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Governments can’t save news media
By Christopher Maule. Published on Feb 12, 2017 2:25pm
The Shattered Mirror – News, Democracy and Trust in the Digital Age proposes increased bureaucratic input and public funding for a sector rocked by new technology.
What Uber has done to the taxi business and Airbnb to accommodation, has invaded all forms of media including news reporting and distribution. Daily newspapers are haemorrhaging advertising revenues and many have been forced out of business, or to adopt different means of distribution. Many other sectors are affected by technology such as education with the offerings of online courses. Existing suppliers fight back to maintain at least some semblance of the status quo, often lobbying governments for increased support. Ultimately new technology usually wins and a new breed of entrepreneurs rise to fill any gaps to provide the desired goods and services.
The process is part of Joseph Schumpeter’s stages of creative destruction which benefits consumers, and those producers who adapt. Those who lose appeal to the government for support. Such is the case for The Canadian Public Policy Forum’s latest report The Shattered Mirror, News, Democracy and Trust in the Digital Age which examines how technology has affected traditional news media. It argues that the public is poorly served by the new digital news providers and that democracy is at risk with, for example, the reporting of fake news.
Since the 1950’s numerous reports have examined the Canadian media including news. They include:
1951 Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts Letters and Sciences (Massey Report).
1961 Royal Commission on Publication (O’Leary Report)
1970 Special Senate Committee Report on the Mass Media, (Davey Report)
1981 Royal Commission on Newspapers (Kent Report)
1982 Report of the Federal Cultural Policy Review Committee (Applebaum Hebert Report)
2006 Senate Report on the Canadian News Media (40 recommendations and 10 suggestions).
All recommended measures of protection and support to which The Shattered Mirror adds its contribution. Written by Ed Greenspon, a person who has had a distinguished career in journalism, this almost assures that the recommendations will include further government support for the industry. It succeeds in this regard. It would be the same if dairy farmers were asked for advice on supply management or academics on university funding.
The report contains thirteen proposals. Many require additional administration of funds and rules which in total would require both added bureaucratic overhead and time spent by firms to qualify for the funding.
Two proposals provide the tenor of the report and the tortuous process that would be required to comply with the provisions.
In the proposal to extend provisions of Section 19 of the income tax act to other media. Producers of eligible news will be required to show that: (Recommendation No.1).
At least 75 per cent of editorial payroll and 75 per cent of their eight most highly paid employees are Canadian individuals or personal-service companies.
At least five per cent of the company’s revenue generated in Canada is spent on editorial operations, with a significant amount for civic-function journalism.
Creation of a fund managed independently from the government (Recommendation No.5).
Creation of the Future of Journalism and Democracy Fund would provide financing for digital innovation, especially in its early stages, and be directed at those operators who produce civic-function journalism at the national, regional and local levels. To qualify, enterprises would have to be Section 19-compliant and deliver original news on digital platforms that are refreshed at least once a week. The fund would cover a maximum of 75 percent of the cost of a project. The ability of applicants to attract support from other partners would factor into the grant decision.
Proposals regarding the CBC fail to note shrinking audiences especially for English language television. CRTC Annual Monitoring Reports (available online) show the CBC’s share of the English language television market fell from 13.2 percent in 1994 to 7.5 percent in 2000 and to 5.1 percent in 2012. While government financing has remained around $1bn, this segment of its mandate has been shrinking, so that on a per viewer basis the funding has been increasing.
If the CBC is to survive, consideration should be given to it being funded only by government and not selling commercials. The latter puts it in competition with private broadcasters, allowing it to use public funds to buy programs like major sporting events. In the UK and Australia, the public broadcaster is funded almost entirely by government, with far less angst being created between public and private broadcasters. A government owned broadcaster, if one is needed, can devote its attention to its public service mandate and have a far lesser concern for audience size.
The Shattered Mirror focuses on the importance of civic-function journalism defined as the coverage of elected officials and public institutions, from legislatures, judicial and quasi-judicial bodies and city halls to school boards and supporting public services. That is important, but in a globalized world coverage of what happens outside Canada is increasingly important. Much of this can be accessed online from websites and blogs run by people whose judgement I personally respect in different news related fields, and superior to many traditional news sources. In broadcast media, my preference is for The Agenda on TVO and the PBS Newshour. In both instances the anchors are informed but do not insert their own opinions, unlike what prevails with the CBC and CTV.
Christopher Maule
Christopher Maule is Professor Emeritus, Carleton University. His earlier published research dealt with Canadian cultural industries including Much Ado about Culture (1999) with Keith Acheson.
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Graduate Studies Committee and Staff
Corinne Rubright is the GISD's temporary administrative coordinator.
Reanne Frank, PhD is the program's faculty advisor. Dr. Frank is an Associate Professor of Sociology and director of graduate training for the Institute for Population Research. Dr. Frank is a social demographer whose research centers on immigration, racial/ethnic inequality and health and mortality. As faculty advisor she will work with faculty to develop new curriculum and help Susan Pennington track progress for students enrolled in the GISD.
GISD Graduate Studies Committee
John Casterline, PhD is a Professor of Sociology and will serve as the chair of the graduate studies committee for the GISD. Dr. Casterline is the Robert T. Lazarus Professor in Population Studies in the Department of Sociology and the Director of the Institute for Population Research at OSU. Dr. Casterline has been selected to lead the committee because of his expertise in demography and because of his tenure as director of the Institute for Population Research which will serve as the administrative home for the program. Dr. Casterline is the PI on the R24 NIH Population Center grant awarded to OSU’s Institute for Population Research in 2009.
Trevon Logan, PhD is a Professor of Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences and a faculty affiliate of the Institute for Population Research. Dr. Logan is an economist who specializes in applied demography and economic history and whose research intersects with demography, health economics, applied econometrics, applied microeconomics and development economics. He is president of the National Economic Association and regular member of the Population Association of America. He is also on the editorial board of the demographic journal-Demographic Research.
Anastasia Snyder, PhD is an Associate Professor of Human Sciences in the College of Education and Human Ecology and a faculty affiliate of the Institute for Population Research. Dr. Snyder is a family demographer who focuses on youth development. She is currently interim chair of the department of Human Sciences. Jodi Ford, PhD, RN is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and a faculty affiliate of OSU’s Institute for Population Research. Her program of research focuses on the social determinants of health and health care, particularly on the contribution of social contexts to adolescent and young adult health and the psychosocial, behavioral and biological pathways through which they operate. Dr. Ford is currently PI on an NIH award titled “Linking biological and social pathways to adolescent health and well-being.”
Joyce Chen, PhD is an Associate Professor in the department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. She is an active affiliate of the Institute for Population Research (IPR) at OSU. Her research focuses on migration and household decision-making and investments in children’s human capital, particularly the roles of imperfect information and parental preferences. She has served as co-PI on grants from the National Science Foundation and the International Growth Centre.
Alison Norris, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Division of Epidemiology in the College of Public Health. Dr. Norris studies sexual and reproductive health with a goal of preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and improving reproductive outcomes for women and men. In particular, she has an interest in understanding how context (e.g., endemic disease, social norms, demographic factors, and cultural and institutional structures) influences health and disease. With funding from several grants (including the Institute for Population Research), Dr. Norris is currently implementing a community-based survey of 1,000 households in Malawi focusing on fertility and reproductive health.
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The Isaan Record
Telling the Stories of Northeast Thailand
Villagers, not investors: Chaiyaphum forest community fights for land and livelihoods
12/19/2018 Features The Isaan Record
Guest contribution by Bria Kalpen
Nittiya Muangklang and the 18 other villagers on trial live in Sub Wai village in Sai Thong National Park in Chaiyaphum province. They are one of many communities in Isaan fighting for their rights to the land that they say has been confiscated by the government over the past four years. For decades, the state has been giving and taking away land rights, and forest communities have consistently been caught in the crossfire.
On Thursday evenings, Nittiya’s house becomes Sub Wai villages’ hotspot.
The street outside would be pitch black if it wasn’t for the light escaping from the houses that line it. Voices can be heard coming from Nittiya’s home, and if you peeked inside, a full family-style feast is prepared with more than 20 other villagers digging in and chatting purposefully.
It seems like a regular dinner party, but this gathering is far from a celebration. There are no smiling faces, no loud bellows of laughter, no mo lam music blasting in the background. They’re not dancing or having small talk,or catching up on the latest gossip.
They’re discussing the fate of their livelihoods.
“I am one of 19 Sub Wai villagers being charged with trespassing on national park property, and together we are working to beat these charges and regain the rights to our land,” Nittiya explains.
The government cites the villagers’ farming as a reason for why they must leave the forest, while the villagers say that they are more than willing to adopt agricultural practices that would contribute to forest conservation. File photo from 2016.
The battle began in 1953 at the onset of Thailand’s so-called development era. That year, 55 percent of the country’s total area was covered by forest, so the government decided to distribute some of the forest area to private logging companies in order to fund the country’s development projects.
Fast forward 35 years to 1988, when an especially torrential rainy season caused devastating floods and landslides, pushing the government to stop the logging concessions to prevent further deforestation and soil erosion. After a reduction of the national forest area from 40 percent to 27 percent, the government planned to plant new trees in the areas that logging companies had cleared out; however, it had neither the manpower nor the space to do so since many of the areas were now inhabited by villagers.
“Our ancestors came here decades before any land was declared government property,” Nittiya claims. “This forest is rightfully ours.”
And she’s right—sort of. In 1972, the parents and grandparents of Nittiya and many of her neighbors started settling in Sub Wai village after a logging company moved out of the area, leaving a large open plot for them to claim. The land the new owners built their homes on was free of claim, but the area where they began farming cassava was part of Sai Thong National Park. The villagers farmed cassava for more than 40 years without being told they were trespassing or asked to leaved, but the 2014 military coup changed that.
That year, the “Forest Master Plan” made its debut. The plan aimed to increase the national forest area by 26 million rai of land in order to “resolve the problems of forest destruction, trespassing of public land and sustainable management of natural resources.” Another policy, Order 64, was passed to authorize the national park officers to retrieve government-owned land from trespassers. This new mandate seems to have good intentions to some, but according to Nittiya, intentions are not enough to justify the effects impacting Sub Wai villagers.
“My grandmother was home alone when armed national park officers came and threatened her with violence to get her to sign our land over to the government,” Nittiya explains. “I have had no choice.”
Nittiya and other Sub Wai villagers claim that the government uses scare tactics to persuade them to give up their land titles in an effort to reach the master plan’s 26-million-rai goal. The villagers’ cassava farms are generally located on the land the government has been confiscating, so when they sign away their rights to the land, they essentially sign away their primary source of income.
“Without land, I don’t even know where I’m going to find income,” says Suwalee Poh-Ngan a Sub Wai villager whose land has also been confiscated. Nevertheless, a piece of paper and a signature does not stop her from tending to her crops.
Suwalee and other villagers continue to farm on the land despite no longer having legal rights to do so, and as a result, 19 of them have been sued for trespassing on national park property. If found guilty, some villagers could spend up to 18 months in prison and fined as high as 600,000 baht.
“I don’t want to arrest people. I feel sad for them,” says Sriworkam, the operational officer at Sai Thong National Park. “But when I see a tree being burned down for agriculture or chemical farming and mono-cropping being practiced, I believe it is negatively affecting the environment.”
“I think this is one way the government is trying to distort the reality of the situation,” he says. “The government claims that these people cut down trees and practice unhealthy agriculture to justify their wrongful actions.”
Small-scale farmers are not the primary threat to the national forests according to Dr. Alongkorn Akasaeng, a professor at Mahasarakham University and long-time member of what is sometimes termed, “the People’s Movement.” He questions the integrity of the RFD and suggests that the government is not being transparent with its use of the confiscated land.
“The RFD has a hidden agenda,” he argues. “Twenty-five percent of the land is research forest and 15 percent is actually for industrial purposes.”
Alongkorn’s allegation contradicts the Royal Forest Department’s statements. The RFD says Order 64 is meant to target investors, and even passed another mandate—Order 66—to exclude poor people from Order 64 and protect them from being sued by the government. However, there is a disconnect between the government’s definition of “poor” and the reality of poverty in the eyes of the villagers.
“I think the word farmer should be left to mean poor,” says Nittiya. The RFD states that anyone who owns less than 25 rai of land is poor, and considers those who own more than that to be investors. Several of the Sub Wai villagers, including Nittiya, “own” more than 25 rai of land, but they still consider themselves small-scale farmers in comparison to the big industrial companies that are supposed to be targeted.
To make matters even more complicated, Order 66 has not completely stopped “poor” farmers from being stripped of their customary land titles and sued.
“The judicial system isn’t really fair because I’m not an investor, I’m just making a living,” says Wanchai Aporkaew, another Sub Wai villager. Wanchai only farms 14 rai of land and meets the RFD’s standard for poor; however, all of his land has been seized by the government and he is still being sued for trespassing. Despite his socioeconomic status, Wanchai has not only lost all of his land, but has been hit with one of the highest fines of anyone on trial at a steep 600,000 baht.
“We feel like they don’t care about us,” Nittiya says. “The government just wants to seem like they are doing something good so that people can see them doing it, but we have to suffer in return.”
They may be facing some harsh charges and the possibility of losing their livelihoods, but the Sub Wai villagers are not going down without a fight. Nittiya and her community has teamed up with the Isaan Land Reform Network (ILRN), a local NGO network, to combat their charges and find new solutions to the current land rights issue. The ILRN works with farmers throughout Isaan to help them protect their land rights by providing free legal counsel and financial support, as well as offering free information workshops on the Thai judicial system and how to properly prepare for their trials.
The ILRN’s leader, Pramote Pholpinyo, says the government needs to understand the villagers’ relationship with the land in order for them to reach a solution.
What hangs in the balance in the courts is whether the government continues with its legalistic zero-sum approach, or is compelled to adopt a more nuanced approach to the rights of people who have lived and farmed on national forest land for generations.
“We are not against the preservation of the forest,” Promote argues. “People want to preserve the forests as well to be able to manage their land, but the judicial system itself is not just. Laws, policies, regulations, and orders seem to do anything but meet the needs and wants of the people they purportedly written for.”
The concept of issuing community land titles is what would meet the people’s wants and needs, according to Pramote. This type of land title would allow members of the Sub Wai community to have joint ownership of the property they are currently being sued over so that they could preserve and manage the forests legally. The Sub Wai villagers and Pramote are also putting forward proposals that demonstrate the ways they could preserve the forest, such as by planting new trees where old ones have been cut down.
“By explaining how villagers have been losing their resources and proposing the community land title and preservation plans, this could help serve to oppose the government’s claim that the villagers have no capacity to take care of the forest,” says their lawyer, Thanomsak.
These cases and proposals are what have turned Nittiya Muangklang’s home into Thursday night’s main event.
“We have to be as prepared as possible when we go to court,” Nittiya says. “We hold weekly meetings in this home to make sure that everyone has the information they need to form the best cases possible, and so that we can support one another through this process.”
With just a ninth-grade education, she has more schooling than all the villagers involved and so she’s been appointed as the leader of their community coalition. As of September 27, all villagers on trial have been found guilty of charges against them, but all have staved off their sentences by lodging appeals, now beyond the Appeals Court and heading for the Supreme Court.
“People now have more hope,” Nittaya says. “The government might help us and drop the charges after they’ve seen our proposals.”
Until the next phase of the process, Nittiya and the other villagers will continue to plan and strategize from her dinner table in the hopes that they will get their land back for good.
“This is our home. It is all we have,” she says. “So, we will keep fighting until we receive the justice we deserve.”
Bria Kalpen is a fourth-year journalism student at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. This semester she studied about development, globalization, and human rights issues in Khon Kaen this past fall semester.
Tags: Chaiyaphum, eviction, forest conservation, Forest Master Plan, land dispute, land rights, reforeststation, Sab Wai Village, Sai Thong National Park, Sok Takhiang Village
“Special but not special”: View of local farmers on Mukdahan’s special economic zone
Restore the rights of unfairly criminalized villagers in the Sai Thong National case
226 civil society groups urge government to drop charges against Chaiyaphum forest community
Isaan Lives: A ‘penniless lawyer’ fighting for change
Chaiyaphum land rights activist sentenced to 12 months in jail
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September 27, 2012 September 27, 2012 Contributor
Corbett Sports Welsh Premier League weekend betting preview
A comprehensive 3-0 win over title rivals Bangor City last weekend saw TNS reclaim pole-position in the Corbett Sports Welsh Premier League. The Saints snapped a three-game scoreless streak last time out and are 3/10 to take all three points in their home encounter, this weekend, against a stubborn Port Talbot outfit; who’re themselves enjoying a run of five-match unbeaten run in the league, and are priced 7/1 to record a rare victory at Park Hall.
The winners of Friday night’s match between second-placed Prestatyn (4/6) and fourth-placed Connah’s Quay (10/3) will go top for a few hours at least, as the season’s two surprise teams go head-to-head. With Prestatyn’s strike partnership of Jason Price and Andy Parkinson boasting a tally of 11 league goals between them already this season; you can get 4/9 on there being over 2.5 goals, whilst 5/2 on Connah’s Quay picking up their first draw of the season does look interesting.
Having reassembled what is virtually a brand new squad during the off-season, Andy Preece’s Airbus UK (4/7) are showing signs of becoming a considerable force in the Welsh top-flight. The Wingmakers have been formidable in front of goal in recent weeks – scoring 11 in their last two league outings – and are coming off the back of a 7-1 thrashing of Newtown. Aberystwyth’s (4/1) brittle defence could be badly exposed against a side that is high in confidence and now showing signs of cohesion.
Carmarthen Town (9/2) manager Mark Aizlewood was left sorely disappointed with his side’s showing during their 3-0 defeat at Bala Town last weekend. And the Old Gold will face a stiff test once again on Saturday as Bangor City (1/2) arrive in town, with their pride dented having also lost 3-0, to rivals TNS. Aizlewood has challenged his players to step up to the mark in a bid to move up the league ladder from their current 9th position and 11/4 is the price for the two sides to split the points and claim a draw.
Llanelli (4/6) have plenty of distractions off-field, but in the face of adversity did manage to record a 2-0 victory at Aberystwyth last weekend. With the club’s financial worries seemingly coming to head the Llanelli squad will be looking to make an impression for all the right reasons on their home turf but face a strong Bala Town side (10/3), who appear to be coming into form following a sluggish start. Both sides will fancy themselves going into this one. 5/2 is the price for them to cancel each other out and draw.
Afan Lido (5/4) and Newtown (7/4) complete this week’s roundup and feature in the later 3:45 kick-off (televised and streamed online live by Sgorio). Both sides will looking to bounce back after suffering heavy defeats last Saturday. Lido were dealt a 6-4 reverse at Connah’s Quay, whilst Newtown were crushed at home 7-1 by Airbus UK. Both sides – currently occupying 10th and 8th spots respectively – struggled at the wrong end of the table last season and three points for either team would allay fears of slipping into old habits.
MY BET OF THE WEEK:
Three draws: Prestatyn v Connah’s Quay, Carmarthen Town v Bangor City and Llanelli v Bala Town. £10 stake gives £459.38 return.
Prestatyn 4/6 Draw 5/2 Connah’s Quay 10/3
Airbus UK 4/7 Draw 13/5 Aberystwyth 4/1
Carmarthen 9/2 Draw 11/4 Bangor City 1/2
Llanelli 4/6 Draw 5/2 Bala Town 10/3
TNS 3/10 Draw 7/2 Port Talbot 7/1
Afan Lido 5/4 Draw 9/4 Newtown 7/4
Previous Second-tier clubs pit themselves against the top-flight in new-look League Cup
Next Welsh League and Cymru Alliance wrap and results: Nagi strike keeps Barry top; Buckley stun leaders Rhyl
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Texas voting law on language interpreters violates Voting Rights Act, court says
Texas violated the Voting Rights Act by restricting the interpretation assistance English-limited voters may receive, a federal appeals court ruled.
by Alexa Ura Aug. 17, 2017 6 PM
Shelby Knowles
Texas ran afoul of the Voting Rights Act by restricting the interpretation assistance English-limited voters may receive at the ballot box, a federal appeals court found.
In an opinion issued Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that an obscure provision of the Texas Election Code that requires interpreters helping someone cast a ballot to also be registered to vote in the same county in which they are providing help clashes with federal voting protections.
That Texas law, the court found, violates a less-known section of the Voting Rights Act under which any voter who needs assistance because of visual impairments, disabilities or literacy skills can be helped in casting a ballot by the person of their choice, as long as it’s not their employer or a union leader.
Texas had argued that its interpreter requirement was meant to be “supplemental” to the VRA, but the appellate court ruled that the state’s “limitation on voter choice” instead “impermissibly narrows” the voting rights guaranteed by federal law.
“The problem remains that the Texas provisions expressly limit the right to the act of casting a ballot,” the judges wrote. “It should go without saying that a state cannot restrict this federally guaranteed right by enacting a statute tracking its language, then defining terms more restrictively than as federally defined.”
The case could affect thousands of Texas voters. Millions of Texas households speak languages other than English. Most of them speak Spanish, and election administrators in Texas are already required to provide electoral materials in Spanish.
Very few Texas counties are required to provide assistance in languages other than Spanish. But almost 26 percent of Texas households that speak languages originating in Asia or the Pacific Islands are considered limited English-speaking households, according to census estimates.
The legal voting rights squabble stems from a 2014 incident in which the late Mallika Das, a Williamson County resident, was unable to get help from her son to cast her ballot.
A U.S. citizen born in India, Das had brought her son, Saurabh, to help her vote. She spoke Bengali, and her limited English proficiency had made it difficult in the past. But when Saurabh told poll workers he intended to interpret the ballot for his mother, an election official determined he didn’t meet the state’s voter registration requirements because he was registered to vote in neighboring Travis County.
The voting dilemma prompted the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund to sue the state on behalf of Das and the Greater Houston chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans to challenge the complexities behind Texas’ election requirements for language-minority voters.
One provision of state election code allows voters to select an “interpreter” to help them communicate with an election officer and “accompany the voter to the voting station for the purpose of translating the ballot to the voter.” A separate provision governs “assistors” and says voters can receive help reading or marking a ballot and states that assistance “occurs while the person is in the presence of the voter’s ballot.”
The interpreter, unlike an assistor, must be registered to vote in the same county.
In Das’ case, had her son simply told poll workers he was “assisting” his mother — and not that the assistance involved interpreting the ballot for her — he would have been able to go into the voting booth with her.
The interpreter voting law has been on hold since last year when U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman scolded the state for “arbitrarily” restricting voters with limited English proficiency. On Thursday, the 5th Circuit judges agreed with that judge’s ruling, but they sided with the state in determining that Pitman’s injunction on the law was too broad. Pitman must now take the case back up and reconsider the language he used in blocking the interpreter law.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office, which is representing the state in the court, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As court scoldings pile up, will Texas face a voting rights reckoning?
Federal court invalidates part of Texas congressional map
Trump administration: New Texas voter ID law fixes discrimination
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Davido’s Hit Song ‘Fall’ Sets Record as Longest-charting Nigerian Song on Billboard
Fall, a hit single released in 2017 by David ‘Davido’ Adeleke, has given the singer his highest entry on the Billboard music chart.
It is also the longest-charting Nigerian song on Billboard, after being on the chart for four consecutive weeks.
In its fourth week on the R&B/Hip-hop airplay chart, the single has risen to #29.
‘Fall’, produced by Kiddominant, was in 39th place as at last week.
A few weeks ago, Rolling Stone reported that the song was enjoying new-found success on US radio.
At the time, four new radio stations were said to have added ‘Fall’ into rotation, making a total of 36 stations playing the song.
The increased airplay has resulted in keener interest of listeners in the song and the artiste — and now, a continuous rise on the charts.
‘Fall’ is said to be one of the top 100 most Shazam’d singles in the US while it was a top 10 on Shazam in New York and Atlanta.
Shazam is an app that allows users find out information about a song.
In December 2018, ‘Fall’ became the first Nigerian music video to hit 100 million views on YouTube.
The Daps-directed video also made history as the most-viewed Nigerian music video of all time on YouTube.
Just last week, Davido headlined a sold-out concert at London’s O2 Arena.
The 20, 000-capacity venue was packed to the rafters, with the likes of Idris Elba and Naomi Campbell in attendance.
Previous article How to Deal with Body-shaming on the Internet – Eva Alordiah
Next article If You Don’t Believe in Equal Rights, Don’t Bother About Marriage – Okey Bakassi to Nigerian Youths
Photos: Former Minister Of Education, Oby Ezekwesili Celebrates Birthday With Children
in Food and Health, How Tos
How To Take Care Of Milk Intolerance In Children
Timi Dakolo’s Children, ‘You Are Too Harsh And You Lie Daddy’
in Art, History and Culture
Why Children Should Learn Their Native Languages
How to Deal with Body-shaming on the Internet – Eva Alordiah
If You Don’t Believe in Equal Rights, Don’t Bother About Marriage – Okey Bakassi to Nigerian Youths
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Focal Length of an Astronomical Telescope
Arny, Thomas T., and Nicholas A. Pananides. Introductory Astronomy. New York: Addison-Wesley, 1973: 53. "Thus a 10-inch, f-9 telescope has an objective with a diameter of 10 inches and a focal length of 90 inches." 2.2860 m
Muirden, James. How to Use an Astronomical Telescope. New York: Simon & Shuster, 1985: 14. "Astronomical eyepieces are available in a considerable range of focal lengths. The longest are up to 50 mm or so, the shortest may be as little as 4 mm." 0.004–0.050 m
Chaisson, Eric J. The Hubble Wars. New York: HarperCollins, 1994: 150. "Hubble's focal length — the distance between the main mirror and the point at which it focuses light — is 189 feet (nearly 58 meters), or about three times as long as the shuttle, but because the light is additionally reflected by a secondary mirror back through a hole in the main mirror, a long focus can be attained within the confines of telescope." 57.6072 m
Worvill, Roy. Stars and Telescopes for the Beginner. New York: Taplinger, 1979: 50. "A Newtonian reflector … … made by J.H. Hindle. The focal length is 7½ ft." 2.2860 m
Hsu, Daniel. NASA. Electronic mail. 29 May 2002. "The primary mirror is 2.4 meters and the telescope has a focal ratio of f/24. The focal length is then 2.4 x 24 = 57.6 m." 57.6 m
As evidenced by the wide array of books about astronomy aimed at beginners and amateurs it is clear to see that this a field of science in which nonprofessionals can easily partake. All that is needed is an astronomical telescope and the sky is the limit. An astronomical telescope is a device used by astronomers to examine planets, stars, and other heavenly bodies. The telescope can magnify these distant objects or produce images that are otherwise too faint for the naked eye to see. There is no standard telescope used by all astronomers but rather an assortment of designs to choose from.
The astronomical telescope is an instrument that works based on a relatively simple premise. A lens or mirror, known as the objective, collects light from an object and focuses it at a location called the focal point. The focal length is the distance from the focal point to the surface of the mirror or the center of the lens.
The Hubble Space Telescope, arguably the most famous telescope, has a focal length of roughly 58 M. This is longer than the space shuttle in which it is delivered into orbit but not a problem because a secondary mirror is used to reflect the light back through a hole in the main mirror. For comparison, a Newtonian reflector made by J.H. Hindle has a focal length of 2.860 m and a 10-inch (25.4 cm), f-9 telescope also has a focal length of 2.2860 m.
An eyepiece (essentially a magnifying glass) is also needed in an astronomical telescope. It is used to bring the human eye closer to the image produced at the focal point and examine it. Astronomical eyepieces also have focal lengths, which vary from 0.004 m to 0.050 m depending on design.
Jennifer Hu -- 2002
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JFH Concert Review
The Theatre Tour
TobyMac and Diverse City, Ryan Stevenson, Cochren & Co.
11/9/18, at Santander PAC in Reading, PA
TobyMac has been touring extensively solo for almost two decades now. Granted, when one calls TobyMac "solo," one must consider the fact that Toby McKeehan travels anything but completely on his own. (You probably never see a Toby SOLO tour, in the same vein as Steven Curtis Chapman's latest tour.) Since his early days apart from DC Talk, TobyMac has been traveling with an impressive entourage, which has since been dubbed the Diverse City band. Their members--like most live bands--have rotated some through the years, but the core members of Timmy Rose, Todd E. Funk, Dave Wyatt, DJ Maj and GabeReal have been with Toby for the long haul. With TobyMac's latest tour, he switches things up a bit, too, forsaking the arena setting for a more intimate one, setting out on a fall theater tour.
Upon announcing details of the tour, it was tough to imagine what a more "intimate" TobyMac show might look like. And fans might worry it'll just be a stripped-down acoustic tour... something many fans of his big, energetic performances might not be too keen on. The evening even kicks off with two other solo acts, artists who are signed to Toby's own record label, Gotee Records. His newest signing, Cochren & Co. kicked off the night, with just Michael Cochren himself performing while seated at a piano. His set was kept to just three songs, including his debut single, "I Want To Go To Church," and "Grave." Cochren proved he's got a voice to showcase, but the songs weren't anything that stood out much. Upon hearing a recorded snippet of his single, I felt like Cochren sounded like a more CCM AC radio version of NEEDTOBREATHE's southern rock sound (minus the rock), but I didn't get that NEEDTOBREATHE vibe at all from his live show. Still, it may be interesting to see where Cochren & Co. go from here.
One of Gotee's most popular signings in recent years, Ryan Stevenson, was up next, and he performed his most recognizable pop hits. With an acoustic guitar and some keys and drums for support, Ryan's set was modest and intimate. After opening with "Lift You Up," he performed "Child In Your Arms" and then talked about Romans 8:28 before performing "No Matter What." He then took a funny side trail where he talked about some songs his his 6 and 8 year old boys wrote and asked him to play live... so he did. It was easily the highlight of his set. "The Gospel" was next, and then he talked a bit about how he worked as a paramedic before getting into music and closed with "Eye of the Storm," inspiring many in the audience to rise to their feet and sing along with his hit song.
Before Toby took over, Jason Barton of the band 33 Miles came on stage to talk for Food for the Hungry. He gave a really inspiring talk about his experience with the organization, visiting Ethiopia with his family, and how much FH touches the lives of those most in need. A 15 or so minute intermission then proceeded before the main event.
When TobyMac and Diverse City opened their set, they did so in full-on acoustic form. The band, in part, sat around on stools and performed stripped-down versions of hit "Me Without You," new song "Overflow," and other fan favorites "Thankful for You," and "Steal My Show." Toby then asked if they should do the whole night like this or go big, and of course the audience cheered for the full production. For the rest of the night, the band went full-swing, with DJ Maj coming out to join the gang for "Light Shines Bright" and "Backseat Driver." For new song "Edge of My Seat," Toby talked about our posture in life, and how important it is to approach each day anticipating God is going to use us and do something big. They even mixed a little bit of "Lose My Soul" in before the song's end. Ryan Stevenson joined the band on stage for "Speak Life" (which he had helped write with Toby), and then "Love Broke Through" stirred the audience's emotions with an intense video displaying behind the band of a police line trying to hold back a riot. Afterwards, DJ Maj helmed an old school mix that merged "Funky Jesus Music" into "Diverse City," "The Slam" and then "Boomin'" for a real energetic treat. Live footage from shows gone by also displayed behind the band (which also served to remind me how much more energetic Toby's shows used to be. They're still a blast, but I'd forgotten how crazy they used to get!)
Everyone took a seat for the slower "City On Our Knees," and Michael Cochren came back out to contribute some piano playing. Toby then took a moment to talk about diversity and worked in his song "Family" before returning to "City" to end the song. "Made To Love," complete with a trio of horns, was next, followed by "The Elements" (with the music video in the background), where Toby made his way to the balcony to sing from. After returning to the stage, he talked about the storms of life and "the elements" before moving into his newest single, "Scars," followed by "I just need U." Completing a run of new songs from his latest record, The Elements, they performed "Everything" (with the horns again), and then performed the infectious "Move (Keep Walkin’)" from This Is Not A Test. The band then closed with the energetic "Till The Day I Die," complete with the waving of a large white flag.
It's hard to imagine a TobyMac concert without an encore, and to bring the set list to roughly 20 songs (it's substantially more if you count all of the bits and pieces of other songs), they returned to perform "Eye On It" and "Feel It," the latter of which saw them invite some kids from the audience on stage to dance along with the band.
While this tour is certainly a deviation from the norm for TobyMac and Diverse City, it also felt more unique and special. The band can still bring down the house with a big show -- whether acoustic or with full production -- and this tour was no different. Sadly, this run of The Theatre Tour is over, but hopefully they'll be doing another string of these shows in the near future. His next tour is slated to be a return to the Hits Deep Tour format, but if you can catch one of these smaller theater shows sometime, you'll be getting a unique TobyMac experience you won't be able to get any other way.
-- John DiBiase, 11/26/18
TobyMac Set List
01. Me Without You (Acoustic)
02. Overflow (Acoustic)
03. Thankful for You (Acoustic)
04. Steal My Show (Acoustic)
05. Lights Shine Bright
06. Backseat Driver
07. Edge of My Seat
08. Speak Life
09. Love Broke Through
10. Old School Medley: Funky Jesus Music / Diverse City / The Slam / Boomin'
11. City on Our Knees / Family
12. Made to Love
13. The Elements
14. Scars
15. I just need U.
16. Everything
17. Move (Keep Walkin’)
18. Till the Day I Die
19. Eye On It
The Theatre Tour Photo Gallery click on an image for a bigger size
**vertical images cropped for thumbnails**
Cochren & Co.
*all photos by John DiBiase and are the property of the photographer and Jesusfreakhideout.com
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“No man is wise at all times, or is without his blind side”
The quote by Desiderius sets the stage for an article that has been on my mind for quite a while. The first time I came across the word “blindside”, it was used in the context of a sports game where players may focus so much on a certain opposing team’s key player and in trying to prevent that person from scoring, they inadvertently leave their flanks unattended for another opposition player to exploit, sometimes, resulting in catastrophic loses. Looking at the political system, we can see this analogy play out so well in the way Nigerians focus all their energy on the Federal Government.
I recently partook in a poll conducted by U-Report, the citizen outreach platform operated by UNICEF. Some of the questions posed in the poll included: “Do you know what a State budget is?”, “Have you ever participated in the budgeting process in your state?”, and “How would you rate your knowledge of the budget process in your state?” At the end of the poll, the summary from U-Report contained a troubling conclusion: “From the current poll, it shows that a good percentage of young people in Nigeria don’t know how to access information when it concerns their state budget.” Although U-Report focused on young Nigerians, from my experience, the conclusion actually covers all Nigerians across all age brackets.
Every year, we witness the macabre dance at Abuja where the Executive and the Legislative arms of the Federal Government enthral Nigerians with the best of third-world budgeting. While the US Congress entertains the world with American-style brinksmanship over approving budgets cum debt ceiling extensions, the Nigerian drama is riddled with plots covering late submission of annual budgets by the president, alleged refusal of certain Federal agencies to submit and defend their budgets, dilly-dallying by the National Assembly, and the all-important allegations and execution of “budget padding” by different players involved in the budgeting process. Sometimes, the budgeting process would eat up to five months into a new financial year before that year’s budget will be approved. Well, at least we can say there is a “semblance” of budgeting and all eyes are trained on the quantum and composition of the approved budget.
Compare with what obtains at the state level. While Nigerians tend to focus on the “thieves in Abuja”, their State Governments are allowed to run amok with financial recklessness. To provide some context, we may want to note that although the Federal Government swallows about 52% of the total distributable revenue accruing to the Federation, State and Local Governments guzzle the remaining 48%. Budgets by State Governments range from under ₦100 billion to about ₦1 trillion naira slammed down by states like Lagos that swim in naira notes. Despite the humongous sums available at the State level, there appears to be little interest by everyday Nigerians in understanding how their states spend these monies.
Do State Governments actually pass “budgets”? If I were asked this question, my answer would be “Yes” and “No”. “Yes”, because the annual budget is a legislation that has to be passed by each State House of Assembly. “No”, because regardless of the shortcomings of the Federal Budget, State Budgets are generally opaque, hidden from the public, and usually passed by rubberstamp State Assemblies unable to think for themselves nor regulate the activities of their Governors. I know of a state, actually, my home state, where a Budget was presented and passed within two (2) hours. Let this sink in: A State Budget containing revenue and expenditure estimates for an entire year was passed into law in the time it would take a person to move from Ajah in Lagos to Berger under moderate traffic conditions.
If you are a Nigerian reading this article, do you know your state’s budget for this year? Do you know the fraction of the budget that is for recurrent and capital expenditure? Do you know how your State Government intends to fund the budget? Do you know how much debt your state currently owes, and how much it will owe due to this year’s budget? Do you have any idea about the budget performance for last year? Do you know the main focus areas for your State Government based on the proposals in the budget? Do you know how much your state intends to spend on areas such as health, education, infrastructure, and agriculture? If you have answered “No” to these questions, then you are likely among those Nigerians that U-Report asserts are ignorant about their State Budgets. But please don’t feel bad. I belong to your clique.
Sadly, many State Governments are intent on ensuring that citizens are clueless about their budgets. Civic advocacy groups like BudgIT have been pushing for State Governments to make their budgets public and have even approached the courts on this matter, yet our State Governments remain obstinate. A state like Lagos has even argued vigorously in court against any attempt to compel it to let tax-paying Lagosians know how their Government spends their taxes. They know that as long as people are unaware of the contents of the budgets, they cannot complain about misappropriation of public funds.
What is the way forward? Three critical players are involved here. The first is the State Executives and Legislatures that need to understand that citizens have a right to know how their monies are spent. This is an important right which needs to be articulated by the Judiciary as the second player involved here. I have very limited legal knowledge; however, I cannot comprehend why a court would even entertain an appeal by a State Government against a directive by a lower court that it should make its expenditures public. The third and most important player is me and every other Nigerian who need to join our voices to pressure our State Governments to involve the public in the budgeting process. To do this, we need to understand why it is important to monitor finances at the State level. While we must not lose sight of Federal-level finances, we should also maintain a search light on finances in our states. That way, we can gradually push towards a Nigeria where 100% of public revenues are spent judiciously on matters important to the public.
Image Credit: commsbusiness.co.uk
Civic Duties
I remember hearing someone joke that the Queen of England cannot be charged with a crime nor even arrested because all public prosecution is done “in the name of Her Majesty”, effectively making at least one person in the United Kingdom legally above the law. Back here in Nigeria, the Queen’s immunity makes me think of the legal armed robbers, licensed murderers, and now, the lawful lawbreakers. Unfortunately, the last set cannot truly be called lawbreakers as the law is whatever they say it is.
While President Buhari flew a presidential jet to the United Kingdom on a private visit, and Nigerians bickered whether all Boko Haram fighters are multimillionaires, a gang of lawmakers in Nigeria’s least populated state decided to endow themselves with pensions for life after their four-year tenure. That state, Bayelsa, also happens to be one of Nigeria’s richest states, yet, with all the trappings of systemic poverty and unemployment.
To give some context to any non-Nigerian reading this article, Nigeria runs a three-level, supposedly federal structure consisting of Federal, State, and Local Governments. Each State Government mirrors the federal level by having a three-arm structure that comprises the Executive Branch (Governor and appointed cabinet), the Legislature (House Speaker and other elected legislators), and the Judiciary (Chief Judge and other judges). The Legislature is responsible for making laws by passing bills subject to endorsement (“assent”) by the elected Governor. In Bayelsa State, the law makers passed a bill commanding the State Government to pay all past lawmakers a monthly pension ranging from ₦100,000 – ₦500,000 until each former lawmaker dies.
Let’s now juxtapose this payment with an “average” civil servant who devotes his or her working life to the Bayelsa State Government. Whereas a law maker is elected (or rigged in) for a four-year tenure, a civil servant who joins the Civil Service early enough, will spend thirty-five years in active duty. When such a person retires, usually near or at the age of 60, the person’s monthly pension is unlikely to be anywhere near ₦100,000. Given Nigeria’s relatively low life expectancy and the vagaries of everyday suffering, few of those retirees are likely to live up to 80 years. Compare this with a random, low-ranked, single-term legislator who spends only four years in office and leaves the legislature at the age of 44. With this bill, if such a person were to live up to 80 years, he or she will pocket ₦43.2 million (over ₦200 million for a former speaker) as cumulative pension for two years of seat warming. This is in addition to a lump sum paid at the expiry of a tenure, and millions in salaries, sitting allowances, and “constituency projects”.
Under what system is this travesty right? Is it legal? Of course, it is, and herein lies a fundamental problem with Nigerian jurisprudence. Why should I be the one to determine and approve my renumeration? Sadly, the same problem exists at the federal level (National Assembly) where the power of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to fix remunerations of legislators is thwarted by the lawmakers who conjure fantabulous allowances for themselves instead of focusing on making laws that will make life easier for Nigerians groaning under economic hardship. Lawmakers giving themselves blank cheques is a mockery of the democratic process, even as their gluttonous actions explain the proclivity of Nigerian politicians to rape the electoral process in order to get a seat at the sharing table.
I am glad that Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State vetoed the incestuous bill passed by his state’s legislature as it would have been a disappointment if he had played ball with his lawmakers in legally robbing Bayelsans despite the public opprobrium. While I suspect that the bill might have been part of some “settlement scheme” between power brokers in the state to compensate certain losers in the last elections, Governor Dickson made good use of his gatekeeper role in rejecting the bill. Political headwinds should never be a reason to legally defraud the people of Bayelsa. Let common-sense prevail!
Image Credit: lawandculture.org
“Count your blessings, name them one by one;
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done”
The quote above is from a popular Christian hymn, “Count Your Blessings” by Johnson Oatman Jnr, however, fear not; this is not a proselytising article. The hymn just kept ringing in my head as I picked up my laptop to compose this article. I’m typing this article at the twilight of Good Friday 2019, influenced by four key events from the receding week.
The first trigger came from a Twitter thread I chanced upon during the week.
I attended my secondary school alumni meeting yesterday and I felt really, really sad about Nigeria. Bear in mind this is Atlantic Hall we're talking about, so pretty much all of us won the birth lottery to begin with.
But EVERYBODY IS LEAVING NIGERIA. This is not a drill.
— David Hundeyin (@DavidHundeyin) April 15, 2019
In the thread, the poster gave an abridged outline of his circumstances regarding his affluent Alma mater and the present state of the Nigerian economy. The summary goes like this: David and his friends from “elite backgrounds” attended a high brow secondary school and most went on to earn degrees in foreign universities; some had opportunities to work abroad and a number of them returned to Nigeria to work. His schoolmates now have kids and suddenly realised they cannot afford to pay the school fees required to attend their expensive Nigerian Alma mater. At this point, even Jeremiah the Prophet would weep at the Lamentations of David.
Another trigger came from a Zikoko article I read during the week. This article described the life of a Nigerian who finished secondary school but could not afford the Senior School Certificate Exam. As a result, instead of his dream of studying law, he was forced to live a life where his daily sustenance flowed from jobs that are physically tasking and sometimes potentially fatal. One of such jobs literally involved a cycle of back-breaking work one month followed by a month of sickness. He still looks back at the critical point in his life when his final exams were unaffordable.
The third trigger occurred during a trip across Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos. As the bus crawled through the stream of vehicles on the routinely congested bridge, my wife pointed to the slums adjoining the bridge. At the edge of an area filled with wooden houses, canoes, and the smell of burning wood, we saw several persons at different points squatting next to the river to defecate. Recognising that these were persons lacking access to good sanitation and water, my mind jumped to the Sustainable Development Goal #6 and Nigeria’s shameful position as a country with one of the highest number of persons who defecate publicly (23.5% of the population).
The final trigger for this article occurred at the popular Obalende in Lagos. Walking down one of its linked flyover bridges, I became aware that someone was sleeping on the roof of a wooden “house”. I enclosed “house” in inverted commas because “slum structure” might be more appropriate. On a different day, I had seen two persons sleeping on the ground outside one of the wooden structures in that area. Again, my mind jumped to available statistics about the lack of sufficient housing units in Nigeria, coupled with the high poverty rate which makes good housing unaffordable to many Nigerians.
At this point you might be asking for the nexus between all I have recounted and “privilege”, after all, that is the title of this article. Just like Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities”, I have just described two disparate worlds within the same country. Nigeria is a nation of two realities that dumbfound each other. In the same country where millions poo in streams, bushes, gutters, and on asphalt roads, some others’ biggest worry is their inability to pay ₦3.5 million naira annually as school fees for their kids. In the same country where thousands risk their lives hawking on highways from morning until nightfall, some others worry that they might not be able to afford a summer vacation to Paris to see the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Am I disparaging the legitimate concerns of people like David about their economic prospects in Nigeria? Of course not! Even I want to achieve financial independence and have enough for all my needs plus a bit extra for the accompanying wants. My aim with this article is to point out some privileges we take for granted. While David and his peers worry about being able to pay a certain school’s fees, there are millions of persons who just want to be able to complete their education at a dilapidated public school. Many of us are born with certain privileges even though we tend to look at the “elite” as the privileged ones. For example, if you are reading this article, it’s likely you have enjoyed the privilege of formal education, access to the internet, and a functional device. We might debate whether some of these should be termed as rights or privileges, but until a time when every person is guaranteed access to these things, they remain privileges.
Awareness of our privileged positions should do two things for us: make us thankful, and make us think about how we can help others having less fortune. Thankfulness like the introductory hymn advises, can help us take life a little bit less seriously and avoid unnecessary burnouts knowing that at the end, what’s important is that we can have a “good life”, not whether we can beat Jeff Bezos to the top. On the other hand, concern for the less privileged can clip the wings of pride, and make us better humans contributing to a better society.
Image Credit: debarghyadas.com
A little while has passed since the last time I tapped my keyboard composing a document that was unrelated to my day job. In the intervening time, I got married, and Nigeria held its most expensive elections ever to select office holders for the next four years. Except for my Rivers State, which now operates a different wavelength, other states have concluded their selection processes. Today’s article is more of a potpourri of my thoughts on different issues related to the elections. Although each issue merits a full article in its own rights, let’s accept what will be a summarisation.
Continue reading “Now that the Elections have Ended” →
So, you want to get married? Left to me, I would have preferred a quiet, very quiet wedding. Fortunately, we live in a social society, so my wishes could not fly. After asking Anu to marry me, it was time to involve the families. This was going to be a marriage between a fish-eating Okrika guy and an amala-downloading Yoruba lady.
My dad called her dad to fix a date. Before then, I took her on a tour of Okrika for her to see my interesting hometown. 11 August 2018 was selected as the date for the families to be officially “introduced”. From my end, I needed to get a traditional attire sewn. The consensus from my research was that I had to wear a Yoruba-looking outfit. For my cap, Anu and I selected a blue “aso oke” to make the cap and a cape to match her own outfit. We felt a need to appear a bit uniform without being in uniform.
Getting the gifts for the introduction was a hassle. In Okrika culture, the introduction is termed “knocking on the door” and basically involves the groom’s family bringing some drinks to the bride’s family to announce their intention to marry their daughter. For the Yorubas, I was informed my family had to bring baskets in multiples of two. For some undeclared reason, odd-numbered baskets were outlawed. Being in Lagos while Anu and her family stayed in Abuja, I needed someone in Abuja to arrange the baskets. My godmother volunteered to get this arranged. One basket contained an assortment of fruits—oranges, apples, pineapples, bananas and a massive watermelon—while the second basket contained an assortment of wines, biscuits, chocolates and anything attractive enough to make a gift pack. We stuck with fruit wines because Anu’s dad and teetotalism are close pals.
On the D-Day, my family’s contingent got to the Longes ten minutes before the scheduled 12noon start time. One of Anu’s brothers came out to welcome us, and then led us inside after a round of photographs. The previous night, my godparents had “forced” me to practise full prostration with my body getting acquainted with the floor, and I was set to re-enact that scene for Anu’s parents. However, on attempting to locate the floor’s spatial coordinates, her dad stopped me, stretching his hands to pull me up. We were then offered seats after everyone had been greeted.
To demonstrate the pastoral nature of Anu’s family, her brother cum family spokesman got the event to a start with a short prayer (thankfully!) and then a session of praise-worship. Then the drama began. He asked who the visitors were and their mission. My godfather cum family spokesman took over at this point, bringing his legal experience to spin a flattering tale around our presence. Apparently, having “come all the way from the Atlantic, we had come to seek a flower our son found when he was sent to school in the West”. The gift baskets and some standalone wine bottles were then presented at this point. Before now, Anu’s dad had spoken and assured us that all protocol had been bent as this would not be a conventional introduction.
I was asked to look around if the “flower” we came for was there or whether we came to the wrong location. As this was drama, I had to play along though I had to communicate via my family spokesman. When the lovely Anuoluwapo was brought in, she was asked to kneel in the middle and I was asked to join her. As a friend commented, her wife material was so much it was literally dragging on the floor. Then we had someone from each side describe their own relative. My aunt talked about me while Anu’s brother spoke for her. Thereafter, we had prayers from my dad and then her dad. After this we had our seats, my mom wrapped up with a heartfelt closing prayer, and then the “engagement list” was presented to my family spokesman. We had already separately got our families to agree on 2 February 2019 for our engagement ceremony (traditional marriage) and white wedding.
Next was pictures and then refreshments. The introduction had ended successfully.
Traditional Marriage
Once Upon a Time in Ife
“When I found you, I found somebody who cares”
Bebe Winans (I Found Love)
Where do we start from to tell the story of two persons who would have never imagined they’ll end up together? The story begins with a certain Jonah delivered from the fishes of the Atlantic Ocean and sent five hundred kilometres away to a land warmly called Great Ife. Two years later, a certain Anuoluwapo made a similar journey howbeit from a bubbling convergence point north of the Niger. These two persons would go on existing in the land of Oduduwa blissfully unaware of each other.
At this point, the only connection between these two were their commitment to activities within their respective campus fellowships. Then in 2013, Anuoluwapo was nominated by the Redeemed Christian Fellowship (RCF) to serve as Media Head of the University Joint Christian Mission (UJCM), plunging her into public viewership. Jonah, as former Technical Director of the Anglican Students’ Fellowship (ASF), was tasked by the UJCM Organising Secretary to head the power team while also liaising with the media unit. Before your mind goes on a misdirected journey, be assured both of them did not notice each other beyond collaborating on UJCM services. In retrospect, one picture they took together at this time seems to suggest that the future was pregnant with smiles.
2014: A veil?
Thanks to WhatsApp, they remained in touch, intermittently checking on each other after Jonah graduated in 2014. Then in 2015, Anu bowed out of the Obafemi Awolowo University. One day in August 2015, Jonah decided to check up on Anu via WhatsApp—a purely innocuous move. Her first reply was “How is your girlfriend?” This showed the kind of person Anu is—a lady respecting boundaries, who was unwillingly to come in-between others. Jonah then told her about his recent breakup and they just asked about each other and that was it. This day marked the start of what has metamorphosed into a wedding.
From that day in August 2015, during Jonah’s service year, the frequency of their chats began increasing. By 2016, they had started chatting almost every other day. In June 2016, Jonah worried they were getting too close. He had begun developing feelings for Anu but was not sure he was ready for a relationship, especially “so soon” after his 2015 breakup. Being a very unserious guy, he tried clarifying his stance by asking Anu what was going on. Her puzzled reply made him sense the feelings were one-sided. To avoid any citations of deception, he clarified the status of their friendship (aka “ordinary friends”). Since he was planning to travel to the UK for his master’s degree, he ran away from any visions or allusions to anything resembling a relationship.
Can a man run away from his shadow?
Unknown Wise Man
In September 2016, Jonah headed to the UK for his master’s programme. Anu had helped with some visa processing in Abuja, and he felt he had to take her out on her birthday. Was his intention innocuous? Only God can tell. On a visit to Anu’s office in Abuja, one of her colleagues asked her if Jonah was “her guy”. Her reply seemed to make any future together a forever impossibility. Her birthday outing turned out to be quite awkward. On one hand was a guy unsure of his feelings and maintaining a veneer of robotic masculinity. On the other hand was a lady totally sure of her lack of feelings but willing to spend time with a good friend about to leave the country.
2016: First date?
All through Jonah’s stay in the UK, both of them stayed in close communication and the lady’s mind began to reconsider its hitherto absolutism. When he showed her two results in which he scored 82%, she asked him to score 100% for her. He was shocked at her impossible request and protested at the impracticability of having a perfect score in any of his exams. However, something within him wanted to impress her, so he did it, attaining a perfect score in his last exam.
On 31 May 2017, he finally realised he had been foolish all along and summoned the courage to ask Anuoluwapo, five thousand kilometres away, to be his girlfriend. For a guy seemingly predisposed to needless displays of masculinity, asking Anu to date him seemed more difficult than punching a big bully. Two days later, on 2 June 2017, Anu gave him the response he feared he would never get. It was official. Anu gladly accepted Jonah’s request. However, it would take him another three months to finally open his mouth to tell his lady how much he loved her. That was part of her birthday gifts.
Like the biblical Zechariah, the day he attested his love for her unlocked the gates to a season of proclaimed love. Both of them could not wait for him to return to Nigeria. The night he returned, she stayed awake tracking his flight, unwilling to sleep while her man returned to a land without constant light. His return powered a series of dates in Abuja. After attending their first wedding event together in February 2018, Jonah had to leave for Lagos where he was to resume at a new job. Their next date would be in June, after four months that seemed too long. They just couldn’t wait for time to fly away.
On 2 June 2018, the anniversary of their kick-off, they went to Silverbird Cinemas in Abuja to mark the day. Whereas Anu was blissfully enjoying the movie, Jonah’s mind wondered how he would deliver the ring in his pocket. By a stroke of luck, or maybe celestial setup, they were alone in that cinema hall on that Saturday afternoon. Anu had always hinted she wanted a private but classy proposal and was lost for words when Jonah went down, not on a knee, but on both knees, to present a ring to his lady.
2 June 2018 | The Proposal
2019: A Fresh Start
I’m typing this article sitting outside my apartment while a throng of fireworks litters the skies. I expect that for much of this night, sleep might be either downright impossible, or thanks to my neighbours, socially unacceptable. So, while I spend time with some neighbours, let me conjure an article. Continue reading “2019: A Fresh Start” →
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Catchy (Sitting 54) Meanwhile… June 24th, 2018
The city council of Sunbury, Ohio set aside a parcel of land for those who wanted to come and commemorate spiritual renewal. It became known as “Soulsbury North.”
Likewise, outside Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, a wooded area was sanctified for similar purpose. “Soulsbury East.”
And just south of Eureka, California, people gathered, worked together and put together “Soulsbury West.”
One newspaper referred to the movement as “The New Awakening.” Historically there had been a “Great Awakening” in America in the mid-eighteenth century, but the current reformation was characterized by true questioning and a desire for humility.
Simultaneously, Jasper Carlos, who was floating on his newly found fame, turned out to be a stand-up comedian. He started touring the country and recorded a live album entitled, “We Made the Devil Do It.”
Possessing the same charismatic personality as his brother Jubal, but peppered with great jokes and antics, he was soon filling halls, sharing a message similar to his twin brother–just with lots of laughs and knee slaps.
Former Congressman Michael Hinston met a woman in Salisbury who happened to be a Lutheran minister. He fell in love, and was so careful to make sure that he wasn’t foolishly rebounding that he nearly scared her away. Fortunately, friends at the Soulsbury camp held them together, and lay wedding was in the future.
Matthew developed a severe liver infection which placed him in the hospital for nearly two weeks. The doctors weren’t certain of the origin, but Matthew was pretty sure that it must have come from some bootleg tequilla purchased in a backroom casino. Normally when people are in the hospital, they take the time to reflect on their lives. Matthew, on the other hand, used the occasion to daily expose the foolishness of the medical field. Soos flew in to be his personal nurse, and also prevent him from being justifiably poisoned by one of the nurses or hospital cafeteria staff.
Fifteen installments of the story of Jubal Carlos were aired on the NBC affiliate over the next thirty days. The nation was transfixed over the comings and goings of their new national prophet. Of course, Jubal, wearing heels, a gorgeous black wig and a great make-up job, found it easy to do the special about himself, since he was quite privy to the subject matter.
One of the surprises of the show was an interview with Jubal’s mother, Jenesca. She was not an old woman since she had the triplets very early. So not quite yet fifty years of age, she was filled with spunk and vinegar, and offered some insight on the life and times of the two remaining sons.
She offered a heart-wrenching tale of the death of Jamison. She described his loss as if stirring in the middle of the night, sensing that she’d lost all air and breath, except it happened during the day.
And meanwhile, in Washington, D. C., Thomas Kinear climbed into a black sedan with Charmaine Donaldson and headed for the Capitol building. Charmaine was an FBI agent-gone-rogue in pursuit of what she believed to be a noble cause. Thomas was a patriot–at least he deemed himself to be–and had made a decision to strike out for the cause of the American Constitution and liberty throughout the world.
Arriving at the Capitol, Charmaine knew of an entrance not normally frequented by either diplomats or the public. Thomas climbed out of the car wearing a cowboy hat and serape, and grabbed a machine gun from the trunk, tucking it under his garments as they slowly walked to the private entrance.
Charmaine stared deeply into his eyes. Thomas gazed back at her and replied, “Yes. I’m sure. Are you?”
She quickly nodded and they covered the distance to the door. Finding it locked. Charmaine reached over and opened a window, saying, “I left it open just in case.”
Thomas winked. “Professional.”
They stepped in, made their way through a small library and into the main hall, scurrying toward the rotunda.
on June 24, 2018 at 2:04 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: American Constitution, City Council, comedian, commemorate, Congressman, cowboy hat, Eureka California, FBI agent, Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards, library, liver infection, Lutheran minister, medical field, nurse, rogue, rotunda, serape, spiritual renewal, Sunbury Ohio, tequilla, triplets, wedding, Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania
Jesonian … June 23rd, 2018
“He turned the water into wine.”
Let’s just stop and think about that. Jesus had a cousin named John, who took a Nazarite vow. No liquor.
A very popular religious cult of the time, the Essenes, also were teetotalers.
Even though many historians will note that wine was a common drink of the masses, it was often considered forbidden–actually uncommon among those who deemed themselves religious–especially if you were just starting a movement.
What were you trying to communicate? After all, water is the symbol of life–to such an extent that we often refer to “the water of God’s word.”
Why would Jesus care that a young married couple ran out of wine during their reception? What was that to him?
To me, the message is clear. Water is what you drink when you’re thirsty. Wine is what you select when you want to get buzzed.
A transition was in order. A New Testament was about to be unleashed on the world. What better symbolism than to make it clear that water–in other words, our lives–was meant to be wine, thus intoxicating?
No longer were we to merely survive, but celebrate.
It wasn’t an issue of sustaining our beings, but rather, imbibe by getting drunk on the Spirit.
You don’t have to go any further than the commands he gave to the servants, who were to set the miracle in motion.
1. “Fill it to the brim.”
Six water pots in all, holding at least fifteen gallons each. So we’re talking about ninety gallons of wine. This was not a gift to “finish up the party.” Rather, it was an inclination to keep the party going.
2. “Pour it out.”
Get it into people’s cups. Don’t display it. Don’t revere it. Don’t call it “holy wine.” This is drinking vino. This wine is for the purpose of people “rejoicing and being exceedingly glad.” No longer are our lives supposed to be watered down, but instead, juiced up.
3. “Make it the best.”
Jesus told the servants to take the wine to the governor of the feast, who sardonically panned, “Usually at these weddings they bring out the crappy wine at the end. But you’ve saved the best for last.”
What is crappy wine? It’s wine that is either freshly-squeezed grape juice, or so old that it’s almost turned to vinegar.
There’s a message here–we need to stop acting like we’re grape juice–pure and without sin–or that we’re turning into vinegar in our pews because we’re so soured by our life and our experiences.
Taste good.
Inebriate.
It was the message of Cana of Galilee.
You don’t start a revolution by walking away from a wedding feast, refusing to make wine over spiritual pettiness.
You create an international revival by being the one who has the sense, at the right moment, to put the “juice on the loose.”
Tags: Cana, drunk on the Spirit, Essenes, feast, Galilee, grape juice, inebriate, international revival, intoxicating, Jesonian, juice on the loose, Nazarite, New Testament, reception, religions, symbolism, tee-totalers, vinegar, vino, water, water of the Word, wedding, wine
Untotaled: Sitting 60 (September 24th, 1970) A Spartan Start … March 28, 2015
We figured $25.00 was going to be enough.
Actually, it had to be. That’s all the money we had left. My girlfriend’s dad had closed the bank account in Arizona, poaching our nest egg.
We climbed into our old Chevy, which the guy at a local gas station told us had no chance of making it on a long trip, and set off for North Carolina, where people of our age were allowed to get married without a parent’s approval.
Along the way, we had a blow-out of one of our tires, which is what the old bald culprits do when they reach the end of their lives. So that took $5.00 we didn’t expect.
We crossed the border of North Carolina and the first town we came to was Sparta. We found a motel, which cost an additional $7.00, and accounting for the gasoline, brought our entire kitty down to a disconcerting $8.34.
We went to the United Methodist Church in town, where the pastor agreed to marry us and even brought his wife over to witness the event. So in a large sanctuary which echoed when we talked, the lady and myself became the traditional “husband and wife.”
I didn’t have any money to give to the preacher. I was embarrassed, but young enough to quickly get over it.
We had to eat, so we went to a local diner as newlyweds and ordered exactly $3.34 worth of food, including tax.
We shared with the waitress and the cook about our nuptials, and out of the kindness of their heart, they donated the meal to us.
We both cried. It seemed like a long time since we had felt a tickle of love from human fingers.
We went back to the motel, and for the first time as legal before God and Caesar, we made love.
We had decided on the drive down to North Carolina not to return to Ohio. We realized that sooner or later we were going to have to tell people that my new wife was pregnant–and we would just rather do that with a new batch of folks, who just might maintain some original politeness.
I had a friend in Kentucky who was starting a church after his Bible College experience. He invited us to come there and spend a week or so, and have…well, have our honeymoon.
So we drove up to Kentucky, spending our last 75 cents on gasoline about thirty miles from our destination, only to discover that there was a bridge which went across the river to the little town…that had a toll.
One dime.
We didn’t have it.
So I rolled up to the toll-keeper and explained our situation. The old man reached into his pocket, pulled out a dime and dropped it into the container and said, “Consider it a wedding gift. Good luck to you both.”
We crossed the bridge to our new life…on the grace and generosity of a stranger.
click above for information on 567!
on March 28, 2015 at 1:57 pm Comments (1)
Tags: Bible college, husband and wife, run off to get married, Sparta North Carolina, unwanted pregnancy, wedding
Mistaken Identity … November 28, 2012
It happens–just never twice in the same night.
But last evening I got a double dose of mistaken identity. It began with a lady coming to my table and asking that frightening question. “Do you remember me?”
I always dodge it by saying, “You look familiar,” hoping that the person will fill in the details. She did. She was quite convinced that I had been the DJ at her son’s wedding. As I contemplated how to contradict her assertion, she launched into details about the reception, the recent birth of children and what name these offspring referred to her as when lovingly addressing their grandma. We were in the full swing of a mistaken identity–one which I had no idea whatsoever how to escape. So please pray for me–I went along with it.
She came back two or three times, reminding me of certain aspects of the evening which she felt we had shared in common, and once even brought along the sponsor of the concert, to share the irony of our re-crossing paths. He looked a bit bewildered as she told her story and squinted at me for either confirmation or denial and I just sat there with a blank look on my face–similar to someone who just discovered he was one number away from winning the lottery.
On the heels of my proposed DJ performance, another man came to the table and said how glad he was to see me again, because he had enjoyed me so much last year when I was performing at the Lexington Civic Center. Once again, before I could jump in and point out that I had never been to the Lexington Civic Center, he recited the details of my performance, including a duet I had sung with a young black boy. Once again, I was unable to escape and found myself in the midst of a great nod-fest.
Mistaken identity. I know I probably should have corrected these folks, but you see, at the heart of this particular event is a blessing. People meet you for the first time and really want to establish a connection, so they go ahead and manufacture one based on a similar experience they once had with someone who might have resembled you. I think it’s just a way of saying “I love you” without having to mouth the words.
Matter of fact, maybe the world would be better if we had MORE mistaken identity. If all bigots believed that black people were Denzel Washington and Oprah Winfrey, maybe there would be less prejudice. Those who have problems with the gay community may wish to project that all gay men and women are Rock Hudson and Ellen DeGeneres. How about politics? That’s easy. All Republicans are Abraham Lincoln and all Democrats are Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
It may be a bit embarrassing when we do discover that all people with long hair, playing guitar are not the Beatles, but in the meantime, it might increase our toleration for one another and project some love out into a world that is starving to death for some of that good stuff.
I occasionally get mistaken for someone else. Last night it was a DJ and a performer at a civic center. That’s not bad. It has been worse. One night long ago in Michigan, a guy was convinced that I was the janitor at the local Goodwill store. By the way–that one I denied. Sometimes people project that I’m Orson Wells or Dom Delouise or any one of a number of fat, aging men. Interesting though–so far, no Brad Pitt.
on November 28, 2012 at 12:21 pm Comments (1)
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, DJ, Dom Delouise, Ellen Degeneres, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Goodwill, janitor, Jonathan's thoughts, Lexington Civic Center, long hair, mistaken identity, Oprah Winfrey, Orson Wells, Rock Hudson, the Beatles, wedding
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World Championship Contenders- Gary Anderson
The 2016 PDC World Darts Championship gets under way in just over 48 hours. World Number One Michael van Gerwen is red-hot favourite for the crown, whilst Phil Taylor is second favourite to win his 17th World title. Nevertheless, you cannot write off the defending Champion!
Reigning World-Champion Gary Anderson will be hoping for a repeat of last year’s success when he begins the defence of his crown at Alexandra Palace on Thursday.
The Flying Scotsman produced the tournament of his life 12 months ago, as he defeated Jelle Klaasen, Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen en route to the final, before beating 16-Time World Champion Phil Taylor 7-6 in a pulsating battle to clinch his maiden World Championship.
Anderson has always possessed the natural ability to win major tournaments however, his mental fortitude has often been questioned; sometimes unfairly so. Nevertheless, Gary quashed any lingering doubts over his capability to produce under pressure, with his majestic World final display.
He also enjoyed a strong start to 2015. After reaching the Unibet Masters semi-finals in February, Anderson finished 3rd in the Premier League group-phase. On finals night at the O2 Arena, Anderson defeated Dave Chisnall 10-9 in a gripping semi-final, before sealing the Premier League title with an emphatic 11-7 victory over his old adversary, van Gerwen.
Just one month later, alongside Peter Wright, the World Number 2 led Scotland to their very first World Cup of Darts Final, where they were edged out by the English duo of Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis.
Anderson performed superbly throughout the tournament, beating both Taylor and Lewis in the singles format. However, it wasn’t quite enough, as England ran out 3-2 victors.
However, since Anderson’s Premier League triumph, his form in major TV tournaments has been slightly underwhelming, and he heads into Alexandra Palace still searching for the form that saw him crowned World Champion last year.
The 44-year-old Scot suffered a disappointing second-round World Matchplay exit at the hands of Mensur Suljovic in July, to end his hopes of winning the ‘triple crown’. Gary struggled to cope with the Austrian’s methodical approach and succumbed to a 13-9 defeat.
Gary also didn’t have the best of World Series campaigns. Out of the eight players invited to compete in the world wide exhibition events, Anderson finished 7th, having reached the semi-finals in Dubai, Perth and Japan.
The World Champion was beaten in the last 16 of the World Grand Prix in early October, losing 3-2 to World Number 8 Ian White. White was superb and in fairness, Anderson did very little wrong on that occasion.
The Scotsman enjoyed an upturn in fortunes over the next few weeks. He won the final Players Championship event of 2015 in Coventry, before reaching the final of the European Championships just a week later. Anderson faced van Gerwen in the final and led 10-7, but MvG reeled off four successive legs to clinch the title from Ando’s grasp.
In last month’s Grand Slam of Darts, Anderson finished top of his group, thanks to victories against Larry Butler, Andy Boulton and Raymond van Barneveld. Yet, in the last 16, he was beaten 10-6 by a rejuvenated Mark Webster, who missed just four doubles in the entire contest!
One week later, Anderson competed in the Players Championship Finals in Minehead. Last year, Anderson was seeded 1st for this event, having topped the Pro Tour Order of Merit. Nevertheless, this year the Scot was seeded 11th, due to his sporadic Pro Tour participation.
Gary faced Phil Taylor in an unlikely opening-round tie, although Anderson again got the better of the 16-Time World Champion, hitting back-to-back maximums in a last-leg decider to secure victory.
However, just 24 hours later, Anderson followed that up with possibly his worst TV performance of 2015, averaging just 86 in a 10-4 loss against the emerging Northern Irishman, Daryl Gurney. This wasn’t ideal World Championship preparation for Gary, although I have no doubt that he’ll be ready for this year’s challenge.
He begins the defence of his crown on Thursday’s opening night, where he’ll take on the winner of a preliminary round clash between Andy Boulton and Per Laursen.
Anderson faced Boulton at the Grand Slam, albeit over a shorter format; but with all due respect, neither man should hold much fear for the Flying Scotsman.
The World Number 2 will face a top-quality youngster in round-two, whether it be Welshman Jamie Lewis, or Daryl Gurney.
Gurney demonstrated his capability by beating Anderson en route to the Players Championship semi-finals, although Jamie Lewis continues to impress and is more than capable of causing an upset.
If Anderson were to progress to the last 16, he could face last year’s quarter-finalist and 15th seed, Vincent van der Voort. However, this section of the draw is particularly open, with Kyle Anderson and Brendan Dolan also possible third-round opponents for the 44-year-old.
In comparison to some of his main rivals, Anderson can’t complain with his potential route to the last eight. Nevertheless, if he doesn’t produce his best darts, he could still be at threat of an early exit.
James Wade could await Anderson in the quarter-finals, which would be an intriguing tie. Wade has won an array of major honours, although the World Championships has eluded him thus far.
However, ‘The Machine’ has performed very well in 2015 and his improved scoring power makes him a major threat, particularly if he can maintain his usual clinical edge on doubles.
If the highest-ranked players reach the semi-finals, Anderson will take on Phil Taylor in a repeat of last year’s World Championship final. Anderson has enjoyed the better of their recent head-to-heads in major TV events. He beat Taylor in last month’s Players Championship 1st round, whilst he also defeated him twice in this year’s Premier League.
The biggest question mark surrounding Anderson is how will he cope with the pressure of being defending Champion? By his own admission, Gary isn’t an individual who likes the attention or the pandemonium and this could be a factor.
But, if he’s feeling confident and remains focused on his darts, he has a tremendous chance of retaining his title. Michael van Gerwen has won the last four major TV events, although he is not invincible. Anderson proved that in last year’s World Championship semi, as well as in this year’s Premier League final.
Gary is arguably in the better side of the draw, as he will avoid the likes of MvG, Peter Wright, Adrian Lewis, Michael Smith, Raymond van Barneveld and Dave Chisnall, until the final at least. He’s priced at 7/1 with title sponsor William Hill to retain his World Championship title. Can lightning strike twice for the Flying Scotsman?
darts, Gary Anderson, William Hill, World Darts Championship
World Championship Contenders- Adrian Lewis
World Championship Contenders- Phil Taylor
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Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or simply Dateline, is a weekly American television reality legal show/newsmagazine series that is broadcast on NBC. It was previously the network's flagship newsmagazine, but now focuses mainly on true crime stories with only occasional editions that focus on other topics. The program airs Fridays at 10 p.m. Eastern Time and, after NFL football season, on Sundays at 7 p.m. ET. Two-hour feature-length editions sometimes air on any given scheduled evening, often to fill holes in the primetime schedule on the program's respective nights due to program cancellations.
20/20 is an American television newsmagazine that has been broadcast on ABC since June 6, 1978. Created by ABC News executive Roone Arledge, the show was designed similarly to CBS's 60 Minutes but focuses more on human interest stories than international and political subjects. The program's name derives from the "20/20" measurement of visual acuity. The hour-long program has been a staple on Friday evenings for much of the time since it moved to that timeslot from Thursdays in September 1987, though special editions of the program occasionally air on other nights.
America's popular television News magazine in which an ever changing team of CBS News correspondents contribute segments ranging from hard news coverage to politics to lifestyle and pop culture.
A monthly sports newsmagazine which was "spawned by the fact that sports have changed dramatically, that it's no longer just fun and games, and that what happens off the field, beyond the scores, is worthy of some serious reporting," according to Bryant Gumbel, the host.
60 Minutes, an Australian version of the U.S. television newsmagazine 60 Minutes, airs on Sunday nights on the Nine Network and is presented in much the same way as the American program on which it is based. The New Zealand version of the show has also featured segments of the Australian version. Gerald Stone, the founding executive producer, was given the job by Kerry Packer and was told: "I don't give a f... what it takes. Just do it and get it right." After the first episode was broadcast on 11 February 1979, Packer was less than impressed, telling Stone: "You've blown it, son. You better fix it fast." Over the years, Stone's award winning 60 Minutes revolutionised Australian current affairs reporting and enhanced the careers of Ray Martin, Ian Leslie, George Negus, and later Jana Wendt. Since it was first broadcast, 60 Minutes has won five Silver Logies, one Special Achievement Logie, and received nominations for a further six Logie awards.
60 Minutes Sports
The first name in news magazines is now the last word in sports. The award-winning team behind 60 Minutes now turns its investigative eye towards the world of sports. From in-depth reporting to the most compelling interviews, to get the whole story you need sixty minutes.
Haunted Towns - (Jul 18th)
Escape from the City - (Jul 18th)
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> iVolga Press
> Issues
> #1(1), December 2014
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> #2(3), April 2015
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> #4(5), August 2015
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> About Journal
> Editorial Board
> Peer Review Policy
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Journal's indexing includes:
Biotika |
Interdisciplinary journal published since December 1, 2014. The publishing of journal is supported by the All-Russian Research Institute of Phytopathology (Russia).
Welcome to the official website of "Biotika"!
Biotika is an interdisciplinary open access journal supported by the All-Russian Research Institute of Phytopathology (Moscow Region, Russia).
The journal aims at reporting research results of following topics:
biological and medicinal research & studies;
agriculture & ecology;
environmental economics & management.
The editorial board seeks to ensure that issues are varied and broad in scope, that they focus on topical issues in and across the disciplines. The range of knowledge and expertise of the board members ensures high quality papers and allows for a comprehensive academic review of contributions that span wide spectrum of issues, methods, theoretical approach and development practices.
© 2014-2019, Biotika. All Rights Reserved.
The point of view of Editorial board may not coincide with opinion of articles’ authors.
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Pamela Newkirk
Email: pn1@nyu.edu
Pamela Newkirk, PhD, is an award-winning journalist and multifaceted scholar whose work addresses the historical exclusion of multidimensional portraits of African descendants in scholarship and popular culture. Her latest book Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga, (HarperCollins) examines how prevalent and pernicious racial attitudes contributed to the 1906 exhibition of a young Congolese man in the Bronx Zoo monkey house. Spectacle was listed among the Best Books of 2015 by NPR, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, The Huffington Post Black Voices and The Root, and won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction Literature and the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation Legacy Award. Newkirk is the editor of Letters from Black America (Farrar, Straus & Giroux 2009); and A Love No Less: More Than Two Centuries of African American Love Letters (Doubleday 2004). and is the author of Within the Veil: Black Journalists, White Media, (NYU Press 2000). The book, which examines how race overtly and covertly influences news coverage, won the National Press Club Award for Media Criticism. Dr. Newkirk holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from New York University and Columbia University, respectively, and is professor of journalism and director of undergraduate studies in New York University’s Arthur Carter Journalism Institute. She previously worked at four successive news organizations, including New York Newsday where she was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. Her articles on media, race and African American art and culture have appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Nation and Artnews.
In 1906, this Congolese man was displayed in a zoo. Now, Virginia is honoring him. September 22nd, 2017 Pamela Newkirk Professor
Our March Into Power January 23rd, 2017 Pamela Newkirk Professor
Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga June 2nd, 2015 Pamela Newkirk Professor
Letters from Black America January 27th, 2011 Pamela Newkirk Professor
Within the Veil: Black Journalists, White Media September 1st, 2002 Pamela Newkirk Professor
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ST. JOHN PAUL II CATHOLIC SCHOOL WINS 3RD NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL AWARD
Principal Bogard Accepts Honor in Washington D.C.
HOUSTON –St. John Paul II Catholic School (“StJPII”) has been named a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. StJPII is one among 300 public and 49 private schools receiving this honor nationally. StJPII has already twice received this honor, once in 1997 and again in 2008. Winning in 2018 makes StJPII the first and only elementary school in Houston (public or private) to receive the National Blue Ribbon School award three times, and one of only five schools in the nation to receive a third award this year. National Blue Ribbon Schools are on education’s cutting edge, pioneering innovative educational practices in the classroom and beyond.
StJPII Principal Rebecca Bogard accepted the award on behalf of StJPII in Washington D.C. on November 8, 2018. She was accompanied by Elementary Assistant Principal Suzy de Leon. During the awards ceremony, administrators heard from Secretary DeVos and shared best practices with other esteemed educators.
Earlier in the month, the StJPII student body enjoyed a patriotic assembly celebrating their hard-won achievements. The campus was adorned with festive blue ribbons, children received commemorative blue ribbon t-shirts and the students were surprised with a video montage featuring local celebrities congratulating them on their achievements. One such local dignitary was Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner who said, “I know this award is possible because the students at St. John Paul II work hard and parents and teachers showed their dedication to excellence. Continue to be a great example for other schools. I’m proud of you, the entire city is proud of you.” After the assembly, students were treated to ice cream compliments of Blue Bell Creameries.
StJPII is dedicated to working in partnership with parents to develop students into future leaders. The foundation that the faculty provides prepares StJPII students spiritually and academically to succeed and do God’s will. As a result, numerous academic scholarships are annually awarded to StJPII graduates. In addition to the rigorous academic program, StJPII has award-winning athletics, fine arts and enrichment programs to match. For more information about StJPII, please contact visit www.jp2.org/BlueRibbon. For more information about the National Blue Ribbon Schools program, please visit http://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/.
About St. John Paul II Catholic School:
St. John Paul II Catholic School (StJPII) is an independent Catholic school located in West Houston near Katy at 1400 Parkway Plaza Drive. StJPII was established in 1988 as a private independent Catholic School, is a registered non-profit corporation in the state of Texas, and has three times been awarded National Blue Ribbon Exemplary status in 1997, 2008, and 2018. The school’s mission is to prepare all students spiritually and academically to succeed in life and to do God's will. Tuition discounts are granted to employees of Catholic organizations. More information about StJPII can be found at www.jp2.org, Facebook at www.facebook.com/jp2houston and on Twitter https://twitter.com/StJPII_Houston.
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Posted by Kabiza Wilderness Safaris on March 26, 2019
See the Ancient Forest through the Eyes of its First People – the Batwa People
Can Gorillas – Forest Conservation – Tourism and the Batwa People Coexist?
Visiting the Batwa People – the Original People of the Rainforests have become Conservation Refugees
evicted from their Traditional Hunting and Gathering Grounds – the Rainforests of Uganda and Rwanda.
Can Gorillas – Forest Conservation – Tourism and the Batwa People Coexist? The answer is a resounding yes, they did so for 500,000 years.
The Batwa People have their own creation story, in it there creator gave some people height, others prosperous land, but when he got to the Batwa, there were no more such gifts, so he gave them the Rainforest. When they were evicted by the Government in the 1990s, they felt God had rejected them.
By Visiting the Batwa People – the People of the Rainforest in Uganda you are helping to keep the Batwa – Traditions and Culture alive.
Not only that, but you are providing income, infrastructure, and giving support to the neglected and maligned First People of the Forest.
The Batwa People Batwa People – the original People of the Rainforest are Pygmies who were the first
inhabitants of the montane Rainforests of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi. They lived, gathered and hunted in the Rainforests for over 500,000 years there was no farming, there was no destruction of the forest, no charcoal making, their shelters did not disturb the environment, they lived in harmony with their beloved forests, wildlife including the Mountain Gorillas and left a low ecological footprint behind them.
The Batwa Pygmies (Twa in Rwanda) led a simple and harmonious way of life with nature without farming, livestock keeping, they simply relied on the Rainforest for their existence only taking what was needed. There is a Batwa saying “A Mutwa (Singular Batwa) loves the forest as much as he loves his own body.”
Many Ugandans call Batwa, as do conservationists, “Killers of Gorillas”, the Batwa do not and have not eaten Gorillas, instead, they coexisted with them for centuries. Any Gorilla Hunting that the Batwa did was done so at the instigation of others after their eviction and where money was used as an incentive.
Today the Batwa are stigmatized as Gorilla Killers and Poachers and are readily blamed for any poaching that takes place in either Bwindi Impenetrable Forest or Mgahinga Gorilla Park.
Here is the reality, the Batwa people were keepers and protectors of the forest until the Bantu People came to the area, the Bantu tribes were the ones who cut down the forests, cultivated and grazed their cattle on fields that were once their precious Rainforests. The Batwa coexisted with Gorillas, Chimpanzees, and every other animal, bird, in the now parks.
When Rwanda became a Kingdom (the kingdom’s northern border was in present-day Uganda), the Batwa would pay tribute to the Tutsi King in various ways. They were even included in the court of the King as advisers, dancers, and warriors. They were allowed to extract payment from those encroaching on the forest, they were also able to tax caravans, traders coming through their area.
Life for the Batwa People changed drastically in 1991 when Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest were established for the protection of the Forests, Wildlife, and Primates such as the Mountain Gorillas.
In 1992 all those living on Park Land in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and that included the “First People of the Rainforest” – the Batwa received no compensation in the form of land or money. This was done at the insistence of conservationists.
The non-Batwa Farmers who for years had destroyed the now Park-lands received compensation and
land-rights, while the Batwa who had lived for centuries in forests without destroying the Ecosystem received nothing. There was no recognition by the Ugandan Government about their historical claims to the land.
The need protect the forests in the parks was great, today in the 21st Century the forest would no longer exist, without gorilla conservation which protects the habitats of Gorillas, without Gorilla Tourism being a source of money for that conservation work.
The area around both parks is heavily populated and the surrounding communities would have moved deeper and deeper into the parks to build houses and farms destroying forests and the Gorilla habitats.
Since 1992, the original people who lived in coexistence with the forests, wildlife, gorillas, who took only what they needed were left with nothing. he Batwa, without land – without a way of life which had been one of hunting and gathering.
On the one hand they were citizens of Uganda, while on the other hand, they were a people without rights,
without compensations for their losses, now living outside of their ancient homelands as squatters at the mercy of others, as outcasts, the Batwa Pygmies were now a people without an identity reduced to begging, poaching, stealing and working for others as indentured Servants who paid them a mere pittance and not a fair wage for their work.
Without land of their own or the skills to compete in the modern marketplace, the Batwa have become marginalized, existing in extreme poverty on the parks’ boundaries, looking in where they used to live. The other tribal communities are for the most part – non-supportive.
Prejudice against the Batwa is deeply rooted and goes all the way to government and other parts of Uganda where Batwa’s have no respect at all and seen as lazy, thieves, Pot Smoking (traditionally done before a hunt), drunkards.
Non-Batwa refuse to marry Batwa men or women, yet non-Batwa rape Batwa women (over 50% of Batwa women claim to have been raped – non-Batwa falsely believe they would be cured of AIDS having sex with a Batwa woman (this has resulted in non-pygmy children being born into the community).
Non-Batwa refuse to even have a meal with them. There are random acts of violence and harassment committed against the Batwa.
Even clinics refused treatment of Batwa People. The mortality rate of Batwa people was very high at a much younger and infant mortality was simply through the roof.
After some years, the Batwa cultural ways, the ways of gathering and hunting were in danger of being lost, the young people began to grow up in a world where they would hear the stories of old but never experienced the ways of the forest for themselves, all they saw was the squalor and abject poverty in which they grew up in.
The ways of hunting, gathering, even of honey, traditional medicine, traditional skills all were no longer taught to the young Batwa people because there is no access to the ancient forests.
The Batwa people have gotten a voice, there are Batwa organizations within Uganda that are
speaking out and making a difference on their own behalf. The Dream still is to go back into the forest and live in Coexistence with their environment and that includes the Mountain Gorillas where they hope is once again peacefully exist with the Mountain Gorillas.
The Batwa Dream is to go back into their Forest and once again live in harmonious existence with the Forest, Wildlife, and Gorillas.
The Dream still is to go back into the forest and live in Coexistence with their environment and that includes the Mountain Gorillas where they hope is once again peacefully exist with the Mountain Gorillas. Something that will most likely never happen. The Forests have shrunk too much to sustain both people and gorillas. There is also the possibility in a smaller forest environment where the Batwa could transmit diseases to the gorillas, especially the habituated ones. Gathering in the forest in certain locations might be something else to look at but not hunting.
There are less than 3,000 Batwa People today, yes People can also become extinct some concerned people and agencies are doing their best to revive the Batwa Spirit of old that lived in harmonious coexistence with the Forest, the animals, including the endangered Mountain Gorillas.
Foreign Nonprofit Agencies such as the one started by the American medical missionaries Dr. Scott and Carol Kellerman, who have dedicated themselves to serving the Batwa People in southwest Uganda since 2002. The Kellerman’s purchased land and established programs to improve conditions for the tribe—home-building, schools, a hospital (Bwindi Community Hospital) and clinics, water and sanitation projects, income generation, and the promotion of indigenous rights.
These activities are now being assumed by the Batwa people and other local staff through the Batwa Development Program (BDP). It is supported by the Kellermann Foundation, a US-based nonprofit organization.
A Ray of Hope for the Batwa People – Visiting the Batwa People – the People of the Rainforest in Uganda keeping the ways of old alive:
Though the Batwa people are not allowed to live in the Forests that make up the parks, though the Batwa
cultural ways are rapidly diminishing since their eviction. However things are changing, in 2011 Uganda Wildlife Authority assisted by money from The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Netherland’s Embassy in Kampala began the now famous Batwa Cultural Trail in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Where members of the Batwa Community lead tourists through the forest in the shadows of the Virunga Volcanoes and teach the visitors about their ancient ways of hunting and gathering and the Batwa Guides get to return to the Rainforest and keep their traditions alive, at least in spirit. The Batwa communities also receive half of the Batwa Trail Fees. Tips are accepted…
The International Gorilla Conservation Programme worked with the Batwa Community and began the Buniga Batwa Forest Walk and village visit program. This is at the south end of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Buniga Forest is not part of Bwindi National Park, however, the vegetation, wildlife, and primates are similar and one just see a few chimpanzees while on the Forest Walk with Batwa Guides keeping the tradition and cultural ways of the Batwa People alive.
There is also the Batwa Experience which was set up by the Kellerman Foundation outside of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the half day Batwa Experience has benefited the Batwa Community and those what made the Batwa Experience a part of their time in the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Today there are Batwa Communities benefiting from tourism and making a living that keeps them from poaching and turns them toward conservation of the forest and of the wildlife and Primates.
Below you will find 3 activities in South West Uganda where you can learn the ancient Batwa ways and traditions in their beloved Forest. Enjoy your time with the Batwa people and the Mountain Gorillas…
Visiting the Batwa People – the People of the Rainforest in Uganda
The Batwa Trail – Mgahinga Gorilla National Park:
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a great park – the scenery that you encounter as you venture with your Batwa Guides is simply amazing.
The Batwa Trail allows you to see the forest through the eyes of the first people of – the Batwa Pygmy people and allows them some meaningful income that will make a difference in their lives.
Take the Batwa Trail, learn the Batwa Ways, end with dancing in the Garama Cave where a song of lament, of not living in the forest is brought forth by the women.
You, in turn, learn the ancient ways of hunting and gathering that the Batwa People used and how they lived in the ancient forest.
This is normally a 5-Trail and the reviews of it are excellent. The intent has been for authenticity as the Batwa People demonstrate how they used to live here.
The Buniga Batwa Forest Walk:
The Buniga Forest Walk with the Batwa people is near Kisoro – easily accessed from the southern area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest such as Nkuringo – Rushaga – from around Lake Mutanda or Kisoro.
The forest walk here once again is very informative about the Batwa People and their ways and this includes a visit to the village from which they come from and where you see beehives and crafts made.
This activity was begun by the African Wildlife Fund in order to assist the Batwa Community in this area and to keep them from poaching antelopes in the parks. Something that had to be resorted to in order to survive. One must keep in mind that the Batwa are fully aware of the fees that visitors pay for Gorilla Trekking while they are excluded from the forest, though a small percentage of funds is shared with them, often never reaching every community member.
Another enriching experience with the first people of the forest. This activity is a community program sponsored by the International Gorilla Conservation Programme.
The Batwa Experience at Buhoma:
The Batwa Experience takes place just outside of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and includes hunting and gathering ways, but also about how the Batwa People used to live, prepare food, collect their medicine from plants, roots, and bark.
The Batwa experience takes place in Buhoma – and those who take part in this 5 hour plus experience simply love it and take with them some great memories
Any of the above Batwa Walks with the original people of the forest can easily be added on to any safari around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest or Mgahinga Gorilla Park – we would be glad to do so.
This is an excellent interactive Cultural Experience in the Buhoma Area of the Forest.
Batwa Cultural Visits Authentic?
This is a question that we are asked from time to time. They are certainly different from the proverbial Masai Village Visit that many Visitors have done in Kenya or Tanzania. It is a reenactment as to how Batwa used to live in the forest for thousands of years until they were evicted from them without compensation in 1991 ad 1992 becoming Conservation Refugees watching Gorilla Trekkers spend thousands of dollars while they, the Batwa were on outside looking in what was once theirs.
The Batwa Visits allow Tourists to see the forest through the eyes of the first people of the Forest. It is meaningful not only tourists but to the Batwa since it allows them to keep their culture alive in the 21st Century. it certainly is not poverty tourism meant to evoke pity from Visitors. Most that partake are very glad that they met the Batwa people while Gorilla Trekking in Uganda.
We think that it is way that Dignity is restored to the maligned Batwa People.
If you are interested in a visit with the Batwa People while Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest or Mgahinga Gorilla Park – please contact us
Posted under Batwa Cultural Visit,Bwindi Impenetrable Forest,Culture - Traditions,Things to do and See and tagged with Visiting the Batwa People
Comments Off on Visiting the Batwa People in Uganda
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Sun Awards:
Reporter, copy editor receive honors in national contest
Saturday, July 18, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Two Las Vegas Sun journalists won awards this week from a newspaper industry association dedicated to excellence in feature writing.
Reporter Abigail Goldman won first place for feature specialty reporting for her coverage of law enforcement, including stories about young sex offenders, local police use of Tasers and the cold-case murder of an Elvis impersonator and his girlfriend.
Copy editor John Paul McDonnall won first place in headline writing for witty headlines including “Strip biz will peddle Alka-Seltzer, not glamour” and “Governor’s textual misconduct.”
The awards were from the American Association of Sunday and Features Editors, which is made up of editors from U.S. and Canadian newspapers and wire services. The Sun’s entries were for newspapers with circulation from 90,001 to and 199,999.
“The Sun is very proud of its winners in this national contest,” Managing Editor Michael J. Kelley said. “It’s a tribute to them and we’re pleased to be recognized by our peers as having done well.”
First-place winners receive $500.
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Black People Respond Worse to Marijuana Because of ‘Genetics,’ Says Lawmaker (WATCH)
by Alberto Luperon | 6:24 pm, January 8th, 2018
Like a number of lawmakers, Kansas Rep. Steve Alford (R-Ulysses) wants to keep marijuana usage illegal. One of his reasons behind the stance won’t fare well in the public sphere, however: He recently claimed that black people respond worse to the drug because of their “genetics.”
Alford was advocating a return to the tough marijuana laws of the 1930s, and was trying to explain the reasoning behind the old statutes.
“One of the reasons why–I hate to say it–the African Americans, they were basically users and they basically responded the worst off those drugs just because of their character makeup, their genetics and that. And so basically, what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to do a complete reverse with people not remembering what has happened in the past,” he said.
Alford made this statement in a Legislative Coffee session on Saturday at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, Kansas, according to The Garden City Telegram.
Alford apologized.
“This past weekend I made comments at a town hall in Garden City, Kansas, regarding my opposition to the legalization of marijuana,” he said in a statement obtained by Law&Crime. “As an aside, I also remarked that one of the original reasons behind the criminalization of the drug in the 1930s was its negative effects on society and more specifically the damaging consequences on the African American community. I was wrong, I regret my comments, and I sincerely apologize to anyone whom I have hurt. Substance abuse is a blight on our society, and legalizing marijuana only opens the door to harder drugs. I have seen firsthand how drug abuse destroys lives, even within my own family, and I remain committed to fighting the spread of addiction in our state.”
[Screengrab via The Garden City Telegram]
Steven Alford
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Senator Byrd's Office Case Briefs
United States v. Brockamp
Stanley B. McGill, whose estate is administrated by Marion Brockamp, paid the Internal Revenue Service money he did... Continued
United States v. Jose
In a proceeding to enforce two IRS summonses issued to Laddie Jose, as trustee for the Jose Business Trust and Jose... Continued
Adams v. Robertson
In 1992, Charlie Frank Robertson filed a class action suit in an Alabama trial court, alleging that Liberty National... Continued
Gilbert v. Homar
Richard J. Homar, a tenured policeman for East Stroudsburg University (ESU), was arrested for possession of illegal... Continued
Saratoga Fishing Company v. J. M. Martinac & Company
J. M. Martinac & Co. built the fishing vessel M/V Saratoga. Martinac installed a hydraulic system designed by... Continued
Raines v. Byrd
Several individual members of the 104th Congress, who voted against the passage of the Line Item Veto Act (Act) giving... Continued
Select Year 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1940-1955 1900-1940 1850-1900 1789-1850
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Quiz: Name the Price: Natural Disasters
Name the Price: Natural Disasters
It's hard to put a price on the lives, homes and irreplaceable historic sites that can be destroyed in natural disasters. But multibillion-dollar price tags can give you a sense of how much damage an earthquake or tsunami caused. Test your history knowledge and see if you know the financial impact of these disasters.
What's the estimated cost of the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China?
The Guardian (U.K.) estimates the earthquake will cost China $150 billion to rebuild destroyed towns and rural areas.
The Superstorm of 1993 was actually the combined force of three separate weather patterns colliding. The storm created dangerous conditions that shut down the U.S. East Coast. What is the estimated cost of the damage?
In addition to causing a transportation shutdown from Florida to New England, the Superstorm caused approximately $6 billion worth of damage according to Popular Mechanics.
Iowa, a major producer of corn and soy beans, lost a large portion of its crops to flooding in 2008. How valuable were the destroyed crops?
Iowa's s agriculture secretary said the lost crops could be worth up to $3 billion.
Hurricane Andrew ripped across Florida and Louisiana with tremendous wind speed. How much did the 1992 hurricane cost the United States?
$25 billion
According to the University of Arizona's Geosciences Department, Hurricane Andrew cost the U.S. more than $25 billion and destroyed about 600,000 homes and businesses.
Australia faced its worst bushfires in Victoria at the start of 2009. More than 865,000 acres of land were destroyed, and more than 4,000 people were left homeless, according to a Bloomberg report. What is the estimated cost of these fires?
The bushfires will cost Australia more than $1.34 billion.
In 1995 Kobe, Japan, endured an earthquake that measured 7.2 on the Richter scale. Elevated highways and entire apartment buildings collapsed. How much did it cost Japan to repair the damages?
more than $50 billion
more than $100 billion
BBC reported that the earthquake would cost Japan approximately $100 billion in repairs. The earthquake killed more than 6,400 people.
When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, it flattened its surroundings and caused ashy rain from the West Coast to Oklahoma. How much damage did this famous volcano cause?
The eruption's price tag is about $1 billion. The United States also picked up a new expense in additional volcano monitoring.
The 1908 San Francisco earthquake leveled the city and caused disastrous fires. A 2006 study reports the earthquake would cost how much in the 2006 economy?
The 2006 study showed that an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 would cost more than $120 billion. The study cites population increases and more expensive buildings as contributing to the cost of a potential earthquake.
The 2004 tsunami destroyed the lives of thousands in Indonesia and caused billions of dollars in damage. The Indonesian territory Aceh incurred how many billions of dollars in damage?
The World Bank and the U.N. estimated the damage to Aceh to be worth about $4.4 billion.
Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans and surrounding areas in 2005. Cost estimates are still in the works, but what price tag does Fox News Network put on the damage?
The city is still being repaired, but Fox says the hurricane caused $96 billion worth of damage.
How Much Do You Know About the Worst Natural Disasters in History?
How Much Do You Know About These Military Disasters?
Military 6 Minute Quiz 6 Min
Can You Identify This Animal in Its Natural Habitat?
Do You Know These Games From the Price Is Right?
What Natural Phenomenon Describes Your Personality?
The Leadership Quiz: Are You a Natural Leader or Follower?
Does Your Natural Hair Color Match Your Personality?
Can You Score 27/35 On This Difficult WWII Quiz?
Can You Unscramble These Historical Figures' Names?
Do You Know Which States These Sites Are Located In?
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Remarks on the advantages and...
Remarks on the advantages and disadvantages of France and Great-Britain, with respect to commerce and to the other means of encreasing the wealth and power of a state : being a (pretended) translation from the English /
Nickolls, John, Sir, b. 1722.
Making of the Modern World
Tucker, Josiah, 1712-1799.
London : Printed for T. Osborne, 1754.
Great Britain > Economic conditions.
Great Britain > Commercial policy.
France > Economic conditions.
France > Economic policy.
France > Commercial policy.
Your Comment Please log in to your account
Remarks on the advantages and disadvantages of France and of Great-Britain with respect to commerce, and to the other means of encreasing the wealth and power of a state being a (pretended) translation from the English /
by: Plumard de Dangeu, Louis Joseph, b. 1722.
A brief essay on the advantages & disadvantages which respectively attend France and Great-Britain with regard to trade. By Josiah Tucker, ...
by: Tucker, Josiah, 1712-1799.
A brief essay on the advantages and disadvantages which respectively attend France and Great Britain with regard to trade. With some proposals for removing the principal disadvantages of Great Britain. In a new method.
A brief essay on the advantages and disadvantages, which respectively attend France and Great Britain with regard to trade. With some proposals for removing the principal disadvantages of Great Britain. In a new and concise method.
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Apparently I am a potential rapist
Do you really want to send coffy a message saying you like their work?
(idea) by hodgepodge Fri May 19 2000 at 14:43:17
At least, that's what the beautiful and talented Andrea Dworkin and her munchkins think about me.
No, seriously.
I had the misfortune a few years back of being at UMass Amherst on the same weekend as one of those big anti-man rallies. And before you say anything about how "feminists aren't man-haters," these ones were.
I was sitting in a public space, talking to a female friend, when some sort of rally started up. Lots of lovely rhetoric about how men are ruining the world and about how all sex is rape. I found it amusing. Unfortunately, they soon noticed that I was there minding my own business. They didn't like that. They asked me to leave; I asked why I should. They immediately turned their backs on me and asked my friend why she was talking to a potential rapist. I couldn't help but laugh at that one. I am the furthest thing from a potential rapist ever, unless you count the Pope. The moment I made a noise, though, one of them slapped me and told me to "shut up, pig".
Then people started throwing things.
At that point, I decided to leave. Truly, I do not understand these people.
Had I been in my right mind, I would have asked for a blowjob before beating my hasty retreat... that would have been funny.
(idea) by Saige Fri May 19 2000 at 15:05:59
People like this make me embarrassed to be human. It's like blacks who preach racism against whites as a way to make up for it being the other way.
Things are not made any better by just switching which group is in power and which is not. They're just different - it is simply a different type of oppression, and the ones complaining about the suffering become the ones inflicting it. It may seem like some sort of cosmic justice, but it doesn't solve anything.
Equality may be hard, but it's the only possibility that offers any hope for things being right.
I think any woman around should take the time to protest people like this as ones who just make things worse, especially by giving people like Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson more fuel for the fire.
What people need to remember is that Andrea Dworkin and people with similar views are separatists. One of the reasons to be a separatist is that they are aware their ideas will not gain hold if their followers are allowed to be around the so-called "enemy". If they are, they will begin to realize that such bold, blanket statements aren't true, that there are people in that group who are not like what the seperatist leader suggests. This is the reason that pretty much all groups with extreme views are separatist. Cause that's the only way to maintain such views.
(idea) by f1r3br4nd Mon Jun 05 2000 at 16:53:53
Me too. Sometimes I even fantasize about rape. You don't? Liars.
Obviously I don't hate myself, but those women do have a point, even if they lack a sense of realpolitik in how they present it. First of all, let's face it-- we do have a more physical and even coercive perspective on sex than women do. If we don't realize it, it's because we're totally immersed in it and have no external point of reference. Almost all rape is committed by men, therefore yes, technically we are potential rapists. No man is above it, and it's dangerous when we start thinking we are.
Now, on the subject of the anger that you found yourself suddenly exposed to. I can't imagine what it must feel like to be raped, but I'm sure it would fuck me up for life. It hurts when you fancy yourself a 'sensitive guy' and your nose gets rubbed in some mess you, or some other man, or men in general, have made. Still, as a relatively less-scarred individual you at least have the ability (and perhaps responsibility) to detach yourself. To not take it personally. Because it isn't personal. It's raw, blind, pain lashing out at everything. It has to have an outlet. One of the best things we the unscarred can do for the world is to absorb this venom and neutralize it.
Everywhere I go, I see things run by men. Competent men, wise men, kind men, men who sincerely do believe in equality, but don't even notice that they're in a male-dominated space. A testosterone Matrix. That's why I try to put my ego aside and not begrudge the protestors whatever miserable little scrap of campus they've symbolically claimed for the night. Everyone needs their space.
PS: Ironic little piece of trivia-- apparently Katherine McKinnon is married. To a man. Does anybody know how she reconciles that with her ideas about heterosexuality being equivalent to rape?
(idea) by plonk plonk Mon Jun 05 2000 at 17:12:22
All men are potential rapists in the same sense that all women are potential prostitutes. They've got the gear; that does not translate in any way to action.
coffy: You are of course correct that men have the equiptment to be prostitutes. I was being flippant in order to ridicule into submission the notion that all men are potential rapists.
And to all those who pointed out that it is possible for women to force men into sex, you are correct. I've been there -- bad, bad scene.
(idea) by coffy Mon Jun 05 2000 at 17:56:03
Hmmm. I feel obligated to mention that men also have "the gear" necessary for prostitution.
Sexual coercion is about more than physical strength. While it may be true that most of the legally recognized rapes are committed by men, our current legal definition of this crime leaves out the subtler abuses of sexual power.
Women are quite capable of taking advantage of men.
I have done this. No, I am not proud of it.
(idea) by Utini420 Mon Jul 17 2000 at 18:25:29
Legally speaking, in many places women ARE NOT, in fact, capable of rape. Alabama for example (ya, I know, but I'm down here at the moment) has no provision whatsoever for a male to press rape charges against a women, under any circumstances that I am aware of.
Unless there is a truly level playing field -- that is, the same expectations, responsibilites, liberties, and punishments -- there can never be 100% equality. Every female (for example) admitted into the military by passing the MUCH less strenuous physical requirements for females only strengthens the notion that women have weaknesses which must be accommodated.
Not to get off on a women in combat thing, but it's true. Letting girls off easy implies by default that there is something to let them off on.
I got way out in left field here, and I'm gonna get in trouble. This is pretty much the same argument that got me in trouble when I said that a woman would never be President until it was socially acceptable to hit girls. Don't get that one started, no it's not ok to hit anybody, and that's not the point.
But as long as special protections and privileges exist for females (and I include the socially defended right to act like a dumb ass in with this) there will always be males who view that as justification for chauvinism.
(idea) by Pseudomancer Wed Aug 09 2000 at 22:38:50
Ok, given. All men are potential rapists, just a definitional fact. Now let's look a little closer at the 'reasoning' that made those women think it was ok to hassle hodgepodge.
"It is ok to hassle any given man, as all men are potential rapists."
They haven't taught us the word for this in Logic B yet, so I'll just ridicule it into submission.
The idea that considering something to be actual just because it exists in potentia is what we in the business call stupid. Here are some other things that are true in potentia:
All people are potential murderers.
Hmmm, perhaps I shouldn't have gone with the strongest one first, as now I have nowhere to go on to... still, I planned it this way all along. Note the difference between 'any given man' and 'all men', but only if you really need to, ie. if you think the logical form outlined above is a valid one.
I like it! 2 C!s
(idea) by rpl Fri Sep 22 2000 at 4:22:43
Let me tell you a story:
Tortoise: Not so. You can only do what your brain will allow you to do, and that is very crucial. Let me ask you another question. Can you decide to kill me right now?
Achilles: Mr. T! What a suggestion! How could you suggest such a thing, even in jest?
Tortoise: Could you nevertheless decide to do it?
Achilles: Sure! Why not? I can certainly imagine myself deciding to do it.
Tortoise: That is beside the point, Achilles. Don't confuse hypothetical or fictitious worlds with reality I'm asking you if you can decide to kill me.
Achilles: I guess that in this world, in the real world, I could not carry out such a decision, even had I "decided"--or claimed I'd decided--to do it. So I guess I couldn't decide to do it, actually.
--"Who Shoves Whom Around Inside the Careenium", by Douglas Hofstadter, in Metamagical Themas
I have to dispute the claim that all people are potential murderers (or all men are (potential) rapists) simply because they have the wherewithal to carry out the act. Picture yourself standing next to your best friend and holding a loaded gun. Could you shoot him (or her)? Wait, let me guess, "if I wanted to," right? But that's just the point; you don't want to, and you never will. There is nothing I or anyone else could do to make you want to do it either, not for love or money. And therefore, you cannot, in any meaningful sense, do it. Sure, Andrea Dworkin can posit a fictive world in which you could, just as I can posit a fictive world in which bullfrogs have wings so they don't bump their asses when they jump. Both worlds are counterfactual.
(see also free will vs. free won't)
(thing) by illuvator Mon Nov 20 2000 at 18:58:34
Someone on #everything once told me he was raped in high school. Basically he was forced into sex by a girl he didn't want to have sex with. Women rape too, they just don't get in trouble for it.
I'd also like to take a minute to talk about male prostitutes and rape. I have friends who used to be male prostitutes, at the age of 14. They'd go down to the Castro District in San Francisco, and wait to be picked up. They'd then have sex with the person for a pre-determined amount of money or food.
As far as rape goes, I know two people who (on separate occasions) were raped. One was at a gay night club where he was given roofies in his drink. They took him home, each took turns, and then left him naked in a dumpster.
The next boy was 16. He was at a train station, and was jumped by three older men. The all took turns raping him. He spent 3 months total in the hospital. They kicked his testicles until they were so swollen one had to be removed. Surgery for internal bleeding had to be performed twice. He's also HIV+ because of the event.
(thing) by Serpentine Tue Dec 26 2000 at 10:23:10
A report tabled in the New Zealand Parliament on Thursday, December 21, by the Ministry of Justice describes progress towards remedying significant inconsistencies between existing legislation and part two of the Human Rights Act. To wit, the Government plans to make sex offences under the Crimes Act gender neutral...with the specific exception of rape.
Alcohol, mind games and such will be covered by 'conspiracy to induce sexual intercourse'. Brute force, ketamine and such will be covered by 'indecent assault', as the phallus of the victim will, of course, be flacid and thus no penetration can occur. It is a Natural Law that men have perfect control over their members, so why pull a Life of Brian 'right to become pregnant'? And yohimbine, poppers and such do not exist. Nor do penile implants for men who have been paralysed completely from the waist down. I'm sorry.
(idea) by sabby Fri Mar 09 2001 at 15:37:08
Apparently, some people think that rape is only penetration of a female by a male (or in some instances reported, penetration of a male by another male).
What I would like to know is, if I penetrated someone with a Coke bottle, would that be rape? (I had a "friend" who did this to a girl -- it became my mission to ruin this friend's life, since the girl was a real friend of mine.) How about forcing oral sex on someone who has no interest in it? Or how about just undressing someone and grabbing their genitals?
I mean, perhaps we should just redefine the world: sexual assault. When you are forced, against your will, to participate in some sort of activity (for sexual purposes) through the threat of violence, or some other form of force, you have had a wrong done to you. This by no means the definition, but it serves my point.
So, can a male be raped? Sure. A woman could take advantage of his weakness (and there are plenty of women stronger than I am) hold him down and do any number of things with him.
The key of it all is NOT the sex act. Rape is a form of violence involving a sexual act. And while society forces raped women to feel shame, it can force a raped man to feel emasculated.
Oh, and for my screwed up story of the day: My ex-girlfriend's newphew had statutory rape charges pressed against him. He was 17, the girl was 16. The girl was not taking no for an answer. He spent at least a year in juvenile hall, as he hadn't been released when my ex- and I parted ways.
(idea) by fnordian Fri Aug 10 2001 at 6:24:43
Not all men are potential rapists.
Or at least some have less potential to rape than the vast majority of women.
Some men are very physically weak and/or small. Some men are totally impotent. Some men are almost completely paralysed. Strength and ability averages don't mean a lot when you're talking about individuals.
I am no more a potential rapists than Andrea Dworkin, anatomically speaking. I am just about average in strength and weight for a guy my age. But I don't have a penis. I could rape someone with an inanimate objects or with my hands (a friend of mine was fist-raped by her girlfriend.) What's nice about the deal, though, is that if I'm sitting in a rally of that sort, (or when I'm walking down the street at night1), people assume I'm a member of the class of men who have the physical ability to rape in the classical sense (whereas people would likely assume my friend's girlfriend not to be.)
These sorts of assumptions about being able to tell who is a rapist and who isn't is what causes such high rates of date rape. Everyone is a potential rapist.. I say it's wisest to assess situations and individuals and the risk involved, not to make blanket decisions about who is and who isn't a potential rapist.
1 Please note that I have *no* problem with women being safe when walking alone (or groups, for that matter) and I'm not offended by people crossing to the other side of the street or speeding up when I'm walking near them if it would be a potentially dangerous situation for them; I want the women (and men, and others) I care about to keep their safety in mind, too.
Andrea Dworkin free will vs. free won't FTM Why women wear makeup and perfume
Good birthday presents: "HIV negative" Realpolitik The mutual problem of Christians and feminists All men are rapists
Women in Combat The way that light attaches to a girl Yohimbine Roofie
Marijuana crime outnumbers violent crime blow job General advice for preventing attacks What the Tortoise Said to Achilles
Ketamine feminazi Rush Limbaugh
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Do you really want to send Vulgar Tongue 1811 a message saying you like their work?
(definition) by Vulgar Tongue 1811 Tue May 03 2005 at 20:31:41
The throat. To wet one's whistle; to drink.
The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.
(review) by Glowing Fish Fri Nov 25 2016 at 22:53:16
"Whistle" is a 1978 novel by James Jones, most famous for his novel "From Here to Eternity". The novel describes the lives of four service members who are patients at a military hospital in the middle of World War II. As James Jones remarks in an opening note, the novel serves as the third part of a "trilogy", consisting of "From Here to Eternity", "The Thin Red Line", and this book. The three books all center around four characters who have roughly similar names, and roughly similar biographies, but differing fates in the books themselves. The book was written by James Jones in the last years of his life, and the last three chapters of the book are just his drafts of what he wanted to write, before he passed away from congestive heart failure.
The book follows four characters, Winch, Prell, Strange and Landers, who were all medically invalidated during the South Pacific Campaign of World War II. Winch is (much like the author) suffering congestive heart failure unrelated to the war, while Prell was seriously wounded by machine gun fire and earns the Congressional Medal of Honor, but is in risk of losing his leg. Strange and Landers are both suffering minor but incapacitating combat wounds. The book starts on a hospital ship back to The United States, and follows the four characters to their destination in a military hospital in a fictionalized version of Memphis, Tennessee. Through a series of sometimes disjointed subplots and stories, the book explores several issues: the physical and psychological scars of war being one of them, and the rapid social change and wild culture of World War II America being the other.
Whatever the literary merits of this book are, it more raised my interest as a historical document. As a historical document, it provides challenges for me, because while it was written about World War II, Jones wrote it during and after the Vietnam War, and it is easy to see an influence of that conflict on the attitude of the book. I don't know what specific political or social views Jones had about war, but it is easy to read this book as a very critical, although not polemical, work on war in general. But much of that is influenced by my own background: having lived through the much different, but much longer series of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is interesting to read a book about PTSD before PTSD had a name. The attitudes towards sexuality are similarly old for a modern reader: the book goes into some detail for quite some time about how the characters relate to the idea of oral sex, something that to a modern reader seems much less serious than the life and death issues in the book. But that is mostly the interest of the book for me: some things that would seem very important to me are glossed over, while other things that are now commonplace are treated as new developments. And, if nothing else, I can't think of many other books like this: World War II novels that are focused on life in the United States, rather than in the campaign areas.
(definition) by Webster 1913 Wed Dec 22 1999 at 4:24:25
Whis"tle (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whistled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Whistling (?).] [AS. hwistlian; akin to Sw. hvissla, Dan. hvisle, Icel. hvisla to whisper, and E. whisper. . See Whisper.]
To make a kind of musical sound, or series of sounds, by forcing the breath through a small orifice formed by contracting the lips; also, to emit a similar sound, or series of notes, from the mouth or beak, as birds.
The weary plowman leaves the task of day, And, trudging homeward, whistles on the way. Gay.
To make a shrill sound with a wind or steam instrument, somewhat like that made with the lips; to blow a sharp, shrill tone.
To sound shrill, or like a pipe; to make a sharp, shrill sound; as, a bullet whistles through the air.
The wild winds whistle, and the billows roar. Pope.
© Webster 1913.
Whis"tle, v. t.
To form, utter, or modulate by whistling; as, to whistle a tune or an air.
To send, signal, or call by a whistle.
He chanced to miss his dog; we stood still till he had whistled him up. Addison.
To whistle off. (a) To dismiss by a whistle; -- a term in hawking. "AS a long-winged hawk when he is first whistled off the fist, mounts aloft." Burton. (b) Hence, in general, to turn loose; to abandon; to dismiss.
I 'ld whistle her off, and let her down the wind To prey at fortune. Shak.
⇒ "A hawk seems to have been usually sent off in this way, against the wind when sent in search of prey; with or down the wind, when turned loose, and abandoned."
Nares.
Whis"tle, n. [AS. hwistle a pipe, flute, whistle. See Whistle, v. i.]
A sharp, shrill, more or less musical sound, made by forcing the breath through a small orifice of the lips, or through or instrument which gives a similar sound; the sound used by a sportsman in calling his dogs; the shrill note of a bird; as, the sharp whistle of a boy, or of a boatswain's pipe; the blackbird's mellow whistle.
Might we but hear The folded flocks, penned in their wattled cotes, . . . Or whistle from the lodge. Milton.
The countryman could not forbear smiling, . . . and by that means lost his whistle. Spectator.
They fear his whistle, and forsake the seas. Dryden.
The shrill sound made by wind passing among trees or through crevices, or that made by bullet, or the like, passing rapidly through the air; the shrill noise (much used as a signal, etc.) made by steam or gas escaping through a small orifice, or impinging against the edge of a metallic bell or cup.
An instrument in which gas or steam forced into a cavity, or against a thin edge, produces a sound more or less like that made by one who whistles through the compressed lips; as, a child's whistle; a boatswain's whistle; a steam whistle (see Steam whistle, under Steam).
The bells she jingled, and the whistle blew. Pope.
The mouth and throat; -- so called as being the organs of whistling.
[Colloq.]
So was her jolly whistle well ywet. Chaucer.
Let's drink the other cup to wet our whistles. Walton.
Whistle duck Zool., the American golden-eye.
dual whistle How to whistle through your fingers How to whistle whistling
When life gives you lemons, suck on them. Seriously, lemons taste awesome. Good tunes for whistling How to Use a Urinal penny whistle
VCRs that blink 12:00 Tell me a story about trains Playing the Popeye-anthem with a modified bong pan pipes
drinking buddies What to bring to a rave How much for the little girl? whistle language
The "welcome TenMinJoe to London" cor blimey guvnor meetup Pierluigi Collina John McCusker You remember how to whistle don't you?
Singing in a Chant Choir Zzyzzyxx warp whistle
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Made In Group set to evolve with the launch of national platform
News Oct 15, 2018
In keeping with its goal of being the authentic voice of UK manufacturing, the Made In Group is set to evolve further with the launch of its national platform.
Predominantly operating as a public affairs and news portal, Made in London is the influencer arm of the Made In Group, connecting these core manufacturing regions with national policymakers, financiers and the media.
The launch of the new platform will be marked at a prestigious ceremony in the capital on Wednesday (October 17), which will be attended by members from both the Midlands and Yorkshire, together with our Ambassadors, Patrons, Advisory Board representatives, senior management and staff, plus Midlands chairman, Lord Mike Whitby.
Representatives from the various membership strands will also be speaking at the event, outlining their support for the Made In Group and its ambitions, and also why the launch of the London platform is so important for the regional manufacturing industry.
The launch event will also see the publication of the Made In Group’s inaugural Made Report.
Derived from member responses to a wide-ranging survey, the new report is an accurate barometer of the current health of manufacturing in both the Midlands and Yorkshire as the country prepares for life after Brexit.
The report will be circulated to those attending the event, whilst a copy is being forwarded to every politician in Westminster in the hope its findings will help shape future policy.
Important developments regarding manufacturing will be featured on the Made in London website, together with regular commentary on the big issues affecting members of the Made In Group.
The launch event takes place between 6.30 and 9pm at The Brewery in Chiswell Street in East London, close to the Barbican Centre.
Jason Pitt, CEO, Made In Group, said: “We are excited to be hosting this special event in London, which will explain what we are doing in the capital to benefit the UK’s manufacturing sector.
“Made in London is a new public affairs platform aimed at promoting the UK’s manufacturing industry to the decision makers, politicians, and influencers within the capital.
Led by the RSA Academies & Black Country LEP, the launch of ‘Opening Doors in the Black Country’ was an opportunity… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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Shoutout to HotBox International! 🔥 Established in 1976, they are a world leading manufacturer of #horticultural e… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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Home Arts From crossed swords to star-crossed: Shakespeare Theatre ’19 season includes Musketeers, Romeo
From crossed swords to star-crossed: Shakespeare Theatre ’19 season includes Musketeers, Romeo
The Three Musketeers and Romeo & Juliet are coming to the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison in 2019, highlighting a roster that includes an outdoor comedy, William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged); and main stage productions of As You Like It, The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash, and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, returning for the first time since 2011.
Here are details.
From the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey:
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Announces Epic Line-up for its 2019 Season
MADISON, NJ – The Shakespeare Theatre’s 57th season promises to thrill audiences with productions filled with swashbucklers, star-crossed lovers, holiday magic, and wild and delightful comedy.
Beginning in June and continuing through December, the 2019 season will include five productions on the 308-seat Main Stage at The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre in Madison, and one production at its Outdoor Stage, located on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth.
Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte said of the upcoming season, “We are so excited to bring these theatrical treasures to our audience and we’re especially pleased to be kicking the 2019 season off in high style with Ken Ludwig’s thrilling, funny swashbuckler. His The Three Musketeers is a wonderful new take on Dumas’ classic novel. Each and every one of this year’s shows will appeal to people of all ages and from every walk of life!”
Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Dumas’ The Three Musketeers launches the Shakespeare Theatre’s 57th season with dazzling sword fights and delightful comedy.
Ludwig’s retelling of the great classic follows the story of D’Artagnan, a country boy with dreams of becoming a Musketeer and his sister Sabine, who has the same aspiration. Their daring adventures with the legendary Musketeers makes for an exciting night of theatrical adventure. Long-time trustee and company fight director Rick Sordelet will direct the epic swashbuckler. Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers begins performances on June 12.
With performances beginning July 3, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is excited to bring William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) to its Outdoor Stage on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth.
From two of the same authors who wrote the hit 2016 Outdoor Stage production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (revised), this production will be a great way to introduce young patrons to the joy of theater through the irreverent and rowdy comedy that is the hallmark of these Shakespeare spoofs.
Patrons can enjoy watching William Shakespeare get “roasted” while enjoying an evening of rollicking theater under the stars. The Theatre will once again be offering free tickets to patrons aged 18 and under to the Outdoor Stage. Resident director Brian B. Crowe will helm this production.
Next on the Main Stage is The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash, which will be directed by the Theatre’s Artistic Director, Bonnie J. Monte.
Set in rural, dust-bowl America, The Rainmaker is a a story about a young woman’s longing for love and hope. Made famous by the film version starring Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn, performances of this American classic begin July 31.
The third Main Stage production of the Theatre’s 57th season will be William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, with performances beginning Sept. 11.
This ever-popular romantic comedy colorful brings audiences to the Forest of Arden where one of Shakespeare’s most colorful heroines, Rosalind, woos the love-sick Orlando while she’s disguised as a man.
Inhabited by a multitude of rural and rustic characters, the play contains some of Shakespeare’s most eloquent speeches and beautiful songs. Veteran director and long-time company member Paul Mullins directs.
STNJ continues its season with Shakespeare’s most famous love story, Romeo and Juliet.
Ian Belknap, Artistic Director of the renowned The Acting Company, will direct the Bard’s timeless masterpiece. Civil and domestic strife, a divided community, and the doomed union of Romeo and Juliet make this one of the most moving and ever-relevant tragedies ever written. Performances of Romeo and Juliet begin Oct. 16.
To finish the season, The Shakespeare Theatre is bringing the holiday classic A Christmas Carol back to its stage. Not seen at the Theatre since 2011, this unusual adaptation by Neil Bartlett uses a small ensemble of actors to bring scores of animate and inanimate characters to life as the despicable Ebenezer Scrooge encounters the haunting spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.
This magical and moving classic tale materializes on the Main Stage Dec. 4 and will be directed by Brian B. Crowe.
Complete Works subscriptions for the Theatre’s 2019 season are on sale now! Smaller and flexible packages will be on sale in early 2019.
For those looking for the ultimate in flexibility, patrons can purchase a Membership to The Shakespeare Theatre. A one-time membership fee for the season costs only $45 and once you buy a membership, you can purchase tickets as frequently as you would like for any production, in any seating location, for only $40 per ticket.
Single tickets will go on sale in early April, alongside smaller ticket packages. The Theatre is proud to reinstate its 30 Under 30 ticket program as well as FREE tickets for young people 18 and under to the Outdoor Stage production.
Bring a group and save even more! The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey offers great prices for those looking to bring a group of 10 or more. For information about discount packages, subscriptions, groups, and single tickets, please visit ShakepseareNJ.org or call the Box Office at 973-408-5600.
The Theatre is additionally offering student matinee performances of As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, and A Christmas Carol. For more information about these school-time performances, please call our Education Department at 973-845-6745.
Special Events:
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey will continue its tradition of presenting special one-night events that have become audience favorites.
Titled the Something Series, the Theatre will introduce a new event in this year’s lineup called Something Romantic This Way Comes, providing something new for couples young and old and those looking for love to do on Valentine’s Day.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is a spine-chilling night on Oct. 28, perfect for those looking to get into the Halloween spirit. On Dec. 9, Something Merry This Way Comes provides an antidote to the commercial glitz and blitz of the season. For more information about these events, visit the Theatre’s website, ShakespeareNJ.org.
The acclaimed Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is an independent, professional theatre company located on the Drew University campus. One of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation, serving approximately 100,000 children and adults annually, it is New Jersey’s largest professional theatre company dedicated solely to Shakespeare’s canon and other world classics. Through its distinguished productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional major support is received from F.M. Kirby Foundation, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Edward T. Cone Foundation, CTW Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Bank of America, The Merrill G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation, and Jack L. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Foundation as well as contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, government agencies and individuals.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Bonnie J. Monte
MAIN STAGE: The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre
36 Madison Avenue (at Lancaster Road), Madison, New Jersey
TICKETS & INFORMATION: Call 973-408-5600 or visit ShakespeareNJ.org
STUDENT MATINEES: Call 973-845-6745
Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers
Adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas
Performances Begin: Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Press Opening: Saturday, June 15, 2019
By N. Richard Nash
Directed by Bonnie J. Monte
Performances begin: Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Press Opening: Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Paul Mullins
Performances Begin: Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019
Press Opening: Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019
Directed by Ian Belknap
Performances Begin: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019
Press Opening: Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
Adapted for the stage by Neil Bartlett
Directed by Brian B. Crowe
Performances Begin: Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019
Press Opening: Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019
Outdoor Stage:
William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged)
By Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor
Performances Begin: Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Press Opening: Wednesday, July 10, 2019
shakespeare theatre
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The Discovery (2017)
by Peter Pluymers · Published 4 May 2017 · Updated 28 February 2018
Two years after the afterlife is scientifically proven, a man attempts to help a young woman break away from her dark past.
Genre : SF
Robert Redford : Thomas
Jason Segel : Will
Rooney Mara : Isla
Charlie McDowell
Over four million people have taken their lives, attempting to “get there”.
What if there’s undeniably prove there’s life after death? Will there indeed be millions of people who abruptly end their present life with the prospect of a better life? Dr. Thomas Harber (Robert Redford) has scientifically proven in this film that there’s an afterlife. He constructed a machine that is able to capture brain wavelengths on a subatomic level when leaving a dead body. The result after this discovery is a wave of suicides worldwide. Only this fact is already subject for many discussions. Is it true people would commit suicide in order to lead a better life? I’m convinced there will be individuals who consider this discovery as the final push to perform such a drastic act. However, this is still a leap in the dark, because where this “consciousness”, “soul” or whatever you want to call it is going, is still unknown.
I myself find it fascinating to philosophize about this. Is it a continuation of present life in another era? Or solar system? Is it another dimension? A parallel time line? A rebirth? A flash back or forward in time? That’s what Thomas Harber tries to prove with a newly designed machine, two years after revealing his initial discovery. A sophisticated device capable of recording one’s brain after death. The fact that the images are shown on an ancient looking television and that somehow this footage can be seen on a modern tablet, amazed me. I suppose Dr. Harber also watched the movie “Listening” carefully, because a similar mind-reader device is also used in that movie.
An additional point for discussion is whether or not it’s wise to disclose certain scientific discoveries. Especially when there are still important aspects unproved. Here the existence of a life after death is a proven fact, but where it’s leading to is still unknown. With all the consequences this entails. And that’s what Will (Jason Segel), son of Thomas Harber, tries to accomplish. He tries to convince his father to publicly state that his theory wasn’t correct. Most probably that would end the endless number of suicides. He even compares the refuge of his father, a gigantic abandoned youth hostel, with a sect. A place where people who went through some failed suicide attempts, are taken care of. For them it’s a new home where they try to give a new meaning to their life. With the help of an occasional pep talk from Thomas Harber himself.
Will meeting the eccentric Isla (Rooney “Her” Mara) on the ferry and getting certain feelings for her, may at first sight be a cheap way to introduce a romantic aspect. But it’s the denouement that makes the puzzle pieces finally fall into place. Strange but true. Although it’s in essence extremely romantic, they still succeeded not to make it a cheesy and corny ending. Besides the rather grandiose performances by Jesse Plemons (as the faithful son) and Rooney Mara, it’s especially the atmosphere that impressed. The images used are a representation of the state of mankind : gloomy, depressing and dark. In other words, the movie won’t make you happy. The empty ferry, the abandoned roads, yet another funeral and last but not least the apathetic residents whose miserable final (drastic) attempt to enjoy a bit of luck again, unfortunately failed. Redford and Segel fit perfectly in this movie, because they were rather dull and colorless as well. “The discovery” isn’t a cheerful movie, but worthwhile to give it a go. Even if it’s just because of the surprising and hopeful conclusion.
Tags: 6/10SF
by Peter Pluymers · Published 23 August 2014 · Last modified 31 October 2017
Lockout (2012)
by Peter Pluymers · Published 17 August 2015 · Last modified 13 July 2017
Susan Leighton says:
Very well done review. I remembered reading another critic’s thoughts on this film and they were similar to yours. Every now and then I like to take in a somber film like this one. Food for thought, I guess.
Next story Aftermath (2017)
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Ian B. MacTaggart
President & COO
Brynwood Partners
Mr. MacTaggart is President & COO of Brynwood Partners’ three most recent funds (Brynwood V, VI and VII) and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Mr. MacTaggart joined Brynwood Partners in 1996 as a Vice President in Brynwood III. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. MacTaggart spent six years at Merrill Lynch & Co., in both the Mergers and Acquisitions and the Corporate Finance departments. Mr. MacTaggart currently serves on the Board of Directors of the following Brynwood Partners investments: Back to Nature Foods Company, LLC, G&T Conveyor Company, Harvest Hill Beverage Company, High Ridge Brands Co., Joseph’s Gourmet Pasta Company, Lightlife Foods, Inc., Newhall Laboratories, Inc., Pearson Candy Company and Sunny Delight Beverages Co. Mr. MacTaggart holds a B.S. in Accounting from Boston College and an M.B.A. from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.
Boston College , Massachusetts,
Fuqua School of Business - Duke University , North Carolina,
Golden Sun, Inc. (dba Newhall Laboratories)
Lightlife Foods, Inc.
High Ridge Brands Co.
Harvest Hill Beverage Co.
G&T Conveyor Company, Inc.
Back to Nature Foods Company LLC
Pearson Candy Co.
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
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Review - Getting Off
One Woman's Journey Through Sex and Porn Addiction
by Erica Garza
Simon and Schuster, 2018
Review by Christian Perring
Jul 3rd 2018 (Volume 22, Issue 27)
In her memoir of her life, Erica Garza portrays herself as a sexual addict. This is a difficult task to attempt since many readers will be suspicious that sex and porn can be genuinely addictive. However, the greater problem for Garza is her interpretation of herself as being unhappy. One might think that one can at least know if one is happy or unhappy, but Getting Off presents a case of someone who seems to have plenty of success, plenty of friends, family harmony, and no material struggles. She certainly has a lot of sex and uses a lot of porn to masturbate with, and through her teen years and her twenties most of her relationships were rather short. So it might be that she is not well-suited to settling down with one person -- that's not so unusual. She does go through periods of using a lot of alcohol and many drugs, leading to more disinhibited behavior that she might regret looking back. But she managed to avoid being sexually abused. Arguably she was used by many men, but it seems equally true that she used many of her sexual partners.
It is the chapter about her experiences in Bali that especially makes it hard to sympathize. Garza has reached her mid or late twenties, and has recently lived in London and New York, partly supported by her parents, her boyfriends, or work as a part time writer and private tutor. Now she gets into yoga and meditation and learns more to accept herself. She visits a therapist and she starts off saying she wants to grow. When pressed by the therapist about what she wants, she says "I guess I want to find my power." The therapist tries again to get her to come up with something substantial, and she says "I never feel satisfied. I jump from one relationship to the next, but I never feel worthy. The only pleasure I have is what my body can give me, but the pleasure never lasts. I feel empty and terrible about myself." (p. 118).
Garza says very little about this emptiness or why she feels bad about herself. She does refer to shame quite often, and she says she identified strongly with the main character in Steve McQueen's movie Shame. So there is something there, but it is hard to know what it is. She speculates that needing to be in a back brace for several months was traumatic for her when she was 12 years old. She says she benefited from a therapy called the Hoffman Process, which involved revisiting her life when she was 12, but she almost nothing about that either. The book ends after about 150 pages, and the reader is left perplexed about what it was all about. Her bio says that she now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and child, so presumably she worked out how to have long term relationships, but there is little explanation about how that came about.
Ultimately Getting Off is not a helpful or informative book about sex and porn addiction. The writing is concise and Garza recounts her eventful life with a distinctive style, so it isn't boring. There are a few more scientific footnotes that refer to some research about sex addiction, but they are not systematic. So this is not the book for those who really want to get some insight into sexual addictions.
© 2018 Christian Perring
Christian Perring teaches in NYC.
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Category: Radiohead
Radiohead @ The Verizon Center – Washington, DC – June 3rd, 2012
On June 5, 2012 August 10, 2015 By beerbrarianIn Radiohead2 Comments
About two-thirds of the way through “Feral,” the fifteenth song Radiohead played at Washington, DC’s Verizon Center on Sunday, June 3rd, something odd happened: Colin Greenwood dropped the bass, in the dubstep sense of the term. This doesn’t happen often at rock shows, yet it did here. It was unexpected, chest rattling, and, in hindsight, completely logical. Economist Joseph Schumpeter wrote that twentieth century capitalism and its processes prepared souls for socialism. In 2012, Radiohead prepares indie rock fans for dubstep. While Skrillex can go from emo never-will-be to superstar DJ, Radiohead has attempted, at least on record, to do the opposite; a group of people so alienated and detached from place and time, from what’s around them, that they go beyond getting lost in the machine, ultimately becoming it.
The band has been heading down this path for some time now, since at least In Rainbows, and possibly since some of the earlier b-sides (“Kinetic” and “Worrywort,” on Amnesiac’s “Knives Out” import singles come to mind). Radiohead’s live shows used to be events in and of themselves. Now the concerts exist to help album listeners make sense of Radiohead’s minimalist streak: haunting vocals, slight melodies, sub-bass, and metallic, tinny drums that blur the lines between man and machine.
In 2003, a Radiohead concert would trigger lines down the block. In 2012, a function of the economy, the most recent two albums, or perhaps a combination thereof, one could walk up to a scalper and purchase tickets ten minutes before showtime for well under the face value of $70 plus fees. The floor section of the arena was two-thirds full, with a scattering of empty seats on every level.
The band opened with “Bloom,” the lead track from The King of Limbs. It was louder and more visceral than the synthy repetition expressed on that album. A second drummer, Clive Deamer, added for this tour helped create a breakbeat that wound through much of the new material, so much so that one could divide the In Rainbows and TKOL material into two kinds of songs: those that featured synthesizers as the melody or those that used jagged guitars from Johnny Greenwood and Ed O’Brien as the melody. The constant was the breakbeat. “Staircase,” “Identikit,” and “Supercollider,” new songs, fell into the former category as well.
A sizeable portion of the crowd got what they were looking for when Johnny Greenwood launched into “Airbag” next, but given how much of the new material was translated for a large venue, even songs from the two most recent albums became arena-rock crowd pleasers. The band employed multiple guitars on most songs, pausing the dubstep-as-rock show vibe for “Meeting in the Aisle,” an obscure, beat-driven (in the Chemical Brothers-do-trip hop sense), instrumental b-side from 1998 that now sounds prescient, a forerunner of where Radiohead has spent much of the twenty-first century.
Monitors that doubled as sound panels hung above the band, ominously changing positions and functions with each song, sometimes acting as a shield or border, other times broadcasting the band members’ stage movements to the crowd, still others flashing colors, keeping time with the rhythm section.
The band ended its first encore with the noisiest, rudest version of “Paranoid Android,” I’ve heard, then returned for a second culminating in “The Reckoner” off TKOL, which has become an unofficial closer. All in all, Radiohead played for just under two hours, with only two songs off OK Computer, and nothing off their first two albums. Given Radiohead’s most recent DC concert experiences (one rainout, one traffic fiasco that ended in partial refunds), many in the crowd, myself included, were hoping for a bit more, but all in all the show was excellent. Now it’s time to revisit recent recorded material to see if the concert would help me make sense of it, and of Radiohead’s new unsurprising-yet-surprising direction. Colin, drop the bass!
01 Bloom
03 Kid A
04 Bodysnatchers
05 Staircase
06 Codex
07 Meeting In The Aisle
08 The National Anthem
10 Morning Mr Magpie
11 Identikit
12 Lotus Flower
13 Go To Sleep
14 The Gloaming
15 Feral
16 There There
17 You And Whose Army?
18 15 Step
19 Supercollider
20 Paranoid Android
21 Give Up The Ghost
22 Separator
23 Reckoner
Radiohead – Albums 4-6 Reissued (Capitol Records)
On January 7, 2012 October 27, 2018 By 12a26aIn RadioheadLeave a comment
In Act One of the Radiohead story the group arrived onto the scene in 1993 as a forgettable Brit-pop band with a huge hit song (“Creep”), only to rise to the top of the rock ranks with their second album (The Bends) and then make one of the greatest musical achievements of the 20th century (OK Computer).
Act Two:
There was a three year gap between OK Computer and Kid A during which the band toured endlessly and tried to find a new approach to their sound. The result was Kid A, an album less about guitar anthems and more about electronica, jazz, and minimal krautrock rhythms. Almost a decade later these songs sound familiar, but it’s hard to describe the initial shock of hearing the album for the first time – especially the opening trio of “Everything In Its Right Place”, the title track (with Thom Yorke’s robotized vocals), and “National Anthem”, which was at least a rock song, but also featured a repetitive Krautrock groove and free-jazz skronking. Strange as the songs initially seemed, the band’s willingness to experiment paid off with an album whose challenges were infinitely rewarding. Kid A had no singles (both literally and figuratively) or videos, so the bonus disc and DVD are made up of radio and television performances. Many of these songs took on more open-ended possibilities live – like “The National Anthem” where Johnny Greenwood samples live television and “Everything In Its Right Place” where Johnny samples and plays back Thom Yorke’s live vocals – so these performances are a welcome companion to the album. The only song that makes no sense here is “True Love Waits” from the I Might Be Wrong live EP. Why include one song from an officially released album?
2001’s Amnesiac was recorded during the same sessions as Kid A (and is often derisively referred to as Kid B) but it stands up well as its own piece of work. The album continues down the same experimental path as Kid A on the Tricky-esque “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors”, and “Like Spinning Plates”, where Thom Yorke learned to sing the song backwards and then played the backwards vocals backwards, making the vocals sound slurred and slightly off. With those numbers came a group of more “traditional” Radiohead songs like “I Might Be Wrong”, “Dollars And Cents” and “Knives Out” which sharply contrasted the more experimental fare. The group also indulged in woozy jazz ballads on “You and Whose Army”, “Pyramid Song” and the New Orleans-styled “Life In A Glass House” to tremendous effect. The bonus-disc features eight b-sides (“Worry Wort”, “Fog” and “Cuttooth” are essential), six studio sessions and, yet again, a single song from the I Might Be Wrong live EP. The DVD has five excellent videos from the album and six TV performances.
Hail To The Thief, from 2003, has been getting a bum rap from reviewers of late, which makes no sense at all. Perhaps detractors are down on it because the group don’t seem to be pushing themselves into new territory. However, you could say the album takes the best parts of Kid A and Amnesiac and removes the extraneous experiments for the band’s most consistent set of the decade. There’s great singles (“There There”, “Go To Sleep” and “2+2=5”), creepy electronica (“Backdrifts”, “The Gloaming”), beautiful ballads (“Sail To The Moon”, and “I Will”) and not a duff number among the album’s 14 tracks. The bonus-disc has 10 B-sides ranging from fair to terrible (Christian Vogel’s remix of “Myxomatosis” and Four Tet’s remix of “Scatterbrain” are both pretty unlistenable) and three live tracks. The DVD includes five videos (including a rather brilliant one for “Sit Down, Stand Up”) and a four song performance on the Jools Holland Show.
Radiohead – First Three Albums Reissued (Capitol Records)
Record labels are often called short-sighted, money-hungry vultures who care solely about commerce and don’t value art. A harsh claim, but fully deserved when confronted with perplexing releases like these Radiohead reissues. Obviously, the music isn’t the problem – it’s the way Capitol squanders an opportunity to present it in the best light possible. Musically, it begins with the group peddling a British take on post-Nirvana alt-rock on 1993’s Pablo Honey. The album got them a huge hit with “Creep”, but there’s little indication that there was anything special about the Oxford five-piece. The Bends is a tremendous leap forward, with the songwriting, vocals and music all rapidly maturing. “Fake Plastic Trees” and “High and Dry” were big hits, but the band is best on the louder tracks “Just”, the title track and “My Iron Lung”. “My Iron Lung” is particularly interesting since it’s about”Creep” and the band’s desire to be more than one-hit wonders. On OK Computer they made sure they’d be remembered. The album is a staggering success on every level possible, perfectly capturing the confusing and terrifying state of the world in the pre-millennial computer age. It’s also a rare album that, although lacking a storyline, works as a cohesive whole, rather than just a group of songs. With genius songs like “Airbag”, “Let Down” and “Paranoid Android” leading the way, it’s no wonder it usually lands near the top of most All-Time album lists.
Capitol did one thing right with this reissue campaign – adding a second disc of B-sides, EPs and BBC Sessions to each album. Anyone unfamiliar with these songs should pick these discs up immediately just to bask in the brilliance of “Talk Show Host”, “Polyethylene”, “Killer Cars” and at least a dozen others that would be the crowning achievement in almost any other band’s career. While these versions of the albums are great for Radiohead newbies, older fans get the shaft here – the ones who collected all the import singles, bootlegs, and EPs these songs originally appeared on. Would it have been so hard for Capitol Records to gives us a few previously unheard songs? I’m sure there’s some completed studio out-takes. I guess the band (who don’t approve of these releases) are contractually entitled to approve usage of previously unreleased material and wouldn’t do so. Even if that’s the case, why not at least throw us a bone and remaster the sound? Old fans would gladly shell out the money for a sonic upgrade – especially on the first two albums. The songs from those albums that appeared on last year’s two-disc Best Of were remastered, so why not the whole albums? Anyone hoping these releases would be”the final word” on these three albums will be severely disappointed.
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Kristin Chenoweth, Vanessa Hudgens & More Will Perform at Tonys
May 20th, 2015 | By Imogen Lloyd Webber
Tony co-host Kristin Chenoweth, along with fellow Broadway.com Audience Choice Award winners Vanessa Hudgens and Matthew Morrison, are just some of the first performers announced for the 69th Annual Tony Awards. The Great White Way’s biggest night will broadcast live on CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 7.
The lineup will feature performances from the 2015 Tony-nominated shows in the Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical categories, including 2015 Tony nominee Chenoweth and the cast of On the Twentieth Century, 2015 Tony nominee Chita Rivera and the cast of The Visit, 2015 Tony nominees Brian D’Arcy James, Christian Borle, Brad Oscar and the cast of Something Rotten!, 2015 Tony nominees Kelli O’Hara and Ken Watanabe and the cast of The King and I, as well as the casts of On the Town, Fun Home and An American in Paris.
Although with the exception of Gigi's Victoria Clark they missed out on nominations for the Tonys, this year’s telecast will also include numbers by Hudgens and the cast of Gigi, Morrison, Kelsey Grammer and the cast of the multi Broadway.com Audience Choice Award-winning Finding Neverland, as well as Tyne Daly along with the cast of It Shoulda Been You.
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The Hot Seat: Is Chief Bill Scott reforming the SFPD?
By Julian Mark | May 3, 2018 | Covering the Police, Featured, Front Page, Mobile, Newsletter, Today's Mission, Topics | 1
Chief Bill Scott backed the process that led to a controversial raid on a journalist’s home, despite mounting criticism. Photo by Julian Mark
And with a position open in LA, will he stay long enough to find out?
A t a town hall meeting called to address a recent Mission District police shooting, Police Chief Bill Scott sat in the gym of Cesar Chavez Elementary, facing a crowd of more than 200 outraged community members.
Another young man of color had been slain at the hands of police, and years of mounting animus needed to be directed at someone. That person was Scott. And it lasted for more than three hours.
“You’re in the hot seat, Scott,” one community member said.
And not only with the community.
Just days before, Scott had “released” a rookie cop for fatally shooting a fleeing suspect in the Bayview. This time, the fury came not from the community, but from his own men: the San Francisco Police Officers Association, a group unhappy with an officer being released or fired.
“There has to be accountability into behaviors,” Scott said in an interview with Mission Local last November, “and with accountability comes changes in the culture.”
Scott’s entrance a little more than a year ago into the San Francisco Police Department was seen as a turning point for an embattled force of more than 2,000 sworn officers, its culture and seemingly absent sense of accountability.
It was fresh off the heels of two independent reviews called in response to a number of controversial police shootings and two scandals involving bigoted and sexist text messages exchanged between officers (text messages that only came to light because of an investigation of corruption by officers in the department).
Still, some wonder if Scott has been able to change much in San Francisco. And now there is also a question of whether he will be around long enough to make any real changes. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reported that Scott was scheduled to be interviewed for Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, where he served as a deputy chief before coming to San Francisco last January.
Scott would not confirm the report Wednesday evening at City Hall — but he did not explicitly deny it.
“The focus is here,” he said, mentioning the reforms. “And that’s where it needs to be for now.”
Others agree, and offered a look at how Scott has done so far.
“His style is very keep-your-head-down, and choose your battles very carefully,” said Father Richard Smith, a Mission District-based police reform advocate. “My fear is that it’s not in line with the crisis we have right now. We are in crisis mode, despite SFPD claims that it is implementing reforms.”
Mission Local spoke to nine policy experts, activists and police officers to determine whether Scott, now a year and four months into his tenure, has actually proven the department’s next step to reform. Scott, who was given a detailed list of questions, declined to comment for this article.
Many applauded his horn-locking with the bellicose police union – which many consider a hindrance of reform – while others said Scott’s efforts have been too little, too late.
More than anything, those observing Scott, from both inside and outside the organization, say the chief cannot reform the department alone – he needs the help of City Hall and, most of all, his own rank-and-file officers — the support of which some accuse Scott of not fostering.
Moreover, some said the chief erred in keeping or promoting much of the same command staff from the days of Scott’s predecessor, Greg Suhr.
“We’re just not seeing reforms on the streets,” Smith said. “They might be in a file drawer somewhere, maybe in someone’s head, but not on the streets. I mean, 99 shots?” he said referring to a recent police shooting in the Mission.
F or Chief Scott to truly set the department on the path to reform, he needs a new command staff, asserted two SFPD officers who asked for anonymity out of fear of retaliation — although both said it might be too late for that.
Both said that, in many ways, the reforms are being implemented in a vacuum — signed off on on paper, but not filtered down into lower ranks by a command staff leftover from Suhr’s tenure. One of the officers challenged this reporter to ask any lower-ranking officer about the intention of the Department of Justice recommendations. “They’re going to say, ‘I don’t know.’”
Conversely, it’s unclear if the community’s recommendations are making their way to their chief. Many stakeholders complained that, after they gave their input, the policymaking undertaken by the department was opaque at best. The working groups are led by Scott’s command staff.
“I think it’s a little bit too late,” said one of the officers regarding Scott’s ability to change the department. “He’s been here over a year, and he still has the same command staff.”
Indeed, while some expected a shakeup of SFPD’s top brass following Scott’s swearing-in, the chief opted to either keep or promote many of the commanders who served under Suhr. Assistant chiefs Tony Chaplin and Hector Sainez, as well as deputy chiefs Mikail Ali and Denise Schmitt, were deputy chiefs under Suhr.
Deputy Chief Michael Redmond remained in charge of the operation’s bureau, and Commander Robert Moser kept his place as head of the Investigations Bureau. Many others remained or were promoted.
The officer further asserted that Scott has been largely siloed off from the rank-and-file officers — the very people he needs to follow him on his path to reform. And if he were to visit officers at the station level, he needs to do so without his command staff present, the officer said.
“He still has officers who say he hasn’t visited locations in their department,” the officer said. “They feel they don’t matter.”
“To change the department, you have to first be embraced by the department,” the officer added. “He can’t do it isolated by himself, and not even with his command staff. Because he’s not out there each day with citizens.”
Likewise, another officer described Scott as isolated from much of the department — that he and his command staff have not made serious efforts to reach down into the department. “He’s relying on (a staff) who’s not connected to rank-and-file to begin with,” the officer said, noting that neither of his assistant chiefs served as district captains.
Moreover, that officer charged that Scott did not interview any of the command staff before keeping or promoting them. The officer said Scott did not vet the talent in the organization who would be willing to adopt his agenda.
“How do you really know what’s going on in this place?” the officer said.
The officer asserted, too, that Scott has canceled the last six monthly commissioned-ranked meetings — composed of mostly captains and lieutenants. Commissioned-ranked officers, the officer said, are responsible for setting the tone at each district station, and if Scott is not meeting with them regularly, how can he truly implement his new policies and create change? the officer asked.
“You have to bring people together,” the officer continued. “If you’re not able to bring people on your team together, how are you able to fight people who aren’t on your team?”
One retired officer who, like the others, asked to remain anonymous, also described Scott as “walled off” and “not in touch.”
“He’s a delegating executive and not in tune with what’s going on — he doesn’t have his ear to the ground,” the officer said. “It’s like he’s telecommuting.”
That officer said Scott needs to show up to more crime scenes and district stations. “Just for the appearance that says, ‘I’m with you guys.’”
All three of the officers agreed that Scott cannot make lasting and meaningful changes in the department if he remains hidden behind a wall of deputies and commanders.
“Simply because we have an outsider with different lens, it doesn’t mean he’s doing a good job,” the officer said. “And just because he’s fighting POA, doesn’t mean he’s doing his job.”
Scott and the POA
S till, many stakeholders and policy experts in the collaborative reform process are reassured by Scott’s sword-crossing with the Police Officers Association.
Last November, Scott decided to take his commanders — who are heavily involved in the reform effort — out of the union, which also has a say, via the contract negotiation process, on how policies are implemented.
In February, the chief wrote a letter to the Department of Elections blasting the union’s decision to put a measure on the June ballot asking voters to approve tasers. This earned him the full and public wrath of Martin Halloran, the union president.
“Unfortunately, the Chief allowed himself to be played like a cheap fiddle by some on the Police Commission who have their own agenda,” Halloran wrote in the union newsletter. “He should get rid of whoever is advising — otherwise, he is going to drive an irreparable wedge between himself and the membership.”
In March, Scott fired Christopher Samayoa, a rookie cop who fatally shot an unarmed carjacking suspect in the Bayview last December — a move that also prompted barbs from the union.
“This Chief has demonstrated his lack of care or concern for his officers on too many occasions and this latest misguided action will not go unanswered by the POA,” Halloran wrote.
Barbara Attard, a long-time police accountability consultant who was an early member of the Office of Citizen Complaints, now the Department of Police Accountability, said she’s been impressed with Scott’s work on the reforms and standing up to the union.
“He needs to keep doing what he’s doing — being independent and going forward with the reforms,” she added. “That’s why the backlash is so strong from the POA.”
Anand Subramanian is a senior policy director at PolicyLink who led the Blue Ribbon Panel on Transparency, Accountability and Fairness in Law Enforcement, a report commissioned by the District Attorney that examined systemic bias in the SFPD.
During its probe, Subramanian said, it found that the union, known as the POA, had influence over the SFPD in its culture and policy-making. Past chiefs, he said, rarely stood up to the union, as it used “divisive tactics” and “outlandish rhetoric.”
Scott, he said, has shown clear leadership on the policy side, citing his taking commanders out of the union, his opposition to Proposition H and his firing of Samayoa.
But, Subramanian said, “The chief needs to talk to his officers as though their membership in the department is more important than membership in POA.”
“The POA does a good job convincing its membership that there’s no difference between members and POA as a political entity,” he said.
To change culture, however, Subramanian said Scott needs to feel comfortable firing cops, even if the union fights back.
“The idea that the POA can spin something like that into the notion that he doesn’t have your back is the main problem,” he said. “Whenever an officer tries to do the right thing, they blast them for it and call it a lack of loyalty — whether it’s a whistleblower or chief trying to hold officers accountable.”
That notion is crucial, says John Talbott, a business-development expert who sits on the bias and accountability working groups. He said using strict discipline on members who do not follow procedure is crucial for changing an organization, and Scott’s decision to fire Samayoa was an important step in underscoring the idea that there are consequences for failing to follow procedures.
“If the union is going to fight you with high paid lawyers on anything you do like that, then you can see how they’re going to obstruct change,” he said.
Halloran did not respond to requests for comment, but POA leadership has consistently denied that it is obstructing change. The union stated early on that it supported the DOJ reforms.
Father Smith said Scott should not be afraid to challenge the POA. “Past chiefs have lived in fear of the POA,” he said. “They’ve had to navigate (the union), but the tides are shifting. I don’t think the chief needs to be afraid of them like chiefs have in the past.”
Smith said that, although he is reassured by how Scott has dealt with the union, he could be even bolder.
“We’re cutting him slack because he’s still new,” Smith said. “Maybe there is more to come with more time — but so far he has not stepped up, and we’re hoping that’ll change quickly.”
Scott and City Hall
O n a recent Tuesday in room 551 in the Hall of Justice, Scott endured a barrage of questions under oath from POA lawyer Gregg Adam during an arbitration hearing on the department’s contract with the city. It was a rare public encounter between Scott and the union, which has been a fierce critic of Scott since his arrival.
“Why do you think the POA should give up the ability of the members to have their voice heard in the (policy-making) process?” Adam asked, referring to a section in the contract that would limit the union’s ability to draw out the approval of policies related to the DOJ reforms.
“My intent was to expedite the process wherever we could,” Scott said, hunched over in his chair. “Neither the department nor I crafted the proposal — that’s the city’s role as negotiator.”
But Scott said he supported the provision — as, in the end, his own role as chief is implementing the DOJ reforms.
Crew and Subramanian are both members of the so-called “No Justice, No Deal Coalition,” which is advocating for the contract to include language that limits the POA’s influence over the reforms.
Both believe the city can support Scott and his mandate by supporting the provision — called “City Proposal 22,” which limits the time the union can request a so-called “meet-and-confer” sessions to deliberate over policies related to the federal reforms. The union would also have to waive its right to further deliberation if no agreement is reached following the deliberations.
“Right now, there’s the reform side and the anti-reform side, and who is leading the reform side? Bill Scott,” Crew said. “And who is lining up behind that team? Everyone in town — except the POA.”
That wasn’t always the case. Mayor Mark Farrell initially supported the POA-authored Taser measure. Moreover, for a short period, Farrell shared an advisor, Nate Ballard, with the union, raising questions about how Farrell would steer the city during negotiations.
Since then, however, the city has begun to show more support.
Farrell withdrew his backing of the union’s Taser measure. The Human Resource Department, operating under the mayor’s office, added the proposal that limited the union’s ability to influence DOJ-related policies.
Moreover, the Board of Supervisors, which will eventually have to approve the agreement, recently introduced a resolution supporting the meet-and-confer proposal in the contract, saying that the SFPD should not get the requested nine to 13 percent pay raise if the language is not included. (The resolution, however, was effectively killed by Supervisors Ahsha Safai and Catherine Stefani.)
Crew said the reforms and Scott’s apparent raison d’etre to implement them are at a “pivot point.”
If Proposition H, the Taser measure, passes, and the contract includes no language that limits the POA’s influence on the reforms, the POA will be “emboldened” and “the chief will have a much harder job,” he said. “Whoever the chief is.”
Tags: police • SFPD
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GREG SMITH on May 3, 2018 at 8:40 am
“Assistant chiefs Tony Chaplin and Hector Sainez, as well as deputy chiefs Mikail Ali and Denise Schmitt, were deputy chiefs under Suhr.” It should be noted that Chaplin and Ali (a Muslim) are African American, Sainez is Hispanic and Schmitt is a lesbian. Coming in from out of town and demoting them might not have been a good move in minority sensitive San Francisco.
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Beyonce Pulling Out All the Stops for Coachella, Adds 100 Backup Dancers
Jacinta Howard
Beyoncé is deep into rehearsals for her much-anticipated performance at Coachella this month, and according to TMZ, she's pulling out all the stops.
She's reportedly upped the number of her backup dancers from around a dozen to 100. While there's no telling if this was always the plan, things sure seem to be heating up as she preps for her performance.
Bey had to pull out last year because she was pregnant with the twins, and this year, all signs indicate that she's trying to make up for the missed dates with an epic performance. Last week, it was revealed that she's been pulling 11-hour rehearsal days at a "high profile" studio in L.A. Of course, her performance is top secret. TMZ claims even the executives at her label don't know what's up her sleeve this go-around.
The superstar singer is also gearing up for her OTRII tour with JAY-Z (the pair celebrated their 10 year anniversary on April 4). The two were spotted in Kingston, Jamaica last month, shooting something that likely has to do with the tour. Already, the pair has added dates to the initially tour announcements due to it quickly selling out.
Coachella kicks off on April 13 and ends on April 22.
Classic Hip-Hop and R&B Albums Turning 20 in 2018
20 Albums that turned 20 in 2018
Source: Beyonce Pulling Out All the Stops for Coachella, Adds 100 Backup Dancers
Filed Under: beyonce
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The Life of a Plastic Surgeon: Applying Precision Artistry
Dr. Roostaeian is a practicing plastic surgeon at UCLA.
The life of a plastic surgeon is never dull. Each patient's case is unique, requiring a precise attention to detail to complement the technical ability of this practice. Jason Roostaeian, MD, a plastic surgeon and assistant clinical professor in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, arrived at this specialty via an uncommon path — he studied economics and played music as an undergrad. But he's enjoyed bringing hope to patients who often need it most in this rewarding specialty.
Finding a specialty
At the beginning of medical school, all Dr. Roostaeian knew was that he wanted to be a surgeon, which would allowed him to work with his hands. Making a decision beyond that, however, was not easy.
"Choosing a specialty is hard," he says. "It takes a lot of soul-searching to figure out what you want out of life. You've got to look beyond what's merely interesting to what you want to do every day."
He was exposed to plastic surgery early into medical school, during an anatomy class. The combination of creative, aesthetic talent and precision that goes into plastic surgery appealed to him. "As a plastic surgeon, you can operate on the entire body," he adds. "It is technical, and the end result is seen by everyone."
Pursuing this path
Plastic surgery is much more than the nose adjustments and breast enhancements that often come to mind. In medical school, Dr. Roostaeian devoted himself to becoming as well-rounded in the plastic surgery field as possible, completing training in the David Geffen School of Medicine's highly competitive General Surgery – Plastic Surgery program. He followed this with specialty training in advanced aesthetic surgery, then a fellowship in microvascular surgery.
A microvascular surgeon sees many people with cancer — primarily of the brain, neck or breast — as well as trauma resulting in a devastating injury. The specialty involves reconstructions that take tissue from one part of the body and apply it to another by connecting the small blood vessels (about 1–2 millimeters in size) under a microscope. Another specialty of plastic surgery is craniofacial surgery, which is often associated with pediatric conditions, namely cleft lip and skull reconstruction for young patients.
During most days in the life of a plastic surgeon, the work cycles between the clinic and the operating room. For Dr. Roostaeian, operation days start by meeting the patient at 7:00 am to describe the surgery and map out the procedure. Surgery can begin as soon as 7:30 am and last most of the day. Microvascular surgery often lasts six to 12 hours depending on its complexity. Work in the clinic, however, involves consultations to discuss patients' needs, interests, aesthetic goals and a mutual plan to achieve them.
"Within plastic surgery, there's a lot of artistry and design involved," he says. "You have to have foresight into what you're creating. That's one of the most fun parts about it and a big part of why I love what I do."
One of the most gratifying aspects of being a plastic surgeon is that you are often the bearer of the hope and good news patients want.
"I see a lot of people with cancer," he says. "This is a population with a great need. When many other specialties have to deliver bad news, I am able to talk about what we [can effectively] give back to them."
For medical school students trying to find their own path, Dr. Roostaeian recommends going into every opportunity with an open mind: "With each rotation, it's your last chance to learn about that field if you choose not to pursue it," he says. "Rotations are your opportunity to understand what other specialists do, which makes you a more well-rounded doctor."
By Patricia Chaney
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Perceptions of Ypsilanti
Subtitle: The Ypsi-Arbor Culture War
Ypsilanti often suffers from (or basks in) the disapproving gaze of other Washtenaw County residents. As the income disparity has grown between Ypsi and Ann Arbor (along with its now-satellite communities of Saline, Chelsea, and Dexter), Ypsilanti's working class heritage, racial diversity, and general "grittiness" have set it apart.
Many residents of Ann Arbor and the western Washtenaw communities hold negative perceptions of Ypsi as a haven for drugs and crime and of EMU as the poor cousin to the University of Michigan.
Many Ypsilanti residents take pride in the distinction, though, resisting what they see as creeping yuppification radiating out of Ann Arbor. These residents take pride in what's variously seen as Ypsi's historic heritage, Ypsi's working class cred, or Ypsi's punk appeal. This pride is reflected in a variety of ways, ranging from the annual Ypsilanti Heritage Festival to the "ypsipanties" produced by Crimewave USA, while the Ypsi Crime Maps website aims to combat the perception of crime by providing a map comparable to the Ann Arbor Observer's monthly crime map.
"Ypsitucky"
The nickname Ypsitucky is a prime example of this mixture of perceptions. Many Ann Arborites and other County residents have heard the name and understand it to be a slur on Ypsilanti. The name has historical roots, however, in the hundreds of workers that Ford relocated from Kentucky to work at the Willow Run bomber plant during World War II. The relocation was large enough that the community of transplants was able to retain some coherent sense of their heritage, and the hybrid nickname has stuck.
Ypsilanti theme songs
Two compelling tunes vie for the official song of Ypsi: http://cousinsvinyl.com/2007/the-booty-dont-stop-in-ypsilanti/
http://www.concentratemedia.com/features/washtenawavenueproject0119.aspx
One of the biggest changes of the past year has been a subtle improvement in Ypsilanti's image. (William) Kinley says when he bought property in Ypsi in 1967, the city was clearly on a downward slide. Washtenaw was a two-lane road then, he recalls. Forty years later, it's finally turning around. "Some of it's [due to greater] affordability. The creative group is really taking the city to heart. I'm modestly optimistic. Ypsilanti is becoming Brooklyn to Ann Arbor's Manhattan," Kinley says.
Nearby LocalWiki regions: Ypsilanti Canton, MI Wyandotte and Greater Downriver Dearborn and Dearborn Heights Jackson, MI Detroit
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Cell Line, Tumor
Tumor Cells, Cultured
Spindle Apparatus
Centrosome
3T3 Cells
Schizosaccharomyces
Caulobacter crescentus
Life Cycle Stages
Cell Cycle Proteins
Cyclins
Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21
Retinoblastoma Protein
CDC2 Protein Kinase
Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2
Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases
Cyclin D1
Cyclin E
Cyclin A
DNA-Binding Proteins
Cyclin B
Nuclear Proteins
CDC2-CDC28 Kinases
E2F Transcription Factors
Cyclin B1
Cyclin D
Bromodeoxyuridine
E2F1 Transcription Factor
Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor Proteins
Fungal Proteins
Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen
Proto-Oncogene Proteins
Transcription Factor DP1
Mimosine
Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes
Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 1
Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome
Recombinant Fusion Proteins
Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
Cyclin A2
CDC28 Protein Kinase, S cerevisiae
Repressor Proteins
Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins
Checkpoint Kinase 2
Blotting, Western
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Microscopy, Fluorescence
Cell Cycle Checkpoints
G1 Phase
S Phase
Cell Proliferation
G2 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints
Genes, cdc
Estrous Cycle
Transcription, Genetic
Cell Differentiation
Citric Acid Cycle
Cell Survival
S Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints
Down-Regulation
M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
Promoter Regions, Genetic
Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
AnatomyChemicals and DrugsPhenomena and Processes
Cell CycleCell Cycle ProteinsCell Cycle CheckpointsG1 PhaseS PhaseMitosisCyclinsCell DivisionMenstrual CycleG2 PhaseCyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21ApoptosisCyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27Retinoblastoma ProteinCell ProliferationG2 Phase Cell Cycle CheckpointsG0 PhaseCDC2 Protein KinaseCell Line, TumorG1 Phase Cell Cycle CheckpointsTumor Suppressor Protein p53Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2Protein-Serine-Threonine KinasesCyclin D1Phosphorylation
The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of two contraceptive methods and the menstrual cycle on the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics of tenofovir 1% gel and the effect of the contraceptive methods on markers of mucosal safety. (clinicaltrials.gov)
In sum, the menstrual cycle phase has relatively modest effects on ventilation, but no effect on V̇ O 2 max of HA native women. (biologists.org)
The physiological changes that occur during the post-ovulatory (early to mid-luteal, L) phase of the menstrual cycle include rises in progesterone (P) and estrogen (E2) levels. (biologists.org)
The menstrual cycle also affects systemic and renal hemodynamic systems. (biologists.org)
Specialists and professionals in cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and pharmacology will also find this book useful. (springer.com)
Using a repeated-measures design on a large study sample, our purpose was to determine whether ovarian cycle-phase affects maximal exercise performance (V̇ O 2 max ) in women who had lived at an altitude of 3600 m since birth or early childhood. (biologists.org)
Practical and comprehensive, Cell Cycle Synchronization: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition is a valuable resource for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, and researchers interested in general science, pharmacy, medicine and public health, computer science, and life sciences. (springer.com)
checkpoints
If DNA damage or abnormalities in spindle formation are detected at these checkpoints, the cell is forced to undergo programmed cell death, or apoptosis . (britannica.com)
Hartwell LH, Weinert TA (1989) Checkpoints: Controls which ensure the order of cell cycle events. (springer.com)
Murray AW (1992) Creative blocks: Cell cycle checkpoints and feedback controls. (springer.com)
Hartwell LH (1992) Defects in cell cycle checkpoints may be responsible for the genomic instability of cancer cells. (springer.com)
Key genes that regulate cell cycle progression and checkpoints encode cullins, cyclins, and cyclin-dependent kinases and their inhibitors. (qiagen.com)
To ensure the proper division of the cell, there are control mechanisms known as cell cycle checkpoints. (wikipedia.org)
Cell cycle checkpoints are control mechanisms in eukaryotic cells which ensure proper division of the cell. (wikipedia.org)
The cell cycle checkpoints play an important role in the control system by sensing defects that occur during essential processes such as DNA replication or chromosome segregation, and inducing a cell cycle arrest in response until the defects are repaired. (wikipedia.org)
The main mechanism of action of the cell cycle checkpoints is through the regulation of the activities of a family of protein kinases known as the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), which bind to different classes of regulator proteins known as cyclins, with specific cyclin-CDK complexes being formed and activated at different phases of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
Cell cycle anomalies revealed on the DNA content frequency histogram are often observed after different types of cell damage, for example such DNA damage that interrupts the cell cycle progression at certain checkpoints. (wikipedia.org)
The switches maintain the orderly progression of the cell cycle and act as checkpoints to ensure that each phase has been properly completed before progression to the next phase. (wikipedia.org)
Mitosis is the process of how eukaryotic cells divide and replicate. (google.com)
Without moving the slide, count the number of cells in interphase and each stage of mitosis and record below. (google.com)
The cell cycle includes 4 main phases: Gap 1 (G1), DNA replication (S), Gap 2 (G2), and mitosis (M). Tight regulation of the transition between these phases halts cell cycle progression if a phase is not properly completed. (qiagen.com)
Mitotic cell cycle progression is accomplished through a reproducible sequence of events, DNA replication (S phase) and mitosis (M phase) separated temporally by gaps known as G1 and G2 phases. (genome.jp)
During interphase, the cell grows, accumulating nutrients needed for mitosis, preparing it for cell division and duplicating its DNA. (wikipedia.org)
The cell cycle consists of four distinct phases: G1 phase, S phase (synthesis), G2 phase (collectively known as interphase) and M phase (mitosis). (wikipedia.org)
and the M (mitosis) phase, during which the duplicated chromosomes (known as the sister chromatids) separate into two daughter nuclei, and the cell divides into two daughter cells, each with a full copy of DNA. (wikipedia.org)
The phases include the G1 and G2 phases, DNA replication or S phase, and the actual process of cell division, mitosis or M phase. (wikipedia.org)
It senses tension between sister chromatids during mitosis, and it degrades when they separate preventing cell cycle arrest and chromosome loss.Human shugoshin is diffusible and mediates formation of kinetochore-microtubules during bipolar spindle assembly. (wikipedia.org)
mitotic
The cell cycle is divided into different stages with those particular to cell division defined as the Mitotic phase. (google.com)
Many post-mitotic cells undergo apoptosis. (bio.net)
In cells with a nucleus, as in eukaryotes, the cell cycle is also divided into three periods: interphase, the mitotic (M) phase, and cytokinesis. (wikipedia.org)
The word "post-mitotic" is sometimes used to refer to both quiescent and senescent cells. (wikipedia.org)
Some cells enter the G0 phase semi-permanently and are considered post-mitotic, e.g., some liver, kidney, and stomach cells. (wikipedia.org)
The concurrent measurement of cellular DNA and RNA content, or DNA susceptibility to denaturation at low pH using the metachromatic dye acridine orange, reveals the G1Q, G1A, and G1B cell cycle compartments and also makes it possible to discriminate between S, G2 and mitotic cells. (wikipedia.org)
TRRAP is also required for the mitotic checkpoint and normal cell cycle progression. (wikipedia.org)
For example, mutations in a protein called p53 , which normally detects abnormalities in DNA at the G1 checkpoint, can enable cancer-causing mutations to bypass this checkpoint and allow the cell to escape apoptosis. (britannica.com)
Other cell cycle regulatory genes include apoptosis regulators and DNA damage sensors. (qiagen.com)
it is often a biochemical alternative to the self-destruction of such a damaged cell by apoptosis. (wikipedia.org)
Such an arrest of the cell cycle progression can lead either to an effective DNA repair, which may prevent transformation of normal into a cancer cell (carcinogenesis), or to cell death, often by the mode of apoptosis. (wikipedia.org)
Neurons subject to loss of synaptic connections, chronic exposure to oxidative stress or stress hormones like glucocorticoids will exit G0 and reenter into a cell cycle that is abortive and leads to cell death through apoptosis. (wikipedia.org)
Since the cell is unable to complete the cell cycle, it dies via apoptosis (Meikrantz et al. (wikipedia.org)
2007). Other aberrations in cell cycle dynamics influence cell senescence, oxidative stress, and misregulated apoptosis (Franco et al. (wikipedia.org)
For example, the G2-M DNA damage checkpoint ensures the fidelity of DNA replication, and arrests the cell cycle to allow time for replication error correction and DNA damage repair. (qiagen.com)
Subversion of the cellular machinery that controls replication of the infected host cell is a common activity of many viruses. (springer.com)
A number of DNA and RNA viruses encode proteins that target critical cell cycle regulators to achieve cellular conditions that are beneficial for viral replication. (springer.com)
In contrast, some viruses can arrest cells in a particular phase of the cell cycle that is favorable for replication of the specific virus. (springer.com)
In this chapter, we summarize various strategies employed by DNA and RNA viruses to modulate the replication cycle of the virus-infected cell. (springer.com)
Flemington EK (2001) Herpesvirus lytic replication and the cell cycle: arresting new developments. (springer.com)
Dove B, Brooks G, Bicknell K, Wurm T, Hiscox JA (2006) Cell cycle perturbations induced by infection with the coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus and their effect on virus replication. (springer.com)
The cell cycle or cell-division cycle is the series of events that take place in a cell leading to its division and duplication of its DNA (DNA replication) to produce two daughter cells. (wikipedia.org)
The B period extends from the end of cell division to the beginning of DNA replication. (wikipedia.org)
The D period refers to the stage between the end of DNA replication and the splitting of the bacterial cell into two daughter cells. (wikipedia.org)
Compared to the eukaryotic cell cycle, the prokaryotic cell cycle (known as binary fission) is relatively simple and quick: the chromosome replicates from the origin of replication, a new membrane is assembled, and the cell wall forms a septum which divides the cell into two. (wikipedia.org)
The cells in G1Q are quiescent, temporarily withdrawn from the cell cycle (also identifiable as G0), the G1A are in the growth phase while G1B are the cells just prior entering S, with their growth (RNA and protein content, size) similar to that of the cells initiating DNA replication. (wikipedia.org)
The Cdc7 kinase is involved in regulation of the cell cycle at the point of chromosomal DNA replication. (wikipedia.org)
It has been suggested that the protein is essential for initiation of DNA replication and that it plays a role in regulating cell cycle progression. (wikipedia.org)
Finally, transcription factors within the nucleus must initiate the transcription of genes involved in cell proliferation. (britannica.com)
Multicellular organisms, such as humans, also have to maintain the correct order of events within the cell cycle, and must, in addition, regulate the growth and division of different tissues so that uncontrolled proliferation does not lead to tumorigenesis (3, 4). (springer.com)
This complex task of controlling the timing of cell proliferation in response to both external stimuli and internal status is not yet fully understood. (springer.com)
This interest stems from (a) the fact that cancer is a disease of uncontrolled proliferation, (b) the finding that many of the commonly used anticancer agents are preferentially toxic to cells that are actively proliferating, and (c) the observa- tion that significant differences in proliferation characteristics exist between normal and malignant cells. (springer.com)
Viruses employ different strategies to deregulate cell cycle checkpoint controls and modulate cell proliferation pathways. (springer.com)
Lavia P, Mileo AM, Giordano A, Paggi MG (2003) Emerging roles of DNA tumor viruses in cell proliferation: new insights into genomic instability. (springer.com)
In mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), Cdc7 is needed for proliferation. (wikipedia.org)
Increased expression of the p16 gene as organisms age reduces the proliferation of stem cells. (wikipedia.org)
p16 acts as a tumor suppressor by binding to CDK4/6 and preventing its interaction with cyclin D. This interaction ultimately inhibits the downstream activities of transcription factors, such as E2F1, and arrests cell proliferation. (wikipedia.org)
It targets CD117, which then prevents cell migration and proliferation in endothelial cells. (wikipedia.org)
Eukaryotic cells respond to DNA damage by activating signaling pathways that promote cell cycle arrest and DNA repair. (genome.jp)
this means that most eukaryotic cells have the Cdc7 kinase protein. (wikipedia.org)
Draw and label (identify) a cell in interphase. (google.com)
cancerous cells divide at a higher rate, therefore, more cells in the stage of interphase would suggest a higher effectiveness of chemotherapy. (google.com)
Discuss the differences between interphase and stages of cell division. (google.com)
The stages G1, S, and G2 make up interphase, which accounts for the span between cell divisions. (britannica.com)
During the Interphase the cell grows and it makes copy of DNA, and it prepares to divide. (smore.com)
After cell division, each of the daughter cells begin the interphase of a new cycle. (wikipedia.org)
Although the various stages of interphase are not usually morphologically distinguishable, each phase of the cell cycle has a distinct set of specialized biochemical processes that prepare the cell for initiation of cell divisions. (wikipedia.org)
Interphase is a series of changes that takes place in a newly formed cell and its nucleus, before it becomes capable of division again. (wikipedia.org)
Previously it was called resting stage because there is no apparent activity related to cell division.Typically interphase lasts for at least 90% of the total time required for the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
CDKs regulate the cell's progression through the phases of the cell cycle by modulating the activity of key substrates. (genome.jp)
Each checkpoint serves as a potential point along the cell cycle, during which the conditions of the cell are assessed, with progression through the various phases of the cell cycle occurring when favorable conditions are met. (wikipedia.org)
Cell cycle analysis by DNA content measurement is a method that most frequently employs flow cytometry to distinguish cells in different phases of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
As the DNA content doubles during the S phase, the DNA content (and thereby intensity of fluorescence) of cells in the G0 phase and G1 phase (before S), in the S phase, and in the G2 phase and M phase (after S) identifies the cell cycle phase position in the major phases (G0/G1 versus S versus G2/M phase) of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
The cellular DNA content of individual cells is often plotted as their frequency histogram to provide information about relative frequency (percentage) of cells in the major phases of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
Cell-cycle nonspecific antineoplastic agents (CCNS) refer to a class of pharmaceuticals that act as antitumor agents at all or any phases of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
A series of biochemical switches control transitions between and within the various phases of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
The cell cycle is a series of complex, ordered, sequential events that control how a single cell divides into two cells, and involves several different phases. (wikipedia.org)
The gene coding for the Dbf4 or ASK protein is regulated during the different phases of cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
Cell cycle dysregulation commonly occurs during oncogenesis, and tumor cells often do not arrest the cell cycle when normally required. (qiagen.com)
Cell cycle arrest may inhibit early cell death of infected cells, allow the cells to evade immune defenses, or help promote virus assembly. (springer.com)
Davy C, Doorbar J (2007) G2/M cell cycle arrest in the life cycle of viruses. (springer.com)
When DNA damage occurs, or when the cell detects any defects which necessitate it to delay or halt the cell cycle in G1, arrest occurs through several mechanisms. (wikipedia.org)
An arrest of cells in G0 or G1 is often seen as a result of lack of nutrients (growth factors), for example after serum deprivation. (wikipedia.org)
QIAGEN provides a broad range of assay technologies for cell cycle research that enables analysis of gene expression and regulation, epigenetic modification, genotyping, and signal transduction pathway activation. (qiagen.com)
The Human Cell Cycle RT² Profiler PCR Array profiles the expression of 84 genes key to cell cycle regulation. (qiagen.com)
The Human Cell Cycle EpiTect Methyl II Signature PCR Array profiles the promoter methylation status of a panel of 22 genes key to cell cycle regulation. (qiagen.com)
The Human Cell Cycle EpiTect Chip qPCR Array profiles the histone modification status or "histone code" of 84 genes key to cell cycle regulation. (qiagen.com)
Swanton C, Jones N (2001) Strategies in subversion: de-regulation of the mammalian cell cycle by viral gene products. (springer.com)
Cyclin-CDK inhibitors (CKIs), such as p16Ink4a, p15Ink4b, p27Kip1, and p21Cip1, are involved in the negative regulation of CDK activities, thus providing a pathway through which the cell cycle is negatively regulated. (genome.jp)
This example clearly shows the combined effects that positive and negative feedback loops have on cell-cycle regulation. (wikipedia.org)
Ultrasensitivity plays a large role in cell-cycle regulation. (wikipedia.org)
The gene, CDC7, is involved in the regulation of cell cycle because of the gene product Cdc7 kinase. (wikipedia.org)
p16 plays an important role in cell cycle regulation by decelerating cells progression from G1 phase to S phase, and therefore acts as a tumor suppressor that is implicated in the prevention of cancers, notably melanoma, oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, cervical cancer, and esophageal cancer. (wikipedia.org)
Lee MG, Nurse P (1987) Complementation used to clone a human homologue of the fission yeast cell cycle control gene cdc2. (springer.com)
There was no question that the fission yeast cdc2 cell-cycle control gene, encoding a cyclin-dependent protein kinase, or CDK, and our newly identified human gene were structurally very similar. (springer.com)
And given that the cdc2 gene was central to cell-cycle control in yeast, it was extremely likely that CDKs were controlling cell reproduction by the same mechanism in all eukaryotes, from the humble yeast cell all the way to the cells in human beings. (springer.com)
Regulator of cell cycle RGCC (RGCC) also known as response gene to complement 32 protein (RGC-32) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the RGCC gene. (wikipedia.org)
This gene is thought to regulate cell cycle progression. (wikipedia.org)
Cell division cycle 7-related protein kinase is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the CDC7 gene. (wikipedia.org)
The product encoded by this gene is predominantly localized in the nucleus and is a cell division cycle protein with kinase activity. (wikipedia.org)
In spite of their structural and functional differences, the CDK inhibitor isoforms and the ARF product encoded by this gene, through the regulatory roles of CDK4 and p53 in cell cycle G1 progression, share a common functionality in control of the G1 phase of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
On one end, the hypermethylation, mutation, or deletion of p16 leads to downregulation of the gene and can lead to cancer through the dysregulation of cell cycle progression. (wikipedia.org)
Mutations resulting in deletion or reduction of function of the CDKN2A gene are associated with increased risk of a wide range of cancers and alterations of the gene are frequently seen in cancer cell lines. (wikipedia.org)
regulate cell
Since the most important change in an organism through time is the chemical reactions that result in a single cell developing into a multicellular organism, whatever controls these chemical reactions that regulate cell growth, development, and death, is believed to control aging. (wikipedia.org)
The protein also translocates to the nucleus in response to treatment with complement system proteins, and can associate with and increase the kinase activity of cell division cycle 2 protein. (wikipedia.org)
In different assays and cell types, overexpression of this protein has been shown to activate or suppress cell cycle progression. (wikipedia.org)
For example, Cdk, or cyclin dependent kinase, is a major control switch for the cell cycle and it allows the cell to move from G1 to S or G2 to M by adding phosphate to protein substrates. (wikipedia.org)
Although expression levels of the protein appear to be constant throughout the cell cycle, the protein kinase activity appears to increase during S phase. (wikipedia.org)
The protein is expressed at constant levels throughout the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
Just as its name suggests, the Shugoshin protein guides chromosome cohesion during cell division. (wikipedia.org)
have shown that experimental over-expression of mir-145 down-regulates the junctional cell adhesion molecule JAM-A as well as the actin bundling protein fascin. (wikipedia.org)
The proteins that play a role in stimulating cell division can be classified into four groups- growth factors , growth factor receptors , signal transducers, and nuclear regulatory proteins ( transcription factors ). (britannica.com)
Cells use special proteins and checkpoint signaling systems to ensure that the cell cycle progresses properly. (britannica.com)
However, the cell cycle and its checkpoint systems can be sabotaged by defective proteins or genes that cause malignant transformation of the cell, which can lead to cancer . (britannica.com)
In this phase, the cell increases its supply of proteins, increases the number of organelles (such as mitochondria, ribosomes), and grows in size. (wikipedia.org)
As the eukaryotic cell cycle is a complex process, eukaryotes have evolved a network of regulatory proteins, known as the cell cycle control system, which monitors and dictates the progression of the cell through the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
It is induced by p53 in response to DNA damage, or by sublytic levels of complement system proteins that result in activation of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
It is frequently absent from genes that encode proteins used in virtually all cells. (wikipedia.org)
Overexpression of miR-200c in non-metastatic 4TO7 cells readily enables MET and colonization of the liver and lung. (wikipedia.org)
to cell-cycle, what the factors could be to induce senescence? (bio.net)
I am interested in learing senescence, apoptosos and cell-cycle. (bio.net)
When the HPG axis becomes unbalanced, cellular growth and development is dysregulated, and cell death and dysfunction can occur, both of which can initiate senescence, the accumulated damage to cells, tissues, and organs that occurs with the passage of time and that is associated with functional loss during aging. (wikipedia.org)
This reduction in the division and production of stem cells protects against cancer while increasing the risks associated with cellular senescence. (wikipedia.org)
Conversely, activation of p16 through the ROS pathway, DNA damage, or senescence leads to the buildup of p16 in tissues and is implicated in aging of cells. (wikipedia.org)
Non-proliferative (non-dividing) cells in multicellular eukaryotes generally enter the quiescent G0 state from G1 and may remain quiescent for long periods of time, possibly indefinitely (as is often the case for neurons). (wikipedia.org)
As the cell progresses through G1, depending on internal and external conditions, it can either delay G1, enter a quiescent state known as G0, or proceed past the restriction point. (wikipedia.org)
Similar cell cycle compartments are also recognized by multiparameter analysis that includes measurement of expression of cyclin D1, cyclin E, cyclin A and cyclin B1, each in relation to DNA content Concurrent measurement of DNA content and of incorporation of DNA precursor 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) by flow cytometry is an especially useful assay, that has been widely used in analysis of the cell cycle in vitro and in vivo. (wikipedia.org)
So how did I become a scientist, why was I working on this problem, and what was the journey that led to this discovery that the CDKs are the major regulators of eukaryotic cell-cycle progression? (springer.com)
senescent cells
message was truncated but as of note: senescent cells (Hayflick cells) are not necessarily apoptotic. (bio.net)
epithelial cells
Many cells do not enter G0 and continue to divide throughout an organism's life, e.g., epithelial cells. (wikipedia.org)
While the mir-200 family is highly expressed in normal epithelial cells, it is not expressed in normal fibroblast cells that are of mesenchymal origin. (wikipedia.org)
Unfortunately, several difficulties have prevented realiza- tion of the early promise of cell cycle analysis: Proliferative patterns of the normal and malignant tissues have been found to be substantially more complex than originally an- ticipated, and synchronization of human tumors has proved remarkably difficult. (springer.com)
By contrast, miR-200 has been shown to promote the last step of metastasis in which migrating cancer cells undergo MET during their colonization at distant tissues. (wikipedia.org)
divides
M phase is itself composed of two tightly coupled processes: karyokinesis, in which the cell's chromosomes are divided, and cytokinesis, in which the cell's cytoplasm divides forming two daughter cells. (wikipedia.org)
During this process, known as the cell cycle, a cell duplicates its contents and then divides in two. (wikipedia.org)
The Cignal E2F Reporter Assay Kit is designed to monitor the activity of E2F-regulated signaling pathways in cultured cells. (qiagen.com)
Cdc42 in turn regulates signaling pathways that control diverse cellular functions including morphology, migration, endocytosis and cell cycle progression. (wikipedia.org)
On the basis of the stimulatory and inhibitory messages a cell receives, it "decides" whether or not it should enter the cell cycle and divide. (britannica.com)
Each cell contain one chromosomes it divide into four cells. (smore.com)
The cell divide also split all into two new cells. (smore.com)
The purpose of the cell cycle is to accurately duplicate each organism's DNA and then divide the cell and its contents evenly between the two resulting cells. (wikipedia.org)
First, a growth factor must bind to its receptor on the cell membrane . (britannica.com)
Most fluorescent DNA dyes (one of exceptions is Hoechst 33342) are not plasma membrane permeant, that is, unable to pass through an intact cell membrane. (wikipedia.org)
Lower-temperature fuel cell types such as the proton exchange membrane fuel cell, phosphoric acid fuel cell, and alkaline fuel cell require pure hydrogen as fuel, typically produced from external reforming of natural gas. (wikipedia.org)
The decision to commit to a new round of cell division occurs when the cell activates cyclin-CDK-dependent transcription which promotes entry into S phase. (wikipedia.org)
TRRAP has a central role in MYC (c-Myc) transcription activation, and also participates in cell transformation by MYC. (wikipedia.org)
The G1 checkpoint, also known as the restriction point in mammalian cells and the start point in yeast, is the point at which the cell becomes committed to entering the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
phase of the cell cycle
This system acts like a timer, or a clock, which sets a fixed amount of time for the cell to spend in each phase of the cell cycle, while at the same time it also responds to information received from the processes it controls. (wikipedia.org)
Neurons typically remain in G0, a nondividing, nonreplicating phase of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
DNA methylation of the mir-200c/mir-141 promoter occurs aberrantly in certain aggressive carcinoma cells that are of epithelial origin, but have undergone epithelial to mesenchymal transition and have the mir-200 family silenced. (wikipedia.org)
Although beneficial for the viral life cycle, virus-mediated alterations in normal cell cycle control mechanisms could have detrimental effects on cellular physiology and may ultimately contribute to pathologies associated with the viral infection, including cell transformation and cancer progression and maintenance. (springer.com)
Multiparameter analysis of the cell cycle includes, in addition to measurement of cellular DNA content, other cell cycle related constituents/features. (wikipedia.org)
cytokinesis
Unicellular organisms have to coordinate nuclear division, cytokinesis (cell separation) and DNA synthesis so that the correct order of events is maintained (1, 2). (springer.com)
During the final stage, cytokinesis, the chromosomes and cytoplasm separate into two new daughter cells. (wikipedia.org)
For a stimulatory signal to reach the nucleus and "turn on" cell division, four main steps must occur. (britannica.com)
Third, this activation must stimulate a signal to be transmitted, or transduced, from the receptor at the cell surface to the nucleus within the cell. (britannica.com)
In bacteria, which lack a cell nucleus, the cell cycle is divided into the B, C, and D periods. (wikipedia.org)
Nurse P (1975) Genetic control of cell size and cell division in yeast. (springer.com)
The principles underpinning cell-cycle control worked out in yeast cells had to be much the same in human cells. (springer.com)
Cell cycle progression is regulated by the cyclic rise and fall of kinase expression, and their interaction with, and action on, their cyclin targets. (qiagen.com)
Those complexes, in turn, activate different downstream targets to promote or prevent cell cycle progression. (wikipedia.org)
Serrano M, Hannon GL, Beach D (1993) A new regulatory motif in cell- cycle control causing specific inhibition of cyclin D/CDK4. (springer.com)
Cell cycle , the ordered sequence of events that occur in a cell in preparation for cell division . (britannica.com)
All organisms must control their cell division. (springer.com)
cell-division and let the cells become senescent? (bio.net)
Precise activation and inactivation of CDKs at specific points in the cell cycle are required for orderly cell division. (genome.jp)
The cell-division cycle is a vital process by which a single-celled fertilized egg develops into a mature organism, as well as the process by which hair, skin, blood cells, and some internal organs are renewed. (wikipedia.org)
Before a cell can enter cell division, it needs to take in nutrients. (wikipedia.org)
All living organisms are products of repeated rounds of cell growth and division. (wikipedia.org)
Next, the absence of cyclin A1 commits the neuron to division, but the cell lacks the ability to re-differentiate. (wikipedia.org)
The cell cycle hypothesis of AD proposes that the disease is caused by aberrant re-entry of different neuronal populations into the cell division cycle, following a 2-hit hypothesis (Nagy et al. (wikipedia.org)
Shugoshin is a crucial target of Bub1 kinase that plays a central role in the cohesion of chromosomes during cell division. (wikipedia.org)
In this chapter, I will attempt to describe these fundamental mechanisms that control the cell cycle, and to relate them to the etiology of cancer development. (springer.com)
Quantification of the proliferative characteristics of normal and malignant cells has been of interest to oncolo- gists and cancer biologists for almost three decades. (springer.com)
I experienced a sense of wholeness that the extraordinary diversity of life was built on common principles, and that this advance in understanding of how the cell-cycle was regulated would have many implications for the reproduction, growth and development of all living organisms, and for diseases like cancer. (springer.com)
Homozygous deletion of p16 are frequently found in esophageal cancer and gastric cancer cell lines. (wikipedia.org)
In a series of mouse mammary isogenic cancer cell lines, the miR-200 family is highly expressed only in the cells that are able to form metastases (4T1 cells) but not in other cells which are unable to colonize (4TO7 cells). (wikipedia.org)
2005). Thus, the cell-cycle hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease considers AD as a disease of deregulation of the cell cycle in neurons. (wikipedia.org)
Cell cycle markers cyclin D, Cdk4, and Ki67 are found in elevated levels in AD neurons, signifying the transition to G1 (McShea et al. (wikipedia.org)
During EMT, cells lose adhesion and increase in motility. (wikipedia.org)
Knockdown of miR-141 and miR200b has been shown to reduce E-cadherin expression thus increasing cell motility and inducing EMT. (wikipedia.org)
The concentration of Dbf4 at the G1/S transition of the cell cycle is higher than the concentration at the M/G1 transition. (wikipedia.org)
Telophase
Draw and label (identify) a cell in telophase. (google.com)
for example, by allowing identi- fication of rapidly proliferating tumors against which cell cycle-specific agents could be used with maximum effec- tiveness and by allowing rational scheduling of cell cyc- specific therapeutic agents to maximize the therapeutic ratio. (springer.com)
Human tumors of the same type have proved highly variable, and the cytokinetic tools available for cell cycle analysis have been labor intensive, as well as somewhat subjective and in many cases inapplicable to humans. (springer.com)
somatic cells
In human somatic cells, the cell cycle lasts about 18 hours, and the G1 phase takes up about 1/3 of that time. (wikipedia.org)
Analogy to apoptosis of somatic cells. (wikipedia.org)
vegetative cells
Within the fruiting bodies, cells begin as rod-shaped vegetative cells, and develop into rounded myxospores with thick cell walls. (wikipedia.org)
Boiling a sample for 30 minutes or more will kill virtually all vegetative cells present, but will not kill spores, which can germinate shortly thereafter and resume growth. (wikipedia.org)
This works by killing vegetative cells, allowing germination of surviving spores, and killing the resulting vegetative cells before they have time to form further spores. (wikipedia.org)
eukaryotic
The g1 phase, or Gap 1 phase, is the first of four phases of the cell cycle that takes place in eukaryotic cell division. (wikipedia.org)
Proteasomes are distributed throughout eukaryotic cells at a high concentration and cleave peptides in an ATP/ubiquitin-dependent process in a non-lysosomal pathway. (wikipedia.org)
bacterial cells
The phage gene and insert DNA hybrid is then inserted (a process known as "transduction") into Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterial cells such as TG1, SS320, ER2738, or XL1-Blue E. coli. (wikipedia.org)
requires the medium to be formulated for this purpose), or the appearance of turbidity (cloudiness indicating light scattering by bacterial cells) indicates that sterilization was not achieved and the sterilization cycle may need revision or improvement. (wikipedia.org)
apoptotic
Other studies showed that lack of Daxx gene caused a higher apoptotic rate in embryonic stem cells. (wikipedia.org)
TUNEL is a method for detecting apoptotic DNA fragmentation, widely used to identify and quantify apoptotic cells, or to detect excessive DNA breakage in individual cells. (wikipedia.org)
Since 1992 the TUNEL has become one of the main methods for detecting apoptotic programmed cell death. (wikipedia.org)
However, for years there has been a debate about its accuracy, due to problems in the original assay which caused necrotic cells to be inappropriately labeled as apoptotic. (wikipedia.org)
The Plant Cell. (wikipedia.org)
tricarboxylic
Amino acids also contribute to cellular energy metabolism by providing a carbon source for entry into the citric acid cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle), especially when a primary source of energy, such as glucose, is scarce, or when cells undergo metabolic stress. (wikipedia.org)
They also code for citrate synthase and two subunits of 2-oxoacid:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, which plays the same role as alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase in the TCA (tricarboxylic/Krebs/citric acid) cycle. (wikipedia.org)
Cell-cell adhesion complexes are required for simple epithelia in higher organisms to maintain structure, function and polarity. (wikipedia.org)
The primary mechanical role of catenins is connecting cadherins to actin filaments, specifically in these adhesion junctions of epithelial cells. (wikipedia.org)
While less attention is directed at α-catenin in studies involving cell adhesion, it is nonetheless an important player in cellular organization, function and growth. (wikipedia.org)
F9 embryonal carcinoma cells are similar to the P19 cells shown in Figure 1 and normally have cell-to-cell adhesion mediated by E-cadherin with β-catenin bound to the cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin. (wikipedia.org)
Mice engineered to specifically have vascular endothelium cells deficient in β-catenin showed disrupted adhesion between vascular endothelial cells. (wikipedia.org)
Mice lacking plakoglobin have cell adhesion defects in many tissues, although β-catenin substitutes for plakoglobin at many cellular junctions. (wikipedia.org)
Keratinocytes engineered to not express alpha-catenin have disrupted cell adhesion and activated NF-κB. (wikipedia.org)
When nutrients are scarce, myxobacterial cells aggregate into fruiting bodies (not to be confused with those in fungi), a process long-thought to be mediated by chemotaxis but now considered to be a function of a form of contact-mediated signaling. (wikipedia.org)
regulates
This pathway normally regulates stress-induced cell death. (wikipedia.org)
Tumors of mice treated with PBT showed reductions in myeloid cells that suppress immune attack on tumor cells and significant increases in tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells. (wikipedia.org)
In the study, reporter mice were used to track stem cells. (wikipedia.org)
Applications of phage display technology include determination of interaction partners of a protein (which would be used as the immobilised phage "bait" with a DNA library consisting of all coding sequences of a cell, tissue or organism) so that the function or the mechanism of the function of that protein may be determined. (wikipedia.org)
It has been associated with heterochromatin and PML-NBs (Promyelocytic Leukaemia nuclear bodies) and has been implicated in many nuclear processes including transcription and cell cycle regulation. (wikipedia.org)
When the cell is treated with TGF-β, HIPK2, a nuclear kinase, phosphorylates Daxx and the activated Daxx in turn activates the JNK pathway (see "The Daxx Pathway" figure). (wikipedia.org)
Reasons the cell would not move into the S phase include insufficient cell growth, damaged DNA, or other preparations have not been completed. (wikipedia.org)
intracellular
First of all, by binding to cadherin receptor intracellular cytoplasmic tail domains, it can act as an integral component of a protein complex in adherens junctions that helps cells maintain epithelial layers. (wikipedia.org)
Gilmour provided the first evidence that elevated epidermal levels of polyamines alone can positively affect the recruitment of bulge stem cells in the skin. (wikipedia.org)
This finding is significant with regard to the stem cell origin of skin cancer, since carcinogen-targeted stem cells can remain dormant for many years until recruited to develop into a tumor. (wikipedia.org)
George wrote the House bill establishing the Umbilical Cord Blood Bank, which provides medical researchers an ethical alternative to stem cell research. (wikipedia.org)
indicates
This indicates that Sulfolobus has a TCA cycle system similar to that found in mitochondria of eukaryotes. (wikipedia.org)
spores
Any surviving spores from the first treatment, or incidentally formed spores during the first incubation period, are killed in a third steaming cycle. (wikipedia.org)
At the level of the cell, Daxx is found in the cytoplasm, interacting with Fas-receptor or other cytoplasmic molecules, as well as in the nucleus, where it is interacting with some subnuclear structures. (wikipedia.org)
As a result, its levels in the cell are stabilized as it builds up in the cytoplasm. (wikipedia.org)
G1 phase together with the S phase and G2 phase comprise the long growth period of the cell cycle called interphase that takes place before cell division in mitosis (M phase). (wikipedia.org)
G1 phase and the other subphases of the cell cycle may be affected by limiting growth factors such as nutrient supply, temperature, and room for growth. (wikipedia.org)
Physiological temperatures are optimal for cell growth. (wikipedia.org)
The first restriction point is growth-factor dependent and determines whether the cell moves into the G0 phase, while the second checkpoint is nutritionally-dependent and determines whether the cell moves into the S phase. (wikipedia.org)
The fruiting process is thought to benefit myxobacteria by ensuring that cell growth is resumed with a group (swarm) of myxobacteria, rather than as isolated cells. (wikipedia.org)
Media conditions that support fast growth in bacteria also couples with shorter inter-initiation time in them, i.e. the doubling time in fast growing cells is less as compared to the slow growth. (wikipedia.org)
In other words, it is possible that in fast growth conditions the grandmother cells starts replicating its DNA for grand daughter cell. (wikipedia.org)
These complexes, which help regulate cell growth in addition to creating and maintaining epithelial layers, are known as adherens junctions and they typically include at least cadherin, β-catenin, and α-catenin. (wikipedia.org)
These gene products are important in determining cell fates during normal development and in maintaining homeostasis, or they can lead to de-regulated growth in disorders like cancer by responding to mutations in β-catenin, APC or Axin, each of which can lead to this de-regulated β-catenin level stabilization in cells. (wikipedia.org)
The principle metabolic pathways are a glycolytic pathway, a pentose phosphate pathway, and the TCA cycle. (wikipedia.org)
Polyamine levels are dramatically elevated in tumor cells compared to normal cells. (wikipedia.org)
The method has subsequently been improved dramatically and if performed correctly should only identify cells in the last phase of apoptosis. (wikipedia.org)
They typically travel in swarms (also known as wolf packs), containing many cells kept together by intercellular molecular signals. (wikipedia.org)
determines
In humans, the normal physiological temperature is around 37 °C (98.6 °F). G1 phase is particularly important in the cell cycle because it determines whether a cell commits to division or to leaving the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
They bind to DnaA-ADP and DnaA-ATP with equal affinities and are bound by DnaA throughout most of the cell cycle and forms a scaffold on which rest of the orisome assembles. (wikipedia.org)
For example, the set of carboxylic acids that are best known as the intermediates in the citric acid cycle are present in all known organisms, being found in species as diverse as the unicellular bacterium Escherichia coli and huge multicellular organisms like elephants. (wikipedia.org)
Within the cell cycle, there is a stringent set of regulations known as the cell cycle control system that controls the timing and coordination of the phases to ensure a correct order of events. (wikipedia.org)
Biochemical triggers known as cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) switch on cell cycles events at the corrected time and in the correct order to prevent any mistakes. (wikipedia.org)
Between the beginning of the G1 phase (which is also after mitosis has occurred) and R, the cell is known as being in the G1-pm subphase, or the post-mitotic phase. (wikipedia.org)
After R and before S, the cell is known as being in G1-ps, or the pre S phase interval of the G1 phase. (wikipedia.org)
The duration of each phase, including the G1 phase, is different in many different types of cells. (wikipedia.org)
The restriction point (R) in the G1 phase is different from a checkpoint because it does not determine whether cell conditions are ideal to move on to the next phase, but it changes the course of the cell. (wikipedia.org)
Some authors will say that the restriction point and the G1/S checkpoint are one and the same, but more recent studies have argued that there are two different points in the G1 phase that check the progression of the cell. (wikipedia.org)
The word metabolism can also refer to the sum of all chemical reactions that occur in living organisms, including digestion and the transport of substances into and between different cells, in which case the set of reactions within the cells is called intermediary metabolism or intermediate metabolism. (wikipedia.org)
This partnership is found mainly in the S-phase of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
G1 phase ends when the cell moves into the S phase of interphase. (wikipedia.org)
If a cell is signaled to remain undivided, instead of moving onto the S phase, it will leave the G1 phase and move into a state of dormancy called the G0 phase. (wikipedia.org)
Most nonproliferating vertebrate cells will enter the G0 phase. (wikipedia.org)
After a vertebrate cell has been in the G1 phase for about three hours, the cell enters a restriction point in which it is decided whether the cell will move forward with the G1 phase or move into the dormant G0 phase. (wikipedia.org)
The G1/S checkpoint is the point between G1 phase and the S phase in which the cell is cleared for progression into the S phase. (wikipedia.org)
No expression of Daxx leads to malfunction of S phase and cells with two nuclei are formed. (wikipedia.org)
The fluorochrome-based TUNEL assay applicable for flow cytometry, combining the detection of DNA strand breaks with respect to the cell cycle-phase position, was originally developed by Gorczyca et al. (wikipedia.org)
The repeated cycling of these steps is referred to as 'panning', in reference to the enrichment of a sample of gold by removing undesirable materials. (wikipedia.org)
It is also essential for development of nerval system by programmed cell death. (wikipedia.org)
play a role
Destruction of cells by lysis may also play a role. (wikipedia.org)
For instance, when an epithelial layer is complete and the adherens junctions indicate that the cell is surrounded, β-catenin may play a role in telling the cell to stop proliferating, as there is no room for more cells in the area. (wikipedia.org)
kept
Complexes of cyclin that are active during other phases of the cell cycle are kept inactivated to prevent any cell-cycle events from occurring out of order. (wikipedia.org)
Gorczyca W, Traganos F, Jesionowska H, Darzynkiewicz Z. Presence of DNA strand breaks and increased sensitivity of DNA in situ to denaturation in abnormal human sperm cells. (wikipedia.org)
She discovered that overexpression of ODC and c-Raf activation is sufficient to convert a normal primary keratinocyte into a malignant, invasive tumor cell. (wikipedia.org)
Another important cell death-property of Daxx is the association with PML-NB. (wikipedia.org)
It may also label cells having DNA damaged by other means than in the course of apoptosis. (wikipedia.org)
ODC is the initial rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis within the cell. (wikipedia.org)
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Decomposing the Effects of Monetary Policy Using an External Instruments SVAR
Lakdawala, Aeimit (2016): Decomposing the Effects of Monetary Policy Using an External Instruments SVAR.
We study the effects of monetary policy on economic activity separately identifying the effects of a conventional change in the fed funds rate from the policy of forward guidance. We use a structural VAR identified using external instruments from futures market data. The response of output to a fed funds rate shock is found to be consistent with typical monetary VAR analyses. However, the effect of a forward guidance shock that increases long-term interest rates has an expansionary effect on output. This counterintuitive response is shown to be tied to the asymmetric information between the Federal Reserve and the public.
Monetary policy, Forward Guidance, Identification with External Instruments
E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E3 - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles > E31 - Price Level ; Inflation ; Deflation
E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E4 - Money and Interest Rates > E43 - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
Aeimit Lakdawala
Barakchian, S. M., and C. Crowe (2013): “Monetary policy matters: Evidence from new shocks data,” Journal of Monetary Economics, 60(8), 950–966.
Ben Zeev, N., C. Gunn N, and H. Khan (2015): “Monetary News Shocks,” Carleton Economic Paper, pp. 15–02.
Blinder, A. S., M. Ehrmann, M. Fratzscher, J. De Haan, and D.-J. Jansen (2008): “Central Bank Communication and Monetary Policy: A Survey of Theory and Evidence,” Journal of Economic Literature, 46(4), 910–45.
Bundick, B., and A. L. Smith (2016): “The Dynamic Effects of Forward Guidance Shocks,” Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Working Paper, (16-02).
Caldara, D., and E. Herbst (2016): “Monetary Policy, Real Activity, and Credit Spreads: Evidence from Bayesian Proxy SVARs,” .
Campbell, J., J. Fisher, A. Justiniano, and L. Melosi (2016): “Forward Guidance and Macroe- conomic Outcomes Since the Financial Crisis,” in NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2016, Volume 31. University of Chicago Press.
Campbell, J. R., C. L. Evans, J. D. Fisher, and A. Justiniano (2012): “Macroeconomic effects of federal reserve forward guidance ,” Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, pp. 1–80.
Christiano, L. J., M. Eichenbaum, and C. L. Evans (1999): “Monetary policy shocks: What have we learned and to what end?,” Handbook of macroeconomics, 1, 65–148.
Cieslak, A., A. Morse, and A. Vissing-Jorgensen (2015): “Stock returns over the FOMC cycle,” Available at SSRN 2687614.
D’Amico, S., and T. B. King (2015): “What Does Anticipated Monetary Policy Do?,” Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Working Paper.
Del Negro, M., M. P. Giannoni, and C. Patterson (2015): “The Forward Guidance Puzzle,” FRB of New York Staff Report, (574).
Eggertsson, G. B., and M. Woodford (2003): “Zero bound on interest rates and optimal monetary policy,” Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 2003(1), 139–233.
Gali, J. (2008): “Monetary Policy,” Inflation, and the Business Cycle: An Introduction to the New Keynesian Framework.
Gertler, M., and P. Karadi (2015): “Monetary Policy Surprises, Credit Costs, and Economic Activity,” American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, 7(1), 44–76. Gilchrist, S., and E. Zakraj˘sek (2012): “Credit Spreads and Business Cycle Fluctuations,” Amer- ican Economic Review, 102(4), 1692–1720.
Goncalves, S., and L. Kilian (2004): “Bootstrapping autoregressions with conditional heteroskedas- ticity of unknown form,” Journal of Econometrics, 123(1), 89–120.
Gurkaynak, R. S., B. Sack, and E. T. Swanson (2005): “Do Actions Speak Louder Than Words? The Response of Asset Prices to Monetary Policy Actions and Statements,” International Journal of Central Banking.
Hamilton, J. D. (2003): “What is an oil shock?,” Journal of econometrics, 113(2), 363–398.
Hansen, S., and M. F. McMahon (forthcoming): “Shocking Language: Understanding the macroe- conomic effects of central bank communication,” Journal of International Economics.
Hanson, S. G., and J. C. Stein (2015): “Monetary policy and long-term real rates,” Journal of Financial Economics, 115(3), 429–448.
Kuttner, K. N. (2001): “Monetary policy surprises and interest rates: Evidence from the Fed funds futures market,” Journal of monetary economics, 47(3), 523–544.
Lucca, D. O., and F. Trebbi (2009): “Measuring central bank communication: an automated approach with application to FOMC statements,” Discussion paper, National Bureau of Economic Research.
Lunsford, K. G. (2015): “Identifying Structural VARs with a Proxy Variable and a Test for a Weak Proxy,” FRB of Cleveland Working Paper.
Lunsford, K. G., and C. Jentsch (2016): “Proxy SVARs: Asymptotic Theory, Bootstrap Inference, and the Effects of Income Tax Changes in the United States,” Discussion paper.
Melosi, L. (2015): “Signaling effects of monetary policy,” .
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You are here: Home / Marine Science / Online Textbook / Chapter 6: Waves
Chapter 6: Waves
What is a wave?
Image from: Wikipedia Commons
A wave is the repeating and periodic disturbance that travels through a medium (e.g. water) from one location to another location. In the ocean, most waves are generated by wind, but Tsunami waves can also be generated by landslides and undersea earthquakes. Waves in the ocean don’t just happen, they are created in a systematic way. In the case of wind waves, when the wind starts to blow, tiny waves called ripples are born — just like the ripples that streak across your coffee when you blow on it to cool it down. These ripples move in the same general direction as the wind. If the wind stops blowing, the surface tension on the water will flatten the ripples. However, if the wind is strong enough (faster than about two miles per hour) the ripples will form into stable waves that travel through the water.
Waves do not move water, they move through water. More specifically, the energy of the wave passes through the water, causing individual water particles to trace vertical circles within the shape of the wave. Each particle will return to its original location after the wave has passed by.
The Anatomy of a Wave
Image from: NOAA.gov
Wave Crest: The highest part of a wave.
Wave Trough: The lowest part of a wave.
Wave Height: The vertical distance between the highest (crest) and lowest (trough) parts of a wave.
Wave Period: The time required for one wave to pass
Wavelength: The distance from a certain point on one wave to the same point on the next wave (e.g. distance between two consecutive wave crests or between two consecutive wave troughs).
Factors Affecting the Size of Wind Waves
The height of a wind-generated wave from the peak (crest) to the bottom (trough) is determined by three factors: the speed of the wind, how long the wind has blown in the same direction, and the width of the open water (fetch) over which it is blowing.
Winds that blow strong and steady for great distances, such as the winds that circle Antarctica, will create steeper, more powerful waves than will brief gusts. The average height of an ocean wave is about 12 feet; but far larger waves are sometimes born of raging storms in the open sea. Waves have been documented that exceed 100 feet from crest to trough.
Click on the image to animate. Image from Wikipedia
Waves travel with little change across the vast expanses of the open ocean, but eventually all waves must reach shore. As a wave approaches the coast, it becomes shorter in length and more abrupt, increasing its height. Friction with the bottom causes the trough of the wave to disappear, the crest to slow its movement, and when the depth causes the wave height to become 1.3 times the water depth (or reaches a wave height that is 1/7 the wavelength) the crest falls, forming a breaker. For example, if a wave that had a height of 1 meter and a wavelength of 8 meters shortens, as it comes to shore, to a wave that has a height of 1 meter and a wavelength of 5 meters, it will break. Breaking waves may take the shape of a tube (these are called plunging waves) or they may simply collapse and surge forward (these are called spilling waves).
Longshore Currents
The energy in crashing waves can create massive erosion and dramatically shape coastlines, but they aren’t the only force that shapes coastlines. As waves break on shore, the turbulent water, called swash, moves up the slope of the beach toward shore. Once it runs out of energy, it flows back toward the surf zone. Its now called backwash. Depending on the strength of the surf, swash and backwash can move sand, pebbles, and stones off the surface of the beach. The wave then deposits the debris back onto the beach, slightly displaced from its original position. This movement of material is called the longshore current. Longshore currents can haul vast amounts of sand and gravel along the shore, destroying beaches in some spots, and creating new ones in others. This is a major concern to property owners of ocean front property. Significant expense is often incurred trying to mitigate the effects of longshore currents.
Tsunami’s are very different than wind waves. Tsunami waves may travel thousands of miles, moving very rapidly on the sea surface. Contrary to popular belief (and the movies), the tsunami waves on the high seas have very little height (0.3 to 0.6 m / 1 to 2 ft) and very long wave lengths (50-250 miles) with periods of more than 15 minutes. Given these characteristics and the ever-present swells, the wave is imperceptible. Thus, tsunamis at sea are rarely noticed. They race by ships at sea, which remain totally unaware of their presence. Indeed, tsunami characteristics are very difficult to measure at sea, even with sophisticated instrumentation and advance knowledge of their approach.
From the reading above, describe the three factors affect a wind wave’s size (or height).
From the reading above, a wave’s height is measured from its ______________ to its ________________.
If you are anchored in a fixed spot, and set of six waves pass underneath you during a 60 second time interval, what is the wave frequency (in waves/second) of the waves?
Watch this animated GIF of a wave. Describe the motion of individual water particles in the wave.
Use the wave simulator from National Geographic to create the worst conditions possible and explain what that looks like in terms of wave length, wave height, and wave period. Then create what seems like the best conditions possible and explain what that looks like in terms of wave length, wave height, and wave period.
Rather than move water, waves move through water. If a wave runs out of water, it will eventually break. Describe what happens to a wave that breaks and the specific conditions that cause it to break.
Breaking waves will take one of two shapes. Examine the pictures below, which wave (wave A or B is a plunging wave? Which is a spilling wave? How much might a plunging wave weigh (per cubic meter of water?)
Wave A
Wave B
Go visit the animated earth, once there make sure you are looking at the ocean – wave view. Where are the largest waves going to be today? In the Earth menu switch to air – wind. Is there a correlation between strong winds and large waves?
Occasionally large storms generate waves that are larger than physics dictates they should be. These are called rogue or freak waves. What have scientists learned about making “monster waves in the lab,” and what do they still not understand about them?
Check out the anatomy of a tsunami. Launch the interactive page and tell me what you learned about.
a. The speed of a Tsunami’s travel while at sea?
b. Are they easily visible at sea? Meaning is do tsunamis have a large crest when compared with wind waves?
c. How are Tsunami’s generated, and why is the term “tidal wave“ not appropriate for a Tsunami?
For fun (not points): 10 GIF’s of Waves being complete jerks.
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How a Terrible Fox News Interview Became a Traffic Bonanza for BuzzFeed
By Marc Tracy
There is much to be said about the interview Reza Aslan did Friday on Fox News’ online show “Spirited Debate.” Aslan, a Muslim writer who converted from Christianity (to which he had converted from Islam) who holds a doctorate in sociology of religions, just published a popular book about Jesus. Fox News, which like U.S. Steel is vertically integrated, ginned up “controversy” over the book by publishing an article claiming that the “liberal media” routinely fails to disclose that Aslan is a “devout Muslim,” and then reported on the (again, auto-fabricated) “controversy” by having host Lauren Green confront him with this. Having established Aslan’s Muslim-ness, Green conspiratorially asks, “It still begs the question: Why would you be interested in the founder of Christianity?” She then accuses him of obfuscating his faith, and he responds by noting that a statement of his religion appears on “the second page of my book” (page xviii, to be more precise). It’s amazing. Watch the whole thing.
But how should you watch the whole thing? Therein lies another story, one far newer and more significant than Fox News being Fox News.
Above, I’ve linked you to Fox News’ own video of the interview, which, after all, it produced exclusively for its show. This was the video I saw for the first time Saturday afternoon; I saw it tweeted by Blake Hounshell, a journalist who works at Politico. But if you search Twitter for a link to that video, you won’t find too much—several dozen links, more on Saturday than on Sunday (and a few even on Friday). That is because pretty soon after Hounshell tweeted it, various aggregators found it and started tweeting their own articles. Gawker did not post it until Sunday morning, yet its link has garnered roughly as many tweets as Fox News’.
And then there is BuzzFeed. Look how many tweets have linked to BuzzFeed’s article on the video. Staff writer Andrew Kaczynski’s post—which comprises solely a headline, a lengthy subheadline (the dek, journalists call this), and the embedded video—has as of this writing garnered nearly three million pageviews. “The traffic to this @buzzfeedandrew post is so out of control,” tweeted BuzzFeed’s senior press director Ashley McCollum last night. It is difficult to disagree.
It is not surprising that BuzzFeed would leverage this best. As I reported in a New Republic story about the site a year ago, its presence on social media, its clean layout, and its editorial philosophy of shearing most context from tidbits of news and giving readers just the thing itself—all make the site immaculately positioned to capitalize on the new news economy, in which readers increasingly find things like this video not by subscribing to or regularly visiting specific blogs or websites, but by happening upon independent articles shared via social media like Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter. Indeed, more than half of BuzzFeed’s pageviews have come from people clicking on links to the post that their friends shared on Facebook. (And don’t sleep on Kaczynski’s headline—headlines being something that I would bet BuzzFeed spends a substantial amount of time thinking about. Kaczynski’s headline was, “Is This The Most Embarassing Interview Fox News Has Ever Done?” Don’t you want to click and find out?)
It didn’t have to be this way. Kaczynski could have just tweeted the Fox News video. In fact, that is what he did do a half-hour after Hounshell did. A few hours later, though, he decided to make it BuzzFeed’s own, and thereby get the type of pageviews all but a handful of journalists would kill for. For me, anyway, Hounshell “scooped” Kaczynski; but BuzzFeed, because it is BuzzFeed, got the pageviews and Politico didn’t. And these are arguably pageviews that—in a weird, troll-y way—should be Fox News’.
Partly, this isn’t new. People have been complaining about aggregators “stealing” content since Huffington Post in the mid-2000s. But social media’s ubiquity, and the way that ubiquity makes everyone a publisher, means this is different. In theory, a huge population could have viewed the interview—but only via Fox News’ video. All it would take would be for the video only to be available on Fox News, and for everyone who tweeted, Facebooked, and Digged all the different posts including it instead only to have shared Fox News’ video. That wasn’t true five years ago, when people would still have relied on other sites linking to the video.
And several of these sites did more than just aggregate. While a few simply linked either to the Fox News video or to an abridged segment posted on YouTube (which itself is owned by an obscure media company called Google), others—including BuzzFeed and also Slate, which generally styles itself as more of a boutique Web magazine—apparently created their own videos of the interview. Note that theirs are of a slightly different length than Fox News’; more importantly, note that when you click to create a link for the BuzzFeed or Slate videos, you get a link to BuzzFeed’s and Slate’s articles, respectively. Presumably this constitutes fair use since the interview itself is newsworthy—whether as a somewhat heated exchange with a prominent writer or as a document of Fox News’ decadent stage. (Ironically, BuzzFeed does not run banner ads, so it does not directly monetize pageviews in the way most other online media outlets do. But Web traffic is extremely important to its business nonetheless.)
One wants to find villains in this story, but I can’t (other than Fox News, of course). You can arguably knock BuzzFeed (and Slate and whoever else) a little bit for putting up their own “versions” of something that was originally filmed for exclusive airing, but the basic concept of aggregating a piece of news is basically unimpeachable. Kaczynski, meanwhile, is a talented reporter whose special skill of trawling online video archives to find past instances of public figures saying things that the years have made newsworthy is frequently on display and of benefit to the public. And even if that weren’t true, he still was doing his job.
Concrete conclusions are similarly elusive, at least to me. This episode did call to mind a phenomenon I have seen increase even in just the past few years, which is that it is harder to find experts—professors or think-tankers, say—available to comment exclusively on various stories, because more and more frequently they themselves are writers for online magazines or their own, personal blogs or even their own, personal Twitter feeds. The explosion in the ability to self-publish is redefining what publishing is and what kind of things publishers can make money off of. So I suppose the question becomes: What, in this era, can traditional journalism somehow add to the mix? And how can that, too, score pageviews and make money?
Follow @marcatracy
mtracy@tnr.com
Media, The Plank, FOX News, Reza Aslan
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Fight Like a Mother
June 4, 2019 / KGNU News / Featured
Shannon Watts never intended to get into the national debate on guns, but that changed after the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting. She went from outraged to engaged and decided to do something about it. She started a simple Facebook group to connect with other frustrated parents and that grew into a national movement: Moms Demand Action which is grassroots network with local chapters in all 50 states. Watts who is now based in Boulder has written about that grass roots movement in a new book: Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World.
https://objects-us-east-1.dream.io/kgnu-news/2019/06/6-4-19_ShannonWattsPodcast.mp3
Shannon Watts will speak about Fight Like a Mother on Tuesday June 6 at 7.30pm at the Boulder Bookstore.
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Prevention researchers to examine effectiveness of Communities That Care model
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – An examination of the long-term effectiveness of the Communities That Care model in preventing risky behaviors among school-age youth in Pennsylvania is the focus of a new grant awarded to Penn State researchers.
The grant, from the National Institutes of Health, was awarded to Jennifer L. Frank, assistant professor of educational psychology, counseling and special education in the Penn State College of Education and research assistant professor in the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, and Sarah Chilenski, research assistant professor in the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center.
The grant looks at the effectiveness of the Communities That Care model on a variety of youth risk behaviors including alcohol, tobacco, and drug use, youth mental health, bullying and gambling behaviors.
The Communities That Care model guides communities through a five-phase process that uses prevention science at its base to promote healthy youth outcomes and reduce problem behaviors.
“The Communities That Care model begins with the formation of multidisciplinary coalitions of community members and professionals representing various youth-serving organizations,” Frank said.
Representatives from education, social services, juvenile justice and other social-service sectors partner with other concerned citizens to make informed prevention programming decisions. These coalitions undertake a formal assessment of youth risk and protective factors in their community, and then implement evidence-based programs to address specific local needs.
Communities that have implemented and maintained the program have seen dramatic reductions in youth alcohol and tobacco use and crime and violence. Pennsylvania is one of the only states to adopt and implement the Communities That Care model statewide, and thus represents an “ideal testing ground to explore the effects of Communities That Care in real-world settings,” Frank said.
The funded project represents one of the largest studies of Communities That Care to date, and will include data obtained from more than 470,044 youth in more than 583 schools in 246 school districts across Pennsylvania. Longitudinal data collected from youth and CTC coalitions during 2000–2012 will be used to determine the long-term effectiveness of the CTC model under real-world implementation conditions.
Other members of the project include: co-investigator Mark Greenberg, Edna Peterson Bennett Endowed Chair in Prevention Research and professor of human development and psychology; co-investigator Mark Feinberg, research professor in the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center; and Yoonkyung Oh, research associate in the College of Education.
Lee Carpenter
prevention@psu.edu
Penn State’s Exercise is Medicine on Campus program earns gold status
Penn State peer educators promote AIDS Resource Alliance services across campus
Kinesiology students address resources, health problem areas in Pennsylvania
Academics, Faculty Achievement, Health and Medicine, Impact, Pennsylvania, Research, Society, Arts and Humanities
Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, College of Education, communities, Communities That Care, community health, grant, National Institutes of Health, Penn State College of Education, prevention, special education, youth
Business and Industry, Faculty and Staff, Students, Visitors and Neighbors
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Continuing incarceration of women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia, ‘reprehensible’: UN experts
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
The flag of Saudi Arabia (centre) flying at United Nations headquarters in New York.
UN human rights experts are urging Saudi Arabia to “immediately and unconditionally” release all women human rights defenders, including six imprisoned on charges relating to their peaceful defence of human rights.
The detained have been charged for being involved in pro-democracy demonstrations, and previously campaigning for the right of women to vote and drive. In late June, a long-standing ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia, was lifted by royal decree.
It is reprehensible that Ms. Al-Ghomagham is facing the death penalty for asserting her fundamental right to peaceful assembly.
- UN Experts on Human Rights
The group of nine independent experts – UN Special Rapporteurs and working group members - said they condemned the actions of the Saudi authorities in continuing to detain the women rights defenders, “in the strongest possible terms,” calling for their “immediate and unconditional” release.
A group of those indicted - Samar Badawi, Nassima Al-Sadah, Nouf Abdulaziz, Mayya Al-Zahrani, and Hatoon Al-Fassi - are being held in detention, without any channels of communication. The five were particularly active in demonstrations for women’s rights.
In Friday’s statement, the experts urged Saudi authorities “to immediately make the whereabouts of these five human rights defenders known and to grant them access to their families and lawyers.”
The group of women also include Israa Al-Ghomghan, who faces possible execution despite being denied representation during her trial, and is being tried in Riyadh’s Specialized Criminal Court, an entity set up for terrorism-related cases.
“It is reprehensible that Ms. Al-Ghomagham is facing the death penalty for asserting her fundamental right to peaceful assembly,” the UN experts stressed.
They added that women rights defenders are subject to particular risks and vulnerable to widespread gender-based discrimination, signaling the Saudi administration’s duty to its people.
“We wish to remind the Saudi Government of its obligation to protect and promote the rights of all human rights defenders as they peacefully carry out their legitimate work,” said the experts.
Saudi Arabia|women’s rights
UN calls on Saudi Arabia to release jailed human rights defenders, including women activists
Khashoggi murder trials must be public and meet international standards, UN expert urges
Saudi Arabia in spotlight as UN-appointed independent investigator publishes full Khashoggi findings
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Home News 2015 Ecological Forecasts
Wrap-up of 2015 Ecological Forecasts
A summary of key dead zone, harmful algal bloom, and coral bleaching forecasts
Forecasting Summary
Each year, NOAA releases many forecasts for the nation, including regionial harmful algal bloom, dead zone, and coral bleaching outlooks. The following is a handy reference that highlights key 2015 forecasts.
Lake Erie: Severe Harmful Algal Bloom
NOAA, partners predict severe harmful algal bloom for Lake Erie. NOAA and its research partners, using an ensemble modeling approach, predict that the 2015 western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom season will be among the most severe in recent years and could become the second most severe behind the record-setting 2011 bloom. The bloom will be expected to measure 8.7 on the severity index with a range from 8.1 to potentially as high as 9.5. This is more severe than the last year’s 6.5, and may equal or exceed 2013, which had the second worse bloom in this century. Full Report.
Gulf of Maine: Red Tide Bloom Similar to Past Three Years
Gulf of Maine red tide bloom expected to be similar to past three years. New England’s summer red tides will be similar in extent to those of the past three years, according to the 2015 Gulf of Maine red tide seasonal forecast. The forecast is the eighth seasonal Gulf of Maine red tide forecast funded by NOAA and issued by scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and North Carolina State University. Red tide, a type of harmful algal bloom (HAB) caused by the alga Alexandrium fundyense, produces a toxin that can lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning, which can result in serious or even fatal illness in humans who eat contaminated shellfish. Full Report.
Western Atlantic, Pacific oceans: Increase in Coral Bleaching
Coral bleaching threat increasing in western Atlantic and Pacific oceans. As unusually warm ocean temperatures cover the north Pacific, equatorial Pacific, and western Atlantic oceans, NOAA scientists expect greater bleaching of corals on Northern Hemisphere reefs through October, potentially leading to the death of corals over a wide area and affecting the long-term supply of fish and shellfish. While corals can recover from mild bleaching, severe or long-term bleaching kills corals. Even if corals recover, they are more susceptible to disease. Once corals die, it usually takes decades for the reef to recover — but recovery is only possible if the reefs are undisturbed. Full Report.
Global ocean: Potential for Major Coral Bleaching in 2015
Warm ocean temperatures may mean major coral bleaching. NOAA scientists warn that warm ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans could set the stage for major coral bleaching events across the globe in 2015. The outlook shows the greatest threat for coral bleaching through May 2015 is in the western South Pacific and Indian oceans. In the Pacific, thermal stress has already reached levels that cause bleaching in the nations of Nauru, Kiribati, and the Solomon Islands, and is expected to spread to Tuvalu, Samoa, and American Samoa in the next few months. In the Indian Ocean, thermal stress may reach levels that cause bleaching around Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, and parts of Indonesia and western Australia. Full Report.
Gulf of Mexico: Average Dead Zone
NOAA, partners predict an average ‘dead zone’ for Gulf of Mexico. Scientists are expecting that this year’s Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone, also called the “dead zone,” will be approximately 5,483 square miles — or about the size of Connecticut — the same as it has averaged over the last several years. This year marks the first time the results of four models were combined. The four model predictions ranged from 4,344 to 5,985 square miles, and had a collective predictive interval of 3,205 to 7,645 square miles, which take into account variations in weather and oceanographic conditions. Full Report.
Chesapeake Bay: Slightly Below Average Dead Zone
Scientists expect slightly below average Chesapeake Bay ‘dead zone’ this summer. Scientists are expecting that this year’s Chesapeake Bay hypoxic low-oxygen zone, also called the “dead zone,” will be approximately 1.37 cubic miles – about the volume of 2.3 million Olympic-size swimming pools. While still large, this is 10 percent lower than the long-term average as measured since 1950. The anoxic portion of the zone, which contains no oxygen at all, is predicted to be 0.27 cubic miles in early summer, growing to 0.28 cubic miles by late summer. Low river flow and low nutrient loading from the Susquehanna River this spring account for the smaller predicted size. Full Report.
An ecological forecast predicts changes in ecosystems and ecosystem components in response to an environmental driver such as climate variability, extreme weather conditions, pollution, or habitat change. It also provides information about how people, economies, and communities may be affected. Learn more.
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Dwyane Wade has fan ejected from front row in Utah (VIDEO)
By Kurt HelinJan 15, 2013, 11:38 AM EDT
We don’t have a lot of context here, we don’t know what this man said that earned him having Dwyane Wade asking security to kick him out.
But Wade did, even helped by showing the way. This with just a little over three minutes left in the third quarter a game where Wade and Chris Bosh played so poorly they sat the fourth quarter. Wade was (or at least should have been) frustrated at this point as the Jazz were handling the Heat with ease.
After the game LeBron James (the one of Miami’s big three to play well) praised the Jazz fans as loud and knowledgable. Which they are. But there are always guys willing to take some trash talk over the line. And we don’t just mean Kevin Garnett.
You paid for your ticket, you have the right to cheer and boo, to yell at the referees and your own coach and eat too many boiled hot dogs, to imbibe as you choose. What your ticket goes not give you the right to do is be an a******. Just doesn’t. There are lines of decency that fans should not cross — this is entertainment people, it’s a game. You paid to see these people play. Not sure if this fan crossed those lines or what he did, but Wade has seen and heard a lot over the years and hasn’t done this before. Make your own judgement.
Tags: Boston Celtics, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Miami Heat, New York Knicks
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DDT: Week 83 – Outside the Courts
Filed under: Donald Trump — trp2011 @ 8:36 PM
Tags: cyberbullying, deficit, economy, migrant children, North Korea, polls, public lands, South Africa, white supremacy
Frantic from his loss of loyal followers, Dictator Donald Trump (DDT) attacked the DOJ and the FBI by threatening to fire his appointee AG Jeff Sessions and take over both agencies which are legally separate from presidential control. DDT sent out a long list of enemies that he wants investigation, starting with Hillary Clinton, and cited the 63 months of prison for Realty Winner for disclosing classified information about Russian hacking as an example of how easy these investigations could be. One useful investigation would involve DDT’s disclosing classified information to two Russians in the Oval Office of value to the Kremlin.
This file handout photo taken on May 10, 2017 from Russian Foreign Ministry shows shows DDT speaking with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and Russian Ambassador to the US, Sergei Kislyak in the White House.
HO/AFP/Getty Images
These weekend tweets came after DDT fomented racial divide in South Africa to distract from the news that he is an “unindicted co-conspirator.” Before looking into false reports from Fox’s Tucker Carlson and white supremacists, DDT tweeted that he had directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to investigate “the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers.” Until 1994, blacks, comprising 90 percent of the population, were barred from owning more than 15 percent of the nation’s land, allowing whites to own 90 percent of the land. Despite the 1994 South African policy allowing the government to buy white-owned farms for redistribution to black citizens when the seller is willing to cooperate, whites still own 72 percent of the farmland. As for the false claim of “white genocide,” the numbers of white farmers’ murders dropped to below 50 a year, the lowest that it has been in over 20 years. Murder rates in the country’s predominantly white suburbs are far lower than in the mainly black townships.
White supremacist leaders such as David Duke and Richard Spencer have expressed their gratitude to DDT for giving credibility to their lies. “White genocide” has been used for years to inspire violence; Dylann Roof cited this reason for murdering nine people at a prayer service in a black church.
DDT managed more destructive behavior in the past week:
In June, the United States was safe from North Korea’s nukes, according to DDT who referred to the skeptical media coverage as “almost treasonous.” In August Dictator Donald Trump (DDT) gave lack of progress as the reason for calling off negotiations with North Korea. Since then, North Korea continues to build nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and China increased cross-border trade with North Korea after DDT laid tariffs on U.S. imports from China.
DDT has gone full Zionist by cutting $200 million from Palestinian humanitarian aid at a time with Egypt and the UN are trying to stabilize Gaza. Forty percent of Palestinians living in Gaza are unemployed. Because of the U.S.-backed Israeli blockade, everyone in Gaza lives with only a few hours of electricity per day and constant food and medicine shortages. Last January, DDT froze $65 million for a UN agency that provides aid to Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza as well as Jordan and Lebanon. DDT still promises that his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will broker peace in the Middle East—perhaps through blackmail.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos hopes to use education money for lower-income students, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, for buying guns. Justification would be to “improve school conditions.” DeVos wants to arm teachers; one reason was to defend schools from grizzly bear attacks.
Conserving oil no longer has any value, according to DDT’s new policy. His proposal increases consumption by 500,000 barrels a day. Another EPA plan weakens regulations of coal-fired power plants by giving states authority to set standards for cutting emissions with incentives for keeping inefficient coal-fired plans with no pollution controls. DDT’s “Affordable Clean Energy rule” will kill up to 1,400 people every year by 2030, according to the EPA. Employment for coal is declining because of increased automation, cheaper natural gas, and healthier wind and solar power are healthier. DDT’s new EPA czar, Andrew Wheeler, is a former coal lobbyist.
The oil and gas industry claims that climate change doesn’t cause sea levels to rise, but it wants $12 billion from taxpayers to fix their problems in Texas including “floating gates” and “steel levees” for the coastline home to most of Texas’ 30 refineries. Texas has already spent almost $4 billion of that money to protect only oil refineries.
DDT may consider a plan from Blackwater founder and war criminal Erik Prince, brother of Secretary of State Betsy DeVos, to privatize the 17-year-long Afghanistan war by replacing U.S. soldiers with mercenaries, “private military contractors who would work for a special U.S. envoy for the war who would report directly to the president.” Although privatization never saves money, Prince claims it will. In an 85-7 vote, the Senate approved $675 billion for the military, over half the discretionary funds spent in a year. Under DDT, the U.S. drops an average of one bomb every 12 minutes; in his first year, he dropped almost half the number of bombs that President Obama did during the eight years of his two terms.
At a conference on cyberbullying, First Lady Melania Trump said that “children are more aware of benefits and pitfalls of social media than most adults.” In the past few days, DDT cyberbullied his former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman (“dog,” “wacky,” “vicious,” “nasty,” “a loser” “hated,” “crazed, crying lowlife”); John Dean (“rat”); the media (“sick,” “fake,” “disgusting,” “enemy of the people”); Brennan (“loudmouth, partisan, political hack,” “limited intellectually”); his own attorney general (“BLANK Jeff Sessions”); Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-CT (“Loser!”); Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-NY (“haywire”); New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (“incompetent,” “really dumb,” “having a total meltdown”); Ohio Gov. John Kasich (“very unpopular,” “failed”); and those investigating DDT (“creep,” “McCarthyism at its WORST!” “zero credibility,” “corrupt,” “a fraud,” “lowlife”).
While overshadowing the First Lady’s work against cyberbullying, DDT held an event to “salute the heroes” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that he consistently called CBC. About a Latino Border Patrol agent and dog handler in the audience who had arrested a smuggler trying to bring 78 people to the U.S., DDT said, “And he speaks perfect English.” He said that Democrats, who he called the “opposition,” “don’t mind crime” and claimed that between 88 percent and 93 percent of people support the work of ICE. Almost half the people view ICE unfavorably.
Acting ICE Director Ronald Vitiello said that his agency had a plan to reunite the thousands of migrant children with their families that was ruined by the federal courts. The government still can’t find families for about 700 children, including 40 who are four years old or younger with the deadline a month and more past.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke lied when he said he would never sell public lands. A huge public backlash stopped him from selling 1,610 acres that had been part of the Grand Staircase national monument. After he shrank the national monument by 860,000 acres, he decided to put it on the market for private owners. One 120-acre is adjacent to land owned by Utah state Rep. Mike Noel (R).
Wildfire is covering hundreds of miles in California, and DDT’s solutions are to keep the water from going into the ocean and get rid of the trees. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue want to cut down all the trees, or what Zinke calls “robust fuels reduction and pre-suppression techniques.” The new farm bill, as yet in Congress, cuts out environmental review and permits logging for any reason. The House version of the bill that passed on June 21 would fast track road construction and commercial logging in national forests and exempt projects from environmental review.
The stock market is rolling for the top 20 percent, but the purchasing power of salaries has reverted to a 1974 level as the costs of living increase when workers get a small bonus from the massive tax cuts for the wealthy and big business. Pew Research Drew Desilver listed the peak of average hourly earnings at 45 years ago. Earnings for the lowest-paid quarter of workers are far worse than the past, with only a 4.3 percent increase since 2000 while the top tenth of earners have a 15.7 percent increase. The economy may be booming, but the vast majority of people in the United States are suffering.
DDT brags about “his” economy, but he fails to mention the current budget deficit—already 21 percent over that in 2017 with little hope for the future. President Obama’s deficits came from George W. Bush’s recession, but DDT’s disaster comes at a time of growing economy, the result of greater military spending and excessive tax cuts for the wealthy and big business. When Congress returns in September, the Republicans want another trillion-dollar tax cut, and the proposed “U.S. Space Force” can add hundreds of billions to the Pentagon budget. DDT also his wall that will cost $70 billion. Nobody is addressing the highly expensive natural and man-made disasters occurring more and more—or the ballooning interest on the national debt. The highly unpopular tariffs may also slow the economy.
As Republicans campaign, ObamaCare is more popular than the GOP tax law, according to Fox network poll, with the healthcare law at a 51 percent approval rating and the tax cuts at 40 percent approval.
DDT’s latest Gallup poll is 39 percent approval—the same as his average since he was inaugurated. Among Republicans, his approval is 82 percent, down seven points from last week. And next week may bring more disasters for DDT.
Zinke Possibly Next for Limelight
Filed under: Executive action — trp2011 @ 9:08 PM
Tags: Interior Department, national monuments, public lands, Ryan Zinke
Much has been said about the corruption and environmental destruction by EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt while Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has flown under the radar. Yet Zinke is bent on razing public land in the United States while illegally using taxpayer monies. He also consistently brags about being a “geologist,” sometimes under oath, to give weight to all his opinions about endangered species, oil drilling, climate change, and anything else he declaims. Zinke’s only background in geology, however, comes from his college major. He attended the University of Oregon on a football scholarship and said he chose his major by “closing my eyes and randomly pointing to a major from the academic catalog.”
Zinke also failed to disclose information to ethics officials, promoted the birther conspiracy about President Obama, inappropriately reassigned a large number of Native Americans in his agency, frequently decried “diversity,” and inappropriately used taxpayer funds for his unnecessary travel and that of his wife who needed to go to her campaign events. He also reassigned a scientist who revealed the negative impact of climate change on Alaska Native communities. Zinke was also criticized for a 2014 campaign email asking for donations and reporting that he “served as a Team Leader on SEAL Team Six—the team responsible for the mission to get Osama Bin Laden.” Osama bin Laden was killed three years after Zinke retired.
Other Zinke issues:
Threatening Alaska’s GOP senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, with penalties for their state if they didn’t vote for a health care plan.
Ignoring the National Park System Advisory Board—refusing to even meet with them—until three-fourths of them quit.
Relying on a top energy industry lobbyist for help with a list of regulatory rollbacks.
Requiring extra work from his staff for coordinating his wife’s access to high-level politicians and donors to benefit her position chairing the senatorial campaign for GOP Troy Downing who is running against incumbent Sen. Jon Tester.
Promising Florida that he wouldn’t drill of its coast after planning coastal oil drilling off the other 13 states despite their governors’ objections. (Zinke said that Florida is “unique”: he might mean that Mar-a-Lago is in Florida and that Gov. Rick Scott is running against Democrat Bill Nelson for U.S. Senate.)
Spending $53,000 on three helicopter trips, including one to go horseback riding with VP Mike Pence. (He paid for one of them out of wildfire preparedness funds until someone pointed out that it was inappropriate.)
Failing to disclose shares in a gun company that lobbies the government on “defense appropriations and authorizations” and “carbon fiber barrels.” (The company got an $11.4 million contract last year.)
Demanding confidential energy data for others’ use.
Illegally blocking plans to expand Native American tribes from expanding casino operations in Connecticut which benefitted politically connected MGM Resorts International.
Spending almost $139,000 to upgrade three sets of double doors in his office.
Taking a taxpaid security detail on his vacation with his wife to Turkey and Greece.
More Zinke problems:
Changed regulations to allow seismic testing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Lifted restrictions on new coal leasing on public lands.
Proposed the elimination of safety requirements to protect communities from methane pollution by oil and gas drilling on public lands.
Renewed mining leases near Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Proposed a 90-percent cut to America’s most important conservation program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Eliminated a policy asking parks to create plans for preserving natural resources and protecting them from threats like climate change.
Zinke has some esoteric positions. When he is in the building, he flies a special Department of Interior flag. A security staff takes the flag up the elevator to the seventh floor and climbs the stairs to the roof where he hoists the flag. At night, he repeats the journey to take down the flag. Zinke’s spokesperson called the flag “a major sign of transparency.” (The only other specialized flying flag in the government is above the State Department, but it’s always there.) Zinke arrived for his first day at work on horseback and kept a glass-case display of hunting knives until he was told to remove them because of security risks. His wood-paneled office walls sport animal heads. In a speech to fossil fuel executives, he complained that 30 percent of his agency are “not loyal to the flag.” (He didn’t say which one.)
Zinke also created a “challenge coin” for the Interior Department with his name emblazoned on the front. These coins began as a military tradition during World War I when Ivy League students slapped their coins on the table. The person without one had to buy a round of drinks for the others.
National Park Service officials have scrubbed every mention of humans’ role in causing climate change in connection with sea-level rise and storm surge. Delays in releasing reports have blocked information about hurricane forecasts, safeguarding artifacts, and locating buildings. (Over at the EPA, Scott Pruitt tried to create a better coin with his name but omitting the EPA logo.)
Zinke’s 15-member “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee is composed of representatives from fishing, shooting sports, motorized vehicles, hospitality, and national park concessions interests, three of them having conflicts of interests. Missing are any nominees recommended by the Outdoor Industry Association advocating outdoor sports. Most members on the Royalty Policy Committee come from fossil fuel and mining industries. His new International Wildlife Conservation Council is mainly comprised of trophy hunters and individuals with ties to President Trump’s oldest son, who is an avid hunter. Member Peter Horn owns a hunting preserve in conjunction with Eric and Don Jr. Trump.
Zinke has made BLM staff in Western states propaganda tools by requiring them to wear “vision” cards with illustrations of an oil rig and cows grazing. The cards reference “customers” instead of “public” and list the purpose as improving “the health and productivity of the land.” Because BLM has no director, Zinke has taken that role, moving forward with plundering the lands resources. A key phrase in supporting the America First Energy Plan is “to serve industry.”
Zinke’s BIA Director Bryan Rice, appointed only six months ago, has resigned. As of this writing, nobody is talking about the reason.
Although only Florida is exempted from offshore oil drilling, Zinke is cooling off about drilling in the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic off Maine. He told the Senate Energy Committee that these places had little recoverable oil and gas. In another loss, he has backed down from a monstrous increase in park entrance fees of $45 to an extra $5, thanks to the vociferous public protest. He also postponed selling over 4,000 acres of leases near the sacred tribal site of Chaco Canyon after protests from indigenous people and withdrew 17,300 acres from a fossil fuel lease auction in Montana. A big political loss was the election of Democrat Conor Lamb to be the representative after a special election in Pennsylvania despite Zinke’s show of presenting a check for a coal mine reclamation with GOP candidate Rick Saccone in attendance. Once again Republicans have gotten away with violated the Hatch Act.
Despite criticism, Zinke continues his destruction of public land. In his testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, he repeated his plans to cover the National Park Service maintenance backlog with revenue from mining and drilling. Republicans in both congressional chambers already have bills in accord with Zinke’s desires. If they get their way, they will sell off sensitive wildlife habitat such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil companies too build park bathrooms. Other national monuments would be opened to mining and drilling. The plan will likely fail because it requires an oil price that are double the current level.
Zinke is unhappy about being questioned for his profligate spending, and he’s sure to hate this hilarious—and accurate—segment on John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight which includes the Interior Secretary throwing the “Second Lady,” Karen Pence, around like a “sack of unbleached flour.” Zinke banned a reporter from Outside from his presence for pointing out that Zinke had rigged his fly rod backward. That’s considered bad form in Montana.
Recently dark money is paying for ads, and Zinke is meeting with deep-pocketed donors. A polling firm has called Iowa GOP voters, testing Zinke’s name recognition for a 2024 presidential run. With all his problems, he may need to wait before he measures for drapes in the Oval Office. He might first run for Montana governor because he exempted Montana from moving public lands to the private sector.
During Zinke’s confirmation hearings, he promised that he would follow Teddy Roosevelt in being a steward of the lands with his concern about global warming. Once confirmed, he started selling off national monuments to the highest bidder and dropping regulations to satisfy business interests. Sen. Ron Wyden said it best when he stated that voting for Zinke was “one of the biggest regrets of my time in public service.”
DDT: Week Forty-six – Make America Worse
Tags: approval, Erik Prince, private spy group, public lands, Robert Mueller, Roy Moore, Russia, UN
The good news: Congress Republicans passed a funding bill to avoid a government shutdown yesterday. The bad news: it’s only for two weeks. Every day, 122 DACA recipients lose their protections. The total thus far since Dictator Donald Trump (DDT) issues his decree is over 11,000 of the 800,000 young people. CHIP, health care for children, also expired over two months ago.
Other questions of the week:
Will DDT fire his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson?
Can the two chambers of Congress combine their tax bill in time to give most people a lump of coal for the holidays?
Where will the courts go after the Supreme Court okayed DDT’s travel ban?
How many people will die or be injured because DDT tore up 70 years of U.S. policy and gave Jerusalem to Israel?
Who is the next to leave Congress because of sexual assault/harassment after the departures of Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), and Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)? (Clue: Reps. Ruben Kihuen (D-NV) and Blake Farenthold (R-TX) are on the chopping block, and as many as 40 congressional members–ten percent of the males–could be affected.)
And will the GOP elect pedophile Roy Moore for its senator from Alabama?
At the inauguration ceremony of Dictator Donald Trump (DDT), Michael Flynn texted a former associate, promising that U.S. sanctions against Russia would be “ripped up” and plans to build nuclear interests in the Middle East with Russian interests was “good to go.” Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), who has a witness to these statements, asked Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), chair of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, to subpoena the White House for Flynn-related documents. Gowdy, who led a crusade against Hillary Clinton regarding Benghazi and the continuing focus on her emails as well as targeting former FBI director James Comey, responded, “Congress doesn’t investigate a crime.”
Special counsel Robert Mueller has asked a federal judge to deny Paul Manafort’s request to release him from house arrest because of an op-ed that Manafort edited for an associate “assessed to have ties” with Russian intelligence. That act was in violation of a court order.
Republicans are trying to destroy Mueller with the most recent attacks fueled by disparaging texts about DDT from Peter Strzok, who has been removed as top FBI agent on the investigation team. New FBI director Christopher Wray repeatedly defended the FBI when Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee bombarded him with questions about anti-DDT sentiment. Hillary Clinton’s name came up at 76 times, and Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) complained about no special counsel “addressing the Clinton administration.” On Fox, Gregg Jarrett accused the FBI of being “like the old KGB … a shadow government.”
Donald Trump Jr. talked to the House Intelligence Committee for eight hours behind closed doors with no released transcripts. He cited attorney-client privilege to refuse answering questions about his conversation with his father about the meeting between Jr. and others, including a Russian lawyer, on June 9, 2016. Neither DDT nor his son is a lawyer, but Jr. said one was in the room. Mueller also questioned Hope Hicks, DDT’s current Communications Director; the FBI had earlier warned her that Russian officials had tried to contact her during the presidential transition.
The Senate tax bill suffers a $300 billion glitch that may take more money from the less than wealthy. Hurried writers forgot to lower the alternative minimum tax (AMT) after putting it back into the legislation. Protests are accelerating as the two chambers try to reconcile their positions.
The decision allowing financial advisers to act in their own best interests for another 18 months will take $10.9 billion from their clients saving for retirement in the next three decades. Permanent implementation of the rule would be more devastating.
U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte ordered 23 DDT businesses including Mar-a-Lago to keep their records for a lawsuit against DDT regarding his violation of the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution. In District of Columbia v. Trump, attorneys in Washington and Maryland claim that his business empire is profiting from foreign and domestic governments.
Project Veritas may lose its license to collect donations in New York because it failed to disclose the criminal record of founder James O’Keefe from a 2010 conviction. DDT is one of the donors to the group that uses editing and lies in order to produce fraudulent videos, the most recent one by a woman who lied about Roy Moore impregnating her and getting an abortion for her. The group’s paperwork also failed to disclose that Utah and Mississippi had already removed its rights to raise money in their states. The DOJ is now using O’Keefe’s fake videos about Planned Parenthood to launch an investigation into the organization.
Fox is calling for the arrest of a president. Lou Dobbs wants Barack Obama arrested for saying that people should “think before you speak. Think before you tweet.”
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said the reason that DDT is taking almost two million acres from the public in the Bears Ears and the Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments is that “public lands are for public use and not for special interests.” Possibly Zinke’s “public use” comes from the fact that over three-fourths of the property that DDT took from public land sits on fossil fuel reserves. Five Utah tribes—Navajo, Ute Mountain Ute, Ute Indian, Hopi, and the Pueblo of Zini—plan to sue DDT to save approximately 100,000 cultural and ancestral sites, some dating back to 1300 AD. Navajo Nation Council Delegate Davis Filfred said:
“More than 150 years ago, the federal government removed our ancestors from Bears Ears at gunpoint and sent them on the Long Walk. But we came back.”
Zinke hopes to shrink more national monuments, including Oregon’s Cascades-Siskiyou so that he can cut down its trees.
Last week, DDT destroyed a ceremony with the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II; this week he described the bombing of Pearl Harbor as a “pretty wild scene” during a ceremony.
DDT refused to take on-the-record questions on Air Force One during one his newsiest days. Ken Walsh, journalist covering six presidents, said, “The briefing has become a battleground, not a place for public education or enlightenment or even the discussion of basic information.”
The RNC gave $170,000 to Roy Moore for his campaign because DDT told them to give him money. Sexual assault isn’t Moore’s only problem; he also said to a black man that the last time the United States was great was when the nation had slavery. In the meantime, lawyers are working to preserve electronic images of all paper ballots cast in the December 12 election and ensure the electronic scanners will capture the digital ballot images. Different states have struggled with out-of-date computers and mysteriously destroyed records, most recently in Georgia. Elections have already shown through hand-counting that many votes are not detected by the optical-scan device.
In another move toward “Make America Alone Again,” DDT withdrew from UN attempts to develop compassionate global refugee policies. UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said that the U.S. will make decisions alone. The nomination for Haley’s fill-in if she is not available, white supremacist Patrick Murray, has passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Secretary of State Betsy DeVos’ brother, Blackwater founder Erik Prince, is proposing a private spy group to fight “deep state” political enemies in federal intelligence agencies and allow DDT to send spies for covert operations into “denied areas” such as North Korea and Iran. Prince also wants a global rendition force to capture terrorist suspects around the world and set up propaganda campaigns in the Middle East and Europe. The plan copies the old British East Indian Company private army that colonized the British empire in India. The group would be “off the books” with no government oversight: funding would come from picking off Afghanistan’s rich deposits of minerals such as lithium, uranium, and “rare earth elements.” Another actor in the plan is Oliver North, who set up the same type of network 30 years ago to wage war against the leftist government of Nicaragua after Congress refused funding for military intervention in Central America’s civil wars.
DDT’s lawyers have a new defense tactic: the president is above the law. The current DOJ said 18 years ago that no one—even the president—is above the law when the president was a Democrat.
Forget about price shopping for airline flights; DDT withdrew a proposed rule for transparency in baggage fees.
The 28 of 30 Jewish House members who are Democrats weren’t invited to DDT’s partisan Hanukah party, five days before the beginning of the celebration. The tiny menorah brought into the room only for the ceremony and lighted by DDT’s grandchildren was in the midst of four huge Christmas trees. Afterwards, the party moved to DDT’s International Hotel for the “Hanukkah Nightcap” party funded by Sheldon Adelson’s Republican Jewish Coalition.
Less than one year after his inauguration, DDT is welcome only at rallies with vetted audiences of Trumpettes. Early this week, neither DDT nor his wife attended Kennedy Center Honors, the first time the president was not in attendance or represented since its inception in 1978. Today DDT did not attend the public opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson because of protests, including by NAACP and Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) who had been injured and jailed during the 1960s civil rights protests. DeNeen L. Brown and Cleve R. Wootson Jr. describe the tragedies depicted in the museum.
After DDT may have admitted obstructing of justice in his tweet about Michael Flynn, White House staff is considering making rules for how messages are posted on social media.
The latest Pew Research puts the approval rating for DDT at 32 percent with 63 percent disapproving. At the same time for his first term, President Obama’s approval rating was 49 percent. DDT’s loss of evangelical voters may be painful; the approval rating among that group has fallen 17 points down to 72 percent. Further drops for DDT: Adults 50 and older – from 47 percent to 38 percent; whites – 49 percent to 41 percent.
Earth Day 2016 – Keep What We Have, Make It Better
Filed under: Environment — trp2011 @ 9:06 PM
Tags: ALEC, Earth Day, endangered species, Koch brothers, land grab, pollution, public lands, solar power
[Once again, thanks to Ann Hubard for the photographs, showing the benefits of Oregonians because we still have public land.]
Earth Day turned 46 today, and I went looking for some good news. These five items from Julia Whittey:
The huge drop of toxic PCBs and related contaminants in polar bears on the island of Svalbard shows that international agreements to ban PCBs are showing some success. As polar bears go, there go humans.
Wildlife preserves in Russia and China for highly rare Amur leopards show that the countries are working together to save endangered species.
Forty individual projects and nine larger projects received almost one-half billion dollars since last November—the greatest amount of funding that it has provided. One is a proposal to protect at least 5 percent of Brazil’s ocean territory through marine protected areas, and another is a project to investigate the potential of creating ‘blue forest’ preserves in the ocean for the storage of carbon by mangrove and coral ecosystems.
Southern right whales, extinct from ancestral calving grounds off New Zealand for over a century, are finding their way home. Before the whaling industry, 30,000 whales lived in that area.
The Arabian Oryx, thought to be extinct in the wild since 1973, has moved up to “vulnerable” since captive breeding efforts through Operation Oryx.
Ortho, a gigantic pesticide manufacturer, is stopping the use of neonicotinoids, known for killing honey bees. Europe banned these pesticides in 2013, and Ontario was the first North American region to ban them last year.
For the first time in a half century, greenhouse gas emissions are staying static while the economy grows.
For the first time in U.S. history, solar power increased more in generating capacity than natural gas. Over 29 percent of all new power capacity came from solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in 2015, a 17 percent increase over 2014.
Arch Coal, one of the biggest in the U.S., will abandoned plans to build the biggest new coal mine in the U.S., the proposed Otter Creek coal mine, after Indigenous activists, ranchers, and landowners asked for prevention of permits. In Reno, no one showed up to bid at the federal oil and gas auctions. And in Oregon, the federal government denied an application for the proposed Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas terminal at Coos Bay. FERC said that there was no need for the project that takes fracked gas from Canada through a proposed pipeline before it is shipped out of the country.
Today’s Earth Day will also be known as the anniversary for the 170 world leaders who gathered at the UN to sign the Paris Agreement, bringing the nations together to tackle climate change. Countries have already been building programs to increase clean energy and stop the pollution. To take effect, 55 percent of the countries representing 55 percent of global emissions must ratify the deal. Both the U.S. and China, together representing 40 percent of global emissions, signed today.
An extra one: The earth’s protected areas cover eight million square miles of land and sea, over twice the size of Canada. Maps and charts since 1872 here.
Unfortunately, that number may shrink if the Republicans get their way. After the Bundy tribe threatened federal officials in Nevada a few years ago and occupied a bird sanctuary in Oregon last winter, more GOP legislators are talking about privatizing public land. If they don’t want to go that far, they want to log, drill, mine, bulldoze, and develop that lands available for everyone.
Federal land is used for camping, hiking, climbing, fishing, bird watching, rafting, bicycling, and just plain enjoying with over 600 million visits a year. In just 2011, federal lands provided two million jobs and $385 billion in economic development. National forests provide water—generally clean and pure—to 60 million people. Public land cuts down on pollution because it lacks industry and produces oxygen while removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. I live next to the most beautiful beaches in the United States because they are not privately owned. Anyone can walk or run along the Pacific Ocean in Oregon, unlike in California which sells its beaches.
The land in the West has never been “private” land. The federal government took it from Native Americans, not the ranchers who claim that they should “take it back.” The Homestead Act gave away some of this land, but much of it was set aside as national forests and parks.
It’s not “we the people” who think that the public lands should be put into private hands; it’s the corporations and industries such as the Koch brothers and Exxon Mobile—the companies that own the GOP lawmakers. In their attempt to take over private lands, the Koch brothers directly funded the group that occupied an Oregon bird sanctuary earlier this year.
The move toward privatizing comes from federal government haters in Congress trying to turn federal lands over to the states because they would supposedly be the best to manage them. Of course, they would have to pay for the management, including paying for jobs, firefighting, roads, etc. Complaints about not having access to public land would vastly increase if these were managed by the states instead of the federal government. Many Western states don’t consider state lands to be “public” and thus make them off limits to recreation, trapping, and firewood cutting. Ranchers and farmers would lose grazing rights and federal water.
Former GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio’s top energy priority was to “work with Congress to ensure that states and tribes—and not the federal government—have the primary role in oversight of energy development within their borders.” He meant selling, transferring, or privatizing U.S. private lands and energy resources—and waive environmental protections. The RNC has officially endorsed efforts to force U.S. public lands to state ownership, and last year the Senate passed a budget proposal that would do just that. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) has a group of House members, the Federal Land Action Group, with the goal of determining “the best congressional action needed to return these [federal] lands back to the rightful owners.” The Koch brothers’ conservative network is lobbying Western state legislatures to demand state ownership of national forests and other public lands. Their supporters are anti-government activists, white supremacists, militias, and other extremist groups whose ideas are dribbling into the Tea Party that some people consider “mainstream” instead of fringe groups.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is aligned with Cliven Bundy and the land grab movement. No longer a presidential candidate, he’ll still be in the U.S. Senate and will surely continue to push legislation for the loss of federal lands. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), proud of his connection with the conservative ALEC, is right up there with Paul and will remain as senator or be president. As Ohio governor, John Kasich opened state parks to oil and gas drilling before reversing his position three years later because the state lacked “the policies in place yet to properly do it.” In a little over a century, the GOP has changed from the conservation party of Teddy Roosevelt to the takeover party that gives only to corporations and the wealthy.
Then states will sell the land that the federal government “gives” them. New Mexico has sold over one-third of its original 13 million acres, Nevada has just 3,000 acres left from its 2.7 million, Idaho sold 1.2 million acres, and Colorado and Arizona each sold off 1.7 million acres.
Earth Day is a time to appreciate what we have and fight for keeping it—and making it better!
GOP on National Parks: Follow the Monday
Filed under: Uncategorized — trp2011 @ 9:12 PM
Tags: Alberta, Bob Bishop, national parks, public lands, strip mining, tar sands oil, Theodore Roosevelt, Utah
Tired of trashing just people, GOP members of the U.S. House has decided to throw away the country’s most wonderful resources—the national parks. These people are in a snit because the President of the United States has had the right to declare new parks and monuments for 108 years. Rep. Bob Bishop (R-UT) introduced a bill this month that would give Congress the sole power to create new public resources. HR 1459 is called “The Ensuring Public Involvement in the Creation of Monuments and Parks,” but it would better be called “No New Parks.” The GOP members of Congress that wants to be responsible for our public resources has opposed every piece of legislation that would protect the environment or conserve land in the nation.
Once again, the GOP opposes what the public wants. A few months ago, three-fourths of respondents to a survey indicated that the government is not doing enough to protect national parks or public lands. In another survey, almost 70 percent of the people said they would more likely vote for a candidate who protects the environment and cares for the land.
HR 1459 is on schedule for a vote next week. That fast work is amazing for the House because bills sent over from the Senate such as immigration reform or helping the unemployed are still unattended.
Such quick action from the GOP calls on a response called “follow the money.” Bishop’s home state of Utah is sitting on a possible three trillion barrels of oil, more oil than used thus far in human history. Utah is getting ready for all this extraction with a $80-million highway into the Book Cliffs after a request from an oil shale lobby. A year ago BLM and the president allocated 800,000 acres of public lands for oil shale and tar sands leasing. Benefiting companies are Enefit American (Estonia), Total (France), and Red Leaf Resources (Canada).
Tar sands oil is a mixture of sand, clay, and water. Usually the rock is “stripped” from the land, crushed, and then separated from the oil with the use of heat, water, and chemicals. Transport to a refinery requires dilution with some kind of petroleum solvent. As with other methods of fossil-fuel removal, tar sands oil mining uses a great deal of energy and water and causes massive and dangerous waste.
Below is the already mined Black Cliffs in Alberta and the Book Cliffs area before any mining.
U.S. Oil Sands already got approval because the state’s Water Quality Division’s director, Walt Baker, doesn’t think there is any groundwater in the area in the high country between Vernal and Moab (UT). That site is called PR Spring, the name of a nearby freshwater spring, and the company plans to use groundwater for its processing. The total of that mine’s production over seven years will provide six hours of the fuel supply in the United States.
Jeremy Miller, of the environmental group Living Rivers, described the process during its seven years:
“Heavy machinery would scour bitumen from the pit around the clock … The sand and mineral fines remaining after the oil has been removed will be combined, shoved back into the pit and covered with topsoil. But processing expands such wastes by as much as 30 percent. The overflow will be dumped into surrounding ravines—a method starkly reminiscent of Appalachia’s mountaintop coal mining. And the project will create miles of light pollution, illuminating one of the country’s last great ‘dark’ regions.”
The mining company plans to use an untested “citrus-based solvent.” Miller said:
“In order to utilize the solvent, the sands must first be sent through a series of on-site crushers. Hot water is added to the resulting slurry, generating a ‘froth’ of oil, solvent, and fine sand particles. This mixture is then passed through a series of separation towers, where the crude oil is isolated. It’s then trucked to refineries in Salt Lake City for processing. Unlike conventional light crude oil, the heavy crude generated from PR Spring—like Canada’s—requires extra, energy-intensive refining steps to remove impurities, such as sulfur and heavy metals, before it can be turned into anything useful.”
This site, however, is small compared to the largest deposit further south in the Tar Sands Triangle between Canyonlands National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and the Dirty Devil River Watershed. These are near some of the most beautiful places in the United States, including the red-rock canyon country of Canyonlands National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and inside Capitol Reef National Park.
[White Canyon in Natural Bridges National Monument. White Canyon, just outside the monument’s boundaries, is a designated tar sands development area. Credit: Bobby Magill]
Tar sands mining would, in the words of BLM, “completely displace all other uses of the land.” Its environmental impact statement would mean that the air nearby could be:
“… contaminated with carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and other pollutants, while air close to the site could be contaminated with benzene, toluene and formaldehyde. More than 100,000 acres of wilderness-quality land could be industrialized, construction of reservoirs would alter natural streamflow patterns, hydrocarbons and herbicides could cause ‘chronic or acute toxicity’ in wildlife and habitat for 20 threatened or endangered species could be lost.”
That was the report from the federal agency that approved the tar sands mining.
These “before and after” photos shows the change in a northern Alberta forest on the Suncor Millennium tar sands site. [Photo by Peter Essick; complete article in March 2009, National Geographic.]
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has asked Secretary of State John Kerry for a “comprehensive human health impacts study” analyzing the respiratory ailments, cancer and other illnesses related to harvesting and refining the dense hydrocarbon bitumen in Alberta’s oil sands. In a press conference, she said:
“The health impacts of tar sands oil are being ignored. This press conference is about waking up Americans that more tar sands coming into this country is a danger to the health of our people, all along the way, from the extraction to the transport, to the refining.”
She noted that people living near the facilities suffer from “higher rates of the types of cancers linked to these toxic chemicals, including leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.” The letter to Kerry stated, “Putting more Americans at risk for asthma, cancer and other serious health impacts is not in our national interest.”
Her concern was about the pollutants from tar sands mining in Canada and piping it across the United States so that companies can make billions by shipping the product to Asia. The GOP wants tar sand mining to destroy the country’s public lands.
Water from the area targeted for the mining goes into the Colorado River watershed. Aside from taking water from a source for 30 million people, the resulting pollution would greatly damage the fragile Colorado River watershed.
Boxer needs to expand her concerns about what could happen to the land of Utah as this photo from the Alberta mines shows. Photo by Garth Lenz.
As president, Theodore Roosevelt conserved over 230 million acres of U.S. land. He created five national parks (doubling the previously existing number); signed the landmark Antiquities Act and used its special provisions to unilaterally create 18 national monuments, including the Grand Canyon; and set aside 51 federal bird sanctuaries, four national game refuges, and more than 100 million acres’ worth of national forests. Now the Republicans want to again reject Roosevelt’s policies and destroy the beautiful lands of Utah. The GOP has one goal: follow the money.
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Sony Xperia Ace with 5″ Display & Snapdragon 630 SoC Launched
by Teja Chedalla May 16, 2019
At the MWC 2019, Sony announced the Xperia 1 flagship smartphone with 4K OLED display and Snapdragon 855 SoC. Today, the company launched the Xperia 1 along with the all-new Xperia Ace in Japan. While the Xperia 1 and Xperia 10 came with refreshed designed featuring longer 21:9 displays, the company went back to the 18:9 display and years-old omnibalance design for the Xperia Ace smartphone. The device comes with a glossy finish polycarbonate body.
It sports a smaller 5-inch LCD display with Full HD+ (2160 x 1080 pixels) resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. On the front, the company added Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Under the hood is the 14nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 Mobile Platform clocked at 2.2 GHz. It comes coupled with Adreno 508 GPU and 4GB of RAM. The Xperia Aces includes 64GB of internal storage that can be further expandable up to 512GB using the MicroSD card slot.
In the camera department, the device sports a single 12MP camera on the rear with f/1.8 aperture, 1.25μm pixel size, OIS + EIS, and LED flash. On the front, there is an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera for capturing wide selfies with 120-degree field-of-view. It is backed by a 2700mAh battery and comes with USB Type-C port for charging. With the IP68 certification, the device is also water and dust resistant. It comes with a side mounted fingerprint scanner for secure unlocking.
The device runs on Android 9.0 Pie based Xperia UI out of the box. Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, and USB Type-C. It measures 140 x 67 x 9.3 mm and weighs 154 grams. The Sony Xperia Ace will be available in Purple, Black, and White color options. Talking about the pricing and availability, the Xperia Ace costs JPY 48,600 (approx USD 443 / INR 31,000) and goes on sale starting June 1st. Stay tuned on Phone Radar for more details!
Samsung Galaxy Fold Getting Ready For a Re-launch, Passes final round of...
Everyone might be eagerly waiting for the upcoming Galaxy Note 10 series but the South...
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Home > News Releases > Lake Forest High School Senior Awarded Berkeley College Scholarship
Lake Forest High School Senior Awarded Berkeley College Scholarship
Mar 7, 2016 12:48:00 PM Comms Team
Categories: High School Scholars
MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 Contact: Ilene Greenfield
LAKE FOREST HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR
AWARDED BERKELEY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP
Juliette Doree of Lake Forest in Lake County, IL, a senior at Lake Forest High School, has received a scholarship to attend Berkeley College. Each year, these scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who demonstrate a high level of achievement. The scholarships are renewable, based on the recipient’s cumulative grade point average at the end of each academic year and continued enrollment as a full-time student.
“We congratulate these students who have demonstrated their ability and desire to further their achievements by pursuing a college degree with a career focus,” said Michael Smith, President of Berkeley College. “These scholarships will help them succeed.”
A leader in providing career-focused education since 1931, Berkeley College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and enrolls approximately 8,300 students – including more than 700 international students – in its Baccalaureate and Associate degree and Certificate programs. Students can study in more than 20 career fields. Berkeley College is comprised of the Larry L. Luing School of Business, the School of Professional Studies, the School of Health Studies and the School of Liberal Arts. The School of Graduate Studies offers a Master of Business Administration degree in Management online and in Woodland Park, NJ.
Berkeley College has three New York locations – Midtown Manhattan, Brooklyn and White Plains. In New Jersey there are six locations – Clifton, Dover, Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge and Woodland Park. Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. In January 2016, U.S. News & World Report named Berkeley College one of the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Degrees for the third consecutive year. The website address is www.BerkeleyCollege.edu.
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Ubisoft, Maker of ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Offers Help with Notre-Dame Restoration
in Inspiring, World
Image Source: notredamecathedralparis.com
The monetary aid to reconstruct the Notre-Dame has been pouring in from across the world. Billionaires and a host of organizations across the world have generously contributed towards rebuilding the iconic 850-year-old cathedral that was significantly destroyed due to a massive fire.
However, apart from financial aid, there certainly is much more required to bring Notre-Dame to its original shape.
Ubisoft, a video game company headquartered in France, has offered to share the digital design of Notre-Dame that it had created for its video game ‘Assassin’s Creed Unity.’ The 2014 release of the video game, set in Paris during the French Revolution, had featured the Notre-Dame as a fully explorable building. Its developers took over a year to meticulously recreate the cathedral for the game.
While the digital model does not accurately replicate the original structure, it still will provide tremendous help in recreating it.
The organization has also donated 500,000 euros to the reconstruction efforts.
Further, to express solidarity with this tragic mishap, it has given its fans an opportunity to play the Assassin’s Creed Unity for free. For a week, users will be able to download the game on Uplay at no cost.
In solidarity with everyone moved by Monday’s events we’re donating to the restoration of Notre-Dame & giving you the chance to play @AssassinsCreed Unity on Uplay for free.
Details below:
— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) April 17, 2019
Isn’t all this a testimony to the fact that unity is, indeed, the biggest strength. With collaboration and cooperation, many wonderful things can be achieved.
Hoping that the Notre-Dame returns to its majestic original state very soon!
Tags: Assassin's creed unitycathedralNotre-DameUbisoftvideogame
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Beyond microcredit in Nepal
Like many Nepali women, Shiba Pariyar did not have big ambitions. She was too occupied in carrying out her household chores and helping her husband in a small plot of land they had. Nearly a decade ago, one fine morning, she heard that an officer from a local NGO was visiting her village to form a women’s group. With friends, she attended the meeting. That was a turning point in her life.
Shiba now runs a tailoring shop at Ghorahi in Dang district. “I borrowed Rs 5,000 from Nepal Women Community Service Center (NWCSC)—a local NGO based in Dang—and started this shop with one sewing machine. Now, I have got 10 sewing machines and eight people working in my shop. My children have passed the SLC exams and I have also bought a plot of land in the town area,” Shiba said with a big grin.
It’s not a small feat for a ‘dalit’ (so-called untouchable) woman like Shiba to run her own shop and also generate employment for young men and women. Tens of thousands of women in Nepal, like Shiba, are working as micro-entrepreneurs as part of the microfinance movement. The idea of microfinance took off nearly four decades ago with the launch of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, founded by Prof Muhammad Yunus, and was based originally on the idea of providing small loans to poor—mainly women through joint-liability groups—also known as the Grameen model.
Source: Republica (link opens in a new window)
microcredit, microfinance
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Governments need to ‘join up and scale up’ on health
World Health Day is a chance to reflect on the progress we’ve made since the occasion was first marked in 1950. But it’s also a moment to reflect on the huge challenges that remain. One child dying from preventable causes is one too many — but in reality, 6.6 million die in this way each year.
The approaching deadline for the Millennium Development Goals presents us with a real opportunity. Now — in the final push toward those targets and in the design of those that will follow — is the time for bold steps toward realizing the right to health for all. That means deep reflection on how we need to shape our approach to global health going forward. For me, one word stands out: integration.
Last year, I visited a school project which Plan International helped set up in Tanzania. It was great to see the progress the children were making in their learning. As I left, though, I saw a powerful reminder of why education and health programs must not exist in silos. A group of early teenage girls were gathered outside around a large white van. It was a mobile health clinic, visiting the school as part of the government’s efforts, supported by Plan, to provide universal health coverage. The girls were receiving tetanus vaccinations.
Source: Devex (link opens in a new window)
Entrepreneurship, Environment, Health Care
global health, governance, health care, scale, sustainability
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Publications & MultimediaCurrently selected
NIJ Home Page > Multimedia from NIJ
Multimedia from NIJCurrently selected
Resources from Forensic DNA Training
OJP Video Gallery
Just Science Podcast
Video: Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men
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This video describes the findings of a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) supported study on the prevalence of violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women and men. Specifically, the study provides estimates of sexual violence, physical violence by intimate partners, stalking, and psychological aggression by intimate partners over the lifetime of American Indian and Alaska Native women and men as well as victimization estimates over of the past year (based on 2010 data). It also provides estimates of interracial and intraracial victimizations and briefly examines the impact of violence. The results should be used to raise awareness and understanding about violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women and men.
The study used a large nationally representative sample from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS). The NISVS was launched in 2010 by CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, with the support from the Department of Defense and NIJ.
Read about the study in the NIJ Journal article "Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men."
Watch an NIJ Research for the Real World Seminar discussing these findings.
Reuse or Repost This Video
Information generated by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, is in the public domain. It may be reproduced, published or otherwise used without permission. Please cite NIJ as the source of the information by using the following words:
"The [insert the name of your organization] gratefully acknowledges the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, for allowing us to reproduce, in part or in whole, the video [insert title]. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this video are those of the speaker(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice."
Opinions or points of view expressed in these videos represent those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any products and manufacturers discussed in these videos are presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or enforcement by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Date Created: October 19, 2016
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BIC Graphic America
BIC Graphic (“BG”) is committed to operating its business in a safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. The protection of our consumers, workers and the environment are paramount. Our sustainable development plan incorporates, among other things, the following principals: (1) Product Safety and Regulatory Compliance, (2) Quality Assurance, (3) Social Responsibility, (4) Supply Chain Security, and (5) Environmental Stewardship. This Restricted Substances List (“RSL”) is a key element to BG’s continuing efforts to further these ideals. BG acknowledges that our Suppliers are vital partners in this endeavor. As a consequence, these policies and procedures apply to all companies that manufacture and/or sell finished products (the “Products”) to BG (collectively, “Suppliers”).
The objectives of this RSL are to:
(a) Ensure that chemicals used in the manufacture of the Products comply with the chemical content and chemical exposure laws of every governmental jurisdiction in which the Products are manufactured and sold; and
(b) Ensure that the Products do not expose consumers and others handling them to levels of chemicals which would adversely affect their health or safety.
Suppliers must ensure that the chemicals used in the manufacture of the Products are used in a manner consistent with the requirements of the chemical supplier and other applicable chemical use requirements.
This RSL is an important part of BG’s product stewardship and environmental sustainability programs, and Suppliers must share this RSL with all companies that supply materials, parts and chemicals that are used to produce the Products. Suppliers are responsible for ensuring that all of the companies that they purchase materials, parts and chemicals from for use in manufacturing the Products are in compliance with the bans, restrictions and requirements described or referred to in this RSL.
We require our Suppliers to study this document carefully, implement management processes in their operations to comply with these requirements and communicate the information to their internal teams. This RSL supersedes all prior versions of the BG RSL. As a Supplier of Products to BG, you are required to understand the RSL product standards and deliver only compliant products to BG. You are also responsible for seeking guidance from BG in any situation where you may have doubts or uncertainties about your Product’s compliance with BG’s RSL Product standards.
Each Supplier, by manufacturing or selling a Product to BG, represents and warrants that each of the Products complies in all material respects with this RSL and all applicable laws. Each Supplier does hereby agree to indemnify, defend and hold BG harmless from any claim, loss, damage, expense and other harm that results from such Supplier’s non-compliance with this RSL or any applicable laws.
Restricted Substance (CAS #)
Alkylphelols (AP) &
Alkylphenol Ethoxylates (APEO)
Nonylphenols (NP)(CAS# multiple isomers)
Octylphenols (OP)(CAS# multiple isomers)
Nonylphenol ethoxylate (C2H4O)nC15H24O (CAS# multiple isomers)
Octylphenol ethoxylate (C2H4O)nC14H22O (CAS# multiple isomers)
Sum of NP & OP: 100 ppm
(preparations)
Sum of NPEO & OPEO: 100 ppm
Cleaning agents, processing of leather products, biocides, pesticides, cements, glues and metal processing.
Actinolite (77536-66-4)
Amosite (12172-73-5)
Anthrophylite (77536-67-5)
Chrysotile (12001-29-5)
Crocidolite (12001-28-4)
Tremolite (77536-68-6)
None Detected
(each type)
Asbestos has been used in shingles, siding, drywall, vinyl floor tile, pipe insulation and other building materials due to its heat and fire insulating properties as well as its acoustic properties. When friable it is widely known to cause respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Azo Colorants
(Restricted aromatic amines – from Azo dyes)
4-Aminodiphenyl (92-67-1)
Benzidine (92-87-5)
4-Chloro-o- Toluidine (95-69-2)
2- Napthylamine (91-59-8)
o-Aminoazotoluene (97-56-3)
2-Amino-4-nitrotoluene (99-55-8)
2,4 Diaminoanisole (615-05-4)
3,3-Dimethylbenzidine (119-93-7)
4,4 Diaminodiphenylmethane (101-77-9)
3,3-Dichlorobenzidine (91-94-1)
3,3- Dimethoxybenzidine (o-Dianisidine) (119-90-4)
3,3- Dimethyl-4,4’-diaminodiphenylmethane (838-88-0)
p-Chloroaniline (106-47-8)
p-Cresidine (120-71-8)
4,4-Methylene-bis-(2-chloraniline) (101-14-4)
4,4- Oxydianiline (101-80-4)
4,4- Thiodianiline (139-65-1)
2,4- Toluenediamine (95-80-7)
o-Toluidine (95-53-4)
2,4,5-Trimethylaniline (137-17-7)
o-Anisidine (90-04-0)
4-Amino-azobenzene (60-09-3)
2,4-Xylidine (95-68-1)
(each amine)
Most colored textile and leather articles are treated with Azo Dyes and pigments. Aromatic Amines derived from azo colorants (dyes) are found in textile fibers, including natural, man-made, regenerated, and blended fibers. The EU standard EN 14362-1:2012 is used to detect EU banned aromatic amines derived from azo colorants (dyes) in textile fibers. This EU standard is also relevant for all colored textiles, e.g. dyed, printed, and coated textiles. Azo dyes have vivid colors, especially reds, oranges, and yellows. Azo dyes are carcinogenic.
Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF) (624-49-7)
DMF is a biocide that is used to protect against mold growth in shoes and other apparel. Some individuals are allergic upon skin contact. A major side effect to exposure to DMF is progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (damage to the white matter of the brain – usually fatal).
Dioxins & Furans
Group 1:
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (1746-01-6)
1,2,3,7,8-Pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (40321-76-4)
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzofuran (51207-31-9)
2,3,4,7,8-Pentachlorodibenzofuran (57117-31-4)
1,2,3,4,7,8-Hexachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (39227-28-6)
1,2,3,4,7,8-Hexachlorodibenzofuran (70648-26-9)
1,2,3,4,6,7,8-Heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (35822-46-9)
1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-Octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (3268-87-9)
1,2,3,4,6,7,8-Heptachlorodibenzofuran (67562-39-4)
1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-Octachlorodibenzofuran (39001-02-0)
2,3,7,8-Tetrabromodibenzo-p-dioxin (No CAS #)
1,2,3,7,8-Pentabromodibenzo-p-dioxin (No CAS #)
2,3,7,8-Tetrabromodibenzofuran (No CAS #)
2,3,4,7,8-Pentabromidbenzofuran (No CAS #)
1,2,3,4,7,8-Hexabromodibenzo-p-dioxin (No CAS #)
1,2,3,7,8-Pentabromodibenzofuran (No CAS #)
(all Dioxins & Furans)
Dioxins are by-products of manufacturing processes such as waste incineration, metal production and fossil-fuel and wood combustion. They are carcinogenic.
Furans are chemicals used as a starting point to creating specialty chemicals. They are carcinogenic.
Disperse Dyes – Sensitizing
Disperse Blue 1 (2475-45-8)
Disperse Blue 26 (3860-63-7)
Disperse Blue 35 (12222-75-2)
Disperse Blue 102 (12222-97-8)
Disperse Red 1 (2872-52-8)
Disperse Orange 3 (730-40-5)
Disperse Orange 37/59/76 (13301-61-6)
Disperse Yellow 3 (2832-40-8)
Disperse Yellow 23 (6250-22-3)
(each dye)
Disperse Dyes are the only water-insoluble dyes that are used to dye polyester and other synthetic fabrics.
Pentabromodiphenyl ether (PentaBDE) 3-isomers (32534-81-9)
Octabromodiphenyl ether (OctaBDE) 4-isomers (32536-52-0)
Tetrabromobisphenol A
Chlorinated Parrafins
Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)
Hexabromocyclododecane
Tetrabromophthalate (TBPH)
tris(1-chloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TCPP)
Tetrabromobenzoate (TBB)
Tri-o-cresyl phosphate (78-30-8)
Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (115-96-8)
TBBPA
TDCP
TDCPP
TCEP
tris-(2,3,-dibromopropyl)phosphate (TRIS) (126-72-7)
polybromobiphenyls (PBB) (59536-65-1)
tris-(aziridinyl)-phosphineoxide (Tris(1-aziridinyl)phosphine oxide) (TEPA) (545-55-1)
Pentabromodiphenyl ether (PentaBDE) (32534-81-9)
Octabromodiphenyl ether (OctaBDE) (32536-52-0)
bis (2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate (5412-25-9)
decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) (1163-19-5)
(each flame retardant)
Flame Retardants are toxic chemicals that are added to manufactured materials, such as plastics and textiles, and surface finishes and coatings. Flame retardants inhibit or delay the spread of fire by suppressing the chemical reactions in the flame or by the formation of a protective layer on the surface of a material. Flame retardants are typically added to industrial and consumer products to meet flammability standards for furniture, textiles, electronics, and building products like insulation. Brominated Flame Retardants have been found in the environment and in organisms including humans.
Flourinated Greenhouse Gases
Flourinated Greenhouse Gases are released into the atmospheric from burning carbon fuels and use of products that include them (formerly chlorofluorocarbons from aerosol sprays). These gases include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)—which are potent GHGs that are believed to contribute to global warming. Countries are transitioning away from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), halons, and other ozone-depleting substances.
Antimony (Sb) -------------------------------------------------------------------
Arsenic (As) (7440-38-2) -----------------------------------------------------
Barium (Ba) ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cadmium (Cd) (7440-43-9) --------------------------------------------------
Lead (Pb) (7439-92-1) --------------------------------------------------------
Mercury (Hg) (7439-97-6) ---------------------------------------------------
Chromium (Cr VI) (7440-47-3) ----------------------------------------------
Selenium (Se) (7782-49-2) ---------------------------------------------------
Nickel (Ni) – Release (7440-02-0) ------------------------------------------
Tin (Sn) Organotins
MBT (7440-31-5)
Tributyltin (TBT) (56573-85-4)
Dibutyltin (DBT) (1002-53-5)
Triphenyltin (TPhT) (668-34-8)
25 ppm (soluble As)
1,000 ppm
75 ppm – Child (soluble Cd)
300 ppm – Adult (total Cd)
90 ppm paint
100 ppm substrate
10 ppm paint (Canada Toy)
60 ppm paint & substrate (US Toy)
60 ppm paint & substrate
500 ppm paint & substrate
0.5 µg/cm²/week (Metal in direct and prolonged contact with the skin; 0.03 µg / cm² / week for piercings)
1 ppm (each Organotin)
Antimony is used in flame proofing materials, paints and enamels. It is used in semi-conductors for diodes.
Arsenic is used to make pesticides, herbicides and insecticides. It forms an alloy with lead for batteries. Found in cotton and cotton synthetic blend fabrics, pigments, wood preservatives and optical glass.
Barium is used as a glass stabilizer and pesticide. It can be found in glassware, rubber, magnets and glazed ceramic pottery.
Cadmium is used as a pigment in dyes and paints, as an alloy to metals in jewelry, solder and batteries. It is also used to electroplate and protect metals from corrosion.
Lead is used in building construction, lead-acid batteries, bullets and shot, fishing gear, weights (wheels, fishing, exercise, scuba diving, ballast on sailboats), as part of solders, pewters, fusible alloys and as a radiation shield. Lead is a neurotoxin. Lead is alloyed with copper and its alloys (namely, brass and bronze). Brass is a metal alloy made of copper and zinc. Bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin. Lead compounds are used as a coloring element in ceramic glazes, notably in the colors red and yellow. Lead is frequently used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic.
Mercury is used in glass thermometers, gauges, batteries scientific instruments, street lights, lighted signs.
Cr VI (hexavalent chromium) is a toxic and carcinogenic chemical element. Cr and Cr III are not toxic or carcinogenic. It is used in the processing of leather products, as a wood preservative for treated lumber and for metal plating.
Selenium is used to decolorize glass and acts as a catalyst in many chemical reactions. It can be found in glass, shampoo and paint.
Nickel is used to make stainless steel, alnico magnets, coins, rechargeable batteries, electric guitar strings, microphone capsules and plating on plumbing fixtures,
Organotins Organotin compounds are chemical compounds with tin–carbon bonds. Of the compounds of tin, the organic derivatives are the most useful commercially. Some organotin compounds are highly toxic and have been used as biocides. The major commercial application of organotin compounds is in the stabilization of PVC plastics. In the absence of such stabilizers, PVC would otherwise rapidly degrade under heat, light, and atmospheric oxygen, resulting in discolored, brittle products. Some organotin compounds are relatively toxic, with both advantages and problems. They are used for biocidal properties as fungicides, pesticides, algaecides, wood preservatives, and antifouling agents. Tributyltin oxide is used as a wood preservative. Tin forms several inter-metallic phases with lithium metal, making it a potentially attractive material for battery applications.
N-Nitrosimine
Nitrosamines are carcinogens that are used in the manufacture of some cosmetics, pesticides, and in most latex and rubber products.
Pentachlorophelol (PCP), its salts and esters (87-86-5 PCP)
Tetrachlorophenol (TeCP) (25167-83-3)
PCP is a highly toxic compound that is used as an herbicide, insecticide, fungicide, algaecide and disinfectant and as an ingredient in anti-fouling paint. Used to treat leather, wood and rope.
Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and
PFOS metallic salt, halogenide, amide and
other derivatives (no CAS #)
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
1 µg/m2
PFOS is a global pollutant that was the key ingredient in Scotchgard, a fabric protector made by 3M, and numerous stain repellents. PFOS together with PFOA, have been used to make aqueous film forming foam (“AFFF”), a component in fire-fighting foams. PFOS compounds are also used as water and oil repellants for textiles, paper and leather.
PFOA has been used as a water and oil repellant in fabrics and leather and in the production of floor waxes. It is found in stain resistant carpets, carpet cleaning liquids, microwave popcorn bags, some cookware and PTEE such as Teflon.
Aldicarb (116-06-3)
Aldrin (309-00-2)
Chlordane (57-74-9)
Chlordimeform (6164-98-3)
Dichloro-diphenyl-dichloro ethane (DDD) (72-54-8)
Dichloro-diphenyl-dichloro ethylene (DDE) (72-55-9)
Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro ethane (DDT) (50-29-3)
Dicofol (115-32-2)
Dieldrin (60-57-1)
Endrin (72-20-8)
Heptachlor (76-44-8)
Heptachlor epoxide (1024-57-3)
Hexachlorobenzene (118-74-1)
Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH, all isomers) (608-73-1)
Isodrin (465-73-6)
Kelevane (4234-79-1)
Kepone (chlordecone) (143-50-0)
Lindane (58-89-9)
Malathion (121-75-5)
Methoxychlor (72-43-5)
Methyl Parathion (298-00-0)
Mirex (2385-85-5)
Monomethyl-dibromo-diphenyl methane (99688-47-8)
Monomethyl-dichloro-diphenyl methane (81167-70-8)
Monomethyl-tetrachloro-diphenyl methane (76253-60-6)
Parathion (56-38-2)
Perthane (72-56-0)
Quintozene (82-68-8)
Strobane (8001-50-1)
Telodrin (297-78-9)
Timiperone (DTTB) (57648-21-2)
Toxaphene (8001-35-2)
2-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy) propionic acid (2,3,5-TP) (93-97-1) its salts, and 2-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy compounds (No CAS #)
2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,-T) (93-76-5), its salts, and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetyl compounds (No CAS #)
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, its salts and compounds (94-75-7)
(each Pesticide)
pH - Textiles
All esters of o-phthalic acid including but not restricted to:
di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) (28553-12-0)
di(ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) (117-81-7)
di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) (117-84-0)
di-iso-decyl phthalate (DIDP) (26761-40-0)
butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) (85-68-7)
dibutyl phthalate (DPB) (84-74-2)
di-isobutyl phthalate (DIBP) (84-69-5)
Other Plasticizers
Triphenyl phosphate (115-86-6)
Tri-m-cresyl phosphate (563-04-2)
Tri-p-cresyl phosphate (78-32-0)
(each phthalate)
Phthalates are plasticizers – they are found in PVC, soft plastic & rubber, imitation leather & neoprene.
(each plasticizer)
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) (1336-36-3)
Because of PCBs' environmental toxicity and classification as a persistent organic pollutant, PCB production was banned in the US in 1979. PCBs are used in coolants and insulating fluids for transformers (transformer oil) and capacitors, such as those used in old fluorescent light ballasts, hydraulic fluids, lubricating and cutting oils, carbonless copy ("NCR") paper, as plasticizers in paints and cements, stabilizing additives in flexible PVC coatings of electrical cables and electronic components, pesticide extenders, flame retardants, sealants for caulking, adhesives and wood floor finishes.
Polychlorinated Terphenyls (PCTs) (No CAS #)
PCTs are typically produced and used as mixtures with varying degrees of chlorination. PCTs were once used as heat transfer agents in electric transformers, as plasticizers, as lubricating oils and as flame-retardants. Their production and use has been largely phased out due to environmental and safety concerns.
Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCP) with
C10-C13 (85535-84-8)
SCCPs are used as plasticizers, flame retardants, additives in metal working fluids, in sealants, paints, adhesives, textiles, leather fat and coatings. They are toxic and carcinogenic.
Pentachloroethane (76-01-7)
Tetrachloromethane (Carbon tetrachloride) (56-23-5)
1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane (630-20-6)
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane (79-34-5)
1,1,1-Trichloroethane (71-55-6)
1,1-Dichloroethylene (75-35-4)
Trichloroethylene (79-01-6)
Tetrachloroethylene (127-18-4)
o-Cresol (95-48-7)
p-Cresol (106-44-5)
N,N-Dimethylacetamide (127-19-5)
Dimethylsulfoxide (67-68-5)
Dimethyl formamide (68-12-2)
Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (111-76-2)
Formaldehyde (50-00-0)
Methylene Chloride (75-09-2)
n-hexane (110-54-3)
n-methyl pyrrolidone (872-50-4)
4,4’-methylenebis (2-chloraniline) (101-14-4)
Phenol (108-95-2)
2,4-toluene diisocyanate (584-84-9)
Toluene-2,6-Diisocanate (91-08-7)
Xylene – all isomers (1330-20-7)
Trichloromethane (67-66-3)
(each VOC)
VOCs are a group of chemicals that are used in a wide variety of applications. They are damaging to the environment and many are cancer causing.
Acrylamide (79-06-1)
Bisphenol-A (BPA) (80-05-7)
Styrene (100-42-5)
A monomer is a molecule that binds to other molecules to form a polymer. This process is called polymerization. Ethylene gas is the precursor monomer for polyethylene. BPA is the precursor monomer for polycarbonate. Vinyl chloride leads to PVC.
27 µg/day (Prop 65 proposed NSRL)
Acrylamide has been found in some cooked starchy foods. As of 2014 it is still not clear whether acrylamide consumption increases a people's risk of developing cancer. Acrylamide is a possible carcinogen in other exposures and is related to neurotoxicity.
BPA is used to make certain plastics and epoxy resins. Plastic with BPA in it is clear and tough. It is used to make plastic baby bottles, sippy cups and adult use water bottles.
Polycarbonate, ABS and other plastics in contact with food, drink or skin. It is also used to coat the inside of food and beverage cans as well as to make thermal paper (ex. cash register receipts). Plastics that are marked with Resin Identification Codes (“RIC”) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 are very unlikely to contain BPA. Some, but not all, plastics marked with RIC 7 may be made with BPA. Type 7 is the catchall class and some Type 7 plastics such as polycarbonate are made with BPA. BPA can be found in limited amounts in ABS plastic and PVC due to contamination of plastic pellets with regrind pellets from polycarbonate plastic production. BPA is a hormone disruptor, especially in babies and young children.
Phenol is primarily used to synthesize plastics and related materials. The major uses of phenol, consuming two thirds of its production, involve its conversion to precursors for plastics. Condensation with acetone gives bisphenol-A, a key precursor to polycarbonates and epoxide resins. Condensation of phenol, alkylphenols, or diphenols with formaldehyde gives phenolic resins, a famous example of which is Bakelite. Partial hydrogenation of phenol gives cyclohexanone, a precursor to nylon. Phenols are corrosive to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract.
Styrene leads to polystyrene. The presence of the vinyl group allows styrene to polymerize. Commercially significant products from styrene include polystyrene, ABS plastic and styrene-butadiene (SBR) rubber. Styrene is a toxin to the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and respiratory system. It is considered by many to be a human carcinogen.
Pentachlorophenol (PCP) and its salts
Cyfluthrin (68359-37-5)
Cypermethrin (52315-07-8)
Deltamethrin (52918-63-5)
1,2-Benzylisothiazolin-3-one (2634-33-5)
2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (2682-20-4)
5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (26172-55-4)
PCPs are used as
pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, algaecides, and disinfectants and as an ingredient in anti-fouling paint. Other applications include leather, masonry, wood preservation, cooling tower water and, rope. Long term exposure to PCP is associated with cancer and damage to the liver, kidneys, blood and nervous system.
Formaldehyde is mainly used in the production of industrial resins such as for particle board, plywood, carpeting and coatings. It is a known carcinogen. Used to make fabrics crease resistant. Used to treat warts. Used to embalm corpses.
Solvents (Migration)
2-Methoxyethyl acetate (110-49-6)
2-Ethoxyethanol (110-80-5)
2-Ehtoxyethyl acetate (111-15-9)
Bis (2-methoxyethyl) ether (111-96-6)
2-methoxypropyl acetate (70657-70-4)
Nitrobenzene (98-95-3)
Cyclohexanone (108-94-1)
3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one (isophorone 78-59-1)
Ethylbenzene (100-41-4)
o,m,p-xylene (95-47-6, 108-38-3, 106-42-3)
Benzene (71-43-2)
0.06 mg/L
0.5 mg/L (sum total of Group 2)
5 mg/L
2 mg/L (sum total)
5 mg/kg
Solvents (Inhalation)
Mesitylene (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene 108-67-8)
Isophorone (78-59-1)
260 µg/m3
5000 µg/m3
870 µg/m3 (total)
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Critics’ Choice Movie Awards Travel Packages
The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards (formerly known as the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award) is an awards show presented annually by the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Written ballots are submitted during a week-long nominating period, and the resulting nominees are announced in December. The winners chosen by subsequent voting are revealed at the annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards ceremony in January. Additional, special awards are given out at the discretion of the BFCA Board of Directors.
Build your own Critics Choice Movie Awards Experience
2 or more nights hotel accommodations at one of Los Angeles hottest celebrity hideaways
Airport Meet & Greet and private transfer to your hotel.
Freshen up from your travels, then head to the Grammy Museum. You will be greeted by the museum Curator that will give you a private tour – exploring the enduring legacies of all forms of recorded music, you’ll get an exclusive behind the scenes look at the Grammy Museum, as well as unique insights and stories from the Museum Curator.
In the evening, head to a Hollywood hotspot restaurant of your choice.
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel.
Start your day off with a VIP Experience of Universal Studios Backlot tour. Go behind-the-scenes on the legendary Studio Tour to explore Hollywood’s most famous backlot in the world’s largest working movie studio. Visit 13 city blocks on four acres of historic studio lot in the largest set construction project in studio history, built with creative consultation from Steven Spielberg himself.
After your tour, you’ll head back to your hotel to prepare for your evening’s special VIP experience.
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel
Private Airport Transfer from your hotel to the airport.
Universal Studios Back Lot Tour
Private Grammy Museum Tour with Museum Curator
The Ritz Carlton - Los Angeles
The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles is a glittering star among Los Angeles luxury hotels, bringing a sleek, sophisticated atmosphere, refined service and sweeping views at every turn. A modern glass structure that soars high above the city, this urban downtown oasis engages the city’s dynamic surroundings to provide guests with plenty of entertaining moments and cultural experiences.
W Los Angeles
Perfectly positioned at the foothills of Beverly Hills/Bel Air, and minutes away from the Santa Monica beaches, the AAA Four-Diamond Los Angeles hotel is defined as the icon of casual glamorous California living.” Located near the entertainment and spectacle of Sunset Strip, you’ll be living large in a luxury boutique Beverly Hills hotel.
Venue TBD
Los Angeles, CA United States + Google Map
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Posts Tagged ‘8 May 1945’
8 May 1945 Versus 8 May 2015
That was the second day when the Nazis surrendered. The true capitulation, without conditions, had been made May 7, in Reims, France. (The Soviets insisted to conduct another ceremony in Berlin, the next day… and they celebrate it the 9th…)
As the French Republic had declared the Second World War, the surrender in Reims was appropriate. At the time when France declared war to Nazism, the USSR was allied to Hitler (and it as also, de facto allied to the USA, as the president and congress of the USA took sanctions against France and its belated ally, Great Britain… on the ground that those two parents, direct genitors of the USA were “belligerents“).
The rendition of Nazism was celebrated with extreme seriousness, and the same spirit, in France and Germany, on May 8, 2015.
France, Joined By USA Sec. Of State John Jerry, Celebrate V Day, May 8, 2015
[Republican Guards Horsemen.]
May 8, 1945, is also the same exact day the Franco-Algerian war started, with a wound that was pretty much fatal. Both facts are related. French civilization (and lack thereof) was central to both facts. While racial fascism was smashed in Germany, for all to see, it exploded on French soil (in an atrocious contradiction).
Let’s recapitulate.
1) The leaders of the French Republic knew, as early as 1919, that there would be another war with Germany. That was mostly caused by the hyper-nationalism, racism and fascism mindset which reigned in Germany. Also Germany had been immensely successful industrially, technologically, economically, leaving both Britain and France behind.
That very successes of German fascism (under Bismarck and then the Kaiser Wilhelm II) seemed to prove that fascism was a system superior to the degenerating democracies of Britain and France.
2) France, all along, prepared for the third round with German racist fascism. However, Great Britain and the USA had opted for the opposite approach. It is of course insufferable for contemporary citizens of the UK and the USA to read that their countries aided and abetted the Nazis (some come to scream about that periodically on this site).
However there is a deep lesson there, a warning for tomorrow: British and American plutocrats drove the collaboration of the UK and the USA with the racist and fascist mindset. So doing, they set-up the conditions for the violent death of more than 70 million people, among other inconveniences. Indeed, if the USA and the UK had made a block with the French Republic, in the 1920s, and especially in the 1930s, the fascists in Italy, Japan and Germany would not have had the possibility to dream that they had a chance in the land grabs they envisioned.
Actually the plutocrats which helped the fascists so much were nearly as culprit as the crazy, murderous tribal nuts they encouraged.
Lessons? Plutocracy can manipulate not just the minds, but history itself.
When democracy stand divided, tanks can roll all over it. Something to remember with Putin. Those who cannot stand firmly for democracy, encourage fascism.
3) War can turn badly, unexpectedly. The Nazis use insane, desperate, strategies which turned around the mightier French army and its slow poke little British bulldog. This military disaster of May 1940 is nearly impossible to reproduce in war games.
Lesson? Don’t underestimate the ability of fate, incredible stupidity, really very bad luck, to surprise even those who felt the best prepared.
This is valid now more than ever. A few nuclear bombs could bring losses comparable to all of World War Two, within hours. North Korea is arming itself to the hilt, and threatened to use its nuclear devices, even against the USA. This should not be taken lightly.
The Franco-Algerian Massacre in Setif:
As in places all over France, there was a massive demonstration of joy in Setif, Algeria. A young demonstrator carried an Algerian flag. He was killed by a gendarme. A first wave of retaliation led to the death of a few dozen colons (or more). The later, in further retaliation, supported by the French army, tanks, even planes, killed in turn tens of thousands of Algerians.
Philosophically, this was a tribal reaction not substantially different from Nazism and the like.
This event is not commemorated enough (neither the French state, nor the FNL, which became the Algerian state, but got started in a different mindset in 1954 are anxious to remember it).
It exhibits a lot of warnings about human nature. It needs to be analyzed more. How could the French forget 15 centuries of tribal tolerance? Because they just finally defeated the Nazis, they could act like them? Inhibitions were lifted for a day? Well, whereas France and Germany are now (re)united, and now share a common fraternity, much work remains to be done in the case of France and Algeria.
A work of truth. Thorough truth.
And that’s not just about Europe and Africa, and the USA. Establishing, and imposing the methods to elucidate, uncover, and make everybody admire truth, is the general first order strategy to deal with the world’s ills.
Tags:8 May 1945, Algeria, France, Kerry, Lessons, Nazis, USA
Posted in American History, European History, Systems Of Moods, Systems Of Thought, Truth, Truth & Reconciliation | 27 Comments »
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« Two Iraq Puzzles | Main | O'Connell on Coercive Interrogation »
Who needs David Gale when you've got Ruben Cantu?
Last week, I rented a very good movie some of you may have seen, The Life of David Gale. It tells the (fictional) story of a Harvard-educated philosophy professor in Austin who is a leading anti-death penalty activist; after a series of unusual and unfortunate events, Gale (played by Kevin Spacey) finds himself on death row in Texas for having allegedly killed a fellow activist. Just prior to his scheduled execution, Gale explains his story for the first time to a magazine journalist (played by Kate Winslet). The force of Gale's story draws from his innocence and his ability to realize that, at some point, there's a political need to have an innocent person executed in order to prove that the death penalty system is fundamentally flawed. It's not enough, in other words, to prove to the Governor that the system has detected errors prior to the scheduled executions; rather, there must be an innocent stiff lumped over in the chair to prove that the system doesn't work. Gale is prepared to be, in service to the cause, that innocent stiff.
It bears mention, especially as a mostly anti-death penalty writer myself, that the screenplay of Gale has a historical basis. While there have been many incidents of error in the modern "machinery of death" since Gregg v. Georgia reinstated the permissibility of the death penalty, it has been virtually impossible to point to an innocent person who actually has been executed in the "modern period." (Bedau and Radelet argued that, prior to the modern period, there had been miscarriages of justice where the wrong person was executed but they and others have not been able to show a wrongly executed person in modern times.) The Death Penalty Information Center website, however, keeps a running tally of those who have been freed from death row--and the number currently stands at 122.
Fast forward to Sunday's Houston Chronicle, which narrates the true-life story of Ruben Cantu. Cantu was executed a dozen years ago, at the age of 26, though he was only 17 at the time of the crime for which he was convicted. According to Lise Olsen, the piece's author, the prosecutor, the defense attorney, the sole eyewitness, and the head juror now think Cantu was wrongly executed, the result of undue police pressure exerted on Moreno, the surviving witness of the violence of which Cantu was accused.
Cantu's long-silent co-defendant, David Garza, just 15 when the two boys allegedly committed a murder-robbery together, has signed a sworn affidavit saying he allowed his friend to be falsely accused, though Cantu wasn't with him the night of the killing. And the lone eyewitness, the man who survived the shooting, has recanted. He told the Chronicle he's sure that the person who shot him was not Cantu, but he felt pressured by police to identify the boy as the killer. Juan Moreno, an illegal immigrant at the time of the shooting, said his damning in-court identification was based on his fear of authorities and police interest in Cantu.
"We did the best we could with the information we had, but with a little extra work, a little extra effort, maybe we'd have gotten the right information," said Miriam Ward, forewoman of the jury that convicted Cantu. "The bottom line is, an innocent person was put to death for it. We all have our finger in that." Sam Millsap Jr., the former Bexar County district attorney who made the decision to charge Cantu with capital murder, says he never should have sought the death penalty in a case based on the testimony of an eyewitness who identified Cantu only after police officers showed him Cantu's photo three separate times. "It's so questionable. There are so many places where it could break down," said Millsap, now in private practice. "We have a system that permits people to be convicted based on evidence that could be wrong because it's mistaken or because it's corrupt."
To be sure, Cantu was no boy scout. He was involved with drugs and car thefts and even in shooting an off-duty police officer for which no crime was charged because of the murky circumstances. Still, there was no physical evidence, no confession, and no alternative evidence -- aside from Moreno's now discredited testimony -- to link Cantu to the crime for which he was convicted. All the evidence points away from him today. Thus, Ruben Cantu is dead. And, in all likelihood, innocent.
Time to spread the word. If the Chronicle is right, we have found our "David Gale." And this one was no willing martyr.
(Hat tip: Talkleft, whose commentators clearly need to read this article.)
UPDATE: As always, Doug Berman's got valuable followup and buildup to the story over here. Also, Lise Olsen has another article in today's Chronicle that describes Cantu's co-defendant's efforts to clear Cantu's name, and to implicate the real perpetrator. Olsen's going to get short-listed for a Pulitzer I bet. But the burden's on bloggers and MSM to help spread the news and continue thinking about its implications.
Posted by Administrators on November 21, 2005 at 12:30 AM in Criminal Law, Dan Markel | Permalink
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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Who needs David Gale when you've got Ruben Cantu?:
» Texecution: Was He Innocent? from TalkLeft: The Politics of Crime
Bump and update: Dont miss part two and three of the Houston Chronicle series on Ruben Cantu. Also, Instapundit weighs in with some criticism for the prosecutor in the case and the system in general. Law Prof Dan Markel has... [Read More]
Tracked on Nov 22, 2005 10:41:02 PM
I ran across another article about a person in Texas who may have been innocent and executed. His name was Cameron Willingham and he was executed in Texas in 2004. The article was in The Chicago Tribune.
I think whether you are for or against the death penalty, there is a developing consensus that the way it is administered in Texas puts innocent people at risk of execution.
Here is a link to send an email to the Texas Legislature and Governor Perry of Texas urging them to enact a moratorium on executions, before any more innocent people are executed.
Posted by: Sarah Samuels | Nov 23, 2005 6:34:55 PM
Dan, I, not you, said that most boys in Ruben Cantu's neighborhood fit the description of un-"boy scouts". Police Officer De La Luz (no boy scout himself) had a habit of getting into bar brawls.
"Cantu's death sentence resulted in part from a later, unrelated incident in which he shot an armed off-duty police officer during a quarrel at a bar. That officer provided testimony that his shooting was unprovoked. Cantu claimed both had been drinking and he was defending himself. As the Chronicle investigation documented, the officer had previous suspensions for brawling in a bar and abusing a prisoner. Although he was never charged in that shooting, Cantu was arrested soon after and tried for the robbery-murder." ... Editorial, today's Houston Chronicle.
Posted by: Ruchira Paul | Nov 23, 2005 2:37:29 PM
Snob, I can't tell to whom you are addressing your claim of dishonesty. I didn't make a claim about the relative merits of Cantu to others living in the neighborhood. I did say that Cantu was not a boy scout, but his assault on the offduty cop has little relevance (in my mind) to whether he should be executed for a crime he seems not to have committed. Besides, if the shooting of the cop occurred under circumstances that the DA's office thought would secure a conviction, don't you think the DA's office would have tried?
Posted by: Dan Markel | Nov 23, 2005 12:28:47 PM
"Sounds pretty incredible to me (and I mean incredible in the sense of "not credible" rather than "amazing"). So Cantu voluntarily goes to the chair so as to avoid ratting out his friend? And this is supposed to show the problem with the death penalty?"
Indeed. Its ridiculous. And his friend, who could not have been prosecuted further, never bothers to come forward and say, "ummm.., no, Ruben was not at the scene of the crime." Rrriiiggghhttt.
I'm assuming that Cantu is innocent in the same way that Mumia Abu Jamal is innocent.
Posted by: Brian Carnell | Nov 23, 2005 11:31:15 AM
Saying that Cantu "was no Boy Scout" and that "almost all the young males in the neighborhood where he lived" would fit that description is more than a little dishonest. Brawls and some petty drug dealing, sure, but most young men do not go shooting at people in bars. It gives me no pleasure to say it, but removing this guy from the streets permanently was probably a net benefit to society. I'm not saying it was the right thing to do but it doesn't repudiate the whole enterprise for me.
Posted by: the snob | Nov 23, 2005 10:06:31 AM
It is really heartening to see so many bloggers picking up the Ruben Cantu story today. I think this is the strongest evidence to date of an innocent person being executed in what we call the modern era -- since executions resumed in the 1970s.
David Elliot
http://www.deathpenaltyusa.blogspot.com
Posted by: David Elliot | Nov 21, 2005 4:02:47 PM
Thanks Dan, for writing about the case of Ruben Cantu. The case against Cantu for the shooting of Gomez and Moreno (the surviving eye witness) was closed in 1984 for the lack of evidence. There were no fingerprints or ballistic evidence to connect Cantu to the shooting. The general description of the teenage shooters could have applied to any two boys of that age in the surrounding neighborhood.
The case was re-opened in 1985, when Ruben Cantu shot at an off duty police officer Joe De La Luz, in a bar room brawl. It was after this incident that San Antonio police officers repeatedly showed Cantu's picture to Moreno who said, "The police were sure it was (Cantu) because he had hurt a police officer. They told me they were certain it was him, and that's why I testified.... That was bad to blame someone that was not there."
It is a valid exercise to examine the past record of suspected criminals and as Dan points out, Cantu was no "boy scout" - a description that would apply to his brothers and almost all the young males in the neighborhood where Cantu lived. But in a case where there is doubt, it may be equally important to examine the motives of the police, especially one such as De La Luz, whose own history was hardly pristine (read about him in the Houston Chronicle story). De La Luz was the star witness who helped put Cantu on death row. In an interview with the Chronicle twenty years later, he said that the best thing about the experience is "that I'm alive and he's (Canutu)dead."
Houston Chronicle plans to go back and examine more Texas executions. I hope Prawfs Blawg will keep its eyes open for the ensuing reports.
Posted by: Ruchira Paul | Nov 21, 2005 11:34:10 AM
From the Houston Chronicle story:
"Garza said Cantu also knew the truth about who had done the killing because Garza confided in him two weeks after the murder. Still, Cantu was unwilling to betray friends even to save his own life, Garza said."
Sounds pretty incredible to me (and I mean incredible in the sense of "not credible" rather than "amazing"). So Cantu voluntarily goes to the chair so as to avoid ratting out his friend? And this is supposed to show the problem with the death penalty?
Posted by: Charles P. Bronham | Nov 21, 2005 9:10:19 AM
Ebert's got a silly response if you ask me.
Posted by: Dan Markel | Nov 21, 2005 8:49:17 AM
I recommend seeking out Roger Ebert's remarkable review of "The Life of David Gale," where Ebert, an opponent of capital punishment himself (I gather), argues that the movie "supports [the death penalty] and hopes to discredit the opponents of the penalty as unprincipled fraudsters."
Posted by: EN | Nov 21, 2005 1:21:41 AM
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You are here: Home » Projects & Posts » University System of Maryland PROMISE AGEP Research Symposium & Professional Development Conference » Kristin Noell
Participant: PROMISE AGEP Research Symposium
Department: Natural Science
Institution: University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)
Parasites as an Alternative Model for Lipid Metabolism: Gene Expression Analysis of an Oyster Parasite Perkinsus marinus during Lipid Starvation.
Our laboratory is interested in understanding the regulation of fatty acid biosynthesis in Perkinsus marinus. Previous work has shown that this parasite is capable of synthesizing its own fatty acids, a property that is unique among parasites that usually require the acquisition of certain essential fatty acids from their host. Fatty acid synthesis occurs in the cytosol from Acetyl CoA, which is derived from carbohydrate metabolism via citrate. In the cytosol, citrate can be cleaved into oxaloacetate and Acetyl CoA, or be converted to isocitrate by cytosolic aconitase. We are investigating the role of cytosolic aconitase as a potential branch point in this process, as we have evidence for phosphorylation of this enzyme in favoring citrate production. No one to our knowledge has delineated the role of cytosolic aconitase in fatty acid biosynthesis. We have performed differential mRNA gene expression in P. marinus, in which cells were starved of lipids for 11 days, as compared to lipid replete cells. Our results show that cytosolic aconitase was not differentially regulated at the level of mRNA expression, although citrate synthase was upregulated by approximately 3-fold. In addition, acetyl CoA carboxylase-2 (ACC-1) was down regulated 2 fold, although ACC-1 (which catalyzes the committed step of fatty acid synthesis) remained unchanged. This data indicates that both fatty acid synthesis and beta-oxidation are operating simultaneously during lipid starvation. Future work will explore the hypothesis that fatty acid synthesis for membrane production relies on de novo synthesis, whereas that present in lipid droplets is used for the TCA cycle. This and other aspects of lipid metabolism will be explored.
Kristin Noell received her Bachelor’s in Forensic Science with a concentration in Biology from Fayetteville State University in 2010. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, Kristin was award a Title III HBCU Master’s in STEM Scholarship to pursue her Master’s in Biology at Fayetteville State Univerity, in which her research focused on perfluroinated compounds and biochemical disruptions in zebrafish spp., her Master’s In Biology was awarded to her in 2012. Kristin is currently pursing her PhD in Toxicology at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She pursing her degree under the direction of Dr. Joseph S. Pitula, in which she is exploring cytosolic aconitase and involvement in lipid metabolism in a non- mammalian system, Perkinsus marinus. Kristin in currently in her 5th year of her PhD and anticipates graduation by December 2017. She has presented her findings at several aquatic conferences, and plans to present her findings at the Society of Toxicology Meeting in March 2017.
GENERAL SUMMARY OF GRADUATE RESEARCH
SELECTED LIST OF PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS
Ocean Science Meeting. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. “Gene Expression analysis of a critical enzyme in Intermediary Metabolism in Perkinsus marinus”. Poster. New Orleans, LA. February, 2016.
Graduate Research Symposium. University Of Maryland Eastern Shore. “Evaluation of the Enzyme Aconitase in Regulating the Metabolic Response of an Oyster Pathogen Perkinsus marinus.” Poster. Princess Anne, MD. 2014-2016.
Aquatic Science Meeting. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. “Evaluation of the Enzyme Aconitase in Regulating the Metabolic Responses of an Oyster Pathogen, Perkinsus marinus.” New Orleans, LA. 2013.
Disclaimer: Information on this page has been provided by and is owned by the student presenter.
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Home Column On Differences within the Nigerian Left
On Differences within the Nigerian Left
By Edwin Madunagu
For almost a year now, since I resumed writing for publication in the media, I have deliberately referred to the Nigerian Left—my primary concern in this ideological and political enterprise—as if it is a homogenous or monolithic entity. But I know that most of my readers know, as much as I do, that the Nigerian Left—described here as the aggregate of Nigerian Marxists, socialists and pro-people radical democrats—is neither homogenous nor monolithic and has never been.
Even the Marxist group, the ideological core and the most self-conscious subgroup of the Nigerian Left, is far from being homogenous or monolithic. It has been defined, in part, by many differences, some major, some relatively minor. The question then is why I have continued to give this “false” impression of homogeneity and monolithism. I shall, in the present piece, attempt to answer this simple, but important question. This will lead me to a presentation, in summary form, of the differences I had “pretended” did not exist or had vanished or had dissolved.
I had written the preceding 25 or more articles as if differences did not exist or no longer existed in the Nigerian Left as the first step of a tentative new way of promoting internal unity in the movement. Put more directly: I have been presenting all fractions and factions of the movement with verifiable historical facts, analyses and basic common tasks whose critical adoption, I believe, can begin or significantly advance the project of unification. The common basic tasks which, as we may recall, include the drafting of a people’s manifesto, seeking political alliances, constructing a research and coordinating centre and establishing a journal, have all been informed by our experienced and lived differences, past and current.
The articles in which I had more blatantly “pretended” there were no longer differences or major differences in the Nigerian Left can be partially listed, for reference. They include: Murder of a leftist-feminist (8/12/2017); Drafting a people’s manifesto (21/2/2018); Further notes on people’s manifesto (27/2/2018); Between history and current demands (14/3/2018); The Left and election 2019 (22/3/2018); Restructuring: Propositions summarized (12/4/2018); In this 20th year of “democracy” (13/6/2018); Notes on political alliances (4/7/2018); Further notes on political alliances (13/7/2018); Revisiting “the people’s revolution” (3/8/2018); To Samir Amin, a personal tribute (27/8/2018); Revisiting “democracy and dictatorship” (13/9/2018).
From these articles a not-too-young Nigerian Leftist can recall specific issues which have divided the Nigerian Left for a very long time—at least since the First Republic (1960-1966). Some of them have been substantially resolved, transcended, eliminated or transformed by history; some are not now active because of the decline in Leftist political activism; some others are still active; and several others have now been sharpened by history.
The issues, randomly listed, include: Reform or Revolution; the National Question; type of organization (vanguard, mass or combined formation); strategy for revolution (bourgeois/electoral politics or armed struggle); modes and forms of open popular–democratic struggles; the women’s question (that is, feminism); principles, rules and methods of organization; “permanent revolution” or “revolution-in-stages”; the places and roles of the working class, intellectuals, the peasantry, the de-classed masses and the “middle” strata; principles and structures of governance after victory; democracy and dictatorship in the organization and in the country; concept and reality of capitalism and imperialism.
In trying to properly formulate, organize and classify these differences or areas of differences I would like to tentatively adapt the French Marxist philosopher, Louis Althusser’s categories—determinant and dominant—which he employed in the analyses of factors and contradictions in social formations. But I would add a third category, secondary. Thus, a difference in the Nigerian Left will be described as determinant if it goes to the very roots and foundations of Leftism. An actually-lived illustration would be a consistent anti-working class ideological or political inclination in a Leftist group.
A difference will be described as dominant if, not being determinant, is serious enough not only to deeply or violently divide the movement politically but can set Leftists and leftist groups in armed conflicts against each other—each side fighting alone or in alliance or in combination with non-Leftist or anti-Leftist forces. An actually-lived illustration is the experience of the Nigerian Left during the Crisis and Civil War (1966-1970). Another illustration is the range of positions and attitudes in the Nigerian Left in the current period on the National Question— from “fiscal federalism”, through “restructuring” to “self-determination”.
Finally, a difference will be described as secondary if it is neither determinant nor dominant but is capable of leading to factionalism and significant weakening of the movement’s overall effectiveness, influence and authority. Secondary differences appear mainly in organization, administration, discipline, methods, attitudes, tactics and other spheres that are often collectively regarded as “subjective”. A current illustration of secondary difference which may grow into dominant difference is the range of attitudes in the movement on the question of alliance with, or membership of, ruling class political parties and groups.
As further elaboration, I would like to present, at this stage, fragments of what I said on the subject of Left Unity in my 2016 book of six essays, The Nigerian Left: Introduction to History. In the third essay, on pages 75-79, I listed some “dangerous ideological trends” and proposed that their existence had led to differences that had, in turn, constituted “the greatest obstacles to the development of a unified strategic focus within the revolutionary movement”. The trends included: Infiltrationism, Putchism, Opportunism, Proprietor-ism and Sectarianism. They can all be classified as secondary differences.
Infiltrationism, according to the 2016 book, is the “belief that any type of ‘state power’ can be used by socialists to build socialism; this explains the adherents’ insistence on the primacy of ‘capture of state power’. This dangerous trend—which is a strange combination of revolutionary impatience, loss of faith in the masses’ capability and opportunism—leads, in practice, to the denial of any need to create a separate socialist organization. Putchism, on the other hand, is “the search for the ‘quickest road’ to socialism, and hence, the reduction of socialism to technical, not political and ideological project”.
Opportunism as I defined it, is “essentially the adoption of the socialist platform, not for the promotion of the working people’s struggles for power and socialism but for the purpose of personal promotion and enrichment, as a bargaining weapon with the Nigerian bourgeoisie and the bourgeois state”.
Proprietorism “is not opposed to Left Unity in the absolute sense; it accepts unity provided it takes the form of enlargements of the adherents’ groups and the retention of the adherents’ leadership positions”. Sectarianism “is the perpetual incapacity to transcend, or the permanent and conscious embrace of, primitive and localized organizational work, perpetual lack of an overall national revolutionary perspective.
Let me end these notes by repeating the core of the proposal I made in the piece, In this 20th year of ‘democracy’ (June 13, 2018): A small ad-hoc group of serious and committed Nigerian Leftists should volunteer and select themselves and prepare, for the Nigerian Left, a draft people’s manifesto, a draft programme and structure, and a draft memorandum on participation in electoral politics. The group should then convene a “unity conference” and present the three documents. The next stage will be dictated by the proceedings and outcome of such a “unity conference”. It is, however, necessary to insist that to be able to move the Nigerian Left forward in the sense of history, individual contents of the draft documents may be tentative, but should not be ambivalent on any major concrete question before the nation, before the masses or before the Nigerian Left.
Edwin Madunagu, mathematician and journalist, writes from Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
– Oct. 5, 2018 @ 14:29 GMT |
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Bush Encroachment
Linda Luvuno, Juan Carlos Rocha, Reinette (Oonsie) Biggs, Bob Scholes
Clearing of encroached area in Namibia
Bush encroachment is a significant problem in parts of southern Africa
Woody encroachment occurs when a grassy landscape with a relatively low cover of woody plants rapidly and apparently irreversibly increases in tree or shrub cover. Encroachment typically occurs when savanna landscapes formerly under wild herbivores or nomadic pastoralism are converted to commercial cattle ranching, involving fencing, water provision for livestock, a fixed (sometimes high) stocking rate, and intentional or unintentional grass fire suppression. Encroachment reduces the grass productivity and can make access by cattle difficult, with substantial negative economic impacts on ranchers. Woody encroachment is usually very difficult and costly to reverse. Managerial recommendations therefore focus on avoidance through moderate grazing and fires of sufficient intensity and frequency to prevent the recruitment of young trees.
Savannas are systems that consist of a mixture of woody vegetation (trees or shrubs) and grasses. Savannas, dry forest and shrublands cover 40% of the world's land area, host up to 42% of the world's human population (Reynolds et al. 2007, Falkenmark and Rockström 2008), and together with drylands sustain 50% of the world's livestock (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005).
At small scales (up to about 10 km2) savanna systems, especially those used for extensive cattle ranching, may stabilize in two different self-reinforcing regimes (Walker 1993, Scheffer et al. 2001, Scholes 2003):
Open, grassy savanna regime
In this regime the landscape has a productive grass layer with few mature trees. The canopy in savannas never closes, and the floor layer is dominated by grass, especially C4 species. Most young trees are unable to establish because, while often numerous, seedlings are constantly knocked back to ground level by herbivory and fire. There is enough grass after grazing to support a fire with flame-length taller than the young saplings sufficiently often to keep them in a 'fire trap' (Dublin et al. 1990, Roques et al. 2001b, a). Open savanna systems are suitable for ranching, and are maintained by fire dynamics and grazing.
Closed, woody savanna regime
In this regime the landscape is dominated by woody shrubs or trees. Once established, woody vegetation is stable because adult trees are seldom killed by herbivory or fire. These alternate regimes can occur at a range of spatial scales. Sometimes larger areas (e.g. an entire cattle ranch) may shift from a grass-dominated to a persistent woody-dominated state (Dublin et al. 1990, Walker 1993). In other cases, the alternate regimes are expressed as a mosaic of small patches of trees or bush interspersed with patches of grass, where the respective patches are highly persistent over time (Rietkerk et al. 2004).
Bush encroachment refers to a shift from a grassy system to a persistently woody system. It typically occurs in areas used for free-range cattle ranching, and is usually caused by a combination of grazing and fire management practices. Bush encroachment involves a change in the outcome of the competitive interaction between woody vegetation (shrubs and trees) and herbaceous vegetation (grasses and herbs), mediated by nutrients, grazing, fire, rainfall variability and use of either the woody or grassy components by humans (Anderies et al. 2002, Janssen et al. 2004, Wiegand et al. 2006). The encroachment typically occurs in episodes rather than continuously, and involves a particular set of encroaching species rather than the entire woody community.
Bush encroachment typically occurs in areas used for commercial cattle ranching (as opposed to subsistence, communal, or nomadic) and may follow episodes of sustained severe overgrazing, though not necessarily so. It may also occur under other land uses (Wiegand et al. 2006). It tends to be an episodic phenomenon, where the tree cohorts can often be linked to issues in the ranching enterprise – such as drought-induced debt or downturns in the cattle price cycle (Scholes 2003, Wiegand et al. 2006).
There are several different hypotheses regarding the mechanism by which bush encroachment occurs. Different mechanisms (or combinations of mechanisms) may be important in different places. One proposed mechanism is based on changes in fire regime: in the sustained presence of high numbers of grazers (typically cattle) accumulation of grass fuel is reduced, leading to period without intense fire long enough for woody plants to grow beyond the fire-susceptible stage, which in turn suppresses grass production and fires, further enhancing the establishment of woody vegetation (Higgins et al. 2000, Staver et al. 2009, Staver et al. 2011). A related hypothesis notes the elimination of browsers (especially very large browsers such as elephant and giraffe, but also the more-numerous small browsers) from the system when cattle are introduced (Dublin et al. 1990). Similarly, alien species, such as Prosopis in South Africa or Acacia nilotica in Australia, both deliberately introduced, can play an important role in bush encroachment by affecting fire regimes (Poynton 1990). Another hypothesis focuses on changes in water availability based on the rooting depths of plants: grasses are thought to be more shallowly-rooted than trees, so if grass cover is reduced by overgrazing, this is more water available for trees, which promotes their growth and establishment, further suppressing grass growth (Noy-Meir 1982). Refinements of these hypotheses emphasize combinations of events, such as a multiyear drought or fireless period providing a "window" for the establishment of trees (Wiegand et al. 2006).
Yet other hypotheses focus on the role that increases in global CO2 levels may play in the observed proliferation of woody plants in many, widely-separated areas of the world during the 20th century. The underlying mechanism is still debated, but several possibilities have been proposed: i) that rising CO2 levels favour C3 (woody plant) photosynthesis relative to C4 (tropical grass) photosynthesis ii) elevated CO2 may reduce transpiration of grasses, leading to greater water percolation and therefore favoring deeper rooted woody species, iii) faster growth of woody plants due to CO2 enrichment, and therefore faster escape of seedlings from susceptibility to fire, iv) investments in carbon-based defense compounds such as tannins, which are the main defense compounds in many encroaching trees but not in grasses (Midgley and Bond 2001, Wiegand et al. 2006). It is striking that encroachment is almost unheard of on communal land, and is not universal on commercial farms. A suggested explanation for this is that communal lands use the trees for firewood and run goats along with cattle, inhibiting the establishment of trees (Scholes 2003). Bush encroachment has been documented in East and Southern Africa (but not West Africa), South America (Uruguay/Argentina and Chile), North America (Texas, New Mexico) and Australia, but not in India, also a savanna environment. Furthermore, it did not happen simultaneously in those places, but 30-50 years after the widespread establishment of sedentary grazing management, what has been referred to as 'commercial' ranching above. This tends to disfavor the rising CO2 hypothesis, although rising CO2 may predispose the shift (Midgley and Bond 2001).
Shift from grassy to woody savanna
Woody encroachment brings a relatively rapid change, over a decade or two, from a highly productive grass layer to a sparse and unproductive grass component. Since cattle are grass-eaters, this change substantially reduces cattle productivity (Anderies et al. 2002, Scholes 2003), with major impacts on cattle ranchers. On the other hand, encroachment increases the supply of tree-based ecosystem services, such as wood for fuel, charcoal-making and building material. This is somewhat dependent on the species involved. The increase in woody cover could potentially also have macro and micro-climatic effects through impacts on albedo and CO2 uptake, in addition to the decrease in methane emissions from cattle.
Difficulties in mustering the cattle in dense bush are a contributing factor. Therefore, wood encroachment leads to economic losses for cattle ranchers in what is frequently an economically marginal area for other agricultural uses such as croplands.
There is some agreement among researchers and extension workers that encroachment can be avoided by stocking lightly and burning frequently to prevent the establishment of trees and maintain grass crowns - the productive part of the grass that is less affected by fires (Roques et al. 2001b, Janssen et al. 2004). However, this is seldom reflected in management practice.
Bush encroachment is expensive to reverse, since rapid results rely on arboricides or repeated mechanical or manual clearing. A common method involves the manual removal of woody vegetation, with repeated follow-up control and the use of fire to enhance the establishment and competitive advantage of grasses (Scholes 1985, 2003). Attempts to reverse bush encroachment often have poor results, either due to the rapid resprouting of the trees or the conversion of the grass layer to less desirable species in the process.
There are anecdotal reports of widespread mortality of near-dominant encroaching species after several decades, possibly related to disease, prolonged drought or simply old age, which provides windows for grass establishment and fuel load for intense fires.
Anderies, J.M.; Janssen, M.A; ans Walker, B. 2002. Grazing management, resilience, and the dynamics of a fire-driven rangeland system. Ecosystems 5 (1): 23-44.
Cavelier, J., T. Aide, C. Santos, A. Eusse, and J. Dupuy. 1998. The savannization of moist forests in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Journal of Biogeography:901-912.
Dublin, H. T., Sinclair, A. R. and McGlade, J. (1990). Elephants and fire as causes of multiple stable states in the Serengeti-Mara woodlands. Journal of Animal Ecology 59, 1147-1164.
Higgins S. I., W. J. Bond, and W. S. W. Trollope. 2000. Fire, resprouting and variability: a recipe for grass-tree coexistence in savanna. Journal of Ecology, 88:213-229.
Janssen, M.A; Anderies, J.M; and Walker, B. 2004. Robust strategies for managing rangelands with multiple stable attractors. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management
Midgley, J. J. and Bond, W. J. (2001). A synthesis of the demography of African acacias. Journal of Tropical Ecology 17, 871-886.
Noy-Meir, I. (1982). Stability of plant-herbivore models and possible applications to savanna. In: Ecology of Tropical Savannas (Huntley, B. J. and Walker, B. H. ed.), pp.591-609. Berlin: Springer.
Poynton, R.J. 1990. The genus Prosopis in South Africa. S. Afr. For. J. 152: 62–66.
Rietkerk, M., Dekker, S. C., de Ruiter, P. C. and van de Koppel, J. (2004). Self-organized patchiness and catastrophic shifts in ecosystems. Science 305, 1926-1929.
Roques, K.G; O’Connor, T.G; Watkinson, A.R. 2001. Dynamics of shrub encroachment in an African savanna: relative influences of fire, herbivory, rainfall and density dependence. J Appl Ecol 38 (2): 268-280
Scheffer, M., Carpenter, S. R., Foley, J. A., Folke, C. and Walker, B. H. (2001). Catastrophic shifts in ecosystems. Nature 413, 591-596.
Scholes R. J. 2003. Convex Relationships in Ecosystems Containing Mixtures of Trees and Grass. Environmental and Resource Economics, 26:559-574.
Scholes R.J. 1985. A Guide to Bush Clearing in the Eastern Transvaal Lowveld. Occasional Report of the Resource Ecology Group, University of the Witwatersrand. 50 pp.
Scholes, RJ & S. Archer. 1997. Tree-grass interactions in savannas. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 28, 517-44.
Staver A. C., W. J. Bond, W. D. Stock, S. J. van Rensburg, and M. S. Waldram. 2009. Browsing and fire interact to suppress tree density in an African savanna. Ecological Applications, 19:1909-1919.
van de Koppel, J. and Rietkerk, M. 2000. Herbivore regulation and irreversible vegetation change in semi-arid grazing systems. Oikos 90 (2): 253-260
Walker, B.H. 1993. Rangeland ecology: understanding and managing change. Ambio 22: 2-3.
Wiegand, K; Saitz, D; and Ward, D. 2006. A patch-dynamics approach to savanna dynamics and woody plant encroachment - Insights from an arid savanna. Perspect Plant Ecol 7 (4): 229-242
Linda Luvuno, Juan Carlos Rocha, Reinette (Oonsie) Biggs, Bob Scholes, Garry Peterson. Bush Encroachment. In: Regime Shifts Database, www.regimeshifts.org. Last revised 2018-12-01 11:49:35 GMT.
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Ergot: Bringing the Crazy Since 800 A.D.
(Via: The University of Illinois Extension Collection)
Common Name: Ergot, Ergot of Rye
A.K.A.: Claviceps purpurea (and other Claviceps species)
Around 30-40 species in genus Claviceps, all parasites of various types of grasses
Parasitizes rye, barley, and wheat crops in temperate regions
Problematic in Africa due to its parasitism of sorghum and millet
Found: Throughout temperate and tropical regions, though historically most problematic in Europe, Africa, and North America
Disrupts human history and generally scares the hell out of people, to put it mildly. But before we get into that, let’s start with what this stuff is. An ergot infection begins when a microscopic fungal spore lands on the open floret of a grass plant. In northern agricultural areas, rye and, to a lesser extent, barley are particularly susceptible to these spores. Once on the receptive flower, the spore behaves as though it were a pollen grain, growing down the style until it reaches the ovary. At this point, it destroys the ovary and links into the adjoining vascular tissue, where it can parasitize the plant for nutrients.
With plenty of food on tap, the fungus grows into the space that the grain would have otherwise filled. Early on, it forms into a soft, white mass that causes a sugary liquid to drip from the flower. This liquid is filled with spores and is spread to other plants by hungry insects as they fly from flower to flower. Later in the growing season, around the time neighbouring non-parasitized grains are ripening, the fungal mass dries and hardens into a sclerotium (a sort of fungal seed body) that looks a bit like wild rice, and drops to the ground. This sclerotium will sit dormant on the ground until spring, when moisture will cause it to sprout small mushrooms, which produce spores for the new season.
Hint: Wild rice doesn’t do this when you get it wet.
(Via: mycotopia.net)
Still reading? Good. Here’s the interesting part. Let’s say you’re a farmer in the Middles Ages, and the infected plants in question are in your field. Before the ergot sclerotia drop to the ground, they get harvested with the rest of the crop, and end up getting made into bread for you and your family. Well, it turns out those sclerotia are full of a toxic alkaloid called ergotamine, and after eating enough loaves of bread to build the compound up in your systems, you and your nearest and dearest have contracted ergotism. Fed some of that rye to your cows? Now they’ve got it, too!
Ergotism delivers a one-two punch of physical and psychological symptoms. Physically, the alkaloid constricts blood vessels, leading to an intense burning sensation in the arms and legs which can eventually cause gangrene and loss of the entire limb. Some sufferers also develop a persistent ringing in the ears. That’s before the seizures and untimely death set in. Psychologically… well, it makes you crazy. As in, hallucinations and irrational behaviour, which lead many victims to be ostracised by their communities. Ergotism is speculated to have been the cause of the Dancing Mania (not as fun as it sounds) that hit Europe in the Middle Ages. Huge numbers of people were struck by an uncontrollable urge to dance – violently and while screaming – until they collapsed from exhaustion. Did I mention that this stuff is where LSD came from? The drug was originally synthesised from ergotamine, handily delivering all the craziness with none of the gangrenous limb loss.
Nope, nothing suspicious-looking here.
(Via: Wikimedia Commons)
The cure for all this horror? Well, if you got to it early enough, simply not eating any more contaminated grain would cause symptoms to slowly abate. Unfortunately for medieval peasants, who ate a lot of rye and suffered most of history’s outbreaks, the cause of the disease was completely unknown. Weird-looking sclerotia were so common that they were thought to be a natural feature of rye. That old standby, “It’s the wrath of God” actually seemed supported, since sufferers who left the affected area on pilgrimages immediately began to show improvement (hence another term for the disease, ‘Holy Fire’). Sadly, it took the better part of a millennium before someone worked out what was really going on, and major outbreaks occurred right up to the 19th century. Even in the 21st century, minor outbreaks have occurred in developing countries, such as the case in Ethiopia in 2001, caused by infected barley.
Speaking of disrupting human history, some researchers have speculated that an ergotism outbreak caused the strange behaviour that resulted in the Salem witch trials of the late 17th century. Others have disputed this claim, noting, among other points, that ergotism was known and recognisable by this point in history. We may never know for sure.
[For other historical events in which ergotism may have played a role, check out the first reference below.]
[Fun Fact: Due to its action as a vasoconstrictor, ergotamine is now used, in purified form, to treat migraines and post-natal bleeding.]
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/wong/BOT135/LECT12.HTM
Caporael (1976) Science 192(4234): 21-26
Spanos & Gottlieb (1976) Science 194(4272): 1390-1394
Urga et al. (2002) Ethiopian Journal of Health Development 16(3): 317-323
Author Erin ZimmermanPosted on September 12, 2012 September 13, 2012 Categories Africa, Dangerous, Europe, Fungus, North America, ParasitesTags Ergot, Ergotism, Fungus, genus claviceps, LSD, Lysergic acid diethylamide, Parasitism, Salem witch trials
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1996 U.S. presidential election
Completely unrelated to the fact that the Lewinsky scandal would be two years later, doesn't Florida look like a—
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The 1996 U.S. presidential election saw Bill Clinton easily re-elected over the Republican Party candidate, Bob Dole.[1] Ross Perot ran again, this time as the candidate of the fledgling Reform Party, but received only about half the support he had in 1992.[2]
The early 1990s had been a time of growing anti-government sentiment, but this sentiment cooled considerably following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing while a rebounding economy during the latter half of the decade helped further solidify Clinton's support. Bill Clinton did not face any serious challengers in the primary; the only recognizable name running against him was perennial fringe candidate Lyndon LaRouche. Several Republican candidates contested the primaries, including former Tennessee governor and now Senator Lamar Alexander, magazine publisher Steve Forbes, Senator Phil Gramm of Texas, perennial candidate Alan Keyes, and finally Pat Buchanan. Buchanan won an upset victory in the New Hampshire primary and Forbes won a couple of early primaries as well, but Bob Dole, then Senate Majority Leader, solidified his front-runner status early on and his nomination was rarely in doubt. The Reform Party primaries were mostly memorable for former Democratic Governor of Colorado Richard Lamm challenging Ross Perot for the nomination and running up against a brick wall; it was Perot's party, he started it, and he wasn't going to let anyone else play in his private clubhouse.
Green Party activists convinced Ralph Nader to run that year as a candidate. He was on the ballot in only 22 states and mostly ran a passive campaign, unlike four years later in 2000 when he was much more of a factor in the race. Nader's strongest base of support was 2-4% in Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Washington, and the District of Columbia, negligible elsewhere. While the left was unhappy with Clinton over issues such as NAFTA, the anti-globalization movement would not grab national attention until 1999-2000, and with Perot, who took the anti-NAFTA side in a televised debate with Al Gore in 1993, getting much of the anti-NAFTA vote, this did not translate into an upsurge in support for Nader as it would in 2000.
Bob Dole, at 73 years of age, was the oldest first-time presidential nominee of a major party, tying Ronald Reagan's age when he ran for re-election in 1984. Clinton successfully framed the campaign as one of looking to the future rather than the past, while Dole ran on his age and his status as part of the World War II generation, in his nomination acceptance speech attacking "the elite who never grew up, never did anything real, never sacrificed, never suffered and never learned".[3] This didn't help him. Dole's running mate was Jack Kemp, known for being a longtime advocate of supply side economics in Congress.
The 1996 campaign is mostly memorable for being decidedly unmemorable.[4]
↑ 1996 POPULAR VOTE SUMMARY FOR ALL CANDIDATES LISTED ON AT LEAST ONE STATE BALLOT
↑ Election of 1996: Ross Perot Made It Interesting
↑ Dole 1996 speech at the Republican convention
↑ United States presidential election, 1996
Retrieved from "https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=1996_U.S._presidential_election&oldid=2022805"
U.S. Presidential campaigns
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Art is a creative endeavor that can be cynically defined as, "Whatever you can get away with,"[1] or more objectively as the creation of works called "art" by their creators. A more formal definition would state that art requires intentionality on the part of the creator to make some form of statement or to move a person emotionally.[2]
An artist is a non-genetic mutation of Homo sapiens who tends to be either respected or despised by other members of the human race.
1 Various views of art
2 Religion, tradition and society vs. art
2.1 Religion vs. art
2.2 Society vs. art
Various views of art[edit]
In the most general sense, art is whatever the "artist" says it is. Any attempt to define art often prompts a great debate. To some people, labeling something as "art" is a question of talent and skill - and the quality of the ultimate product produced. The problem with this definition is that it would include reproductions (i.e., forging) of a pre-existing piece of art. Of course, this is not a problem for some, who think that there is a real art to making quality reproductions.
But this view of "art as product" removes artist and message. The second group of people would insist that art cannot be evaluated or defined on skill and precision alone.[3] For this school of thought, it is the message, be it emotional or intellectual, that matters to art. For these people, the quantifiable skill of an artist (to draw with technical strokes, write in a grammatically correct structure, or sing beautifully) is not nearly as important as the artist's message. This view has historically been at odds with proponents of l'art pour l'art (French for art for art's sake).
Science has even jumped into the fray a bit, providing definitions and explanations about "fine art" such as the study of how our eye is drawn to a piece, the golden ratios, and MRI studies of the mind when seeing a piece of art giving us insight into what art is, even if science, philosophy or anyone else can't actually define it.
Religion, tradition and society vs. art[edit]
Since art is often used as a way to challenge the way people see and understand things, it frequently comes into conflict with people or institutions that do not want "understanding" challenged, often resulting in bans, censorship, or defunding of tax-funded arts programs because they don't make money.[4]
Religion vs. art[edit]
Established religion has often hated art when it cannot control the message. Some famous conflicts include:
Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie. Rushdie fictionalized the so-called "missing verses" of the Qu'ran - verses which supposedly show Mohammad praying to pagan goddesses. The Islamic community went nuts, not just banning the book, but calling for Rushdie's head.
Cartoon depictions of Mohammad - In 2005, a Danish paper released an editorial cartoon depicting Mohammad. The Islamic world again went nuts, demanding the images be removed and an apology be made. Instead, many of the world's professional cartoonists put out their own image, supporting the right of political art to exist without censorship. In 2015, 12 people (5 cartoonists) working for Charlie Hebdo were killed by Islamic extremist for their depictions of Muhammad.
Anything by Mapplethorpe - Robert Mapplethorpe made his name by challenging the standards of what people saw as art. His most famous hissy fit inducing piece, perhaps, was a naked Jesus having all kinds of unmentionable things done to him. Of course, Mapplethorpe's themes are usually homoerotic, and often deal with sadism and masochism, so he generally ticks off the religious no matter what the particular subject.
Society vs. art[edit]
Degenerate art - back when the Nazis rose to power in Germany, control of the message was critical. All art that was of a "Jewish" nature or in any way challenged Germany's right to total power or seemed to engage the concepts of subjectivity, relativism or abstraction was banned as degenerate art.
In the Soviet Union controls were placed on the world of art. Throughout most of the Soviet period the only officially acceptable style of art was "socialist realism," which despite its name was actually a romantic style, glorifying and idealizing the work of manual laborers. The restrictions were at their worst during the time of Joseph Stalin, but continued until the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991; a notable incident was 1974's Bulldozer Exhibition, where the government destroyed with bulldozers an independent art exhibit set up in a field near Moscow.
Similarly, the Communist Party in China has held a tight grip on what can and cannot be created by artists. Any art (Chinese or otherwise) that carries an "improper" message is not only banned, it can land the native Chinese artist in serious trouble. Chinese artists have only been able to express themselves to any politically significant degree as more and more have fled their homeland in recent years.
Nazca lines
Jon McNaughton
Modern art and architecture
↑ Actually, someone made that one up on their own. Come up with a better definition and we'll use that.
↑ One example of "art vs. not art" arises out of the digital camera era. (When a person can take 1,000 pictures without real cost, at least one of them will be gorgeous. But the random snapping and "oh, that's divine," was not intended to be shot in such a way that would make the observer says "oh, this is emotional to me." It's just that it happened to be emotional. By most definitions, this is chance, not art.)
↑ This for example.
↑ Regarding the last one, don't complain when your building interiors then look like shit, yeah?
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Home / Autoforward / Heroin’s Big Comeback
Heroin’s Big Comeback
Pat S. April 16, 2015 Autoforward, For Parents Leave a comment 1,210 Views
Heroin…it’s making a big comeback. And just like the bad times of the early 1970s, the newspapers are full of stories about overdoses, tragic deaths, and ineffectual governmental handwringing about what to do to combat this silent killer. Theweek.com reported that “it’s become a dirt-cheap alternative to the prescription opiates abused by millions of Americans. With a dose of heroin now selling for as little as $5 to $10, about 669,000 people admitted using heroin in 2012, almost double the number in 2007, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.”
The causes of the drug’s resurgence in the United States are not entirely clear, but it is likely a combined effect of several contributing factors. Some pundits cite a crackdown on the availability of prescription opiates like Oxycontin, Vicodin and Percocet. In the absence of pharmaceutical grade drugs, addicts are turning to cheaper and more-available street heroin to feed their habits. Another suspected factor is the return of military personnel from the opium cultivation regions of Afghanistan, where young Americans have been exposed to opium-based drug producers since the U.S. invasion nearly fifteen years ago.
And heroin’s new popularity may also be a product of the passing of time. When we think about the “war on drugs” and the American drug culture of the 1980s, 1990s and since 2000, we think mostly of cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and designer synthetic drugs like ecstasy.
So in 2015, drug users encounter heroin as a drug without a lot of stigma. Heroin was long considered a “bad” drug and a known killer in the 1960s and 1970s. Even those in the counterculture who consumed prodigious quantities of other illegal drugs turned away from heroin and it fell out of favor.
But those with direct experience watching heroin snuff out young lives are old or dead and unavailable to connect with younger drug users to warn them of heroin’s dangers.
Whatever the contributing factors, Heroin is out there on American streets right now, and it’s dangerous. Heroin has always been extraordinarily addictive, but in 2015, heroin is stronger than ever, and this highly-pure narcotic is commonly available and cheaper than ever.
Some media outlets are even calling America’s growing heroin problem an epidemic. Heroin abuse is a fast-growing health issue, and one that is garnering a lot of attention due to the rash of deaths in overdose victims. In some American cities, overdose deaths are happening every weekend, sometimes daily.
For too many families, their first brush with the growing menace of heroin is when a loved one suffers an overdose. Troubled addicts, experimenting youths, and even first time users dabbling with heroin can all end up in the morgue, their loved ones left to try and sort out what happened and what they could have done differently.
When trying to think of ways to keep their children safe from the menace of heroin and other dangerous drugs, some parents are turning to electronic means to keep track of a child’s activities and location. Outside of an ankle-bracelet mandated by a court, a dedicated cell phone monitoring software package may offer the best means possible to keep track of a child’s activities.
Modern cell phone tracking technology can be installed by parents on their minor children’s cell phones and can give the parents insight into everything the child does when away from home. The software creates a log of all kinds of information from the child’s phone including it location, logged every few minutes, the telephone numbers called and calling to the phone and the calls’ duration, the senders and recipients of text messages, as well as their content, and the content and email addresses sending and receiving every email that comes through the protected phone.
By giving parents a valuable series of insights, cell phone monitoring software like Autoforward can provide an early warning that their children are exhibiting dangerous patterns of behavior, associating with unsavory people, visiting unsafe areas or discussing illegal activities using their phones. Although no one tool can keep kids completely safe, the insights provided by monitoring software can mean an opportunity to save the life of a young person. What could be a better use of technology than that?
Tags mobile phone tracking
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Posts tagged “Wilmer George”
There are heroes in every family…
and that is as true for the George family of Barton, Colbert County, Alabama as is for everyone. If you have not researched your family history, you may not even know how many heroes that you carry around a little bit of them in your dna today. It is important for children to know their roots, and then it is up to their parents to give them wings. Jennifer George asked about her George lineage. And just a short intense study of the family provides a lot of ground work for Jennifer and her family to add to; photos are especially important in family history in my estimation and only the family can provide those, except maybe for grave marker photos. Jennifer George’s parents are Lloyd George and Cheryl Ussery George. Floyd’s parents were Wilmer and Jessie Pearl Johnson George. Wilmer’s full name was Velma G but was called Wilmer, or perhaps that was a middle name. Jessie Pearl Johnson’ parents were John William Johnson or perhaps John Thomas Johnson; researchers have given both names for her father. Wilmer George and Jessie Pearl Johnson George had three known children: Clarice George Holt, Wilmer J George and Lloyd Douglas George. The following is gleaned from Lloyd George’s obituary:
Lloyd Douglas George, 48, Colbert Heights, died Nov. 9, 2001.The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, 2001, at Morrison Funeral Home chapel, Tuscumbia, with burial in Tuscumbia Oakwood Cemetery. Officiating will be Tommy Heaps and Charles Richey. Mr. George was a native of Sheffield. He was the former owner of Georges Wrecker Service. He was a member of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church. Mr. George was preceded in death by his father, W.G. George; brother, W.J. George; and sister, Clarice Holt. He loved deer hunting, arrowhead hunting and fishing. Above all, he loved Courtney (Pawpaws girl).He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Cheryl Ussery George, Colbert Heights; mother, Jessie George, Tuscumbia; daughter, Jennifer George Wilkinson, Colbert Heights; grandchild, Courtney Wilkinson, Colbert Heights; nieces, nephews and many friends. Pallbearers will David Koon, Randy Jackson, Don Southall, Gilbert Borden, Mark Handley, James Bingham, Benji Dunn and Terril Chapman. Published in Florence Times Daily on November 11, 2001
With a cursory review of the military records, I do not find any record that a Velma or Wilmer George served during WWII, but that alone does not mean that he did not serve. Velma “Wilmer” George’s obituary which is shown here names his three children and states that he leaves five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. All his known siblings were still living except one, David Allen George who was born 1923 and apparently died in 1932.
Velma “Wilmer” George’s parents were David Keylon or Kellan George and Sarah Anna Moody George (1890-1987 ). They had three known sons and three known daughters. Their children were: Velma G Wilmer George (1910 – 1992), Martha Ida George Patrick (1913-1997), Odell Elizabeth George Patrick (1915-2010), David Allen George (1917-1991). Charlie George (1923-1932), John William George (1926-1998) and daughter Frances George Pate born 22 August 1932.
David George’s 5 June 1917 registration card for WWI provides the following information: he was 30 years of age, he had a wife and three dependent children, he farms for self, he is tall, has blue eyes and light hair, and is not bald, and he signed the document with his mark. It also gave his name as David Kellan George and his birth date as 18 December 1888 (whereas grave marker give birth as 19 December 1888) and states he was born in Lincoln County, Tennessee. David and Sarah Anna Moody married 23 Jun 1906 in Cherokee, Alabama. David died 17 March 1965 in Colbert County, Alabama. He like most of the family named George are buried at Barton Cemetery.
David George’s parents were William Alexander George and Martha Catherine “Mattie” Harbin George who was born 30 November 1873 in Lincoln County, Tennessee and died in 1962. William Alexander George was born in 1853 in Lincoln County, Tennessee and died in June o f 1921 in Colbert County, Alabama. He reportedly died from the effects of contracting Typhoid Fever. Their children were: Mahaley George Oliver (1870-1937, Nancy George Bolden (1876-1966), Sarah Minnie Lee George Lindsey (1884-1967), David Keylon George (1888-1965), Robert B George (1890-1951), John Thomas George (1891-1967), Oscar George (1894-1929), and Arthur George (1894-1927).
If this is the same William and Martha (sometimes listed as Margaret) who were in Rhome, Wise County, Texas in 1920,1930, and 1940, there may have been more children. A daughter named Nona is listed on those census records.
William Alexander George’s parents were named William and Nancy Perry George. William Alexander George first wife and family were: wife Nancy Marilda Fanning (1824-1850) and children Benjamin George, Elizabeth D George and Mahaley Marilda George who may have married Pleasant D Reynolds.
William George was born 1810 in Tennessee likely in either Franklin or Lincoln County and died 1896 in Smithfield, Lincoln County, Tennessee. His burial site is unknown at this date. He was called Billy by family and friends.
It would seem that William George may have had a second family as well: wife Elisabeth R Clifton and children Ira Barker George born 1834, Nancy M George (1837-1900), Reuben W George born 1839, William George born 1841, Sarah E George born 1842, Catherine Olive George born 1844, Mary Elizabeth George born 1847, and Isabella George. This needs more research to disprove or prove it, but seems possible since one of the sons was named Reuben. It appears that this Mrs George removed to Texas.
William George married again to Nancy Perry (1824-1897). Nancy Perry was the daughter of James Perry and Mary Polly Oliver Perry. William George and Nancy Perry married 6 May 1847 in Lincoln County, Tennessee. They had the following children: James M George (1848-1899), Sarah Jane George (1850-1880), Samuel Jefferson George (1852-1910), William Alexander George (1854-1921), Felix Philander George (1858-1939) who was called Dock, and M C George (1861-1870).
William and Nancy Marilda Fanning George’s son, Benjamin was killed in action during the War Between the States. Son, Samuel Jefferson George married Mary Elizabeth Fowler and he was born and died in Lincoln County, Tennesse. Samuel Jefferson George was a farmer. He was born on the 4th of July 1846 and died 18 September 1933. His burial was in Fanning Cemetery in Lincoln County. Samuel J George and Mary Elizabeth Fowler George had the following children: Aldar George Mearse (1893-1963), Hannah George Pruitt (1898-1985), Mary Louella George Taylor (1900-1958), and Louellar George Taylor (1920-1921). It is possible that other William George’s sons also served during the War Between the States, but the scope of this limited research does not cover whether they served.
William George’s parents were: Reuben George and Nancy Hodges George. Reuben George was born 31 Jul 1776 in Bedford, TN or Virginia and died in Aug 1854 in Coffee County, Tennessee. No burial site has been located. Reuben was married first to Ann Handley, or so it would seem, but the dates are not adding up. Their son was Jacob Handley if indeed his wife was Ann Handley. Further research is required for this to be a certainty.
Reuben and Nancy Hodges George were married 13 June 1798 in Jefferson County, Tennessee. They had the following children: Eleanor Ellen George born 1799, Rebecca Elizabeth George (1804-1882), Edmond George (1807-1887), William George (circa 1808-1876), Susan George born circa 1809, Travis George (1810-1860), Daniel George born 1816, Nancy E George born 1820,Mary Ann George born 1822, Louisa George born 1824, and Mariah George born 1829. There may also have been a son named Charles.
Reuben George (Junior’s) father was also named Reuben George born 25 Nov 1749 in Culpepper, Virginia and died 16 Jan 1832 in Pendleton, Virginia. His mother was Mildred Rogers George 1733-1788. She was buried in Stokes County, North Carolina. There seems to have been a large family of children of born to Reuben and Mildred Rogers George. The names listed are not verified as accurate, but listed just for reference in future research: Phillip George, Anna George, Mary Molly George, Rebecca George, Lucy George, Byrd George, Joseph George, Travis George, Jesse George, Joseph George, Anne George, John George, Presley George, William George, and James George. If I counted correctly that is fifteen children; seems like too many for one mother, but it is believed possible.
Reuben George pension application for service during the Revolutionary War number i s S395567 as accessed from the “U. S. Revolutionary War Pensions and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900.” Reuben served as a Private from Pendleton County Virginia, under the command of Col. Edward Stevens of the Virginia Line for a term of war for three years. He was inscribed on the Roll of Virginia at the rate of 8 dollars per month to commence on the 4 of December 1818 with the Certificate of pension issued the 13 of Mary 1819? and sent to Hugh Holmes, Esq. in Winchester, Virginia. His Survivors Pension Application archive # M804. The Archive Roll number is 1062 and there are a total of 18 pages.
At the age of 68 when he made application he stated that he was enlisted at Pendleton County, Virginia in (the spring) of 1777 in Culpepper County, Virginia. He seemed to have lived in Pendleton County, Virginia at the time. He served in a company commanded by Captain John Elison, 10 Virginia Regiment and served until __ day of November 1783 when discharged at Hackensack, New York. He took part int he battles at Germantown, Brandywine, and White Marsh.
There are George family papers, 1718–1936. 163 items. Mss1G2937a and are likely housed in Virginia.
This collection concerns four generations of the George family primarily of Fairford, Thornberry, and White Chimneys, Caroline County. Included is correspondence of Lewis George (1779–1847) with Elliott M. Burruss discusses the hiring of slaves (folder 1). There are papers of John Dudley George (1758–1781) including a copy of his will dated 17 March 1780 giving directions for the division of his slaves among beneficiaries (folder 5). Reuben George’s will written 16 May 1799 provides for the bequest of named slaves (folder 6). And there are papers of Henry Hortensius George (1824–1902) include an undated list of slaves divided into lots and with monetary evaluations provided (folder 8).
There are certain to be errors in this research, as there always seem to be when you can not have in your hand the primary documentation for each and every record. Corrections will be needed and other information added by the family. Hopefully this gives them a sound foundation on which to build their family history.
With just a day and night devoted to intense research, the George family can now know with certainty that they have heroes within their family. You can not get much higher in hero status than being a soldier of the Revolution.
August 10, 2014 | Categories: Lauderdale County, Lucas, Rusk County, Sheffield | Tags: Barton Alabama, Carolyn Murray Greer, Colbert County Alabama, George Family of Colbert County Alabama, Lloyd George, Remembering the Shoals, Wilmer George | Leave a comment
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Browsing by Author "Phillips, Michael J."
A guide to small-scale marine finfish hatchery technology
SY Sim, MA Rimmer, JD Toledo, K Sugama, I Rumengan, K Williams & MJ Phillips - 2005 - Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific
Series: Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network; Publication No. 2005–01
Recent improvements in hatchery production technology for high-value marine finfish species such as groupers have led to an increased interest in setting up hatcheries to produce fingerlings for aquaculture. Small-scale hatcheries make this technology available to poor people in developing countries. Capital costs for small-scale hatcheries are relatively low, and the profitability of these ventures ensures rapid payback of capital investment.
This guide provides an outline of the requirements to establish a small-scale marine finfish hatchery, particularly the economic aspects. It is intended to provide sufficient information for potential investors to decide whether investment in such ventures is appropriate for them. The guide provides some basic technical information in order to give an indication of the level of technical expertise necessary to operate a small-scale marine finfish hatchery. However, it is not intended as a detailed technical guide to the operation of small-scale hatcheries. Additional resources, such as training courses in marine finfish hatchery production, are available and these are listed in this document.
Development of small-scale hatcheries may be more appropriate where there are existing marine hatchery operations, e.g. for shrimp or milkfish. By definition, small-scale hatcheries do not have broodstock facilities, so a supply of fertilised eggs (usually from a larger hatchery) is essential. Access to fertilised eggs and experienced hatchery staff will limit the application of small-scale hatchery technology. Despite this, there is considerable potential for this technology to be widely adopted.
This guide has been written by a team of experts in marine finfish aquaculture who have been involved in a multinational collaborative research project since 1999.
Shrimp culture and the environment
MJ Phillips - In TU Bagarinao & EEC Flores (Eds.), Towards sustainable aquaculture in Southeast Asia and Japan: Proceedings of the Seminar-Workshop on Aquaculture Development in Southeast Asia, Iloilo City, Philippines, 26-28 July, 1994, 1995 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
This paper reviews the interactions between shrimp culture and the natural environment. It considers and gives details of the effects of shrimp culture on the environment and the effects of environmental change on shrimp culture. Examples are given where the environmental impacts on and of shrimp culture have caused serious economic losses to shrimp farmers. The paper concludes that economic sustainability is and will continue to be closely related to how the shrimp farming industry deals with environmental problems. Strategies are considered for improved environmental management of shrimp aquaculture, and priorities are highlighted for future research on the relations between shrimp culture and the environment.
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HOME / DOCUMENTS / TERRITORY GUARANI (SPRING 2015) / WATER AND ENVIRONMENT /
By Oscar Thomas
Photo courtesy of Oscar Thomas.
View the photo gallery.
A hydroelectric plant is about much more than water and energy. It is about community and environment, urban planning and resource development. It is about the future and the past of the surrounding area.
In 1973 the governments of Argentina and Paraguay signed the Treaty of Yacyretá to build one of the world’s most important hydroelectric power plants on the Paraná River, the fastest-flowing large river in South America.
The option for a hydroelectric plant was clear: oil, used as a fossil fuel, had to be replaced by a renewable source.
As I am myself an architect from the province of Misiones, in Argentina, I was determined to take advantage of the development of the hydroelectric plant to transform, in a positive way, the situation of those who would be affected and to improve the urban planning for the region’s most important cities and the surrounding area.
The actual construction of the power plant took 34 years, from 1978 to 2011. Finally inaugurated in 1998 with a reservoir level seven meters (7.65 yards) lower than originally designed, the plant was producing only 60% of anticipated energy. A number of engineers and architects focused on achieving the maximum production of electric energy. At the same time, they had to ensure the adaptation of the inhabitants affected by the new reservoir level. All this took place in the Argentine provinces of Misiones and Corrientes and in the Paraguayan departments of Itapuá and Misiones. The reservoir area would encompass 1,500 square kilometers (nearly 590 square miles).
Yacyretá had already built an important bridge linking both countries over the Paraná River. However, the transformation of the surrounding region was still pending. The nearby cities had experienced accelerated growth without any urban planning. Some 700,000 inhabitants—especially the 80,000 who lived in the coastal regions under unsanitary conditions and recurrent floods— would have to be taken into account with the flooding of the reservoir. The environment would undergo changes that would alter its equilibrium.
I felt compelled to come up with possible solutions. Perhaps, being from Misiones, I was especially sensitive to the importance of the rivers—their historical, as well as environmental, importance. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Jesuits and the Guarani-speaking indigenous peoples built more than thirty urban settlements supported by the rational exploitation of water, land and cattle-raising. The streams provided the water they needed for their own consumption and served for fishing, boating and as an energy resource for water wheels and hydraulic mills. I thought that history was not only memory but also a fund of experiences that could serve us now and in the future.
We had to come up with solutions for the high energy requirements of both Paraguay and my country. Completing the reservoir would provide it. The adequate functioning of the Yacyretá undertaking would be the guarantee for the necessary investments for the region.
My home province is a land of rivers and streams, the red soil and the jungle. No element from that habitat could be damaged. Maintaining the quality of the water would be one of our most important objectives.
Some 1,500 square kilometers were set aside as ecological reserves to compensate for the land flooded by the dam for the Yacyretá hydroelectric plant. Actions centering upon the aquatic environment involved monitoring with an eye towards conservation, as well as building capacity for local and regional governments to do the same. We can now contemplate environmental sustainability in the context of a new balance, with images of a neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) feeding on the common armado fish (Pretodoras granulosus) and several other Paraná tiger fish found in the vicinity of the dam. Nature has returned. Storks and tuyuyú birds known as American wood storks (Mycteria americana) grace the landscape of the Iberá estuary. All the actions carried out for environmental preservation are carefully explained to all the region's communities.
The past of this region was always present as an element of identity. At the Ayolas museum, we displayed the archeological pieces found during the earlier explorations for the development of the hydroelectric plant. The Guarani and Kaingang indigenous groups had left traces of their ways of living and teachings to connect us with nature.
But my concern was not only the past; it was the future. The cities in the region had to be renewed. In Paraguay, Ayolas, Santos Cosme and Damián, San Juan del Paraná, Carmen del Paraná, Cambyretá and Encarnación were about to experience changes. In Argentina, the cities of Ituzaingó, Posadas, Garupá and Candelaria would form part of the project. Each would undergo urban reform plans jointly agreed upon with local governments that would integrate the different sectors of the city. Various enclaves were separated not only by streams but by the absence of the necessary road infrastructure. By constructing bridges and providing roads, we would transform vehicle circulation and the means of transport.
There were other challenges to ensuring future growth. Renovation and improvements had to be provided to hospitals, schools, public administration, security and services; likewise, recreational areas, parks and squares and riverside promenades had to be developed.
Thus, a new connection could be formed with the landscape and, especially with the Paraná River. The result would be the formation of urban coastal areas with access to the water for all.
The city would be thought of as a whole, a living, growing organism.
The population affected by the Yacyretá undertaking received social and health assistance programs. People were moved to housing developments, harmoniously integrated into the city that offered infrastructure and community services. Members of indigenous communities were provided with property titles to well-constructed homes, as well as bilingual schools and social services.
All the cities in the project expanded towards the river. Encarnación has become a river resort; Posadas has considerably increased its number of tourists. The urban and rural sectors now have a better access to the cities after the construction of roads and bridges across streams.
Looking back over the changes that have taken place over a decade, I believe that the Yacyretá hydroelectric undertaking has had strong regional impact. The best way of making the most of its construction and energy production was to see the project as a way to improve the living conditions of all the people in the region by providing the vital infrastructure. That infrastructure would have been impossible to achieve without the hydroelectric sector.
For future hydroelectric undertakings in the region, we will have to bear in mind the past experiences. Only if we integrate the necessary projects to improve the daily lives of the residents will we find support for the construction of these new works. And only with these new projects will we find adequate renewal energy for the area and beyond.
Oscar Thomas, who hails from the Province of Misiones, Argentina, is an architect and executive director at Yacyretá of the Binational Entity of Yacyretá for Argentina. He is the Argentine President for the Argentine-Brazilian Joint Technical Committee for the Construction of the Hydroelectric Plants in Garabí and Panambí. He has taught at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning of the UNNE of Argentina and at the Faculty of Architecture of the Catholic University of Paraguay.
See also: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Energy, Urban Design and Planning, Water
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Judging the Tournament
Jay S. Bybee, University of Nevada, Las Vegas -- William S. Boyd School of Law
The United States Constitution provides that the President has the power to appoint federal judges with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Constitution does not specify the criteria that the President should use in selecting judicial nominees or that the Senate should employ in reviewing them. In recent years, the process of nominating and confirming candidates for the federal bench, and especially the Supreme Court, has become increasingly political and contentious. Professors Choi and Gulati criticize the apparently growing role ideology plays in choosing and evaluating judicial nominees and propose a bold alternative. Their “Tournament of Judges” purportedly consists of a series of ideologically neutral measures that identify which appellate judges “merit” elevation to the Supreme Court. By restricting the choice of a nominee to the winner of the tournament, Professors Choi and Gulati hope to eliminate the role of ideology and the attendant partisan battling from the selection of Supreme Court Justices. Moreover, they claim that their market-based system for judicial selection would improve the quality of nominees. The current federal appellate bench, which is itself a product of the very system that Professors Choi and Gulati lament, should perhaps be grateful for their providing the equivalent of an HR manual for boosting each judge's odds of promotion. But we are convinced that evaluating judicial performance is not as easy as they suppose and that relying exclusively on the Tournament to select a Supreme Court nominee would not advance the rule of law.
The authors discuss three concerns with using the Tournament of Judges as a basis for selecting a nominee to the Supreme Court. First, they question whether the metrics proposed by Professors Choi and Gulati appropriately measure the performance of circuit judges. Second, even if the Choi/Gulati metrics accurately capture judicial performance, the tournament itself may create incentives that distort judicial behavior and erode the quality of appellate judging. The criteria and the method by which a judge may improve her standing are readily known, and thus the authors are concerned that reducing judging to finite, measurable results would encourage judges to promote tournament criteria rather than adjudicate individual cases: judges may “judge to the test.” Third, even if the Choi/Gulati metric accurately measures the performance of circuit judges, winning the tournament may not predict success as a Supreme Court Justice.
32 Fla. St. U. L. Rev. 1055 (2005).
Bybee, Jay S., "Judging the Tournament" (2005). Scholarly Works. 355.
Judges Commons
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interview | xamvolo
If you haven’t heard of XamVolo yet, his name is one you should be taking note of. Hailing from London but based in Liverpool, Xam’s music is often described as neo-soul, but his sound dances between genres seamlessly: going from jazz to pop in a simple riff. A self-taught polymath, Xam is in complete control of his music-making and production, reinventing the beloved genre of jazz and soul with a contemporary fresh approach that fuses electronic elements with old school innuendos and timeless pop with a primarily conceptual approach. But don’t take his hands-on approach for granted, he’s also worked with top-tier producers.
Though he’s received multiple comparisons over the years — from Leon Bridges to Frank Ocean and D’Angelo — XamVolo doesn’t try to be like anyone else. And he does not need to. Despite having multiple tracks to his name and having received multiple yet somehow subdued accolades these past years, XamVolo is about to unveil his debut album, entitled All The Sweetness on the Surface. A powerful testament of XamVolo’s prowess, mastery and creative power, All The Sweetness on the Surface is a lyrical, melodic and quasi-cinematic oeuvre that transcends mediums while remaining in the music realm, highlighting the artist’s potential. All The Sweetness on the Surface listens as the masterwork of an experienced musician, not one you’d expect from a so-called newcomer.
The album, divided into two clear parts and charged with symbolism, tells a neo-noir story in an inventive, narrative and almost interactive way that challenges the outdated album format — even creating a bonus track through the merging of its intro and outro. A clear testament to Xam’s genius, we catch up with the mastermind to talk about his influences, creative process and what we can expect next from him.
When did you first discover jazz and soul?
Soul has been around me since I was born; even though my parents didn’t play much of it around the house growing up it was culturally inescapable. Jazz was different; a lot of my mid-teens influences were neo-soul artists — Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, etc.) — and eventually I realised how deeply a lot of that culture was rooted in Jazz. Not many people around me really cared for it in its purest form at the time, but once I could identify it, I started seeing its influence everywhere.
Your sound is often dubbed as neo-soul and jazz. If you had to, how would you describe your sound?
I think I’ve settled on Jazz-Influenced Electronic Soul. There was a point where I wasn’t a fan of being labelled as one thing; I feel like most artists are afraid to do that because it leaves their work open to direct comparisons to others in the same pigeonhole without the need to pay much attention to detail. What I’ve realised over time is there are few who actually care which genre music is classified under — most people just want to connect with something, so I’m happy to go with whichever makes it easiest to describe.
Do you like or dislike the fact that people still try to ascribe certain sounds that might be more ground-breaking into more traditional musical genres?
I like it; I think it’s necessary. Music is such a powerful medium and people have done a lot of work tapping into why it hits so hard and how — there’s still so much we don’t know about it. When I see someone doing something new in a familiar space, not only does it tell me that [that] person cares about their craft, but that they also care about the people they’re connecting with. Too much mass-appeal with no other consideration is a bad thing; too much music theory and no coherence isn’t any better.
Can you tell us the story behind the album’s title, All The Sweetness on the Surface? How did you come up with the neo-noir story behind the album itself?
All The Sweetness on the Surface is from a lyric in the twelfth track. “Cathedrals”; I was initially going to call it “…& The Hive” but that line kept coming back to me. It’s referring to an outward vision of perfection, the shiny façade we imagine our ideal lives to have. The plot of the project is about desire, ambition and the role they both play in setting us apart from other animals — if there was no need to aspire towards anything, what would that do to us?
This is your debut album, what are you most excited for people to hear? Is there an underlying message you wish to convey?
There are a few album cuts that I wish came out sooner, but to be honest all I want is for people to listen to the project from beginning to end. It’s all based around a fictional hive filled with Honey (Slaize), which, if consumed, will grant your every desire, material or otherwise. The story plays out chronologically: [it] starts with an air of ignorance, then scepticism – curiosity then concession – before seeing the character lose control and suffer through the side effects of having everything they’ve ever wanted all at once.
The album’s opening track, “The Surface”, and the closing track, “All The Sweetness”, can be combined to create a third polyrhythmic track. Was that a challenge to make? How did you come up with such an innovative idea?
I really just wanted to do something I’d never heard before. It’s very hard to find something no one has done before, though. The second half of the album loosely represents different types of drugs; I used real-world references to symbolise the multi-staged side effects of Slaize. “I Win You Lose,” for instance, is meant to be the alcohol stage, with lazier instrumentation and unsophisticated, arrogant lyrics, whereas “Alive” is more like cocaine: intense, loud and straight to the point. I wanted to a really intense hallucinogenic experience as the final side effect, but it needed to feel transcendental. Eventually, it came to me to have the character before the experience (The Intro) interview themselves after the experience (The Outro), but on a plane of existence above the music. I guess that was another reason for the album title: the true and final side-effect of Slaize can only be achieved by putting “All The Sweetness” on “The Surface”.
Do you have a favourite song?
Production-wise I would definitely say “Alive.” It’s one of the self-produced cuts and I’m really proud of how it turned out. Lyrically I would say “Beast” as it captures a specific sentiment I’ve held for a while: “if I could do away with the rules of society life would be so much easier, but could I do without all the benefits that come with walking through life as a human being?” – took about five tries and two stole computers to get it to sound right, but it worked out in the end.
How’s the process of working in this album been like?
It started off really intensely; I spent a criminal amount of time in the studio – mostly alone – for about 14 months. I hadn’t collaborated with anyone properly before, but before I knew it I was working with people both in the UK and overseas who have been part of some great projects. I had the liberty to get lost in the process – to really hone and develop my skills as a writer and producer as well as come up with a fully fleshed out out the concept idea. Towards the end there was a lot of waiting around for things to be released – that was where I began to overthink things a little. There’s a time for everything though and I’m glad it’s now out in the world.
You’ve been compared to Leon Bridges, Frank Ocean and Anderson .Paak, among others. How do you feel about that? Do you like comparisons?
I have a minor issue with those types of comparisons; it’s nothing to do with my own ego (I hope). I hear Leon Bridges, Frank Ocean and Anderson .Paak and I don’t really hear much in common between them! I understand there are common themes when you take four or five steps back, but they’re all very different artists to me; nuanced representation is very important. High praise on all counts nonetheless, I’m a fan of all of them – they all bring something different to the table and definitely have inspired me at one point of the other.
You mentioned Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and Musiq Soulchild before. Who are some artists you look up to, dead or alive?
Too many to count: Miles Davis, Janelle Monae, Robert Glasper, D’Angelo, Frank Ocean, Nina Simone, Mali Music, Kendrick, Hiatus Kaiyote, Cab Calloway, Quincy Jones, Muddy Waters, David Bowie – [it] just keeps on going…
Though this is your debut and just coming out, are hopping back to the studio soon? Are you working on any other projects at the moments?
I had a lot of time to work on demos last year; I would really love to do a concept again but I also have some vibes that’ll stick on their own. I thrive off feedback, so now [that] All The Sweetness is out, I can use that energy to inform my next steps. Always felt uncomfortable creating in a vacuum; for me, it’s three parts pen, one part perspective.
When did you decide to explore the unique intersection between old-school soul and jazz and modern electronica?
I think that came naturally. My first and pretty much only instrument is production; filter anything through that skillset and it’s going to sound electronic – the influence of extended chords and swung grooves of Jazz (particularly hard-bop era for me) goes so deep, I almost can’t not swing a groove in a song. I’ve garnered a taste for live instrumentation over the process of writing this album, so ill definitely be doing more of that – I always have a lot of respect for musicians who really know their instruments.
Can you give us an insight into your songwriting process? How important is songwriting to you as an artist?
Songwriting is the most important thing to me when it comes to music, almost for the same reason I believe book or film manuscripts are important. It’s the most human element. It doesn’t necessarily have to be political or culturally relevant, but I always strive to say something – anything. My process always starts with a voice note. I personally tend to flip between writing and producing: the instrumentation is informed by the melody up to a point, after which the lyrics and harmony have to fit around the drums and chords – drums are also super-important. It’s definitely case-by-case with lyrics; some take a couple of hours, some take weeks and weeks of editing. One or two cuts on the album have been half-written for years, even.
“All The Sweetness on the Surface” is cinematic in its own nature, comprising two defined “chapters” or parts. How do you hope to transpose that vibe into the actual visual aspect? Will you be coming out with videos soon?
No more videos planned as of yet; just the one for “Sins of a Soldier” – the whole idea for that one was a live-action version of the album cover. I worked with Robin Clewley, Jennifer Glynn and Nikki Dyer to realise my visual campaign brief, just to put the audio in a cohesive and effective visual space. It’s something that I hadn’t done before but it brought the project back to life for me after waiting so long for the release – I’m definitely doing that every time, just adds another dimension to the whole process.
“All The Sweetness on the Surface” comes out today, Jan.25. Listen to the album here and stream it on Spotify.
words. Sara Delgado
concept + talent. XamVolo
photography. Robin Clewley
videography. Nikki Dyer
fashion. XamVolo + Robin Clewley
make up. Jennifer Glynn
by Schön! Magazine / January 25th, 2019
Tags: All The Sweetness on the Surface, Jennifer Glynn, Music, Nikki Dyer, Robin Clewley, Sara Delgado, XamVolo, XamVolo + Robin Clewley
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Five gorgeous country houses with their own tennis courts
Annunciata Elwes June 23, 2019
Credit: Strutt & Parker
The tennis season is well and truly with us and Wimbledon is only a week away — with that in mind, we've taken a look at the prettiest houses with tennis courts for sale in Britain today.
West Sussex — £5.5 million
Findon Place, near Arundel, has sat at the foot of the South Downs since the early medieval period.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the estate was given to William de Braose after the Norman Conquest. Today, the Grade II*-listed house owes much to an 18th-century remodelling, which gave it its façade and the fine interiors typical of the Georgian era.
The 52-acre grounds include a swimming pool, equestrian facilities and a tennis court. There’s also a billiard room — just in case it rains. But when does that ever happen in a British summer?
For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details about this property.
Credit: Jackson-Stops
Best country houses for sale this week
Catch up on the best country houses for sale this week that have come to the market via Country Life.
Oxfordshire — £7 million
Thought to date from the early 20th century, Satwell’s Barton, in Satwell, close to Henley-on-Thames, spans more than 10,000sq ft of elegant interiors, with notable features such as a marble Jetmaster open fire in the sitting room, American-black-walnut flooring in the dining room and a vast kitchen with an Aga.
Additional accommodation is available in the three-bedroom coach house. The 19.5-acre grounds include a walled garden, equestrian facilities, a swimming pool and a recently resurfaced hard tennis court. The latter is painted in an attractive and rather unusual blue, so while it’s not quite Wimbledon you can at least pretend you’re taking part in the Australian Open.
For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.
Cambridgeshire — £1.85 million
The home of former professional player Nick Brown, who was ranked number two in the UK in 1989 and has coached Tim Henman, among others, The Old Vicarage, in Abington, is predictably well equipped for tennis.
The six-bedroom, Queen Anne house comes with a hard tennis court, an outdoor pool, a gym, a sauna and hot tub. The landscaped grounds, which extend to 2 1⁄2 acres, also include a one-bedroom annexe.
For sale with Cheffins. See more pictures and details about this property.
Rutland — £1.895 million
Perched high on the western edge of the village of Market Overton, Grade II-listed The Old Rectory affords long country views. The six-bedroom house originally dates from 1858 and has many interesting details, especially a cupola above the central staircase in the inner hall.
However, the most intriguing feature is tucked away in the garden: it’s an earth bank that’s thought to be a former Roman rampart. The six-acre grounds are also home to many fruit trees, a swimming pool and a hard tennis court.
For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details about this property.
Vale of Glamorgan — £1.95 million
Trehedyn House, the village of Peterston-Super-Ely, just nine miles from Cardiff, stands in 13 1⁄2 acres, which include beautifully landscaped, French-inspired gardens, a swimming pool, a paddock and an ancient arboretum.
Many of the rooms — particularly the master bedroom — enjoy fine views of the grounds. A converted three-bedroom coach house provides ancillary accommodation or a rental opportunity. A tarmac-topped tennis court and timber pavilion sit at the western edge of the property.
For sale with Watts & Morgan. See more pictures and details about this property.
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Peering Through the Hole into “Bates Motel”
Posted on June 8, 2016 by R.L. Terry
Premiering in 2013, the longest running scripted drama in the history of the Arts and Entertainment (A&E) channel is Universal Television’s Bates Motel starring Freddie Highmore, Vera Farmiga, Max Thieriot, Nestor Carbonell, and Olivia Cooke. Based on the iconic film Psycho (1960), directed by the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock with story by Robert Bloch, Bates Motel takes us back to Norman’s early days when he was just a teenager–who was anything but normal. If you have kept up with the series, it is at a huge turning point in the character development of Norman and it just keeps getting better and better. Often shows as dark and heavy as Bates Motel do not have staying power or begin to wane after 2-3 seasons. Not this one. Just like Hitchcock’s masterpiece Psycho continues to impress, terrify, and influence even today’s suspense/horror movies, Bates Motel provides audiences with a glimpse into how Norman came to be while concurrently focussing on others who are directly and indirectly connected to the development of the most infamous psychopath in all cinema history. From visual and verbal nods even in today’s horror films to inspiring theme park attractions to television shows, the drama at Bates Motel continues to beckon audiences and intrigue those who find the characters fascinating.
Sadly, executive producer Carlton Cuse confirmed that the show’s next season is slated to be the last, and will adapt the events of the series’ namesake. Although I wish the show could go on, it is clear that we are approaching the events that started it all. That being said, this upcoming season is sure to be exciting as we get to witness the gap between where we are and where Marion Crane checks into the infamous motel begin to narrow and close. Whether we are going to end the series at the point Marion walks in or recreate the diegesis from Hitchcock’s film leaves to be seen. One of the reasons that a series like this one can even be produced is that it has prolific material from which to pull and interpret–the fact that the character of Norman Bates has been studied for years, much in the same way the film itself has been explored–provides writers and producers ample opportunity for inspiration.
Since we are given little information about Norman in the movie–note: that does nothing to mitigate the experience or effectiveness of the plot–his childhood to adolescent years and transition into adulthood is open for interpretation. For many years, film scholars like myself and others have often hypothesized what psychological and emotional experiences plagued Norman and affected his development. It would be all too easy and even a copout to state that he simply suffers a psychological disorder that was present when he was born. What I appreciate about the show’s portrayal of Norman is taking the cognitive and emotional atypical condition he was likely born with and throwing other experiences into the mix. It’s nature v nurture on a whole new level. Through the storytelling of Bates Motel, we have witnessed how his upbringing has had a profound impact on his development into the single most famous psychopath in cinema and now television history.
The show is not limited to the development and history of Norman, but also includes influential people in his life. Of course there’s Mother (Norma), but we also have grown to love his estranged brother Dylan, close friend Emma, and frienemy Sheriff Romero. Obviously Norman is obviously interesting to watch, but the writers and producers of the show make sure that each of the principle and reoccurring characters are fascinating as well. Dylan represents the only male figure in Norman’s life who consistently tries to help him, even though Norman often cannot see the love in his brother’s actions. Much like Norman, Dylan has also encountered much negativity and abandonment issues as a kid. Unlike Norman though, he found ways to deal with it and build a life for himself. In recent times, Norman keeps pushing the one positive male role model in his life away to further isolate himself. His close friend and coworker Emma is a very interesting female figure in his life. Unlike Mother or other females we have encountered over the series, he loves Emma and has done nothing to bring about permanent harm to her–at least so far. Emma is the only person who really gets to see the Norman hidden behind all his bizarre actions and obsession with Mother. Like Norman and Dylan, Emma had her own struggles with cystic fibrosis. Each of the characters is dealing with their own respective psychological or physical problems.
Lastly, prior to analyzing Norma, Sheriff Romero has played a key role in the life of Norman. Like Dylan he too is a consistent male figure in his life, but Norman has grown to resent Romero for his relationship with Norma. Romero has worked through his involvement in the drug trade and has grown as a result of it. Again, we have an individual with their own personal conflicts amidst the consistent conflict of Norman. The only other character, besides Dylan, who really knows what Norman is capable of. Romero is constantly trying to protect Norma from what he dreads Norman is truly capable of.
“Mother, what have you done?!?” Norma Bates is probably the most fascinating character after Norman. She is the closest to him and has been directly and indirectly responsible for his atypical development from his time as a child into an adult. Although she all but denies Norman’s psycho-social and emotional problems, she truly does recognize they exist. Unfortunately, she is so incredibly attached to him, having been abused and abandoned herself in the past, that she cannot truly provide the help he needs. Fortunately, she finally got him the help he needed–and should’ve received years prior–at the Pine View facility as we have seen in this season. It’s too little help too late. For the longest time, she felt that mother knew best and that no one could help Norman the way she could. Oh the irony. The attachment she was so fond of is regrettably the very thing that would bring about her undoing. Despite her best intentions, she really was the most instrumental in creating a monster. Her fits of rage and jealousy transferred into the mind of Norman and intensified the predisposition to sociopathic behaviors already present. Had she taken him to get help as a child, it is entirely possible that he may not have turned out to be the “psycho” after all. But, mother will always be with Norman; and no woman is allowed to take the place of her in his life.
Well, here we are! At the crossroads between seasons four and five. This upcoming season is sure to terrify and excite as we buildup to the single most famous scene in all of cinema history. The reason the shower scene is the single most famous scene can be recognized by analyzing the length, actions, and sounds included in those few seconds. You can learn more about that scene by reading my article The “Attraction” of Horror: a “Psycho”analysis. After more than 50 years, the Bates Motel and Norman still haunt our dreams and provide direction and inspiration for today’s cinematic storytellers. An interesting thought on the direction of these immortal characters and setting is the potential for a live theatrical production. There is certainly enough dialog driven material that Psycho and Bates Motel can easily be translated into a live theatre experience. It takes rich material to be able to be so versatile. Here’s to the final season of A&E and Universal Television’s five year homage to the infamous and macabre happenings at the Bates Motel. Thank you Hitchcock for truly being the master of suspense.
This entry was posted in General Entertainment, Horror, Television Review and tagged A&E, AETV, Alfred Hitchcock, Bates House, Bates Motel, Freddie Highmore, Hitchcock, Max Thieriot, Norma Bates, Norman Bates, Olivia Cooke, Psycho, Robert Bloch, TV Drama, Universal, Universal Studios, Universal Television, Vera Farmiga by R.L. Terry. Bookmark the permalink.
1 thought on “Peering Through the Hole into “Bates Motel””
imustseemovie.com on June 8, 2016 at 13:35 said:
One of my favorite show
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PhDs Are Everything
Author : Nathan Vanderford
Over 50% of PhDs work outside academia (Science and Engineering Indicators 2012) which means that many PhDs are indeed working in a variety of different jobs, and most importantly, this means that the majority of PhDs are not pursuing tenure track faculty positions. Despite this, a perpetuating stigma exists that makes PhDs feel like failures if they are not working toward a tenure track career.
Over 50% of PhDs work outside academia (Science and Engineering Indicators 2012) which means that many PhDs are indeed working in a variety of different jobs, and most importantly, this means that the majority of PhDs are not pursuing tenure track faculty positions. Despite this, a perpetuating stigma exists that makes PhDs feel like failures if they are not working toward a tenure track career. For the advancement of all academic fields, we need to work together on breaking this stigma.
PhDs are everything. They are doing highly impactful and highly innovative work everywhere outside academia in unique and exciting positions. You can find PhDs in a variety of positions from executives and administrators, legal and policy analysts, entrepreneurs, consultants, writers, editors, publishers, to marketing professionals. The list could go on and on.
The stigma suggesting that PhDs are failures, if they are not on the tenure track, has to change and will change. The big question is when and how. One of the requirements of this change is a major shift in the way faculties think within academia. Once faculty (all faculty) support all possible career paths for PhDs, then it will be easier for graduate students and postdocs to pursue whatever career path they desire. In the meantime, let’s encourage graduate students, postdocs, and all PhDs to pursue the career path that makes them happy rather than feeling trapped by a mentor and/or the pursuit of a tenure track position.
PhDs, please reach out to others that have moved outside academia and learn how they did so. Seek support from your peers. You’ll be surprised how eager other PhDs are when it comes to talking to graduate students and postdocs about these issues.
BLOG: Available resources for government jobs
You can read more about different types of careers for PhDs here, here and here. In addition to these links, spend a couple hours searching the web for others articles or websites that highlight all the possible careers for PhDs. If you just look, you will find a slew of resources available describing career options for PhDs and many different websites provide insight and support for graduate students and PhDs exploring career options like this one. Finally, I encourage you to check a project I recently started. What Are All The PhDs? is a blog meant to put a personal spin on cataloging all the possible career paths for PhDs. Ultimately, this site should help graduate students, postdocs, and PhDs looking to explore careers paths, understand that PhDs are everything! If you are a PhD, consider submitting your career path bio to the site so that you can help others realize all the potential opportunities that are available and how to navigate career transitions.
The main message of this post is simple: PhDs, go out in the world and be…everything!
Nathan has a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural biotechnology, a PhD in biochemistry, and an MBA with an operations management focus. He is the Assistant Director for Research for the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center. He is the founder of Integrative Academic Solutions, which aims to help individuals integrate multiple disciplines to achieve innovative job performance. He is also the founder/editor of The Daily PhD, a newspaper dedicated to graduate school issues and PhD career paths. Lastly, he is the founder/editor of What Are All The PhDs?, which is dedicated to putting a personal spin on highlighting all possible career paths for PhDs.
*Publisher’s Note:
This article originally appeared here on SynBio Consulting’s blog. This slightly modified version of the article is re-published here under a Creative Commons Attribution License.
Nathan Vanderford
The Skills Great Leaders use to Successfully Navigate Change
Managing Your Personal Finances
Don’t Avoid All Risk: On Becoming a Skilled Risk Manager
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Home › Products › Plastic Models › Aircraft Models 1:72 1:48 1:32 › 1:32 F-4J PHANTOM II MARINES
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Article number: 300060308 Product: 1:32 F-4J PHANTOM II MARINES
About the McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II Marines
When test pilot Robert C. Little prepared to take off in the YF4H-1 prototype on May 27, 1958, few onlookers could have guessed at the success story yet to unfold. Over thirty years from that faithful day, the successors of that prototype, the Phantom series of aircraft, would be protecting the skies over the free world and see adoption by eleven nations including the U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marines. The Phantom II was developed by McDonnell Douglas and first pitted against Vought's F8U-3 Crusader III to see which aircraft would be the Navy's next main carrier-borne fighter. In 1959, the selection was made in favor of the robust Phantom II. The early production model, the F4H-1F, underwent various tests and training exercises, eventually leading to the F4H-1 model, which was deployed to several Navy and Marine divisions. In 1962, in efforts to unify the names of Navy and Air Force aircraft, the F4H-1F and F4H-1 became designated the F-4A and F-4B respectively.
Just after its adoption by the Navy, the Phantom II showed the world what it was made of, breaking record after record, including top-speed, altitude, and time-to-climb. To top off these results, the U.S. Navy ran Project LANA, a transcontinental speed race. The roman L stood for the number 50, for "50th Anniversary of Naval Aviation". The contest was to demonstrate the Phantom's shocking speed and reach. Based on this impressive track record, and on comparative tests against Air Force fighters at the time, it was decided that the next main fighter of the Air Force would also be the Navy's Phantom II. The F-4B version was specially tailored to the needs of the Air Force, and became designated the F-4C. Further improvements to that aircraft resulted in the F-4D model.
The Navy continued to make improvements to the Phantom II. Mounting the F-4B with an automatic carrier landing system, yet another variant, the F-4G was
F-4J Phantom ? Marines
1:32 F-4J PHANTOM II MARINES
1:32 Mc Donnell F4 C/D PHANTOM II Kawanishi Shiden Type 11 1:48 Bristol Beaufighter Mk.6
€112.99 €13.79 €33.99
3x8mm Socket Screw / Blue*5 X-14 Sky Blue Gloss 23 ml C Parts R.Suspen./Gearb. 58618 Mt.Beetle
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The momentum was growing and in 2008 CORR’s focus was on maximum exposure for the series. To maximize their exposure CORR ventured into live TV broadcasts of races on both SPEED and NBC. Which was a ground breaking first for off-road short course racing as the coverage introduced short course to a mainstream racing public. However, just as short course racing was shinning before the main stream public with the live TV coverage Baldwin canceled two of the rounds at Las Vegas in October 2008. Then in a press release, CORR stated: “Championship Off-road Racing has made the difficult decision to cancel the Primm, Nevada race on October 25th and 26th. The current credit crisis had made it very difficult to cover CORR’s costs.” This was the beginning of our country’s financial melt down that caused a global recession so the racing community had it's doubts about short course’s future.
Shortly after the season ended CORR announced a three year deal with Perpetual Motion Films to continue covering CORR events. This enlightened fans a bit more but then all waited for the 2009 schedule to appear and nothing was heard from CORR. Suddenly Ricky Johnson announced he was putting together a three race series for 2009 titled the Off-Road Grand Prix ORGP. Johnson said his program was intended as a grass roots program more as a support group for those wanting to get started in short course. Part of his statement was that he had talked with CORR and there were no conflicts with them or the WSORR series. Before the ink on the release could dry Tony Vanillo, former Technical Director for CORR, announced he had secured Lucas Oil as a sponsor and was putting on a six race Lucas Oil American Off-Road Series LAORS for 2009. This left CORR without it’s primary sponsor. Wanting to have their voice heard many of the drivers came together to form a driver’s union called the Professional Drivers Group, PDG. Having a program in motion Johnson changed gears from a minor league to a major program with a letter of intent to buy the Midwest series WSORR.
To add to the craziness out of the blue another series was announced and titled; National Off-Road Racing Series NORRS. Headed up by Aaron Mortenson the series never got off ground. It turns out Mortsenson was to secretive about his plans and many in the off-road community, not knowing him, felt it was a hoax. Turns out it was no hoax as there was a race scheduled for the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds. But it never raced. The track was set up and ready to go. The TV crew had set up and purchased TV time. Then on race day the track management pulled the plug. It appears both parties had their faults. One could say Mortenson didn't understand the small print. On the other hand the management had double booked for the weekend and hadn't let NORRS know in advance that they were not going to let him race. Which turns out for the best as there was not enough racers that showed up to put on a show. So NORRS had tried to put a series together but in the end faded from the scene as quickly as they had appeared.
It would appear that the three remaining series should join forces and form one truly national series. If everyone was working for the betterment of the sport this would be best. In fact when many of the major sponsors got together with the promoters that is what they said needed to happen. But that did not seem to be the case as the financial aspect brought it’s ugly head into the mix. Baldwin had millions of dollars invested in CORR and shouldn’t be expected to just give his investment away. Lucas Oil had a sizeable investment in the sport as a sponsor. The others were just starting out. Johnson seemed flexible but after the meeting it was obvious none of them would be working together.
The racing community was being pulled this way and that way and had no idea what the out come would be for 2009. Finally in early February 2009 there was a game changer when Lucas Oil Products announced they had finalized an agreement with Tony and Sherry Vanillo to acquire complete ownership of the newly formed American Off-road Series. The series would be renamed the “Lucas Oil Off-road Racing Series LOORS”.
Things started to come together as a few days later another announcement changed the future of short course as well. One of the doubts sponsors had with Johnson’s plan was that he at the time didn’t have anything in contracts. This all changed when Johnson partnered up with Mitch Covington and announced they, under the name of The Off-Road Championship series TORC, had entered into an exclusive, long-term agreement with Crandon International Off-Road Raceway. The deal included rights to hold short course racing at the fabled “Big House” through the year 2018 and beyond. Along with the announcement came a title sponsor of Traxxas, the country’s leading marketer of R/C cars. To add to Johnson's deal the PDG group threw their support in with Johnson.
The year was 2009 and CORR, who up until now, had been the prominent off-road short course series with national TV coverage was now out of the picture. Traxxas TORC series with many of the top drivers settled into the Midwest and LOORS set roots as a west coast series backed by the deep pockets of Lucas Oil. The best chance to join forces and combine into a truly national series under single management was gone.
Not combining into a single series has not deterred short course growth. Both of the these professional short course series, TRAXXAS TORC and Lucas Oil Off-road Racing LOORS, have flourished and added new venues and extended TV coverage. Both series racing programs are regularly shown through national TV syndicates. In addition, LOORS spawned regional series in both Southern California and Arizona providing amateurs a stepping stone into the sport.
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Idris Elba: 'We have a multicultural society. Let's see some history' (exclusive)
Hanna Flint
Yahoo Movies UK 28 August 2018
Idris Elba’s directorial debut Yardie hits cinemas this week and it shows a part of British history that we don’t tend to see on screen very often. When it comes to British period dramas there is no shortage of stories centred around white protagonists.
From The Darkest Hour to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Happy Prince to the upcoming Mary, Queen of Scots biopic, there have been several films over the last year that have focused solely on white narratives and most are rarely concerned with the historically multicultural experience of living in the UK.
Idris Elba wants to change that with Yardie, his directorial debut that serves as a cinematic linchpin of British-Jamaican culture. Based on Victor Headley’s 1992 novel of the same name, the film follows a young Jamaican boy Dennis ‘D’ Campbell whose life becomes intertwined with local gang politics and inevitably leads him, as an adult, on a vengeful journey through to London and the criminal underworld of 1980s Hackney.
“There needs to be balance in everything that we do,” Elba tells Yahoo Movies UK. “As an entertainer, I think that it’s important that yeah we get stories that come from Victorian times – why not? We live in England – but also we have a multicultural society. Let’s see some history.
“The film doesn’t go out to explain that but at least you get a real sort of in-depth look into West Indian culture and the Afro-UK experience especially.”
Director Idris Elba and cast member Aml Ameen attend the film premiere of ‘Yardie’ at the BFI Southbank, London, Britain August 21 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
In the past, Ridley Scott has spoken of the importance of film for teaching people the history of the UK, and the wider world in general, and it seems that Elba, as a director, shares the same perspective when telling stories especially those centred on marginalised communities.
“When people walk away from this film, love it or hate it, at least they’ll be like, ‘I got a needle drop into the ’80s. I see what reggae music means now, I know what it feels like to go into a blues dance back then.’ That’s where it all comes from,” he explains.
“It’s harder to sell a movie when it’s niche. It’s harder to sell a movie that sort of really focuses on a small community in such a big country, let alone the world, you know. Why would anyone in Russia want to watch this movie?
“That’s why we make films, that’s why we tell stories,” Elba adds. “So that parts of culture that probably are called niche do live somewhere.”
For Shantol Jackson, who plays D’s love interest Yvonne, the authenticity that Elba demanded for the film was refreshing. He himself doesn’t have Jamaican heritage (his parents are from Sierra Leone and Ghana) but the majority of his cast did have a West Indian background and she says he looked to them for creative guidance.
Aml Ameen (as D) was cast on a plane he shared with Idris Elba
”I remember being in rehearsal with Idris, and we’re reading a monologue, and he’d say ‘is that how you would say it?’ and I had an opportunity to say ‘not exactly, this is how we’d say it.’” the actress recalls. “That’s why he got Jamaican actors and British actors, he wanted it to be authentic.
Aml Ameen, who plays D, says that his Jamaican background was part of the reason he was cast in the lead role, though the audition process for Yardie was far less rigorous than in previous films and TV shows he’d tried out for. “Other films, they run you through the mills a bit,” Ameen says. “but Idris gave me the part on the plane while we were both sipping on rum and coke and that was it.
“He’d seen The Maze Runner recently on a flight and when I spoke to him and told him I had Jamaican heritage, and all the rest of it, he was really compelled to go ‘yeah, I think you’re the guy to play in my movie.’”
Over the years, several black or ethnic minority actors have been criticised for not sharing the cultural background as the character they are playing, Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya included, but while Ameen thinks his Jamaican heritage was helpful in preparing for the role he doesn’t think it was “imperative.”
Elba has played Heimdall in the MCU since 2011
“I played a Kenyan before, I play Americans all the time so I don’t think it’s imperative, I think it’s more easily accessible,” he explains. “My family being Jamaican helped me because I had instant resources and I grew up with the culture so it helps me a bit more to understand [but] I think the essence of acting is being able to transform yourself.”
Elba is constantly transforming himself; from actor to producer, to DJ to documentary maker, to director, and now that he’s exited the Marvel Cinematic Universe it certainly gives him more time to explore creative avenues outside of acting.
As Heimdall, he’s appeared in five MCU movies since 2011 though funnily enough he never knew the popular name for Disney’s Marvel franchise. “What’s the MCU? I’ve never heard of that before,” Elba laughs. “I thought it was something to do with Manchester United!”
MCU-aside, it seems certain that directing will play a bigger part in his working future, though Heimdall won’t be the last time fans see him on screen.
“Every actor, after a certain time period doing the job, wants to be in the hot seat and so for me, this is the perfect segue,” Elba says. “I’m still going to act, I love it – it feeds me, it feeds my family – but directing definitely gives me a lot more choice to tell different kinds of stories that I possibly won’t be in as an actor.
“So you’re definitely going to see more from me as a director because it’s a joy for me. It’s hard work, trust me, but I love it.”
Yardie is out on Friday.
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Doncic, Young unanimous picks for 2018-19 All-Rookie team
NBA.com Global on May 22, 2019 07:44 AM
Photo c/o @NBA
NBA press release
NEW YORK – Dallas Mavericks guard-forward Luka Doncic and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young have been unanimously selected to the 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Doncic and Young both received NBA All-Rookie First Team votes on all 100 ballots to finish with 200 points each. They are joined on the NBA All-Rookie First Team by Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (195 points; 95 First Team votes), Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. (159 points; 60 First Team votes) and Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III (156 points; 56 First Team votes).
[Watch the Playoffs on NBA League Pass for 30% less with this limited time offer! Select Annual package and use code SAVE30 at checkout to redeem]
The 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie First Team is composed of the top five picks in NBA Draft 2018 presented by State Farm: Ayton (No. 1), Bagley (No. 2), Doncic (No. 3), Jackson (No. 4) and Young (No. 5).
This marks the first time since the 1984-85 season that the top five picks in the previous NBA Draft have all been selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team (there was no All-Rookie Second Team that season). Thirty-four years ago, the NBA All-Rookie Team honorees were Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 1 pick in 1984), Sam Bowie (No. 2), Michael Jordan (No. 3), Sam Perkins (No. 4) and Charles Barkley (No. 5).
Doncic, Young and Ayton are the three finalists for the 2018-19 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award. The winner will be revealed at the 2019 NBA Awards presented by Kia on Monday, June 24 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT (June 25, PHL time). The third annual NBA Awards, honoring this season’s top performers, will take place at Barker Hangar in Los Angeles.
The 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of LA Clippers guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (138 points), Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton (132), Clippers guard Landry Shamet (85), New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (77) and Hawks guard Kevin Huerter (45).
The NBA All-Rookie Teams were selected by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The media voted for five players for the NBA All-Rookie First Team and five players for the Second Team at any position. Players received two points for each First Team vote and one point for each Second Team vote.
Complete voting results by media member will be posted at pr.nba.com the night of the 2019 NBA Awards presented by Kia. Click here for the list of 100 media voters for the 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie Teams.
Below are the voting results for the 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie Teams. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.
Below are the other players who received votes for the 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie Teams.
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Dr. Phil Cheetham
Senior Sport Technologist and Biomechanist @ US Olympic Committee
Dr. Phil Cheetham is currently the senior sport technologist and biomechanist for the United States Olympic Committee at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. He currently works primarily with athletics and golf, but has also worked with many sports including gymnastics, swimming and diving. He has been a member of the US Olympic Team staff for both the London (2012) and Rio (2016) Olympic Games. In Rio several of the athletes he works directly with won gold and silver medals.
Phil is also two-time Olympian himself at Montreal (1976), and Moscow (1980), in gymnastics for Australia. He was also three times gymnastics all-around champion of Australia in the 1970’s.
He has been an inventor and developer of sport motion analysis systems and sensors since the early 1980’s. He has been a co-founder of several biomechanics and motion analysis companies including: Peak Performance Technologies, Skill Technologies, Advanced Motion Measurement, and Skilled Motion Labs. He is considered a pioneer in the motion analysis industry and his biomechanics methods have become a de facto standard in 3D golf swing analysis.
He is a board member for the World Scientific Congress of Golf and the Titleist Performance Institute. In golf his research publications include; “The X-Factor Stretch”, “The Kinematic Sequence” and a PhD dissertation on “Club Handle Twist Velocity in the Golf Drive”.
He has an Honors Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, a Master of Science and a PhD in Exercise Science and Biomechanics from Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.
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Kathy Watt
Event Photographer & Special Guest @ Australian Olympic Gold Medalist
Kathy Watt is best known to the Australian public as the first Australian female to win a Gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. Watt also won an Olympic Silver medal in the track 3km Individual Pursuit. Kathy has a career of many firsts, being the first Australian woman to win a medal at a World championship when she won Bronze in the Individual Road Time Trial in Columbia (1995) and Gold in the Inaugural Commonwealth Games road Race (1990) after gaining Silver on the Track. Kathy is also an Award winning photographer. An image she took of Andre Agassi won a Silver Award with the Institute of Professional Photography. Kathy’s images won Silver & Bronze Awards in the International Aperture Awards in 4 categories (Abstract/iIlustrative, Photojournalism, Science & Nature, and Sport). Her photographic works featured in a number of exhibitions and photography prizes, including Olympic Dreams Exhibition, Winter Olympics Exhibition, Tour de France Exhibition at Alliance Francaise, Kerala gallery’s B&W Nude Exhibition as well as their Landscape Exhibition ; and have appeared in a number of websites, magazines as well as other printed publications. Kathy is quite versatile in her choice of photographic subjects – B&W nudes, landscape, portraits, and – of course – documentary sports photography. Kathy has competed in 2 Olympics as an athlete & 4 Olympics as a photographer-PyeongChang 2018, Rio 2016, Socchi Winter Olympics 2014, London 2012
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Frederick Engels: theorist and fighter
Sometimes Frederick Engels is seen simply as Karl Marx’s lieutenant, but he was a great socialist activist and thinker in his own right, writes Simon Basketter
Published Tue 10 Jun 2008
Frederick Engels stands out as a great thinker and fighter for working class rights whose contribution to socialism has often been undervalued, maligned and distorted.
Born in 1820 into a wealthy family in Germany, Engels grew up during a time of turmoil. As a young man he was attracted to the ideas of German philosophy and especially to GWF Hegel who saw the universe as a process of constant development and change.
Progress therefore required a struggle against the existing institutions. By the early 1840s Engels was writing journalism on literature and political issues. He discovered a proficiency in languages and fought duels. At the same time he was embracing the idea of communism.
Engels’ ideas were also shaped by his contact with organised workers. He worked in Manchester in 1842 at the family firm Ermen and Engels. He saw the English working class as being revolutionary and made contact with its organisation, the Chartists.
He arrived in England only weeks after the Chartist general strike of 1842 which, despite its eventual failure, had demonstrated the potential power of workers. The strike’s centre was in Manchester and the surrounding areas of Lancashire and Cheshire – the main textile producing regions.
Engels was horrified at the poverty and misery that he saw in Manchester. The city had grown up around the cotton industry and was a mass of filthy slums. Terrible overcrowding, increased infant mortality and regular epidemics of diseases like chlera and typhus were all facts of life.
The barbarity of the developing capitalist system led him to write his first book, The Condition of the Working Class in England. He wrote scathingly of the ruling class, “It knows no bliss save that of rapid gain, no pain save that of losing gold.”
It documents not only how people lived, but also explains how this state of affairs could be – and needed to be – changed.
He met Karl Marx in 1844 and their political relationship and friendship lasted from that time to Marx’s death nearly 40 years later.
Engels had a lifelong commitment to Marx and his family, both financially and intellectually.
Engels co-wrote many books and articles with Marx, including The Holy Family and The German Ideology, as well as writing the first draft of the Communist Manifesto, which was called Principles of Communism.
Together they developed the most comprehensive theory of socialism. Central to this was historical materialism, which they developed in the 1840s.
For Engels, human consciousness was linked to and shaped by the economic conditions from which it arose.
This is not the crude theory of which he has sometimes been accused. He saw the necessity of human action as key to changing the world, but located it in the prevailing economic relations.
But he also saw the world as being in constant change, driven forward by the contradictions of everyday life – in capitalist society this is above all the struggle between workers and the bosses.
Engels was also a great organiser and fighter. In 1848 he wrote to Marx, “In Germany things are going very well indeed, riots everywhere.” Revolution erupted across Europe and Engels threw himself into the revolutionary movement in Germany.
In 1849 Engels fought in a revolutionary war against a Prussian army. Following the defeat of the rebels, Engels was forced into exile, with the authorities issuing a wanted poster for his arrest. He was to live in England for the rest of his life.
Many who claim they are Marxists criticise Engels’ ideas. Despite his close collaboration with Marx, he is often accused of distorting the true spirit of Marxism.
Yet the centrality of working class activity shines through all of Engels’ writings, and this is why he was a revolutionary – both in his ideas and his practice.
It has been argued that in his last years Engels endorsed the first signs of reformism – the belief that socialism could be achieved by electing officials to parliament, rather than through revolution – as they emerged in the international workers’ movement.
It is true that Engels insisted on the importance of “slow propaganda work and parliamentary activity”. But for Engels the problem was how socialist ideas were to break out of a left wing ghetto inhabited by a handful of committed workers and intellectuals.
He placed his hopes in the movements in Germany, where Marxists had succeeded in giving expression to the feelings of broad layers of workers.
Through this they had won seats in parliament and made an impact on national politics.
However, this did not mean that Engels had abandoned his belief in the necessity of revolution.
Engels protested strongly when editors of the German socialist paper Vorwärts, supposedly in order to avoid prosecution, cut out revolutionary language from his introduction to Marx’s pamphlet The Class Struggles in France.
Engels wrote a bitter letter of protest, saying, “To my astonishment I see today in Vorwärts an extract from my introduction, printed without my knowledge and trimmed in such a way as to make me appear a peace-loving worshipper of legality at any price.”
His writings on a range of subjects demonstrate his tremendous knowledge and interest in science, the military and history. Engels’ historical writings show a real grasp of the subject and a style which makes them widely accessible.
In 1877 he wrote Anti-Dühring from which the pamphlet Socialism, Utopian and Scientific was drawn – one of the great introductions to Marxist ideas.
He succinctly explains the recurrent economic crises that have plagued capitalism since it first emerged:
“In every crisis, society is suffocated beneath the weight of its own productive forces and products, which it cannot use, and stands helpless face to face with the absurd contradiction that the producers have nothing to consume, because consumers are wanting.”
In The Part Played by Labour in the Transition from Ape to Man, Engels argues that what separates humans from animals is our conscious ability to adapt to the world and to shape it to satisfy human needs.
Central to this is the importance of cooperative labour. Human beings are not inherently violent and competitive.
This so-called “human nature” is shaped by the emergence of class society and the state.
In 1884 he published one of his best known books, The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, which drew on anthropological writings to trace the course of women’s oppression throughout class society. This was a pathbreaking book.
It tied the development of family forms and structures to the rise of private property held by a particular class in society. Throughout his life Engels saw women’s oppression as an unnatural product of property relations that would disappear once those relations disappeared.
He therefore developed a view which set him well in advance of liberal commentators in Victorian England, who all too often saw women as weak beings who had to be protected, rather than as equals.
While some of the anthropological research in the book has not stood the test of time, the analysis made a considerable contribution to the fight for women’s liberation.
Engels also made a significant contribution to the understanding of science. His book The Dialectics of Nature has been often criticised and distorted.
But the central claim that links the development of science to the development of production is central to the materialist theory of history.
For Engels, the world is in a process of constant change and development, and scientific advances are central to changes in the world.
Engels’ activity spanned a long period – from the Chartists through to the birth of the modern mass trade unions. He lived through some of the biggest changes in the development of capitalism.
At the age of 70 in 1890 he was still active, speaking to the hundreds of thousands of workers attending a May Day demonstration in Hyde Park, London.
He left his mark on the socialist movement across the world. He was a man of huge talents, whose life and ideas are inspiring and relevant for today.
Frederick Engels’ writings are available online at » www.marxists.org
The following four articles, which originally appeared in the International Socialism journal, provide an in-depth look at Engels’ politics. They are available from » www.marxists.de
Lindsey German on Frederick Engels – life of a revolutionary
John Rees on Engels' Marxism
Chris Harman on Engels and the origins of human society
Paul McGarr on Engels and natural science
Engels: A Revolutionary Life by John Green, Artery Publications
This new biography provides a lively introduction to Engels with the author comparing him to Che Guevara. While the theoretical interpretations in the latter part of the book are different to those presented here, the book provides an accessible introduction to Engels’ development as a theorist and brings him to life.
It is available for £10 from Bookmarks, the socialist bookshop. Phone 020 7637 1848 or go to » www.bookmarks.uk.com
Tue 10 Jun 2008, 18:50 BST
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Nissan cuts jobs as the recession hits
As a quarter of the workforce are made redundant at Nissan’s car plant in Sunderland, retired engineer John Basketter looks at its history
Published Tue 13 Jan 2009
When Margaret Thatcher opened the Nissan car factory in Sunderland in 1986 it was presented as the birth of a new era for the north east of England after the ravages of the recession of the early 1980s.
It wasn’t. In fact it was seen by many people as a symbol of our defeats.
Thatcher was coming to gloat over the destruction of working people’s lives.
People heard rumours that anyone with a militant union past wouldn’t get in.
It worried me more that it would mean embracing “modern” ways of working—leading to even less organising at work and letting the bosses do what they want.
They used to go on about how the workers shared the canteen with the bosses—but that was a bad thing for me, not a good one.
Now some 800 permanent jobs and 400 temporary jobs are to be lost. The temporary jobs go from the end of the month.
One permanent worker said, “This all happened really quickly. We had heard a load of rumours before Christmas, but nothing seemed certain.
“It seems everyone knew before we did. I got a call from a mate who works at a supplier who rang up to check I was OK. But I didn’t know what was going on.”
“Part of the Nissan method was to have a high level of temporary workers. People were told that if they renewed their temporary contract they would get a permanent one eventually. It didn’t happen.”
Another worker explained, “When I was recruited by Nissan I was asked to come for a permanent contract after passing the tests. But at the end of the day they handed me a temporary contract.
“Nissan works you hard and then discards you like you’re nothing. I’m gutted to lose my job.”
There’s no redundancy agreement in place at Nissan. The workers had already agreed to more shut-down days and more training in the hope it would secure jobs, but jobs are still going.
Gordon Brown used Nissan as an example of the way forward—just days before the announcement of the job losses.
The unions welcomed his commitment to doing something—but it’s disarming.
Where is the call for a fight from the union?
The bosses at Nissan said they didn’t want to be bailed out—it’s easier to make workers pay the price.
This seems to be going on across the unions.
For instance, the GMB did a deal with JCB last year, but every concession the workers have given has led to more redundancies, with another 700 jobs cut this week in Staffordshire.
Instead of working with management and hoping they won’t do us over, people need to stand up for themselves.
The people I know in Nissan are angry but not clear about what to do.
Some people were talking about the families of the sacked workers protesting at the gate to shame the company, but this hasn’t come off yet.
We need some response or the bad news on jobs will just become so normal that we don’t even notice the destruction of people’s lives.
Tue 13 Jan 2009, 18:37 GMT
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This is not true democracy
by Chris Bambery
Published Tue 12 May 2009
The stench of corruption surrounds the House of Commons. “Clear them all out,” is the popular sentiment.
Newspaper editorials and “constitutional experts” have responded by saying that, despite its flaws, the system is the best on offer and needs to be reformed rather than replaced.
Westminster is a gentleman’s club. It has been forced to admit women and a few black and Asian MPs, but it operates as a private club, with its own rules. It looks after its own.
It can vote to go to war, in defiance of overwhelming popular opinion, as it did over Iraq in 2003.
Whenever there is any questioning of how the parliamentary system or the state operates, those in charge kick dissent into the long grass with inquiries and reports carried out by people with a commitment to the system.
Former Labour minister Patricia Hewitt’s suggestion that citizens’ juries could decide on how MPs’ expenses are paid was met with laughter from the rest of parliament.
The speaker then told her to shut up.
But what is wrong with popular democracy? What is wrong with voters being able to hold those they elect to represent them to direct account?
We elect MPs every five years, but once elected we have no control over what they do.
They themselves have little direct control over the government.
The government exercises little control over the things that keep people awake at night – such as their jobs, homes or simply being able to pay the bills.
That’s a matter for “the economy” – in other words for big business, free from any popular control.
True democracy requires that all elected officials are directly responsible to those they represent.
They should be able to be immediately replaced if they go against our wishes. They should receive an income equal to the average wage nationally.
True democracy would also mean having the right to vote on matters like where investment should go and whether we want to spend our money bailing out bankers or on services.
Yet any suggestion of this brings outrage from the bosses and the political elite.
When we are told that this is the best democracy money can buy, it is a lie on every count.
Tue 12 May 2009, 17:19 BST
Commons criminals
'We're closing in' graphic
Ministers cash in on schemes
MPs’ sleazy housing scams cost us millions
How many Tories does it take to change a lightbulb?
Mandelson to push ahead post sell-off
How MPs use second homes
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Saddam’s man Wafiq al-Samarrai has a new job
Published Sat 30 Apr 2005
The US has appointed one of Saddam Hussein’s most feared generals as “a special security adviser” to the new Iraqi government. Wafiq al-Samarrai was head of General Military Intelligence during the uprisings in the Shia south and Kurdish north following the end of the 1991 Gulf War.
The ministry, known as the Istikhbarat, was responsible for rounding up those suspected of opposing the Baathist regime.
After crushing the 1991 uprising, Samarrai was promoted to running Saddam’s personal office.
Samarrai defected in 1995 and tried to spark an uprising against his former boss — the uprising failed.
In 1998 he settled in Sutton, Surrey, where he founded the National Salvation Movement with other top ranking defectors.
Samarrai became one of the “intelligence sources” on Iraq’s alleged weapons programme.
In June 2002 Kurdish campaigners demanded Samarrai be tried as a war criminal, a move opposed by the two main Kurdish parties allied to the US occupation.
Sat 30 Apr 2005, 00:00 BST
Blair’s lies on Iraq exposed as victim toll rises
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The results that put Respect on the map
by Judy Cox
Published Sat 24 Jul 2004
RESPECT’S RESULTS in the Leicester South and Birmingham Hodge Hill by-elections have rocked the political establishment.
Respect candidate Yvonne Ridley won 12.7 percent of the vote in Leicester, and John Rees won 6.3 percent in Birmingham.
Respect’s vote was on the front page of the Guardian and the Independent on Sunday.
Last Saturday’s Guardian editorial said of Tony Blair, “A day after pleading with the Commons and the country to let him move on from a misguided war, voters showed he cannot.
“Respect’s strong showing, especially in Leicester, demonstrates that.”
Professor Anthony King, from Essex University, wrote in the Telegraph, “For a newcomer on the scene, George Galloway’s Respect party did well.
“Respect’s success—such as that of Tommy Sheridan’s Scottish Socialist Party—is a clear indication that a considerable proportion of Labour voters are unhappy with the party’s shift to the right under Blair and, given a chance, will vote for a more radical alternative.”
New Labour lost a 13,000 majority to the Lib Dems in Leicester and only just clung on to Hodge Hill, where its majority was slashed from 11,000 to just 460.
Respect won votes from those disgusted with Blair’s war and disgusted with the Lib Dems. In both Leicester and Birmingham the Lib Dems run the councils in coalition with the Tories.
The Tories came a pathetic third in both ballots. One unnamed Tory told the Guardian, “If we had not campaigned so hard we would probably have come fourth to George Galloway’s Respect party, and that really would have been a disaster.”
Respect has built on the successes it achieved in the European and London Assembly elections in June.
As Yvonne Ridley, Respect candidate in Leicester South, said, “We have made our mark on national politics. There were three things I wanted to do in the campaign. Firstly, we got everyone in Leicester South taking about Respect, from very young people to really experienced voters. Secondly, we wanted to ram another nail in Tony Blair’s coffin. And we wanted to establish firm foundations for Respect to build on. We have done all those things.”
Respect MP George Galloway was central to the campaign in Leicester. He says, “We are very, very happy with the result.
“Respect has been decisive in both by-elections. We cost Labour the seat in Leicester, and we cost the Lib Dems the seat in Birmingham.
“We have established ourselves as the fourth party in these elections and we are building for the general election, when we will give them another shock.”
John Rees, Respect’s candidate in Hodge Hill, said, “Respect’s results in Leicester and Birmingham confirm something we saw in the last general election and the European elections—the hold of Labourism over working people in this country is dissolving.
“In the general election there was the lowest turnout since universal suffrage was won. It was a voter strike against Labour.
“In the European and council elections the main parties, who used to command 80 percent of the vote between them, got below 50 percent, and other parties grew enormously at their expense.
“In the late 1970s, when the corrosion of Labour’s support became overwhelming, the beneficiaries were the Tories and Margaret Thatcher.
“These elections show that the Tory party is in as much trouble with the voters as Labour.
“Today, the contest is to the left of Labour about where Labour’s votes will go. The contest is between the Liberal Democrats and Respect.
“Respect was formed six months ago. For an organisation that was only formed in January to save two deposits in the first two Westminster by-elections it has contested is a brilliant achievement.”
Now it’s vital that supporters go to everyone who voted Respect on 10 June to show them the latest results and ask them to help build Respect.
‘We can go back and argue with those who said a vote for Respect is a wasted vote’
FAYYAZ SULEMAN, Yvonne Ridley’s election agent, told Socialist Worker, “Our result has put Respect on the map.
“We are not just a single issue party campaigning against the war. Our supporters are diverse—they are teachers, students, pensioners.”
Christine Lewis helped organise the campaign in Leicester. She said, “Our great strength in Leicester was the involvement of local people.
“We had pizza delivery people who delivered Respect leaflets with their pizzas, and taxi drivers who gave them out to their fares.
“We got children drawing posters of ‘Why I love Respect’ for us to put up in the office. They wrote ‘I love Respect because Respect is against the war, because Respect is against poverty.’
“There are lots of people who are ready to be more active. We began to win support in the Afro-Caribbean community. Now we want to build on that.”
Simon Furze is a member of the CWU postal workers’ union in Leicester.
He says, “If we hadn’t done well, it would have been hard to go back to the unions and argue with those who said a vote for Respect is a wasted vote.
“But now Respect is a household name in Leicester.
“We can go back to the RMT, who were expelled from Labour, and the FBU, who disaffiliated from Labour, and put the positive case for backing Respect.
“And we can do that in my own union, where we are facing a fight over privatisation.”
Bob Bagnall is a teacher in Leicester and has built up links with local firefighters. He said, “We met some firefighters during their strike and kept in contact with them. A couple then joined Respect.
“This meant we could encourage the FBU branch secretary to invite George Galloway and Yvonne Ridley to address a union meeting, where they went down really well.
“Now we are planning a firefighters’ Respect meeting. The result is a huge breakthrough.”
Sat 24 Jul 2004, 00:00 BST
Voices from the campaign trail
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You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Debate
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Dr. Harris rose--
Mr. St. Aubyn: The hon. Gentleman wants to intervene to talk about that evidence, and I encourage him to do so.
Dr. Harris: Even the chief inspector admitted that his approach was hardly scientific, because during his inspections he did not ask any head teachers whether they reported this problem, whereas the research to which I referred asked people what their experience had been. The chief inspector produced no evidence to back up his view.
Mr. St. Aubyn: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for enabling me to emphasise my point. If one asks questions in a certain way, a certain response may be expected. That invalidates the opinion poll exercise even more than I had realised. If, with no hidden agenda, one talks to teachers and they do not raise the issue as a problem, in all seriousness it is probably not a genuine problem. That is where the argument against the Conservative position on this issue falls down. What we have heard this evening is moral bullying: Labour Members claim to take the moral high ground and then bully Opposition Members into accepting the measure by sheer force of numbers, even though they represent a small minority view within the population as a whole.
I have some problem with the argument that section 28 could not be effective because it is not possible to promote homosexuality. Again, the Government's guidelines, the consultation period on which has just finished, recognise that it is possible in sex education to promote some attitudes and some forms of behaviour rather than others. I welcome the idea that we should promote responsible behaviour by teenagers with a view to discouraging unwanted pregnancy. This country has a serious problem of far too many teenage pregnancies. If, as a result of this new guidance, we discourage teenagers from taking risks and following patterns of behaviour that result in unwanted pregnancies, we will have performed a service for them and improved their chances of having a successful life and establishing a stable family environment in which they can, in due course, bring up children and enable them to have a good education.
25 Jul 2000 : Column 1077
I should be grateful for the Minister's comments on the issue of human rights. I presume that because the guidance to schools has no statutory force, it is merely guidance and there would be no comeback if schools went outside the proposed framework, because no human rights issues are involved. However, our discussions have raised some of those issues.
We must consider the human rights not only of some of the groups whose position has been championed by Labour Members, but of parents, teachers and children. Children have the right to be given objective and fair instruction, and not to be exposed to a point of view and a relentless argument with which the vast majority of families do not agree.
This issue comes down to a matter of trust. From what we have seen, the Government have lost the trust of the people of this country on this important issue. In her winding-up speech on the previous Bill, the Minister for Local Government and the Regions said that she wanted the Government to get away from gesture politics. We all know that everything about the handling of this issue has been to do with that. It was entirely unnecessary to broach the issue of section 28, as is made clear in the Government's own guidelines. The fact that they did so showed that they were trying to appeal--with a gesture--to a specific part of what they saw as their core vote. As so often, not knowing what they believe in, they ended up showing that they believe in nothing at all.
We need to reconsider our whole approach to how we give guidance to schools. We need a more diverse schools system. Tonight we could be having a debate about how we could develop free schools; we could be having a debate about how the very minor concept of city academies, which the Government have floated in the Bill, could be expanded into a much more dynamic and diverse schools sector. Instead, we have been dealing with what is a very narrow amendment.
Let me explain something to the Minister for School Standards, who is clearly somewhat confused. It had not occurred to him that city academies were the thin end of the wedge of the full Conservative policy of free schools. Had we approved a much more fully fledged city- academies approach, the need for the amendment would have fallen by the wayside. Let us suppose that we developed genuinely free schools, genuinely rooted in their home communities--schools whose values and approaches were driven from the bottom up, rather than from the top down. It was, of course, the top-down approach of extreme Labour local education authorities that demanded the response of section 28 in the first place, 12 years ago. If we were to develop the bottom-up, grassroots approach to education--always under the overarching discipline of a national curriculum and a system of inspection by Ofsted--we could trust the common sense of the British people to deliver the right sort of education about sexual development for our children. We would not need guidelines.
When we achieve that, under the next Conservative Government, we can look forward to less regulation, less direction, and less interference in the daily lives and the very good job that nearly all teachers do in our schools today.
Mr. John Hayes (South Holland and The Deepings): I have no desire to detain the House unnecessarily, but I consider three points worthy of amplification.
As ever, my hon. Friend the Member for Guildford (Mr. St. Aubyn) presented his arguments in primary colours. He gave us an unusual but stimulating view of Germany in the 1930s, and, warming to his theme, brought to the debate his usual eloquence and style, if not alacrity.
My first point is that this should not be a partisan matter. We have all brought certain prior assumptions--indeed, certain prejudices--to the debate: all of us, by the time we become Members of Parliament, have such prejudices. It is nonsensical, in a frail and faulty world, to pretend that people on this side of the Chamber are more prone to such prejudices than those on the other side. I think that those Labour Members who are examining their consciences will acknowledge that.
There is a second reason for us not to be unnecessarily partisan. Surely we can all reach an agreement about the value of marriage, which is well proven as the best means of bringing up children. Statistics and studies have been quoted. I refer Members to the work of Patricia Morgan at the Centre for Policy Studies, but many other studies show that children brought up in a marriage have the best life chances. It affects their education, their social development, and a number of other factors. Surely we can reach a common view about the desirability of promoting marriage in our schools.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: Notwithstanding the overwhelming evidence produced by report after report that marriage tends to be the most reliable framework for the raising of children--although that is not always the case--the Government refuse to accept that evidence wholeheartedly. They are doing so only very grudgingly.
Mr. Hayes: I take a slightly more generous view than my hon. Friend does of these things. I think that there are many decent and honourable Labour Members who would agree with our assumptions about marriage and with our conclusions that marriage is the best way of bringing up children. Although I certainly acknowledge that, sadly, that agreement does not seem to have been embodied in some of the Government's actions or embodied sufficiently in their approach to the Bill, I do not think that one could argue that the Minister, for example, does not take these matters seriously. He always takes seriously matters affecting our children and our schools.
There should be some consensus in the Chamber, not only about what we bring to this debate but about our conclusions on the value of marriage and its place in our society. I do not accept the received wisdom that Governments do not make a difference to the way in which society regards marriage. I think that Governments can affect that perception through the tax and benefit system and through a range of legislation. I certainly think that Governments can affect the way in which we bring up our children. Values and attitudes are as important as anything else that schools deliver to children. Values and attitudes are very much about moral assumptions, social assumptions, assumptions about relationships and, yes, assumptions and judgments about sexual activity.
I do not for one minute buy the moral relativism that is part of the agenda of some people on the left. As I said, I suspect that some Labour Members do not buy it either.
The second point that I wanted to make is about our concern for young people.
Mr. Willis: There is something in what the hon. Gentleman is saying. However, almost every objective study on social disadvantage and social exclusion among young people has concluded that such young people, particularly those who are involved in crime, feel bad about themselves--they have an appalling self-image. Given that the majority of young people in our inner-city schools come from homes in which there is not a traditional marriage relationship, what message does the hon. Gentleman think that he and his colleagues are sending to those young people? Are they not telling them, "The relationships and homes that you are living in are very much less valued"? How will that help to give those young people the confidence that they need to go out into the world?
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Presty the DJ for March 4
The Grammy Awards premiered today in 1959. The Record of the Year came from a TV series:
Today in 1966, John Lennon demonstrated the ability to get publicity, if not positive publicity, when the London Evening Standard printed a story in which Lennon said:
Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue with that; I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first — rock and roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.
Lennon’s comment prompted Bible Belt protests, including burning Beatles records. Of course, as the band pointed out, to burn Beatles records requires purchasing them first.
Today in 1973, Pink Floyd began its 19-date North American tour at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison.
Today in 1994, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was hospitalized in Rome after overdosing on Rohypnol and champagne.
Today in 2003, a woman in Porth, Wales, was fined £1,000, had her stereo system impounded and was banned from playing loud music after playing too loudly the music of Cliff Richard.
Birthdays begin with one-hit-wonder Paul Mauriat:
Eric Allandale of the Foundations:
Bobby Womack:
Chris Squire played bass for Yes:
Emilio Estefan of the Miami Sound Machine:
Chris Rea:
Boon Gould of Level 42:
Jason Newsted played bass for Metallica:
Actress Patsy Kensit was married to Jim Kerr of Simple Minds and Liam Gallagher of Oasis:
Feargal Lawlor played drums for the Cranberries:
Two deaths of note today: Richard Manuel of The Band in 1986 …
… and Glenn Hughes, the first biker on the Village People, in 2001:
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Russia to Launch First-Ever Arctic Weather Satellite - Source
© Sputnik / Ramil Sitdikov
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The first Russian satellite for weather forecasting and monitoring climate and environment in the Arctic region, Arktika-M, is planned to be sent to near-earth orbit in June 2019, a source in the Russian space industry told Sputnik on Sunday.
"The launch of the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle from the Baikonur cosmodrome with Fregat booster and the first hydrometeorological satellite Arktika-M is scheduled for June 2019", the source said.
The equipment installed on Arktika-M satellite will be similar to the geostationary meteorological satellites of the Elektro-L series. Arktika-M will be placed in a highly elliptical orbit, which will allow it to collect meteorological and hydrological information about the state of the Earth's polar regions that are poorly covered by Electro-L.
WATCH: Delta IV-Heavy Rocket With US Spy Satellite Blasts Off From California
Arktika-M will periodically move away from the Earth's surface and shot multi-scale images. It will have a rotation speed different from the Earth's, so that its shooting angle will change continuously.
CC BY 2.0 / 7th Army Training Command / Norwegian soldiers
Norway Beefs Up Arctic Defences at Russia's Doorstep
After the launch of two devices of this series into orbit, the Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia will continuously receive operational information about the atmosphere and the surface at the Earth's poles. This will improve the accuracy of models in the preparation of short-term weather forecasts and give scientists a large amount of new data to study global climate change.
READ MORE: China Builds World's 1st Arctic LNG Tanker Able to Operate in Winter (PHOTOS)
Earlier, it was reported that the second Arktika-M satellite was scheduled to be launched in 2021. The federal space program of Russia for 2016–2025 also includes plans to launch another three Arktika-M satellites in 2023, 2024, and 2025, but the contract for their production has not yet been concluded.
Delta IV-Heavy Rocket With US Spy Satellite Blasts Off From California (VIDEO)
Russia Mulling Sovereign's Eye Satellite Network to Watch 'Any Process on Earth'
US Reconnaissance Office Announces Launch Date of New Spy Satellite
Eyes of Providence: Next-Gen Satellite Network Set to Prevent Next MH370 Tragedy
Iran's Satellite Fails to Reach Orbit, Crashes Into Indian Ocean - Reports
launch, forecast, satellite, weather, Arktika-M satellite, Arctic, Russia
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REISTING ARREST CASES, CALIFORNIA LAWYER
Jerry L. Steering is an expert in and has prosecuted, defended, consulted or has otherwise been involved in hundreds of cases, and righteous civil rights civil actions. He has sued states, municipal entities (i.e. cities and counties) and even the United States government.
We now live in a time of great importance; a time where we are going to be called upon to decide what type of government we want; these days, whether or not we shift from a free society into a “police state”. These “Contempt Of Cop“ cases are those on the front lines of that never ending battle between the oppressed (the beaten / violated ones; the victims of bruised frail police egos), and their oppressors (the police.) Never before in the history of the Republic, has our commitment, to the sovereignty of, and respect for, the rights of the individual, been so much in ignored, and some much in doubt. With each passing case, bit by bit, bite by bite, by the “Opinions” of the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals, and the state appellate courts, we see our basic right to be left alone, and our right not to be exposed to unreasonable searches and seizures, either vanish completely or yield to claims by police officers that the constitutional balance of their safety versus your constitutional rights by tipped in their favor.
SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE IS REQUIRED TO PROPERLY VINDICATE YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS IN CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS AND IN FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIONS.
POLICE MISCONDUCT / CONTEMPT OF COP CASES ARE COMPLEX AND VERY SUBTLE.
These “Contempt Of Cop” cases, both civil and criminal, are the majority of Mr. Steering’s law practice. These “resistance offense” cases are extremely complicated legally for several reasons, as shown below. The legal landscape of police misconduct litigation, both in civil and criminal cases, is thick, confusing, internally contradictory and is constantly changing. It wasn’t until 2017 that the Supreme Court of the United States finally held that a peace officer may be liable for damages for violation of your federal constitutional fourth amendment right to be free of an unlawful seizure of one’s person, and the continued confinement of the plaintiff in jail after the District Attorney’s Office has decided to file a bogus criminal action against you; usually based upon strategic and systemic police lies. See, Manuel v. City of Joliet, No. 14–9496 (Decided March 21, 2017). They still have not declared that a malicious criminal prosecution, that by definition is an attempted frame-up by the police, and as Justice Alito pointed out in his Dissenting Opinion in Manuel:
Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito is the Justice reduce and restrict your constitutional rights
” What is perhaps most remarkable about the Court’s approach is that it entirely ignores the question that we agreed to decide, i.e., whether a claim of malicious prosecution may be brought under the Fourth Amendment. I would decide that question and hold that the Fourth Amendment cannot house any such claim. If malicious prosecution claim may be brought under the Constitution, it must find some other home, presumably the Due Process Clause. . . .”. Manuel v. City of Joliet, Alito, J.. Dissenting.
There are so many subtleties in Contempt of Cop / Resistance Offense cases that you really do need a very experienced police misconduct attorney. Here are a few tips for such innocents being wrongfully criminally prosecuted.
WHEN YOU ARE ARRESTED, EVERYONE PRESUMES THAT YOU WERE IN THE WRONG AND THE POLICE WERE IN THE RIGHT.
Unfortunately, the natural American’s reaction to hearing that you are accused of a crime is to presume that you actually committed some crime, or otherwise acted unlawfully, anti-socially, dishonorably or despicably. That you are the bad guy. That you crossed some known barrier that separates good, moral and reasonable conduct, and acted contrary to “the social contract”; that you acted unreasonably and immorally. That is the stigma that you now bear. No matter what you do, no matter what happens to your cause, the fact of your arrest by the police, places you in a different category in the minds of all of us; to one degree or another. You may win millions of dollars for what the government has done to you, but you will, in perpetuity, have an arrest record, notwithstanding any lack of criminal or even unreasonable conduct by you.
Don’t get too exited about an expungement of you misdemeanor conviction pursuant to Cal. Penal Code § 1203.4 (California expungement of misdemeanor conviction statute.)
Notwithstanding anything that you are told by your cousin or pals, or even a judge or lawyer, nothing in the language of Section 1203.4 actually states that you may withhold the fact of your now expunged conviction, from another. So, for example, if you get your misdemeanor conviction expunged pursuant to Cal. Penal Code § 1203.4 , you still have to divulge the conviction when applying for employment with a government agency, or for any sort of government licensure. Moreover, these convictions now live in private databases that one can find online within seconds (just Google criminal background checks, and see how many avenues of obtaining that information exist; instantly.) Also, if you sue for false arrest or for unreasonable force, when you fill-out that job application, and question 6 asks for your arrests (to which, pursuant to Section 1203.4 you answer “No”), how are you going to answer question number 7; have you ever been a party to a lawsuit. If “Yes”, please explain? Are you going to say in question 6 that you’ve never been arrested, and then in question 7, state that you sued another for false arrest?
Vindication is our goal for our unfortunate criminal defendant / civil plaintiff clients who are truly innocent, and who are accused of a “crime against pubic justice.” There are a lot more innocents of “Contempt Of Cop” crimes, than just about any other type of crime. That’s because the victim is the one being gooned, arrested and prosecuted.
WHAT ARE CONTEMPT OF COP CASES?
“Contempt Of Cop“ cases, are bogus criminal actions, brought against innocents by criminal prosecutors, for essentially, “bruised ego” violations. The “ego bruising”, is really nothing more than a civilian not immediately, and without protest or question, getting-down on the ground in a prone position, or not doing something that the officer wants you to do (lawful, reasonable or not) immediately, and without question or protest. The Constable’s “ego” is typically “bruised”, by your conduct, such as: 1) asserting your Constitutional rights , or 2) claiming knowledge of them, or 3) asking the Constable why you’re being ordered to lie down on the ground while your chest is being illuminated by the red spot of a pistol or rifle targeting device; 4) telling the Constable that you have a medical condition that makes it difficult or painful to get on the ground; 5) telling the Constable that he can’t do something (i.e. can’t go in my house without a warrant); 6) failing to consent to an entry or a search; 7) not exiting your house when ordered to do so (even though the police generally can’t order you to exit; U.S. v. Al-Azzawy, 784 F.2d 890 (1985), and 8) video / audio recording the police [something lawful].) These are but a few examples. The list is endless, but the theme is the same.
NOTWITHSTANDING ANY RIGHTS THAT YOU MAY IMAGINE THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE, SUCH AS THE RIGHT TO VERBALLY CHALLENGE POLICE ACTION, A FAILURE TO IMMEDIATELY COMPLY WITH SOME “COMMAND” OF THEIRS OFTEN RESULTS IN FALSE ARRESTS, POLICE BEATINGS AND BOGUS CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS.
Failing to immediately do whatever the police tell you to do, without protest, challenge or remarks, often will result in you being beaten-up, falsely arrested, and maliciously criminally prosecuted; and, in places with “conservative jurors”, convicted for resisting arrest and battery on a peace officer. This is no joke. The overwhelming majority of “Contempt of Cop” criminal prosecutions are simply bogus. They are arrests for people that the police feel just need to go to jail that day; notwithstanding any lack of any probable cause to believe that you committed an actual crime.
The police usually accused persons of fairly innocuous, but nonetheless, criminal conduct. Criminal, again, in the sense of a failure to immediately, and without question, do whatever the police tell you to do. That is a police state, if the police can brutalize and falsely arrest you, and you plead to time served and community service, just because the contrived charges have resulted in unobtainable bails; bail amounts that keep you in jail.
These,“Contempt Of Copcases, typically involve the police using force upon persons (i.e. beating them) and/or falsely arresting them, and then inventing bogus and “creative” allegations of violations various “Contempt Of Cop” statutes, such as violations of: 1) Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1) (resisting / obstructing / delaying peace officer; the most abused statute in the Penal Code); 2) Cal. Penal Code 241§ 240/241(c)(assault on a peace officer); 3) Cal. Penal Code § 242 / 243(b) (battery on a peace officer); and 4) Cal. Penal Code § 69 (interfering with public officer via actual or threatened use of force or violence.) Cal. Penal Code § 69 is a “wobbler”; a California public offense that may be filed by the District Attorney’s Office as either a felony or a misdemeanor. In Orange County, Riverside County and Los Angeles County, allegations of violation of Cal. Penal Code § 69 are usually filed as misdemeanors. In San Bernardino County, however, allegations of violation of Cal. Penal Code § 69 are filed as felonies much more often than her sister counties.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED TO BELIEVE THAT A FAILURE TO COOPERATE WITH A POLICE INVESTIGATION, SUCH AS IDENTIFYING ONESELF TO AN OFFICER ON DEMAND, IS AND SHOULD BE A CRIME.
As shown below the ambiguity of California’s “Contempt of Cop” statute, Cal. Penal Code Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1), “allows” the police to claim to that you committed a crime for behavior that is constitutionally protected, such as verbally protesting police action (i.e. “officer, stop hitting that handcuffed man in his head”), questioning police assertions of authority (i.e. “Do you have a search warrant to have entered and searched my house“) and failing to immediately comply with orders from a police officer (i.e. “Officer; why are you pointing that gun a my face and want me to lie down on the dirty ground”.) It’s also the general default charge that the police use when you didn’t commit a crime, because the boys and girls back at the at the station in the report writing room, will come-up with some sort fabrication of the events, based on the “deniable” and the “undeniable”, to justify splitting you head open for not getting on the ground fast enough.
The police Admit but spin what they can’t deny (i.e. conclusive video or audio recording), and deny anything prejudicial, or any material fact that is viewed as potentially helpful to the victim of police abuse being able to recover compensation for outrages perpetrated upon them. A recent example of the ignorance about and
misuse of Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1) is the arrest of actress Daniele Watts in Los Angeles by the LAPD. The LAPD received a call that a man and a woman were getting it on in a car in Los Angeles. When they arrived at the scene they saw Daniel Watts and her boyfriend, but they weren’t doing anything. The LAPD Officer started his investigation for a possible case of lewd conduct in public (Cal. Penal Code § 647(a)) and asked Ms. Watts for her name. She refused to tell the officer her name, claiming that she had a right not to do so. Notwithstanding the fact that Ms. Watt’s claim was correct, the LAPD Officer told her that she had no such right and that she was obligated to divulge her identity to him (which is not the law.)
Because of Ms. Watts’ refusal to identify herself, the LAPD Officer handcuffed her and placed her in the back seat of his patrol car (listen to recording here.) Throughout the contact, one can hear the officer repeat that he had “probable cause” (of some crime; which he didn’t), and that when the police are investigating a crime that a civilian has a duty to cooperate with the police including having to tell the police who they are, under the threat of arrest for non-compliance for Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1).
THE LAPD OFFICER WAS WRONG ON BOTH COUNTS.
First, a person has no obligation to cooperate with a police investigation; especially of themselves. See, People v. Shelton, 60 Cal.2d 740 (1964) (“A suspect has no duty to cooperate with officers in securing evidence against him . . . “.) Second, since 1980 the California Courts have held that it is not a crime for a person to refuse to identify themselves to the police; even if they’re being lawful detained (save when they’re at the jail and are being booked) In Re Chase C. – no crime to fail to identify oneself to policeIn Re Chase C. – no crime to fail to identify oneself to police; In re Gregory S.,112 Cal. App. 3d 764, 779(1980); People v. Quiroga, 16 Cal.App.4th 961 (1993); People v. Christopher, 137 Cal.App.4th 418 (2006); United States v. Christian, 356 F.3d 1103 (9th Cir. 2004); Martinelli v. City of Beaumont, 820 F.2d 1491 (9th Cir. 1987).
Chief Charlie Beck never admits fault by the LAPD
So, while LAPD Chief Charlie Beck was on radio and television defending his officer’s arrest of Ms. Watts for refusing to divulge her name (See KCAL 9 TV Broadcast), he was encouraging other LAPD officers to commit crimes against civilians like the LAPD officer did against Ms. Watts when he cuffed her and placed her in his car for violation of Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1) for failing to identify herself. That’s a federal crime by the LAPD Officer; a violation of federal constitutional rights under color of authority; 18 U.S.C. § 242; a felony. Fear not, however, Chief Beck; the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office has now come to your rescue. The California District Attorney’s Association and the California Department of Justice has even published guidance for California Peace Officers on this issue, and that guidance is that a failure to identify oneself to a peace officer is not a crime in California:
As things turned out, Ms. Watts was criminally prosecuted, but not for violation of Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1), but for misdemeanor public indecency. She ended-up pleading to the lowest charge in the Penal Code; misdemeanor disturbing the peace.
POLICE ABUSE AND SADISM IS RAMPANT IN CALIFORNIA, SO DON’T GIVE THE POLICE AN EXCUSE TO ARREST YOU OR BEAT YOU.
Mr. Steering has consulted on, or have represented clients, in thousands of these “Contempt of Cop”cases; both civil (suing the police and their employer) and criminal (defending bogus “contempt of cop” type cases.) Most of the police reports in these contempt of cop cases are cookie-cutter type reports. The officers use certain terminology in a way, that literally anything can be justified (i.e. a) the suspect’s hands were reaching for his waistband area, so I shot him; b) the suspect took an aggressive stance with fists clenched, so I tased him; or c) the suspect took an aggressive stance with fists clenched, so I punched him in the face, hip threw him on the ground, pulled him arms up behind his back and cuffed him; all with officer’s knee and body weight in neck of victim (“suspect”); d) the suspect said “f___k you to me, and took a swing at me; e) the suspect appeared to be impervious to pain, so I had to repeatedly hit him with my baton, which didn’t seem to have any affect on the suspect; f) my taser had no effect on the suspect so I hit him with my baton; and on, and on and on; and g) the suspect keep his hands underneath his body and wouldn’t allow me to pull his arms back, so I punched him in the head with hammer blows, and he gave up.
This B.S. goes on and on and on. The politicians won’t take any action against the police, until they perceive that the body politic does, or foreseeable, will, or disapprove their failure to do so. So, for example, two Fullerton, California police officers were recently acquitted on murders charges for the beating death of Kelly Thomas; notwithstanding that the video and audio recordings of the beating death show two cops, threatening to, and then beating Kelly Thomas to death.
Police Misconduct is rampant and condoned and defended by the command structure of most, if not all, modern police agencies. There is a “Blue Code of Silence“ between and among peace officers throughout the nation, and everyone knows this.
This is no startling revelation. The County of Los Angeles has itself released a report Commissioner by the Board of Supervisors, acknowledging the existence of, and actually condemning, the Sheriff’s Department’s own rogue gangs of sadistic jailers at the Los Angeles County Central Men’s Jail. See, The Citizens Commission on Jail Violence September 28, 2012.
A retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Captain reported to the Los Angeles Times, that the L.A. County Men’s Central Jail was, essentially, a torture chamber, run by these jailer gangs (tattoos of their gang symbols on their ankles and all) of sadistic sociopaths. Discipline for beatings was not existent, and torturing inmates was actually required for jailer gang initiation. See, “L.A. County sheriff’s official tells of jail brutality”, LA Times, July 7, 2012. See also, “L.A. County jail violence sheriff’s fault, panel says“, LA Times, September 28, 2012. Rival Sheriff’s Department jailer gangs even got into a rumble between the “3000 Boys” (the third floor jailers) and the “2000 Boys” (the second floor jailers)at a Sheriff’s Department Christmas party.
The Los Angeles Police Departments (LAPD’s) motto is: We’re the badest gang in town. A recent study ofthe Los Angeles Sheriffs Department (LASD) that was commissioned by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (“Report of the Citizens Commission on Jail Violence“) actually found that there is a culture within the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department of various “gangs of officers”, who routinely beat, torture, maim and kill members of the jails, and of the community, for fun; for the honor of the gang. Everybody is a scumbag, and have no rights.
One of those gangs was “the Vikings”, whose “colors” was the Minnesota Vikings Football Team logo tattooed on their lower legs. The Former Undersheriff, Paul Tanaka, was a Viking gang member when he was a Captain at the Lynwood Sheriff’s Station. The Vikings were found by United States District Judge Jesse Curits to be a Neo-Nazi / White Supremacist gang within the ranks of the Los Angles County Sheriff’s Department; See, Thomas v. County of Los Angeles – 9th Circuit Court of AppealsThomas v. County of Los Angeles – 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Some of the LASD gangs of these gangster deputies are: The 3000 Club (the deputies who worked the third floor of the L.A. County Men’s Central Jail), The Grim Reapers, The Little Devils, The Regulators, The Vikings and The Jump Out Boys. After the FBI had announced that it had infiltrated the Los Angeles County jail and can now prove that the LASD Men’s Jail was essentially a torture chamber, with gangs of sick and sadistic guards, Paul Tanaka still showed his grit, as an LASD “gansta”, by addressing the command staff of the sheriff’s department, about the LASD internal affairs bureau. He mentioned that their were 45 LASD Internal Affairs Bureau investigators, and that was 44 too many (you’re got to have at least one to have a bureau.)
In 2014, six LASD Deputy Sheriffs were convicted of obstructing the FBI’s investigation of the torturing of prisoners at the Los Angeles County Jails. That’s not the end of it. Former LASD Deputy Sheriff Noel Womack pleaded guilty in June of 2015 to federal charges of lying to the FBI about systemic LASD torturing and framing of inmates at the Los Angeles County Jails.
One might think, why are these cops acting like Nazis; literally, not metaphorically? Why is this allowed to persist? Things have gotten so bad at the LASD that now the United States Department of Justice Indicted 18 LASD Deputy Sheriffs and their Supervisors on charges ranging from Obstruction of Justice and torturing prisoners. Moreover, Former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, along with a retired LASD Captain, were indicted on May 13, 2015 by a federal Grand Jury for Obstructing and Conspiring to Obstruct a federal Grand Jury investigation of the rampant torturing of inmates at the Los Angeles County Jail (See, Paul Tanaka Indictment of May 13, 2015.)
Those Indictments also resulted in the resignation of Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, as Tanaka implicated Baca as having approved the LASD scheme to thwart the FBI investigation of tortures, beatings and murders of inmates by deputies at the L.A. County Jails.
Lee Baca following his conviction for obstructing the FBI’s investigation of deputy beatings at the Los Angeles County jails.
On February 10, 2016, former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca pleaded guilty to violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2); lying to FBI agents and federal prosecutors investigating the beatings of inmates and visitors at the Los Angeles County Jails. As part of a surprise plea deal with the U.S. attorney’s office, Sheriff Baca admitted that he took an active role in trying to stymie the federal probe into his deputies routinely beating and torturing inmates at the Los Angeles County Jails and in having his deputies hide an FBI informant – jail inmate from his FBI handlers. He admitted even approving a team of his deputy sheriff’s attempting to interfere with the government’s investigation by threatening an FBI agent at her home with arrest.
Thereafter, on April 6, 2016, former LASD Undersheriff was convicted by a jury of violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiring to obstruct justice) and 18 U.S.C. § 1503(a) (obstructing justice), for not only obstructing an FBI investigation into years of beatings and torturing of inmates at the L.A. County Jail, but
Thereafter, on July 18, 2016, United States District Judge Percy Anderson threw out a plea agreement that would have given former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca a maximum of six months in prison, saying the sentence was too lenient considering Baca’s role in obstructing an FBI investigation into the county jails. Addressing a downtown courtroom packed with Baca’s supporters, U.S. District Court Judge Percy Anderson said the deal “would trivialize the seriousness of the offenses … the need for a just punishment [and] the need to deter others.”
On December 19, 2016 a mistrial was declared in that federal criminal corruption case against Sheriff Lee Baca. During the two-week trial, prosecutors from the U.S. attorney’s office tried to convince jurors that Baca had played a central role in a scheme carried out by a group of subordinates to thwart an FBI investigation into abuses and corruption by sheriff’s deputies working as jailers. Baca’s lawyers countered he had been unaware of the ploy unfolding beneath him. The panel deliberated for days, with all but one of the 12 jurors ultimately voting to acquit Baca. After the panel announced it was deadlocked, Anderson declared the mistrial.
On January 10, 2017, federal prosecutors announced that they will retry Sheriff Baca. Judge Percy Anderson also granted a request by the U.S. attorney’s office to allow prosecutors to include the charge of making false statements to federal authorities in the retrial. U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson previously split that charge from the obstruction and conspiracy charges Baca faced at his first trial.
Nonetheless, the body politic tolerates the existence, and the perpetuation of an ongoing unwritten agreement among and between peace officers, to falsely report, and, if necessary, to thereafter conspire with officers who they may not yet even know, to falsely testify, about event(s), if the potential or apparent criminal, administrative and civil liability of a fellow officer is at stake. After all, in the primary category of cases that truly are “false arrests” in the most malevolent sense of the word, “Contempt of Cop cases”, the only reason that there’s an arrest of a civilian at all, is because the Constable has violated another (i.e. beaten-up / torture); usually to self-medicate rather frail and easily bruise-able egos.
Anaheim PD had six of these bogus waistband shootings in 2012. Huntington Beach also had its share of shooting unarmed persons. Remember; the various County District Attorney’s in California are not going to prosecute a police officer for a duty related activity (i.e. beating your brains in with a baton while officer’s partner cuffs you up for no crime at all; for failing to instantly obey them.)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, AND ANSWERS ABOUT “CONTEMPT OF COP CASES”.
WHY AM I BEING FALSELY CRIMINALLY PROSECUTED WHEN I’M THE VICTIM?
You’re Being Criminally Prosecuted Because Prosecutors Are Either: 1) The Instrument Of Police Oppression, Or 2) Simply Incompetent In Their Understanding Of What Type Of Conduct, Can Be, And Actually Is, Criminalized, By The “Contempt Of Cop” Group Of Criminal Statutes
Approximately, 95% of “Contempt of Cop” case criminal prosecutions are bogus; either: 1) simple frame-ups, to justify a peace officer’s use of force, or an unlawful arrest, or some other commonly committed Constitutional violations, or 2) simply mind boggling applications (i.e. strained theories of Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1) violations), or misunderstandings (i.e. don’t understand what Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1) proscribes), by public prosecutors, as to what types of constitutionally protected conduct, can becriminalized by the government, and, what conduct actually is so criminalized by California criminal statutes. These “Contempt of Cop” cases, sometimes referred to as “Obstruction Crimes” (i.e. resisting / obstructing / delaying peace officer, assault and battery on peace officer) are so rampant, that even the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department own Semi-Annual Reports show that phony charges of resisting a peace officer are most often brought to shift the blame, from the offending police offer to his/her citizen victim.
The District Attorney’s Office is the police. They will routinely file these bogus criminal “contempt of cop” actions at the request of police agencies, who need to get their victims criminally prosecuted; to beat them down, and to make them take a plea of some sort; to preclude, or at least substantially impair, the police misconduct victim’s (the criminal defendant’s) ability to seek redress; civil, or otherwise; a basic First Amendment Constitutional right (to sue and/or complain about the police; the rights of Freedom of Speech and to Petition the government for redress of grievances.)
FALSE ARRESTS IN AMERICAN LIFE; THE POLICE ARE DRUNK WITH POWER BECAUSE THE PROSECUTOR BACKS HIS CLAIM OF CRIMINAL CONDUCT BY YOU, USUALLY WITHOUT QUESTION.
The District Attorney’s Office is the police. They will routinely file these bogus criminal “contempt of cop” actions at the request of police agencies, who need to get their victims criminally prosecuted; to beat them down, and to make them take a plea of some sort; to preclude, or at least substantially impair, the police misconduct victim’s (the criminal defendant’s) ability to seek redress; civil, or otherwise; a basic
First Amendment Constitutional right (to sue and/or complain about the police; the rights of Freedom of Speech and to Petition the government for redress of grievances.)Motives For Public Prosecutors To File A Bogus Criminal Action.
There is a modern day epidemic of police violating your Constitutional rights (i.e unreasonably seizing and searching you or your property, using unreasonable force on you), and thereafter, procuring your bogus criminal prosecution to protect themselves from civil liability, from internal discipline, and, in some cases, even from criminal prosecution by state or federal authorities. When the police violate you, they have crossed that line and there is no going back. They don’t admit fault and they don’t apologize. If the police use any sort of substantial force upon you, 99% of the time you are going to jail; innocent or not. This is no joke or some lefty propaganda. This is reality.
San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos prosecutes the innocent victims of police outrages instead of the officers whom committed serious crimes against them
Today’s police officers are fully aware that they can often procure your bogus criminal prosecution for constitutionally protected verbal challenge and remonstrance to the police orders. Today’s police officers are fully aware that politically ambitious District Attorneys and their Deputy District Attorneys are more than happy to prosecute their beating victims for some “resistance offense”, to protect the police and their employing agency / entity from civil liability. They usually do this to make political points with the police community for a hoped for endorsement for some future run for DA of Judge. After all, Judges are not allowed to campaign for office like other elected public officials are, but they are allowed to claim police agency endorsements; the most prized election tool to get elected or re-elected as a Judge.
They arrest civilians and procure their bogus criminal prosecutions for “contempt of cop“; “failing the attitude test, or for failing to jump fast enough or for questioning or challenging an officer’s authority (i.e. “Don’t you need a warrant for that officer”) or simply ask “Why”the “officers is ordering you at gun point to get on the ground when your have no idea why. With all of this power, abuse of that power is bound to take place; it’s inevitable. The officer soon truly believes that he is your commander, and that mere hesitation in doing what you are ordered to really is a crime against public order / public justice. The DAs often buy into this too. If you don’t jump fast enough when ordered to do so by today’s police officers, be prepared to get beaten, arrested and prosecuted for totally lawful conduct.
In San Bernardino County things are so bad that District Attorney Michael Ramos in 2013 created a squad of ‘persecutors” in his agency called his “CAPO” Division; Crimes Against Peace Officers. The CAPO prosecutors handle cases such as:
1) violation of Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1) (resisting / obstructing / delaying peace officer; a crime that any imaginative prosecutor can twist to justify your arrest; and
2) Cal. Penal Code § 69 (dissuading / preventing public officer from performing duty of office via threats of or use of violence, a “wobbler”. Section 69 arrests are supposed to be for situations such as threatening the court clerk with violence if they enter judgement against you, or preventing the local municipal Code Enforcement Officers from executing an Administrative Search Warrant by threatening to harm them if they enter, or threatening a meter maid with violence if she gives you that parking ticket. Section 69 is the booking crime de jour in the police profession. Because Section 69 can be charged as a felony, the police can hold you on bail; usually $20,000.00 or so. Some people either can’t pay bail and need to get out of jail, so when they are whisked to court and arraigned and given a public defender, they are often offered a plea deal to a misdemeanor of some sort, simply because of the felony charge; not because of any guilt by the defendant. The Section 69 arrest worked. Now the victim can’t sue the officer violator because his plea now precludes any civil claims for his false arrest that he might have had. See, Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477 (1994).
Section 69 prosecutions are terribly abused in recent times. The Deputy DAs enjoy being able to shake down the innocent victim of police false arrests and beatings with felony prosecutions for crimes that are so vague and ambiguous that almost any conduct can get you convicted; especially if the jury either doesn’t like you or care about your pesky constitutional rights. Most people really don’t.
3) Cal. Penal Code § 242/243(b) battery on a peace officer (i.e. the suspect struck my fist with his jaw) which 99% of the time is battery by a peace officer. Not to worry of you are the Constable. If you hit of use unreasonable force on another, you have to justify that use of force; especially if the civilian has a black eye. You can’t just not arrest him. Not to worry officer. Just charge your victim with battery upon a peace officer. If a recording turns up (or a bus load of nuns who were eyewitnesses) that clearly shows that the officer was the batterer, not you, they may just dismiss the criminal action against you. If the recording isn’t that clear, be prepared to be extorted by the District Attorney’s Office into giving up your right to sue the police by taking a plea agreement to some de minimis criminal offense, such as disturbing the peace That way the cops won’t be mad at the Deputy DA for not persecuting his victim.
These cases are, for the most part, misdemeanor criminal prosecutions. Some of the creepier prosecutors think that they’re actually doing you a favor, by allowing you to plead away your civil claims and give you a minor conviction (i.e. misdemeanor, infraction or a plea with a deferred entry of judgment.) Moreover, the deck is staked against you to the maximum extent permitted by law. For example, in Orange County, California, the Court will only provide a Court Reporter for a misdemeanor criminal case, if the defendant is indigent. Otherwise, you can pay the Court Reporters fee for the trial (probably about $1,500.00 per day if you’re lucky; as if the defendant can even afford the lawyer.)
Some young turk Deputy DAs are so political and internally (DAs Office) ambitious dissuading / preventing public officer from performing duty of office via threats of or use of violence, a “wobbler”. Section 69 arrests are supposed to be for situations such as threatening the court clerk with virthat can be 2) Section 148(a)(1)
When you couple that modern mindset of the police profession with that “awesome power” that the Supreme Court endowed the police with in 1968 (the power to detain on less than probable cause to arrest; Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968)) you have a quasi-police state. The police have turned from our protectors to our oppressors. The police simply have too much power, and many of them just can’t handle that awesome power. They are simply “drunk with power”
MOST ARRESTS ARE AT THEIR CORE, POLITICAL.
Police Department’s are not law enforcement agencies. They only selectively arrest others for violation of certain statutes that they choose to enforce. Today’s police officers are not the kind, helpful and honest neighbor beat cops of years gone past. For example, police agencies do not prosecute their own. They just don’t. So, even though using unreasonable force on arrestees is a California state misdemeanor (Cal. Penal Code § 149) and federal felony (42 U.S.C. § 242), almost no prosecutorial agency in the United States prosecutes police for using unreasonable force upon prisoners. Rather, the person who the police officer is using force upon is the one who will be criminally prosecuted (i.e. the suspect struck my fist with his jaw.) Moreover, they don’t prosecute persons for perjury; they just don’t, unless you are a politician or a welfare recipient. The police know that they can do almost anything to any civilian and so long as there is no video recording, their agency will not only back them, but will also get the victim of that police abuse criminally prosecuted, to shift the blame; to insulate themselves from civil liability to you. That decision as to what crimes to prosecute persons for is ultimately a political decision.
Moreover, the prosecutors in these “contempt of cop“ type cases, are usually young and aggressive newer lawyers, who are learning to be trial lawyers by prosecuting misdemeanors, and seeking to make a name for themselves. Many of them see these “contempt of cop” type cases, as an opportunity to increase their influence with the various police agencies that they are protecting from obloquy, and civil and criminal liability, as well as their rising star status with the DA’s office.
In City’s such as Los Angeles and Anaheim, the City Attorneys Office prosecutes misdemeanor offenses, and the District Attorneys office still prosecutes felonies. These City Attorneys Offices, are the very same agencies that are charged with defending the City coffers, from being depleted by lawsuits brought by victims of Constitutional violations, perpetrated upon the criminal defendant that they are prosecuting. If the police misconduct victim, pleads guilty, then, generally, they are barred from suing for a false arrest, and sometimes even from suing for excessive force.
That all being the case, many Deputy District Attorneys and City Attorneys are quite motivated to “Frame The Innocent”; to emotionally and financially beat-down, and (primarily) to civilly impair or disable, the victim of police misconduct (i.e. false arrest / excessive force / malicious prosecution / withholding exculpatory evidence) from vindicating both their honor and dignity (by convicting you.)
a) For career advancement of misdemeanor prosecutors within their own agency, and within the law enforcement community (protecting the County / City coffers, and, perhaps, hoping someday to seek the endorsement of the police, in a run for Judge;
b) Because the Deputy District Attorneys who review case filing packets that are sent from police agencies, actually do not understand that the conduct complained of by the police, does not constitute a violation of Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1); misdemeanor “resisting / obstructing / delaying a peace officer engaged in the lawful performance of his/her duties.” This is more common that one might imagine.
c) To protect the offending peace officers, and their employing agency, from civil and administrative liability;
d) To protect the offending peace officers, from criminal liability;
e) To protect the offending peace officers, from criminal internal discipline (i.e. an admonition, to suspension, or termination from employment);
f) To protect their pending and past criminal and civil cases, involving the offending officers. Officers who have a proven bad reputation for honesty or brutality, are essentially “finished” as police officers, as the prosecution has a duty to disclose such exculpatory evidence to the defense (i.e. Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963)), and “proven liars” are not all that convincing in Court. Moreover, when police officers are caught committing crimes of dishonesty (perjury, framing innocents, false arrests based upon lies by the officer(s), stealing narcotics, selling narcotics, torturing inmates and other persons in police custody), persons who were convicted, and may still be in prison, maybe able to vacate their convictions and to get out of prison,. even if they’[re guilty, because many appellate courts feel that a conviction based on the testimony of such a police officer cannot stand.
The “perjury show” involved in the prosecution of these type of cases is choreographed by the police agency, the District Attorney’s Office, and their experts and minions. That’s right; perjury. Ask any judge or lawyer about the chances of any witness in a Court proceeding actually getting prosecuted for perjury, for testifying falsely in a California or Federal courtroom. After all, in almost every case, criminal or civil, there are two mutually exclusive versions of at least the key material facts. Someone must be lying, so someone is usually committing perjury in a trial. By the way, perjury is a crime that usually requires two witnesses to convict, so if you’re alone and get gooned by the local Constables, the threat of a perjury prosecution, is generally not available as any protection for those unfortunates who were beaten-up, because the police are guaranteed not to tell the truth.
HOW CAN I POSSIBLY BE PROSECUTED FOR A CRIME THAT I AM INNOCENT OF?
In California, the Deputy District Attorney’s have a slogan: “Anyone can convict the guilty”; It takes real talent, however, to convict the innocent.” It takes even less talent to convict one of violation of Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1.) Almost all “Contempt of Cop cases” usually allege bogus violations of the following statutes: 1) Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1) (resisting / obstructing / delaying peace officer); 2) Cal. Penal Code § 240 / 241(c)) (assault on a peace officer); 3) Cal. Penal Code § 242 / 243(b) (battery on a peace officer); and 4) Cal. Penal Code § 69 (interfering with public officer via actual or threatened use of force or violence.) Cal. Penal Code § 69 is a “wobbler”; a California public offense that may be filed by the District Attorney’s Office as either a felony or a misdemeanor. In Orange County, Riverside County and Los Angeles County, allegations of violation of Cal. Penal Code § 69 are usually filed as misdemeanors. In San Bernardino County, however, allegations of violation of Cal. Penal Code § 69 are filed as felonies more often than her sister counties. Mr. Steering has advised or consulted on, or have represented clients in, literally thousands, of these “contempt of cop” type cases; both civil and criminal. By far, the most commonly abused criminal in California is the primary “contempt of cop” statute; violation of Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1).
WHY ARE CRIMINAL CONTEMPT OF COP CASES SO DIFFICULT TO DEFEND IN COURT?
“Contempt of Cop” cases, especially California Penal Code Section § 148(a)(1) cases, are very often difficult to defend, because of several factors, including:=
1) The Ambiguity Of Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1);
2) The Barriers to Discovery in Contempt Of Cop Cases;
3) The Jury Pools who Sit on Contempt Of Cop cases;
4) The Jury Instructions in Contempt Of Cop criminal trials;
5) The predisposition of persons to believe police officers; and
6) The ease with which police officers lie in Court; they’re professionals at it.
CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE SECTION 148(a)(1); THE “BOOT” OF THE POLICE STATE.
THE AMBIGUITY OF CAL. PENAL CODE § 148(a)(1), MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DEFEND, BECAUSE A JURY CAN CONVICT YOU FOR CONDUCT, THAT’S SIMPLY NOT A CRIME.
THE VOID FOR VAGUENESS DOCTRINE.
“To satisfy due process, a penal statute [must] define the criminal offense [1] with sufficient definiteness that ordinary people can understand what conduct is prohibited and [2] in a manner that does not encourage arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement. Kolender v. Lawson, 461 U. S. 352, 357. The void-for-vagueness doctrine embraces these requirements.” See, United States v. Skiling, ___ U.S. ____ (2010) (“the intangible right of honest services” language of 18 U.S.C. § 1346 void for vagueness, and can be interpreted as only proscribing bribes and kickbacks; not manipulation of stock prices.)
Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1), otherwise known as “contempt of cop“, is the most abused criminal statute in California, simply because it’s so vague. It’s like “Alice in Wonderland“; it means everything and it means nothing. It’s over inclusive; it’s under inclusive. It means whatever the jury wants it to mean. For example, what does “delaying” an officer mean? Is not immediately dropping to the ground on one’s belly and putting one’s hands behind one’s back, after being ordered to do so by a peace officer, a crime? If so, why? Is failing to open the door to one’s home when directed to do so by a peace officer a crime? If so, why? Is failing to exit one’s residence when ordered to do so by a peace officer a crime? Is demanding to know what’s going on before complying with police orders a crime? Is failing to identify oneself to a peace officer upon a demand to do so, a crime? Is verbally challenging a peace officer’s authority to do something, a crime? Is arguing with a police officer “delaying” an officer’s investigation? Is causing an officer to deal with you “delaying” a peace officer? How do you know if the peace officer is engaged in the lawful performance of his/her duties; something necessary for that crime to be committed? Do we have to immediately and without question, obey whatever “commands” that we are given by a Constable? No reasonable person of average intelligence could possibly know the answers to these questions. However, persons are convicted for these very acts and omissions in California every day.
California Penal Code § 148(a)(1) is the quintessential statute that really is “void for vagueness.” See, Skiling v. United States, ___ U.S. ____ (2010.) Section 148(a)(1) is also the statute of choice by police officers to arrest a civilian for violating, for non-criminal conduct, such as for “failing the attitude test”, and other non-criminal actions (i.e. questioning or challenging or protesting police conduct) that lead to Section 148(a) arrests. The ambiguity of Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1) creates an opportunity to arrest innocents for “imaginary”(contrived) conduct, that is really no crime at all. Section 148(a)(1) prosecutions are the government’s vehicle to beat-down the victims of the police abuse (i.e. false arrests, excessive force); to use a criminal case to preclude or impair civil redress to those police abuse victims. See, Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477(1994) (can’t sue for false arrest if convicted of crime, even if government didn’t have warrant or probable cause to arrest when arrest was made); See also, Susag v. City of Lake Forest, 94 Cal.App.4th 1401 (2002) (can’t sue cops for excessive force if convicted of resisting arrest.)
There are a variety of Appellate Court cases that provide guidance on what exactly, Section 148(a)(1) prohibits, and what type of conduct is, or is not, proscribed by that statute. So, for example, Appellate cases regarding Section 148(a)(1) show guiding lights as to what that statute means, such as: 1) a person need not quickly respond to even lawful police commands, and has a Constitutional right to verbally challenge, dispute or protest police actions (See, People v. QuirogaPeople v. Quiroga,966 (1993).) That’s really not what the problem is. The problem is, that in a real criminal trial, in a real California Superior Court, with a real California Superior Court Judge, it is unlikely that when the jury is instructed by the Court on what conduct Section 148(a)(1) prohibits, the Standard California Judicial Council Jury Instructions for violation of Section 148(a)(1) will be given, and not those other Appellate Court cases that provide enough guidance for a jury to know what Section 148(a)(1) actually proscribes.
When a Jury Instruction for a criminal offense is contained in the California Judicial Council Standard Form Jury Instruction Manual (“CALCRIM“), that instruction is usually the only instruction given to the jury on that issue. Although “Special Instructions” are submitted by the lawyers in a case to the court, most of the time they are not given. The Standard California Judicial Council Jury Instructions for violation of Section 148(a)(1) is CALCRIM 2656. It is essentially a recitation of the statute, with an explanation that a peace officer is not lawfully performing his/her duties if they are making an unlawful detention or arrest, or are using excessive force. The California Appellate Courts have integrated the holding of People v. Curtis, 70 Cal.2d 347 (1969) into CALCRIM 2670; that since a peace officer has no duty to act unlawfully, that if the peace officer is acting unlawfully, that he/she is not engaged in the lawful performance of her duties.
However, the Jury Instruction does not mention other unlawful conduct, such as, for example: a)First Amendment retaliation (i.e. cop taking action against another for exercise of protected free speech); b) cop unlawfully entering residence to make arrest; c) cop executing a search warrant that is either facially deficient, or was obtained unlawfully [insufficient probable cause alleged, or outright falsehoods in warrant application to have obtained warrant]; d) ordering one out of residence; e) unreasonably seizing civilians in an unnecessarily painful, humiliating or degrading way. These are but just a few examples, but the point is made; that there are many things that the police do that are unlawful, and unlawful conduct by a police officer is a defense to, such as to violations of:1) Cal. Penal Code 148(a)(1) (resisting / obstructing / delaying peace officer); 2) Cal. Penal Code 240 / 241(c)) (assault on a peace officer); 3) Cal. Penal Code 242 / 243(b) (battery on a peace officer); and 4) Cal. Penal Code 69 (interfering with public officer via actual or threatened use of force or violence) (See, People v. Curtis , 70 Cal.2d 347 (1969) (defendant cannot be guilty of any crime, an element of which, requires the police officer to be in the lawful performance of his/her duties.) However, it doesn’t matter if those constitutional violations (the examples of unlawful police conduct) are viable defenses in criminal actions for “Contempt Of Cop“ crimes, because if those defenses aren’t contained in a special Jury Instruction, anything that the lawyers say to the jury is just argument; nothing more, and without the force of the law; the law by which they are instructed.
Accordingly, because there are so many creative ways that a prosecutor can claim that certain conduct is criminalized by Section 148(a)(1), and so little guidance, the jury is left to basically decide your guilt or innocence by how they feel about you and about your conduct during the incident complained of. Just Imagine, you got your butt kicked in front of your children for protesting an officer’s command to prostrate yourself on the ground, and the prosecution argues any of those examples discussed above. If you said words that might anger a juror, or act in a manner that they can’t imagine themselves acting like (until someone tells one of them to get down on the ground, immediately and without question), then “Contempt Of Cop“ is just the ticket for the jury to let you know that they disapprove of your conduct. Moreover, typically, most of the disapproved conduct perceived by the jury, is based upon police fabrications and choreographed perjury, rather than the actual conduct of the “Contempt Of Cop“criminal defendant. Unlike most other legitimate professions, lying under oath is an art form in the police profession. It is literally their job; their duty to themselves.
The deal is so rigged against most people, who cannot pay tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees, to defend your honor and your dignity. For example, in California Superior Courts, you actually have to pay to get criminally prosecuted (i.e. have copies of items of discovery made for your lawyer.) Behind the Orange Curtainyou don’t get a free court reporter in a misdemeanor case; even for a jury trial; something mind boggling , since you get one every where else in Southern California, unless your indigent.] So, if you have your own retained counsel in a criminal case, your going to have to bring your court reporter for any misdemeanor case, because the County of Orange is too cheap to pay for one.
“THE GREATEST SCAM ON EARTH”; WHY THE AVERAGE INNOCENT JOE OR JANE , GETS CRIMINALLY PROSECUTED FOR “RESISTANCE” / “CONTEMPT OF COP” CRIMES: PART II; THE DISCOVERY “SHAM” OF THE EVIDENCE CODE’S STATUTORY SCHEME FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PEACE OFFICER PERSONNEL RECORDS.
The Barriers to Pre-Trial “Discovery” in Contempt Of Cop Cases.
Barriers to Discovery Of Items Of Evidence, Not Contained In Police Personnel Records; California’s Statutory Scheme For Discovery In Criminal Cases; Proposition 115 and Cal. Penal Code 1054 et seq.
One would think that one’s “liberty” interest, is even greater than their “financial or pecuniary” interest. That being the case, one would opine that “discovery” in a criminal action, would be at least as expansive as that in mere civil litigation; haggling over money. However, the opposite is the case. This seemingly unjustifiable position is justified and condoned by the politicians, since they view the body politic as presuming that if you’re arrested, then you must be guilty, and, therefore, the citizenry is not going to pay for those pesky depositions and document and evidence production demands and inquiries. Moreover, in California Superior Courts, you actually have to pay to get criminally prosecuted (i.e. have copies of items of discovery made for your lawyer.) Behind the Orange Curtain you don’t get a free court reporter, even for a jury trial, in a misdemeanor criminal case; something mind boggling [you get one every where else in Southern California, unless your indigent.] So, if you have your own retained counsel in a criminal case, your going to have to bring your own court reporter to transcribe your trial, which will costs you approximately $1,500.00 – $2,000.00 per day, depending on how soon you want the transcript.
Mr. Steering also has, over the years, developed criminal case discovery strategies for these actions, that, in large part, are due to 1) extensive experience in obtaining criminal discovery in these types of cases, and 2) intricate knowledge of what items of evidence are available from a particular police agency, that will help show your innocence. This is in large part, due to Mr. Steering’s obtaining discovery of evidence in hundreds of civil lights actions (i.e. suing the police.) Most of the time in Superior Court criminal actions, because of Proposition 115 (that limits discovery in criminal actions; See, Cal. Penal Code 1054 et seq.), the police simply don’t give the prosecution what items of evidence that they have about a particular case, even though it is perfectly clear to them that the items of evidence are not privileged, and must be turned-over to the lawyer for the criminal defendant. Prior to Proposition 115, criminal defense lawyers in California were able to directly subpoena the police agencies for items of evidence.
Proposition 115 changed that. It requires that a criminal defendant who seeks evidence from the police agency that was an investigating and/or arresting agency in your case, first make an informal request upon the prosecutor for the requested items. After the prosecutor then fails to produce all of the items of evidence, the criminal defendant make bring a Motion to Compel Discovery. The problem with all of this, is that at the hearings on the Motion to Compel Discovery, the prosecutor usually tells the Court that he/she requested the items of evidence sought from the police agency, and that they told him that the items don’t exist. This is normal, even though in the majority of these Motions and requests, the items really do exist; the police just don’t want to produce them (either too lazy or the evidence is too exculpatory.) Once the prosecutor tells the Judge that the sought items of evidence don’t exist, that’s it for most Judges. You don’t get what you need and your Motion to Compel is denied. Some Judges will let you call witnesses at the hearing on the Motion to Compel Discovery (usually from the same police agency from which the evidence is being sought), but there is no provision in the California Penal Code’s statutory criminal discovery scheme for such hearings.
Moreover, lawyers who don’t do civil rights cases, do not have the opportunity to learn and determine, what types of items of “real evidence” are available from a particular police agency, because: 1) you can’t take depositions in criminal cases, so the criminal (only) lawyer can’t ask questions of key agency personnel about key items of evidence (including how the information is stored, what the items are, and what the items of evidence are used for); 2) the discovery methods available in civil rights cases (especially in federal court, such a demands for identification, inspection and production of documents, interrogatories and request for admissions) are much more productive than the exclusive method of discovery in California criminal cases (Cal. Evid Code Section 1045 – 1047Cal. Evid Code Section 1045 – 1047Cal. Evid Code Section 1045 – 1047and 3) you can’t get any really meaningful or detailed information about the police officer / deputy sheriff that you’re accused of committing a crime against in a California Superior Court criminal prosecution (See, later, Section on Limited Discovery In State Criminal Prosecutions; Pitchess Motions.) Accordingly, no one is accountable. The prosecutor says that the police say items of evidence don’t exist, and the police are usually not called upon to say anything. When the Judge actually allows the criminal defense lawyer to put police agency witnesses on the stand at hearings on Motions to Compel regular criminal discovery (in Riverside County the Judges usually don’t allow such testimony), half of the time the police either flat out lie (i.e. don’t have theses items), or claim that they couldn’t find any such requested items. Who is going to call them on their lies? The District Attorney’s Office? The Attorney General? The U.N.? The Pope? Who? The answer is no one, and you, the falsely accused, get screwed. Fair?
Therefore, your lawyer needs to be an expert in evidence preservation, since police agencies are notorious for claiming that something doesn’t exist; only later to be disproven, but not with any consequences. The Law Office of Jerry L. Steering uses the most current techniques based on existing evidence preservation law, to shore-up the odds in the “scales of justice” / “good vs. evil” scheme of things, by making the proper discovery demands to the investigation / arresting police agency, and by make the proper discovery demands to prosecuting authorities, and the motions to compel discovery that usually have to be filed to actually get the myriad of material / probative evidentiary items.
If you have a contempt of cop case, civil or criminal, the Law Offices of Jerry L. Steering can help you. Please call us at (949) 474-1849, or email us at jerrysteering@yahoo.com
Law Office of Jerry L. Steering
Jerry L. Steering
Mr. Steering Obtains "Sweetheart Deal" in Murder Case for Deputies' Misconduct
Read Case Details »
Civil Rights Lawyer Specializing in Police Misconduct and Criminal Defense; Suing Police Officers and Others for Violating Your Federal Constitutional Rights. Make the wrong step and you are out. We know where to step.
Article: What To Do If You Have Been Beaten-Up or Falsely Arrested By The Police?
Why The Police Don’t Want
Their Conduct Recorded
Contempt of Cop/Resisting Arrest Cases
Read More Articles »
Good Morning America:
Jerry L. Steering with Diane Sawyer
Watch Video »
Police Awards & Settlements:
Alexis Segovia v. Cathedral City, U.S. District Court (Riverside) 2017; $225,000.00 for false arrest
Robert Pitt v. County of San Diego, U.S. District Court (San Diego) 2017; $220,000.00 for false arrest
In re D.D.; U.S. District Court (Los Angeles) 2017; $300,000.00 for false arrest / unreasonable force
More Awards & Settlements »
About Steering Law Firm
Jerry L. Steering has handled hundreds of police misconduct civil rights cases and the bogus criminal cases that usually accompany the same. False arrest, unreasonable force and malicious prosecution cases are a legal minefield; make the wrong step and you are out. We know where to step.
Steering Law
Jerry L Steering, Esq.
Email: jerrysteering@yahoo.com
Police Misconduct Areas
Concealing Evidence
Destroying Evidence
K-9 Maulings
Police Beatings
Whistle Blower Retaliation
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Copyright © 1984-2017 Steering Law.
Jerry L. Steering is an Expert & Specialist in Suing the Police
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156 Seahawk Student-Athletes Land on CAC All-Academic Team
Fredericksburg, Va. – The Capital Athletic Conference announced Thursday morning that a record 1,514 student-athletes were named to the 2017-18 All-Academic Team, an average of over 150 student-athletes per full-member institution.
St. Mary's College Board of Trustees Approves Budget for Jamie L. Roberts Stadium
St. Mary's City, Md. - St. Mary's College of Maryland's Board of Trustees met Friday, April 20, and approved the budget for the Jamie L. Roberts Stadium, in the amount of $12.3 million, including design, construction, and equipment.
2018 Special Olympics Field Day Rescheduled for April 8
St. Mary's City, Md. - The St. Mary's College of Maryland Student-Athlete Advisory Committee announced Friday that the annual Special Olympics Field Day has been rescheduled from Sunday, March 25 to Sunday, April 8.
Seahawk Women's Basketball Concludes Season on Senior Day
St. Mary’s City, Md. – Senior captain Olivia Nowlin tallied 15 points to lead the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team against Penn State Harrisburg on Saturday afternoon on Senior Day.
York (Pa.) Downs St. Mary's Women's Basketball in CAC Action
York, Pa. – The hunt for a spot in the six-team 2018 Capital Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament came to an end for the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team Wednesday night.
Hawk Talk, Episode 14
Robey Picks up CAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week Honors
Fredericksburg, Va. – Junior captain Katie Robey became the third St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball player to be named Capital Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week this season as Robey earned the honor for the week of Feb. 12.
Seahawk Women's Basketball Rallies for Season Sweep of Southern Virginia
Buena Vista, Va. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball erased a six-point deficit in the final minute and a half to pull out a 67-65 Capital Athletic Conference road win over Southern Virginia University Saturday afternoon.
Robey Drops 25 as St. Mary's Women's Basketball Squeaks Past Salisbury
St. Mary’s City, Md. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team picked up their seventh win of the season in the last nine seconds of the game Wednesday night.
Mathisen Has Career Day as Seahawk Women's Basketball Edged by Wesley
Dover, Del. – Sophomore guard Janey Mathisen put up career numbers in various categories Saturday afternoon but her efforts and those of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team fell short on the road against Wesley College.
Monday's St. Mary's Women's Basketball Game at Trinity Washington Cancelled
Washington, D.C. - The St. Mary's College of Maryland women's basketball team had their February 5th matchup at Trinity Washington University cancelled due to a water pipe rupture at the Trinity Center, making the basketball arena unplayable.
#CACTopPlays - Jan. 22-28
Check out the record-setting performance by women's basketball's Kerri Kline at Christopher Newport University.
St. Mary's Women's Basketball Outlasted by Mary Washington
St. Mary’s City, Md. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team rallied from 17 points down to tie up the game at 48-48 in the fourth quarter Wednesday night but ran out of gas and dropped their seventh straight.
Ethan Garren and Andrew Atkins host this week's Hawk Talk, chatting with special guest head women's basketball coach C.K. Calhoun while student-athletes try to finish the lyric.
Kline Moves up Scoring List as St. Mary's Women's Basketball Falls to Frostburg State
St. Mary's City, Md. - Senior captain Kerri Kline moved into fifth-place all-time on the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball scoring list with a team-best 13 points Saturday afternoon.
Kline Breaks School Record as No. 10/13 Christopher Newport Stymies Seahawk Women's Basketball
St. Mary's City, Md. - Senior captain Kerri Kline cemented her place in the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball record books Wednesday night at No. 10/13 Christopher Newport University.
The wait is over! A new year of Hawk Talk is here. Here's the first episode of 2018. Basketball and swimming are both on tap and the guests are challenged to a game of Family Feud.
Nowlin Scores 16 as St. Mary's Women's Basketball Downed at Marymount (Va.)
Arlington, Va. - Senior captain Olivia Nowlin tallied a season-best 16 points in the fourth straight loss for the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team Saturday afternoon.
Seahawk Women's Basketball Topped by York (Pa.)
St. Mary's City, Md. - The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team dropped their third in a row Wednesday night.
Late Rally Comes Up Short as St. Mary's Women's Basketball Falls at Harrisburg
Middletown, Pa. - A sluggish start doomed the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team at Penn State Harrisburg Saturday afternoon.
Seahawk Women's Basketball Tripped Up at Salisbury
Salisbury, Md. - Despite a game-high 18 points from senior captain Kerri Kline, the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team saw their four-game win streak come to an end Wednesday evening.
St. Mary's Women's Basketball Continues to Roll, Extends Win Streak to Four
St. Mary's City, Md. - For the first time since the 2012-13 season, the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team has picked up four consecutive wins as St. Mary’s held off a late rally by Wesley College on Saturday afternoon.
Seahawk Women's Basketball Picks up First CAC Win of the Season
St. Mary's City, Md. - The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team posted their third straight win Wednesday night as four starters finished with double-digit scoring.
Chaney Named CAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week
Fredericksburg, Va. – For the second time in three weeks, a St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball player has been selected as the Capital Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.
Chaney, Robey Help St. Mary's Women's Basketball Handle Penn State Behrend
St. Mary's City, Md. - Juniors Kobe Chaney and Katie Robey combined for 32 rebounds and 32 points in leading St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team to a 73-60 non-conference win over Penn State Behrend Friday afternoon.
Nowlin Grabs CAC Women's Basketball Weekly Award
Fredericksburg, Va. – Senior captain Olivia Nowlin claimed the Capital Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honor for the week of December 18.
Seahawk Women's Basketball Posts Solid Road Win over Gallaudet
Washington, D.C. - The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team snapped their four-game skid Sunday afternoon, rallying in the fourth quarter for the 53-48 non-conference road win over Gallaudet University.
Host Ethan Garren goes solo on this week's episode of Hawk Talk. On the last Hawk Talk of 2017, Ethan chats it up with the winter sports coaches, the athletic trainers and newly promoted Jim Cranmer. See you in the New Year!
Chaney Achieves Milestones as St. Mary's Women's Basketball Takes on Frostburg State
Junior Kobe Chaney picked up her 500th career rebound as well as her 100th career block as the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team took on Frostburg State University in Capital Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon.
Priest Notches 10 as Seahawk Women's Basketball Falls to No. 2/3 Christopher Newport
First-year guard Kyaira Priest tallied a season-best 10 points for second time this season Wednesday night as the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team lost 73-42 to No. 2/3 Christopher Newport University.
Tue, 02/19 | Women's Basketball at Chris. Newport L, 86-60 (Final) RC | BX | V
Sat, 02/16 | Women's Basketball at Southern Virginia L, 66-61 (Final) RC | BX | V
Wed, 02/13 | Women's Basketball vs. Penn State Harrisburg L, 79-62 (Final) RC | BX | V
Sat, 02/09 | Women's Basketball vs. York (Pa.) W, 81-78 (Final - OT) RC | BX | BX | A | V
Wed, 02/06 | Women's Basketball at Mary Washington W, 48-34 (Final) RC | BX | V
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Home / News / Advocacy Groups Call for Asbestos Ban on Mesothelioma Awareness Day
Advocacy Groups Call for Asbestos Ban on Mesothelioma Awareness Day
Today marks the annual Mesothelioma Awareness Day in the US and mesothelioma patient advocacy groups are once again using the day to call for a total ban on asbestos, the primary cause of of this rare and deadly cancer.
Asbestos is a carcinogenic mineral that was once commonly used in a variety of building, insulation, and household products. Since it was definitively linked to both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma in the early part of the 20th century, fifty-five countries have banned it.
Even though asbestos is blamed for the mesothelioma deaths of an estimated 2,500 Americans every year (and as many as 40,000 deaths from other asbestos-related illnesses), the US has failed to institute a ban — a fact that still surprises many Americans.
Malignant mesothelioma is not curable but it is preventable. And yet asbestos can still be found in homes, schools, public buildings, and consumer products.
Mesothelioma Awareness Day offers a chance for patients, loved ones, survivors, advocates, and healthcare professionals to join together to highlight the disease and its cause.
Mesothelioma Risk May Rise Under New EPA Rule
Although malignant mesothelioma is more familiar than it used to be thanks, to advocacy groups and several high-profile legal cases in recent years, many people are still unaware that asbestos remains legal in the US and is the primary cause of most mesothelioma cases.
In fact, even as groups like the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) converge on Washington today to petition for an asbestos ban, the EPA has plans to expand asbestos use in the US under a Significant New Use Rule announced in June.
The rule allows for new asbestos-containing products to be reviewed by the EPA without consideration of all of the ways the public might be exposed to the asbestos in them – such as through air or groundwater contamination when the product is disposed of.
As part of its Mesothelioma Awareness Day activities, ADAO will present Congress with their petition, which had more than 95,000 signatures at the end of August. The petition calls for an asbestos ban “without loopholes or exemptions.”
ADAO will also host a Congressional staff briefing entitled “TSCA and Asbestos: EPA’s Failure to Protect Public Health” which will include noted mesothelioma surgeon Raja Flores, MD, ADAO President Linda Reinstein, a former EPA Deputy Administrator, a mesothelioma patient, a member of the Environmental Working Group, and a representative from the International Association of Firefighters.
Other Mesothelioma Awareness Day Activities
In addition to the petition delivery and the Congressional briefing, the ADAO releases its annual video today to honor “mesothelioma warriors” who have died of the disease in the past year.
Mesothelioma patients, families, and other interested parties are also invited to participate in an #EndMeso Twitter chat from 12 and 1 pm Eastern time.
2018 Mesothelioma Awareness Month Events and Actions, August 30, 2018, ADAO website,
Depression After Mesothelioma Diagnosis: Women Are at Highest Risk
White women are more likely than other patients to experience depression after mesothelioma diagnosis. That word comes from researchers at the University of Florida. The team analyzed the cases of more than 120,000 patients with late-stage cancer. Although all patients face a risk of depression with an advanced cancer diagnosis, the problem appears to be worse among white women. The research team says understanding how cancer news affects patients can help doctors avoid diagnosis bias. Cancer Records from the SEER Database The Florida study provides important insights into who is likely to get depression after mesothelioma diagnosis. The study included 123,066 advanced cancer cases from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. All study subjects received their diagnosis between … Continue reading Depression After Mesothelioma Diagnosis: Women Are at Highest Risk »
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The federal government’s move to digitize records brings a focus on managing and securing data
At the DC Live ’19 Federal Records Conference, attendees discussed efforts to modernize how information is stored across U.S. agencies.
By Maria Volkova
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The National Archives.
Photo by Flicker user NCinDC
Information that was once kept in paper format and stored in folders and boxes is now being uploaded and integrated into the digital space. While this simplifies organizing and storing data, it also creates potential risks of private data being breached and leaked into the public sphere.
To discuss all things pertaining to data management and cyber hygiene, participants attended DC Live ’19 Federal Records Conference last month at the the National Press Club.
The theme of the April 24 event was centered around the federal government’s efforts to modernize record keeping by moving all paper-based records to an electronic format. This theme closely coincides with the National Archives and Records Administrations initiative M-12-18, which requires all federal agencies to eliminate paper records and have everything digitized by the end of the year.
“All organizations have to move their records into an electronic database, and that deadline is coming up at the end of the year,” said Niamh Bennett, Marketing Manager at Active Navigation. “That’s what a lot of records managers are interested in is new technologies to meet these compliance deadline set by NARA.”
Speakers discussed topics such as keeping government data in a cloud-based system, what makes technical systems potentially insecure, data minimization, and how to fully move from paper based data to an electronic format.
Active Navigation, a software company that specializes in file analysis software, co-sponsored the event. The conference was open to government personnel.
“This in a way is about how cybersecurity and data privacy issues are making their way into the federal government, in particular with records managers,” said Dean Gonsowski, chief revenue officer at Reston, Va.-based Active Navigation. “Records managers historically have thought about retaining and keeping certain classes of information for archival and other purposes, and what’s happening now is that because of data breaches and privacy regimes, they are having to take a different approach to how they maintain their information.”
According to Gonsowski, issues that have been plaguing the private sector are starting to affect the federal government.
“You are seeing the federal government now address a lot of the issues that you see in the private sector in terms of protecting data,“ said Gonsowksi. “The rules are starting to change regarding records management tools from, ‘We have mounds of information and we will figure out what to do with it later,’ to, ‘We need to think about how to minimize what we retain because there is just as much risk in the data as there is value.'”
There are plans to hold another conference next year.
“Part of the goal is bringing the community together, and there really is a nice opportunity to collaborate because a lot of these governmental agencies want to know what their peers are doing,” said Gonsowski. “It’s a little bit more collegial than in the enterprise world, one agency does want to know what another agency is doing because they are governed by a body like NARA, so everyone is trying to line up to make sure that they are all on one page.”
Aquicore launches a new tool for its real estate platform
New York-based Coord is expanding its curb data coverage to DC
Accenture Federal Services wins AI contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The Northern Virginia Technology Council hosted its inaugural Data Center Leadership Awards
Applied Insight adds to leadership team, moves HQ to Tysons Corner
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Tag: Country Music Classics
Walker Hayes Bringing Fans 90’s Country With Latest Single
If you’re a country music fan, then you more than likely love all the memorable country music songs that 90’s Country brought like such classics as Strawberry Wine, Wink, Check Yes Or No, Sold, and many more.
In dedication to this momentous era, this is where a quickly rising country artist, Walker Hayes, comes in with his latest single perfectly titled, 90’s Country. This song which is a great combination of appreciation for the decade that brought us so many unforgettable tunes, and a terrific throwback to a time in country music we will never forget! Continue reading →
Thoughts On The 50th CMA Awards
It was one of country music’s biggest and most historic nights, when the lights came down inside the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee and stars were everywhere for the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards.
The show started off with a wonderful look back over the the CMA’s 50 year history, with a tribute to Merle Haggard from Vince Gill & Merle’s son, Ben Haggard. Brad Paisley joined in with Roy Clark to perform Buck Owens’ I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail!. Carrie Underwood honored the immortal Tammy Wynette with a performance of Stand By Your Man, and Charley Pride sang his classic song, Kiss An Angel Good Morning.
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World War Two: Italy: Quebec Memorandum-Surrender Terms (Long / Short)
THE QUEBEC MEMORANDUM
1. General Eisenhower should be instructed to send two Staff Officers, one U.S. and one British, to Lisbon at once to meet General “C.”
2. The communication to General “C” should be on the following lines:
a. The unconditional surrender of Italy is accepted on the terms stated in the document handed to him (Armistice Terms for Italy as already agreed. These do not include political, economic, or financial terms which will be communicated later) .
b. These terms did not visualize the active assistance of Italy in fighting the Germans. The extent to which the terms will be modified in favor of Italy will depend on how far the Italian Government and people do, in fact, aid the United Nations against Germany during the remainder of the war. The United Nations, however, state without reservation that wherever Italian forces or Italians fight Germans, or destroy German property, or hamper German movement, they will be given all possible support by the forces of the United Nations. Meanwhile bombing will be restricted to targets which immediately affect the movement and operations of German forces.
c. The cessation of hostilities between the United Nations and Italy will take effect from a date and hour to be notified by General Eisenhower. (Note. General Eisenhower should make this notification a few hours before Allied forces land in Italy in strength.)
d. Italian Government must undertake to proclaim the Armistice immediately it is announced by General Eisenhower, and to order their forces and people from that hour to collaborate with the Allies and to resist the Germans. (Note. As will be seen from 2 c above, the Italian Government will be given a few hours’ notice.)
e. The Italian Government must, at the hour of the Armistice, order that all United Nations’ prisoners in danger of capture by the Germans shall be immediately released.
f. The Italian Government must, at the hour of the Armistice, order the Italian Fleet and as much of their merchant shipping as possible to put to sea for Allied ports. As many military aircraft as possible shall fly to Allied bases. Any ships or aircraft in danger of capture by the Germans must be destroyed.
3. Meanwhile there is a good deal that Badoglio can do without the Germans becoming aware of what is afoot. The precise character and extent of his action must be left to his judgment; but the following are the general lines which should be suggested to him: (i) General passive resistance throughout the country if this order can be conveyed to local authorities without the Germans knowing.
(ii) Minor sabotage throughout the country, particularly of communications and airfields used by the Germans.
(iii) Safeguard of Allied prisoners of war. If German pressure to hand them over becomes too great, they should be released.
(iv) No Italian warships to be allowed to fall into German hands. Arrangements to be made to insure that all these ships can sail to ports designated by General Eisenhower immediately he gives the order. Italian submarines should not be withdrawn from patrol as this would let the cat out of the bag.{NOTE: Before the message was transmitted to General Eisenhower some purist deleted the italicized words and substituted the clause, “reveal our intentions to the enemy.”}
(v) No merchant shipping to be allowed to fall into German hands. Merchant shipping in Northern ports should, if possible, be sailed to ports south of the line Venice-Leghorn. In the last resort they should be scuttled. All ships must be ready to sail for ports designated by General Eisenhower.
(vi) Germans must not be allowed to take over Italian coast defenses.
( vii) Make arrangements to be put in force at the proper time for Italian formations in the Balkans to march to the coast, with a view to their being taken off to Italy by United Nations.
4. General Eisenhower’s representatives must arrange with General “C” a secure channel of communication between Italian headquarters and General Eisenhower. (NOTE-1:-In view of the urgency of the matter, a warning order should be sent to General Eisenhower that instructions as to how he is to deal with peace-feelers are being concerted between the President and the Prime Minister, and that in the meanwhile he should hold two Staff Officers in readiness to proceed to Lisbon immediately on receipt of these instructions to meet General “C,” who must leave Lisbon on the night of the 20th at the very latest. He should also make the necessary transportation arrangements with London for entry into Portugal.) {NOTE-2: CCS 3 I I, sub: Italian Peace Feelers, 17 Aug 43, QUADRANT Conf Book, pp. 141-44. With the one change in phraseology which is noted, the memorandum was sent to Eisenhower as No. 50 (FAN 196), 18 August 1943, Capitulation of Italy, pages 90-92. Churchill prints an incomplete text in Closing the Ring, pages 105-06. Most of the memorandum is printed in translation by Castellano, Come firmai, pages 110-12. The full title of the Quebec Memorandum is Aide-Memoire To Accompany Conditions of Armistice, presented by General Eisenhower to the Italian Commander in Chief. See 10,000/ 136/584.}
Short (Military) Terms In General Eisenhower’s Possession On 6 August 1943
1. Immediate cessation of all hostile activity by the Italian armed forces.
2. Italy will use its best endeavors to deny, to the Germans, facilities that might be used against the United Nations.
3. All prisoners or internees of the United Nations to be immediately turned over to the Allied Commander in Chief, and none of them may from the beginning of the negotiations be evacuated to Germany.
4. Immediate transfer of the Italian fleet and Italian aircraft to such points as may be designated by the Allied Commander in Chief, with details of disarmament to be prescribed by him.
5. Agreement that Italian merchant shipping may be requisitioned by the Allied Commander in Chief to meet the needs of his military-naval program.
6. Immediate surrender of Corsica and of all Italian territory, both islands and mainland, to the Allies, for such use as operational bases and other purposes as the Allies may see fit.
7. Immediate guarantee of the free use by the Allies of all airfields and naval ports in Italian territory, regardless of the rate of evacuation of the Italian territory by the German forces. These ports and fields to be protected by Italian armed forces until this function is taken over by the Allies.
8. Immediate withdrawal to Italy of Italian armed forces from all participation in the current war from whatever areas in which they may now be engaged.
9. Guarantee by the Italian Government that if necessary it will employ all its available armed forces to insure prompt and exact compliance with all the provisions of this armistice.
10. The Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces reserves to himself the right to take any measures which in his opinion may be necessary for the protection of the interests of the Allied Forces for the prosecution of the war, and the Italian Government binds itself to take such administrative or other action as the Commander in Chief may require, and in particular the Commander in Chief will establish Allied Military Government over such parts of Italian territory as he may deem necessary in the military interests of the Allied Nations.
11. The Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces will have a full right to propose measures of disarmament, demobilization, and demilitarization.
12. Other conditions of a political, economic and financial nature with which Italy will be bound to comply will be transmitted at a later date.
(The italicized phrases were deleted from the short terms prior to their presentation to General Castellano at Lisbon. See Summary of Armistice Terms, Capitulation of Italy, pp. 69-70.)
Additional Conditions (Long Terms) Signed On 29 September 1943
Instrument of Surrender of Italy
WHEREAS in consequence of an armistice dated the 3rd September, 1943, between the United States and the United Kingdom Governments on the one hand and the Italian Government on the other hand, hostilities were suspended between Italy and the United Nations on certain terms of a military nature;
And whereas in addition to those terms it was also provided in the said Armistice that the Italian Government bound themselves to comply with other conditions of a political, economic and financial nature to be transmitted later;
And whereas it is convenient that the terms of a military nature and the said other conditions of a political, economic and financial nature should without prejudice to the continued validity of the terms of the said Armistice of the 3rd September, 1943, be comprised in a further instrument;
The following, together with the terms of the Armistice of the 3rd September, 1943, are the terms on which the United States and United Kingdom Governments acting on behalf of the United Nations are prepared to suspend hostilities against Italy so long as their military operations against Germany and her Allies are not obstructed and Italy does not assist these Powers in any way and complies with the requirements of these Governments.
These terms have been presented by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces, duly authorized to that effect;
And have been accepted by Marshal Pietro Badoglio, Head of the Italian Government.
1.-(A) The Italian Land, Sea and Air Forces wherever located, hereby surrender unconditionally.
(B) Italian participation in the war in all Theaters will cease immediately. There will be no opposition to landings, movements or other operations of the Land, Sea and Air Forces of the United Nations. Accordingly, the Italian Supreme Command will order the immediate cessation of hostilities of any kind against the Forces of the United Nations and will direct the Italian Navy, Military and Air Force authorities in all Theaters to issue forthwith the appropriate instructions to those under their Command.
(C) The Italian Supreme Command will further order all Italian Naval, Military and Air Forces or authorities and personnel to refrain immediately from destruction of or damage to any real or personal property, whether public or private.
2. The Italian Supreme Command will give full information concerning the disposition and condition of all Italian Land, Sea and Air Forces, wherever they are situated and of all such forces of Italy’s Allies as are situated in Italian or Italian-occupied territory.
3. The Italian Supreme Command will take the necessary measures to secure airfields, port facilities, and all other installations against seizure or attack by any of Italy’s Allies. The Italian Supreme Command will take the necessary measures to insure Law and Order, and to use its available armed forces to insure prompt and exact compliance with all the provisions of the present instrument. Subject to such use of Italian troops for the above purposes, as may be sanctioned by the Allied Commander-in-Chief, all other Italian Land, Sea and Air Forces will proceed to and remain in their barracks, camps or ships pending directions from the United Nations as to their future status and disposal. Exceptionally such Naval personnel shall proceed to shore establishments as the United Nations may direct.
4. Italian Land, Sea and Air Forces will within the periods to be laid down by the United Nations withdraw from all areas outside Italian territory notified to the Italian Government by the United Nations and proceed to areas to be specified by the United Nations. Such movement of Italian Land, Sea and Air Forces will be carried out in conditions to be laid down by the United Nations and in accordance with the orders to be issued bv them.
All Italian officials will similarly leave the areas notified except any who may be permitted to remain by the United Nations. Those permitted to remain will comply with the instructions of the Allied Commander-in-Chief.
5. No requisitioning, seizures or other coercive measures shall be effected by Italian Land, Sea and Air Forces or officials in regard to persons or property in the areas notified under Article 4.
6. The demobilization of Italian Land, Sea and Air Forces in excess of such establishments as shall be notified will take place as prescribed by the Allied Commander-in-Chief.
7. Italian warships of all descriptions, auxiliaries and transports will be assembled as directed in ports to be specified by the Allied Commander-in-Chief and will be dealt with as prescribed by the Allied Commander-in-Chief. (NOTE.-If at the date of the Armistice the whole of the Italian Fleet has been assembled in Allied ports, this article would run: “Italian warships of all descriptions, auxiliaries and transports will remain until further notice in the ports where they are at present assembled, and will be dealt with as prescribed by the Allied Commander-in-Chief.”)
8. Italian aircraft of all kinds will not leave the ground or water or ships, except as directed bv the Allied Commander-in-Chief.
9. Without prejudice to the provisions 14, 15 and 28(A) and CD) below, all merchant ships, fishing or other craft of whatever flag, all aircraft and inland transport of whatever nationality in Italian or Italian-occupied territory or waters will, pending verification of their identity and status, be prevented from leaving.
10. The Italian Supreme Command will make available all information about naval, military and air devices, installations and defences, about all transport and inter-communication systems established by Italy or her allies on Italian territory or in the approaches thereto, about mine fields or other obstacles to movement by land, sea or air and such other particulars as the United Nations may require in connection with the use of Italian bases, or with the operations, security or welfare of the United Nations Land, Sea or Air Forces. Italian forces and equipment will be made available as required by the United Nations for the removal of the above-mentioned obstacles.
11. The Italian Government will furnish forthwith lists of quantities of all war material showing the locations of the same. Subject to such use as the Allied Commander-in-Chief may make of it, the war material will be placed in store under such control as he may direct. The ultimate disposal of war material will be prescribed by the United Nations.
12. There will be no destruction of nor damage to nor except as authorised or directed by the United Nations any removal of war material, wireless, radio location or meteorological stations, railroad, port or other installations or in general, public or private utilities or property of any kind, wherever situated, and the necessary maintenance and repair will be the responsibility of the Italian authorities.
13. The manufacture, production and construction of war material and its import, export and transit is prohibited, except as directed by the United Nations. The Italian Government will comply with any directions given by the United Nations for the manufacture, production or construction and the import, export or transit of war material.
14.-(A) All Italian merchant shipping and fishing and other craft, wherever they may be, and any constructed or completed during the period of the present instrument will be made available in good repair and in seaworthy condition by the competent Italian authorities at such places and for such purposes and periods as the United Nations may prescribe. Transfer to enemy or neutral flags is prohibited. Crews will remain on board pending further instructions regarding their continued employment or dispersal. Any existing options to repurchase or reacquire or to resume control of Italian or former Italian vessels sold or otherwise transferred or chartered during the war will forthwith be exercised and the above provisions will apply to all such vessels and their crews.
(B) All Italian inland transport and all port equipment will be held at the disposal of the United Nations for such purposes as they may direct.
15. United Nations merchant ships, fishing and other craft in Italian hands wherever they may be (including for this purpose those of any country which has broken off diplomatic relations with Italy) whether or not the title has been transferred as the result of prize court proceedings or otherwise, will be surrendered to the United Nations and will be assembled in ports to be specified by the United Nations for disposal as directed by them. The Italian Government will take all such steps as may be required to secure any necessary transfers of title. Any neutral merchant ship, fishing or other craft under Italian operation or control will be assembled in the same manner pending arrangements for their ultimate disposal. Any necessary repairs to any of the above mentioned vessels will be effected by the Italian Government, if required, at their expense. The Italian Government will take the necessary measures to insure that the vessels and their cargo are not damaged.
16. No radio or telecommunication installations or other forms of intercommunication, shore or afloat, under Italian control whether belonging to Italy or any nation other than the United Nations will transmit until directions for the control of these installations have been prescribed by the Allied Commander-in-Chief. The Italian authorities will conform to such measures for control and censorship of press and of other publications, of theatrical and cinematograph performances, of broadcasting, and also of all forms of intercommunication as the Allied Commander-in-Chief may direct. The Allied Commander-in-Chief may, at his discretion, take over radio, cable and other communication stations.
17. The warships, auxiliaries, transports and merchant and other vessels and aircraft in the service of the United Nations will have the right freely to use the territorial waters around and the air over Italian territory.
18. The forces of the United Nations will require to occupy certain parts of Italian territory. The territories or areas concerned will from time to time be notified by the United Nations and all Italian Land, Sea and Air Forces will thereupon withdraw from such territories or areas in accordance with the instructions issued by the Allied Commander-in-Chief. The provisions of this article are without prejudice to those of article 4 above. The Italian Supreme Command will guarantee immediate use and access to the Allies of all airfields and Naval ports in Italy under their control.
19. In the territories or areas referred to in article 18 all Naval, Military and Air installations, power stations, oil refineries, public utility services, all ports and harbors, all transport and all inter-communication installations, facilities and equipment and such other installations or facilities and all such stocks as may be required by the United Nations will be made available in good condition by the competent Italian authorities with the personnel required for working them. The Italian Government will make available such other local resources or services as the United Nations may require.
20. Without prejudice to the provisions of the present instrument the United Nations will exercise all the rights of an occupying power throughout the territories or areas referred to in article 18, the administration of which will be provided for by the issue of proclamations, orders or regulations. Personnel of the Italian administrative, judicial and public services will carry out their functions under the control of the Allied Commander-in-Chief unless otherwise directed.
21. In addition to the rights in respect of occupied Italian territories described in articles 18 to 20-
(A) Members of the Land, Sea or Air Forces and officials of the United Nations will have the right of passage in or over non-occupied Italian territory, and will. be afforded all necessary facilities and assistance in performing their functions.
(B) The Italian authorities will make available on non-occupied Italian territory all transport facilities required by the United Nations including free transit for their war material and supplies, and will comply with instructions issued by the Allied Commander-in-Chief regarding the use and control of airfields, ports, shipping, inland transport systems and vehicles, intercommunication systems, power stations and public utility services, oil refineries, stocks and such other fuel and power supplies and means of producing same, as United Nations may specify, together with connected repair and construction facilities.
22. The Italian Government and people will abstain from all action detrimental to the interests of the United Nations and will carry out promptly and efficiently all orders given by the United Nations.
23. The Italian Government will make available such Italian currency as the United Nations may require. The Italian Government will withdraw and redeem in Italian currency within such time limits and on such terms as the United Nations may specify all holdings in Italian territory of currencies issued by the United Nations during military operations or occupation and will hand over the currencies withdrawn free of cost to the United Nations. The Italian Government will take such measures as may be required by the United Nations for the control of banks and business in Italian territory, for the control of foreign exchange and foreign commercial and financial transactions and for the regulation of trade and production and will comply with any instructions issued by the United Nations regarding these and similar matters.
24. There shall be no financial, commercial or other intercourse with or dealings with or for the benefit of countries at war with any of the United Nations or territories occupied by such countries or any other foreign country except under authorization of the Allied Commander-in-Chief or designated officials.
25.-(A) Relations with countries at war with any of the United Nations, or occupied by any such country, will be broken off. Italian diplomatic, consular and other officials and members of the Italian Land, Sea and Air Forces accredited to or serving on missions with any such country or in any other territory specified by the United Nations will be recalled. Diplomatic and consular officials of such countries will be dealt with as the United Nations may prescribe.
(B) The United Nations reserve the right to require the withdrawal of neutral diplomatic and consular officers from occupied Italian territory and to prescribe and lay down regulations governing the procedure for the methods of communication between the Italian Government and its representatives in neutral countries and regarding communications emanating from or destined for the representatives of neutral countries in Italian territory.
26. Italian subjects will pending further instructions be prevented from leaving Italian territory except as authorized by the Allied Commander-in-Chief and will not in any event take service with any of the countries or in any of the territories referred to in article 25(A) nor will they proceed to any place for the purpose of undertaking work for any such country. Those at present so serving or working will be recalled as directed by the Allied Commander-in-Chief.
27. The Military, Naval and Air personnel and material and the merchant shipping, fishing and other craft and the aircraft, vehicles and other transport equipment of any country against which any of the United Nations is carrying on hostilities or which is occupied by any such country, remain liable to attack or seizure wherever found in or over Italian territory or waters.
28.-(A) The warships, auxiliaries and transports of any such country or occupied country referred to in article 27 in Italian or Italian-occupied ports and waters and the aircraft, vehicles and other transport equipment of such countries in or over Italian or Italian-occupied territory will, pending further instructions, be prevented from leaving.
(B) The Military, Naval and Air personnel and the civilian nationals of any such country or occupied country in Italian or Italian-occupied territory will be prevented from leaving and will be interned pending further instructions.
(C) All property in Italian territory belonging to any such country or occupied country or its nationals will be impounded and kept in custody pending further instructions.
(D) The Italian Government will comply with any instructions given by the Allied
Commander-in-Chief concerning the internment, custody or subsequent disposal, utilization or employment of any of the above-mentioned persons, vessels, aircraft, material or property.
29. Benito Mussolini, his Chief Fascist associates and all persons suspected of having committed war crimes or analogous offences whose names appear on lists to be communicated by the United Nations will forthwith be apprehended and surrendered into the hands of the United Nations. Any instructions given by the United Nations for this purpose will be complied with.
30. All Fascist organizations, including all branches of the Fascist Militia (MVSN), the Secret Police (OVRA), all Fascist organizations will in so far as this is not already accomplished be disbanded in accordance with the directions of the Allied Commander-in-Chief. The Italian Government will comply with all such further directions as the United Nations may give for abolition of Fascist institutions, the dismissal and internment of Fascist personnel, the control of Fascist funds, the suppression of Fascist ideology and teaching.
31. All Italian laws involving discrimination on grounds of race, color, creed or political opinions will in so far as this is not already accomplished be rescinded, and persons detained on such grounds will, as directed by the United Nations, be released and relieved from all legal disabilities to which they have been subjected. The Italian Government will comply with all such further directions as the Allied Commander-in-Chief may give for repeal of Fascist legislation and removal of any disabilities or prohibitions resulting therefrom.
32.-(A) Prisoners of war belonging to the forces of or specified by the United Nations and any nationals of the United Nations, including Abyssinian subjects, confined, interned, or otherwise under restraint in Italian or Italian-occupied territory will not be removed and will forthwith be handed over to representatives of the United Nations or otherwise dealt with as the United Nations may direct. Any removal during the period between the presentation and the signature of the present instrument will be regarded as a breach of its terms.
(B) Persons of whatever nationality who have been placed under restriction, detention or sentence (including sentences in absentia) on account of their dealings or sympathies with the United Nations will be released under the direction of the United Nations and relieved from all legal disabilities to which they have been subjected.
(C) The Italian Government will take such steps as the United Nations may direct to safeguard the persons of foreign nationals and property of foreign nationals and property of foreign states and nationals.
33.-(A) The Italian Government will comply with such directions as the United Nations may prescribe regarding restitutions, deliveries, services or payments by way of reparation and payment of the costs of occupation during the period of the present instrument.
(B) The Italian Government will give to the Allied Commander-in-Chief such information as may be prescribed regarding the assets, whether inside or outside Italian territory, of the Italian state, the Bank of Italy, any Italian state or semi-state institutions or Fascist organizations or residents in Italian territory and will not dispose or allow the disposal, outside Italian territory of any such assets except with the permission of the United Nations.
34. The Italian Government will carry out during the period of the present instrument such measures of disarmament, demobilization and demilitarization as may be prescribed by the Allied Commander-in-Chief.
35. The Italian Government will supply all information and provide all documents required by the United Nations. There shall be no destruction or concealment of archives, records, plans or any other documents or information.
36. The Italian Government will take and enforce such legislative and other measures as may be necessary for the execution of the present instrument. Italian military and civil authorities will comply with any instructions issued by the Allied Commander-in-Chief for the same purpose.
37. There will be appointed a Control Commission representative of the United Nations charged with regulating and executing this instrument under the orders and general directions of the Allied Commander-in-Chief.
38.-(A) The term “United Nations” in the present instrument includes the Allied Commander-in-Chief, the Control Commission and any other authority which the United Nations may designate.
(B) The term “Allied Commander-in-Chief” in the present instrument includes the Control Commission and such other officers and representatives as the Commander-in-Chief may designate.
39. Reference to Italian Land, Sea and Air Forces in the present instrument shall be deemed to include Fascist Militia and all such other military or para-military units, formations or bodies as the Allied Commander-in-Chief may prescribe.
40. The term “War Material” in the present instrument denotes all material specified in such lists or definitions as may from time to time be issued by the Control Commission.
41. The term “Italian Territory” includes all Italian colonies and dependencies and shall for the purposes of the present instrument (but without prejudice to the question of sovereignty) be deemed to include Albania. Provided, however, that except in such cases and to such extent as the Cnited Nations may direct the provisions of the present instrument shall not apply in or affect the administration of any Italian colony or dependency already occupied by the United Nations or the rights or powers therein possessed or exercised by them.
42. The Italian Government will send a delegation to the Headquarters of the Control Commission to represent Italian interests and to transmit the orders of the Control Commission to the competent Italian authorities.
43. The present instrument shall enter into force at once. It will remain in operation until superseded by any other arrangements or until the voting into force of the peace treaty with Italy.
44. The present instrument may be denounced by the United Nations with immediate effect if Italian obligations thereunder are not fulfilled or, as an alternative, the United Nations may penalise contravention of it by measures appropriate to the circumstances such as the extension of the areas of military occupation or air or other punitive action. The present instrument is drawn up in English and Italian, the English text being authentic, and in case of any dispute regarding its interpretation, the decision of the Control Commission will prevail.
Signed at Malta on the 29th day of September, 1943.
BADOGLIO
MARSHAL PIETRO BADOGLIO,
Head of the Italian Government.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER,
General, United States Army, Commander-in-Chief, Allied Force.
SOURCE: Sicily and the Surrender of Italy: BY; Lieutenant Colonel Albert Nutter Garland & Howard McGaw Smyth (United States Army Center of Military History)
World War Two: Italy (3-27) The Surrender
Posted on April 2, 2019 April 3, 2019 by thecommentarygazettePosted in American History, Home
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US Army pilots fire the new Joint Air-to-Ground Missile being tested at Cibola Range, Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, in support of deliberate attack mission against armor ground vehicle targets. Image: U.S. ArmyTad Browning/U.S. Army Operational Test Command Public Affairs
Home/Business/US Army awards Lockheed $50 million for Joint Air-to-Ground Missile procurement
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US Army awards Lockheed $50 million for Joint Air-to-Ground Missile procurement
Staff Writer September 12, 2018
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Lockheed Martin has been awarded an almost $50 million U.S. Army contract for the procurement of Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles, a U.S. Department of Defense release said.
The $49,618,289 modification to a 2015 contract has an estimated completion date of February 28, 2021, the Tuesday, September 11 release said.
In late June, the new JAGM system passed review, enabling it to enter low-rate initial production, and Lockheed said at the time that U.S. Army operational capability is expected this year.
JAGM is a multi-sensor air-to-surface missile ultimately intended to replace the Hellfire family of missiles and the U.S. Navy’s Maverick missiles.
The system employs multi-mode guidance – semi-active laser and millimetre wave radar sensors – giving the missile a precision and ‘fire-and-forget’ strike capability against stationary land and maritime targets.
The U.S. Army-led program also includes requirements for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, and is designed to be compatible with all rotary and fixed wing aircraft that can fire the Hellfire.
The Navy completed its first flight test of the JAGM on December 5 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, and the Army has conducted a number of tests, including from MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft.
air-to-surface-missiles government contracts JAGM Lockheed Martin missiles US Army
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UK Royal Navy and Marines test Thales’ Lightweight Multirole Missile
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Iran strikes militants in Iraqi Kurdistan
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US approves $2.2 billion sale to Taiwan of Abrams tanks and Stinger missiles
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Israel missile strikes near Syria capital and Homs kill 4 civilians
Bahrain, Poland and Romania to acquire Lockheed’s Army Tactical Missile under $562 million contract
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The Historical Linguist Channel
We’re not so different, you know?
Insights from the ISLE Summer School, 24-28 June 2019
This week, I had the pleasure of attending the International Society for the Linguistics of English (ISLE) Summer School. The summer school is bi-annual, and explores different themes each time – this year, the theme was using the past to explain the present, with the description: “A special focus will be on evidence for past states of English and Scots, with reference to the functioning of writing systems in manuscript and printed contexts.”
With a theme like that, there’s no wonder that this summer school caught the interest of two HLC:ers: Sabina and myself (Lisa)!
The summer school was organised at the University of Glasgow by the ISLE president, Professor Jeremy Smith. On the first day, he held a workshop which led us to think more about how the past can help us explain the present, and he emphasised the importance of considering that the old languages and writing systems we study were produced by people who were as much conditioned by social factors as we are today. In fact, the name of this year’s theme is a scrambled version of a pioneering publication by famous sociolinguist William Labov, On the use of the present to explain the past, which explored the idea that humans are not so different in history and today, and thus we can use our knowledge of today’s languages, and the people who speak them, to make inferences about history. Likewise, through looking at material culture (for example scribal practices, and the look and material of manuscripts), and through exploring the social context in which they operate, we can learn more about what drives language change.
The exploration of manuscripts continued into the workshops in the morning of the second day. Professor Wendy Scase from the University of Birmingham held a workshop about writing systems, and made us aware of the social factors which may condition how we write. The traditional view of spelling is that it follows pronunciation, but it’s not usually that straightforward, and there are often social cues in what spelling systems we adhere to.
One simple example is, of course, the differences between British and American English; the use of colour or color says nothing about pronunciation, but reading one or the other immediately tells you something about the writer. Consider also things like “heavy metal umlaut”, as found in the band names Mötley Crüe and Motörhead; these umlauted letters are pronounced a certain way in the languages who use them in their writing systems, such as Swedish and German, but these bands use them as a form of identity marker. If these social identity markers are used in the present day, we should be aware that this may also be the case in the past. As an example of this, a mediaeval writer may have chosen to use the italic script to advertise to the reader that they are a humanist.
Italic script. The image is taken from this article, where you can also read more about the history of Italic script.
As the second day progressed, we received introductions on how to use historical corpora by Dr Joanna Kopaczyk (University of Glasgow) and Dr Kristin Bech (University of Oslo). While these workshops were more focused on presenting resources for doing research in historical linguistics, the theme of the week still ran like a red thread through them: for example, we were reminded that when looking at historical written text, the scribal practice should not only be taken to be dialectal, but can also be socially conditioned.
On the third day of the summer school, we went on a field trip to Ruthwell Cross, in Dumfriesshire. The runes inscripted on the cross make the earliest evidence we have of Anglo-Saxon in Britain, and it was interesting to learn about some of the unique features of the runic system which are only found on this monument, which again led us to think about what the purpose was behind using these particular symbols.
The Ruthwell Cross, photo by Lisa Gotthard
In the final two days of the summer school, all participants presented their PhD research, and we reflected on the mechanisms behind language change in a discussion led by Jeremy Smith. In this discussion, we looked at different examples of words or expressions which use and meaning had changed in the history of English, and whether social factors may have driven these changes. In the HLC’s weekly etymologies on facebook, we have sometimes demonstrated how social associations may trigger the meaning of a word to become more negative or positive – an example being the word ‘villain’, now a pejorative term, which developed from simply referring to someone living on a farm. This is only one type of language change that can be socially conditioned, and this week we’ve come to learn even more about how identity markers and other socially conditioned factors play a role in how we express ourselves, both in writing and speaking. This is why it’s so important for historical linguists to approach our textual sources with the same sociolinguistic awareness with which we would approach today’s spoken data.
Personally, I found this week to be incredibly inspiring, and in our final discussions you could tell that we had all received plenty of input and inspiration for continuing our research with some more attention to material culture and social practice.
Haplololololology
A couple weeks ago, we talked about a process called reduplication, which is when languages double syllables or words to various effect. As with most morphological and phonological processes, there’s a flipside to this coin. (Languages can be a bit like tired, hangry toddlers: indecisive, inconsistent, contrary, and completely beyond being reasoned with.) Sometimes, instead of leaning in to the singsongedness of repeated syllables, languages decide that two syllables are just too similar, and one of them must be eradicated. We call this phenomenon haplology.
I may jest about languages arbitrarily adding or removing syllables, but haplology is actually an elegant remedy for words that may otherwise be cumbersome to pronounce. Consider a few homespun English adverbs: The most common way to form an adverb in English is to add -ly to the end of an adjective. In most cases, this is nothing to bat an eye at. ‘Warm’ becomes ‘warmly’, ‘happy’ becomes ‘happily’, ‘treacherous’ becomes ‘treacherously’. But what about words that already end in [l]? ‘Gentle’ and ‘humble’ become…’gentlely’ and ‘humblely’? Naw. Maybe back in Middle English, but for modern speakers, these adverbs have been streamlined to ‘gently’ and ‘humbly’. They’ve undergone haplology.
There are just some sounds that don’t roll gently off the tongue in quick succession. Another example from English is the pronunciation of ‘February’. Some dialects still carefully pronounce each written sound as in /ˈfɛb.ɹuˌɛɹi/, but that’s a lot of [ɹ]s all piled together. Some dialects have solved the crisis by dissimilation, producing something more akin to /ˈfɛb.juˌɛ(ə)ɹi/. Some UK dialects, though, have solved the problem with haplology instead, resulting in a pronunciation of /ˈfɛb.ɹi/.
A Basque example also shows the elimination of excessive Rs. The word for ‘cider’ comes from ‘sagar’ (apple) + ‘ardo’ (wine). Instead of the compound becoming ‘sagarrardo’, the syllables are simplified, and the result is ‘sagardo’.
Lest you begin to think haplology only happens to liquids like [l] and [ɹ], look at Latin ‘nutrix’ (nurse). It comes from ‘nutrio’ (suckle, predecessor of English ‘nourish’ and ‘nutrition’) + ‘-trix’ (a suffix that formed a female agent noun, like how Amelia Earhart was an aviatrix). The resulting ‘nutritrix’ lost one of its <tri>s—thus, ‘nutrix’.
It has always been a source of great amusement to me (and other linguists—we’re a whimsical lot) that the term ‘haplology’ itself has the potential to undergo haplology, thereby becoming ‘haplogy’. Although this has not actually occurred, haplology is out there, watching over our languages, making some tricky words just a little easier to pronounce.
Early Germanic Dialects: Old English
And EGD is back! Today, we’re going to be talking about something close to my own heart: English! This is Early Germanic Dialects thought, so, naturally, we won’t be talking about modern English, but, Old English.
Now, before we start, let’s make one thing very clear: Shakespeare is not Old English. Nope, nope, not even close. In fact, some native speakers of English (and I’ve experimented on this with friends), don’t even recognise Old English as English. Let’s compare, just so you can see the differences. These are the first two lines of the epic poem Beowulf:
Hwæt! Wé Gárdena in géardagum
þéodcyninga þrym gefrúnon Listen! We of the Spear-Danes in the days of yore
of those clan-kings heard
of their glory
A bit different, wouldn’t you say? And now, of course, you’re wondering how it went from that to this? Well, that’s a different story (but we’ve told it in bits and pieces before).
Let’s today simply focus on Old English, shall we?
Right, so as per usual, let’s start with a bit of a history lesson!
As you might know, while English is today the dominant language of the British Isles, this was certainly not always the case. In fact, the tribes that we eventually consider “English” were all invaders or immigrants: Saxons, Angles and (maybe) Jutes! The native population of the British Isles were, the stories tell us, treated rather horridly – primarily thanks to the Celtic king, Vortigern, who ruled there during the mid-fifth century, who made a really bad call.
You see, Vortigern had a problem: the Picts and Scots kept attacking him and he simply couldn’t deal with these vicious barbarians on his own! So, he called in reinforcements! That means, he invited Saxons to come over to deal with the problem.
And they did. Then, I suppose, they were chatting amongst themselves, and with their buddies who were already living there, and thought “wait… If he can’t deal with these people… How would he possibly be able to deal with all of us?”. After, I imagine, a bit of snickering and laughing, they went off and told Vortigern – pleased with himself after the Picts and Scots had been pushed back – that they weren’t intending to leave. I imagine that left him less pleased.
It is actually from this period in time (or somewhat later), around the year 500, that we get the legendary myth of King Arthur. During this time, a great battle was fought at someplace called Mount Badon (which we can’t really place), and the British people succeeded in stopping the Anglo-Saxon expansion for a little while, and they may (possibly, maybe, we don’t really know) have been led by a king called Arthur (kinda little historical evidence for one of the most widespread myths out there, right?). Despite this success, a great deal of southern Britain was in the hands of the Anglo-Saxons by the year 600, and the areas under British rule had been reduced to distant corners of the west, such as Wales and Cornwall. What we end up with, is a geographical division that looks something like this:
Now, naturally, when people come together in close quarters and multiple leader-types, what follows is about 300 years of squabble about the ‘overlordship’ of this green area. Then… Then, they had other things to worry about – the Vikings had arrived.
But we’re not gonna talk about that today, so check it out here if you want!
So, the Vikings arrived, and this led to a long war. Eventually, King Alfred the Great of Wessex forced the Vikings to peace-talks (mostly because he kept beating them, though he might have been pretty much the only Anglo-Saxon king who could boast about that), and the Danelaw was formed.
The descendents of Alfred managed to keep things pretty smooth for a while. Specifically, until 978, when King Edward was murdered. Enter: Æthelred the Unready (and no, that is not a nickname that history added: his own contemporaries called him unræd, loosely translated as ‘ill counsel’). Basically, he did most things wrong (even attempting to order the death of all Danes in the country). The, probably, largest mistake that Ætheldred did though, was the decision to kill the sister of King Swein of Denmark.
King Swein (or Sweyn) Forkbeard from a 13th century miniature (pic from Wikipedia)
Riled Vikings? Really, that’s a bad idea.
And in 1013, Æthelred was shown just how much of a bad idea that was, when a pissed-off Viking army landed on his beaches. The army of Danes met little resistance and Æthelred was forced to flee to Normandy. However, Swein died just a couple of months after that, and Æthelred returned to England – only to be re-invaded by Canute the Great, son of Swein, in 1015. Æthelred eventually died in 1016, and his oldest surviving son Edmund died soon after, leaving Canute the ruler of England.
Canute’s sons, Harald Harefoot and Hardecanute, ruled after his death, until 1042, when the son of Æthelred and Emma of Normandy (Hardecanute’s adoptive heir) Edward took the throne, which he held onto until his death in 1066. And we all know what happened after that… Enter the Norman invasion. Though Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, was acclaimed king after Edward, he held the throne for only nine months before he fell at the Battle of Hastings, thus putting a bloody end to the (fairly bloody) Anglo-Saxon state.
Alright, let’s talk language!
Though we have a number of surviving texts from Old English (a lot more than many other of the EGDs that we’ve been talking about), a lot is, of course, lost to us. What does survive, and what we really mean when we say “Old English”, is the late West Saxon dialect. The reason for that is simple: most surviving texts are written in that dialect. But, when studying Old English, it’s worth keeping this in mind: we’re not (necessarily) talking about a unified language; we’re talking about a dialect that happens to be primary in the surviving materials.
Anyway, first, as per usual, let’s look at some phonology!
Most letters of the Old English alphabet are fairly uncomplicated for a speaker of modern English. Some, however, have surprises in store.
One of those letters is the letter <g>. This letter is pronounced as in modern English ‘good’ only when it follows [ŋ] or when it’s doubled:
cyning ‘king’
frogga ‘frog’
Before the front vowels i and e, after them at the end of a syllable, and also in a few instances where <j> or <i> originally followed but has since disappeared, <g> is pronounced like the first consonant in modern ‘yes’. Before back vowels, though, <g> was pronounced [g].
Elsewhere, <g> is pronounced as a back fricative (remember Rebekah’s phonology lesson on consonants?), unless it is a sequence of <cg>, in which case it is pronounced as the first sound in modern English ‘giant’.
Another sequence that has a surprise in store is the letter sequence <sc>. Although a modern English speaker might expect that <c> here actually corresponds to [sk], it doesn’t. Instead, it would have been pronounced something like [ʃ], that is, the first sound in modern English ‘ship’ (as, indeed, also Old English scip).
Last, in this part, we have the letter <h>. While seemingly simple enough, <h> is pronounced [h] only in initial position and before vowels:
her ‘here’
But before consonants, and when occurring in word-final position, <h> is pronounced as [x], a sound today found in German nacht or Scottish loch:
feohtan ‘fight’, here pronounced with [x].
In the vowels, Old English shows a number of changes that are not found in the languages discussed so far in our little EGD series. For example:
Like most other Germanic languages (except Gothic), Old English originally changed the vowel [æː] into [aː], yet under most circumstances (though especially before w), it changes back to æ:
sāven saian 'sow'
sǣd sêþs 'seed'
frǣton frêtun 'ate' (pl.)
Similarly, in most cases, the change of short [a] (which usually also changes into [æ]) systematically fails to take place when <a> is followed by a single consonant, plus <a>, <o>, or <u>:
gæt (sg.) but gatu (pl.) 'gate'
dæg (sg.) but daga (dat. sg.) 'day'
Except before nasal consonants, where long and short <a> instead becomes long and short <o>:
mon but manna 'man'
mōnað but mênoþ 'month'
Now, something rather interesting before we move on: in Old English, we find evidence of a process known as assibilation. This process, which is shared only with Old Frisian of the Germanic dialects, means that the stops k and g becomes [tʃ] (as in church) and [dʒ] (as in drudge) respectively. This process is also the one responsible for correspondences like skirt/shirt, where shirt is the assibilated Old English form, while skirt is borrowed from Old Norse, which did not undergo this process, and thus retains a hard [k] sound. Interesting, isn’t it?
Now, I’m going to break tradition a bit and not really talk about morphology. Instead, I want to say a few words on syntax, that is, word order. Why? Because the syntax of Old English is not quite the same as the syntax of modern English. In fact, it’s rather markedly different.
Most notably, Old English is significantly more inflected than modern English: it inflected for five grammatical classes, two grammatical numbers and three grammatical genders, much like modern German. While this may be frustrating to students of the language, it did mean that reliance on word order was significantly less than it is today because the morphological form would tell you who was the subject, object, etc. This means that Old English word order was a bit less rigid than in modern English (in which, it is the only thing that shows you that there is a difference between the dog bit the man and the man bit the dog).
Generally speaking, the standard rule for Old English is that it has a verb-second word order, that is, the finite verb takes the second position in the sentence regardless of what comes before it. So it really doesn’t matter if the first element is the subject or the object, the verb holds its second position (in which case, the declension of the words become important for understanding the sentence correctly).
However, this holds true only for main clauses. In subclauses, Old English is (generally speaking) verb-final, that is, the verb winds up at the end of the sentence. Students of modern German (such as myself in fact), may recognise this kind of word order.
On the topic of syntax, I would like to wrap this post up with a cautionary note.
If you’re reading Old English poetry (and sometimes even when you’re reading prose): chuck these ‘rules’ of Old English syntax out the window. They won’t do you any good: in Beowulf, for example, main clauses frequently have verb-initial or verb-final order while verb-second is often found in subordinate clauses. So heads-up!
Right, that’s all I had for today, though, obviously, this is a very small appetizer in a huuuge buffet. If you’d like to learn more, we, as always, refer you to Robinson’s great book but, to be quite honest, the chapter on Old English is quite dense and even I had to refer a couple of times to Wikipedia and other sources just to make things clear. However, it is a good starting point so do enjoy!
As always in our EGD-series, our main source is Robinson’s Old English and its closest relatives (1992).
For this post, we’ve also taken a look at:
The passage of Beowulf, with its translation, is by Benjamin Slade: you’ll find it – and the rest of the translation of Beowulf – here
Etymologiæ (where you can find the original version of the map we’ve used here)
For the last picture, we’ve used the one found here
Our thanks to Kristin Bech for valuable comments on Old English syntax and the pronunciation of <g> on our Facebook-page. The HLC always welcome comments and we have updated the post accordingly.
Easy-peasy morphology: Reduplication
Sometimes, we’re just so excited to share the world of languages with you that we get caught up in our own linguistic jibber-jabber. What starts as chit-chat turns into the ol’ razzle-dazzle. Before we know it, we’re zig-zagging through some convoluted flimflammery, and soon enough, kookookachoo, everyone’s head hurts and they all just want to go night-night.
Okay, that sentence was a bit much. But it showcases an interesting morphological phenomenon: reduplication.
In reduplication, all or part of a word is repeated. As you can see, the repetition can be exact or can include slight changes. The repeated part or reduplicant can be morphologically significant, like a root, or phonological, like a syllable. It can also occur anywhere in the word.
Most of the examples above are more expressive than anything else, but reduplication can also be meaningful. In English, we might repeat a word to stress the realness of what we’re trying to convey1:
“Do you like him, or do you LIKE-like him?”
In some of the many other languages that employ reduplication, its uses can be even more significant. In Malay, reduplication forms the plural of nouns: You may have one rumah (house), but your rich neighbor has two rumah-rumah (houses)2. In Latin, some verbs used reduplication to show the perfect form of the past tense: Today, the produce man vēndit (is selling) pears, but yesterday, he vēndidit (sold) me a pineapple.
There’s also a special time in life when all of us, regardless of which language we speak, are prone to extensive reduplication. During language acquisition, children go through a phase somewhere around eight to twelve months of age where their chatter is full of repetition. This developmental stage is called reduplicated or canonical babbling. Through their repetition, children experiment with their voice and figure out some things about the native language they’re acquiring (heck, I was known to babble to myself the first time I took a phonology class—occupational hazard). This is the stage where we get the famous assumption that every child’s first word is “dada”. I once knew a child who referred to water as “wawa”.
Reduplication is found in languages all over the world, though its productivity varies from language to language. Still, it’s a clever trick, this doubling of things. So clever, one has to wonder: if you can repeat morphological and phonological elements, can you un-repeat them, too? More on that next week. Until then, bye-bye!
1 This is called contrastive focus reduplication.
2 Does that mean one wug, but two wug-wug?
What’s with WH?
Early Germanic Dialects
History of English
language attitudes
language decay
Norman Conquest
prescriptivism
Present Day English
Proto-Germanic
standardisation
Standard language
weird spelling
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Caribbean Ministers see potential for increased cooperation, technology transfer with Argentina, Brazil
By Michelle Nurse On Mar 15, 2018
Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Agriculture of the 11 Caribbean nations participating in the mission organized by IICA, at INTA headquarters in Argentina. (Photo via IICA)
Eleven Caribbean Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Agriculture today participated in a working session in Buenos Aires to share experiences with members of the Agricultural Commission of the Argentine Senate, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) said in a press release.
The visitors expressed an interest in strengthening ties with the South American country in order to acquire knowledge and innovation, primarily in the use of applied technology in agricultural production.
Officials from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, Haiti, Suriname, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti and Saint Lucia, as well as high level representatives from CARICOM, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean Research and Development Institute (CARDI) met in Argentina, as part of a mission led by Manuel Otero, IICA Director General. The mission also included the participation of Caio Rocha, Brazil’s National Secretary of Food and Nutritional Security.
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IICA indicated that the schedule also included a meeting in the Senate with President of the Agricultural Commission, Alfredo De Ángeli, and a visit to the National Centre for Agricultural Research at the National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA) to tour research facilities that specialise in Natural Resources, Climate and Water and Domestic Agriculture. They were accompanied by INTA’s President, Juan Balbín, who made repeated reference to the institution’s activities and its interaction with the private and academic sectors. Also on the agenda were meetings with the Minister of Agroindustry, Luis Miguel Etchevehere and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Daniel Riamondi.
The objective of IICA’s mission, which included a working session in Brasilia, Brazil, prior to the Caribbean officials’ arrival in Argentina, is to facilitate access to cooperation and technology by nations vulnerable to climate change and to address the issue of food security, the press release said.
“We see this initiative as an important first step in strengthening cooperation between the countries of the Organisation of Caribbean States (OECS), the governments of Argentina and Brazil and IICA. The initiative provides a platform through which we may enhance south-south cooperation and knowledge and skills sharing”, said Beverly Best, OECS’ head of Cooperation for Development and Resource Mobilisation.
She stated further that “Brazil and Argentina have made significant strides in agricultural development and the inclusion of family farmers in this development. Most farmers in OECS countries are small farmers, and thus we consider this to be an excellent opportunity to collaborate and to learn about best practices that exist here and share advances made in agriculture.”
Desiree Field-Ridley, Adviser, Single Market and Sectoral Programmes at the CARICOM Secretariat, explained that “agriculture is one of our key sectors, but it has not grown as needed or expected, and therefore we are seeking some kind of assistance that will allow us to offer the necessary support to this activity. IICA’s work is very important in this regard and we realise that we can cooperate with Brazil and Argentina. Agriculture should be the industry that attracts youth and investors and it should unite technology and investment.”
She added that “CARICOM is a single market of fifteen countries, small countries, and therefore our objective is to work together as if we were one country. This will allow us to come together and to learn from Brazil and Argentina, and in so doing to advance.”
IICA said that for the most part, the Ministers and Caribbean representatives were very impressed with the technologies for protected agriculture that were described during the visit, primarily for the production of vegetables, as well as waste reduction, which is especially critical in small countries, and they considered organic agriculture to be an opportunity.
Barton Clarke, Director General of CARDI, underscored the importance that public policy in Argentina and Brazil has played in developing an agricultural industry that is closely linked to world trade.
“This is an important lesson for us. We must invest in research and innovation. The countries of the Caribbean are small and we face problems such as unemployment, poverty and high energy costs. Agriculture plays a critical role in helping to overcome social and economic ills. We have to engender capacity building for research in the Caribbean and strategic research that can foster innovation and intellectual property. I thank IICA for facilitating this visit and cooperation among countries; through this we can strengthen ties and foster alliances”, concluded Clarke.
For his part, Alexis Jeffers, Minister of Agriculture of St. Kitts and Nevis, spoke of “the tremendous support that IICA has given to the Caribbean”, and stressed the need for greater cooperation to “eliminate poverty, educate the young, and mitigate the effects of climate change to enable our region to realise its full potential”.
Before returning home, the delegates will visit San Nicolás for Expoagro, which is the most important outdoor agricultural fair in Argentina, where they will take part in a tour that has been specially arranged by the Expoagro organisers. (Adapted from IICA Press Release)
agricultureagriculture in CARICOMAlexis JeffersBarton ClarkeBeverly BestCaio RochaDaniel RiamondiDesiree Field-Ridley
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Associate Member States
Teaching standards important for accountability – Dr. Douglas Slater
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Boy, 16, charged with attempted murder in restaurant parking lot shooting
Canadian PressMore from Canadian Press
Updated: January 24, 2018 1:00 PM EDT
A gun seized in a shooting on Jan. 13, 2018 that led to a boy, 16, being charged with attempted murder.
TORONTO — A 16-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing multiple rounds of bullets into a car earlier this month.
Toronto Police were called to the scene of a shooting at a restaurant in the Dixon Rd. and Hwy. 27 area at about 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 13.
They say the boy was with friends when an argument broke out in the parking lot.
Police allege the teen pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and everyone began to flee.
Two men, aged 21 and 29, got into a vehicle and police allege the boy fired multiple rounds into the vehicle and then ran away.
The teen was arrested on Monday night and police say they seized a loaded CZ Shadow 9-mm handgun. He faces 13 charges that include two counts of attempted murder and two counts of possessing a restricted firearm without a licence.
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The Sinatra Solution, Metabolic Cardiology Part III
Stephen T Sinatra, MD
Heart disease heart health Metabolic Cardiology Acute ischemia
So far we have learned a good deal about how the “Awesome Foursome” of Coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, D-ribose, and magnesium helps our hearts metabolize energy more efficiently and protects them from the stress of cardiovascular disease. This powerful combination of nutrients goes directly to the basic biochemistry of cellular energy metabolism. Now let’s take a closer look at how Coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, D-ribose, and magnesium work in synergy to promote cardiovascular health.
We’ll start our discussion on the important synergy of Coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, D-ribose, and magnesium with a short summary of how each works individually. Let’s begin with Coenzyme Q10.
Coenzyme Q10: Energy Recycling through the Electron Transport Chain
Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the mitochondrial membrane, mitochondrial DNA, and cell walls from free-radical attack. But its most important function in the body is its central role in energy metabolism.
Most—about 90 percent—of the ATP used by cells is recycled as food (fuel) and oxidized in the mitochondria. Fatty acids, carbohydrates, and, occasionally, proteins are carried across the mitochondrial membrane and enter the Krebs cycle, moving from step to step and spinning off electrons. These electrons are then handed off to the electron transport chain, where, in the presence of oxygen, the energy from the electrons is captured as a phosphate group is added to ADP to form ATP. This recycling of ATP is called oxidative phosphorylation, and the by-products of these pathways are CO2 and water.
Coenzyme Q10 is the “electron clearing house” in the mitochondria. Coenzyme Q10 accepts electrons coming out of the Krebs cycle and passes them off to other constituents of the electron transport chain called cytochromes. In this fashion, Coenzyme Q10 acts as a gatekeeper of electrons, making sure they are carried to just the right place to pass on their life-giving energy.
The activity of the electron transport chain is highly complex and beyond the scope of our discussion. What is critical, however, is the simple fact that without Coenzyme Q10 the electron transport chain would totally break down. And since the electron transport chain is (by far!) the largest contributor to cellular energy turnover, its loss would be catastrophic. It is also important to know that there has to be an excess of Coenzyme Q10 in the mitochondria to be maximally effective. Having just enough isn’t sufficient to do the job properly, and having a deficiency seriously affects the mitochondria's ability to supply the cell with energy.
To keep the electron transport chain running at peak efficiency, there must be enough Coenzyme Q10 to accept electrons immediately as they are spun out of the Krebs’ cycle, carry them to the cytochromes where they are passed off, and then return to wait in line for yet another electron. If there is not enough Coenzyme Q10 waiting in this queue, electrons will not be captured and their energy will be lost.
Think of this process in terms of a warm-up drill before a basketball game. During these warm-ups basketball players stand in a line at the free-throw line. One of their coaches stands under the basket and throws the ball to the first player in line to start the process going, much like the Krebs cycle throwing off an electron. The first player in line quickly carries the ball to the basket, hands it off to the basket in a lay-up, and runs back to the end of the line. The coach then throws another ball to the next player in line, and the cycle continues. However, if there is no player waiting in line to collect the throw, the ball will spin out of control to the other end of the court and will never make its way to the basket.
The same is true with Coenzyme Q10. Electrons are passed out of the Krebs cycle and accepted by the next Coenzyme Q10 in line. Coenzyme Q10 then carries the electrons to the basket (the cytochromes), passes them off, and returns to the back of the line. If you can imagine this as a continually moving line with millions of basketballs in play you can visualize why so much Coenzyme Q10 is needed to keep the process running smoothly. When there is a Coenzyme Q10 deficiency, many of the electrons spin out of control and never make their way down the energy pathway.
Cellular stress can cause Coenzyme Q10 deficiency, which places a severe strain on Coenzyme Q10 availability. People with heart disease, hypertension, gingival disease, Parkinson’s disease, and the other disorders we’ve discussed are known to be deficient in Coenzyme Q10. Whether these deficiencies are the cause or the effect of these varied medical problems, the end result is that they sap the life out of their mitochondria and reduce their energy supplies. You see, Coenzyme Q10 cannot function properly if electrons are not coming out of the Krebs’ cycle, and the Krebs cycle won’t work without the fuel that’s transported into the mitochondria by L-carnitine.
L-Carnitine: Transporting the Cellular Energy Fuel
Fatty acids are the preferred energy fuel for hearts and most other cells in the body. Fatty acids are long-chain molecules that are broken down by beta oxidation into two-carbon fragments. These two carbon fragments are used to fuel the Krebs’ cycle so electrons can be extracted to run down the electron transport chain. The two-carbon fragments plucked from long-chain fatty acids are picked up by Coenzyme A (CoA) forming activated CoA esters. The mitochondrial inner membrane is almost totally impermeable to these CoA esters, and that’s where L-carnitine comes in.
L-carnitine resides in the mitochondrial inner membrane and works like a ferry carrying freight across a river. L-carnitine picks up two-carbon fragments on one side of the mitochondrial membrane and transports them to the other side. The primary job of L-carnitine in energy metabolism is the transport of these fuels into the mitochondria, making them available for ongoing energy metabolism in the Krebs’ cycle. In this process Coenzyme A “hands off” the two-carbon fatty acid fragment to L-carnitine, forming acetyl carnitine. Acetyl carnitine then moves across the membrane and again passes off the two-carbon fragment to another CoA living inside the mitochondria. So, like a ferry, L-carnitine picks up the two-carbon fatty acid fragment, gives it a ride across the inner mitochondrial membrane, and delivers it to another CoA waiting on the other side. The CoA receiving the fatty acid fragment then delivers it to the Krebs’ cycle for processing into energy.
L-carnitine facilitates the beta oxidation of fatty acids as energy fuel. And since fatty acids are the preferred fuel for energy recycling in cells, this action is critical to cell and tissue function. Unfortunately, L-carnitine is deficient in people with heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, lipid metabolic disorders, mitochondrial disorders, and many other disease syndromes we reviewed earlier. This L-carnitine deficiency disrupts the normal metabolism of fatty acids, reducing available energy supplies and leading to the accumulation of toxic by-products of fatty acid metabolism. L-carnitine supplementation revives fatty acid metabolism and restores normal mitochondrial function. But even this powerful improvement in cellular energy metabolism cannot make up for the energy drain that comes from the loss of energy substrates caused by low oxygen delivery to the tissue. Only D-ribose can do that.
D-Ribose: Rebuilding the Cellular Energy Pool
As long as cells and tissues have plenty of oxygen, the pool of energy substrates in the cell remains high. And as long as there is enough L-carnitine and Coenzyme Q10 available, the process of energy utilization and supply can proceed unimpeded. However, the cellular supply of oxygen can be restricted by acute or chronic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, any number of skeletal- or neuromuscular diseases, or even high-intensity exercise.
When cells are deprived of oxygen the mitochondrial energy turnover becomes inefficient. Remember, oxygen is required to let the oxidative pathway of energy recycling work properly. If the mitochondria are not able to recycle energy efficiently, cellular energy supply cannot keep pace with demand. But the cell has a continuing need for energy, so it will use all its ATP stores and then break down the by-product, adenosine diphosphate (ADP), to pull the remaining energy out of this compound as well. What’s left is adenosine monophosphate (AMP). Since a growing concentration of AMP is incompatible with sustained cellular function it’s quickly broken apart and the by-products are washed out of the cell. The net result of this process is a depletion of the cellular pool of energy substrates. When the by-products of AMP catabolism are washed out of the cell, they are lost forever. It takes a long time to replace these lost energy substrates even if the cell is fully perfused with oxygen again.
Ribose is the only compound used by the body to refill this energy pool. Every cell in the body has the capacity to make ribose, but hearts, muscles, and most other tissues lack the metabolic machinery to make ribose quickly when the cells are stressed by oxygen depletion or metabolic insufficiency. Ribose is made naturally in the cells from glucose. In stressed cells, however, glucose is preferentially metabolized for energy turnover and is not available for ribose synthesis. So when energy pools are drained from stressed cells, the cells must first wait for the slow process of ribose synthesis before they can begin to replace their lost energy stores.
Acute ischemia, like that which takes place during a heart attack, heart surgery, or angioplasty, drains the cell of energy. Even when oxygenated blood flow returns, refilling the energy pool may take ten or more days. But when oxygen deprivation is chronic, or when energy metabolism is disrupted by disease, there may be so much continual strain on the energy supply that the pool can never refill without the assistance of supplemental ribose. Conditions like ischemic heart disease or congestive heart failure fall into this category. In these situations, supplementing the tissue with exogenous ribose is the only way the cell can keep up with the energy drain.
Magnesium: Switching on the Energy Enzymes
Magnesium is an essential mineral that's critical for energy requiring processes, in protein synthesis, membrane integrity, nervous tissue conduction, neuromuscular excitation, muscle contraction, hormone secretion, maintenance of vascular tone, and in intermediary metabolism. Deficiency may lead to changes in neuromuscular, cardiovascular, immune, and hormonal function; impaired energy metabolism; and reduced capacity for physical work. Magnesium deficiency is now considered to contribute to many diseases, and the role for magnesium as a therapeutic agent is expanding.
Magnesium deficiency reduces the activity of important enzymes used in energy metabolism. Unless we have adequate levels of magnesium in our cells, the cellular processes of energy metabolism cannot function. Small changes in magnesium levels can have a substantial effect on heart and blood vessel function. While magnesium is found in most foods—particularly vegetables—deficiencies are increasing. Softened water and a trend toward lower vegetable consumption are the culprits contributing to these rising deficiencies.
SUPPORTING THE LINKS IN THE ENERGY CYCLE CHAIN. THE SYNERGY
Clearly, each member of the “Awesome Foursome” is fundamental to cellular energy metabolism in its own right. Each plays a unique and vital role in supplying the heart with the energy it needs to preserve its contractile force. Each is independently effective in helping hearts work through the stress of disease. And while each contributes immeasurably to the energy health of the cell, in combination they are unbeatable. Allow me to reiterate the step-by-step, complicated cellular processes involved to be sure that you really understand the rationale for using these nutrients.
The cell needs a large, sustained, and healthy pool of energy to fuel all its metabolic functions. Contraction, relaxation, maintenance of cellular ion balance, and synthesis of macromolecules, like proteins, all require a high energy charge to carry their reactions to completion. The energy pool must be preserved, or these fundamental cellular functions will become inefficient or will cease to operate altogether. To keep the pool vibrant and healthy, the cell needs ribose. But even with supplemental ribose, the cell needs the efficient turnover of its energy stores to balance ongoing energy utilization with supply. That's where Coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine come into play.
The converse is also true. Even if the cell is fully charged with energy, cellular energy supply will not keep pace with demand if the mitochondria are not functioning properly. Coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine work to keep mitochondrial operations running at peak efficiency, and one side cannot work effectively without the other. Even though Coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine can make the energy turnover mechanisms work more efficiently, they cannot increase the cell's chemical driving force, and their action will be only partially effective. Ribose, on the other hand, can keep the energy pool supplied with substrate, but the value of energy pool repletion cannot be fully realized if the substrate cannot be maximally utilized and recycled. Ribose fills the tank; Coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine help the engine run properly.
Magnesium is the glue that holds energy metabolism together. By turning on the enzymes that drive the metabolic reactions, magnesium allows it all to happen. These four nutrients must be utilized by cardiologists and other physicians as they treat patients day-to-day. On my own journey, using Coenzyme Q10 for two decades, L-carnitine for more than ten years, D-ribose for two years, and magnesium equally as long, I've seen this “Awesome Foursome” reduce suffering and improve the quality of life for thousands of patients.
The future of nutrition in conventional medicine is very bright, although the integration of nutritional supplements has been a slow and, at times, lonely process. For example, the Canadian government has just placed a warning on their HMG-reductase statin labels, warning that these drugs can diminish ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10) levels, which can cause heart failure. This is a mammoth step for the Canadian government, and I applaud them for raising this issue with their population. Unfortunately, our own Food and Drug Administration is not so enlightened yet. Now that governments are getting involved in doing the right thing, perhaps the traditional medical community will follow suit. But first we have to educate them to do so.
As most of you may know, representatives from pharmaceutical companies make regular rounds to the offices of prescribing medical professionals such as physicians, physician assistants (PAs), advanced practice nurses (APRNs), and nurse practitioners (NPs) to keep them informed about the latest drugs their companies are releasing. This is called “detailing” a pharmaceutical because it involves educating the practitioner about all the various “details” of the drug, from how it works and interacts with other medications, to dosing and possible side effects. Drug companies obviously spend a lot of money on this one-to-one approach in order to bring this level of education to each individual health care practitioner, but it does let them get more comfortable with drugs new to the market.
Not so with nutraceuticals. There just isn't anyone “detailing” health care providers about nutrients and supplements in this manner, so many doctors don't believe in their effectiveness. As research continues, the mysterious relationship of ATP and energy in the heart will be recognized by more and more physicians who will then be comfortable recommending these life-saving supplements.
L-carnitine and Coenzyme Q10 are finally gaining the recognition they deserve. Dribose is emerging as a new player in the complex understanding of metabolic cardiology, and doctors are beginning to discuss the important role of magnesium deficiency in heart patients. As a practicing cardiologist for over thirty years, I see metabolic cardiology as the future for the treatment of heart disease and other complex disease conditions, as well.
The Sinatra Solution, Metabolic Cardiology by Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D. is published by Basic Health Publications, Inc. and is available at health food stores and bookstores or call 1.800.575.8890 to order.
Dr. Sinatra is a board-certified cardiologist and certified bioenergetics analyst who also uses complementary nutritional and psychological therapies at his New England Heart Center in Manchester, CT. He is the author of Lose to Win: A Cardiologist’s Guide to Weight Loss, Optimum Health, The CoenzymeQ10 Phenomenon and, Heart Sense for Women, published by LifeLine Press.
http://www.drsinatra.com
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Grand items from Duke Ellington up for auction
Duke Ellington's baby grand piano and other personal items to sell at auction. Angela Moore reports.
Hundreds of personal items from jazz great Duke Ellington are set to go on the auction block. Nearly 300 items, including handwritten compositions, a Pulitzer Prize and his cherished, white, baby grand piano which he owned during his most creative years will be sold to the highest bidder. SOUNDBITE: Arlan Ettinger, President of Guernsey's, saying (English): "The greatest prize of all, I think I'm safe in saying, is Duke Ellington's white baby grand piano on which he was known to compose much of his music. This is some of the most wonderful, famous music every created in this country or in the world for that matter. And here you see his actual pencil scribbling and cross-outs and erasers." And did you know? The big band leader was also an accomplished painter. SOUNDBITE: Arlan Ettinger, President of Guernsey's, saying (English): "Many people didn't realize that Duke loved to paint. And there are not many oil paintings of his work known to survive but we have several in this auction including a portrait he did of his great friend and associate Billy Strayhorn. We also have a portrait of a woman that he label 'Satin Doll,' which many will remember is the title of one of his most famous songs." Duke Ellington's belongings will be sold during an online auction in May and at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
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February 6, 2019 / 11:56 AM / 5 months ago
Health insurer Humana's full-year profit forecasts disappoints
Manas Mishra, Aakash B
(Reuters) - Humana Inc’s full-year profit forecast came in shy of analysts’ estimates on Wednesday as its Medicare Prescription drug plans remained under pressure and said it expects 2019 margins in the fast-growing business to fall short of its own targets.
Shares of Humana were trading down about 2 pct at $296.43 mid-day, reversing course from their premarket gains.
Humana’s prescription drug plans have remained under pressure as customers opt for lower priced options from rivals.
“We acknowledge that PDPs (prescription drug plans) have become a commodity, as evidenced by Humana and others having experienced significant declines in PDP enrollment,” Chief Executive Officer Bruce Broussard said on a conference call.
Membership in the company’s prescription drug plans fell to 5 million in the year ended Dec. 31, versus 5.31 million, a year ago.
While strength in the company’s Medicare Advantage (MA)business helped it beat quarterly profit estimates, the company said it expected its 2019 margins in the individual MA business to come in below expectations.
Medicare Advantage, which offers health plans to people 65 and older or those with disabilities, has been growing as the U.S. population ages and as insurers chase the steady government reimbursements for the program.
For the full year 2019, Humana expects adjusted profit of between $17.00 and $17.50 per share, with the midpoint below analysts’ estimate of $17.48 per share.
In the fourth quarter, the company beat analysts’ estimates for profit and revenue, helped by strength in its business that sells government-backed Medicare Advantage health plans.
The number of people who signed up for the company’s Individual Medicare Advantage plans rose to 3.1 million from 2.8 million over the 12 months since December 30, 2018.
Humana said its net income rose to $355 million, or $2.58 per share, in the quarter ended Dec. 31, from $184 million, or $1.29 per share, a year earlier.
Humana says overhaul of drug rebate rule could raise premiums
Excluding items, the company earned $2.65 per share, beating the average analyst estimate of $2.53 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
Total revenue rose 7.42 percent to $14.17 billion and beat estimates of $13.98 billion.
Reporting by Aakash Jagadeesh Babu and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Shailesh Kuber
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Devika Shankar
Co-Chair 2016-2017
DEVIKA SHANKAR is a transnational feminist and passionate advocate dedicated to social justice and fighting all forms of oppression. She has worked in the field of intimate partner violence (IPV) for over 11 years, is certified in the state of California in both Domestic Violence Counseling for Survivors and in Batterers’ Intervention, and has provided advocacy, counseling, and support services to survivors of IPV and many other forms of trauma and violence.
Devika is currently the Program Coordinator of the STOP Violence Program at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, a program that provides culturally specific and responsive counseling and support services to LGBTQ victims of crime. Through this position, Devika also provides training, education, and technical assistance to IPV shelter programs, LGBTQ organizations, and various other service provider agencies on many topics, including IPV in LGBTQ communities and trauma informed approaches.
Since 2015, Devika has been a member of the Steering Committee of Trauma Informed LA (TILA), serving as Co-Chair from 2016 to 2017 and as Communications Coordinator since 2018. Devika is also a core member of the Los Angeles chapter of AF3IRM, a transnational feminist, anti-imperialist, activist organization that mobilizes around im/migration issues, anti-trafficking/sexual exploitation, and anti-militarism and state violence. Devika serves on the Youth and Social Media Committees at AF3IRM.
Outside of her work life, Devika enjoys spending hours at the beach, fancies herself an artist and jewelry maker, and loves all things sci-fi and superheroes.
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Read Next: BuzzFeed's First Live Event Will Feature Lil Nas X, JoJo Siwa, Viral Memes and Internet Culture (EXCLUSIVE)
February 9, 2018 12:01AM PT
Digital Media Jobs in Los Angeles Grow By 11.6% in Past Decade
CREDIT: Reed Saxon/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Digital media jobs in the Los Angeles basin currently total more than 206,000 with $27 billion in annual payroll, according to a report issued Friday by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.
The report, titled Entertainment and the Rise of Digital Media in the Los Angeles Basin, found that the local entertainment industry is facing its most dramatic transformation since the 1950s when television replaced radio as the primary way to deliver content to consumers.
From 2006 to 2016, total payroll employment across these larger digital media industries increased 11.6%, adding over 30,300 jobs, while employment in the overall regional economy (across all industries in the Los Angeles Basin) grew by 4%.
“Simply put, the digitization of content is completely changing how media and entertainment companies create, produce, market, distribute and monetize content,” the report said. “In response, the L.A. Basin is seeing the emergence and rapid scaling of an entirely new industry here in the L.A. Basin: digital media.”
The report noted that homegrown digital content firms are ascending as dominant players in digital media, such as Snap Inc., Fullscreen (which was acquired by AT&T and the Chernin Group), Makers Studios (which was acquired by the Walt Disney Company), and AwesomenessTV (which was bought by Dreamworks).
“Digital content firms are expanding into more traditional forms of entertainment, such as film and television,” the report noted. “Prominent Silicon Valley, Seattle and New York firms such as YouTube, Vice and Buzzfeed are enlarging their footprint in the region as they shift from being content distributors to content creators. Not only are these new firms competing with traditional content creators, but, in some instances, they are supplanting them in market share and cultural prominence.”
The report asserted that digital media industry’s long-term sustainability in L.A. isn’t guaranteed.
“For unlike its motion picture and sound recording predecessors, this is a highly mobile industry, with few physical or geographical anchors requiring it to be in any one location over another (for example, acres of backlots are not required),” it noted. “This requires us – as policymakers, educators, government and economic developers – to do whatever it takes to create an [industry-friendly] environment that is conducive to this digital media industry’s further growth and success in the L.A. Basin.”
The report is intended to persuade community college partners towards the entertainment and digital media industry occupations that will need more middle skilled workers over the next five years through the LAEDC’s Center for a Competitive Workforce. It noted that since Hollywood has been beset by criticism for lack of diversity, it can draw more directly and easily from a local community college talent pipeline that promotes more gender and ethnic diversity in the “rank and file” middle-skill jobs.
“Connecting underrepresented communities should be a large part of our overall talent development goals here in the L.A. Basin,” the report said.
The Center for a Competitive Workforce is a partnership between LAEDC, the 19 community colleges in LA County, and LA Area Chamber of Commerce.
Los Angeles Economic Development
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HomeBusinessAunt Jemima found after nearly 100 years
Aunt Jemima found after nearly 100 years
September 10, 2015 Carma Henry Business 0
The remains of Nancy Green, the original Aunt Jemina, lie in section R3 a less attractive area in Oakland Cemetery that’s also one of the oldest portion in the burial ground. (Photo by Erick Johnson)
Nancy Green would inspire an original image of Aunt Jemima on Pancake mix products.
Over the years, Aunt Jemima’s face has been altered to reflect changing attitudes toward Black stereotypes.
By Erick Johnson, Special to the NNPA from, The Chicago Crusader
Her name was Nancy Green.
Away from the elaborate tombs and ornate grave markers bearing the prominent names of national celebrities, Chicago’s upper class and Black elite, she has been buried for nearly 100 years somewhere in Oak Woods Cemetery in Wood-lawn.
But for decades, no one knew where her grave was located. She never had a marker or headstone. She was born a slave, but rose to become a fascinating American success story. During her illustrious life, she was the original Aunt Jemima, whose face was on the label of millions of syrup bottles in American kitchens and supermarkets.
In life, Green had fame and fortune. But in death, she lies in obscurity. While the exquisite crypts and graves of Chicago’s first Black mayor Harold Washington; Ebony magazine publisher John H. Johnson; and Olympian Jesse Owens attract thousands of visitors, Green would remain six feet under for decades in an area more fitting for the forgotten.
Amid the remains of politicians, business moguls, sports legends, and journalists, lie a woman whose legacy may suffer from a career portraying a “mammy” archetype that many today view as demeaning to Black women.
But in her time, Green parlayed her talents to sell a product to millions of Americans at a time when opportunities were few for people of color. With her success, Green is considered an important figure in Black history.
Though without a marker, Green’s significant impact on American culture, Chicago’s rich Black history and efforts to desegregate Oak Woods Cemetery during the Jim Crow era, would fade long after the Great Depression, World War II and the Civil Rights Movement have ended. Her mysterious and humble burial would earn her fame in death that would rival the fame and reputation she gained in life.
Longtime Chicago resident Sherrie Williams said she had been searching for Green’s grave for 15 years. Fascinated by Green’s life, Williams poured through records, documents and researched dozens of addresses to find Green’s remains. Her searches would turn up empty. On the popular website Find A Grave, Green has a page, but there is no picture of a marker or grave containing her remains.
A search through the Chicago History Museum also turned up empty.”I was getting nowhere,” she said. “It was so frustrating and discouraging, but I kept searching.”
FINALLY FOUND
But the 93-year-old mystery began to unfold this spring when Williams, who is also president of the Bronzeville Historical Society, discovered an old obituary in the Chicago Defender that listed Green’s death as September 8, 1923.
When Williams called Oak Woods’s front office with the date listed in the Defender, her years of frustrations finally ended. Green’s grave was finally found after 93 years. “I was speechless. I immediately drove to the cemetery to see her,” Williams told the Chicago Crusader. “I was so glad I found her.”
Green is buried in section R3, Lot 291 in one of the oldest sections of Oak Woods Cemetery. Located in the northeastern corner of the 183-acre burial ground, there are no neoclassical crypts or towering obelisks here. Most of the graves have flat headstones, many of which have been eclipsed by grass or covered with dead leaves.
Unlike Oak Woods’s serene lakes and lush English landscaping, Section R3 is close to the cemetery’s six-foot brick wall that runs along busy 67th Street and an elevated train track. The rumbling sounds of the trains and the humming sounds of car engines make Section R3 a noisy area that’s far from the tranquil, park settings of Oak Woods Cemetery.
To Williams, the unkept area was an insult when she arrived to find Green’s gravesite. Her disappointment grew when she couldn’t find the exact location of Green’s grave.
“It’s as if she was thrown away or forgotten. When I was there at the cemetery, I wanted to tell her [sic] she wasn’t forgotten,” Williams said.
Upon the discovery, Williams began a campaign to secure a marker for Green’s grave. On Saturday, May 9, she gave a presentation on Green’s life and her burial during a Black Chicago history forum in Bronzeville.
Buried in 1923, Green is perhaps the first prominent Black who was interred at Oak Woods, which was then a segregated cemetery that did not sell plots to Blacks. Another famous Black pioneer, journalist and activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett, was interred at Oak Woods in 1931.
CHALLENGES AHEAD
In keeping with the cemetery’s rules for Section R3, Williams’ organization plans to purchase a flat headstone for $1,600 to honor Green.Williams could secure a larger memorial that would be more fitting to Green’s legacy, but to do that would be costly. Green would have to be exhumed and re-interred in a section that would allow elaborate markers and crypts.
Although Oak Woods tried to keep Blacks out in its early years, Blacks in the 1920s and 30s would secure plots through White families and friends, a practice that reportedly helped Wells-Barnett secure her final resting place at Oak Woods. But for the most part, clandestine business practices kept Blacks from being buried at Oak Woods.
In the 1960s, Leak and Sons Funeral Home and the NAACP led a march to desegregate Oak Woods after the cemetery rejected the remains of a Black girl. Along with Graceland and Rosehill cemeteries, Oak Woods is considered to be one of Chicago’s most prestigious and coveted burial grounds.
BIRTH OF AN ICON
Green was born into slavery on March 4, 1834 in Montgomery County, Kentucky. As a young nurse, Green moved to Chicago after 1865 to work as a cook and maid for the Walker family, whose children grew up to be the late Chicago Judge Charles M. Walker and Dr. Samuel Walker, a wealthy physician who lived on the city’s North Side, according to an old article in the Defender.
According to several reports, Green was a founding member of Bronzeville’s 165-year old Olivet Baptist Church, 3101 S. King Drive. During that time, the church had 10,000 members according to church officials and several news articles.
As a domestic, Green was known for her homemade cooking and warm, affable personality. She was referred to two businessmen – Chris Rutt and Charles Underwood – who bought the Pearl Milling Company to sell ready-mixed and self-rising pancake flour.
After watching a vaudeville show that featured a character named Aunt Jemima, the two men decided to market a product based on the fictional character. After hearing of Green’s skills and personality, they hired her to help sell their product. The men gave her a booth at Chicago’s World Columbian Exposition in 1893, where Green would help sell 50,000 orders for Aunt Jemima pancake mix.
News reports said Green was such a crowd pleaser that special policemen were hired to keep the lines moving. Green was then proclaimed the “Pancake Queen” and was awarded a lifetime contract with the R.T. Davis Milling Company, which was later purchased by the Quaker Oats Company in 1926.
Green lived at 4543 S. Indiana Ave. in a 135-year old building that still exists today. According to news reports, Green died at 89 on August 30, 1923 when she was struck by a car while walking near 46th Street in Bronzeville, then known as Grand Boulevard. The driver of the car, a doctor, said he was trying to avoid colliding with a laundry truck.
FUTURE AUNT JEMIMA
Since her death, several Blacks have portrayed Aunt Jemima. Over the years, Aunt Jemima’s appearance has been altered to reflect the changing attitudes about the character. On the label, the famous bandana is gone and her hairstyle reflects mainstream tastes.
Last year, a lawsuit was filed in Chicago by Green’s heirs and descendants of Black women who portrayed Aunt Jemima, claiming they are entitled to a share of an estimated $2 billion fortune and a future share of revenue from product sales. Quaker Oats, the company that owns the Aunt Jemima brand, claims the character was never real.
Now that Sherrie Williams has finally found Nancy Green, it bothers her that Green has not been properly memorialized – and may not be. To secure a headstone, a relative or descendent must approve the marker before it’s installed. For a person who died long ago, this may seem impossible.
“I wouldn’t have a clue of where to look and where to begin,” Taylor said. “That’s an awful lot of work to track someone.”
Westside Gazette
About Carma Henry 13852 Articles
Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861
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