pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 70
1.01M
| source
stringlengths 37
43
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__wiki
| 0.946898
| 0.946898
|
Home WSLM NEWS Breaking News Blake Shelton to headline Firestone Legends Day Concert May 28 at IMS
Blake Shelton to headline Firestone Legends Day Concert May 28 at IMS
Country music superstar Blake Shelton will headline the annual Firestone Legends Day Concert on Saturday, May 28, the day before the historic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. Current IMS customers can purchase tickets now through a pre-sale while an official on-sale date is slated for Feb. 29 at 9:00 a.m.
Shelton is known both for his role as a judge on the televised singing competition “The Voice” as well as his award-winning singing career. The Country Music Association’s 2012 “Entertainer of the Year,” Grammy nominee and five-time CMA Awards Male Vocalist of the Year, Shelton continues to add to his superstar status. With 16 consecutive No. 1 singles, Shelton owns the record of successive No. 1 singles in the modern era. He has a total of 21 No. 1 singles, which are all featured on his new album “Reloaded: 20 #1 Hits.”
Joining the ranks of the Grand Ole Opry in 2010, Shelton has earned a host of awards and nominations throughout his career. Shelton begins his 10th season on NBC’s “The Voice” on Feb. 29 and is also set to host Nickelodeon’s slime-filled “Kids’ Choice Awards” on March 12. He will hit the road in February for his Blake Shelton presented by Gildan tour. For more information and upcoming tour dates, please visit www.BlakeShelton.com and follow @BlakeShelton.
“The Firestone Legends Day Concert has become a staple for fans of country music and racing, and we’re proud to carry on this tradition with Blake Shelton the night before the historic 100th Running of Indianapolis 500,” said Philip Dobbs, chief marketing officer at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “Firestone is a work-hard, play-hard brand, and we invite everyone to come out to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 28 for a celebration unlike the Speedway has ever seen.”
“Legends Day presented by Firestone is a special part of Indy 500 weekend when fans can celebrate the history of the race and look forward to a great Race Day on Sunday,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “The Firestone Legends Day Concert has featured tremendous country music in recent years and our 2016 lineup, headlined by a true superstar in Blake Shelton, will provide an outstanding experience for fans. The energy from his show will undoubtedly carry over to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500.”
The opening acts for Shelton will be Chris Janson and Corey Cox.
Warner Bros. Records/Warner Music Nashville singer/songwriter Chris Janson burst on to the scene last year with his breakthrough No. 1 Platinum single “Buy Me A Boat,” which went on to be the seventh-bestselling country song of the year. His current single, “Power of Positive Drinkin,” is climbing the country charts now. Janson’s “overnight success” was built on 10 years of honing his songwriting craft and relentlessly perfecting his live shows in clubs. His dream to play the Grand Ole Opry has now resulted in more than 130 appearances. Janson co-wrote all 11 tracks on his debut album “Buy Me A Boat,” which was named one of the 20 Best Country Albums of 2015 by Rolling Stone with the New York Times calling it an “impressive full length debut album.” Having previously toured with Toby Keith and Luke Bryan, Janson recently kicked off his tour with label mate Blake Shelton with dates running through March.
Cox is a Hoosier native who fans remember from performances at the Super Bowl XLVI Village in Indianapolis, his memorable rendition of the national anthem at the 2012 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and his breakthrough hit “Wake Up Drunk.” He has built his name through relatable lyrics, contagious songs and energetic live shows across the country.
General admission tickets for the concert are priced at $40 and access to the Firestone Concert Pit near the front of the stage is set for $75. All ticket information can be found at www.ims.com/blake or by calling (800) 822-INDY.
Fans with tickets for the Firestone Legends Day Concert will be admitted free to Legends Day activities. Admission to IMS on Legends Day will be $10 for adults, with children 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult.
Other featured events on Legends Day presented by Firestone include the annual Public Drivers’ Meeting on pit road adjacent to the Tower Terrace grandstand, autograph sessions with the Indianapolis 500 starting field of 33 drivers and former Indy 500 drivers and an Indianapolis 500 memorabilia show.
The 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil will be held on Sunday, May 29.
Tickets are now on sale for the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil, Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational, Lilly Diabetes 250, the Crown Royal Presents the “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 at the Brickyard and the Red Bull Air Race. Fans have three quick, convenient methods to buy tickets:
Online: Visit www.ims.com/tickets. Tickets are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
Phone: Call 800-822-INDY or 317-492-6700 between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday.
In Person: Visit the IMS Ticket Office at the IMS Administration Building east of the 16th Street roundabout and outside Turn 1 of the oval between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are available. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at 866-221-8775for more information.
Information on parking and camping at IMS events is available at www.ims.com/tickets.
Previous articleGladys F. Carney, 63
Next articleMitchell Man Killed In ATV Crash
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line260
|
__label__cc
| 0.745358
| 0.254642
|
Tax Accounting Programs in Massachusetts
Tax Accounting Schools in Massachusetts
Professional tax auditors save their employers and the government millions of dollars every year by discovering errors, omissions and fraud on state and federal tax returns. Tax auditors who work for a private organization also provide financial guidance to their employer to ensure that the company remains profitable.
To work as a tax auditor in Massachusetts, you need a minimum of a bachelor degree as well the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credential. All applicants for the CPA exam must have completed 150 hours of post-secondary education within three years of passing the test. The following requirements must be met before taking the CPA exam:
120 hours of post-secondary coursework from an accredited college.
Completion of 21 hours in accounting courses, including audit, financial accounting, management accounting and taxation.
Completed nine hours of courses in business law, information systems and finance.
Massachusetts is one of seven states on the East Coast where tax auditors earn at least $75,000 per year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a median annual salary of $75,780 as of May 2012. Tax auditors earning at the bottom 10 percent of the pay scale reported an average wage of $44,510. At the other end of the spectrum, tax auditors at the 90th percentile or higher earned approximately $110,000 in 2012.
There were 41 tax auditor jobs listed at the career website Glass Door in the fall of 2013. You may also find these positions advertised as tax accountant, tax manager or internal auditor. Some of the top employers in Massachusetts for tax auditors include:
Global Partners LP
Jiten Hotel Management
American Biltrite, Inc.
Hilton Hotel of Boston
Search Tax Accounting Programs
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line269
|
__label__wiki
| 0.889828
| 0.889828
|
Printer-friendly versionPDF version
ADDAMEER (Arabic for conscience) Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association is a Palestinian non-governmental, civil institution that works to support Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. Established in 1992 by a group of activists interested in human rights, the center offers free legal aid to political prisoners, advocates their rights at the national and international level, and works to end torture and other violations of prisoners' rights through monitoring, legal procedures and solidarity campaigns.
The Programs of Addameer
Legal Aid Unit: Since its founding, Addameer's legal aid work has formed the backbone of the organization's work, with Addameer's lawyers providing free legal representation and advice to hundreds of Palestinian detainees and their families every year, and working on precedent-setting cases of torture, fair trials and other violations affecting political prisoners.
Documentation and Research Unit: Addameer documents violations committed against Palestinian detainees and monitors their detention conditions through regular prison visits, and collects detailed statistics and information on detainees, which serve as the basis for its annual and thematic publications.
Advocacy and Lobbying Unit: Addameer's advocacy work is aimed primarily at the international community, with the unit publishing statements and urgent appeals on behalf of detainees, briefing international delegations and the media, and submitting reports and individual complaints to the United Nations, urging stakeholders to pressure Israel to change its policies. The unit also works towards building local, Arab and international solidarity campaigns to oppose arbitrary detention and torture while supporting the rights of Palestinian prisoners.
Training and Awareness Unit: Addameer raises local awareness of prisoners’ rights on three levels: by training Palestinian lawyers on the laws and procedures used in Israeli military courts; by increasing the prisoners’ own knowledge of their rights; and by reviving grassroots human rights activism and volunteerism and working closely with community activists to increase their knowledge of civil and political rights from an international humanitarian law and international human rights perspective.
Addameer's Vision:
Addameer believes in the importance of building a free and democratic Palestinian society based on justice, equality, rule of law and respect for human rights within the larger framework of the right to self-determination. Addameer's work is based on a belief in the universality of human rights as enshrined in international law.
Addameer's Goals:
End torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment inflicted upon Palestinian prisoners;
Abolish the death penalty;
End arbitrary detentions and arrests;
Guarantee fair, impartial and public trials;
Support political prisoners and their families by providing them with legal aid and social and moral assistance and undertaking advocacy on their behalf;
Push for legislations that guarantee human rights and basic freedoms and ensure their implementation on the ground;
Raise awareness of human rights and rule of law issues in the local community;
Ensure respect for democratic values in the local community, based on political diversity and freedom of opinion and expression;
Lobby for international support and solidarity for Palestinians’ legitimate rights.
Addameer has been actively involved in the development of Palestinian civil society since its establishment. In particular, in its role as an executive member of the Palestinian NGO Network and the Palestinian Council of Human Rights Organizations, Addameer plays an important role in structuring the response of civil society to human rights violations, as well as directing strategies for increased community awareness. This has also placed the association in a unique position because of its strong commitment and relationship to the local community. Community involvement remains the backbone of the organization, in the form of volunteerism and support for all activities of the association and its campaigns.
Addameer strives to be more than a service-oriented association, but rather a resource for the local and international community to address human rights violations. In that regard, Addameer also works closely with international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, OMCT and FIDH to provide regular information on the situation of Palestinian political detainees.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line270
|
__label__wiki
| 0.512123
| 0.512123
|
News and updates from the continent
Home » Regulation » Carbon tax is coming …
Carbon tax is coming …
Posted by Kathy Gibson in Regulation | 0 comments
Carbon tax will soon become a reality, although there is still not much clarity on how it will be implemented.
However, it is now certain that it will take place, with Financial Minister Pravin Gordhan announcing in his recent budget that the tax will come into effect in 2014.
So much for the bad news: the good news is that the impact of the tax will be significantly less than originally anticipated. In the 2012 budget speech, carbon tax was proposed on a percentage-basis, below which tax will not be payable. This is in preference to paying tax on an absolute carbon emission threshold.
The minister also announced a higher tax-free threshold, benefitting businesses with process emissions. Consideration will be given to the limitations of the cement, iron and steel, aluminium and glass sectors to mitigate emissions over the near-term.
But Robbie Louw, a director of Promethium carbon, a carbon advisory firm, has concerns.
“For Scope 3 emissions, meaning indirect emissions from a company’s supply chain, suppliers will most probably try to pass on the effect of the carbon tax to customers.
“Customers in turn will oppose any attempts by a company to pass on its carbon costs. It is therefore important for businesses to understand the implications of their Scope 3 emissions,” he says.
Louw points out that the essence of the carbon tax means that from 1 January 2015 to 2020 there will be a basic tax-free threshold of 60%. The offset will be 5% to 10% for emission-intensive and trade-exposed industries.
The carbon tax rate will be R120 per tonne of CO2 increasing at 10% per year. There will be an updated policy paper by the end of March 2013 and an energy-efficiency tax incentive.
Carbon tax will therefore be R120 per tonne on 40% of emissions. This equates to R48 per tonne on the overall emissions (120 x 0,40 = 48,0). There are provisions in government’s budget announcements to offset part of these emissions.
For example, if a company offsets 10% of its total emissions (this is at R120 per tonne) it means that the overall tax liability comes down by R12 (120 x 0,10 = 12) giving a tax liability of R36 per tonne of CO2 emissions (R48 – R12 = R36).
The company will therefore stop paying the non-renewable levy at R35 and start paying the carbon tax at R36 – which are almost the same.
This takes care of the carbon tax on electricity, but the tax remains on other emissions, such as on diesel and the burning of coal. These emissions could still cost a company dearly, but special provisions are being built into the tax structure for these process emissions.
Revenues generated through the carbon tax will be recycled to fund an energy-efficiency savings tax incentive, and there will be a phasing out of the electricity levy as the carbon tax is phased in.
The non-renewable electricity levy is currently 3,5 cents per kWh. This equates to R35 per tonne of CO2 emissions which will be phased out when carbon tax is introduced.
“The latest announcement therefore achieves the object set out in the National Development Plan for the carbon tax to focus on minimising the impact on issues such as employment,” says Louw.
At the recent Champions of the Environment Foundation (CeF) conference on carbon emissions, the National Treasury shared some of the thinking behind the levying of the carbon tax.
In a supplied document, it stated that climate change is a serious global challenge that requires a concerted international response and national efforts to reduce excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Treasury believes there is an economic rationale for a carbon price.
Not only would companies with low abatement costs have an incentive to undertake further measures to avoid paying the tax, firms with high marginal abatement costs will tend to do less.
In addition, the environment is essentially a “public good”, it argues and so climate change and other negative effects of GHG emissions are paid for by the public. A tax could help to ensure that the emitter pays at least a portion of the costs.
This means that a carbon price could help to internalise a negative externality – because the external costs are integrated into the producers’ costs and consumer prices, creating incentives for changes in behaviour and the development of greener technologies, such as renewable energy, energy efficiency technologies, carbon capture and storage.
Treasury therefore believes that a tax set at an appropriate level and phased in over time would provide a strong price signal to both producers and consumers to change their behaviour over the medium- to long term.
Treasury also touched on the sensitive issue of revenue recycling in the form of tax shifting and earmarking. It believes that neither public finance theory nor good public finance practice support the full earmarking of specific revenue streams.
One reason for this is the risk of misallocation of public funds depending on the amount of money collected from a specific tax, with too much or too little funding going to a target area.
In addition, earmarking might impose undue constraints on government in a way that serves special interest groups, and the state should not allow special interests to capture public resources.
However, Treasury concedes that on-budget allocations, or the “soft”-earmarking of some revenues for specific (such as environmental or social) purposes, may be appropriate to promote public and political acceptance of the reform. Such arrangements should not undermine the normal budgetary process.
Some form of revenue recycling through tax shifting could be considered, it states.
Other options have been explored for reducing GHG emissions, Treasury states, but it determined that a carbon tax holds the most advantages, including:
* Participation and oversight of the tax by the existing revenue administration authority;
* Involving fewer players and therefore incurs lower costs;
* Minimising the opportunity for abuse and risk within the system, as it follows a much simpler structure; and
* Creating less of an administrative burden associated with creating an entirely new accounting scheme for carbon allowances.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line272
|
__label__cc
| 0.711931
| 0.288069
|
PREPARATION in MANAGEMENT may provide PRESERVATION in RETIREMENT
E-mail address: molinaa@stifel.com
Printed from: www.ammwealthadvisorygroup.com
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) does not require small businesses with fewer than 50 full-time employees to offer health insurance. Still, many would like to do so, in part to stay competitive in a tightening job market.
It is often difficult for small businesses to find affordable health coverage. For companies with 3 to 199 employees, the average annual premium for family coverage was $17,615 in 2017.1
In response to an executive order issued by the president, the U.S. Department of Labor is easing restrictions on association health plans (AHPs), which could make it easier for small employers and sole proprietors with shared interests to join forces and buy insurance as a group.
Association Health Plans
Under the new rule, AHPs will be permitted to serve employers in a city, county, state, or multistate metropolitan area regardless of industry, or in a particular industry nationwide. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that up to 4 million people could switch their coverage to AHP plans by 2023.2
An AHP may have more bargaining power and can spread risk among a larger pool of employees, which can help lower premiums. In addition, AHPs don’t have to meet ACA rules requiring coverage for all 10 essential health benefits (such as maternity, prescription drug coverage, hospitalization, and mental health care).
AHP plans must cover pre-existing conditions, however. They will also be subject to the same consumer and health-care anti-discrimination protections that apply to large businesses.
ACA-Compliant Plans
Small businesses with 1 to 50 employees can still purchase comprehensive small-group health insurance that meets ACA standards through the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP). Employers must have an office or worksite in a state to use that state’s SHOP and must offer coverage to all full-time employees. Businesses with fewer than 25 employees may receive a tax credit of up to 50% of premium costs for SHOP plans only.
Self-employed individuals and others without access to group health plans can buy individual coverage from state-based exchanges. Consumers can compare plans online, and families with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level may be eligible for tax credits that reduce premiums. (Subsidies are not available for AHP plans.) Information about ACA-compliant health plans for individuals and small businesses can be found at healthcare.gov.
1) 2017 Employer Health Benefits Survey, Kaiser Family Foundation
2) Congressional Budget Office, 2018
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line275
|
__label__wiki
| 0.625214
| 0.625214
|
Com microsoft wiki
Com microsoft wiki. Search Results for “wiki” 2019-04-12
Friday, April 12, 2019 12:17:19 PM Anthony
Home · Microsoft/cpprestsdk Wiki · GitHub
On February 12, 2009, Microsoft announced its intent to open a chain of Microsoft-branded retail stores, and on October 22, 2009, the first retail opened in , Arizona; the same day was officially released to the public. Archived from on 13 November 2014. If you need to switch your team project, choose the Azure DevOps logo to. Archived from on March 31, 2012. As you enter the names, the server queries to verify the existence of the user account or alias. All access to components is done through the of the interfaces. When Treasure Tags are attached to small valuables, such as keys or wallets, the Lumia device can show a map to help locate them.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations documentation
Instances of a component, if coded properly, could be pooled and reused by new calls to its initializing routine without unloading it from memory. If it is present, the loader adds information from it to the activation context. The company released the later that year, entering the market dominated by and. A device from 2010, Microsoft's first foray in mobile phone hardware With the acquisition of Nokia's devices and services division, Microsoft re-entered the smartphone market. Nokia announced that it would still release running the MeeGo platform in 2011, but that it would devote fewer resources to future development of the platform, and would phase out Symbian entirely.
Microsoft Teams Survival Guide
But it can create internal objects which may not be registered at all , and hand out references to interfaces to them, using its own private knowledge. The same month, Microsoft sold its Nokia feature phone business to , a Finnish startup backed by former Nokia executives. When you check out a wiki page, you ensure that others cannot make changes to the page while you edit it. Stakeholders can't create a wiki, as they have no permissions to work in Repos or Code. Boy Genius Report — India. In September 2011, Nokia announced it would cut another 3,500 jobs worldwide, including the closure of its factory in Romania, after having cut as many as 7,000 the previous April. Archived from on July 6, 2004.
Get Wiki
To edit or change hyperlinks, use the Format tab on the Link Tools contextual tab of the ribbon instead. The console, released in 2013 The , a motion-sensing input device made by Microsoft and designed as a , first introduced in November 2010, was upgraded for the 2013 release of the video game console. Other users cannot change the page or see your changes until you check it in. In 2017, Microsoft executive revealed that Microsoft had ceased the development of new Windows phones and new features for , citing the losses in market share and lack of app development. This nonprofit organization is focused on providing support for a new initiative called Software-Defined Networking.
Tag: Wiki
We cover Microsoft's software, hardware, history, organization, culture and much more. Live's 40,000-square-foot outdoor plaza would be known as Microsoft Square; and Club Nokia, a 2,300 seat venue in the Plaza, would also be renamed. In May 2016, Microsoft gutted its mobile business, selling the Nokia feature phone line and trademark rights to the Finnish startup , and announcing that it planned to cut up to 1,350 positions in Finland and focus on offering its productivity services on competing mobile platforms. Archived from on July 25, 2008. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
What is PowerApps?
. In Q2 2015, Lumia sold 10. Archived from on April 13, 2006. On a smaller scale, you can use a team site as a wiki to gather and share ideas quickly about a project. Meanwhile, you can submit the feedback via click Vote button on our site. Featured User Gboyers is the founder of the Microsoft Wiki. On 17 July 2014, it was reported that a major round of layoffs, totaling over 18,000 across the entire company, would occur at Microsoft over the following year.
In April 2018, Microsoft released the source code for under the to celebrate the program's 20th anniversary. This requires the use of proxies and stubs. United States government Main article: Microsoft provides information about reported bugs in their software to intelligence agencies of the United States government, prior to the public release of the fix. Your organization can use a wiki for a variety of uses. In 2016, the company bought the 32-acre campus, with plans to renovate and expand it by 25%. Because team members can edit wiki pages without any special editing tools, wikis are a good tool for sharing ideas and collecting information from several people.
Three days later, was launched. Archived from on April 10, 2010. The in-process invocation overhead is therefore comparable to virtual method calls in. Anyone with access to the team project, including , can view the wiki. Our rules can be found at.
In August 2018, Microsoft implemented a policy for all companies providing subcontractors to require 12 weeks of paid parental leave to each employee. The Publishing tab will not appear if the publishing features are not enabled at the site collection level. Professional developers can now … , Principal Program Manager, Tuesday, April 23, 2019 A quick note on two bite size features. A Microsoft spokesperson has stated that the corporation runs several programs that facilitate the sharing of such information with the U. Often, people create wiki placeholder links to pages that do not exist yet.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line278
|
__label__wiki
| 0.599828
| 0.599828
|
Photos in many of these galleries were probably taken between 2000 and 2006 when I first published them. They are taken from picture sites like Webshots, which was popular at the time. That was a while ago. I wonder what has happened to these people since then? I hope they graduated from college by now. If not, put down those red cups and hit the books boys!
These early galleries are nice collections of guys at the beach with their girlfriends, frat parties, jock get togethers, shirtless showing off, tailgate parties, in bars and more.
There's also an episode of "Desperate Housewives" where the short 6'1" actor Beau Mirchoff actually gets the girl. See, sometimes the short guys get the girl! (at least on TV).
BEAU MIRCHOFF ON "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES"
6'1" Actor Beau Mirchoff's character gets caught in an embarrassing situation on ABC's "Desperate Housewives." William Beau Mirchoff (born 1989) is an American-born Canadian actor, best known for starring as Danny Bolen on the sixth season of ABC's Desperate Housewives (2009–2010). He also appeared in films such as Scary Movie 4 and The Grudge 3. Beau Mirchoff currently portrays Matty McKibben in MTV's series Awkward.
More Swimmers
More Guys & Gals
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line279
|
__label__wiki
| 0.972908
| 0.972908
|
BIG DON'S BOYS BIG DON'S BOYS BIG DON'S BOYS
I looked but there are no funny comments associated with the number 22. The obscure 1970's TV show Room 222 proves this. Thank you Karen Valentine.
Some of these pics were anonymous photos buried in giant websites. But I've rescued these sideways, backwards, blurry, grainy guys and polished them for presentation in perpetuity on the pages of BigDonsBoys.com. Languages come and go, countries are forgotten but sexy photos live forever.
Photos in many of these galleries were probably taken between 2000 and 2006 when I first published them. They are taken from picture sites like Webshots, which was popular at the time.
Some of the heights of these men are known.
HANDSOME ACTOR THEO JAMES
6'1" (1.85m) Theo James talks about his role in the BBC America TV show "Golden Boy." He keeps his American accent going the whole time to keep in character.
James made his television debut in A Passionate Woman, starring opposite Billie Piper. He played Turkish diplomat Kemal Pamuk in an episode of the first season of Downton Abbey. James starred in Bedlam, playing the lead role of Jed Harper. He appeared in the 202 adaptation of John Braine's Room at the Top, playing Jack Wales. His film credits include You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Red Tails and The Domino Effect. James was cast in Stranger and Red Tails while still in his final year at drama school. His most notable role is of James, an obnoxious night club rep in The Inbetweeners Movie.
In 2010, James was chosen to play the character as David in the fourth installment of Underworld: Awakening, released in 2012. in 2012 he also appeared in ITV's Case Sensitive starring Olivia Williams and Darren Boyd. He was named a "Star of Tomorrow" in 2009 by industry magazine Screen International. It has been announced that he will play Four in the upcoming film Divergent (2014) Outside his acting career, James is a singer and guitarist with the London-based band Shere Khan.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line280
|
__label__wiki
| 0.826577
| 0.826577
|
Arizona DOC: Image is Job 1. Prisoners are expendable.
The Arizona State Legislature needs to be fired and most should be prosecuted for dereliction of duty, neglect of the civil rights of institutionalized persons, and anything else we can possibly convict them of. And ADC administrators. This year. I can think of a few judges to add to that list. They carelessly sentence people to prison, won't let our loved ones home a few months early, and are well aware of the hazardous conditions they've condemned them to. This is criminal.
How can Ryan seriously say they're doing enough for fire safety? This is BS. The unions should be up in arms, at least; what's their problem? Maybe since they aren't the ones locked in without the keys in case of fire, it's not as big a deal.
Where in the hell is the 9.5% of the state budget that we put into Corrections in this state going to, anyway? It's not to the prisoners - they have to pay for even toothpaste and toilet paper themselves. It's clearly not to the upkeep of facilities. And it's not to the employees - they've been getting cut and trimmed all over the place. I wonder how much money they've invested in covering all this up...surely employees and prisoners have complained plenty. Do they just file those grievances as solved, or dismiss them as unsubstantiated? What are they doing with grievances they don't feel like dealing with?
Good job, Arizona Republic. And Middle Ground. What now? I think this warrants a public campaign and a federal investigation on a number of counts. The feds are way behind in this state...
As for our legislators - Listen to Sinema. The legislature will take it's share of responsibility for this. There is no excuse. You let our people go early now; the prisons are far more dangerous to them than they are to the public. You may have gutted the rights of prisoners, but don't you mess with their families. They won't wait for you to kill their loved ones before they take you down. If you aren't proactive on the issues they've been bringing to you all this time, then you're complicit with those who would neglect and abuse the most vulnerable people in state custody.
That's twisted. I'll do everything I can to help them, their family members and their friends remove you from power. With you will go the top layer of the ADC - hopefully before they do too much more damage. The Republican-controlled legislature is the one continuous player through all of this. That's where the responsibility is to fix it, too. Rest assured, if you don't we will replace you promptly.
Fire risk mounts in Arizona prisons
Pleas for funds to fix safety problems ignored for years
by JJ Hensley and Casey Newton - Jan. 17, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
The potential for tragedy looms large at Arizona prisons, where each night more than 31,000 adult inmates and some 550 juveniles fall asleep in dangerous and deteriorating facilities.
For more than a decade, investigators have identified serious fire-safety issues at the state's prisons and juvenile correctional facilities. Fire-alarm systems are obsolete, broken or non-existent. Sprinklers and smoke-ventilation systems required by building codes have never been installed, even in rapidly deteriorating wooden structures used to house juveniles.
Where fire alarms are broken or non-existent, corrections officials employ 24-hour "fire watches" in which employees look for smoke as part of their duties. Intended to be used for a short time until systems could be repaired, fire watches in many facilities have endured for decades.
Today, every Arizona prison is on a perpetual fire watch.
Unsafe conditions put correctional officers, inmates and juvenile offenders in potentially lethal situations and leave taxpayers exposed to millions of dollars in liability should a fire claim lives.
Inspectors' reports paint nightmare scenarios of dorms silently filling up with smoke as juveniles sleep, staffers who can't unlock doors in time to evacuate inmates, and corrections officers who become trapped in their observation posts.
Twice in the past decade, the Department of Juvenile Corrections commissioned studies on how to eliminate unsafe conditions in its facilities. Over the past several years, corrections officials in both the juvenile and adult systems repeatedly requested millions in funding to bring the buildings up to code.
But lawmakers gave them nothing, even as they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars renovating their own buildings. Earlier this year, to save money, the state quit inspecting its buildings - even as many prisons deteriorate at an alarming rate, reports show.
While such rampant fire-safety risks linger, lawmakers want to privatize operations in at least some of the prisons to help close the state's massive deficit.
Last year, Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law Senate Bill 1028, which would allow private vendors to operate one or more of Arizona's state prisons, with a 50-year contract and an upfront payment of $100 million. Two prison facilities were purchased in sale-leaseback agreements last week, though in those cases, the state retains control of the properties.
As the state tries to sell some of its facilities, safety experts warn that prisons with faulty sprinklers and alarms pose a serious danger to occupants.
"You could potentially end up with a fire that might result in hundreds of fatalities," said Robert Solomon, manager for building and life-safety codes at the Boston-based National Fire Protection Association. "It's a lot cheaper to deal with this issue now and find the money wherever you can. If you don't do that and something happens down the road, it's going to cost you a lot more."
Vast system
More than 40,000 inmates are in the Arizona prison system. Of those, 9,000 are serving their time in private prisons. The rest are held in 10 state-operated prisons, where they are overseen by more than 8,000 correctional officers, medical personnel and other staff.
The sprawling complexes are like small towns, with some supporting more than 5,000 inmates and a host of facilities to prepare food, clean laundry and perform maintenance.
The complexes include Army-surplus tents in use since the early 1980s, trailers formerly used by crews that installed the Alaskan pipeline, corrugated steel Quonset huts that date from World War II, houses converted into dorms at Fort Grant and a building in Florence constructed in 1930, in addition to a smattering of more modern facilities.
Many of those structures, particularly the tents and trailers, were brought in as temporary housing to ease overcrowding. Because they were never intended for long-term use, many lack the fire-suppression systems that come with permanent facilities.
In general, the prisons have equipment to cope with the smaller types of fires that happen most frequently, and prison officials rely on nearby fire departments for larger blazes.
While deadly fires in American detention facilities are rare, they do happen. Since 1975, 127 people have died in fires at jails and prisons, according to the fire association.
Safety records
The Republic reviewed hundreds of pages of fire-safety records for the 10 state-run facilities dating back more than 20 years. They included reports from fire marshals, Department of Administration inspectors, the state's loss-prevention division and architects.
Most prison buildings have not been inspected by an outside agency in more than five years. Despite requests for records from the state's risk-management division on what liabilities exist, administrators could produce only one 6-year-old document urging that action be taken.
Arizona law requires state buildings to be inspected at various intervals by multiple agencies, including the state fire marshal, the Department of Administration and the agency responsible for the building. Concerns raised during those inspections are forwarded to the Department of Administration, which puts together a capital-needs proposal and submits it to lawmakers.
The law says agencies "should give priority to fire and life safety projects."
In its proposed capital-improvement plan for 2010, which included pleas for $12 million to improve fire safety, the Department of Administration noted that "properly working fire alarms are a basic and mandatory requirement for office buildings and are particularly important in a secure corrections environment."
The plea was ignored, a year after lawmakers awarded the department $491,000 to replace fire-alarm systems in buildings around the Capitol Mall.
In theory, the state fire marshal could revoke the occupancy permit for a prison or juvenile facility. But the office has never moved to do so.
Numerous violations
Fire safety in any facility involves several basic elements: reducing hazards, detecting smoke and fires, suppressing fires through sprinklers and fire extinguishers, and evacuating occupants.
Investigators have found violations of each of those basic safety tenets in Arizona prisons, and in many cases they have not been corrected.
Fire-marshal reports, state-commissioned studies and reviews from the Department of Administration detail deficiencies back to the late 1980s, though inconsistent record keeping makes it difficult to determine which issues have been resolved. In one report, the inspector noted: "This is a fire trap and should be corrected. ... You've got more guts than me sitting on this time bomb."
That report, on the Tucson prison, came from a fire marshal's inspection in April 1988 that found deficient or non-existent warning or suppression systems.
Another fire marshal, visiting the same facility more than 20 years later, noted that many of the deficiencies remained.
Fire-marshal reports on state prisons from 2003 to 2009 showed deficiencies in many areas:
Reducing hazards. An inspection of Arizona State Prison Complex-Eyman in Florence found flammable material placed next to a transformer in a storage room. At Catalina Mountain School, a juvenile detention facility in Tucson, dryer vents were found to be non-removable and choked with lint - a potential hazard.
Maintenance conditions were so bad in a Tucson medical unit, the in-floor plumbing channel that houses waste lines and an electrical conduit became backed up with sewage for an entire year.
Prison officials say that hazards can be fixed for little or no money (??? FIX THEM already then!!!), and they often address (repress) the issues as soon as they are identified. Gaps in records make this difficult to verify independently.
• Detecting fires. At Safford, Eyman and Tucson, more than 90 percent of smoke detectors don't function. Many of them are beyond their 20-year life expectancy; others have lost their ability to communicate with the prison's main control room and alert staff members to danger. An inspector at Stafford noted that fire-alarm pull boxes were not connected to any alarms and were "of decorative value only."
Investigators at Adobe and Black Canyon juvenile facilities found that dormitory doors were improperly ventilated, which could allow them to cause smoke-inhalation injuries or even death before enough smoke escaped the room to trigger a fire alarm. That issue has since been resolved by modifying the doors, said Laura Dillingham, a spokeswoman for the prison.
• Suppressing fires. In Tucson, fire sprinklers had been painted over. In Yuma, inspectors have found fire extinguishers that were expired; at Lewis, they found extinguishers that were overcharged.
In 2004, the state hired Arrington Watkins Architects to identify fire-safety issues at Catalina Mountain. The resulting report contained so many issues that the state's loss-prevention division recommended "extraordinary measures be taken by the agency to protect the lives of the detained youth and staff."
One of the recommended measures, which was subsequently ordered by the fire marshal, was installing a sprinkler system at the facility, which is built from wood. But sprinkler heads increase the risk of attempted suicide by hanging, Dillingham said in an interview.
Dillingham said staff members constantly circulate through the rooms where juveniles sleep, making it unlikely that a fire could break out and spread undetected. In November, a fire marshal wrote a letter to the Department of Juvenile Corrections saying Catalina Mountain could remain open without fire sprinklers only if it maintained high staffing ratios. Current ratios call for at least one youth corrections officer per 18 juveniles, though at certain times during the day the ratio is as high as one to five.
Staffing became more difficult earlier this month, when the department laid off 200 employees in response to a 7.5 percent budget cut.
The department has maintained the ratios by using supervisors to fill in for corrections officers, Dillingham said. But future cuts could bring staffing below the fire marshal's mandate.
• Evacuating buildings. At Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis, a 2005 report identified trouble with a building's roof hatch. If the hatch became obstructed in an emergency, there would be no escape route for officers stationed on the second floor or the roof.
The locks and control system at Catalina Mountain do not meet building codes. Some doors cannot be opened remotely, and many do not have an emergency-release function. The problem remains unresolved.
"They are life-safety issues, and we obviously need to be attentive to them and take corrective action,"
Charles Ryan, director of the Department of Corrections, said in an interview.
Prison officials say the stopgap efforts they've put in place, including placing corrections officers on fire watches, is effective enough to ensure inmates' safety given budget limitations.
"We take safety very seriously," Dillingham said. Officials at juvenile corrections are "extremely confident" their facilities could be evacuated in the event of a fire without anyone being injured.
To date, no one has died in an Arizona prison fire. Prisoners and their families can file lawsuits only if prisoners are actually harmed, making pre-emptive suits difficult.
But some prisoners have filed grievances with the Department of Corrections, according to Middle Ground, a Tempe-based prison-reform group.
Stephen Karban, an inmate at the state prison in Tucson, complained in a letter to the fire marshal that inmates in the Winchester Unit were being housed in meeting rooms where there were not sufficient exits.
"Please inform me how your agency, in good faith, can allow this potentially dangerous situation to continue uncorrected," Karban wrote.
In the event of a major fire, the state could be on the hook for millions of dollars in damages.
"Everyone will sue us," said Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. "And we will lose."
The liability varies from prison to prison depending on where inmates and staff are housed or stationed.
Maximum-security areas where movement is severely restricted are typically built of concrete and steel, leaving little flammable material aside from an inmate's belongings. Minimum-security areas are built from more-flammable materials, including canvas tents and wood-and-metal trailers, but those areas allow more freedom of movement so inmates could flee from potential harm.
Last month a fire broke out at Florence, in an area with nearly 700 inmates and 14 corrections officers, when an inmate was heating up a bag of beans with an immersion heater. The trailers are equipped with smoke detectors but no sprinklers. The inmates were able to get out of the trailer and alert staff, who put the fire out within seconds, said Director of Offender Operations Robert Patton.
The majority of prison fires are along those lines: easily extinguished blazes caused by carelessness or by inmates who intentionally set mattresses or some other material on fire.
Corrections officers can deal with most small fires themselves with fire extinguishers or sprinkler systems that douse flames confined to cells.
Department of Corrections said they do not track fires in their facilities.
In a three-year period, the Tucson Fire Department responded to 25 fires at the state prison in Tucson, among the worst in terms of working smoke detectors.
Phil Mele, the state's fire marshal, said it is a question of when - not if - a building will burn. But as long as property damage and injuries are kept to a minimum in the meantime, he said, replacing the warning systems is not a high priority.
"Am I comfortable having facilities that don't have fully operating systems? No," Mele said. "What's within my authority to do? It's within my authority to point out that they need to be corrected and need to be addressed, and it's up to others to do something with it."
Responses from the two unions representing corrections officers were mixed. Michael Duran of the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association said he had not heard any complaints from officers about fire-safety conditions, and Brenda Hewitt of the Arizona Corrections Association declined to comment, citing legal concerns.
Donna Hamm, executive director of Middle Ground, criticized the state for not acting to resolve fire-safety issues.
"It exposes the state of Arizona to monumental fiscal liability and, of course, incalculable human tragedy," Hamm said. "It's a travesty."
Since 2005, officials have requested more than $58 million from the Legislature to address chronic fire-prevention problems at the prisons. They asked for $12 million in 2010, hoping to repair fire alarms, install sprinklers and make other safety improvements.
"We make those requests year in, year out because the need is not going away," said Ryan, the Corrections Department director.
To date, their requests have been denied. Lawmakers say they that the state budget crisis prevents them from paying for renovations.
"We just don't have the money," said Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, a member of the Judiciary Committee.
Konopnicki said he is concerned about building conditions at state prisons and state facilities overall.
"It's a public-safety issue," he said. (stop sending "the public" to prison for everything if you can't keep us safe!)
In the late 1990s, the fire marshal cut staff and eliminated the position that allowed the agency to inspect prisons about once a year. "We went from having a dedicated person to 'the opportunity for inspection when available,' " Mele said.
In boom years that followed, legislators were more likely to put funds toward needs that were more popular than increasing protections for prisoners and corrections officers.
The prisons now have internal staff members responsible for inspections, and records indicate that fire marshals visit at least part of each complex every few years, though neither the Corrections Department nor the Fire Marshal's Office could produce evidence of inspection at Douglas or Eyman after 2002.
Fire-safety problems are part of an overall pattern of neglect at the prisons, where many buildings are no longer in use because of damage. Leaking roofs, broken floor tiles and sagging foundations have rendered many structures uninhabitable. Some residential units at the juvenile facilities don't have bathrooms, much less sprinklers.
Now, with Arizona facing its worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression, the prospects of fixing fire systems in the prisons are all but nil.
Future unknown
It's unclear how the prison system's myriad safety issues would affect the state's ability to privatize its prisons, transferring operational authority to a corporation.
A company could decline to bid on facilities with fire-safety issues. Or a company could ask the state to indemnify it against any lawsuits filed in the event of a fire. (don't let them. Don't you dare.)
Prison officials say that until the Legislature proceeds with a request for proposals, they don't know what a deal might look like. Corrections officials were to meet Dec. 17 with a legislative committee that would give them the authority to proceed with privatization. They planned to discuss a timeline for issuing a request for proposal.
Then Gov. Jan Brewer called a special session to deal with the state's budget crisis, and the meeting was canceled. It has not been rescheduled.
Posted by Prison Abolitionist at 11:55 AM
Labels: arizona department of corrections, arizona department of juvenile corrections, arizona state legislature, prison fire safety, prisoner rights, safety hazards
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line283
|
__label__wiki
| 0.67788
| 0.67788
|
Infrastructure & Services
Advanced computing: a tool within your reach
Storage and Data Security
History of Advanced Computing
Creating a data base of musical scores
Ichiro Fujinaga
Chair of the Music Technology Area of the Schulich School of Music at McGill University
le 9 July 2018
Ichiro Fujinaga likens his life’s work and goal to something he nicknames “Google Scores.”. Like Google Books, his project aims to establish a huge database of musical scores that will be freely accessible to anyone who uses the search engine. “What I’ve been working on for the last 30 years is optical music recognition,” says...
Silence, we’re flying!
Reducing noise: a public health issue When Professor Stéphane Moreau takes a plane, he’s not like the other passengers. On board, he becomes alert to all of the noises around him. It’s a natural reflex for the University of Sherbrooke Research Chair in Aeroacoustics who has chosen to make the noise produced by these flying...
The Search for New Catalysts: at the Heart of Green Chemistry
Marc-André Légaré
Département de chimie, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval
le 1 October 2015
Marc-André Légaré, who is finishing a Ph.D in chemistry at Université Laval, was one of the recipients of the Fonds de recherche du Québec’s Étudiants-chercheurs étoiles awards in October 2015. He received the award for an article published in the prestigious American publication Science regarding his research on metal-less catalysts. Complex molecular modelling computations are...
Maxime Descoteaux
Département d'informatique, Faculté des sciences, université Sherbrooke
le 1 March 2013
With Maxime Descoteaux, white matter takes on the colors of the rainbow and the brain becomes a sophisticated tangle of nerve fibers. He is the image wizard who reads in the diffusion of water to reveal the paths of our intellect, the mathematician who puts the pedal to the floor on the brain’s highways. Why...
Filtering the Stars Signals
le 17 January 2013
Victoria Kaspi looks at the stars, especially pulsars, which have densities far higher than any other stars. She wants to understand how such density affects matter and space-time, the fundamental principles of physics. What Are Pulsars? When a supergiant star has exhausted its nuclear fuel, there is no longer enough gas pressure produced to counter...
Molecular dynamics to fight infection
Patrick Lagüe
Department of biochemistry, microbiology and bio-informatic, University Laval
Mode of action of the protein truncated hemoglobin N in the infection process of tuberculosis bacteria Tuberculosis infects one-third of the world’s population. In the majority of the people infected, the immune system succeed to stop the progression of the disease by producing NO and reducing the concentration of O2 in the infected lesion....
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line287
|
__label__cc
| 0.701329
| 0.298671
|
Vol.1722018/11/30
“Video games continue to power through a growth curve, and consumer interest is showing no signs of deceleration,” says Michael Boreham, Senior Market Analyst at Futuresource Consulting. “There’s plenty of sun shining down on all gaming platforms, with revenue coming in from full game sales, downloaded content purchases and subscriptions alike.
“That’s all great news for the headset manufacturers, particularly with the emergence of online multiplayer games in the battle royale genre. These games have captured the imaginations of existing gamers, as well as introducing new consumers into the sector. Participants are entirely focused on cooperating with, challenging and communicating with other players, so if you don’t have a headset you’re not going to get very far.”
Social acceptance of gaming is also on the rise, leading to a general increase in the number of gamers in all world regions. Along with the widespread media coverage of the battle royale phenomenon, there is also a groundswell of interest in esports, both from a player and a spectator perspective.
“We’re seeing a proliferation of player and team sponsorship deals, which are placing headsets top of mind, providing yet another trigger for market growth,” says Boreham. “The segment is experiencing an expanding addressable market and increasing consumer awareness. On top of that, the average selling price has increased by 10% this year and will continue to rise across the forecast period, out to 2022.”
Drilling down into the regions, Europe and North America are the most lucrative markets, with a combined sales forecast that represents the lion’s share of the total global market. This domination will continue throughout the forecast period, with a slight reduction in total market share by 2022, as other regions gain more traction.
“The gaming headset landscape remains highly competitive, with a small number of players controlling the market,” says Boreham. “Between them, Logitech, Turtle Beach, Razer, HyperX, Plantronics and Sennheiser accounted for more than four in every five consumer headset sales worldwide last year.”
“Beyond the big six manufacturers, there’s a highly fragmented market with a range of players fighting it out on the fringes, polarised by low-cost brands catering to the mass market and premium priced models that target the audiophile niche. The scale, future growth potential and competitive landscape of the market will continue to vary from country to country, in terms of feature sets and distribution channels. For example, markets like the UK favour online retailers, whereas elsewhere online retail can account for as little as 20%. Gaining a foothold can be a tricky task, but savvy, switched-on vendors are leaning hard on market data to get the edge.”
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line294
|
__label__cc
| 0.507145
| 0.492855
|
Communication that Clicks!
About Bart Butler 2017-03-14T20:14:27+00:00
It Has To Resonate!
I’m always after communication that resonates. Words, images and design that speak to people’s hearts as well as their heads. Communication that hits a nerve … rings true … gets a response.
Let me find what resonates with your audience.
Business Communication with a Human Face
I try to put a human face on an organization, telling its story through the eyes of a customer who uses its services, an employee who delivers them, or a company leader who sets the tone. It’s a powerful way to communicate the personality and values of an organization, and build an organization’s culture.
Experience and results.
Successfully managing high-profile communication and change-management projects
Writing and producing content for the web, social media, video, company intranets, live meetings and media releases
Managing corporate communications as Wendy’s longtime Director of System Communications, and contributing to the company’s outstanding relationship with employees, franchisees and vendors
Collaborating with clients to discover new ways to reach audiences, grab their attention and gain their support
Providing exceptional client service
Some Things Leave a Mark
Employers, clients, schools and places that shaped how I approach communication.
At each stop, inspiring and influential people shared valuable life-lessons, skills and unique perspectives I continue to use every day.
Wendy’s enjoys an exceptional bond with its employees and franchisees. Our full-service communication team contributed to this positive, productive corporate culture. The videos, conventions, system-wide intranet and change management programs we produced helped keep this worldwide chain in sync.
As a communications consultant for Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest electric utility, I provided internal communications advice for several departments and created content for the company’s daily intranet publication, Inside APS — a primary communication vehicle for APS’s workforce of 9,000 people.
MxSecure
I served as a freelance marketing writer for MxSecure, a nationwide provider of electronic medical records software and transcription services to the health care industry. Projects include writing electronic media releases, white papers, website copy and customer profiles for marketing collateral.
Conducted interviews and wrote personal profiles for a Veterans Administration Healthcare regional annual report. Subjects included a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counselor on an Arizona Navajo reservation, a prosthetics technician and a nursing services manager focused on patient safety.
I wrote stories for PetSmart Charities about people and their adopted pets. Personal stories like these — promoted via social media — attracted more than 3 million visitors annually to the charity’s website. These projects also allowed me to hone my interviewing and story writing skills.
Longboard is a fast-growing, innovative company specializing in alternative mutual funds. I’ve profiled Longboard team members, and ghost-written blog posts explaining the company’s fresh approach to investing — and to running a company where smart, self-motivated people want to work.
WBNS-TV
News videographer and field producer for Columbus, Ohio’s number-one-ranked TV station and CBS affiliate, WBNS-TV. Working in news was a valuable training ground for learning to write simple, conversational copy, to tell a story effectively and to work against an absolutely firm deadline.
Ohio Governor
As video producer for Governor John Gilligan’s Office of Communication, I shot, field produced and edited TV news stories about innovative new state services. Because we designed the stories for local-station customization, they received extensive airplay in markets across Ohio and in bordering states.
I supported Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada by creating communication events from Halifax to Vancouver. Over several years, we introduced a new senior management team and new strategic plans, promoted the Wendy’s/Tim Hortons merger, and rolled out new operational procedures to ensure consistency.
I coordinated PR and internal coverage of Wendy’s 50th restaurant opening in Tokyo, featuring a visit from founder Dave Thomas and Wendy’s executive team. Working with Reuters and an AP photographer, we produced an event video and took photos that appeared in hundreds of newspapers around the world.
U. C. Berkeley
Earned a B.A. in Rhetoric, Cal’s version of a communications/speech degree. Berkeley provided a rich, rewarding experience and lifelong friends. But it was a challenging place where you pretty much NEVER felt like you were the smartest person in the room. That’s proved to be an important life-lesson.
Stanford’s Summer Inst. of Mass Communication provided a comprehensive look at the media’s influence on society, here and abroad. The program featured experts from a variety of media, and production workshops in radio, TV and film.
S.F. State
Graduate study in film and communication. Classes in writing, editing and film/video production techniques. Included an internship at San Francisco PBS station KQED-TV, working on a news and public affairs program. Living in San Francisco included exposure to the city’s diverse arts, music and cultural activities.
IABC Phoenix
IABC, the International Association of Business Communicators, has provided leadership opportunities and access to the best thinking and latest trends in business and employee communication. I’ve served on the Phoenix chapter board for 5 years, one of them as chapter president.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line305
|
__label__wiki
| 0.884255
| 0.884255
|
May. 05/2003 -There has been very little concern among the Dominican community in Toronto and it has been business as usual despite the outbreak of SARS which has already killed over 20 people there, Dominicans in Canada's largest city have told The Sun.
As of April 30th, a cumulative total of 5663 probable SARS cases with 372 deaths have been reported from 26 countries, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures. Of the 372 fatalities, 23 have occurred in Ontario, the province that contains Toronto.
The onset of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Toronto had led the WHO to issue an advisory against non-essential travel to the Canadian city of 2.5 million people. Since the advisory was lifted last Tuesday, SARS has claimed two more victims, including the youngest - a 39-year-old man who had previously been in hospital with symptoms of the disease.
However, the disease has done little to slow down Dominicans residing in the city with most pointing to the fact that only about six percent of SARS patients succumb to the disease, the vast majority of whom are elderly people with other ailments.
"It hasn't affected my daily routine. I haven't really heard of any major concerns (among Dominicans) and people are going about their business," said Chris Volney, a Dominican who has been living in Toronto since 1980.
"From my family's point of view, we have experienced none of that (SARS) and I know of no one who has," Volney told The Sun in a telephone interview.
"In terms of way of life, very little has changed. I take the train to work; I'm in the elevator with people. I'm coping fine," stated Frances Delsol who has been living in Canada since the mid-1970's. "In my office I haven't seen anybody sick. I don't know anybody who has been affected. It's business as usual."
Athenia Benjamin also takes the train to and from work daily. She said that she has tried to avoid holding on to the rails at the subway stations and that she has used clinical wipes a lot more since the outbreak of the mysterious disease.
In fact, if anything has changed since SARS, the Dominicans said, it would be the reinforcement of good hygiene.
"If I were to say anything that I do outside the ordinary, I wash my hands more now," said Delsol, who, like Benjamin, also spoke to the Sun in a telephone interview. "I wouldn't use a public phone at this time."
"The only thing I did differently was to wash my hands frequently. Every time I came off the train I would wash my hands," stressed Benjamin.
According to the WHO, the primary way that SARS is spread is by close personal contact with most cases involving people who cared for or lived with someone with SARS, or had direct contact with infectious material (for example, respiratory secretions) from a person who has SARS.
"Potential ways in which SARS can be spread include touching the skin of other people or objects that are contaminated with infectious droplets and then touching your eye(s), nose, or mouth. This can happen when someone who is sick with SARS coughs or sneezes droplets onto themselves, other people, or nearby surfaces," the WHO has said.
The Dominican community in Toronto is aware of this and people remain alert. However, they continue to congregate and socialize as normal, they all told the Sun.
Volney said he was not worried about sending his children, ages 10 and 13, to school; during the Easter celebrations Benjamin went to church and mingled, and shook friends' hands, and Delsol said she had not stopped socializing.
"I still go out to social events. Last weekend I was out. Tomorrow evening (Wednesday April 30th) we have an event, on Saturday (May 3rd) I'm going out," stressed Delsol.
And with the summer festival, Caribana around the corner, the Dominicans were adamant that SARS would not stop the July 18th to August 4th event which is in its 36th year.
This position was emphasized by Volney who told The Sun: "Caribana will go on full force and you know us West Indians we like to party. It will take more than SARS to stop Caribana."
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line307
|
__label__cc
| 0.694223
| 0.305777
|
Voter turnout in key 2014 Senate races.
Impact of Turnout on 2014 Results
Question: How important was voter participation in determining outcome of Senate races in 2014?
Discuss implications of turnout numbers regarding the strategy of Democrats distancing themselves from President Obama both in 2014 and in 2016.
I got information on total number of people who voted in 13 key Senate races from the Politico.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/election-results-2014-by-state-and-county-111632.html#CO
I chose Politico as the source because it included data on third-party candidates.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2012
My information source for the 2012 vote totals was Wikipedia. Wikipedia had one chart that included all states and all candidates.
Results: The chart below has information for 13 states on the total number of people who voted for President in 2012 and for Senate in 2014. The table also has information on the total and percentage change in the decline in total voters.
Total Number of People Voting in 2012 and in Key 2014 Senate Races
Total Voted in 2014
% Decline (with 2012 as base)
-1,301,880
The decline in the percent of people voting 2012 to 2014 ranged from 20.1 % in Kentucky to 43.5% in Virginia.
Implications: Most of the 2014 Democratic candidates deliberately distanced themselves from President Obama. The practical impact of this strategy was that there was no thoughtful discussion of some of the tough decisions that President Obama had to make regarding a broad range of issues – Ebola, ISIS, and the economy. Critics of the Administration dominated the airwaves. As a result, people who believe that change was necessary came out and voted and people who believe that world is a bit more complex stayed home.
I don’t display information in this post on what voters showed up at the polls and what voters stayed home. My sense is that that the 2014 result did not occur because people changed their mind about President Obama. Rather his supporters did not show up.
The enthusiasm gap may continue to grow if the Democrats coronate Hillary and the Republicans have a vigorous conversation leading up to the selection of a nominee. Also, I don’t believe that Hillary is capable of getting Obama supporters to the polls while continuing to distance herself from his views and achievements.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line308
|
__label__wiki
| 0.664116
| 0.664116
|
Home Tags Bus
Tag: bus
Dubai Attraction
Bluewaters, the latest island destination and home to Ain Dubai, is...
Since Ain Dubai, the world’s largest observation wheel, first made its appearance off the coast of Dubai Marina, it has captured the imagination of...
Dubai Creek: Diwali events, fireworks you shouldn’t miss in Dubai
journalist - November 5, 2018
Dubai is all set to sparkle this Diwali with a wide range of activities to celebrate the festival of lights. This week, residents and tourists will...
RTA constructs three footbridges, one with four-directional links at Dubai Marina
According to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,...
RTA’s Customers Council mulls upgrading public bus services
Roads and Transport Authority’s Customer Council has held its 95th Session for the first time at Al Rashidiya Bus Station in Dubai. Hordes of bus...
Revealed: the economic benefits of Dubai Metro by 2030
journalist - September 8, 2018
Accumulated economic benefits of Dubai Metro during its first seven years of operation reached AED66 billion ($18 billion) against AED41 billion in costs, according...
Plan to ensure smooth traffic flow during Eid holiday
The Events Security Committee at Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police has chalked out a plan for the traffic movement, and road...
Nearly 278m people use Dubai public transport in H1, says RTA
journalist - July 29, 2018
Nearly 278 million people used public transport in Dubai during the first six months of 2018, up from 275 million in the year earlier...
New bus route between Dubai & Sharjah at 30-minute headway time
journalist - June 30, 2018
The Public Transport Agency, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), had recently launched a new bus route between Dubai and Sharjah named (E311) to meet...
Dubai mulling more special bus-only lanes
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is studying the possibility of introducing dedicated bus lanes across Dubai to reduce commute time and traffic congestion,...
RTA lifts about 4 million riders during Eid Al-Fitr holidays 2018
Official sources at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai confirmed that the total ridership of public transport means and taxis of the...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line311
|
__label__wiki
| 0.98977
| 0.98977
|
Malawi's president launches re-election campaign
By AFP Apr 7, 2019 in World
Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika launched his Democratic Progressive Party’s manifesto and election campaign Sunday, ahead of next month’s elections where he will seek a second and final term in office.
Mutharika, who has been in power since 2014, will face tough opposition, including from his own deputy Saulos Chilima, at the May 21 election.
"This is the most important campaign since 1994 when Malawi attained multi-party democracy," Mutharika told over 5,000 supporters at the Kamuzu Institute of Youth in Lilongwe.
"This year we choose between going forward or going backwards."
His government has been dogged by several high-profile cases of corruption and nepotism.
Last November, Mutharika himself was forced to return a $200,000 donation from a businessman facing a corruption case in a $3-million contract to supply food to the Malawi police.
But on Sunday he told his supporters: "In 2014, we made promises and kept the promises.
"We are government that has done more in the last five years than any government has done in the history of Malawi.
"We are ready to take Malawi further from poverty to prosperity," he told the jubilant crowd.
And he held his hand out to the opposition, calling on them to "just come and join us so that we build together, because they are not presenting any new ideas".
- Rival contenders -
Mutharika, 78, defeated the incumbent Joyce Banda in the 2014 presidential elections. Next month, he faces three challengers, including his own Vice President Chilima.
Chilima, 48, quit Mutharika’s party to form the United Transformation Movement, while staying on as vice president. Under Malawi law, the president cannot fire the vice president.
The other two contenders are Lazarus Chakwera, head of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP); and Atupele Muluzi, health minister in Mutharika’s government.
Former baptist preacher Chakwera, 64, is running with the support of former president Banda.
Atupele Muluzi, 41, who launched his party’s manifesto in Lilongwe on Sunday, inherited the United Democratic Front from his father, Malawi's third president Bakili Muluzi.
The party entered into a parliamentary alliance with the president's party after Muluzi came fourth in the 2014 elections.
About half of Malawi's 18 million population live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank, and the country relies on foreign aid.
Food shortages, power outages and ballooning external debt have hurt Mutharika's popularity ahead of the vote.
More about Malawi, Politics, Poverty
Malawi Politics Poverty
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line314
|
__label__wiki
| 0.668715
| 0.668715
|
Cold melting and solid structures of dense lithium
The alkali metals, due to their simplicity, have attracted the attention of physicists and chemists alike for more than hundred years. They have been used by scientists to create the Bose-Einstein condensates and to develop the theory of the solid state. Undoubtedly, there are still more surprises to be discovered with the alkali metals.
Our investigation focuses on how light alkali (Na and Li) melt when their density is greatly increased. We have discovered an unprecedented pressure-induced drop in the sodium melting temperature from 1,000 K at 30 GPa (30,000 Atm) down to room temperature at 120 GPa (1.20 MAtm) [1] (see also Figure 7) – a highly unusual and contra-intuitive result. This study was inspired by the prediction that at very high pressures, currently un-attainable in laboratory, hydrogen will be metallic and liquid even at T=0 K, a novel quantum state of matter never observed before.
Fig. 7: Phase diagram of lithium (red) and sodium (blue). The lithium phase diagram indicates the various solid states and also the liquid state at 50 GPa (0.5 Mbar) and temperatures below 200 K.
Since the sodium atom is too heavy to be a quantum system, we have turned our attention to its lighter counterpart – lithium. At low pressure and very low temperatures, lithium forms rhombohedral crystals that, at higher pressures and temperatures, transform to face-centred cubic and then body-centred cubic crystals – all three among the simplest known crystal structures. However, what happens at very high pressures? In the past few years, intriguing deviations from simple metallic behaviour were observed, for example a metal to semiconductor-transition and even superconductivity at 17 K. In our study, we found even more surprises: above 60 GPa, lithium adopts three novel, complex crystal structures with 40, 88 and 24 atoms per unit cell that were not previously observed in any element (see Figure 7). The most complex structures with 40 and 88 atoms had never even been predicted theoretically. Interestingly, the samples in these phases were becoming progressively darker with pressure, indicating profound changes in their electronic structure. This prompted us to conduct a joint theoretical and experimental study in which we have shown that lithium is a semiconductor with a band-gap of 1 eV [2].
The melting of lithium under pressure also revealed some unexpected results. While the melting point of a material usually rises with pressure (besides Na), and even the lightest gaseous elements, hydrogen and helium, melt at 1000 K and 50 GPa, lithium remains liquid at this pressure down to temperatures as low as 190 K. This is by far the lowest melting temperature observed for any material at this pressure.
One of the possible explanations of the overall appearance of the lithium phase diagram, and particularly of the anomalously low melting temperatures, is that quantum effects are starting to play the dominant role at high compressions. However, further investigations, particularly theoretical calculations, are needed to clarify this. We also speculate that a ground metallic liquid state, which has been predicted but never observed for hydrogen and which should exhibit highly unusual properties, might be constructed on the basis of the lithium-rich compounds e.g. the combination of lithium with light gases such as hydrogen or helium.
C.L. Guillaume (a), E. Gregoryanz (a), O. Degtyareva (a), M.I. McMahon (a), M. Hanfland (b), S. Evans (b), M. Guthrie (c), S.V. Sinogeikin (d) and H-K. Mao (c,d), Nature Physics 7, 211-214 (2011).
(a) SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, and Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions, The University of Edinburgh (UK)
(b) ESRF
(c) Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington D.C. (USA)
(d) HPCAT, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Argonne (USA)
[1] Gregoryanz et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 185502 (2005).
[2] Marques et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 095502 (2011).
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line317
|
__label__cc
| 0.707738
| 0.292262
|
Congo, EU take stock of implementation of their forest governance Agreement
The Republic of Congo and the European Union (EU) have reviewed the implementation of their Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) aimed at promoting good forest governance. This Agreement is part of the EU initiative on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT).
The Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) of the VPA between the Republic of Congo and the EU met in Brazzaville on 7 and 8 June 2018. This eighth meeting of the JIC took stock of progress made since its last meeting held in December 2017.
Saskia de Lang, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Congo and Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy of Congo. Source: Delegation of the EU to Congo (Brazzaville)
The JIC discussed the deployment of the Computerised Legality Verification System (SIVL in French), a software for managing data related to the traceability and legality of wood products. With the support of the EU, Congo is the first country in the Congo Basin to be equipped with such a tool. The JIC adopted several recommendations related to the SIVL, including the decision to include measures to prepare forest companies for the use of the software in its deployment strategy. It also recommended strengthening the capacity of the public bodies in charge of the SIVL’s deployment.
Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy of Congo said that ‘this system will demonstrate that the logging of Congolese timber is carried out legally. We will now have all the information related to timber operations in our country.’
The two parties also reviewed the formalisation of the legality and traceability control procedures, including the manual for dealing with cases of non-compliance. The JIC noted that a revision of certain parts of the VPA is needed to be in line with changes in the forest legal framework.
On the Forest Law, the JIC adopted recommendations to strengthen stakeholder participation in improving the implementation of the Law.
The two sides also discussed capacity building of companies working in the forest sector, and the communication and information made public by the Directorate for Communication and Outreach of the Ministry of Forest Economy.
The JIC is made up of representatives of ten Congolese ministries, the EU, civil society and the private sector. It is an opportunity for an inclusive and transparent dialogue among all stakeholders, in line with the approach adopted by the Congolese Government and the EU under the VPA.
Following the discussions between the technical experts on 7 June, the recommendations formulated were validated and formally adopted during the formal session on 8 June, co-chaired by Minister Matondo and by Saskia de Lang, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Congo.
The ninth meeting of the JIC is scheduled to take place on 21 and 22 November 2018.
Aide-mémoire including the decisions and recommendations of the JIC at its eighth meeting.
news vpa republic of the congo forest governance jic
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line318
|
__label__cc
| 0.709002
| 0.290998
|
Attractions/ Featured/ Museums
Stonerose Interpretive Center and Fossil Site
Stonerose Interpretive Center’s world famous “rose” fossil.
Ancient impressions captured in stone….
Fifty million years ago, during the Eocene Epoch, the area now occupied by Republic, Washington lay beneath the waters of an ancient lake. As the lake bed filled with volcanic ash and sediment, leaves, flowers, fish, and insects were trapped in the layers of resulting mud.
Today the lake is gone, along with the unusual mix of topography and climate that produced plants and animals that haven’t been found together in any other location.
Located in an unassuming roadcut along Knob Hill Road, the Boot Hill Fossil Site* provides paleontologists and amateur fossil hunters alike the unprecedented opportunity of discovering world class examples of Eocene plant life such as leaves belonging to the rose family, birch family, maple family, and redwood family.
As with fishing and gambling, it’s possible you could go home empty handed, but it’s more likely you’ll find a number of beautiful, delicate fossil specimens that you’ll be proud to display in your home.
You may rent tools from the Interpretive Center, or bring your own. You’ll want a hammer (geologist or bricklayer variety), a thin chisel, and a container to hold the fossils you uncover.
Boot Hill Fossil Site Facilities
The on-site facilities consist of portable toilets and a shaded picnic table. You’ll be spending lots of time in the sun, so remember to bring a sun hat, suntan lotion, and water. If you have a pair of garden kneepads, you may want to bring them along.
See Stonerose’s official Web page.
The Stonerose Interpretive Center is located on North Kean Street in Republic, Washington, just across the street from the city park. The Boot Hill Fossil Site is a .2 miles walk or drive from the Interpretive Center.
Stonerose Interpretive Center
Catherine Brown, Director of the Stonerose Interpretive Center
15-1 N. Kean Street
www.stonerosefossil.org
Youtube video by FerryCountySunrise.com
Stories in Stone Read From Ancient Leaves, The Smithsonian, June 1999
See a full page photo of Stonerose’s Florissantia Quilchenensis in the June, 2002 issue of the National Geographic.
Burke Museum article about Stonerose.
Seattle Times article about Stonerose
FerryCounty.com wishes to thank Catherine Brown (and previously Lisa Barksdale) for granting us permission to take photographs inside the Stonerose Interpretive Center.
*The Boot Hill Fossil Site is owned by the Friends of Stonerose Fossils, a non-profit organization.
Stonerose Interpretive Center’s museum and gift shop.
Fossil hunters at Boothill Fossil site in Republic, WA. Site is administered by Stonerose Interpretive Center.
‹ Curlew Lake State Park › Ferry County Fair
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line321
|
__label__wiki
| 0.803694
| 0.803694
|
Posts Tagged ‘Auschwitz’
Simone Derix Shrouds Thyssen Guilt – Rechnitz Revisited II
The Thyssens have always avoided revealing the details of their Nazi past, relying on a mixture of denial, obfuscation and bribery. But with the publication of our book ‘The Thyssen Art Macabre’ in 2007 and revelations concerning the appalling Rechnitz massacre, this philosophy was becoming increasingly difficult to uphold. Finally they decided to recruit ten academics, via the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, to rewrite their personal, social, political and industrial past (a series called ‘Family – Enterprises – Public. Thyssen in the 20th Century’) in an attempt to burnish their reputation.
Sometimes this has been successful and sometimes not, as, despite their best laid plans, the books have often revealed more than the Thyssens might have liked, either directly or through the exposure of contradictions.
As the Thyssen-sponsored treatises have been published, we have reviewed each one in turn, in some considerable detail, and intend to do the same with their latest offering, ‘The Thyssens. Family and Fortune’ by Simone Derix. First, though, we want to examine the book’s one unique feature as, a whole decade after our revelations, the Fritz Thyssen Foundation has finally helped issue the first official Thyssen publication that contains a description of the dynasty’s involvement in Rechnitz life and in the ‘Rechnitz massacre’ of 24/25 March 1945 in particular – because this is a subject which we feel particularly passionate about.
Unfortunately, the Fritz Thyssen Foundation has chosen to allow Simone Derix to include the mere seven pages (of a 500-page book, derived from her habilitation thesis) in a manifesto that is as much a work of public relations on behalf of the Thyssens, as of Derix’s ambitious self-promotion within the ‘new’ field of ‘research into the wealthy’; the bottom line being that the Thyssens should be celebrated for their outstanding wealth, while they must be pitied for their victimisation at the hands of journalists, advisors, authorities, relatives, Bolshevists, National Socialists, etc., etc.
This makes Derix the kind of apologist of whom Ralph Giordano said that they will not tire of ‘turning victims into perpetrators and perpetrators into victims’. The fact that the Association of German Historians has seen fit to award Derix’s work the Carl-Erdmann-Prize (named after a genuine victim of Nazi persecution) is furthermore troubling.
Germany was a late developer in both its industrialisation and nationhood and emerged onto the international stage with an explosive energy that was to become catastrophic. While the extraordinarily hard-working, middle-class brothers August and Josef Thyssen created their family’s vast, late 19th century industrial fortune, August’s sons Fritz Thyssen and Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, influenced by their socially ambitious mother, turned their backs on bourgeois life and used their inherited wealth to ascend into a new-style, deeply reactionary landed gentry.
Derix describes how, in the early 20th century, far away from the original Thyssen base in the Ruhr, Fritz leased Rittergut Gleina near Naumburg/Saale, bought and sold Rittergut Götschendorf in Uckermark and bought Rittergut Neu Schlagsdorf near Schwerin, as well as Schloss Puchhof in Bavaria. Of course we already knew that Heinrich acquired, amongst others, the Landswerth horse racing stables near Vienna, the Erlenhof stud farm near Bad Homburg, with racing stables in Hoppegarten near Berlin, and the Rechnitz estate in Burgenland/Austria (formerly in Hungary).
Our research has shown that the brothers hunted at each other’s estates which discredits the spurious allegation repeated again and again by this academic series, including Derix, that Fritz and Heinrich Thyssen did not get on. A claim which is designed to obfuscate the synergies in the two men’s business dealings and particularly those benefitting the Nazi regime.
Both men adopted the behaviour of feudal overlords, enjoying the supplies of cheap and forced labour afforded their enterprises by the suppression of labour movements as well as armed international conflicts, which they fuelled with their factories’ weapons and munitions. The Thyssen brothers self-servingly meddled in politics, overtly (Fritz) or behind the scenes, through discrete diplomatic and society channels (Heinrich) – though the latter is denied vehemently by Derix and her academic associates.
Both Thyssen brothers helped bring about the eventual enthronement of the Nazis in 1933. Yet Simone Derix tries to reinvent them as the guiltlessly entrapped, illustrious captains of industry they never were in the first place.
By 1933 Heinrich’s daughter Margit (who had been born and had grown up at Rechnitz castle), corrupted by her ambitious father and anti-semitic mother, as well as her pseudo-pious Sacré Coeur education, had managed to elevate the family by marrying into Hungarian aristocracy (Ivan Batthyany) – as had Fritz Thyssen’s daughter Anita (Gabor Zichy).
On 8th April 1938, one week after the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza gave his Rechnitz estate, which had once been in the Batthyany family for centuries from 1527 to 1871, to Margit, according to our research apparently so that he, ensconced in his Swiss hide-away on the shores of Lake Lugano, would not be seen to own any property in the German Reich.
Simone Derix alleges this was instead done for tax reasons.
All his Ruhr factories being owned by Dutch financial instruments, the Swiss authorities, who until the turning point of the war in 1943 were pro-German but whose ultimate stance was one of political neutrality, were satisfied that Heinrich would not become a political problem to them.
Through his company Thyssensche Gas- und Wasserwerke (later Thyssengas), Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza discreetly continued to fund both Rechnitz castle and the Batthyany matrimony. During WWII, the Walsum coal mine belonging to Thyssengas in the Ruhr used forced labour to the tune of two thirds of its labour force; a record in German industry. In the Rechnitz area, some mining interests were being exploited by the Thyssengas company.
For centuries the huge Rechnitz castle, in whose courtyard, it was said, an entire husars regiment could perform its drill, had been the power centre of Rechnitz. How exactly did this situation develop after the Nazis took charge of the country? Where in Rechnitz did the party and its organisations install themselves?
Simone Derix does not furnish any answers to these important questions, despite pretending to do so, by help of much verbose flourish. Instead, she writes in a vague, evasive manner: ‘The Batthyanys got along by mutual agreement (they found a consensual livelihood) at Rechnitz Castle during World War Two with representatives of the Nazi party and the Nazi regime’.
In 1934, 170 Jews lived in Rechnitz. On 1st November 1938, a week before Reichs Crystal Night, Rechnitz was declared ‘free of Jews’, a situation that members of the Thyssen family would have welcomed (see here). But Simone Derix pointedly refuses to acknowledge the anti-semitism of key Thyssens and instead reserves this characteristic for marginal characters.
In the spring of 1939, according to Derix, Hans-Joachim Oldenburg, whose father was a senior engineer at Thyssen and who himself had worked on agricultural estates owned by the Thyssen family, was sent to Rechnitz Castle to take charge of its estate management, which was soon relying on forced labourers from all over Nazi-occupied Europe.
That summer, Franz Podezin arrived in Rechnitz as a civil servant of the Gestapo border post. He had been an SA-member since 1931 and later became SS-Hauptscharführer. He also became the leader of the Nazi party in Rechnitz.
Simone Derix comments that „both posts of Podezin were in different locations“, but fails to pinpoint them. Stefan Klemp of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre has written that the Rechnitz Gestapo was headquartered in Rechnitz castle all along. Either his statement is correct or Derix is right when she alleges that Podezin only came to take up offices in the castle in the autum of 1944 when he became Nazi party head of subsection I of section VI (Rechnitz) of the South-East Earth Wall building works.
By avoiding clarity on these points, Derix fudges the issue and contributes to the vindication of culprits – particularly of the Thyssens as owners, funders and residents of the castle.
The activities on this reinforced defense system designed to hold up the Red Army were coordinated by the organisation Todt (run by Armaments Minister Albert Speer), by the Wehrmacht major-general Wilhelm Weiss and, in the section in question, by the Gauleiter of Styria, to which Burgenland then belonged, Sigfried Uiberreither.
Locals as well as forced labourers from different nations were employed, whose treatment depended on their position within the racial hierarchies proclaimed by Nazi ideology. Bottom of the heap and therefore having to endure the worst conditions and abuses, were Slavs, Russians and nationals of the states of the Soviet Union. But none of them were as badly treated as the Jews.
How exactly did Margit Batthyany-Thyssen spend these 12 years of Nazi tyranny?
The Countess took on the mantle of her grand-mother and mother as ‘Queen of Rechnitz’, while continuing to travel widely within the Reich. Having inherited her father’s interest in horses, she monitored Thyssen horse breeding and racing in Bad Homburg near Frankfurt, Hoppegarten/Berlin and Vienna, frequented races in various European cities and collected trophies on behalf of her father, who no longer wished to be seen to be leaving his Ticino safehaven.
In 1942, their Erlenhof stud Ticino won the Austrian Derby in Vienna-Friedenau and the German Derby in Hamburg. In 1944, their Erlenhof stud Nordlicht achieved the same feats, though the German Derby was held in Berlin that year due to the allied bombing damage on Hamburg.
At these public gatherings, Margit Batthyany mixed with and was feted by Nazi officials, who looked up to her as a member of the highest-level Nazi-state elite. It is clear that for her the war presented no change in her privileged lifestyle.
Each such event would have been a very public expression of support and legitimisation of the Nazi regime on behalf of the Thyssen and Batthyany families, but any reference to this function is absent from Derix’s treatise.
Margit also travelled regularly to Switzerland during the war, where she met her brother Heini and her father Heinrich in either Lugano, Zurich, Davos or Flims. They clearly sanctioned her life-style. Again, this is not mentioned by Derix.
During her war-time life in Rechnitz, Margit Batthyany apparently had affairs with both Hans Joachim Oldenburg (confirmed by the Batthyany family) and Franz Podezin (as stated by a castle staff member and mentioned by Simone Derix) – thereby confirming details relayed to us by Heini Thyssen’s Hungarian lawyer, Josi Groh, many years ago. Members of the Thyssens’ staff would have been in an ideal position to witness such things, as they cleaned rooms, served breakfast in bed or procured items of daily life of a private nature.
Strangely, Simone Derix still feels the need to proclaim such details as being mere „speculations“, thereby intimating that they are applied artificially to shed an undeservedly bad light on a Thyssen.
The only reason why we highlighted Margit Batthyany’s particular sexual penchant, was because it symbolises so powerfully the Thyssens’ intimate relationship with the Nazi regime, which will take on a particularly poignant dimension in terms of the post-war Aufarbeitung of the Rechnitz war crimes.
Academics such as Simone Derix and Walter Manoschek in particular, as well as members of the Refugius commemoration association have been at great pains to exclaim that we have somehow damaged the historiography of this chapter by „decontextualising“ it into a tabloid „sex & crime“ saga. The only thing that is achieved by these misguided accusations is that once again the Thyssens and Batthyanys are shielded from having to accept their responsibilities which they have so far, apart from Sacha Batthyany, shirked.
By 1944, the Nazi dream was turning sour. In March, the German army occupied Hungary and installed a Sondereinsatzkommando under Adolf Eichmann who organised the deportation of its 825,000 Jews. By July, some 320,000 had been exterminated in the gas chambers at Auschwitz concentration camp and ca. 60,000 became forced labourers in Austria. In October, when the Hungarian fascists took over from the authoritarian Miklos Horthy, the 200,000 Budapest Jews were targeted.
According to Eva Schwarzmayer, ca. 35,000 Hungarian Jews were used for wood and trench works on building the South-East Earth Wall. Of these up to 6,000 would come to work on the Rechnitz section and be housed in four different camps: the castle cellars and store rooms, the so-called Schweizermeierhof near Kreuzstadl, a baracks camp named ‘Woodland’ or ‘South’, and the former synagogue. Meanwhile, the Nazi Volkssturm (last ditch territorial army) had been constituted of which Hans Joachim Oldenburg became a member.
None of this is mentioned by Simone Derix.
In early 1945, with the Western and Soviet armies closing in on Hitler’s Germany, so-called ‘end-phase crimes’ were committed as part of the Nazi policy of ‘scorched earth’. This involved both getting rid of any incriminating evidence, including camp inmates, and to strike equally at any members of the home-grown population expressing doubts that Germany could still win the war.
This attitude lasted beyond Germany’s capitulation when witnesses willing to destify against Nazi war criminals were silenced through political, conspiratorial murders, as would happen repeatedly in Rechnitz.
Now began the so-called ‘death marches’ evacuating Nazi victims from their prisons ahead of the advancing Allies, only to see many of them die or be killed en route by members of the SA, SS, Volkssturm, Hitler Youth, local police forces etc. guarding them, in the open, under the eyes of the general public.
All in all, at least 800 Jews seem to have been killed in Rechnitz in this last phase of the war. The so-called ‘Rechnitz Massacre’ of some 180 Jews during the night of 24/25 March is in fact only one of several murderous events. Simone Derix mentions briefly that ‘shootings on the castle estate were already evidenced before 24 March 1945’, but she does not give any details of those other Rechnitz massacres.
Annemarie Vitzthum of Rechnitz gave evidence, during the 1946/8 People’s Court proceeding, that in February 1945 eight hundred Jews had arrived in Rechnitz on foot and that Franz Podezin ‘welcomed’ the exhausted people by trampling around on them on his horse.
According to Austrian investigators, 220 Hungarian Jews were shot in Rechnitz at the beginning of March.
Franz Cserer of Rechnitz stated that around mid-March eight sick Jews had been brought from Schachendorf to Rechnitz and that Franz Podezin shot them dead near the Jewish cemetery.
Josef Mandel of Rechnitz gave evidence that on 17 or 19 March a transport of 800 Jews arrived in Rechnitz from Bozsok (Poschendorf). The survivor Paul Szomogyi gave evidence that on 26 March, 400 Jews from his group of forced labourers had been killed in Rechnitz.
But not a single mention is made by Derix of the sheer scale of these additional crimes.
Eleonore Lappin-Eppel writes: ‘Paul Karl Szomogyi was transferred from Köszeg to the Rechnitz section on 22 or 23 March together with 3-5,000 co-prisoners’. Otto Ickowitz reported that sick prisoners from a group coming from the Bucsu camp were murdered in a wood near Rechnitz.
Unbelievably, Simone Derix deals with this accelerating horror by using the following technocratic language: ‘During the last months of the war very different types of camp communities with their own specific experiences collided and amalgamated with the local structure of domination’.
It almost sounds like a line from the pen of Adolf Eichmann himself.
On the night of 24/25 March 1945, the people involved in the massacre and/or the party seem to have included: the Nazi party leader of the Oberwart district Eduard Nicka and other functionaries from the same party HQ, various Styrian SA-men, Franz Podezin, his secretary Hildegard Stadler, Hans-Joachim Oldenburg, the SS-member Ludwig Groll, the leader of subsection II of section VI of the South-East Earth Wall building works Josef Muralter, Stefan Beigelböck, Johann Paal (Transport), Franz Ostermann (Transport) and Hermann Schwarz (Transport).
Derix adds: ‘The alleged perpetrators were recruited from the circle of this party society, which Margit and Ivan Batthyany also formed part of’.
Margit Batthyany would later help the two main alleged perpetrators, Podezin and Oldenburg, flee and avoid prosecution. If she had had nothing to do with the Rechnitz massacre and had found the actions reprehensible, it seems logical that she would have helped bring about the just punishment of the people involved rather than help them evade justice.
Simone Derix seems intent on absolving the Thyssens, even going as far as conjuring up the possibility that Margit might have helped victims – withouth, however, furnishing any evidence.
During the post-war proceedings Josef Muralter was said to have organised the ‘comradeship evening’ of 24 March 1945 at Rechnitz castle. Various academics have placed great emphasis on this fact in order to show that Margit Batthyany was not in fact the hostess of the event, as we had stated.
But as long as there are no documents forthcoming proving that any Nazi Party organisation paid for the festivities (and Derix does not furnish any), the fact remains that it was Margit Batthyany who was the overall hostess, as it was her family who paid for the castle and anything happening within its walls and grounds, for which documentary evidence is available (see here).
Simone Derix acknowledges the central role played by the conglomerate of people based at the Batthyany-Thyssen castle in the terrible abuses taking place in Rechnitz during WWII. She even acknowledges that some people might feel that there is room for directing questions of moral and legal responsibility at its owners. But she never implicates the Thyssens and Batthyanys in any responsibility or guilt and instead intimates that they probably did not ‘see anything’.
It is the same kind of defence as used by Albert Speer, when he lied to Hugh Trevor-Roper saying that he did not know about the programme of the final solution, because it was ‘so difficult to know this secret, even if you were in the government’. It is a tactic designed to shield powerful individuals and blame the general public.
As in previous volumes of this series, it is the Thyssen managers that get apportioned the full responsibility and in this case this falls on Hans-Joachim Oldenburg. He is said to have ‘extended his authority to exert power vis-a-vis his employers’, to have ‘taken an active part in producing a national socialist Volksgemeinschaft’ and to have ‘acted in a racist and anti-Semitic manner’, though Derix once again produces not a single piece of evidence to prove any of her allegations.
If Margit Batthyany had had a problem with this kind of behaviour, it would have been easy for her to leave the location and settle in any European hotel for the duration of the war. But she did not. So one must assume that she agreed with the racial and political victimisations that took place. Derix, however, fails to draw this obvious conclusion.
Margit chose to be part of the Rechnitz regime of terror. Derix chooses to use the less negative sounding description of “Volksgemeinschaft” instead.
Only when the Russians finally drew close to Rechnitz did Margit Batthyany, together with Hans Joachim Oldenburg and some of her staff, flee the scene in private cars, thereby leaving everyone else in the lurch; as did Franz Podezin.
Emmerich Cserer of Rechnitz said that on 28 and 29 March big transports of several hundreds of forced labourers left Rechnitz. Josef Muralter stated that he left the castle on 29 March with 400 castle cellar inmates.
The people of Rechnitz had to endure the final confrontation with the Red Army, the burning down as part of the Nazi scorched-earth policy of their central, 600-year-old castle, the post-war criminal justice investigations and the stigmatisation of the town that continues to this day. A stigmatisation which is not, however, due to the case having been ‘scandalised’ by media reports including ours, but which developed because, based on the deviousness of the escapees, the crime(s) could never be properly investigated and punished.
The people of Rechnitz did their duty by giving much evidence to judge the perpetrators. Nonetheless they were later accused by academics and some media outlets of maintaining a silence on the issue. When we went to Rechnitz as english-speaking outsiders, people talked to us unprompted and freely about the matter. Especially the town historian, Josef Hotwagner, who was recommended to us by townspeople as their spokesman. They did not hide what had happened in any way.
Having fled Rechnitz, Simone Derix explains, Margit Batthyany installed herself in April 1945 in a house in Düns in Vorarlberg/Austria. During the summer she went ‘travelling’. What Derix does not say is that Margit Batthyany entered Switzerland for the first time after the war, without any apparent difficulties in July 1945. It is inconceivable that Swiss authorities would not have been aware of what had happened in Burgenland only a few months earlier.
According to Derix, from November onwards Batthyany was working for the French military government in Feldkirch/Austria, in other words, she managed to access the western allies’ administrative set-up, likely because of her family’s overall high-level contacts and because she could offer intelligence on a region which was now under Soviet occupation. Derix, however, does not give any explanations for this sudden ‘assignment’.
A year later, in July 1946, Margit is said to have visited her brother Stephan Thyssen-Bornemisza in Hanover. This was a man who had been a financially contributing member of the SS and involved in various industrial activities using forced labour for the German war effort throughout WWII, though he subsequently flatly denied this. Derix does not mention Stephan Thyssen’s pro-Nazi activities at this stage.
According to Derix, Margit Batthyany, financially dependent on her father as she was, moved into his Villa Favorita in Lugano in August 1946.
Our research revealed that in November 1946, Margit wrote to her sister Gaby Bentinck: ‘So as not to be obvious, I have agreed with O.(ldenburg), that he will first of all go to South America on his own for two years. I am expecting to receive visa for him, what do you say?’. This evidence was provided by us to Sacha Batthyany and used in his newspaper article (but not his book!). But Simone Derix ignores it and writes simply that Margit had ‘plans, in November 1946, to leave Europe’.
The fact that Margit Batthyany could at this point in time envisage a transfer of assets between countries and even continents shows again how privileged her situation was in comparison to that of the vast majority. She could certainly also rely on investments that the family had already made in South America before the war.
Meanwhile, in Burgenland in 1946 eighteen people were accused of having committed war crimes in Rechnitz, seven of whom were indicted in a Peoples’ Court, including, in absentia, Franz Podezin and Hans Joachim Oldenburg. But only two would receive sentences, which were eventually quashed in early 1950s Austrian amnesties. The proceedings took two whole years and in fact were only finally closed 20 years later in 1965 in Germany.
On 7 January 1947 Margit Batthyany was questioned for the first and last time in the matter by the Swiss cantonal police in Buchs (Swiss State Security File, entry C.2.16505). She never had to appear as a witness at the Austrian court, a fact that has been denounced on the information plaques of the Rechnitz memorial unveiled in 2012 (in the smaller English and Hungarian version only, not, for some reason, in the main German version).
Was Margit Batthyany-Thyssen ever summoned to appear in court? If not, why not? Did the neutrality of her host country Switzerland play a role in this failure? Or was the protection afforded her simply down to her highly advantageous social position?
Simone Derix alleges that the Countess ‘tried’ to give Oldenburg an alibi during her questioning. In reality she did give him an alibi by saying that he had not left the party at any time of the night. Sacha Batthyany’s conclusion in both his article and his subsequent book is more forceful: ‘She protects him, her lover, because Oldenburg has been seen by witnesses at the massacre’.
In the summer of 1948, as per our research, Margit wrote another letter to her sister Gaby Bentinck: ‘O.(ldenburg) has a fantastic offer to go to Argentina and join the biggest dairy farm. He will be there by August’. This evidence was once again provided by us and published by Sacha Batthyany, but is not mentioned by Simone Derix, who also failed to consult certain family archives in London.
On 13 August 1948, the court noted that according to a verbal message from the constabulary in Oberwart, both Franz Podezin and Hans-Joachim Oldenburg were living in Switzerland and intended to emigrate with Margit Batthyany to South America, thereby following her husband, who had already gone there. On 30 August 1948, Interpol Vienna informed the Lugano authorities by telegram:
‘There is the danger that (Podezin and Oldenburg) will flee to South America. Please arrest them’. The arrest warrants against the two evaders were published in the Swiss Police Gazette of 30.08.48, page 1643, art. 16965. But no arrests took place. All this has been investigated and published by Sacha Batthyany. Simone Derix fails to mention it.
Eleonore Lappin-Eppel summarises the 1946/8 proceedings thus: ‘Because of the flight of the two alleged ringleaders Podezin and Oldenburg the court had considerable difficulties in establishing the truth’.
Sacha Batthyany comments: ‘(Margit) helped the alleged mass murderer (Oldenburg), flee’.
But the line taken by Simone Derix is once again one of protecting Margit Batthyany-Thyssen when she says: ‘It remained unclear what role Margit had played when two main perpetrators were able to avoid an interrogation by the Austrian authorities and thus a possible punishment.’
Simone Derix also alleges that Franz Podezin was questioned in the matter. But this is untrue. Podezin was never once questioned about his alleged involvement in the Rechnitz massacre.
Thus Derix is not only clearly engaged in practices of exoneration on behalf of the Thyssen family, her publication is also lagging ‘behind’ in terms of the stage of advancement of research on this subject, as well as grossly inaccurate on a crucial point.
Margit Batthyany-Thyssen and her husband Ivan Batthyany did come to live between 1948 and 1954 on a farm they had bought in Uruguay. What became of Podezin’s and Oldenburg’s travel plans is less clear.
Simone Derix explains that by 1950 Hans Joachim Oldenburg was working on the Obringhoven agricultural estate, which was owned by Thyssengas, a fact that has never before been revealed. It is a rare, valuable new contribution to the Rechnitz case made by Derix.
This shows that the Thyssen family was happy to continue employing this farm manager, who had been indicted for war crimes in an Austrian court. The Thyssens thus provided Hans Joachim Oldenburg not only with a livelihood but as well, it seems, with protection from further investigation.
Yet Derix fails to comment critically on this important issue.
As far as Franz Podezin is concerned, according to Stefan Klemp of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, he had gone underground as an agent for the Western allies in East Germany. Apparently, he was arrested in the Soviet zone of occupation because of his activities for allied intelligence services and condemned to 25 years in prison, but released after 11 years and sent to Western Germany, where he came to live as an insurance salesman in Kiel.
In 1958, the Central Office of the County Judicial Administrations for the Clearing up of Nazi Crimes was instituted in Ludwigsburg. In 1963, it filed murder investigation proceedings against Franz Podezin and Hans Joachim Oldenburg. A letter dated 18.02.1963 makes clear that the prosecutor was aware that Podezin was so heavily incriminated that he needed to be arrested, yet he delayed proceedings. Oldenburg was questioned by the Central Office in Dortmund on 26.03.1963.
When police eventually moved in to arrest Podezin on 10 May, he had fled to Denmark. Kurt Griese, an ex SS-Hauptscharführer and now governmental criminal investigator, further blocked proceedings according to Klemp, making it possible for Podezin to travel to Switzerland, where he blackmailed Margit Batthyany-Thyssen into facilitating his flight to South Africa. There he worked for Hytec, a company associated with Thyssen AG, as Stefan Klemp established.
Sacha Batthyany writes: ‘Did Aunt Margit, nee Thyssen, help (Podezin) flee in the sixties and then also procured him the job in South Africa?’. But the topic is ignored by Simone Derix.
As the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported in addition to our 2007 article, although one of the German investigators reported to the Austrian Justice Ministry in 1963 that Margit Batthyany was suspected of having aided the two Rechnitz murderers flee, charges were never pressed against her. Why not? Derix does not mention this and thus furnishes no explanations.
According to Eva Holpfer, the proceedings against Hans Joachim Oldenburg were closed on the orders of the prosecutor on 21.09.1965 due to a lack of evidence.
By the 1960s Margit Batthyany was back at the Austrian Derby in Vienna collecting trophies on behalf of the winner Settebello whom she had bred. She also regularly returned to Rechnitz (where she died in 1989), especially for the hunting season, spreading largesse in the form of plots of land and other gifts to locals, as relayed to us by Rechnitz people and confirmed by Sacha Batthyany.
In 1970 Margit Batthyany-Thyssen was accorded the Swiss citizenship papers she had tried to obtain ever since the end of the war. The same year Horst Littmann of the German War Graves Commission began digs in Rechnitz but had to stop because permission from the Austrian Ministry of the Interior was not forthcoming.
In the 1980s, the anti-fascist Hans Anthofer initiated the first Rechnitz memorial for the Jewish victims. But in the early 1990s the Jewish cemetery in Rechnitz was still being defaced and according to Eva Schwarzmayer even during the memorial year of 2005 people in public positions still said that it was unsure whether the Kreuzstadl massacre had really happened.
Then, in 2012, the Rechnitz memorial became extended into a museum, which was opened by the Austrian President Heinz Fischer who assured the listeners that ‘everything will still be undertaken to find the bodies of the victims’.
The Refugius commemorative association has spoken of a ‘change of attitude’ that has taken place in Rechnitz. At the same time, they disparage on one of the museum’s information panels that ‘the active remembrance and commemoration work still does not meet with a general popular consensus’.
What is noticeable is that, contrary to their avowed intentions of wanting to establish the truth and honour the victims (see footnote), none of the Thyssens have actually ever manifestly taken part in the annual commemorations of the Rechnitz massacre.
The Office of the Burgenland County Government has told us that ‘The Thyssen respectively Batthyany Family do not play any role whatsoever in the remembrance culture and Aufarbeitung of the past of that area or of Austria as a whole’.
Why do they not?
Sacha Batthyany has reported that he got threatened by members of his family because of his attempts to clarify their history during the Nazi era.
As far as the people of Rechnitz are concerned, they are understandably fragmented on the issue and it would be very odd were it otherwise.
But with the Thyssens there is no such fragmentation. They seem unitedly unapologetic and non-participating. This is now presumably reinforced by their belief that the academics they commissioned have come to the conclusion that they are blameless.
The truth, however, is that they are not blameless and it is now high time for the Thyssens to express clearly which side of the fascist / anti-fascist dividing line they stand on.
Only if the Thyssens (and the Batthyanys as their local ‘representatives’) assume their position as role models can the commemoration culture of the Rechnitz massacre become consensual for the rest of the population.
By attending the next commemorative event in Rechnitz in late March 2018 – and being reported in the media to have done so – members of the Thyssen dynasty can make a truly public statement in this regard and meet their historical responsibility transparently and effectively.
After all the prevarications of the past, the informed public now expects these families finally to do their fair share in the matter of the Rechnitz Massacre and show REAL solidarity in the honouring of the dead and maimed of those catastrophic events.
Footnote: The following statements were made in the past:
1) Francesca Habsburg, nee Thyssen-Bornemisza on the German Television programme ‘Titel, Thesen, Temperamente’ in October 2007: ‘I support the idea that the family itself should work through those past events. The results of this research shall be accessible in a transparent and public manner’.
2) Batthyany Family official website: ‘Since learning about said events in the past few years we are deeply upset and moved…….Many questions have arisen for us. We do not know the answers……
….We hope that the memory of the victims will be cultivated more and more and their graves, which have remained undiscovered to this day, will one day be found.’
Margit Batthyany-Thyssen, daughter of Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, collecting prizes from National Socialist officials for the Thyssens’ winning horse at the Austrian Derby held in Vienna in 1942, thus legitimising the Nazi regime on behalf of both families (photo Menzendorf, Berlin; copyright Archive of David R L Litchfield)
Excerpt from the minutes of the board meetings of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Group held (1939-1944) in Lugano, Flims, Davos and Zurich in the presence of Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, Wilhelm Roelen, General Manager, and Heinrich Lübke, Manager of the August Thyssen Bank in Berlin. This page shows that the company belonging to Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, the father of Margit Batthyany-Thyssen, Thyssensche Gas- und Wasserwerke (Thyssengas) exploited mining interests near the seat of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Family Castle in Rechnitz / Burgenland (Austria) during the Second World War. (photo copyright Archiv David R L Litchfield)
All in all, at least 800 Jews seem to have been killed in Rechnitz (Austria), seat of the Thyssen-Bornemiszas’ castle and home to Margit Batthyany-Thyssen, in the last phase of the Second World War. The so-called “Rechnitz Massacre” during the night of 24/25 March 1945 is in fact only one of several such murderous events at this location at that time.
‘The Thyssens. Family and Fortune’ is volume 4 of the series ‘Family – Enterprises – Public. Thyssen in the 20th Century’ sponsored by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation of Cologne and published by Ferdinand Schöningh Verlag, Paderborn, Germany. Seven pages of the 500-page book are devoted to the Batthyany-Thyssens’ life in Rechnitz during World War Two and in particular their implication in the so-called “Rechnitz Massacre” (photo copyright Ferdinand Schöningh Verlag, Paderborn). This book is a short version of Derix’s habilitation thesis and will thus be accepted as fact by German academics, a qualification that we strongly object to.
Simone Derix, author of ‘The Thyssens. Family and Fortune’, one of ten German academics commissioned by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation with the rewriting of the Thyssens’ history, continues what appears to be a white-wash and extenuation (photo copyright Historisches Kolleg, Munich). The Historisches Kolleg, where Simone Derix presented her book, is also, by the way, an institution that is itself partly funded by…..the Fritz Thyssen Foundation (!)
The Kreuzstadl Memorial in Rechnitz to the Jewish victims of the second world war was extended and opened by the Austrian president in 2012. Large information panels include the information that Margit Batthyany never had to give evidence in court on the Rechnitz massacre of 24/25 March 1945. This was despite the fact that German investigators in 1963 reported to the Austrian Ministry of Justice that Margit Batthyany was suspected of having aided and abetted the flight of the two main alleged perpetrators of the crime, Franz Podezin and Joachim Oldenburg (photo copyright übersmeer blog)
The Austrian head of state who opened the Rechnitz memorial in 2012, Heinz Fischer, assured the public that the Republic of Austria continues in its attempts to locate the graves of the Jews murdered in Rechnitz in 1945. But various Austrian authorities and commemoration associations have also remarked that the commemoration process still does not enjoy a general consensus amongst the population and that the Thyssen and Batthyany families in particular seem to refrain from any kind of positive, pro-active participation in this process of Aufarbeitung and healing (photo copyright Infotronik Austria)
Each year at the end of March, a remembrance event takes place at the Rechnitz Kreuzstadl Memorial Museum, organised by the Refugius commemoration association. While the commemoration event was particularly welcomed and supported by the former Rechnitz mayor, Engelbert Kenyeri, and more and more inhabitants of Rechnitz attend the event, so far, not a single member of either the Thyssen or Batthyany families have participated publicly, despite their fervent statements of intentions made following our publication and the ensuing staging in various European cities of Elfriede Jelinek’s play ‘Rechnitz. The Exterminating Angel’ (photo copyright Infotronik Austria)
Tags: 'Gaby' Bentinck, active remembrance, Adolf Eichmann, agent, agricultural estates, Albert Speer, alibi, allied intelligence services, anti-fascist, anti-semitic, Armaments Minister, armed international conflicts, Association of German Historians, Aufarbeitung, Auschwitz, Austria, Austrian amnesties, Austrian authorities, Austrian Derby, Austrian Justice Ministry, Austrian President, Bad Homburg, Batthyany-Thyssen castle, Bavaria, Berlin, Bolshevists, Bozsok, Buchs, Bucsu camp, Budapest Jews, Burgenland, business dealings, Carl-Erdmann-Prize, castle cellar inmates, Central Office of the County Judicial Administrations for the Clearing up of Nazi Crimes, commemoration work, comradeship evening, concentration camp, conspiratorial murders, criminal justice investigations, Davos, death marches, Denmark, Dortmund, Düns, Dutch financial instruments, Eduard Nicka, Eleonore Lappin-Eppel, Emmerich Cserer, end-phase crimes, Erlenhof stud farm, Eva Holpfer, Eva Schwarzmayer, family archives, Family. Enterprises. Public. Thyssen in the 20th Century, fascist, Feldkirch, feudal overlords, final solution, financially contributing member of the SS, Flims, Forced Labour, Franz Cserer, Franz Ostermann, Franz Podezin, French military government, Fritz Thyssen, Fritz Thyssen Foundation, Gabor Zichy, gas chambers, Gauleiter of Styria, German Derby, German war effort, German War Graves Commission, Germany, Gestapo, guilt, Hamburg, Hanover, Hans Anthofer, Hans-Joachim Oldenburg, Heini Thyssen, Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, Heinz Fischer, Hermann Schwarz, high-level contacts, Hildegard Stadler, Hitler Youth, Hoppegarten, Horst Littmann, host country, Hugh Trevor-Roper, Hungarian aristocracy, Hungarian fascists, Hungary, hunting season, Hytec, industrialisation, intelligence, Interpol, investments, Ivan Batthyany, Jewish cemetery, Jews, Johann Paal, Josef Hotwagner, Josef Mandel, Josef Muralter, Josef Thyssen, Josi Groh, Kiel, Köszeg, Kreuzstadl, Kurt Griese, Lake Lugano, Landswerth horse racing stables, legitimisation of the Nazi regime, London, Ludwig Groll, Ludwigsburg, Lugano, Miklos Horthy, mining interests, moral and legal responsibility, munitions, murder investigation, museum, National Socialists, nationhood, Naumburg/Saale, Nazi Germany, Nazi ideology, Nazi Party, Nazi regime, Nazi-occupied Europe, Nazi-state elite, neutrality, Nordlicht, Oberwart, Obringhoven agricultural estate, Office of the Burgenland County Government, organisation Todt, Otto Ickowitz, Paul Szomogyi, people of Rechnitz, People's Court, popular consensus, Poschendorf, privileged lifestyle, prosecution, prosecutor, punishment, racing stables, racist, Ralph Giordano, reactionary landed gentry, Rechnitz, Rechnitz Castle, Rechnitz estate, Rechnitz Massacre, Rechnitz Memorial, Rechnitz war crimes, Red Army, Refugius commemoration association, regime of terror, Reichs Crystal Night, reinforced defense system, remembrance culture, research into the wealthy, Rittergut Gleina, Rittergut Götschendorf, Rittergut Neu Schlagsdorf, role models, Ruhr, Ruhr factories, Russians, SA-member, Sacha Batthyany, Sacre Coeur, Schachendorf, Schloss Puchhof, Schweizermeierhof, Schwerin, scorched earth, Settebello, sexual penchant, Sigfried Uiberreither, Simon Wiesenthal, Simone Derix, Slavs, social position, solidarity, Sondereinsatzkommando, South Africa, South America, South-East Earth Wall, Soviet occupation, Soviet Union, SS, SS-Hauptscharführer, Stefan Beigelböck, Stefan Klemp, Stephan Thyssen-Bornemisza, stigmatisation, suppression of labour movements, Swiss authorities, Swiss cantonal police, Swiss citizenship, Swiss Police Gazette, Swiss State Security File, Switzerland, synergies, tax reasons, The Thyssen Art Macabre, The Thyssens. Family and Fortune, Thyssen AG, Thyssen managers, Thyssengas, Thyssensche Gas- und Wasserwerke, Ticino safehaven, transfer of assets, truth, Uckermark, Uruguay, victimisation, Vienna, Villa Favorita, vindication of culprits, Volksgemeinschaft, Volkssturm, Vorarlberg, Walsum coal mine, Walter Manoschek, weapons, Wehrmacht, Wilhelm Weiss, witness, World War Two, Zurich
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line323
|
__label__wiki
| 0.526141
| 0.526141
|
Elizabeth Bourgeret
Author, Relational Coach and creator of the Leading With Love Series
Elizabeth's Books
Captive Heart
Daddy' Girl
A Detour Home
A Simple Wedding in Bakersfield
Love Begins With You
"One" is the debut poetry collection by Swedish author A.L.D Chalom. Her poetry has amassed a great following on various social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, where she started writing poetry under the name printpoetics (@printpoetics) - what she calls a "productive procrastination" while editing her first full length novel.
This collection is filled with never-seen material and so far unpublished poetry. The collection asks questions about how we live, learn, treat and interact with our environment, be it the people around us, the nature we live in, or the behaviors we come across in our society. This is a poetry collection for anyone who is ready to question how they rub off and what footprint they leave. But above all, this is a poetry collection for anyone willing to treasure and open their eyes to the uniqueness in every person and every place they touch.
Order your copy from Amazon by clicking here!
Meet Author- Cathy Tooley
Cathy S. Tooley is the President and CEO of Tools for Success. Cathy is an Author/Consultant/Trainer focusing on academic and professional trainings. She utilizes her strategies to learn and grow individuals, companies and schools. Additionally, the business offers an opportunity to hire an outstanding presenter and an exciting speaker to motivate, to educate, and to inspire any audience.
Cathy Tooley is a dynamic presenter, an intuitive educator, and
collaborative consultant, who knows how to deliver innovative content. Her consultations and presentations on a variety of topics impart practical information, humor and immediate results. Her presentations allow both individuals and companies to learn from themselves and from each other to maximize their results.
Cathy Tooley at her core is an educator. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Marian College (now University) and her Master’s degree from Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis. Cathy began her educational journey by teaching high school Spanish. Cathy has, in her thirty years in education, experience from the perspective of the teacher’s desk to the perspective of the principal’s chair. She is proud of all of the many “hats” she has worn throughout her career in education.
Cathy looks forward to sharing her Tools for Success with her audiences. She looks forward to the opportunity to share her life experiences, life lessons
and “tools” to life with you today.
Cathy has been married to Chuck for thirty years. She is the proud mother of three successful and loving children, Chelsea, Joshua and Jacob. She and her husband are proud of their accomplishments but even more proud of the people they are in this world and the contributions they are bringing to our world.
Find out more about Ms. Tooley by visiting her website:
www.cathytooley.com
A Shift Toward Abundance
By Millen Livis, Ms, MBA
Think & Live Wealthy!
Are you ready to empower yourself with a road map to wealth and freedom? If so, there’s no time like the present to get started! Believe it or not, your current financial situation is a direct reflection of your subconscious beliefs about money, wealth and most importantly—yourself. Simply put, believing is half the battle! Developing an abundance mindset and wealth creation know-how leads to long-lasting financial freedom. This book offers specific and practical guidelines for living a rich and free life. If you want to live a truly abundant life and discover the secrets to financial freedom, this book is for you!
Until March 31, 2016, Millen Livis is offering her eBook at the reduced price of 99c, which includes free bonus gifts valued at over $400. Don’t miss out, click here to grab it on Amazon now!
When Parenting Backfires
By Daniel Bates, LMHC, MAML
and David Simonsen, LMFT, PhD
Let’s be honest. Parenting is hard. From the moment children take their first breaths, parents are faced with decisions and choices that no manual could ever fully explain. And the way you parent is constantly changing: babies need protection, toddlers need direction, and teens need influence. We as parents are simply expected to do it and do it well.
From two therapists who have a combined 25 years of experience working with families comes a new kind of parenting book. This book doesn’t focus on technique, a discipline scheme or parenting style. This book focuses on the parent themselves, specifically the kind of thinking that makes parents effective or ineffective. In "When Parenting Backfires" examines 12 thinking errors commonly made by parents. In each chapter Dan and David:
• Explain the thinking error
• How it backfires
• What parents can do to correct the thinking error
• And real life examples of parents who have recognized their thinking error, made the correction, and improved their effectiveness.
Let this book do its work. Let down your guard and be open to the new ideas.
Order your copy from Amazon today by clicking here!
Badge Without Honor
By Emily Kendricks
Detective John Bocello wants nothing more than to settle down to a quiet, uncomplicated life after his messy divorce years earlier. But the former New York City police officer, because of his big-city homicide experience, is summoned to investigate a series of gruesome murders in the small town of Darlington, where the victims' bodies are mutilated post-mortem. In the midst of the investigation, John realizes that he has strong feelings for a beautiful young widow, the owner of a local diner, and he is anxious to wrap up his case and devote some time to taking their relationship to the next level. Then John stumbles upon horrifying evidence that reveals the killer's identity and his dreams of new love may die before he can get a spark lit. Can he stop the psycho before the beautiful widow becomes the next victim?
Order this exciting novel from Amazon by clicking here!
Confessions from a Recruiter
By David Janssen
A resume is usually the first-and typically, the only-tool a hiring manager uses to identify viable candidates, so it’s no wonder resume writing can be a stressful and frustrating task.
In this easy-to-use guidebook, author David Janssen, a recruiter with more than fifteen years’ experience, offers a straightforward approach to quality resume writing. In addition to drawing from his own experience, he surveyed over one hundred human resource professionals to discover precisely what they look for on a resume.
With a comprehensive questionnaire to help you effectively document your work experience, frequently asked questions, and sample cover letters and resumes, you’ll learn to create a resume that stands out from the rest.
Find out more by visiting the website!
www.confessionsfromarecruiter.com
The Renegade Queen
By Eva Flynn
The true story of the meteoric rise of Victoria Woodhull, a woman who was born into poverty and sold into marriage, only to become the first female stockbroker, a wealthy newspaper publisher, and a presidential candidate.
Available for purchase from Amazon by clicking here!
The Perpetual Paycheck
By Lori B. Rassas
Right now is the perfect time to be looking for a job
because there are more opportunities for employees than ever before.
That may seem hard to believe… but it’s true.
Few people recognize what’s happening in today’s job market. Even fewer people have the tools they need to access those rewards. Today’s workplace may be loyalty-free, but this environment can propel employees to assert their workplace independence and use this unprecedented flexibility to truly soar.
The Perpetual Paycheck is a nuts-and-bolts guide to navigating the loyalty-free workplace so that you not only survive, but thrive. Offering a contrarian approach backed up by actual current workplace experiences, author Lori Rassas provides practical, accessible job-finding secrets for those looking for a new job, those looking to solidify their current position, those looking to advance their position, and those looking to change careers or industries.
Order your copy from Amazon by clicking here!
Not Black and White
NOT BLACK AND WHITE: From the Very Windy City to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
A Political Thriller by G.A. Beller
In 1994, a freak traffic accident killed a family of six young children when their van was struck by a semi-trailer driven by a man unqualified to operate such a vehicle. The truck driver had bribed an employee of the Illinois Secretary of State's office in order to procure his commercial license.
The tragic accident, and resulting exposé of corruption and scandal that followed, forever changed the course of American history. It paved the way for the transfer of power to a Democratic gubernatorial candidate after decades of Republican dominance, and opened doors for one ambitious young attorney who aggressively plotted an accelerated rise to the White House.
NOT BLACK AND WHITE puts the reader inside the campaign offices and smoke-filled back rooms where political deals are made. Fiction is intertwined with fact as Beller introduces the reader to a cast of characters who may appear familiar to anyone who ever read a headline or watched cable news and talk shows across the country.
“Some of the people and dialogue may be fictitious, but the corruption known as the ‘Chicago Way’ is all too real,” said Dick Simpson, University of Illinois Chicago professor and co-author of Corrupt Illinois. “This novel provides an inside look on how the deals are made and the laws are broken. It is a must read for anyone who cares about politics and government.”
Others who received ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) were equally impressed with Beller’s debut novel and posted five star reviews on Amazon: “…an entertaining blend of fact and fiction,” “…this book grabbed me from the start,” “…kept me guessing at every turn,” “…absolutely could not put it down,” “…a lurid tale of power swaps and pay to play.” “…Mr. Beller hits a home run his first time at bat.”
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Beller, a self-professed political junkie who enjoyed a long and lucrative career in the investment industry before diving into his true passion of storytelling. “I’m extremely flattered by the words of praise.”
Order this book from Amazon by clicking here!
Meet Author- G.A.Beller
G. A. BELLER has completed his first novel NOT BLACK AND WHITE, which was released in November 2015. G. Anton Publishing in Chicago published the novel, which has received numerous five star reviews on Amazon.
G. A. Beller, a self-proclaimed political junkie, has been an executive in the investment business for over thirty-five years. His mentor, and one of his closest friends, upon one of their first meetings, saw his initials on his leather briefcase and nicknamed him GABE. The name has stuck since his early twenties.
For many years Beller desired to find the time to write his own stories and to inspire others to write as well. In 2013, he established GABE Advisors, LLC to invest in and encourage literary projects in creative collaboration with other aspiring authors.
He is currently co-authoring a second novel based upon the true story of a loving couple living in Southern California who see a television commercial soliciting sponsorship of needy children. The couple sponsors a young girl from India, and their decision leads to an unlikely story of love and a life-changing journey for all involved. The target publication date for this second novel is late 2016. This will be the first book to be published in the series known as DEFINING KARMA™
Mr. Beller has identified a third and fourth project. His goal is to write and publish a book every twelve to eighteen months.
Order Mr. Beller's debut five star book from Amazon!
TRUMP: The Man Who Would Be President
Get Ronald Redwood’s Kindle book ‘TRUMP: The Man Who Would Be President’ FREE on Amazon from March 9 to March 11
No matter what your opinion of Donald Trump, there is one thing that you absolutely cannot deny: he has captured the country’s attention.
Donald Trump represents an entirely different kind of presidential candidate and is a force unlike any other in modern politics. This has caused many to tune in to American politics for the first time in their lives and that alone can be considered a very good thing.
Meet the man on a mission, who looks destined to win the most important battle of his life. Get this entertaining, easy read on the tycoon who looks all set to become the next President of the most powerful country on this planet.
Disclaimer: Some of the views and opinions expressed in the Book Club are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of founder Elizabeth Bourgeret or her agency.
Disclaimer: Some of the views and opinions expressed in the Book Club are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of founder Elizabeth Bourgeret or her agency
Want to see your book here? Go to my Fiverr store and get signed up! I'll take care of the rest!
Copyright © 2013 Elizabeth Bourgeret | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Contact Me
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line326
|
__label__cc
| 0.658886
| 0.341114
|
Friends of Tennessee Libraries
Beginnings – By Julie Webb
Donate, Honor or Remember
Friends Of Tennessee Libraries, Inc.
Article I. Name and Objectives
Section 1. The name of this non-profit organization, organized and existing under the laws of the State of Tennessee shall be the Friends of Tennessee Libraries Inc., herein referred to as FOTL.
Section 2. The objective of FOTL shall be to encourage and promote existing and emerging libraries and Friends of Library groups of Tennessee.
Article II. Membership
Section 1. Membership categories shall be established by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Each membership shall have the right to one vote upon payment of annual dues.
Article III. Board of Directors
Section 1. There shall be a Board of Directors, herein referred to as the “Board,” that shall have the power and the authority to manage FOTL and to regulate and govern its affairs.
Section 2. The Board shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, the immediate Past-President and sixteen (16) Division Representatives, all serving a two-year term, and such terms shall be staggered.
Section 3. A Nominating Committee shall submit names of nominees for election at the Annual Meeting to replace Board members as required. Additional nominations can be made from the floor at the Annual Meeting. In cases of two or more nominees for the same office, voting shall be by secret written ballot. All nominees must have agreed in advance to serve.
Section 4. Vacancies on the Board shall be elected to complete the unexpired term by the Board at its next meeting.
Section 5. Board meetings shall be held at the call of the president or upon written request of five Board members. As provided under Tennessee Non-Profit Corporation Laws, any or all Board members may participate in any regular or special meeting through the use of any means of communication by which all members participating may simultaneously hear each other during the meeting.
Section 6. A quorum shall consist of a minimum of one-third (1/3), but no less than six (6) of the voting members in office.
Section 7. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Board, to consist of the President, President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary and Past President, with all the authority to act for the Board for necessary emergency matters in between regular board meetings.
Section 8. The President of the Tennessee Library Association and the Tennessee State Librarian, or their designees, shall serve as non- voting, ex officio members of the Board.
Section 9. All Board members shall be FOTL members in good standing.
Section 10. Board members shall attend all Board meetings and the Annual Meeting. If a Board member cannot attend, said Board member shall notify the Secretary prior to the scheduled meeting. If a Board member misses two consecutive meetings without notification to the Secretary, that member may be removed from the Board by a majority vote of the Board.
Section 11. Division Representatives shall be a total of sixteen (16) in number and represent the following regions:
The West Division shall consist of the counties of Benton, Carroll, Crockett, Chester, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, McNairy, Madison, Obion, Tipton and Weakley. The West Region shall have three (3) representatives.
The Middle Division shall consist of the counties of Bedford, Bledsoe, Cannon, Cheatham, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, Dekalb, Dickson, Fentress, Franklin, Giles, Grundy, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marion, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Moore, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Sequatchie, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, White, Williamson and Wilson. The Middle Region shall have five (5) representatives.
The East Division shall consist of the counties of Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Jefferson, Loudon, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Polk, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sevier, Sullivan,
Unicoi, Union and Washington. The East Region shall have four (4) representatives.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton Metro Division shall consist of the entire area within Hamilton County. It shall have one (1) representative.
The Knoxville-Knox County Metro Division shall consist of the entire area within Knox County. It shall have one (1) representative.
The Nashville-Davidson Metro Division shall consist of the entire area within Davidson County. It shall have one (1) representative.
The Memphis-Shelby Metro Division shall consist of the entire area within Shelby County. It shall have one (1) representative.
Section 1. The President shall: preside at all Board and Annual Meetings, shall appoint all committees except Nominating, serve ex-officio on all committees, authorize any special meetings, prepare agenda for all meetings and perform all duties of a presiding officer. President shall automatically succeed to the office of Past-President.
Section 2. The President-Elect shall: serve a two-year term with automatic succession to the office of President; preside when the President is unable to do so; plan and execute the FOTL annual membership meeting; coordinate Regional workshops; and perform such duties as the President may assign.
Section 3. The Treasurer shall: perform the usual duties of the office; maintain financial records of all business transactions of FOTL; present a financial report at each Board and membership meeting; and prepare the annual report for the IRS tax exemption and others as required.
Section 4. The Secretary shall: be responsible for keeping minutes of all board and annual meetings; distribute copies of minutes to all board members prior to fourteen (14) days of the meeting; keep a roll of members for each meeting and call roll when required; send announcements of board and annual meetings to all Board members prior to fourteen (14) days of the meeting; conduct correspondence when necessary; perform such duties as the Board may assign.
Section 5. The Past President shall serve as parliamentarian at all Board and Annual Meetings, serve as chairperson of the Nominating Committee and perform duties as assigned by the President.
Article V. Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees and Special Committees of FOTL and Special Committees of the Board shall be established by the Board. These committees shall be responsible to the Board, which will delegate such powers and functions to them as the Board finds desirable for the conduct of its business and for carrying out the objectives of FOTL.
Section 2. The Standing Committees shall be appointed by the President-Elect prior to term of presidency. The President is an ex officio member
of all committees except the Nominating Committee. The president may name and/or dissolve committees subject of the approval of the Board.
Section 3. No member may serve on any one committee in excess of six consecutive years unless specified in the By Laws or as requested by the Board.
Section 4. Each committee shall submit to the Board a written annual report of its activities which shall contain any recommendations considered necessary or advisable. Additional reports may be submitted at the option of a committee or as requested by the Board or the President.
Section 5. Standing Committees and Special Committees may establish subcommittees to assist in their work. Subcommittees may include nonmembers of FOTL.
Section 6. The Advisory Committee shall consist of all past presidents of FOTL if they wish to serve. The presiding President may appoint one (1) person to the committee during his/her term of office. The Advisory Committee shall be a permanent committee. A committee member must submit a written request to the Board to be removed from the committee. The presiding President shall appoint the committee chair.
Article VI. Meetings
Section 1. Regular annual meetings of the membership of FOTL shall be held. The Board shall set the time, date, and place. Notice of such meetings shall be sent to members 3 weeks prior to the date of the meeting shall include a tentative agenda. A quorum shall consist of at least 15 members.
Section 2. “Robert’s Rules of Order” shall govern parliamentary procedure.
Article VII. Dues
Section 1. Dues shall be determined by the Board and approved by a majority vote of the members present.
Section 2. Dues shall be payable annually in advance.
Article VIII. FOTL Office (when finances permit)
Section 1. The location of the FOTL Office shall be determined by the Board.
Section 2. The administrator shall be appointed by the Board and shall have duties as assigned by the Board.
Article IX. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year shall be from January 1 to December 31.
Article X. Amendments
Amendments to these bylaws shall be made at a meeting of the Board by a two- thirds majority with notice of such changes three weeks prior to the meeting when amendments will be presented to the Board.
Amended: 3/15/2013
4109 Forest Glen Drive
Knoxville, TN 37919
info@friendstnlibraries.org
FOCUS on revitalizing local groups and establishing new ones.
ONGOING communication through the FOTL newsletter, website and workshops.
TRAINING for improved local and state advocacy.
LINKING friends groups to improve public awareness of Tennessee libraries.
FOTL on Facebook
All content Copyright © 2019, Friends of Tennessee Libraries. This site is proudly hosted & designed by Slamdot.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line332
|
__label__cc
| 0.716235
| 0.283765
|
Destinations > Africa > Egypt > Cairo > Baron Heliopolis
Welcome to Baron Heliopolis
This hotel is situated in a peaceful location in Heliopolis, a suburb in the north east of Cairo. The hotel has wonderful views over the historic Baron Empain Palace. The centre of Cairo can be reached in about 15 minutes by car. The international airport and Cairo's conference centre are both about a 10-minute drive from the hotel. Numerous shopping facilities and entertainment venues can be reached in only 5 minutes.This city hotel comprises 126 rooms on 11 floors, including 14 suites. The inviting foyer houses a 24-hour reception desk and lifts. Further amenities include a newspaper stand, a hairdressing salon, and various other shops. Dining options include a café, a bar, and an air-conditioned restaurant. The hotel also has its own nightclub to keep guests entertained. Room and laundry services are also on offer. Younger guests may let off steam in the playground.The pleasant rooms all feature an en suite bathroom with a hairdryer, a direct dial telephone, satellite/ cable TV, a minibar/ fridge, ironing equipment, and individual air conditioning. The suites are more spacious. All rooms come with a balcony.Outside, there is a swimming pool, a poolside/snack bar, and sun loungers and parasols. The hotel additionally offers a sauna with a steam room and massage service. Guests may also enjoy a game of billiards.Guests can select their breakfast, lunch and dinner from a buffet. It is also possible to take dinner à la carte.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line338
|
__label__cc
| 0.551274
| 0.448726
|
Search IPCB:
ULTRA Search™
specific results
Biopiracy and Globalization: Indigenous Peoples Face a New Wave of Colonialism
By Debra Harry, Executive Director of the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism
Ms. Harry's comments for the International Forum on Globalization Teach-in held in New York City in February 2001 were based on her recent article published in the magazine Splice, January / April 2001 Volume 7 Issues 2 & 3 (http://www.geneticsforum.org.uk)
Historically there has been prolific scientific interest in the lifestyles, knowledge, cultures, histories, and worldviews of indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples are probably the most studied people in the world. Today, the genomics revolution is fueling a new wave of scientific research in the form of bioprospecting, and it is impacting the lives of indigenous peoples around the world. Like all other unwanted advances of colonization, the biotech industry has come knocking at our door.
Indigenous peoples worldwide are now at the forefront of a new wave of scientific investigation: the quest for monopoly control of genetic resources that will be useful in new pharmaceuticals, nutriceuticals, and other bio-engineered products. The genetic diversity that exists within the veins and territories of indigenous peoples is threatened by expropriation. These unique genetic resources, which have nurtured the lives of indigenous peoples for centuries, are sought by the biotechnology industry (both public and private). The industry seeks to identify genes associated with diseases, and for the creation of new bio-engineered plants and animals, pharmaceutical products, nutriceutical products, and other processes and products useful in genetic research.
In the area of human genetic research, genetic diversity research seems to be a high priority of many research agendas. Indigenous peoples currently are the subjects of evolutionary genetic research, pharmaco-genetic research, and the search for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or disease genes, to name a few. This work has seen extensive violations of human rights by researchers who fail to get fully informed consent from their research subjects, and who allow widespread secondary use, and/or commercialization, of human genetic samples without the consent of the donor.
And the, through the application of intellectual property rights law, namely patents, corporations can claim ownership over genes, products, and data derived from genetic resources, thereby enclosing genetic resources which were developed by nature or are the result of centuries of cultivation by indigenous farmers.
The current framework allows corporations to assert monopoly claims over life-forms they had no hand in Áinventing". This results in benefits to their shareholders at the expense of the society, and the peoples, from whom the resources were stolen.
Biocolonialism
Colonization is an age old process of theft and control facilitated by doctrines of conquest such as the Manifest Destiny and Terra Nullius, that claim the land as empty (except for the millions of aboriginals living there), and non-productive (in its natural state). And as the self-proclaimed "discoverers" of crops, medicinal plants, genetic resources, and traditional knowledge, these bioprospectors become the new "owners". Intellectual property rights are being used to turn nature and life processes into Áprivate propertyª. As private property, it is alienable; that is, it can be owned, bought and sold as a commodity. The result is a legitimized process for thievery, which we call "biocolonialism".
The quest for this "genetic gold" seems to be a significant motivation of many research projects. Indigenous communities are disadvantaged in this paradigm by being dependent solely on the researcher for information explaining the benefits and risks of the research. Often they are not informed that their DNA can be commercialized through patents and used in the development of new products. The profit motive in genetic research makes indigenous peoples highly vulnerable to exploitation.
Racism and human rights violations, attitudes of racism, dehumanization, and oppression result in a research paradigm that objectifies the subjects, and negates their full humanness. Indigenous people are not seen to be fully equal participants and partners in research. These attitudes justify actions that contravene standard ethical practices.
Indigenous peoples are finding themselves treated as objects of scientific curiosity, with very little regard for their needs, or concern about how the research may negatively impact them. With their eye on the prize, which is to collect blood samples, researchers often fail to get true informed consent, claiming the subjects cannot understand genetics, or the researchers collect biological samples under false circumstances. In some instances, coercion may be the best means for finding cooperative research subjects by offering medical attention, cash, or other token benefits. While the specific research purpose itself may seem benign, population-based genetic research invariably will be applied to the whole group. And, once biological samples have been secured, there is often widespread interest in those samples by other researchers. Scientists often share their collections with their colleagues, as a matter of course, or for a price. There are virtually no legal protections to invoke when ethical violations occur.
The Failure of ELSI to Reach Impacted Groups
The US earmarked 5% of its annual Human Genome Project (HGP) funds to address associated ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of the work. ELSI programs have failed miserably to help indigenous peoples prepare to address the issues raised by genomic research. Indigenous peoples are largely unaware of the scale and potential impacts of genetic research to their communities. Despite a decade of ESLI funding, the burden has fallen upon the tribes themselves to get a basic genetics education, and understand its potential impacts on their lives. In the meantime, the government has busily funded projects studying indigenous groups, without any meaningful consultation with the group.
Current bioethical protocols fail to address the unique conditions raised by population-based research, in particular with respect to unique processes for group decision-making and cultural worldviews. Genetic variation research is group research, but most ethical guidelines are not equipped to address group rights. In this context, one of the challenges of ethical research is to include respect for collective review and decision making, while also upholding the traditional model of individual rights.
Genetic Research and Tribal Protection Strategies
It has become evident that this new era of science and technology poses new challenges to the collective protection and management of genetic resources of indigenous peoples. Western intellectual property rights bear little resemblance to indigenous systems that usually focus on the protection and management of resources for the benefit of the collective group. One author describes the conflict succinctly:
"In particular, there is a very serious question whether the category Áproperty,ª or the historically contingent and individualistic notion of Ápropertyª that has arisen in the West, is even appropriate when discussing things like agricultural practices, cell lines, seed plasm, and oral narratives that belong to communities rather than individuals. If we are not capable of acknowledging the existence of different life-worlds and ways of envisioning human beings; relationship to the natural world in our intellectual property laws, then unfortunately, it may be late in the day for biodiversity and hopes for a genuinely multicultural world."
Indigenous groups are asserting their own rights to take proactive measures to protect themselves and their territories by controlling research. The "Indigenous Research Protection Act" (IRPA), recently developed by the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism (IPCB), helps tribal governments protect their people against unwanted research and when they believe the research may be beneficial the IRPA provides a framework to control the research agenda. This changes the paradigm from being treated as research subjects to being active partners with the power to make informed decisions and choices. It is believed that more tribal control of research is likely to result in more beneficial outcomes, and of the research actually meeting the needs of the people.
It is important to recognize that the majority of health problems are caused by economic, environmental, and social factors, not genetic. This means that public resources are being misdirected towards funding the biotech industry, and away from programs and services that would make a real difference in peoples health care. Tribal leaders are particularly concerned because public resources are diverted away from programs and services that would result in significant benefit to their communities.
The opposition by indigenous peoples to the wide range of genetic research activity, including the collection of their DNA, is founded on a critical analysis of the potentially negative impacts of the research. Given a historical experience of colonial oppression, indigenous peoples have little reason to trust either the biotechnology or the researchers that bring it forth. With amazing similarity, the voices of indigenous peoples worldwide have questioned the appropriateness of genetic engineering, denounced acts of biopiracy, and are asserting their rights to protect their communities and environments from the gene hunters. Their efforts, have in the past, and will in the future, demonstrate a living alternative to an era of globalization that seeks to monopolize and commodify all of lifeªs resources.
Debra Harry
Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism
Nixon, NV 89424
Email: ipcb@ipcb.org
Back to Other Articles Index
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line344
|
__label__wiki
| 0.535957
| 0.535957
|
Climate Change, Development & Aid, Environment, Global, Green Economy, Headlines, Natural Resources, TerraViva United Nations
Air Pollution Ranked as Biggest Environmental Threat to Human Health
By Emily Thampoe Reprint | | Print |
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 17 2019 (IPS) - In a world that is becoming more and more industrial by the day, air pollution appears to be on the rise.
While there have been efforts in major cities to combat the grave effects that pollution can have on the overall health of its citizens, there is still more progress to be made.
Karen Beck Pooley, a Professor of Practice of Political Science and the Director of Lehigh University’s Environmental Policy Design program, told IPS: “One thing that we’ve always known but we haven’t paid as much attention to until fairly recently is the degree to which people’s immediate environments affect their health.”
The importance of recognising air pollution as a prevalent problem was emphasised by the theme of the recent 2019 World Environment Day, with official celebrations held in this year’s host country, China.
Additionally, reports such as the one released recently in Sarajevo, and titled “Air Pollution and Human Health: The Case of the Western Balkans”, highlighted the adverse effects on the public.
Talking on the implications of air pollution, Catriona Brady, Head of the World Green Building Council’s Better Places for People campaign told IPS that, “air pollution is considered to be the biggest environmental threat to human health today”.
“Research shows that over 90% of people across the world are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution, which includes both the population in big cities and small communities. The effect this pollution has on citizen health is quite horrifying – studies suggest that almost every organ of the human body can be affected by toxic airborne particles, and this is resulting in an approximate 7 million premature deaths each year.”
Pooley notes that the actual planning of cities can have an impact on the amount of pollution produced, saying that, “The way we build our cities and the way people organise their lives in them, affect how much we need car travel or truck traffic. Or environmentally dirty things that we need like trash facilities and where these things are located and who’s living in the midst of the effects of those things.”
While there are positive plans, such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to phase out coal usage in his country by 2030 or Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta’s plan to ban single-use plastics from being used in the country’s national parks, there are also efforts being made on both smaller and larger scales worldwide.
Pooley observes that, ““At the moment, most of the environmental conservation work and attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and things of that nature are coming from cities.”
Brady says that her organisation, “has embarked on a global ‘Air Quality in Built Environment’ campaign, in partnership with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.
“With this work we’ve been raising awareness about the role of buildings and cities in generating emissions and air pollution, both inside and outside of buildings, and highlighting strategies that can be valuable to mitigate these. Step one is monitoring – as we can’t reduce what we can’t measure.”
She also said: “We’re advocating for the roll out of air quality monitors to provide detailed data on emissions across the world. With this data we’re equipped with the necessary information to lobby our policy makers to make changes needed to clean up our energy grid, buildings, and air quality.”
Pooley states that citizens can make small changes that will be helpful as well. “Cutting down on car travel can be a big help, because so much pollution comes from cars. So, the more places that are walkable and bikeable and the more trips that are made by something other than cars, the less pollution we’ll have.”
Day to day actions can be quite helpful but having policies put in place may also help deter the harmful effects that poor air quality is having on the lives of those who inhabit such areas.
Brady suggests something similar, while also maintaining that citizen action is important. Policy initiatives – such as the recent London Ultra Low Emission Zone – can help catalyse action towards clean air.
Policy enforcement around energy generation, building energy efficiency, construction practices, transport, waste and many other factors are vital to preserve citizen health.
“But the role of the citizen is also important; reducing the emissions from our lifestyle in terms of energy consumption and choices, diet, and transport methods are all achievable for the individual,” said Brady.
“And if you’re worried about being exposed to pollution by cycling or walking to work, then it’s worth knowing that you’re generally exposed to far higher levels of pollutants in a car in traffic or in an underground system!”
With world leaders proposing plans to help deter ruinous environmental effects and with cities implementing new policies to help out, it is clear that progress is being made in helping to create cleaner environments to live in.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line347
|
__label__wiki
| 0.95487
| 0.95487
|
Inaugural Wolfson Colloquium a fitting tribute to the Foundation
Showing appreciation: (From left) Dr Max Price, Prof Marian Jacobs and Baron Peter Piot at the first Wolfson Memorial Colloquium.
The Wolfson Memorial Colloquium, held for the first time on 4 September, is set to become a regular fixture on the UCT events calendar.
The colloquium is in acknowledgement of the generous contributions by Lord Wolfson of Marylebone and the Wolfson Foundation to the university, and was appropriately held in the Wolfson Pavilion that is now home to the Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IIDMM) on the university's medical campus. The Pavilion was built with funds donated by the foundation, whose contributions to the university over the years have amounted to over £2 million (R24 million).
The theme of the colloquium, Generating Knowledge against Poverty, was chosen to align with that of UCT's Carnegie conference, Strategies to Overcome Poverty and Inequality: Towards Carnegie 3, which ran concurrently. Speakers at the multi-disciplinary colloquium were chosen to cover a range of health areas relevant to people living in poverty. They included Professor Valerie Mizrahi, director of the IIDMM; Professor Kelly Chibale, director of the Drug Discovery and Development Centre; and Professor Di McIntyre of the Health Economics Unit.
"All of the speakers are researchers whose teams are conducting cutting-edge research with a focus on reducing the burden of diseases associated with poverty," said Professor Marian Jacobs, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, who together with Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price hosted the event.
The keynote address was delivered by Baron Peter Piot, Professor of Global Health at and director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, whose topic was A New Agenda for Global Health.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line349
|
__label__wiki
| 0.864494
| 0.864494
|
IAR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Dylan McDermott Talks 'Olympus Has Fallen' and His Overall Career
Wednesday, 27 March 2013 15:20 Written by Jami Philbrick
Dylan McDermott has a career that most actors would kill for having appeared on several successful television series and films over the better part of the last twenty-five years.
The actor first gained notoriety for appearing in such popular movies as In the Line of Fire with Clint Eastwood, Steel Magnolias opposite Julia Roberts, and Home for the Holidays directed by Jodi Foster. But it was his role as Bobby Donnell on the long-running series The Practice that made him a household name. Recently he has appeared in a string of successful films including The Campaign, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, not to mention the hit television series American Horror Story: Murder House, and it’s follow up season American Horror Story: Asylum. Now, McDermott can be seen once again on the big screen playing a pivotal role in the new action film Olympus Has Fallen, which is currently playing in theaters.
The new movie, which was directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), can best be described as “Die Hard in the White House.” The film centers on disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning (Gerrard Butler) who finds himself trapped inside the White House in the wake of a terrorist attack. Using his inside knowledge, Banning works with the head of the secret service (Angela Bassett) and the Speaker of the House (Morgan Freeman) to rescue the President (Aaron Eckhart) from his kidnappers. McDermott plays Dave Forbes, a former Secret Service agent now working in the private sector guarding the prime minister of South Korea who may not be as patriotic as he seems.
ATTENTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!!! So if you haven’t seen the film yet and you plan to, you may want to be careful reading the rest of this article.
I recently had a chance to sit down with Dylan McDermott to talk about his work on Olympus Has Fallen, as well as his overall career. The veteran actor discussed the new movie; it’s similarities to Die Hard, why he wanted to be in the film, its amazing cast of actors, the incredible set, training with the Secret Service for In the Line of Fire, working with Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart, why America likes their President to be a hero, collaborating with director Antoine Fuqua, his character’s ambiguity, how the film touches on real life issues, and which projects in his impressive career he is personally proud of the most.
Here is what he had to say:
IAR: To begin with, your role in Olympus Has Fallen kind of reminded me of a classic movie about the Secret Service saving the President called In the Line of Fire. I believe that was one of your first films, did taking this role feel like coming full circle for you in your career?
Dylan McDermott: Yes, absolutely. That's one of the reasons I wanted to do this because I thought it was kind of fun to go back and revisit the Secret Service thing after being away for so many years. Have it as sort of bookends to my career. Also, obviously working with Antoine (Fuqua) for the first time, but just the idea of the Secret Service was something that intrigued me.
I imagine you did a lot of research into the Secret Service twenty years ago for In the Line of Fire, did you feel like you had to do more research now for this role and has how they operate changed over the years?
McDermott: We had a consultant on Olympus Has Fallen and he really handled most of that. But I had done so much research on In the Line of Fire. I was on detail protecting Hilary Clinton at the time. I wasn't up at the front or anything, but I was there. So I had done a lot of research in my life by the time I made this movie and that was all in my body.
I'm sure by now you've heard Olympus Has Fallen described as “Die Hard in the White House,” was that a reference that was talked about on set?
McDermott: I had heard that before. That was kind of like the selling point. I'm trying to make different movies so obviously The Campaign, which was a comedy, and Olympus is action movie, and even my work on American Horror Story. So you know, I’m just trying to mix it up as much as possible, create new characters and just keep showing up in the right movies with the right actors, and great directors.
Speaking of the actors, you’ve got an amazing cast in this film and I know you don't necessarily work with all of them but it must have been a big draw for you when you heard that Morgan Freeman, Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Angela Bassett and Melissa Leo, among others would be in this film?
McDermott: It's ridiculous. Everybody in this movie is great and it's rare when that happens. The cast that was assembled for this is Triple-A. So of course that's very attractive.
As you know, in Hollywood when there is a good idea everyone tries to take advantage of it. So it should be no surprise that there is another “Die Hard in the White House” type movie coming out later this year. I had a chance to visit Antoine on the mixing stage a few months ago and he talked about the pressure to get this movie out first. As an actor, did you feel that pressure and perhaps a sense of urgency while you were shooting?
McDermott: I did, yeah. We always felt that there was a sense of urgency on this movie. We finished in August and here it is coming out. So the turn-around was really, really fast.
Did that affect you as an actor on set?
McDermott: It did, but I think for this movie it worked because we were all feeling the push to get it done, but the movie is so filled with action that it only helped us.
What is it do you think that really attracts audience to the “Die Hard type” film and the idea of one hero going against an unbeatable army of bad guys to save the day?
McDermott: I suppose it's a western. I guess the western is sort of outdated in a way but it's a modern day western. I still think there's the Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood model of movies in general, with the focus on the one man who's going to do it all. I think we're all still searching for our hero and movies provide that for us.
Recently, your co-stars, Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, and Angela Basset were on Hardball With Chris Matthews promoting the film, and I thought Matthews asked a very interesting question that I’m going to steal. He said that no matter what your political leanings are, that as Americans there is something we love about seeing the President depicted as a hero in film and on television. He continued by asking your co-stars what is it about that political position that makes us as Americans root for him in fictional drama. Do you agree with that statement and what do you think the answer is?
McDermott: Again, it's one man. I think that we're kind of hard wired to believe in that somewhere. I think that Hollywood has kind of trained us to believe in one man can make a difference. Maybe they have the answers? I think there have been great leaders that have done that. Ghandi has done it, Martin Luther King did it, and I think that we're always searching for someone to teach us, to train us and to help us kind of find our way in this world. Maybe that’s what it comes down to, something echoes back to … maybe it’s Biblical, I don’t even know.
Aaron Eckhart makes a great cinematic President, obviously your scenes with him are a little intense but tell me about working together?
McDermott: Yes, they are very intense. Our scenes were definitely intense and Antoine was able to let me to improvise a lot of my stuff. Aaron wanted to be ruffed up and he wanted to really have it be very real, so I was happy to oblige. We were all trying to make a very real movie.
Without giving too much away, you have a very “Die Hard type” scene with Gerard Butler. He is so good in this movie; can you talk about acting opposite him?
McDermott: We had a big fight scene, and it was choreographed. It was a huge night and I think we took the whole night to shoot it. It was real, and dark, and it was emotional. I think there was some redemption certainly from my character at the end, which was so nice because he wasn’t just bad. He was turned grey certainly at the end, which I thought was really cool.
Again, without giving too much away about the plot, was it important for you as an actor to find the grey in your character and not play him too one-dimensional?
McDermott: I think so because people are grey. There are too many people in prison. They all have their own story, why they did it; their justification, and I certainly think my character has some justified reasons for why he did it. I’m not saying they’re right, but again he justified them. I really enjoyed that it was grey and that he’s not just another bad guy.
When you first arrived in Shreveport, Louisiana and you saw that the production team had built an exact replica of the White House, what did you think?
McDermott: I mean it’s surreal. It’s crazy. I mean it was 120 degrees outside, you’re in Shreveport and there’s the White House! When you look at the movie you would never know in a million years that we were not in Washington D.C. That’s the great thing about movies.
What was your experience like working with director Antoine Fuqua on set?
McDermott: We’ve been talking about working together again. Every once in a while you’ll meet a director that you totally get along with and they totally get you, Antoine’s that guy for me. I think I’ve been searching for a director for a long time, someone who would understand exactly what I’m about and I think Antoine’s it you, know what I mean? So I hope I do another ten movies with him because I just think he’s the greatest. I think Antoine never walked away from a scene feeling like he didn’t get it. But I would write my stuff beforehand and I would just bring it in. He would say, “Oh yeah, let’s choose that, let’s not use that.” So I was able to kind of fill my role out, which I thought was a little thin on the page. So I was able to adjust it and make sure all the bullet points were hit within the film. A lot of it’s there.
What were some of the aspects about your character that you felt were missing from the script?
McDermott: Just justifying why. So many times in movies you see the quote unquote bad guy and there’s no story or justification of why he’s doing the things he’s doing. I certainly thought that this guy from a political standpoint, he felt that the country’s going out in a very bad way in terms of globalization, the greed of Wall Street, buying the Presidency, and everything being so corporate. As he says to the President in the film, “I’m a fucking rookie compared to you.” That was it. That was the moment that really justified who he was.
Obviously it’s an action movie and it’s popcorn fun, but at the same time as you just mentioned, Wall Street, and obviously the North Koreans, and other real life issues are addressed in the film. Do you think that’s what makes the movie so powerful in some ways?
McDermott: Yes, because there is some kind of truth to it. We’re mixing fantasy and reality. We’re praying on people’s emotions and fears, and what could be worse than taking over the White House? Every single American would go into shock and fear. I think they’ve already tried it and not succeeded thank God, but that icon of the White House is so enormous. The star of the movie is the White House because it represents so much.
Finally, your career spans well over twenty years, on both television and in the cinema. Are there one or two projects in particular that you are personally most proud to have been a part of?
McDermott: Oh man, there’s so many of those; Hamburger Hill, In the Line of Fire, Home for the Holidays, Wonderland, which I know not a lot of people have seen, and certainly The Practice and American Horror Story. There are bullet points along the way that I can point to and say those were great moments.
Olympus Has Fallen is currently playing in theaters.
To read our exclusive interview with Melissa Leo about Olympus Has Fallen, please click here.
To read our interview with Gerard Butler and Morgan Freeman about Olympus Has Fallen, please click here.
To read our our visit to the Olympus Has Fallen mixing stage, please click here.
Olympus Has Fallen
In The Line of Fire
IAR INTERVIEW: Dwayne Johnson Talks 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation,' WrestleMania 29, 'Fast & Furious 6,' and 'The Expendables 3' IAR INTERVIEW: Tyler Perry Talks 'Tyler Perry's Temptation'
Latest from Jami Philbrick
Marvel's Ant-Man
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line351
|
__label__wiki
| 0.558392
| 0.558392
|
A comparative study of treatment-seeking inhalant abusers across two cohorts from a tertiary care center in India
Yatan Pal Singh Balhara1, Rohit Verma2, Smita N Deshpande2
1 Department of Psychiatry and De-addiction, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Smt SK Hospital, New Delhi, India
2 Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER and Dr. RML Hospital, New Delhi, India
Date of Web Publication 20-Jan-2012
Yatan Pal Singh Balhara
Department of Psychiatry and De-addiction, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Smt SK Hospital, New Delhi - 110 001
Context: Inhalant abuse is the deliberate inhalation of a volatile substance to achieve an altered mental state. Inhalants continue to be a poorly recognizable risk for morbidity and mortality globally. Aims: The current study explores the pattern of inhalant abuse across different year groups among the individuals seeking treatment form the de-addiction center of a tertiary care hospital. Settings and Design: The study was conducted at a tertiary care multi-specialty hospital. Materials and Methods: The current study is a chart review of the cases with inhalant abuse/dependence presenting to the clinic. All the treatment records of the de-addiction clinic were reviewed and information was gathered regarding patients with inhalant abuse/dependence. The comparisons have been made across two different year groups. The two groups were compared for various continuous and categorical variables using the independent sample t test and χ 2 test/Fisher's exact test, respectively. The level of statistical significance was kept at P<0.05 for all these tests. Results: The two study groups have been found comparable for various socio-demographic and inhalant use patterns. Conclusions: The findings of the current study suggest that the pattern and parameters associated with inhalant use among those presenting to a tertiary care drug dependence center tend to remain stable.
Keywords: Drug dependence, inhalant abuse, inhalant dependence
Balhara Y, Verma R, Deshpande SN. A comparative study of treatment-seeking inhalant abusers across two cohorts from a tertiary care center in India. Indian J Psychol Med 2011;33:129-33
Balhara Y, Verma R, Deshpande SN. A comparative study of treatment-seeking inhalant abusers across two cohorts from a tertiary care center in India. Indian J Psychol Med [serial online] 2011 [cited 2019 Jul 19];33:129-33. Available from: http://www.ijpm.info/text.asp?2011/33/2/129/92058
Inhalant abuse is the deliberate inhalation of a volatile substance to achieve an altered mental state. [1]
Inhalants continue to be a poorly recognizable risk for morbidity and mortality globally. [2] However, their abuse has been reported from different regions of the world. These substances assume a greater significance as most of the users tend to be younger-children and adolescents. Monitoring the Future survey found the lifetime prevalence of inhalant use to be 20.5%, 18.3% and 15.2% in 8 th , 9 th and 10 th grade students, respectively. Studies from US have found the peak age of inhalant abuse to be 14-15 years. The onset has been reported among children as young as 5 or 6 years. Another common observation is a decline in use at 17-19 years of age, but it can continue into adulthood. [3]
Based on their pharmacological actions, inhalants could be grouped as volatile solvents (toluene, acetone, methylene chloride, ethyl acetate), fuels (butane, propane, gasoline), anesthetics (ether, halothane, enflurane), nitrous oxide (laughing gas), and volatile alkyl nitrites (cyclohexyl nitrite, isobutyl nitrite, butyl nitrite). [3]
The current study explores the pattern of inhalant abuse across different year groups among the individuals seeking treatment from the de-addiction center of a tertiary care hospital. The Department of Psychiatry and De-addiction provides out-patient as well as in-patient services for substance abuse related problems. The previous reports on inhalant use from India have been from Das et al., [4] Pahwa et al. [5] and Shah et al., [6] In the current study, we aim at exploring the change in pattern of correlates of inhalant abuse among patients presenting to drug dependence treatment center of the hospital.
The study was conducted at a tertiary level multi-specialty hospital. The study reports finding of the chart review of the subjects seeking treatment from the drug dependence treatment clinic. The patients presenting to the treatment clinic are assessed in detail and offered an individualized management plan.
The current study is a chart review of the cases with inhalant abuse/dependence presenting to the clinic. All the treatment records of the de-addiction clinic were reviewed and information was gathered regarding patients with inhalant abuse/dependence.
Information was collected on the socio-demographic parameters including the age, sex, marital status, educational level, occupation, income, family type, religion, place of residence, and support system, among others.
Information was also gathered on the substance use profile of the patients. This included the type of substances, duration of use, reason for initiation, amount used, type of inhalant used, family history of substance abuse/dependence, history of psychiatric illness, and level of impairment due to inhalant use.
The previous quit attempts and reasons for seeking treatment were also looked into.
We aimed at exploring the change in the pattern and correlates of inhalant abuse among treatment seekers. For this purpose, we used two groups: Pre 2009, and 2009 and beyond. The socio-demographic profile of these subjects has been presented elsewhere by us. [7] These groups have been labeled as Group I and Group II, respectively. The two groups were compared for various continuous and categorical variables using the independent sample t test and χ2 test/Fisher's exact test, respectively. The level of statistical significance was kept at P<0.05 for all these tests.
A total of 36 inhalant using subjects were included in the study. Both the groups had 18 subjects each.
Socio-demographic profile
The study included records of a total of 36 subjects. The mean age of the subjects in group I (16.56 SD±4.63) and group II (15.83 SD±3.35) was comparable (t=0.53, P=0.59). All the study subjects were males. The two groups did not differ in the socio-demographic variables including marital status (χ2=1.03, df=1, P=1.00), educational qualification (Cramer's V=0.46, df=4, P=0.10), employment status (Cramer's V=0.17, df=2, P=0.59), place of residence (χ2=0.00, df=1, P=1.00), family type (χ2=0.07, df=1, P=0.91), and being earning member of the family (χ2=0.80, df=1, P=0.37) [Table 1]. However, all the subjects in Group II were of lower socioeconomic status as compared to 66% members of Group I.
Table 1: In-between group comparisons for the sociodemographic variables
Inhalant use parameters
The mean age of initiation of inhalant use was 14.11 years (SD±4.77) for Group I and 13.27 years (SD±4.12) for Group II. It was comparable for the two groups (t=0.56, P=0.57). Similarly, the duration of inhalant use prior to coming to the treatment center (t=0.01, P=0.99) and amount of inhalant used per day (t=1.57, P=0.12) were also comparable for the two groups [Table 2].
Table 2: In-between group comparisons for substance use variables
Most common reason for the first use of inhalant in both the groups was experimentation (χ2=0.00, df=1, P=1.00). Similarly, the two groups did not differ in the source of information on inhalants (χ2=1.03, df=1, P=0.31). The main source of information for both the groups was friends. The two groups did not differ in the pattern of inhalant use (χ2=1.33, df=1, P=0.25), with dependent patent being the most common for both the groups. The groups were also comparable in inhalant being the first substance used by the subjects (χ2=3.27, df=1, P=0.07). However, a significantly higher proportion of subjects in Group I used inhalant as the only substance of abuse (χ2=5.60, df=1, P=0.02).
The two groups were comparable in the order of preference for inhalants (Cramer's V=0.38, df=1, P=0.08), with inhalants being the most preferred substance in both the groups. Route of intake for inhalants was also comparable between the two groups (Cramer's V=0.30, df=1, P=0.35).
Effects of inhalant use and withdrawal
Groups I and II were found to be comparable in the effects following inhalant use [Table 3] and [Table 4]. No differences were observed in immediate intoxication following use (χ2=0.80, df=1, P=0.66), giddiness (χ2=2.11, df=1, P=0.49), perceptual disturbance (χ2=0.00, df=1, P=1.00), unsteadiness (χ2=0.00, df=1, P=1.00), unconsciousness (χ2=1.18, df=1, P=0.47), delirium (χ2=2.11, df=1, P=0.49) and light-headedness (χ2=0.00, df=1, P=1.00).
Table 3: In-between group comparisons for family history and inhalant use parameters
Table 4: In-between group comparisons for inhalant use and withdrawal effects
Also, the two groups did not differ with respect to various withdrawal features of inhalant use. No differences were observed in craving (χ2=2.11, df=1, P=0.49), irritability (χ2=1.03, df=1, P=1.00), restlessness (χ2=3.27, df=1, P=0.23), insomnia (χ2=3.27, df=1, P=0.23), tingling (χ2=0.11, df=1, P=1.00), headache (χ2=0.23, df=1, P=1.00), poor concentration (χ2=1.03, df=1, P=1.00), and body ache (χ2=2.79, df=1, P=0.18).
Groups I and II were found to comparable in the rate of family history of substance use (χ2=1.33, df=1, P=0.25). Also, the nature of substance abused by family members was comparable between the two groups (χ2=1.00, df=5, P=0.11).
Treatment seeking
The two groups did not differ in history of prior abstinence attempts (χ2=0.80, df=1, P=0.66). Majority were seeking treatment for the first time. The two groups were also comparable in the main reason for treatment seeking (χ2=1.13, df=1, P=0.60). It was family pressure for almost all the subjects.
Co-morbidity
The groups were comparable for the presence (χ2=0.47, df=1, P=0.73) as well as type (Cramer's V=0.45, df=2, P=0.23) of psychiatric co-morbidity. Most common psychiatric co-morbidity was conduct disorder followed by depression.
The study was conducted at a tertiary level multi-specialty hospital. We compared the pattern and parameters associated with inhalant use among patients seeking treatment before and after the year 2009.
The research on inhalants remains limited. One of the reasons for this is the relatively hidden nature of inhalant abuse problem. Another reason is the disdain for inhalant abuse.
The findings of the current study suggest that there is little change in the patterns and parameters associated with inhalant abuse among those presenting to the treatment services in tertiary care settings. The subjects were comparable in the socio-demographic variables (except for socioeconomic status). The mean age of initiation of inhalants, the duration of use, route of use, and preference for inhalants were also similar between the two groups.
The pattern of psychiatric co-morbidity and the family history of substance use were also similar across the years. Additionally, the effects experienced following inhalant use and the withdrawal features were also similar. The findings of the current study suggest that the pattern and parameters associated with inhalant use tend to remain stable across the years.
Monitoring the Future surveys in US have found the abuse and dependence rates of inhalants by 8 th , 10 th and 12 th graders from the year 2005 to 2009 to be relatively stable. [8]
Similarly, inhalant abuse cases registered with the police between January 1983 and June 1990 in Malaysia totaled 988. The number of cases reported in 1983 was 101, rising to a peak of 204 in 1986 and declining to 74 in 1989. [9] In New Zealand, solvent abuse has remained stable over the last few years. [10] The Canadian Addiction Survey noted that 1.3% of Canadians of 15 years of age and older reported lifetime use of inhalants in 2004, compared with 0.8% in 1994. [11]
Some of the risk factors of initiation of inhalant abuse reported in literature include dropping out of school, physical or sexual abuse or neglect, being homeless and unemployment. [12],[13] In the developing world, inhalants are reportedly abused to relieve symptoms of hunger. [14]
Different routes of inhalant use include sniffing or snorting (direct inhalation of fumes), bagging (from a plastic or paper bag), huffing (from a rag or cloth soaked in the substance held over the mouth or nose), glading (from air freshener aerosols), and dusting (direct spraying of aerosol cleaners into the mouth or nose). [15]
Some of the commonly reported effects of inhalant use include stimulation, disinhibition, euphoria, hallucinations, followed by a general depression including slurred speech and disturbed gait, dizziness, disorientation, and drowsiness or sleep. [16]
A high lifetime prevalence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) mood (48%), anxiety (36%), and personality (45%) disorders has been observed among adult inhalant users. [17]
We have carried out the comparative analysis of the pattern and parameters associated with inhalant abuse among those seeking treatment in a tertiary care setting across two year groups. It is important to study the time trends of substance of abuse. This helps understand the change in prevalence and patterns of use of different psychoactive substances. Such information is essential to plan appropriate management and prevention strategies.
Limitations and future directions
There are certain limitations of the current study. We have employed a chart review methodology. It would be interesting to follow up these individuals prospectively in order to assess the changes over time. Also, it is imperative to conduct multi-center studies.
1. Baydala L. Inhalant abuse. Paediatr Child Health 2010;15:443-54.
[PUBMED] [FULLTEXT]
2. Kurtzman TL, Otsuka KN, Wahl RA. Inhalant abuse by adolescents. J Adolesc Health 2001;28:170-80.
3. Williams JF, Storck M. Inhalant Abuse. Pediatrics 2007;119:1009-17.
4. Das PS, Sharan P, Saxena S. Kerosene abuse by inhalation and ingestion. Am J Psychiatry 1995;149:7-10.
5. Pahwa M, Baweja A, Gupta V, Jiloha RC. Petrol-inhalation dependence: A case report. Indian J Psychiatry 1998:40;92-4.
6. Shah R, Vankar GK, Upadhyay HP. Phenomenology of gasoline intoxication and withdrawal symptoms among adolescents in India: A case series. Am J Addict 1999;8:254-7.
7. Balhara YPS, Verma R, Deshpande SN. Inhalant Abuse: A study from a tertiary care de-addiction clinic. East Asian Arch Psychiatry (under publication).
8. Institute for Social Research. Monitoring the Future, 2009 (Study Results). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, 2010. Available from: Http://www.monitoringthefuture.org. [Last Cited on 2011 Jun 15].
9. Sharifah MTF. "Report on the inhalant abuse problem in Sarawak, East Malaysia." Paper presented at the Twelfth IFNGO Conference, Singapore, November 12-16, 1990.
10. Meredith, S. "Solvent abuse in New Zealand." Paper presented at World Consultation on Solvent Abuse meeting, Geneva, December 1992.
11. Adlaf EM, Begin P, Sawka E, editors. Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS): A national survey of Canadians' use of alcohol and other drugs: Prevalence of use and related harms: Detailed report. Ottawa: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, 2005. Available from: Http://www.ccsa.ca/2005%20CCSA%20Documents/ccsa-004028-2005.pdf [Last cited on 2011 Jun 15].
12. Kozel N, Sloboda Z, De La Rosa M, editors. Epidemiology of inhalant abuse: An international perspective (NIDA Research Monograph 148). Available from: Http://www.nida.nih.gov/pdf/monographs/148.pdf [Last cited on 2011 Jun 15].
13. Sakai JT, Hall SK, Mikulich-Gilbertson SK, Crowley TJ. Inhalant use, abuse, and dependence among adolescent patients: Commonly comorbid problems. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2004;43:1080-8.
14. Dell CA, Beauchamp T. Canadian centre on substance abuse. Youth volatile solvent abuse FAQs, 2006. Available from: Http://www.cclat.ca/2006%20CCSA%20Documents/ccsa-011326-2006.pdf [Last cited on 2011 Jun 15].
15. Williams JF, Storck M. Inhalant abuse. Pediatrics 2007;119:1009-17.
16. Brouette T, Anton R. Clinical review of inhalants. Am J Addict 2001;10:79-94.
17. Wu LT, Howard MO. Psychiatric disorders in inhalant users: Results from The National Epidemiologic Survey on alcohol and related conditions. Drug Alcohol Depend 2007;88:146-55.
[Table 1], [Table 2], [Table 3], [Table 4]
Balhara Y
Verma R
Deshpande SN
Drug dependence
inhalant abuse
inhalant dependence
Printed 100
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line352
|
__label__cc
| 0.635268
| 0.364732
|
The origins of yoga have been speculated to date back to pre-Vedic Indian traditions; it is mentioned in the Rigveda,[note 1] but most likely developed around the sixth and fifth centuries BCE,[8] in ancient India's ascetic and śramaṇa movements.[9][note 2] The chronology of earliest texts describing yoga-practices is unclear, varyingly credited to Upanishads.[10] The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali date from the first half of the 1st millennium CE,[11][12] but only gained prominence in the West in the 20th century.[13] Hatha yoga texts emerged around the 11th century with origins in tantra.[14][15]
An increasing number of studies and reports from different organizations and contexts examine the linkages between health and different factors, including lifestyles, environments, health care organization and health policy, one specific health policy brought into many countries in recent years was the introduction of the sugar tax. Beverage taxes came into light with increasing concerns about obesity, particularly among youth. Sugar-sweetened beverages have become a target of anti-obesity initiatives with increasing evidence of their link to obesity.[21]– such as the 1974 Lalonde report from Canada;[20] the Alameda County Study in California;[22] and the series of World Health Reports of the World Health Organization, which focuses on global health issues including access to health care and improving public health outcomes, especially in developing countries.[23]
The number of asanas used in modern yoga has increased rapidly from a nominal 84 in 1830, as illustrated in Joga Pradipika, to some 200 in Light on Yoga and over 900 performed by Dharma Mittra by 1984. At the same time, the goals of Haṭha yoga, namely spiritual liberation (moksha) through the raising of kundalini energy, were largely replaced by the goals of fitness and relaxation, while many of Haṭha yoga's components like the shatkarmas (purifications), mudras (seals or gestures including the bandhas, locks to restrain the prana or vital principle), and pranayama were much reduced or removed entirely.[225] The term "hatha yoga" is also in use with a different meaning, a gentle unbranded yoga practice, independent of the major schools, sometimes mainly for women.[226]
A yoga system that predated the Buddhist school is Jain yoga. But since Jain sources postdate Buddhist ones, it is difficult to distinguish between the nature of the early Jain school and elements derived from other schools.[89] Most of the other contemporary yoga systems alluded in the Upanishads and some Buddhist texts are lost to time.[90][91][note 12]
According to Tattvarthasutra, 2nd century CE Jain text, yoga is the sum of all the activities of mind, speech and body.[6] Umasvati calls yoga the cause of "asrava" or karmic influx[171] as well as one of the essentials—samyak caritra—in the path to liberation.[171] In his Niyamasara, Acarya Kundakunda, describes yoga bhakti—devotion to the path to liberation—as the highest form of devotion.[172] Acarya Haribhadra and Acarya Hemacandra mention the five major vows of ascetics and 12 minor vows of laity under yoga. This has led certain Indologists like Prof. Robert J. Zydenbos to call Jainism, essentially, a system of yogic thinking that grew into a full-fledged religion.[173] The five yamas or the constraints of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali bear a resemblance to the five major vows of Jainism, indicating a history of strong cross-fertilization between these traditions.[173][note 16]
Bhakti yoga is a devotional form of yoga, usually associated with Theistic Hinduism. It is therefore focused on faith, love for and worship of a personal God, such as Shiva, Shakti or Krishna. It is taught in key works like the Bhagavad Gita as one of the forms of yoga, and became a major current of Hindu yoga in the second half of the 1st millenium CE, when it was promoted and celebrated by south Indian poet saints like the Alvars and Nayanars. Forms of Bhakti yoga include the singing of hymns, stories and songs (Kirtan), dancing, prayer, bowing, and performing puja rituals.
During the 1950s, the most successful and most famous competing bodybuilders[according to whom?] were Bill Pearl, Reg Park, Leroy Colbert, and Clarence Ross. Certain bodybuilders rose to fame thanks to the relatively new medium of television, as well as cinema. The most notable[according to whom?] were Jack LaLanne, Steve Reeves, Reg Park, and Mickey Hargitay. While there were well-known gyms throughout the country during the 1950s (such as Vince's Gym in North Hollywood, California and Vic Tanny's chain gyms), there were still segments of the United States that had no "hardcore" bodybuilding gyms until the advent of Gold's Gym in the mid-1960s. Finally, the famed Muscle Beach in Santa Monica continued its popularity as the place to be for witnessing acrobatic acts, feats of strength, and the like. The movement grew more in the 1960s with increased TV and movie exposure, as bodybuilders were typecast in popular shows and movies.[citation needed]
Another text which teaches yoga with an Advaita point of view is the Yoga-Yājñavalkya.[262] This work contains extensive teachings on ten Yamas (ethical rules) and ten Niyamas (duties), and eight asanas. It also discusses a theory of nadis and prana (vital breath), and follows this with instructions on pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), meditation on mantras, meditative visualizations and Kundalini.
An important way to maintain your personal health is to have a healthy diet. A healthy diet includes a variety of plant-based and animal-based foods that provide nutrients to your body. Such nutrients give you energy and keep your body running. Nutrients help build and strengthen bones, muscles, and tendons and also regulate body processes (i.e. blood pressure). The food guide pyramid is a pyramid-shaped guide of healthy foods divided into sections. Each section shows the recommended intake for each food group (i.e. Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates, and Sugars). Making healthy food choices is important because it can lower your risk of heart disease, developing some types of cancer, and it will contribute to maintaining a healthy weight.[44]
1 Reference for 5%: Blackburn G. (1995). Effect of degree of weight loss on health benefits. Obesity Research 3: 211S-216S. Reference for 10%: NIH, NHLBI Obesity Education Initiative. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. Available online: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/ob_gdlns.pdf Cdc-pdf[PDF-1.25MB]External
The important role of nutrition in building muscle and losing fat means bodybuilders may consume a wide variety of dietary supplements.[42] Various products are used in an attempt to augment muscle size, increase the rate of fat loss, improve joint health, increase natural testosterone production, enhance training performance and prevent potential nutrient deficiencies.
Many non-competitive bodybuilders choose not to adopt this conventional strategy, as it often results in significant unwanted fat gain during the "bulking" phase. The attempt to increase muscle mass in one's body without any gain in fat is called clean bulking. Competitive bodybuilders focus their efforts to achieve a peak appearance during a brief "competition season".[citation needed] Clean bulking takes longer and is a more refined approach to achieving the body fat and muscle mass percentage a person is looking for. A common tactic for keeping fat low and muscle mass high would be to have higher calorie and lower calorie days to maintain a balance between gain and loss. Many clean bulk diets start off with a moderate amount of carbs, moderate amount of protein, and a decently low amount of fats. "Gaining lean muscle means going for leaner cuts of meat, like flank steaks and fillets, chicken, and, of course, fish," says White[who?]. "Enjoy your meat with some starch: rice, beans, quinoa, whole-grain couscous, or sweet potato, for example".[20] To maintain a clean bulk it is important to reach calorie goals every day. Macronutrient goals will be different for each person, but, it is ideal to get as close as possible.
In natural contests, the testing protocol ranges among organizations from lie detectors to urinalysis. Penalties also range from organization to organization from suspensions to strict bans from competition. It is also important to note that natural organizations also have their own list of banned substances and it is important to refer to each organization's website for more information about which substances are banned from competition. There are many natural bodybuilding organizations; some of the larger ones include: MuscleMania, Ultimate Fitness Events (UFE), INBF/WNBF, and INBA/PNBA. These organizations either have an American or worldwide presence and are not limited to the country in which they are headquartered.
Since the late 1970s, the federal Healthy People Initiative has been a visible component of the United States’ approach to improving population health.[11][12] In each decade, a new version of Healthy People is issued,[13] featuring updated goals and identifying topic areas and quantifiable objectives for health improvement during the succeeding ten years, with assessment at that point of progress or lack thereof. Progress has been limited to many objectives, leading to concerns about the effectiveness of Healthy People in shaping outcomes in the context of a decentralized and uncoordinated US health system. Healthy People 2020 gives more prominence to health promotion and preventive approaches and adds a substantive focus on the importance of addressing social determinants of health. A new expanded digital interface facilitates use and dissemination rather than bulky printed books as produced in the past. The impact of these changes to Healthy People will be determined in the coming years.[14]
The Bhakti movement was a development in medieval Hinduism which advocated the concept of a personal God (or "Supreme Personality of Godhead"). The movement was initiated by the Alvars of South India in the 6th to 9th centuries, and it started gaining influence throughout India by the 12th to 15th centuries.[177] Shaiva and Vaishnava bhakti traditions integrated aspects of Yoga Sutras, such as the practical meditative exercises, with devotion.[178] Bhagavata Purana elucidates the practice of a form of yoga called viraha (separation) bhakti. Viraha bhakti emphasizes one pointed concentration on Krishna.[179]
The Maitrayaniya Upanishad, likely composed in a later century than Katha and Shvetashvatara Upanishads but before Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, mentions sixfold yoga method – breath control (pranayama), introspective withdrawal of senses (pratyahara), meditation (dhyana), mind concentration (dharana), philosophical inquiry/creative reasoning (tarka), and absorption/intense spiritual union (samadhi).[10][100][104]
Yoga (/ˈjoʊɡə/;[1] Sanskrit: योग; pronunciation) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. Yoga is one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophical traditions.[2] There is a broad variety of yoga schools, practices, and goals[3] in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.[4][5][6] The term "yoga" in the Western world often denotes a modern form of Hatha yoga, consisting largely of the postures called asanas.
*Pay initiation fee plus first and last months’ dues. Initiation fee ranges between $29.99-$49.99, and monthly dues range between $29.99-$99.99 per month, depending on club location and type. Pay $49.99 Annual Fee once during fourth month of enrollment and annually thereafter. Offer available online or in club. Offer applies to select One-Club Commitment memberships at Sport and Active clubs only. Offer not available at Super-Sport or Ultra-Sport clubs. Excludes All-Club, Basic, Add-On and Limited Term Prepaid memberships. One year commitment required for Commitment memberships. Selected club of enrollment must be within 50 miles of purchaser’s residence. One-Club access is for club of enrollment only. Taxes may apply. Not valid for current members. Dues must be paid by pre-authorized payment (eft). Must be at least 18 years old or 12 with parent. No other discounts with this offer. Incentives may be offered for other memberships. Facilities and amenities vary per location. Kids’ Club, Personal/Group Training, specialty classes and class reservations are available for an additional fee. Not all clubs open 24 hours every day. See club for details. Excludes select Hawaii, San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area clubs. Valid through 11:59 (PT) on 6/9/2019. © 2019 24 Hour Fitness USA, Inc. Texas Health Studio #080501. Florida Registration Numbers HS4505, HS4504, HS7025, HS7004, HS7479, HS7621, HS7436, HS7746, HS7663, HS7776, HS7805, HS12038, HS11951, HS12546, HS12661, HS12874.
Yoga may have pre-Vedic elements.[45][46] Some state yoga originated in the Indus Valley Civilization.[51] Marshall,[52] Eliade[10] and other scholars note that the Pashupati seal discovered in an Indus Valley Civilization site depicts a figure in a position resembling an asana used for meditation, Mulabandhasana. This interpretation is considered speculative and uncertain by more recent analysis of Srinivasan[10] and may be a case of projecting "later practices into archeological findings".[53]
The Yoga Yajnavalkya is a classical treatise on yoga attributed to the Vedic sage Yajnavalkya. It takes the form of a dialogue between Yajnavalkya and Gargi, a renowned philosopher.[162] The text contains 12 chapters and its origin has been traced to the period between the second century BCE and fourth century CE.[163] Many yoga texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Yoga Kundalini and the Yoga Tattva Upanishads have borrowed verses from or make frequent references to the Yoga Yajnavalkya.[164] The Yoga Yajnavalkya discusses eight yoga Asanas – Swastika, Gomukha, Padma, Vira, Simha, Bhadra, Mukta and Mayura,[165] numerous breathing exercises for body cleansing,[166] and meditation.[167]
The Rigveda, however, does not describe yoga, and there is little evidence as to what the practices were.[7] Early references to practices that later became part of yoga, are made in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the earliest Hindu Upanishad.[67] For example, the practice of pranayama (consciously regulating breath) is mentioned in hymn 1.5.23 of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (c. 900 BCE), and the practice of pratyahara (concentrating all of one's senses on self) is mentioned in hymn 8.15 of Chandogya Upanishad (c. 800–700 BCE).[68][note 8] The Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana teaches mantra repetition and control of the breath.[71]
In the early 11th century, the Persian scholar Al Biruni visited India, lived with Hindus for 16 years, and with their help translated several significant Sanskrit works into Arabic and Persian languages. One of these was Patanjali's Yogasutras.[290][291] Al Biruni's translation preserved many of the core themes of Patañjali 's Yoga philosophy, but certain sutras and analytical commentaries were restated making it more consistent with Islamic monotheistic theology.[290][292] Al Biruni's version of Yoga Sutras reached Persia and Arabian peninsula by about 1050 AD. Later, in the 16th century, the hath yoga text Amritakunda was translated into Arabic and then Persian.[293] Yoga was, however, not accepted by mainstream Sunni and Shia Islam. Minority Islamic sects such as the mystic Sufi movement, particularly in South Asia, adopted Indian yoga practises, including postures and breath control.[294][295] Muhammad Ghawth, a Shattari Sufi and one of the translators of yoga text in 16th century, drew controversy for his interest in yoga and was persecuted for his Sufi beliefs.[296]
An article by Muscle & Fitness magazine, "Overtrain for Big Gains", claimed that overtraining for a brief period can be beneficial. Overtraining can be used advantageously, as when a bodybuilder is purposely overtrained for a brief period of time to super compensate during a regeneration phase. These are known as "shock micro-cycles" and were a key training technique used by Soviet athletes.[54]
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who also take medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. Weight loss can cause low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who also take medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (such as insulin or sulfonylureas). You should check your blood sugar before you start taking Qsymia and while you take Qsymia.
Malaysia's top Islamic body in 2008 passed a fatwa, prohibiting Muslims from practicing yoga, saying it had elements of Hinduism and that its practice was blasphemy, therefore haraam.[297] Some Muslims in Malaysia who had been practicing yoga for years, criticized the decision as "insulting."[298] Sisters in Islam, a women's rights group in Malaysia, also expressed disappointment and said yoga was just a form of exercise.[299] This fatwa is legally enforceable.[300] However, Malaysia's prime minister clarified that yoga as physical exercise is permissible, but the chanting of religious mantras is prohibited.[301]
So I'm a BIG GUY. Real big. 270 pounds. Lots of it is fat. I'm way down from my starting weight of 320 and I'm really loving life. A big part of it has been discovering twin loves for weightlifting - thanks to starting Stronglifts 5x5 - and judo. Getting back into Judo has been amazing. I want to go two days a week every week, and I want to lift three days a week. That's what my programs call for. But the problem is...because I work twelve hour days and my gym is closed on the weekends after I get off work, I can't get in for both. So I end up having to double up my days.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line353
|
__label__cc
| 0.646338
| 0.353662
|
» Cairo Travel Guide
» Transport in Cairo
Best of Cairo
Transport in Cairo
The town of Cairo is very easy to reach by road, air and rail. Be prepared for delays if you trip during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca as Cairo's airport becomes extremely busy at this time.
Developed near the beginning of the 20th century, actually the Tram system is still used in modern day Cairo, especially in modern areas, like Heliopolis, Nasr Town.
The city of Cairo is extensively connected to other Eyptian towns and villages by rail operated by the Egyptian National Railways. The main railway station of Cairo - Ramses Station (Mahattat Ramses) is situated on Midan Ramses.
The Metro
The Cairo Metro in Egypt is Africa's only full-fledged metro system and the first in the Arab world. The system currently consists of 2 operational lines, with a third in an advanced stage of planning. Trains run every few minutes from 6am to midnight; outside of the rush hours (as above) they're no more over-crowded than in other towns around the world. The metro is run by the National Authority for Tunnels. Ticket price is EGP 1.00 for each journey (as of July 2006, EUR 0.14 or USD 0.18), regardless of distance. On all Cairo metros, the first 2 cars of each train are reserved for women until early evening as an option for women who don't wish to ride with men in the same car, also the women can still ride other cars freely.
The Metro Line
The red metro line connects the northeastern suburb of El-Marg with the southern industrial district of Helwan (via Mubarak, Sadat, Saad Zaghoul, Saiyida Zeinab, Mar Girgis and Maadi), with the green line running from Shobra in the north to Giza (via Mubarak, Ataba, Sadat and Gezira). The yellow Salah Salim to Imbaba line (via Al-Azhar, Ataba and Zamalek) may open in the near future, and an extension of the green line from Giza to Fazal is under construction.
The town of Cairo has 3 kinds of taxi: service taxis, lack-and-white cabs, and "specials". However though each requires different handling, some general rules apply.
• Firstly, choose the right sort of taxi.
• Secondly, try to discover the fare in advance; never start by asking how much.
• Third, don't expect drivers to speak English or know the location of every street.
Identify a major landmark or thoroughfare in the vicinity and state that instead. If your destination is obscure or hard to pronounce, get it written down in Arabic. Is recommendable, the best kind to use are four-seater black-and-white taxis, which often carry passengers collectively.
Bus System
There is a public bus system that offers many lines of service in different prices and classes. There is the standard bus service, the air-conditioned service, known as CTA short for Cairo Transport Authority (for a higher price) and Mini-buses (smaller buses and more extensive network). However during the early 1980s, the Cairo governorate introduced orange-and-white minibuses along several of the existing bus routes. Besides making better headway through traffic and actually halting at stops, they are far more comfortable and never crowded, as standing is not permitted.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line354
|
__label__wiki
| 0.729912
| 0.729912
|
Mansun
Paul Draper
An Interview With Paul Draper (Part the Second)
When we left off, Paul Draper was detailing his plan for certain American domination by way of playing “Wide Open Space” all over the country until the US of A waved the white flag and relented enough to rerelease debut Mansun record Attack of The Grey Lantern. This after also letting me in on his, ahem, chart battle royale with actress/pop singer Martine McCutcheon.
So what’s next, you’re wondering? Plenty. Read on to see how Draper plans on celebrating a rather special upcoming anniversary, and for his take on all things Mansun Con.
And there's still more where this came from. You won't want to miss the next installment of our conversation, coming soon. For now, sit down and enjoy more Draperian musings. And don't forget about part one and part three of this exclusive chat!!
Fuzzy Logic: I can’t believe it. Next year is 20 years since the release of Six…do you have any plans to celebrate this monumental occasion?
Paul Draper: Yeah, I’ve got it all planned out. All planned out. On the 20th anniversary me and Ben (Editor's note - Ben plays guitar in studio/on the road with Draper) will be down here in the [name redacted] getting pissed. We do that for everything…
FL: I am starting to sense a theme.
PD: Well, I’m English. You know, this is what you do. It’s like people only know you from the photographs and the videos of you, but when they get behind the scenes, you realize that really all us English people do, or English rock musicians, is just sit in the pub until someone forces you to go on tour or make a record.
So yeah. Six. There’s been loads of legal wrangling over the Mansun records for years, and none of them could ever be reissued. Cuz we all hate each other. Or they all hate me. And I hate them. It’s like a three against one, and one against three. Well no, Andie’s on his own, he’s his own man. So it’s one against two, and I’m not bothered about the other one. So we finally got legally all signed off to reissue the records. It was all over money. So Six is gonna have a big reissue for the 20th anniversary. So as far as I know, we’re issuing it on vinyl, because it’s like 160 quid some copies on ebay, you know, so we wanna let people have a real good remaster of the vinyl on 180 gram, good vinyl like they do these days. And we’re doing a surround sound mix, like a 5.1 surround sound mix. A load of outtakes and studio outtakes, a video documentary, and we’ve also got a concert that we filmed, so we’re gonna put the tour concert out and hopefully try and get a premiere for that in London. So we’ve got a lot of work on that project to put it together, it’s a big project. So yeah, we’re gonna do all that. I think I’m going in to see the record company next week, and we’re gonna make the plan for what we’re gonna do with that record. People still seem to be into it, I don’t know why, they hated it at the time. But everyone likes it now. It’s weird.
FL: I don’t think everyone hated it. Just certain people who wrote about it…
PD: Yeah. The British “Britpop” press, shall we say. Just thought “what the fuck’s this?” You know, they were into stuff like Gay Dad and what else...What was the critically-acclaimed stuff then? Bis and Northern Uproar, stuff like that. I just think we were out of fashion. Still out of fashion now. But yeah, they’re gonna reissue it yeah, cuz a lot of people really like that record. I’ve never listened to it so I can’t tell you. It’s a bit weird, isn’t it?
FL: Never?
PD: I did actually, I did once, when I went to write up a blog about it. So I have listened to it. But I’ve never listened for my own pleasure. We made that record, loads of people liked it. It was like a delayed reaction, everyone just thought, “oh that’s weird” and then eventually liked it. The band’s never gonna get back together cuz we’re not friends, but you know, I might play songs from it live. We might do some shows around the time, next October, and play songs from the album. I don’t wanna be a nostalgia act. So we’d have to see, really. It’s an interesting situation, that one. An unfolding situation. The cover’s shit, isn’t it? Whereas the one before that, was brilliant. The right cover. And then the next album, fuck me. Just like oh, it’s gotta be a big picture of you on the front, and you gotta have this, and it’s gotta be mixed for local radio, and you’re not allowed any silly words in it you’re not allowed any segues, it’s got to be hit records…mad. They’re off their tits. And now they’re all calling me up going, “oh, can you just go be a bit weird again, like Six?” That’s the music industry for you.
So yeah. Doing a big reissue campaign. Should be good. It’ll be something worthwhile for fans, I think. And even some shows around it, possibly, I don’t exactly know how.
FL: This is all good news, from a fan perspective.
PD: Yeah. Well you know, obviously I’ve gonna do my second album so it just depends how much we can fit it, but we’re gonna do something for it. Finally. Oh, they’re having a convention in London as well.
FL: I was just about to ask about Mansun Con.
PD: Ok, yeah, so the Mansun convention is gonna be in London next time, and it’s gonna be for the 20th anniversary of Six.
FL: I don’t know of any other bands that have their own Con…
PD: Loads do! I told you, they just hire like…like Marillion, they just hire like a massive cruiseliner and have their own convention on their own cruiseliner…
FL: That’s different though. I feel like the fans started it…
PD: Oh yeah yeah yeah. The fans, you know…what happened with Mansun was, we worked really hard, toured a lot, became a really big group in a very quick time, and then it imploded. And for some reason the record company wanted to make us into something that we completely weren’t, and then they just decided we were rubbish and got rid of us. But we left a big fanbase behind, who a lot of people thought it was their favorite band. I’ve got no idea what they were doing or why they just wrecked it so brutally and quickly, but what was left behind was a big fanbase.
They had a first convention when the band was going, in 2001, and then after I publicized the Anchoress project, album I produced, that’s when they decided to have a second one. To be honest, I think they just thought it would be a few people in a pub, but in the end it was like 600 people came, from all over the world. Russia, Finland, Canada, the States, Brazil…even a Frenchman came, which was like unbelievable. The rug was just pulled out from under our feet. As far as I know the record company wanted to make a solo album with Dominic Chad, but I don’t think he ever…I don’t know, maybe he’s just spending a long time on it. And that was it, really. I started tentatively making a solo album for Parlophone, and I shelved it and just went into writing and producing. That’s how I ended up here.
FL: So what was it like, to go to that Mansun Con?
PD: Well, I watched the tribute band…I didn’t go in official capacity. The NME just called me up and said “this is all a bit weird, isn’t it, can we do an interview with you but there,” so I went and I just went backstage, I didn’t go into the convention. But I poked me head out the door, and I could see the me fellow on the stage, jumping around in his army shit. And I watched the band and thought they weren’t as bad as all the critics said, this is quite enjoyable. I think there’s like two or three Mansun tribute bands. The next one they’re doing they’re playing the Star & Garter in Manchester, where they do the Smiths night, they’re doing a Mansun night. Taxloss Lovers, they’re called. The UK’s number one Mansun tribute act.
FL: Would you agree?
PD: Well, I can’t get involved in these things. What I would say is they’re one of my favorite Mansun tribute bands out there, you know. I’ve seen a Korean one, some Japanese ones. Go on Youtube. You just see ‘em performing in pubs in Seoul, stuff like that. South Korea. If there was a North Korean Mansun tribute band, now that would be amazing, but there’s not.
FL: There could be.
PD: Wouldn’t it be amazing if Kim Jong-Un was on the bass? That’d be massive. Well it’d better if he was me. He always wears the army gear, doesn’t he, he’s halfway there. His haircut’s a bit weird isn’t it though?
So it’s the fourth one next year. And it’s a guy called Andy Lyth, he was just a big Mansun fan, who organizes it. I think after that they’re gonna do a Japanese one in Tokyo, they might sort of coincide it with if I can get out there to do a gig or something. And they might wanna do a North American one, but I don’t know what the best city to do it in North America would be.
FL: Probably New York.
PD: New York, yeah. Are there any pubs small enough? How many people do you reckon you’d get to the Mansun convention New York?
FL: Probably a lot.
PD: Well that’s probably more feasible than doing a gig out there. I could play myself, couldn’t I? I could be one of the Mansun tribute bands in New York. Yeah, definitely. So next year they’re gonna do London, and then I think they’re gonna do Tokyo and a North American one, if anyone will come.
I’m all positive for the conventions, all up for them doing it. That’s how they come to do it. Andie the drummer’s cool with it, and the other two think it’s rubbish.
Labels: Interview Mansun Paul Draper
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line363
|
__label__cc
| 0.700295
| 0.299705
|
Asusena Reséndiz is a business leader best known for serving at the forefront of economic development initiatives and legislative policy that affects all aspects of business.
She served six years (collective) at the helm of the Irving Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC) and the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FWHCC). Under Asusena’s leadership, the IHCC’s operating budget doubled in just three years. And as FWHCC president and CEO, she left her mark by increasing net revenue 74% in a two-year period.
In 2016, she earned her master’s degree from the prestigious University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business – serving as the first Latina recipient of the University of Notre Dame and U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce MNA Fellowship.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University. Most recently, Asusena was appointment by Governor Greg Abbott to serve on the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) Board, where she also serves as a member of its finance committee.
She is a native of Petersburg, Texas.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line369
|
__label__wiki
| 0.824489
| 0.824489
|
Muscogee (Creek) Nation to Host Upcoming Regional, Area State Basketball Games at Mvskoke Dome
Mvskokeuser
Article, News Release
OKMULGEE, Okla. – The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is pleased to announce the Mvskoke Dome will be one of the host sites for the upcoming regional and area games for the 2019 Oklahoma High School Basketball Playoffs in Okmulgee, Okla.
The Mvskoke Dome will host the majority of the Class B regional tournament games, including the Regional Championship games, Feb. 14-16, 2019.
During the regional tournament there will be games scheduled throughout two sessions. The afternoon session games are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., followed by the evening session with games at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Leading up to the State Championship games, the Mvskoke Dome will also host the Class 3A Area Tournament Feb. 28 through March 2, 2019. A schedule of game times will be announced on a later date.
The Mvskoke Dome was chosen as a host site by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association, based on a list of criteria the gym must meet to be considered including the gym size, overall condition of the facility, parking and location among other considering factors.
Recent renovations were made to the facility with the goal of becoming a contender in hosting events such as the regional and area tournaments.
The upgrades include new hardwood installation to the gymnasium flooring, as well as the addition of 1,602 stadium seats throughout.
The Director of Tourism & Recreation Kyle Lee said the past year has been set aside for completing the Mvskoke Dome upgrades for the opportunity to host various sporting events.
“We recently just wrapped up hosting our first Okmulgee County Tournament and that was huge success and it exposed a lot of people to the Dome for the first time,” Lee said. “We hope to continue to build on this momentum and bring more sporting events and visitors to the area.”
Lee said it’s an exciting opportunity for the Nation to be presented by OSSAA with the opportunity.
Principal Chief James R. Floyd is also looking forward to hosting the upcoming regional and area playoff games and all future sporting events in the upgraded facility.
“It is a great opportunity for the Nation to work with these organizations and different entities of the community to create partnerships and positive environments that bring communities and schools together,” Principal Chief Floyd said. “We look forward to continued partnerships and the opportunity to host other large events like this.”
Muscogee (Creek) Nation Office of Child Support Announcement
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Office of Child Support is excited to announce we are expanding…
Muscogee (Creek) Nation takes part in Native American Day Festivities
TULSA, Okla. — The Muscogee (Creek) Nation, along with the Cherokee and Osage Nations, participated in the Native American Day celebration Oct. 9, hosted by the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission (GTAIAC) on the Guthrie Green in Tulsa.
Muscogee (Creek) Nation releases statement regarding U.S. Supreme Court decision in Murphy case
For Immediate Release June 27, 2019 Media Contact Amanda Rutland O: 918.732.7615 arutland@mcn-nsn.gov Muscogee (Creek)…
2019 Candidate Listing
Hofmeister acknowledges Muscogee (Creek) Nation as leader in investing in state’s educators
Tribal leaders sign joint resolution opposing Gov. Stitt’s repudiation of the State-Tribal gaming compacts
previous post: Muscogee (Creek) Nation to Hold the Hanna Indian Community Center Groundbreaking Ceremony
next post: MCN Celebrates Hanna Indian Community Center Groundbreaking, Construction of Nation’s First Prototype Community Building
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line370
|
__label__wiki
| 0.812992
| 0.812992
|
Onsted, MI
0 Multi Families
View Multi-families
0 Condos
View Condos
2 Single Families
View Single Families
Onsted
Onsted, MI Local Info
Average Salary:
There were 321 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.09. In the village the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.9 males.
Zip Codes:
Local Services in Onsted
We have worked hard to compile a comprehensive directory of local businesses that offer services necessary for the buying and selling of homes. Browse them here!
There doesn't seem to be anything here!
Get On Your Feet With Prestige Entertainment
Get Fit At Pure Hot Yoga
1UP Gaming Is For Gamers On The Go
View Full Services Directory
View our directory for all of Michigan.
Want to see yourself listed in our directory and generate leads for your business? Learn more about joining Michigan Homes's service directory here. It's completely free!
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line372
|
__label__wiki
| 0.961848
| 0.961848
|
Dave Rogers: As Kyle Busch's new crew chief, he's got big shoes to fill...and a lot of pressure to deal with
Sunday's Texas 500: This one is Greg Biffle's
It has been a long dry summer, but finally car owner Jack Roush can see some rainbows
Winner Jamie McMurray! And what does he have lined up for 2010?
Wow! What a day? Two hours of boredom, that drivers conceded was embarrassing, then two wild crashes...and Jamie McMurray wins
First, it was the bump-draft; now it's a push-draft. So how will NASCAR call Sunday's Talladega 500?
JJ & MM 1-2 for the Talladega start, but NASCAR execs on the hot seat: low TV ratings, weak crowds, 'slow' yellows, controversial decisions.....
Denny Hamlin proposes new NASCAR championship points system
Denny Hamlin's hot at Dega too, but will that be good enough for the pole, or just on Sunday?
Remember Tommy Kendall? The Rick Hendrick 'find' of the 1990s. Well, look at what he's driving now!
It's Miami, the Keys, the tropics...and Jimmie Johnson isn't cooling off a bit
Posted Nov 20th, 2009
Jimmie Johnson can't stop smiling...it's just been that kind of year. (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
HOMESTEAD, Fla.
Have all the other guys already packed up their tools for the winter? Or maybe they just packed Speedos instead of speed-tools for this trip.
Looks like anyone looking for an upset or a surprise here Sunday will first have to get around the amazing Jimmie Johnson.
Now teammate Jeff Gordon may be keeping an eye out for Jack Roush's Fords, which have dominated here over the years.
But those guys have been rather flat lately.
And Johnson is flat bad this fall, with last weekend's win at Phoenix all but clinching the title.
Adding more fuel to the 'It was over at Dover' theory, Johnson, whose win at Dover Downs back in September pinpointed him as the odds-on favorite to win this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, won the pole here Friday for the season finale.
Johnson's Dover win didn't put him atop the standings; that leap didn't come until two weeks later when he won at Charlotte. But it was at Dover, in only the second race of the 10-race chase, that Johnson became Mr. Inevitable.
Now he needs only to finish 25th or better Sunday to clinch his fourth straight title…and team owner Rick Hendrick's record-tying ninth.
Johnson, who has been giving press conferences almost non-stop the past few weeks, certainly isn't letting all that be any distraction.
"When the sun is setting, it's hard to find your pit box here on this pit road, so I'm glad to get that first pit stall," Johnson said after his lap of 173.919 mph.
"After Texas, I'm not taking anything for granted."
And Mark Martin, the only man with a chance to catch Johnson, and a long-shot at that, isn't giving up yet. He'll start in the second row, just ahead of Tony Stewart.
The day's most disappointed: Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Brian Vickers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch.
Well, there may be a few guys racing Sunday. Jeff Gordon, for one – trying to catch teammate Martin for the bridesmaid honor in this year's title run. Gordon would have to pick up 62 points on Martin for that.
"That's what our goal is," Gordon said.
But he will have to come from mid-pack to do it. "We didn't qualify great here the last time, but we still finished well," Gordon insists. "It's been a pretty good track for us recently."
For Gordon it's another bittersweet end to a season. His last tour championship was back in 2001, though he's made some valiant bids since.
"I'm very proud of what that team's accomplished," Gordon said of Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus. "I'm proud to have been a part of it from the beginning.
"But it's a bittersweet thing -- because we won the championship in '01, when they ran their first race. They watched us win that championship. And maybe '02 I finished ahead of him in points. But I don't think I've finished ahead of him in points since then."
And Gordon says if you liked Johnson's title run this season, you'll love what he anticipates in 2010: "Those guys are on a roll right now, and I don't really see it slowing down. I think they're very capable of doing it again next year."
So maybe seven championships is the goal? That would put Johnson right there with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty.
"Seven's a big number," Gordon, a four-time champ himself, muses. "That's tough to get to.
"I remember a lot of people telling me -- or asking me: 'Oh, man, you know, seven's in reach, seven's in reach.'"
For Gordon himself. But that was eight years ago, when Gordon was just 30. And Gordon now may only drive another three or four seasons.
Johnson's mastery of the 10-race chase format is historic. Maybe the chase format should change.
"If they continue to keep the 10 races in the chase that are in there now, I don't know if there's anybody better than Jimmie and his team at those 10 races, those 10 tracks," Gordon says.
"I feel the 10 tracks in the chase are not my best 10. It's sort of our Achilles heel.
"But we're so strong throughout the whole season -- being consistent over 36 races -- I think the old points system favors us."
Indeed, based on Best Average Finishes over the entire season so far, Johnson is only third-best, behind Tony Stewart and Gordon. And if that BAF were used to determine this year's championship Stewart would be leading the standings but only by three points over Gordon and 10 points over Johnson – making this 400 a three-man battle for the title.
As it has played out, for Gordon and Martin both, this year's title race unraveled in that eight day span, with the topsy-turvy Talladega 500 and then the Texas 500. At both events Gordon and Martin had great opportunities to put Johnson in a deep hole….
"I think Bristol should be in the Chase, personally," Gordon says. "Especially right now with the economy the way it is -- and trying to build excitement. And Michigan's always been one of my favorites. I think Indy as well; it would be cool if Indy was in there.
"But my worst three tracks are in the chase. That's the downside for me. But that's what made winning in Texas earlier this year so special. Unfortunately we didn't back that up with a good performance the second time."
While Johnson is a fast finisher to the season, Gordon sees his own strength as being a quick starter: "We were strong in California. We were strong in Vegas. Our strength came in the first 10 races; we were really consistent.
"Then some other teams came on, and we lost a little bit. I feel we got it back right before the chase, and we've been solid in the chase, though New Hampshire (15th) bit us: The first race of the chase, and we didn't have a good performance, and that got us behind right from the beginning."
Though 38, Gordon insists he's not looking for an end-game to his career quite yet: "As long as I'm healthy and competitive, and we have sponsorship, and we're out there enjoying ourselves, I'm going to keep doing it.
"I don't like to put a number on that. Things can happen in a hurry.
"But right now things are going well. My back is better. We're having a good year. Seasons like this add years to my career.
"Seasons like last year take away. Last year I was frustrated, and not feeling good. I was like 'Give me a couple more years.'
"Now I'm like 'Oh, four, five, who knows.'"
Ironically Gordon himself was the 'closer' in the negotiations with Lowe's for Johnson:
"I'll never forget it," Gordon says of that day. "I'll never forget sitting there and having the CEO, Bob Tillman, flat-out look at me straight in the face and ask 'Do you really believe Jimmie can win races and win championships?'
"I feel like I was honest: I told him I believed with Hendrick equipment and the right people around him that, yes, he was capable.
"Now how much of that did I believe was going to come true? I wasn't sure, I wasn't sure.
"Jimmie had a great talent, but I had no idea.
"You don't know how much they have until you put them in your equipment.
"You don't know what kind of crew chief Chad Knaus was going to be.
"But I did see something in Jimmie I thought could be special.
"I had no idea it was going to take off."
And now everyone in the sport is wondering just when Johnson and Knaus will cool off.
Gordon says he's watching another angle – the business side of success: "The downside is the more championships you win, the more you want to capitalize on opportunities that come your way, from a marketing standpoint, from a business standpoint."
And then there's yet another angle too, Gordon warns: "Whether or not you get bored with it."
And Johnson and Knaus are showing no signs of boredom yet.
The starting lineup for Sunday's Miami Ford 400, the 10th and final race of NASCAR's championship chase
Submitted by COTisIROC on Fri 11/20/2009 - 15:50.
What will happen next year? Pressure is cumulative, will a 4th add to or remove the pressure from Knaus and Johnson? There needs to be a change, if not in the general format, at least in the tracks. Why not just rotate the tracks so we don't have the same tracks in the Chase consecutive years. Charlotte this year, Atlanta next, Homestead this year, Daytona next.
The old system rewarded consistency during the entire season. Now that consistency gets you into the Chase but that's about it. But consistency during the Chase is rewarded also so what's the difference? The leader going into the Chase gets hosed. How about a formula for the points leader, i.e., if you have a 100 point lead, you get 15 bonus points, 200, 30, etc.. Either way, old system or Chase, you will still have problems with dominant teams and drivers stinking up the show but it is still great to watch....
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line373
|
__label__wiki
| 0.770388
| 0.770388
|
New member welcomed by Welsh Motoring Writers
Welsh Motoring Writers welcomes Richard Jones to its ranks this month.
Twenty-six year old Richard from Welshpool is a senior reporter with NWN Media's Newspaper Group and has a number of Motoring outlets already - primarily the Whitchurch Herald and Liverpool's Radio City website.
Into cars from an early age when he helped out at his father's two car dealerships, Richard has already established himself as a journalist on the "WMW patch".
"It's great to have Richard on board," said WMW Chairman Huw Thomas.
"He comes to us highly recommended not only by his editor but also other senior figures at NWN and I'm sure he'll prove to be an asset to the Group."
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line377
|
__label__wiki
| 0.645659
| 0.645659
|
The dome of the U.S. Capitol Building is reflected in a puddle on a rainy morning in Washington.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
House Republican: ‘It’s easy to be bold when you’re not coming back’
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) has become increasingly unrestrained in his criticisms of Donald Trump’s presidency. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), who leads the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, told the Associated Press he’s unimpressed:
“It’s easy to be bold when you’re not coming back.”
The quote is in reference to the fact that Corker will retire from the Senate at the end of this Congress, which in turn means he’s unencumbered by traditional political constraints. It’s all quite straightforward: it’s tough to pressure an official who doesn’t want or need anything from his party or its leaders, and lawmakers who need not worry about voters’ attitudes can say and do as they please.
But Meadows’ quote doesn’t do anyone in the Republican Party any favors. He made it sound as if rank-and-file GOP members can’t be bold, even if they want to be, because they must remain principally focused on their re-election prospects, instead of their principles.
The North Carolina congressman later clarified that he also believes Corker’s criticisms are without merit. Given Meadows’ ideology and political perspective, that’s very easy to believe.
But even if Meadows deserves the benefit of the doubt about the intended meaning of the sentiment, we know with some certainty that many of his GOP colleagues on Capitol Hill bite their tongue – choosing not to be “bold” – when it comes to this White House because they lack the freedom Corker enjoys by virtue of his looming retirement.
Indeed, Corker admitted as much to the New York Times, saying in reference to Trump, “Look, except for a few people, the vast majority of our caucus understands what we’re dealing with here.” The Atlantic’s James Fallows raised a related point:
I am hardly the best-sourced figure on partisan politics in general and Republican officialdom in particular…. But even I have heard, first-hand, from Republican senators, representatives, and other dignitaries that they view Donald Trump as a menace in his current role. It’s not (just) that they disagree with some of what he does.
It’s that they consider him intellectually unaware of the cliffs toward which he is steering the country, and temperamentally unable to exercise anything like mature judgment. In these and other ways, including his personal and financial ethics, they know that he is outside the range of suitability to hold this job.
Talk to enough White House reporters and you realize that there’s plenty of similar rhetoric coming from some of the officials who work directly with Trump on a regular basis.
To use Meadows’ framing, none of them, have the luxury of being “bold.”
As striking as this is, let’s not overlook the significance of the dynamic. I sometimes see folks ask, “When are Republicans going to wake up and recognize the dangers of Donald Trump’s presidency?” There’s ample evidence this is the wrong question: Republicans aren’t oblivious to the problem at all. Most of them know full well Trump is woefully unfit for the office; they just don’t think they can get away with saying so.
Given a choice between candidly telling the public the truth about this president and protecting their careers, Republicans en masse prioritize the latter over the former.
Yes, there are occasional hints of exceptions. Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has gone further than most in speaking his mind. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson apparently told a room full of people recently that Trump is a “f***ing moron.” John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has occasionally rebuked the White House in notable ways.
But these isolated examples only shine a light on the broader question: what would other Republicans say about Trump if they had more courage and were more determined not to be complicit in the president’s dangerous antics?
The MaddowBlog, Donald Trump and Republicans
Trump moves away from the deal he struck...
Monday's Mini-Report, 10.9.17
House Republican: 'It's easy to be bold when you're not coming back'
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line379
|
__label__wiki
| 0.604231
| 0.604231
|
Home Directors Philippe Falardeau
Philippe Falardeau
Photo of Philippe Falardeau, copyright © 2012 by Ralph Lucas
B: 1968 in Hull, Québec
Filippe Falardeau is an award-winning screenwriter and director. He studied political science at the University of Ottawa before travelling around the world making twenty short films. He co-wrote and was assistant director with Jacques Godbout`s Le Sort de l’Amérique, after which he directed his own documentary, Pâté chinois. His first feature film, La Moitié gauche du frigo won Best Canadian First Feature at the Toronto International Film Festival and a Best Screenplay nomination at the Quebec-based Jutra Awards. His 2006 film, Congorama just about swept the prestigious Jutra Awards. Monsieur Lazhar, which was nominated for an Academy Award, won six Genie Awards in March of 2012 including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Editing.
Features & TV Movies:
VR indicates Direct-to-Video Release
Pâté chinois (1997)
La moitié gauche du frigo (2000)
Congorama (2006)
C’est pas moi, je le jure (2008)
Monsieur Lazhar (2011)
The Good Lie (2014)
My Internship in Canada (2015)
TV Series – at least 1 episode of:
La course destination monde (1988)
Credits as a Screenwriter:
Le sort de l’Amerique (1996)
Previous articlePamela Anderson
Next articleKatrin Bowen
Ralph Lucas
Laurie Lynd
Miranda de Pencier
Jake Eberts
Thom Fitzgerald
Rosie Dransfeld
Martin Gero
Pierre Collin
Randal Edwards
Dylan Pearce
Allan Moyle
Directors Oct 15, 2017
Janet Perlman
Directors Nov 25, 2013
Tara Johns
Directors Mar 9, 2011
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line380
|
__label__cc
| 0.524912
| 0.475088
|
Cecilia mcdowall, composer
"On February 27, the National Flute Orchestra gave the first performance of a new work commissioned by them at the Birmingham Conservatoire, called Crossing the Bridge. This was the first time I had heard the orchestra play and I was surprised and delighted by the colour and textural variety which the NFO brought to the work. I knew the performance of Crossing the Bridge would be very good indeed but had not expected such a wide range of nuance and precision from these talented performers. I do hope the work will appeal to more flute choirs and that it will indeed, 'cross the bridge'."
Andrew downes, composer
"This excellent group, founded in 2008 by Margaret Lowe and Kenneth Bell together with the Birmingham Flute Commission, is formed from fine players from all over the UK. I had the privilege of hearing them rehearse my Sonata for Flute Choir in March 2009, and was delighted by their expertise, commitment, and immediate understanding of the technical and artistic demands of my music under Kenneth's highly professional direction."
Carol Kniebusch Noe, professor Emeritus, James Madison University, VA, USA
“The National Flute Orchestra is an excellent ensemble made up of flutists from all over the UK. Their blend of sound and rhythmic accuracy are exceptional. Not only are they are a pleasure to work with, their spirit of friendship is very welcoming.”
Kenneth Bell, NFO FOUNDER conductor and former chairman of the British Flute society
"Over recent years the lower instruments of the flute family have become more easily obtainable by players and this has greatly enhanced the tonal and musical potential of the traditional flute choir. We now have an ensemble with a range of octaves and dynamics to fully realise the musical content of pieces within a specific instrumental soundworld
in the same way as, for example, a string orchestra or brass ensemble. Leading composers such as Andrew Downes and Cecilia McDowall have already contributed high quality original music to our repertoire and there are many exciting possibilities for the future artistic development of the ensemble."
Jo griffiths, composer
“I attended the NFO’s concert in November (2013) to listen to “Jongleur”, a piece I had recently written. The orchestra captured the playful nature
of the piece and delivered its somewhat erratic and surprising rhythms with energy and precision. The tumbling and clown-like motifs throughout the piece were played effortlessly and the whole performance was a credit to the high standard of performers in the NFO.”
Jon payne, RSCM Regional music advisor, Director of Music -
St Thomas' Church Stourbridge
“It was a great pleasure to welcome the orchestra to St. Thomas’s again, and thank you for putting on such a splendid programme.”
Graham Smith, chairman, Local and live concert series
(2015) “It was an interesting programme, spanning a wide range and style of flute music. The description of the various flutes in the orchestra provided a fascinating insight into flutes. The concert clearly met our object of providing quality Local and Live music.”
(2016) "It was a very enjoyable programme, with some well-known compositions and music composed specifically for the family of flute instruments.
I am sure that the audience appreciated your blend of traditional and new music, painting sound pictures from American wildlife to recapturing the delightful Waltz King’s Blue Danube. The audience were also fascinated to hear the wide variety of sounds provided by each instrument."
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line384
|
__label__cc
| 0.597701
| 0.402299
|
Contact/Share
Next Generation for Christ
Speaking & Preaching
Seminars & Resources
Next Gen Seminars
Next Gen Coaching
Story of Redemption FIlms
Your Spiritual Gifts >
Website & Assessment
Western & Central Europe
Love God, Love Your Neighbor - Christian Missionary Carl Wilkens Shares How This Love Both Failed & Saved in the Rwanda Genocide
Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself. No long list of rules. No pages upon pages to memorize, prayers to recite or tasks to complete. Love God, love your neighbor--it is so simple.
One of the worst massacres and violation of love of God and neighbor happened in Rwanda in 1994. If you have seen the movie Hotel Rwanda, it tells this story about ethnic cleansing. The Belgiums had ruled over this African nation for decades, and they set into place some of the things that would lead to this massacre. They arbitrarily divided the Rwandans up into Hutus and Tutsis, based on slight differences in skin color and other physical characteristics.
In 1990, when Billy Joel was singing We Didn't Start the Fire, Rwanda was in the midst of a Civil War between Hutus and Tutsis. But the moderate Hutu president of Rwanda negotiated a peace treaty which included power sharing between the groups. Radical Hutus warned the President that they would kill him if he signed this agreement, and they did. On a Thursday night in April, the president's plane was shot down--it was only later leaned that this was by the radical Hutu rebels. And that was the signal that would set off plans for one of the worst ethnic cleanings ever, where some 600,000 to a million Tutsis were killed by the Hutus.
Now the thing that is so disturbing about this, besides the act itself, is that these were not communists or fascists or secularists. This was an overwhelmingly Christian nation. Where was their devotion? What happened? How could they claim to be Christians, and then systematically go about killing their neighbors?
This week I was invited down by one of our church members to the Pentagon to the chaplain's luncheon to hear Carl and Teresa Wilkens talk about their experience in Rwanda. They came to Rwanda four years prior to the genocide, serving as Christian missionaries and humanitarian workers. Carl stayed there throughout the war and wrote a book called, I'm Not Leaving.
On that Thursday, the Wilkens hid in their house as gunfire went off everywhere. They were lying on the ground, telling their children that they were playing a game. Meanwhile every one of their neighbors who did not have "Hutu" on their ID card were being slaughtered with machetes. The next morning they found out from their neighbors who were Hutu that the militia and men with machetes had come during the night and had planned to kill them. They thought they were Belgiums, and believed that Belgiums had shot down the president's plane.
The only thing standing between the Wilkens family and that death squad literally was their neighbors. They told them that they had lived there with them in their neighborhood for years. They knew them. They recited small acts of kindness that they had done for them, such as taking them to the hospital in the middle of the night.
But of all of the things that they told the killers that night, one thing stood out. They said, "This family's children plays with our children."
Their children--Mindy, Lisa, and Shaun--had spent four years laughing, playing, and building bonds together. And it was this love of neighbor--of truly loving them and living among them, and the stories of this love--that saved their lives.
In his presentation, Carl Wilkins said that what led to the Rwandan genocide was the failure of love of God and neighbor.
But that one instance of love on that murderous night allowed this one Christian family to live--and that allowed Carl to stay on through the genocide and save hundreds of men, women, children, and orphans. All because of small acts of love and kindness and the friendship of children playing together.
What do you think that we can learn from this story about loving God and neighbor?
Spotify Changed Its Logo Color - and the Internet is Freaking Out!
Spotify changed its logo color from one shade of green to another--and the Internet is freaking out. People hate the new green (bottom, lighter green color), someone sent out a negative tweet, and the complaint went viral.
Check out these news stories on the topic from Daily Mail and TheNEXTWeb. Some are noting that this change was done without any notice. And those in the company had been unanimous about the change, and had though that it was not a big deal.
Change in a company--or church--is necessary. And change is hard to bring about without making someone upset. But this is probably a good example of needing to do a bit better in change management, and realizing that what might not be a big deal to us might be a big deal to someone else!
Which color of green do you like?!
Early Christianity - Christians' Sexual Ethic, not Laws, Set Christians Apart
In his article, One Trait that Set Apart the Earliest Christians, Michael J. Kruger points out that the sexual ethic of the early Christians was something that set these Christians apart from the culture. Note the following quoted section below:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tertullian went to great lengths to defend the legitimacy of Christianity by pointing out that Christians are generous and share their resources with all those in need. But then he said, “One in mind and soul, we do not hesitate to share our earthly goods with one another. All things are common among us but our wives” (Apol. 39). Why did he say this? Because, in the Greco-Roman world, people sometimes shared their spouses with each other.
In the second-century Epistle to Diognetus, the author went out of his way to declare that Christians are normal in regard to what they wear, what they eat, and how they participate in society. However, he then said, “[Christians] share their meals, but not their sexual partners” (Diogn. 5.7). Again, this trait made Christians different.
We see this dictinction play out again in the second-century Apology of Aristides. Aristides defended the legitimacy of the Christian faith to the emperor Hadrian by pointing out how Christians “do not commit adultery nor fornication” and “their men keep themselves from every unlawful union.”
A final example comes from the second-century apology of Minucius Felix. In his defense to Octavius, he contrasted the sexual ethic of the pagan world with that of Christians:
Among the Persians, a promiscuous association between sons and mothers is allowed. Marriages with sisters are legitimate among the Egyptians and in Athens. Your records and your tragedies, which you both read and hear with pleasure, glory in incests: thus also you worship incestuous gods, who have intercourse with mothers, with daughters, with sisters. With reason, therefore, is incest frequently detected among you, and is continually permitted. Miserable men, you may even, without knowing it, rush into what is unlawful: since you scatter your lusts promiscuously, since you everywhere beget children, since you frequently expose even those who are born at home to the mercy of others, it is inevitable that you must come back to your own children, and stray to your own offspring. Thus you continue the story of incest, even although you have no consciousness of your crime. But we maintain our modesty not in appearance, but in our heart we gladly abide by the bond of a single marriage; in the desire of procreating, we know either one wife, or none at all.
This sampling of texts from the second century demonstrates that one of the main ways that Christians stood out from their surrounding culture was their distinctive sexual behavior. Of course, this doesn’t mean Christians were perfect in this regard. No doubt, many Christians committed sexual sins. But Christianity as a whole was still committed to striving towards the sexual ethic laid out in Scripture–and the world took notice.
I know that there are numerous Christians who are tremendously bothered by the change in laws regarding marriage and sexuality in the US. And certainly, this reflects a troubling moving away from Judeo-Christian ethics in our culture. However, it may be that with these changes in laws, Christian may stand out much more--hopefully in a positive way for what we stand for, more than a negative what we stand against.
How do these quotations from early Christianity affect your view of what is happening in our culture in regards to morality? How should we respond to the changing morality that we see and face today?
And God Said If . . . A Poem on Why God Allows Suffering & Trials
Why does God allow us to go through trials and suffering? Here is a poem called, "And God Said If . . ." that helps explain this. It is anonymous.
If you never felt pain, Then how would you know that I’m a Healer?
If you never went through difficulty,
How would you know that I’m a Deliverer?
If you never had a trial,
How could you call yourself an over comer?
If you never felt sadness,
How would you know that I’m a Comforter?
If you never made a mistake,
How would you know that I’m forgiving?
If you never were in trouble,
How would you know that I will come to your rescue?
If you never were broken,
Then how would you know that I can make you whole?
If you never had a problem,
How would you know that I can solve them?
If you never had any suffering,
Then how would you know what I went through?
If you never went through the fire,
Then how would you become pure?
If I gave you all things,
How would you appreciate them?
If I never corrected you,
How would you know that I love you?
If you had all power,
Then how would you learn to depend on me?
If your life was perfect,
Then what would you need Me for?
Which of the above impacted you?
Missionary Died Thinking He Was a Failure . . . But He Was Not!
Dr. William Leslie went as a missionary in 1912 to a remote part of the Congo. There he shared Christ for 17 years, but felt as though he had little impact. He had a dispute with tribal leaders, and they asked him to leave and to not come back. He left a defeated man, thinking that he was a failure.
Fast forward one hundred years to the shocking events of 2010. Mark Ellis writes, "A team led by Eric Ramsey with Tom Cox World Ministries made a shocking and sensational discovery. They found a network of reproducing churches hidden like glittering diamonds in the dense jungle across the Kwilu River from Vanga, where Dr. Leslie was stationed."
Ramsey reports, "When we got in there, we found a network of reproducing churches throughout the jungle,” Ramsey reports. 'Each village had its own gospel choir, although they wouldn’t call it that,' he notes. ;They wrote their own songs and would have sing-offs from village to village.'"
In each village that Ramsey and his team visited, they found a church. And there was even a thousand set stone cathedral!
This just shows that God can take our "failures" and make incredible things come out of them. And is that not the essence of the cross? Praise God!
Holiness Theme - Traced Throughout the Bible
Here is a great animated video that well explains the theme of holiness and traces this concept and its development throughout the Bible. God's holiness goes beyond just moral purity, and encompasses his uniqueness and his goodness. The theme of holiness in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jesus, and the book of Revelation is well brought out here. A great clip!
John Wesley - A Burning Stick, Snatched from the Fire for God's Redemption
In Zechariah 3:1-3, Satan, the accuser, is standing beside Joshua, the very human high priest who is sinful and clothed in filthy robes. He is ready to accuse Joshua for his sins, when the Lord intervenes and says,
“The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick SNATCHED from the FIRE?”
God planned to save and redeem Joshua--ultimately by sending Jesus (Jesus is the Greek version of the name Joshua) to be a perfect high priest and king. Satan was only there to hurl insults, shame, and accusations. He saw no value in Joshua. But God did. He deserved death, but God saved him by his grace, as a "burning stick snatched from the fire."
There is a great sermon illustration for this passage (or any other passage on God's grace and redemption) from in this story - JOHN WESLEY - A BRAND PLUCKED FROM THE FIRE! Like Joshua the high priest, God would redeem Josh Wesley, not discard him, and use him for something incredible and powerful.
"At the age of five the Wesleys’ home caught on fire in the night. All the children were removed safely from the house, but when they were counted, John was missing. A farmer from nearby spotted little John looking out of an upstairs window amid the leaping flames. Several neighbors climbed on each other’s shoulders, ‘till the man on top was able to put his arms around the boy and pull him out of the flames to safety. Only moments after he was rescued, the entire house exploded in flames. Ever after, for the rest of his life, John Wesley referred to himself 'as a brand plucked from the burning,' quoting Zechariah 3:2. . .
As a young man, John and his brother Charles went to Oxford University. Influenced by the home schooling he received from his mother Susanna Wesley, John was a very serious young man. At Oxford he became the leader of a small group of serious Christian young men called the “Holy Club.” George Whitefield was also a member.
But it was not until several years later that he came under the influence of Luther’s writings and experienced a true conversion.
John and his brother Charles were sent by the Church of England as missionaries to Georgia, in the American colony. On board ship, while sailing to America, he saw a group of German Moravians who were unafraid of a great storm that nearly destroyed the ship. John himself was terrified by the storm. But those German Christians sang songs and had no fear. This impressed him greatly.
John failed as a missionary in Georgia. During this time he realized that he had never been truly converted. As he left Georgia for a return trip to England he knew he had failed. He wrote in his Journal, “I went to America to convert the Indians; but O! who shall convert me? Who shall deliver me from this heart of unbelief? O, who will deliver me from the fear of death?”
When he got back to London John Wesley met Peter Bohler, a member of the group of German Moravians who had impressed him with their braveness during that storm at sea. Peter Bohler instructed him in how to experience conversion. The counselling of Bohler and his readings from Luther’s commentary on Galatians, which emphasized justification by faith in Christ alone, prepared him for true conversion.
“In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society [Bible study group] in Aldersgate, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while [Luther] was describing the change which God works in the heart though faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for my salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and had saved me from the law of sin and death.”
His brother Charles Wesley had been converted a few days earlier. Now they were ready to join together to lead the First Great Awakening in England, along with the great preacher George Whitefield, a friend of theirs from school days at Oxford.
John Wesley began preaching the new birth in various Anglican [Episcopal] churches around the London area. Again and again, he was shut out of those churches for his strong preaching on the need of the new birth. The ministers were afraid of strong preaching on this subject, as most are today. At last there was no church that would let him preach. It was then that his long-time friend George Whitefield persuaded him to speak outdoors in the open fields. He began preaching in the fields near Bristol in 1739. The First Great Awakening in England had begun. The fire of revival would sweep across the world during his long lifetime, due to the preaching of John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, Howell Harris and other Methodists.
During the following fifty years John Wesley rode 250,000 miles on the roads of England, Scotland and Ireland. He gave over 42,000 sermons, always preaching twice each day, and often three or four times daily, for fifty years. His tireless work changed British society and made evangelistic Christianity a life-giving force throughout the English-speaking world . . . .
At the age of 86 he was still preaching to huge gatherings of people two and three times a day, seven days a week. On October 7, 1790 he preached his last outdoor sermon in a churchyard in Kent. His last sermon was given in a house in the country village of Leatherhead on February 23, 1791. His last sermon text was,
“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).
What do you think of this story?
Christ-Followers Show Up at Grocery Store and Pay for People's Groceries--Watch as They Experience God's Grace!
"My buddy called and asked if I'd like to go help him pay for people's groceries. What happened next was amazing..."
This video from the JesusPainter Ministry captures people's reactions when someone pays for their groceries. They are amazed by this act of GRACIOUS GIVING--which points them to the ultimate grace of God, found in Jesus Christ.
What if you did this in your community? Would this not make an impact for Christ?
An Incredibly Moving Story of a Couple in a Broken Marriage, Finding Redemption in Christ!
Wow. This is an incredible story of a couple who struggled in their MARRIAGE. He was searching for happiness and had an affair--twice. She had been seeking to find her happiness only in him, and let the problems at home cause her to miss out on God's gifts to her.
But together, they found redemption through Jesus Christ. A touching, moving story that any couple would be blessed to watch.
How Hitler's Radio Transmitter, Intended for Nazi Propaganda, Is Being Used to Transmit the Gospel to Millions
During World War II, Adolf Hitler ordered the building of a 100,000 Watt radiotransmitter in Monte Carlo, Monaco, that he planned on using to broadcast venomous Nazi propaganda throughout the world.
It was never used.
But today, the transmitter is used by TrasWorld Radio (TWR) to broadcast the gospel in numerous languages to millions of people all around the world, including Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. What Hitler intended for evil, God used for good. Is that not the essence of the gospel?
Note the following from the article, "Celebrating 50 Years Broadcasting from Monaco":
“Sometimes God turns the efforts of evil men into vehicles for His work in the world,” says TWR President Lauren Libby. “God provided TWR a huge voice to speak in Jesus’ name at a strategic time in history. Today, TWR’s programs from Monte Carlo still bring hope and encouragement to millions.”
Here is an excerpt from prisoner in Poland whose life was eternally touched by TWR's broadcasts from Monte Carlo:
"One night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, I flipped through the radio stations and came across one that would soon change my life forever! Someone was talking about the love of God that cleanses sin, forgives, heals, restores, and gives joy and peace.
I became addicted to listening to Trans World Radio. One day, I bowed my head and cried out: 'Lord have mercy on me, forgive me, save me, come and renew my broken spirit, I want to be a new person and I want to live for you.' Suddenly, the gloom and fretfulness were gone. Instead, joy and peace filled my heart. I started witnessing to my fellow inmates. As many as 10 gathered around the radio to listen to TWR. For five more years in prison, God used me to witness to the broken hearts."
What an amazing story, that God could "redeem" this work of man for the salvation of people's souls and the spread of the gospel. Praise God!
Isn't this an amazing story!
Search this site for a preaching topic or sermon illustration or click on the categories below!
Dr. James Nored is a preacher, evangelist, writer, and missional leader. He currently preaches and helps lead the church into mission at the Fairfax Church of Christ in Fairfax, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C.
Christ / Redemption
Early Christianity / Early Christians
Evangelism / Sharing Our Faith
Funny / Humor
Handicapped / Disabled
Holiness / Holy
Hypocrisy / Hypocrite
Life Satisfaction
Neighbors / Neighborhood
Self / Selfish
UnChristian
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line387
|
__label__cc
| 0.64478
| 0.35522
|
Home North America Mexico Mexico City
It doesn’t take much to define a city which is a unique blend of Hispanic culture and American modernism, where the people are so warm and welcoming it overwhelms almost every traveler visiting Mexico City.Mexico City is the undisputed cultural capital of Latin America, with a significant lifestyle as distinct as that of New York or Rio. The unique blend of clamor, culture, tradition and sophistication, gives Mexico City a distinct character.
Angel de la Independencia
City: Mexico City
Angel de la Independencia is a victory column located on a round about over Paseo de la Reforma in downtown Mexico City. El Ángel was built to commemorat...
Antiguo Palacio de la Inquisición
Antiguo Palacio de la Inquisición is situated at Republica de Brasil 33 which was built between 1732 and 1737. It was the head office of the Holy Inquisi...
goodiesfirst
Casa de los Azulejos
Casa de los Azulejos is situated at Francisco I Madero 4. This department store and restaurant is housed in the former residency of the Counts of the Valley of ...
Tristan Higbee
Chapultepec Castle
Chapultepec Castle is the home of the Spanish Viceroys, a military college scene of historic battle during the Mexican-American War, and the palace of Emperor Maximilian and Empress Carlota. You can w...
rutlo
Chapultepec Park
Home to lakes, forests and various attractions, Chapultepec Park is one of the loveliest places to visit in Mexico City. The park has been divided into three sections out of which first one is surroun...
Thelmadatter
The China Town is situated in Dolores Street. It was recently re-conditioned. This street became a pedestrian-only street full of Chinese restaurants and stores. It's locally known as Barrio Chino. Th...
Colonia San Rafael
Colonia San Rafael was established in the late 19th century as one of the first formal neighborhoods outside of the city center and initially catered to the wealthy of the Porfirio Díaz era. Th...
Ilde1508
Convento del Carmen
Convento del Carmen is an ancient convent where you can see the uncomfortable stone slabs where nuns slept, religious artwork, and, most importantly, a creepy underground crypt filled with mummified n...
Desierto de los Leones National Park
Desierto de los Leones National Park is one of the best parks in Mexico City. This national park features a pine forest as well as Carmelite convent which date ...
grahamc99
Fuente de la Diana Cazadora
Fuente de la Diana Cazadora is the fountain designed by Fernando Olaquibel which was originally known as "The Archer". It depicts the beautiful Diana Cazadora a...
Galería de Arte Mexicano (GAM)
Galería de Arte Mexicano (GAM) has been the first contemporary art gallery in Mexico City. It has played an important role in Mexican art movements and i...
Gran Hotel de la Ciudad de Mexico
Gran Hotel de la Ciudad de is also known as "Centro Mercantil" which is located at Av 16 de Septiembre 82, Centro Historico, Mexico City. This building was bui...
Mexico City Travel - Pangea Guides
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line390
|
__label__cc
| 0.615465
| 0.384535
|
Promoting Bulgarian Literature in the Anglosphere: Interview with Milena Deleva, Managing Director of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation
The by far most important institution involved in promoting Bulgarian literature in the English-speaking world is the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation. I (TH) am extremely grateful to its Managing Director Milena Deleva (MD), for being so kind to agree to this interview despite her very busy schedule.
TH: Milena, most readers know probably Elizabeth Kostova at least by name. But what is the story behind the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation (EKF)?
MD: The Elizabeth Kostova Foundation (EKF) was established by the American author Elizabeth Kostova who after spending time traveling and researching in Bulgaria, has published a very successful debut novel “The Historian” and has made a generous and cultured gesture to repay a debt to the country she considered inspiration for her novel, by establishing a literary Foundation.
With that said, the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation was established back in 2007 in Bulgaria to promote and support contemporary Bulgarian literature. In 2016 we incorporated 501(c)3 in the US and our mission expanded.
Our work creates a literary nexus between Bulgaria and the United States by providing opportunities for Bulgarian authors and translators in Bulgaria and in the English speaking world, and by putting cultural diplomacy in practice.
Looking back at an entire decade, EKF has added Bulgaria to the Anglophone literary map and has launched many pioneering initiatives such as, creative writing workshops for American and Bulgarian writers, creative writing workshops for high school students, publication of Bulgarian novels in English, Fellowships for Bulgarian literary translators in the US and the UK, Translation Award, Translator Atelier, Curated literary reading series in the US, Literary festivals in the US and in Bulgaria. We also originated the Contemporary Bulgarian Writers website.
The combination of all these activities and many unplanned “spillovers” helped the contemporary Bulgarian writers enter the international literary circuit.
TH: Maybe you can tell our readers a few words about your own background and your practical work at the EKF?
MD: Compared to my academic background, I hold MA in Cultural Studies from Sofia University, my work is way more practical. It does have to do with very tangible and actual results such as published books, among other literary publications, as well as other accomplished projects. I also hold MA in Arts Administration from Baruch College in New York. Nowadays, in America, unlike Europe where the notion for civil society is still stronger, nonprofits have to justify their work by breaking society in smaller, often imagined communities. Ironically, these don’t always perceive themselves as such, and the entire community rhetoric becomes a class issue. In this regard, our case is unique. With our work in the US we don’t aim at specific group of people, we aim at the global reader and are looking for creative cross-exposure between generations, established – emerging, local – foreign but also literary – non-literary. In this way, we have been able to cultivate new readership, and this is what is the real uphill battle.
In Bulgaria, we focus on creating professional opportunities for writers and translators, and nurturing context and literary communities, in addition to broadening the audience.
My specific and overarching work is hybrid. I often run projects from inception to completion, planning, programming, producing and securing grants for our programs. Being proactive and looking for opportunities for our main constituencies, including communication are also very important aspects of my job.
TH: According to the Three Percent Database of the University of Rochester, only about three percent of the newly published books in English language are translations, and if we only consider literary fiction, the figures are even smaller. What is on the bottom of this – a lack of interest from the side of the readers, or are publishers shying away from translations for other reasons? Do books by Bulgarian authors face particular obstacles to find a publisher in the English-speaking world?
MD: Yes, according to Bowker company, based on 2004 data, the fiction slice was less than 1% at the time the survey was announced.
Well, some publishers aren’t shying away from translations because this is what they specialize in, international literature is their sole profile. Some of them are profit, others are incorporated as nonprofit organizations. Regardless of their legal status, normally they publish about ten titles per year, which perhaps corresponds to different variables – the demand, the number of staff, the financial means. Let’s not forget that both Knausgård and Bolaño were discovered by small publishing houses.
However, there are bigger commercial publishers who also acquire translations along with their Anglophone titles. There is a handful of Bulgarian writers who have been published by big publishing houses, two of the three write in English.
Bulgarian books do face numerous default obstacles. First of all, Bulgaria as a country doesn’t have any distinct international presence, then there is inconsistent or no state support at all. In fact, if there are any good news or breakthroughs connected to my homeland in the recent years, they’ve mostly come from arts and culture sphere (not just literature).
Consequently, there aren’t foreign literary agents enticed by representing Bulgarians, nor enough translators who are qualified to translate from Bulgarian to English. I am mentioning the former for two reasons. The translators are not only moving literature from one language to another, they, in many cases, serve as literary agents for international literature.
That is why our Sozopol Fiction Seminars are so important, they create supportive environment and contacts between Bulgarian authors and translators and Anglophone editors and publishers.
This makes our efforts even more important.
The current moment is a turning point for translated literature because many organizations have undertaken advocacy not only through publishing, but also by organizing book tours with international writers, encouraging international literature in the curriculum, and other initiatives such as involving booksellers who do the floor work. We have also organized classroom visits of Bulgarian authors to colleges in New York because the point is how do we establish and maintain literary culture that is friendly to international literature. It is not enough to publish it, the real challenge is to connect it with the ordinary reader. And hopefully, one day soon, have it reach its readership as any other quality literature.
TH: You have established a cooperation with Vagabond, a Bulgarian English-language periodical with high quality content, and also with Open Letter Books, the University Press of the University of Rochester. Can you tell us a few words about these corporations?
MD: Yes, these are our structured and organized partnerships that ensure small but firm flow of Bulgarian literature into the Anglosphere. With Open Letter Books we co-run an annual residency for one Bulgarian translator to spend three weeks in Rochester, working with the Press to refine their current translations, visiting Translation Studies workshops at the University of Rochester. Also, we co-run an annual novel contest, mentioned above.
Vagabond English Monthly provides a platform for a joint presence of the Bulgarian and the English language fellows at the Sozopol Fiction Seminars.
TH: My own perception as someone who lives in the country since 18 years is that nowadays there is a much bigger interest in contemporary Bulgarian literature among Bulgarian readers than was the case when I came to the country first. Apart from this increase in literary output, what has changed in Bulgarian literature in the last two decades?
MD: Yes, for many years, during the transition, home grown writers were sidelined by commercial foreign authors. The game has changed and more novels have been written and published.
More novels have been adopted for the screen or the stage. Novels are discussed on the National television. There are more opportunities for Bulgarian writers to travel and visit international forums. Living Bulgarian writers have entered the school curriculum.
TH: From my experience as a reader of Bulgarian literature in the original language, I get the feeling that a comparatively big number of authors write about topics that seem to be very specifically Bulgarian. Other authors seem to write more in a way that targets not primarily or exclusively a Bulgarian audience. In general I see attempts to become perceived as less “provincial”, compared to what is considered as “contemporary” writing. This goes together with a growing interest from the side of (potential) authors to attend creative writing courses. While this aims at learning the craftsmanship necessary to become an author, my fear is (maybe unjustified) that this may lead to a kind of mainstream literature that is written according to certain standards, but is sometimes lacking a certain freshness. It would be extremely interesting for me to hear a bit more about your experiences with the Sozopol Fiction Seminars the EKF is organizing every year.
MD: I guess the fear from uniform writing is a legitimate one. Very rarely we happen to host American authors who come outside of the MFA programs in creative writing. Even the critics of the MFA system hold a degree from one of the 229 programs in the country (source: Association of Writers and Writing Programs). According to the same data, there is a steady increase in non-academic jobs for writers. In Bulgaria, many writers earn their living in the commercial sphere. This only proves that writing is a fundamental and a transferable skill.
It is one of the reasons why we launched creative writing workshops for high school students, open to teens with interest for writing but not necessarily looking to become writers. Everybody can only benefit from writing well.
Back to the pivotal Sozopol Fiction Seminars…
Our workshop model provides safe space for peer reflection on works in progress and often the instructors themselves offer their own work on the discussion table. Bulgarian workshops are facilitated by Bulgarian writers, Anglophone workshops are facilitated by English language writers. The two groups have opportunity to share their works during one joint workshop session and also during the public readings. This non-didactic structure supports diverse writing aesthetics and styles.
TH: Bulgaria is a small book market with a quite big number of authors who are competing to get the readers’ attention. In terms of, let’s call it “literature infrastructure” that is important for authors, what is the situation in Bulgaria? I would particularly like to know what is your opinion regarding the official policy of the state regarding the promotion of Bulgarian literature (translation grants, residencies, participation in book fairs, etc.)? To me it seems that the main work to promote Bulgarian literature abroad is done by EKF and a few other programs, such as Traduki, and by some courageous publishers – but maybe my perception is wrong?
MD: Unfortunately, your perception isn’t wrong. There are exception and in fact cultivating government officials or introducing them to literature is a bit like cultivating donors but much harder.
The rant about the poor Bulgarian presence at book fairs, the high VAT for books, the limited number of diplomats who realize the role of culture in branding Bulgaria would be a very long one, and it is worth a separate discussion, preferably in Bulgarian language.
It will be extremely helpful if the state recognizes our efforts and supports initiatives like ours more consistently. It will be of mutual benefit because to a certain extent we do the state’s job. Even if we cease to exist some of the good outcomes of our work are irreversible but the literary noise needs to be maintained.
TH: One of the – possible – bottlenecks to see more Bulgarian books translated is the availability of good translators. There are quite a few, and especially Angela Rodel has been instrumental to make Bulgarian literature available to the English-reading audience. Are there any interesting talents among the young translators that are not so well-known yet? How is EKF supporting the translators?
MD: Yes, Angela Rodel has translated two thirds of the novels published within our programs in the UK and in the US. However, we are trying to encourage other translators to choose literary translation as a professional path.
We do this through regular programs, those that are designed to directly support translators are:
Translators Atelier in Sofia, conducted in collaboration with the Bulgarian Translators’ Union as an opportunity for translators to master the art of translation of different fiction genres and language directions.
Translation Residency, an opportunity for one Bulgarian translator to work in one of the premier American publishers of translated literature and workshop their translation with the students of the Translation Studies program at the University of Rochester.
As mentioned before we co-run this program with Open Letter Books, and in 2017 have launched a similar residency at the Norwich Writer’s Center in UK.
Krastan Dyankov Translation Award, a prize given annually for an outstanding translation of a work of contemporary literary fiction from English into Bulgarian.
In addition, EKF’s work creates many other spillovers for translators who have done some work for our programs but can independently submit their work to publications. Also, there are several Bulgarian features / issues, resulting by our activities, for example Drunken Boat, Words Without Borders, Ninth Letter, EuropeNow and there are many more magazines, which have published work by Bulgarian authors and reviews about Bulgarian books as a direct result from encounters in Sozopol.
TH: Is there a book by a Bulgarian author upcoming in English translation at this moment?
MD: The Same Night Awaits Us by Hristo Karastoyanov is the most recent book, published within our programs (January, 2018).
TH: The last question is maybe a bit difficult to answer for you; in your professional quality as director of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation, you have to be impartial – but as a reader, I would like to know which is/are the untranslated Bulgarian book(s) you would love to see published in English soon?
MD: Ivailo Petrov, Преди да се родя и след това (Before I was born and thereafter).
I hope that after the beautiful work on Wolf Hunt, Archipelago will publish his other iconic novel as well.
TH: Thank you for this interview, Milena! Благодаря!
This interview was first published at Global Literature in Libraries Initiative, 01 June, 2018 for #BulgarianLiteratureMonth.
© Milena Deleva, 2018
© Global Literature in Libraries Initiative, 2018
This entry was posted in Books, Bulgarian literature, Interview and tagged #BulgarianLiteratureMonth, Angela Rodel, Bulgarian literature, Elizabeth Kostova, Elizabeth Kostova Foundation, Hristo Karastoyanov, interview, Ivailo Petrov, Milena Deleva, Open Letter Books, Sozopol Fiction Seminars, University of Rochester, Vagabond (journal) on July 5, 2018 by admin.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line394
|
__label__wiki
| 0.699577
| 0.699577
|
Bless The Fall To Release Debut Full-Length "His Last Walk" On April 10th
Aggressive and as powerful as the blistering Arizona sun, Scottsdale, AZ quintet blessthefall holds nothing back on their ear-shattering debut release, His Last Walk. Having gained regional recognition by winning several local battle-of-the-bands contests, the band draws influence from a bevy of aggro bands like Underoath, Alexisonfire and As I Lay Dying, but is equally as influenced by pop, hip-hop, rap, and even R&B, giving birth to a new sound in the world of hard-hitting and unrelenting rock. Absolutepunk.net raves "I was nothing less than blown away....a remarkable amalgamation....I suggest picking it up and checking them out on tour."
Over the past few months blessthefall toured much of the U.S. and Canada with The Radio Rebellion Tour featuring Norma Jean where they garnered recognition at an overwhelming rate.
blessthefall's His Last Walk will be released April 10 on Science Records, a new imprint from Record Collection Music (The Walkmen, Greeley Estates, Murs).
blessthefall has been confirmed to play the Smartpunk Stage on the entire run of this summer's Vans Warped Tour and will be performing on the Hurley Stage at Cornerstone on June 30th in Bushnell, IL.
Upcoming blessthefall dates (w/ Alesana):
02/20/2007 West Palm Beach, Florida - Ray's Downtown
02/21/2007 Winter Park, Florida - The Haven
02/22/2007 Jacksonville, Florida - Thee Imperial
02/23/2007 Gainesville, Florida - 1982 Bar
02/24/2007 Marietta, Georgia - Swayzes
02/25/2007 Augusta, Georgia - Sector 7G
02/26/2007 Montgomery, Alabama - Off The Wagon
02/27/2007 Metairie, Louisiana - The High Ground
02/28/2007 Houston, Texas - JavaJazz
03/01/2007 Corpus Christi, Texas - House of Rock
03/02/2007 San Antonio, Texas - White Rabbit
03/03/2007 Lewisville/Dallas, Texas - Fat Daddy's
Smartpunk State On Vans Warped Tour:
06/28 San Diego, CA
06/29 Pomona, CA
06/30 Bushnell, IL Cornerstone Festival (Hurley Stage w/ A Change of Pace, Greeley Estates, Devil Wears Prada)
07/03 Vancouver, BC
07/05 Calgary, AB
07/07 Salt Lake City, UT
07/08 Denver, CO
07/11 Phoenix, AZ
07/12 Las Cruces, NM
07/13 San Antonio, TX
07/14 Dallas, TX
07/15 Houston, TX
07/18 Atlanta, GA
07/19 Jacksonville, FL
07/20 Tampa, FL
07/21 Miami, FL
07/22 Orlando, FL
07/23 Charlotte, NC
07/24 Virginia Beach, VA
07/25 Washington, DC
07/26 Scranton, PA
07/27 Detroit, MI
07/28 Chicago, IL
07/29 Minneapolis, MN
07/31 Milwaukee, WI
08/01 Cincinnati, OH
08/02 Cleveland, OH
08/03 Philadelphia, PA
08/04 New York, NY
08/05 Englishtown, NJ
08/07 Indianapolis, IN
08/08 Pittsburgh, PA
08/09 Boston, MA
08/10 Buffalo, NY
08/11 Toronto, ON
08/12 Montreal, QB
08/14 St. Louis, MO
08/15 Kansas City, KS
08/17 Boise, ID
08/18 Seattle, WA
08/19 Portland, OR
08/23 Fresno, CA
08/24 Sacramento, CA
08/25 Los Angeles, CA
Related Headlines:
Quick Hits & Clips: Blessthefall, Bloodhorse, Beach Boys, Freeland & Tommy Lee (May 16, 2009)
Quick Hits & Clips: Cold War Kids, La Roux, Army Navy, Classic Crime, Lili Hayden, Blessthefall (December 11, 2008)
Blessthefall Embark On First Headlining Tour With New Singer (November 10, 2008)
Related Features:
Top 10 of 2008: Blessthefall's Matt Traynor - December 18, 2008
PlugInMusic.com © 2019 Privacy Policy. Design by CMandell.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line400
|
__label__wiki
| 0.944086
| 0.944086
|
Sweet Illusion EP
Butterfly - Single
About D!XON
Sheldon Dixon [D!XON] is a bi-racial (Black/Indian) pop singer, songwriter, producer, dancer and actor from Toronto, Canada.
When D!XON is on stage he transforms into the centrepiece of entertainment, pushing boundaries with his thought provoking, sensual and passionate vocal performances channelled through his ground-shattering pop songs.
Paired with choreographer Hollywood Jade and some of Toronto's best dancers D!XON’s explosive live shows uncover his powerful voice, energetic choreography and true passion for art, leaving fans feeling inspired and entertained.
D!XON released his debut EP Sweet Illusion, which was funded by Ontario Arts Council. D!XON hopes to break into mainstream music and make a name internationally.
In 2014, D!XON collaborated with Juno Award winner Jully Black on her song Rebound from her album Dropping W8. He also opened for En Vogue at Toronto Pride 2013 and performed at Toronto World Pride 2014. In addition, D!XON has performed at a number of events and festivals including: Harbourfront's Beats, Breaks, and Cultures Festival; The Opera House for Universal Music Canada; and the Taste of the Danforth.
D!XON began singing at the age of six and later pursued a musical education at the Etobicoke School of the Arts and Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts where he majored in Music Theatre. He was inspired by the freedom and love for art at these schools, and continued to grow creatively as an artist. D!XON later went to the Remix Project - a school for recording artists that takes at-risk youth, nurtures their talent and educates them on what it takes to make it in the music industry.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line401
|
__label__wiki
| 0.596839
| 0.596839
|
English curriculum and the culture wars
By David Long - posted Thursday, 23 January 2014 Sign Up for free e-mail updates!
While there were good reasons for the Howard government's electoral loss in 2007, John Howard deserves some recognition for his defence of a more traditional view of Australian culture, a view that had been largely under attack from left wing ideologies. At the time of Howard's election in 1996, the paramount ideology being promoted was multiculturalism. Nothing irritated the left more than Howard's white picket fence image of Australia for that image was sepia 1950's and English, suggesting a time before multiculturalism questioned what Australia stood for.
The multicultural war was being fought on two major fronts when Howard came to office.
The first front was opened with the black armband view of our founding which characterised the British colonisation as a white invasion of aboriginal lands and the massacre of the noble savage who was merely defending his way of life. As a part of that front, collective guilt was assigned to everyone for the earlier policy of removing aboriginal children from their families. It mattered nothing that today's aboriginal leaders are largely members of what are called the stolen generation or that they obtained an advantage by being removed from the primitive environment
The second front and the one that continues to this day was the displacement of the Western intellectual tradition of by multiculturalism. Coupled with the left's insistence that Australia's immigration programme be sourced from Asia, multiculturalism was the nation's prayerful retreat before the advancing barbarians: peace and harmony at any price.
In a war fought more tactically than aggressively, John Howard did not so much confront the left head-on as outflank them with a view of Australia beyond ideology that appealed to the middle class battler. In effect, he gave them prosperity as the political goal so that they forgot about the collective guilt the left were keen to inflict on them.
Howard defeated the left's ideology pragmatically; unfortunately, he was unable to defeat it theoretically and it remained a fertile garden within the universities.
It is worth noting that had Howard not introduced Work Choices, a policy that threatened the very prosperity of his Battlers and which cut through the bridge he had built into Labor heartland, he would probably not have been defeated by Kevin Rudd.
Howard's replacements at the head of the Liberal Opposition, at least until the arrival of Tony Abbott, had no serious disagreement with any policy of the Rudd government. What this meant, however, was that the Liberal Party was attempting to appeal to those who had voted against them, on the same grounds as the ALP. In fact, the only area of disagreement between Labor and the Conservatives was the extent of the Rudd government's purported wasteful response to the global financial disaster.
However, since that expenditure was going chiefly into middle class pockets, wasteful or not, the argument fell on deaf ears. The real basis of the Conservative revival in John Howard, had passed unobserved. Compare how many column inches were written and how many speeches made criticising the excesses of the Building Education Revolution school projects and how much was written about what would be taught inside those buildings.
The fact that the most scornful rejection of Howard's view came from the universities and the university-educated middle class, rather than "Howard's battlers", proves without doubt that the left's ideologies are transmitted through our education system and that it's power base is housed in Australian universities. It proves, that multiculturalism was always going to be fought as an education war.
This unsavoury fact was confirmed in 2009 with the release of the draft uniform national English curriculum. Even a cursory reading of the draft national English curriculum for years kindergarten to year 10 would have revealed that the left had re-opened hostilities in their culture war. At that point, Howard's legacy was lost for the Opposition had not bothered to read it.
Literacy, the power to read and understand the written contribution of the most thoughtful men and women to Western civilisation is an intellectual power that has to be trained over time. In its place those in charge of drafting the curriculum substituted a sham called functional literacy.
David Long is a lawyer and writer with an interest in classical political philosophy and Shakespeare. He has written previously for The Bulletin and The Review.
» Detailing devils in Australian English curriculum - January 13, 2014
» Universities shun universal verities - January 8, 2014
» Perfect competition and the Australian car industry - December 27, 2013
» Howard and constitutional interpretation - September 25, 2007
» The science of history - September 14, 2007
All articles by David Long
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line402
|
__label__wiki
| 0.956539
| 0.956539
|
Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Business
Vedanta lost USD 200 mn in profits in one year of Tuticorin plant shutdown: Agarwal
11:1 HRS IST
New Delhi, Jun 16 (PTI) Vedanta Ltd has lost about USD 200 million in profits ever since its copper smelter plant in Tamil Nadu was shut more than a year back after police fired on protesters and killed 13 people, Group Chairman Anil Agarwal said.
Agarwal added that the stoppage of production at the Tuticorin plant of the firm's unit Sterlite led to the country having to import copper, spending precious foreign exchange.
"We have lost about USD 200 million in bottomline (profits)," he told PTI in an interview. "Forget about bottomline. How can you stop production and start importing? After all, what we did at Tuticorin was import substitution."
The Tamil Nadu government had in May last year ordered permanent shutdown of the copper smelter after bloody protests at the plant in Thoothukudi culminated in police opening fire on demonstrators.
Vedanta wants the plant to be reopened, pointing to the economic pressures from the closure. As many as 20,000 direct and indirect jobs have been lost due to the shutting of the smelter and about 98,400 more were affected in the consumer or downstream industries.
"It is a bread and butter issue for Tuticorin," he said. "What happened (in police firing) was very unfortunate and our thoughts and sympathies are with the victims. But what is now happening is equally unfortunate."
The Vedanta plant in the Thoothukudi district produced about 40 per cent of India's copper output.
The company had announced a plan to expand capacity, leading to protests on concerns about pollution. Vedanta denies that the factory has been a polluter.
He sought to draw a parallel between Tuticorin and Singur in West Bengal which was abandoned by Tata Motors in 2008 after protests over its Nano car factory.
"Nobody can (afford to) make another Singur," he said without elaborating.
In 2008, Tata Motors abandoned plans to build a factory to make the world's cheapest car after protests led by politicians over land acquisition. That pullout was said to have deterred many manufacturers from investing in new plants in the state.
Tamil Nadu, one of the most industrialised states in India, is home to factories of companies like Hyundai Motor and Caterpillar. But it has in recent months seen a decline in foreign investment, leading to concerns about job creation.
"I have been saying and will repeat again - the world does not want us to produce. World wants us to import," he said, adding the shutting down of Tuticorin plant has led to India importing copper.
Agarwal hoped that a solution will be found soon.
According to Vedanta Ltd's latest annual report, the Tuticorin copper smelter, operated by its Sterlite Copper business, ranks as one of the largest custom copper smelters in India.
With a design capacity of 400,000 tonnes, the business held 33 per cent market share of the country's refined copper demand of around 675,000 tonnes in FY2018, it said.
The company challenged the closure order through an appeal before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which in December 2018 ruled that the Tamil Nadu government's order was "nonsustainable" and "unjustified".
However, in February 2019, the Supreme Court set aside the NGT's order on the grounds of maintainability and directed Vedanta to file a writ petition before the Madras High Court.
The company has filed a petition in the high court and "the matter is likely to come up after the summer vacation break," Agarwal said.
Vedanta Ltd in its annual report for 2018-19 said: "India faced a crunch in the availability of refined copper due to Vedanta's Tuticorin smelter closure. Chinese smelter output increased by 4.2 per cent in 2018, despite the closure of some smelters for maintenance during Q4."
Refined copper consumption in India grew by 2.9 per cent in 2018 while demand in China, the largest consumer of copper, increased by 4.9 per cent, it said.
Refined copper is predominantly used in manufacturing cables, transformers and motors as well as castings and alloy-based products.
"In the coming year, copper consumption in India and China is expected to increase by 11.8 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively. This rise is driven by population growth, urbanisation, the rise of the middle class and the evolution of electric vehicles (EVs)," it said.
On the supply side, there could be further disruptions in copper production due to the smelter upgrades in Chile following the introduction of new environmental regulations.
"Our ability to take advantage of these opportunities is largely dependent on the re-opening of our smelter at Tuticorin," it said.
Data from the International Copper Study Group showed refined output and demand growth estimates for 2019 indicating a market deficit of 280-kilo tonnes, it added.
India-US relationship on very sound footing: Shringla
Rupee rises 23 paise to 68.74 vs USD in early trade
Azure Power Appoints a Chief Executive Officer and a President
Netflix to roll out cheaper mobile-screen plans in India
Elbit Systems Participated in Lockheed Martin''s Supplier Conference in India
Sensex ends 85 pts higher; Yes Bank cracks 5 pc
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line405
|
__label__cc
| 0.692354
| 0.307646
|
Fleischmann Planetarium is part of the University of Nevada, Reno and Extended Studies. We offer public star shows and large-format films showing daily in our dome theater, and public star observing courtesy of the Astronomical Society of Nevada. Built in 1964 and originally called the“Fleischmann Atmospherium-Planetarium,” we were the first planetarium in the world to project full-dome movies (of time-lapse clouds and weather phenomena).
After recently undergoing upgrades, Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center is now one of the first of a handful of planetariums around the world to utilize the Spitz SciDome digital projector, a high-resolution, state-of-the-art immersive visualization tool that produces extraordinarily bright and colorful 3-D images. The new projector is also adaptable to a number of disciplines and uses, supporting collaborations among the planetarium, other University departments and programs, and community organizations.
The planetarium’s uniquely shaped building, officially termed a “hyperbolic parabaloid,” was designed by famed Reno architect Ray Hellmann, and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It houses:
• An exhibit hall with changing hands-on displays
• A 30-ft. diameter, 60-seat theater with both a state-of-the-art digital star projector and a large-format (70mm) film projector, as well as a powerful surround-sound system
• A gift shop stocked with high-quality science-related toys, clothing, software, and books
• A classroom for our educational programs
• A gallery space for changing exhibits that often accompany and complement our current films and starshows
The planetarium now serves about 44,000 visitors a year, including hundreds of school field trips that introduce students, K-12, to the wonders of the universe.
We invite children and adults alike to stop by and see what’s up!
Website - http://planetarium.unr.nevada.edu/
Fleischmann Planetarium hangar partner
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line409
|
__label__wiki
| 0.952101
| 0.952101
|
Announcing Peabody Career Achievement Award
Margaret Blanchard - 4/12/2018
The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors have selected Carol Burnett to receive the first-ever Peabody Career Achievement, presented by Mercedes-Benz. The honor is reserved for individuals whose work and commitment to broadcast media has left an indelible mark on the field. The Peabody Awards are based at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.
“Carol Burnett is one of the all-time greats of television comedy. Her wit and talent set the bar for women in entertainment,” said Jeffrey P. Jones, executive director of Peabody. “Suffice it to say there would be no Gilda Radner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus or Tina Fey without her blazing the trail. We are pleased to celebrate the many contributions of a beloved TV icon.”
Peabody jurors first recognized the performer with a Personal Award in 1962, noting: “In a world that needs laughter today more than ever before, Carol Burnett has emerged in the past year as one of television’s funniest, and most highly acclaimed, comediennes. Already a star of the first magnitude, she promises to give untold enjoyment to the world of television for years to come. May her tribe increase!”
And indeed it did. Launched in 1967, “The Carol Burnett Show” ran for 11 years and averaged 30 million viewers a week. Backed by a talented ensemble featuring Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner, and hosting the brightest guest stars of the day, the show became a hit. Burnett’s endearing signature wink and ear-tug signoff sealed her place in American hearts and the canon of television history. Later, she showcased her acting range as a cast member of Peabody Award winner “Friendly Fire,” a 1979 ABC Theatre presentation about the effect of the Vietnam War on an Iowa farm family.
Her most recent work includes “The 50th Anniversary of The Carol Burnett Show” special, which aired on CBS in December, and the upcoming family show “A Little Help with Carol Burnett,” scheduled to launch May 4 on Netflix. The show, hosted by Burnett, features a panel of young children providing advice to adults with dilemmas.
The Peabody Career Achievement Award is presented by Mercedes-Benz, the presenting sponsor and official automobile of the 77th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony.
“Mercedes-Benz is honored to partner with Peabody and are proud to support such a prestigious organization that shares our home state of Georgia,” said Monique Harrison, head of brand experience marketing at Mercedes-Benz USA. “We are excited to be part of the team that recognizes trailblazing storytelling in media and are thrilled that this year’s award recipient is the iconic Carol Burnett.”
Burnett and fellow Peabody Awards recipients will be celebrated on Saturday, May 19 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. Hasan Minhaj, comedian, writer and senior correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” will serve as host. Mercedes-Benz will provide transportation to top talent attending the gala event. Supporting sponsor is The Coca-Cola Co. Variety is the exclusive media partner.
peabody award ceremony carol burnett 77th annual peabody awards
Highlighting the Best Storytelling of 2017
Attend this year’s awards celebration
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line411
|
__label__cc
| 0.524614
| 0.475386
|
Police Practices (Litigation)
Richards, Watson & Gershon provides legal advice and representation to several police departments throughout California, including for the Cities of Beverly Hills, Brea, Buena Park, Covina, Fairfield, Indio, Manhattan Beach, Monrovia, San Marino, Seal Beach, Upland, and the Bob Hope Airport Police Department.
RWG’s Police Practices attorneys are experienced in representing peace officers and public entities in a variety of litigation contexts, including police liability and civil rights actions alleging excessive force, wrongful death, false arrest, false imprisonment, illegal search and seizure, malicious prosecution, personal injury, and other torts. By way of example, RWG’s attorneys obtained a unanimous jury verdict on behalf of the City of Brea and a Brea detective in a federal civil rights action arising out of the fatal police shooting of a suspected armed robber who turned out to be unarmed.
Additionally, RWG’s attorneys regularly advise police departments on policies and procedures, oppose Pitchess Motions, assist in responding to Public Records Act requests and to subpoenas and other discovery requests, and obtain court orders regarding confiscated weapons. RWG’s attorneys are experienced in police-related employment matters, provide advice on the Peace Officer Bill of Rights and represent police departments in disciplinary appeal matters.
RWG’s attorneys obtained a gang injunction on behalf of the City of Monrovia against the activities of two rival criminal street gangs. The injunction prohibits members of the two gangs from publicly congregating together, and from engaging in specified activities, within a Safety Zone that the court designated in parts of Monrovia and adjacent unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.
Charles Bakaly, IV
cbakaly@rwglaw.com
Gaby Lion
Steven Nguy
snguy@rwglaw.com
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line414
|
__label__wiki
| 0.755267
| 0.755267
|
Ray Lee Associate Sales Director, SRI PTE. LTD.
Singapore is made up of a multi-racial demographic with many different cultures and social customs. A small island, this relatively young country has developed into a bustling hub of technology, arts and finance in the centre of Southeast Asia within decades. One can easily adapt to its diverse culture, lifestyle, customs, food and activities. All international festivals and occasions are celebrated with equal enthusiasm and excitement. International cuisines of different nationalities are also available at various food outlets.
It's natural for anyone to take some time to adapt to a new environment and culture. The following address a few points to help make the process a little easier.
A person relocating to Singapore for better opportunities should get acquainted with our native languages for better communication. Singlish is a predominant slang here - a local form of English which also consists of words from different languages like Malay and Chinese, as well as Chinese dialects like Hokkien and Cantonese. For example, sentences here may be accented and ended with ‘lah', in similar fashion to how some Canadians may end their sentences with ‘eh'.
Most expatriates are often offered competitive salaries with additional benefits like bonuses and recreational facilities. Other examples of said benefits include an entertainment allowance, payment of school fees, housing, childcare and a transportation allowance. With these subsidies, expatriates may find housing, transportation, food and education costs relatively cheaper than in their own countries.
Taxes & Taxable Income
Taxes in Singapore are regulated by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). All Singaporeans and expatriates employed here are required to pay income tax. The income that is taxable comprise of profits earned from profession and business, income from fulltime as well as part-time work, interest earned from annuity and pension, dividends earned from company shares, property rent and royalty.
Housing in Singapore
When moving to Singapore for the first time, Expatriates usually rent a private apartment or house. With this in mind, it's not surprising to find expatriates concentrating in certain areas that have a wide variety of condominiums to choose from.
Consider the following factors when looking for a property for the first time in Singapore:
- Budget for rental
- Type and size of property you want to live in
- Distance to work and transportation links
- Proximity to international schools if you have any young children
- Restaurants and entertainment options to spend your free time in the neighbourhood
- Distance to the airport, if you or your partner plan or have to travel often
Budget and Property Prices
Rental prices fluctuate heavily depending on the supply and demand of available units. With constant development and upgrading within such a small land area, home and property prices can be rather steep, with many expatriates opting to rent instead. These prices vary greatly, depending on many different factors like location, amenities, and size of the home.
The following table gives a rough idea of the current price range you can expect:
LOCATION PROPERTY TYPE RENTAL RANGE
Central (Newton, Holland Village, River Valley, Orchard, Tanglin)
1-bedroom apartment S$3,000 - S$7,000
3-bedroom apartment S$4,500 - S$10,000
Penthouse / 4+ bedrooms S$6,000 - S$20,000
Terraced House S$6,000 - S$25,000
Bungalow S$15,000 - S$60,000
East Coast & Bukit Timah
Penthouse / 4+ bedrooms S$3,200 - S$8,000
Bungalow S$8,000 - S$20,000
For the latest prices, check our rental listings at PropertyGuru.com.sg
Property Type - House vs. Apartment
Typical condominiums in Singapore have a multitude of facilities - e.g. swimming pools, gyms, tennis courts, playgrounds, BBQ pits, etc. They are also usually within a walled compound with security guards. Do note that because plot sizes here are relatively small, only the very luxurious landed properties have pools and other facilities.
For somebody moving from a colder climate, please remember that Singapore has a tropical climate, with more small animals and insects around than what you may normally be used to. These tend to cause more problems in landed properties, especially those close to high density areas of flora. If your budget allows however, there are also some nice bungalows that will give you the luxury and privacy that a condominium would not be able to.
Various reliable housekeeping agencies here offer quality cleaning services for offices, apartments and homes. The two prominent housekeeping services companies in Singapore are the Housekeeper's Management Services and the Association of Singapore Housekeepers.
Singapore has one of the most modern and efficient public transportation systems in the world, and travelling from any point on the island to another does not take long under normal conditions.
Car ownership can be expensive here, but the roads are well maintained and somewhat less congested than in many other cities. Public transportation is also very effective, but tends to be more concentrated in areas where locals live (HDB estates). In any case, unless you live along the edge of Singapore, your commute would rarely exceed one hour.
The main options for getting around are:
Mass Rapid Transport (MRT)
Singapore's metro/underground train system currently has three lines, with the fourth partially finished. The map below shows the locations of each MRT station as well as details of the distance to the closest MRT station for each listing. Fares range from S$1 to S$2.10, depending on the distance travelled, and if you've had to switch from a bus, and vice versa. The map can be found at http://www.smrt.com.sg/trains/images/tn_networkmap_big_030811.jpg
Singapore also has an extensive bus network that covers a much larger area than the MRT. Calculated by the distance travelled, fares can range from S$0.71 to as high as S$4, depending on differing factors like distance travelled, and the type of bus service taken. More details on the bus services and the routes covered can be found at http://sbs.streetdirectory.com.sg/sbs/sbsindexsn.jsp?map=1.
Taxis here are generally plentiful and relatively cheap, compared to many other developed countries. Fares can start from S$2.80 to S$5.00, depending on the type of taxi one hails or calls. This would probably be the transport of choice for most single professionals living close to the city centre. It can sometimes be difficult to get one during peak periods, and additional charges apply for phone bookings and certain hours.
Private Cars
Owning a car here is more expensive, compared to many other countries, and is not really necessary here on a whole. Most save money by using a taxi; however, owning a car gives you the freedom to move around - and heading up to Malaysia every now and then for a round of golf might be a strong enough reason to get one.
Singapore is densely populated and traffic may slow down especially during peak hours. However, the infrastructure helps to smooth out some of the issues and public transportation on the whole is still considerably better than in some of the neighbouring countries. If you still intend on purchasing a car however, but be aware of additional charges that comes with owning one:
Purchase Price - Cars here are probably the most expensive in the world due to import duties and Certificate of Entitlement (COE - a permission to own a car for 10 years, after which it has to be renewed).
Road Tax - Depending on the size of the engine, you need to pay road tax annually. This can vary from a few hundred for a small car to thousands for an SUV.
Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) - A fee is charged during peak hours (from S$0.50 to a few dollars) to access certain roads and areas (mostly in the Central Business District (CBD)). ERP locations can be found at
www.lta.gov.sg/motoring_matters/motoring_erp_location_cbd.htm
Parking - Though there are parking charges in most locations in Singapore, please note that parking in the CBD can be especially expensive. Condominiums usually have parking charges included in the maintenance fee (which is paid by the landlord).
Petrol - It may come as a surprise, but petrol is probably the smallest component of your car ownership costs. It is currently around S$1.80 / litre.
You will also need to convert your driver's license into a Singaporean one within the year. This is a relatively straightforward process, but will require you to take the basic theory test. Please note that the traffic flow in Singapore is on the left side of the road (as in UK and Malaysia).
Schools & Childcare
There are a multitude of schools of great repute in Singapore, including over 370 childcare centres, offering affordable and high quality childcare services.
We also have many international schools in Singapore to cater to the needs of expatriate children. For most large groups, you have a choice of sending your children to a school which follows your national curriculum while being taught in your native tongue. We've listed the main international schools in Singapore below - please check their websites for more information.
Australian International School
1 Lorong Chuan, Singapore 556818
http://www.ais.com.sg/
Bhavan's Indian International School
11 Mt Sophia Blk E, Singapore 228461
http://www.biissingapore.org/
Canadian International School
5 Toh Tuck Road, Singapore 596679
http://www.cis.edu.sg/
Chatsworth International School
37 Emerald Hill Road, Singapore 229313
http://www.chatsworth-international.com/
Dover Court Preparatory School
301 Dover Road, Singapore 139644
http://www.dovercourt.edu.sg/
DPS International School
36 Aroozoo Avenue, Singapore 539842
http://www.dps.com.sg/
EtonHouse International School
51 Broadrick Road, Singapore 439501
http://www.etonhouse.com.sg/
German School
72 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289760
http://www.gess.sg/
Hollandse School
http://www.hollandseschool.org/
International Community School
514 Kampong Bahru, Singapore 099450
http://www.ics.edu.sg/
ISS International School
21 Preston Road, Singapore 109355
http://www.iss.edu.sg/
Japanese Kindergarten
251 West Coast Road, Singapore 127390
Japanese School (Primary)
95 Clementi Road, Singapore 129782 (Clementi Campus)
11 Upper Changi Road North, Singapore 507657 (Changi Campus)
http://www.sjs.edu.sg/
Japanese School (Secondary)
KGS International Pre-School (Japanese)
16 Ramsgate Road, Singapore 437462
http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~yoko/kinder/kgs.html
Lock Road Kindergarten
10 Lock Road, Singapore 108938
Lycee Francais De Singapour
3000 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, Singapore 569928
http://www.lyceefrancais.edu.sg/
Norwegian Supplementary School
c/o Royal Norwegian Embassy, 16 Raffles Quay #44-01 Hong Leong Bldg, S048581Tel:
Overseas Family School
25F Paterson Road, Singapore 238515
http://www.ofs.edu.sg/
Rosemount Kindergarten
25 Ettrick Terrace, Singapore 458588
http://www.rosemount.com.sg/
Rosemount International School
461 Telok Blangah Road, Singapore 109022
Sekolah Indonesia
20A Siglap Road, Singapore 455859
Singapore American School
40 Woodlands Street 41, Singapore 738547
http://www.sas.edu.sg/
Singapore Korean School
74 Lim Ah Woo Road, Singapore 438134
http://www.koreansingapore.org/
Swedish Supplementary Education School
c/o Swedish Embassy, 111 Somerset Road #05-01 Singapore Power Building,
Swiss School
38 Swiss Club Road, Singapore 288140
http://www.swiss-school.edu.sg/
Tanglin Trust School
95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299
http://www.tts.edu.sg/
United World College of South East Asia
1207 Dover Road, Singapore 139654
http://www.uwcsea.edu.sg/
Waseda Shibuya Senior High School
57 West Coast Road, Singapore 127366
http://www.waseda-shibuya.edu.sg/
We have provided some other useful websites for additional school matters:
Directory of Local Schools - http://app.sis.moe.gov.sg/schinfo/SIS_DirSvc.asp
Studying in Public Schools - www.croxxing.com/english/info_overview.html - in german
Fee Structure Public Schools - www.croxxing.com/english/info_fees.html - in german
Ministry of Education - www.moe.edu.sg/
Foreign Student Information - www.moe.gov.sg/esp/foreign/ and www.moe.gov.sg/csc/csc_admission.htm#Foreign
Foreign Student Admission Application Form - http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/international-students/
CQT Application Form - www.moe.gov.sg/esp/foreign/CQTForm.pdf - not working and can't find a replacement
Advice for Expatriates to Place Children in Local Schools - www.moe.gov.sg/esp/eduinfo/
School Terms and Holidays - http://www.moe.gov.sg/schools/terms-and-holidays/
There are certain restrictions imposed for the relocation of a pet brought from places other than England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. These pets are quarantined for around thirty days. The completed license has to be submitted two weeks in advance before the import. An amount of S$50 is charged for every pet.
There is also a ban on Pit Bulls, Tosas, Akitas, Dogo Argentinos, Fila Brazilieros and Neapolitan breeds in Singapore. The Animal, Meat & Seafood Regulatory Branch in the Singapore government can be approached for obtaining detailed information on import regulations.
Ray Lee
Associate Sales Director
SRI PTE. LTD.
rlys1978@gmail.com
L3010738A / R047874E
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line416
|
__label__cc
| 0.515874
| 0.484126
|
Self-censorship
Title: Self-censorship
Subject: Internet censorship and surveillance by country, Censorship, Corporate censorship, Censorship in Belarus, Self-censorship
Collection: Conformity, Political Correctness, Self-Censorship
Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own blog, book, film, or other forms of media. This is done out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities or preferences (actual or perceived) of others and without overt pressure from any specific party or institution of authority. Self-censorship is often practiced by film producers, film directors, publishers, news anchors, journalists, musicians, and other kinds of authors including individuals who use social media.
In authoritarian countries, creators of artworks may remove material that their government might find controversial for fear of sanction by their governments. In pluralistic capitalist countries, repressive judicial lawmaking can also cause widespread "rivercrabbing" of Western media.[1]
Self-censorship can also occur in order to conform to the expectations of the market. For example, the editor of a periodical may consciously or unconsciously avoid topics that will anger advertisers, customers, or the owners in order to protect her or his livelihood either directly (i.e., fear of losing his job) or indirectly (e.g., a belief that a book will be more profitable if it does not contain offensive material). This phenomenon is referred to as soft censorship.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees freedom of speech from all forms of censorship. Article 19 explicitly states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”[2]
Taste and decency 5
Online resources 6
Information society, hygiene and self-censorship 7
Journalists often censor themselves due to threats against them or their interests from another party,[3] editorial instructions from their supervisor[s], perceived conflicts of interest with a media organization's economic sponsors, advertisers or shareholders,[4] etc.). Self-censor occurs when journalists deliberately manipulate their expression out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities or preferences (actual or perceived) of others and without overt pressure from any specific party or institution of authority. Self-censorship of journalists is most pervasive in societies where governments have official Media Matters for America,[5] Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting,[6] Democracy Now!, and the American Civil Liberties Union) have raised concerns about news broadcasting stations, particularly Fox News, censoring their own content to be less controversial when reporting on certain types of issues such as the War on Terror.
In their book Manufacturing Consent (1988), Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman argue that corporate ownership of news media very strongly encourages systematic self-censorship owing to market forces.[4] In this argument, even with supposedly liberal media, bias and (often unconscious) self-censorship is evident in the selection and omission of news stories, and the framing of acceptable discussion, in line with the interests of the corporations owning those media.
The journalists have actively sought censorship advice from military authorities in order to prevent the inadvertent revelation of military secrets. In 2009, The New York Times succeeded in suppressing news of a reporter's abduction by militants in Afghanistan for seven months until his escape from captivity in order to 'reduce danger to the reporter and other hostages'.[7]
Journalists have sometimes self-censored publications of news stories out of concern for the safety of people involved. Jean Pelletier, the Washington D.C. correspondent for the Montreal La Presse newspaper, uncovered a covert attempt by the Canadian government to smuggle US diplomats out of Iran during the Iranian Hostage Crisis before the "Canadian Caper" had reached its conclusion. In order to preserve the safety of those involved, he refused to allow the paper to publish the story until the hostages had left Iran, despite the considerable news value to the paper and writer.
Self-censorship became a quite frequent practice in Russia after 2000's government take-overs and consolidation of media, further deepened after 2014-2015 laws on 'undesirable organisations'.[8][9][10]
James Gomez writes about this phenomenon in his book Self-Censorship: Singapore's Shame. He argues that citizens and foreigners in Singapore practice self-censorship that results in the censorship of others when it comes to political matters.
In a religious movement it is more common among fundamentalist believers like Wahhabism, Islamism, Calvinist, Hasidic Judaism.[11]
Self-censorship in scientific publications that have been criticized as politically motivated include scientists under the Third Reich withholding findings that disagreed with the commonly held beliefs in differences between races, or the refusal of these scientists under Hitler to support General Relativity (which got the reputation as "Jewish science"). More recently, certain scientists have withheld their findings related to climate changes caused by pollution and to endangered species.[12][13][14]
Professor Heinz Klatt argues that hate laws, speech codes, cowardice, and political correctness have resulted in an intellectually repressive atmosphere in modern day academic circles, with widespread self-censorship on topics like homosexuality, (learning) disabilities, Islam, and genetic differences between human races and sexes.[15]
Taste and decency
Taste and decency are other areas in which questions are often raised regarding self-censorship. Art or journalism involving images or footage of murder, terrorism, war and massacres may cause complaints as to the purpose to which they are put. Curators and editors will frequently censor these images to avoid charges of prurience, shock tactics or invasion of privacy. When the director of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, for example, was interviewed regarding his decision to whitewash an antiwar mural showing dollar-draped military coffins, he speculated that the mural would have offended the community in which it was placed. He then added that "there were zero complaints, because I took care of it right away,"[16] a comment that practically defines the present topic.
In management and engineering, groupthink exists regarding matters of taste as they affect what products are acceptable for use by the public, but is not usually recognized as such.
The Guardian's withdrawal of its extended interview of Noam Chomsky in 2005 which was seen as a smear by his admirers such as the Media Lens group[17] while the apology he received[18] and the article's removal were viewed as "spineless" acts by historian Marko Attila Hoare,[19] one of Chomsky's critics. Another such incident would be the deletion of a December 21, 2006 Op-Ed piece in the New York Sun which had been written by British journalist Daniel Johnson.
Information society, hygiene and self-censorship
Self-censorship can be considered as a method of preventive medicine and health maintenance: In connection with the development of the information society,[20] appeared information overload and information pollution, evolving information ecology - associated with informational hygiene.[21]
Thought suppression
Euphemism
List of songs deemed inappropriate by Clear Channel following the September 11, 2001 attacks
Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (1988), by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky
Newspeak
OB marker
^ University of Salzburg, Journalism Self-Censorship, Global Self-Censorship Struggles: Lebanon, Mexico, China, Hong Kong and Slovakia, http://www.salzburg.umd.edu/media-innovation/journalism-self-censorship
^ a b Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, Vintage, 1994, ISBN 0-09-953311-1
^ Media Matters for America: 33 internal Fox editorial memos reviewed by MMFA reveal
^ FAIR: Censorship
^ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0378.2006.00241.x/abstract
^ Marko Attila Hoare "Chomsky’s Genocidal Denial", FrontPage magazine, 23 November 2005
^ Resolution A/RES/60/252, dated 27 April 2006, adopted by the UN General Assembly on World Summit on the Information Society.
^ Eryomin A.L. Information ecology - a viewpoint// International Journal of Environmental Studies. - 1998. - Vol. 54. - pp. 241-253.
The Willingness-to-Self-Censor Scale
Books (books banned)
Films (banned films)
circumvention
Speech and expression
Bleeping
Book burning
Broadcast delay
Burying of scholars
Censor bars
Chilling effect
Concision
Conspiracy of silence
Content-control software
Minced oath
Expurgation
Heckling
Heckler's veto
Internet police
Memory hole
National intranet
Newspaper theft
Pixelization
Speech code
Strategic lawsuit
computer & network
Whitewashing
Word filtering
Damnatio memoriae
Contexts
Ideological
Moralistic fallacy
Naturalistic fallacy
Propaganda model
Religious (Islamic)
Suppression of dissent
Systemic bias
Media manipulation
Crowd psychology
False balance
Half-truths
Machiavellianism
Psychological manipulation
Guerrilla communication
Broadcast law
Historical revisionism
Hoaxing
April Fools'
Fakelore
Fictitious entries
Narcotizing dysfunction
Pseudo-event
Sensationalism
Tabloid journalism
Attack ad
Election promises
Name recognition
Push polling
Smear campaign
Wedge issue
Crowd manipulation
Loaded language
National mythology
Psychological warfare
Airborne leaflets
Information (IT)
Cult of personality
Non-apology apology
Understatement
Weasel words
WorldHeritage articles needing page number citations from January 2015
Internet censorship and surveillance by country
Freedom of speech, Freedom of the press, E-mail, Chat rooms, Hate speech
Corporate censorship
Censorship, Self-censorship, Capitalism, Hate speech, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Censorship in Belarus
Belarus, Self-censorship, Internet, Censorship in Azerbaijan, Censorship in Denmark
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line428
|
__label__cc
| 0.641475
| 0.358525
|
Protecting Women
In early March, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon released a distressing new report that showed that 35 percent of women worldwide—that’s one in every three women—have experienced some form of violence in her lifetime. The report also found that one in ten girls under the age of 18 was forced to have sex.
The release of the report coincided with the UN Commission on the Status of Women, a two-week global review of women’s rights. The theme of this year’s commission was the twenty-year review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the world’s preeminent policy agenda on human rights and the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995. The review shows mixed results with regard to global progress for women and girls.
See the rest at The Fletcher Forum.
Image Credit: The World Bank via Flickr.
Fletcher Forum of World Affairs
Founded in 1975 and published biannually, The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs is the student-managed foreign policy journal at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. The publication provides a broad, interdisciplinary platform for analysis of legal, political, economic, environmental, and diplomatic issues in international affairs.
Tags equality, Violence, Women
An Interview with Commissioner Kristina Arriaga de Buchholz
Divided Transport
Normalizing Equality
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line429
|
__label__wiki
| 0.643692
| 0.643692
|
EntertainmentMoviesSoFLO Live
After absence, Black film festival returns to Miami
Staff Report— August 20, 2015
MIAMI — Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) President & CEO William D. Talbert III and American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Founder Jeff Friday have officially announced the return to Miami of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) June 15-19.
The ABFF will celebrate its 20th anniversary with an exciting line-up of film screenings and an extensive schedule of events and networking opportunities to be announced in the months ahead.
The highly anticipated ABFF is considered the nation’s largest gathering of Black film and TV enthusiasts.
“We are thrilled with the return of the American Black Film Festival to Miami and look forward to welcoming the thousands of attendees expected for this highly anticipated event,” said Talbert. “The diverse multicultural fabric of our community will provide the ideal setting for the festival’s 2016 milestone celebration.”
The 2016 ABFF will coincide with the GMCVB’s fourth annual Miami Film Month and includes a commitment by the ABFF to hold their annual event in Miami for the next three years.
“I am so happy to celebrate the American Black Film Festival’s 20th anniversary in Miami next year,” said Friday. “Aside from being one of the most desirable destinations in the world and a big attraction for festival-goers, the community has always embraced ABFF and its mission to showcase and provide a platform for African Americans in film and television.”
Friday added that 2016 marks “our 11th festival in Miami and I’m proud to call the GMCVB a committed partner. We look forward to the celebratory four-day weekend with tremendous enthusiasm – it’s great to be back!”
Next post Dell to sell Google Chromebook now tailored for corporate users
Previous post Pray for the Village
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line430
|
__label__cc
| 0.576132
| 0.423868
|
Tag Archives: The Invasion
Thursday, December, 19, 2013
Doctor Who 50th Anniversary – My Personal Favourites
Now that November is over, I can look back upon Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary and state, with some enthusiasm, that it was a very good anniversary indeed, one of the best I can ever remember. There were lots of excellent Doctor Who items on television, on DVD and in the magazines, but these four were by far my favourites:
In first place, it was the sublime An Adventure in Space and Time, which aired from 9-10.30pm on the night of Thursday 21st November. This was simply the best Doctor Who production that I’ve seen in many years. The performances of all of the actors were exemplary, particularly David Bradley in the role of William Hartnell. Indeed, the ONLY real criticism that I could express is that An Adventure in Space and Time, at under ninety minutes, was too short, hence the need to skip over a number of extremely important details (for example, the vital roles played by Ray Cusick, Terry Nation, David Whitaker and a number of other figures in early Doctor Who history) because of time and space constraints (if you’ll pardon the pun). The drama would have profited greatly by being at least half an hour longer, or even forty-five minutes. Many, many thanks to Mark Gatiss for having the dedication and perseverance to stick with this until The Powers That Be at the BBC gave the go ahead to put it into production.
In second place, and, in my opinion, not very far behind An Adventure in Space and Time, was The Day of the Doctor, which aired on BBC1 on the evening of Saturday 23rd November, from 7.50pm-8.05pm. I usually find most modern Doctor Who specials to be a bit hit and miss, a bit of of fluff filler in between seasons or breaks in seasons. But The Day of the Doctor was excellent. Not perfect, but definitely excellent, and I consider it to be, despite a few minor niggles, without a doubt the best Doctor Who special of the modern era.
In third place, it’s the November DVD release of The Tenth Planet. I’ve been waiting to see this one for a long, long time, and it didn’t disappoint. I’d only seen a few surviving clips before (on the Lost in Time DVD), so being able to see the whole story at last was really exciting. Episode 4 is still missing, but was expertly recreated here in animated form by the same people who animated the missing episodes on the Second Doctor stories The Ice Warriors and The Invasion. Excellent DVD release.
In fourth place, it’s the November 50th Anniversary edition of Doctor Who Magazine, the biggest and one of the best ever editions of the magazine. There was so much good stuff in this one, simply choc a bloc with 50th Anniversary goodness, that it’s difficult to know where to start. But if I had my arm twisted up my back and was forced to choose, my two favourites would have to be Ghosts in the Machine, a behind the scenes feature on the excellent An Adventure in Space and Time, and An Unearthly Beginning, which features never-before-seen drafts of An Unearthly Child. Great stuff!
Those are my four favourites, but there were a number of other notables:
The reshowing of all four episodes of An Unearthly Child on BBC4 at 10.30pm on Thursday 21st November, right after An Adventure in Space and Time ended on BBC2, was one of the highlights
The Science of Doctor Who Special, which aired on BBC2 on Thursday 14th November, at 9pm, hosted by Professor Brian Cox (with a guest appearance by the Doctor himself, Matt Smith), another excellent programming choice
Yet another was the two-hour The Ultimate Guide to Doctor Who, which aired on BBC3 from 8pm-10pm, on Monday 18th November, Part 1 of which was reshown on BBC3 last Sunday at 7pm. Part 2 will be reshown on BBC3, on Saturday 4th January 2014, at 7pm.
There were others, notably:
The three-part Doctor Who: Monsters and Villains Weekend, which aired on BBC3 over three nights from the Friday-Suday, 15th-17th November
Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited, which aired on Watch at 2pm on Saturday 16th November
These were all good, but the first four were undoubtedly, for me at least, by far the best of the bunch.
November was, overall, a great 50th Anniversary for Doctor Who. With less than a week left until the Christmas Special The Time of the Doctor, and the departure of Matt Smith and the arrival of Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor, the series now moves into its 51st year.
Here’s to the new Doctor and another fifty years of Doctor Who! I hope I live long enough to see it!
Posted in Doctor Who (Classic Series), Doctor Who (New Series)
Tagged An Adventure in Space and Time, An Unearthly Child, David Bradley, David Whitaker, Doctor Who Magazine, Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary, Doctor Who: Monsters and Villains, Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited, Ice Warriors, Lost in Time, Mark Gatiss, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Professor Brian Cox, Ray Cusick, Terry Nation, The Day of the Doctor, The Invasion, The Science of Doctor Who, The Tenth Planet, Ultimate Guide to Doctor Who, William Hartnell
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line433
|
__label__wiki
| 0.506366
| 0.506366
|
Are these your most anticipated films of 2010?
Metacritic, the review aggregate site, has come up with a list of what they think are the most anticipated films of 2010. I will go down the list, offer my commentary, then pick some titles I think they missed.
1. Inception - Christopher Nolan directs. That's all I need to know and I'm sold. But it helps that the trailers have some absolutely breathtaking shots. - July 16.
2. Iron Man 2 - I wasn't quite so high on the first Iron Man as a lot of people were, mainly because I didn't think Jeff Bridges was a great villain. Mickey Rourke, though? That just might be another matter altogether. - May 7.
3. Toy Story 3 - Duh. I'd kick this even higher still. - June 18
4. Robin Hood - You know, I'm kind of surprised to find myself not that excited about this one, even after watching the trailer. Sure, it might be great, but it feels disturbingly like a return to the well for both director Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott. We'll see. - May 14
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - I'm always up for this series. This is coming up faster than I thought. I was going to read the book before seeing it, but I don't like to read the books RIGHT before I see the films. Given that some people I know said they were glad they didn't re-read Half Blood Prince before seeing that film, and the same team made this movie, maybe I should lay off. - Nov. 19.
6. The Green Hornet - Don't know if I would place it this high, but I can't help but be intrigued with Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) directing. - Dec. 22
7. The Expendables - Can't put that this high. I was never a huge Stallone fan, although Rocky Balboa came off better than I thought it would. - Aug. 13
8. Tron Legacy - I was really into Tron when I was 12. I'm there. - Dec. 17
9. Alice in Wonderland - Color me curioser and curioser. - March 5
10. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - I didn't even get around to New Moon yet. - June 30
11. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - Don't know much about this one, but I do know Edgar Wright of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame is the director. That's enough to spark my interest. - TBD
12. The A-Team - No. I thought the show was stupid when I was a teenager. And the trailer does nothing to make me look forward to it. Adding to the poison is director Joe Carnahan, whose last film, Smokin' Aces, was putrid. - June 11
13. Kick-Ass: This flick feels like the sort of thing the geek crowd overrates, but I admit it could work, and Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) is a talented director. But will this be Sin City or Watchmen?
14. Shutter Island: Higher, higher! Scorsese's latest was number one on my list when it was supposed to come out last year - and so it must be number one again this year.- The all too far-away date of Feb. 19.
15. Predators - Hey, it's gotta be better than those Alien vs. Predator bores, doesn't it? Well, doesn't it? - July 7
16. Johnah Hex - Pixar animator Justin Hayward directs a Western based on a comic book. Hmmm. But Megan Fox is in it. Hmph. - June 18
17. Sex and the City 2 - I liked the first movie fine, but I'm not exactly chomping at the bit for the sequel. And what's the deal with the camel in the trailer anyway? Who does director Michael Patrick King think he is, David Lean? - May 28
18. Shrek Forever After - Interesting that this is down this low. After the lazy and limp Shrek the Third, is anybody above the age of 9 really anxious to see this? - May 21
19. A Nightmare on Elm Street - I liked the original, but has even ONE of these Platinum Dunes remakes been worth a damn? Jackie Earle Haley is an inspired choice to play Freddy, but I still can't bring myself to care. - April 30
20. The Last Airbender - As regrettable as M. Night Shyamalan's movies have been of late, I'm not ready to write him off yet. Besides, a "niece" of mine wants to see this, so I'm in. - July 2
MY ADDITIONS
The Fighter: Amy Adams .... aw, c'mon, do I really need to provide any other explanation? OK, David O. Russell directing a boxing drama is interesting too. TBD
The Green Zone: Like Christopher Nolan, Paul Greengrass (United 93, the Bournes Supremacy and Ultimatum) has become a director whose films I will see no matter what they're about. - March 12
How to Train Your Dragon - I'm not a great fan of DreamWorks' animated movies, but I am cruous about this one because it's directed by Chris Sanders and Dean Deblois, who defected from Disney, where they made the wonderful Lilo & Stitch. I'm hoping they bring much-needed heart to the studio's oeuvre.- March 26
Rapunzel: Having just succeeded grandly with The Princess and the Frog, Disney serves up another fairy tale. I hope it still looks as gorgeous as it does in this test footage. - Nov. 12
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Don't know what it's about, but I do know it's Woody Allen directing Naomi Watts, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Brolin and Antonio Banderas. Good enough for me. -TBD
Your Highness - Natalie Portman AND Zooey Deschanel star in a film directed by David Gordon Green? One ticket sold! - Oct. 1
Untitled James L. Brooks movie - Brooks (Terms of Endearment, As Good as it Gets) is always interesting, and so are his casts. The three leads are Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson. - Dec. 17
What movies are you most looking forward to seeing this year?
Posted by Sir Critic at 1:04 AM
Scott Copeland said...
Concerning Shrek, my children don't care. Shrek 3 stunk, and my six-year-old knows it.
Hey! Good news for people looking forward to A-Team! Smokin Aces 2 comes out on DVD Tuesday!
Oscar nomination predictions 2010
Previews before reviews - in theaters 1/29/10
TRAILER: Wall Street 2: Money never sleeps
Our Favorite Movies: M.E.'s picks
My favorite movies/Your favorite movies
Home (Re)Viewing/What Are You Watching?
The other movies of Sherlock Holmes - and bonus Bi...
REVIEW: The Lovely Bones
REVIEW: Leap Year
What happens to DVD extras if we go to downloads?
Home (Re) Viewing: Surrogates and other half-inter...
Live-blogging the Golden Globes
How to live-blog the Golden Globes?
Home (Re)Viewing: The Hurt Locker and more
Spider Man 4? Spider-Man 1.2?
REVIEW: The Fox and the Hound
Wyler, Dodsworth and The Heiress - An Appreciation...
REVIEW: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Previews before reviews - In theaters 1/8/10
Catching up with DVDs in 2010
REVIEWS: It's Complicated/Sherlock Holmes
Every movie I saw in 2009
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line439
|
__label__wiki
| 0.900895
| 0.900895
|
You are here: Home» Your Council» History and Background
Parish Councils are the first tier of statutory elected Local Government, supported by their District Council (second tier) and the County Council (third tier) of which they are a part. Although they have a close working relationship with these bodies they also have an element of autonomy and are not directly answerable to these higher tiers of administration.
Parish and Town Councils are themselves statutory local authorities just like the District Councils and the County Council and may act only within powers vested in them by law and according to rules laid down in law. Parish and Town Councils are the same in law, differing only in name. Just like all powers given to public bodies the powers of Parish Councils are defined in detail in legislation.
Stoke Parish Council was originally formed in 1896 following the passing of the Local Government Act 1894 which reformed local government. This Act took a year to pass and aroused much controversy both in Parliament and outside. Gladstone's government had to deal with over 800 amendments; it was the proposal to create parish councils which caused the uproar. The Act created institutions having a civil origin, status and affiliations. The institutions were the parish meeting and the parish council. The Act transferred the civil functions of the older parish authorities to the new institutions. As a result, the church was excluded from formal participation in local government and the traditional functions of the parish which had always had a "Christian" complexion, were to be administered by laymen. The revenues of parish councils came mainly from rates on agricultural land ('Local Council Administration' by Charles Arnold-Baker).
Following the enlargement of Stoke Prior Parish Council's area with the addition of Stoke Heath the Parish Council as it is now was formed in April 2004 . A referendum of all the residents of Stoke Heath was carried out by Bromsgrove District Council to ascertain views on three alternative proposals. The majority of those who responded voted in favour of being a part of an enlarged Stoke Prior Parish Council. The District Council then established the enlarged Parish Council and renamed it Stoke Parish Council. The Parish now comprises the Bromsgrove District Wards of Avoncroft (Stoke Works, Stoke Pound and Stoke Wharf) and Rock Hill (Stoke Heath), with a total electorate of almost 3,730 people (2,200 households).
Nowadays, Parish Councils raise the money they need to carry out their functions by means of a 'precept', or charge on all households in the Parish, which is collected by the District Council at the same time as the Council Tax. The precept money is then paid to parish councils in two equal instalments.
The above was initially written in May 2014 by Patrick Callaway, former Clerk to the Council and revised and updated by Stan Petrovic, Assistant Clerk to the Council, in December 2018
The Current Stoke Parish Council comprises twelve elected or co-opted Councillors who are usually in office for four years between statutory elections. They receive neither remuneration nor expenses, serving the community on a voluntary basis. The Councillors elect from among their number a Chairman and Vice-Chairman who serve in that capacity for one year. The Council officially employs a Clerk as their statutory Proper Officer, who administers the Council's business, and advises on all matters of procedure and legal affairs. The Clerk is also the Responsible Financial Officer, a position defined in law.
Stoke Parish Council conducts its business in accordance with its Standing Orders. The latest version of these can be accessed below.
Stoke Parish Council Standing Orders dated 3rd December 2018
Parish Council Elections
Parish Council Elections take place every four years. The current Council was elected in May 2019 and so the next election is scheduled for May 2023
If a vacancy arises on the Parish Council due to a Councillor leaving it for any reason then the Council will call for candidates to apply to join the Council. If there is more than one candidate then an election will be held. If there are the same or less candidates than there are vacancies then the Council can co-opt candidates onto the Council without an election.
If a vacancy arises and you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor please use the link below to confirm whether you are eligible.
Parish Council Election
Previous page: Your Council Next page: Current Parish Councillors
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line442
|
__label__wiki
| 0.610556
| 0.610556
|
Gucci fashion to become fur-free for its 2018 collections
By Olivia Langhorn
Olivia Langhorn
FurGuccifashion
Famous fashion house Gucci has announced its intention to be fur-free by 2018. Speaking at the London College of Fashion on the 12 October, Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri stated that from the spring / summer 2018 collections, the brand will replace fur with wool and faux-fur. All remaining garments containing fur will be auctioned off during the summer, with the proceeds going to charities supporting animal rights.
Furthermore, the label will join the Fur Free Alliance, an organisation which works to end factory fur farming and promote ethical practices in fashion.
The move signals a change towards a more aware ethos, as explained by Bizzarri: “Being socially responsible is one of Gucci’s core values, and we will continue to strive to do better for the environment and animals.”
However, whilst being hailed by some as a “watershed moment for fashion”, the move is hardly ground breaking. In making their designs more humane, Gucci is following a path already carved out by many other big names in fashion. Tommy Hilfiger, Armani and Ralph Lauren are all fur-free and Calvin Klein has been humane for more than two decades. High-quality alternatives to fur have been available for years. Stella McCartney has showcased animal-friendly materials at successive shows, most notably when she used synthetic fur for the centre-piece of her autumn / winter 2015 collection, and debuted the concept of ‘Skin-free skin’ two years later in Paris.
Yet Gucci has waited until 2017 to make this transition. Comments made by Bizzarri on the 12th, suggested that the reasons for the change taking place now were possibly more commercial than matters of conscience. Describing fur as “a little bit outdated”, the Gucci CEO said that the material was no longer “modern”, and that “Fashion has always been about trends and emotions and anticipating the wishes and desires of consumers.” An increasing proportion of these consumers are young people – recent figures suggest that 40 per cent of Gucci’s customers are millennials. The under 35’s are far more likely than previous generations to take umbrage with the use of fur and non-humane materials in fashion, and while concern for animal welfare in fashion by charities such as PETA is well established, this strong popular demand for it is relatively new. Taken together with Bizzarri’s statements, this would seem to imply that concern for revenue is the primary driving force behind the change.
Some of Gucci’s sister labels, including Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta and Yves Saint Laurent, are yet to commit to eliminating fur from their runways. It is likely that their parent company, the Kering Group, is waiting to see if the move will damage Gucci’s £1.9 billion revenue before making the same commitment with other brands.
There are more factors that suggest Gucci’s commitment to ethical and humane practices are more superficial than they might seem. When it comes to committing to “socially responsible” values, going fur-free is a low-hanging fruit. Fur-alternatives are well established at the very highest levels of fashion. Eliminating it from the runway is an act which requires little real effort or creative sacrifice, whilst still being a highly visible way to appeal to “woke’” millennials and ethically-minded consumers.
Gucci has been accused of multiple breaches of ethical practice in the past. In 2011, conditions for the workers manufacturing its products in Shenzhen, China were found to be dangerous and highly exploitative, with employees being denied food and water and having their overtime pay withheld. Investigations were carried out, but this didn’t lead to any radical overhaul by the brand. Perhaps this was because there is less public interest. For the consumer, the conditions of the worker who made their garment are less evident than whether an animal gave its life to make it.
However, it would be unfair to say that Gucci has made no progress in improving the sustainability and responsibility of its practices. Since 2010, Gucci’s packaging and instore mannequins have been 100 per cent recyclable, and it plans to donate €1 million later this year to Unicef’s Girls’ Empowerment Initiative, a platform to “transform the risks and deprivations adolescent girls face into pathways towards a better life.”
Saying that Gucci’s decision to ban fur represents a pivotal moment in fashion is an overstatement, and perhaps its motives are more closely tied to profit and the changing tastes in fashion than to passionately-held beliefs. Yet these changes are testament to the power of the conscious consumer, and give hope that more labels will follow suit.
Illustration: Yang Yifei
Depoliticising Basquiat's work is an insult to...
Halloween Preview: Immersive events concept elrow...
The launch of Fenty Beauty is a well-needed breakthrough
A ‘Welcome Week’ survival guide
Restaurant review: The Voyage of Buck
Is religious diversity duly celebrated at the University of Edinburgh?
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line443
|
__label__cc
| 0.647128
| 0.352872
|
Recruitment Strategies
Thread: Recruitment Strategies
Rellott
The Magnificent DMicorn!
There are already some good ideas out there for GMs looking to recruit people for a campaign, like the Recruiting Office Rules and Coboney's blog entry about Advertising for a Game. Many GMs seem to be taking these into account pretty well. The Reputation System is sometimes not effective, though, when many of the players applying to a campaign are relatively new Users, so I wanted to share my ideas here about good recruiting strategies that will, by extension, help to ensure you have a good game. I've developed these mainly with PbP games in mind. The tips here are targeted at the GM doing the recruitment, but they are just as important for players to read and keep in mind when making their applications as well.
1. Set a date for the end of recruitment. Say how long you'll be recruiting for. Continue accepting applications for that full time. I've seen TONS of games just say "looking for 5 people" and then end recruitment when 5 people have expressed interest. Some people don't even wait until those 5 interested people have completed a character sheet. I don't personally follow up and check on those games, but based on my own experiences, that doesn't bode well for the game lasting very long. I see so many people express interest in recruitment threads that never follow through with a sheet - they just disappear. As for how long to recruit for, I'd say between 1 and 2 weeks. Any less than that and you might as well be saying "first come first served," and your players don't have a chance to come up with a character idea that would really mesh with your game then put that onto a character sheet. Any longer and you run the risk of the people who've already applied losing interest or patience, and you're probably running low on applicants by then anyway.
2. Pay attention to how well your applicants follow directions. If your applicants don't bother to read your recruitment post thoroughly, or can't follow through on all your directions at one try, it probably means you're going to constantly have to remind them of things, slowing the pace way down. For example, if you've set a date for your recruitment to end, be willing to accept applications just before and even just after the deadline, but be wary of those players - it might mean that they'll be the ones holding your game up for days every time they need to post. Many games have a recommended or required rate of posting (like once per day, or every other day), but let's be honest that we, or at least I (I can't necessarily speak for others, but assume that I'm not totally alone in this), would rather not kick people out for not meeting posting requirements if they're still around and posting from time to time, even if it means the game slows down more than we want it to. It's better to anticipate this sort of behavior before you even accept their application.
[Side Note: In a PbP game, which almost by nature goes so slowly, even the best player can forget what's happened... I like to make some sort of campaign log that is accessible to the players. Maybe a thread in your forum, or a sub-forum, or a shared Google Doc. You can keep it updated, or allow them to help in whatever capacity you're ok with, and you can always refer them back to it if they forget something campaign-related.]
3. Check how engaged in the recruitment process applicants are. I know it can be tough to gauge this, but it's helpful when you can. If an applicant's one and only post is their application, and they slide it in just before the deadline after recruitment has been going on for 2 weeks, it doesn't bode well for them checking in on your game. On the other hand, if they want to work with you to develop a character that really fits into your game, and there's a lot of back and forth between you, they're likely to stick around. Again, don't necessarily rule people out if they only post once or twice, especially if those posts are jam-packed with all of the other things you're keeping an eye out for (like following all the directions, making a good character, meeting the deadline, etc.).
4. Require a completed sheet, and check it. If you're running a game that requires character sheets (which is most games), this is important. It's not quite as important for games that don't have formal character sheets, but there's still probably something you need from them, and you should check it over. If they can't get around to making a sheet by the end of recruitment, they're not going to get around to much of anything else. Sometimes, they will submit an incomplete and/or incorrect sheet. It's important to check over the sheet and make sure they've got everything up to your standards. It's up to you how many T's need to be crossed and I's dotted, but make sure that they meet your requirements. Don't hold it against them for not following directions if you're not super-clear about what needs to be complete on their sheet, but you should expect the basics. I run D&D 5e games, so for me that means checking ability scores and mods, proficiency bonuses, items, attack and damage rolls, initiatives, character personality stuff, feats, spells, etc. (I also generally require at least an attempt at some sort of character biography, though I'm not strict about how detailed it has to be.) These things are virtually essential for a character to function properly, so it's important for the player to have them completed and correct. It's up to you if you're willing to work with players who are new and don't know, but I would encourage you to do so - everyone has to learn somehow, and people learn different ways. It's also up to your best judgment how much to dock an applicant (in terms of following directions) who takes a lot of back and forth to get everything complete and correct, but be patient and continue working with them until their sheet is done or recruitment is over. (This also helps you see how quickly they respond to your posts, giving you an idea of how often they'll post and building their engagement in the game).
5. Consider your applicants' experience. It's certainly ok to understand this to be their experience with RPGs or even your particular game system, but I'm referring here to their experience with PbP and the Tangled Web. The Recruiting Office Rules mention this, but I'm going to add to it. I typically try to get at least one player who's been around for a while to serve as a sort of anchor and unofficial helper at bringing newbies into the fold, and I also try to get at least one player who's relatively new so that they can get into a game. It's a toss-up for the rest of my players. You might try to keep it balanced with roughly 1 new(ish) to 1 veteran player, but it's really up to you. If the newbies drop out, you're still left with a few veteran players to continue on, and you can recruit a few fresh faces rather than having to end the game and/or start from scratch.
6. Keep an up-to-date list of completed applications in the first post of your recruitment thread. This is helpful for a number of reasons. The applicants can see if they're done, or if you need something else from them. Don't neglect to actually respond to their posts and provide information to them about what you need from them (after checking their character sheets, or for any other reason), but the list provides a constant and easy-to find reference for them. It also helps players who haven't applied yet to know if there's a glut of one type of character being submitted, in which case they might decide to submit a different type of character and increase their odds of getting selected.This helps you to balance the characters in your game, as I mention below. I typically include the applicant's character's race, class, and a link to their character sheet.
7. Look for the best fit in terms of player personality. Think about how they have communicated with you and with others. Were they helpful, sarcastic, to-the-point, or what? How did this make you feel about them? How did it seem to make the other applicants feel about them? Assume that they're going to act that way forever. Would having them in your game make it fun, or would it make it a drag and stress you out? You know what to do here.
8. Look for the best fit in terms of character personality. If you have an applicant who wants to play as a high elf paladin of Corellon with a special mission to exterminate all drow, and an applicant who wants to play as a drow, things are probably going to be difficult. Sometimes contrasts and conflicts create interesting, character-building moments. Sometimes they force players to compromise their vision for their character for the sake of the game, resulting in hurt feelings. Sometimes the player is unwilling to compromise their vision and force you as the DM to make it work or else break the game. Think about how significant these conflicts would likely be in your game, and, if you're really interested in both characters, be ready to either re-do some things or work with the players to slightly re-do their characters. Otherwise, only select one of the conflicting characters.
9. Look for the best fit in terms of character balance. Unless you have a special vision for a game of only one type of character (like all barbarians), your game will probably benefit from a well-rounded group of characters. It may not be possible to cover every base with the number of characters you're taking for a group (and maybe you shouldn't try to cover every base - let the characters figure out how to adapt to and account for their weaknesses), but try not to pick characters so that they have a lot of overlapping strengths and weaknesses. Often, applicants will notice a specific gap in character applications (if you're doing #6) and help you out in this regard.
10. Look for the best fit in terms of your game. Which characters spark your imagination? Which ones seem like they were born in your world and lived in it their whole lives? Which ones have a rich backstory that doesn't conflict with the core fundamentals of your game? These characters inspire you, which will help you make your game better, which will help keep your players around and engaged. Be open to work with players on their characters in this regard. Some will seek this sort of interaction (which scores them points for engaging in the recruitment, as mentioned in #3), but don't be afraid to bring it up to them even if they don't. See how they react to your ideas (and how quickly they respond). If they're open to them and seem excited about them, they're now more invested in your game. If they get upset about you suggesting changes to their character, they are inflexible and probably will derail your game to create the game/story they want for their character.
These ideas are not listed in order of importance, and it's your call which ones are more important to you and your game, but hopefully they give some insight that will help you select a good batch of players and have a fun, long-lasting game.
Last edited by Rellott; 07-21-2016 at 08:28 PM.
My current characters:
Sindri - Forest Gnome, Sorcerer (Chaos), Berenion’s Adventures in Hyperborea
Veta Wixsidv, tiefling noble, level 9 (A Midsummer’s Court, 5e)
Milo Alton Thorngage, dungeon delver extraordinaire and extreme naturalist, stout halfling revised ranger, level 3 (Tales from the Yawning Portal, 5e)
Blekt, goblin kensei monk (Ritual of Renewal, 5e)
Uuluus the Sable Sage. ramag warmage, level 5 (Curse of Strahd, 5e)
Retired Characters:
Randal Buckman - Human, Monk (Open Hand), level 8 (Kor's Quest campaign, 5e)
Peren Hornraven - Half-Elf, Fighter 1|Rogue (Assassin) 4 - (5th Element campaign, 5e)
Games I am currently running as DM:
Arcanis
One-Shot Wonders (on Discord)
Games I've finished DMing:
Dungeon Delver 2018 Competition: Presents for Goblins
Dungeon Delver 2017 Competition: Cloud Giant's Bargain
Dungeon Delver 2016 Competition: Mines of Madness
Come join us on Discord!
TTW's Discord
My Discord
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line451
|
__label__cc
| 0.54648
| 0.45352
|
Two stabbed at Mall of America in apparent thwarted theft
The headline I read simply said “Two stabbed at Mall of America”, and my mind immediately thought terrorism. It was just over a year ago that a Jihadi knife-attack left 9 people wounded at a St. Cloud, Minnesota mall. It looks like this latest stabbing was actually the result of a theft gone bad.
From NY Post:
Multiple people were stabbed inside the Mall of America on Sunday night, leaving families and kids stunned as they waited to see Santa.
“My daughter could see people lying on the ground who had been stabbed,” Kim Schwieters, who was waiting to see St. Nick with her three children, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
At least three people were wounded in the attack, which is being described by police as “an interrupted theft.”
It happened around 6:45 p.m. in the men’s department of Macy’s, which is not far from the Santa Experience at the mall in Bloomington, Minnesota.
What started as a simple theft quickly escalated into a violent, multi-victim incident after the would-be thief was caught stealing from two men inside a fitting room.
The perp is in custody.
Jihadi knife attack at Minn. mall wounds nine
Griff says:
This (not your post) is a prime example of hyping terrorism to perpetuate ‘The Fear’ whilst ignoring ‘domestic’ violence. If this had happened at the hands of a bearded man screaming All’ah Akbar or Abalone sandwich, the mainstream media would have gone apeshit.
Context means a lot. If I read 2 stabbed in Knoxville TN, I wouldn’t have jumped to terrorism. Mall of America, located in an area that has experienced a series of attacks from unassimilated Somali immigrants, and being a somewhat symbolic target, the assumption is not completely without foundation.
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd, a Minnesota take here: http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2017/11/minnesota-man-held-in-mall-stabbings.php
Yep; seems to be a Muslim. At least, he has a name like one.
Update from today: http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2017/11/minnesota-man-charged-in-mall-stabbings.php
Annnnd on the 16th: http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2017/11/at-the-mall.php
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line452
|
__label__wiki
| 0.808221
| 0.808221
|
The Adventuress
ResidualVM Stable Release Supports Grim Fandango
ResidualVM, the interpreter that allows users to play 3D adventure games on modern PCs, has reached a major milestone. After 9 years of development, the first stable release is here, with full support for Grim Fandango. The stable build, version 0.1.0, is available to download for Windows, MacOS, and Linux.
Posted by Jennifer McMurray at 11:11 PM No comments:
Labels: grim fandango, residualvm
The Walking Dead Out At Retail in North America
Telltale's The Walking Dead have been released at retail today with all five episodes on disc on the Xbox and PlayStation 3, at places like Amazon and GameStop.
Best Buy also has a Windows retail version available.
Posted by Jennifer McMurray at 6:36 PM No comments:
Labels: telltale, the walking dead
Benoît Sokal's Syberia III To Be Released 2014-2015
Following the news that Dreamfall Chapters is back on with the series creator on board, another MIA adventure game series is back on track as well.
Syberia III, which was originally announced three years ago, is now in development with series creator Benoît Sokal writing the game as well as serving as art director. Elliot Grassiano, the founder of Microïds, will oversee production.
Nothing is known about the game, other than the fact that it is "another Kate Walker adventure". Syberia III is expected to be released on multiple, unannounced platforms, in either 2014 or 2015.
Labels: microids, syberia
The Stuffing Bundle bundles 4 Adventure Episodes
Indie Royale's Stuffing Bundle is on now. It includes seven games, including the adventure game The Dream Machine chapters 1-3 and the adventure puzzle game Puzzle Agent 2. It also includes Children of the Nile: Enhanced Edition, Anomaly: Warzone Earth and Adventure Apes and the Mayan Mystery.
All of these games are available for the current minimum of $5.30 USD. If you pay more than $8, you'll also get the music album Tree of Knowledge by yogurtbox.
Labels: cockroach, indie bundle, puzzle agent, telltale, the dream machine
The Walking Dead Episode 5: No Time Left Is Out
The final episode of Telltale's The Walking Dead, No Time Left, is out now on the PlayStation 3 through the PlayStation Network, Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade, PC, Mac, and even iOS.
Additionally, all five episodes will be released on disc at retail stores for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in North America on December 5th.
Posted by Jennifer McMurray at 9:56 AM No comments:
Double Fine Amnesia Fortnight Humble Bundle
The Double Fine Amnesia Fortnight process is going on again this year, only this time they are making the whole process public through a Humble Bundle. If you pay a minimum of $1, you'll get to vote on which game pitches Double Fine will turn into prototypes. There are all kinds of game styles available to choose from in the pitches, from puzzle games, to platformers, to action adventures, and even a text adventure! The four pitches with the highest number of votes will be made into prototypes in a two week period.
Everyone who donates $1 or more will get access to the four chosen prototypes and also get downloads of two prototypes from the first Amnesia Fortnight that were made into games: Happy Song (which became Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster) and Costume Quest.
If you donate more than the average (currently at just under $7 USD), you will also get a prototype of Brazen, a Monster Hunter inspired game with Ray Harryhausen inspired stop motion animation.
Labels: amnesia fortnight, double fine, indie bundle
Shadowgate Remake Is On Kickstarter
The Shadowgate Kickstarter is a project to update the classic 1987 adventure game that started on Mac and was ported from everything to PC to the Nintendo Entertainment System. The update will give the game a high definition update, with hi-res hand-painted artwork, environmental animations, intuitive command-based interface, two different soundtrack modes, an in-game hint system, and new puzzles.
The game is being handled by Zojoi, a company founded by former ICOM employees (the creators of Shadowgate), and includes the co-designer of Shadowgate, David Marsh. The Kickstarter is only seeking funding of $120,000 and is currently at around 75% funded at just over $87,000 with 7 days left to go.
Posted by Jennifer McMurray at 11:45 AM No comments:
Labels: crowd funding, icom, shadowgate, zojoi
Paper Mario Sticker Star is Out Now on Nintendo 3DS
Paper Mario Sticker Star has been called "Paper Mario" meets LucasArts adventure game. Intrigued, I have decided to cover the game here. I don't have a Nintendo 3DS yet, but I'll definitely review it once I do.
Those who do own a Nintendo 3DS can pick the game up now in North America. It will be out in other territories next month.
Labels: nintendo, paper mario
Dreamfall Chapters is Finally In Pre-Production
Dreamfall Chapters, the sequel to Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, is finally in pre-production after being announced in 2007. Instead of being developed internally by Funcom, Dreamfall Chapters is being developed by Red Thread Games, an American studio formed by series developer Ragnar Tørnquist.
According to the press release, the rights are still owned by Funcom, they have just been licensed to Red Thread Games to "independently fund and produce the sequel to Dreamfall". Mr. Tørnquist revealed that $175,000 of the pre-production funding will come from the Norwegian Film Institute.
An interview of Ragnar Tørnquist by Eurogamer revealed that it will be a single player adventure for PC and Mac. It won't be point-and-click, it's going to be a 3D, direct controlled third person game. Dreamfall Chapters will also eventually head to Kickstarter for funding. According to Tørnquist, "We could go to investors, we could go to publishers, but that's going to tie our hands a quite a bit. If we're going to make the game we want and that everyone else wants, the only way to do that is to basically have the freedom we need, and Kickstarter is a lot about freedom." The grant money and the studio's own funding will be used to get the project going, so that the Kickstarter project will hold more weight.
"Dreamfall Chapters is going to be a reasonably large game, it's going to be a reasonably long game and it's going to be a polished game. It's going to be a game that reflects the brand and the universe."
Labels: funcom, red thread games, the longest journey
Chaos on Deponia is Out Now in English
Chaos on Deponia, the sequel to Daedalic's cult hit Deponia, is out now in English on download services for Windows and Mac. In the game, Rufus claims to have been reformed of most of his destructive traits, and is desperately seeking to get off of the garbage planet Deponia. Unfortunately, he accidentally splits Goal's mind and must work towards getting her three sides back together again.
The English version is only available digitally, and is available on GOG.com, GamersGate, and Steam.
Labels: daedalic, deponia
Hero-U By Quest for Glory Creators Is On Kickstarter
The Hero-U Road to Redemption Kickstarter is the lastest crowd funding effort by a popular former adventure game designer. This time it's a project by Lori and Corey Cole, the creators of Sierra's Quest for Glory series. The new project is a 2D RPG adventure hybrid, which is more the style of RPG games than the adventure style of the original four Quest for Glory games. It's to be co-developed by Brawsome, the creator of the adventure game Jolly Rover and the RPG/puzzle hybrid MacGuffin's Curese.
Like the other adventure kickstarters, there are different tiers to choose from with different rewards including a collector's box version at the $150 USD tier. The kickstarter ends in 11 days, and they're currently at just over half of their $400,000 USD goal.
Labels: brawsome, crowd funding, hero u, transolar games
The Journey Down On IndieGameStand.com
IndieGameStand now has chapter one of The Journey Down available in a pay-what-you want deal. This game is excellent (see my review for more about it). If you haven't picked it up yet, do so now. You won't regret it.
Labels: indie bundle, skygoblin, the journey down
The Walking Dead Episode 4 out on iOS
The Walking Dead is finally caught up to the other versions. Episode 4 was released for iOS yesterday (and the iOS version of episode 3 was released on October 18th). The game can be purchased in a multipack or as a single episode inside of the application.
Episode 5 should also be coming out soon for PC, Mac, Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation Network. No concrete release date has been given for Episode 5: No Time Yet yet, other than that it will release in November.
Ben Jordan: The Sorceress of Smailholm Review
Ben Jordan's cases keep getting bigger and more challenging. The same holds true for the experience had by the player as well. The third case, The Sorceress of Smailholm, is certainly both those things, and a lot more.
The game follows Ben's first case outside of the United States. He receives a call from a man from a small town in Scotland. His two daughters have been murdered, and it's believed that witches were involved. Ben once again meets an eclectic group of characters, including, for the first time, someone who is actively working against Ben because he doesn't believe in the paranormal.
As this game was created after the deluxe versions of the first two cases, and since this game doesn't have a deluxe version, there are some noticeable differences here. The biggest difference is the lack of speech. The game is presented entirely in the fashion of the first two games with the speech pack disabled. The text depicting the speech of the characters is presented next to close up portraits of the characters in question. The description text is presented in a black box in the middle of the screen. The second most noticeable difference is in the character's portraits. Instead of being designed somewhere in between cartoonish and realistic, the character portraits are heavily cartoonish. Somewhat surprisingly, they still do fit in with the realistic style of the background art, but they are a bit jarring if you're used to the deluxe versions of the first two cases. The other differences are more minor, from the different art of the icons, to the sound effect that is used when you gain points. The latter is specific to the monsters of the case Ben's working on, rather than the growl sound effect used in the deluxe version of the first two cases.
The presentation has improved upon even the deluxe versions of the first two games in other ways. The start of the game is presented with a cutscene, complete with credits, instead of just starting with Ben at the telephone receiving a case. The latter is still there, but it acts as an after-credits sequence rather than the intro. It's a more theatrical approach, and fits well, considering that the over-arching storyline of the series seems to be picking up steam here. The music is also given a similar uplifting treatment. It is also presented in a more theatrical style, with an almost orchestral feel. The theatrical feel also extends to the closing credits, and ends with a note on how Ben feels about the case. There are two different endings, depending on a condition near the middle of the game. They could be considered "bad" and "good" endings, as one ending leaves questions unanswered and doesn't give the optimum amount of points available. However, neither ending dramatically changes the final outcome of the game.
The game's puzzles have been improved upon as well. The puzzles are more challenging this time, and harken back to the Sierra games of the 1990's even more so than previous installments. Despite the challenge factor, they are still quite fun. There is one puzzle in particular that can be solved using the game's manual (found in the installation directory). This kind of puzzle solving has been fazed out over time, but it's still fun if done right. Thankfully, Sorceress of Smailholm does just that, as the use of the manual is completely optional.
Ben Jordan's cases keep getting better as they go on. That once again rings true with The Sorceress of Smailholm. As the game never received a deluxe version, there is no voice acting this time around, and there are noticeable differences in the art style. This is offset by the improvements in the presentation of the rest of the game's aspects. The storyline is bigger than before, and it is much more interesting as well. The characters are much less one dimensional now, and the villains are more cunning than before. The music and cutscenes are presented in a much more theatrical feel, adding to the bigger feeling of the scope of the game compared to earlier cases. Despite the lack of voice acting, Ben Jordan Case 3 is truly the best yet, which is impressive in a series where each game has a place among the best free adventure games I've played.
Labels: adventure game studio, ben jordan, grundislav games, review
Han Solo Adventures Demo is Available
Update January 14, 2014: The game's website is now dead, but the game is not. Stacy Davidson clarified that he killed the website because he'd rather have the game fly under the radar by developing it quietly and then releasing it when it's done, in order to avoid the legal department of Disney. The new link to the demo can be found at this thread on his game development company's forums.
D'oh! I posted this on Mixnmojo, but forgot to post about this here. With all of the hullabaloo about LucasArts recently, now is as good a time to post about this as any (although it's unclear what the fate of this game will be now that LucasArts is owned by Disney, which likes to keep its intellectual property on a tight leash).
This summer, Han Solo Adventures, the Star Wars fan game that is being created to emulate the style of LucasArts adventure games (in particular Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis), received its first playable demo. It's a short three room demo made with Adventure Game Studio that contains many references to the Star Wars films and LucasArts adventure games.
Labels: adventure game studio, fan creations, lucasarts, star wars
Disney Purchases LucasArts
Disney has acquired Lucasfilm, and by extension LucasArts. The famed former adventure game developer is now under the House of Mouse, but according to a LucasArts spokesperson, things aren't likely to change at LucasArts, at least not in the foreseeable future. "For the time being, all projects are business as usual". So, LucasArts' meager selection of their adventure game classics are likely to remain on Steam, at least for now.
The word is still out on what this means for the licensing of LucasArts properties however, as Disney CEO Robert Iger has stated an intent to license the LucasArts properties out on consoles. "We'll look opportunistically at console, most likely in licensing rather than publishing, but we think that given the nature of these characters and how well known they are, and the storytelling, that they lend themselves quite nicely, as they've already demonstrated to the other platforms." He was referring to the Lucasfilm licenses rather than the original LucasArts intellectual property, but it's possible companies like Telltale might now be able to work up a dialog with studio heads in terms of licensing their adventure properties.
Labels: disney, full throttle, grim fandango, indiana jones, labyrinth, loom, lucasarts, maniac mansion, monkey island, sam and max, star wars, the dig, zak mckracken
Maniac Mansion Mega Review
Maniac Mansion was the first adventure game by LucasArts to use their famous SCUMM engine, which was in fact named after this game (Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion). Since 2012 is the 25th anniversary of the game and the engine, I thought it would be a perfect time to review this game. Like the other mega reviews on this site, this review will cover every different version of the game available, and will recommend which version of the game to play.
Unlike later adventure games, Maniac Mansion doesn't have much text. Most of the game's story comes through the cutscenes that will play sporadically throughout the adventure. Unlike later LucasArts adventures, there is no look verb. Instead there is a read verb, which limits the amount of descriptions that will be shown. This is different in the fan made Maniac Mansion Deluxe, as they use the Day of the Tentacle verb system, which does include look. As such, they have added a lot of item descriptions into the game. The lack of inventory descriptions, personally, doesn't bother me, but your opinion may differ.
The game's strengths come in it's set of quirky characters and ability to choose a team of teenagers as player characters. The game has a B-movie monster vibe, with a mad scientist kidnapping a cheerleader, and a group of teenagers going into a spooky mansion to save her. The mad scientist has a family consisting of a son and a wife, who will lock you in the dungeon if they catch you. They are just as quirky as the mad scientist himself. The teenagers are chosen in teams of three. The cheerleader's boyfriend is always on the team, so you have the option to choose two other characters to accompany him. Each of the characters have their own abilities, which can be used on various objects in the game in order to achieve your goal. Since there are multiple different ways to get to the end, there are multiple endings. The Nintendo Entertainment System version adds one additional ending over the others, which will be available if the player eliminates the ability to achieve another possible ending.
There is mild swearing and sexual overtones in the game, which lend well to the game's B-movie roots. Both PC versions, the AtariST version, the Amiga version, and the Mac version (which uses the datafiles of the original PC version) are slightly censored over the Commodore 64 and Apple II original, editing a swear word at the game's finale into a more family-friendly version. The NES version goes even further, censoring out all of the swearing and sexual overtones. The European NES version also edits out a puzzle which will lead to the death of one of the characters.
Unlike most LucasArts adventure games, all of the versions of Maniac Mansion have the ability to die. The fan made Maniac Mansion Deluxe removes the possibility of a dead-end through a character's death by having the option to transfer the dead character's inventory to another character (an ability that is not present in the official versions of the game). This version also fixes many other dead ends, however, not all of them. It is still possible to kill off all three characters, resulting in a game over, as well as killing off every character with an ability that is needed to reach the ending, resulting in a dead end.
The NES version and fan made deluxe version also add music to the game. The fan made deluxe version also slims the verb interface to one resembling Day of the Tentacle, adds comments to many of the objects in the game, adds an icon based inventory, and removes many of the dead ends (although dead ends and game overs are still possible). However, I still recommend the NES version over the fan made deluxe version because of the music. The Deluxe version omits the excellently creepy Edison theme song during the cutscenes, and uses Day of the Tentacle music rather than the tracks from the Nintendo Entertainment System version. As Day of the Tentacle was a game with a very different visual aesthetic and a Saturday morning cartoon feel rather than the horror B-movie feel of Maniac Mansion, the DoTT music tracks just feel out of place.
As Maniac Mansion was the first point-and-click adventure by LucasArts, it does show it's age, and doesn't hold up to the test of time as well as some of the other LucasArts adventures. Unlike most LucasArts adventure games, it has dead ends and it's possible to die. Even so, the odd characters, fun puzzles, interesting B-movie atmosphere, and multiple endings make it a fun adventure that's worth playing. I personally recommend the Nintendo Entertainment System version (preferably played using ScummVM, which adds the ability to control the cursor with a mouse), as it has excellent music that fits the atmosphere well and adds additional ways to win the game.
Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle Review
Labels: lucasarts, maniac mansion, review
Ben Jordan: Lost Galleon of the Salton Sea Review
In The Lost Galleon of the Salton Sea, the paranormal investigator's second case, Grundislav Games takes every thing that worked well in the first case and expands on it, making a much bigger adventure for Ben Jordan to experience than before.
The case takes place less than a week after the last one. Ben Jordan receives a call from a woman in California. She informs Ben that her husband went missing when looking for the Lost Galleon, a Spanish treasure ship that was fabled to be at the bottom of the Salton Sea. The game takes place in and around a small desert town. There are shops for Ben to visit, items that he can purchase, and employees and customers to whom he can talk. There are also surrounding areas he can visit. Some are nearly ghost towns, and others have their own set of colorful characters.
As with the previous case, the people that Ben will meet are quite an interesting sort. They are once again voiced well for a free adventure game, with no real standouts as being overly irritating. The voice of the old prospector is close, but his voice grew on me with time. There is no voice for the narrator this time. Descriptions of objects are now presented in plain text in a black box in the center of the screen. The music is also well done, with a nice set of songs that fit each of the game's locations.
Once again, there is no way to get voices and subtitles on the screen at the same time. The only way to get subtitles on the screen is to turn off the voice pack in the setup program. There are no overly quiet characters this time, so it shouldn't be an issue for most, but for those who have a hard time hearing or those where English isn't their first language, it will likely be necessary. Like the last game, however, the story is interesting enough to hold your interest even without voice over work.
The game uses the same visual style as the last, with realistic backgrounds that look nice despite their early 1990's era resolution, and pixelated character sprites that are evened out by detailed character portraits that are a mix of cartoon style and realistic. The game uses the same Sierra style interface as the last, with the actions selected by the top menu bar or by cycling through icons with your right mouse button. The top menu inventory and helpful notebook icon where you can check Ben's current task return as well. The game does make an improvement on the map over the last. Instead of having to select the map from your inventory, you simply leave the area. This is more in line with most adventure games with map-based travel, and is a much easier way to navigate.
The puzzles inventory based puzzles are just as interesting as the last game. There are some new styles of puzzles here, and once again the puzzles that go outside the box were my favorite. There is one puzzle that goes beyond real world logic, but as this is a series featuring the paranormal, it works well when you put your mindset in the game's world. There is a puzzle that I quite enjoyed that is reminiscent of a puzzle in Telltale's second Bone game, which would be released a few years after this case.
The second case of Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator is an improvement over the already impressive first case. The deluxe version is definitely the version to get, as it adds several things to the overall experience. There is more area to explore, the voices are performed slightly better this time, the inventory-based map is replaced with a much easier to use system, and there is more music since there are more locations. The puzzles are fun once again, with the puzzles that think outside the box being the standouts. The game's only real flaw is the same as the first, in that there is no way to have subtitles and voices on screen at the same time. However, the game's intriguing story is enough to keep interest even without voice work. Like the first case, Ben Jordan: Lost Galleon of the Salton Sea is one of the best free adventure games that I have played.
Ben Jordan's Final Case Is Out Now
Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator finally concludes after nine years of investigating the paranormal, as Ben Jordan: Case 8: Relics of The Past is out now. The game reconciles the events of the previous case, as Ben searches for the truth in the past and present in an effort to confront the mad man that threatens his future.
All eight cases are available for free. However, the author accepts Paypal donations if you enjoyed the game and wish to show your support.
Labels: adventure game studio, ben jordan, grundislav games
Doctor Who: The Gunpowder Plot Review
Doctor Who: The Adventure Games series two was announced shortly after series one ended. It was advertised to be a "bigger and better gaming experience" than its predecessor. This turned out to be partly true. Series two wasn't bigger than the first, as it ended up consisting of only The Gunpowder Plot. However, it definitely was a better gaming experience.
The story is the most intriguing one out of all of the Doctor Who Adventure Games episodes released. It's nuanced enough with enough twists and turns that it could have easily been used as one of the scripts for the television show. Some of the best moments of Doctor Who come from when the Doctor and his companions meet historical figures, and that is certainly the case here. In grand Doctor Who tradition, of course, everything is not as it seems, and classic Whovian aliens are thrown into the mix as well. One of the aliens in the game have not been seen since Tom Baker's time, which should be a treat for longtime fans of the show. These aliens are given the new millenium makeovers that most of the classic Doctor Who creatures have received, but the way they are written is very true to their roots.
There is a lot of area to explore here, and a lot of people to communicate with. Never before has a Doctor Who Adventure Game episode felt so lively. The puzzles here are still of the casual adventure variety, but, like the last few episodes of the last series, they are varied and are not repeated as was the case in the earliest episodes. There are also more inventory based puzzles here. There is nothing that will stump any veterans of the genre, but it's nice to see this episode add more staples of the adventure genre into the gameplay.
The Gunpowder Plot is definitely the best episode to come out of Doctor Who: The Adventure Games. There is more adventure-style puzzles, the casual adventure puzzles are varied and not monotonous, the storyline is interesting, and the Doctor Who aliens are written to be true to their roots. With the understandable exception of Rory, all the characters are voiced excellently. The music and sound effects, taken from the television series, are once again put to excellent use in the game. Although Series two wasn't as big as was advertised, The Gunpowder Plot definitely ended the adventure games on a high note.
Labels: doctor who, review, sumo digital
The Walking Dead: Around Every Corner Review
Around Every Corner is the penultimate episode of Telltale's The Walking Dead. It continues the high standard set forth by previous episodes in the series, and even manages to improve upon them in some areas as well.
The game takes place immediately after the last episode, with the group finally making it to their destination. Of course, this being The Walking Dead, things don't go as well as they would have hoped. Tensions continue to rise and the team continues having to deal with human characters just as much, if not more so, than the walkers. The voice actors continue to do a great job portraying that tension. The returning characters are great as usual, and the new characters shine as well. This is the episode where the contest winner becomes a human character in the game, and that character is interesting as well, if understandably, a little under-used.
The art and animation is great as usual. The expressions come off as nicely as before. The new locations are interesting, and they are designed for exploration, without the invisible boundaries that, although fitting with the storyline, were obvious in previous episodes. The music and sound effects also fit the game as usual, and manage to continue to set the tone well.
Telltale continues addressing fan concerns here. There are more action scenes than before, with the QTE's much more limited than in earlier episodes. The direct control shooting portions are much better integrated into the game this time around, feeling less like a mini-game and more like part of the over-all experience. There is also a lot more exploration and adventure style puzzling. The puzzles still aren't difficult, but there are more of them, making it a better balance of casual adventuring mixed about evenly with action. The biggest thing here is that the choices you made throughout the episodes are really starting to matter here. Characters really respond to you based on your actions and decisions in previous games, and the relationships between the characters matter here more than they have before. There is also another game changing life or death choice here, like in episode 1, that will certainly change the way the final episode plays out.
Around Every Corner is the best chapter of The Walking Dead so far. It sets up the conclusion in a grand manner while still being entertaining and exciting in it's own right. It's taken everything that previous episodes did well, and made them even better. Your choices matter more here than before, the action scenes feel more like part of the experience rather than a mini-game, there is another life or death choice the likes that haven't been seen since the first episode, there is more to explore with more casual adventure puzzles, and the voice actors, music, and sound effects continue to shine. The final episode has a lot to live up to, as this episode sets the bar higher than any casual adventure game by Telltale that came before it.
Labels: review, telltale, the walking dead
Ben Jordan: In Search of the Skunk-Ape Review
Ben Jordan: Paranormal Detective is a series of eight free adventure games starring Ben Jordan, a young man fresh out of college who decides to become a paranormal investigator. In his first case, he heads to the Florida everglades to investigate a series of murders that have been linked to the Skunk-Ape, Florida's version of the Sasquach, a Bigfoot like creature that gets its unique name because it smells terrible.
There are two versions of the game, the original version, and the deluxe version which has improved art, an expanded storyline, and full voice acting. Unfortunately, there are only subtitles when the voice acting is turned off. It's a shame, because other than irritating voice of the protester, the voice work is pretty good, especially for a free fan game. Ben Jordan's voice did take a bit getting used to, especially since his is the voice you'll hear the most in the game, but as the story started heating up, I had definitely warmed up to it. There is also a man who is voiced well, but he speaks softly. I had to turn my speakers up to hear what he was saying. People who are hearing impaired or those of whom English isn't their first language will definitely need to opt for subtitles over voice work. You can do so in the setup program by unchecking the voice pack option.
Luckily, the story line is entertaining enough to sustain interest in the game even without the voice work. The search for the Skunk-Ape is interesting, and there are quite a few twists in the story line along the way. The characters that Ben Jordan gets to meet and interrogate along the way are each given quirky, but believable personalities. They are all a bit extravagent in their own way, but their appearance in and around a state park is completely reasonable. The storyline is mostly serious, but there is a lot of humor sprinkled in. Both the serious and the comical lines are written well, and the game straddles the fine line between the two very well.
The game is set up like Sierra adventure games from the 1990's. You can choose icons to walk, talk, and look either by hovering your mouse at the top of the screen or cycling through them with your right mouse button. The inventory, as well as the save and load screens, are also accessable at the top of the screen. The Sierra influence goes beyond the interface. When you use an icon with an item, there is a narrator who will make comments. This will yield useful information, but it is also the source for much of the game's humor. You'll find some references to classic adventure games tucked away in these comments.
The art work is very well done. It's all low resolution, in the style of the early 1990's adventure games, but it's done very well. Like those classics, they get a lot out of the small pixel space they have available. The background art is lovely, done in a realistic style, with a nice amount of detail in each scene. The characters are also done well. The sprites are understandably limited, but the close up art of the characters are done well. The aren't photo-realistic, and border between cartoon style and realistic, but they fit well with the style of the background art.
The puzzles are very much an homage to classic games, as there is no in-game hint system. However, each puzzle is designed very well, so for most adventure gamers help shouldn't be needed. Some of the puzzles require thought beyond what you are used to with the rest of the puzzles, which makes these puzzles some of the most creative in the game. Another thing I liked with the puzzles is the notepad system. Like all good investigators, Ben has a notepad and a pen. He will often automatically write down important information in regards to a puzzle, and his notes are available to the player by clicking on the paper icon in the menu at the top of the screen. This is handy, as there are times when you get stumped trying to determine how to obtain an item, only to forget the other items that are needed to complete a puzzle.
Case 1: In Search of the Skunk-Ape is a great start to the Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator series. The deluxe version is definitely the version to get, since it offers many improvements over the original. The art style, puzzles, and story are all fantastic. The game manages to combine humor and serious tones quite well. The voice work is mostly good, with a few exceptions. However, the characters who aren't voiced as well aren't on the screen for long, and don't hamper the experience. The one major drawback is the inability to have voice and subtitles on the screen at the same time. The more quiet characters fall into the category of annoyances as a result, which is a shame since they aren't necessarily voiced poorly. It's also a short game, but this can be forgiven since it's available for free. Even with the game's flaws I still highly recommend this game. It's one of the best free adventure games I've played.
Injokes
GOG Mix
GOG ScummVM
GOG ResidualVM
Jenni Comic
Doug the Ogre
Benoît Sokal's Syberia III To Be Released 2014-201...
Paper Mario Sticker Star is Out Now on Nintendo 3D...
Hero-U By Quest for Glory Creators Is On Kickstart...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line457
|
__label__cc
| 0.631243
| 0.368757
|
The-madhatters.co.uk
Who’s Mad Hatter?
Adaptations Of The Mad Hatter Character
Best Mad Hatter’s Quotes
Mad Hatters Slot
Alice in Wonderland Movies
Mad Hatter The Character
More Interesting Characters of Alice in Wonderland
Mad Hatter is one of the most well-loved characters in the Alice in Wonderland franchise. He is one of the most colorful characters in the story and has captured the hearts and imagination of the viewers both young and old. This is one of the reasons why a casino slot game was made inspired by the Hatter’s character.
Mad Hatter’s Slot Game
The popularity of the Hatter’s character in the novel as well as in various movie adaptations has made this slot game one of the most successful to date. It is considered one of the most popular, if not the most popular slot game by Microgaming. There even a time that it gave out winnings of over $6 million during the holiday season in 2015. This is one amazing payout considering the platform’s standards.
One on end, the popularity of the game has a lot to do with the Hatter’s influence on people. From the novel to film and movie and even with Japanese Manga, his character has transcended far and wide causing his popularity to shoot up. Apart from this, the game also offers players a really big chance to win.
Game appearance
Powered by Microgaming, the casino slot game feature 5 reels giving out 30 pay lines which increase your chances of winning. At the cheapest, the game could cost you only 0.01 per spin on every line. One the other hand, you can wager as much as 75 on every spin. However, the maximum amount you can win can be an astounding 20,000 coins.
As the game is inspired by the Mad Hatter, the game is pretty colorful and lively. You would be greeted by big reels that have taken up the whole screen dimension taking out any background. Purple dominates the colors in the game with the symbols all tuned into the Mad Hatter’s personality.
You need to put your bets by adjusting the coin size. This can put in as little as 0.01 to 0.10. This would set your wage on each line you would put a bet on. After this, your next step is to select the lines to determine how many lines you want to bet on. If you simply want to bet the maximum amount you can click “Max Bet” on the game.
When you are all set, you just have to click “Spin” and get the reels in motion. As with most slot games by Microgaming, the Mad Hatters slot game also gives you the chance to spin the wheels continuously for a given number of spins.
Once you start playing, it is important to remember that the “Wild” symbol would be the red top hat. You can win as much as 20,000 coins if you get 5 of these on an active pay-line you put a bet on. It can also substitute for all of the symbols in the game except for two – the bonus symbol as well as the scatter. One other amazing addition to the game is when the “Wild” symbol gets on the third reel, it would get bigger to cover the entire reel. The bonus symbol is the Cuckoo Clock and three or more of these symbols side by side starts a bonus feature in the slot game. It would allow you to choose a symbol to reveal a hidden prize.
© 2019 The-madhatters.co.uk
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line458
|
__label__wiki
| 0.594039
| 0.594039
|
The Kent Amethysts
I may not be a February baby, but I am extremely partial to amethysts. Whether they're deep purple or another shade -- lately I'm quite attracted to the pale green variety -- they're always showstoppers. Today, we're looking at the amethyst set that belongs to the British royal family -- which also happens to be one of the oldest sets of jewelry in their entire collection.
Appropriately for a stone often worn by those in mourning, the amethysts entered the family collection because of an unexpected death. Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of George IV, died in childbirth in 1817. Her death led to something of a succession crisis, with George IV's brothers hurrying to marry and father an heir to the throne. The winner of this "contest" was the Duke of Kent, who wed Princess Viktoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in 1818. They were, of course, the parents of the future Queen Victoria.
The Duchess of Kent was the original owner of the amethyst set, which was made in the first half of the nineteenth-century, easily making it one of the oldest sets of jewels possessed today by the British royals. According to the Royal Collection, in the image of the duchess above (which is an engraving made based on a miniature portrait from the 1830s), the brooch pinned to her bodice is a part of her amethyst demi-parure. After her death in 1861, the set was left to Queen Victoria, who in turn designated the amethysts as heirlooms of the crown.
According to the list of jewels left by Victoria to the Crown in 1901, the amethyst demi-parure consists of multiple pieces: a necklace, a pair of hair combs, a pair of earrings, and three brooches. (This is one of the sets generally designated a "demi-parure" because it doesn't include a tiara.) However, when the amethysts are worn today by the Queen, we generally only see one brooch: a shell-shaped diamond brooch with a central amethyst, worn either with or without three pendant pieces.
The Queen has only worn multiple pieces of the demi-parure in public on one occasion: a visit to Portugal in 1984. At a state banquet, she donned the necklace, the brooch with three pendants, and the earrings, pairing the set with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara. I've seen convincing arguments online, including at the Royal Jewels of the World Message Board, that the other two brooches from the set have been used to lengthen the necklace -- explaining why only two of the amethyst "links" in the necklace share the same shell design motif as the brooch.
But even though HM almost never wears the entire amethyst set in public, she wears the brooch very frequently. Above, she wears the piece without the pendant drops.
She selected the brooch for the unveiling of the memorial fountain for the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
She also wore it on her accession day in 2011 -- appropriate, because for the Queen, the day is about remembering her late father.
The Queen loves to wear saturated shades of blue and purple for daytime, so it makes perfect sense that the Kent amethyst brooch has become a regular part of the rotation. But I'd love to see some of the rest of the pieces reappear in public as well. I think Camilla could wear the heck out of the amethyst necklace, and I would love to see Kate place the haircombs -- which I've never even seen a photograph of! -- in an elaborate updo.
Labels: united kingdom
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line460
|
__label__cc
| 0.595275
| 0.404725
|
Chicago Dramaworks announces publication of WILD by Crystal Skillman
Chicago Dramaworks is thrilled to announce the recent publication of Wild by Crystal Skillman. The play made its professional premiere in Chicago in 2012 followed by a critically-acclaimed run in New York City. The play has been published as an Acting Edition, available on Amazon.com.
Wild is described as follows:
One night’s infidelity sets a chain of events into motion that causes Peter and Bobby’s life to implode. Set on the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Wild is a play about relationships and the destructive and healing powers of love. Wild is published alongside Crystal Skillman’s powerful one-act play Welcome to the Now Now from After Orlando, an International Theatre response to the Pulse Nightclub Shooting.
More info on Crystal Skillman & Chicago Dramaworks after the jump.
Crystal Skillman is the award-winning author of the plays Geek, Cut, and King Kirby (co-written with Fred Van Lente), all critics picks from the NY Times. She is the musical theater book writer of Mary and Max, based on the film, written with award-winning ASCAP Composer/Lyricist Bobby Cronin. Her new plays include: Rain and Zoe Save the World (2016 New Harmony Project, 2016 Oregon Performance Lab), Pulp Vérité (2015 Clifford Odets Ensemble Play Commission, 2016 BAPF Finalist) and Open (All for One Solo Theater Company’s 2016 Season) as well as Another Kind of Love, a punk rock play (Chopin Theater with InFusion Theatre Co., 2015, Chicago) hailed by the Chicago Reader as a “Masterpiece.” Awards include two Ensemble Studio Theater/Sloan commissions, as well as the New York Innovation Award for Outstanding Full Length Play (The Vigil or the Guided Cradle). Her work has been featured as part of MCC Theater’s Playwrights’ Coalition, Women’s Project Playwrights’ Lab, Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, the Lark, and New Georges. Crystal is represented by Abrams Artists Agency in NY, and Shepard Management. http://www.crystalskillman.com/
Chicago Dramaworks is a play publishing and licensing company focused on works developed in Chicago and by Chicago-area playwrights. Popular titles include Action Philosophers! by Crystal Skillman, My Kind of Town by John Conroy, and Kate and Sam are Not Breaking Up by Joel Kim Booster. Most recently, the company published Free Radicals by Brenda Kilianski and Nighthawks by Evan Guilford-Blake. For more information on Chicago Dramaworks and all of our titles, please visit www.ChicagoDramaworks.com.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line463
|
__label__cc
| 0.678455
| 0.321545
|
By The Numbers: Billy Zane
I feel oddly qualified for this one. My sister used to love Billy Zane and as a result I've seen most of his earlier movies. I've always liked him, even if he's been mostly a punchline since Titanic. Now obviously, anyone who knows him, knows there are a lot of bad films in his resume. The question is, when the numbers are crunched, can he squeeze into the good column?
First a quick rundown for anyone new to how this all works.
I take all the films an actor or actress has been in and break them down into three categories, 'Good' 'Bad' and 'Ok.' I do not count TV appearances or Made for TV movies. Afterwards a quick analysis will show whether or not they're a good actor by the numbers. Invariably there is a 2-3 +/- point bias on a person to person basis. Also, since 'ok' movies are not bad they count towards the positive column in the overall figuring. If by the numbers they fall in the 50 - 60% range, they're a bad actor; 61 - 70% good actor, and 71 - 80% great actor. Anything higher is unlikely, but will be classified as "elite."
Now then, let's roll out those numbers:
First of all, look at that picture of him and tell me how come he was never tapped to play Lex Luther? He pulls off bald sophistication so perfectly. Alright, so he's worse than bad. At a whopping 68% negative over an embarrassing 32% positive he falls into a category I had not yet determined. Ultra bad? Über bad? Doesn't really matter I guess, bad is bad. Much as I like Billy Zane, the truth is that most of his earlier career was in movies that amounted to little more than softcore porn. When your one real attempt at breaking through to A-list leading man is The Phantom, you know you're in trouble. Is it possible to turn it around? Probably not. He'd need to do good movies for several years, just to even out.
But hey, at least there's always TV.
Billy Zane came at the suggestion of Kristy over at This Train of Thought Has Been Derailed
Thanks Kristy!
The list of actors for me to do in future installments is growing, but keep those suggestions coming, and I'll get to them in due turn.
Labels: By The Numbers
Marlene April 7, 2010 at 12:18 PM
He can't dance, either...apparently. I read that he was originally cast in the part of Johnny Castle on Dirty Dancing, but was replaced with Patrick Swayze when the choreographer realized he couldn't dance. Really. Now I don't know about you - but I'm pretty much happy THAT happened. Patrick Swayze. Yum....there's a suggestion. Just be nice about him, or his ghost will come and haunt us both.
Pat Tillett April 7, 2010 at 12:31 PM
I'm trying to remember what the top 16% movies were. Obviously Titanic, but has "he" actually every "carried" a movie that was decent?
Copyboy April 7, 2010 at 1:53 PM
He actually recently did a UK movie titled fishtails – A splash remake. Pretty sure the US won't be importing it anytime soon. Zane kinda reminds me of a depressed Eric Roberts.
Kristy April 7, 2010 at 3:01 PM
Sadly, I expected these results... And no... he can't dance. There was a direct to DVD movie that we watched a few months ago that proved that.
Was Sniper one of the good ones?
I don't care, I love him anyway. I'll bear his children. I'll even wax his back if need be. (Hey Billy - call me!)
Ally April 7, 2010 at 5:28 PM
He was such a jerk in Titanic. I agree with the numbers!
FourthGradeNothing.com
Carl (ILHM) April 7, 2010 at 6:03 PM
TITANIC was enough to.. SINK.. his career for me. Ah ah ah... =D
GuanoLad April 7, 2010 at 6:11 PM
Actually, he'd be good in TV. I could see him in something relatively complex like Prison Break or Deadwood. Not as the lead, but in a secondary role.
To add to the list, you should do one of these for Jeremy Irons.
TS Hendrik April 7, 2010 at 6:20 PM
Marlene, Swayze is on the list, but I will note that as a second vote, so I'll probably do his next.
Pat & Kristy, Sniper is one of the good ones. If for nothing more than the scene where the guy shoots through the other sniper's scope. Also don't forget, he was in the Back to the Future movies. It adds up.
Carl, That was so bad I couldn't help but laugh.
Guano, Now I'd go with that. Deadwood is exactly the type of thing he should be in. I will add Jeremy Irons to the list.
Copy, yeah I actually saw part of it. It was just... not great.
Ally, But he had my favorite line in the movie: "Rose is displeased... what to do."
Reputation@Stake April 7, 2010 at 9:38 PM
But how bad of an actor can you really be with the name Billy Zane? That's just a great Hollywood name, and demands a long career.
Erika April 8, 2010 at 12:58 AM
I can only think of him in Titanic....well that and his cameo in Zoolander.
Have you done Gary Sinise yet?
Jerry April 8, 2010 at 3:49 AM
The numbers don't lie. But I have to admit that I actually liked the Phantom.
Powdered Toast Man April 8, 2010 at 5:08 AM
good point on the idea of him being Lex Luthor. I vote Christopher Lloyd next.
ASBLACKASOBAMA April 8, 2010 at 5:58 PM
Danny Devito, Rick Moranis, Val Kilmer (have you seen the Salton Sea?).... So many to choose from!
TheUnwashedMass April 8, 2010 at 7:55 PM
Zane was the BOMB in "Memphis Belle"!
Not literally, of course. They didn't fly over germany and push Billy Zane out of the plane or anything.
I also enjoyed him in "Critters". He got et.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line465
|
__label__cc
| 0.663212
| 0.336788
|
This photo appeared in the The Genealogical Association of Canada, Special paper Number 22, 1981. The caption under the photo read.
Matty Mitchell, trapper, prospector, guide, Montagnais Indian, born in Hall's Bay, Newfoundland, discovered the Buchans River Orebodies 1905. Photo courtesy Mrs. Jessie Chatwood, St. John's Nfld.
Mrs. Chatwood's son Albert sent me a copy of the photo. The photo is an enlargement from a snapshot taken around 1917-1920s by Jessie's father. She and her father were fishing at Lomond and stayed at the home of Mr. Simpson, Manager of the St. Lawrence Lumber Co.
This photo was sent to me by Mr. Ray Neilsen, a gr-grandson of Mattie, with this explanation.
"The picture was taken on the Lomond River, where Mattie was a guide for George Simpson and Duncan Boyd (we also have a picture of the three of them). George Simpson was the manager of the St. Lawrence Timber, Pulp and Steamship Company Ltd. who bought out a sawmill operation in the area, in Aug. of 1916 until his death in 1935. Duncan Boyd was the company accountant and later married Simpson's daughter. The picturie was among others given to Gros Mome National Park by Colin Boyd, the son of Duncan and Ella (Simpson) Boyd, when he came over to visit the area a few years ago. So the picture was taken between 1916 and the year Mattie died 1921."
There is such a striking similarity between the details surrounding the first two two photos and the clothing Mattie was wearing, that it is possible the two photos were taken in the same year if not on the same trip.
Ray subsequently sent me a copy of the "picture of the three" mentioned above.
This photo showing Mattie with George Simpson and Duncan Boyd is interesting for a couple of reasons. One it shows how tall Mattie was compared to the average man of his day. Secondly it shows how youthful and healthy his appearance was for a man in his seventies. When I first saw the photo I thought it might be his oldest son Larry.
This photo appeared in H.C. Thomson's paper, p. 197. (see Thomson's Journey Webpage). Thomson wrote that Mattie called it The Lake of Three Hundred Islands, but was subsequently named Lake Michel after Mattie by J.P. Howley in 1904.The caption under the photo read.
Lake On Eastern Side of The Blue Mountain.
The photo shows two people on a raft near a campsite on the shores of the lake. Since there were 5 people on the journey there is a 60% chance one of the people on the raft was Mattie or his son, Lawrence.
I will post other photos of Mattie as they become available. If you have any, or are aware of others in someone else's possession, please contact me at fgp@vcn.bc.ca
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line468
|
__label__cc
| 0.717625
| 0.282375
|
City of Ponca City
Familiar Favorites
Trail Systems
What's Happening in Ponca City this month
Our monthly video update showcasing what's happening this month in Ponca City. Produced by a local film company, the videos are informational and entertaining. Check out this month's video now!
Marland Mansion
Immerse yourself in the rich history of this 43,561 square foot mansion complete with carved wood, sculptured stone, wrought iron doorways, and million dollar chandeliers, built by millionaire tycoon and the 10th governor of Oklahoma, E.W. Marland.
Ponca City is home to one of the most beautiful city halls in the United States. Designed by Solomon Andrew Layton (architect of the Oklahoma State Capitol Building), City Hall was first built as the City Auditorium in 1916. In 1922 the east and west wings were added and the building became known as the Civic Center, housing city offices and the police and fire stations.
Marland's Grand Home
Visit E.W. Marland's first home and experience the early days of the oil tycoon's life. Also check out historic 101 Ranch memorabilia housed in the lower level of the museum.
Commissioned by E.W. Marland, the Pioneer Woman Statue & Museum showcases the history of women in Oklahoma and their influence on the development of both Oklahoma and the United States.
Conoco Museum
Take a trip through one of the worlds greatest energy empires! The Conoco Museum is a state of the art museum that tells the story of Conoco from a small doodlebugger to the energy giant of today.
Standing Bear Native American Park
The largest bronze statue in Oklahoma pays tribute to one of America's first civil rights leader while the museum continues to educate us on the importance of Native American heritage.
Expect the Unexpected!
No Empty Bowls "Pet Food Drive" To Benefit The Ponca City Humane Society
March 1st, 2019 All Day - March 31st, 2019
Lend a paw and drop off unopened Dry or Canned Dog or Cat food at The Ponca City Humane Society Wednesday-Friday: 11:00 am - 6:00 pm Saturday: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Located at 900 W. Prospect
Cornhole Tournament at Ground Round Ponca City
March 2nd, 2019 9:00 PM - March 30th, 2019
Come compete in our very first cornhole tournament starting March 9th. No entry fee and prizes will be given for each winner every week.We will be playing every Saturday the whole month of March! Located at 720 E Prospect Avenue.
420 E Grand Ave.
Ponca City, OK 74601 View Map Contact Us
©2019 City of Ponca City. Website designed by Back40 Design & managed by Javelin CMS
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line471
|
__label__cc
| 0.726193
| 0.273807
|
The Trent Excalibur Men’s Volleyball Team will be hosting a Jr. Excalibur initiative throughout the month of November. The boys and girls volleyball teams from Highland Heights P.S., Queen Elizabeth P.S. and Westmount P.S. will join the men’s team for joint training sessions where they get to work one-on-one with Excalibur varsity athletes.
“We’re excited to be a part of such an amazing opportunity to engage the local community” said Chris Wilding, Head Coach of the Excalibur Men’s Volleyball team. “I believe the Excalibur athletes will get just as much out of the experience as the boys and girls they will be working with.”
League play for the Trent Excalibur Men’s Varsity Volleyball team has just begun. The Men’s team is the newest in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA), competing in only their second season after many years in the college league.
Follow the men’s team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TrentMVB
#RAISETHESWORD
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line472
|
__label__wiki
| 0.784497
| 0.784497
|
Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation
Dr. Herbert & Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation
Herbert Wertheim
The University of Florida’s College of Engineering is using the $50 million catalyst lead gift from the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation to power the new engineer and transform the future.
The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine provides quality affordable medical education. Our students and doctors provide improved access to medical care in South Florida’s underserved populations.
Nicole Wertheim
College of Nursing & Health Sciences
The students at Wertheim College of Nursing play critical roles in overcoming the healthcare challenges in our community. Our nurses are trained to excel while working with other health professionals.
Dr. Herbert A. Wertheim and Nicole L. Wertheim sign The Giving Pledge
By a letter dated December 14, 2015, the Wertheim family publicly committed the majority of their wealth to benefit others. They did so by joining The Giving Pledge, a campaign organized by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to encourage the wealthiest families in the world to commit their assets toward charitable endeavors. The Wertheim Family Foundation has been active for 50 years fulfilling their mission statement: Making Life on Earth Better. This commitment to continue using their assets t0 help others is the latest and largest commitment to date from a family which has already given extraordinary amounts of money and time.
The Wertheim named colleges of Engineering, Medicine and Nursing have been funded with more than one hundred million dollars from the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation. These gifts confirm our emphasis on education’s central role in improving both opportunity and community. The Wertheim Family Foundation’s support for education goes beyond naming buildings. We provide funding for infrastructure, subsidize tuition and help attract extraordinary students and educators.
Dr. and Mrs. Wertheim understand that life is more than just work. There is a certain joy which comes when life is enhanced in a way only the arts can provide. The Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation provides funding for a variety of institutions which exist to preserve our cultural heritage and display it to the public through exhibitions or performances. We believe museums, public television and performance celebrate our humanity.
The Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation supports a variety of community institutions and support programs. The community outreach portion of our mission is to help preserve and protect the most vulnerable amongst us. Our funding includes programs helping to save and preserve plants and animals at the zoo or in conservatory. We also grant funds to organizations which reach out to those in need who have fallen upon hard times or who simply need a helping hand.
© 2019 Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation - WordPress Theme by Kadence Themes
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line475
|
__label__cc
| 0.680082
| 0.319918
|
Size, globality, and the ghost of empire
I came across an interesting tidbit in my research recently. I've been doing research on the missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC), one of the precursors of the UMC. In 1900, the MEC had churches in twenty-nine countries on five continents. When investigating some other aspects of that era, I was a bit surprised to realize that this made it one of the most widely distributed human organizations on the planet at that time.
While I have not run the comparative figures for all other possible contenders (such as banks and shipping lines), and there's some fuzziness as to what exactly "most widely distributed" means, thus far I have been able to find find four other institutions with comparable or greater geographic scope: the Catholic Church, the British Empire, the French Empire, and the Eastern Telegraph Company (which may have been the most widely distributed institution of its day).
While I relished that finding for its own particular historical curiosity, it also prompted me to think anew about the current discussion about how the UMC can be a global church. It suggested two questions that I think we in the UMC need to take serious as we seek to grapple with that question:
1. What does it mean for the UMC to claim to be a global church when we are less global that our predecessor bodies were 100 years ago, while many other organizations are more so? The MEC was in the top ten, if not top five institutions for geographic coverage 100 years ago, and that's without adding in the additional countries where the MECS, MPC, EA, or UBC has a presence where there was no MEC presence. Today, even with the impressive number of countries in which UMCOR works, I doubt the UMC would make the top 100 list of human organizations with the widest geographic reach. Through the creation of autonomous Methodist churches, we have gotten smaller while so many other organizations have gotten much bigger - businesses and UN bodies, as well as INGOs and other denominations.
2. How can the UMC be a global church in a way that distinguishes itself from the Ameri-centric, colonialist approach that characterized the church during its geographic apex? One of the implications of the above paragraph is that most global = most widely distributed geographically, which may or may not be true. Still, if we do make that assumption, can we do so in ways that don't reiterate the sort of "conquering the world for Christ" ideology that too often meant "conquering the world by Americans" that characterized even the best Methodist mission thinkers of a century ago? Can we value geographic distance without feeling the need to overcome the difference entailed therein by imposing some sort of American-derived sameness?
These may not be easy questions to answer, but if we are to plot a successful path into the future, we need to take seriously the perspective provided by the past.
Labels: David W. Scott, geography, global ecclesiology, history, US centric
Robert Hunt July 20, 2015 at 7:22 PM
We might begin to become more global if we recognized the distinction between being "universal" in the sense of "catholic" in our creed, and being "international" in the sense of participating in the present world-order of nation-states, and being "global" as in participating in movements of everything from disease to technology to religion to economic structures to worldviews across the globe in ways that confound the "international" order. As United Methodists we haven't yet fully conceptualized ourselves as part of the "catholic" church present in an international system. So we are little prepared to have agency in the midst of globalization.
White American UMC, Non-white global UMC
Recommended Reading: Regnum Edinburgh Centenary se...
What United Methodist content would you put in hum...
Arun Jones: How the Catholics can be a global chur...
Phil Wingeier-Rayo: Race and tradition in American...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line476
|
__label__wiki
| 0.906322
| 0.906322
|
Ryan Adams: Reborn
Victory Gardens Biograph Theater - Chicago, IL, United States - June 19, 2007
by Anthony Kuzminski
I'm always in need, and it's hard to be reciprocating
-"Everybody Knows"
If you have ever seen a Ryan Adams concert, you probably have a renowned story to tell. Whether it's a good one or bad one is the question at hand. Ryan's live performances over the years have been polarizing. If you were to rank concerts on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being bad and 10 being great) you would find most people rank Ryan's shows at these two extremes. I've seen him three times and each time I felt like it was watching Jesus Christ nail himself to the cross. The most disheartening incident occurred six months after the release of 'Gold' in March of 2002. I was hoping to see this magnamimously endowed artist elevate and exhaust me in a way the preeminent Bruce Springsteen shows always have. Unfortunately, Ryan self imploded on stage performing a mind numbing 160-minute set that peaked 45-minutes in. Aside from a cover of "Brown Sugar", the final two hours consisted of lingering drawn out jams and curtailed poetry readings that alienated the entire crowd. I remember turning to my friend Jeff about 90-minutes in and we both wanted to leave, but we were hoping a flash of brilliance was right around the corner. Seventy-minutes later we left without ever seeing that moment of brilliance come to light. It was a demoralizing experience to see someone whose music opened doors for me only to have the artist shut the door on me during the live performance. I never wrote about this experience because it was such a heartbreak I couldn't bring myself to condemn someone whose music I loved so profoundly. After two other less than stellar experiences in 2003, I swore to never seen him live again so as to not ruin the blissful experience his studio albums give me.
I apparently talk the talk but don't walk the walk because I found myself in the unexpected spot of the Biograph Theater in Chicago ready to witness Ryan Adams and the Cardinals perform an intimate acoustic show in support of Ryan's ninth studio album, 'Easy Tiger'. The Biograph Theater is rather legendary as it's where John Dillinger was gunned down in the 1934 and has recently been refurbished into a gorgeous 300-seat theater providing an intimate experience no matter what the occasion. My only concern going into the show was whether there would be some sort of massacre on the concert stage. Would Ryan Adams rise to the occasion or wallow in his own excess. Adams and his band came out at 8:15 and strummed and swayed ever so gently for the next 95-minutes. The performance wasn't epic, it wasn't rocking...it wasn't even rolling...but one thing I can say (and I hope I don't sound too melodramatic) is that Ryan Adams is reborn.
The 20-song performance was nothing short of astonishing. This was the first time I laid witness to the genius of Ryan Adams. I saw an artist in command of his music and stage presence. More importantly, my faith was renewed. The evening opened with the entire band on stools in a dimly lit stage that would rotate different shades of color (red & blue being the two prominent) throughout the entire night. While this may seem jarring, it wasn't. I truly believe the intention of this tour is for Ryan to showcase his songs in a distinctive light. I believe his goal was for the show to showcase the songs and allow them to have their moment in the sun while "Ryan Adams" disappeared. Adams was seated to the far left and wore sunglasses during the entire performance. I only recognized him because he was the only performer without an instrument.
Only two songs were performed from 'Heartbreaker' and 'Gold' ("My Winding Wheel" and "Goodnight Hollywood Boulevard") with the bulk of the performance focused on his last four albums ('Cold Roses', 'Jacksonville City Nights', '29' and 'Easy Tiger'). I'll use the word polarizing again to define the trifecta releases from 2005. While most fans dream about one release a year from their favorite artists, Ryan Adams fans were left scratching their heads because we were blessed and cursed with three distinctive releases in just under eight-months. Each album is unique unto itself and I'm not sure if taking a sampling from the best of each release would have made a more concise record either. Nevertheless, with so much material released in such a short time, I do not feel that anyone digested it properly, myself included. Mixed reviews for the concert performances in support of these releases did not help either. Despite all of these factors, I always found myself drawn to '29', a melancholy stripped affair of somber songs that was released in December of 2005. By the time of its release most people were burned out on new material that was largely uncommercial and twangy in flavor. Many fans never got around to getting the album (only 81,000 copies were sold) or in some cases, even listening to the album. Throughout 2006, I found myself returning to this silently sublime nugget. However, at the Biograph Theater, I finally HEARD the majority of this album for the first time. Five of the album's nine songs were performed with vigor that made these songs come to life. Ryan appeared to be channeling from within when he sung each and every lyric. It was almost as these were long lost forgotten friends he was becoming reacquainted with. "Starlite Diner" and "Carolina Rain" gleamed like forgotten paintings where the imagery of his lyrics tied perfectly alongside the expressive vocal delivery. I could feel his emotions pour forth from the stage; this was something missing from previous performances I had seen. So many of these songs paint transcendent pictures and it took an intimate setting like this one for me to fully grasp these masterful songs. This is why the live performance is so integral to the lifespan of a song. One may overlook a song on an album, but if the performer stuns an audience with a riveting performance, we'll make sure to go back, rediscover it and it may give the album a new life. Many of the songs on '29' may repeat various love torn themes but the subtlety of the production and performances do not ever feel like you're listening to the same song twice and proved my initial feelings correct; '29' is a far superior album than anyone ever imagined, including myself.
Everything I longed and hoped Ryan could be in the flesh, he was on this evening. It was a very stirring and subdued experience without a single electric guitar in sight. What I realized is that many of his softer (and what I initially deemed throwaway tracks) found their spark in the dark. The songs actually reached out to me and I felt like I was watching a master painter work his magic in front of me. A pair of songs from 'Cold Roses' shimmered in the dimly lit theater "How Do You Keep Love Alive?" and "Let It Ride" brought about some of the more transcendent and uplifting moments of the evening. There was genuine excitement within the crowd when these songs were performed. The band may have been stripped and acoustic but you could feel the electricity on stage. Ryan's vocals were ardent and on the spot.
The material of "Easy Tiger" sounded magnificent as well. I don't feel 'Easy Tiger' is Ryan Adam's masterpiece, but it's a strong and consistent work. "Two" shows a maturity in his lyrics even if they don't reach the poetic heights of his earlier work. It's a restrained and somber track that shows the knowledge that comes with age ("It takes two when it used to take one").
With everything changing how am I to know
How I'm going to hold on to you when I'm spinning out of control
You and I together but only one of us in love
And everybody knows
Adams has a knack for channeling the emotions of mislaid souls who are seeking more from their life. At the Biograph, his performance was indomitable which allowed his songs to be properly presented and heard. "Everybody Knows" and "Halloween Head" showed the charismatic but reserved Adams really excise demons when the lyrics soared from his lungs. He even pulled out "Down in the Hole" an Alice in Chains cover that not so coincidentally was sung by someone who lost the battle of fighting with his demons, Layne Staley. As Ryan sang "Down In The Hole" his hands wavered in the air as if he was conducting an orchestra but I saw this as him taking control of his life and his career with a stirring and moving performance no one will soon forget. He exuded staggering confidence and artistry over the course of the show, proving he's capable of greatness.
Seeing this show made me giddy at the thought of what an attentive Ryan could accomplish during a rip-roaring rock n' roll show. Ryan Adams invigorated me with a soft, subtle and focused performance that proved redemption in rock n' roll is not a myth but a reality. He disappeared into a murky existence a number of years ago and while he continued to be wildly productive he left many scratching their heads as to direction he was taking with his music and more importantly his life. The Ryan Adams I saw on stage was an artist I had never seen before, it's almost as if the old Ryan died and the new one was resurrected and reborn. I hope this new one is here to stay for a long time.
Don't live your life in such a hurry, life goes by us so so fast
And the sun will come up again, and I will be here
-"Goodnight Rose"
Please Do Not Let Me Go
Carolina Rain
How Do You Keep Love Alive?
Elizabeth, You Were Born To Play That Part
The Sun Also Sets
Blue Hotel
Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.
Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd
My Winding Wheel
I Taught Myself How To Grow Old
Starlite Diner
Halloween Head
Blue Sky Blues
Down In A Hole
Goodnight Rose
Anthony Kuzminski can be found at The Screen Door
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line477
|
__label__wiki
| 0.870184
| 0.870184
|
SEABROOK, LUTHER - INTERVIEWEE
Revision as of 19:42, 4 December 2017 (view source)
A2010.023.16
'''SEE ALSO:'''
*[http://www3.citadel.edu/archivesguide/index.php/THE_CITADEL_ORAL_HISTORY_PROGRAM-WORKING_CHARLESTON WORKING CHARLESTON]
Revision as of 20:36, 4 December 2017
Transcript of oral history interview, 17 October 2013.
Interviewed by Kieran Taylor, from The Citadel's Oral History Initiative.
Language: This interview is in English.
Transcript: 31 p.
Final copy prepared November 2017.
Civil rights activist and educator Dr. Luther Seabrook was born in Charleston, South Carolina on December 5, 1928. He lived in downtown Charleston until his teen years, when his parents enrolled him at Lincoln Academy, a boarding school for black children in North Carolina. After finishing high school, he went to undergraduate school in West Virginia, obtained a master’s degree in education at Columbia University, and later earned a doctorate in education administration from the University of Massachusetts. In his interview, Seabrook remembers his experiences with the civil rights movement in the 1960s. He explains that, after facing the pervasiveness of racism and discrimination at Columbia University and among officials in New York City, he joined the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) to enact changes, working mostly on the housing and education initiatives. In the summer of 1964, after three civil rights activists disappeared, he volunteered to go to Mississippi to collaborate with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and work with the Freedoms Schools. Leaders in the group sent him to the city of Hattiesburg, where he remained and worked until the end of the summer. He also participated in the Democratic Convention in Atlantic City, went to Selma, and marched on Washington. Seabrook lived most of his life in the north and had a very successful career in education. He was a central figure in the development of the New York and Boston school systems, serving as both a principal and a superintendent. For his work, he received numerous accolades and awards from various parties. Seabrook returned to South Carolina and worked at the State Department of Education with Dr. Barbara Nielsen in the 1990s.
WORKING CHARLESTON
1-100 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I-J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Retrieved from "http://www3.citadel.edu/archivesguide/index.php/SEABROOK,_LUTHER_-_INTERVIEWEE"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line481
|
__label__wiki
| 0.557299
| 0.557299
|
OK, we’re starting to think that Taylor Swift is actually some kind of real-life princess. Not only is she having tea parties with her pals all the time, but now she apparently paints butterflies on her face and hangs out with her cat, Meredith, near tiny furniture (or whatever that piece of wood is). Tay uploaded this adorable pic to her Facebook page yesterday with the caption, “Eye contact. Important,” and it seems like she’s using my old teenage trick — practicing having a boyfriend on your cat. More on that in my memoirs.
More evidence that Taylor Swift’s some kind of fairy-tale royalty: The girl’s got a heart of gold. Taylor recently donated $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, which is the second largest in the museum’s history. The next thing you know,bluebirds will be helping her wake up. Someone Instagram that, please.
Tags:cat Real-Life Disney Princess Taylor Swift
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line484
|
__label__wiki
| 0.960427
| 0.960427
|
Kyle Busch Blows Past Field for 1st Charlotte Points Win
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — It's official: Kyle Busch can win everywhere.
Busch marked off the only track where a points-race victory had eluded him Sunday night, leading 377 of 400 laps in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch is the only driver in NASCAR's modern era to win a points race on every NASCAR track on the schedule.
"I don't remember that dominant for that long," Busch said. "It feels really, really good and everyone should cherish this one for a while."
Busch started on the pole, won every stage in the circuit's longest race and left everyone else fighting for second on the way to his fourth victory of the season. It was Busch's first win in 29 tries points-racing at Charlotte and gave him a series distinction like no other with wins at all 23 tracks on the top series.
"I don't know if it has ever been done before but the first one ever to check off all of the tracks and get it all done," Busch said. "I don't want to go to any new ones so now we just have to start the whole process over."
Martin Truex Jr. was second, some four seconds behind. Two years ago, Truex had his own mind-boggling performance, leading 392 of 400 laps for a NASCAR-record 588 of 600 miles to win at Charlotte.
Truex thought he might have enough to catch Busch in this one, but did not.
"We got up behind Kyle and I thought we were pretty close," Truex said. "But man he was just really stout on the long runs. On the last 30 lap run he could really check out."
Kevin Harvick's try for a third straight points win this month ended with an early accident.
Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin, was third, followed by Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson.
Busch's victory ended a day of dominance on racing's single biggest day. Things began with Australia's Daniel Ricciardo taking the pole and leading every lap at the Monaco Grand Prix. It continued at the Indianapolis 500 with Will Power giving owner Roger Penske his 17th win at the Brickyard.
Once Busch took the track, he quickly proved he would not be kept out of Charlotte's Victory Lane again.
This race figured to be a match race between NASCAR's two hottest drivers in Busch and Kevin Harvick.
Harvick had won five times, including the past two points events and the All-Star race here last week.
Instead, Harvick's race ended early after an accident on Lap 83. Harvick hit the wall, cut a front tire and trailed sparks on the track toward the garage.
Harvick showed off one of the best cars, rallying from starting 39th due to inspection problems this week to get the fourth before his problems began.
"Happy" Harvick didn't sound too broken up about his quick night. "I can't complain about anything that's happened this year," said Harvick, who finished last. "We have to take the good with the bad."
Harvick last left the track early in the season-opening Daytona 500, then followed that with three straight victories.
Jamie McMurray was sixth, followed by Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
WHO'S HOT
Things might be turning around for seven-time NASCAR series champion Johnson, who had his fifth top-10 finish this season and fourth in the past six races. Johnson rallied from a mid-race spin to get himself into the top five.
WHO'S NOT
Harvick wasn't the only contender to leave the track early. Defending champion Austin Dillon also hit the wall after blowing a tire. Smoke enveloped his pit area as Dillon's team tried to repair the damage and the car headed to the garage for extensive fixes before coming back to the track 52 laps down.
BUILDING SLOWLY
Matt Kenseth ended 17th in Charlotte in his second race since returning to Roush Fenway Racing. It was a vast improvement over his first outing, a 36th place finish at Kansas two weeks ago.
RADIO RADIO
Several teams complained of radio interference over several laps in the final two stages of the race. Kyle Busch said it sounded like a phone call that disrupted talking with his pit crew. Busch turned on his backup radio, he said, "and soldiered on."
The series heads to Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania next Sunday to start the second half of the 26 regular-season races.
Filed Under: Charlotte Motor Speedway, coca cola 600, kyle busch, nascar
Categories: Featured, Racing, Sports
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line485
|
__label__cc
| 0.618263
| 0.381737
|
CQMS H Waddington – A small Breakthrough
Research continues and it is really satisfying to find new data on the core men of A Company who served with my Grandad. Today I’ve found out Henry Waddington was a Manchester Policeman before he enlisted in early 1915. There were numerous Policemen in 17th Battalion, similar to the other groups of Pals from the City’s businesses. A number were decorated and some didn’t return. Henry did. Here’s his summary:-
CQMS Waddington II Pln Book of Honour
CQMS Henry Waddington MBE 9348
Henry Waddington’s MIC indicates his arrival in France in November 1915 and rank of WOI with the Manchester Regiment. The 1911 census shows Henry had been a married Police Officer living at Bosworth Street, Openshaw. Manchester Police records [Huge thanks to Mary] show he had been a Sergeant in E Division who resigned from the Police on 20th February 1915 to join the Army. On 13 February 1913 he had been promoted to Acting Sergeant and shortly after the outbreak of war he volunteered as a drill instructor for the training of the new armies. He had earlier served as an Officer with Gloucester Constabulary. At 5’10” he was significantly taller than the other men in the II Platoon photo.
Henry was a Reservist who had previously served 9 1/2 years, rising to the rank Lance Corporal with the 1st Battalion, Gloucester Regiment, including the defence of Ladysmith in the 2nd Boer War.
RSM Waddington was commissioned 2nd Lt. in August 1916, having been RSM with 19th Battalion. It is likley Henry had been wounded in July 1916 and returned as an Officer after recuperation. His service as 2nd Lt. was also with 19th Bttn. Manchester Constabulary records show Henry had transferred to the Royal Flying Corps on 15th April 1918, attaining the rank of Major. 2nd Lieutenant Waddington’s Manchester Regiment MIC identifies his 1921 address as 115 Harley Street, Higher Openshaw. He had resigned his Commission and rejoined the Police on 8th January 1919. He went on achieve the Police rank of Detective Inspector in his later Police career. On 3rd June 1919, he was Gazetted for his MBE Military Division.
He remained at Harley Street until his death in July 1932 at Nell Lane Hospital, Didsbury. Henry had married Alice Amy Green and in 1905.
This entry was posted in First World War, Manchester Regiment, Manchester Regiment,, Somme, WW1 on January 22, 2014 by 8055bell.
← Operation War Diary: Be part of history Captain Thomas Cartman – Treasure from a Lancashire skip →
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line486
|
__label__wiki
| 0.900303
| 0.900303
|
Paddington, Middlesex, London
A parliamentary report of 1777 recorded a parish workhouse in operation at Paddington with accommodation for up to 12 inmates.
Between 1837 and 1845, Paddington formed part of the Kensington Poor Law Union. During this period, paupers were housed in a number of former parish workhouses: males in a workhouse at Kensington, women at Chelsea, boys at Hammersmith, and girls at Fulham. In 1845, the Kensington Union was dissolved with Fulham and Hammersmith forming a new Fulham Union. Kensington and Paddington then began operating as independent Poor Law Parishes.
A new Paddington workhouse was erected in 1845-6 at a site to the south of the Harrow Road, on the north bank of the Grand Union Canal. Females were accoimmodated at the west of the site and males at the east. The sick wards were extended in 1867-8 together with the addition of a dispensary and new relief offices.
Paddington workhouse site, c.1870.
Further extensions were added in 1874, and in 1886 a new infirmary block was erected to the east, between the workhouse and the adjacent Lock Hospital.
The new infirmary had four floors plus a basement, with male patients accommodated to the south, and females to the north. Distinctively shaped sanitary towers (conatining lavatories etc.) protruded at each end.
Paddington Infirmary, 1886. (Click on picture for enlargement)
Paddington Workhouse Infirmary from the north-west, c.1906.
© Peter Higginbotham
In1914, the inmates transferred to the Marylebone workhouse and the site was taken over for use as a military hospital which specialised in the care of limbless men. After the war, the institution adopted an increasingly medical orientation, with its overall management was placed under its medical superintendent. In 1921, it adopted the name Paddington Hospital and a nurses' home was opened in the same year. Links were also developed with St Mary's Hospital, Paddington.
In 1930, the workhouse and infirmary came under the control of the London County Council. It became Paddington General Hospital in 1954, then from 1968 was the Harrow Road branch of St Mary's Hospital. It was closed in 1986 and the buildings have since been demolished. Elmfield Way now occupies the site.
Receiving Home
By the early 1900s, the Paddington Guardians were operating a Receiving Home for up to 35 children at Trenmar House, 12 Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green. The home dealt with children newly entering the care of the Union. Paddington appears not to have run any other children's homes itself. However, the union was a member of the West London School District with some of its children being sent to the District School at Ashford.
The Ancestry website has two collections of London workhouse records (both:
The London Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records (1764-1930).
The Poor Law and Board of Guardian Records, 1738-1930 — a wider range of London workhouse-related records.
The FindMyPast website has workhouse / poor law records for Westminster.
London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London EC1R OHB. Holdings for Harrow Road workhouse include: Admissions and discharges (1883-97); Births (1900-1914); Guardians' minute books (1845-1930); Financial records (1845-1930); Staff records (1845-1930); etc.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line490
|
__label__wiki
| 0.968379
| 0.968379
|
Title: Catholic Encyclopedia
Subject: List of slaves, Christianity, Roman Catholicism in Romania, Catholic, Edington Priory
Collection: 1907 Books, Encyclopedias of Religion, Internet Encyclopedias, Reference Works in the Public Domain, Roman Catholic Media
Cover page of 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1.
The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church,[1] also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia,[2] is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index volume in 1914 and later supplementary volumes. It was designed "to give its readers full and authoritative information on the entire cycle of Catholic interests, action and doctrine".[3][4]
The Catholic Encyclopedia was published by Robert Appleton Company, a publishing company incorporated at New York in February 1905 for the express purpose of publishing the encyclopedia. The five members of the encyclopedia's Editorial Board also served as the directors of the company. In 1912 the company's name was changed to The Encyclopedia Press. Publication of the encyclopedia's volumes was the sole business conducted by the company during the project's lifetime.[5]
Purpose 1
Authors and sources 2.1
Online versions 3
The encyclopedia was designed to serve the Roman Catholic Church, concentrating on information related to the Church and explaining matters from the Catholic point of view. It records the accomplishments of Catholics and others in nearly all intellectual and professional pursuits, including artists, educators, poets and scientists. While more limited in focus than other general encyclopedias, it was far broader in scope than previous efforts at comprehensive Catholic encyclopedias, which had studied only internal Church affairs.
It offers in-depth portrayals of historical and philosophical ideas, persons and events, from a Catholic perspective, including issues that divide Catholicism from [6]
The writing of the encyclopedia began on January 11, 1905, under the supervision of five editors:
Charles G. Herbermann, Professor of Latin and librarian of the College of the City of New York
Edward A. Pace, Professor of Philosophy at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Condé B. Pallen, editor
The Rev. Thomas J. Shahan, Professor of Church History at the Catholic University
The Rev. John J. Wynne, S.J., editor of Messenger of the Sacred Heart
The first edition was initially printed by Robert Appleton Company (RAC), a company created for that purpose. The volumes came out sequentially the first two in 1907 and the last three in 1912:[7]
Year first pub.
1 Aachen–Assize 1907 Charles George Herbermann
2 Assize–Brownr
3 Brow–Clancy 1908
4 Cland–Diocesan
5 Diocese–Fathers 1909
6 Fathers–Gregory
7 Gregory–Infallibility 1910
8 Infamy–Lapparent
9 Laprade–Mass
10 Mass–Newman 1911
11 New Mexico–Philip
12 Philip–Revalidation
13 Revelation–Simon Stock 1912
14 Simony–Tournely
15 Tournon–Zwirner
The editors had their first editorial meeting at the office of The Messenger, on West 16th Street, New York City. The text received a nihil obstat from an official censor, Remy Lafort, on November 1, 1908 and an imprimatur from John Murphy Farley, Archbishop of New York. This review process was presumably accelerated by the reuse of older authorized publications. In addition to frequent informal conferences and constant communication by letters, the editors subsequently held 134 formal meetings to consider the plan, scope and progress of the work, culminating in publication on April 19, 1913. A first supplement was published in 1922; a second supplement in nine loose-leaf sections was published by The Gilmary Society between 1950 and 1958.
In 1912, a special completely illustrated commemorative volume was awarded to those patrons who contributed to the start of the enterprise by buying multiple encyclopedia sets early on.[8]
There was controversy over the presence of the Catholic Encyclopedia in public libraries in the United States with nativist protests that this violated the separation of church and state, including a successful appeal in Belleville, New Jersey.[9]
The encyclopedia was later updated under the auspices of The Catholic University of America and a 17-volume New Catholic Encyclopedia was first published in 1967, and then in 2002.
Authors and sources
The Catholic Encyclopedia and its makers states that:
The work is entirely new, and not merely a translation or a compilation from other encyclopedic sources. The editors have insisted that the articles should contain the latest and most accurate information to be obtained from the standard works on each subject.
However, "from standard works" allows that some of the articles from European contributors such as Pierre Batiffol (French), Johann Peter Kirsch (German) had previously been published in whole or in part in Europe and were translated and edited for the Encyclopedia.[10] Those who wrote new articles in English include Anthony Maas and Herbert Thurston.
Online versions
Under United States copyright law, all works published in the United States before 1923 are in the public domain. In 1993, Kevin Knight, then a 26-year-old resident of Denver, Colorado, decided, during the visit of Pope John Paul II to that city for World Youth Day, to launch a project to publish the 1913 edition of the encyclopedia on the Internet. Knight founded the website New Advent to house the undertaking. Volunteers from the United States, Canada, France, and Brazil helped in the transcription of the original material. The site went online in 1995, and transcription work ended in 1997.[Volumes 1]
In 2007, Catholic Answers published a watermarked version derived from page scans.[Volumes 2]
Other scanned copies of the 1913 Encyclopedia are available on Google Books, at the Internet Archive, and at Wikimedia Commons. Wikisource also hosts a transcription project backed by the scans hosted at Commons.[Volumes 3]
The 1922 supplement to the Encyclopedia is also in the public domain and is available online. The New Catholic Encyclopedia also is available online at some libraries.
Encyclopædia Biblica
Jewish Encyclopedia
Lists of encyclopedias
(Incomplete) Internet Archive Google Books Chief editor
1 Aachen–Assize 1907 Wikisource 1 Internet Archive 1 Google Books 1 Charles George Herbermann
2 Assize–Brownr Wikisource 2 Internet Archive 2 Google Books 2
3 Brow–Clancy 1908 Wikisource 3 Internet Archive 3 Google Books 3
4 Cland–Diocesan Wikisource 4 Internet Archive 4 Google Books 4
5 Diocese–Fathers 1909 Wikisource 5 Internet Archive 5 Google Books 5
6 Fathers–Gregory Wikisource 6 Internet Archive 6 Google Books 6
7 Gregory–Infallibility 1910 Wikisource7 Internet Archive 7 Google Books 7
8 Infamy–Lapparent Wikisource 8 Internet Archive 8 Google Books 8
9 Laprade–Mass Wikisource 9 Internet Archive 9 Google Books 9
10 Mass–Newman 1911 Wikisource 10 Internet Archive 10 Google Books 10
11 New Mexico–Philip Wikisource 11 Internet Archive 11 Google Books 11
12 Philip–Revalidation Wikisource 12 Internet Archive 12 Google Books 12
13 Revelation–Simon Stock 1912 Wikisource 13 Internet Archive 13 Google Books 13
14 Simony–Tournely Wikisource 14 Internet Archive 14 Google Books 14
15 Tournon–Zwirner Wikisource 15 Internet Archive 15 Google Books 15
16 Index 1914 Wikisource 16 Internet Archive 16 Google Books 16
17 Supplement I (1922) Internet Archive 17 Google Books 17
18 Supplement II Google Books 18
19 Supplemental Year Books Supplemental Year Books 1912–1922
^ Preface to the Catholic Encyclopedia
^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10424a.htm
^ Separation of Church and State, Hamburger, Philip, Harvard University Press (2002), p. 412.
^ The Catholic encyclopedia and its makers 1917
Catholic Encyclopedia on Catholic Online
Catholic Encyclopedia at Catholic.com
Catholic Encyclopedia on New Advent
Catholic Encyclopedia on Catholicity
full textCatholic Encyclopedia via Hathi Trust
Internet encyclopedias
Reference works in the public domain
Roman Catholic media
Encyclopedias of religion
Google, University of Texas at Austin, HathiTrust, Uniform resource locator, Metadata
California, Grateful Dead, San Francisco, Wayback Machine, Music
Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Staten Island
Edington Priory
Wiltshire, England, Catholic Encyclopedia, Edward VI of England, Henry VI of England
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line492
|
__label__wiki
| 0.570888
| 0.570888
|
Keefe
Poulsen
Waugh
( Links )
Showing posts with label Gambling. Show all posts
Cali cops called for Caddy corpse
Cleveland-connected
killer confesses
On this date in 1969...
On Sunday, Jan. 12, 1969, police found a dead man behind the wheel of a '66 Cadillac convertible parked in the Los Angeles International Airport lot. There was a small-caliber bullet wound at the base of the man's skull. The man had been dead for a couple of days.
A local resident, departing the airport Saturday for a one-day flight, parked near the Cadillac and noticed the driver slumped over the steering wheel. When the resident returned Sunday night and found the Cadillac and its driver in the same position, he alerted police.
No identifying papers were found on the body. Police used fingerprints to identify the victim as forty-six-year-old former Cleveland robber/safecracker Julius Petro. They learned that Petro had borrowed the Cadillac from a woman friend two days earlier.
Petro had survived at least two brushes with death during his young adult years in Ohio. He was sentenced to be executed for murder, but won a retrial on appeal and in 1948 was acquitted of that murder. Months later, he and four accomplices held up the Mafia-linked Green Acres casino outside of Youngstown, Ohio. The robbers took about $30,000 in cash and jewels, including a large diamond ring belonging to regional gambling boss Joseph DiCarlo. Shots were exchanged between the robbers and casino guards. Petro suffered gunshot wounds to his right chest and arm, but managed to recover.
An early 1950s bank robbery conviction sent Petro to prison for about thirteen years. Following his May 1966 release, he joined a wave of Cleveland-area racketeers relocating to California. Initially serving as an enforcer for a gambling operation, in a short time Petro was viewed as a threat to displace racket overseer John G. "Sparky" Monica. The killing of Petro eliminated that threat.
Ferritto
Authorities were unable to solve the Petro murder until about a decade later, when Raymond W. Ferritto became an informant and confessed that he performed the killing for Monica. He said he shot Petro on January 10, 1969. Ferritto, a western Pennsylvania native connected with the Cleveland Mafia, also confessed to participating in the 1977 bombing murder of Cleveland mobster Danny Greene.
Monica denied any involvement, but he was indicted for hiring Ferritto and a man named Robert Walsh to kill Petro because Petro was extorting money from him. Prosecutors seeking to bring the gambling boss to trial encountered a number of obstacles that delayed for years a preliminary hearing in the case. A Monica arraignment was finally set for Monday, February 22, 1982. Just a few days before that, however, fifty-six-year-old Monica, free on bail, died in a traffic accident on US-7 near Tularosa, New Mexico.
Investigators were able to track some of Monica's movements and guessed that he was returning from a visit to a girlfriend in Odessa, Texas, when the highway accident occurred.
“Petro, freed in killing, is found shot,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sept. 18, 1948.
"Reputed Mafia figure," Los Angeles Times, Feb. 19, 1982, p. 35.
California Death Index.
Demaris, Ovid, The Last Mafioso, New York: Bantam Books, 1981.
Dye, Lee, “Parolee’s murder mystifies police,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 16, 1969, p. 1
Farr, Bill, “’Hit man’ admits murder at airport,” Los Angeles Times, May 19, 1978, p. 5
Hazlett, Bill, "1969 gangland slaying case headed for trial," Los Angeles Times, Feb. 8, 1982, p. II-6.
Hazlett, Bill, "Judge to appeal closed hearing order," Los Angeles Times, May 30, 1979, p. II-4.
Hertel, Howard, and Gene Blake, "Reputed Mafia chief defies court, jailed," Los Angeles Times, July 10, 1969, p. 1.
Hunt, Thomas, and Michael A. Tona, DiCarlo: Buffalo's First Family of Crime, Volume II, 2013.
"Fatal wreck adds twist to murder," El Paso Times, March 17, 1982, p. 11.
Petro v. United States, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Feb. 12, 1954. (Also Joseph J. Sanzo v. U.S.)
Porrello, Rick, Superthief, Next Hat Press, 2006.
Porrello, Rick, To Kill the Irishman, Next Hat Press, 1998.
Social Security Death Index.
Julius Petro biography on Mafiahistory.us.
Posted by Thomas Hunt at 9:07 AM
Labels: Cleveland, DiCarlo, Gambling, Green Acres, January 12, Julius Petro, Los Angeles, Mafia, Monica, Murder, Raymond Ferrito, robbery, Thomas Hunt
Thomas Hunt
Writer, editor, researcher, web publisher, specializing in organized crime history. (I am available to assist with your historical/genealogical research, as well as your writing and editing chores. Email me at tphunt@gmail.com.)
I am editor/publisher of crime history journal, Informer; publisher of American Mafia history website Mafiahistory.us; moderator of Mafia-related online forums; author of Wrongly Executed?; coauthor of Deep Water: Joseph P. Macheca and the Birth of the American Mafia and DiCarlo: Buffalo's First Family of Crime; contributor of American Mafia history to Australian-published Mafia: The Necessary Reference to Organized Crime; writer/co-writer of crime history articles for Informer, On the Spot Journal, Cigar City Magazine, Tampa Mafia Magazine.
'Dandy Phil' exits in his pajamas
Shreveport Times
Nancy Kemp, a private nurse caring for aging gambling racketeer Philip F. "Dandy Phil" Kastel, was startled by the sound of a gunshot on Thursday, August 16, 1962. The noise came from inside Kastel's ninth-floor apartment at New Orleans' Claiborne Towers, Claiborne Avenue and Canal Street.
Entering the bedroom of her patient, she found a pajama-clad Kastel slumped in a chair, a gunshot wound through his skull and a .38-caliber handgun on the floor beside him.
Kastel's wife Margaret, who had a separate bedroom, was awakened by the shot. She was terribly upset but apparently not surprised by the obvious suicide. Phil Kastel had been distraught by his failing eyesight and a recent discovery of cancer in his abdomen. When police arrived, she told them that her husband had spoken about killing himself.
Police found the bullet that caused Kastel's death embedded in the bedroom wall. A coroner's examination determined officially that the wound was self-inflicted and confirmed the diagnosis of cancer.
Philip Kastel
Government records and press reports indicated that "Dandy Phil," longtime gambling racketeer and close friend of New York-based crime boss Frank Costello, was sixty eight years old at the time of his death. That was probably just an estimate, as available Kastel-related records suggest a range of birthdates spread out across more than a decade.
Census records believed to be of Philip Kastel's family in 1905 and 1910 suggest that he may have been as old as seventy-seven when he passed. A World War II draft registration card shows Kastel's birthdate as April 2, 1891, making him seventy-one. The 1940 U.S. Census suggests a birth year of 1892 or 1893, making him sixty-nine or seventy. During a 1931 trip to Havana, Cuba, Kastel said he was born on March 2, 1893. Social Security records contain a birthdate of April 2, 1893. Those birthdates would have made him sixty-nine.
When Kastel was called to testified before the Senate's Kefauver Committee in 1951, he told the committee that he was born in New York in 1898. If that was true, it would have made him just sixty-three or sixty-four when he breathed his last.
Posted by Thomas Hunt at 4:30 PM
Labels: August 16, Costello, Dandy Phil, Gambling, Mafia, New Orleans, New York, Philip Kastel, suicide, Thomas Hunt
Dallas gambling chief ends his own life
Warren Diamond, fifty-five-year-old Prohibition-Era gambling czar of Dallas, Texas, ended his own life at his Highland Park West home on August 10, 1932.
Austin American Statesman
Diamond had been a patient at St. Paul Hospital (formerly St. Paul Sanitarium, located at the western corner of Bryant Street and Hall Street). Early on the morning of Wednesday, August 10, he decided to leave the hospital. He called for a taxi and rode three and a half miles to 4224 Armstrong Parkway, the large home he shared with his wife Nellie. A surprised and uneasy Nellie greeted him at the door. Diamond brushed past her and proceeded to his upstairs bathroom. Knowing that her husband had been despondent over his health issues, Nellie quickly summoned George Foote, Diamond's longtime friend and business associate.
A short time later, a gunshot was heard.
Foote entered the bathroom and found Diamond dead of a bullet wound to the head. An automatic pistol was on the floor a couple of feet from Diamond's body. A coroner's investigation determined that Diamond committed suicide at about 8:45 a.m.
Newspaper reports of his death referred to the gambling racketeer as a "sportsman and philanthropist" and as a former druggist. Later reports revealed that he suffered from an untreatable cancer of the prostate and his deteriorating condition drove him to suicide.
Diamond death certificate
Diamond's funeral was held on the morning of Friday, August 12. The Rev. Louis Harrington, pastor of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, conducted the services. Diamond was interred in a family mausoleum he earlier constructed at the Grove Hill Cemetery. His pallbearers included two of his known lieutenants, F.L. "Dub" McClanahan and Ben Whitaker.
(Findagrave.com)
Diamond's gambling empire, assembled over decades, was dismantled after his death. George Foote, his top aide, reportedly took over the Dallas-area policy (numbers) rackets. Ben Whitaker, who also dabbled in bootlegging, assumed control over the bookmakers and wire news service. Dub McClanahan took the popular no-limit craps games.
Gambling operations within Diamond's old headquarters at the St. George Hotel, between Main Street and Commerce Street, were taken over by Dallas Mafioso Joseph Civello. Civello's operation, which included craps, bookmaking and a race wire service, was said to be under the protection of the local police department.
Behind the scenes, a former Warren Diamond apprentice was scheming to take control of it all. Benjamin "Benny" Binion reportedly broke away from the Diamond organization in the latter half of the 1920s and established his own organization at Dallas's Southland Hotel. His operation was said to be protected by Galveston-based mob boss Sam Maceo.
St. George Hotel on Main Street (smu.edu)
Just a few years after Diamond's death, Binion was regarded as the top man in Dallas gambling. In 1936, he started to force independent bookmakers to make protection payments to him. Control of policy rackets was nailed down with the fatal shooting of holdout independent operator Ben Frieden in September of that year. The St. George Hotel gaming rooms fell under his control when Joseph Civello was arrested on a federal narcotics charge (local police protection was little help). Years later, Civello was released from prison and pardoned after evidence surfaced that his own attorney and his trial judge conspired to remove him from the Dallas gambling scene through a narcotics frame-up.
Political changes in the late 1940s made Dallas an unfriendly place for Benny Binion. He moved on to become a key figure in the growth of gambling casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Cartwright, Gary, "Benny and the boys," Texas Monthly, October 1991, p. 137.
Edgerton, Harold J., "Joseph Francis Civello," FBI report, file no. 92-2824-137, NARA no. 124-10290-10440, May 17, 1968, p. 26-29.
Glass, Mary Ellen, excerpts of interview of Lester Ben "Benny" Binion, "World Series of Poker: A retrospective," University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Center for Gaming Research, May 20, 2009, accessed Aug. 9, 2018. (https://gaming.unlv.edu/WSOP/BennyBinion.html)
Kuykendall, Leo E., "Lester Benjamin Binion," FBI report, file no. 92-3241-7, NARA no. 124-90088-10054, Feb. 28, 1958, p. 11-12.
Reid, Ed and Ovid Demaris, The Green Felt Jungle, Cutchogue NY: Buccaneer Books, 1963.
Death certificate of Warren H. Diamond, Texas State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, certificate no. 33744, Aug. 1, 1932.
John F. Worley Directory Co.'s Dallas City Directory 1925, Dallas: John F. Worley Directory Co., 1925, p. 866.
Worley's Dallas City Directory 1929 Vol. XLII, Dallas: John F. Worley Directory Co., 1929, p. 361.
Worley's Dallas City Directory 1932 Vol XLV, Dallas: John F. Worley Directory Co., 1932, p. 615.
"Warren Diamond ends life after leaving hospital," Dallas Morning News, Aug. 11, 1932, p. 1. Funeral announcement, Dallas Morning News, Aug. 12, 1932.
"Wealthy sportsman found dead at Dallas," Austin American Statesman, Aug. 10, 1932, p. 1.
McCormick, Harry, "Crime in Texas III: Benny Binion Dallas' gift to racket ranks," Dallas Morning News, Feb. 13, 1951, p. 1.
Labels: August 10, Binion, Bookmaking, Civello, Craps, Dallas, Foote, Galveston, Gambling, Las Vegas, Mafia, McClanahan, Policy, suicide, Thomas Hunt, Warren Diamond, Whitaker
Eight "Black Sox" players banned from baseball
Landis (center) as he is appointed commissioner
Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis announced on August 3, 1921, that eight players involved in the "Black Sox" scandal would never again be permitted to play organized baseball.
His announcement came one day after a jury found the players not guilty of conspiring with gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series to the underdog Cincinnati Reds:
Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player that throws a ball game, no player that entertains proposals or promises to throw a game, no player that sits in a conference with a bunch of crooked players and gamblers, where the ways and means of throwing games are discussed, and dares no tell his club about, will ever play professional baseball.
Freeport IL Journal-Standard
The players banned from the game for life were
Eddie "Knuckles" Cicotte, pitcher
Oscar "Happy" Felsch, outfielder
Arnold "Chick" Gandil, first baseman
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson, outfielder
Fred McMullin, utility infielder
Charles "Swede" Risberg, shortstop
George "Buck" Weaver, third baseman
Claude "Lefty" Williams, pitcher
Landis, a veteran federal judge. had been given broad powers to protect the game when he was appointed baseball's first commissioner late in 1920. Major league ballclub owners feared at the time that the Black Sox scandal, just coming to light, would do permanent damage to the reputation of baseball.
Though there had been rumors about the 1919 World Series being "fixed" through the influence of gamblers, the 1920 regular season was almost finished when grand jury investigation was launched. Charles Albert "Commy" Comiskey, president of the White Sox ballclub, suspended the seven suspects who were still on his team (Gandil was no longer with Chicago at the time). This action was taken despite the White Sox remaining in contention for the 1920 American League pennant.
Eddie Cicotte appeared before the grand jury and admitted he was part of a conspiracy to throw the World Series in exchange for cash. Joe Jackson made a similar confession. Eight players were indicted for conspiracy in October 1920. They were placed on baseball's "ineligible list" for the 1921 season and went to trial that summer. By the time of the trial, the Cicotte and Jackson confessions were missing, and the players were denying any cooperation with gamblers.
White Sox players indicted for throwing Series (Writers of Wrongs, Sept. 28, 2017)
Labels: August 3, Baseball, Black Sox, Chicago, Gambling, Landis, Thomas Hunt
Buckshot finishes Tampa big shot
On this date in 1950:
James Lumia, businessman, gambling rackets boss and Tampa Mafia leader, was in his car, double-parked on 19th Street near Harper Street(*) in the Palmetto Beach neighborhood south of Ybor City. The headquarters of his gasoline and oil distributing company was close by. It was about 10 o'clock Monday morning, June 5, 1950, and he had stopped to give some instructions to employees Fernando Gil and Gaspar Montes, parked in a Chevrolet pickup used for oil company maintenance work.
James Lumia
As he spoke to the men through the passenger side window of his new, green, Chrysler sedan, a blue Ford pulled alongside and slightly in front of him. The driver of the Ford tapped his horn, causing Lumia to turn to his left and look out his window. A man rose from the Ford's back seat and fired a shotgun into Lumia's face.
The buckshot blast tore off the top front of Lumia's head, leaving a five-inch wound that stretched from "an inch or so below his eyes to some distance above the hair line." Blood, flesh and brain tissue were splattered about the inside of the vehicle. The gunman's car then drove off. In a futile effort to save his boss, Gil climbed into the driver's side of Lumia's car, pushing Lumia just enough to the right to allow him space on the seat, and raced off toward the hospital. Montes got the attention of off-duty Hillsborough County, Florida, Deputy Sheriff George Penegar, who was driving by, and told him to follow the gunman.
The speeding Chrysler caught Penegar's eye, and the deputy sheriff pursued it rather than the Ford. He stopped Gil at the busy intersection of 19th Street and Adamo Drive. Penegar seized a pistol found in the vehicle and called for an ambulance.
It took Lumia's forty-seven-year-old body nearly a half hour from the time of the shooting to acknowledge what was obvious to everyone else: Lumia was dead. His breathing reportedly continued for about fifteen minutes after he reached the hospital.
Lumia's funeral was held on Wednesday afternoon, June 7. He was entombed in the family mausoleum at L'Unione Italiana Cemetery.
Traffic is directed around the Lumia automobile.
Police investigators were quickly frustrated. Gil and Montes said they could not recall any helpful details about the gunman's car or its occupants. Their instincts for self-preservation may have clouded their memories.
There was reason to believe that the brothers of crime figure Jimmy Velasco, shot to death in 1948, had set up the killing of Lumia to avenge Jimmy. When Jimmy Velasco's accused killer, Joseph Provenzano, was brought to trial in 1949 (he was acquitted), Velasco's widow testified that Lumia was a leader of a regional gambling syndicate and an enemy of her husband.
Detectives questioned Roy and Arthur Velasco about the shooting of Lumia. Though neither was at all upset at learning of Lumia's demise, each provided alibis. The possibility that Lumia had a falling out with underworld figure Salvatore "Red" Italiano could not be pursued, as Italiano was known to be away in Italy, arranging wine deals for his Tampa business.
Lumia's name had been mentioned in the press recently in connection with the trial of several - including Roy and Arthur Velasco - who were accused of plotting to kill Hillsborough County Sheriff Hugh Culbreath. Defense attorneys suggested that the plot against Culbreath was fabricated by Lumia, Italiano and Primo Lazzara, working with Culbreath, in order to halt the Velasco brothers' investigation into Jimmy Velasco's murder. The defense wanted to call Lumia, Italiano and Lazzara as witnesses, but they could not be located. The trial was paused on May 11 at the request of the defense. At the time Lumia was murdered, he was scheduled to appear as a witness when the trial resumed in mid-June.
Lumia was known to be well connected politically and was found to have close acquaintances in the Mafia across the U.S. Within the Tampa area, Lumia had kinship ties to the Diecidue and Antinori clans. It was later revealed that the godfather of Lumia's son was Pittsburgh Mafia leader John LaRocca and that LaRocca attended the wedding of Lumia's daughter. (Pittsburgh area Mafia leader Gabriel Kelly Mannarino later served as godfather to a Lumia grandchild.) Upon the arrest of southern California crime boss Jack Dragna, Lumia's telephone number was found to be in Dragna's possession.
The interior of Lumia's Chrysler is examined.
Local police Chief J.L. Eddings told the press of rumors that Lumia worked in the background of the regional gambling syndicate. He noted, however, that Lumia had never been arrested.
A week and a half after the Lumia murder, with the investigation going nowhere, Chief Eddings announced his resignation. The fifty-year-old Eddings indicated that his doctor required him to take a long rest. In the same period, Hillsborough County Sheriff Culbreath and State's Attorney J. Rex Farrior were criticized for underworld links and failure to resolve a series of gangland killings.
Lumia was discussed when the U.S. Senate's Kefauver Committee investigated the impact of interstate rackets on Florida. One witness brought before the committee, the ex-wife of Deputy Sheriff DiLorenzo, said her ex-husband appeared to know about the Lumia murder before it occurred. She said Anthony DiLorenzo was familiar with Santo Trafficante and Primo Lazzara and served as a messenger between law enforcement and organized crime. The deputy sheriff indicated beforehand that he had some role to perform in connection with the Lumia murder. He told his wife that he wished he could get out of it, but "he was in it so deep that he couldn't get out." DiLorenzo allegedly told his wife years earlier that Lumia was "getting too big and someone had to stop him."
(*) These Tampa streets, 19th and Harper, no longer intersect.
Images from June 6, 1950, issue of Tampa Tribune.
"Investigation of Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce," Hearings Before a Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce, U.S. Senate, 81st Congress, 2d Session, and 82nd Congress, 1st Session, Part 1-A Florida, Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1951, p. 39-44.
"Investigation of Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce," Hearings Before a Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce, U.S. Senate, 81st Congress, 2d Session, and 82nd Congress, 1st Session, Part 1-A Florida, Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1951, p. 49.
Forsyth, Thomas G. III, "Gabriel Mannarino," FBI report, file no. 92-2914-351, NARA no. 124-10277-10007, June 26, 1969, p. 2.
Voege, Robert A., "Sebastian John La Rocca," FBI report, file no. 92-2940-33, NARA no. 124-90104-10151, July 9, 1958, p. 11-12.
"Golden wedding today," Tampa Tribune, Aug. 12, 1945, p. 29.
"Funeral notices," Tampa Tribune, April 25, 1947, p. 2.
"Defendants accuse sheriff of frame-up," Palm Beach FL Post, May 12, 1950, p. 11.
"Rodrigez charges 'frameup,'" Tampa Tribune, May 12, 1950, p. 1.
"Tampa murder plot suspects charge sheriff with frame-up," Tampa Tribune, May 12, 1950, p. 12.
"Tampa gambler murdered," Orlando FL Evening Star, June 5, 1950, p. 1.
"Lumia killed; described as gambling boss," Binghamton NY Press, June 5, 1950, p. 14.
"Gambler slain in gang-style," Franklin PA News-Herald, June 5, 1950, p. 1.
"Funeral notices," Tampa Tribune, June 6, 1950, p. 2.
Murray, J.A., "Two men in blue car...," Tampa Tribune, June 6, 1950, p. 1.
"Warren silent on slaying of Luma; warning recalled," Tampa Tribune, June 6, 1950, p. 1.
Abbott, Bill, "Lumia's slaying 15th spewed on Tampa by flaming gang guns," Tampa Tribune, June 6, 1950, p. 1.
"None of 15 gambling slayings here ever solved," Tampa Tribune, June 6, 1950, p. 6.
"Fla. gambler is killed by gun blast," Shreveport LA Times, June 6, 1950, p. 15.
"Lumia murder may again baffle Tampa police force," Orlando FL Evening Star, June 6, 1950, p. 11.
"Tampa gang style killing puzzles police," Fort Lauderdale FL News, June 6, 1950, p. 13.
"Slaying of Lumia baffling to police," Tallahassee FL Democrat, June 6, 1950, p. 1.
"Tampa gaming czar is slain," Palm Beach FL Post, June 6, 1950, p. 1.
"Tampa chief of police resigns," New York Times, June 16, 1950, p. 20.
"Crime probe of Miami underway," [Salem OR] Daily Capital Journal, Dec. 29, 1950, p. 2.
"Text of Rex Farrior's sworn statement to senators is released," Tampa Times, Feb. 22, 1951, p. 1.
Posted by Thomas Hunt at 11:39 AM
Labels: Antinori, Diecidue, DiLorenzo, Dragna, Gambling, Italiano, June 5, LaRocca, Lazzara, Lumia, Mafia, Mannarino, Murder, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Thomas Hunt, Velasco, Ybor City
White Sox players indicted for throwing Series
On this date (Sept. 28) in 1920, eight players on the Chicago White Sox baseball team were indicted by a Cook County, Illinois, grand jury for conspiracy to commit an unlawful act. The eight were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series (five games to three) to the Cincinnati Reds in what became known as the Black Sox scandal.
Following the indictments, prosecutors tried to locate former featherweight prizefighter Abe Attel, believed to be the link between the players and a gambling syndicate that made payoffs to players and benefited financially from bets on the longshot Reds. At the time, the New York-based Atell, reputedly an associate of Arnold Rothstein and "Legs" Diamond, threatened to release a damaging story with regard to the fixing of the World Series but denied he had a role in it. A Rothstein representative told the press that Rothstein was approached about entering into a conspiracy but refused to take part.
Chicago Tribune, Sept. 29, 1920
Two of the indicted players confessed to the conspiracy. Pitcher Eddie Cicotte admitted he received $10,000 from the agent of a gambling syndicate for his role in throwing the series. Outfielder "Shoeless Joe" Jackson confessed to investigators that he received $5,000. Jackson said he asked for $20,000 but was paid the lesser amount through pitcher "Lefty" Williams.
The others indicted were:
Oscar "Happy" Felsch, centerfielder;
Arnold "Chick" Gandil, first baseman;
Fred McMullin, utility;
Charles "Swede" Risberg, shortstop;
Claude "Lefty" Williams, pitcher;
George "Buck" Weaver, third baseman.
New York Tribune, Sept. 29, 1920.
Cicotte met with White Sox owner Charles "Commy" Comiskey in the morning before he testified to the grand jury, and confessed to him. "I don't know what you'll think of me, but I got to tell you how I double-crossed you," Cicotte told the team owner. "I did double-cross you. I'm a crook. I got $10,000 for being a crook."
The pitcher reportedly told grand jurors that Risberg, Gandil and McMullin pressured him for a week before the World Series started: "They wanted me to go crooked... I needed the money. I had the wife and the kids. The wife and kids don't know this. I don't know what they'll think. I bought a farm. There was a $4,000 mortgage on it. There isn't any mortgage on it now. I paid it off with the crooked money."
The Sun and NY Herald, Sept. 29, 1920
Late in 1920, baseball team owners decided that a new central authority was needed for the sport. They voted to install federal Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis as commissioner of baseball. Negotiations over the authority of the office continued into early 1921. Ultimately, Landis was given complete power over all the participants in the sport's major and minor leagues.
Before the 1921 baseball season began, Landis put the eight accused White Sox players on a list that made them ineligible to participate in professional baseball at any level.
In the summer of 1921, the eight defendants were brought to trial. Signed confessions of Cicotte and Jackson could not be located and the two players recanted. All of the accused players were found not guilty. There was widespread belief that jury acquittal would be followed by reinstatement in baseball.
One day after the August verdict, Landis announced that his decision on the players' ineligibility was final:
Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player that throws a ball game; no player that undertakes or promises to throw a ball game; no player that sits in a conference with a bunch of crooked players and gamblers where the ways and means of throwing games are planned and discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball... Regardless of the verdict of juries, baseball is entirely competent to protect itself against crooks, both inside and outside the game.
(When Cicotte attempted to arrange a semi-professional exhibition game in Saginaw, Michigan, a month later, Landis threatened to permanently throw out of baseball any player who participated in the event.)
Eddie Cicotte won 29 games for the White Sox during the 1919 regular season. Though it was thought that his career was over in 1915, he returned stronger than ever in 1916 and was a major factor in the White Sox World Series win over the New York Giants in 1917. Cicotte was known for an unusual delivery that some said made his "shine ball" unhittable.
Joe Jackson, considered one of the finest outfielders ever to play the game, joined the Sox six years earlier after playing six years for Cleveland. He batted .351 in the 1919 season and was a lifetime .356 hitter. Over the course of his big league career, he totaled 1,772 hits and 202 stolen bases.
Buck Weaver entered baseball as a shortstop with the White Sox in 1912. He moved to third in 1917 (when Risberg joined the team) and established a reputation as one of the league's best at the "hot corner." Though Weaver admitted he was aware of the conspiracy to throw the 1919 World Series and did not report it, he insisted he had no part in it. After batting .296 in the regular season, he turned in a .324 average in the Series against the Reds. Following the decision of Landis, Weaver fought unsuccessfully to win reinstatement to baseball.
"Two Sox confess," Chicago Daily Tribune, Sept. 29, 1920, p. 1.
"Eight White Sox are indicted; Cicotte and Jackson confess gamblers paid them $15,000," New York Tribune, Sept. 29, 1920, p. 1.
"Eight White Sox indicted for throwing 1919 series; Cicotte confesses plot," The Sun and the New York Herald, Sept. 29, 1920, p. 1.
"The man who rescued baseball," New York Times, Nov. 12, 1920.
"Players plan fight," New York Times, Dec. 19, 1920, p. 19.
"Majors and minors reach agreement," New York Times, Jan. 13, 1921, p. 1.
"White Sox players banned by Landis," New York Times, March 13, 1921, p. 16.
"Baseball leaders won't let White Sox return to the game," New York Times, Aug. 4, 1921, p. 1.
"Landis warns players," New York Times, Sept. 22, 1921, p. 24.
Pomrenke, Jacob, "Closing the door on Black Sox reinstatement," The National Pastime Museum, thenationalpastimemuseum.com, Jan. 4, 2016. (Link)
"SportsCenter Flashback: The Chicago Black Sox banned from baseball," ESPN Classic, espn.com, Nov. 19, 2003. (Link)
"Buck Weaver," Baseball Reference, baseball-reference.com. (Link)
"Eddie Cicotte," Baseball Reference, baseball-reference.com. (Link)
"Shoeless Joe Jackson," Baseball Reference, baseball-reference.com. (Link)
Labels: Attel, Baseball, Black Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cicotte, Cincinnati Reds, Comiskey, Gambling, Landis, Rothstein, September 28, Shoeless Joe, Thomas Hunt, Weaver
Youngstown racketeer Farah killed at his home
On this date in 1961: Mike Farah, 56, was practicing his golf swing outside his Warren, Ohio, home, when gunshots from a blue Chevrolet cut him down.
Mike Farah
Two or three shotgun blasts were fired. Farah's hip was badly damaged and some of the fired shot penetrated the side of his abdomen. His 16-year-old daughter Grace witnessed the shooting. She said the Chevrolet pulled up to the curb, about 30 feet from where her father was standing. Shotguns were fired from the rear seat of the vehicle, and it then sped away around a corner toward Youngstown, Ohio.
Farah dragged himself into the house, and an ambulance was summoned to take him to the nearby hospital. About two hours later, Farah died of internal bleeding.
Police found the blue Chevrolet abandoned just a half mile from Farah's home. They determined that it had been stolen from Canton three months earlier.
Mike Farah was known to authorities as the former part-owner (with his brother John and Tony Delsanter) of the Jungle Inn gambling casino, in Liberty township, just outside of Youngstown. James "Jack White" Licavoli, Cleveland-based Mafia leader, also appeared to hold an interest in the establishment. (Licavoli was known to have partnered with Mike Farah in the Girard Novelty Company in Niles and the Triangle Novelty Company in Warren.) The casino, opened following the repeal of Prohibition, proved itself impervious to law enforcement until the late 1940s, when the Ohio governor sent in agents from the state liquor control board. The Jungle Inn was closed after a raid in 1949.
Authorities in the region believed that Farah continued to be involved in racketeering, though he insisted that he was retired. He was charged with assault with intent to kill following an attack against Trumbull County Republican chairman and Board of Elections member Jean Blair in June 1959. In that case, he was convicted on a lesser charge of assault and battery and was sentenced to four months in county jail, a $200 fine and court costs. He did not begin serving that sentence until his the Ohio Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal.
Farah served two and a half months of the sentence before being released on March 31, 1961. Common Pleas Judge G.H. Birrell granted Farah's freedom in consideration of his good behavior while behind bars.
The Jungle Inn
Before "retirement," Farah had been imprisoned on racketeering charges (later pardoned by the governor) and for operating a still.
The Farah murder was counted as the fourth in a series of shootings in Mahoning and Trumbull counties dating back just over a year. The first was Joseph "Sandy" Naples, killed along with his girlfriend on the front porch of her home. Joseph Romano was struck by a shotgun blast but survived. He said he could not identify the shooters. "Big John" Schuller was shotgunned to death while fixing a tire on his car at the side of the highway. Authorities determined that the tire had been rigged to go flat. Additional murders of underworld figures would follow in the very near future.
Rumors indicated that the shootings were part of an effort by Cleveland mobsters to take direct control of gambling operations in the Youngstown area.
"Motion filed by Mike Farah for new trial," Dover OH Daily Reporter, Jan. 6, 1961, p. 12.
"Warren rackets figure released," Salem OH News, April 1, 1961, p. 8.
"Around Ohio," Akron OH Beacon Journal, April 1, 1961, p. 19.
"Ohio mobster slain in own front yard," Pittsburgh Press, June 11, 1961, p. 7.
"Racketeer Farah slain in Warren," Akron OH Beacon Journal, June 10, 1961, p. 1.
"Warren racket boss Mike Farah slain by gunmen," Salem OH News, June 10, 1961, p. 1.
"Youngstown racketeer fatally shot," Chillicothe OH Gazette, June 10, 1961, p. 1.
"Clues sought in murder of rackets boss," Sandusky OH Register, June 12, 1961, p. 7.
"Purple gang member quizzed on slayings," Sandusky OH Register, Aug. 1, 1961, p. 1.
Read more about Mike Farah, the Jungle Inn and Youngstown racketeering in DiCarlo: Buffalo's First Family of Crime, Volume II - From 1938 by Thomas Hunt and Michael A. Tona.
Labels: Blair, Cleveland, Delsanter, Farah, Gambling, June 10, Jungle Inn, Liberty Township, Licavoli, Mafia, Murder, Romano, Sandy Naples, Schuller, Thomas Hunt, Youngstown
April 6, 1950: Bullets take KC political leader, aide
On this date in 1950, Charles Binaggio and Charles Gargotta were found dead inside the First District Democratic Club headquarters, 716 East Truman Road, on the North Side of Kansas City. They were found, several .38-caliber bullet wounds in their heads, at about four o'clock in the morning.
Binaggio was found dead in his political club office.
Binaggio, 40, was the Democratic Party boss in the North Side, where many Italian-Americans resided and voted. A one-time follower of the late Democratic machine boss Thomas Pendergast and John Lazia, who was murdered in 1934, Binaggio served as a link between Missouri Democratic politicians and the Italian underworld of Kansas City and St. Louis. His command of the North Side vote gave him great political power across the state. He was believed to be a close ally of Kansas City Mafiosi, including James Balestrere.
Binaggio's political faction rivaled and quickly eclipsed the Pendergast machine when, after the death of Tom Pendergast, that organization was controlled by Pendergast's nephew James.
Gargotta, 49, was Binaggio's bodyguard and right-hand-man. The local press noted that Gargotta been arrested forty times in a thirty-year period. Charges of murder, gambling, robbery, extortion, carrying concealed weapons and violating liquor laws were all dismissed. Gargotta was convicted once, on an assault to kill charge stemming from the attempted murder of Sheriff Tom Bash. Gargotta served a 19-month prison sentence for that offense. Gargotta also rose to power under the guidance of Pendergast and Lazia.
Before his murder, Binaggio announced that he would soon be leaving politics. His failed efforts in recent years to win approval for legal gambling in the State of Missouri was a costly disappointment to his underworld associates. Binaggio's political manipulations and criminal connections were constantly in the press during that time, and Binaggio became the target of federal investigations.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 6, 1950.
Binaggio's body was found slumped in a swivel chair behind a desk in the headquarters' outer office. There were powder burns around his wounds, indicating that a pistol had been placed against his head and fired.
Gargotta's body was found on the floor near the door. He had a gunshot wound to the base of his skull, apparently due to a bullet fired from some distance. Three other wounds in the left side of his head were closely grouped and powder burned.
Recommended books on the Kansas City underworld:
The Mafia and the Machine: The Story of the Kansas City Mob
Open City: True Story of the KC Crime Family 1900-1950
Labels: April 6, Binaggio, Gambling, Gargotta, Kansas City, Lazia, Murder, Pendergast, Thomas Hunt
New York gangster Johnny Spanish: A Retrospective ...
Maranzano-focused Informer issue taking shape
New Book about the Detroit Mafia
Crime-history writers: Authors are encouraged to submit news releases; short book excerpts; event announcements; links to videos, images, websites, etc., for publication in this blog using the 'Contact Us' form at the bottom of the page.
'Cookies' notification: This site is hosted by Google, which uses "cookies" - tiny data files containing unique but anonymous identifiers that are downloaded to your device - to deliver its services and to analyze traffic. Your IP address and user-agent are shared with Google to ensure quality of service and generate usage statistics. Aside from Google's use of "cookies," this site makes no effort to collect data on its visitors. If you are uncomfortable with "cookies," you may delete and disable them through your web browser. By continuing to use this site with a "cookies"-enabled browser, you are indicating your acceptance of these terms. Learn more.
1890 (1) 1891 (1) 1901 (1) 1906 (1) 1919 (1) 1920 (1) 1922 (1) 1927 (1) 1928 (4) 1928 arrest (1) 1929 (2) 1930 (3) 1931 (9) 1932 (1) 1933 (3) 1948 (1) 1952 (1) 1957 (1) 2016 (1) 2017 (1) 225 Club (1) A-B War (1) Abbatemarco (3) Accardo (1) Acci (1) Adams (1) Adolph Hitler (1) Adolph Zukor (1) Adonis (4) Agnello (4) Agoglia (1) Agueci (1) Aiello (1) Al Capone (11) Al Capone's Beer Wars (2) Al Skale (1) Albany (1) Albergo (1) Albert Anastasia (1) Alcatraz (1) Alexander Berkman (1) Algernon Badger (1) Alhambra Apartments (1) Allie Boy (1) Allucho (1) Alo (1) Alphabet War (1) Amadeo Buonomo (1) Amato (2) Amatuna (1) Amazon (2) Ambush (1) America's Most Wanted (1) American Italian Cultural Center (1) Anarchism (2) Anarchists (2) Anarchy (2) Anastasia (5) Angiulo (1) annulment (1) Anthon (1) Antinori (1) Apalachin (6) Apology (1) April 1 (1) April 10 (2) April 12 (1) April 14 (1) April 15 (1) April 16 (1) April 19 (2) April 20 (1) April 23 (1) April 30 (1) April 4 (1) April 6 (1) April 9 (1) Arbor Cafe (1) Arditto (1) Arkansas (1) Arthur Avenue (1) Arthur Caron (1) Artichoke King (1) assassination (6) Atlanta Prison (1) Atlantic City (3) Attel (1) August 10 (1) August 11 (1) August 16 (1) August 17 (1) August 18 (1) August 28 (1) August 29 (1) August 3 (1) August 31 (1) August 6 (1) Avena (1) Avi Bash (1) Badger (1) Baker (1) Baktashi (1) Ballerio (1) Baltimore (1) Banano (1) bandits (1) Bank Robbery (1) Barba (2) Barbara (4) barber shop (1) Barrel Murder (3) Barricade (1) Bartolomeo Fontana (1) Baseball (2) Battista (1) Battle of Liberty Place (2) Bay Ridge (4) Bayonne (1) Bazzano (2) Belgium (1) Belmont (1) Benjamin Siegel (2) Benny Eggs (1) Berman (1) Betty Compson (1) Beverly Hills (1) Big Dino (1) Big Gorilla (1) Binaggio (1) Bingham (1) Binion (1) Bioff (3) Black Hand (5) black mail (1) Black Market (1) Black Sox (2) Blackstone Hotel (1) Blaine (1) Blair (1) Bloody Angle (1) Blues (1) Boarman (1) Boccia (1) Bohan (1) BOI (1) bolita (1) Bomb (1) Bomp (1) Bompensiero (1) Bonanno (7) Bonaparte (1) Bonasera (1) Bonventre (1) Book News (4) book review (2) Bookmaking (1) Books (6) bootleg gang (1) Bootleggers (7) Bootlegging (2) Boss of Bosses (5) Boston (6) Boylan (1) Boylan Police (1) Bozzo (1) Brancato (1) Bresci (1) Bribery (1) Brigand (1) Briguglio (1) Broadway (4) Bronx (5) Brooklier (1) Brooklyn (23) Brown (1) Buccellato (2) Buchalter (2) Buck O'Brien (1) Bufalino (1) Buffalo (11) Buffalo Bill (1) Bug and Meyer Mob (2) Bugs Moran (2) Bugsy (2) burlesque (3) burning car (1) Bushwick (1) Butler (1) Bystander (1) Cadillac Frank (1) Cagnoni (1) Calabro (1) Calderone (1) Caleca (2) Cali (1) California (3) Calogero Minacore (1) Caltanissetta (1) Camillo Caiozzo (1) Camorra (2) Campagna (2) Canal Street (1) Candela (1) Cantrell (1) Capital Punishment (6) Capone (10) Captain Matt Leach (1) Caravetta (1) Carbo (1) Cardello (1) Carey (2) Carfano (1) Carlo Tresca (1) Carlos Marcello (1) Carmelo Fresina (1) Carmine Galante (1) Carrollo (1) Caruso (1) Cascio (1) Cascio Ferro (2) Casino (1) Castelbuono (1) Castellammare (4) Castellammarese War (9) Castellano (3) Castro (2) Catania (5) Catena (1) Cefalu (1) Chain Mail (1) Chandler (2) Charles and Eugene Jones (1) Charles Lucania (2) Charles Matranga (1) Charlie Luciano (5) Charlie Lucky (1) Chatham Street (1) Chaw Beef (1) Checker Cab Company (2) Chicago (35) Chicago Joe (1) Chicago Outfit (13) Chicago Tribune (2) Chicago White Sox (1) Chin (1) Chink Sherman (1) Christian Cipollini (11) Christmas Eve (1) Church Committee (1) church of the good thief (1) CIA (3) Cicotte (1) Cincinnati (2) Cincinnati Reds (1) Civello (1) Civil War (2) Claiborne (1) Clay Pigeon (1) Cleveland (7) Clinton Correctional Facility (1) Clinton Prison (2) Cockeye Dunn (1) Cocozza (1) Cohen (1) Coll (1) Colombo (2) Colombo Crime Family (1) Colorado (1) Columbia Heights (1) Columbia Street (2) Columbus Circle (1) Combination (1) Comiskey (1) Commarato (1) Commission Case (1) Competiello (1) Coney Island (2) Connecticut (4) Conti (1) convicts (1) Cook County Jail (1) Cooper (1) Corallo (1) Corleone (1) Cosa Nostra (2) Costello (7) Cotton Club (1) Counterfeiting (4) Countries (2) Craig (1) Craps (1) Crazy Joey (1) Crescent City (1) Crescent City Lynchings (6) crime (4) Croswell (1) Cuba (3) Cugino (1) Curatolo (1) Cutolo (1) Czolgosz (1) D'Andrea (3) D'Aquila (7) Dallas (1) Danbury (1) Danbury Museum and Historical Society (1) Dandy Phil (1) Daniel Iamascia (1) Daniel Waugh (5) Dannemora (1) Dannnemora (1) Dara (1) David "Little Davie" Petillo (1) David Jerus (1) Dead gangster (4) Dean O'Banion (4) Death Penalty (2) Death Row (1) DeCaro (1) December 19 (1) December 2 (1) December 21 (1) December 24 (1) December 25 (1) December 26 (1) December 4 (1) December 5 (1) December 9 (1) Dee David (1) Deep Water (8) Dellacroce (2) Dello (1) Delsanter (1) Denni (1) Denver (1) DePrima (1) DeRoss (1) Detroit (10) Detroit Police (1) Dewey (9) Diamond (2) Diamond Joe Esposito (1) DiCaprio (1) DiCarlo (7) Diecidue (1) DiEdoardo (1) DiFrancesco (1) DiFronzo (1) DiGaetano (1) DiGilio (1) DiGiorgio (1) DiGiovanni (1) DiLorenzo (1) DiMaria (1) Ding-Dong Bell (1) DiRosa (1) DiSarro (1) Dispenza (1) Dock Boss (2) Domingo (1) Don't Call Us Molls: Women of the John Dillinger Gang (1) Doris Lockerman (1) Doto (1) Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (1) Dragna (4) Dry Era (1) Dunn (1) Dutch Schultz (4) Earl Carroll (2) Earl Hymie Weiss (1) East Harlem (4) Eboli (1) Eddie McGrath (2) Edison (1) Edmond Valin (1) Edward Finn (2) Edward G. Robinson (1) Edward Herbert (1) edward riphon (1) Edwardsville Illinois (1) Egan's Rats (1) Egglinger (1) Electric Chair (2) Electrocution (3) Ellen Poulsen (8) Elsa Kuhn (1) Emily Sweeney (1) Endicott (1) England (1) Engoria (1) Entratta (1) Ernest Miller (1) Esplanade (1) Esposito (2) Eugene Red McLaughlin (3) Evelyn Nesbit (1) exclusive interview (1) Execution (2) Extortion (2) F.B.I. (1) Falzone (1) Family Secrets (2) famous mugshots (1) Farah (1) Farmingdale (1) Farrera (1) Fascism (2) Fascist (1) Father Hyland (1) FBI (19) FBN (1) February 10 (1) February 14 (1) February 18 (1) February 19 (1) February 20 (1) February 21 (1) February 26 (1) February 7 (1) Feldstein (1) felony assault (1) Ferrigno (1) Festa (1) Feud (1) Fifth Amendment (1) Finch (1) Fischetti (1) Five Points (3) Flamingo (1) Flegenheimer (1) Flemmi (1) Florada (2) Florida (1) Flynn (3) Foley (1) Foote (1) Fort Hamilton Police Station (3) Fort Lee (1) France (2) Francesco Cali (1) Frank Calabrese Sr. (1) Frank Costello (1) Frank Garofalo (1) Frank Sinatra (1) Frankie Breeze (1) Frankie Marlow (1) Frankie Yale (1) Franky Boy (1) Fratianno (3) French Market (1) French Quarter (1) Fritz Kuhn (1) Funeral (2) Gagliano (1) Galante (1) Galina Orloff (3) Galina Orlova Finn (1) Gallo (4) Gallo-Profaci War (2) Gallucci (1) Galveston (2) Gambino (4) Gambino Crime Family (3) gambler (1) gambler's feud (1) Gambling (8) Gambling. (1) Gangland Boston (1) ganglandlegends.com (1) Gangs (1) gangster (4) Gangsters (3) Gargotta (1) Garvan (1) Gary Indiana (1) Gati (3) Gault Court (1) gavin schmitt (1) Gay Orlova (3) Gene Shelton (1) Generoso Pope (1) Genna (1) Genovese (10) Genovese Crime Family (3) Geraci (2) German-American Bund (1) Germany (1) Giancana (2) Giannola (2) Gingello (1) Gioe (2) Gioeli (1) Giosue Gallucci (1) Girod Street (1) Giuliani (1) Giunta (1) Giuseppe Morello (1) Giveaway (2) Gooch (1) Good Killers (3) Goodreads (2) Gophers (1) Gotti (2) Gowanus (1) Grand Avenue (1) Grant (1) Grasso (1) Great Meadow Prison (2) Greco (1) Greektown (1) Green Acres (1) Greenberg (1) Greensberg Pennsylvania (1) Greenwich Village (2) Greig (1) Guarino Moretti (1) Guatemala (1) guillotine (1) gun permit (1) gunfight (1) gunman (2) gunmen (1) Gurfein (1) Gusenberg (1) Haffenden (1) Half Moon Hotel (1) Hamid (1) Hamilton (2) Harding (2) Harlem (1) Harrison Narcotics Act (1) Harry "Pete" Pierpont (1) Harry Berman (1) Harry Callan (1) Harry Hyter (1) Harry Kendall Thaw (1) Harry Meagher (1) Harry Teuber (1) HarryVoiler (1) Harvard Illinois (1) Havana (2) Hazelton (1) Hell's Kitchen (1) Hennessy (7) Henshaw (1) Herrick (1) Hetty Green (1) Heyer (1) Hidden Power (1) Hill District (1) Hines (1) Hoffa (1) Hollywood (8) Holmes (1) Hoover (2) Hot Springs (2) Hotel President (1) Houston (1) Howard Petschel (1) Hudson Dusters (1) Human Trafficking (1) IATSE (2) Ida (1) Il Martello (1) Iliano (1) Impellitteri (1) Incardona (1) Incorvaia (1) Indelicato (1) Indiana State Police (1) Informant (3) Informer (3) Innocent bystanders (1) Innocenti (1) insanity defense (1) Inzerillo (1) Ioele (1) Ira Cooper (1) Irene Savage (1) IRS (1) Irving Schlig (2) Italian Squad (2) Italian Unity Day (1) Italian-American Civil Rights League (1) Italiano (2) Italy (2) J. Edgar Hoover (1) Jack Anderson (1) Jack Diamond (1) Jack the Ripper (1) James Bulger (2) James Cagney (1) James Cockayne (1) James Longstreet (1) James North (1) James Weinberg (1) January 11 (1) January 12 (1) January 24 (1) January 25 (1) January 26 (1) January 29 (1) January 3 (1) January 31 (2) January 5 (1) January 8 (1) Japan (1) Jaranowski's woods (1) Jeanette Pennsylvania (1) Jefferson Parish (1) Jennie Cavalieri (1) Jew Bates (1) jewelry theft (2) Jewish Social Club (1) JFK (2) Jim Colosimo (1) Joe "the Boss" Masseria (2) Joe Adonis (1) Joe and Mary's Italian-American Restaurant (1) Joe Petrosino (2) Joe the Boss (2) Joe the Grocer (2) Joe's Elbow Room (1) Joey Caves (1) John Angell (1) John Avena (1) John Barrett (1) John Billiken Rito (1) John Binder (2) John D. Rockefeller Jr. (1) John Dillinger (3) John DuMond (4) John Lazia (1) John Lee Williamson (1) John Phillips (1) John Sheehy (2) John the Ape Passelli (1) Johnny Spanish (2) Johnny Torrio (2) Johnson (1) Joseph Benzola (1) Joseph Bonanno (2) Joseph F. Mulqueen (1) Joseph Roma (1) Joseph Rosen (1) Joseph Subko (1) Joseph Valachi (2) Judge Mulqeen (1) Julius Petro (1) July 1 (1) July 10 (1) July 12 (1) July 18 (1) July 2 (1) July 20 (1) July 22 (1) July 23 (1) July 26 (1) July 27 (1) July 29 (2) July 30 (1) July 4 (1) July 5 (1) June 10 (1) June 11 (1) June 14 (1) June 15 (1) June 16 (1) June 17 (1) June 20 (1) June 22 (2) June 24 (1) June 27 (1) June 5 (1) Jungle Inn (1) Justice Department (1) Kansas City (2) Kefauver (1) Kefauver Committee (1) Kennedy assassination (3) Kentucky (1) Kid Dropper (2) Kid Twist (1) kidnappers (1) kidnapping (1) Kirkillin (1) kiss of death girl (4) Knieland (1) Kuczynski (1) Kurtz (1) L.A. (1) Laborers Union (1) Laduca (1) LaGuardia (1) LaMare (3) Lamendola (1) Landau (1) Landis (2) Landolina (1) Landrieu (1) Langella (1) Lansky (3) Lanza (2) Lanzetti (1) Larasso (1) LaRocca (2) Las Vegas (2) LaTempa (1) Laveri (1) Lawes (1) Lawrence dago Mangano (1) Lazia (1) Lazzara (1) Lazzazaro (1) Lee Harvey Oswald (1) Legs (2) Legs Diamond (1) Lehman (1) Leibowitz (2) Lener (1) Leon (1) Leon Tarr (1) Lepke (2) Lepore (1) Liberty Township (1) Licata (1) Licavoli (1) life and death of (1) Lillian Holley (1) Lima (1) Little Augie Marino (1) Little Caesar (1) little known facts (1) little siberia (1) Little Sicily (2) Locascio (1) Lolordo (2) Lombardo (3) Lonardo (1) Longstreet (1) Los Angeles (7) Lottie Zukor (1) Lou Costello (1) Louis Capone (1) Louisiana (2) Lucania (7) Lucchese (1) Luciano (12) Luciano death (1) Lucky Luciano (11) Ludlow Massacre (1) Luigi Piazza (1) Lumia (1) Lupo (6) Lusco (1) Luzenberg (1) Lynch Mob (1) Lynchings (1) Macheca (8) Madden (1) madison (1) Madison Square Garden (1) Madonia (2) Mae West (1) Mafia (105) Mafia Commission (5) Mafia Convention (1) mafia history (3) Magaddino (7) Magliocco (2) Mahogany (1) mail robbery (1) Majestic Apartments (1) Mangano (7) Manhattan (4) Mannarino (2) Maranzano (4) Marcello (1) March 12 (1) March 13 (1) March 19 (1) March 2 (1) March 20 (1) March 21 (1) March 27 (1) March 4 (1) Maressa (1) Marie Comforti (1) Marie Grott (1) Mario Lanza (1) Maritote (2) Marrotta (1) Martin Gosch (3) Martin Zarkovich (1) Martino (1) Mary Collins (4) Mary Kinder (1) Massachusetts (2) Massaro (1) Masseria (14) Massillon (1) Matranga (3) Matt Doyle (1) Matt Leach (1) Max Greenberg (1) May 12 (1) May 13 (1) May 16 (1) May 19 (1) May 2 (1) May 28 (1) May 29 (1) May 3 (1) May 30 (1) May 31 (1) May 5 (1) May 6 (1) May 7 (1) McCauley (1) McClanahan (1) McClellan Committee (1) Meli (2) Melton (1) Melvin Purvis (1) Memoirs of a Murder Man (1) Mendy Weiss (1) Merlino (1) Messina (1) Metairie (1) Mexico (1) Mexico City (1) Meyer Lansky (2) Miami (3) Miami Beach (1) Michael Abbatemarco (1) Mickey Arno (1) Mickey Duffy (1) Mike Schatz (1) Milan (1) Milano (2) Milazzo (2) Milo (1) Milwaukee (1) Mineo (1) Mirabella (1) Mirabile (1) Missouri (1) molls (1) Monaco (1) Monastero (3) Monica (1) Monk Eastman (1) Monza (1) Morello (10) Morici (1) Morphine (1) Motion Picture Industry (1) Mount Carmel Cemetery (1) movie (1) Muggins (1) mugshot (1) mugshots (1) Mulberry Street (1) Mullett Street (1) Mulqueen (1) Murder (58) Murder Inc. (1) Murder Incorporated (3) Murder Stable (2) Mussolini (2) Mussone (1) Nails Morton (1) Naples (3) Narcotics (5) Nash (1) Natalie Jones (1) National Archives (2) Nazism (1) NBC News (1) Neil Clark (1) Neptune City (1) New Brunswick (1) New England (3) New Hampton Farms (1) New Haven (2) New Jersey (7) New Orleans (20) New Orleans Daily Picayune (1) New Orleans Times (1) New York (35) New York City (14) New York State Police (2) Newark (3) Newspaper (1) Niagara Falls (1) Nick Gage (1) Nicola Gentile (2) Nicolosi (1) Nitti (3) Nitto (1) No Nose (1) Normandie (1) North Side (4) November 12 (2) November 13 (1) November 14 (2) November 15 (1) November 16 (1) November 23 (1) November 24 (1) November 4 (2) November 5 (1) November 6 (1) Nucky (1) O'Banion (1) O'Connell (1) O'Malley (1) Obituary (2) October 15 (1) October 17 (1) October 23 (1) October 24 (1) October 28 (1) October 29 (1) October 30 (1) October 4 (2) October 6 (1) October 7 (1) Oddfather (1) Office of Naval Intelligence (1) Ohio (3) on the spot (7) On the Waterfront (1) one way ride (5) ONI (1) Organized Crime (5) Orsica (1) OSDIA (1) OSS (1) Outfit (3) Ozone Park (1) Pageviews (3) Paige (1) Palazzola (1) Palermo (6) Palm Island (2) Palma (1) Palmer (1) Palmer Raids (1) Palmeri (1) Pan-American Exposition (1) Pangallo (1) Paramount Studios (1) Paramus (1) Paris (1) Parker (1) Parkerson (2) Parlange (1) Parrino (1) Partnership (1) Pasquarella Spinelli (1) Passyunk (1) Paterson (2) Patriarca (2) Patrick Downey (25) Paul is dead (1) Paul Needlenose Labriola (1) Paul Robinson (1) Paul V. McNutt (1) Pelham Manor (1) Pendergast (2) Penfield (1) Pennsylvania (1) Perjury (1) Persico (2) Petillo (1) Petrosino (3) Petto (1) Philadelphia (6) Philadelphia Gangsters (1) Philip Kastel (1) Philip Kennedy (1) Phoenix (2) photos (1) Piazza Marina (1) Picayune Tier (1) Piccarreto (1) Pierce (2) Pieri (1) Pierpont (1) Pinkerton (1) pinup girl tattoo (1) Pittsburgh (7) Pittston (1) Plymouth robbery (1) Polakoff (1) Policy (1) Polignani (1) Polizzi (1) Pollina (1) Pope (1) Porrello (1) postal inspector (1) Prato (1) Presenzano (1) President Bush (1) President Kennedy (2) President Trump (2) Presidio (1) Pretty Boy Floyd (1) Priest (1) Prisco (1) Prison (1) Prison Church (1) Profaci (8) Prohibition (13) prohibition gangsters (2) Promotion (2) prostitution (1) Provenzano (3) Providence (2) Pugliano (1) Puma (1) put on the spot (3) Quaranta (1) Queens (2) Racism (1) Randazzo (1) Rat Trap (1) Rava (1) Ravenite Social Club (1) Ray Renard (1) Raymond Ferrito (1) Readers (2) Rebecca Edelson (1) Rebello (1) Reconstruction (2) Red Scare (1) Reles (1) Rhode Island (1) Ricca (3) Richard Hammer (1) Richetti (1) Rio (1) Robbers (1) robbery (3) Robbing the Post Office (1) Robert Kennedy (1) Robert McLaughlin (1) Robert Meyers (1) Robert Walsh (2) Rochester (2) Rockefeller Commission (1) Rockford Illinois (1) Roebling Street (1) Romano (1) Rondout robbery (1) Ronga (1) Roosevelt (1) Rosa (1) Rose Keefe (1) Roselli (3) Rosemarie Uva (1) Rosen (1) Rosenblum (2) Rosenkrantz (1) Rossi (1) Rothstein (2) rubbed out (4) Rupolo (1) Russotti (1) Sabella (1) Sacarro (1) Sack Murder (4) Saint Dismas (1) Salemme (2) Salerno (2) Sally Daz (1) Salvatore Adamo (2) Salvatore Lucania (2) Salvatore Maranzano (2) Sam Cardinella (1) Sam Grossman (1) Sam Hunt (1) Sam Katz (1) Samuel 'Red' Levine (1) San Diego (1) San Francisco (2) San Mateo (1) Sandy Naples (1) Santo (1) Santuccio (1) Sberna (6) Scalise (3) Scalisi (1) Scarpato (1) Schillaci (1) Schiro (1) Schuller (1) Schultz (1) Sciara (1) Scopoletti (1) Scozzari (1) Seabury (1) Secret Service (5) Seelinger (1) Semmes (1) Senna (1) September 10 (1) September 14 (1) September 28 (1) September 8 (1) Serantino (1) Seven Days (1) Sheriff Lillian Holley (1) Sherry's Restaurant (1) Shoeless Joe (1) shoot out (3) showgirl (2) Showgirls (1) Sicily (7) Siegel (3) Sinatra (1) Sing Sing (2) Sing Sing Prison (3) Smaldone (1) Social Clubs (1) Sonny Boy Williamson (1) Sospirato (1) Soviet Ark (1) Spatafora (1) Spilotro (1) Spinelli (1) Spingola (1) Springfield (2) Sprizza (1) Squint Sheridan (1) St Johns Cemetery (1) St. Clair (1) St. Louis (3) St. Petersburg (1) St. Valentine's Day Massacre (3) Stanford White (1) Staten Island (2) Statistics (2) Stefano Magaddino (1) street brawl (1) striptease (1) Stuppagghieri (1) Sufi Abdula Hamid (1) suicide (6) Sunseri (1) Sylvester Zottola (1) Syndicate (1) Szwandrak (1) Taibi (1) Talty (1) Tammany Hall (1) Tampa (2) Tarrytown (1) tattoo (1) Tax Evasion (4) Teamsters (1) Ted Newberry (1) television interview (1) Termini Imerese (1) Terranova (3) Terrasini (1) Terrorism (2) Tex Guinan (1) Thanksgiving (1) The Barrel Mystery (1) The Case Against Lucky Luciano: New York's Most Sensational Vice Trial (1) The Godfather (1) The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano (1) The Original Sonny Boy Williamson (1) the Pillow Gang (1) The Public Enemy (1) Theodore Roosevelt (1) This Date in History (9) Thomas Alcock (1) Thomas E. Dewey (1) Thomas Egan (1) Thomas Hunt (152) Thomas Uva (1) Thompson machine-gun (2) Tiger from Marseilles (1) Timothy O'Neill (1) Tocco (3) Todaro (1) today in history (1) Todt Hill (1) Toledo (1) Tom McLaughlin (1) Tom Powers (1) Tommy gun (1) Tommy Guns (1) Top Posts (1) Toronto (1) Torrio (2) Trafficante (2) Traina (1) Trapani (1) Treasury Department (2) Tresca (2) Trica (3) Troia (3) Trombino (1) Tronolone (1) Troutman Street (1) true crime (3) Turano (1) Tutrone (1) UK (1) Umberto (1) Union Square (1) Union Station Massacre (1) Union Street (1) Unione Siciliana (1) unsolved (1) Upton Sinclair (1) USPS (1) Utah (1) Vachris (4) Vaglica (1) Valente (2) Valeti (1) Vanella (1) Vanities (1) Velasco (1) Vending Machines (1) Verne Miller (1) Vespers (1) vice ring (1) Vincent Basciano (1) Vincent Coll (1) Vincent Gigante (2) Virginia Hill (1) Vita Di Capomafia (1) Vitale (2) Vito Adamo (2) Vito Genovese (1) Volpe (2) Walker (1) Walter Winchell (1) Warner Brothers (1) Warren Diamond (1) Washington D.C. (1) Waterfront (1) Waxey Gordon (2) Weadick (1) Weaver (1) Weinshank (1) Weiss (1) Welfare Island (1) West Virginia (1) Western New York (2) Westinghouse (1) Westmoreland County (1) Wethersfield (1) Whitaker (1) White League (2) Whitey (2) Whitey Bulger (1) Wild Bill (1) William Egan (1) William McKInley (1) William McSwiggin (1) William O'Connor (1) Williamsburg (1) Willie Moore (1) Wilson (2) Winchell (1) Winter Hill Gang (1) wisconsin (1) Witness Protection (1) Woodland Avenue (1) Workman (1) World War I (1) World War II (1) World's Fair (1) Writers of Wrongs (3) Wrongly Executed (9) WWII (2) Wyandotte (2) Yale (2) Ybor City (1) Youngstown (2) Zagone (1) Zanghi (1) Zarcone (2) Zerilli (3) Zimmerman (1) Zoppo (1) Zoppo Prisco (1) Zu Cola (1) Zwick (1) Zwillman (1)
writersofwrongs.com
Authors of individual posts grant permission to present their posts on this website. All other rights are reserved by the authors.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line493
|
__label__wiki
| 0.842682
| 0.842682
|
Jemma Levinson
Home / Barristers / Tenants / Jemma Levinson
jemma.levinson@1mcb.cjsm.net
Jemma is a busy criminal defence practitioner and also has a varied practice in the area of judicial review.
Jemma is committed to providing fearless and thorough representation to all her clients and particularly focuses on public funded work and cases involving young or otherwise vulnerable defendants.
Jemma has extensive experience in the Crown Court representing defendants charged with a wide range of offences from homicide and death by dangerous driving to serious sexual offences and fraud.
R v AP (Central Criminal Court): Led by John Benson QC. The defendant was charged with murder, four counts of attempted murder and violent disorder. This was a complex case involving multiple defendants and multiple complainants. The defence case was that the prosecution witnesses had deliberately colluded to falsely implicate the defendant. Following a thorough exploration of the lengthy history between the parties, an acquittal was secured on the murder charge and all four attempted murder charges;
R v JP (Maidstone Crown Court): The defendant was alleged to be the getaway driver in a string of robberies of travel agencies, committed with a firearm. The defence was duress. The defendant was acquitted of the firearm offences and received a suspended sentence for her involvement in the robberies, the judge accepting there had been a measure of coercion albeit falling short of duress. Expert evidence on the issue of duress was relied upon during the trial following successful argument as to its admissibility;
R v JD (Central Criminal Court): Led by Queen’s Counsel. Multihanded case in which the defendant was charged with murder following a confrontation and stabbing in the Windsor area. The defence relied on expert evidence on the issue of left or right handedness;
R v DJ (Croydon Crown Court): Led by Queen’s Counsel. The defendant, a financial adviser, was charged with murder and fraud. The allegation was that he had stolen vast sums of money from his professional client and then killed him. This case attracted significant media attention;
R v JS (Oxford Crown Court): The defendant was charged with several counts of rape. It was alleged that he was part of a gang of males who had groomed the young complainant over a period of years. The Crown was represented by QC and junior counsel. Jemma was sole counsel for the defendant. The defendant was acquitted of all counts;
R v AD: The defendant was charged with causing death by dangerous driving. The allegation was that he had reversed his van over a pedestrian whilst eating at the wheel. The defendant was acquitted following a successful submission of no case to answer;
R v MW (Canterbury Crown Court): The defendant was charged with causing death by dangerous driving. The allegation was that he had fallen asleep at the wheel;
R v T (Croydon Crown Court): The defendant, aged 14, was charged with causing a child to engage in sexual activity. The allegation was that she assisted another to rape the complainant. All parties were school children and the incident occurred in the school toilets. The defendant was acquitted following a successful submission of no case to answer. This case required extremely sensitive handling and involved the use of intermediaries;
R v T (Central Criminal Court) Led by Queen’s Counsel. The defendant, aged 16, was charged with murder in a multihanded stabbing case. This case received significant media attention (‘the honey trap case’) and was the subject of a film;
R v SB (Central Criminal Court): Led by Queen’s Counsel. The defendant was charged with murder in a two handed stabbing case;
R v TB (Maidstone Crown Court): Led by leading junior. The defendant was charged with murder in a two handed stabbing case involving the killing of a drug dealer by two of his customers. The defendant was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter. This conviction was later quashed in the Court of Appeal.
Examples of Jemma’s judicial review cases include:
Challenging the decision of the magistrates court to adjourn trial in circumstances where there had been prosecutorial error;
Challenging the unreasonable refusal of bail in the Crown Court;
Challenging the unreasonable revocation of bail in the Crown Court;
Challenging the decision to caution in circumstances where there was insufficient evidence to do so;
Challenging the decision of the magistrates court to allow amendment of an information;
Challenging various decisions of the Prison Service.
LLB in Law – University of Leeds
Bar Vocational Course – BPP Law School
Spanish (basic)
The secure CJSM email is: jemma.levinson@1mcb.cjsm.net
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line494
|
__label__cc
| 0.551886
| 0.448114
|
Attention Facebook: Sell! Sell! Sell!
By David Rodnitzky on 09/28/2007 in "Analytics Blogs"
Good news for Facebook this week. Microsoft is rumored to be interested in buying a stake in the company at a valuation of up to $15 billion. On top of that, the press is preparing for the inevitable passing of the traffic torch between MySpace and Facebook. And, indeed, if you look at the Alexa rankings for the two companies, you can see that it is only a matter of time before Facebook is the social media king.
So does this mean that Mark Zuckerberg was right to reject Yahoo’s $900 million offer? Are the 20-somethings at Facebook HQ the future leaders of Silicon Valley? Should we start counting the days until Facebook surpasses Google?
To quote ESPN’s Lee Corso, “not so fast, my friend.” Yes, hindsight has shown that that $900 million offer was too low, and yes, Facebook will soon be the #1 social media site and one of the top Web sites in the world. But things may not be as rosy as they seem.
For starters, the mere fact that Facebook has so rapidly eclipsed the once-dominant MySpace goes to show how fickle Web users are when it comes to social media. Indeed, it almost seems like every generation develops an affinity to their own social media site, making yesterday’s site old news.
Consider what happened to Friendster (now for the 35+ crowd) when MySpace arrived, and what happened to MySpace (now for the 25+ crowd) when Facebook arrived. New sites – targeted to younger generations – such as Hi5 (now for the under 16 crowd) are popping up. What’s to prevent these upstarts from upstaging Facebook?
It’s also worth repeating the apparently-forgotten adage to never look at gift horse in the mouth. Frankly, despite the fact that $900 million has turned out to be a low ball offer, I still think that any start-up that turns down $900 million has a lot more hubris than it does intelligence.
Indeed, I once worked for a company that was (allegedly) offered something north of $450 million from an acquirer, turned that down, and (again, allegedly) is now being sold for something south of $50 million. Hindsight is indeed 20-20. Did we think we were going to be worth a billion? Of course. I remember fantasizing that we could be worth $10 billion.
How many times have you heard this story: A guy walks into a casino in Vegas, throws a few quarters into a slot machine and wins $1500. He immediately walks out of the casino and spends the rest of his vacation sitting near the hotel pool. Have you tallied your count?
OK, now count how frequently you’ve heard this version. A guy walks into a casino in Vegas, throws a few quarters into a slot machine and wins $1500. Over the rest of the weekend, he spends $2000 on slots hoping for that next big strike. He leaves town wondering where his money went.
Humans are hopeful animals. We almost always look the gift horse in the mouth and opt for the two birds in the bush. Young humans – say 23 year old CEOs – are especially hopeful. Some may go so far as to even say naive. They assume that what goes up can only go more up, and they presume that their predecessor’s failures were due to their incompetence and nothing else.
Sometimes, these CEOs get pretty lucky and seem to prove naysayers like me wrong. Most times, they don’t.
David Rodnitzky
David Rodnitzky is founder and CEO of 3Q Digital (formerly PPC Associates), a position he has held since the Company's inception in 2008. Prior to 3Q Digital, he held senior marketing roles at several Internet companies, including Rentals.com (2000-2001), FindLaw (2001-2004), Adteractive (2004-2006), and Mercantila (2007-2008). David currently serves on advisory boards for several companies, including Marin Software, MediaBoost, Mediacause, and a stealth travel start-up. David is a regular speaker at major digital marketing conferences and has contributed to numerous influential publications, including Venture Capital Journal, CNN Radio, Newsweek, Advertising Age, and NPR's Marketplace. David has a B.A. with honors from the University of Chicago and a J.D. with honors from the University of Iowa. In his spare time, David enjoys salmon fishing, hiking, spending time with his family, and watching the Iowa Hawkeyes, not necessarily in that order.
More by David Rodnitzky
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line499
|
__label__cc
| 0.591261
| 0.408739
|
» School of the Holy Child-Rye
The mission of School of the Holy Child is to develop “women of conscience and action.” An all-girls, Catholic, independent, college-preparatory school for grades 5-12, the School is guided by the educational philosophy of Cornelia Connelly, the founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, and her dedication to “joy in teaching and joy in learning.” Accomplished and dedicated faculty members foster the spiritual development, individual talents and interests of each student.This is realized through rigorous and comprehensive academic, arts, athletics, service and global programs. Holy Child graduates are prepared for the innovative and critical thought necessary in a diverse, interconnected society.
Goals of the Network of Holy Child Schools
The following goals have been developed collaboratively by Holy Child educators. They are principles by which we teach students and, in doing so, continue our tradition.
Goal 1: Holy Child Schools foster a faith commitment that engenders a joyous personal relationship with God in addressing the challenges of the world.
Goal 2: Holy Child Schools live, learn, and worship as a dynamic Christian community.
Goal 3: Holy Child Schools offer an intellectually challenging and creative program of study that develops a love of learning and academic excellence.
Goal 4: Holy Child Schools work for Christian principles of justice, peace, and compassion in every facet of life.
Goal 5: Holy Child Schools create a learning climate based on trust and reverence for the dignity and uniqueness of each person.
Goal 6: Holy Child Schools promote the personal growth and development of all who participate in the life of the School.
Goal 7: Holy Child Schools ensure the continuation and growth of Holy Child’s mission and philosophy in the School.
History: Founded by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus in 1904, School of the Holy Child is a Catholic, independent, college-preparatory school for young women in grades 5-12.
Campus: Holy Child’s 18-acre campus in Rye, New York, blends old and new — it features a striking Tudor mansion dating to 1930, as well as recently constructed academic and athletic facilities. Over the past several years, the School has completed several important enhancements. Our 22,000 square-foot Field House includes an 11,000 square-foot gymnasium, dance studio, athletic training room, fitness room, a student common area, athletic offices and more. Also new to our campus is the Design Studio, which houses the E.E. Ford Program for Architecture, Engineering and Design for the Common Good. The studio includes a mulit-purpose workshop and classrooms, and promotes problem-solving using a variety of technologies. Construction on our new, state-of-the-art Theatre, complete with seating for 400, new lighting and sound technolog, a workshop space for set design and a dressing room, is underway. School of the Holy Child’s new facilities reflect the outstanding academic, athletic and artisitc accomplishments of our students and contribute to our outstanding, forward-thinking learning enviornment.
Enrollment: The School currently enrolls 309 young women, drawing some of the best and brightest students from across more than 70 communities in Westchester, Putnam, New York, Bronx and Fairfield counties.
Financial Aid: For the 2015-2016 academic year, approximately 24% of the students receive approximately $1,000,000 in Financial Aid.
Diversity: 25% of students self-identified as people of color
http://www.holychildrye.org
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line500
|
__label__cc
| 0.716813
| 0.283187
|
Home Psychology & Psychiatry Early Childhood Mental Health: Empirical Assessment and Intervention from Conception through Preschool, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clini
Early Childhood Mental Health: Empirical Assessment and Intervention from Conception through Preschool, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clini
This issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, edited by Dr. Mini Tandon, will cover a broad range of topics in Early Childhood Mental Health. Subjects discussed include, but are not limited to: Newborns, preschoolers, Internalizing Disorders, ADHD and the Externalizing Disorders, Trauma, Sleep Disorders, Attachment issues, Autism, and Feeding Disorders, among others.
Transitional Age Youth and Mental Illness: Influences on Young Adult Outcomes, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
This issue of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, guest edited by Drs. Adele Martel and Catherine Fuchs, aims to bridge the current state of knowledge about risk and resilience during the transition to adolescence for young people with mental illness with the need for developmentally-attuned and culturallycompetent strategies to engage and maintain them in treatment. Topics covered in this volume include, but are not limited to: Developmental Psychopathology and Resilience; Conceptualization of Mental Illness in Transitional Age Youth; Suicidal Behaviors and Suicide; Substance Abuse; Working with Parents/Family; Social Media; Youth Transitioning from Foster Care; Heading to College with a Psychiatric Diagnosis; Issues of Diversity, Integrated Identities and Mental Health in Transitional Age Youth; and Autism Spectrum Disorders, among others.
Child and Adolescent Depression, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America - E-Book
Recent work on emotional regulation gives a powerful new lens through which to view the evolution across childhood and adolescence of the lived experience and clinical presentation of depression. We have a richer picture of the depressed child, and the child at risk for depression, in interaction with family and wider world. We know more about the development and the developmental psychopathology of coping strategies. These advances give provocative clues to the actual processes whereby well-established risk and protective factors might interact to produce, sustain or curtail a depressive syndrome. This in turn opens the door to treatment and prevention approaches that are truly developmentally informed. This is the philosophy behind this completely updated and comprehensive analysis of childhood depression.
Family-Based Treatment in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
This publication in Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics is led by two renown psychiatric physicians specializing in family based treatments for children and adolescents: Dr. Michell Rickerby and Dr. Thomas Roesler. The audience for this clinically focused resource includes Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists; any professional doing treatments involving families: Primary Care doctors, Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, Social Workers, and Psychology Counselors. Features include Clinical Case Vignettes and Evidence based summaries. Topics include: In the section covering "The Big Picture" - Historical Overview of Family Interventions in Child Psychiatry;. Family Focused Evaluation and Intervention in Child Psychiatry ; Overview of the Evidence Base for Family Interventions in Child Psychiatry; and Family Based Integrated Care in Child Psychiatry- Training and Implementation. In the section focusing on Illness-Specific Family-Based Interventions are topics on: Family Based Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Family Based Intervention for Early Childhood Disorders; Family Based Interventions for Childhood Trauma; Family-Based Treatment of Eating Disorders; Family Beliefas and Interventions in Pediatric Pain Management; Multisystemic Treatment for Externalizing Disorders; Fa ily Interventions for Mood and Psychotic Disorders; and Family Intervention in Adolescent Substance Abuse. Finally there is discussion of Network Interventions in Pervasive Developmental Disorders.
Co-occurring Medical Illnesses in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Updates and Treatment Considerations, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clin
This issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, edited by Dr. Matthew Willis, will cover management of Pediatric Medical Illnesses with a focus on clinical updates and treatment considerations for the child and adolescent psychiatrist Topics covered in the issue include, but are not limited to: Eating Disorders; Obesity and Insulin Resistance; Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Care in Young Adults with Medical Issues; Concussive syndrome: Acute Management and Chronic Post-Concussive Issues; Functional Abdominal Pain; Nonepileptic Seizures in Pediatric Patients: Diagnosis and Comorbidites; Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST); and Grief as an etiological factor in pediatric emotional and physical clinical presentations.
Neuromodulation in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Ebook
Guest edited by Drs. Jonathan Essary Becker and Christopher Todd Maley, this issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics will cover several key areas of interest related to Neuromodulation in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. This issue is one of four selected each year by our series Consulting Editor, Dr. Todd Peters. Articles in this issue include: Ethical/Legal issues with neuromodulation, Pediatric anesthesia and ECT, TMS, depression, and adolescents, Psychosis and ECT in children/adolescents, Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis and ECT, Autism and ECT, Catatonia and children/adolescents and ECT, and Transcranial direct current stimulation.
Top Topics in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
In this issue of Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, consulting editor Dr. Harsh Trivedi has selected topics that continually are at the forefront for child and adolescent psychiatrists.Among the top topics are: Children's Exposure to Violent Video Games and Desensitization to Violence; Neurobiology of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Psychosocial Interventions in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; 5. Social Skills Training for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders; 6. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders; and Adolescent Eating Disorders: Definitions, Symptomatology, Epidemiology and Comorbidity. Authors renown in the psychiatric field and the pediatric field provide the physician clinical outcomes and therapeutic management of these disorders.
Alternative and Complementary Therapies for Children with Psychiatric Disorders, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
Patients in psychiatry, or their parents, experiment with alternative methods and practices; psychiatrists, in search of scientifically-based discussion and evidence of use for daily practice, find that information in this issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics. Readers will find clinically focused information in the major categories of Selected Treatments, Selected Disorders, and Perspectives on Clinical Complementary and Alternative Therapies. Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments are discussed for ADHD, Mood disorders, Autism, Learning and Cognitive disorders, and Neurologic disturbances, such as sleep, traumatic brain injury, headache, etc. EEG and Neurofeedback, Meditation and Movement Therapies, Music Therapy, Massage, Acupuncture, and other body-based therapies are presented. Evidence for minerals, vitamins, and herbs is discussed, and Ethical and Legal issues for the Psychiatrist are presented. Guest Editors Deborah Simkin and Charles Popper, with decades of experience in working with complementary therapies, lead this issue.
Adolescent Substance Use Disorders, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America - E-Book
This comprehensive issue on Substance Abuse in youth begins with articles on epidemiological trends, genetic risk factors, neurobiology of substance use disorders, and race and gender associations, and then provides detailed reviews on prevention and various treatment methodologies. Treatments discussed include individual and group interventions (motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy), contingency reinforcement, multidimentional family therapy, pharmacotherapy, and post-treatment aftercare. Also reviewed in detail are substance use disorders and psychiatric comorbidity. The issue then takes a close look at two emerging areas of concern in youth: gambling and internet occupation, and energy drink use. By all accounts, a must-read issue for psychiatrists everywhere.
Disaster and Trauma, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
An overview of childhood traumatic exposures and their impact for health care providers - child and adolescent psychiatrists, general psychiatrists, other pediatric behavioral health providers and primary care clinicians - is presented. Most clinicians are unaware that children in the United States are exposed to trauma frequently, either as a single occurrence, or through repeated events. These exposures result in neurobiological, developmental and clinical sequelae that can undermine children's health and well-being. This issue describes the multiple types of traumatic exposures and their sequelae, methods of screening and assessment, and principles of effective prevention and clinical treatment. The volume highlights areas of particular relevance to children, such as natural disasters, war, domestic violence, school and community violence, sexual victimization, and complex trauma. Each is differentiated as a unique trauma, requiring trauma-informed systems of care to effectively meet the needs of the exposed population. Since traumatic exposure results in added risk to child well-being, the third section of the volume describes strategies for primary prevention (e.g. violence prevention) and risk mitigation (e.g. skill and resilience building strategies), as well as reviews evidence based treatments for trauma-induced clinical disorders.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America - E-Book
This issue provides a unique and valuable perspective on forensic matters in child and adolescent psychiatry, with an approach that adds new thinking to the discussion, rather than rehashing known facts. The issue is divided into several sections: juvenile offenders, family law/custody and visitation, child maltreatment, personal injury law suits, forensic issues in clinical child and adolescent psychiatry, and training in child and adolescent psychiatry. A wide range of topics are explored within each section. All articles are geared toward child psychiatrists in clinical practice, providing practical information in this very important area of study.
Forensic Psychiatry, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America - E-Book
Evidence-Based School Psychiatry, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America - E-Book
Schools can play an important role in addressing the unmet mental health needs of youth by potentially increasing access to care in a cost-effective manner. This venue provides unparalleled access to youth and exemplifies a single setting through which the majority of children can be reached. This very timely issue provides a much-needed analysis of the types of situations in which schools can and must address the mental health needs of their students, and the methodology for doing so. With an eye towards current technologies (articles cover telepsychiatry and web-based interventions), authors review school-based interventions for students suffering from post-traumatic stress-syndrome, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, depression, ADHD, psychoses, substance abuse, and other disorders. Of special interest are the articles covering bullying (including internet bullying) and mobilizing a crisis team after student death.
Psychopharmacology, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America - E-Book
Psychopharmacology is a dominant treatment in child and adolescent psychiatry with proven benefits to young patients. The authors present topics related to PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY ISSUES: Ethical issues, Treatment planning, Side effects, Neural correlates, and Pharmacogenomics. They address DRUGS FOR SPECIFIC DISEASES: Anxiety, Depression, Eating disorders, Sleep disorders, Psychosis and Schizophrenia, High-risk for bilpolar and schizophrenia, Bipolar, ADHD, and Autism. Each topic presents an Overview of the Disease or Issue, Empirical evidence for ethical issues, Treatment summaries that include dose ranges, side effects, contraindications, and how the drugs are used specifically for a disorder. Treatment in the presence of co-morbid conditions, Long-term evidence, and Conclusions and Future directions complete the presentations. Clinical vignettes are provided that exemplify the main points of the topic.
Psychosis in Youth, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
Because of the complex range of factors to be considered in pscyhosis genetic, neurologic, biologic, environmental, family, culture - this issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics presents aspects that have the greatest relevance and impact in diagnosing and treating child and adolescent patients. Among some of the topics covered: Schizophrenia, Affective disorders and Psychosis, Comorbid diseases, Neurocognition, Genetics, Neuroimaging findings, and Treatment approaches of Psychopharmacology, Psychotherapy, and Community Rehabilitation. Jean Frazier, an expert in child and adolescent neuropsychiatry and in child psychopharmacology, leads this issue along with Yael Dvir, whose research and clinical interests include childhood psychosis and the associations between childhood psychosis and Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
Acute Management of Autism Spectrum Disorders, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
The spectrum in this disorder is Autistic Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. This issue specifically addresses acute management of the extreme behaviors that accompany this disorder spectrum: extreme behaviors, complete lack of communication, inability to learn or express language, etc, and covers in-hospital or residential therapies as well as in-home family involvement. Medical treatment for this disorder is the main focus of discussion in topics such as: Emotional Regulation: Concepts and Practice in ASD; Specialized Inpatient Treatment of ASD; Residential Treatment of Severe Behavioral Disturbance in ASD; Treatment of ASD in General Child Psychiatry Units; Behavioral Approaches to Acute Problems; Communication Strategies for Behavioral Challenges in ASD, along with topics covering Psychiatric Assessment of Acute Presentations in ASD; Sensory Regulation and its Relationship to Acute Problems in ASD; Family Dysfunction, Assessment and Treatment in the context of Severe Behavioral Disturbance in ASD; and Self Injurious Behavior in ASD.
Psychodynamic Treatment Approaches to Psychopathology, vol 2, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in Childand Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics covers topics in three major categories in two volumes of this series: 1. Approaches to Specific Conditions; 2. Special Features in Working with Children; 3. Research Presented for the Clinician. Specific conditions covered are: Anxiety, Trauma, Depression, Eating Disorders, Incipient Borderline Personality Disorders, and the Medically Ill Youth. Special Features include the various therapies in Psychodynamic psychotherapy: Play Techniques, Use of Boardgames, Perspectives on Psychotropic Medications for Children, Parent Work, Family Therapy, and Dyadic Therapies. Research for Clinicians includes Neuroscience, Evidence Base, and Developmental Perspectives.
Anxiety Disorders, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America - E-Book
Anxiety disorders are common in children and adolescents and can be debilitating if not recognized and treated. This issue covers the landscape of anxiety disorders in youth, from development and neurobiology; to treatments, advances, and novel approaches; to informing other systems of care: primary physicians, schools, and parents. Specific anxiety disorders discussed include: Obsessive-compulsive and tic-related disorders, PTSD, and school refusal and panic disorder. Pharmacotherapy, CBT, and Parent-Child interaction therapies are reviewed.
Adjudicated Youth, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, E-Book
A great number of incarcerated youth have diagnosable psychiatric problems and, while in detention, this population experiences events that make them more vulnerable to disorders of mental health. This issue of Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics is edited and authored by psychiatrists expert in working with youth in detention. Topics include Demographics of youth in detention; Mental health screening and assessment; Mental health care of detained youth and solitary confinement and restraint within juvenile detention facilities; Civil and constitutional rights of adjudicated youth; Community based alternatives to incarceration and assessment and community based planning for probation/community based alternatives; The role of the child and adolescent psychiatrist in the adjudicatory assessments; Screening and assessment of detained youth; Quality of education for youth in the juvenile detention system; Variety of out-of-home placements for juvenile offenders; Juvenile sexual offenders; Sexual exploitation of children in detention; Transfer from juvenile to adult court: Which states have the most effective models? ; Competence to stand trial; Firesetting. Clinical vignettes are presented with each topic to exemplify a case of the discussion.
Substance Use Disorders: Part I, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
This issue of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics will be Part I of II on Substance Use Disorders. Part I will be edited by Drs. Ray Hsiao and Leslie Walker. They present an overview of prevalence and patterns, the neurobiology of adolescent abuse, and evidence-based prevention. This volume will cover a wide array of substances including, alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, stimulant, opioid, hallucinogens, inhalants, and even internet addiction or abuse, among other topics.
Substance Use Disorders: Part II, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
This issue of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics will be Part II of II on Substance Use Disorders. Part II will be edited by Drs. Ray Hsiao and Paula Riggs. This portion will focus more on treatments, recovery, and support considerations for adolescents with substance abuse issues. Topics covered include, but are not limited to: screening brief intervention referral treatment in primary care, family-based interventions, motivational enhancement therapy, school-based interventions, contingency management, pharmacotherapy, treatment for children with co-morbid psychiatric issues, special populations, and integration of system of care.
Pediatric Integrated Care, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
This issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, edited by Drs. Gregory Fritz, Tami Benton, and Gary Maslow, will focus on issues surrounding Integrated Care in child and adolescent psychiatry. Topics covered in these articles will include: Telephonic Service and Telemedicine; the Massachusetts Access Program; Integrated Care Model for Adolescent Substance Use; Combined Training for Pediatrics and Psychiatry; Integrated care within a rural setting; Interdisciplinary Training for Integrated Care; Emergency Department Interventions; Economic Considerations for Integrated Care; A Lifespan Approach to Integrated Care; and Essential Elements of a Collaborative Mental Health Training Program for Primary Care, among others.
Research and Practice in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
This book examines the importance of earlyemotional and socialdevelopment for later developmental trajectories. It focuses on knowledge about the ways in which infant and early childhood mental health can be promoted. By incorporating empirical developmental literature that is directly relevant to infant mental health and clinical practice, the book addresses the multiple forces which shape young children's mental health. These forces include child factors, parental and familial variables, childrearing practices, and environmental influences. In addition, the book explores parent-child relationships, family networks, and social supports as protective factors, as well as risk factors such as poverty, exposure to violence, and substance abuse, which influence and change developmental processes. It shows that, by examining socio-emotional development in a cultural context, human development in the twenty-first century can be conceptualized through differences, similarities and diversity perspectives, focusing on the rights of every individual child.
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Drawing from their pioneering work on infant-parent mental health, the editors of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Core Concepts and Clinical Practice have assembled a comprehensive, clinically useful volume for health care providers who serve children and families from pregnancy through age 5 in their practices.
Prevention of Mental Health Disorders: Principles and Implementation, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, E-Book
Prevention and the concept of collective impact on population health is the focus of this issue led by Aradhana Bela Sood. Primary, secondary, and tertiary themes run throughout each article with evidence base explicitly stated. An Appendix presenting select programs for prevention concludes this issue. Topics include: Early childhood mental health: Neurobiological underpinnings of early brain development and Health promotion and prevention in non-psychiatric settings; Prevention in childhood; Mindfulness and alternative and complementary therapies; Prevention of violence; Bullying; Depression and suicide; HIV and AIDS; Substance use disorders; Obesity in children and youth; Delinquency and prevention; Public policy and system building. Some programs presented in the Appendix are Blueprint for violence prevention; Nurse-family partnership; Harlem Children's Project, and others.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line501
|
__label__cc
| 0.649193
| 0.350807
|
Tag Archive: Duomo Milan Italy
Milano’s spectacular Duomo
Filed under: Europe, Italy — Leave a comment
Front facade of the Duomo, Milano, Italy.
The Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) is the city’s cathedral and the home church of its archbishop.
Duomo capped by the “Madonnina’s spire, Milano, Italy.
This cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is Italy’s largest, Europe’s third largest, and the world’ 5th-largest church.
Gothic spire detail, Duomo, Milano. Italy.
The Duomo occupies what was the center of the ancient Roman city, but its construction did not begin until 1386.
Facade detail, Duomo, Milano. Italy.
The signature “Madonnina’s spire”, which rises to more than 300 feet, was not erected until nearly 400 years after construction was begun.
Given Milan’s damp and foggy climate, the Milanese consider it a fair-weather day when the Madonnina is not obscured by mist.
The Duomo’s facade was not added until its completion was ordered by Napoleon Bonaparte, who was crowned King of Italy there.
The last details of the cathedral were finished only in 1965.
Many Milanese, reminded by the centuries needed to complete the Duomo, use the term “Fabbrica del Duomo” – built like the Duomo – as an adjective to describe an extremely long, complex task.
The Duomo’s rooftop is open to the public, and is reached by an elevator.
Rooftop deck, Duomo, Milano. Italy.
Architectural detail invisible from the street below suddenly becomes full sized, and statues, gargoyles, and spires tower over roofwalkers.
Gargoyle, Duomo, Milano. Italy.
The effect of pollution on the Duomo requires diligent maintenance, and officials recently announced a campaign to raise funds for its preservation that asks patrons to adopt the building’s gargoyles.
Rooftop view of the city, Duomo, Milano. Italy.
Donors who contribute €100,000 or more can now have their name engraved under one of the grotesque figures perched on the cathedral’s rooftop.
Downtown skyscrapers visible through stone lattice work, Duomo rooftop, Milano, Italy.
There can be a stiff breeze up here, and from this vantage point the skyscrapers of modern Milano tower in the distance. On a clear day, the Alps are visible on the horizon.
Spires seen from the rooftop, Duomo, Milano. Italy.
As I walk the rooftop, I can’t help but be reminded that the weight of this building rests on columns and arches made of interlocking stones without any structural steel. It seems a gravity-defying feat.
Entrance to the Galleria, from the Dumo rooftop.
“10 Days In Italy” has now gone full circle, and it’s time to depart from Milan’s airport with a long list of more to see “the next time.”
And for anyone who’s been here, the fondest wish is that there will always be a next time.
Florences’ Pitti Palace & Boboli Gardens
Parma’s palate
Understated Milano
Tags: Duomo Milan Italy
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line502
|
__label__wiki
| 0.72921
| 0.72921
|
Turning buildings into energy producers
The photovoltaic materials covering this facade meet aesthetic requirements. Made by Solaxess, based on a technology developed by CSEM.
EPFL has become the coordinator of Be-Smart, an EU research project that aims to step up the deployment of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and cut their costs by 75% between now and 2030. The project was launched in response to EU regulations that require new buildings to be nearly zero-energy by 2020.
Photovoltaics can be used directly in building and renovation projects and serve as a construction material in their own right. Integrating solar panels into facades and roofs can transform buildings into electricity producers and reduce CO2 emissions. To develop and promote this technology, Be-Smart project partners will design multifunctional solar panels that not only produce energy but also do the job of other building materials with insulating, soundproofing or aesthetic qualities. The project partners will also develop a methodology for architects and construction companies and find ways to drastically reduce the costs of BIPV.
A boon for Europe's manufacturing industry
Fifteen research institutes, innovative companies, and architecture and construction firms have teamed up for this challenging project, which is being led by EPFL and the CSEM in Neuchâtel. "The use of BIPV in facades and in the construction sector more broadly is expanding rapidly, thanks in part to the pioneering technology developed by EPFL and CSEM," says Laure-Emmanuelle Perret-Aebi, coordinator of the project at EPFL's Photovoltaics and Thin Film Electronics Laboratory (PV-Lab). "But we need to make this technology more accessible so that it can be used more extensively and not just in flagship building projects."
Greater uptake of the technology would considerably increase demand for photovoltaic facades, tiles and other construction materials, which would be a boon for Europe's manufacturing industry. "The technology is different from that used in solar panels, which are designed for mass production and now manufactured primarily in China," says Perret-Aebi. "But BIPV technology stands to boost European industry."
And this technology runs on solar energy – another of its major assets given recent progress in this area. "Solar energy produces 10 to 20 times less CO2 than conventional thermal power plants," says Christophe Ballif, a professor at EPFL's School of Engineering, the head of EPFL PV-Lab and the director of CSEM PV-center. "What’s more, large solar farms are the cheapest way of producing electricity, even in countries that don't get a lot of sunlight, like Germany."
A shift in mindset
It is already possible to construct or renovate a building with BIPV. In Switzerland, more than 10,000 roofs have already been built in this way, with photovoltaic panels available in various shapes and colors. Yet there is still a lot of reluctance, and uptake of this technology is slow. While the use of BIPV does drive up construction costs, the extra expense is paid off in 10 to 30 years. And that's without making use of potential subsidies or selling back the electricity produced. Nor does it account for the reductions in CO2 emissions that can be achieved.
A standard for all new buildings
The photovoltaic technology used for this project is based on crystalline silicon, which is found in most solar panels. Since the panels need to have a guaranteed lifespan of 30 to 50 years if they are to be integrated into buildings, reliability is essential – and one of the project goals. At the moment, the energy payback period for a solar panel – i.e., the time needed for the panel to generate the same amount of energy used to make it – is between one and three years. According to the project partners, widespread use of this technology in facades and roofs could produce roughly the amount of energy currently consumed in Switzerland. "There is really no reason not to integrate photovoltaic panels into new buildings – it should be the norm," says Ballif.
Be-Smart was launched in October 2018 and will run for four years. It has a total budget of 8,155,173 euros and is funded by Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation program, under grant agreement No. 818009.
EPFL, Photovoltaics and Thin Film Electronics Laboratory
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (Austria) / Association Compaz (Switzerland) / Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (France) / CSEM (Switzerland) / Issol SA (Belgium) / Institutt for energiteknikk (Norway) / Immoroc SA (Switzerland) / L - UP Sas (France) / Oslo kommune (Norway), / Padanaplast S.r.l. (Italy) / Saint-Gobain Sekurit Deutschland Gmbh & Co. KG (Germany) / Solaxess SA (Switzerland) / Sustainable innovations europe sl (Spain) / White Arkitekter Aktiebolag (Sweden)
Author: Clara Marc
Photovoltaics and Thin Film Laboratory
Be-Smart Project
EnergyPhotovoltaics and Thin Film Electronics Laboratory PV-LABsolar energy
All Mediacom news
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line505
|
__label__wiki
| 0.795838
| 0.795838
|
Historic Aviation Climate Agreement Reached at ICAO
Aviation Fuel, Business News/Analysis, International, Opinions, Policy, Sustainability
( International Air Transport Association ) The worldwide aviation industry has applauded a crucial climate agreement reached by governments meeting at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) today. The negotiations, to put in place the world’s first carbon offsetting scheme for any global sector, have had the backing of the aviation industry, which first proposed the measure in 2009.
The Executive Director of the cross-industry Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), Michael Gill, said that the ICAO agreement was an historic moment for aviation and for climate negotiations in general: “The industry took an unprecedented step to ask for a global measure to deal with the growth in aviation carbon dioxide emissions from 2020 onwards. What was a visionary approach seven years ago has today become a reality. We thank the government negotiators who have worked so hard to deliver a scheme which will successfully balance the growth in air transport and all of the economic and social connectivity benefits that it brings, with the need to address CO2 emissions from the sector.”
“In addition, 65 States have already volunteered to join the carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation (CORSIA) from its outset in 2021. This means that over 80% of the total growth in aviation CO2 after 2020 will now be covered and, indeed, this may increase as more States choose to join the scheme. Despite some reservations over the scheme being voluntary in its initial years, the support of all these States – large, small, developed and developing – shows the commitment of the international community working through ICAO to deliver a robust measure. We shall continue to encourage even more States to declare their voluntary participation in the CORSIA.”
International aviation was one of two sectors not dealt with in last year’s Paris Agreement. Gill commented: “Negotiators in Paris had faith in ICAO to deliver an agreement for international air transport emissions tailored to the unique circumstances of our sector. That faith has truly paid off and, today, governments have approved a scheme that will fill one of the remaining pieces of the climate change challenge.”
The industry, however, insists that this agreement is just one element of the sector’s climate change commitment. Michael Gill said: “Aviation has been making progress on improving efficiency for many years. The agreement at ICAO is today’s momentous news, but more work remains. Focus now turns to capacity building and industry will support ICAO’s efforts to ensure the successful implementation of the CORSIA. On top of that, we remain committed to deploying new technology, ramping up investment in sustainable alternative fuels, improving operational performance and working with States on infrastructure efficiencies. Our commitment to reduce aviation’s climate change contribution continues undiminished.”
The industry agreement to pursue, support and promote the climate framework was made possible by a united industry approach, with the Air Transport Action Group bringing together airlines and operators, airports, air traffic management and the manufacturers of aircraft and engines.
Angela Gittens, Director General of Airports Council International (ACI) World, said: “The aviation industry is making great strides where environment is concerned. This historic climate agreement follows last week’s ACI Resolution supporting CORSIA as the global market-based measure for international aviation; and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ACI and ICAO for enhanced cooperation on environmental related initiatives. With these commitments, the priority now is collaboration to provide capacity building, and coordination, so that we can work together to deliver the right assistance in the right place and at the right time.”
Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) Director General, Jeff Poole, said, “CANSO and its members across the air traffic management industry welcome the decision by States to put in place a carbon offsetting scheme for global aviation. This marks a major milestone towards the fulfilment of the fourth pillar of aviation’s four-pillar strategy to reduce its emissions. CANSO and its members will continue to focus on pillar two – improving the efficiency of aircraft operations – and pillar three – improving aviation infrastructure. The air traffic management industry is helping to implement pillar two through procedures that enable aircraft to fly shorter, optimum routes and take-off and land with smoother trajectories, thus reducing emissions. For pillar three, we are working with States to modernise and upgrade the air traffic management system to increase capacity and reduce delays, thus ensuring a smoother experience for passengers, increasing efficiency and enabling greater connectivity and access to markets to boost GDP growth for States.’’
International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac said, “The historic significance of this agreement cannot be overestimated. CORSIA is the first global scheme covering an entire industrial sector. The CORSIA agreement has turned years of preparation into an effective solution for airlines to manage their carbon footprint. Aviation is a catalytic driver of social development and economic prosperity – it is the business of freedom making our world a better place. This agreement ensures that the aviation industry’s economic and social contributions are matched with cutting-edge efforts on sustainability. With CORSIA, aviation remains at the forefront of industries in combatting climate change.”
International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) Director General, Kurt Edwards, said, “The worldwide business aviation community welcomes the decision by governments at ICAO to establish a single, global carbon-offsetting scheme for international aviation. The framework agreed at ICAO will help us meet our collective industry commitments while also taking into account the needs of small operators. Importantly, the global framework means we will avoid a patchwork of multiple measures around the world.”
Chair of ICCAIA, David Melcher, the President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, said, “This is a significant year for global aviation. The agreement on CO2 standards for aircraft in February, along with the international carbon offset plan confirms our strong environmental commitment. Aircraft and engine manufacturers across the globe have displayed leadership, investing heavily to bring more fuel-efficient aircraft into the fleet, facilitating the adoption of sustainable fuels, and supporting more efficient operations. Continuing this progress will require further partnerships with governments and other industry.” READ MORE / MORE and MORE (Airlines for America (A4A)/Business Wire) and MORE (Reuters)
Following six years of negotiations, governments meeting at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have reached agreement on the design elements of a global market-based measure for international aviation. It is part of a series of actions the aviation industry is taking to reduce its carbon emissions which includes investing in new technology, scaling up the use of sustainable alternative fuels, improving operational performance of aircraft in the fleet already and using more efficient infrastructure.
The carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation (CORSIA) will be the world’s first market mechanism for dealing with climate change from any industrial sector. The global aviation industry has been instrumental in proposing the plan and has been encouraging States to support it.
The CORSIA will consist of a global offsetting scheme to be applied to international aviation in several phases:
2021 to 2023 – a ‘pilot’ voluntary phase of countries which choose to be part of the scheme. So far, 65 States (which together represent over 85% of air traffic) have volunteered to be included in the scheme from the beginning.
A 2022 review will be conducted on the implementation of the CORSIA, to determine if there will need to be any adjustments before the scheme continues.
2024 to 2026 – the first implementation phase, also on a voluntary basis.
2027 to 2035 – the second phase, which will include most States except least developed, small island states and countries with a small amount of international air traffic (less than 0.5% of global traffic). This second phase has triennial technical adjustments to the distribution of obligations between individual airlines, moving from a collective approach towards more of an individual approach.
The industry is encouraging as many States as possible to volunteer for the scheme. So far, 65 States have done so, including: Mexico, Canada, United States, Indonesia, China, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Guatemala, Republic of Korea, Australia, Thailand, Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea, Qatar and Burkina Faso. These States, when combined with all States taking part in the second, mandatory, phase mean that over 80% of the growth in aviation emissions past 2020 will be offset.
An up-to-date list of States volunteering to support the CORSIA can be found at: http://bit.ly/2chB1oZ
Aviation biofuelCOP21environmental policyJetfuel (Sustainable Alternative Jetfuel (SAJF)/Renewable Jetfuel (RJF)SustainabilityUnited Nations (UN)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line506
|
__label__cc
| 0.598067
| 0.401933
|
Services and Activities
Friends and Corporate Partners
About Alzheimer’s
What is Alzheimer’s
On Diagnosis
Giving Care
Playing Bridge for Alzheimer’s Research
by admin | May 13, 2019 | Alzheimer's and Dementia | 0 comments
Contract bridge is one of the most popular card games of all time, and there are thousands of players in South Africa as well as hundreds of clubs that new and veteran players can join if they want to partner up with someone and play a game – but contract bridge is also a lot more than just a card game, and research shows that it can be hugely beneficial to developing the mind in diagnosed cases of Alzheimer’s.
Here’s how the game of bridge can prove to be useful to Alzheimer’s research, and more about the American Contract Bridge League and the Longest Day campaign.
ACBL Fact Sheet: Bridge Boosts Your Brain Power
A fact-sheet compiled by the ACBL shows just some of the benefits that bridge can have for the brain.
– A study conducted at the University of California-Berkeley (2000) shows that playing contract bridge can help to give the immune system a much-needed boost.
– An educational study conducted by Dr Christopher Shaw (2005) shows us that students who played contract bridge showed higher fifth grade test scores when compared to the students who didn’t play the game.
– An intensive and more recent study by Mayo Clinic (2017) shows that playing contract bridge reduces the likelihood of mental decline before the onset of dementia.
Further studies (including notably the 90+ Study) shows that mentally stimulating activity such as playing cards or completing crosswords can reduce the risk of developing dementia by as much as 75%.
acbl.org/learn
Why Play Bridge?
Taking up the game of bridge is a great way for people to build vital life and business skills. It’s also known for being one of the best ways out there to help the brain itself, and it can help to slow down the mental repercussions of conditions like Alzheimer’s – especially for those who play early.
Here are some of the other reasons why playing bridge is greatly beneficial for conditions like Alzheimer’s – and for raising funds.
• Bridge is Accessible
Contract bridge is one of the most accessible programs that any facility can implement, whether it’s a hospital, a care facility or a school. All you’ll need to play are a deck of cards, and a few print-out score sheets and trump markers. Most facilities have a spare table and chairs somewhere, and that’s really all you’ll need.
• Bridge Promotes Interaction
The feeling of loneliness is a common one in many facilities, and the game of bridge can help to promote interaction for patients that goes far beyond what facilities offer now – and it’s a great way to host regular events that patients can look forward to.
• Bridge Promotes Alzheimer’s Awareness
There are many charity card events out there that fund non-profit facilities, but more than this, there are many events organized by bridge foundations such as the ACBL that directly raises funds for Alzheimer’s research.
• Bridge Allows Unique Condition Monitoring
It’s true that a game of contract bridge can allow for closer therapeutic monitoring of someone’s condition. What seems like a casual conversation during a regular game of contract bridge can be a means for therapists to assess patients in an environment that doesn’t seem threatening – or even clinical.
• Inclusion of Disability
The game of bridge is greatly inclusive, and this means that everyone within a facility setting is able to participate in it, too: Even braille card decks are available for the blind.
The Longest Day Campaign
The Longest Day Campaign is a fund-raising initiative from the US Alzheimer’s Association, and the American Contract Bridge has partnered up with them for seven years in a row in order to raise funds for crucial research into the condition.
“Every year, bridge clubs across the United States hold fundraising games the week of the summer solstice to raise funds for the campaign,” says Lori Pope, the PR Coordinator of the ACBL. “
“Since the campaign launched, ACBL clubs have raised nearly $4.7 million to help fund the research and efforts of
the Alzheimer’s Association.”
More information can be found at the ACBL’s official website and their section for The Longest Day Campaign.
More information about bridge and life skills can be found at Bridge2Success. (https://www.bridge2success.com.pl/)
By Alex J. Coyne
Read the latest STRiDE Newsletter
How fear and lack of understanding of Alzheimer’s is stigmatising those who have it
Choosing a suitable home
Dressing and personal care
Website Designed and Developed by Mashup Marketing | Sponsored by Dementia Care Facility - Livewell Villages
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line511
|
__label__wiki
| 0.621839
| 0.621839
|
Home Business & Economy African countries look to World Economic Forum to bolster their economies
African countries look to World Economic Forum to bolster their economies
Zimbabwean President Mnangagwa
ZIMBABWE and South are two African countries that are focusing on the 48th World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss ski resort of Davos from January 23 to 26, as they look to bolster their economies. For Zimbabwe, after the departure of Robert Mugabe, the new President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, will be in attendance as he tries to revive his country’s moribund economy.
But his advisers are not expecting huge investments until after the elections in August.
In the case of South Africa, Jacob Zuma will be absent for the first time since he became president in 2009. He will be represented by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was recently elected leader of the ruling ANC.
For African countries attending the WEF, experts say they will focus on the issue of providing electricity for the continent where 645 million people do not have access to it.
They are part of a growing number of countries, including the US and India, that are pushing for the use of coal to provide power for developing countries.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund will try to argue their case for not providing funding for fossil fuels production, including coal, even though the US government has urged multilateral development banks to change their position on this.
The WEF itself is concerned about the lack of electricity in Africa and other developing countries. One of its project aimed at improving the situation is its Shaping the Future of Energy System Initiative.
The WEF notes: ‘Energy is the lifeline of modern economic and human activity, with most consumed for mobility, by industry and in households. Yet, about 1.3 billion people lack access to affordable modern energy, impeding development.
‘Modern, affordable, reliable and sustainable energy is critical for economic growth in Africa. As of mid-2017, 62.5 per cent of the population of sub-Saharan Africa [did] not have access to electricity.’
The WEF acknowledged that many initiatives between 2000 and 2016 had helped reduce the number of people without electricity access globally from 1.6 billion to 1.1 billion. ‘Despite this progress, universal energy access by 2030 seems unlikely based on the current electrification path,’ the WEF said. ‘Existing initiatives urgently need to result in accelerated deployments of the technologies, business models and capital flows in the region.
‘The overall objective of the project is to contribute, via public private cooperation, to the annual 8.4 per cent required electrification growth rate in sub-Saharan Africa in order to reach universal energy access by 2030.’
It is in this light that African countries that store the continent’s 50 billion tons of coal reserves are calling for them to use this resource cleanly and efficiently to assist in their development. They argue that improved technology is making coal production cleaner and its use more efficient.
For example, Zimbabwe, which used to be self-sufficient in power production, now has major problems with generating electricity even though it has some of Africa’s biggest coal reserves. In the case of Mozambique, it has the world’s fourth-largest coal mine. In 1973, Africa’s share of global coal production was 2.2 per cent and in 2016 it had risen to. 3.7 per cent.
Chinedu Nebo, a former Minister of Power under Goodluck Jonathan in Nigeria, a country with poor electricity supply, is all for coal-rich countries in Africa, including Nigeria, to make use of the resource. The professor of engineering told Scientific American magazine: ‘I think Africa should be allowed to develop its coal potential. There are so many areas in Africa where that will help to generate power for over 60 per cent of Africans who have no access to energy at all.’
Ghanaian John Owusu, a retired engineer, told South African website Daily Maverick recently: ‘Young people on our continent are mostly urban, or in the process of moving from the countryside. So, if you want to employ millions who are currently without jobs, you need mines, factories and service industries.
‘But how can you do that without electricity? In Europe or America, having the lights on is taken for granted. But what would happen to cities like New York or London if there was no power for a month, a year? That’s what millions of Africans live with,’ Owusu added.
He went on: ‘It’s hard for those in developed countries to grasp how difficult life is without power. Not just lights or charging your phone, but no industry or development, no hope of a job. Try turning off your fridge for a day.
‘Or imagine a hospital without the most basic equipment. Cheap, reliable power is one of the most sensitive topics in the developing world and millions don’t have it,’ Owusu told the Daily Maverick.
SOURCEDesmond Davies
Previous articleCongo seeks ways to make more profit from cobalt
Next articleAfDB makes a compelling case for Africa’s industrialisation
Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire lift ban on cocoa sales
Mauritius leads in African telecoms with Algeria and South Africa in 2nd and 3rd place
West Africa is becoming the world’s piracy hotspot
Nigeria’s mass migration ahead of super close election
Editorial Staff - March 27, 2015
EU must force more transparency from companies in Africa
Editorial Staff - September 11, 2015
Calls to end Africa’s ‘horrific’ land deals after Indian firm’s fallout
Editorial Staff - December 15, 2017
Zimbabwe’s finance minister in new attempt to get loans from S Africa
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line518
|
__label__wiki
| 0.843166
| 0.843166
|
Ken Saro Wiwa (1941- 1995);
KILLED by the Nigerian state
The kidnapped girls of Chibok, actual number currently unknown;
ABANDONED by the Nigerian state
Lawal Akanni Ojuolape (30), Bartholomew Owoh (26), and Bernard Ogendengbe (29);
MURDERED in cold blood by the Nigerian state
The dead at Odi, Bayelsa state;
MASSACRED by the Nigerian state
All Nigerian citizens, at home and in the diaspora;
BETRAYED by the Nigerian state
Ebenezer Obadare
Since Nigeria returned to civil rule in May 1999, every election has been labeled by scholars and general observers as the most pivotal and most momentous in the country’s history. Yet, irrespective of their outcomes, the country has hobbled along, poised, all too familiarly, between the potentiality of glory and the probability of disaster. Nigeria has not exactly flourished, but it has not disintegrated either, even if Boko Haram, with its sworn determination to impose a semblance of a Paleolithic political order, has bitten off a not insignificant chunk of territory. Whatever it is then that throws the commentariat into regular panic every four years, it is most certainly not just a fear of possible physical collapse, but something definitely deeper. It is, one suspects, a philosophical regret that, perhaps with every electoral cycle that produces the ‘wrong’ victor, the country drifts further away from the possibility of genuine political renaissance.
True to form, the March 28 presidential election is being billed as a make-or-break affair, the last opportunity for Nigerians to liberate their country from the clutches of those who have held it to ransom for fifty odd years and some, and who continue to milk it for the exclusive gratification of a small elite. It is a tantalizing prospect, when you think of it—get this one election right, and all else shall be added unto you. Except that when you are dealing with a country so complex and troubled, and so marinated in its own contradictions like Nigeria, it is going to require more than a single election—or elections in toto for that matter—to have a shot at getting things right.
This is not to diminish the significance of March 28. For one, it offers an opportunity to take the country back, if we can call it that, from an incumbent who is not known for being cerebral, and whose sheer maladroitness has come as a real shock to Nigerians, many of whom, it should be remembered, have been conditioned to expect a basic level of incompetence from their leaders. For another, there is a real chance to upstage the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), winner by all means necessary of all presidential elections since 1999, if only for the symbolism of leveling the playing field and keeping honest a ruling coalition that, with the passing of every electoral cycle, grows in entitlement and diminishes in moral stature and social responsibility.
Yet, and not for the first time in Nigeria’s political history, the alternative is not so easy to embrace. Indeed, in matters of political substance and strategic vision, it is hardly an alternative at all. If, on the one hand, the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan seems incapable of communicating the most basic ideas about political goods and social justice without falling over, General Buhari on the other treats the past and any suggestion of moral reckoning as anathema. At a critical historical moment, therefore, when the yearning of millions of Nigerians for a leader of some distinction could not be more palpable, circumstances have conspired- once again- to saddle Nigeria with two perfectly unacceptable candidates.
Why does a nation in desperate need of bounty almost invariably have to be content with such thin gruel? How, for instance, does one account for President Goodluck Jonathan, complete with his flagrant intellectual limitations, in a country brimming with such extraordinary talent, both at home and in the diaspora? And why General Buhari (again!) thirty years after he laid waste to common decorum and decency, plunged the Fourth Estate into corporate misery, and oversaw arguably the most one-sided persecution of a political class in the history of postcolonial Africa?
There are no easy answers. But whatever explanations are advanced, there is no escaping the sober reality that Nigeria’s current fate is, shall we say, not a matter of coincidence, but a perfectly logical accumulation of the political ‘work’ that has been several decades in the making, and whose dynamic continues unabated. Nigerian scholars and scholars of Nigeria agree that these dynamics were incubated and unleashed long before the birth of Nigeria as an independent country in 1960. This means that any attempt to understand, say, Boko Haram’s medieval fury, the dissoluteness of the political class, the moral culpability of the theocratic elite, and the apparent impotence of the mass of the citizenry, must be cognizant of the layout of the Nigerian political arena, and its frustrating synthesis of constraints and possibilities.
Whether collectively or individually, the essays in this collection assume this analytic stance. While they take the March 28 elections as their immediate empirical provocation, each contribution is located within a broader ambiance of intellectual debates and conversations about the overall Nigerian political process. For example, Said Adejumobi, whilst immediately agitated about the threat the Boko Haram insurgency poses to the territorial integrity of the Nigerian state, is, in the long run, more worried about the Islamist group as a cipher for state failure in Nigeria. In his reading, Boko Haram offers a timely lens into problems of state incapacity, deterritorialization, and the diminution of state sovereignty, problems which increasingly confront states, and not just their postcolonial African variant. Perhaps finding little by way of substance, Akin Adesokan takes aim at President Jonathan’s style, and concludes, having mobilized several examples, that “The president’s style is to opt for the commonplace: do the needful, stretch nothing, be seen to have done what is necessary.” Should the president be held to account for this signal flaw? Adesokan has no doubt. After all, he (President Jonathan) “is an executive president and his office comes with a lot of discretionary powers. But he is an ordinary person, far from the risk-taker needing courage, loyalty or wisdom to act.”
In grappling with the moral economy of power sharing as it affects the 2015 elections, Brandon Kendhammer attributes the relative stability of the Fourth Republic to the success of the ruling PDP in using “the incentive structures of Nigeria’s post-civil war power sharing systems to its advantage.” For him, “By adhering to a rigid but highly transparent system that rotated key positions and appointments across ethnic, regional, and religious lines, the PDP effectively monopolized access to the political resources necessary under the power sharing requirements to compete in national elections.” Kendhammer argues that whatever the outcome of these elections, the power sharing “big umbrella” formula perfected by the PDP is unlikely to lose its luster. Moses Ochonu’s essay thematically complements Kendhammer’s. Whilst Kendhammer is interested in accounting for the PDP’s tenacity despite its programmatic poverty, Ochonu offers a coruscating assessment of the oppositional landscape. Although he agrees with a majority of scholars that the PDP’s “cozy dalliance with corruption and the corrupt” may well be its undoing, Ochonu argues that the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) forfeits what should have been a moral high ground by embracing “the pragmatic politically effective strategy of courting former members of the PDP and corrupt but influential political actors.”
Asonzeh Ukah’s contribution analyses the deeply troubling twinning of religion and politics in contemporary Nigeria, and the role of an increasingly powerful religious elite in politics and political claim-making. In the context of the struggle to win over what he calls a “Pentecostal electorate,” Ukah shows how “The power to religiously define Buhari and shape public perception of him has become an electoral resource for the ruling political party.” On the whole Ukah offers a succinct reminder of the pivotal, if destabilizing, role of religion in electoral engineering, and how, for desperate political candidates, “the ability to mobilize large congregants is an electoral resource.”
The March 28 presidential election features a northern Muslim candidate against a southern Christian minority incumbent, hence the enhanced role of religion against a general backdrop of pervasive Pentecotalization. But as Godwin Onuoha argues, (these) elections are also about other issues throbbing just below the surface. The example he addresses is Igbo politics and the, so far, elusive quest of the Igbo for presidential power. Onuoha contends that although the idea of “power rotation” is implicitly embedded in the structure of power relations within most political parties,” “the Igbos have not profited…in a manner that will enable them attain the highest office” in the land. Having provided a snapshot of the distinct phases in post-civil war Igbo politics, Onuoha concludes, very much against the grain, that “the Igbo Presidency Project and demand for incorporation is basically an invention of the Igbo faction of the ruling elite, and is not necessarily emancipatory.”
With the dominant focus of the majority of the contributions on ‘high politics,’ Rudi Gaudio’s emphasis on the realm of ‘low politics,’ the everyday domain where Nigerians of all stripes meet, hate and love, enacting quotidian dramas of selfhood in which the state is largely distinguished by its absence, is a crucial change of gear. For Gaudio, it is important to articulate these dramas, not just because they often confound scholarly hypotheses, but because they help to expose “simplifications that mask the nation’s actual problems, as well as its actual and potential synergies and opportunities.” While, all too often, divisions at the level of ‘high politics’ appear firmly set in stone, Gaudio provides an excellent portrait of a parallel universe in which political allegiances are fickle, not because people are incapable of loyalty, but because they feel connected and committed to one another as human beings first and foremost.
This collection is, if nothing else, an intellectual tribute to this ecumenical spirit. It registers the fervent desire by Nigerians to live and work together in harmony, and to create and nourish a properly democratic space where all can enjoy a sense of belonging. That spirit endures, over and above the overpowering din of a single election, and the problems that appear to smother it and hinder its flourishing will have to be engaged, long after a winner and a loser has emerged.
But how will this engagement be done, and through what forms of agency? One answer to the first part of the question is that this will have to involve exactly the same kind of trans-ethnic and pan-religious sensibility that, Gaudio reassures us, is already a fact of life across various Nigerian communities. The power of such a coalition was in robust evidence in January 2012 when the Occupy movement, galvanized by a combination of local disaffection and external example, extracted concrete concessions from the Jonathan government. The problem with Occupy, as with similar examples of spontaneous people power in Nigerian history with which it invites comparison, is that the original rage is hardly ever canalized into enduring civic institutions.
For that to change—and here we come to the second part of the question—a conscious effort must be made, mustering the country’s considerable human capital at home and in the diaspora- to build alternative structures of political engagement. Primarily, such structures will provide a focal point for those who wish to influence the system without being necessarily involved in the pull and shove of everyday politics. In the long run though, they, i.e. the structures, will serve as generators of socially usable ideas for a country badly in need of them.
If, ultimately, the essays here are adjudged as preparing the groundwork for this kind of alternative politics, they will have fulfilled their objective.
* Thanks to Africa is a Country Chief Editor Sean Jacobs and Designer Sam Clements.
“Too much of a sense of identity makes a man think he can do no wrong;
too little does the same.”
--Djuna Barnes (quoted in James Baldwin, Princes and Powers, 1956)
Two issues dominated political discourse in Nigeria in 2006, the final full year of the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo (1999- 2007), the first president of the Fourth Republic: the ‘third-term agenda’ and political violence in the Niger Delta. Obasanjo’s devious attempts at extending his tenure beyond two terms were defeated by a combination of mass opposition and the opportunistic grit of his political enemies, but the violence of hostage-taking in the Delta was too heedless to be fought. The militants were armed, so the state had to negotiate. One outcome of the complex negotiations was the emergence as Vice-President in 2007 of Goodluck Jonathan, formerly a professor of Zoology at the University of Port Harcourt. Inside four years, as a result of the “Doctrine of Necessity” cobbled together to resolve the constitutional crisis arising from President Umaru Yar’Adua’s demise, a man who wished for nothing higher than the deputy governorship of Bayelsa State found himself at the helms in a country where everyone has an opinion, and wields it like a warden’s rod. A man from whom little is expected dances to the music of his station.
Here is the farce that is Jonathan’s presidency:
The piercing cry of marginalization which has defined the history of the country’s oil-bearing region since independence is now little more than the murmur of a short-sighted elite operating a virulent form of internal colonialism; by presenting Jonathan as its best-foot-forward the Niger Delta has frittered immense moral and an intellectual capital; the right-wing tactics of old Nigeria, routinely deployed by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, have eaten through the progressive fabric of the nation’s body-politic, to the extent that an alliance of North and Southwest power blocs now presents itself through the All Progressive Congress, APC, as a viable alternative, compromising progressive politics immeasurably.
In the euphoric days following the end of military rule in 1999, with Obasanjo settled into his job as president and the specter of Shari’a governmentality still in the northern horizon, I agreed to review a new, non-commercial magazine published by the Nigerian chapter of a non-governmental organization interested in environmental issues. People at this NGO expected me to provide a “formal analysis” of the magazine, commenting on the layout, design, and the content of the occasional political opinion. They also invited a friendly political activist to chair the event, and I knew right away what was afoot—with “a literary person” you didn’t want to leave things to chance.
They got the obligatory review, but the context of my commentary was broader. The general elections in February of that year had convinced me that the popular struggle for democratic change peaking during the regime of General Sani Abacha had been usurped by the same forces it had meant to drive out. Political struggle in the Niger Delta had been historically prosecuted on the highest level of personal sacrifice. Yet the global scale of the struggle also ensured that issues of life-and-death faced by the ordinary people in the Niger Delta were now a matter of administrative convenience. In his closing remarks, the chair of the occasion essentially debunked all my claims, and with a touch of bad taste (or good, depending on how one sees it), commented on the cologne on my shirt as proof of my political outlook. I was more amused than offended.
Perhaps the bureaucratization of the struggle for environmental rights in Nigeria was inevitable. In Western Europe and North America, environmentalism was a rationalized part of political life, and much of the material support that Nigerian activists received was meant to reinforce the liberal view of politics as pragmatic negotiations between the sovereignty of power and the sovereignty of rights. Did this understanding of non-governmental patronage anticipate the militancy of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, and other groups? What were the links between the militias and the groups that have occupied power in the South-South in the past decade and a half?
It is political naiveté to expect the swamp dwellers to forever hymn the wreck that had been their reality since Oloibiri. After all, power blocs rise and are consolidated from the resources that have impoverished the Niger Delta, the same blocs using the power thus gained to make the impoverishment a fact of life. If they wanted to live like that forever, there would be no point in struggling against the pervasively oppressive system to begin with.
Yet a close attention to the antagonism between President Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State in 2013, and in the historical context of the Niger Delta after 1990, revealed several things, the most disarming being the famed dictum about history repeating itself as farce. Why are those who have suffered so much due to the primitive exploitation of oil resources from the Delta so eager to continue with things as they are? Is it too much to expect that, with the balance of power in favor of the once-marginalized, greater concern for ethics would carry the day?
It is often said that President Jonathan, like his two predecessors in the Fourth Republic, is the product of a corrupt political process. Given the structural violence pervasive at all levels of society, a person of outstanding moral power could not have emerged as president in 2011. Jonathan’s political behavior during his first term indicated a below-ordinary level of a sense of responsibility, falling short of what his office demanded. Beyond his commendable rectitude in the face of a provocative open letter published by Obasanjo in February 2014, it is hard to find an instance in which the president has behaved with outstanding courage.
Nigerians expect a lot from their presidents; they expect a president to be powerful without being overbearing. The problem is that the Jonathan is an ordinary figure ruling a country of extraordinary expectations. What is expected is that he rises above the values of his milieu—negative for the most part—and become the one to cut the expectations to size. There is a problem here. Even with the best intentions, the president cannot fight above his weight. Add to this the peculiar experiments of the past twenty-five years (since the military formation of two political parties), which has led to the emergence of parties without distinguishing ideologies and of which the PDP is symptomatic. The result is a mismatch between the protocols of presidential power, civic expectations, and unpredictable events for which the president may not be held accountable but which he would accept as part of the turf if he had the right amount of political imagination.
This is why Jonathan as president hasn’t done much to demonstrate exceptional political will. The more controversial decisions of his presidency—the removal of putative petroleum subsidies in January 2012; the ghastly renaming of the University of Lagos as Moshood Abiola University in June 2012; the pardoning of former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; the still unaccounted-for disappearance of $20 billion in February 2014; the arms’ deal imbroglio in South Africa; the confoundingly shoddy handling of the Boko Haram menace--could have had serious consequences for Jonathan were Nigeria to be governed by transparent rules. The fuel subsidy scandal later revealed a level of corruption too high for legal probity; the failed renaming of UNILAG ran the government into a cul-de-sac, without the kind of escape route soldiers routinely created by simply shooting in the air and taking off in a cloud of dusts. Thus the president is left with only forgettable actions in the “transformational” vein. It is thus an empty PR slogan, before and during electioneering campaigns, that Jonathan’s is called the “transformational presidency.”
The president’s style is to opt for the commonplace: do the needful, stretch nothing, be seen to have done what is necessary.
Can one blame him for this? Yes, to the extent that he is an executive president and his office comes with a lot of discretionary powers. But he is an ordinary person, far from the risk-taker needing courage, loyalty or wisdom to act.
Few actions generated as much anger and indignation during the first two years of Jonathan’s tenure as the controversial pardon of his former boss, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, in April 2013. The removal of petroleum subsidy and the renaming of the University of Lagos by presidential fiat were quickly or eventually reversed because the president could not really afford to fritter his political capital on those relatively insignificant issues. The big game, second-term tenure at Aso Rock, was still at large, the more cynical of his advisers must have calculated, so why allow these civic matters to lay your trap to waste?
Having come to power against the wishes of the power bloc in the North, and not sure of continuing acceptance in the other power bloc in the Southwest, Jonathan’s best bet remained the emerging bloc called South-South, his own political base. But even that could not be taken for granted, politics being what it is, and Nigerian politics for that matter. In addition to an uncertain political climate, there was another bee in the bonnet. Henry Okah, an acknowledged leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, remained unsullied by political horse-trading.
But Okah got into trouble as soon as Jonathan got into power, following his arrest and trial for the 50th independence anniversary explosions at Eagle Square in Abuja in October 2010. Some of his statements to the court were leaked to the press, which indicated that persons close to the president had allegedly tried to blackmail him, but there was no knowing how he stood with the people in the South-South, the political base he shared with the president. Only the president and his closest advisers knew this.
Here’s a plausible scenario:
The militancy in the Niger Delta which grew out of widespread state violence in the 1990s bred an astute sense of political awakening, which MEND did a lot to institutionalize. The emergence of politicians like Jonathan, Alamieyeseigha, Peter Odili, and many others can be traced to this political awakening.
The same process explained the indispensability of this geopolitical zone to the calculations of the People’s Democratic Party in the run-up to the 2007 general elections: the Vice-Presidency had to be zoned to the South-South. Jonathan, initially deputy to Alamieyeseigha until the latter was impeached, arrested, and convicted for money laundering charges, moved swiftly from that office to the governorship, then the Vice-Presidency, until circumstances thrust him into the President’s office.
Of these figures, only Okah remained outside official politics. Whatever his current travails, he was certainly not without his own constituency. Jonathan had benefited most from the political fortunes of the region, in actual terms. His ascent to the office of the president was a historic feat, and pointed to the legitimacy of the case for the redress of the imbalances in Nigerian politics, especially as far as the Niger Delta was concerned.
On the national stage, the menace of Boko Haram and the fallout of wrangling within the ruling party seemed to be weakening the president’s hold on the party’s bridle. His desire to contest the forthcoming election was heading for a dead-end. Okah’s trial looked likely to end in at least a conviction, and if this happened without a counterbalancing development, the hold on power would be weaker still, his influence in the Delta eroded.
The rehabilitation of Alamieyeseigha came to the rescue. The former governor was reputedly influential among the leadership of the disarmed militant groups. When he returned to his base after jumping bail in 2006, he was warmly welcomed by his people. He was not a suspect in a criminal case; he was a victimized defender of their rights.
A more self-destructing politics of identity can hardly be imagined.
Rudi Gaudio
Barka kadai, Rudi. How are your students? Hoping you are well.
The time of elections and politicians has come.
So please pray for us because now insecurity is increasing every day.
Because now thieves are bothering people.
Me too: thieves broke into my house last night.
They took my generator and some of my wife’s bridal goods.
But we’re all ok. Wasalaam, rest well.
In early 2014 the passage of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, popularly known as the antigay law, was celebrated as an example of regional, ethnic and political ecumenism: Nigerians of all stripes had joined together to promote a common vision of national identity and citizenship. Today, as federal elections loom, that unity is a mirage; Nigeria seems as fractured as ever. It may be tempting to view disunity as the essential truth, to see Nigerian unity as nothing more than a feel-good image peddled by politicians and other propagandists when it supports their pursuit of power and money. But Nigerian disunity is also a myth. As commonly purveyed by public officials and certain branches of the media, both images—of unity and disunity—are simplifications that mask the nation’s actual problems, as well as its actual and potential synergies and opportunities.
When I set out to write this essay, I received a text message in Hausa from a friend in Kano. Mahmud works in a shop near Sabon Gari selling linoleum flooring, where he earns barely enough to support a wife and two children. (Mahmud is not his real name. The same is true for the other non-public figures mentioned in this essay.) A native of Kano’s historic Old City, he lives with his family in a new suburb on the city’s periphery where land prices and rents are cheaper. He commutes to and from work on his motorcycle, which he also uses to run occasional errands for other shop-owners to supplement the salary he receives from his boss.
Mahmud approved of the antigay law. Although he had affairs with men when he was younger and still has friends in Kano’s underground community of men “who do the deed” (masu harka), he lives an upstanding life as a Hausa Muslim husband and father. From me and other foreign acquaintances, and from the local and international Hausa-language news programs he listens to on the radio, he knows that same-sex marriage is legal in many Western countries. He finds the idea intriguing, but he does not think same-sex marriage should be made legal in Nigeria. He believes the antigay law has made things more difficult for masu harka—friends of his have been blackmailed by younger men who threatened to expose them to the police—but he blames his friends too for being reckless in their choice of sex partners, and does not think the antigay law can or should be repealed.
Mahmud approved of the antigay law, but he does not think it’s very important. In his view, whatever threat same-sex marriage might have posed to Nigerian society pales in comparison to the challenges he faces on a daily basis. On several occasions over the last few years, terrorist bombs have hit close to his workplace and the neighborhood he grew up in, and he and his family have been awakened by the sound of gunshots as armed battles between Nigerian soldiers and alleged Boko Haram sympathizers have taken place near his home. Terrorist violence and state efforts to contain it have also exacted a painful economic toll. Commerce is down, and Mahmud struggles to earn enough money to feed his family, put petrol in his motorcycle, and pay his children’s school fees. The recent burglary of his home only added to his sense of danger and insecurity.
My friend Isaiah also fears for his and family’s safety in the coming weeks. Popularly known as Engineer, Isaiah is originally from Enugu but has lived in the suburbs of Abuja for over fifteen years. After working as a motorcycle mechanic in his hometown, he moved with his wife and young child to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the hopes of starting a business. He started riding okada (motorcycle-taxi) as a way to pay the rent. His earnings took a hit when the FCT government banned okadas from central Abuja in 2006, but he stuck with the job as his family grew. From his earnings he was able to buy a used car and a plot of land in an indigenous settlement on the outskirts of Abuja where he built a house. Before he was able to move into it, however, FCT government agents declared that Isaiah’s house had been illegally constructed and demolished it, along with most of the houses around it. Isaiah took the loss in his stride and endeavored to start over. He painted his car green, registered it with the appropriate authorities, and started driving a taxi in central Abuja. From his earnings and his wife’s income as a part-time office assistant in a primary school, he was able to buy a plot of land in a different indigenous settlement further outside the city. He built a small two-bedroom house and moved into it with his wife and six children in late 2012. Last year, government agents came round and painted big red X’s on Isaiah’s house and all his neighbors’ houses, marking them for demolition.
When I called him last month to wish him a happy new year, Isaiah told me his and his neighbor’s houses were still standing. He was grateful for the reprieve, of course, but he suspects the government has suspended demolitions until after the election, and worries what will happen next. His concerns are not limited to the fate of his house. Mindful of the violence that erupted in northern Nigeria after the presidential election in 2011, Isaiah fears that, if President Jonathan is re-elected, ethnic conflicts might break out in his neighborhood. Although the area is ethnically diverse, it still feels “northern” to him and he fears that, as Igbos, he and his family will be targeted as presumed supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He attends regular meetings of an Enugu migrants’ association and has contingency plans to return to his hometown if things in Abuja get too dangerous.
As a Christian, Isaiah supported the antigay law as a matter of decency and common sense. But like Mahmud, he was not enthusiastic about it. He doesn’t give lawmakers much credit for passing it, and wishes they’d pay attention to more important issues, like the need for affordable housing, fixing the supply of water and electricity, tackling the problem of security, and so forth.
As middle-aged married men with some secondary school education, Mahmud and Isaiah share many of the same concerns. They are committed to their respective faiths and cultural backgrounds, but their political allegiances are hardly set in stone. When Goodluck Jonathan succeeded the late Umaru Yar’adua in 2010, Mahmud took to heart the new president’s pledge to serve the interests of all Nigerians. His neighbors might call Jonathan arna (“pagan”), but that kind of rhetoric didn’t prevent Mahmud from hoping that life might improve under the new administration. However, as the insecurity in Kano worsened, and as the economy steadily deteriorated, Mahmud lost that sense of optimism. Isaiah, too, has grown wary of President Jonathan. When I visited him last year, Isaiah had nothing but scorn for the president and his party, who speak of a “transformation agenda” while the national infrastructure—and the nation itself—seems to be falling apart.
Today Mahmud is supporting Jonathan’s challenger, Muhammadu Buhari. Life has gotten too precarious under Jonathan, and Buhari seems to offer the only possibility of positive change. Isaiah is not sure. He distrusts the president and fears what might happen if Jonathan is re-elected, but he is also wary of handing power to a one-time military ruler from the Muslim North. It might appear as if both Mahmud and Isaiah have retreated into predictably “tribalistic” positions. But both men’s ideas and allegiances are far more nuanced.
From the perspective of Isaiah and Mahmud, what's really ailing Nigeria is not same-sex marriage, but the ability of men to achieve the role of provider and protector for their families. Young men can't afford to get married or even have girlfriends; older men find it difficult to feed, clothe and educate their families and keep them safe. In such circumstances it is not hard to convince some men that the problems they're facing are due to other people having unfair advantages: rich men and women using their ill-gotten gains to attract mistresses and boy-toys, straight or gay; members of one family, tribe, church or mosque channeling wealth and opportunity to their fellows at the expense of others; women using their sexual charms to extract favors from men and pit men against each other.
Neither Mahmud nor Isaiah is especially privileged, yet each might view the other with suspicion. Isaiah might imagine that Mahmud derives unfair benefits from his supposed connections with Hausa Muslim big men who like to chase boys. Mahmud might suspect that Isaiah has friends among the Igbo moguls who allegedly control much of Abuja's real estate. Both men share a frustration with the elites of all backgrounds whose misrule has led Nigeria to its current impasse. Both are also open to the possibility of interethnic solidarity and cooperation. But even if they lived in the same town, they would be unlikely to join forces because of habitual ethnic prejudices and linguistic disparities—Mahmud speaks limited English and Pidgin; Isaiah knows only a few Hausa expressions.
A radio station in Kano is pointing the way towards bridging the linguistic and cultural gaps that prevent men like Isaiah and Mahmud from forging common ground. Wazobia FM Kano is part of the family of Wazobia radio stations that have attracted huge followings in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja by broadcasting entirely in Nigerian Pidgin (or what some language activists have dubbed “Naija langwej”). The Kano station, at 95.1 on the FM dial, is somewhat different. Instead of an all-Pidgin platform, its on-air personalities converse in a seamless blend of Pidgin and Hausa. Pidgin-speaking announcers listen to their Hausa-speaking counterparts and respond in Pidgin; the Hausa-speakers do the reverse. No translations are provided; the announcers are all bilingual. Judging from the calls and text-messages the station receives from the public, its audience is truly diverse, and includes a significant fraction of Hausa-speakers who can understand Pidgin to some extent but are uncomfortable speaking it. Other listeners may have a similarly limited, receptive knowledge of Hausa.
In cities throughout Nigeria, people like Mahmud and Isaiah are becoming increasingly aware of the common struggles they face as working-class citizens. This awareness makes them ready to espouse what I like to call a popular ecumenical cosmopolitanism that transcends (but does not displace) their particular ethnic and religious loyalties. As shown by the success of the Wazobia FM stations, this popular ecumene is mediated largely by Nigerian Pidgin, though given the geography of that language’s origins and spread, additional efforts are needed to encourage some Hausa-speakers to take part in the “Naija” public sphere.
In 2013 Wazobia FM Kano was banned for airing a program that allegedly incited violence. Without passing judgment on that specific accusation, the banning of the station—which lasted almost a year—had the unfortunate effect of foreclosing one of the few public forums for interethnic communication available to Kano’s citizenry. Its return to the airwaves was widely celebrated.
Regardless of the outcome of the federal elections, it is imperative that Nigerians insist on, and that their leaders honor, freedom of public expression. The media are not perfect, but they provide a necessary space for cultivating a genuine sense of national belonging. As an oral-aural medium that is increasingly interactive, radio is especially important for fostering democratic debate. A free Nigerian media sphere has the potential to nourish the ecumenical, cosmopolitan leanings of working-class men like Isaiah and Mahmud. It also has the potential to engage their wives and daughters, as well as other women and the nation’s largely hidden communities of gender and sexual minorities, whose perspectives and contributions will all be crucial if Nigeria is ever to realize its promise as the Giant of Africa.
Brandon Kendhammer
Of all of the problems that have bedeviled Nigeria over the past 50 years, building a strong national identity amidst its extraordinary divisions of ethnicity, language, and religion has likely been the hardest. Nigerians’ commitment to putting their national identity above their ethnic and religious affiliations ranks among Africa’s lowest (Robinson 2014), offering a simple explanation for why its political institutions are so often swamped by identity-based conflicts. Yet just a year past the centennial of its creation, Nigeria has also demonstrated a tenacious commitment to hanging together. Indeed, its current Fourth Republic has survived longer than any of its previous civilian regimes in spite of a series of ongoing ethno-religious conflicts that have killed thousands and displaced millions.
Much of the relative stability of the Fourth Republic (1999-) can be attributed to a remarkable fifteen- year run by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), the most successful party in Nigerian history. Fueled by a combination of strategic calculation and an unrepentant willingness to play hardball (up to and including alleged vote-buying and rigging), between 1999 and 2013 the PDP built a national coalition broader and more expansive than any before it, ultimately holding the presidency through four consecutive elections. Here, the PDP’s greatest attribute has been its ability to use the incentive structures of Nigeria’s post-civil war powersharing system to its advantage. By adhering to a rigid but highly transparent system that rotated key positions and appointments across ethnic, regional, and religious lines, the PDP effectively monopolized access to the political resources necessary under the powersharing requirements to compete in national elections.
Moving towards the 2015 elections, the PDP finds itself weakened by internal squabbles and scandals, declining oil revenues (and a weakened federal balance sheet), and growing concern with the out-of-control Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast. Most importantly, it confronts an organized and (relatively) unified opposition movement, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Originally founded in 2013 as a coalition of progressive politicians and activists from the north and southwest, the APC first gained attention for not adhering to informal powersharing expectations, promising instead a programmatic party platform and campaign headlined by leaders chosen for their competence, not their region of origin. But as the election nears—and notably, as the PDP struggles with its own internal powersharing system—the APC has taken on a more “traditional” form, populated by PDP defectors (particularly from the North) who will, presumably, expect resources and positions allocated to them and their supporters should they help to engineer an upset. Whether or not the rise of the APC portends a genuine break in the powersharing-driven status quo or simply more of the same remains to be seen.
The Paradox of Nigerian Politics
One of the abiding paradoxes of Nigerian politics is that the very institutions and rules designed to reduce ethnic and religious tensions often produce more and more intense conflict, undermining the very democratic principles and practices they were meant to reinforce. One culprit has been its post-civil war powersharing bargain, originally designed in the mid-1970s to both prevent the rampant ethnic outbidding that had destroyed the First Republic and address widespread feelings (particularly among minority groups) of marginalization within the federation. Over the last forty years, this eclectic system has remained largely unaltered, carried over from the 1978 Second Republic constitution and through fifteen years of military rule to today. Indeed, Nigeria can count itself as one of only a handful of nations to ever maintain a post-conflict powersharing bargain for a decade or more, giving it an unexpected place of pride in the annals of international governance.
In a certain light, ethno-religious powersharing in Nigeria has been a success. Although identity-based violence remains sadly common, a return to the First Republic’s ethno-regional stalemates and zero-sum confrontations seems unlikely. Much of this success is owed to the integrative components of the powersharing bargain, expressly designed to force political parties to cooperate across ethnic and regional lines. Beginning with the 1978 constitution, all parties have been required to demonstrate a “national presence,” officially banning those that fail to operate offices and contest elections across the country. Parties are also prohibited from adopting explicitly ethnic or religious orientations, although most find ways around this in local electioneering. And of course, there’s the requirement that winning presidential candidates capture at least 25 percent of the vote in two-thirds of the states, ostensibly preventing a party with an overwhelming base in one part of the country but little support elsewhere from emerging victorious.
On the other side of the bargain are the representational components. Here, the centerpiece is the federal character principle, which began life as a constitutional guarantee that major federal appointments (the general officer corps, cabinet ministers, ambassadors) would be equally apportioned to all regions of the country. Over the past 35 years, however, the concept has expanded far beyond its initial ambitions, transformed not only into a formal quota system for nearly all forms of federal employment, but also an expansive, informal set of values and expectations—a “moral economy”—centered around demands that nearly everything in public life be meticulously balanced across ethnic and religious lines. From the composition of federal commissions to university admissions and the roster of the Super Eagles (the national soccer team), Nigerian politics are defined by the need to publicly perform this balancing act, a talisman to ward off the claims of discrimination that even the largest ethnic and religious communities throw about freely.
As myself and others have argued (Joseph 1987; Bogaards 2010; Kendhammer 2010), Nigeria’s powersharing bargains have played a very important role in structuring how political entrepreneurs and parties organize and build their support and mobilization networks. But while the intention of the bargain’s framers seems to have tilted towards the integrative side, it’s been the representational aspects—and in particular, the federal character—that have had the greatest impact. In principle, the “breadth” requirements can be met without reference to ethnic politics at all. The realities of the federal character, however, mean that access to state resources and recognition continue to flow through organized ethno-regional interests—a fancy way of describing classic patronage networks.
As the American political scientist Richard Joseph (1987) memorably described, the first party to seize upon the federal character principle to avoid the need to engage in mass political mobilizing was the Second Republic’s National Party of Nigeria (NPN). In order to fulfill its distributional requirements, the northern “core” of the NPN needed to offer either a broadly appealing policy program (a challenge given that it hadn’t been organized around any particular guiding principles) or recruit elite allies capable of turning out their own communities based on promises of patronage. But how to attract such allies, given the uncertain rewards? A crowded, big-tent party would have many contestants for a narrow range of plum positions, surely alienating many. The NPN’s solution was to formally announce that it would rotate its key positions—presidential and vice-presidential candidates and party chairman—between four ethno-regional “zones,” North, West, East, and “minorities.”
By providing a guarantee that representatives from all four zones would eventually have a chance at these spots, the NPN offered a measure of upward mobility for its allies, something its leading competitors (all dominated by leading First Republic personalities) couldn’t. In the four years prior to the 1983 coup, these guarantees were slowly expanded into state-level politics as well, encouraging local political entrepreneurs to throw in with the NPN in exchange for their voter mobilization efforts. Naturally, if this required vote-rigging and violence, the national party was willing to tolerate it. More than any other factor, it was state-level electoral malfeasance by the NPN in 1983, as local candidates sought to consolidate their own positions in light of the party’s national victory during the first round of voting, and the national party’s unwillingness to punish those responsible, that set off the chain of events ending in the New Year’s Eve coup (Hart 1993).
The Rise of the Unbeatable PDP
The PDP’s dominance over the Fourth Republic political scene is a logical extension of these trends. Beginning with the party’s origins in the so-called “Group of 34,” an unlikely coalition of anti-Abacha activists, old-guard Second Republic stalwarts, and members of key northern political networks (the Shehu Musa Yar’adua/Atiku connection, in particular) and extending to its early embrace of “power shift” to a Yoruba presidential candidate in recompense for the annulled 1993 elections, the PDP’s mastery of the federal character principle has been its greatest political strength. Beginning in 1999 and accelerating under President Obasanjo, the PDP leadership has focused on carefully curating its alliances with patronage networks and “godfathers” (a Nigerian term for elite influencers and political “fixers” that wield power behind the scenes) in order to win state-level elections, particularly at the gubernatorial level. To recruit them, it’s maintained a careful internal powersharing project that parallels the legal mandates of the federal character, extending not only to the federal level, but within states and local government areas (LGAs).
In particular, it seized upon the NPN’s zoning strategy, re-purposing it to fit the now-six zonal categories in the Nigerian political lexicon, offering an even more expansive terrain for informal balancing. Despite the considerable political challenges of working with state-level godfathers (perhaps the most famous example is in Anambra, where a split between godfather Andy Uba and his former client, state governor Chris Ngige in 2004 required Obasanjo’s very public personal intervention), this strategy has paid handsome dividends. The PDP has been able to consistently mount an overwhelming “ground game” for national elections, not only turning out the vote for PDP candidates, but by stacking the institutional board (state-level electoral officials and the security services, in particular) against potential opponents. And even in its current, weakened state (following a spate of defections in 2014, it directly controls a mere 20 statehouses), there are good reasons to believe the PDP retains an advantage in meeting the 25 percent in two-thirds threshold over all comers.
Putting aside the question of the PDP’s performance in government (like most things in Nigeria, it’s been mixed), its dominance raises a series of important challenges to the idea that democratic stability in deeply-divided societies depends on expansive powersharing. Going all the way back to the foundational work of Arend Lijphart (1969), advocates of grand coalition-style powersharing have understood that these systems are susceptible to domination by “elite cartels,” trading off within the national political system for severely dampened democratic competition. Certainly, the PDP’s commitment to zoning has defused many intra-elite conflicts—including naming a successor for Obasanjo in 2007—that might have, in other times, led to widespread ethnic violence or even state breakdown. But the price has been the reinforcement of a patronage politics system that assumes the only way for a community to access the benefits of federal representation is for one of “their” members to gain entry to the state and channel resources back informally, most often at election-time. This system actually makes the “do-or-die” nature of politics at the state and local level worse, as the fight over control of federal largess has simply moved down into these contests. The result has been an explosion of ethnic and religious violence within the most-divided states, as local political entrepreneurs fight (often with the tacit approval of the national party) to maintain their positions at all cost.
Is the PDP still unbeatable?
So, is the challenge posed by the APC a symptom of the PDP’s decline, or a reflection of something else? One key factor is that, for the first time, the PDP has found its internal powersharing structure inadequate to the political task at hand. The system the PDP created depends on two key factors. One is the widespread belief that it will honor its zoning commitments. The second, of course, is that the rewards available to potential supporters outweigh any potential costs. On the first, the unexpected death of President Yar’adua in 2010 and the succession of Goodluck Jonathan threw off the rotational calendar, denying (in their eyes, at least), northern interests their “fair” eight years in office. The PDP’s inconsistent handling of this issue—sometimes suggesting that Jonathan would step down after winning his own term in 2011, other times not—helped to prime many of the party’s key northern supporters for defection if a viable opposition finally emerged. Combined with the Jonathan administration’s extraordinarily inept handing of the Boko Haram insurgency, something of a popular groundswell against the PDP in many northern states has pushed the PDP into an increasingly difficult (if hardly impossible) electoral map.
On the second issue, it’s unclear how much the decline in international oil prices—and the assumed decline in resources available for patronage—will impact the PDP (or its successor) going forward. It’s hardly surprising that much of the APC’s elite support has come from Lagos, where federal oil money is far less relevant to building and sustaining political coalitions. And of course, the reality is that even in a dramatically diminished form, oil revenues may still be worth fighting for from the perspective of many political networks, particularly given the lucrative opportunities available to state officials willing to look the other way as bunkering and smuggling expand.
Whatever the APC’s chances are in 2015, the powersharing status quo carved out by the PDP remains a useful, if no longer unstoppable, template for winning power in Nigeria. Indeed, in the absence of substantive changes to the formal powersharing rules around national elections or, more hopefully, a shift in the federal character expectations of many Nigerian voters, the PDP’s “big umbrella” model is likely to remain an attractive one for quite a while longer. Outward, strategic balancing remains a basic requirement in national politics even for parties, like the APC, which have tried to eschew it, a lesson learned as rumors of a “north/north” ticket slowly gave way to the vice-presidential nomination of Yemi Osinbajo, not only a southwesterner but a close political ally of Bola Tinubu, the mercurial former Lagos State governor who’s emerged as one of the APC’s primary patrons. For now, the realities of Nigeria’s “moral economy” of powersharing take precedence over all other concerns.
Matthijs Bogaards (2010), “Ethnic Party Bans and Institutional Engineering in Nigeria,” Democratization, 17:4, pp. 730-49.
Christopher Hart (1993), “the Nigerian Elections of 1983,” Africa, 63:3, pp. 397-418.
Richard Joseph(1987), Democracy and Prebendal Politics in Nigeria: The Rise and Fall of the Second Republic (New York: Cambridge University Press).
Brandon Kendhammer (2010), Talking Ethnic but Hearing Multi-Ethnic: The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria and Durable Multi-Ethnic Parties in the Midst of Violence,” Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, 48:1, pp. 48-71.
Arend Lijphart (1969), “Consociational Democracy,” World Politics, 21:2, pp. 207-25.
Amanda Lea Robinson (2014), “National versus Ethnic Identification in Africa: Modernization, Colonial Legacy, and the Origins of Territorial Nationalism,” World Politics, 66:4, pp. 709–746.
Moses E. Ochonu
Nigeria's ruling People Democratic Party’s hold on power faces the fiercest test yet since Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999. The so-called Fourth Republic has been plagued as much by opposition dysfunction as it has by the incompetent complacency of the ruling party, a deadly duality that has dimmed the prospects of political accountability in Africa’s most populous country. Nigeria’s alphabet soup of opposition parties is notorious for attrition and atrophy. In 2011, a deal to forge an alliance between the two main opposition parties — the Congress for Progressive Change and the Action Congress of Nigeria (both are now defunct, having merged, along with several smaller parties to form the All Progressive Congress, or APC) — unraveled at the last moment, enabling the ruling PDP to coast to a relatively easy victory.
The last-minute collapse of the alliance was a setback for oppositional politics in the short term as it forestalled the emergence of a potential touchstone for defeating the PDP. In 2013, the current opposition APC coalition coalesced from a number of fortuitous and calculated events. First, Muhammadu Buhari, the APC presidential candidate, and former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu, who has led opposition to the PDP since 1999, rekindled their failed coalition negotiations from 2011 and, after a series of meetings and complicated horse trading, birthed the APC. The new party, even more crucially, is not a typical election season coalition; it is the product of a full-fledged merger, which makes the development all the more remarkable considering the multiple egos and political estates at stake.
Second, a splinter group in the ruling PDP, which counted among its members five state governors, several senators, House of Representatives members, and several prominent Nigerians, elected to join the emerging opposition coalition rather than remain in the ruling party to work out its grievances with the main faction of the party. This swelling of the opposition rank meant shrinkage in the PDP. More consequentially, the APC gained valuable executive and legislative office holders who would help sustain the party financially. Unpredictable and unexpected, this development boosted the capacity of the APC to mobilize resources and personnel nationally.
Third, powerful, wealthy former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, a founding member of the ruling PDP, left the party to join the APC. Mr. Atiku’s action capped a series of good political fortunes for the APC. The optical narratives produced by these events have had a phenomenal impact on the new party’s image and appeal, as many mainstream political actors yielded to the bandwagon momentum.
As the opposition has found its voice and stride, however, it has provoked new questions about the price of building a competitive opposition platform — or more precisely about the cost of engineering an opposition movement that is not organic but Machiavellian and unabashedly mercantilist in its quest for power.
As the backroom details of the dynamics that produced and continue to sustain the APC begin to seep out into the public sphere, it has become clear that this formidable opposition to the long regime of the PDP has come at enormous financial and moral cost to Nigeria and the party respectively. The financial cost refers to the fact that the rise of the APC and its strategic transformation into a wealthy, resource-heavy rival of the PDP was largely financed by largesse derived ultimately from state contracts and other rents collected by APC political officeholders. The party’s reliance on this stream of funding paradoxically instantiates the diversion of state resources that many Nigerians associate with the PDP incumbency and indicts the APC for normalizing similar rent seeking practices in its pursuit of power. The cost of amoral oppositional mobilizations is indexed by the hollowness of the opposition’s mantra of change, which casts the APC as parallel rather than dialectical to the PDP.
This point about oppositional moral compromises deserves substantiation. By all accounts, the main financial benefactors of the APC are the aforementioned Abubakar Atiku and Bola Tinubu, as well as Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, the governor of oil-producing Rivers State. Each of these men epitomizes a particular pathology of graft. Atiku, who has battled a reputation for corruption for years and has advanced several less-than-convincing explanations for his unaccounted wealth, was named in 2008 as one of several bribe takers in an SEC investigation into lucrative contracts obtained by Siemens in the Nigerian telecoms sector. Additionally, Atiku was named in a US Senate report as the mastermind of a $40 million money laundering scheme in 2010. Atiku was also named in connection with the case of convicted Louisiana Congressman, William Jefferson in 2006. Finally, in 2006, as Vice President, Mr. Atiku faced several allegations of corrupt enrichment associated with his chairmanship of a lucrative oil-sector training fund. The most damaging of these allegations came from and ricocheted back to then President Olusegun Obasanjo, as the two officials engaged in scorched earth exposures of each other’s involvements in corruption schemes.
Mr. Bola Tinubu, the national leader of the APC and its most influential power broker, is an equally shady political operative whose quest for power and influence brooks no moral or ethical strictures. Tinubu was governor of Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial, aviation, and shipping hub, between 1999 and 2007. His tenure was marred by, and continues to be dogged by, allegations that he awarded lucrative revenue collection and construction contracts to his own companies. According to media reports, one of the companies alleged to be his fronts, Alpha Beta, continues to collect all the consequential revenues of Lagos State amounting to billions of naira monthly with little or no accountability and for a hefty commission (Hooffman and Nolte 2014: 41).
The current governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, is Tinubu’s political protégé and is believed to have preserved Tinubu’s access to lucrative state schemes and the networks of patronage that transfer public resources into the opposition’s political machine in Southwestern Nigeria. Mr. Tinubu’s ability to perfect the strategy of leveraging the rents that accrue to him from his political influence in Lagos enabled him to sponsor and subsequently enthrone his political godsons in four other Southwestern states as governors. This political haul enlarged the opposition’s field of patronage and rent seeking, which ultimately enabled Tinubu to midwife and fund the emergence of a competitive opposition in the form of the APC. Tinubu embodies the moral albatross that the APC is wrestling with as it tries to define itself as a departure from the PDP’s impunity and moral indifference. Tinubu’s biography is one of moral baggage and disrepute, and weighs heavily on the APC’s ongoing effort to define itself as the antithesis of the PDP. In 2008, Tinubu’s past life as an illicit operative in the seamy side of life in Chicago, USA, caught up with him. Starring a possible conviction after US DEA agents and the US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois linked him to a heroin trafficking cartel, Tinubu entered a plea agreement with the US government and forfeited assets that US federal agents concluded were proceeds of narcotics trafficking.
Another alleged financier of the APC is Rotimi Amaechi, governor of Rivers State, whose state had been awash in oil money until the slump in crude oil prices. Mr. Amaechi, a feisty political adversary of President Goodluck Jonathan, is alleged have sold off his state’s assets worth tens of millions of dollars to fund the APC in the hope of securing the Vice Presidential slot of the APC presidential ticket. Moreover, Amaechi’s tenure has been marred by corruption scandals and allegations of political graft, the most spectacular of which occurred in 2008, when the governor’s then chief of staff, Nyesom Wike and the Secretary to the State Government, Magnus Abbe, were arrested and detained by Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the EFCC, for transferring public funds amounting to 300 million Naira into private bank accounts. Mr. Amaechi had personally led the effort that, according to one report, found a “political solution” — a euphemism for dealing with corruption scandals with bribes and illicit exchanges — to the scandal.
APC and The Dilemmas of Oppositional Mobilization
The dearth of a competitive, coherent, and organizationally astute opposition has plagued Nigerian democracy since 1999, and the need for a robust opposition to challenge the PDP oligarchy has been the single most important challenge for deepening and institutionalizing democratic culture in Nigeria. Without a credible, plausible opposition, elections are mere rituals of choiceless affirmations that enable incumbents to morph into tyrannical machines of corruption and elitism as state officials see no threat to their perch. The much sought-after viable opposition is here, finally (or so it seems), but at what cost, many observers ask.
The PDP’s financial advantage in political contests has been enormous and stems from its extra-constitutional access to state resources, since power in Nigeria, as in many African countries, translates to unfettered access to the state treasury in a neo-patrimonial system of coterminous personal and institutional resources. Most Nigerians agree that, for a credible challenge to the PDP’s rule to materialize, the party’s financial advantage needs to be confronted and neutralized. The question posed but rarely answered is how to do this outside state-funded political machines of patronage. Nigeria is a poster country for the role of money in politics. The absence of strict campaign finance regulation, the near total access that state officials have to funds at the federal and state levels, and the small size of the private sector all converge to create an environment that allows for political campaigns to be funded largely through illicit state resources.
Political parties rely on the illicit financial contributions of politicians elected to office on their platforms. When you throw the reality of mass poverty into this cauldron you have the perfect operational laboratory for elections that are literally for sale as political parties and candidates struggle to outdo one another in the race to provide financial inducement to potential voters. In recent months, politicians in both parties have sought to make permanent this mechanism of material gratification as a strategy for currying support. In the wake of the governorship elections in the southwestern state of Ekiti, which the candidate of the PDP, Ayodele Fayose, won, many political observers attributed his victory to the greater attention he allegedly paid to what has become known euphemistically as “stomach infrastructure,” an elaborate political praxis in which the supply of instruments of instant gratification replace long term promises and platforms as the gateway to popular — and populist — support.
Although that explanation is problematic, given that his opponent, the then incumbent APC governor, Kayode Fayemi, also distributed largesse to potential voters, Mr. Ayodele Fayose proudly embraced the narrative. He went even further. Fayose institutionalized “stomach infrastructure” as one of the cornerstones of his administration and appointed a paid aide to attend to the immediate material and consumptive needs of Ekiti citizens. Consequently, he established a directorate of stomach infrastructure, a not-so-subtle project for creating a permanent campaign structure predicated on the theory that the road to the hearts and minds of voters goes through their bellies. At the time, the APC’s political and intellectual wings sensationalized and mocked the blatant adoption of the ethos of material gratification by the PDP candidate and sought to invoke Fayose’s unabashed disposition to the politics of inducement as one more difference between the APC and the PDP. As of this moment, however, the opposition has fully entered the “stomach infrastructure” business, its investments in the infrastructure of material inducement now chronicled and archived alongside that of the PDP by a Facebook page dedicated to the most egregious, crudest manifestation of this phenomenon. (This page was started by Carleton University Professor of English, Pius Adesanmi, and political activist and commentator, Soni Akoji. Because of my longstanding research interest in the personalization, abuse, and commodification of power and in the crude, quotidian instruments of political patronage, I have joined the group as one of its administrators.)
Given his public persona as a man of integrity and as a man with the common touch, it remains to be seen as of the time of writing this essay whether Muhammadu Buhari, the APC presidential candidate, will allow the discursive and instrumental infrastructures of stomach gratification to define the spirit of his campaign.
This narrative illustrates one of the dilemmas that historically plagued all Nigerian oppositions, and especially ones as serious as the APC. The question is: what is an opposition outside the lucrative intestines of federal power to do to create the much-desired ubiquity and visibility? Nigerian electoral campaigns are not just about distributing party- and candidate-branded bags of rice, sugar, salt, and other instruments of inducement. They are also about numerous chartered private jets touring the country to rally the troops, as Nigeria’s road network has become unsafe for the volume and frequency of travel required by a presidential political campaign of big entourages. Elections are thus expensive businesses in which, traditionally, incumbents have had a decisive advantage over the opposition, the key financial tiebreaker being the control exercised by the central government over the allocation of oil revenues. This allocative prerogative enjoyed by incumbents often conduces to almost unchecked access to state resources, which are then leveraged to financially overwhelm the opposition.
The singular most important accomplishment of the APC in this election cycle has been to equalize the financial playing field, with the trio of Atiku, Tinubu, and Amaechi marshalling resources to put the APC almost on level terms with the PDP in the political spending index. Some pragmatic political observers praise this as a feat that, whatever the outcome of the election, may serve to neutralize the taken-for-granted financial advantage of political incumbency and refocus elections on policy, problems, and solutions. On the other hand, this success required the mobilization of resources from sources that are questionable and are animated by the patrimonial corruption associated with the status quo. These oppositional financial mobilizations recall and parallel the questionable political expenditures of the PDP, which are major talking points of the opposition, and which they routinely invoke to validate their call for change and a different direction for the country and its politics. As the APC has become like the PDP in its operations, this narrative has found less purchase among Nigerians.
This throws up the inevitable question of pragmatic choice versus idealistic preservation of contrast. In this context, should, and must an opposition desirous of capturing power necessarily lose its soul, so to speak, or take on the moral image of its incumbent adversary to stand a chance of dislodging that adversary? Must an opposition movement seeking viability essentially become a moral replica of the party it seeks to replace in power? If the answer is yes, there is one obvious implication: elections become meaningless, mere rituals for replacing the faces in power.
Seek Ye First the Political Kingdom
The moral consequences of challenging the status quo on its preferred terrain of money politics takes a toll on the moral content of the opposition’s message, blurring the distinctions between the incumbency and the opposition when the electorate try to separate the good from bad — or, as political commentator Pius Adesanmi prefers to say, the bad from the less bad. But the strategy bespeaks an old political tradition of prioritizing the capture of power above all else. A pan-African variant of this tradition is encapsulated in Kwame Nkrumah’s famous words about seeking the “political kingdom” of national liberation and power first and letting other concerns shake out as they may.
The APC seems to have taken Nkrumah’s counsel to heart. At the December, 2014 national convention of the party, the contest for its presidential ticket was a reminder of the dollar-laced political courtship that Nigerians associate with PDP conventions. Mr. Atiku, one of the presidential aspirants is widely reported to have given US$2,000 to each delegate to sway their vote. A delegate confirmed this and added scandalously that, to outdo Atiku and swing the delegates to Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Tinubu and other leaders of the party who favored Buhari, “encouraged” “pro-Buhari [APC] governors” to “take care of their delegates better than Atiku” and that as a result of the ensuring duel of dollars, he and other delegates allegedly received an additional $3,000 from the pro-Buhari camp. Dramatic displays of PDP-esque politics of monetary bargains have the potential to dissolve the moral distinction between the two parties, equalize the moral fighting terrain, and cause observers to question whether the APC stands for anything substantially different from the political template perfected by the PDP. This is already happening and many citizens, including visible ones like respected columnist, Okey Ndibe, are increasingly pointing to the operational sameness between the two contending political parties — the widespread belief that the APC, for all its rhetoric, is a moral and ethical clone of the PDP.
This belief, if it endures, will undermine whatever credibility the APC may have garnered from emerging as a formidable threat to the 15-year stranglehold of the PDP. It may also engender apathy, a refusal to participate in the political process, an attitude that would be injurious in the long term to Nigeria’s quest for a democracy of an actively participating followership and citizenry. An additional drag on the image of the APC as it seeks to contrast itself morally and ethically to the PDP is the fact that not only has it actively courted and admitted into its membership disaffected members of the PDP, some of them with unresolved questions of corruption plaguing them, the party announced its collective, rebranded entrance into the national political arena by cutting what many Nigerians saw as corrupting and conscience-deadening deals with political figures widely seen as villains of Nigeria’s recent political history. (Former Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki, epitomizes this phenomenon. One of the most prominent figures in the APC, the senator has been implicated in several corruption investigations into allegations that he raided banks, including his family’s defunct Societe Generale Bank, to fund his political and business empire. See here and here.)
Images of APC leaders paying several visits to these figures were broadcast and disseminated to a nation increasingly suspicious of the APC’s ability to live out its avowed mantra of change. Visits to former military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, who has an outsized reputation for corruption and who carries the additional notoriety of having annulled what most Nigerians regard as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election to date, the 1993 presidential elections; and to former president Olusegun Obasanjo, who tried to change the constitution to secure a third term in office and who, like Babangida, has been dogged by several credible allegations of corruption since leaving office, were particularly potent as indicators of the APC’s difficulty in forging a different, new political paradigm.
The APC obviously cannot be judged outside of power at the national level, and perhaps it is the case that in order to dislodge the PDP and capture power, the party has no choice but to raid the PDP’s political toolkit. Perhaps the APC is wise to pragmatically — and materially — meet Nigerian voters where they are as opposed to expecting them to meet the APC in an imagined idealistic arena devoid of inducement and material gratification. Perhaps it is better and fairer to judge the APC on its record in power, which, should it win in 2015, will become apparent in no time. Moreover, should it capture central power in 2015, the APC will have an opportunity to redefine itself, move away from the politics of inducement, and inaugurate a new electoral strategy that is not enabled by the raiding of state resources and rent seeking and is thus unsubsidized by the neglect of social problems. Nonetheless, the eagerness with which the opposition is borrowing (pun unintended), some might say replicating, key instruments from the operational toolbox of the PDP raises serious questions about the capacity of an opposition victory to bring about fundamental change in Nigeria’s political culture.
Policy as Contrast
Nigerian elections are rarely decided on policy and programs, as ethno-religious and other primordial solidarities crowd out intelligent pre-election debates on policy. Nonetheless, given the moral and ethical parity between the two major parties, the policy terrain has emerged as a site of distinction, and APC appears to be capitalizing on this opening to separate itself from the PDP.
Before the APC kicked into full presidential campaign gear, the major concern of many political observers, including this writer, was that it was doing very little to differentiate itself in policy terms from the status quo, that it was articulating its platform in unedifying generalities, and that its presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, had no platform beyond a narrow, familiar, if powerful, idiom of personal integrity. In the last several weeks, this picture has changed, and the APC has unfurled a full menu of promises and policy platforms.
The APC’s presidential policy platform is surprisingly detailed in its analysis, policy prescriptions, and programmatic commitments. More crucially, the platform represents the sharpest contrast yet that the APC has drawn between itself and the ruling PDP. Its prescriptions for tackling the Islamist insurgency in the Northeast are underwhelming and within the parameters of measures already being implemented. Furthermore, an argument can be made that most of the policy prescriptions are over-determined by the debatable premise that all of Nigeria’s current challenges are reducible to corruption. Nonetheless, many prescriptions and promises are radical departures from the status quo.
One particularly courageous idea in the APC platform is that of defining, once and for all, the primacy of residency over autochthony in determining access to the rights and privileges of citizenship. Another radical and ideologically refreshing promise is that of instituting a system of welfare stipend payments to the aged, the physically challenged, the temporarily unemployed, out-of-college youths, and very poor citizens. The APC also promises to provide one meal a day to all primary school students and to substantially expand free access to healthcare for the most vulnerable Nigerians.
Questions remain about how the APC purposes to implement some of these impressively crafted programs in light of the falling price of crude oil, the major source of national revenue, the attendant depletion of Nigeria’s foreign reserves, and the collapse of the Naira. Nonetheless, Nigerian voters looking for substantive policy contrast between the APC and the PDP and desirous of a new set of policy trajectories will find much to like in the APC’s presidential election platform. Besides, all oppositions enjoy the unspoken luxury of overpromising and outlining every populist policy that could stand it apart from the incumbent government. Unlike the PDP, the APC has no national governmental record to run on, and that is an advantage that is often underappreciated.
Nigerians are unanimous about the current PDP government’s cozy dalliance with corruption and the corrupt. This is President Jonathan’s most vulnerable spot and ought to present the APC with a potent campaign rhetoric to flesh out its slogan of change. But having embraced the pragmatic, politically effective strategy of courting former members of the PDP and corrupt but influential political actors, and because the party’s most visible and influential operatives are individuals damaged by credible allegations of corruption, the APC finds itself unable to exploit that line of attack. The APC has blunted this potentially compelling anti-establishment critique and has taken the corruption narrative off the table because it does not want to be reminded of the pedigrees of its prominent members. Time will tell if the tradeoff will pay off.
Then there is the question of what will happen if the APC captures power at the center in 2015. Can it suddenly switch off its machine of patronage and resource mobilization and pursue a different trajectory of statecraft and political appeal? Political spending in Nigeria, as elsewhere, is an investment, with those who finance campaigns, political parties, and candidates expecting to recoup their investments once their party and candidate get into power. The question as we approach the elections then is whether a President Muhammadu Buhari could break free of those who funded his ascent? If he does not, would we simply have replaced the PDP with its operational clone? If he could sever his ties to the APC’s financial patrons and his political benefactors, especially the ambitious and powerful Mr. Tinubu, would they fight back and create internal troubles that would distract Buhari from the task of governing? There are no definitive answers to these questions, but, whatever happens, when we begin our post-election analysis, we will pivot back to the decision of APC to surrender the moral and ethical narrative in the interest of gaining political parity with the PDP.
Leena Hooffman and Insa Nolte, “The Roots of Neopatrimonialism: Opposition Politics and Popular Consent in Southwest Nigeria,” in Wale Adebanwi and Ebenezer Obadare, eds., Democracy and Prebendalism in Nigeria: Critical Interpretations (London and New York: Palgrave Macmillan , 2014), 25-52; 41.
Godwin Onuoha
The 2015 general elections offer yet another platform to engage with historical and contemporaneous issues in Igbo politics in Nigeria. As one of the three major ethnic groups in the country, the Igbo ethnic group is an important power bloc in the nation’s political equation. Yet, fifteen years after the return to civilian rule and the introduction of “Power Rotation”, the discourse on Igbo politics has continued to revolve around the strange inability of the Igbo to occupy the highest office of the land, and the notion that the Igbo do not have the strategies or mechanisms necessary for the realization of this feat. After the idea of “Power Rotation” entered the political lexicon in 1999, it appeared to offer all geopolitical zones the possibility of attaining any political office through the practice of rotational presidency and zoning of political offices in one form or the other. The practice is implicitly embedded in the structure of power relations within most political parties, and it is believed to be critical for party cohesion, inclusiveness and the accommodation of the various diversities in the nation.
Evidence suggests that the Igbos have not profited from these developments in a manner that will enable them attain the highest office of the land, and the tendencies at play in the dominant political parties has undoubtedly influenced political calculations in the southeast. Hence, the perception of “Igbo marginalization” has emerged and continues to gain momentum in the present political dispensation. This has become a buzzword partly due to the well-known and documented exclusion of the Igbo from the formal economy (Meagher 2009; 2010), and partly because the Igbo have only held the highest office of the land for just six months in the nation’s fifty-five year history. But what approximates a crisis in Igbo politics is the lack of a discernible strategy by Igbo political elites to negotiate power at the centre, and the perpetual inability to forge a viable agenda of re-entry into mainstream politics since the end of the Nigeria-Biafra War in 1970.
The aim of this paper is to examine Igbo politics within the context of the prevailing power configuration in Nigeria. The paper places Igbo politics within the context of the tri-polar power struggles or competition among the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. A remarkable aspect of the Igbo condition is that while the elites of the other two ruling power blocs (the Yoruba, and Hausa-Fulani) in the polity recognize the historical political, social and economic significance of the Igbo faction of the Nigerian ruling class prior to 1970, they also realize that this faction mobilized and formed the core of the secessionist Republic of Biafra that was defeated in 1970. In the post-Civil War reconstitution of Nigeria, the Igbo faction of the ruling elite was eliminated as a power bloc as power relations assumed a zero-sum contest. On this basis, the victorious ethnic groups have remained in the “first circle” while the Igbo ethnic group has been subjected to the “second circle”, and the award of positions to the Igbo have largely depended on historical circumstances, the issues at stake, and the composition and structure of power relations at any given time (Madunagu 2003).
Since 1970, the Igbo, who constitute a major ethnic group and one vital leg in the tripod has been marginalised in the post-civil war order, and on account of certain positions adopted by successive military regimes in the 1980s and 1990s, the Igbo ethnic were relegated to the status of a minority ethnic group in Nigeria (Osaghae 2001: 3). This proposition is not entirely novel. What is relevant to my analysis is how the Igbo faction of the ruling elite has responded to this in a bid to eliminate this delineation, or at least collapse both circles into one. Contemporary manifestations of Igbo politics via Igbo ethnic organization, whether elite-led, conservative and reactionary in the form of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo (the apex socio-political organization of the Igbo); or youth-based, radical and confrontational in the form of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), have revolved around discourses of self-determination which is aimed at empowering Igbo claims and renegotiating the basis of Igbo citizenship in Nigeria. The failures and weaknesses of these attempts have reinforced the contradictions of Igbo politics, both at the elite and grassroots level, and have reinforced the clash of identities, especially ethnic identities in Nigeria.
The Igbo and the “Politics of the Centre” in the Post-Civil War Era
Three distinct phases are discernible in understanding post-civil war Igbo politics. The immediate phase focused on the institutional agenda of the “Three Rs – Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction” which was launched Federal Military Government (FMG) to shape the post-civil war Nigerian public space and reintegrate the Igbo into the Nigerian project. On the contrary, the marginalisation, alienation and distancing of the Igbo from the mainstream of national political and economic processes were observable from events at the national level, and this initiated questions on the future of the Igbo in the post-civil war reconstitution of Nigeria. The institutional and structural aspects of Igbo marginalisation were reflected in a string of policies which disadvantaged the Igbo include fiscal decrees like the Banking Obligation (Eastern States) Decree of 1970, and FMG-instituted Abandoned Properties Implementation Committee (APIC) which presided over the sale of Igbo properties outside Igboland.
This was immediately followed by the state creation phase under which Igboland and the only core Igbo state (East Central State) was progressively split into two, three and more states. Igbo elite clamour and agitation during this period found expression in state creation, as states became an important factor in the allocation of a wider range of social opportunities in the Nigerian federation. The last phase in this category captures Igbo agitations at the elite level to address the ‘Igbo Question’ in Nigeria, its share of the national patrimony, and the growing concerns about marginalisation, injustice and underdevelopment by the hegemonic group(s) that controlled federal power and oil resources in Nigeria. Within the context of structural adjustment and prolonged economic crisis, there was a push at the Igbo elite level to address the ‘Igbo Question’ and its share of the national patrimony. Through various fora, prominent Igbo groups like Ohanaeze and Aka Ikenga (a pan-Igbo socio-cultural think-thank) began to articulate the plight of the Igbo within the unfolding context, and the need to accommodate the Igbo in the Nigerian project.
Post-civil war Igbo politics was one of accommodation, incorporation and integration into the Nigerian project. These demands became intense as Nigeria approached the dawn of the Second Republic, and it was apparent, at least within the strategic calculations of the Igbo political elite and Ohanaeze to align with the ruling Shehu Shagari-led National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and submit to a subordinate role in the prevailing power configuration. The leadership of Ohanaeze saw the emergence of Dr. Alex Ekwueme (a fellow Igbo) as vice president under the Hausa-Fulani-led Shagari government, not only as a solution to the lack of leadership in Igboland, but as a means of re-connecting to mainstream politics at the national level. There was a rallying of Igbo positions behind Dr. Ekwueme, and Ohanaeze became strongly opposed to the Azikiwe-led Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP), arguing that Zik and other Igbos in NPP should accord recognition to Dr. Ekwueme as the highest elected official from Igboland. The political tendencies in Igboland became more complicated with Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s return from exile in 1982. Still intent on using his place in Igbo history to garner votes from his people, the ex-Biafran leader was unwilling to accept the pre-eminence of Zik in Igbo politics, the new leadership of Ekwueme in NPN and the political agenda of Ohanaeze. Ojukwu launched the ‘Ikemba Front’ as a partisan political organization in 1983 and tried to re-enact his leadership this time through the ballot box by seeking election into the Senate from where he could challenge Ekwueme’s leadership. But the project met its waterloo when his Senatorial District in Nnewi, Anambra State, rejected his candidacy.
Between the Presidency and Secession
Since 1970, the ‘Igbo Presidency Project’ has been central to the resolution of the ‘Igbo Question’ in Nigeria. The project is based on the assumptions of the ‘tripod theory’ which holds that stability can only be achieved in the Nigerian federation when there is a balance of power between the three major ethnic groups. Even so, the project has been spearheaded by Ohanaeze which has virtually no control of any registered political party and so no formidable candidate emerged from Igboland in the 1989-1993 Babangida transition programme. In 1999, Dr. Ekwueme came close to securing the PDP ticket and becoming the Nigerian president but his ambition was scuttled this time by those who favoured a Southwest candidate given the events of 12 June 1993.
By 2003, there were several political tendencies in Igboland that played out in different political parties at the time. The Igbo Presidency Project stalled again as Ohanaeze failed to articulate a coherent agenda, and could not determine whether to pursue the ambition within the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) or through another party. Over ten presidential candidates of Igbo ethnic extraction emerged in 2003, with Ojukwu of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Ike Nwachukwu of the National Democratic Party (NDP), and Jim Nwobodo of the United National Independence Party (UNIP) as the prominent ones. The only realistic chance for an Igbo presidency still remained with Dr. Ekwueme whose late entry into the race ended with his defeat at the PDP National Convention. After 2003, it became clear that the Igbo Presidency Project was in a permanent state of crisis, partly because of the defeat of Ekwueme in the PDP primaries, and partly because of the failure of Ohanaeze to get the Igbo political class to agree to the idea of a single Igbo candidate in the elections. The crisis was further deepened when the former president of the organisation, Professor Joe Irukwu, nudged Ohanaeze towards endorsing the third term bid of President Obasanjo and other political office-holders at the Abakaliki Zonal hearing of the Constitutional Review Committee in 2006. This was considered a tacit approval of the President Obasanjo’s third term agenda and a sell-out by the Ohanaeze leadership on the ‘Igbo Presidency Project’ for 2007.
The advent of MASSOB in 1999 was partly a direct response to the perceived failure of the Nigerian state and successive governments to address the Igbo predicament since 1970, and partly a result of the failure of Ohanaeze who are perceived to be elitist, more moderate, and less ideological in their brand of Igbo nationalism. MASSOB initially declared categorically that it was not interested in politics, except a calculated desire to actualize their dream of a sovereign state of Biafra. But it was not long before the movement began to participate in partisan politics by supporting the emergence of Peter Obi, the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for governor, after the Elections Petitions Tribunal ruled in his favour against the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chris Ngige, in the controversial 2003 elections in Anambra state. Ralph Uwazuruike attributed MASSOB’s support for Governor Peter Obi to Ojukwu who mobilized the movement to support him. The movement later indicated its interest to participate in politics in Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria and at the national level, and supported the candidacy of the late Biafran leader for president in the 2003 and 2007 elections, and whoever gets his endorsement in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
The Igbo are not in the reckoning in the race for the presidency in 2015. A few months ago, a powerful delegation of Igbo leaders comprising the Secretary to the Federal Government, Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, federal ministers of Igbo extraction, President General of Ohanaeze, President of Ndi Igbo Lagos, President of Aka Ikenga, and other eminent and prominent Igbo leaders met in Lagos to drum up support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 presidential bid. This was immediately followed by an attempt in January 2015 to adopt President Goodluck Jonathan as the consensus candidate of the Igbo at the Ime-Obi (inner caucus) meeting of Ohanaeze. It appears that while most prominent Igbo elites are clamouring for another term for President Goodluck Jonathan, the voices making the case for an Igbo president in 2015 are in the minority and are becoming feebler by the day. If President Jonathan succeeds, it means that by 2019, power would have been in Southern hands for 18 years, then all efforts will be geared towards displacing the Igbo as the North will see this as their natural turn to produce the president. This will mean that the Igbo will continue to wait in perpetuity for presidential power.
Surprisingly, some elements of the Igbo faction of the ruling elite are clearly disaffected, openly expressing their reservations and outright opposition to the idea of an Igbo president, especially those benefitting directly or indirectly from the current dispensation who would like the Igbo to remain in a subordinate position (second circle) indefinitely. But some are clamouring for an Igbo president as a way of re-admitting the Igbo elite into the arena of power (first circle) occupied by the two other ethnic groups. Even so, it must be noted that the Igbo Presidency Project and demand for incorporation is basically an invention of the Igbo faction of the ruling elite, and is not necessarily emancipatory. In theory, an Igbo president should augur well for the Igbo. But in reality, it may not because the Igbo elites, reminiscent of the elites of other ethnic groups, have a very narrow social base of power, and they do not enjoy the confidence of those whose interests they claim to represent, nor do they share in their common concerns and in the burdens of common citizenship.
Madunagu, E., 2003. Note on “Igbo Politics” and the Nation. The Guardian (Lagos), Thursday, February 27.
Meagher, K., 2009. “The Informalization of Belonging: Igbo Informal Enterprise and National Cohesion from Below”. Africa Development 34, 1, 31–46.
Meagher, K., 2010. Identity Economics: Social Networks & the Informal Economy in Nigeria. London: James Currey.
Osaghae, E., 2001. “From Accommodation to Self-Determination: Minority Nationalism and the Restructuring of the Nigerian State”. Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 7, 1, 1-20.
Asonzeh Ukah
In Nigeria, religion is the performance of politics by other means. A recent event unambiguously demonstrates this truism. The Holy Ghost Service (HGS) is a massive ritual held every first Friday of the month by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at its expansive, 1,540 hectares-“Miracle City” otherwise called the Redemption Camp. During the first edition of the HGS held on 2 January 2015, the patriarch of the church, Enoch Adejare Adeboye, instructed his teeming audience to obtain their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC). Further, he instructed them to bring their PVC to church service on the first Sunday of January for prayers. During the Holy Ghost Congress held by the church from December 8-13 2014, Adeboye made a similar announcement from the pulpit; on that occasion, he held up his and his spouse’s PVCs for his audience to see, a visual evidence that he intends to vote in the coming elections. By encouraging his congregation to obtain their own PVCs, Adeboye is exercising his civic responsibility – as a moral and religious gatekeeper -- by ensuring that the Christian community in Nigeria participates fully in the elections of 14 February 2015. However, by instructing Christians to bring their PVCs to church on Sunday 4 January 2015, Adeboye is transgressing the boundaries of civic duties; he has effectively turned his church into a micro-political infrastructure. Similar to his political engagements and adventures since 1999, Adeboye is performing a strategic political power play; he is informing all political stakeholders that he has the power to sway the voting patterns and outcomes in the next general elections.
In a 2010 study, Tolerance and Tension, The Pew Foundation found that almost 67% of Nigerians support religious leaders expressing public views on political issues. By his actions, Adeboye fulfils public expectations; however, more than that, he strategically repositions himself and the organisation he leads to be relevant to the outcome of the next general elections in Nigeria. Religion is a critical instrument to political capture in Nigeria. Right from the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999 when Adeboye informed the nation -- with palpable hubris -- that “whoever wants to become the president of Nigeria must come and consult us”, any politician who had contested for the highest elective post in the land and won had literally come to the Miracle City to consult him. Democratic elections are a game of numbers, and Adeboye is a religio-political tactician who never ceases to display the visible political power at his disposal. The ability to mobilise large congregants is an electoral resource.
Religion has played an increasingly pivotal role in the ongoing electioneering. The same Pew research cited above reports that about 83% of Nigerians are happy with politicians who hold strong religious views and express these publicly. In other words, a majority of Nigerians find it acceptable when their political leaders “have strong religious views” (p.52). The intersection between religion and politics, therefore, is taken for granted even though it is one element in the architecture of instability in Nigeria.
Religion is an explicit source of pre- and post-election conflicts in Nigeria. In the immediate aftermath of the last general elections held in 2011, violence broke out in some parts of northern Nigeria that targeted “religious others” resulting in the death of more than 800 persons and destruction of property, including 350 Christian worship places, worth several millions of dollars, according to Human Rights Watch.
Different aspects of Nigerian laws regulate the manner religion, religious identities and motifs are mobilised in electioneering campaigns. For example, section 102 of the Electoral Act of Nigeria (2010) states as follows:
Any candidate, person or association who engages in campaigning or broadcasting based on religious, tribal or sectional reason for the purpose of promoting or opposing a particular political party or the election of a particular candidate, is guilty of an offence under this Act and on conviction is liable to a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for twelve months or both.
Despite this, it is impossible to keep religious considerations out of elections. For instance, perhaps the single most important credential of the presidential candidate of the ruling political party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, as portrayed in the media and by his supporters, is that he is a Christian. The second attribute is that he is a southerner from a “minority ethnic group”, the Ijaw in the Niger Delta from where Nigeria’s oil wealth is physically located. (The Ijaw are the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria and can in no way be called a “minority”.) As a prelude to his active electioneering campaign, President Jonathan has visited large Christian congregations in different parts of southern Nigeria to sell his candidacy and secure the endorsement of religious leaders. His wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, has followed in his footsteps, visiting in November 2014 the popular Catholic congregation in eastern Nigeria, the Adoration Centre. As a strategy of securing the votes of the Christian bloc, particularly the vociferous Pentecostal subset, the presidency and the PDP have successful appropriated the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) under the leadership of the Pentecostal pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. Founded on 26 August 1988, CAN is a loose group of Christian churches with three primary goals of defending and protecting the rights of Christians in Nigeria, facilitating Christian ecumenism, and engaging in sustained dialogue with the Muslim community. In September 2012, the Catholic Bishops conference of Nigeria (which is one of five blocs within CAN), withdrew its membership of CAN, claiming that the “original vision, mission and objectives of CAN” had been compromised. According to the Catholic body, “CAN is being dragged into partisan politics, thereby compromising the ability to play its true role as the conscience of the nation and the voice of the voiceless”. The appropriation of CAN by the presidency and the PDP effectively turns the association into “PDP at prayer” with the objective of mobilising vote during the 2015 elections. While Jonathan campaigns to secure the Christian votes in the next election, his vice presidential candidate and incumbent vice president of the country, Namadi Sambo, a Muslim from Kaduna State, campaigns to secure Muslim votes in the north of Nigeria.
Dividing the Pentecostal Electorate
Muhammadu Buhari, a retired military general who ruled Nigeria from 1983 to 1985 is Jonathan’s principal opponent in the 2015 presidential election. He is the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), an amalgam of the four largest opposition parties. Although he has made three previous unsuccessful attempts at clinching the nation’s topmost job, he is consistently portrayed by a section of southern press and PDP loyalists as primarily a Muslim fundamentalist and dictator who intends to impose the Sharia criminal code on all parts of Nigeria. Known for his piety – which is consistent with what a majority of Nigerians expect of their political leaders – Buhari is dogged by an image of a fanatical Muslim with an agenda to Islamise Nigeria should he become a popularly elected president. To discredit Buhari, opponents charge him with having links to or financing the violent Boko Haram insurgency in northeast of Nigeria, charges he has consistently denied. The power to religiously define Buhari and shape public perception of him has become an electoral resource for the ruling political party.
Buhari’s vice presidential candidate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, is a former Commissioner of Justice and attorney general of Lagos State (1999-2007). A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Osinbajo is an unknown political quantity with little political experience. However, his most important credential is his religious affiliation. He is a Christian from Lagos; more importantly, he is a senior pastor of the RCCG (and resident pastor of Olive Tree House of Prayer for all Nations, Banana Island, Lagos), the same Pentecostal church whose patriarch instructed his followers to bring their PVCs for prayers! Osinbajo is positioned to moderate or neutralise the perception and construction of Buhari as a Muslim fundamentalist with sympathies for the dreaded Boko Haram. Specifically, Christians in northern and central Nigeria who have endured most of religious violence since 1999 may have some confidence and reassurance in the choice of a Pentecostal leader as the vice presidential candidate to Buhari.
The political calculus that informs the choice of Pastor Osinbajo cannot be divorced from the desire of APC to divide the Christian political market or voting bloc. Enoch Adeboye is a publicly known PDP sympathiser who calls Goodluck Jonathan his “son”. He endorsed Jonathan in 2011 and publicly campaigned for Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999/2003. Jonathan has visited Adeboye’s “Miracle City” on at least three occasions. To pick a pastor from the powerfully and economically powerful RCCG as Buhari’s running mate is a shrewd and religiously informed political move to checkmate the dominant PDP, which relishes the official endorsement of the church. Founded in 1952, the RCCG is arguably the largest Pentecostal franchise in Nigeria with nearly 20,000 branches in the country and a self-reported membership of five million, and over 11,000 branches in 163 countries. It is the wealthiest religious organisation and the largest single private property owner in Nigeria.
The nomination of Osinbajo as Buhari’s running mate, therefore, positions him and the APC as the first choice of RCCG members in the next election. Religion, rather than ideological consideration, is the most significant variable, and therefore a political capital in the campaign strategy of the APC. What the choice of the APC does, however, is to exacerbate religious politicking in the next elections. The two dominant parties will intensify their electioneering campaign activities around the mobilisation of religious and primordial identities rather than the consideration of political and ideological capital necessary for the articulation of programmatic actions to deal with the myriad problems and challenges facing Nigeria. Religion, rather than fade away or be relegated to the background, is in the foreground and will increasingly polarise the electorate in the February 2015 elections.
The role of religion in the forthcoming elections is not confined to the struggle for power between Christians and Muslims, nor to the presidential contest. In Lagos State, politicians have invoked religion as a criterion for the selection of gubernatorial candidates. Because of the cosmopolitan character of Lagos State, religion had played an inconsequential role in its gubernatorial politics, at least until very recently. Folarin Shobo, the director of Civic and Political Affairs of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos Mainland ignited the religious fuse when he instructed Christians in Lagos State to insist on a Christian politician as governorship candidate in the next election. He wanted power to shift from being in Muslim hands to Christian hands. The Lagos State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), an umbrella association of Pentecostal churches established in 1991, similarly agitates for a Christian governor of Lagos State. The chairperson of the PFN in Lagos, Apostle Alex Bamgbala, claims that because Christians make up the majority of the state’s citizens, the Muslim community needs to support the quest for a Christian governor. Politicians from the two major parties are expanding the arguments and counter arguments on religious affiliation of candidates for elective offices in the state. The underlying assumption is that to be a Christian is a sufficient criterion for creditable political performance.
A similar furore is brewing over the 2015 elections in Enugu State in Eastern Nigeria, a predominantly Christian region. The tussle is not between Christians and Muslims; rather it is between Anglicans and Catholics within a single party, the PDP. As in Lagos State, the Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Emmanuel Olisa Chukwuma, started the public debate by claiming that a Catholic-Catholic gubernatorial ticket for the state amounts to the marginalisation of the Anglican community. The Archbishop wants a deputy governorship candidate from within the Anglican Communion. The clergyman and his colleagues portrayed Enugu State as comprising two Christian denominations, Anglicans and Catholics, a position that effectively erased and discounted the presence of other religious groups, Christian and non-Christian. Such erasure amounts to a symbolic electoral violence. The raging acrimony illustrates the absurd depths to which religious (balancing) has become institutionalised in the thinking and scheming of both religious and political elite in Nigeria as the 2015 elections draw near. Privileging the denominational affiliation of a candidate for political office over other possible qualifications may promote mediocrity even though it may also show religion to be a source of political values desired by a section of the electorate.
Perhaps, never before has religious identities been more intensely mobilised towards electoral politics in the country. On January 1 2015, the spiritual director of the Adoration Centre in Enugu, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, instructed his teeming congregation to vote out Goodluck Jonathan from office because the incumbent president has failed Nigerians on all scores: security, alleviation of poverty, and fight against corruption. He told worshippers that after long hours of prayers, God has rejected Jonathan, saying, “Goodluck’s office, let another take… The continuity of Jonathan means disaster to Nigeria”.
The will to (political) power is inbuilt in religion. As Nigeria approaches the next round of elections in February 2014, it is increasingly clear to observers that religion is politics and politics is religion. It is impossible to keep the two spheres of practices apart. The pivotal role which religion plays in Nigerian elections is a commentary on the country’s quest for real democracy that privileges the will of the people to decide on how they are governed, how commonly owned resources are distributed and accounted for. That religious elites who, ordinarily, should be at the forefront of decrying the undue deployment of divisive religious identities in politics are at the forefront of igniting such controversies, illustrates a deep-rooted structural dysfunction. It demonstrates the poverty of intellectual engagement with conceptual, philosophical and ideological nature of the national issues confronting the country. Furthermore, discounted in the ongoing debates about religious affiliations of political candidates are members of African indigenous religions as well as non-religious persons (such as humanists). As incendiary and fractious as it has been, political and religious elites manipulate religion for political and economic benefits. When Adeboye asked his church members to bring their PVCs to church for prayers, it is a clear performance of the electoral power of the RCCG. It is a step removed from divine legitimation of the electoral process and its outcomes. In a dramatic sense, he has declared himself a political godfather and kingmaker in the ongoing electioneering season. Not many politicians will ignore the invitation to reckon with the church.
Said Adejumobi*
At no time in the history of Nigeria has any part of it become ungovernable or captured by political insurgents before or during elections or inaccessible for voting at election period. The 2015 general elections are different. Some parts of the Northeast have succumbed to the marauding forces of Boko Haram- an initial rag-tag lumpen forces, who have overtime gained strength and capacity and now virtually over-run the Nigerian security establishment capturing not only towns and cities in the country, killing, maiming and destroying properties but also capturing military bases, seizing military weapons, and assuming an informal parallel security apparatus in the country. Undoubtedly, Nigeria is not only confronted with a terror challenge but also a budding challenge of state failure. The military is the foundation of the state, and the inability of the state to protect lives, property and guarantee public security questions its essence and raison d'être. This failure is a manifestation of a large political problem- the crisis of governance, which has bedeviled the country in the larger part of its post-colonial history, but now threatens the foundation and existence of the Nigerian state. In 2014, Nigeria was in the first twenty bracket of the Fund for Peace fragile states Index, formerly the Failed States Index (Fund for Peace, 2014).
This paper examines the challenges posed by the Boko Haram insurgency as a way of illuminating the crisis of governance in Nigeria, and its implications for the 2015 general elections and its aftermath. Undoubtedly, the security and sanctity of the corporate existence of the Nigerian state is being questioned; its fundamental principle of secularism, a constitutional core, is under attack; peaceful, free and fair elections may be in jeopardy as public security is threatened with a sizeable part of the country buckling under Boko Haram's might; and the prospects of the elections promoting political elite consensus and halting the drift towards the collapse of the Nigerian state looks rather uncertain. In other words, can there be free, fair, credible and inclusive elections in the current political milieu in Nigeria? What possibility exists for the elections to be a "game changer" in terms of improving the quality of governance and halting the drift towards what appears to be a failing state project?
Boko Haram and the National Question:
From inception, the Nigerian project has been dogged by serious political crisis, which in its multifaceted nature, is aptly described as the 'national question'. The national question is shorthand for how the social pact amongst the different groups, communities and nationalities in the country should be negotiated and how the state should be constituted? Issues of central importance to the discourse on the national question are; what should be the relationship between the centre and the regions or states? What should be the interface between the state and religion? How should powers and resources be distributed between the centre and the periphery? How should political parties be organized? What kind of political and electoral systems should the country adopt and how could they guarantee political inclusiveness, participation and accountability? And what should be the ideological thrust of the Nigerian state? Should it be a crass capitalist country with a vile liberal democratic system or a social democratic system with some public conscience and interest? Although this debate is as old as the Nigerian state, however, it is one that the political elite, rapacious in its character, has repeatedly foiled, or refused to take an inclusive approach to, to be influenced and led by the people. Rather, the tendency has been to either avoid or manipulate the discourse to fit specific outcomes with little or n no tangible relevance to the realities of the country. Put differently, the political elite in Nigeria lives in denial, of the growing frustrations and dissensions of the people, and the nature of the social pact under which they exists, which continues to fuel conflicts and have taken on a more violent character in recent times.
The various separatist tendencies in Nigeria seek expression in the national question. The Nigerian civil war (1967-1970), separatists groups like the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), the Niger Delta insurgent groups and now the Boko Haram militants are all progenies of the national question, exacerbated by the crisis of governance in the country. Opportunities have existed for a meaningful discourse to take place on the national question but largely truncated. The immediate post civil war era was one of such; it afforded an opportunity to re-draft the terms and conditions of the social pact beyond what was foisted on the country by the colonial regime and massaged in the immediate post-colonial era from 1960. Rather, what was done was to adopt an empty slogan of "no victor; no vanquished" in the rehabilitation and reconstruction process without addressing the deep-seated contradictions of the Nigerian state that ignited the civil war in the first instance. The pains of the war continue to linger on, which forms part of the rationale for the re-emergence of a separatist group like MASSOB. The Babangida regime also rigmarole on the national question through the political bureau it established in 1993. While the regime promised an all-inclusive dialogue that may in a sense address the national question, the whole process was a "show piece" meant to perpetuate the personal rule of a military dictator. The Abacha regime was soon to follow path and so was the Obasanjo regime. As such, the national question lingers on, with serious national issues unresolved and political pretensions by the ruling elite that all is well.
The origins of Boko Haram remain a contested issue. However, a popular version is that Boko Haram was a creation of a segment of the Nigerian political elite, which established the group as a militia force meant to serve political purposes- in intimidating and harassing political opponents, rigging elections, and providing macho security protection for those political leaders. However, whatever may be its sources, Boko Haram was soon to gain a life of its own, as religion became the new anchor of an erstwhile political group. Being a predominantly Islamic society, religion is a hot cake in Northern Nigeria, which constitutes a veritable tool of social mobilization.
Even with adaptation to religion, the quest of Boko Haram remains essentially political. The capture of space and territory; the urge to establish an Islamic caliphate; and the quest to impose new norms and governing codes in those spaces is nothing but a political project. As such, Boko Haram is not a fanatical religious group; it is a political organization bent on a political cause. Religion only serves a tool of social mobilization and recruitment of its gullible foot soldiers in its political project.
The national question relates to the Boko Haram saga because in spite of the constitutional provision on secularism, the relationship between the state and religion remains unresolved. The Nigerian state preaches secularism but is deeply involved in religious matters. It constructs religious sites for the two prominent religions; political leaders’ court and cow-tow to religious leaders; religious groups are frontiers for electioneering and vote catching; and how far should the legal codes be based on religious persuasions remains largely unsettled. The adoption of Sharia law in some Northern States was one of the most controversial issues in Nigeria under the Obasanjo regime (1999-2007). Federalism was interpreted to mean that different states can adopt different modes of governance including on the interface between the state and religion. However, rather than open the issue for public discussion through a national dialogue as one of the issues involved in the national question, Nigeria's ruling elite traded it away in their wily-dilly negotiations. Boko Haram is an escalation of that fault line of political misgovernance in Nigeria.
Governance Crisis and the Growth of Boko Haram
The crisis of governance in Nigeria, which assumes historical dimensions, is well documented (Adejumobi, 2011, 2010; Adebanwi and Obadare, 2010; Maier, 2000; Soyinka, 1996; Joseph, 1988; Achebe 1984). It relates to how power is managed that does not serve the greatest good of the greatest number of people in the country. Issues of massive corruption, abuse of power, institutional and procedural subversion including election rigging, and rights abuses are part of the crisis of governance in Nigeria. The crisis of governance has undoubtedly prevented Nigeria from realizing its potentials and capacity as a nation-state in spite of the oil wealth of the country. While official data suggests that the Nigerian economy grew for an average of about 7% for about a decade (2004-2014), this has neither been inclusive nor beneficial to the mass of the citizens. As the African Development Bank, the OECD and UNDP noted in their joint report, "Nigeria faces an ongoing challenge of making its decade-long sustained growth more inclusive. Poverty and unemployment remain prominent among the major challenges facing the economy. One reason for this is that the benefits of economic growth have not sufficiently trickled down to the poor". The World Bank (2014) estimates that poverty level in Nigeria was 46% in 2010; and access to source of water by the rural population grew marginally from 45% in 2008 to 49% in 2012.
The reality is that the governance crisis in Nigeria goes beyond lifeless data and statistics; it is more about how the opportunities of a country for decades have been squandered; how public infrastructure of good roads, energy and health services have virtually disappeared; how public education for primary to tertiary level is in dare straits; and how human capital invested heavily in, in the larger part of the post-colonial history of the country is either lost to brain drain or domestically under-utilized. The potentiality of a great country is more imagined than real.
The Boko Haram insurgency has tended to feed on the governance crisis in Nigeria in several important respects. First, the massification of illiteracy and poverty in Northern Nigeria provides a fertile base for Boko Haram to recruit young Nigerians that are either uneducated, denied a living, or disgruntled with the system. It appeared therefore not difficult for Boko Haram to secure an 'army of recruits' prepared to do battle with the Nigerian state. Second, the corrosion of institutional capacity has affected many institutions especially the Nigerian security services. The Nigerian military reputed to be one of the best on the African continent and the third world that has quelled wars and insurgencies in countries with rougher terrains like Liberia, and Sierra Leone and highly appreciated in those countries is looking hapless and helpless with the Boko Haram insurgency. It is unclear whether the military inertia is a function of leadership direction or lack of it, the internal weaknesses of the armed forces and poor military hardware to do battle or complicity of the military itself. The president of the country, Jonathan Goodluck puts the problem at the doorstep of the military. He has repeatedly alleged that the military has been infiltrated by Boko Haram elements and there is sabotage going on in the Nigerian military establishment (see, People's Daily, 12th January 2015). Whatever it is, the Nigerian military appears to be losing the battle against Boko Haram and the president as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces has overall responsibility for military performance.
Boko Haram in about three years has killed over 16, 000 people, destroyed many villages and towns, captured and murdered innocent school children, destroyed schools, markets and the livelihood of many citizens and families and indiscriminately attacked religious sites especially churches and mosques mostly in Northern Nigeria. It has also shown the propensity to extend its reach to any part of the country, and therefore cannot be regarded as a Northern problem; it is a Nigerian problem. As some analysts’ have righted concluded, Boko Haram is a product of systemic corruption, poor governance and institutional failure (Asfura-Heim, 2015; Forest, 2012).
The national question is the hardware of the Nigerian crises, while the crisis of governance, is its soft underbelly. Both combined provides a debilitating condition and context for the 2015 general elections in the country.
The 2015 General Elections: Issues and Implications.
The last general elections in Nigeria in 2011 were adjudged one of the few fair and credible elections in the country. This was due not so much to the improved institutional efficiency and capacity of the electoral commission but more of leadership commitment of the organization and partnership with non-state actors’ especially civil society. Areas in which civil society organizations assisted the Commission in the 2011 elections according to Attahiru Jega (2012) included, voter education programmes, voter registration, election observation, monitoring of the voting and counting processes through the election situation room and various post- election activities.
While there were documented cases of election rigging during the 2011 elections, they were essentially regarded as of "permissible" level especially for a country dogged by a history of failure in election management. However, unlike the 2011 elections, fears and apprehensions characterize the build up to the general elections of February 2015.
The International Crisis Group describes the 2015 elections as "Nigeria's dangerous elections" (ICG, 2014). The reasons for this are varied. First, the possibility of violence is very high as the stakes are high too. The parties are sharply divided into two camps- the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition coalition party-the All People's Congress (APC). Second, there is a possibility that elections may not hold in about three states- Bornu, Adamawa and Yobe where the government has declared a state of emergence and Boko Haram's attacks are very impactful. If this happens, which is likely to be the stronghold of the opposition party, the election results may be contested and possibly rejected, which may fuel violence in the country. Third, in high stake elections, the employment of armed gangs and militia groups by politicians and parties is not uncommon in Nigeria which may exacerbate the level of violence. In his report to the United Nations Security Council, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in West Africa showed apparent concern on the security environment in which the elections will take place in Nigeria. He noted, "About a month from now, Nigerians will go to the polls for the presidential and legislative elections. The general election is taking place against a backdrop of violent insurgency by Boko Haram in the North-east and sectarian conflicts in the North Central and the North West as well as an increasingly tense pre-electoral environment.” (See, The Guardian, 10th January 2015:1).
Preparations by the electoral commission have also not given much to cheer about on the prospects of the elections. Hemmed in overwhelming concern of a country with national security, the electoral commission itself has not been unaffected. The preparations have been patchy despite repeated assurances that the elections will be better than the previous one. Few weeks to the elections, voters’ registrar is still not on display and people are yet to verify their names on the list. The logistics of reaching areas already under the control of Boko Haram is still also not sorted out. INEC had initially raised the alarm that if the current trend of attacks continued, there may not be voting in some parts of the country. If that were to happen, it would be a recipe for chaos and political catastrophe.
There is a tendency that voter turnout may be high during the elections. Opinion survey suggests that the citizens are ready and prepared to vote, and their level of enthusiasm for the elections is high as well, however, their level of trust in the electoral authority for their votes to count is rather limited (see, Afrobarometer, January, 2015).
There are three critical issues that will determine the course of the 2015 general elections. First, is the possibility of Boko Haram disrupting the elections and inflicting serious casualties on the electorate, as the country is currently witnessing, which may put the entire elections in jeopardy. Boko Haram has shown an audacious capacity to strike and inflict painful damages on both soft and hard targets including military bases and government departments even in the capital city-Abuja. Second is the possibility of elections not holding in some parts of the country which may fuel suspicion that the elections were programmed to fail in the first instance with a pre-determined outcome. This may generate intense conflicts and crises in the country. Third, if there is a high level of rigging during the elections it may create frustrations on the part of the electorate, which may generate unintended consequences if not well managed.
These three critical issues have to be taken care of, if Nigeria's most important elections in the 21st century are not have grave consequences for its existence as a nation-state.
The 2015 general elections put Nigeria on the precipice. In a sense, the elections especially at the federal level are a rare public referendum on public security since national security is a responsibility of the federal government. A major concern of the electorate in many parts of the country is on how can the state guarantee their security? In other words, the raison d'être of the state is what is mostly at stake in the 2015 general elections. Boko Haram through its deadly and audacious attacks has shaped the discourse, the fears and the appetite of the people for the elections; it could as well, if care is not taken, subvert the elections.
Beyond the elections, the contradictions of the Nigerian state that has made possible the emergence of groups like Boko Haram need to be squarely addressed. The extent to which the current fears will shape public policy in the post-election era, and ensure that open and critical debate is facilitated by the federally elected government on the nation question, led and managed by the people, and not massaged and manipulated by the political elite, and its outcome fully respected and implemented, will determine how far forces like Boko Haram can be neutralized and the ideology of hate, fear and blood which they represent and propagate is fully addressed and completely whipped out of the social and political life of the country.
* Disclaimer: The views expressed in this essay are personal and in no way represent that of the UNECA, the United Nations or any other organization.
Adebanwi Wale and Obadare Ebenezer, (Eds.) (2010), Encountering the Nigerian State. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan).
Achebe, Chinua (1984), The Trouble with Nigeria. (Oxford: Heinemann Publishers).
Adejumobi, Said (Ed.) (2011), State, Economy and Society in Post-Military Nigeria. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan).
Adejumobi, Said (Ed.), (2010), Governance and Politics in Post-Military Nigeria: Changes and Challenges. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan).
Afrobarometer, (2015), “Nigeria Heads for Closest Election on Record”, Afrobarometer Dispatch No.11. 27th January.
AfDB, OECD and UNDP, Nigeria Country Profile: African Economic Outlook, see, http://www.africaneconomicoutlook.org/en/countries/west-africa/nigeria/ accessed 9th January 2015.
Asfura-Heim and McQuaid, Julia (2015), “Diagnosing the Boko Haram Conflict: Greviances, Motivations, and Institutional Resilience in Northeast Nigeria”, CNA Analysis and Solutions Report, Washington, DC.
Forest, James (2012), “Confronting the Terrorism of Boko Haram in Nigeria”, JSOU Report, 12-5, Joint Special Operations University, May.
Fund for Peace (2014) Fragile States Index, 2014, see, http://ffp.statesindex.org/rankings-2014 accessed 12 January 2015.
Guardian Newspaper (Lagos), (2015), "Jonathan, Buhari Contest A ‘Grave Test’, Says UN Sec-Gen" 10th January, p1.
Jega, Attahiru (2012) "Plans and Progress Towards the 2015 General Election", Paper presented at the Civil Society – INEC Dialogue on the topic ‘Plans and Progress Towards the 2015 General Elections’ held from 27th -30th, November, 2012 at The Bolingo Hotels and Towers, Abuja. See, http://www.inecnigeria.org/?page_id=1186 accessed 9th January 2015.
Joseph, Richard (1988), Democracy and Prebendal Politics: The Rise and Fall of the Second Republic. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Maier, Karl (2000), This House Has Fallen: Nigeria in Crisis. (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press).
International Crisis Group, (2014), Nigeria’s Dangerous 2015 Elections: Limiting the Violence. Africa Report N°22021 Nov.
Soyinka, Wole (1996), The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis. (New York: Oxford University Press).
Peoples’ Daily (Abuja) (2015) "Terrorism: There’re saboteurs in armed forces, says Jonathan", 12th January, p.1. See, http://www.peoplesdailyng.com/terrorism-therere-saboteurs-in-armed-forces-says-jonathan/ accessed on 12 January 2015.
World Bank, (2014) World Development Indicators: Nigeria. See, http://data.worldbank.org/country/nigeria accessed 9th January 2015.
Akin Adesokan is a novelist, essayist, and scholar of African and postcolonial literature and cinema at Indiana University, Bloomington. His books include Roots in the Sky, a novel, and Postcolonial Artists and Global Aesthetics.
Rudolf Gaudio teaches anthropology at Purchase College, State University of New York, and was recently a Fulbright research scholar at the FCT College of Education, Zuba, Nigeria. He is the author of Allah Made Us: Sexual Outlaws in an Islamic African City. His current research focuses on language, nation and race in Nigeria’s planned modernist capital, Abuja.
Brandon Kendhammer is assistant professor of political science at Ohio University, and author of numerous articles on Nigerian politics.
Moses E. Ochonu is an Associate Professor of African History at Vanderbilt University. He is the author, most recently, of Colonialism by Proxy: Hausa Imperial Agents and Middle Belt Consciousness in Nigeria (2014), and Africa in Fragments: Essays on Nigeria, Africa, and Global Africanity (2014).
Godwin Onuoha is an African Humanities Research Associate at the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS), Princeton University
Ebenezer Obadare is associate professor of sociology at the University of Kansas.
Said Adejumobi is currently Director, Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) based in Lusaka, Zambia.
Asonzeh Ukah, a historian/sociologist of religion, teaches at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
1. The Ordinary President, Goodluck Jonathan
2. A View from the Ground
3. Nigeria’s Moral Economy of Powersharing
4. Opposition Politics
5. Igbo Politics and the Elusive Quest for Presidential Power
6. What about Religion
7. The Boko Haram Insurgency and the Crisis of Governance
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line519
|
__label__wiki
| 0.633381
| 0.633381
|
U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum
The Veterans Memorial Museum, operated by the Alabama Center of Military History, is dedicated to promoting and disseminating the accomplishments of American military men and women. The emphasis is on participants of World War I and subsequent conflicts, whose survivors and families can use the Museum facilities to reminisce on their own experiences and those of parents, grandparents, and other close relatives. The Museum has been designated by the Alabama House of Representatives as the State of Alabama Veterans Memorial Museum. The Museum displays more than 30 historical military vehicles from World War I to the present, as well as tableaus, artifacts, and other memorabilia dating back to the Revolutionary War. Supporting organizations include the 19th Alabama Infantry (www.19thalabama.org), which sponsors exhibits from 18th and 19th Century conflicts, and the 8th Air Force Historical Society, which sponsors a Bomb Group briefing room. Both of these organizations support 'living history' presentations on many Saturdays. Among the attractions at the Museum is a reference library. In addition to published material such as the Seventh Army After Action Report from World War II, the library offers written and oral reminiscences of Alabama veterans. In this vein, veterans and their families are invited to send written material or audio cassette tapes to the Museum for inclusion in the library, These submissions need not be formal. A narrative by the veteran, or an interview by a relative, will provide a lasting legacy of the contribution of Alabama service members to the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. The Veterans' Memorial Museum welcomes the participation of military and veterans' groups and individuals in making the Museum a valued educational and memorial attraction in North Alabama.
2060-A Airport Rd.
Huntsville AL, 35801
Huntsville is located in the Huntsville & Decatur Area of the North Alabama Region
Open W-Sat. 10-4 & other days by appt
What's Happening at U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum
Hampton Inn and Suites Huntsville
Courtyard Huntsville University Drive
Days Inn - Space Center
Guided Walking Tour of Twickenham historic district
WhistleStop Weekend
Rocket City Summer Fest
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line520
|
__label__wiki
| 0.616085
| 0.616085
|
US Executive Order May Mean Huawei Import Ban
The Trump administration has issued an executive order that could see Huawei being banned from US networks. The executive order also subjects the Chinese company to strict export controls.
The executive order, which was released on Wednesday May 15th, makes Huawei the largest business ever to be subjected to such controls. The latest law enforcement measure will require the company to obtain US government approval on the purchases of any US technology. The statement was released by Kevin Wolf, who was the assistant secretary of commerce for export administration during the Obama administration.
"It's going to have ripple effects through the entire global telecommunications network because Huawei affiliates all over the planet depend on US content to function and if they can't get the widget or the part or the software update to keep functioning then those systems go down," he said.
Wolf declined to say if the order would prevent Google from selling its Android operating system, which Huawei uses on its handsets. He added that it would be premature to comment further until he has seen a published order from the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security. This would allow him to be sure of the scope attached to the executive order.
The executive order declares a national economic emergency. This allows the US government to ban the technology and services of "foreign adversaries" that are deemed to pose "unacceptable risks" to national security. Examples of such risks include cyberespionage and sabotage.
While the newly-signed order does not name specific countries or companies, it comes after months of US pressure on Huawei. According to the order, the Commerce Department will have 150 days to come up with the regulation.
Washington and Beijing are currently locked in a trade war that partly reflects a struggle for global economic and technological dominance. The order that was made public on Wednesday simply ups the ante in the economic battle between the two countries.
The export restriction marks "a grave escalation with China that at minimum plunges the prospect of continued trade negotiations into doubt," said Eurasia Group analysts in a report.
"Unless handled carefully, this situation is likely to place US and Chinese companies at new risk," the report said.
The law invoked in the executive order is the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. It is also possibly the first time the law has ever been declared in a way that will have an impact on an entire commercial sector. So far, the law has typically been used to freeze the assets of designated terrorists and drug traffickers. Administrations have also called upon this specific law to impose embargoes on hostile former governments.
The order seeks to address concerns from the US government that equipment from Chinese suppliers could pose an espionage threat to US internet and telecommunications infrastructure.
Huawei, which is the world's biggest supplier of network gear, has been deemed a danger in US national security circles for the better part of a decade.
US justice and intelligence officials believe Chinese economic espionage and trade secrets theft are rampant. But, to date, no evidence has been presented that any Huawei equipment in the US or elsewhere has been compromised by so-called backdoors installed by the manufacturer. It would be these backdoors that would be used to facilitate espionage by Beijing.
Huawei has vehemently denied any involvement in Chinese spying.
In response to the order, Huawei said blocking it from doing business in the United States would hamper the introduction of next-generation communications technology. Huawei is regarded as being a world leader in terms of communications technology.
"We are ready and willing to engage with the US government and come up with effective measures to ensure product security," said Huawei in a statement.
The restrictions "will not make the US more secure or stronger," the company said. It said the United States would be limited to "inferior yet more expensive alternatives," which would hurt companies and consumers.
A senior US administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the order was "company and country agnostic". He added that the order would not be applied retroactively. Officials said "interim regulations" were expected before final rules were set but were vague on what that meant.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued a statement, describing the order as "a significant step toward securing America's networks."
"It signals to US friends and allies how far Washington is willing to go to block Huawei," said Adam Segal, who is cybersecurity director at the Council on Foreign Relations.
According to AP, many European countries have pushed back against sustained diplomatic pressure from the US to institute a wholesale ban on the Chinese company's equipment in their next-generation 5G wireless networks.
Segal added that the move was a "low-cost signal of resolve from the Trump administration," noting that there is little at stake economically.
All major US wireless carriers and internet providers had already sworn off Chinese-made equipment. This was after the House Intelligence Committee published report in 2012 which said both Huawei and ZTE, China's No 2 telecoms equipment company, should be excluded as enablers of Beijing-directed espionage.
China Warns US against 'Harm' to Trade Ties over Huawei Ban
UK's May Sacks Defence Minister Williamson over Huawei Leak
Huawei Says US 'Unreasonable Restrictions' Infringe on Its Rights
USA: Huawei Pleads not Guilty to Violations of Sanctions Against Iran
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line521
|
__label__wiki
| 0.976912
| 0.976912
|
Toms River Councilman Maurice “Mo” Hill announces run for mayor
Vin Ebenau
Toms River Councilman Maurice "Mo" Hill. (Maurice "Mo" Hill)
Toms River Township Councilman Maurice “Mo” Hill has announced that he is running in the June Primary as a Republican candidate for Mayor of Toms River to succeed GOP incumbent Tom Kelaher who will not seek re-election in November.
“I have a strong record of honesty, integrity and proven leadership and dedicated service to my community and country," Hills said.
The Ward 3 Councilman and Councilman at Large has been in that position since 2004 when then Mayor Paul Brush (D) was sworn into office.
Hill joined fellow Republicans on the council that year in Greg McGuckin (who is now an Ocean County Assemblyman), Maria Maruca, Brian Kubiel, John Sevastakis (no longer on the council), Mike Fiure (no longer on the council) and Carmine Inteso (no longer on the council).
As he announces a run for mayor in 2019, Hill is also resigning from the Toms River Regular Republican Club.
“The Republican Party in Toms River has frozen my campaign funds forcing me to run a bare bones grass roots campaign. I offer myself as a candidate who has the honesty, integrity and the leadership skills to lead Toms River," Hill told WOBM News. "I feel we need an alternative to Mr. (George) Gilmore’s handpicked candidate, Mr. (Joseph) Coronato, who has an impending civil law suit for wrongful termination. We deserve better!”
Coronato, the former prosecutor in Ocean County, received the endorsement of the Toms River Republican Club earlier this month.
"I told the committee it was very important for us to be the strongest Republican town in Ocean County but the county be Republican. For me it's all about family and for us to hold Republican values," Coronato told WOBM News.
Meanwhile, Hill says wants to be the selection for Mayor.
"I am placing my names on the primary ballot as a republican candidate for Mayor of Toms River," Hill said. "I want to give the registered republicans of Toms River another choice for the position."
Hill said he's look to address a number of issues affecting residents in Toms River including over development.
“As a member of the Council’s Land Use Committee I have been an outspoken advocate for preserving open space," Hill said. "Over the last two-years the Council has preserved over 60 acres for open space in the northern section of Toms River and preserved the last horse farm in Town on Cox Cro Road."
Hill cites the Council revising the Master Plan in 2017 as what eliminated residential development on the Route 9 corridor from North Maple Avenue to Route 571.
The Council purchased the Red Carpet Inn downtown which is the initial step in the Downtown Redevelopment Area which Hill plans to help be apart of moving forward.
The Redevelopment Area on Caudina and Hooper Avenues is the potential site for the new VA medical clinic and the relocation of the US Post Office from downtown.
TOMS RIVER MOVING AHEAD WITH PLANS TO REDEVELOP DOWNTOWN AREA
Hill also plans to challenge Coronato on a number of issues when they go head-to-head this year.
"Mr. Coronato has been one of the leading land use attorneys in Toms River. He was the attorney who received the initial planning board approval for the project now known as Riverwood Chase and Cox Cro Crossing," Hill said. "He also was the attorney of record when a 15 acre parcel off North Bay Ave was approved for a clustered development of 15 homes on half acre lots when the zoning called for acre lots."
Hill has a plan to serve the residents of Toms River where his family has resided and attends school in a district being crippled by state aid budget cuts.
“I have a vested interest in Toms River as I have 2 married daughters who live in Town and 4 grandchildren who attend Toms River Regional Schools," Hill said. "I have been a very vocal critic of the State’s draconian cuts to our state aid and advocated for the restoration of the state aid to our district. I attended the Save our Schools rally in Trenton supporting our teachers and students”.
In addition to being a councilman in Toms River, Hill also served 35-years in the United States Navy before retiring in 2005 as a Rear Admiral.
Maurice "Mo" Hill as a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral. (Maurice "Mo" Hill)[/caption]
Previous reporting by Dan Alexander was used in this report.
Filed Under: Toms River
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line522
|
__label__wiki
| 0.730744
| 0.730744
|
Caroline Bruzelius
Anne Murnick Cogan Professor Emerita of Art and Art History
Ph.D., Yale University 1977
M.Phil., Yale University 1975
M.A., Yale University 1974
Caroline Bruzelius is the Anne M. Cogan Professor of Art, Art History, and Visual Studies at Duke University. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London, and the Medieval Academy of America. Bruzelius received her Ph.D. from Yale University. She was awarded the Duke Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award in 1985 and in 2016 was given the Leadership award for the Wired! Lab at Duke. From 1994-1998, she served as the Director of the American Academy in Rome. In 2013-2014 she was the Richard Krautheimer Visiting Professor at the Hertziana Library/Max Planck Institute in Rome.
Her field of research is Gothic architecture, urbanism and medieval sculpture in France and Italy. Her books include: Preaching, Building and Burying: Friars in the Medieval City (Yale University Press, 2014); Medieval Naples (with William Tronzo), Italica Press; The Stones of Naples: Church Building in the Angevin Italy, 1266-1343 (Yale University Press, 2004); The Thirteenth Century Church at Saint Denis (Yale University Press, 1985), The Brummer Collection of Medieval Art at Duke University (1991), and The Abbey Church of Longpont and the Architecture of the Cistercians in the Early Thirteenth Century (1977). She is presently working on a new book, The Cathedral and the City, that will examine the social, political and economic context for cathedral building. She has also published numerous articles on the architecture of religious women ("Nuns in Space,") and Digital Technologies in Art History.
"My work takes me from the tops of buildings (see photo) to the foundations underneath and to all parts in between. I am interested in how we can understand the construction process of buildings that were created many centuries ago, and how their design and appearance reflected social, economic, and religious practice. The rigorous study of structures and walls and the historical documentation in archives are the points of departure for narratives on the shaping of man-made space and its significance."
"The remarkable capacities of digital modeling and mapping have greatly enriched the ways in which we can engage with the constantly changing and evolving lives of buildings and cities." At Duke, Bruzelius and a group of colleagues have integrated these new technologies into teaching and research projects that involve students at all levels (from freshmen through Ph.D. candidates) in creating digital models, maps, databases and interactive displays that enhance our understanding of historical monuments and their decoration. Bruzelius is a co-founder of Wired! (http://www.dukewired.org/), a group of faculty that integrate digital technologies into teaching and research (3D modeling, mapping, animations, laser scanning, interactive displays). She is also a co-founder (with Donatella Calabi) of Visualizing Venice (http://www.visualizingvenice.org/), an international collaboration that models growth and change in Venice over time (the partner universities are Venice and Padua). With a team of research collaborators, she created The Kingdom of Sicily Image Database, a search tool that collects and catalogues historical images (often produced during the Grand Tour) of the medieval monuments of the Kingdom of Sicily (the database will be imminently online).
Medieval Architecture & Sculpture, Gothic Architecture, Historical & Cultural Visualization
My traditional research fields are medieval architecture, urbanism, and sculpture. I have worked on cathedrals in France and elsewhere in Europe. I’ve just published a book on the impact of the mendicant orders on medieval architecture and cities. Two new projects will have to do with the financing of cathedrals and the role of architecture in the longue durée of architecture in the Kingdom of Sicily.
My new area of interest is digital visualization technologies for art and architecture. I am a co-founder of Wired! and Visualizing Venice. I have a 3-year collaborative NEH grant for a database on images of the medieval monuments of South Italy. Above all, we are excited about the potential of these new tools for showing transformation and change in man-made urban space. At Duke we have been pioneers in integrating new digital tools into teaching. This Ted @ Duke talk provides a good summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYjhueongzg
221 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies, Box 90764, Durham, NC 27708
By appointment: email me: c.bruzelius@duke.edu
c.bruzelius@duke.edu
http://www.univiu.org/graduate; http://blogs-dev.oit.duke.edu/cbruzelius/
The Wired! Laboratory
Visualizing Venice
The Alife Arch
The Alife Arch project interrogates the provenance and function of several stone fragments in the Brummer Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. The... read more »
Wired!
Wired! (http://www.dukewired.org/) is an autochthonous faculty-created group Digital Humanities initiative that... read more »
Visualizing Venice is an international collaboration with the Universities of Padua (Engineering) and IUAV (architectural and urban history) that has several... read more »
The Lives of Things
This is a multi-pronged teaching and research initiative in collaboration with Mark Olso, Mariano Tepper, and Guillelmo Sapiro. We’re interested in using interactive... read more »
Preaching, Building, and...
Friars transformed the relationship of the church to laymen by taking religion outside to public and domestic spaces. Mendicant commitment to apostolic poverty bound friars... read more »
Medieval Naples: An...
Two leading American experts on the subject offer the first comprehensive English-language review of Naples' architecture and urban development from late antiquity to the... read more »
Bruzelius, C. “Review of San-Lorenzo Maggiore in Naples by J Kruger.” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, vol. 47, no. 3, Sept. 1988, pp. 301–02. Manual, doi:10.2307/990306. Full Text
Bruzelius, C. “Review of Die gotische Architektur in Frankreich 1130-1270 by D Kimpel and R Suckale.” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, vol. 47, no. 2, June 1988, pp. 190–92. Manual, doi:10.2307/990330. Full Text
Bruzelius, Caroline. “The Construction of Notre-Dame in Paris.” The Art Bulletin, vol. 69, no. 4, Informa UK Limited, Dec. 1987, pp. 540–69. Crossref, doi:10.1080/00043079.1987.10788458. Full Text
Bruzelius, C. A. “The Twelfth-Century Church at Ourscamp.” Speculum, vol. 56, no. 1, Jan. 1981, pp. 28–40. Scopus, doi:10.2307/2847888. Full Text
Bruzelius, Caroline. “THE RENAISSANCE IN A NEAPOLITAN PALACE: THE DISCOVERY OF A PATRON AND A BUILDING by Bianca de Divitiis.” Art History, vol. 32, no. 2, Wiley, pp. 414–16. Crossref, doi:10.1111/j.1467-8365.2009.00677.x. Full Text
Gothic Cathedrals (ARTHIST 225.01)
Perkins 088, MW 11:45 AM-12:35 PM
Gothic Cathedrals (ARTHIST 225.01L)
Perkins 072, F 11:45 AM-12:35 PM
Advanced Digital Art History (VMS 551SL.01L)
Advanced Digital Art History (ARTHIST 551SL.001)
Advanced Digital Art History (ARTHIST 551SL.01L)
Advanced Digital Art History (VMS 551SL.001)
Intro to History of Art (ARTHIST 101D.001)
East Duke 108, TuTh 10:05 AM-10:55 AM
Intro to History of Art (ARTHIST 101D.01D)
Perkins 088, TuTh 01:25 PM-02:15 PM
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line524
|
__label__cc
| 0.695532
| 0.304468
|
Stanley Abe
Associate Professor of Art and Art History
B.A., University of California at Berkeley 1981
Stanley Abe has published on Chinese Buddhist art, contemporary Chinese art, Asian American art, Abstract Expressionism, and the collecting of Chinese sculpture. He is now writing a narrative account of how Chinese sculpture came into existence as a category of Fine Art during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Chinese art, theory & criticism
114 S. Buchanan Blvd., Smith Warehouse Bay 9, Room A289, Durham, NC 27708
Friday 2:00–3:00 and by appointment
stanley.abe@duke.edu
Abe, S. Ordinary Images. University of Chicago Press, 2002.
Abe, S. A Freer Stela Reconsidered. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Occasional Paper, 2002.
Abe, S., and J. Elsner. “Introduction: Some Stakes of Comparativism.” Comparativism in Art History, edited by J. Elsner, Routledge, 2017, pp. 1–15.
Abe, S. “Sculpture: A Comparative History.” Comparativism in Art History, edited by J. Elsner, Routledge, 2017, pp. 94–108.
Abe, S. “General Munthe’s Sculpture Collection.” Gifts, edited by Jorunn Haakestad, Vestlandske Kunstindustrimuseum, 2012, pp. 42–47.
Abe, S. “The Modern Moment of Chinese Sculpture.” Exhibiting Asian Art: Issues and Perspectives, National Museum of Korea; Friends of National Museum of Korea, 2011, pp. 27–45.
Abe, S. “Rockefeller Home Decorating and Objects from China.” Collecting China: The World, China, and a Short History of Collecting, edited by Vimalin Rujivacharakul, University of Delaware Press, 2011, pp. 107–23.
Abe, S. “Locating World Art.” The Migrant’s Time: Rethinking Art History and Diaspora, edited by Saloni Mathur, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, 2011, pp. 130–45.
Abe, S. “Collecting Chinese Sculpture: Paris, New York, Boston.” Journeys East: Isabella Stewart Gardner and Asia, edited by Alan Chong and Noriko Murai, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2009, pp. 432–42.
Merali, Shaheen, editor. “China, The Buddha, and Modern Aestheticism.” Re-Imagining Asia: A Thousand Years of Separation, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, 2008, pp. 124–33.
Abe, S. “From Stone to Sculpture: The Alchemy of the Modern.” Treasures Rediscovered: Chinese Stone Sculpture from the Sackler Collections at Columbia University, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, Columbia University, 2008, pp. 7–16.
Abe, S. “Xu Bing de zhenshi de yishu 徐冰的真实的艺术 (The Genuine Art of Xu Bing).” Xu Bing – Yancao Jihua 徐冰 – 烟草计划 (Xu Bing: Tobacco Project), edited by 巫鸿 Wu Hong, Beijing: Zhongguo Renmin daxue chubanshe, 2006, pp. 106–114.
Abe, S. K. “Pulitzer foundation workshop.” Archives of Asian Art, vol. 62, Dec. 2012, pp. 81–81. Manual, doi:10.1353/aaa.2012.0005. Full Text
Abe, S. K. “Absence and the image.” Archives of Asian Art, vol. 62, Dec. 2012, pp. 102–03. Scopus, doi:10.1353/aaa.2012.0011. Full Text
Abe, S. “Review of Ning Qiang, Art, Religion, and Politics in Medieval China: The Dunhuang Cave of the Zhai Family.” Journal of Asian Studies, vol. 64, 2005, pp. 454–56.
Abe, S. “Review of Marsha Weidner, ed., Cultural Intersections in Late Imperial Chinese Buddhism.” Journal of Asian Studies, vol. 61, May 2002, pp. 715–16.
Abe, S. “Review essay of Lukas Nickel, ed., Return of the Buddha: The Qingzhou Discoveries.” Aribus Asiae, vol. 62, 2002, pp. 293–99.
Abe, S. K. “Provenance, patronage, and desire: Northern Wei sculpture from Shaanxi province.” Ars Orientalis, vol. 31, Dec. 2001, pp. 1–30.
Abe, S. “Review of Stephen Little with Shawn Eichman, Taoism and the Arts of China.” Journal of Chinese Religions, vol. 29, 2001, pp. 332–34.
Stanley Abe, Shawn. “Tobacco Art: Xu Bing's Tobacco Project.” Duke University Libraries, vol. 14, no. 1, Oct. 2000, pp. 3–7.
Before Sculpture. Toward the Future: Museums and Art History in East Asia. Comite International d'Histoire de l'Art Colloquium. 2019 - 2019
What is Chinese Sculpture?. Historical Chinese Sculptures and the Ann Paludan Archive. National Museum of Scotland. 2019 - 2019
Imagining Sculpture. VMPEA Workshop, Department of Art History. University of Chicago. 2019 - 2019
Faithful Copies: On Replication and Creative Agency in Buddhist Art, Part II. Annual Conference. College Art Association. 2018 - 2018
New Approaches to Contemporary Asian Art. Annual Conference. College Art Association. 2018 - 2018
Xu Bing in North Carolina. Xu Bing Thought and Method Symposium. Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. 2018 - 2018
Imagining Sculpture in China. Center for Chinese Studies Colloquium. University of California, Berkeley. 2018 - 2018
Duplicates and Copies in Chinese Sculpture. Percival David Foundation Annual Lecture. British Museum. 2017 - 2017
Towards a Theory of the Substitute in Chinese Sculpture. East Asia Art & Archaeology Research Seminar. Department of Art & Archaeology. 2017 - 2017
Duplication in Chinese Sculpture. Burke Lectures. Department of Art History. 2017 - 2017
Director of Graduate Studies. Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies. 2016 - 2019
Graduate School. Executive Committee of the Graduate Faculty. 2014 - 2016
Office of the President. University Priorities Committee. 2010 - 2012
Director. Arts of the Moving Image. 2008 - 2012
Director. MFA in Experimental and Documentary Arts. 2010 - 2011
Arts & Sciences Council. 2007 - 2011
Arts & Sciences Council. Executive Committee. 2008 - 2010
Duke University Press. Editorial Advisory Board. 2002 - 2008
Director of Graduate Studies. Department of Art and Art History. 2002 - 2003
Member. Academic Advisory Committee. Tate Modern Research Centre: Asia. 2016 - 2019
Editor in Chief and Chair of the Editorial Board. Archives of Asian Art. 2011 - 2018
Member. Peer Review Panel, NEH Fellowships. National Endowment for the Humanities. 2017 - 2017
Member. External Review Committee, Art History Program. University of Minnesota. 2017 - 2017
Member. Academic Advisory Committee. Tate Modern Research Centre: Asia Pacific. 2013 - 2016
Member : Editorial Board, Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review. 2011 - 2016
Reviewer. Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship. American Council of Learned Societies. 2013 - 2015
Buddhist Sculpture In a New Light | at Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C..
Buddhist Sculpture In a New Light. Creator. (2002)
An exhibition of twenty-two works from the storage of the Freer Gallery, co-curated with Jan Stuart; some of the works were previously considered the masterpieces of the collection but have been relegated to storage; many others have never been exhibited
Fellowships for University Teachers. National Endowment for the Humanities. 2007
Franklin Grants. American Philosophical Society. 2007
Shimada Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in the History of East Asian Art for the book Ordinary Images. Smithsonian Institution's Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, and The Metropolitan Center for Far Eastern Art Studies, Kyoto, Japan. 2004
Chinese Buddhist Art (ARTHIST 778S.01)
Chinese Buddhist Art (VMS 378.01)
Chinese Buddhist Art (ARTHIST 378.01)
Copies and Duplication (ARTHIST 724S.01)
Chinese Art 1900 to Present (ARTHIST 295.01)
East Duke 204A, WF 10:05 AM-11:20 AM
First-Year Seminar (Top) (ARTHIST 89S.01)
East Duke 204A, M 08:30 AM-10:30 AM
East Duke 108, MW 01:25 PM-02:40 PM
East Duke 204A, Th 10:05 AM-12:05 PM
East Duke 204A, Tu 08:30 AM-10:30 AM
East Duke 204A, MW 08:30 AM-09:45 AM
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line525
|
__label__wiki
| 0.901783
| 0.901783
|
Tag Archives: valencia
by At The Rails | October 9, 2013 · 9:00 pm
Deportivo La Coruña: A Cautionary Tale
Spanish football. Fútbol español. Over the last decade, Spain has become the game’s spiritual home. And why not? Its national team is the first side to be defend the European title while reigning as World Champions. Out of the last 20 Champions League semi-finals, a Spanish team has been present for 11 of them. In fact, Barcelona has reached the semis seven out of the last eight years, earning three titles in the process. Sevilla and Atlético Madrid have each earned themselves a brace of UEFA Cup/Europa League trophies. Spain has the best co-efficient in Europe and FIFA has the national team leading the world rankings by a country mile.
But as the nation itself teeters between austerity and economic ruin, so must Spanish football clean up its financial house. Like the Spanish economy, many clubs have lived beyond their means, wanting the things that they haven’t got… and then paying the price in the long run.
There is likely no better cautionary tale than that of Deportivo La Coruña: a small club that found short-term success through front-office debt and backroom decisions. Until the early 90’s, the Galicians were a yo-yo club. But after securing top-flight football in 1991, they picked up two young Brazilians, Bebeto and Mauro Silva. The pair were excellent for both club and country, with Bebeto earning the Pichichi in 1993, and then scoring three goals as Brazil won the 1994 World Cup. A year later, the pair helped Los Blancoazuis win their first-ever Copa del Rey.
Roy Makaay was arguably Europe’s best player during his Depor days.
The club’s pinnacle came in 2000, when Diego Tristán and Roy Makaay led Deportivo to their first and only league title. That win kicked off five straight seasons of Champions League football, culminating in 2004 where they were a penalty kick away from the finals. If they kept eventual champions Porto from scoring from open play, who knows what they could have done against Monaco in Gelsenkirchen? Tristán and Makaay won the Pichichi in 2002 and 2003, respectively, with Makaay earning the European Golden Boot as well. Between 2000 and 2004, Deportivo La Coruña were Spain’s most consistent team in league football.
But after a series of mid-table finishes — and no money from Champions League football — the tiny team was in over its head financially. Players begin to leave with the club still owing them wages. (Albert Luque claims that he is still owed €2.1M. He left in 2005). Deportivo finally hit bottom in 2011 when they were sent back to the second division after a 20-year stay in the top flight. “Superdépor” was no more.
The club came back on the bounce, but the signs were not good in 2012-2013. The first half of the season was filled with multi-goal disasters: a 5-1 loss to Real Madrid; a 5-4 loss to Barcelona that could have been uglier; a promising start against Real Zaragoza that ended with the Aragonese side coming back to win 5-3; a disheartening 6-0 loss to Atletico Madrid. By Christmas, Deportivo were dead last.
The team could find the back of the net and they spread the goals around. But they couldn’t defend to save their life. Manager José Luis Oltra was good enough to get them out of the second division, but he just wasn’t the man they needed for the Primera. Just before New Year’s Eve, the club dumped Oltra and brought in former Portuguese international Domingos. But the 43-year-old lasted just 41 days (a delicious parallel to Brian Clough at Leeds United, who later also overextended themselves for Champions League football and paid the price). On March 10th, club brass brought in Galician “national” team manager Fernando Vázquez, who had coached Deportivo’s rivals Celta Vigo just five years before.
The Vázquez era began poorly, but it was to be expected. His first four matches in charge were against Sevilla, Real Madrid, Barca and then an inexplicably successful Rayo Vallecano. In those four matches, A Coruña went 0-3-1, giving up seven goals in the process. It was their season in miniature.
But then came the Galician derby at the Riazor, a nasty affair between two clubs who were trying to claw their way off the bottom of the table. A 3-1 victory over Vázquez’ old employers sparked a seven-game unbeaten streak, easing fears that Los Turcos were headed back to the Segunda after only one season. And even though they lost two of their next three games, they were out of the drop zone heading into their last match.
Alas, it was not to be. Deportivo dropped their final game 1-0 to Real Sociedad, a club hungry to taste European football for the first time since 2003-2004 (a season when Sociedad, Deportivo and Celta Vigo were all Champions League participants). Meanwhile, down the AP-9, Vigo got past a middling Espanyol to survive another season in the top flight. It hurt Deportivo to drop back down again. But to do so while helping your biggest rival stay up? Galling.
It wasn’t the last of Deportivo’s woes. In January, the club had applied for bankruptcy protection, with an estimated debt load of over €150M, more than a third of that owed to the Spanish government. Panic set in among the players who demanded the club pay their outstanding wages. A last-minute deal with creditors at the end of July — literally 15 minutes to midnight — saved them from getting dropped into the third division. But that meant a) many players were out the door, including their two top scorers, and b) any player acquisitions had to be approved by debt administrators.
Eight of the league’s top-flight clubs — eight!!! — were in administration last season. Twenty-four of Spain’s top two division teams have done the same over the last two years. But obviously, not all of them were relegated. Being a second-tier team makes things tough for Deportivo, who won’t be able to play the Big Two with their massive television audiences, unless they get them in the Cup. But even though they have had a uneven start, it is still early and promotion is still a reasonable goal.
Bad business practices, player flight, unfair television deals: these aren’t unique to Deportivo La Coruña. Clubs like Valencia, Villareal, Sociedad, Zaragoza have all been stung in the past few years (Sociedad were relegated after their last CL appearance and spent three years in Primera exile). Nor are these problems unique to Spain. But with several good players leaving what is supposed to be the best league in the world, and with so many eyes watching around the globe, Spain’s problems become embarrassingly obvious.
Deportivo’s problems are fixable. So are Spain’s. But it will be a long haul back to where they were just a few years ago.
Brent Lanthier
Filed under La Liga
Tagged as bebeto, celta vigo, copa del rey, deportivo, deportivo la coruna, diego tristan, galicia, mauro silva, pichichi, real madrid, real sociedad, real zaragoza, roy makaay, valencia, villareal
by At The Rails | January 12, 2011 · 3:34 am
Leeds, Ipswich long for Red Letter Days
Leeds United turned back the clock this weekend
Rewind 10 years to May 2001. Manchester United had just won their English third league title in a row. It was the first time a single manager — Sir Alex Ferguson — managed the feat. Arsenal came in second, pipping Liverpool to the spot on the last day of the season. But the Merseysiders shed few tears, winning a treble of trophies — UEFA Cup, FA & League Cups — and earning a third-place finish that would put them in the Champions League, their first foray into top-tier European football since the Hillsborough disaster.
The top of the table was awash in a sea of red. But just below them were the other colours of the Union Jack: Leeds United white and Ipswich Town blue. Both teams were riding high. Both teams would find their success short-lived.
Fast forward 10 years to the present day. Leeds and Ipswich have spent much of the last decade in the lower leagues, unable to replicate the success of 2000-2001. Now both teams must go through Arsenal to have any chance of cup glory this season.
Back in 2001, both clubs were riding high. Ipswich had only been promoted the previous season and were widely picked to go down again. But they stayed in the top six for much of the campaign, finishing fifth and earning George Burley the Manager of the Year award. They also picked up a place in the UEFA Cup, the trophy they had won 20 years earlier.
George Burley: Manager of the Year 2001
But that success turned out to be a blip. After their fifth place finish, the Tractor Boys spent much of the next season at the foot of the table and were relegated, entering administration in the process. They’ve remained in the First Division/Championship ever since. Ipswich came close to coming back up, securing play-off spots in 2004 and 2005, but lost both times to West Ham. Since then, they’ve have simply floundered. The hiring of former Ipswich great Jim Magilton, and then Man U giant Roy Keane, did nothing for either the club’s results… or for the idea of using unqualified players as managers.
For Leeds, the heights were even loftier. Although they slipped from the previous season’s third-place finish, they made up for it in 2001 by going all the way to the Champions League semi-finals. A 3-0 defeat to Valencia prevented them from facing their opponents in the 1975 final, Bayern Munich.
That Leeds side featured several young players who would make names for themselves at other clubs: Robbie Keane, Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell, Lee Bowyer, Paul Robinson, Alan Smith, Dominic Matteo, Rio Ferdinand.
Leeds: Too good to go down…
But like Icarus flying to close to the sun, the Yorkshire side was burned by pride. Buoyed by Leeds’ domestic and European success, Chairman Peter Risdale borrowed heavily to secure new players. That proved to be short-sighted: their fourth-place league finish meant they had to settle for the UEFA league. Leeds lost much-need television revenue and they began their descent.
The team was forced to sell star players to fund debts, killing morale at the club. Leeds were relegated in 2004, and then dropped again to League One in 2007. After two playoff losses in a row, the Whites finally got promoted to the Championship last season with a second-place finish.
Cup Success?
One club has rebounded, one has not. The difference between the two was evident this weekend. Ipswich sacked Keane on Friday, just two days before the East Anglians were to face Chelsea in the FA Cup. Owner Marcus Evans was unhappy with Ipswich being in 19th place, but his timing was awful. The champions and cup holders humiliated Evans’ team, 7-0.
Meanwhile, Leeds — who sit in fifth — almost earned a famous win at the Emirates, if not for a Theo Walcott dive in the dying minutes. United must now fancy their chances with the replay being held in the intimidating environs of Elland Road. If they win, a West Yorkshire derby awaits at home against Huddersfield Town.
Ipswich still have a chance at redemption. New gaffer Paul Jewell will lead them out against the Gooners today at home, in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final. Ipswich are 7-1-6 at Portman Road. But after five trophy-less seasons, Arsene Wenger is hungry for silverware and isn’t likely to let up on the Tractor Boys.
Ten years ago, both Leeds United and Ipswich Town were riding high. Now, after a decade of being left red-faced, both clubs are hoping for a blue-ribbon day against a formidable opponent, lest they are forced to wave the white flag of surrender.
Filed under Carling Cup, Champions League, FA Cup
Tagged as 2000-2001 season, alan smith, arsenal, bayern munich, chelsea, dominic matteo, east anglian, fa cup, george burnley, harry kewell, hillsborough, ipswich town, jim magilton, lee bowyer, leeds united, liverpool, manchester united, mark viduka, paul robinson, rio ferdinand, robbie keane, roy keane, tractory boys, valencia, west ham
by At The Rails | September 23, 2010 · 6:01 pm
Fergie’s Fantasy: The Dream Team
Lamps' hernia operation means no fantasy points
We are only five weeks into the season, but many fantasy managers are already thinking about using their “wild card” to start again from scratch (unless you’re like me, and you’ve already used it).
How else can you make up for mistakes, like thinking poor World Cup play by Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres wouldn’t carry over into the Premier league? Did you really think this is the year Cesc Fabregas stays healthy? How could you guess that Frank Lampard wouldn’t even rate as one of the three Chelsea players you should have in your line-up?
To help you in your search for the “best of the best”, here’s the top scoring players at each position so far. Without regard for the rules of the fantasy game — you can only have three players from any given club, and your salary cap wouldn’t allow you to afford all of the players below — I bring you the dream starting 11… (if you had to play by all the rules, it would be a “dream” team now would it?)
Didier Drogba – Chelsea
As I mentioned, two of the most threatening strikers in the league — Rooney and Torres — are off to very slow starts. But last year’s Golden Boot winner Didier Drogba has picked up exactly where he left off, and thus is the Premier League’s most valuable fantasy point getter. He’s also the most expensive player in the league but I suggest you suck it up, pay his price, and make him your captain every week until he starts to slow down. Drogba is not only scoring goals, he’s also setting them up and taking the corners while Lampard has been injured. That makes him even more valuable.
Berba finally starts flying...
Dimitar Berbatov – Manchester United
On a team with Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, and new signing Javier Hernandez, Manchester United’s Bulgarian striker had to show some spark early on and he’s done just that. Witness how he single-handedly took apart Liverpool last week with a hat trick, including a bicycle kick goal that will be a contender for goal of the year. With play like this, it will be impossible for Sir Alex Ferguson to keep him out of the lineup.
Carlos Tevez – Manchester City
This Argentinian bulldog is technically tied with Newcastle’s Andrew Carroll at this point… but I expect Carroll to fade and Tevez to come on even stronger. Man City have a wealth of striker options but Tevez seems to be the only one with any consistency right now. The fact that he’s regularly outperforming Rooney couldn’t be more annoying for United fans.
Florent Malouda – Chelsea
Here’s a player who has overcome his World Cup woes after playing for France. Malouda has shown an impressive scoring touch so far, and an obviously improved chemistry with his teammates after taking the bulk of last year getting used to life in the Premier League. I see no reason why his form would dip. A must-have purchase for all fantasy managers, as his price keeps going up.
Kalou on top... but for how long?
Salomon Kalou – Chelsea
Kalou is reaching the potential Chelsea thought he would have when they signed him. His four goals in five games is all the more impressive when you consider he only started two of those games. He could be a risky long-term prospect as I’m not sure he’ll start as often when Lampard comes back… if the rest of team stays healthy. But he’s on fire right now at a good price: he could be a strong short-term pick-up.
Nani – Manchester United
You are likely smarter than me anyway, but you are definitely smarter than me if you took Nani at the beginning of the season. With Valencia rounding into form at the end of last year, it appeared Nani might be a useful substitute. However, he’s now proving to be an indispensible supplier of crosses into the box for United and has the ability to score, given the chance. If another player brushes up against him, he goes down like he received an uppercut to the face, but there’s no fantasy deductions for that!
Theo Walcott – Arsenal
Gooners were ecstatic to see Walcott get off to a flying start with four goals in the first three games… especially since he’s never scored more than four in a whole season! His pace gives him the ability to score almost every time he gets the ball and some space to work in and now he’s playing with a lot of confidence. The only problem? He’s injured and it’s likely he’s won’t be back until sometime in October. Keep an eye on him when he returns as he could be worth a transfer into your squad if he keeps it up.
Ashley Cole – Chelsea
The quantity of Chelsea players on this list is a bit annoying, but there’s nothing bad you can say about Cole’s performance this year. He’s made great runs down the left side for years, but now it seems those crosses always get to someone in blue who will put them in the back of the net. Cole is pricey, but he’s the top scoring defender in the league right now, so you get what you pay for.
Captain Schtupping has yet to face serious opposition
John Terry – Chelsea
I wouldn’t necessarily introduce him to my girlfriend, but it’s hard to do better in selecting a defender. Again, he’s expensive but you get what you pay for. Chelsea are likely to continue racking up clean sheets and Terry is virtually a constant presence on their back four.
Micah Richards – Manchester City
Richards has played every moment so far for Manchester City and has helped them keep two clean sheets, along with the occasional assist. You could also look at Nemanja Vidic from Man United or Alex from Chelsea, but Richards is a lot cheaper and is sure to play in every game.
Hart has only allowed two goal so far
Joe Hart – Manchester City
A big part of the reason Micah Richards is on this list is the amazing play of Joe Hart. He’s showing that he should have been the man for England in South Africa (i.e. he has yet to throw a ball into his own net). Hart has a bright future and his fantasy value is also only going to go up.
Tagged as andrew carroll, arsenal, ashley cole, berbatov, carlos tevez, chelsea, didier drogba, fernando torres, Florent Malouda, joe hart, john terry, liverpool, manchester city, manchester united, micah richards, nani, salomon kalou, theo walcott, valencia, wayne rooney
by At The Rails | April 17, 2010 · 12:04 am
Valencia continue to amaze
Hadi Zogheib
While the headlines across Spain in recent months have revolved around the mega clubs, Valencia’s remarkable consistency may be the story of the year in La Liga. Sure Barcelona, with the phenomenal brilliance of Lionel Messi and co., look set win the title. And the return of Los Galacticos, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, has kept the race interesting. But under the radar of many, Valencia continues to impress each week, although they have been more pedestrian in the past two months.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
What makes their story all the more amazing is the fact that they are playing scintillating football in the midst of rumours that their two superstars will be sold to relieve the club’s crushing debt. With the number reportedly hovering around the 500 million euro mark, is it any wonder that the board is considering all of its options? And yet, the team keeps on winning. Meanwhile, the media continues to speculate on where David Villa and David Silva will be playing next year. Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United have all shown a keen interest in one or both of these players but, for now, none of that seems to matter.
Valencia’s success this season can be attributed to many factors, but its road form is the most eye-catching. They began the season a remarkable 7-2-2 away from the Mestalla and, despite a five-match road winless streak, have maintained a solid foothold on third place and an automatic Champions League spot for next season. David Navarro has been the anchor in a solid defence and the emergence of holding midfielder Ever Banega has been a revelation. This has allowed attacking players such as Silva, Juan Mata and Pablo Hernandez more freedom to terrorize opposition defences.
And let’s not forget number 7. While the off-field soap opera continues, Villa has proven time and again why he may be the most coveted striker in Europe. Only Messi’s brilliance has kept him out of the running for the pichichi, given to the highest goal scorer in Spain. Is there anyone more automatic from 12 yards in?
While the La Liga crown remains out of reach for Los Che, they can still exert an influence on the title race, with a visit to Madrid’s Bernabeu on tap this Sunday. While they’ll be valuable summer targets, not many in the capital will be happy to see Villa and Silva in town this weekend.
Tagged as barcelona, David Navarro, David Silva, David Villa, Juan Mata, la liga, mestalla, Pablo Hernandez, real madrid, valencia
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line531
|
__label__wiki
| 0.710929
| 0.710929
|
Boston Red Sox: Top 10 Prospects for 2013
Posted by Jeff Louderback on Jan 11th, 2013
Boasting a well-stocked farm system rich with potential impact players who are slated to open the 2013 season at Double-A or Triple-A, the Boston Red Sox have shaped their current off-season strategy to ensure that many of these prospects will get the chance to shine at Fenway Park over the next few years.
Though the club entered the off-season with enviable payroll flexibility after last summer’s trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers shed the cumbersome contracts of Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett, it has opted to offer short-term deals to free agents. One reason for this approach is to not block the paths of top prospects when they are deemed Major League ready.
Leading the list of top prospects for the Red Sox is 20-year-old Xander Bogaerts, an Aruba native who projects as a middle of the order bat at the Major League level. Bogaerts is No. 7 on the Baseball News Source Top 10 Prospects List heading into the 2013 campaign.
The Red Sox also have some intriguing starting pitching prospects, including two right-handers (Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster) they acquired in the aforementioned trade with the Dodgers.
Here are the top 10 prospects in the Red Sox farm system entering 2013:
1. Xander Bogaerts, SS
Currently a defensively proficient shortstop, there is debate whether Bogaerts will remain at the position for the long term or transition to third base or left field as his body grows bigger and stronger. Regardless, the right-handed hitter has a high offensive ceiling. At 19, he opened the 2012 season in the advanced Single-A Carolina League and batted .302 with a .883 OPS to accompany 15 home runs and 64 RBI in 435 plate appearances. As one of the youngest players in the Eastern League when he received a promotion to Double-A Portland, Bogaerts hit .326 with a .948 OPS in 97 plate appearances. If he is moved to left field, Bogaerts could form a prominent outfield with fellow top prospects Jackie Bradley and Bryce Brentz.
2. Matt Barnes, RHP
A first round pick (19th overall) out of the University of Connecticut in 2011, Barnes projects as a No. 2 or No. 3 starter at the Major League level and features a fast ball that ranges from 93-98 along with a an above-average curve ball and a developing change-up. In his first year of professional baseball last season, he logged a 2.86 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and 133 strikeouts in 119.2 innings between Single-A Greenville and advanced Single-A Salem (Va.).
3. Jackie Bradley, CF
Likely, if they do not trade him beforehand, the Red Sox will extend Jacoby Ellsbury a qualifying offer next offseason, watch him decline it and get draft pick compensation when he signs elsewhere as a free agent. Boston can afford to let Ellsbury depart because of Bradley, who is considered even better than the veteran as a center fielder and can hit for average. A supplemental first rounder in 2011 out of the University of South Carolina, the 22-year-old Bradley has a .311 average and a .896 OPS in two minor league seasons.
4. Rubby De La Rosa, RHP
De La Rosa has drawn comparisons to another former Dodgers right-hander who was traded from their organization – Pedro Martinez. The 23-year-old Dominican Republic native possesses an explosive fast ball that sits between 94 to 97 and can reach 98 to 100. He also has a plus change-up and an inconsistent but promising slider. Since De La Rosa underwent Tommy John surgery in 2011 and missed much of the 2012 season, his innings will be closely monitored this year.
5. Allen Webster, RHP
Among the strikeout and ERA leaders in the Southern League before he was traded from the Dodgers to the Red Sox last year, Webster has a mid-90s sinkers that often induces grounders when it doesn’t get swings and misses. He is working on enhancing a curve ball and change-up. Webster could be a middle of the rotation starter or a late-inning reliever. How he commands his three pitches will determine what role he fills long term.
6. Garin Cecchini, 3B
Third base is a position of depth and strength in the Red Sox organization with Will Middlebrooks at the Major League level, the possibility that Bogaerts could be moved to the hot corner and the presence of the 21-year-old Cecchini. He has improved his defense at third base, and the left-handed hitter batted .305 with a .827 OPS and 51 stolen bases at Single-A Greenville last season.
7. Bryce Brentz, RF
Boston’s 2011 Co-Minor League Offensive Player of the Year, Brentz continued his development last season by hitting .296 with a .833 OPS, 17 home runs and 76 RBI at Double-A Portland. He has a strong and accurate arm, which makes him ideal for right field at Fenway Park.
8. Blake Swihart, C
A first round pick out of high school in 2011, Swihart is still developing his abilities behind the plate, and the switch-hitter projects to hit for average and power. The agile Swihart has a strong arm, and the club believes his long-term future can remain at catcher, but he has the athleticism to move to another position.
9. Henry Owens, LHP
A supplemental first rounder out of high school in 2011, the 20-year-old Owens is a power left-hander who struggled at times in his pro debut season. He finished with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP, but he also struck out 130 batters in 101.2 innings while allowing 101 hits.He is working on commanding his fast ball and curve ball, and improving his change-up. Owens has top of the rotation potential.
10. Deven Marrero, SS
Jose Iglesias, the 22-year-old Cuban shortstop sensation, is a defensive whiz in the Omar Vizquel mold but it remains to be seen if he will hit enough to warrant a spot in the starting lineup. If the Red Sox move on from Iglesias and move Bogaerts to another position, the shortstop of the near future could be Marrero, who was Boston’s first round pick (24th overall) out of Arizona State University last summer. A plus defensive player with a strong arm, the 22-year-old Marrero is a line drive gap hitter who has the potential to be a steady everyday Major League shortstop.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line542
|
__label__cc
| 0.553117
| 0.446883
|
Shadowplay the inside story of Europe's last war
Marshall, Tim
The shattering of Yugoslavia in the 1990s showed that, after nearly 50 years of peace, war could return to Europe. It came to its bloody conclusion in Kosovo in 1999.; Tim Marshall, then diplomatic editor at Sky News, was on the ground covering the Kosovo War. This is his illuminating account of how events unfolded, a thrilling journalistic memoir drawing on personal experience, eyewitness accounts, and interviews with intelligence officials from five countries.; Twenty years on from the war's end, with the rise of Russian power, a weakened NATO and stalled EU expansion, this story is more relevant than ever, as questions remain about the possibility of conflict on European soil.
Andre bøker av Marshall, Tim
Prisoners of geography (Pocket)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line543
|
__label__cc
| 0.714179
| 0.285821
|
Fat Girls in Romance Novels
Alison Doherty 05-17-16
This is a guest post from Alison Doherty. Alison lives in Brooklyn and recently graduated from The New School with an MFA in writing for children. She blogs about young adult books atHardcovers and Heroines and is working on her first novel. Follow her on Twitter @alisoncdoherty.
I’ve equated being thin with being sexual for most of my life. In kindergarten, a baby sitter once called me fat (her exact words were “soccer ball stomach”). I remember thinking that it didn’t matter what my body looked like. I was six years old. I wasn’t trying to get a boyfriend. Later, in ballet class, I examined my leotard-clad body in the mirrored walls. I was taller, more broad shouldered, and, yes, thicker waisted than the other miniature ballerinas doing plies next to me at the barre. However, I didn’t feel upset or ashamed at the time. That would be something to worry about later.
I’ve always felt fine with my body as long as it remained my own. Seeking approval, attraction, and even romantic connection with others is where my self-esteem wavers.
These thoughts continued into high school and college. I’d go on extreme diets and turn into a girl who wore low cut tops and tossed my hair and giggled at boys’ jokes. Then I’d gain the weight back and retreat into a studious persona. Looking at pictures of me at both fifteen and five I can see now that I wasn’t really overweight, at least not in a medical sense. Not at my highest jean size. Not after a summer of eating little more than string cheese and Special K cereal. But my body was different from most of the girls in my class. It was a topic of concern and conversation at home and, at times, an object of scorn on the playground or at school dances. I couldn’t imagine anyone loving or being attracted to it, and by extension, me.
Reading essays by Gloria Steinem and Simone de Beauvoir did little to change this thought pattern. Instead, it was fat girls in romance novels that shifted my point of view. I’m not saying they entirely saved the day (or my sanity) all at once. But a few overweight romance heroines helped me move into a more body positive zone. They started to break down the link between body size and sexuality I’d held since before I even knew what the word sexuality meant.
It started with Good in Bed, by Jennifer Weiner, where the overweight heroine is, as the title suggests, good in bed. However it’s not her appearance that earns her this title. Instead, it’s because of her ability to give and receive pleasure. Honestly, at sixteen I’d never thought sexy meant anything other than looking sexy. This book began to change that, even though she does lose a lot of weight near the end of the book before finding true love (an unfortunate trope in an a complex and nuanced story).
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie built on these lessons. The specifics of main character Min’s size are never fully revealed, but she’s described as “chubby,” “fat,” and “voluptuous” throughout the book. She’s also described as beautiful several times by Calvin Morrisey, the reputed ladies man who ends up falling for her. Again, she is sexy primarily not because of her appearance, but because of her experiences with Cal in the bedroom. She doesn’t just get to have her cake and eat it, too. She gets orgasms and Krispy Kremes to boot. As with Jennifer Weiner’s book, with Min I saw a romantic role model that looked more like me than anyone on television or in movies.
I found the real plus size heroine of my heart in Lady Calpurnia Hartwell, from Sarah MacLean’s Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake. In this regency romance, Callie has spent her life wearing unfortunate dresses and sitting in spinster-seating at balls. But, of her own volition, she decides to change that with a list of adventures to undertake. The Marquess of Ralston begins accompanying her on these adventures and, not-so-surprising spoiler alert, falls in love with her. But it isn’t his love or attraction that makes Callie feel beautiful and sexy. Instead, it’s her journey of rediscovering her personality and learning to assert it. While her size is made clear, there are no mentions of food, dieting, or losing weight. This is what makes Callie’s story my favorite. Also its one of the hottest books I’ve ever read, which doesn’t hurt.
Romance novels are safe places for girls to try out and fantasize about romantic and sexual relationships before they’re ready to undertake them in real life. I think this is especially important for overweight or curvy or whatever-you-want-to-call-it girls, because too often the world asserts that they don’t deserve these experiences or that kind of attention.
I know this was true for me, and am beyond grateful to these three authors, and the others who write full, rich, sexy romantic lives for characters with bigger than average body types.
Now if only I could find a guy like Calvin Morrisey or Lord Ralston on Tinder I’d be all set.
Sign up for Kissing Books to receive news, book recommendations, and more for residents of Romancelandia.
#Romance/Erotica#Jennifer Crusie#jennifer weiner#sarah maclean
Understanding the Real Ireland: Hardship and Change
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line544
|
__label__cc
| 0.699092
| 0.300908
|
Very Short Introductions /
Probability: A Very Short Introduction
Author: HAIGH JOHN
Quick overview Making good decisions under conditions of uncertainty requires an appreciation of the way random chance works. In this Very Short Introduction, John Haigh provides a brief account of probability theory; explaining the philosophical approaches, discussing probability distributions, and looking its applications in science and economics.
Making good decisions under conditions of uncertainty - which is the norm - requires a sound appreciation of the way random chance works. As analysis and modelling of most aspects of the world, and all measurement, are necessarily imprecise and involve uncertainties of varying degrees, the understanding and management of probabilities is central to much work in the sciences and economics. In this Very Short Introduction, John Haigh introduces the ideas of probability and different philosophical approaches to probability, and gives a brief account of the history of development of probability theory, from Galileo and Pascal to Bayes, Laplace, Poisson, and Markov. He describes the basic probability distributions, and goes on to discuss a wide range of applications in science, economics, and a variety of other contexts such as games and betting. He concludes with an intriguing discussion of coincidences and some curious paradoxes. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly.
Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line545
|
__label__cc
| 0.511446
| 0.488554
|
Arts & Humanities /
Humanities /
History /
Early Medieval History /
William the Conqueror
Author: Bates, David
Quick overview Fifteen years in the making, a landmark reinterpretation of the life of a pivotal figure in British and European history
Fifteen years in the making, a landmark reinterpretation of the life of a pivotal figure in British and European history In this magisterial addition to the Yale English Monarchs series, David Bates combines biography and a multidisciplinary approach to examine the life of a major figure in British and European history. Using a framework derived from studies of early medieval kingship, he assesses each phase of William's life to establish why so many trusted William to invade England in 1066 and the consequences of this on the history of the so-called Norman Conquest after the Battle of Hastings and for generations to come. A leading historian of the period, Bates is notable for having worked extensively in the archives of northern France and discovered many eleventh- and twelfth-century charters largely unnoticed by English-language scholars. Taking an innovative approach, he argues for a move away from old perceptions and controversies associated with William's life and the Norman Conquest. This deeply researched volume is the scholarly biography for our generation.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line546
|
__label__cc
| 0.621475
| 0.378525
|
Personalize this website
Family matters & inheritance
Adapting rights in rem
Restrictions on successions – special rules
Property in marriage & civil partnerships
Parental responsibility - child custody and contact rights
Moving/settling abroad with children
Parental child abduction
Family maintenance
Money/monetary claims
European payment order
Court fees concerning European Payment Order procedure
Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure
Insolvency/bankruptcy
Securing assets during a claim in EU countries
Taking of evidence
Service of documents: official transmission of legal documents
Time limits on procedures
Online processing of cases and e-communication with courts
Protection against violence & harassment
Which country's court is responsible?
Recognition & enforcement of court decisions
How to enforce a court decision
European enforcement order
European Arrest Warrant
Judicial assistance
Freezing of assets and evidence
Confiscation
Mutual recognition of judicial decisions
Pre- and post-trial measures
Mutual recognition of protection measures
Mutual recognition of financial penalties
Judicial auctions
General policy description
Taking evidence by videoconference
Facilities in EU countries
Taking legal action
EU rules on mediation
Mediation in EU countries
Principles and stages
European Payment Order forms
Judgments in civil and commercial matters forms
Legal aid forms
Maintenance obligations forms
Matrimonial matters and matters of parental responsibility forms
Serving documents forms
Taking of evidence forms
European enforcement order forms
European Account Preservation Order forms
Compensation to crime victims forms
Public documents forms
European Certificate of Succession
Mutual recognition of protection measures forms
Where and how
In which EU country?
How to bring a case to court
Which country's law applies?
Legal systems - EU and national
EU courts
National justice systems
National ordinary courts
National specialised courts
European Judicial Atlas in civil matters
Judgments in civil and commercial matters - Brussels I Regulation
Brussels I Regulation (recast)
Maintenance obligations
Matrimonial matters and matters of parental responsibility
Taking evidence
Mutual recognition of protection measures in civil matters
European Account Preservation Order
Compensation to crime victims
Matters of matrimonial property regimes
Matters of the property consequences of registered partnerships
Defendants (criminal proceedings)
Victims (criminal proceedings)
If my claim is to be considered in this country
If my claim is to be sent from this country to another EU country
If my claim (from another country) is to be considered in this country
Claiming damages from the offender
Victims' rights - by country
Fundamental rights in the European Union
Charter tutorial
Part I - Protecting fundamental rights within the European Union
Part II - When can an individual seek protection under the Charter
Part III - Scope of application, interpretation and effects of the Charter
Does the Charter apply to my case
Where can I get help
Fundamental rights interactive tool
List of relevant courts and bodies
National courts and other non-judicial bodies
Other EU and International complaint bodies
Rights of minors in court proceedings
Access to justice in environmental matters
Legislation and case law
Publication of official announcements
Glossaries and translations
European Case Law Identifier (ECLI) search engine
Freedom of movement and other Union citizens’ rights
International case law
Registers - business, insolvency & land
Business registers in EU countries
Land registers - EU level
Land registers in EU countries
Bankruptcy and insolvency registers
Bankruptcy & insolvency registers - search for insolvent firms in the EU
Find a legal professional
Types of legal professions
Legal translators/interpreters
Forensic experts
Trainings, judicial networks and agencies
Training of legal practitioners
EU judicial training policy
EU training networks & structures
National training structures
Judiciary training providers
Court staff training systems
Lawyers' training systems
EU law in general
Legislation against organised crime
Good training practices
Training methodology
European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters
Information for citizens
Assistance to judges & other judicial authorities
EJN's publications
Information on national law (information sheets)
European Judicial Network in criminal matters
About EJN
Judicial ATLAS in criminal matters
Judicial library
Information about national systems
Cooperation with non-EU countries and judicial networks
European Law Institute
Content provided by:
European Judicial Network (in civil and commercial matters)
1 Who may insolvency proceedings be brought against?
2 What are the conditions for opening insolvency proceedings?
3 Which assets form part of the insolvency estate? How are the assets treated which are acquired by or which devolve on the debtor after the opening of the insolvency proceedings?
4 What powers do the debtor and the insolvency practitioner have, respectively?
5 Under which conditions may set-offs be invoked?
6 What effect do insolvency proceedings have on current contracts the debtor is a party to?
7 What effect does an insolvency proceeding have on proceedings brought by individual creditors (with the exception of pending lawsuits)?
8 What effect does an insolvency proceeding have on the continuation of lawsuits pending at the moment of the opening of the insolvency proceeding?
9 What are the main features of the participation of the creditors in the insolvency proceeding?
10 In which manner may the insolvency practitioner use or dispose of assets of the estate?
11 Which claims are to be lodged against the debtor's insolvency estate and how are claims arising after the opening of insolvency proceedings treated?
12 What are the rules governing the lodging, verification and admission of claims?
13 What are the rules governing the distribution of proceeds? How are claims and the rights of creditors ranked?
14 What are the conditions for, and the effects of closure of insolvency proceedings (in particular by composition)?
15 What are the creditors' rights after the closure of insolvency proceedings?
16 Who is to bear the costs and expenses incurred in the insolvency proceedings?
17 What are the rules relating to the voidness, voidability or unenforceability of legal acts detrimental to the general body of creditors?
Find information per region
Czech Republiccz
Denmarkdk
Greeceel
Netherlandsnl
Swedense
Insolvency proceedings in Finland
Insolvency means that a debtor is other than temporarily unable to pay their debts when they fall due. Here, insolvency proceedings refer to a proceeding which applies simultaneously to all of the debtor’s debts.
There are three different types of insolvency proceedings in Finland: bankruptcy, restructuring of an enterprise, and adjustment of the debts of a private individual. Bankruptcies are governed by the provisions of the Bankruptcy Act (Konkurssilaki 120/2004), which entered into force on 1 September 2004. The Restructuring of Enterprises Act (Laki yrityksen saneerauksesta 47/1993) and the Act on the Adjustment of the Debts of a Private Individual (Laki yksityishenkilön velkajärjestelystä 57/1993) entered into force on 8 February 1993.
Bankruptcy is a liquidation procedure aimed at realising a debtor’s assets and distributing the proceeds to the creditors. Restructuring of enterprises and the adjustment of the debts of private individuals are rehabilitation procedures to restore financial soundness and allow debtors to overcome their financial difficulties.
A debtor may also reach an agreement with their creditors on the payment of the debts and other arrangements outside official insolvency proceedings. There are no legal provisions governing arrangements which take place on voluntary basis.
Bankruptcy is of general application, so both natural and legal persons may be declared bankrupt. A legal person may be declared bankrupt even if they have been removed from the relevant register or dissolved. A decedent’s estate may also be declared bankrupt.
Any undertaking engaged in economic activity may be the subject to restructuring proceedings, as can a private entrepreneur. Certain undertakings, however, such as credit and insurance institutions subject to special regulation and control, are beyond the scope of restructuring proceedings.
Debt adjustment
Debt adjustment may only be granted to a natural person. A natural person who is pursuing a private business or who is pursuing a business in an unlimited partnership or as the general partner in a limited partnership may also be granted a debt adjustment under certain conditions.
The general requirement for opening all three types of insolvency proceedings is that the debtor is insolvent. Insolvency means that a debtor is other than temporarily unable to pay their debts when they fall due. Restructuring proceedings can also commence where the debtor is at risk of insolvency.
Either the debtor or a creditor may petition for bankruptcy. The general prerequisite for a declaration of bankruptcy is the insolvency of the debtor. The Bankruptcy Act provides for insolvency assumptions to make it easier to establish whether someone is insolvent; a debtor who meets those assumptions shall be deemed insolvent, unless it is otherwise proven.
A debtor shall be deemed insolvent if:
1. the debtor declares that they are insolvent and there are no special grounds for not accepting that declaration;
2. the debtor has discontinued payments;
3. it has been determined in enforcement proceedings during the six months preceding the filing of the petition for bankruptcy that the debtor cannot repay the claim in full; or
4. a debtor, who is or who has been under the obligation to keep accounts during the year preceding the filing of the petition for bankruptcy, has not repaid the clear and due claim of the creditor within a week of the receipt of a reminder.
A creditor may petition for bankruptcy if their claim against the debtor is based on a judgment or other grounds for enforcement, a commitment signed by the debtor, which is not contested by the debtor with obvious justification, or is otherwise clear. The amount claimed does not have to be overdue. There are restrictions on petitioning for bankruptcy on the basis of insignificant claims and in cases where the creditor holds a security for the claim.
The court appoints an estate administrator and ensures that a notice of the commencement of bankruptcy is published in Finland's Official Journal without delay. The notice may also be published in any daily newspaper. It is the duty of the estate administrator to inform the creditors of the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings. A note of the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings is also made in, among other things, the Register on Bankruptcies and Reorganisations, the Trade Register, the Title and Mortgage Register, the Register of Ships, the Register of Ships under Construction, the Aircraft Register, the Enterprise Mortgage Register, the Vehicular and Driver Data Register and the Book-Entry Register.
A petition for restructuring proceedings may be filed by the debtor or a creditor. Most petitions are made by debtors.
Restructuring proceedings may be commenced if the debtor is insolvent and there are no legal barriers to the commencement of the proceedings. A barrier exists, for example, when it is probable that the restructuring programme will not remedy the insolvency or that the debtor’s assets are not sufficient to cover the costs of the restructuring proceedings. Restructuring proceedings can also commence when the debtor faces imminent insolvency. Restructuring proceedings on the basis of imminent insolvency may be commenced on the petition of a creditor only if the claim concerns a considerable financial interest. Additionally, restructuring proceeding may be initiated by at least two creditors whose total claims represent at least one fifth of the debtor’s known debts, and they file a joint petition with the debtor or declare that they support the debtor’s petition.
The court shall publish an announcement of a decision to commence restructuring proceedings in the Official Journal of Finland. It is the duty of the insolvency practitioner to give notice of the commencement of the proceeding to the creditors. The commencement of restructuring proceedings shall also be notified to certain authorities, as well as entered into, among other things, the Register on Bankruptcies and Reorganisations, the Trade Register, the Title and Mortgage Register.
The legal consequences of the commencement of restructuring proceedings shall automatically come into effect from the date of the judgment opening the proceedings. After filing the petition, the court may, upon request by the petitioner or the debtor, order an interdiction of the repayment of the debts and the security provision for debts, an interdiction of debt collection, or an interdiction of distrainment or other enforcement measures to take effect prior to the commencement of the proceedings.
A debt adjustment case becomes pending upon the petition of the debtor. The commencement of debt adjustment proceedings requires that the debtor is insolvent and cannot reasonably improve his ability to pay so as to be able to service their debts. The main reason for the insolvency must be an essential decline in the ability of the debtor to pay, owing to a change of circumstances not primarily the fault of the debtor, such as illness. Debt adjustment may also be granted if there is otherwise a good reason for debt adjustment in view of the proportion of the debts and other liabilities of the debtor to their ability to pay them. When assessing the ability of the debtor to pay, the debtor’s assets, income and earning potential, for example, are taken into account.
There must be no impediment in law to the debt adjustment proceedings (e.g. debt incurred through an offence or reckless and irresponsible incurrence of debt). However, debt adjustment may be granted notwithstanding a general impediment if there is a good reason for doing so. In such cases, attention shall be particularly paid to the measures taken by the debtor to repay their debts, how long the claimed amounts have been overdue and other circumstances of the debtor, as well as the significance of the debt adjustment in terms of both the debtor and the creditors.
The legal effects of the commencement of the debt adjustment shall automatically take effect from the date of the judgment opening the proceedings. After filing the petition, the court may, upon request by the debtor, order a temporary interdiction of the repayment of debts and the provision of security for debts, or debt collection, or distrainment and other enforcement measures to take effect prior to the commencement of the proceedings.
The assets that the debtor has at the start of bankruptcy and the assets that the debtor acquires before the conclusion of bankruptcy shall be assets of the bankruptcy estate. The proceeds of assets of the bankruptcy estate, as well as assets that can be recovered to the estate and assets that are acquired by way of substitution to the bankruptcy estate, shall likewise be assets of the bankruptcy estate.
As a rule, non-distrainable assets shall not be assets of the bankruptcy estate. In addition, the assets acquired or the income earned by a natural person after the beginning of bankruptcy shall not be assets of their bankruptcy estate.
In the restructuring proceedings, a restructuring programme is prepared for the debtor. The programme shall contain, for example, an account on the financial status of the debtor, i.e. of the assets, liabilities and other undertakings of the debtor. The restructuring programme shall be prepared on the basis of the entire assets of the debtor at the time of the proceedings. Recovery is also possible: a transaction that could be reversed if a bankruptcy application had been filed instead of a restructuring application may be reversed in the restructuring proceedings on the same grounds as in the case of bankruptcy.
Although under exceptional circumstances it is possible to amend the restructuring programme after its approval, the amounts of payments to be made to each creditor can no longer be increased by amending the programme. However, assets transferred to the debtor after the approval of the restructuring programme may provide grounds for creditors to demand supplementary payments from the debtor. The debtor may be ordered to make supplementary payments, if the state of the finances of the debtor is deemed better compared to the time the programme was prepared. A demand for supplementary payments may be filed if there are grounds for demanding such payments, and the demand shall be filed with the court no later than one year after the presentation of the final report to the court.
When assessing the ability of the debtor to pay, account must be taken, for example, of the funds from the liquidation of the assets of the debtor, the income of the debtor and the debtor's earning potential, the necessary living expenses and maintenance liability. In debt adjustment, a payment schedule corresponding to the ability of the debtor to pay shall be confirmed for the debtor. In debt adjustment, all of the income of the debtor exceeding their necessary living expenses and maintenance liability shall be used to cover the debts, as well as other assets of the debtor which do not belong to the basic necessities of the debtor. The assets considered to be the basic necessities of the debtor include the owner-occupied home of the debtor, the furniture therein insofar as reasonable, and the personal effects and working implements of the debtor insofar as reasonably necessary. The assets which are considered the basic necessities of the debtor may be liquidated only in the cases provided for by law.
In addition, the payment schedule may obligate the debtor to make supplementary payments due to additional income or assets received by the debtor during the payment schedule. The debtor is obligated to forward to the creditors a certain proportion of any gifts and other one-off payments received by the debtor during the payment schedule. Where the income of the debtor exceeds the income established for the payment schedule, the debtor may be ordered to pay a certain proportion of the additional income to the creditors.
A declaration of bankruptcy is a matter for a court to determine. The court also appoints the estate administrator. A person may be appointed as an estate administrator, if he or she consents to the appointment, has the ability, skills and experience required for the duty, and is also otherwise suitable for the duty. The estate administrator shall not have a relationship with the debtor or the creditor that would compromise the administrator's independence of the debtor or impartiality towards the creditors, or their ability to perform the task in an appropriate manner. A legal person cannot be appointed as an estate administrator.
The estate administrator has a central role in the administration of an estate in bankruptcy. Among other things, the duties of the estate administrator include representing the bankruptcy estate, seeing to the current management of the estate, drawing up the estate inventory and the debtor description, receiving the lodgement of claims, and drawing up the disbursement list. The estate administrator also sees to the management and sale of assets belonging to the estate and disbursement of the funds.
Upon commencement of bankruptcy, the debtor shall lose their authority over the assets of the bankruptcy estate. The debtor shall be cooperative so that the bankruptcy proceedings can be brought to a conclusion. The debtor must disclose information to the estate administrator as is necessary for the drawing up of the estate inventory and to attest the estate inventory. The debtor shall have the right to receive information on the estate, attend the creditors’ meetings, and to express opinions on matters under decision.
Upon commencement of proceedings to restructure an enterprise, the court shall appoint an insolvency practitioner. The insolvency practitioner shall be an adult, known to be honest, not bankrupt and with full legal competency. This person shall have the ability, skills and experience needed for the position. The insolvency practitioner shall not have such a relationship with the debtor or with any of the creditors that may compromise their independence from the debtor or their impartiality towards the creditors. A legal person cannot be appointed as an insolvency practitioner.
The insolvency practitioner is responsible for realising the purpose of the proceedings and for protecting the interests of the creditors. The insolvency practitioner prepares a report of the debtors’ assets and liabilities and a proposal for a restructuring programme. The insolvency practitioner also supervises the debtor’s activities.
The court may appoint a committee of creditors to represent the creditors and to act as an advisory body to assist the insolvency practitioner in the performance of their duties. A committee is not appointed if this is deemed unnecessary owing to the small number of creditors or some other reason.
The debtor shall retain the authority over their assets and activities, unless otherwise stipulated by law. However, after the commencement of the proceedings, the debtor shall not without the consent of the insolvency practitioner, for example, take on new debt, unless the debt is connected with the regular activities of the debtor and its amount and terms are not unusual. On the request of the insolvency practitioner or a creditor, the authority of the debtor may be restricted also in other ways, if there is a risk of the debtor acting in a way that would harm or compromises the interests of the creditor. The debtor is required to cooperate with and provide information to the court, the insolvency practitioner and the committee of the creditors. The debtor shall continue to be entitled to exercise their right of action in pending or upcoming court proceedings, unless the insolvency practitioner decides to undertake to exercise the debtor’s right of action.
Where necessary, the court may appoint an insolvency practitioner for debt adjustment, where necessary for the clarification of the financial status of the debtor, the liquidation of his assets or otherwise for the realisation of the debt adjustment. A person may be appointed as insolvency practitioner, if they are an adult, and are known for their integrity, not bankrupt, not subject to restrictions of competence and that they consent to the appointment. The insolvency practitioner must have the competence, skills and experience required by their duties. They shall not have a relationship with the debtor or any of the creditors which might compromise their independence from the debtor or their impartiality towards the creditors. A legal person cannot be appointed as an insolvency practitioner.
The duty of the insolvency practitioner, if any, is to draw up the draft payment schedule and perform the other duties imposed by the court on the insolvency practitioner. When drawing up the draft payment schedule, the insolvency practitioner shall negotiate with the debtor and the creditors and provide them with the necessary information on the debt adjustment, as well as reserve for them an opportunity to submit a statement on the petition and the draft payment schedule. The insolvency practitioner may also be appointed to see to the liquidation of the assets of the debtor, as well as to the passing of the liquidation funds to the creditors. If no insolvency practitioner is appointed, the debtor shall be responsible for drawing up a draft payment schedule. The commencement of proceedings to adjust the debts of a private individual is a matter for a court to determine. The court is also responsible for confirming the payment schedule.
The debtor shall retain the title and right of possession to their assets. However, all assets of the debtor which are not considered the basic necessities of the debtor shall be used to cover the debts. The debtor is required to provide the court, the creditors and, if appointed, the insolvency practitioner with all necessary information on matters relevant to debt adjustment. The debtor shall also contribute to the appropriate carrying out of the debt adjustment.
Subject to certain exceptions, the creditor has the right to use a claim in bankruptcy for a set‑off against a debt owed to the debtor at the beginning of bankruptcy, even if the debt owed to the debtor or the claim has not yet fallen due. The set-off right does not apply to a claim that does not entitle the creditor to a payment out of the bankruptcy estate, nor any claim that is junior to other claims. The creditor has a duty to supply information on a claim to be used for set-off.
Despite an interdiction of debt collection, a creditor shall have the right to set a claim off against a debt owed to the debtor at the commencement of the proceedings under the same conditions as in bankruptcy proceedings. The notice of set-off shall be served also on the insolvency practitioner. The set-off right does not apply to a set-off by a credit institution against funds that the debtor has on deposit at the institution when the interdiction of collection takes effect or thereafter, or to funds that are at the credit institution at that time for transfer to the debtor’s account, where the account can be used for payments.
After the start of debt adjustment, no measures shall be directed at the debtor to collect a debt subject to the stay on payment or to secure its payment. The stay on collection also includes the set-off between the debtor’s receivables and debts to the creditor. This stay, however, does not apply to the set-off of taxes.
As a rule, contracts not involving receivables subject to the insolvency proceeding shall remain valid and unchanged in all types of insolvency proceedings.
If, at the start of bankruptcy, the debtor has not performed a contract to which they are a party, the other contracting party shall request a declaration of whether the bankruptcy estate will commit to the contract. If the estate declares that it commits to the contract, and posts acceptable security for the performance of the contract, the contract cannot be terminated. However, the other contracting party may terminate the contract if the contract is of a personal nature, or there is another special reason for which there may be no other requirement for the other party to remain under contract with the bankruptcy estate.
In addition, an individual transaction may be annulled under a ground for recovery referred to in the Act on the Recovery of Assets to a Bankruptcy Estate (Laki takaisinsaannista konkurssipesään 758/1991).
The commencement of restructuring proceedings shall have no effect on the existing undertakings of the debtor, unless otherwise prescribed by law. A lease or a credit-lease agreement where the debtor is the lessee may be terminated by the debtor so as to end two months after the service of notice of the termination. A person who before the commencement of the proceedings has committed to a contractual performance to the debtor but who has not completed the performance at the time of commencement of the proceedings, shall be entitled to consideration for their performance, if the performance can be deemed a regular part of the activities of the debtor. If the issue concerns another type of contract concluded before the commencement of the proceedings and if the debtor has at the time of commencement of the proceedings not met their payment obligation under the contract, the insolvency practitioner shall, on the request of the other party, state whether or not the debtor will keep to its part of the contract. If the answer is negative or if it is not given in reasonable time, the other party has the right to cancel the agreement. An agreement whereby the debtor would make a payment based on or connected to a restructuring debt shall be void, unless the obligation to make the payment is based on the approved restructuring programme.
If an employer is subject to the restructuring procedure, the employer shall be entitled to terminate the employment contract regardless of its duration at a notice of two months under certain conditions.
A transaction that could be reversed if a bankruptcy application had been filed instead of a restructuring application may be reversed on the request of the creditor in the restructuring proceedings on the same grounds as provided in the Act on the Recovery of Assets to a Bankruptcy Estate.
The debtor shall relinquish assets which do not belong to their basic necessities and which have been obtained on the basis of a part-payment or hire-purchase scheme. The debtor is entitled to terminate a tenancy contract where the debtor is the tenant, or to terminate some other type of consumer contract or a hire-purchase scheme with effect from two months after the notice of termination. A person who before the commencement of the proceedings has committed to a contractual performance to the debtor but who has not completed the performance at the time of commencement of the proceedings, shall be entitled to consideration for their performance, if the performance can be deemed a regular part of the activities of the debtor. A contract to the effect that the debtor is liable on the basis of or in connection with the debt adjustment shall be void, unless the liability has been prescribed in the payment schedule or is based on law.
A transaction that could be reversed if a bankruptcy application had been filed instead of a debt adjustment application may be reversed on the request of the creditor in the debt adjustment proceedings on the same grounds as provided in the Act on the Recovery of Assets to a Bankruptcy Estate.
After the start of bankruptcy, no action shall be brought against the bankruptcy estate for the purpose of obtaining a ground for enforcement concerning a claim in bankruptcy, and no enforcement measures shall be carried out on the assets of the bankruptcy estate in order to collect on a claim in bankruptcy. However, a creditor protected by collateral may bring an action to collect on the claim from the collateral.
As a rule, after the commencement of restructuring proceedings, the debtor is subject to an interdiction of repayment and the creditors are subject to an interdiction of debt collection, i.e. no measures shall be directed at the debtor in order to collect on a restructuring debt or in order to ensure its payment. In certain cases, a secured creditor may request the court to grant the creditor permission to utilise the security in order to obtain payment. This may be possible, for example, if it is clear that, in view of the restructuring arrangements, it is not necessary to retain the property standing as security in the possession of the debtor. As a rule, after the commencement of the proceedings, precautionary measures based on official decisions shall not be directed against the debtor.
As in the restructuring proceedings, in debt adjustment proceedings, the creditor is subject to a stay on debt collection. Where a debt is within the scope of the stay on payment, no measures shall be directed at the debtor to collect a debt subject to payment or to secure its payment. No measures shall be directed at the debtor to collect a debt subject to payment or to secure its payment. In addition, the penalties for late payment shall not apply to the debtor. However, in certain cases, a secured creditor may request that the court grant the creditor permission to utilise the security in order to obtain payment. This may be possible, for example, if the assets serving as collateral are not considered basic necessities of the debtor or if the debtor does not need the assets to pursue its business.
The creditor may bring an action or initiate other proceedings so as to retain their right to enforcement or to obtain a basis for enforcement. As a rule, notwithstanding the provisions on the interdictions related to the commencement of debt adjustment, the creditor may also seek an order for precautionary measures and the enforcement of such an order.
At the start of bankruptcy, the debtor shall lose their authority over the assets of the bankruptcy estate to the estate administrator. As a consequence, the bankruptcy estate shall have a right to assume the status of a party in issues concerning the assets belonging to the bankruptcy estate: the estate shall be reserved the opportunity to resume court proceedings pending between the debtor and third parties concerning assets of the bankruptcy estate. If the estate does not avail itself of this opportunity, the debtor may resume the proceedings. Similarly, the bankruptcy estate shall be reserved an opportunity to resume court proceedings concerning a pending claim in bankruptcy against the debtor. If the estate declines to respond to the action, and the debtor is not willing to resume the proceedings, the plaintiff may request that the case be resolved.
The debtor shall continue to be entitled to exercise their right of action in pending court proceedings or in other corresponding proceedings where it is a party, unless the insolvency practitioner decides to undertake to exercise the debtor’s right of action. The same provision applies to court proceedings or other proceedings that will become pending after the commencement of the restructuring proceedings.
The insolvency practitioner has the right to file claims and to initiate court proceedings or other corresponding proceedings on the behalf of the debtor, as well as to exercise the debtor’s right of action in the proceedings. Furthermore, the insolvency practitioner may accept notification on the behalf of the debtor.
Commencement of debt adjustment shall not affect pending court proceedings, or the debtor's right of action in the proceedings.
The creditor can apply for a declaration of bankruptcy.
Creditors exercise supreme authority over an estate in bankruptcy. The authority in the bankruptcy estate shall be exercised by the creditors insofar as the matter is not by law to be decided or dealt with by the estate administrator. In addition, the creditors may retain authority in respect of matters of the current administration of the estate, or to assign some of their authority to the estate administrator. The right to exercise the creditors’ authority shall belong to those creditors who have a claim in bankruptcy against the debtor and who have lodged their claim. The authority of the creditors in bankruptcy shall begin when the bankruptcy commences and cease when the bankruptcy ends.
The most important decision-making body is the creditors’ meeting, but other decision‑making procedures may also be applied. The creditors may also establish a creditors’ committee to act as in negotiations and liaisons body between the estate administrator and the creditors. The voting strengths of the creditors shall be determined on the basis of their current claim in the bankruptcy. The decision of the creditors’ meeting shall be constituted by the opinion that has the support of those creditors whose total voting strength is more than one half of all the creditors participating in the vote. In alternative decision-making procedures, votes shall be counted on the basis of the voting strengths of the creditors expressing a position.
The creditor may apply for restructuring proceedings.
A committee of creditors may be appointed as the joint representative of the creditors. The committee shall represent all groups of creditors, and its duties are to assist the insolvency practitioner in the performance of their duties and to monitor the activities of the insolvency practitioner on the behalf of the creditors. The committee shall make its decisions by simple majority.
When preparing the draft restructuring programme, the insolvency practitioner shall negotiate with the committee of creditors and, if necessary, with individual creditors. Additionally, creditors or groups of creditors whose claims exceed the limit laid down by law are entitled to put forward a draft restructuring programme. Once the draft restructuring programme is drawn up, it is forwarded to the creditors for approval. In the event that there are no barriers to approval of the programme, the programme may be approved with the acceptance of all creditors, acceptance of majorities in the groups of creditors, and, under certain circumstances, even without the acceptance of the majority in all groups of creditors.
The creditor may not apply for debt adjustment of a private individual. However, as a rule, before petitioning for debt adjustment, the debtor shall determine whether there is a possibility to negotiate a settlement with the creditors. In accordance with the established crediting and debt collection practices, the creditor shall cooperate in order to reach a settlement.
The creditors shall be provided with the opportunity to submit a statement on the debt adjustment petition and on the draft payment schedule. Where required, the creditors shall provide details of their claim in writing. An approved payment schedule may be amended on the request of the creditor, or it may be ordered to lapse under certain grounds.
Assets of the bankruptcy estate shall be managed with due care and expediency. One of the duties of the estate administrator is to see to the sale of assets belonging to the estate. The bankruptcy estate shall liquidate the assets of the estate in the manner most advantageous to the estate, so that the result of the sale is as good as possible. Collateral belonging to the estate may only be sold if the creditor protected by the collateral consents to it or if the court grants permission for the same. Assets belonging to the bankruptcy estate may not be transferred to the estate administrator, or assistants of the estate administrator or to persons connected to the estate administrator or an assistant.
Restructuring and debt adjustment
The rights of the insolvency practitioner are limited to the right to have access to information required to meet the obligations of the insolvency practitioner. The debtor shall retain the title and right of possession to their assets and the insolvency practitioner shall have no right to use or transfer assets of the debtor. In debt adjustment proceedings, the insolvency practitioner may, however, be ordered to liquidate the assets and to carry out related measures and arrangements, as well as to pass on the resulting funds to the recipients.
A claim in bankruptcy means a debt owed by the debtor and based on a legal basis that has arisen before the beginning of bankruptcy. Additionally, claims secured by collateral and claims whose basis or amount is conditional, disputed or otherwise unclear all count as claims in the bankruptcy. In a continuous debt relationship, the part of the debt from the period before the beginning of bankruptcy shall be deemed a claim in the bankruptcy.
Claims which have arisen after the start of bankruptcy are considered administrative expenses, i.e. debt of the bankruptcy estate that is paid in full using the assets of the estate.
Debts arising after the filing of the application shall be repaid as they become due. The same applies to fees, charges and other running expenses based on a continuous contractual relationship or on a continuous contract on use or possession, insofar as these relate to the period subsequent to the filing of the application.
Debt adjustment covers all debts of the debtor which have existed before the start of the debt adjustment. This includes security liabilities and debts which are conditional, contentious or otherwise indefinite as to their amount or basis, as well as the interest on such debts accruing between the start of the debt adjustment and confirmation of the payment schedule, and the collection and enforcement expenses on such debts, where ordered payable by the debtor.
Debts outside the debt adjustment shall be repaid as they become due.
In order to be entitled to a disbursement, a creditor shall lodge a claim regarding the bankruptcy in writing (letter of lodgement), by delivering it to the estate administrator no later than on the lodgement date. The letter of lodgement shall indicate, for example, the capital amount of the claim, the interest accrued and the basis for the claim and for the interest. The lodgement may also be revised or supplemented after the lodgement date. A claim may also be lodged retroactively if the creditor pays the bankruptcy estate an additional charge, unless there has been a valid excuse for not lodging the claim by the date of lodgement. The estate administrator may take a claim in bankruptcy into account in the draft disbursement list without lodgement, if there is no dispute concerning the basis and amount of the claim.
The estate administrator shall verify the legitimacy of the lodged claims and their possible ranking order of precedence. The claims conferring a right to disbursement shall be indicated in the draft disbursement list. The estate administrator, a creditor or the debtor may dispute a claim in the draft disbursement list. The dispute against the claim must be detailed and accompanied with reasons for the dispute. Where the claim of a creditor has been disputed, the estate administrator shall reserve the creditor an opportunity to be heard on the dispute and to present evidence in support of their claim. A claim that has not been disputed on time shall be considered accepted.
After this, the estate administrator shall draw up a disbursement list by taking account of the disputes and statements and to submit the list for certification by the court. The court shall hear the disputes and other disagreements. If a dispute cannot be resolved in the hearing, it is to be resolved separately in a civil procedure. Finally, the court shall certify the disbursement list.
The debtor shall append a statement on the creditors, the debts and their collateral to its application for the commencement of restructuring proceedings. When the court issues the order on the commencement of restructuring proceedings, it shall set a date by which the creditors must declare their claims in writing to the administrator if these claims differ from those reported by the debtor.
When the draft restructuring programme has been delivered to the court, the court shall reserve the parties to the matter an opportunity to declare in writing to the insolvency practitioner their objections to claims referred to in the draft, as well as an opportunity to submit a written statement regarding the draft within a set period, or summon such parties to be heard in court. Both the insolvency practitioner and the debtor may submit objections on behalf of the debtor. The objections shall be considered and the matter decided together with the consideration of the draft, if this is possible, or the matter may be decided in separate judicial proceedings. Once the court has made a decision on unclear debt restructuring, the person who has prepared the draft may be given an opportunity to rectify, review or supplement the draft. After this, the creditors shall vote on the draft restructuring programme.
As a rule, debt during restructuring that has not been declared by the debtor or by the creditor, and which has otherwise not come to the attention of the insolvency practitioner before the approval of the restructuring programme, shall lapse on the approval of the restructuring programme.
When issuing the order on the commencement of debt adjustment, the court shall send copies of the court order, the petition and the debtor’s draft payment schedule to the creditors. The court shall also set a deadline for the creditors’ written notifications on the amount of the adjustable debts, if different from those declared by the debtor, as well as a deadline for the written statements of the creditors on the petition and draft payment schedule of the debtor and for the possible objections to the debts included in the draft.
The objections shall be dealt with in connection with the debt adjustment procedure and decided in the payment schedule if this is possible without causing a substantial delay in the debt adjustment. Otherwise, the court shall direct the matter to be resolved in a separate action or other proceedings. After this, the payment schedule may be confirmed, provided that debt adjustment is granted to the debtor.
The payment schedule may be amended on the petition of the debtor or a creditor if after the confirmation of the payment schedule it becomes known that there is an adjustable debt. If an adjustable debt appears after the end of the payment schedule, the debtor shall repay the debt to the amount which would have been allocated to the creditor had the debt been included in the payment schedule.
As a rule, in all types of insolvency proceedings, claims are considered as equal, i.e. each creditor has an equal right to receive a payment from the disbursed funds in proportion to their claim. Exceptions to this rule concern the provisions on the precedence and lowest priority of claims.
Disbursements to the creditors in bankruptcy shall be paid out in accordance with the certified disbursement list. Provisions on prioritising the claims in bankruptcy in situations where the assets of the debtor are insufficient to cover all claims are laid down in the Act on the Priority of Claims (Laki velkojien maksunsaantijärjestyksestä 1578/1992).
A claim secured by a collateral or right of retention are claims with precedence, as are claims arising in connection with a restructuring of an enterprise, maintenance payable to a child and business mortgages. Claims which are subordinate to other claims, and their mutual ranking, are specified by separate provisions. Such claims include, for example, the interest and penalty for late payment relating to a claim with no precedence accrued up to the beginning of bankruptcy, and other charges based on public law such as fines and penalty payments.
Creditors who, outside the restructuring proceedings, would have an equal right to the payment of their claim shall have an equal status in the debt arrangements within the restructuring programme. However, it may be provided in the restructuring programme that creditors with small claims are to receive payment in full.
Only limited debt arrangement measures may be applied to secured debts, as the capital of a secured debt may not be reduced. The debt arrangement shall not affect the existence or content of a creditor’s real security right. In the debt arrangement, interest and other credit costs accruing during the restructuring proceedings for restructuring debts other than secured debts shall be deemed to be the lowest priority debts.
The debtor’s available funds and the funds from the liquidation of his assets shall be divided between the ordinary debts in proportion to their amount. All available debt adjustment measures may be applied to the ordinary debt, but the payment obligation concerning secured debts may not be lifted. The debt arrangement shall not affect the existence or content of a creditor’s real security right. The mechanism least detrimental to the creditor and still sufficient to remedy the financial situation of the debtor shall be used. The last liabilities to be allocated as payment from the available funds and the liquidation funds of the debtor are the debts that would be subordinate were the debtor to be declared bankrupt and the interest accrued between the start of debt adjustment and the confirmation of the payment schedule.
Bankruptcy proceedings in court end with the establishment of the allocation list. The bankruptcy ends once the creditors have approved the final settlement of accounts. The estate administrator shall draw up a final settlement of accounts once the bankruptcy estate has been accounted for and the assets belonging to the estate have been liquidated. The final settlement of accounts may be drawn up even if the estate is partially unaccounted for, because collateral, or other assets of little value, have not been sold or because a claim in bankruptcy or an insignificant part of the claims is unclear.
A reconciliation, concluding the bankruptcy proceedings, may be established in a bankruptcy if the reconciliation is supported by the debtor and by majority of the creditors. With the certification of a reconciliation the appointment of the estate administrator and the authority of the creditors in bankruptcy shall cease.
The court shall make an order on the lapse of bankruptcy, if the funds of the bankruptcy estate are insufficient for the costs of the bankruptcy proceedings or the continuation of the bankruptcy would not for other reason be expedient. However, no court order on the lapse of bankruptcy shall be made, if the bankruptcy will continue under public receivership. Reasons for continuing the bankruptcy under public receivership may include, for example, a need for the debtor to be scrutinised. Public receivership ends in the final settlement of accounts.
Bankruptcy may be ordered to be reversed for a valid reason within eight days of the order of bankruptcy.
Liability for debts shall continue also after bankruptcy. The debtor shall not be released from liability for those debts in bankruptcy that are not repaid in full in the bankruptcy.
The court procedure on restructuring ends in the approval of the restructuring programme. Approval of the programme will return to the debtor their freedom of action and will cease the legal effects related to the opening of the proceedings, such as the prohibition of payment and debt collection. After the approval of the restructuring programme, the terms of the restructuring debts shall be governed by the restructuring programme and, as a rule, any unknown restructuring debts shall lapse.
The court may, on the request of the supervisor or a creditor, order the restructuring programme to lapse if the debtor has violated the programme and the violation is not merely petty. The restructuring programme shall also lapse, if the debtor is declared bankrupt before the conclusion of the programme. The court may also order that a debt arrangement in the restructuring programme pertaining to a certain creditor is to lapse, for example, if the debtor has materially neglected their obligations under the programme to the creditor. After the lapse, the creditor shall have the same rights as they had before the approval of the restructuring programme.
At the conclusion of the restructuring programme, the supervisor or, if there is no supervisor, the debtor shall present a final report on the implementation of the programme.
The court procedure on debt adjustment ends once the court confirms the payment schedule. After the confirmation of the payment schedule, the terms of the adjustable debts shall be governed by the payment schedule. The payment obligations set out in the payment schedule shall be binding to the debtor until all the specified obligations are fulfilled. Regardless of the end of the payment schedule, the debtor’s liabilities specified therein shall remain in effect insofar as they have not been fulfilled. The debtor shall not be released from the repayment of the remaining debts until all of the obligations set out in the payment schedule are fulfilled.
The payment schedule shall lapse if the debtor is declared bankrupt before the conclusion of the schedule. On the request of the debtor or a creditor, the court may order the payment schedule to lapse, if the debtor has neglected their obligations as specified by law. After the lapse, the creditor shall have the same rights as they had before the debt adjustment.
Liability for debts shall continue also after bankruptcy: the debtor is still liable for those debts in bankruptcy that are not repaid in full during the bankruptcy.
The creditors have the right to receive payment for their claims itemised in the restructuring programme, and the restructuring shall not end until the obligations of the programme are fulfilled. Thus, after the conclusion of the programme, the creditors no longer have a right to receive payments.
The terms of the adjustable debts shall be governed by the payment schedule. A duration shall be determined for the payment schedule. Regardless of the end of the payment schedule, the debtor’s liabilities laid down therein shall remain in effect until they are fulfilled. After the conclusion of the payment schedule, the creditors no longer have a right to receive payments.
The costs of the bankruptcy proceedings shall consist of the court fees levied on the procedure, the fee of the estate administrator and the other costs arising from the scrutiny and administration of the estate.
The costs of the bankruptcy proceedings shall be covered from the funds of the bankruptcy estate. If the funds of the bankruptcy estate are insufficient for the costs, a creditor may assume liability for the costs to avoid lapse of bankruptcy.
The court may also decide that the bankruptcy is to continue under public receivership, if this is deemed justified, for example, owing to the insufficient means of the bankruptcy estate. In such a case, the appointment of the estate administrator and the authority of the creditors in bankruptcy shall cease. The costs of bankruptcy proceedings arising from public receivership shall be paid from state funds insofar as the funds of the bankruptcy estate are insufficient for the same costs.
Costs of the proceedings, such as the insolvency practitioner’s remuneration, are to be paid from the assets of the debtor. Another party may also assume liability for the costs, as one of the barriers to restructuring is that it is probable that the debtor’s assets are insufficient to cover the costs of the proceedings.
The compensation of expenses for the committee of creditors shall be the liability of the creditors. A person who wants to exercise the right to present a draft restructuring programme shall bear the costs of preparing the draft at their own expense.
The costs of the proceedings shall consist of a reasonable fee for the services of the insolvency practitioner and compensation for the expenses incurred to the insolvency practitioner. As a rule, the debtor shall cover the fee and expenses of the insolvency practitioner to an amount not exceeding the available funds of the debtor over the four months following the confirmation of the payment schedule or the modified payment schedule. The part of the fee and expenses not covered by the debtor shall be paid from state funds. If the petition for debt adjustment is dismissed, the entire fee and expenses shall be paid from state funds.
Recovery provisions are applied to all types of insolvency proceedings.
Assets transferred before opening of insolvency proceedings and which meet the conditions set out in law may be reversed by bringing an action for recovery or an action concerning a title or an action for damages. In all types of insolvency proceedings, the provisions of the Act on the Recovery of Assets to a Bankruptcy Estate (758/1991) shall apply to the recovery. Grounds for recovery must exist.
The prerequisites for the existence of a ground for recovery, and thus for the reversal of the transaction, are as follows:
– The transaction has been used to inappropriately favour one creditor at the cost of the other creditors, to transfer assets outside the reach of the creditors, or increase the total amount of debt to the detriment of the creditors;
– The debtor was insolvent at the time of the transaction, or the transaction contributed to the debtor becoming insolvent; if the transaction concerns a gift, another prerequisite is that the debtor was over-indebted or became over-indebted due to the transaction;
– The other party to the transaction was, or should have been, aware of the debtor being insolvent/over-indebted or of the effects of the transaction on the financial status of the debtor, as well as of other factors making the transaction inappropriate.
If the other party to the transaction was a close relative of the debtor, the person in question is deemed to have been aware of the factors listed above, unless they can prove that they acted in good faith. If a transaction was concluded more than five years before the opening of the insolvency proceedings, it can only be reversed if a close relative of the debtor was a party to the transaction.
Debt repayments made more than three months before the date of application for the insolvency proceedings shall be reversed if the repayment was made using unusual means of payment or if it was made prematurely or if the repaid amount is deemed significant considering the funds of the estate. Repayments shall not be reversed, however, if they are deemed ordinary, considering the circumstances. Payments collected by means of distrain shall also be reversed, provided that the distrain has been carried out more than three months before the deadline. The applied time limit is longer for close relatives of the debtor. The payment shall be reversed even if the creditor had acted in good faith.
There are also separate provisions governing the reversal of, for example, gifts, division of property, set-offs and collateral.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective EJN contact point. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. Neither the EJN nor the European Commission accept responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
Report a technical/content problem or give feedback on this page
Use the form below to share your comments and feedback on our new website
If you want to leave feedback later, please use the link at the bottom of each page.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line552
|
__label__wiki
| 0.677762
| 0.677762
|
Heritage Park shares the stories of Western Canada’s past, but until now, the Park was missing one very important chapter; Women in History. Five Alberta women: Nellie McClung, Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards paved the way for future generations of Canadian women by empowering them with a voice and a say. The Famous 5 Centre of Canadian Women is where their stories are told. The Centre, a first of its kind in Canada, is a replica of Nellie McClung’s former Calgary home. During the summer season visitors can enjoy guided tours, take part in lively discussions, enjoy tea on the wrap-around verandah and immerse themselves in an engaging 3-D audio experience.
TRAINS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES
Heritage Park’s train history is bursting at the seams. In addition to our two antique steam locomotives that circle the park on two kilometers of track, Heritage Park has a Round House and Car Shop full of history, including a newly restored 1920 Steam Crane. Gasoline Alley Museum boasts North America’s largest collection of restored gas pumps and a stunning collection of antique trucks and cars, signage, plus a 1942 de Havilland Tiger moth bi-plane hanging from its rafters. The Park’s two historic streetcars have been completely overhauled and carry eager passengers to and from our front gates on 1.5 kilometers of track.
FIRST NATIONS CULTURE TAKES CENTRE STAGE
Heritage Park’s First Nations’ Encampment is where visitors can learn about the culture and traditions of the Plains First Nations during the last half of the nineteenth century. Aboriginal interpreters, representing the Treaty 7 Nations welcome you into their traditional home with demonstrations and hands-on activities that include storytelling, cooking and artisan demonstrations, tipi raising, fire starting, trying out hunting tools and participating in traditional Aboriginal Games.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0023.json.gz/line553
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.