlock lots at will so they can actively control who gets to live there
The key owner can evict an occupant and lock the lot using the key
Players will still need lot deeds to claim the lots once the town owner unlocks the lots
1 Add On Store House
That is a considerable amount of “stuff” I suppose, including developer interaction. I wonder if naming is going to be more flexible for those who pay in real world cash versus coin of the realm. And, note, lot deeds are not included.
And while the comic/drama potential of being able to lock people out of lots in a town is intriguing (do you get a title like “Dictator for Life” when you buy one?), the sticker price makes me recoil in horror. WildStar plus a year’s worth of subscription ($60 + $180) is less than a third of that price, and will probably go down with time. But I can be a notorious cheapskate. I am sure somebody out there is happy/amazed/ready to lay down the dollars for a town to call their own at that price.
And real estate, done akin to the real world variety, as it is being approached in SotA, is a limited resource I suppose, unlike the fancy space ships and lifetime free repairs that Star Citizen is selling to an eager audience, so should be priced accordingly. But that price makes me cringe. (Not to mention the “bought the farm” metaphors that spring up.)
What do you think? Is this the right direction for SotA? While I would bet that Lord British has greater name recognition than Chris Roberts, the Wing Commander series, on which Chris Roberts’ reputation is largely built, was the biggest franchise to come out of Lord British’s own studio. The Ultima series was a clear second place. (Which one got an animated series? Hint: It wasn’t anything set in Britannia.) You can say, “Chris Roberts” and get no response, but say, “Wing Commander,” which Chris Roberts does as often as is polite, and suddenly things are different.
With that in mind, can Lord British reasonably aspire to be a “sword and sorcery” Star Citizen in terms of funding?
This entry was posted in Camelot Unchained, entertainment, Kickstarter, Shroud of the Avatar, Star Citizen on June 9, 2014 by Wilhelm Arcturus.
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Photo: @MUnitedEs | Twitter
The Top 18 Moments In Chicharito’s Career
Kery Ruiz March 15, 2016
Watch the best moments that have shaped Chicharito Hernandez’ career throughout the years.
Chicharito is one of the most important names in the Mexican soccer realm. The former Guadalajara player has had an amazing career in which he has achieved milestones most players in the world can only dream about.
From winning a title in his home country, to playing in arguably two of the biggest teams in the history of soccer, Chicharito has almost done it all. That’s the reason why today we bring you his best moments, including the decisions and actions that have shaped the Mexican striker history.
As always, don’t forget to comment in the section below, on our Youtube channel or on Twitter. And if you think there is a moment we should have taken into account, let us know. We love hearing back from you.
Kery Ruiz talktous@the18.com | @keryruiz Soccer made money from ticket entrances in the past. But now we've added TV and a splash of marketing to it. We have turned soccer into Walt Disney...more
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Adam Carolla Show: Tim Minchin 0
Adam opens the show talking about going on Teresa Strasser’s radio show earlier this morning. Bald Bryan reads a radio memo that Adam swiped from the recording, and Lynch chimes in with a diagram their old boss Jack Silver drew about what makes a good character. Dawson also adds to the stories of their old radio show days, saying that he knew whatever Silver asked him to do, it was usually the opposite of what Adam wanted.
At the top of the news, the host of To Catch A Predator was caught cheating. Adam then jokes about what he would do if he sensed a sting was waiting for him on the other side of the door. The guys also talk about the sale of MySpace, and go on a tangent about Pepsi vs. Coke. Later, they discuss Charlie Sheen’s final goddess leaving him, and Adam predicts how his character will be killed off on Two and a Half Men. The last news story is about a Swedish preschool that’s eliminating gender pronouns, and Adam can’t understand what’s so wrong with boys being boys and girls being girls.
After a segment of The Lotzi Tapes, Adam welcomes comedian Tim Minchin to the show. The guys talk about Tim’s career as a musical comedian, and how much fun it is to use his musical skills for stupidity. Adam hears about his journey, and asks him if he has any desires to eventually go on Broadway. The guys then discuss their favorite musicals, and talk about how Tim grew his American audience thanks to YouTube.
One final news story before the show wraps is about apartment complexes testing dog stool samples so they know which owners are not cleaning up after their pets. Adam talks about his dog Molly’s pooping habits, and explains the importance of timing your shits before going into work.
Visit www.TimMinchin.com for more info on tonight’s guest.
Also be sure to subscribe to the Adam Carolla UStream Video Channel to see the show live! www.UStream.tv/ACEBroadcasting.
Executive Producer: Donny Misraje
Producer: Mike Lynch
Producer: Mike Dawson
Audio/Voice Over/Post-Production: Mike Dawson
Newsgirl: Alison Rosen
Technical Director: Logan Moy
Researcher: Chris Laxamana
Show Summary: Matt Fondiler
Adam Carolla Show: Paul Provenza 1
Adam talks about going to see Cars 2 in 3D with the kids today. He offers his thoughts on 3D glasses improvements, and Alison then goes into the news. The top story involves the terrorist takeover of an international hotel in Kabul. The guys also talk about Tom Petty’s cease and desist against Michele Bachmann for using one of his songs, but Adam says he shouldn’t care because it’s just an advertisement for the band. The guys then break down a classic favorite song of Adam’s.
Later, Adam hops on the phone to talk to his 200,000th Twitter follower. Adam teases her for some of the other people she’s following, and tries to figure out how he got on her radar in the first place. They also talk about the joys of being young and hot, and Adam discusses the weird age of 22. After they hang up, the guys play another segment of The Lotzi Tapes.
Today’s guest is Green Room host Paul Provenza. Both he and Adam have had more than their fair share of airport woes, and the guys trade stories about being pulled into the ‘other room’ at the airport and being interrogated for their attitude problems. Alison asks how Adam’s wife feels about his behavior, and he tells an anecdote from the day when he acted out in the parking lot in front of the kids. The guys then discuss some other driving frustrations, and Paul asks Adam to speak about the situation in the Middle East.
Toward the end of the show, Paul thanks Adam for bringing him onto the show, and discusses the death of late night television. Alison then points out that Paul was on the final season of The Facts of Life, and the group discusses how he went from being the show’s warm-up guy to nabbing a recurring role. As the show wraps up, the guys talk about Adam’s family time watching The Real Housewives series, and his publicists’ obsession with Andy Cohen.
Visit www.SHO.com/GreenRoom to get all the info on Paul’s show.
And follow Adam’s 200,000th Twitter follower yourself! She’s at www.Twitter.com/SydneyHBard
Technical Director: Chris Laxamana
Researcher: Logan Moy
Adam Carolla Show: Gary Cole 2
Adam reflects on his performance in New York, and defends his Guinness World Record for Most Downloaded Podcast, despite the comment that Ira Glass made during the show. Adam also talks about his experience at the dentist today, and then Alison jumps into the news. The opening story is about the conviction of Blagojevich, and the guys discuss how none of the crimes being committed by politicians are very thought out.
Later, Adam hears a story about the LAUSD changing their policy on homework, and goes on a rant about how the cultures that don’t focus on education need to start changing their priorities instead of making excuses and bringing everyone else down. The guys also talk about a 95-year-old woman who was forced to remove her adult diaper at the airport, and Adam can’t believe how much money is wasted because we’re unrealistic when we profile. The guys then listen to another snippet of The Lotzi Tapes.
Gary Cole joins the podcast next, and talks about why he enjoys performing theater so much. Adam also talks to him about how his career is going, and recalls how silly it is that successful actors still have to audition for parts. The guys then play a few rounds of Made Up Movie, where callers give the guys fake movie titles, and they fill in the rest.
In the last section of the show, Alison reads a series of news stories involving animals. Jennifer Anniston got a tattoo of her old dog’s name, and the World’s Ugliest Dog has officially been crowned. There’s also a story about activists who believe pets should no longer be allowed to be bought or sold, and Adam talks about the love and loss of his first dog. As the show wraps up, the guys discuss Florence Henderson’s revelation that she had crabs in the 60s, and Adam tells a personal story about sharing a bed with a buddy who had crabs as well.
Visit www.GaryCole.net for more info on today’s guest, and get tickets for Gary’s show, Superior Donuts, at www.GeffenPlayhouse.com.
Adam Carolla Show: Hines Ward and Jessa Lynn Hinton 0
At the top of the show, Adam talks for a bit about his New York and Poconos performances over the weekend. Adam then complains about the processed cheese plate he had to endure on the flight home, and Alison offers some airline woes of her own. Bald Bryan also talks to Adam about proper Philly Cheesesteak etiquette, and Adam thanks all the local crowds for coming out to his shows.
Next up, Adam takes a call from Hines Ward. The guys talk about Hines’s experience winning Dancing with the Stars, and how he became more confident as the weeks went on. They also talk about an exciting new reality competition Hines is a part of, ‘Craftsman Screw*d’. The idea is to recruit people with zero tool experience—Adam says there are plenty of those—and turn them into tool experts. The guys also talk about Hines playing 14 seasons in the NFL, and his hopes to grab that third Super Bowl ring.
Into the news, gay marriage has officially passed in New York. Adam says that he’s sick of hearing about it, but admits that it is a ‘very progressive pill to swallow.’ It’s also been confirmed that Jackass’s Ryan Dunn had a very high blood alcohol content level when he crashed his car, and Kim Kardashian’s ass is real. Alison then updates Adam on a story they spoke about last week involving new cigarette box labels, and Adam goes on a rant about how keeping people alive for longer will ultimately bankrupt the system. The guys then listen to another excerpt from The Lotzi Tapes, where Adam’s grandpa is being interviewed about his life.
Adam talks about appearing on Watch What Happens Live, with Andy Cohen, then welcomes Playboy’s 2011 Miss July, Jessa Lynn Hinton, to the podcast. Adam teases her about how much concentration the photo shoots actually take, and flips through the issue himself. The guys also talk about Jessa’s MMA training, and how she got involved with Top Rank Boxing. Later, they discuss her new swimsuit line with Affliction clothing, and also her relationship with her parents. As the show wraps up, the guys talk about Jessa’s dating life, and Adam talks to her about some kinky bedroom play.
Visit www.JessaHinton.com for more info on today’s guest.
CRAFTSMAN SCREW*D
Calling all unhandymen! Hapless with a hammer? Have zero tool skills? Craftsman wants you to be the star of their new online reality series, Screw*d. Check out www.craftsmanscrewd.com to find out how you can apply to earn $50k in three months and train to become a DIY guru.
Researcher: Gary Smith
Adam Carolla Show: Ira Glass and Mike Birbiglia 0
Adam joins the stage with Alison, Bald Bryan, and comedian Mike Birbiglia right from the top. Adam talks about the security in NY, and gives a couple audience members a hard time for what they’re wearing. The guys then take suggestions for What Can’t Adam Complain About, and Adam rants about scholarships, Livestrong bracelets, hot chicks, and Howard Stern. Adam also talks about a couple exchanges he had with the Baldwin brothers.
Before going into the news, Alison talks about a personal news story: a hotel bellhop saw her naked in her hotel room while she was drying her hair. The guys talk to an actual bellhop in the audience, and try to determine the proper protocol for knocking, as well as tipping. The guys also talks about Obama being in town, and how close New York is to legalizing gay marriage.
Adam is then thrilled to welcome ‘This American Life’ executive producer and host, Ira Glass to the show. Ira talks about being a Loveline fan back in the day, and relates to the frustration of bringing a radio show to television. Adam talks to Ira about his favorite episode of TAL, where a man wanted to have his bull cloned, despite evidence saying it was a bad idea. The guys also talk about Adam’s Guinness Book of World Records for Most Downloaded Podcast, and the proper waitress tipping etiquette.
Returning to the news, Justin Bieber is in town selling his new perfume, and Bald Bryan has an update about his reaction to Adam’s show last night, since he was in the crowd. The guys also talk about the apprehension of a famous gangster in Santa Monica, and the show wraps up with the audience getting riled up over brand names that may disappear in 2012.
See Ira at www.TheTalentShowBrandVarietyShow.com and listen to episodes of This American Life on NPR, iTunes, or at www.ThisAmericanLife.org
You can also visit www.Birbigs.com, and follow Mike on Twitter @Birbigs.
Producer: Mike August
Adam Carolla Show: Jim Norton 0
Adam complains about his Father’s Day gifts and talks about his first flight ever on Jet Blue. He talks about the ridiculous back and forth he had with the flight attendant, and the wacky driver who took him from JFK airport. Alison then goes into the audience to take questions for Adam, and Adam shares his thoughts on piercings, tattoos, STDs, and Jimmy Kimmel.
Comedian Jim Norton then joins the stage next, and talks about the happy ending massage he got earlier in the day. Adam and Alison question him further about massage etiquette and Adam goes on a rant about why he shouldn’t have to tip them. Jim also talks about getting hit on by a dude at a health spa, and Adam recalls his House of Nanking experience in San Francisco.
Before going into the news, a note’s been passed around the club that says Justin Bieber was at the show, only now he’s left. The guys also talk about the Yemen prison break, the new Miss USA, and George Clooney being back on the market. Later they discuss the new Mormon campaign in Times Square, and Adam compares the miscast billboard photo to the Home Alarm System commercials.
The next news story is Forbes’ list of the 27 Highest Grossing Musical Acts of the last year. The guys discuss acts like U2, Bon Jovi, and Elton John, and Adam tries to make the distinction between bad songs and effed out songs. The final news story involves somebody peeing in Portland’s water source, which gets Adam talking about all the various places he’s enjoyed peeing since he learned that urine is sterile.
Check out Jim Norton’s site at www.EatABullet.com
Adam Carolla Show: Kelly Oxford 0
Adam begins the show discussing how he was woken up in the middle of the night by his carbon monoxide alarm going off. He talks about the famous tennis player who died from carbon monoxide poisoning, and wonders why women are more concerned about filtered water, and less about the more serious dangers. The guys also listen to another snippet of The Lotzi Tapes, where Adam’s grandpa talks about growing up in Hungary during WWI.
Today’s guest is blogger Kelly Oxford, who’s recently been spending more time in LA thanks to the very generous Jimmy Kimmel and his girlfriend, Molly. Adam talks to Kelly about writing a pilot that was eventually executive produced by Jessica Alba, and asks her if she ever tried to be a model. Kelly talks about ‘conning her way’ into the business, but mostly just focusing on blogging since 1997. The guys also talk about conversations that their parents should have had with them, but never did.
Moving into the day’s news, the top story is Bam Margera’s response to Roger Ebert’s insensitive tweet about the passing of Jackass member Ryan Dunn. Adam says that Ebert is entitled to his opinion, but that he probably should have given everyone a week or so to mourn. Kelly agrees, saying that people tweet offensive stuff all the time, and doesn’t see why this is news. Also in the news is the announcement of disturbing new cigarette labels, and the announcement of a Mormon running for President.
Adam speaks about how he doesn’t care who runs for President, as long as they’re level headed and have a moral compass that points straight. He points out that it doesn’t really matter that we now have a black President, things haven’t really changed all that much. As the show wraps up, the guys talk about Michael Bay finally breaking his silence as to why Megan Fox was replaced in the latest Transformers movie, and the group discusses whether or not Megan still has a career ahead of her.
Check out Kelly’s blog at www.kellyoxford.tumblr.com, or follow her on Twitter @KellyOxford
Voice Over/Post-Production: Mike Dawson
Audio: Jeff Fox
Researcher: Brian Meyer
Adam Carolla Show: Jim Florentine 0
Adams talks about his trip to the optometrist, and the conversation he had with the doctor about the film ‘Crimes and Misdemeanors,’ which the guy did not recognize. He also talks about getting some sass from his kid Sonny, and calls his assistant in to discuss why his call-in numbers were incorrect this morning. The guys then listen to a segment of The Lotzi Tapes, and Adam goes on a jag about the spelling of his grandpa’s hometown.
Next up, the guys play a round of Mr. Brightside, where you call in to tell Adam your problems, and he tries to make you feel better. Callers include a guy who was dumped by his girlfriend over the phone, a guy who got bit at a concert, and a wedding DJ who accidentally displayed his porn on the big screen. Adam’s favorite call takes home a pair of free tickets to an upcoming performance.
Today’s guest is Jim Florentine, also known as Special Ed on Crank Yankers. The guys listen to a classic clip from the show, and talk about recording the call during the first season. Adam recalls that a lot of upcoming talent helped out on the show before they were considered famous, and he talks with Jim about how the show influenced his stand-up career.
Jumping into the news, the Supreme Court heard the case against Walmart regarding female discrimination, but said the class action lawsuit is not allowed. The guys also talk about what goes on in a 99cent store, and Adam talks about getting stuff for free all the time as an adult, and never having enough as a kid. Adam then goes on a tangent about his maid getting a boob job; and as the show wraps up, the guys discuss the death of Jackass’s Ryan Dunn, and comedians getting in trouble for saying bad things on stage.
Visit www.JimFlorentine.com for more info on today’s guest.
Adam Carolla Show: Alonzo Bodden 0
At the top of the show, Adam talks about his Father’s Day at Hollywood Park with Jimmy, Cousin Sal, and the kids. Adam discusses some disturbing details he noticed at the racetracks, and also Sonny’s day betting on horses. Today’s guest, Alonzo Bodden, then joins the stage, and talks with the guys about the ridiculousness of dragons, shark and bear attacks, and Siegfried and Roy.
Moving into the news, a republican senator recently came out in support of gay marriage, and his speech is causing some controversy. Adam mostly just wants to move on with life and stop hearing the same stupid arguments over and over again. Alonzo agrees that we have much bigger issues that are being ignored, and the guys talk about why black people aren’t more sympathetic to the gay plight. The guys also try to figure out who they would send to ‘Retard Island.’
Also in the news is the sad passing of Springsteen saxophonist Clarence Clemons. The guys all agree the man had a great run, and talk about the longevity of rock stars and horn players. Later the guys talk about the couple photographed making out during the Stanley Cup riots, as well as a confusing new left turn arrow light that’s being implemented around the country.
Adam tells a story from his time racing at Laguna Seca, and the guys talk about shitty parking and valet policies. There’s also a story about a guy who found $17,000 cash in the street, and it reminds Adam of the time his mom made him return the $50 he found at the mall. As the show wraps up, the guys talk about ‘cone-ing’, doggie bag etiquette, and who’s truly Adam’s #1 black friend.
Visit www.AlonzoLive.com for the latest show dates.
And be sure to subscribe to the Adam Carolla UStream Video Channel to see the show live! www.UStream.tv/ACEBroadcasting.
Adam Carolla Show: Rob Schneider 0
Adam opens the show complaining about an awkward exchange he had with an old guy at a stop sign. He talks about the major miscommunications that people have on the road when they try to direct traffic on their own, and also talks about backing into a bunch of garbage cans after Lynette didn’t help him guide the car. Alison then goes into the audience to take some questions for Adam.
Rob Schneider comes on stage next, and comments on a jag Adam goes on about celebrity ball-sacks. The guys discuss the lengths to which men and women go to become attractive, and talk about merkins and merkin salesmen. Later, they discuss who has the biggest calves in Hollywood, and Rob talks about the worst drivers in the world, which he recently encountered in China on his honeymoon.
Moving into the news, Anthony Weiner has officially resigned. The guys make fun of a Weiner photo, and discuss whether or not sexting counts as cheating. The conversation then becomes about why guys want to get married if they really want to be alone. The guys also talk about Larry Flynt’s offer to hire Weiner for Hustler, and the riots in Canada after the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins.
Adam accidentally spills his beer, prompting Rob to jump into a killer Lovitz impression, chastising Adam for the party foul. The guys then discuss the ‘treasure hunter’ who is on the search for Osama Bin Laden’s body, and the new LACMA art display that’s actually a giant boulder about to fall over. As the show wraps up, the guys talk about the failed war on drugs, the next evolution of pot, and the Schwarzenegger scandal.
Visit www.RobSchneider.com for more info on tonight’s guest.
Be sure to subscribe to the Adam Carolla UStream Video Channel to see the show live! www.UStream.tv/ACEBroadcasting.
Camera: Gary Smith
Adam Carolla Show: Evan Sayet 1
Adams opens the show talking about the many gifts he’s received when he interacts with fans on the road. Recently he got a CD that contained an audio interview with his grandfather Lotzi, as part of a project where people who went through Ellis Island were spoken to. First, the guys dissect an old family photo of the Carollas, then they listen to a snippet from Lotzi’s interview.
Alison Rosen starts the news, and talks about comedian Louis CK’s defense of the hateful comments that Tracy Morgan made earlier this week. Adam has recently noticed a pattern of people getting busted for things they say while doing stand up or Twitter, and tries to figure out when and why society took this turn. The guys also look at John Edwards’s mug shots, and talk about some advancements in gynecology.
Next up, the guys jump to the phones to take your relationship calls. The first caller is trying to figure out how to balance his booty calls, and the next is concerned that her marriage is getting stale. Adam also helps a guy cope with some baby mama drama, and takes another call from someone who’s been with his high school sweetheart forever and is considering playing the field.
Today’s guest is conservative commentator Evan Sayet. Evan says that he doesn’t position himself as right wing, but rather as being anti-left wing. He and Adam discuss the situation in Israel, and the idea of modern liberalism. They also talk about the US being an exceptional country, and how the ‘reward and merit’ mentality has been thrown off as of late. The guys also discuss the threat of Communism growing up, and how Islam is seen in America today. As the show wraps up, the guys dissect a couple Springsteen songs, and Adam listens to John Hiatt.
Visit www.EvanSayet.com for more info on today’s guest.
Adam Carolla Show: Lance Henriksen 0
Before going into the news, Adam complains about the Do Not Touch cup that was violated in his house. He also talks about a sticker that left residue on the bottom of the cup no matter how hard he scrubbed. Alison then reads the top news story, about Mildred Baena, mother of Schwarzenegger’s Love Child, who has finally spoken up about the situation. Adam also goes on a rant after hearing about a guy who got kicked off a plane for saying the f-word.
Today’s guest is legendary actor Lance Henriksen, and Adam talks to him about being recognized on the streets. They also discover that Lance and Adam were both unable to read until they were in their 30s. Adam finds out a bit more about Lance’s childhood, and how he hitchhiked across the country at the age of 12. They also talk about his experiences in acting school with other greats like Al Pacino and Mickey Rourke, and how he ultimately got his big break.
The guys then discuss some of Lance’s other memorable rules, particularly as the character of Bishop in the film Aliens. From there, they talk about Lance’s biography, as well as the next project he’s working on with Ron Perlman. Lance then talks about the unique experience of being an actor, and trying to figure out who you are when the cameras aren’t rolling.
Returning to the news, Hugh Hefner will not be getting married again, as his fiancé has had a change of heart. The guys debate whether or not Hef’s recent string of fake blondes is actually tarnishing his legacy. Also in the news is a message from LeBron to his fans as he copes with the NBA Finals loss, and a girl who was kicked out of a movie theater for texting. The show wraps up with a discussion about poor families having kids they can’t afford, and the guys talk about their upcoming Father’s Day plans.
Visit www.NotBadForAHuman.com to grab a limited edition hardcover copy of Lance’s biography. You can also get the paperback by clicking through to Amazon.
Adam Carolla Show: Stefanie Wilder Taylor 1
At the top of the show, Adam talks about his day of filming for the Speed Channel. Today he had to teach a blonde chick how to drive a stick shift, and he was very satisfied with having taught her. Larry Miller is also in studio, and the guys jump into a round of Blah Blah Blog, where the group tries to guess who wrote the ridiculous blog. Adam rants about Sean Penn, and Larry drools over Scarlett Johansson.
Today’s guest is author and Parent Experiment cohost Stefanie Wilder Taylor. Stefanie spends some time talking about her new book and how she started her writing career, as well as her move into cohosting The Parent Experiment. Adam would like to run his own experiment, where Lynette brings home all the money for one year, and Adam gets to stash his stuff in Donny’s warehouse. Stefanie then talks about working for a variety of bad dating shows, and explains how she used to write jokes for producers with no senses of humor.
The guys also talk about Stefanie’s work as the cohost of The Parent Experiment. Adam says that his wife Lynette loves working with her, and clearly the feeling is mutual. The guys also talk more about Adam and Lynette’s relationship, and how Adam is coming to terms with trying to clean up the open chip bags and dirty coffee mugs that are left around the house. He also talks about his own early days as a slob, and how he had to turn his own attitude around.
Moving into the news, the top story is the Mavericks victory over the Heat in the NBA finals. Alison struggles to pronounce the details of the game, and Adam cracks a joke about her starting her own sports podcast. The guys also watch a video of Michele Bachmann running for president, and discuss whether or not a female will ever take that position. As the show wraps up, the guys talk about a series of other news stories: Harold Camping’s stroke, the violent car crashes at Le Mans, a McDonalds hoax, and the elimination of DUI Checkpoint apps.
If you haven’t already, subscribe to The Parent Experiment, right here on the ACE Broadcasting Network.
Visit www.StefanieWilderTaylor.com and follow Stef on Twitter @SWilderTaylor
Adam Carolla Show: Diane Farr 1
Adam opens the show discussing his kids’ birthday over the weekend. Adam got there a little late and was forced to block a couple cars when he parked. Of course the first person to leave was someone he blocked. Adam also talks about hanging out with the ‘party pals,’ and discusses the conversation he had with his wife about appearing on The Talk.
Over the weekend, more news emerged in regards to Anthony Weiner, who is now taking a leave of absence. Alison also mentions the real life attack crows who are acting out, and talks about Tracy Morgan’s homophobic rant. Adam says we’re turning into a nation of tattle tales, and blames the 24-hour news cycle on the amount of bullshit stories we’re forced to listen to now.
Both Dr. Bruce, and today’s guest Diane Farr, join the show next. Adam recalls a recent dinner he had with Diane and her husband, and talks about the worst native foods in each culture. Adam also talks about working with Diane on his Loveline TV show, and all the other female cohosts who he was forced to work with. He also rants about having to wait several times on Pamela Anderson, and talks to Diane about her early days managing a bar and trying to break into the modeling/acting biz.
Things then transition into Dr. Spazz’s Healthwatch. Dr. Bruce talks about the rise of measles here in the states. He also talks about the problems with sex addiction, as they relate to the case of Anthony Weiner and the influence of the internet. Adam advises people to look at porn that looks like their significant other to avoid getting in trouble. Dr. Bruce also mentions the hazards of ‘water walking balls.’ As the show wraps up, the guys jump to the phone lines talk about inter-racial relationships, and give away a copy of Diane’s new book on the topic.
Visit www.KissingOutsideTheLines.com, and pick up a copy of Diane’s new book through Amazon.
You can also follow Dr. Bruce on Twitter @DrBruceH
Phones/Researcher: Gary Smith
Adam Carolla Show: Nicole Sullivan 0
Adam opens the show talking about a ‘slow motion train wreck’ as he prepared to race at Laguna Seca. He also talks about all the free racing suits he’s been getting, only to have to pay for them later. Adam then talks about his experience filming The Talk, and goes on a rant about why gay guys can’t understand that straight guys don’t care about the same things as they do.
Alison then goes into the audience to take some questions for Adam. One fan wants to get a tattoo of Adam on his chest, and Adam talks about how far someone has to go for him to pull a restraining order or call the cops on someone. A female audience member tells Adam that he’s on her ‘list,’ and he finds out the other celebrities that made the cut. Adam also shares his thoughts on fashion and waterless urines.
Nicole Sullivan joins the stage, and talks to Adam about working with William Shatner on the television series S#*% My Dad Says. Adam asks Nicole about Shatner’s fascination with horses, and the guys talk about how bored they get by them. Nicole also talks about growing up in New York with her politician father, and the guys talk about the annoying entrance bell in pointless tchotchkes stores.
Moving into the news, Weinergate continues. Alison reads an explicit transcript between Anthony Weiner and a blackjack dealer, and Adam talks about the differences between what turns men and women on. Adam then rants about the illegal immigrant situation after hearing about Alabama’s new legislation, and talks about the supposedly incendiary remarks that Christopher Titus made the last time he was on Adam’s show. After a story about soldiers being charged extra money for bringing extra luggage onto a plane, Adam ends the show ranting about Mayor Villaretardo.
Camera: Bryan Thompson
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The Bahai Insider
The Truth About The Bahai Faith
Bahai Israel Relations
Bahai Elections
Bahai Activities
Bahai Conversion Activities
Bahai Census
Bahai Israel Relationship
Bahai Scandals
Why I Left Bahai Faith
Bahai Persecuton
Bahai Sects
Bahai way of working in Iran!
Baha’is pay Millions of Dollars to Iranian government plus a bond that they will not proselytize again. Baha’ism is considered a cult in Iran and Proselytizing ‘Baha’i Faith’ is punishable by law.
Sahba Farnoush, a Baha’i resident of the city of Tehran, who was detained and sent to prison some time ago, along with at least 15 other Baha’is, when security officers raided their homes in many different cities of Iran, was released by posting 200 million toumans (approx $66,280) bail.
Navid Aghdasi, a Baha’i resident who was detained and sent to Evin prison some time ago, because he followed up on the unsolved murder of his maternal cousin, Ataollah Rezvani, was released by posting 200 million toumans ($66,280) bail.
Shahram Najaf Tomara, a Baha’i from Tehran, was released at 11 pm on Monday December 28th 2015, after posting bail of 1 billion rials (approx $33,140).
According one of his close relatives, he was called in to the Intelligence and Security office of Hamedan, and was warned that if he teaches the Baha’i Faith again, he will be facing exile or an increase in his prison term.
On November 2014, Hamid Azizi was detained under charges of promotion of anti-regime groups, and after ten days of interrogation, was temporarily released on 100 million toumans (approx $33,140) bail.
Source : http://iranpresswatch.org/post/13886/
Likewise there are 10s of other Iranian Baha’i prisoners who have been released on Bail but the amount not disclosed. This amount may be more thana Million US$.
Source : https://www.bic.org/imprisoned-providing-education
Aziz Samandari and Jinous Sobhani, a former secretary at the Defenders of Human Rights Center, were released on 11 March 2009 on bail of 700 million Rials (approximately $73,000). Didar Raoufi, Payam Aghsani and Nima Haghar were released on the same day and ordered to pay the same amount (approximately $73,000). Shahrokh Taef was released six days later on 17 March 2009 having paid the same amount(approximately $73,000) in bail.
Source : http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/iran/seven-bahai-leaders-given-harsh-prison-sentence
HRANA, April 25, 2015.
In late March, nine Bahais were arrested in Hamadan. In recent days seven of these have been released on bail, ranging from 25 to 60 million tumans (8000 to 19,500 euros / $US 9000 to 21,000).
Source : https://sensday.wordpress.com/2015/04/25/nine-bahais-arrested-in-hamadan-seven-released-on-bail/
Bahai News (Persian), September 28, 2016.
Yashar Rezvani (یاشار رضوانی), a Bahai from Kerman who has been living in Tehran, has been freed on bail. He was arrested in a raid on his home on August 3. After over a month of solitary confinement and interrogation in Evin Prison, he was transferred to a general wing of the same prison. He is to be charged with membership of Bahai organisations. Bail was set at 200 million tumans (56,000 euros; 64,000 $US), and was apparently approved in mid-Septmber, but for some reason his actual release on bail was then delayed for 10 days.
Source : https://sensday.wordpress.com/2016/09/29/yashar-rezvani-free-on-bail/
Bahai News (Persian), October 10, 2016.
Five of the Bahais who have been arrested in Shiraz in recent weeks have been freed on bail, which was set at 200 million tumans (approx. $US 63,600)…. On October 3, the other three were among 14 Bahais who were arrested in their homes in Shiraz on the evening of September 29. Behnam Azirpour (بهنام عزیرپور), Sa`id Hosna (سعید حسنی) and Esma`il Rusta (اسماعیل روستا) have already been released on bail.
Source : https://sensday.wordpress.com/2016/10/13/five-bahais-bailed-in-shiraz/
Filed under Bahai Activities Tagged with Iran
Bahá’i Role in the 50-Year Crimes of the Pahlavi Regime
This article demonstrates part of the documents and reports acquired from SAVAK concerning the Bahá’is’ collaboration with the regime. The original documents are respectively provided at the end of this section.
A. The connection between Bahá’is and Reza Khan
During the rule of Reza Shah, there did not exist a strong intelligence organization, such that a document on the Bahá’i connection with the regime might be divulged. However, confessions by a Bahá’i leader in this respect cleared everything up: According to a SAVAK report, at a meeting of the Nafhatollah Publishing Commission in Shiraz on 31.3.1350 (June 21,1971), Mr. Massihollah Rohani said: “At the time of Reza Shah andSeyed Noureddin, we were plundered, but Reza Shah, very dismayed about this affair, secretly killed off some Muslims without the Ulema’s knowledge. Since he was a real Bahá’i and always supported the Bahá’is, the unveiling of women was done in conformity with Bahá’u’lláh’s rule and logic.” (Exhibit No. 17)
B. The connection between Bahá’is and the deceased Shah
The major part of the organizations of the Shah’s damned rule, particularly SAVAK, was managed by Bahá’is.
Filed under Bahai Activities, Bahai Conversion Activities, Bahai Israel Relationship Tagged with Bahai Activities, Bahai Hypocrisy, Iran, Israel, Teachings of Bahai Faith, UHJ
Baha’is engage in acts of Cyber-terrorism against Iran (2011)
Came across the following article on the web sent by one of my FaceBook friends..time and again, we find Bahai violating the rules of the land – when it comes to spying (remember Indian spying case), conversions (remember Indonesia, Uzbekistan etc). And then they cry hoarse about how these countries are treating them shabbily.
Some things will never change…
Iran Arrests 30 Over U.S.-linked Cyber Ring
Editor’s note: In February, the Bipartisan Policy Center held a war game and concluded cyber attacks would come from Russian, Chinese, and Sudanese hackers. It now appears the cyber threat in part originates from the CIA-supported Mujahadeen-e-Khalq.
Iran has arrested 30 people suspected of belonging to a U.S.-linked cyber network gathering information on Iranian nuclear scientists and sending people abroad for training, a news agency reported on Saturday.
It said the group sought to recruit people through the Internet for training in Iraq with the People’s Mujahideen Organisation, a leftist exile group which launched attacks on the Islamic Republic from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq
“Thirty people were arrested in connection with an organised American cyber war network via a series of complex security measures in the field of information technology and communications,” the Fars news agency said.
Tehran’s general and revolutionary court said one of the group was linked to an outlawed sect — a reference to the Baha’i religious minority, the agency said.
“Among the charges against this network are creating an intelligence gathering network, including identification of the country’s nuclear scientists and staging illegal demonstrations and encouraging the public to take part in them after the presidential elections,” it said.
Source: http://www.infowars.com/iran-arrests-30-over-u-s-linked-cyber-ring/
Filed under Bahai Activities, Bahai Scandals Tagged with Bahai Activities, Iran
Bahais In Iran – Why the fuss?
Regarding the hue and cry about the arrest of some Bahais in Iran, I would like to make some points.
Firstly, the government of Iran is an independent government with its independent laws and independent constitution. It has its reasons for the arrest of these Bahais and we should respect that. Just as America, Israel and the West in general would like to maintain their sovereignity, Iran would like to do that as well.
Secondly, people should keep in mind that world-wide, Bahais do not have a track record of respecting local laws (except in the West and Israel). Bahais frequently break local laws and have been help responsible for conversion activities, spying etc. Hence it is difficult to give them benefit of doubt that the Bahais are indeed “innocent”.
Thirdly, if Amercia / the West is so concerned about the state of the Bahais in Iran, why does it not offer asylum to these Bahais in America, Israel, Britain. That would solve the problem once and for all. All Iranis in any case are hankering to go to America. This move will kill two birds with one stone.
Incidentally Bahais are banned in Saudi Arabia as well. If a Bahai is caught in Saudi Arabia, he would probably be executed for blasphemy (a lot harsher than being arrested). I dont see people making too much noise about it (rather any noise about it) – perhaps because Saudi is an ally of the West and Iran is not.
So this whole thing about persecution of Bahais in Iran is hogwash. Bahais are banned not only in Iran. They are banned all over the Middle East and in several other Muslim countries. Iran is being singled out because they want to paint a poor picture of Iran in the media. That is all.
Wait, there more…I secretly believe that the Bahais dont want their “friends” in Iran to be released. What purpose will that serve? One Bahai in prison is more valuable than one free Bahai. Simply because it gives this community to be in the press all the time, it gets them brownie points for sympathy and in any case, apart from the sympathy factor, there is’nt much to talk about the Bahai Faith.
Filed under Bahai Persecuton Tagged with Bahai Hypocrisy, Bahai Persecution, Iran
Bahai Faith is BANNED in Most Countries
“IT APPEARS THAT AS HARD AS THE BAHA’IS MIGHT HAVE TRIED OVER THE YEARS TO DISMISS WHAT THEY LABEL “CONSPIRACY THEORIES” REGARDING THEIR CONNECTIONS TO THE BRITISH ESTABLISHMENT, MORE AND MORE SUCH THEORIES CONTINUE TO PERSIST- WHILE WITH EACH DAY MORE EVIDENCE EMERGES PROVING THESE THEORIES AS FACT RATHER THAN THEORY”.
Filed under Bahai Activities, Bahai Faith Tagged with Bahai Activities, Bahai Faith, India, Iran, Israel, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Teachings of Bahai Faith, toronto, UHJ, Uzbekistan, Yemen
Bahai Faith is Hypocrisy Personified
The Baha’i faith as it stands today faces a challenge of becoming irrelevant to the sayings of Baha’u’llah and Abdul Baha. Having failed to attract converts and not getting acceptance from the world society, the Baha’i Faith today is trying to serve itself as a religion in terms of writing OPEN LETTERS (as against Holy writings!!) that have no bearing whatsoever on the targeted people.
Very recently we heard about a petition made by 31 Imminent Indians to the Government of Iran, on another occasion we heard that Baha’is wrote an irrelevant letter to the people of Egypt. There was again an ‘Open letter’ in the Wall Street Journal republished Dr. Kishan Manocha, Director of the Office of External Affairs of the Bahá’í community of the UK. The document, dated 7th December and addressed to Ayatollah Mohammad Sadeq Larijani, stating the injustices meted out to Iranian Baha’is. Many more open letters must be in the pipe line.
Filed under Bahai Activities, Bahai Faith Tagged with Bahai Hypocrisy, Bahai Persecution, India, indonesia, Iran, Teachings of Bahai Faith, Yemen
Iran busts intl. network promoting Bahaism
Tehran Times Political Desk
TEHRAN – Iranian security and intelligence personnel have identified and arrested the members of an international moral corruption network promoting Bahaism.
The network was carrying out its activities in the cities of Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashhad, and Yasuj, as well as the town of Evaz, which is located in Fars Province, the Fars News Agency reported on Sunday.
The leaders of the network were receiving $400 per month from certain foreign countries to promote the teachings of Bahaism in Iran.
(Source: http://old.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=245303)
Filed under Bahai Activities, Bahai Conversion Activities, Bahai Faith Tagged with Bahai Activities, Bahai Persecution, Iran, Teachings of Bahai Faith
Persecution of Bahais – Sign of Truth?
Visit any Bahai website and you will find a mention of “Persecution of Bahais”. While I condemn any kind of persecution, I believe we should not accept any claim at its face value. Moreso, if it comes from the Bahais. (Please read: Advancing the Status of Women and other articles).
Before we delve further, it would be very important to note, this discussion has very little to do with the Bahai Faith. This discussion is more for social interest than religious significance. Simply because being persecuted or not is not a proof for establishing the truthfulness of the claimant or the veracity of the claim.
To explain this further, if being persecuted was a characteristic of a Prophet, every executed traitor would become a Manifestation of God. This would become an established methodology of recognising a Prophet.
Filed under Bahai Persecuton Tagged with Bahai Persecution, Iran
Bahai Population in Iran: Still Counting?
How Many Bahais in Iran? Can we believe even these numbers?
There has always been confusion about the actual population of the followers of the Baha’i Faith in every country since its origin. Regarding their numbers, “millions” is the usual figure claimed by them.
The reason for this confusion is the fact that Baha’is are wont to give fake ‘percentage Baha’i population’ for every country. Thanks to the internet – their lies are getting exposed. The number of countries and localities varies with each web site. There is ‘no consensus’ regarding the actual number of countries, the actual number of localities, and the actual number of Baha’i. This trouble in the Baha’i population is not generated by the Baha’i Administration themselves but it is just the continuation of what Abdul Baha and Shoghi Effendi have done.
Filed under Bahai Census Tagged with Bahai Census, Iran, UHJ
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Bicentenary Celeberation reveals some shocking info
Some notes on the early relationship of the Baha’is with the Zionists…
New Website – Bahai Texts
Yemini Bahai accused of spying for Israel
Beware! How Bahais are trying to capture the Middle East..
Bahai Activities in Indonesia
Bahai British Relations
Former Bahai Converts to Islam
The Bahai Awareness Homepage
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