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Jan 23, 1832 – Apr 30, 1883
The Bullfight - Édouard Manet was a French painter. One of the first nineteenth century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. His early masterworks The Luncheon on the Grass and Olympia engendered great controversy, and served as rallying points for the young painters who would create Impressionism. Today these are considered watershed paintings that mark the genesis of modern art.
Home > All Categories > Shop by Artist > Edouard Manet Paintings
The Bullfight
National Gallery of Art - Washington DC, United States.
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Other paintings by Edouard Manet:
The Model for the 'Bar at the Folies-Bergere'
The Laundry
Still life with Flowers
Roses in a Champagne Glass
Manet was born in Paris on 23 January, 1832, the eldest son of a high official in the French Ministry. In 1848 he failed the entrance exam to naval college. He subsequently went to sea with the merchant marine to avoid studying law, as his father wished. He became a painter against his father's advice, joining the studio of the respected academic painter Thomas Couture in 1850. Though he remained with Couture for six years, Manet gained his real knowledge of art during visits to Italy in 1853 and 1857, and to Germany and Holland in 1856. Those trips exposed Manet to the same masters who had so profoundly interpreted realism in the past: Hals, Velázquez and Goya. In 1863 Manet participated in the famous Salon des Refuses, an exhibition consisting of works rejected by the official Salon, and he came to be viewed as the hero of the nonconformists. Though Manet regarded himself as working in the tradition of the great masters, his approach was to rethink established themes in modern terms. His early notoriety was based on the subject matter of paintings such as Dejeuner sur l'herb, and Olympia rather than their style. Highly independent, and extraordinarily original in both his unconventional portrayals of modern life and his spontaneous brushwork, he struggled for academic acceptance throughout his life. Although Manet was rebellious in his subject matter, he craved official recognition, and this may be why he never 'compromised' himself by exhibiting at any of the Impressionist exhibitions. He claimed that he had 'no intention of overthrowing old methods of painting, or creating new ones'. Although he never regarded himself as an Impressionist and never exhibited with them, Manet strongly supported their choice of subject matter. Manet's refreshingly direct look at life and his spontaneous yet monumental translation of what he saw into paint earned him the position as their unofficial leader.
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Gov. Patrick cuts ribbon to open drug company's new labs
Ian B. Murphy
Sep 29, 2008 at 12:01 AM Sep 29, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Gov. Deval Patrick further championed his $1 billion life sciences initiative today by helping cut the ribbon on Cubist Pharmaceuticals’ new expanded laboratory and headquarters in Lexington.
Patrick thanked Cubist for its work in Massachusetts and commended the state’s growing biomedical industry.
“This is where cures are being made for diseases that are currently considered incurable,” Patrick said. “This is where suffering will be relieved, and you will make it happen.”
Cubist created 35,000 square feet of lab space in the expansion, with a total addition of 87,000 square feet in the last year. The company added 50 new fume hoods, high field nuclear magnetic resonance capabilities, and 3D molecular modeling.
Cubist’s largest product is cubicin, an antibiotic that treats methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), or treatment-resistant staph infections. By expanding the company’s labs, other drugs in its pipeline can be researched, developed, and produced much quicker.
Steven Gilman, a senior vice president at Cubist, thanked the town for its interest and cooperation in growing the business in Lexington.
“We established a very difficult timeline for the completion of this lab, and that wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the town of Lexington,” he said.
Norman Cohen, chairman of the Board of Selectman, said he was pleased to see businesses developing and succeeding and expanding in town.
“It’s very encouraging in these tough economic times that we have a company of this caliber who is growing in Lexington and staying for the future.”
Patrick was in Lexington in May to help break ground at Shire Pharmaceutical’s new $394 million facility on Spring Street, an expansion also promoted by the governor’s life science initiative.
Lexington Minuteman
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Postal Service honors George H.W. Bush with postage stamp
By Matt Zdun mzdun@statesman.com
Jun 17, 2019 at 9:58 AM Jun 17, 2019 at 10:03 AM
There will now be a new but familiar face on postage stamps.
The U.S. Postal Service released a commemorative Forever stamp Wednesday featuring former President George H.W. Bush in honor of what would have been the 41st president’s 95th birthday.
“It’s especially fitting to honor President Bush with his own stamp because he truly understood the power of a handwritten letter,” said Robert Duncan, chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service, at a Wednesday dedication celebration for the new stamp in College Station.
Duncan, asking for audience participation at the celebration in the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center, asked how many people in attendance had received a handwritten letter from the former president. Dozens of hands shot up.
Bush’s grandson Pierce, his former Chief of Staff Jean Becker and various other friends of the former president also spoke at the celebration, which featured a cappella arrangements by musical groups and the unveiling of a larger-than-life replica of the stamp.
Bush selected the image for the stamp, according to David Jones, president and CEO of the George and Barbara Bush Foundation. Artist Michael J. Deas painted the portrait for the stamp, based on a 1997 photograph on the cover of Texas Monthly for an article about the dedication of Bush’s presidential library.
The Texas titan died in November at the age of 94.
The Postal Service has been putting presidential likenesses on stamps since 1847 when George Washington became the first president to appear on one.
The stamps are available for purchase online and in some post offices.
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Google Earth Timelapse Tracks the Planet's Changing Surface
Google has teamed up with NASA, the USGS, and Time magazine to present a virtual trip through time spanning nearly 30 years.
By Adario Strange
May 9, 2013 9:49AM EST
The data-crunching developers at Google are renowned for taking vast amounts of information and processing it into fascinating snapshots of our world. Now the company has teamed up with several partners to harness the data culled from Google Earth and NASA satellites to produce a virtual time machine that looks at how the planet has developed over time.
Through a partnership with NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Google has released an online database of time-lapse images that show almost 30 years of satellite imagery of Earth's surface undergoing various changes. Those images can also be viewed via Time magazine's new Timelapse project, a site that aggregates and contextualizes the imagery via an interactive presentation.
To make the visualizations clear and consistent, Google began working with the USGS back in 2009 and used Google Earth Engine to parse through the roughly 2 million images that represent about 900 terabytes of data. Selecting the images with the best resolutions, as well as picking out the views free of cloud cover, the team assembled the database that spans from 1984 to 2012. The original satellite imagery was facilitated by a project known as Landsat, a series of satellites that have been orbiting the Earth since 1972.
Some of the stunning time-lapse imagery includes visuals of the development of Dubai’s artificial Palm Islands (below), the growth of Las Vegas, as well as the tragic retreat of Alaska’s Columbia Glacier, and the gradual deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon.
"Much like the iconic image of Earth from the Apollo 17 mission—which had a profound effect on many of us—this time-lapse map is not only fascinating to explore, but we also hope it can inform the global community’s thinking about how we live on our planet and the policies that will guide us in the future," Google Earth Engine's Rebecca Moore wrote in a blog post.
Internet Restored in Syria; AT&T Cuts Price of HTC First; Hipstmatic Launches Oggl
Nokia Unveils $99 Asha 501, New Operating System
Adario Strange Reporter
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By Tony Bradley, PCWorld | PT
Practical security advice
FBI Pulls the Plug on Coreflood Botnet
Coreflood is the latest botnet to get the axe. The FBI used bold, precedent-setting maneuvers to take the Corefloood botnet offline--reducing the volume of spam polluting your Inbox, and making the Internet a little safer.
A botnet is a network of infected computers (bots) that can be controlled remotely by attackers for a variety of malicious purposes. Coreflood allows compromised Windows PCs to be accessed by attackers, enabling them to steal sensitive personal and financial information in order to steal funds.
"Botnets and the cyber criminals who deploy them jeopardize the economic security of the United States and the dependability of the nation's information infrastructure," said Shawn Henry, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch in the Department of Justice press release describing the effort to shut down Coreflood. "These actions to mitigate the threat posed by the Coreflood botnet are the first of their kind in the United States and reflect our commitment to being creative and proactive in making the Internet more secure."
[ Further reading: The best antivirus for Windows PCs ]
Dave Marcus, McAfee Labs research and communications director, explained that the cybercriminals behind Coreflood created a money machine with this botnet. Marcus says that it is difficult to estimate just how much money the botnet generated, but that it likely in the tens of millions, and that it is not outside the realm of possibility that Coreflood could have raked in more than $100 million.
This is just the latest in a string of high-profile botnet takedowns. Waledac was killed in February of 2010, Bredolab was shut down in November of last year, and Rustock--following a self-imposed hiatus over the holidays--was knocked offline in March of 2011. But, there are plenty more botnets where these came from.
In a blog post, Gunter Ollmann, Research VP for Damballa, is particularly impressed with the move by the FBI to obtain a temporary restraining order authorizing the government to respond to signals sent from PCs compromised by Coreflood to order the malicious agent to shut down.
Ollmann says, "What does this mean? Well, the DoJ was allowed to impersonate the commanding servers and send a "Stop" command to the botnet agents that were tethered to the 5 illegal CnC servers. This is precedent setting.
McAfee's Marcus said, "We commend and support the actions resulting in the takedown of the Coreflood botnet and the cybercriminals that run it. This is the type of action that needs to happen to make the Internet a safer place."
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2017. crosby. playoffs.
worn during the 2017 stanley cup playoffs as crosby captained the penguins to the franchise's 5th stanley cup and his 2nd consecutive conn smythe trophy.
Sidney Crosby won his second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs in leading the Penguins to their second consecutive championship and fifth Stanley Cup in franchise history. During the regular season he scored 44 goals in 75 games which earned him the Maurice Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal scorer. Crosby was also named center of the 2nd NHL All-Star Team and was voted to the Metropolitan Division roster for the 2017 NHL All-Star Game. With 45 assists in addition to his 44 goals, Crosby finished second overall in points during the 2016-17 NHL regular season.
Crosby led all Stanley Cup playoff performers with 19 assists in 24 games during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had eight multi-point games including a personal playoff-best one goal and two assist performance in Game 2 against Columbus at PPG Paints Arena. Crosby scored at least one point and was a plus or even player in 17 of 24 playoff games. Crosby assisted on Bryan Rust's game-winning goal in Game 7 of the second round at Washington and also set up Chris Kunitz's double overtime winner in Game 7 against Ottawa in Pittsburgh.
This jersey was worn by Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby in nine games during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs including when he assisted on Chris Kunitz's double overtime game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to send the Penguins to the franchise's sixth Stanley Cup Final appearance.
The jersey was acquired by PenguinsChronicles.com from J&J Distributing on January 31, 2018 who purchased the entire set of 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs jerseys directly from the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 22, 2017. The jersey features JerseyTRAK technology from Gleason Technology inside the base of the fight strap which allows the Penguins equipment staff to scan each jersey before and after the game in which it is used. The jersey comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from the Pittsburgh Penguins and Letter of Authenticity from Gleason Technology, Inc.
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2016-17. crosby. stick.
used by sidney crosby during the 2016-17 season as the penguins captured their fifth stanley cup in franchise history.
Sidney Crosby scored 36 goals and assisted on 49 others for 85 points in being named to the NHL All-Star First Team in 2015-16. After scoring just six goals and 13 assists in his first 28 games, Crosby welcomed new Head Coach Mike Sullivan who was hired on December 12, 2015 to replace Mike Johnston. Over the next 52 games, he racked up 30 goals and 36 assists for 66 points, an average of 1.27 points-per-game. Crosby continued his elite play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs recording 19 points (6G, 13A) in 24 games while capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and leading the Penguins to their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The Penguins met the New York Rangers in the 2016 Eastern Conference First Round. After splitting the first two games of the series in Pittsburgh, the Rangers took control in Game 3 with Rick Nash's power-play goal 29 seconds into the second period. Late in the second period, with Marc Staal in the penalty box for hooking Carl Hagelin at 19:00, the Penguins power-play went to work. Just 18 seconds after the penalty, the Penguins regained the momentum of the game and series as Evgeni Malkin, who was set up at the left point, found Phil Kessel at the left circle faceoff dot who rifled a cross-crease pass to Sidney Crosby who deflected the puck past Rangers' goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The goal tied the game at 1-1 heading into the third period. Matt Cullen scored 4:16 into the third period to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead before Kris Letang scored an empty net goal with 13 seconds to play to seal the win. The Penguins took a 2-1 series lead and never looked back winning the next two games to advance to the Eastern Conference Second Round against Washington.
This stick was used by Sidney Crosby during the 2015-16 regular season.
Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates in warm-ups prior to the game against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on October 24, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Nashville Predators during an NHL game at Bridgestone Arena on October 24, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against Mattias Ekholm #14 of the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena on October 24, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
Mike Fisher #12 of the Nashville Predators skates against Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at Bridgestone Arena on October 24, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
The stick was acquired by PenguinsChronicles.com from a private collector on March 3, 2017. The stick was originally acquired from a acquaintance of Nashville Predators left wing Eric Nystrom. The Penguins played at Nashville on October 24, 2015, a 2-1 Penguins win. Crosby switched to a different model of CCM stick on November 7, 2015. The provenance of when and how the stick was acquired matches the historical timeline of actual style usage by Crosby during the 2015-16 season.
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George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt - all were self-educated and learned at home!
How Many People Are Homeschooling Now?
Most people know someone who homeschools. The growth of homeschooling means that it has become a part of mainstream America. Since laws exist that enable citizens to homeschool in all fifty states, homeschoolers are recognized as part of a national educational movement.
Research has revealed the following information:
"There were an estimated 1,700,000 to 2,100,000 children (grades K-12) home educated during 2002-2003 in the United States. Homeschooling appears to still be the fastest-growing form of education." - Brian D. Ray, Ph.D., Facts on Homeschoooling
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A Poet Who Touched Millions Of Hearts
Kahlil Gibran was a writer and poet most noted for his famous work of inspirational fiction, "The Prophet." "The Prophet" became very popular in the 60s and 70s, especially among the counterculture movement.
Gibran also considered himself to be a philosopher, sculptor, painter, theologian, and visual artist.
His written works were mostly poetry, parables, and short stories. He did not write self improvement books in the traditional sense but he did inspire people to look deep within their hearts for love and serenity.
The Life of Kahlil Gibran
Kahlil Gibran was born on January 6, 1883 in a mountainous region of modern day Lebanon. He was surrounded by lush natural beauty that later exerted influence on his painting and writing.His mother was strong-willed and deeply religious. She had a strong influence on Gibran, especially since she raised him as a single parent when his father was sent to prison for tax evasion.
Kahlil Gibran grew up in poverty and had no formal education other than what he received periodically from a village priest. In hopes of providing a better life for her children, Gibran's mother moved her family to the US in 1895.
In the new country, Kahlil Gibran's love of the arts and culture flourished as he spent his spare time in theaters and art galleries.
In 1904 Kahlil Gibran held his first art exhibition in Boston, then went on to study art in Paris under August Rodin. By 1912, he had moved back to New York, and settled into life as a writer and artist.
More and more books are also becoming available as ebooks and audibles.
Kahlil Gibran and "The Prophet"
"The Prophet" was published in 1923 and is Gibran's most well known work. The book has sold over 100 million copies and been translated into more than 40 languages. The book has never been out of print and is in its 163rd printing, being still popular today.
Sources report that Kahlil Gibran is the third most popular poet in history only behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu. The book became a counterculture classic and was embraced by the New Age movement as well.
"The Prophet" is a collection of stories as told by the prophet Almustafa as he journeyed back home from a foreign land. Each chapter is devoted to a life topic concerning the human condition such as love, work, sorrow, joy, crime, freedom, pain, friendship, self-knowledge, beauty, evil, prayer, and death. There are 26 essays in all and they subtly offer self improvement advice in the form of deep wisdom and lyric beauty.
The writings of Kahlil Gibran were heavily influenced by spirituality and mysticism. He borrowed from Christianity, Sufism, Hinduism, Islam, and Theosophy.
He is remembered for his writings on spiritual love and many of the passages in "The Prophet" make for thought-provoking spiritual quotes to remember.
Other Works by Kahlil Gibran
• "The Treasured Writings of Kahlil Gibran" is a collection of many of the poems and short stories that were written by Gibran during his lifetime. This collection is available as a Kindle ebook or hardback bound for collecting or gift giving.
• "The Broken Wings" is another collection of the simple yet profound writings of Kahlil Gibran. It is also available as a Kindle download and like other writings by this great author, it inspires peace, love, and serenity in its readers.
• "Jesus The Son Of Man" is a story by Kahlil Gibran that portrays the life of Jesus through the eyes of the people who knew him such as Simon Peter, Mary Magdalene, and Pontius Pilate.
• "Love Letters in the Sand: The Love Poems of Kahlil Gibran" is a collection of thoughts about love and the search for a soulmate. These inspirational and moving poems are simple yet beautiful, and manage to capture the many paths love leads us through during our lives.
• Poems and stories by Kahlil Gibran that were published in English individually in his lifetime and are now included in various compilations include "The Madman," "Twenty Drawings," "The Forerunner," "Sand and Foam," "Kingdom of the Imagination," "The Earth Gods," "The Wanderer," "The Garden of the Prophet," and "Lazarus and his Beloved."
The Death of Kahlil Gibran
Kahlil Gibran died at the age of 46 on April 10. 1931. He passed away in New York City from tuberculosis and cirrhosis of the liver.
A year later his final wishes were carried out and he was buried in the beloved land of his birth, Lebanon. The location is now home to the Gibran Museum which houses many of his paintings, private manuscripts and belongings from his studio in New York. The museum is in Gibran's hometown of Bsharri and all royalties from the works of Kahlil Gibran were willed to the town to be "used for good causes."
While Kahlil Gibran didn't write traditional self improvement books like many of today's personal development authors, he certainly had a gift for touching the hearts of readers and inspiring them to grow towards love.
Back to the top of this page about Kahlil Gibran Was A Poet Who Touched Millions Of Hearts
Jump to Self Help Books.
List of articles about self help books listed alphabetically: Alfred Adler, Barbara De Angelis, Maya Angelou Biography, Arjuna Ardagh, Richard Bandler, Brandon Bays, Alain de Botton, Gregg Braden, Brene Brown, Les Brown, Leo Buscaglia, Tony Buzan, Andrew Carnegie Biography, Carlos Castaneda, Pema Chodron, Deepak Chopra, Deepak Chopra Books Paulo Coelho, Stephen Covey, Peter Drucker, T. Harv Eker, Masary Emoto, Timothy Ferriss, Debbie Ford, Viktor Frankl, Mahatma Gandhi, Gangaji, Shakti Gawain, Kahlil Gibran, Daniel Goleman, Amit Goswami, Alex Grey, Stanislav Grof, David Hawkins, Louise Hay, Hermann Hesse, Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks, Napoleon Hill, Susan Jeffers, C G Jung, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Byron Katie, Robert Kiyosaki, Bruce Lipton, Ramana Maharshi, J W Marriott, Abraham Maslow, John Maxwell, Drunvalo Melchizedek, Anthony de Mello, Anthony De Mello Quotes, Dan Millman, Bruce Moen, Robert Monroe, Michael Newton, Daniel Pink, Dave Ramsey, Ayn Rand Books, James Redfield, Cheryl Richardson, Anthony Robbins, Anthony Robbins Books Carl Rogers, Jim Rohn, Marshall Rosenberg, Geneen Roth, Don Miguel Ruiz, Robin Sharma, Barbara Sher, George Soros Biography, George Soros Quotes, Eckhart Tolle, Brian Tracy Books, Neale Donald Walsch, , Joe Vitale, Lyall Watson, Alan Watts, Stuart Wilde, Marianne Williamson, Larry Winget, Gary Zukav, Best Self Help Books, Self Help Books for Women,
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Overkill AGA Download (1993 Amiga Game)
Amiga Games:
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Download full Overkill AGA:
Overkill AGA screenshots:
The first A1200-only game ever released was Maxis' Sim Earth which didn't really show off the machine's awesome capabilities at all. However, because the old saying goes "First the worst, second the best", A1200 release Number Two already had a lot going for it before anyone knew exactly what it was going to be. And the next A1200-only game, TFX, will no doubt have a hairy chest.
So, here is Number Two - Overkill, which is certainly no load of number twos. The game has been programmed by Mark Sibly, whom regular readers should recognise as the designer of Cybernetix, the top shoot-'em-up given away exactly twelve months ago by your mates here at The One. This time Mark's excelled himself by creating what has to be one of the most impressive shoot-'em-ups this side of Project-X.
As you'd expect from this kind of game there's no plot to speak of, suffice to say that there are literally thousands of alien slime-baskets waiting to be blasted to into thousands of tiny pieces (which, if you work it out, will leave one million tiny alien pieces. Yeah, thought you'd find it interesting). Once a planet has been cleared of all foreign bodies it's off to the next, progressively harder location.
This is in fact Mark's third Amiga game that we're aware of and the only one so far to be deemed worthy of a commercial release. The trio have all had one thing in common: the influences of Defender. Just why the Australians seem to have such a passionate fascination with the arcade dinosaur is way beyond us but let's hope that it continues for a long time if Overkill is anything to go by.
Now this is really something: Overkill is one helluva blast. It's immediately pickupable and just the kind of game that you can play for either hours on end or a few minutes at a time, depending on what mood you're in. In these days of sophisticated thinking men's shoot-'em-ups such as Syndicate, Dune 2, Theatre of Death, etc, etc, it's nice to get back to basics now and again and totally forget about ground-breaking game design and all that jazz. Just turn off your brain and let your reactions do the talking - that's what I say. The amount of stuff that Overkill throws around on-screen is phenomenal and proof that the game's A1200 hardware requirements really are a necessity and not the result of sloppy programming. However, in a game which borrows so heavily from Defender you'll always get one criticism rearing its head; the fact that whenever you turn around you're usually vulnerable for a fraction of a second as the game moves you to the other side of the screen. If you plan carefully and get used to this then it shouldn't present too much of a problem. The only major gripe I have with Overkill is the small number of planets you have to clear. You can clear each level within three to four minutes and although the seventeen supplied do become mind-numbingly difficult as you journey towards the centre of the solar system, you can reach over halfway through Overkill on your second or third go. But hey, Overkill is so completely ace it's definitely, definitely, definitely a game you'll keep coming back to even after you've completed it the umpteenth time.
A simple, Project-X like shoot 'em up game, from the Adid software. You control your spaceship and have to shoot eveybody who enters the screen :) It uses the AGA chipset, but the graphics is not as good as it could be.
People who downloaded Overkill AGA have also downloaded:
Overdrive, Menace, Out Run, Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight, Nuclear War, Operation Stealth, New Zealand Story, Project X
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Opposition Plotting to Tarnish Osinbajo’s Image – Presidency
November 22, 2018 emmanuelPoliticsNo Comment on Opposition Plotting to Tarnish Osinbajo’s Image – Presidency
The Presidency has raised the alarm that the fund mismanagement allegation raised against Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is aimed at tarnishing his image and paralysing the President Muhammadu-led administration.
Presidential Political Adviser, Babafemi Ojodu, in a statement on Thursday said there is nowhere in the House of Representative Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness report where there is an allegation of corruption against the Vice President.
Mr Ojodu stated that claims against Osinbajo from some quarters regarding the report are mere political contrivances intended to distract him.
“It is evident that the opposition are in search of a company for their acts of grand corruption which brought Nigeria to its knees as of May 2015. They cannot find that company in the Vice President.
“First, there is nowhere in the politicised House of Reps report where the VP was accused of corruption or embezzlement of funds. I challenge them to quote any word or sentence that makes such an accusation.
“It is now evident through the NEMA report, that the opposition is indeed making frantic efforts to tarnish the image of the Vice President,” he said.
He explained further that even after Honourable Ali Isa, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee had admitted that the Vice President was not mentioned in the report, the opposition still found it expedient to continue to attack the reputation of Professor Osinbajo.
“Even the House Committee Chairman has said there was no allegation of corruption against him. The only allegation is that he approved funds for the emergency operations in the North East from the Consolidated Revenue Fund not budgeted funds. This conclusion we have proved to be false. The funds approved were from budgeted funds, specifically the Rice Levy.
“Let us remember that the approval granted by Prof. Osinbajo was in response to the threat of hunger and starvation based on information received from the United Nation World Food Programme in April, 2017.
“The organization had issued a warning that it would be reducing its vital support to about 1.8 million IDPs by as much as 85%, due to the corresponding reduction in funding by the donor countries. Around the same time, the United Nations Commission for Refugees in Geneva also warned of the growing risk of mass deaths from starvation among people living in the conflict areas.
“Besides, it is also important to note that the procurement process was not ignored in the release of funds, as alleged. Section 43 of the Public Procurement Act makes provision for emergency procurement, in which case the procuring entity is allowed to engage in direct contracting for goods and file a report thereafter with the Bureau of Public Procurement,” he explained.
NEMA, Presidency, Yemi osinbajo
Saraki Demands Probe into Death of Offa Robbery Suspect
5 Dead, 18 Injured as Car Ploughs Through Children in China
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November 07, 2017 / Samuel Cottell
When you think of Russian music you might instantly think of Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev or the Mighty Five, but there's a name that hardly ever springs to mind: Anton Arensky. While he seems to be a lesser known composer in the grand scheme of Russian music, his own style (dubbed by his counterparts as unoriginal) might actually be the closest to sounding Russian, making him an interesting character in music history.
When Arensky was active as a musician, there were two schools of thought regarding Russian Music. The Moscow School thought that Russian music should be more akin to the Romantic tradition that was flourishing throughout Europe. Tchaikovsky's music, for example, fits this description. On the other hand, Mighty Handful (The Five) felt that Russian music should represent the nation through a Nationalistic approach by incorporating folk melodies into the classical music of Russia, giving it a distinct sound palette.
Arensky stands out from both of the schools and by taking elements distinct to each he demonstrated that Russian music could be both Russian and as Cosmopolitan as the music that was being composed around Europe. As Rimsky-Korsakov said, “In his youth Arensky did not escape some influence from me; later the influence came from Tchaikovsky. He will quickly be forgotten.”
Arensky's musical abilities are most highlighted through his chamber music, particularly his Piano Trio No.1 in D Minor (which is be being performed in our next concert, Ravel Impressions). While this trio doesn't seem to have a distinct personal voice that you could immediately identity, it does contain qualities of richness and subtlety which demonstrate the mark of a true craftsman. Filled with Lisztian virtuosity. Musically, Arensky seems to be a bridge who connects the music of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff (who Arensky was the teacher of the latter). Arensky wrote a theme and variations based on a theme of Tchaikovsky and it is filled with lush harmonies and delicate melodic ideas that come from the pen of a true Romantic.
Recently, there has been a re-thinking of the sounds of Russian music and Aresnky's music is beginning to be examined for its unique qualities, rather than being cast aside as somewhat derivative and unoriginal for its time. For instance, take the Waltz from Arensky's Suite for Two Pianos, Op.23 No.2, which captures the imagination and purity of a miniaturist composer, there is at once both the European 'sound' with tinges of the Russian 'sound', and depending on how you hear this, a balance is struck between the two.
Little is known about Arensky's personal character, yet some have indicated that he was an alcoholic and not very functional. Whatever the case of his personal attributes, his music presents a unique portrait of Russian music that is often overlooked by the two distinct musical styles that emerged from Russia as a result of the polar opposite thinking from the Moscow School and the Mighty Five. Arensky was also a teacher and had much influence on those he taught, including Scriabin, and this put him in a position to influence emerging composers through his composition classes.
There's also an interesting argument to made in looking at Arensky's music through his influence of the Orthodox Church as a the director of a choir. Through this influence Arensky was able to take age-old traditions, mix them with new ones and foreshadow the changing style that was to come. Even though his music seemed of the 'older style' as Tchaikovsky once told him to spice up and use 'new' rhythms, it is within the looking back to older forms that Arensky asserts his charm.
For instance, his Piano Trio No.1 in D Minor offers audiences and musicians the opportunity to hear what is perhaps a more accurate picture of someone who took the best of both worlds and forged a more accurate picture of Russian music's distinct sound world. Within this one piano trio we can hear the sound world that Aresnky occupied and get a glimpse of his musical thinking, particularly in the contrasting movements that shift between energetic and introspective.
By Samuel Cottell
Omega Ensemble conclude their 2017 program with a series of delightful miniatures that represent the best of chamber music. There's Mozart's charming and delightful Kegelstatt Trio, Ravel's buoyant and bluesy String Quartet as well as Gabriel Faure's second last work in a version for clarinet, piano, and cello (the original combination that the composer intended to have for this work).
Don't forget you can also explore our 2018 season which is packed with intriguing music and experiences.
Book Ravel Impressions
Explore Season 2018
Samuel Cottell
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Another first occurred at the Port of New York and New Jersey in May. On May 31, the brand new ONE APUS, a 14,000 TEU capacity containership from Singapore-based Ocean Network Express (ONE), stopped at GCT Bayonne on its maiden voyage. The 364-meter-long, 51-meter-wide bright magenta-colored ONE APUS is one of the most high-tech ships to enter the Port of New York and New Jersey. ONE APUS is the first ship to employ dual-rating system technology in its main diesel engine—a technology that facilitates flexibility in operations and boosts fuel efficiency to help reduce greenhouse gases. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing fuel efficiency areRead More →
In: Industry News/Advisory, Terminal News
The largest vessel in dimension and container cargo capacity ever to pass through the Panama Canal is headed for the Port of New York and New Jersey, arriving on May 30. The Triton will call at the Port’s largest facility, Maher Terminals, which are capable of handling multiple ultra large container vessels simultaneously. The Neopanamax container ship Triton, built in 2015, has a TEU capacity of 14,424, a 20-row beam of 51.2 meters (168 feet), and is 369 meters (1,211 feet) in length. The Triton is the first ship of this dimension to travel through the Panama Canal since the canal was expanded in 2016.Read More →
On: June 3, 2019
Seaboard Marine Service to Port of NY & NJ Connects Brooklyn’s Red Hook Container Terminal to South America and the Caribbean
Seaboard Marine enhanced their North Atlantic services to include a weekly service at the Port of New York and New Jersey, connecting Red Hook Container Terminal, Brooklyn to key ports in Central America. The “North Atlantic – North Central America” service commenced on April 29, 2019, from Santo Tomas, Guatemala. The weekly service directly connects Brooklyn, NY with El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Service started with the 2,000 TEU class Seaboard Atlantic, which arrived at Red Hook Container Terminal on May 6, 2019. The following week, Seaboard Marine launched a second ship for weekly service. The ACRUX N, a 1,740 TEU capacity container ship,Read More →
In: Maiden Voyage/Inaugural Port Call, New Service Information, Terminal News
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GED Test in New York: Online Tutoring, Goodbye
Techie · Mar 7, 2013 ·
GED Test in New York: Online Tutoring
Here’s a little bit of news to folks in New York interested or are planning on taking the GED Test in New York – She Be Gone!
Yup, the GED Test will be replaced by an exam that will be developed by McGraw-Hill, who will create their own version of the High School Equivalency Exam.
I guess in January, the state of New York won’t offer a free version of the GED Test. Instead, New York will offer a test called Test Assessing Secondary Completion, or, TASC, for short. It’s a test developed by McGraw-Hill. If you ask me, I think the acronym GED is much cooler than TASC.
TASC, SHMASK. That’s what I say.
In terms of content, the test will appear the same and will cover GED Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science, and GED History topics. And, the test will last up to 7 hours. Awesome.
I suppose what motivated the New York State was increasing costs. For the state of New York, it costs $6 Million to administer the GED Test. Representatives from the state of New York claim that the new version of the GED will cost less.
Just a little info for New Yorkers that were trying to figure out how to pass a GED or its equivalent exam this year!
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LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Candidate Age Factor – More Investigations, Trump’s Taxes
Your Daily Polling Update for Monday, May 6, 2019
Up 1 from Friday
RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on seven polls, ranging from 39% (Reuters) to 50% (Rasmussen). Without these two extremes, it would also be 45%.... President Trump’s disapproval rating averages 53% today (same as Friday), which is 8 points higher than his approval rating.
NATIONAL: DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION
% = Horserace 1/Horserace 1A = Combined Estimate
Biden: 34%/44% = 39%
Bernie Sanders: 17%/14% = 15.5%
Kamala Harris: 4%/9% = 6.5%
Beto O’Rourke: 8%/3% = 5.5%
Hillary Clinton: 6%/NA
Elizabeth Warren: 3%/5% = 4%
Cory Booker: 5%/3% = 4%
Pete Buttigieg: 4%/2% = 3%
Michael Bloomberg: 2%/2% = 2%
Amy Klobuchar: 1%/2% = 1.5%
Andrew Yang: 2%/ - = 1%
John Delaney: 1%/1% = 1%
John Hickenlooper: 1%/ - = less than 1%
Tim Ryan: 1%/1% = 1%
Candidates with less than 1% not listed
RON’S COMMENT: There will be a lot of confusing poll numbers coming out during this campaign, and this Harvard-Harris survey is an example. It appears that these numbers were based on a split sample of Democratic voters, which means half of the Democrats interviewed (286) were asked the candidate line-up in Horserace 1 (with Clinton included) and the other half (292) were asked the candidate line-up in Horserace 1A (without Clinton). For example, in Horserace 1, with Clinton in, Biden gets 34%. But in Horserace 1A, with Clinton out, Biden gets 44%.... To provide order out of this somewhat confusing mix of topline results, we’re averaging the two sets of numbers to come up with an estimate of what the two half samples, when combined, might have shown…. Note that neither Buttigieg nor Warren is doing as well as in other recent polls. The previous three polls had Warren averaging 9.7% and Buttigieg averaging 8.3%. Here, they’re at 4% and 3%, respectively. Whether this poll is a trend or an aberration, we will have to wait and see…. Note, also, that Bloomberg is included even though he says he’s not running. He is generally not included in other polls.
MORE INVESTIGATIONS, TRUMP’S TAXES
Based on what you have read or heard, do you believe that President Trump should be impeached and removed from office, or don't you feel that way?
Trump should be impeached and removed: 37%
Trump should NOT be impeached and removed: 59%
RON’S COMMENT: By party: 69% of Democrats, 30% of independents and 7% of Republicans favor impeachment and removal…. When nearly 60% of Americans oppose impeachment, it means that Democrats would be taking a dangerous political risk by pushing it…. It should be noted that in September 2018, 47% favored impeachment and removal. Now, according to these new numbers, those supporting impeachment and removal is down to 37%.
Do you think Democrats in Congress are doing too much, too little, or about the right amount to investigate Donald Trump?
Too much: 44%
Too little: 25%
The right amount: 28%
RON’S COMMENT: 10% of Democrats, 46% of independents and 84% of Republicans say “too much.”
Do you think Donald Trump should or should not release his tax returns for public review?
Should release taxes: 66%
Should NOT release taxes: 32%
RON’S COMMENT: 94% of Democrats, 63% of independents and 34% of Republicans say Trump should release his taxes.
THE AGE ISSUE: WHAT’S TOO YOUNG, TOO OLD?
by Ron Faucheux
Age is rarely an issue in presidential elections. Most candidates are neither too young nor too old. The average age of the last ten presidents upon taking office was 57.
The 2020 election, however, bristles with age issues: Five candidates will be in their 70s on Election Day, four will be in their 40s and three will be in their 30s.
Donald Trump, at 70, was the oldest candidate to ever win the presidency. If re-elected, he’d leave office at 78, the oldest president ever to serve––beating Ronald Reagan by nearly eight months.
But Trump, now 72, is one of those people who isn’t measured by age––the Dick Clark of politics. He even calls himself a “young, vibrant man.” While that may be something of a fudge, polls do show that Trump is perceived as strong and bold, traits rarely associated with geezers.
Among other septuagenarians running are three Democrats and a Republican. When the new president is elected, Bernie Sanders will be 79, Joe Biden will be 77, Elizabeth Warren will be 71 and Trump’s GOP challenger, William Weld, will be 75.
The political trap for older candidates is not age, in a narrow sense, but more widely, the appearance of generational disconnect. Are they in touch with the modern world? Do they understand the needs of younger generations? Little wonder that 50-year old Bill Clinton’s re-election slogan against 73-year-old Bob Dole was “A Bridge to the 21stCentury.”
Seventy-two-year-old John McCain lost to 47-year-old Barack Obama in 2008 not so much because of his age, but because the country wanted change, and Obama’s youth perfectly embodied a “Hope and Change” message.
When candidates are young, on the other hand, the issue becomes experience and maturity of judgment. Have they seen enough of the world to master national leadership?
Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest U.S. president. At 42, he moved up from the vice presidency when President William McKinley was assassinated. John F. Kennedy was the youngest to be elected, at 43. In one of history’s touching parallels, he replaced the nation’s oldest president at that time, Dwight Eisenhower, who was 70 when he left office.
Kennedy’s entire career symbolized generational renewal, particularly apt in the years after World War II when young veterans were climbing increasingly steep career ladders. Kennedy won his first race for Congress at 29, and campaigned on the slogan ”A New Generation Offers a Leader.” In his inaugural address, he emphasized that “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.”
Besides JFK and TR, America has had five other presidents in their 40s. The first three––Ulysses Grant, James Garfield and Grover Cleveland––were elected within a 16-year period, 1868-1884. The two most recent––Bill Clinton and Barack Obama––also won within 16 years, 1992-2008.
On the Democratic roster this year, five candidates are in their 40s and three are in their 30s. Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke will be 48 by Election Day. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan and former mayor and HUD secretary Julian Castro will be 46, entrepreneur Andrew Yang will be 45 and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton will be 42. U.S. Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Eric Swalwell will be 39. The youngest candidate, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, will be 38––although he’ll become 39 the day before the next president takes the oath.
To offer perspective: When Buttigieg was born, Biden had already served nine years in the U.S. Senate. When Sanders was born, Franklin Roosevelt was president.
America has never elected a president in his 30s, although Williams Jennings Bryan won the Democratic presidential nomination at the tender age of 36.
The world has seen old leaders full of experience and wisdom––Winston Churchill was 80 when he retired as British Prime Minister––and young ones brimming with hope and new ideas. Emmanuel Macron was elected President of France at 39.
Mark Twain once said, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” As this campaign plays out, we’ll see about that.
––See New Orleans Advocate https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/article_68f2abf2-6d1c-11e9-a189-ff0a6144a59c.html
DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION: Harvard-Harris, APRIL 30-MAY 1
MORE INVESTIGATIONS, TRUMP’S TAXES: CNN, April 25-28
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NYC Match Preview: Raiders v Titans
Brent Ford
Thu 10 Jul 2014, 10:02 AM
This week the Canberra Raiders NYC team travels to the Gold Coast to take on the struggling Titans team, and keep their slim finals chances alive.
Canberra should be fresh coming off a bye, but in the week previous to that the side was mauled by an impressive West Tigers outfit. The Raiders have struggled this year when going on the road winning just two of their eight matches when travelling this season.
Despite their poor road record coach Mick Mantelli isn’t going to change the way the team prepared for their away games, with Mantelli reiterating that the most important part of this season is to prepare top level players for the Raiders.
“No we won’t be changing anything, we can’t do much about the way we prepare for this week’s game. We’re training on Saturday morning and then flying up after that, as I’ve said earlier this year it’s not about winning and losing at this level. We’ve got to prepare these boys for first grade” he said.
They should head into the game with some confidence with the last game between the sides ending in a comprehensive victory for the young Raiders earlier this year at home.
Mantelli will continue to play Andrew Heffernan at fullback, Ricky Garard at hooker, and a halves combination of Lachlan Lewis and Matthew Frawley this week. When asked about the changes to the line-up Mantelli said it was all about preparing for the future.
“We’re looking to see where these guys can play and what positions they’re suited to and that’s what we do it for. It’s to see what positions these guys should be playing when they get to the NRL.”
The side will also be boosted by utility Jared McIlwrick returning from injury to start on the bench, and following an impressive debut Carney Doyle-Manga retains his spot on the bench.
Click here to see this week’s team
When asked about Doyle-Manga’s impact and aggression Mantelli said the team needed some size and a bit of aggression.
“We’ve lacked it (size) all year and probably the last two years we haven’t had it, so we’ve put him in there to try and combat some bigger teams in the competition. I thought he had a pretty good hit out for his first game.”
A win in this game will keep the Raiders hopes of a finals spot alive, but Mantelli said that ‘finals’ hasn’t been a discussion point amongst the team at all.
“I’d jump on it, if they were talking about it (finals) we just need to go out there and play consistent football and the results will speak for themselves.”
The match against the Gold Coast Titans will be played at Cbus Stadium on Sunday, with kick-off for the game at 11:45am AEST. This game will also be broadcast live on Foxsports 1 for all those Raider’s fans that can’t make it to the Gold Coast.
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Jacob Sullivan
Saturday March 16, 2019 12:36 PM
Man could get death sentence in former Berks teen's rape, murder
Jacob Sullivan, 46, pleaded guilty to all charges last month in a case that raised questions about the child welfare system's failure to protect 14-year-old Grace Packer.
Written by The Associated Press
DOYLESTOWN — A Pennsylvania jury will decide on life or death for a Pennsylvania man who pleaded guilty in the 2016 rape, murder and dismemberment of his girlfriend's teenage daughter, who was formerly from Berks County.
Jacob Sullivan, 46, pleaded guilty to all charges last month in a case that raised questions about the child welfare system's failure to protect 14-year-old Grace Packer, who spent years in an abusive home before she was sexually violated, drugged and then, finally, strangled in the attic of a suburban Philadelphia home.
Grace Packer
Prosecutors have said that Grace's adoptive mother, Sara Packer, watched Sullivan act out a rape-murder fantasy they shared. Sara Packer, a former foster parent and county adoptions supervisor, has agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence and could be called to testify at the penalty phase of Sullivan's trial, which opened Friday outside Philadelphia.
Sullivan's attorneys plan to argue that Sara Packer masterminded the plot against Grace , and that Sullivan should be sentenced to life.
Packer and her husband at the time, David Packer, adopted Grace and her brother in 2007. The couple cared for dozens of foster children before David Packer was arrested in 2010 and sent to prison for sexually assaulting Grace and a 15-year-old foster daughter at their home in Allentown, about an hour north of Philadelphia. Sara Packer lost her job as a Northampton County adoptions supervisor in 2010 and was barred from taking in any more foster children.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services launched an investigation after Grace Packer's murder but its findings have not been made public.
Sullivan beat and raped Grace, and she was tied up, drugged and left to die in a sweltering attic, authorities have said. Returning the next day and finding Grace was still alive, Sullivan strangled her, court documents said. The couple stored her body in cat litter for months, then hacked it up and dumped it in a remote area where hunters found it in October 2016, police have said.
Sullivan entered his guilty plea as jury selection was about to get underway. The jury that will decide his sentence must be unanimous in order to impose the death penalty; otherwise Sullivan will get life without parole.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf declared a moratorium on capital punishment shortly after taking office in 2015. Pennsylvania last carried out an execution in 1999.
Grace was the biological daughter of Rose and Rodney Hunsicker of Reading.
Berks County Children and Youth Services took Grace and two other children from the couple in 2004 and placed them into foster care.
Rose Hunsicker has said that she was deemed mentally incompetent to raise the children by the agency.
Letter: I-78 detours cause nightmare on roads
ARL declares Code Red, urges owners to mind pets amid heat wave
Berks road funding could drop by $239 million, shelving many long-needed projects
Frustrated motorist confronting bicyclists in Chester County caught on camera; police investigating
Berks County pummeled by another deluge
Berks County man killed in Maryland shooting
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Noodle Partners Expands Partnership With Tulane University
Tulane’s School of Professional Advancement to offer new online masters programs in the fall
"Through our expanded relationship with Tulane University - one of the top ranked schools in the nation, we are excited to launch a variety of new breed and in-demand online programs together, over the coming years," notes John Katzman, CEO of Noodle Partners.
NEW ORLEANS (PRWEB) April 03, 2018
Noodle Partners, the nation’s fastest-growing online higher education provider, today announced a partnership with Tulane’s School of Professional Advancement (SoPA), expanding its overall relationship with Tulane University. New online SoPA programs will focus on educating working adults and offering applied learning programs that incorporate both industry-relevant knowledge and a grounding in the liberal arts and will launch in fall 2018.
“We look forward to working with Noodle Partners to make our outstanding programs more easily accessible to students around the globe for a potentially life-changing opportunity to further develop their abilities and position themselves for career advancement,” said Suri Duitch, Dean of SoPA. “Our faculty brings both academic qualifications and years of experience in the field to their classrooms. In joining us, students are connected to our strong alumni network and to Tulane University—an institution known globally for excellence in higher education. Working with Noodle Partners we intend to revolutionize the online delivery in this important, growing field of study.”
Last year, Noodle Partners announced its agreement with Tulane School of Social Work and debuted its inaugural online Masters of Social Work program in January 2018. Notes John Katzman, CEO of Noodle Partners, “We are thrilled to work with SoPA to help lower the cost of of online, high-quality graduate degrees, while providing best-in-class service, unprecedented transparency, and agility. Through our expanded relationship with Tulane University - one of the top ranked schools in the nation, we are excited to launch a variety of new breed and in-demand online programs together, over the coming years.”
About Noodle Partners
Founded by a team of education and technology veterans, Noodle Partners creates innovative online and hybrid programs while improving traditional classroom models. Noodle Partners has the capability to work with universities on every aspect of building a certificate or degree program that they choose—marketing, student recruitment, enrollment, curriculum design, student engagement, support services, graduate placement, and alumni engagement—and provides a high level of fit and finish. For more information, visit noodle-partners.com or follow Noodle Partners on Twitter or LinkedIn.
About Tulane University
Founded in 1834 in New Orleans, Tulane University has 9 schools and 1 college, and is a member of the Association of American Universities. Tulane also ranks as “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The school has 8,452 undergraduates and 5,129 graduate students. Tulane University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, doctorate and professional degrees.
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PSAC Current Media Releases
PSAC Media Release Archive
Canada is “Closed for Business” is the message sent by the
Trudeau Government with Bills C-69 and C-48
Calgary, Alberta (June 12, 2019) – The Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC) is expressing extreme disappointment with the decision by the Trudeau government to not accept the full slate of amendments for Bill C-69 proposed by the Senate following lengthy consultation with Canadians.
Gary Mar, President and CEO of PSAC, says, “Bill C-69 in its current form will mean the end of pipeline infrastructure for Canada as no proponent would be prepared to make application or invest in the face of the uncertainty and risk prevalent in this Bill. If the Government of Canada wanted to send a signal to the world that we are closed for business, they have certainly achieved it with this Bill.”
According to a Fraser Institute report on the Flight of Capital from Canada1, investment in other countries by Canadians increased by a whopping 74 percent from 2013 to 2017 while investment into Canada plunged a staggering 55 per cent in the same period.
Duncan Au, Chair of PSAC and President and CEO of CWC Energy Services, commented, “With Bill C-69, the decline in capital investment in the Canadian energy sector over the last couple of years will only deepen and result in more job losses along with lost economic opportunities for our indigenous peoples. With the oil and gas industry’s national supply chain, that will also include manufacturing jobs in Ontario and Quebec.”
The Premiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories, representing 59 per cent of the Canadian population and 63 per cent of Canada’s GDP, wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau urging him to accept the amendments of the Senate. The amendments were drafted after the Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment, and Natural Resources heard 38 days of testimony by 277 witnesses from indigenous communities, industry, Premiers, and specialists, including PSAC. “The Trudeau government has displaced the informed and reasonable judgment of the Senate and Premiers with the uninformed and unreasonable judgment of the Federal Cabinet”, said Gary Mar.
To add to this woeful state of affairs, Bill C-48 will also curtail investment in Canada as it discriminates against crude products from western Canada limiting our options to access international markets beyond our only customer, the U.S., that happily accepts our crude at discounted prices resulting from the current lack of pipeline capacity.
Gary Mar noted that, “With these Bills, the Trudeau government has clearly made a decision that will have grave and disastrous consequences for our economic future and the prosperity of all Canadians.”
The Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC) is the national trade association representing the service, supply and manufacturing sectors within the upstream petroleum industry. PSAC is Working Energy and as the voice of this sector, advocates for its members to enable the continued innovation, technological advancement and in-the-field experience they supply to energy explorers and producers in Canada and internationally, helping to increase efficiency, ensure safety and protect the environment.
1 Niels Veldhuis, Jason Clemens, Milagros Palacios & Steven Globerman. “The Flight of Capital from Canada.” Fraser Institute, 19 Nov. 2018, www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/flight-of-capital-from-canada
Gary G. Mar, President and CEO
Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC)
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Orange adopts ULE for connected homes service
In a move that indicates how the big brands are further increasing their presence in security and home automation markets, telecommunications operator Orange has announced it is to launch a new “connected home” service based on ULE technology in France.
To enable its customers to manage connected objects in their homes in a secure way, Orange is about to launch a new “Connected Home” service in the Spring. By choosing the ULE technology for this service, close to three million homes which are already equipped with Livebox will be able to use the service from launch without the need for any additional equipment.
At the annual DECT Forum and ULE Alliance meeting in Nuremberg, Orange has announced its membership of the ULE Alliance. This decision follows on from the Group’s decision to focus on the use of ULE technology to manage the connectivity of objects within its future “connected home” service in France.
The new offer, which will be available at no extra cost, will enable users to manage connected objects in their homes through a single mobile application or through Orange future voice assistant, Djingo.
At launch a range of ULE-compatible connected objects will be marketed under the Orange name. This includes a movement detector, a smart plug, a smart light bulb and a door or window-opening sensor. These objects were developed in partnership with Deutsche Telekom.
The use of the ULE protocol reportedly provides benefits including low power consumption, extended indoor coverage and simple installation.
“Orange is now joining Deutsche Telekom within the ULE Alliance and will work alongside the other members to build a fully-fledged industrial ecosystem. Over 5 million customers of Orange and Deutsche Telekom are already equipped with ULE-compatible routers and will be able to connect to a wider range of connected objects specially designed for use in the home,” says Sylvaine Aublanc, Smarthome Marketing Director at Orange.
“I am very happy to welcome Orange among our members”, says Ulrich A. Grote, Chairman of the ULE Alliance. “I am confident that Orange’s leadership will bring substantial value to the ULE Alliance and the growing worldwide adoption of the ULE technology. Orange’s increased activities in the Alliance will certainly help us as we look to expand ULE standard’s conformance and interoperability in the Smart Home market.”
Orange and Deutsche Telekom already have established smart home offerings elsewhere in Europe.
ERA announces its acquisition of Y-cam
RISCO launches Agility 4 wireless security system
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P T. 2012;37(7):
Prescription: Washington
FDA’s New Authority on Drug Shortages
Stephen Barlas
A mammoth bill that Congress was expected to pass this month gives the FDA more authority to combat drug shortages, although skeptics may argue that the new muscle probably won’t win any flexing contests. Shortages of drugs, especially chemotherapy agents, have been a growing problem for over a decade.
The new authority is contained in separate bills that were passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate in May. These bills extend the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), whose authority runs out on September 30, 2012. Wrapped around that PDUFA extension are new user-fee programs for generic drugs and biosimilars and many other expansions of FDA authority in a number of areas. One of those expansions allows the FDA to require information from drug manufacturers when they realize that they are about to run out of specific categories of drugs, either permanently or temporarily.
The FDA has already made many of the changes anticipated by the PDUFA reauthorization bill. In December 2011, the FDA published an interim final rule that, among other things, expanded reporting beyond permanent manufacturing stoppages to temporary ones. The agency followed up in February 2012 with a draft guidance defining some of the terms it used in that interim final rule.
For example, the FDA’s reporting requirement applies only to “sole” manufacturers, but some companies have been confused about what constitutes a “sole” manufacturer. The interim final rule clarified that “sole” does not mean the sole holder of an approved New Drug Application (NDA) or an Abbreviated NDA (ANDA). Therefore, a drug company cannot rely on the Orange Book as the source for determining whether it is a sole manufacturer; instead, the manufacturer must rely on commercial data.
Neither the House nor the Senate bill goes very far beyond what the FDA is already doing, nor does either chamber go much beyond a requirement to report shortages. Both bills appear to apply to all manufacturers, not just sole manufacturers. The Senate bill, for example, says that a temporary manufacturing stoppage must lead to a “meaningful disruption” before the company is required to make a report. This term is defined as “reasonably likely to lead to a reduction in the supply of a drug by a manufacturer that is more than negligible and impacts the ability of the manufacturer to fill orders or meet expected demand for its product.” This definition leaves considerable discretion for manufacturers.
Currently, the FDA reporting requirement applies to manufacturers of life-supporting, life-sustaining, and debilitating disease–preventing drugs. The House bill maintains these three categories, but the Senate bill adds two more categories: sterile injectable products and drugs used during emergency medical care or surgery. A 2011 FDA report said that of the 127 drugs in short supply that the agency looked at in 2010–2011, sterile injectables accounted for the majority (80%).1 The major therapeutic drug classes in short supply included oncology agents (28%), antibiotics (13%), and electrolyte/nutrition medications (11%).
A permanent manufacturing discontinuation of a product must be reported at least 6 months before the date of the discontinuance. If 6 months’ notice is not possible, the manufacturer must notify the FDA as soon as practicable. When a shortage is reported, both House and Senate bills give the FDA new authority to approve alternative drugs more quickly or to expedite the inspection or re-inspection of a company’s premises. These steps might help mitigate or prevent a drug shortage.
Regardless of how the slightly differing House and Senate provisions are combined in a final bill, the legislation will not include provisions to prevent drug shortages. Neither bill forces a company to make a more thorough approach to risk management in order to prevent shortages, even though internal corporate manufacturing problems—as opposed to foreseeable manufacturing discontinuations—are as much a cause of the problem as anything else.
Nor will the final bill do anything to force manufacturers to conduct better contingency planning. According to the FDA, in an analysis of 127 drug shortages between January 1, 2010, and August 26, 2011, approximately 60% of the shortages were caused by circumstances that perhaps could have been avoided or limited if the manufacturer had undertaken enhanced redundancy or contingency planning.1
The legislation does not incorporate changes that have been supported by many hospital executives. For example, during hearings in a House subcommittee last September, Mike Alkire, Chief Operating Office of the Premier Healthcare Alliance, advocated giving the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) more flexibility to modify or transfer quotas among manufacturers when a company stops producing a drug that contains a controlled substance. That provision is not included in either bill. It is unclear whether a final bill would require the reporting of anticipated shortages of biologics. Importantly, neither the House nor the Senate bill gives the FDA the authority to enforce its reporting rules—authority it now lacks.
Extending the reporting requirement to sterile injectables, as the Senate bill does, would mitigate some shortages. It will be interesting to see whether that provision makes it into the final bill. Still, a lot of provisions that were never considered would have given the FDA much more muscle.
FDA. A Review of FDA’s Approach to Medical Product Shortages October 312011;(44 pages).
Current issue of P&T
P&T Past Issues
2019 (Vol. 44)
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Home > Authors > Profiles
Woman on the Edge: PW Talks to Philippe Djian
A controversial French novel, made into a controversial film, debuts in English translation (but the interview was done in French!)
By Wendy Smith |
Philippe Djian’s novel Elle, which Other Press will release in English translation in late May, was much discussed even before the film version garnered Isabelle Huppert an Oscar nomination earlier this year. Published in France in 2012 under the title “Oh…”, this dark tale of Michèle, a woman who is raped and later has a consensual sexual affair with the rapist, was highly controversial.
“In France, many people said, ‘this is the story of a woman who falls in love with her rapist,’” says Djian, his mouth twisted into an incredulous smile. “That is completely false. You have to remember that she knew this man before the rape: he was her neighbor, she had spoken to him; she had even found him attractive. When she realizes he is the rapist, she is not happy. But it’s complicated.”
Indeed it is. Michèle unmasks her neighbor Patrick as the rapist (he wore a ski mask during the attack) after she has forthrightly indicated her interest in sleeping with him and been baffled by his rejection. When she realizes Patrick can only have sex when it’s violent, she chooses to play this dangerous game. “This is a woman who at a certain moment in her life asks herself if she is still capable of doing something crazy,” comments Djian. “She says, ‘If I am not capable of doing something crazy, I’m already very old and I can’t do anything.’ It’s a very particular thought; I don’t think that all women think that way. This woman thinks that way.”
Djian, 67, the author of more than a dozen novels, didn’t set out to write about rape at all; that’s not how he works, he explains, speaking from his home in Biarritz. “I never know what I’m going to be writing about when I begin a book. I begin with a sentence; if that sentence interests me, if it says something to me, if its rhythm interests me…it’s the style and the language that determine the story, not the other way around. The first sentence is going to tell you those things.”
With Elle, it was the verb in the first sentence that caught Djian’s attention. “When the character says, ‘I must have scraped my cheek,’ I stopped and asked myself, ‘who is this woman?’ Simply because her choice of the word ‘scraped’ is less violent than saying, ‘I wounded my cheek.’ I asked myself, ‘Why is she on the floor? Did she catch her foot on the rug?’ No, there are broken things around her. So, she was raped. The whole story unfolded like that. I don’t write a book to explain things. I look at things. I listen to people and look at how they behave in their lives. I don’t judge.”
He credits Huppert, director Paul Verhoeven, and screenwriter David Birke for staying true to his non-judgmental attitude in the film, Elle. “I think the film has great respect for the book and is really very close to the book. At the same time, it’s another story, a story seen from a distance; it’s as if someone took a step to the side to look at the same things as me. It’s not at all the story I wrote.”
That’s because, for Djian, the essence of a story is in how it’s told. “Really, since Shakespeare’s time, they’re always the same stories! You don’t have that many different elements: passion, hate, love. I think that today the only interest for a writer is to find the tone, the melody of the world that surrounds you. What do you hear? How do you see it? That’s what interests me.”
Not that Djian aspires to write obscure novels for the happy few, he hastens to add. “In France, there is this idea that there is one kind of literature for intellectuals and another kind for the people. I find this idea suicidal for the cohesion of a society. I want to be popular, in the best sense of the word; I want to write for everyone.” He often toys with genres: the novels Unforgivable and Consequences, both published in English translations in 2010, bend detective and thriller conventions in pursuit of their characters’ psychological depths.
“People have always wanted to be entertained,” Djian comments. “That doesn’t mean that things that are made to entertain are vulgar, on the contrary. I think they are beginning to understand that in France, thanks to American television series like Six Feet Under and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. These series are very entertaining, but they also pose all the big existential questions about friendship, forgiveness, jealousy, betrayal, death. The idea that in order to tackle these important questions you must be boring is ridiculous.”
Doggy Bag, a series of six as yet untranslated novels, was inspired by Djian’s enthusiasm for American television, but he is even more enthusiastic about American literature. “I know it better than French literature,” he says. “American writers didn’t just make me the writer I am, they made me the man I am. They taught me how to live, from the time I read Jack Kerouac at 15 and he gave me a direction in my life. I have said that Raymond Carver taught me how to cross the street, and people joked about it in France. But what I was trying to explain is that an author can change your vision of the world, can change your way of living. Once you have read writers who touch you deeply, once you have penetrated their universe, you don’t cross the street in the same way, you don’t see the things the same way.”
True to the inspiration of Kerouac, Djian spent his most of his 20s on the road. “I liked to read, but becoming a writer, no; for my generation it was music and movies that appealed. I didn’t really pursue any other professions, I just traveled a lot to discover the world, discover life. But I had a summer job at Gallimard (one of the leading French publishers) when I was 14 or 15, an older man there took an interest in me, and we continued a friendly correspondence. It was he who said, ‘Why don’t you try writing?’ At the same time, I left Paris and settled in a village in the south of France; I didn’t need much money, so I could write all the time. Then I was published, in 1981 (the story collection, 50 contre 1), and right away I was making a living at it. I’ve never had another job besides writing—lucky me!”
Nowadays, in addition to his own writing, Djian conducts workshops in Switzerland and France, once again sustaining an American tradition not much esteemed on his native turf. “In France, the critics said, ‘It’s impossible, you can’t teach writing,’ which is absurd: think of great American writers like John Gardner and Raymond Carver who started like that. Obviously, I don’t make writers, but I can edit, pose questions, save them some time, help them move forward. In every profession, there comes a moment when you must give back what someone gave to you. American writers have given me so much joy through their writings that I feel I must give that to another generation.”
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Hatshepsut
(1508-1458 BCE)
The Unforgettable Pharaoh
Forget Cleopatra, King Tut, or Nefertiti—Hatshepsut was quite possibly the greatest pharaoh in history. She didn’t come to power through assassinations or war, nor did she even engage in violence. She just ruled, and ruled brilliantly.
You’d be forgiven for not knowing about her, though. Thanks to a sustained campaign by her successors to erase all traces of her reign (more on that in a bit), it was not until fairly recently that she came back to historical prominence. She was rediscovered because her time in power saw such an incredible proliferation of architecture, statues, and art that it proved impossible to scrub mention of her from everything. So many of her artifacts have survived to the present day that almost every major museum in the world has at least one artifact from her reign. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has an entire room devoted to her.
All this out of a reign of only 22 years, 1,500 years before the birth of Jesus.
In fact, speaking of Jesus—you know the myrrh that the wise men brought to his birth? That gift was almost certainly made possible by Hatshepsut’s import of myrrh to Egypt, 1,500 years earlier, in the first recorded attempt to transplant foreign trees. While this may not sound impressive on its face, she had brought them in from the land of Punt—an act that, for the time, was akin to going to the moon. Many talked about doing this, but she was one of only a handful to ever pull it off. This was just one of the many nigh-miraculous acts she pulled off in order to legitimate her claim on the throne.
Like many ancient female rulers, Hatshepsut was never meant to be in power. She ascended to rule when her father and brothers died suddenly and the heir to the throne was too young to rule. She spent much effort on her own PR—besides the aforementioned trip to Punt, she oversaw the creation of multiple statues of herself as pharaoh (in various androgynous guises, including with the pharaoh’s false beard). These building efforts culminated in a 10-story-tall stone obelisk that displayed her official history. In it, she is portrayed as divinely conceived and the rightful ruler as appointed by the gods. Essentially she was saying, “I’ve always been king.”
Eventually, she stepped aside, and the young ruler Thutmose III—with whom she’d, strictly speaking, been co-ruling, although she’d been doing everything herself—went about establishing his own legitimacy, as a man who didn’t need a woman’s help. A large part of that was taking credit for all of Hatshepsut’s accomplishments by attempting to erase her name from everything. This damnatia memoriae went on for decades, but he could never erase her entirely.
(enjoy the art? you can get it as a poster, shirt or phone case!)
She’s got the pharaoh’s beard, flail, and crook here.
This is the front entrance of The Temple of Hatshepsut, an actual temple that survives to this day. Thutmose III is off smashing stuff in the background.
All of the hieroglyphs are actual ones from her reign, although they’ve been shuffled around to display as many as possible in one place. On the ceiling, you can find some of the tales of her ships that went to Punt.
Thanks to Jenifer Castellucci and Amanda Klimek for help with corrections on this!
The previous hint was:
Cooney, Kara. The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt. New York: Crown.
When her brother was killed, this pharaoh took her time cooking up revenge.
More before-and-after from the book
Posting a couple more before/after revamps from the book - this time with commentary on what I changed and why!
Next: Beloved
Prev: Vera Peters
Nzinga Mbande
Mother of Angola
Taytu Betul
The Bad Cop Empress of Ethiopia
Tamar of Georgia
Holy Righteous King of Georgia
Moremi Ajasoro
Spy Queen of the Yoruba
Andamana
The Lady Who Laid Down the Law
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Wednesday 15 February 2017
Uzbek Banker Released After 19 Years In Prison
By RFE/RL's Uzbek Service
Relatives and rights groups say Rustam Usmonov's imprisonment was politically motivated.
A pioneering Uzbek banker who was widely seen as a political prisoner has been released after serving his 19-year sentence.
Relatives of Rustam Usmonov, 69, told RFE/RL on February 15 that he was released on February 13.
Kyrgyzstan-born Usmonov became the owner of Uzbekistan's first-ever private bank, Rustambank, in the wake of the 1991 collapse of the communist Soviet Union.
He was found guilty of extortion and illegal currency-exchange operations and sentenced to 14 years in prison in 1998.
In 2012, his prison term was prolonged by five years for what the authorities said was "bad behavior while in custody."
He spent the last five years of his sentence in the infamous Jaslik prison in the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakistan.
Relatives and rights groups say Usmonov's imprisonment was politically motivated.
In November, organizations including Human Rights Watch and Freedom House called on the government of then-interim President Shavkat Mirziyaev to release him along with several other people they said were "imprisoned on politically motivated charges."
Activists have urged Mirziyaev, who was elected to a five-year term in December, to improve what they say is the tightly controlled Central Asian country's atrocious human rights record.
U.S. Citizen Wanted In Uzbekistan For Alleged Terrorism Detained In Georgia
By RFE/RL
Tashkent says the U.S. citizen is wanted on various charges including "saboteur activities."
A U.S. citizen wanted in Uzbekistan on suspicion of crimes related to terrorism has been detained in Georgia.
Georgia's Interior Ministry said on February 15 that a 39-year-old American citizen, identified only as L.K., was detained at the international airport in the capital of Georgia's Ajara autonomous region, Batumi.
The statement said that the U.S. citizen was detained on the request of Interpol's bureau in Tashkent. According to the ministry, the man is wanted in Uzbekistan for alleged terrorism, creation of a criminal group, "saboteur activities," and illegal ammunition possession.
The suspect's possible extradition to Uzbekistan is pending, it said.
Ukrainian President's Office Proposes Sentsov, Vyshinsky Prisoner Swap
Hitler, Cows, And Lesbians: 25 Years Of Lukashenka's Outlandish Views
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Annual U.S. Rights Report Cites Suffering Of War-Zone Civilians
March 11, 2010 18:22 GMT Updated March 12, 2010 08:11 GMT
By Heather Maher
The police crackdown on antigovernment protesters in Iran
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. State Department's annual human rights report says more than 30 wars and armed conflicts around the world are fueling human rights abuses, including what it calls "an alarming number of reports of torture, extrajudicial killings, and other violations of universal human rights."
The annual report, which is mandated by U.S. Congress, is actually 194 individual country reports on human rights practices, which are researched and written to provide what the State Department says is "the most comprehensive record available of the condition of human rights around the world."
The reports criticize or praise the human rights records of U.S. friends and foes alike.
At the report's release, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the reports give the United States a "good assessment of the situation on the ground" in the places where it wants to make a difference on human rights.
"The reports released today are a record of where we are. They provide a fact base that will inform the United States' diplomatic, economic, and strategic policies toward other countries in the coming year," she said. "These reports are not intended to prescribe such policies, but they provide essential data points for everyone in the United States government working on them."
'Essential Tool'
For human rights activists and governments around the world, Clinton said the information is a useful tool to help gauge progress and identify areas where problems remain.
"These reports are an essential tool for activists who courageously struggle to protect rights in communities around the world, for journalists and scholars who document rights violations and who report on the work of those who champion the vulnerable, and for governments, including our own, as they work to craft strategies to encourage protection of human rights of more individuals in more places," Clinton said.
A major finding of the report is that where armed conflict or wars raged in 2009, "noncombatant civilians faced human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law."
In many of these conflict zones, the report says, "insurgents, terrorist organizations, paramilitary forces, and government security forces used murder, rape, and inhumane tactics to assert control over territory, silence opponents, and coerce the cooperation of civilian communities."
An Afghan man in hospital following an attack by Taliban insurgents in November
The report singles out civilians in Afghanistan in particular as having endured the worst violence in their country last year. With one-third of the country in deep conflict, the State Department says the Afghan government has been unable to adequately protect people living in rural areas.
On Iraq, the report cites accounts of unlawful or arbitrary killings by the government or its agents in connection with the 7-year-old war there. It says bombings by insurgents and terrorists, executions, and other killings affected all regions and sectors of society. Violence against journalists in the country also continued, and there were frequent attacks by insurgent and extremist groups on places of worship and religious leaders, as well as sectarian violence.
New Restrictions Imposed
The report says in 2009 many governments continued to exert control over what information their citizens could receive by restricting public gatherings, Internet use, radio, television and print media. In many countries, civil society groups were prevented from operating by new laws aimed at blocking their work.
The assistant U.S. secretary of democracy, human rights, and labor, Michael Posner, cited a finding from the National Endowment for Democracy.
"No less than 25 governments in the last couple of years have imposed new restrictions on nongovernmental, human rights, and other organizations -- the right to organize, the right to assemble, the right to gather and collect funds from abroad," Posner said.
The report states that Iran's poor human rights record only got worse during 2009.
Iran’s “already poor human right situation rapidly deteriorated after the June elections,” Posner said. “At least 45 people were killed in clashes. Thousands were arrested. Another thousand were arrested in demonstrations in December. It is a place where we are continuing to see severe repression of dissent and are continuing to pay great attention."
Aside from the election, the report says prison conditions in Iran often were unacceptable, and that prisoners often were held in solitary confinement and otherwise abused.
The government also waged a crackdown against advocates for the rights of women, ethnic minorities, student activists, and religious minorities, the report says, and severely restricted its citizens' privacy and access to a free news media.
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka
In Belarus, the State Department says the government's human rights record "remained very poor as civil liberties, including freedoms of expression, assembly, association, and religion, continued to be restricted."
Although Belarus has a bicameral national legislature and a governing cabinet under a prime minister, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has directly run all the country's institutions since he was elected president in 1994, the State Department said.
It says Belarus human rights record remained -- in its words -- "very poor" in 2009, as Lukashenka has undermined the rule of law and manipulated elections since 1994, and that the parliamentary vote in September 2008 didn't meet international standards.
The report says civilian leaders effectively maintained control of the country's military, but adds that members of the armed forces nevertheless commit human rights abuses.
For example, the Minsk government couldn't account for politically motivated disappearances, the document says, while prisoners are abused in government custody, and prison conditions are extremely poor.
The government also maintained the practice of arresting and imprisoning its citizens for such political crimes as criticizing state officials or joining demonstrations.
The report also highlighted discrimination against the ethnic Polish population and Roma. It said authorities continued to harass the unrecognized Union of Poles, its head Andzelika Borys, and her associates.
Georgia had serious human rights deficiencies in 2009, the report says, but it also had what it calls "significant" human rights achievements in the same year.
The report says that country -- whose latest national elections, in 2008, were flawed -- saw at least one death that may have been caused by an excessive use of force by police, as well as poor prisons, abuse of prisoners, arbitrary arrest and detention, and politically motivated imprisonment and assaults.
The government also used excessive force in breaking up demonstrations, a lack of due judicial process, government pressure on the judiciary, and corruption in the government, according to the document.
"I think what we see in this year's report, as we have in previous reports, is that Georgia is still very much a society in transition. It is a society in transition from a past and a legacy of occupation and totalitarian government and conflict for many years in the recent past. And transitioning out of that legacy is more than simply a matter of passing a certain number of laws, joining a certain number of international bodies," U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John Bass told RFE/RL's Georgian Service.
But 2009 also saw the passage of a reformed criminal code providing for fair trials, and an amended election code for the direct election of the mayor of Tbilisi, the capital.
"We actually assess that the degree of media freedom has declined, and that obviously is an area of concern for us," Bass added in connection with the report.
Meanwhile, human rights flagged in the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, at the expense of ethnic Georgians.
'Neither Free Nor Fair'
Russia is cited for its efforts to "weaken freedom of expression and media independence" by influencing the editorial direction of state-owned media companies and pressuring the few independent media organizations left to produce only positive coverage.
The report called the country's presidential election in 2008 "neither fair nor free."
Natalya Estemirova
It also pointed to what it called "direct and indirect government interference" in regional and local elections.
While civilian authorities mostly maintained control of Russia's military, the State Department says, that was not the case in the North Caucasus.
The document also cites many reports of human rights problems at the hands of the government and others, as well as police abuses and corruption, harsh prison conditions, and the killings of human rights activists and investigative journalists, including Natalya Estemirova, who was known for documenting cases of killings, torture, and disappearances that she linked to authorities in Chechnya.
As a result of violence and the harassment of reporters, the report says, news in Russia is self-censored. It also reports continued extra-judicial killings in the North Caucasus, where Moscow is fighting insurgents.
The State Department report states that Ukraine is a democracy whose parliamentary elections have been widely viewed as free and fair, and its military is properly controlled by the country's civilian leadership.
Nevertheless, the report says, human rights problems persist two decades after Ukraine achieved independence from the Soviet Union. The document points to what it calls reports of "serious police abuse," including the beating and even torture of people in custody.
Prison conditions are also harsh, the report says, and pretrial detention is long and arbitrary. The country's judiciary is corrupt, and corruption is widespread in the government and throughout society.
Furthermore, anti-Semitism is not uncommon, according to the study.
The document cites instances of violence and discrimination against women, children, homosexuals, Roma, Crimean Tatars, and people of what the document called "non-Slavic appearance."
It highlights human trafficking as another serious problem. Limits also were put on workers' ability to join trade unions.
On a positive note, the report says 2009 saw the establishment of an office to fight corruption, and another to keep better track of hate crimes.
The U.S. criticizes the government of Uzbekistan for tightly controlling the media and not allowing the publication of views critical of the government.
Red Cross workers take a controversial census at a camp for Roma on the outskirts of Rome.
Vulnerable Groups Targeted
The report also identifies a trend in the past year where members of vulnerable groups -- racial, ethnic, and religious minorities; the disabled; women and children; migrant workers; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered individuals -- were marginalized or became targets of societal or government-sanctioned abuse.
It points to an uptick in the number of killings and violence against members of the Roma minority in Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, and notes that the group as a whole has suffered racial profiling, official discrimination, and mistreatment by the police.
In China, the report says the government's already "poor" human rights record is worsening against minorities, public interest lawyers, and people thought to oppose the state. It says the government's repression of Uyghurs and Tibetans, in particular, has led to long prison terms, extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, and executions.
In many countries in the Middle East, the State Department found evidence that violence against women, violations of the rights of children, and discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, sect, and ethnicity "were common."
Vaclav Havel Urges Iran Student Leaders Not to Lose Hope
UN Torture Envoy Says Concerned About Iran
Garry Kasparov Talks About Putin's Endgame
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Court Urged To Overturn Decision Laying Blame On Dutch For Srebrenica
The Supreme Court in the Netherlands has been urged to overturn a ruling holding the country partly liable for the deaths of about 300 Muslim men in Srebrenica in 1995 during the Bosnian war.
Thaci Urges Kosovo’s Lawmakers To Consider Western Ties When Talking Tariffs
Kosovar President Hashim Thaci says the country’s politicians need to look at the broader picture as they consider what to do about a retaliatory tax levied on imports of Serbian goods.
Haradinaj Says Tax On Serbian Goods, Relations With Belgrade Shouldn't Be Linked
Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj says Kosovo’s tax on Serbian goods is a sovereign decision and not something that can be tied to negotiations with Belgrade on normalizing relations between the two countries.
No Classes, No Exams, No Problem For Students At Bosnia's Degree Mills
Fake education is becoming an issue for one of Europe's youngest and poorest countries.
Bosnian Serbs Celebrate Controversial 'Republika Srpska Day'
Bosnian Serb leaders led celebrations to mark the The Day Of Republika Srpska, a disputed statehood holiday that has been banned by the central government of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Bosnian Serbs have celebrated a controversial holiday despite strong opposition from other ethnic groups in Bosnia who view it as discriminatory.
Banja Luka Residents Defy Ban, Light Candles For Dead Student
Residents of Banja Luka have defied a ban and lit candles to honor a 21-year-old student whose unresolved death has fueled months of protests alleging a police cover-up.
Bosnians Defy Ban, Light Candles For Dead Student
Scores of Bosnians have defied a ban and lit candles to honor a 21-year-old student whose unresolved death has fueled months of protests alleging a police cover-up.
He Was Shot But Survived The Srebrenica Massacre At Age 7. Now He's Rebuilding His Life.
As a 7-year-old, he lost nearly everything in the Srebrenica massacre, but a Facebook campaign is giving him a new chance.
Thousands Rally Again In Bosnian Serb Capital Over Student's Death
Thousands have rallied peacefully in the ethnic Serb-dominated entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina to support a man whose push to learn the cause of his son's death has raised questions of police interference in the case.
In Bosnia, Father Vows To Learn Truth About Son's Death
A father whose push to learn the cause of his son's death has sparked months of protest and his own detention has vowed to push on with his cause after being released by police in the capital of the Serb-dominated entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Protests, Detentions In Bosnia As Family Of Victim Seeks Answers
Police in Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina, detained a man who has been fighting for a further investigation into the disputed case of his son's death. His detention set off a wave of protests and further arrests on December 25 as activists vowed to continue rallying for justice for the victim.
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PC Game Reviews •
Anno 1800 •
Wot I Think: Anno 1800
Only the best for the captain's table
17th April 2019 / 12:00PM
Developer: Blue Byte
From: Epic
For: £50
After playing through Anno 1800’s early game a few times (I’m one of those ghastly bastards who tends to compulsively restart if things aren’t going exactly my way), I started writing a very different article to the one you are now reading. The issue was, I hadn’t realised I was playing the early game at all. I had the feeling I’d seen the lion’s share of what there was to see, and was ready to pack up and write something along the lines of “great fun, but I’m not sure about replayability”. Then I played some more. And some more. And around six hours later, like someone who’s seen a handful of wasps in their house and so decides to go up into the attic to try to find out why, I was forced to drastically re-evaluate my position. Folks, Anno 1800 is… a lot.
Before I get too heavily into the nuts and bolts, I’ll put it plainly: Anno 1800 is the most impressive city-builder I’ve ever come across. I say that as a serious fan of the city-building genre, too. But I’m going to stop just short of saying it’s the best city-builder I’ve ever played, because I’m not sure yet. It very well might be, but I’m going to have to put in many more hours before I know whether its idiosyncrasies will make me fall hopelessly in love with it, or drive me away entirely. In that sense, it’s a bit like a brooding moneylord from a nineteenth century novel. Which is appropriate, because that’s pretty much what you play as in Anno 1800.
The game tasks you with navigating the full range of social and technological changes experienced by Western Europe during the nineteenth century, via the twin media of depositing buildings on a map, and moving boats around (well, not the full range of social and technological changes, but I’ll get to that much later). It starts with sawmills, sheep farms and schnapps, and ends with railways, electricity and champagne.
This is the grim satellite town where all the orcs live, leering sullenly at the gleaming city on the horizon. Oh shit, Tolkien was talking about the class system, wasn’t he?
That’s a fairly ambitious remit, but based on the first couple of hours of play, there’s really not much to separate the game from the generic city-builder experience: you put your resource-producing buildings down, you put your houses down to supply them with workers, and then you use what they make to create further, more complex resource production setups. Repeat until you’ve done the industrial revolution.
Indeed, at first, the game feels like it’s had much of the genre’s usual complexity stripped away: as I laid out my starting settlement, I was surprised to find there was no need to devise public transport systems, or go through the usual rigmarole of making sure houses were near enough to workplaces to supply labour, while at the same time not being too near smelly or loud buildings that might upset the residents. I didn’t even have to worry about unemployment – the game seem delighted for me to have as many surplus citizens as I wanted. Interestingly, having these mechanics stripped away only made me realise how little I missed them.
(For all that praise, Anno 1800 still includes fire stations and police stations – my most hated mechanic in all city-builders – which must be plopped down at regular intervals in order to avoid the arbitrary chore of managing fires and riots. This isn’t even a complaint about the game, so much as the genre as a whole. I just wish someone would think of a new way to handle fire and crime in games, beyond the binary solution of “put this object down to make this thing not happen”.)
Soon, however, the reason for this apparent simplicity became clear. Because if there’s a single, core concept that separates Anno 1800 from the rest of its cohort, it’s the idea of simultaneity. Not the Einsteinian concept of simultaneity, which I don’t really understand, but the principle of “loads of shit happening at once”. Because in Anno 1800, loads of shit is always happening at once, and that’s both the game’s biggest strength, and its biggest weakness.
To illustrate, here’s how a session tends to progress.
A standard low tier one settlement, with pretty much everything it needs to get to tier two. In the same way soldiers train to load guns well quickly, I’ve drilled myself to the point where I can lay out one of these bad lads in about four minutes flat.
You start off with your first island, and it’s a fairly clear business, as I said. You get a housing grid and a market set up, a timber industry to allow for more construction, and then you work on fish to feed your settlers, and wool to clothe them. Then you grow spuds to make farmyard-strength blackout juice, and your houses level up to the second tier, opening up a whole new range of things to produce.
This process is all quite sedate, and gives you time to actually zoom in and enjoy the superbly beautiful, superbly detailed life of your city at street level. Or just to look at the sea. By Grond, the sea is gorgeous in this game. I was playing with graphics set to Dog Mode, as I spent most of my game time on a PC at the very lowest end of the game’s performance requirements, and it still looked outstandingly good.
After a while, though, you’ll discover your island doesn’t have the mineral deposits, or the soil types, required to produce the things you need to upgrade your housing to the next tier of the total five on offer. And so you load your initial ship up with the materials you’ll need to found a second colony that can supply these things, and you go out and settle it.
Now you’ve got a whole second island, with its own population and labour requirements, its own tier level, and its own pool of resources. In fact, unless you ship things between islands via boat, all that carries over is your treasury. And so you go about the business of repeating the early game city-constructing all over again, all the while continuing the development of your first colony, now that it has the imports it needs.
Apparently a comedian has arrived??
Then you’ll get the option to send an expedition to discover the new world, so you load up a ship to do that. When it arrives, there follows a sort of super-light Choose Yer Own Adventure minigame, in which you guide your ship through various multiple-choice narrative challenges, brought up by occasional prompts from a growling sea captain in the corner of the screen. Opening up Captain Bumeggs’ House of Decisions doesn’t pause the game either, so if one of your two colonies bursts into flames while you’re pondering whether to have your first mate stab a parrot or not, it’ll carry on merrily burning.
Then, back on the main map, one of your AI competitors (who will be building towns just like you are) will offer you a mission, and you’ll take it because you need the money. So you’ll have to click your ship around the map, RTS-style, in order to pick up floating crates for them. Halfway through, Captain Bumeggs will pop up again, demanding you resolve another nautical fiasco in the depths of the tropics.
Finally, you’ll be getting back to the development of your neglected second colony, when Pirates Will Happen, mangling half the sloops in your meticulously planned trading network. So you’ll have to repair your trade set-up, and sort out some warships to deal with the buccaneering sitch.
Then, at last, in the middle of all this, you’ll discover the new world – an entire new main map, (even more beautiful than the first, by the way) where you’ll want to set up a whole new colony to supply tobacco, sugar or other such luxuries for the toffs back home. This means starting from the early game all over again, with a whole new chain of structures and resources, while periodically switching maps to run your original cities, chase pirates, and fetch crates for AIs.
My capital in the new world: a city built on fried plantains, ponchos, and an overwhelming case of second child syndrome.
And then Captain Bumeggs, who you prayed had retired or caught scurvy, shows up yet again to coax you into further adventures. This time you’re after animals. For your zoo. Because your original city is now a tourist destination. Which means you need to move all your ugly factories away. To another island. In addition to the three you’re already running.
It goes on. Soon enough, you’re running four or five separate citybuilder sessions at once, while simultaneously playing a naval RTS, and occasionally a narrative adventure game DM’d by Captain Bumeggs. And you can’t pause any of them (well, you can pause, but it’s the sort of pause screen that forbids you from meddling with the world outside of the boundaries of time). The UI does a superb job of keeping tabs on all the various things you need to do at any one time, but something will usually slip.
Here he bloody is.
As I said at the start, it’s a lot. And you can’t approach the issue by just taking things at your own pace, because the AI will be relentlessly expanding, 4X style, and will war you right up if they get too far ahead.
It’s a shame, in a way. I found that after a while, I wasn’t taking any time at all to appreciate the fine detail of the game’s artwork, nor was I putting any time into laying out my cities beautifully, as I was so anxious to keep all of my many plates spinning. I couldn’t even take the time to properly read the entertainingly fruity ramblings of the good Captain, as I couldn’t finish a paragraph without a crisis unfolding elsewhere. It was all phenomenally engaging – the kind of stuff you can lose whole days to in a haze of dopamine – but at times it straddled the line between fun and work.
My capital’s jolly pub, where Captain Bumeggs goes to drink away the tears every time I tab out of one of his adventures.
Furthermore, and this might be pedantry or incompetence on my part, but for a game that relies so much on constantly switching focus, it’s got a rubbish minimap. It’s too small, and because it represents your field of vision as a cone, it’s extremely hard to centre your vision on finer details such as moving ships.
But even without going into the plus points of all this simultaneity (and there certainly are plus points) it’s worth pointing out that all the negatives pretty much vanish when you consider playing Anno 1800 in multiplayer co-op mode. With another captain of industry at your side, and a little communication around the division of labour, you could focus entirely on city development, while your partner took on the mantle of Boat Lord. Or, you could decide to each focus on one of the world maps, if you both wanted to handle RTS and city-building duties.
Multiplayer co-op is one of the hallmarks of the Anno franchise, and it’s been confirmed that it will be added to Anno 1800 “after launch”. There’s still no firm date for when, but one would hope it would be soon, considering it seems like the ideal way to play the game. In the meantime, you can play Anno 1800 as a competitive multiplayer game right now, and even that seems like it would iron out a lot of the game’s hectic pace, if played between a group of people at a similar skill level.
While we’re on the subject, it’s worth noting that sandbox and multiplayer are the only game modes currently worth extended play. The campaign mode, while lovingly made and by no means an afterthought, is essentially a very long and elaborate tutorial. It’s informative, but it spends a hell of a long time finding busywork for you in between the game’s vital lessons, and if you want to learn the ropes, it’s probably quicker just to jump in and fail. Horses for courses, I suppose.
Even as a single player experience, the whack-a-mole nature of Anno 1800 brings as many positives as negatives. Most obviously, the ability to run multiple concurrent colonies, all with their own development trajectories, means you can essentially play an entire Caesar-threesworth of city-building challenges during one mammoth session, with all of your successes feeding into one another.
Battlefleet: Gothic Revival
The plate-spinning also means you are never, ever bored during play, nor do you encounter the sort of miserable late-game malaise endemic to the strategy genre at large, in which you coast by for hours, miles better than anyone else in the game, waiting for the numbers to tell you that you’ve won.
Finally, if the game seems overly frenetic to a new player such as me… well, good? I might just be rubbish, and I certainly know I could do better. This sort of challenge, in which you can tread water but frequently realise you could be doing so much better, invites enormous replayability as you look to develop an instinct for a game’s rhythms. We all accept that’s a good thing in, say, Sekiro – so why not Anno 1800?
The only criticism I’d add here, is that with the premium the game puts on players learning to master its systems, it would be good to be given a few more resources with which to do so. The most obvious example of this is the need for more accessible data. In a game where the generation and trade of a huge variety of resources is central, I’d like more information available to me on how much of what I’m trading, what I’m overproducing, where demand is increasing, etc.
Happily, right after I drafted the last paragraph, I spotted a release from Ubisoft, confirming that much greater stats visibility will also be added to the game as free DLC some time after launch. While it’s a shame it’s not included from day one, it at least makes me feel a bit less of a nerd for feeling the lack of it. I’ll be interested to see what’s available: I’m not asking for the Full Paradox when it comes to data visualisation, but I’d like to be able to do at least a little more accountancy in this fun game about settling tropical islands.
Whoops how did this screenshot from Sausage Trader 2000 get in this article?
Speaking of settling tropical islands, I suppose I should mention my deepest point of unease with this game. And it almost feels unfair to do so, as it’s not really the fault of developers Blue Byte at all. But still, it should be said.
In a game which is emphatically about colonialism during the industrialisation of Europe, and which focuses heavily on the settling of implied Caribbean islands, it feels seriously fucking odd to ignore slavery.
It’s an elephant so large in this patch of history that the room has been built around it, and yet Anno 1800 sidles around its protruding, scrimshawed tusks as if there were nothing there. I’m certainly not saying the game should have allowed players to take part in the slave trade, as that would have been monstrous, but it feels almost as uncomfortable to just… pretend it didn’t happen?
The same goes for the genocide of indigenous peoples, the crushing misery of urban poverty, and the nightmare of mechanised war. The game does go some way to addressing the tension around workers rights in the aftermath of industrialisation, and has a genuinely amusing satirical take on propaganda, but otherwise paints a fairly Disneyland picture of what was, let’s face it, an extremely harrowing time for anyone who wasn’t a white man in a fancy hat.
The newspaper, one of my favourite features in the game. It’s edited by a spineless, simpering chump who’ll print anything you order him to, conferring a variety of buffs to your islands in exchange for a cost to your reputation. He’s a rubbish journalist.
Still, to Blue Byte’s credit, they’ve been very careful not to anchor this game within the bounds of either geography or history – there are no dates, and no countries besides the ‘old world’ and ‘new world’ mentioned at all. As a community rep for Anno said in an online Q&A last June, “Anno has always been more about a tongue-in-cheek reference to history than an accurate representation of it, hence why we will not feature real life personalities and nations.”
I think, if you were looking to make a game exploring the material complexities of industrialisation, but didn’t feel equipped to tackle the full psychic weight of it, that would be the fairest approach you could take. But still, it doesn’t quite sit easily.
Ultimately, I wouldn’t go into criticism this detailed if I didn’t think this was a game worthy of it. Anno 1800 could have been any one of a hundred shades of mediocre, and I would have had a much lighter, breezier time talking about it. But whether I end up adding it to my list of perennial must-plays, or retiring it in despair at the whimsical capering of Captain Bumeggs, it’s an undisputed heavyweight, and an experience I’d recommend to anyone.
Tagged with Blue Byte, city-builder, feature, review, Ubisoft, wot i think, Anno 1800.
More about Anno 1800
Nate Crowley was created from smokeless flame before the dawn of time. He writes books, and tweets a lot as @frogcroakley. Each October he is replaced by Ghoastus, the Roman Ghost. You can email him at: nate.crowley@rockpapershotgun.com
Streets Of Rogue review
An elaborate flummox
Who taxis the taximen?
Premature Evaluation: Griftlands
Drinks all round
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You are not currently tracking Garou
Active Streams16
Artist RP Ranking44%
Garou on Wikipedia
Garou in 2013
(1972-06-26) 26 June 1972 (age 44)
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Sony Music Canada, Sony Music France
Daniel Lavoie, Patrick Fiori, Celine Dion, Marilou, Michel Sardou, Elizabeth Blouin-Brathwaite, Notre-Dame de Paris
www.garouonline.com
Pierre Garand[1] (born 26 June 1972), known by his stage name Garou (a diminutive of his last name "Garand"), is a French Canadian singer from Sherbrooke, Quebec.
He is known for his work in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris (playing Quasimodo in both the original French and English casts) and the No. 1 hits "Belle", "Seul", "Sous le vent", and "La Rivière de notre enfance". He currently holds the SNEP record for most weeks at No. 1.
2 Collaborations
4 Philanthropy
Garou began playing the guitar at the age of three at the encouragement of his father (he also plays piano and trumpet). He went on to serve in the military and started a band in 1992 called the Untouchables. In 1997, he was discovered by Luc Plamondon while singing American blues tunes in a Sherbrooke bar. He was drafted by Plamondon to play the role of Quasimodo in his musical Notre-Dame de Paris, which made him a star in France.[2]
His first album Seul became the best-selling French album of 2001 and remains one of the best-selling French albums of all time, achieving 2 million sales in Europe and going three times platinum in Canada.[3]
He continued his string of hits with a live album and his sophomore effort Reviens in 2003. Sales for his third album Garou remained strong and he released his English crossover Piece of My Soul in 2008. The album debuted at #2 in Canada and #3 in France. Despite this, the album became his first album in France not to reach platinum status although it became his best-selling album in North America in seven years. His next album, Gentleman cambrioleur features cover songs in French and English and became his first album to miss the top five in France, where it modestly peaked at #35, staying on the charts for 17 weeks. He released Version Intégrale in 2010 which became another Top 40 hit in France and Canada.
Garou performed the Jean-Pierre Ferland song "Un peu plus haut, un peu plus loin" (A Little Higher, A Little Farther) at the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Vancouver, British Columbia.[4] He has also performed at the charity event Les Enfoirés for the past 13 years.
His latest effort Rhythm and Blues became his highest peaking album in four years. It is his second covers album and pays tribute to classic R&B music.
Garou has become well known for his collaborations. He has worked with Luc Plamondon in Notre-dame de Paris. The single "Belle" was lifted from the musical and stayed atop the French charts for a record-breaking 18 weeks. The single remained the most successful song in French history until 2009.[5] In 2000, he had a successful duet with Celine Dion. "Sous le vent" became his third number one single in France. In 2004 he worked with the legendary Michel Sardou for his fourth and final number one single, "La Rivière de notre enfance". The following year he appeared with 15-year-old singer Marilou on "Tu es comme ça."
He has also worked with several popular songwriters, including Jean-Jacques Goldman and Pascal Obispo. For his first album in English, Garou collaborated with some of the biggest names in music. The single "Stand Up" was written by Rob Thomas. He also sang the song "First Day of My Life", which was a big hit all over Europe in 2006 for former Spice Girl Melanie C, written by Guy Chambers and Enrique Iglesias.
Garou has a daughter named Emelie, with his ex-girlfriend, Ulrika, a former model. After they broke up he dated a former Yemeni singer and entertainer Arwa Jassem known as Lahlouba.[6] From 2007 to June 2010 [7] he dated French singer Lorie.[8]
Garou is a member of the Les Enfoirés charity ensemble since 1999.[9]
Main article: Garou discography
Seul (2000)
Reviens (2003)
Garou (2006)
Piece of My Soul (2008)
Gentleman cambrioleur (2009)
Version intégrale (2010)
Rhythm and Blues (2012)
Au milieu de ma vie (2013)
List of Quebec musicians
Music of Quebec
Culture of Quebec
^ Like his ancestor Pierre Garand baptized in the parrish Sainte-Croix-des-Pelletiers at Rouen, France, who emigrated to French America in the 17th century. He is the ancestor of all the American Garands, for example the inventor of the M1 Garand rifle.
^ "Garou Biography". Artist. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards-2002". IFPI. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
^ "Canada unveils its 'landscape of dreams' to welcome athletes and world at the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games". VANOC. 12 February 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
^ "Les mielleurs-singles" (in French). lescharts. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
^ "Garou". Rfimusique.com. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
^ "Lorie parle de sa rupture avec Garou". Staragora.com. 2012-02-01. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
^ "Des projets de mariage pour Garou" (in French). Radioactif. 9 October 2007. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
^ "Garou" (in French). Enfoires.com. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
Biography of Garou, from Radio France Internationale
Fan-club officiel en Russie
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Mark Davis/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
What Does 'Reputation' Mean? Taylor Swift's New Album Title Has Been Revealed
By Jen McGuire
Taylor Swift has been busy working on her latest album, and obviously fans are losing their minds waiting for it to drop. The pop queen released a teaser on her Instagram on Wednesday, announcing her new album will come out Nov. 10. It seems the name for the album will be Reputation, which has a ton of people stirring and probably asking, "What does Taylor Swift's album Reputation mean?" The name has all sorts of implications.
Taylor Swift has built a career not only on her musical talents but on her ability to translate her personal reputation into her music. After all, she is the master of the break-up song ("We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together"), has reportedly used her feud with ex-friend Katy Perry for the hit song "Bad Blood," and who can forget the infamous Kanye West/Taylor Swift beef at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards? Swift's reputation has always been married to her career, so it's an interesting (and potentially telling) choice to just own it as the title of her first album since 2014's 1989. Of course, it will be some time before fans will get a sense of the full meaning behind Swift's Reputation album. The meaning behind the album name could be something completely different and have nothing to do with Swift's own well-documented reputation.
Fortunately, fans won't have to wait months to get a little taste of Swift's latest album; her first single will drop on Thursday.
As we wait to hear her single, Swift shared another image for Reputation, looking edgy in a black and white picture set on a background of tabloid covers featuring her name, so I think we're probably right about the meaning behind the album name, guys.
Swift has been torturing fans for the past week, much like any social media savvy artist would do. After boldly wiping both her Twitter and Instagram clean, the "Shake It Off' singer started teasing fans with a series of puzzling videos featuring a slithering snake. First the tail and then the body and then finally, on Wednesday, the head of the snake was revealed.
The singer has been keeping to herself in recent months, outside of a recent court case where she accused former Denver radio host David Mueller of groping and assaulting her in 2013. A jury decided in her favor on Aug. 14.
Beyond that, Swift hasn't been saying much to her adoring fans about anything. Perhaps because she's planning to let her music speak for her. A source close to Swift told Us Weekly:
The song is poppy. She's being very secretive about it, but it's going to be a really good one.
Of course it will be a good one; after all, Swift's Reputation precedes her.
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On His Majesty's Service - The hidden history of a 1930's plan chest
Posted on 12:00pm Monday 22nd Aug 2016
This 8 drawer mahogany plan chest has been with me for many years and I have often wondered about it's history. While recently moving it, I discovered a makers label hidden on the underside of one of the drawers.The slightly torn label contains a wealth of information that has led me on an interesting journey of discovery.
The label told me that my architects plan chest was made sometime prior to May 1936 and was supplied to "HMOW" as a "plan press" with "G.R" for George V stamped on the brass drawer label holders.
It turns out that "HMOW" has been through a lot of changes, but in 1936 it was H.M Office of Works with architect offices located in Edinburgh, London, Bristol and Manchester.
H.M Office of Works became the Ministry of Works in 1943; renamed the Ministry of Public Building and Works in 1962, and was absorbed into the Department of the Environment in 1970. Most Works functions were transferred to the Property Services Agency, set up in 1972 with the job of providing, equipping and maintaining a wide range of buildings and installations for Government Departments, and the Armed Services. The PSA has a bit of a chequered history and was subject to an enquiry that lead to the department being privatised in the 1990's.
I can't be sure which of the 4 offices my chest was originally supplied to but in 1936 the Manchester office, located at 76 Newton Street was headed up by William Shaw Cruickshank who became the District Surveyor in charge of the North West in 1933, and was in charge of eight assistants and draughtsmen. You can read more about him on the Dictionary of Scottish Architects
George V died in January 1936 and was succeeded by Edward VIII, who abdicated in December 1936, leaving George VI to take up the throne. However, in typical British "make do and mend" style, items stamped with G.R continued to be used until around the end of 1937 when new items produced were then stamped with George VI. Very few crown property items (such as GPO postboxes) were stamped with Edward VIII.
Public service draughtsmen and architects during the late 1930's were responsible for all manner of public buildings, so I can only imagine what designs might have been stored in my chest over it's many years of service. Just 3 years after the chest was delivered, the second world war broke out - several well known war artists started out as draughtsmen and many returned to government offices after the war to work on plans for the massive amount of re-building projects that were undertaken after 1945.
My label is torn where the company name is, but I have been able to identify that the maker is Simpoles of Manchester. I can't decipher the name of the cabinet maker on my label, but Simpoles of Manchester have a long history of making quality office furniture and chairs.
Using a wonderful collection of trade directories available online as part of the University of Leicester's special collection, I have found out that Charles Simpole, the son of a pork butcher, was born around 1817 and started to operate as a furniture dealer & cabinet maker from his home at 13 Bradford Street and a workshop at 5 Victoria Terrace, Victoria Street, in Manchester from around 1850. The terrace at the end of Victoria Street contained various traders including an ironmongers, artist, architect & tea dealer together with residential homes. By 1863, he is still listed at Victoria Terrace, with the furniture broker & auctioneer side of the business operating from Cathedral Yard (later to be called Cathedral Steps). The business remained at Cathedral Steps until the end of the 1800's.
Charles Simpole died around 1888 and the company is listed in the directory issued covering this time as : Furniture dealer & Valuer, Simpole Charles ( Exor's of)
By 1903, the company had re-organised & expanded. It was listed in 1903 as Simpoles, office furnishers and cabinet makers (late of Cathedral steps), 38 Deansgate ; 11 Victoria Bridge, and 45 Chapel st.
Simpoles were in good company, as the furniture makers Gillows of Lancaster, (later to become Waring & Gillows) also had their showroom further along Deansgate, which in the 1900's was a busy retail metropolis with many well known brands and trams operating along this main road in Manchester.
Between 1936 & 1938 "Messrs Simpoles Ltd of Manchester, contractors to the British Government" were responsible for providing all of the wood and furnishings inside the Padiham Civic Centre (the town hall in Padiham, Burnley) which was designed by architects Bradshaw, Gass & Hope and opened with much fanfare by the London Council Chairman in March 1938. According to an article published in the local press about the opening ceremony, the council chamber featured Australian walnut panelling, with walnut and leather armchairs and tables, while three French windows opened on to balconies overlooking the street to provide facilities for public announcements.
The assembly hall, complete with stage, offered seating for 450, and was panelled in bronze chequered Gaboon veneered plywoods and had a sprung maple floor for dancing.
Simpoles Limited continued to trade from Manchester, with a Liverpool branch added sometime after the 1940's. After over a hundred years of trading, the company eventually ran into difficulties and was dissolved at the end of the 1990s.
It is hard to know how long my Simpoles plan chest remained in "His/her Majesty's Service", but at some point, it was sold or given away and ended up being used for storage in a builders merchants in Dorking, Surrey where it was purchased from when the builders merchants closed down around 1987.
Isn't it amazing where a simple label can take you?
Chris Hibbard
Hi, Your plans chest looks the same as one I have just stripped one down for restoration. On top front cross member I found the manufacturers stamp (Simpoles) the date of manufacture 1936 & also a crest with er v111 . You might have to unscrew the top to see the stamps, but yours should also have the markings. I am unsure if the crest & er v111 denotes that if was for royal use or just the era i.e. Georgian. Hope this is useful, Chris
Posted on 4:32pm Wednesday 28th Feb 2018
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Washington Classical Review
Photo by Scott Suchman
Tenor Russell Thomas is breaking down operatic barriers with confidence
Tenor Russell Thomas, a rising singer from Miami, makes his Washington National Opera debut this Saturday in the title role of Verdi’s Don Carlo. It is the company’s first production of this complex opera in over twenty years, and the final opera conducted by music director Philippe Auguin before he makes an exit from the company, announced last summer.
Recently Thomas spoke to Washington Classical Review by phone about his first appearance at WNO and what he loves about the role of Don Carlo, which he sang a few years ago at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin.
“My favorite part of the opera is the final duet (“Ma lassù ci vedremo in un mondo migliore”) with the soprano, in the last scene,” he says with enthusiasm. “It’s absolutely gorgeous, and I don’t think any part of it is particularly punishing. The more challenging parts for me are in the trio with Rodrigo and Eboli, only because it goes on and on and on. It never ends, and the tessitura sits quite high.”
Actually, about the top range, Thomas feels confident: “That’s in my wheelhouse, that’s where my voice likes to live. These days, a role like Don Carlo for me is probably one of the easier things that I sing, so I welcome it as a bit of a break.”
Verdi originally composed Don Carlos as a five-act grand opera for Paris, later revising it in Italian versions for different theaters in his home country. WNO will perform one of the Italian versions in four acts, with the Fontainebleau first act and the Act III ballet cut from the score.
“Originally, this was supposed to be the five-act French,” says Thomas. “When I originally signed on for it, I was hoping to do it in French for the first time, just for the challenge of singing the longer version of the role.” He thinks the French version was scrapped for financial reasons, even though the cast all wanted to do the longer original.
Tim Albery directs this new production, the same one that Eric Owens and Leah Crocetto sang in for Opera Philadelphia in 2015. Does Thomas have a preference for traditional or non-traditional when it comes to opera staging?
“I like a modern take,” he says, “if I can make sense of it and if there is some perspective that adds to the piece. The director I have worked with more than anybody else is Peter Sellars. So I’m used to someone taking a work and turning it on its head, making a statement that has nothing to do with the story but that is relevant to today.”
At the same time, some operas work better with more traditional stagings. Thomas recently sang the Zeffirelli La Bohème at the Metropolitan Opera, the definition of traditional in operatic staging. “People who have seen it know every single move you are going to make before you make it,” he says. “For me as a performer, that was more nerve-wracking than the singing. Every great tenor of the last thirty-five years has sung it, and everybody knows what it’s supposed to look and sound like.”
The tenor’s only appearance in Washington up to this point was also in Verdi, in Washington Concert Opera’s performance of I Masnadieri with Washington Concert Opera for the Verdi bicentenary in 2013. Thomas replaced another tenor at short notice and was remarkable in the role, even though he had not been engaged as a cover singer.
“At the very last minute, like a week and a half before,” he remembers, “I got the call and I got the score. I asked if I could sing it on book, and they said I could. I would have loved to have a month and a half with the score, but it was what it was. Those kinds of things are how careers are made. You jump in and you are able to save the ship.” In other words, he learned a role in an obscure Verdi opera in a week and a half.
When did Thomas discover that his voice had the kind of power to sing a Verdi tenor role? “I was an opera queen from when I was eight years old,” he recalls with a laugh. “I heard my first opera when I came home from school one day. I turned on the radio, heard an opera being sung, and was instantly pulled into it. I don’t know why. No one in my family was inclined, but I heard these people making these sounds and I was caught up in it.”
The director of his high school choir in Miami brought mezzo-soprano Joy Davidson to hear some of the choir’s young singers. She counseled Thomas to study to become an opera singer. Fortunately for him, his high school participated in a program with the Greater Miami Opera, later known as Florida Grand Opera, where they allowed high school students to go to dress rehearsals.
“I saw everybody from Simon Estes to Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, James Morris singing the Dutchman,” he reminisces fondly. “Diana Soviero singing all the verismo stuff. I got to hear some really good singing, old-fashioned guts and glory singing.”
Even with this kind of early access, how easy was it for Thomas, as a young African-American singer, to break into the world of opera?
“It was difficult for me,” he responds, “but not as difficult for me as it was for other people. Tenors have it a little bit easier, and I’ve never had a problem with the top part of my voice. Who doesn’t want a tenor with the high notes?” Even so, he remembers a conductor from a small, Midwestern opera company who told him he would never have the career he deserved because he is black. Other times he has instead received off-color comments tinged with racist attitudes.
“Like someone who said, ‘If I close my eyes, I’d think a real Italian was singing’,” he says with a bitter laugh. “As if they can’t recognize my blackness because that doesn’t fit with what they think opera should be, so they have to close their eyes to listen to it.”
Thomas sees these outdated viewpoints as part of the reason why opera and classical music seem to be dying in some people’s views. Too many opera companies for too long only reached out to to black communities in February,” he adds, “for Black History Month.” The problem starts at the top, he asserts. “There are hardly any black men and women working in the back office making major decisions. There are hardly any black agents or artist managers, if any, because no one seems to cultivate minorities in that way.”
“If you don’t have black people in the back office,” he says plainly, “you won’t have black people on stage. If you don’t have black people on stage, you won’t have black people in the audience. It’s an endless cycle of neglect.” Some companies have diversified before they got into financial hardship, like Michigan Opera Theater in Detroit, he adds. “For a city that for so long was economically depressed they still had an opera company and a symphony. I think the reason why is because they diversified their audience.”
Some other companies that have not yet taken these steps are struggling. “People want to see people on stage who look like them,” he concludes. “The Metropolitan Opera is about 50 yards from the projects, yet still they do not give tickets to dress rehearsals to people in the projects. If they did, what child might see a dress rehearsal like me? That would be life-changing for him.”
Thomas has big plans coming up in the future, including his first staged Otello with Toronto’s Canadian Opera in 2019 and a theatrical version of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the L.A. Philharmonic. “That’s one of my favorite pieces,” he says. “I’m looking forward to the staged version, it’s going to be very interesting.”
He also has one Wagner role he is dying to sing–Tannhäuser, and he has that opera on the books now, but not announced by the company. Stay tuned for the future.
–Charles T. Downey
Beth Stewart February 28, 2018
Opera Wire
Beth Stewart March 12, 2018
Opera Sense
Beth Stewart November 9, 2017
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Russian Women from Nizhny Novgorod
Visiting Russia requires some spirit of adventure and a taste for the less traveled path. Coming fifth in the chart of the largest Russian cities, Nizhny Novgorod is the former seat of princes of medieval times and stands at the confluence of two utterly important rivers: Volga and Oka. The main access ways are by train, from St. Petersburg and the capital, as well as from Yaroslavl and Kazan. The trip from Moscow to here is under five hours, due to the newly introduced fast transportation. Other good aspects considering the location of this city is that one may continue the journey in eastern direction and follow the Trans-Siberian route towards the important centers placed along. In the case you are not tempted by the train travel, check the flight schedules.
The world has heard of Maxim Gorky, the famous writer. He was born in this place and the city was bore his name for several decades, until 1990. However, it is rather the more distant past to have influenced the aura of the city today. Built as a fort, it later developed into a citadel made of stone and relics of this era are to be seen around, a delight for those who look for ancient traces. The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is to be seen for its examples of preserved defensive architecture, older than five hundred years. One place to reveal historical and ethnic beauty is the Ethnographical Museum of Volga-Region, which is an open air display of wooden constructions. For those passionate of railway history, the museum of locomotives is open for visiting and the entrance is free. More treats to the eye are the Trade Fair building, Dmitrovskaya Tower, the Pechersky Ascension Monastery and the Stroganovs' Church of the Nativity of Our Lady, impressively ornate and vividly colored. With more than six hundreds of monuments of different kinds, the city is on the UNESCO top 100 for its cultural and historical value.
Maybe you don't really expect that a city so much into its past to actually be very in touch with the latest technologies. Nizhny Novgorod excels in the IT industry and proves you that it is far off in the modern era. Many software developers have locations here, and even Intel owns a database and a notable center. Apart from this, it has grown into an advanced touristic location, as you may see through the following. Thanks to the presence of Volga River, wonderful opportunities were seized and the city now offers cruises on these waters. Passenger ships go to Moscow and St. Petersburg, and also to other destinations. There is very good transportation in Nizhny Novgorod, and it will help you not only cope with the distances, but also let you admire the sights from a different and comfortable perspective. More is to be added to that, as an aerial tramway is expected to be functional starting with 2012. Especially for the visitors, there are sightseeing tours by bus, excursions in the city and in the region.
200.000+ Russian Women! Join now for FREE!
Valery, 22 y.o.
Natalia, 31 y.o.
Oksana, 34 y.o.
Svetlana, 34 y.o.
Olga, 24 y.o.
Marisha, 24 y.o.
Dsha, 30 y.o.
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Donald Trump’s first death-dealing directive from the White House challenged by the Dutch government and others
by Safe Abortion | posted in: Newsletter | 0
President Trump reinstated a policy on 23 January 2017, called both the Mexico City Policy after the place where it was first signed, and the Global Gag Rule, because it blackmails people like us by threatening to withhold funding if we not only provide but even give anyone information about safe abortion. It originated in 1984 under the Reagan presidency and was reinstituted under both Bush governments, all Republicans. It has been in force for 17 of the last 32 years. The policy in the past required non-US NGOs to certify that they would not “perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning”, even with non-US funds, as a condition for receiving US global family planning assistance.
The phrase “abortion as a method of family planning” is an anti-abortion invention; it refers to any abortion that is carried out because a pregnancy is unwanted, i.e. the vast majority of abortions. The rest are considered “different” because they are requested for health reasons (risk to woman’s life) or as a result of a crime (rape or incest). The Gag Rule represents the ultimately self-defeating attempt to separate the need for contraception from the need for abortion.
Policy as it applies to non-US NGOs
A detailed, coherent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, published on 23 January 2017, explains that before the Mexico City policy, US aid recipients could use non-US funds to engage in abortion-related activities but were required to maintain segregated accounts for US assistance. The Mexico City Policy said foreign NGOs were no longer allowed to use non-US funds, maintained in segregated accounts, for voluntary abortion-related activities if they wished to continue to receive or be able to receive US family planning funds.
Under the Trump version of the policy of 23 January 2017, NGOs who are receiving any US global health assistance must sign the Gag Rule, including those running HIV programmes (under PEPFAR), maternal and child health programmes, infectious diseases programmes, or for dealing with Zika virus – as well as family planning programmes – and not just if the funds come from USAID, as in the past, but from any US government agency or department (assuming the latter is found to be legal).
This policy applies to international and regional NGOs that are based outside the USA, and local NGOs in assisted countries who receive US funding for family planning or other global health assistance. US NGOs are not directly subject to the Gag Rule, but they must agree to ensure that they do not provide family planning assistance to any foreign NGO sub-recipients unless those sub-recipients have first certified adherence to the policy. If they don’t sign, their funding will be cut off.
NGOs are required to certify they do not provide abortion services, even with non-US funds. Other restricted activities include:
> providing advice and information about and offering referral for abortion – where legal – as part of the full range of family planning options,
> promoting changes in a country’s laws or policies related to abortion as a method of family planning (i.e. engaging in lobbying), and
> conducting public information campaigns about abortion as a method of family planning.
The policy has not prohibited foreign NGOs from providing advice and information about, performing, or offering referral for abortion in cases where the pregnancy has either posed a risk to the life of the woman or resulted from incest or rape; or responding to a question about where a safe, legal abortion may be obtained when a woman who is already pregnant clearly states that she has already decided to have a legal abortion (passively providing information, versus actively providing medically-appropriate information). However, fear of unknowingly crossing a line and being penalised has often meant NGOs do nothing whatsoever related to abortion in order to feel safe about retaining their funding.
Policy as it applies to recipient governments
There are also other US foreign policy directives, in place since 1973, that forbid governments receiving assistance from the US government, even countries where abortion is legal, from funding abortion services. Some news articles this week have confused this. These restrictions do not come from the Gag Rule. The restrictions on governments who receive funding are as follows. They cannot:
> pay for the performance of abortion as a method of family planning or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortion (the Helms Amendment, 1973, to the Foreign Assistance Act);
> pay for biomedical research related to methods of or the performance of abortion as a means of family planning (the Biden Amendment, 1981, to the Foreign Assistance Act); or
> lobby for or against abortion (the Siljander Amendment, first included in annual appropriations in 1981 and included each year thereafter).
The Helms amendment states that “no foreign assistance funds may be used to pay for the performance of abortion as a method of family planning or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions”.
Shortly after the Mexico City Policy was first announced, in 1985, the Kemp-Kasten Amendment was passed, prohibiting the use of US aid to fund any organisation or programme, as determined by the US President, that supports or participates in the management of a programme of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation (it is now included in annual appropriations). In Trump’s reinstatement of the Mexico City policy, the memo included, for the first time, directions to the Secretary of State to enforce the Kemp-Kasten Amendment. Such directions had been provided separately in the past.
The consequences: some examples
Here are some examples of the consequences of the Global Gag Rule in its past iterations from a recently published paper by the Center for Health and Gender Equity:
>A 2011 Stanford University study, published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, examined the effects of the Gag Rule in sub-Saharan Africa after President GW Bush reinstated it in 2001. It found that the “policy is associated with increases in abortion rates in sub-Saharan African countries” due to reduced access to contraception leading to increased unintended pregnancies and more reliance on abortion to prevent unwanted births.
> It hampered HIV prevention efforts because of the closing of health clinics and disruption of relationships and supply chains of commodities – leading to reduced access to condoms and sexual health services generally. For example, during the Clinton presidency, the Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association received 426,000 condoms over two years from USAID. When the Gag Rule went back into effect in 2001, USAID had to suspend condom shipments to Lesotho because Planned Parenthood was the only provider of condoms in that country. At the time the condom shipments were ceased, one in four women in Lesotho was infected with HIV.
> The Gag Rule also resulted in the closure and consolidation of clinics in countries whose USAID funding was stopped. For example, a 2015 study found that the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana had to close and/or consolidate many family planning clinics because they could not receive USAID funding after the imposition of the Gag Rule. In the aftermath, there was an increase in unwanted pregnancies across the country.
> Research conducted from 2002 to 2006, found a devastating impact on the health of women in Kenya. The Family Planning Association of Kenya and Marie Stopes International Kenya, leading providers of health care in poor and rural communities in the country, refused USAID funding rather than comply with the Gag Rule. A 2005 study from the Joseph R. Crowley Program at Fordham University found that this forced them to drastically curtail community-based outreach activities for contraceptive counselling and provision, condom distribution, and HIV testing, and the flow and availability of contraceptive supplies. A consortium of NGOs led by PAI also found that USAID had to cut off shipments of contraceptives – already in short supply – to 16 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
What cannot be forgotten or under-estimated is how much governments, health service providers and other NGOs work together, so that restrictions on one affect them all. Reports published by Engender Health in 2006 on Nepal, Kenya and Zambia, for example, describe the history of what happened in detail when they lost their USAID funding. The situation for abortion in Nepal is nevertheless a success story. The country successfully reformed their abortion law in 2002 to allow abortion on request in the first trimester, managed to maintain as much as possible their family planning programme and slowly began to rebuild these services and provide abortions in the public health system. This year, these abortion services will be free to women who receive them, thanks to government subsidy. Nepal has managed to improve women’s health indicators over these years, even though they paid a high price.
From South Africa, Marion Stevens, Chair of the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition, writes: “Following the re-imposition of the Gag rule by Bush, in 2000 the HIV treatment movement moved to exclude practically any intersectional analysis that included reproductive rights and abortion. The women’s rights, reproductive rights and abortion rights movement in South Africa was decimated. Folks flocked to jobs in the HIV treatment and social justice world and resigned from boards and groups doing abortion work. The effect was insidious because the Department of Health then moved to exclude committed programming on abortion provision. The focus is on maternal health only, with a ‘family planning and population control framework’. We have not recovered and deaths from unsafe abortion have increased, accounting for almost 10% of maternal deaths in South Africa.” This is despite a liberal abortion law, in place for 20 years now.
What is likely to happen in South Africa this time around? A report by TimesLive in South Africa, quotes US Embassy spokesman Cynthia Harvey who said: “No US agency is currently funding abortion abroad including in South Africa.” However, Provincial Specialist of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Mpumalanga Department of Health‚ Eddie Mhlanga‚ said that the rule would stop any NGOs that offer HIV services and prevention options from giving women who come for ARVs information about termination of pregnancy even if they have an unwanted pregnancy. He said the state had been “captured by Americans” and the funding had allowed Americans a huge say over health policy. Marion Stevens is quoted as saying that Trump’s law was already enforced locally as the Department of Health does not promote the legal right to termination of pregnancy for fear of losing US funds.
Globally, however, the financial loss depends on how some aspects of the new iteration are interpreted, whether they are legal. According to PAI, “In monetary terms, the expansion of the coverage of Trump’s Global Gag Rule means that more than 16 times the amount of funding may be impacted than if the Gag Rule was applied only to bilateral family planning assistance – US$ 575 million for family planning versus a total of at least US $9.5 billion for global health assistance, government-wide.
What to do when a tyrant makes you dependent on him for money?
When a tyrant makes you dependent on him for funding, and then threatens to cut off your funding, whether you are a government, a UN agency or an NGO, you have only two choices. Either way, there will be serious consequences. In the past, the Gag Rule created serious problems for everyone who was dependent on USAID. The funding and services of those who refused to sign were badly affected, while the reputations of those who signed and stopped providing any abortion information or services were badly tarnished. There was a lot of conflict and bitterness between them too. International and national work for abortion rights has been dealt a terrible blow by every Republican president since Reagan, and even Bill Clinton accepted restrictions for one year, but abortion work also recovers. Today, perhaps it is stronger than ever.
Whether our movement can collectively and individually stand up to Trump today and insist that we will keep doing our work for safe abortion, whatever he and the anti-abortion movement throw at us, is a conversation we need to start having right away, and with our governments too. But the bottom line is, as in the past, that we either tell the man to keep his money – or we cave in, stay on the payroll. Either way we will take the consequences.
The fightback has already begun
Both the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International published statements on 23 January stating they will not sign the Global Gag Rule. IPPF stands to lose US$100 million for programmes that provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for millions of women and youth. Their statement concludes:
“We cannot – and will not – deny life-saving services to the world’s poorest women. We will work with governments and donors to bridge the funding and service gaps the Global Gag Rule creates. We will ensure that women can exercise their rights and access safe abortion and family planning.”
Statements condemning the policy are being published daily by numerous individuals and NGOs based in the USA, and by politicians from several countries.
In the past, US funding to UNFPA was also dealt an enormous blow. It is not clear whether this will happen this time around, but some say it is highly likely if not definite.
The question of how we as advocates can talk to our governments about how to approach this is complicated by where our governments stand on this issue, whether they are donor governments or recipients of US government funding, and the situation of abortion law and services nationally. But this is the place where the real work must happen.
In Canada, Joyce Arthur, executive director of the Abortion Rights Council of Canada, called on the Canadian government on 23 January to step into the breach as well: “The Canadian government needs to help fill the moral gap created by the Trump administration by investing more to save women’s lives,” said Joyce Arthur, executive director of the Abortion Rights Council of Canada. “Canada can’t do it alone – developed nations around the world should be prepared to step up their foreign aid programs to advance women’s rights and health around the world.”
The response from governments
The Dutch government responded first, and strongly. The Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen, announced on 24 January that the Dutch government wants to launch an international fund to finance access to birth control, abortion and education for women in developing countries, which could be supported by governments, businesses and social organisations to “compensate for this financial setback as much as possible”. She got immediate feedback.
On 25 January, she announced that up to 20 countries had indicated support for the Dutch plan to set up an international fund to plug the funding gap caused by the Gag Rule. ‘We’re in talks with 15 to 20 countries and we’ve also spoken to foundations,” Ploumen told the Guardian. “As well as contacting a number of European countries that we work with on these issues, we’re also in touch with countries in South America and Africa, as well as the foundations. It’s important to have the broadest possible support for the fund.”
She said the aim would be to continue support for existing programmes being run by organisations such as the United Nations Population Fund, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International. She said she hopes to be able to start arranging funding within the next two to three weeks, given that the funding is being stopped immediately. As to possible tensions with the Trump government: “I’m pro-choice and pro-women’s rights. It’s important to stand your ground,” she said. “We respect the decisions of a democratically elected president, but we’re democratically elected too and we can make different decisions.” Dutch national elections are in seven weeks’ time, but Ploumen is confident that given the long tradition of standing up for sexual and reproductive rights in the Netherlands, the plan will continue.
From Australia, on 25 January, in what was described as a rare intervention on US policy from a senior Australian politician, deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek said her party was “deeply concerned” about a policy “that could cost the lives of women in developing countries”. She said: “Labor calls on the Turnbull government to lobby for the repeal of this damaging and dangerous policy and immediately rule out any move to reinstate the Howard-era restrictions on Australian aid for reproductive health services.” This refers to similar government restrictions that Labor repealed after it won government in 2007. A spokeswoman for the Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, said the government “remains committed to the protection and promotion of sexual and reproductive health rights on our foreign policy and aid program”.
In the USA itself, Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen has introduced the Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights (HER) Act in the US Senate and Representative Nita Lowey has introduced a companion bill in the US House of Representatives, which are aimed at repealing the Gag Rule by law, which would stop further presidents being able to introduce it as a directive. Journalist Christine Grimaldi notes in Rewire that this: “marks a cohesive effort among Democrats in the early days of Trump’s presidency to push back against legislative assaults on reproductive health care”. In a Republican-controlled Congress, this won’t get far enough, but it’s a good sign of early fightback in the US as well.
What’s coming down the road?
The most complicated conversations will be within global south governments who have been considering positive abortion law reform, and with national NGOs who have been encouraging and supporting abortion law reform, particularly in Africa. Can they be convinced they can survive (and eventually still thrive) without USAID money? That this is an opportunity as well as a threat? Can advocates develop a blueprint for how to fund family planning, safe abortion, sexual health and other affected public health services with their governments? The question of where the money formerly provided by USAID might come from greatly affects the answers. Other governments seeking to influence countries’ national policy may offer to step in. Can the affected countries find the funds in their own coffers, reducing dependence on any major outside power? What will it cost?
This is only one of the many egregious blows Trump will deal. On 24 January, he eliminated all grants in the USA to programmes on violence against women, including all 25 of the programmes managed by the Office on Violence Against Women, housed in the Department of Justice. The grants, established under the 1994 Violence Against Women Act and other federal legislation, go to organisations working to prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, and elder abuse. They also support survivors of assault and abuse, including for transitional housing assistance, legal aid, and training to help civil and criminal justice systems better respond to sexual and domestic violence, grants specifically targeted at protecting child victims, residents of tribal lands, women with disabilities, children who’ve witnessed the abuse of a parent, and rural women.
Then, he turned his attention to institute two major projects that will cause serious environmental damage and threaten indigenous peoples’ lands and water. Then it was “security” and immigrants – all as he had promised. Now he’s talking about the wall on the Mexican border.
We showed a united international front of millions of people on 21 January who stand for women’s rights as human rights, led by women. What did we expect, when we upstaged a Republican presidential inauguration? Of course, it’s all our fault, ladies!!!
So let’s work together to do our best to upstage the Gag Rule too, and tell the bully where he can go.
HISTORY: For a detailed history of the policy, details of how the new iteration of the policy expands the number of affected NGOs hugely, and thus the harmful effects it will have, and details of related US government policies that restrict funding to recipient countries’ governments for provision of information and services related to abortion as a method of family planning, see Kaiser Family Foundation, The Mexico City Policy: An Explainer, 23 January 2017.
OTHER SOURCES: MSN, by Edith M Lederer, 25 January 2017 ; Guardian.au, by Adam Gartrell, 25 January 2017 ; Salon, 24 January 2017 ; E-mail from Susan Yanow, 24 January 2017 ; New York Times, by Serra Sippel, 24 January 2017 ; New York Times, by Somini Sengupta, 23 January 2017; iPolitics.ca, by Amanda Connolly, 23 January 2017; Rewire, 19 January 2017. PHOTO 2016 ;
Editor: Marge Berer
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Home » About SELEC
The Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC) is a law enforcement, treaty-based international organization that brings together the resources and expertise of Police and Customs authorities that join synergies in combating more effectively trans-border organized crime in the region.
SELEC, as successor of SECI Center founded in 1999, is established to provide support to its 11 Member States (Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Bulgaria, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Hellenic Republic, Hungary, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Republic of Serbia and Republic of Turkey), to enhance the coordination in preventing and combating crime, including transnational serious and organized crime.
The founding document of SELEC is the Convention of the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center that entered into force on 7th of October 2011, date when SECI Center became SELEC, while its operational and strategic capabilities were transferred to SELEC, as its successor.
In the constant effort to support its Member States, SELEC provides a multinational expertise to law enforcement authorities across the Southeast European region offering the necessary platform for exchanging information and requests of assistance, supporting operational meetings, joint investigations and regional operations, as well as delivering quality analytical products.
Besides the 11 Member States, SELEC also has 24 partner countries and organizations, and has established numerous partnerships with other organizations, bodies, as well as with the private sector.
Furthermore, under SELEC’s auspices is functioning the Southeast European Prosecutors Advisory Group (SEEPAG) that gathers prosecutors working in international cooperation from all 11 Member States in order to facilitate and speed-up the cooperation in serious trans-border crime investigations and cases in the Southeast European region.
The Member States and the Operational partners post at SELEC Headquarters Liaison Officers from Customs and Police, officers that work together on a daily basis, thus facilitating the real-time exchange of information and requests of assistance. Each Liaison Officer is supported in its activities by a dedicated National Focal Point established in each Member State.
The National Focal Points act as the single point of contact in the Member State for communications with SELEC, through the Liaison Officers of the respective Member State ensure the rapid information flow, by collecting and distributing the information requests and answers from and to the law enforcement agencies and the Liaison Officers posted at SELEC Headquarters.
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Seniorscore
Senior Living in Auburn, Michigan
Top zip codes in Auburn, MI: 48611
The SeniorScore™ is calculated based on over 100 variables, some of which are shown below. The final score is curved based on a linear curving method. For More info visit senioradvice.com/seniorscore.
SeniorScore™ Overview
Auburn scores significantly higher than the Michigan average of 71.
Auburn scores higher than the national average of 72.
There is a high number of Medicare registered physicians within the city limits.
There is 1 hospital within close range of the city (Bay Special Care).
There are 59 senior living facilities in close proximity to the city, including Midmichigan Stratford Village, Storypoint of Midland, and Independence Village and Storypoint of Midland.
There is a very high number of home healthcare providers operating in the city.
There is a high number of fire stations serving the city.
The average life expectancy is 78.2, compared to the national average of 78.6.
There are 91 pharmacies within close range of the city.
The city has an average percentage of seniors in the population (28% of residents).
There are 32 golf courses in or around the city, including Sandy Ridge Golf Course, Spring Valley Golf Course, and Bay City Country Club.
There are 8 parks near the city center, including Central Park, Dow Gardens, and Dahlia Hill.
There are 50 churches in or near the city, including Grace Lutheran Church, St Joseph Church, and Zion Lutheran Church.
There are 10 malls / shopping centers within close range of the city.
There are 53 grocery stores within the city.
There are 6 movie theatres in or near the city.
There are 21 gyms or health clubs in or near the city.
The property taxes average 3.46% of total income, which is significantly higher than the national average of 2.79%.
The property taxes average 1.63% of property value, which is significantly lower than the national average of 1.09%.
The city sales taxes averages 6.00%, which is significantly lower than the national average of 6.97%.
Michigan has an average state income tax of 3.91%, compared to the national average of 3.38%.
The city's mean household income is $69,341, which is higher than the national average of $64,580.
The city's median household income is $60,488, which is significantly higher than the national median of $51,560.
The city's per capita income is $25,549, which is lower than the national average of $25,611.
Assisted living costs average $39,900 per year, which are average compared to national figures.
Nursing home costs average $94,900 per year, which are high compared to national costs.
Adult daycare costs average $26,650 per year, which are very high compared to national numbers.
Home healthcare costs average $46,904 annually, which are average compared to national costs.
The unemployment rate is about 5.30%, which is low compared to national averages.
The overall cost of living is low compared to national averages.
2% of the senior population are financially responsible for at least one grandchild.
General Quality of Life
Auburn receives low levels of rainfall each year.
Auburn has very harsh mean temperatures, with very cold winters and pleasant summers.
This city has above average air quality.
Auburn has a sparse population density of 170.7 people per square mile.
Residents of Auburn have a short daily commute time.
The city has a low public transportation ridership.
Auburn has a low public school quality ranking.
The city has a low public school safety rating.
This city has a high graduation rate of 93.01%.
Around Auburn, MI
Senior Living in Auburn, MI
Assisted Living in Auburn, MI
Home Healthcare in Auburn, MI
Care Homes in Auburn, MI
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Kawkawlin, MI Senior Living
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Call the Investor Relations Hotline at
during office hours CET
Use the service request form for questions and feedback
About SAP SE
Ad Hoc News
SAP to Acquire Sybase, Inc.
SAP SE / Key word(s): Tender Offer
Dissemination of an Ad hoc announcement according to § 15 WpHG, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.
* Strategic Move to Accelerate the Reach of SAP(R) Solutions across Mobile Platforms,
WALLDORF, Germany and Dublin, California, USA - May 12, 2010 - SAP (NYSE: SAP) and Sybase, Inc., Dublin, California (USA) (NYSE: SY) today announced that SAP's subsidiary, SAP America, Inc., has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire Sybase, Inc. Under the terms and conditions of the merger agreement, SAP America, Inc., will make an all cash tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of Sybase common stock at $65.00 per share, representing an enterprise value of approximately $5.8 billion. The per share purchase price represents a 44% premium over the three-month average stock price of Sybase. The transaction will be funded from SAP's cash on hand and a EUR2.75 billion loan facility arranged and underwritten by Barclays Capital and Deutsche Bank.
The Sybase board of directors has unanimously approved the transaction. The closing of the tender offer is conditioned on the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of Sybase's common stock on a fully diluted basis and clearance by the relevant antitrust authorities. The transaction that will bring the two information technology (IT) leaders together to enable companies to become better-run 'unwired enterprises.' As a result of this transaction, customers will be able to better harness today's explosion of data and deliver information and insight in real time to business consumers wherever they work so they can make faster, more informed decisions. Companies will benefit from greater productivity, speed and agility to help their businesses grow.
The two companies announced that Sybase will operate as a standalone unit under the name 'Sybase, an SAP Company.' Sybase's management team will continue to run the business. The SAP Executive Board plans to propose to the Supervisory Board to appoint the Chairman and CEO of Sybase to SAP's Executive Board.
The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2010 and will be immediately accretive to SAP's earnings per share on a non-IFRS adjusted basis. SAP expects the combination to deliver synergies through both revenue enhancement and the realization of cost efficiencies. Additional details regarding specific product, go-to-market and other integration details will be provided after the transaction is complete. SAP America's wholly owned subsidiary, Sheffield Acquisition Corp.will promptly commence a tender offer under US securities law for all outstanding shares of Sybase common stock.
The completion of the tender offer and acceptance of Sybase's shares is conditioned on the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of Sybase's common stock on a fully diluted basis and the satisfaction of regulatory and other customary conditions. Approval of the transaction by SAP's stockholders is not required and the transaction is not subject to a financing condition.
* Additional Information
This announcement is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell securities. The tender offer for the outstanding shares of the Company's common stock described in this announcement has not commenced. At the time the offers are commenced, a subsidiary of SAP AG ('Purchaser') will file a Schedule TO Tender Offer Statement, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Sybase, Inc. will file a Schedule 14D-9 Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, with respect to the offer. The Tender Offer Statement (including an offer to purchase, a related letter of transmittal and other offer documents) and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement will contain important information that should be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Tender Offer. Those materials and all other documents filed by SAP AG or Purchaser with the SEC will be available at no charge on the Securities and Exchange Commission's web site at www.sec.gov. The Schedule TO Tender Offer Statement and related materials may be obtained for free by directing such requests to SAP AG, Attention: Stefan Gruber, Dietmar-Hopp-Allee 16, 69190 Walldorf, Germany , Telephone:
+49 6227 744872. The Schedule 14D-9 Solicitation/Recommendation Statement and such other documents may be obtained for free by directing such requests to Sybase, Inc., Attention: Dan Cohen, One Sybase Drive, Dublin, CA 94568, Telephone: +1-925-236-5000.
This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties concerning the parties' ability to close the transaction and the expected closing date of the transaction, the anticipated benefits and synergies of the proposed transaction, anticipated future combined operations, products and services, and the anticipated role of Sybase, its key executives and its employees within SAP following the closing of the transaction. Actual events or results may differ materially from those described in this release due to a number of risks and uncertainties. These potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the outcome of regulatory reviews of the proposed transaction, the ability of the parties to complete the transaction, the failure to retain key Sybase employees, customer and partner uncertainty regarding the anticipated benefits of the transaction, the failure of SAP and Sybase to achieve the anticipated synergies of the proposed transaction and other risks detailed in Sybase SEC filings, including those discussed in Sybase's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2010, which is on file with the SEC and available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Sybase is not obligated to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document.
Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'forecast,' 'intend,' 'may,' 'plan,' 'project,' 'predict,' 'should' and 'will' and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC'), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Statements regarding the expected date of closing of the tender offer, and expected integration, growth and improved customer service benefits are forward-looking statements and are subject to risks and uncertainties including among others: uncertainties as to the timing of the tender offer, the satisfaction of closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals, whether certain industry segments will grow as anticipated, the competitive environment among providers of software solutions, and difficulties encountered in integrating companies and technologies. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.
For more information, financial community only:
Stefan Gruber, SAP, +49 (6227) 7-44872, investor@sap.com, CET Martin Cohen, SAP, +1 (212) 653-9619, investor@sap.com, EST
Information and Explanation of the Issuer to this News:
SAP will publish a more detailed press release on the transaction shortly, available at SAP's Web site at www.sap.com/investor
Financial Analyst and Media Conference Call
SAP and Sybase senior management will host two conference calls for financial analysts and media to discuss the transaction:
On Wednesday, May 12th, at 11:30 pm CET / 5:30 pm Eastern (Dial in numbers: +49 6958 999 0797 (Germany), +44 20 8515 2302 (UK), +1 480 629-9692 (US), Conference ID: 4301600; Replay numbers: +44 20 7154 2833 (UK), +1 303 590-3030 (US), Access code: 4301600)
On Thursday, May 13th at 8:00 am CET / 2:00 am Eastern (Dial in numbers: +49 69 58 999 0797 (Germany), +44 20 8515 2302 (UK), +1 480 629-9692 (US), Conference ID: 4301586; Replay numbers: +44 20 7154 2833 (UK), +1 303 590-3030 (US), Access code: 4301586)
The calls will be webcast at www.sap.com/investor.
12.05.2010 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de
Company: SAP SE
Dietmar-Hopp-Allee 16
Phone: +49 (0)6227 - 74 74 74
Fax: +49 (0)6227 - 75 75 75
E-mail: investor@sap.com
Internet: www.sap.com
Indices: DAX
Listed: Regulated Market in Berlin, Frankfurt (Prime Standard), Stuttgart; Regulated Unofficial Market in Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich; Terminbörse EUREX; NYSE
End of Announcement DGAP News-Service
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HMS Queen Elizabeth sails from Invergordon, an echo of the Royal Navy’s illustrious past
After nearly sixteen days alongside in Invergordon for replenishment and repairs, HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed last night to resume sea trials. Her time in the port was slightly longer than anticpiated but today’s departure from the Cromarty Firth provides an opportunity to take in some historical perspective.
HMS Queen Elizabeth departs Invergordon, 23rd July 2017. Video via ACA.
Sixty years ago the Home Fleet, including three aircraft carriers arrived in Invergordon after welcoming the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh home from a state visit to Denmark. HMS Queen Elizabeth’s departure is another episode the long history of Royal Naval connections to the Cromarty Firth. Although rather forgotten now, the port became increasingly important from the start of the 20th Century, strategically placed between Rosyth and the fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow. By 1912, the Admiralty had established a permanent naval base at Invergordon which played an important role in supporting the Grand Fleet in the First World War. Spending cuts forced the navy to scale down the base in 1933 and it was little-used during the Second World War because of vulnerability to German bombers. However, warships on operations in the North Sea have continued to visit the port right up until recent times.
HMS Superb leads the Home Fleet in sail-past of HMY Brittania before entering the Cromarty Firth, 27 May 1957. (Photo from the NavyLookout family archive)
The news footage from the time shows three aircraft carriers, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Ocean and HMS Albion. (Two out of three names that still live on in the RN today). The Royal yacht was also escorted by two cruisers, fast minelayer HMS Apollo, destroyers HMS Duchess and HMS Diamond, four ‘battle class’ destroyers and four submarines, including HMS Artful and HMS Trump:)
The Navy welcomes the Queen, Pathé News, 1957
It would be rather unkind to make comparisons between the Royal Navy of 1957 and that of today. The RN is indeed a shadow of its former self, too small and undermanned, yet there are things be positive about. 15 vessels are at various stages of construction and commissioning including 2 aircraft carriers, 1 frigate, 5 OPVs, 3 submarines and 4 replenishment tankers.
We will also not dwell on the events at Invergordon 1931, when a government plan to cut sailors pay caused the last recorded mutiny in the Royal Navy. Instead for now we will focus on the inspiring sight of warships at sea and wish HMS Queen Elizabeth success with her continuing trials programme. She has already achieved a speed of 27 Knots (according to AIS) as her machinery and propulsion continues to be tested in the Moray Firth today.
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Fast jets on deck. F-35 arrives on HMS Queen Elizabeth
HMS Queen Elizabeth Westlant 18 deployment – Part 1
in News Commentaries 2 comments
Post tagsAircraft CarriersHMS Queen ElizabethRoyal Navy History
Bloke down the pub
She has already achieved a speed of 27 Knots (according to AIS
But only for a few moments, as if vibration meant that it couldn’t be sustained in case it resulted in damage?
Henryv
Good to see her at sea, early days, lets hope they iron out any problems, unlike the Type 45s.
The site is run on a voluntary basis. Donations via PayPal towards running costs would be most welcome. Thank you.
The Type 31e frigate candidates compared
The plan for a British hospital ship gains political support
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Significant Cases
Carl Schoeppl
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from the crowd, give people a reason not to forget you.
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Schoeppl Law, P.A. is committed to excellence, and welcomes the opportunity to serve clients in challenging litigation matters.
SCHOEPPL LAW, P.A., based in Boca Raton, Florida, is a boutique securities enforcement and business litigation firm with a national federal trial and appellate practice which focuses on regulatory enforcement in SEC, FINRA, DOJ, CFTC, FTC, Florida DBPR, and other SRO matters, complex federal and state court commercial litigation on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants, high stakes litigation and arbitration matters on behalf of investors in selected cases, broker-dealer and investment adviser defense, and white collar criminal defense arising out of securities enforcement matters. The Firm is led by a former senior federal prosecutor with the SEC with over 100 reported decisions and is comprised of seasoned litigators who graduated from Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, Emory University School of Law, and the University of Miami School of Law.
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We Handle Significant Cases
Carl F. Schoeppl prosecuted some of the most notable securities fraud cases on behalf of the SEC in federal courts for over half a decade throughout the Southeastern United States at that time. Significantly, Mr. Schoeppl never lost a case as a prosecutor for the SEC. Some of the most important enforcement cases Mr. Schoeppl handled at the SEC included, among others, a $33 million financial fraud case involving the failed Commonwealth Savings & Loan Association of Florida (“Commonwealth”), and a $27 million Ponzi scheme involving Omni Capital Group, Ltd. (“Omni Capital”) and Thomas R. Mullens, a recidivist felon who was originally sentenced to serve 33 years and 9 months in prison for orchestrating the Omni Capital fraud which, at the time, was one of the stiffest sentences ever imposed upon a white-collar criminal in South Florida.
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Prosecutorial Experience
$33 million SEC savings and loan fraud case
$27 million SEC Ponzi scheme case involving 150 investors
$31 million SEC asset overstatement case involving a fraudulent mortgage on a French vineyard
FBI Award for assistance in federal criminal prosecution resulting in one of the stiffest sentences ever imposed upon a white-collar defendant in South Florida
Commendation from Securities Board of the Netherlands for assistance in the first criminal prosecution under new securities legislation enacted in the Netherlands
Receivership Experience
Appointed Receiver by federal district court upon the recommendation of the SEC in a $48 million SEC securities fraud case
Appointed Receiver by federal district court upon the recommendation of the SEC in a $3.5 million SEC Ponzi scheme case
Appointed Receiver by federal district court upon the recommendation of the FTC in a $4.2 million FTC business opportunities fraud case
Appointed Receiver by federal district court upon the recommendation of the FTC in a $3 million FTC nationwide franchise fraud case
Represented Receiver who was the former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York in recovering millions of dollars in fraudulent transfer cases arising out of $59 million SEC and CFTC Ponzi scheme case
Trial Court Experience
Obtained dismissal of federal civil RICO claims arising out of an alleged $200 million penny stock scheme
Represented an intervenor in an SEC enforcement action in New York and prevailed on significant issue against the SEC and secured an award of attorney’s fees and costs under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) in a judgment against the SEC
Represented public company in an SEC enforcement action in Florida that established that it is appropriate to set off losses against profits earned in computing the amount of disgorgement and resulted in no disgorgement being awarded against the client
Defended business owner in federal criminal prosecution facing life imprisonment for allegedly retrofitting motor yachts with secret compartments used to smuggle 1000 + kilos of cocaine and secured acquittal after a lengthy jury trial
Obtained dismissal of federal private securities litigation case on behalf of a broker-dealer under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (“PSLRA”) and secured an award of attorney’s fees and costs under the PSLRA and the district court’s inherent authority in a judgment against the Plaintiffs
Appellate Court Experience
Represented Republic of Ecuador in an appeal before the Eleventh Circuit involving the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act
Represented a death row inmate in an appeal before the Florida Supreme Court
Represented a $400 million hedge fund in an appeal before the Eleventh Circuit
Represented a client in an appeal before the Eleventh Circuit in an SEC case that changed the law of insider trading
Represented the former president of a major telecommunications company in an appeal before the Eleventh Circuit in a case against a bank that confirmed that a bank owes of duty of care to a noncustomer
Mr. Schoeppl has been appointed as a Receiver by United States District Courts upon the recommendation of the SEC and the FTC in major securities fraud and consumer fraud regulatory enforcement actions, including:
Mr. Schoeppl prosecuted former executive officers of Commonwealth Savings and Loan Association of Florida (“Commonwealth”) on behalf of the SEC.
Mr. Schoeppl prosecuted a recidivist who allegedly defrauded 150 investors of more than $27 million in a massive Ponzi scheme.
Mr. Schoeppl worked with the SEC’s Office of International Affairs and requested multilateral assistance from securities regulators in England and France.
In connection with its duties as counsel for ICM, the firm recovered in excess of $2 million for ICM customers.
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If you want to stand out from the crowd, give people a reason not to forget you.
Managing Shareholder
Carl F. Schoeppl is the Managing Shareholder of the Law Firm of Schoeppl Law, P.A. Mr. Schoeppl is a former senior federal prosecutor with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), Division of Enforcement, and prosecuted some of the most notable securities fraud cases on behalf of the SEC in federal courts throughout the Southeastern United States.
Senior Litigation Counsel
Terry A. C. Gray is Senior Litigation Counsel at Schoeppl Law, P.A. Mr. Gray graduated with Honors from the University of Virginia’s exclusive Political Honors Program, and also served as President of the University’s Student Council and Student Body.
Special Counsel • Admitted in PA Only
Brenda M. Nelson, admitted in Pennsylvania only, is Special Counsel to the Law Firm of Schoeppl Law, P.A. Ms. Nelson is a graduate of Harvard Law School. After graduation, she worked at major law firms including Greenfield & Chimicles where she became a partner and handled large class action securities cases at both the trial and appellate levels in various courts across the nation.
Kyle G. DeValerio is Senior Litigation Counsel at Schoeppl Law, P.A. Mr. DeValerio has a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Colby College. Mr. DeValerio also completed a General Course study at the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, England.
Schoeppl Law, P.A.
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Personal Injury Settlement
Road Accident Compensation
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Punitive Damages Can Be Awarded In Certain Cases
Personal Injury Law – Accident Injury Attorneys
Car accidents can be very traumatic – Personal Injury Law
Accident Attorneys – Personal Injury Lawyers
Personal Injury Law – Texas Truck Accident Attorney
Car Accident Claim Immigration Law Personal Injury
Austin Personal Injury Attorney James M. Terry Jr. Inducted into Prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum
The prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum has recently announced James (Jim) M. Terry Jr. an Austin personal injury attorney with Terry, Simon and Kelly, PLLC, as a certified member for his outstanding work in Austin, Texas.
“It’s an honor to be a member, as fewer than 1 percent of U.S. lawyers belong to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum,” Terry said. “This organization is widely recognized as one of the most esteemed groups of trial lawyers in the United States.”
Terry, Simon and Kelly, PLLC, focuses on helping members of the Austin, Texas, community receive fair and just legal representation and financial compensation for all of their personal injury needs.
Since his legal career began in 1998, Jim Terry has achieved very positive results in hundreds of cases both in and outside of the court room. After graduating from St. Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio, Texas, Jim joined the Texas Attorney General’s office where he fought hard on behalf of victims of violent crimes. At the same time, Terry represented the State of Texas in every federal district court in the state. He also handled numerous appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and achieved several published decisions.
In private practice since 2003, Jim Terry has made it his mission to help those who have suffered injuries and trauma from another’s negligence, as well as medical malpractice victims and those treated unfairly by their own insurance company. Jim is known for giving highly personalized representation to his clients and addresses both the legal and real life issues that can arise from personal injuries so that positive results are obtained. About Terry, Simon and Kelly, PLLC TSK Law Firm is a personal injury law firm in Austin, Texas focusing on auto accidents, wrongful death, slip and fall accidents and most other personal injury claims. Attorneys Jim Terry, Kell Simon and Trent Kelly have dedicated their lives to helping injured Texans find justice and cope with the significant physical, emotional and financial challenges an unexpected accident or injury can bring.
August 2, 2014 Donna EvansLeave a comment
Any information presented on this site should not be construed as a substitute for legal advice. It is not meant to create a lawyer/client relationship. The website was designed to provide general, basic information.
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https://www.sfgate.com/horoscopes/renstrom/article/Horoscope-for-Friday-8-10-18-by-Christopher-13134037.php
Christopher Renstrom
Published 10:01 pm PDT, Thursday, August 9, 2018
Star-crossed lovers?
PlentyOfFish sorted through 150,000 users to find trends in matches between certain astrological signs. Who's your best match? Click through to find out.
ARIES. (March 20 - April 18): It's hard to applaud someone's good fortune when you feel down, but you'll soon be riding a wave of success so start clapping now.
TAURUS. (April 19 - May 19): A partner is full steam ahead with plans, but you're riding the brake. Don't be such a stick in the mud. This person sees the way ahead clearer than you.
GEMINI. (May 20 - June 20): You finally recoup lost ground. You may regard this as having been a colossal waste of time but you'll soon see how you come out ahead.
CANCER. (June 21 - July 21): You swore you'd never be so trusting again but here you are betting it all on a long-shot. What can be said? You know it's right this time.
LEO. (July 22 - Aug. 21): You've been so involved in the struggle that you're not sure if you're ready for it to be over. You're ready.
VIRGO. (Aug. 22 - Sept. 21): You're not a fan of the crowd you're hanging with but they're going places and you'd be foolish not to hitch a ride.
LIBRA. (Sept. 22 - Oct. 22): Are you picking apart a proposal because there's something wrong or is finding fault your way of getting the other party to retract it? Just say "no".
SCORPIO. (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): You're ready but now the other party has cold feet. That's because Jupiter is out of retrograde while Mercury's about to change direction. Things come together in Aug.
SAGITTARIUS. (Nov. 22 - Dec. 20): You hate to keep someone waiting while another person takes forever to make up his mind but that's the difference between choice B and choice A.
CAPRICORN. (Dec. 21 - Jan. 18): You feared backing out of an agreement would tarnish your reputation but it enhanced it. You won't do it again but it's nice to know it's a card you can play.
AQUARIUS. (Jan. 19 - Feb. 17): It's going to take a while to woo the person you want, but once hooked he's a keeper.
PISCES. (Feb. 18 - March 19): Your day-to-day circumstances may not have changed, but Jupiter's forward direction breathes new life into your higher purpose and that's all that counts.
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David Crosby opens up in new documentary 'Remember My Name'
The Latest: Gibraltar seeks to defuse case of Iranian tanker
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Bush-s-homeless-czar-is-a-man-on-a-mission-He-s-2812491.php
Bush's homeless czar is a man on a mission / He's helping S.F. craft 10-year plan
By Kevin Fagan
Published 4:00 am PST, Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Philip Mangano President Bush's homeless czar . Event on 1/13/04 in San Francisco. KURT ROGERS / The Chronicle
Photo: KURT ROGERS
At first, John and Angie Brady didn't know what to make of the blue- suited man with slicked-back gray hair walking up to them Tuesday as they stood alongside their rusty shopping carts on the downtown San Francisco sidewalk where they sleep at night. He looked like an FBI agent, they said later. Their eyes darted warily from side to side.
Then Philip Mangano, the Bush administration's "homeless czar," cocked his head, grinned and said, "Hi. How long you been on the streets?"
"Seven years," John Brady said.
"Hard, huh?" Mangano said slowly, and as the two stared at each other a moment, Brady visibly relaxed. In 10 minutes he not only was telling Mangano all about his passion for cabinetmaking but was showing him the heroin-needle tracks on his hands.
Mangano, in town to work with Mayor Gavin Newsom on the city's 10-year plan to end homelessness, has that effect on people. He is insistent and engaging -- and as Newsom said earlier this winter after talking to him, "once Phil starts talking, you can't help but listen. He's dynamic."
Mangano, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, is hoping that by the time he leaves town Friday night, homelessness service coordinators from San Francisco and more than a dozen other cities and counties around the state -- from Los Angeles and Riverside to Oakland, Fremont and Contra Costa County -- will be just as interested as Newsom in drafting their own 10-year plans. He will meet with them throughout the week with the aim of creating "regional cooperation for ending homelessness."
Nowhere in the nation, he said, is this goal more important than in San Francisco.
Just before last month's mayoral runoff election, Mangano told The Chronicle he would hurry to the city as soon as it chose its next leader and help craft a strategy for ending homelessness. Tuesday, as he made good on the promise during Newsom's first full week in office, the mayor and Mangano met with city department heads to strategize.
Both made it clear that creating a 10-year plan will take several months and that it must focus on creating housing for the most troubled, "chronically" homeless people that includes residential counseling services for the substance abuse and mental problems that keep them on the street. The chronically homeless make up about 40 percent of San Francisco's total homeless population of 8,600 to 15,000 people, the largest such percentage of any big city in the United States.
"We can't do this alone," said Newsom, who admitted that state budget cuts probably will complicate planning. "We're going to need help not just with resources, but with ideas."
Mangano, 55, is far from short of ideas. Or encouragement.
In a three-hour interview as he strolled near City Hall and ate lunch, Mangano seemed like a man on a mission -- spouting inspirational one-liners one moment, stopping to chat with the homeless the next, then launching into a philosophical soliloquy comparing his campaign for ending homelessness to the slavery abolitionist movement of the 1800s. It all came out in an excited, rapid-fire delivery, each subject sliding into the next.
"San Francisco has the worst, most visible expression of homelessness in our country," he said between spoonfuls of creamed celery soup at the tony Hayes Street Grill. "If we can reduce that, it will reverberate throughout this country -- remoralize the country."
"Remoralize" is just one of several unusual words Mangano uses to punctuate his conversations. Another is "constellate," as in drawing together different agencies to work together on homelessness.
He continually talks of "changing the vocabulary of homelessness, from enabling to engaging," and "changing the verb of homelessness from maintaining to ending." He quotes from Albert Einstein one second ("A sure sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result") and suffragist Susan B. Anthony the next ("failure is impossible"). But his favorite, his hero, is abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison.
"Garrison said, 'I will not retreat a single inch, and I will be heard,' and I love those words," Mangano said. He was so inspired by Garrison's legacy during the two decades Mangano ran homeless programs in Boston -- Garrison's home base -- that when he jogged in the morning, he would stop to touch the toe of the statue of Garrison on Commonwealth Avenue.
"People said the abolitionists were crazy, that slavery was too woven into the American fabric to end, but look what happened," Mangano said. "It ended. They never gave up. And that's just what will happen with homelessness."
Mangano paused in his meal a moment, then held up his hand and pointed to the far wall. "We know what to do, and right now, sitting right here, I can see the end of homelessness," he said urgently, shaking his finger as he pointed. "But there's a gap between the reality and that vision. And that gap is political will and resources.
"But if we get everyone planning together we can do this. I absolutely believe this."
A few minutes later, he was out on the street, where he encountered the Bradys and their shopping carts. After chatting with him for 15 minutes, the couple finally asked Mangano who he was, and as he told them their eyes went wide.
"Just call me Phil," he said as he walked away.
"It's hard to climb back up after you've fallen this far," John Brady said.
"That's the truth," Mangano muttered to himself. Then he turned back to the couple for a moment.
"Then pray for me," he said. "I'm trying to help you."
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What it Means to General Contractors
New Bond Forms:
General contractors, like all construction industry stakeholders may have their hands full trying to assimilate all of the improvements and changes to the construction payment regime after July 1, 2018. One of the key changes will be the new and improved surety bond forms that address the need for enhanced claims processes. The Act requires Contractors to post 50% performance and payment bonds on all “public work” where the contract amount is $500,000 or greater “…in the prescribed form”.
The prescribed forms are set out in the in the regulations and are accessible from the Ontario Government Court Forms website by CLICKING HERE (see forms 31 and 32). These instruments were developed by the Ministry in consultation with the Surety Association of Canada and conform to the provisions of the Act as recommended by the Reynolds / Vogel Report.
The first impression of the new documents is the length. The current standard CCDC performance bond fits on one page; in stark contrast to the new template form that extends to 12 pages. Likewise, the new payment bond fills a full 11 pages in comparison to its two page CCDC counterpart.
Timing and Responsiveness around Claims:
Much of the extra content consists of template schedules, or forms which set out the standard responses and acknowledgements under the bond. However, the bonds also include enhancements and additions that introduce more clarity to the claim process and set standards for the timing and content of a Surety’s response to a Notice of Claim.
Regarding the timing, as soon as a Notice is received; either from an Owner under a performance bond or a Claimant (Subcontractor or Supplier) under a labour and material payment bond, the clock begins to tick. In fact, several clocks begin to tick at once. As an example, consider the time limitations imposed upon a Surety when it receives a Notice of Claim from a Subcontractor under a payment bond.
Immediately upon receipt of the Notice, a Surety has three business days in which to acknowledge receipt to the Claimant and request the information required validate the claim.
At the same time, it has 35 business days (or less) to communicate its position to the Claimant; setting out what portion of the claim, if any, is being disputed.
Once the Surety delivers its position to the Claimant, it has 10 business days to pay any amounts that aren’t in dispute.
Similar deadlines are found in the performance bond as well.
But it doesn’t stop there. The new surety protocols require claim handling to be responsive as well as timely and the new regulations raise the bar by establishing more stringent response standards. The performance bond is quite specific in setting out the options that are available to a Surety in communicating its position to an Owner in response to a Notice. Under Paragraph 3.3. a Surety may either:
Accept Liability and propose a method for completing the project; or,
Deny liability and communicate the specific reasons for that denial; or,
Inform the Owner that they cannot determine whether or not liability exists and provide them with the specifics as to what the issues are and how they can be addressed.
Similarly, when communicating its position to a Claimant under a payment bond, a Surety is required to set out the amount of the Claim that is being disputed and provide the reasons for its challenge. It must then pay any undisputed amount within 10 business days of this response.
The common thread here is the imposed responsiveness which calls for sureties to communicate their positions clearly and resolve claims in a timely manner. When your surety receives a Notice of claim, it must take action, or explain in detail why it will not; all within a very tight timeline.
But don’t forget that the clock is ticking for the bonded Contractor as well. While the onus appears to be on the Surety to take the required action, general contractors need to be mindful of the impact that these new augmented standards will have on their organization; both on their administrative responsibilities and, ultimately, their own liability under the bond. It falls upon the Contractor to keep the Surety informed about the circumstances surrounding the claim and any defenses or mitigating circumstances that may be in play.
New Risks to Consider:
For the most part, the new protocol for claims handling, while imposing more stringent standards for behaviour and communication, do not significantly expand the risk profile to contractors or their sureties from that found in the standard CCDC bonds. The bonds remain conditional instruments that are only triggered should the contractor default on the Contract or fail to pay Subcontractors or Suppliers.
One exception to this rule is found in the payment bond where protection has now been extended to 2nd tier subcontractors and suppliers. However, the protection afforded to these 2nd tier claimants is similar to that found in the federal payment bond and is “…limited to such amounts as the Contractor would have been obligated to pay to the Sub-subcontractor under the Construction Act (the “Act”)”. This would effectively limit liability to sub-subcontractors under the bond to that portion of the holdback that the Contractor would be liable to pay under the Act.
The performance bond, while not introducing any new risks to the matrix, does attempt to bring more clarity as to what is covered and what is not. For example, Paragraphs 7.1 and 7.2 specify which default-related expenses are compensable under the bond. This would include coverage for soft costs (professional fees, certain legal fees, miscellaneous expenses) and costs for time extensions that are consistent with the provisions of the Act itself. In addition, Paragraph 7.3 sets out which costs or expenses are not covered by the bond (delay damages, consequential damages such as business interruption costs).
A Few Tips for General Contractors:
Read the Bonds and Understand their Terms.
Make sure that key staff are familiar with the terms of the bond and the need for keeping the surety informed of any developments on the project in a timely manner. We would suggest that a review the new surety bond regime be included in any internal training conducted by the organization.
It’s also important to ensure that the systems are in place to provide the quick turnaround required by the new protocols. A dedicated email address for notifications should be set up and the roles and responsibilities for staff should be clearly delineated to ensure that nothing falls between the cracks.
Consult with your Broker and Surety.
SAC has been contacted by several stakeholders inquiring as to how the new regime may affect the commercial arrangements between a Contractor and its Surety. We suggest that general contractors meet with their broker and bonding company to discuss these arrangements and the changes, if any, that take place after July 1, 2018.
Work with your Surety in the Event of a Claim.
We can’t stress enough the paramount importance of promptly providing your surety with any and all information/documentation around any claim submitted under a performance or payment bond. Of equal importance is to provide the surety with access to knowledgeable staff who can offer insight on the issues that may not be apparent from the supporting documents.
Once again, a Surety has a very small window in which to prepare its response to a claim and will need all the assistance you can provide to develop a full understanding of your perspective and any mitigating circumstances that may exist. A Surety cannot consider your position if it doesn’t know what that is, and/or it doesn’t have the appropriate documentation to support it.
This information is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be exhaustive or authoritative. Nothing here should be construed as legal advice and readers are urged to read the Construction Act of Ontario and supporting documentation thoroughly and consult with counsel for advice as to specific issues.
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Lake Marion Creek — Horseshoe Scrub Tract
The 8,083-acre Lake Marion Creek Management Area is located on the Polk-Osceola county line east of Haines City off CR 580. Polk County, South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the District acquired the lands within the area, which protect important headwater areas of Lake Marion and Reedy creeks. Water from these creeks is an important source of fresh water for the Kissimmee River, the Everglades and Florida Bay. The District has acquired approximately 300 acres within the Lake Marion area that are within its jurisdictional boundaries.
The SFWMD manages the area. Pine flatwoods, cypress swamps, hardwood swamps, oak hammock, scrubs and freshwater marshes are the dominant natural communities. Approximately 50 percent of the area is wetlands, most of which are in the 100-year floodplain of the Lake Marion, Snell and London creeks.
Daily from sunrise to sunset.
Old roads available at each entrance.
Contact Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for information regarding license requirements and permits.
FWC rules and regulations must be observed throughout the year.
North property access from CR 580 or Horseshoe Creek Road, north of Haines City. South property access from Baker Dairy Road.
No restrooms or water available.
Northeastern Polk County, north of Haines City
South Florida Water Management District, 1-800-250-4250 (FL only) or (561) 686-8800
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Posted on July 11, 2017 by Southeast Gastro - News
Southeast Gastro is dedicating critical funds to support local patients and families by sponsoring the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Alabama/NW Florida Chapter. Through the Foundation’s “Friends of the Foundation” program, which allows companies to be recognized for supporting multiple events in a calendar year, Southeast Gastro has committed to donating and fundraising $18,000 for the chapter in 2017. Southeast Gastro, which has multiple locations across central Alabama, was the founding member of this program in the Alabama/NW Florida Chapter in 2016.
Seeing the need to support the 1.6 million people nationwide, including an estimated 32,000 in Alabama, living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, Southeast Gastro committed to join the fight to find cures for these painful, debilitating digestive diseases.
“Southeast Gastro is proud of our partnership with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation,” says Dr. Miles Gresham, President of Southeast Gastro. “We treat the largest population of Crohn’s and colitis patients in the state of Alabama, and many of our patients rely on the education and support resources that the Foundation provides. Through our support of the Foundation, we are committed to developing and using the latest treatments and ultimately finding a cure for inflammatory bowel disease.”
Revenue growth is critical to the success of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, allowing additional support for mission-critical research, patient education programs, and local patient support groups. Funds from Southeast Gastro’s partnership will support the Foundation’s annual Take Steps Birmingham walk and Casino for a Cause event. The Foundation has committed to raising $140,000 through these two events in 2017.
“We have a very aggressive fundraising goal this year to ensure research and patient support is not disrupted,” says Emily Richter, Community Director for Alabama and NW Florida. “Southeast Gastro’s commitment to support our events at such a high level is essential to our mission. We are thrilled by their support for our patients.”
The Take Steps Birmingham walk was held on Saturday April 29 at Homewood Central Park. The campaign raised over $72,000, surpassing the goal, thanks in large part to the support of Southeast Gastro. Casino for a Cause will be held on November 9 at Regions Field. Sponsorships and group ticketing packages are available for pre-sale now at www.casinoforacause.org.
These events raise funds for mission critical research and patient support programs, and help increase awareness of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, two painful and unpredictable digestive diseases. Funds raised through the Alabama/NW Florida Chapter will help transform the lives of those impacted by these diseases, and support the Foundation’s critical research, education, and patient support programs.
To read the AL.com article, please click here.
For more information on how to get involved with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, please visit www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/Chapters/Alabama or contact Emily Richter at (646) 387-2149 or erichter@crohnscolitisfoundation.org.
About Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Known collectively as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis affects 1 in 200 people. They are painful, medically incurable diseases that attack the digestive system. Crohn’s disease may attack anywhere along the digestive tract, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever and weight loss. Many patients require numerous hospitalizations and surgery. Most people develop the diseases between the ages of 15 and 35; however the incidence is increasing in children.
About the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is the largest voluntary non-profit health organization dedicated to finding cures for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The Foundation’s mission is to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults who suffer from these diseases. The Foundation works to fulfill its mission by funding research, providing educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public, and furnishing supportive services for those afflicted with IBD. For more information, visit www.ccfa.org, call 888-694-8872 or email info@ccfa.org.
Tags: Alabama/NW Florida Chapter, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, Crohn's Disease, Dr. Miles Gresham, Ulcerative Colitis
Southeast Gastro Doctors recognized as “Top Women In Medicine”
Dr. Allison Duke Bridges and Dr. Lindsay South Robison featured as “Top Women In Medicine’ in B-Metro Magazine. Check out the entire list at B-Metro …Read More »
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Home » Working Life » Eveleigh Railway Yards
Eveleigh Railway Yards
Workers at the unveiling of an honour board at the Eveleigh Railway Yards in Redfern (photograph courtesy Noel Butlin Collection, Australian National University – hdl:1885/203)
Location: (Australian Technology Park) and Carriageworks, Redfern
Eveleigh Railway Yards was Sydney’s largest employer from the time it opened in 1886. It was also one of the biggest employers of Aboriginal people living in Sydney.
Many Aboriginal men also worked in the Alexandria goods yard loading trains with kegs and potatoes and on the waterfront docks at Walsh Bay and Darling Harbour.
Following the closure of the Eveleigh Railway Yards in the 1980s, the former workshops on either side of the railway line were converted for other uses. On the southern side in the former Locomotive Workshops is the Australian Technology Park, and on the northern side is CarriageWorks, a hub for contemporary arts and culture. There is information displayed at both sites that describes some of the work practices that took place here.
Royleston
NAIDOC Week in Sydney
Bennelong Point / Dubbagullee
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Education, enforcement needed for cycling culture
Mar 26, 2016, 5:00 am SGT
http://str.sg/Zt92
Writer Danson Cheong was absolutely right when he highlighted that education and enforcement were the keys to the successful encouragement of cycling in Tampines ("Panel's bold plan powers cyclists into the future"; Thursday).
There must be political will to support these factors to ensure the success of cycling as a key component of transport here.
Nobody disputes that cycling is ideal for providing solutions to last-mile and short-distance transport problems. But in Singapore, cyclists have to share space with pedestrians and users of mobility aids. This is done successfully in other crowded cities, such as Tokyo, where the people are famously polite. But in Singapore, social graces are nowhere near that standard yet.
Education has to start right now in schools, and in the wider society. And it has to be ongoing, so that successive generations of students will grow up understanding how to share space responsibly and effectively in our crowded city.
Enforcement is also absolutely necessary. Not only are there Singaporean cyclists who speed through bus stops, but there are also many foreign workers who use this low-cost means of transport, and who come from cultures with a totally different approach to safety.
But even in Tampines, where the cycling initiative was promoted, government agencies dithered over who should take the lead in enforcement, until its town council decided to just hire auxiliary police officers to do the job.
After an eight-month study, an expert panel has submitted proposals to allow cyclists on footpaths.
The benefits of the proposals are obvious. We can only hope that the implementation will not be stymied by indecision over who should take responsibility for educating the public and enforcing some basic regulations.
Lee Chiu San
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 26, 2016, with the headline 'Education, enforcement needed for cycling culture'. Print Edition | Subscribe
TODAY'S LETTERS
CYCLING/BICYCLES
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All-electric taxi fleet may hit the roads soon
Private transport firm HDT Singapore Holding already has 30 units of Shenzhen-based BYD's e6 vehicles (above).PHOTO: REUTERS
http://str.sg/4Uwu
HDT Singapore Taxi applies for operator licence, likely to use cars by Buffett-backed China maker
Adrian Lim
Political Correspondent
adrianl@sph.com.sg
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has confirmed that it is assessing an application from a local firm to be the first to launch an all-electric taxi fleet here.
Should HDT Singapore Taxi be granted a taxi licence after submitting its application in April, it could potentially pave the way for the entry of electric vehicles (EV) into the taxi market.
"If successful, HDT will be the first to operate a fully electric taxi fleet in Singapore, with a fleet of 100 e-taxis," an LTA spokesman told The Sunday Times.
The introduction of electric taxis will tie in with the Government's plans to widen the testing of the viability of electric vehicles (EV) in Singapore. The first phase of the test-bed, which concluded three years ago, involved individual corporate users.
The LTA said it will explore fleet-based, shared-car operations in the second phase, and it is working with the Economic Development Board to launch an islandwide EV-sharing programme, with 1,000 cars and 2,000 charging points. There are currently about 120 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles here, according to LTA figures.
The LTA said there are no other applications for a taxi service operator's licence. This places HDT at the forefront of launching an e-taxi service.
As with other cab firms, HDT will be expected to comply with availability and service standards, as well as regulations on taxi fare structures, the LTA said.
Sources said that HDT plans to use electric vehicles from BYD (Build Your Dreams), a Shenzhen-based auto and battery manufacturer that has US investment guru Warren Buffett as a shareholder.
HDT Singapore Taxi, which was registered in April, is a spin-off from HDT Singapore Holding, a private transport firm which started here about three years ago and already has a fleet of 30 of BYD's e6 model, an all-electric saloon car.
BYD itself has its eyes on the consumer market here, and last month it opened an EV showroom in Ubi in collaboration with India-based Smart Group.
The use of BYD electric cars as taxis has been tried out in cities, including Brussels and Hong Kong. In the firm's home city of Shenzhen, there is a fleet of some 850 e6 taxis.
Asked about its plans, HDT said it would make an announcement soon. HDT is also seeking approval from the Energy Market Authority for the use of its charging stations here for the taxi service.
As of April, there are 28,280 taxis on the island belonging to ComfortDelGro, Trans-Cab, SMRT, Premier and Prime, and about 86 per cent of them use diesel. There are 2,065 petrol-electric taxis, which account for about 7 per cent of the cab population.
The potential entry of electric taxis is a welcome move because cabs, in general, clock high mileage, said Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, executive director of Nanyang Technological University's Energy Research Institute (ERI@N). He said: "While taxis account for just 3 per cent of the total vehicle population, they contribute to over 15 per cent of vehicle emissions, based on their mileage."
ERI@N recently published an e-mobility paper which forecasts that emissions from taxis could be reduced by 27 per cent in 2050 if 85 per cent of taxis go electric.
The island's taxi fleet - projected to grow to 30,000 by 2050 - could be a combination of battery electric vehicles (60 per cent), plug-in hybrid electric (25 per cent) and fuel cars (15 per cent), the paper said.
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on June 12, 2016, with the headline 'All-electric taxi fleet may hit the roads soon'. Print Edition | Subscribe
ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLES
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NBA: Warriors destroy Cavaliers to open 2-0 Finals lead
Jun 6, 2016, 12:16 pm SGT
http://str.sg/438U
OAKLAND, California (Reuters) - The Golden State Warriors moved into a commanding position in the NBA Finals with a 110-77 romp over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, the defending champions easing to victory in front of a delighted home crowd.
Draymond Green was the latest Warrior to shine as the team's All-Star backcourt was afforded another quiet game, the power forward scoring a game-high 28 points as Golden State opened a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
MVP Stephen Curry recorded 18 points and nine rebounds but played just 25 minutes and spent much of the night cheering from the bench while his team ran rampant against a lethargic and outclassed opposition.
Cleveland's misery was compounded in the third quarter when forward Kevin Love was forced to leave the game feeling dizzy after taking a blow to the head in the second quarter.
Cavaliers talisman LeBron James finished with 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds but did not play in the fourth quarter once the Warriors had opened a big lead by the end of the third.
The Cavs return home to Cleveland for Game Three on Wednesday when they will try to make their first telling impact in what has been a disappointing mismatch to date.
The Cavaliers were supposed to be better prepared for a Finals rematch with the Warriors as they entered healthier and more talented than the hobbling team that lost 4-2 a year ago, but they have been destroyed in the opening two contests.
Golden State has now beaten Cleveland seven straight times, dating back to last season's Finals.
The latest match-up was all but decided midway through the third, when Curry went to the bench due to foul trouble and with the Warriors leading by 10.
Golden State barely missed a beat and pushed the lead to 20 heading to the fourth and never looked back.
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Erasing Memories
New research shows that people can learn to suppress memories. It also suggests new avenues for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.
by Emily Singer
People can actively suppress memories by dampening activity in specific parts of the brain, according to research published today. The findings could spur development of new treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), either in the form of drugs that target these areas or new behavioral therapies that might boost a person’s ability to suppress certain memories. One drug that appears to act through similar mechanisms has shown early success in patients.
Silencing memories: When volunteers successfully suppressed a memory, they showed less activity in the hippocampus (shown here in blue), which plays a crucial role in memory.
“It does look like there is a brain mechanism for decreasing the potency of a memory,” says Marie Banich, director of the Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and leader of the research. “And it seems to be a learning process, which suggests that control of memory could be engaged in therapy.”
In the experiment, published today in the journal Science, volunteers memorized pairs of pictures, one of a face and one of a disturbing image, such as a car accident or surgery in progress. Researchers then showed the volunteers pictures of the faces while asking them either to remember or to try to suppress the photo that had been paired with it. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to analyze the brain’s response, scientists found that when people successfully “forgot” the memory, as evidenced in later memory tests, activity in several parts of the brain was dampened. These areas included the hippocampus and the amygdala, parts of the brain crucial for memory and emotion.
Researchers also found that the pattern of brain activity changed over time as volunteers were asked repeatedly to try to suppress the same memory. The hippocampus–the brain’s memory center–became less active in later trials, suggesting that “the memory has to come back a bit before you can suppress it,” says John Gabrieli, a neuroscientist at MIT.
And the prefrontal cortex–which has been implicated in cognitive control–became more active in later trials, suggesting that the frontal cortex is learning to exert control over the memory parts of the brain, Gabrieli says.
The findings could aid development of new therapies. “If you know what the neurobiological systems are, it helps you to better target treatments for intrusive memories,” says Michael Anderson, a neuroscientist at the University of Oregon in Eugene. “We know the prefrontal cortex is involved in voluntary memory suppression. Armed with that new fact, perhaps we could develop drug treatments that facilitate the ability to suppress unwanted memories.”
The findings could also help shape nondrug treatments. If memory suppression is a skill that can be improved with practice, as the study suggests, PTSD patients may be able to learn to better control their unwanted thoughts.
Suppressing memories for therapeutic reasons is a contentious issue among scientists. For many, the idea itself–to block access to part of one’s past, as depicted in the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind–is somewhat disturbing. Some psychiatrists believe, as Freud most famously did, that it’s emotionally harmful, contributing subconsciously to everyday anxiety. Most psychologists who treat PTSD patients emphasize that their goal is not to erase memories themselves, but to dampen their emotional charge. “You can never erase a serious trauma from someone’s memory,” says Katherine Putnam, a psychologist at Boston University Medical School. “The issue is to reframe [the memories], to get some kind of detachment.”
Preliminary studies of one drug, currently used to treat heart problems and anxiety, show that it seems to do just that. Researchers administered the drug, known as propranolol, to volunteers after they recalled a traumatic event. The drug appeared to subtly change the way they remembered the event: while they could still recall the details, the emotional response that normally accompanied the memory was dulled. Scientists haven’t yet studied the effect of this drug on the brain with fMRI.
While it’s not yet clear how the drug works, scientists believe it interferes with the way memories are stored after being recalled. Recent research has shown that memories are not set in stone. Unlike a video, every time a memory is “replayed,” it needs to be organized and stored anew, making it vulnerable to change. “We believe during that process, some kind of interference occurs, and the memory is degraded,” says Alain Brunet, a psychologist at McGill University, in Canada, who led the study, published last week in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. (The mechanism behind the memory reconsolidation process appears to be different than that behind memory suppression, but both involve reactivating the memory and then reshaping it in some way.)
While both studies are exciting, scientists caution that they are still far from clinical practice. In the case of propranolol, larger studies are needed to assess how well the treatment works and for how long. In the case of nondrug therapy, it’s not yet clear whether the techniques used in the memory-suppression study will be applicable to trauma victims. “The effects are small, about 10 percent, so they are not on scale of what we imagine true clinical suppression of a traumatic event would have to be,” says Gabrieli. “But that doesn’t mean they don’t give us hints. Making a patient 20 percent happier is significant.”
Emily Singer
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FOOTHILLS EXPLORATION INC. UPDATES ON 7,000 ACRE, 87 WELL ACQUISITION - UPDATED
6/19, 5:26 PM (Source: GlobeNewswire)
Foothills Exp...+22.22%
LOS ANGELES, June 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Foothills Exploration, Inc. (OTC.QB: FTXP) (the “Company,” or “Foothills”), an independent oil and gas exploration company engaged in acquiring and developing oil and natural gas properties in the Rockies today provided an update on its proposed acquisition of 7,000 acres and 87 oil and gas wells in Montana.
"We look forward to closing on this transaction during Q3 this year, and when closed we expect that this Montana asset will add accretive value to our asset base and complement our existing portfolio," stated Kevin Sylla, Executive Chairman of Foothills. “This planned acquisition will add another revenue producing property where we can improve operations, reduce costs, and secure value-added drilling and development opportunities to our exploration inventory,” continued Sylla.
The target acquisition is located is in Montana’s North-Central Basin and is oil-weighted. The properties consist of about 7,000 acres and a total of 87 oil and gas wells. These stripper wells currently produce approximately 106 barrels of oil per day (“BOPD”). The oil properties include 58 wells – 12 producing, 25 shut-in proved developed non-producing and 21 injection wells comprising of the Sumatra and Big Wall/Little Wall Fields. The gas properties consist of 29 stripper wells – 10 producing and 19 shut-in. The properties currently generate approximately $1.8 million in total annual gross revenues.
The Company has devised a field-wide optimization program designed to bring production back online from the 44 shut-in wells and expects these workover operations to generate a 100% increase in current production levels. “We expect that this acquisition will provide Foothills with significant upside from an operational standpoint, where we can workover existing wells, and from an exploration and development standpoint, where we can work on several behind-pipe opportunities,” said Sylla.
Future Upside
The Company’s technical team believes that horizontal development is worth pursing in the Amsden and Tyler formations. In 1993, Texaco drilled a 2,000FT horizontal well to the Amsden formation on the same acreage position, which had an initial production of 169 BOPD and produced 158,000 barrels of oil with 12 years of flat production decline, and which further supports management’s belief in a future exploration program. Three additional structurally higher drilling locations offsetting the Texaco well have been identified with what management believes to be excellent development potential.
The U.S. Geological Survey (“USGS”) completed a geology-based assessment of the continuous (unconventional) oil and gas resources of the Big Snowy Trough area of central Montana and western North Dakota, which included a majority of the 7,000 acres being acquired by the Company. The USGS North-Central Montana continuous oil assessment unit, undiscovered mean resources summary for the Heath formation determined that there was an estimated 637 million barrels of oil in the area.
The Company’s technical team, in conjunction with a third-party engineering firm, will perform a comprehensive study of the area and assess the optimal development plan for the Heath formation. In Q1 2019, another operator in the area announced a Heath horizontal discovery, west of the acquisition target’s Sumatra field.
“We are excited at the opportunity to acquire this asset,” continued Sylla. “We think there is tremendous upside development drilling conventional and unconventional horizontal wells from shallow depths across the acreage position. This acquisition gives us the opportunity to be at the forefront of an emerging horizontal play,” ended Sylla.
The Company expects to close on this acquisition on or about August 22, 2019, subject to approval from the State of Montana, however, no assurances can be given that the transaction will close.
Foothills Exploration, Inc. is a growth stage oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) company with a focus on acquiring and developing undervalued and underdeveloped properties in the Rockies. The Company’s principal assets are located across well-established plays in the U.S. Rocky Mountain region. For additional information please visit the Company’s website at www.foothillspetro.com.
This release includes ''forward-looking statements'' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations, opinions, belief or forecasts of future events and performance. A statement identified by the use of forward-looking words including ''will,'' ''may,'' ''expects,'' ''projects,'' ''anticipates,'' ''plans,'' ''believes,'' ''estimate,'' ''should,'' “could,” “proposed” and certain of the other foregoing statements may be deemed forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management, and information currently available to management. Although Foothills believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future activities and results to be materially different from those suggested or described in this news release. In particular, statements, express or implied, concerning our future operating results and returns or our ability to acquire or develop proven or probable reserves, our ability to replace or increase reserves, increase production, or generate income or cash flows, or generate commercial production from wells drilled on our properties in same formations or zones as other discoveries made by third parties are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. Factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: risks inherent in natural gas and oil drilling and production activities, including risks of fire, explosion, blowouts, pipe failure, casing collapse, unusual or unexpected formation pressures, environmental hazards, and other operating and production risks, which may temporarily or permanently reduce production or cause initial production or test results not to be indicative of future well performance or delay the timing of sales or completion of drilling operations; delays in receipt of drilling permits; risks with respect to natural gas and oil prices, a material decline which could cause Foothills to delay or suspend planned drilling operations or reduce production levels; risks relating to the availability, timing and cost of capital to fund drilling operations that can be adversely affected by adverse drilling results, production declines and declines in natural gas and oil prices; risks relating to unexpected adverse developments in the status of properties; risks relating to the absence or delay in receipt of government approvals or third party consents; the Company's ability to identify, finance and integrate recent or future acquisitions; the volatility of the Company's stock price; and other risks described in Foothills' Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC, available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof. The Company takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law, or those prepared by third parties that are not paid for by the Company.
Christopher Jarvis
ir@foothillspetro.com
Copyright GlobeNewswire, Inc. 2016. All rights reserved.
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Māori Data Sovereignty Network
What Works Workshop
Database of Experts
Ngā Tangata
Te Pokapu
The work programme of Te Mana Raraunga is overseen by a core working group, Te Pokapū. The members are:
Tahu Kukutai
Tahu is Professor of Demography at the National Institute of Demographic and Economic Analysis, University of Waikato. She affiliates to Ngāti Tīpa, Ngāti Kinohaku, Ngāti Māhanga and Te Aupōuri. Tahu specialises in Māori and indigenous demographic research and has written extensively on issues of indigenous population change, indigenous identity and official statistics. She is a founding member of Te Mana Raraunga and is Vice President of the Population Association of New Zealand. She is co-editor (with John Taylor) of the new volume Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Toward an Agenda (ANU Press). Tahu has degrees in History, Demography and Sociology from the University of Waikato and Stanford University. She was previously a journalist
MAUI HUDSON
Maui affiliates to Te Whakatohea, Nga Ruahine, and Te Mahurehure iwi. He is a member of the Whakatohea Māori Trust Board and Director on a number of its companies including Te Pou Oranga o Whakatohea, and Eastern Seafarms Ltd. Maui is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Waikato. His research is interdisciplinary in nature focusing on the application of mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge) to decision-making across a range of contexts from new technologies to health, the environment to innovation. Access to data and governance of data are key issues emerging from his research and led to his involvement in establishing Te Mana Raraunga.
Andrew Sporle
Andrew (Ngāti Apa, Rangitane, Te Rarawa) is based part-time in the Statistics Department at the University of Auckland, where he teaches in courses on survey methods and official statistics. He has recently returned to academia after several years consulting in the private sector on health service and research development. A sociologist and epidemiologist, his research interests include indigenous statistics, social inequities and the creation of public domain tools for accessing and applying existing data. He was formerly the inaugural Māori health research manager at the Health Research Council. His current research work includes improving the Māori responsiveness of mainstream research, creating longitudinal and quasi-experimental studies with existing data, the social and environmental determinants of stomach cancer in Māori, and the development of improved methods to apply official statistics to inform the prevention of premature death amongst Māori.
Wikuki Kingi QSM
Wikuki Kingi is a Tohunga Toi Ake; Master Carver, and Cultural Symbologist; a culmination of 26 generations of the ancient arts and first language of Indigenous technology and communication. A Native Scientist/Technologist he has an extensive history of creating artistic and cultural treasures for local and global communities including the world’s largest Maori / Pacific totem Pou Kapua. Wikuki is a founding trustee of Pou Kapua Creations Trust and the HAKAMANA Virtual Reality Collective; convenor and founding member of Planet Maori and TE HA Global Alliance who continue to support Indigenous technological sovereignty, 21st century productions, and business development. He is on the board of Seattle-based Indigenous Education Institute (IEI) whose work includes the NSF / NASA supported Cosmic Serpent programme. He is a member of the Native Science Academy based in San Francisco, working with the National Science Foundation Washington bringing native science values and methodologies alongside western science technology into their national programmes. A creative leader, visionary and strategist, Wikuki “seeks to unleash the taniwha of transformation upon the universe, and unshackle the power of creativity and innovation encoded in our DNA.”
VANESSA CLARK
Vanessa (Ngaati Tiipa, Ngaati Tahinga, Ngaati Aamaru) is Principal of Vanessa Clark Consulting Ltd. Vanessa has more than 18 years of business and management experience in the ICT sector internationally (Hong Kong, London, Sydney, San Francisco) and locally. She worked at Cisco Systems Inc. in Silicon Valley for 11 years and returned to Aotearoa NZ in 2011. Vanessa is keen to share and leverage her global management experience and encourages collaboration and partnering in order to challenge the status quo and advance innovation, research and development and Māori economic imperatives. Vanessa was appointed to the Māori ICT Development Fund Expert Advisory Group in October 2015 and in December of the same year, appointed to the Board of Te Māngai Pāho.
Dan Te Kanawa
Dan is Chief Executive of the Tuhono Trust which manages the national Māori Affiliation Service. Dan’s iwi affiliations are Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Uekaha, Ngāti Pare TeKawa, Ngāti Kinohaku, Ngāti Rora, and Ngāti Apakura. His key areas of interest are: Māori Sector development and transformation to meet the challenges and mitigate the threats and risks of a rapidly changing modern world; incorporating traditional Māori cultural knowledge systems in the development of strategic intent, planning and the transformation of social, cultural, economic and environmental wellbeing; developing strategies and frameworks to serve or enhance the collective wellbeing of whānau, hapū and iwi that focus on identity, potential and wellbeing; and development of Māori controlled “data intermediaries” to serve the data needs of Māori with functional integration with recognised official data sources.
Warren Williams
Warren (Tūhoe / Waikato; Hapū: Te Urewera / Ngāti Māhanga) has a background in education, ICT and business. He has experience in IT leadership roles and is passionate about increasing Māori participation in the IT industry. He believes that Māori must be at the decision-making tables to enable change with Māori qualities that can benefit all facets of the industry. Warren has particular interest in Māori attaining leadership roles in this industry also. This passion encouraged him to undertake his PhD on increasing Māori participation in the IT industry. He is also a member of various Māori IT-related forums. These include the Digital Māori Forum (DMF) and PlanetMāori.com. Warren runs his digital consultancy business called “DigitalTaniwha.com” in the Waikato region. He provides digital transformation strategies and services to small businesses. Warren loves helping small businesses succeed in the digital world. Finally, Warren is a member of the Expert Advisory Group for the “Ka Hao: Māori Digital Technology Development Fund”, a contestable fund of $30 million established to support initiatives that will create high value jobs and opportunities for Māori in digital technologies.
James Hudson
Of the Ngāti Awa, Tuhoe, Ngāti Pukeko and Ngaitai tribes, James’s early career was in resource management, public and commercial law working with Māori tribes and organisations. His focus then shifted towards researching with universities and whare wānanga (tribal universities) focussing on Māori and indigenous governance and development. During this time, he led several significant research collaborations amongst Māori and Crown research institutes while completing his doctorate in outcomes measures to quantify progress for iwi (tribes). More recently, James has led data innovations in a local government context for Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). These included developing an integrated Māori data strategy, implementing a Māori-specific evaluation and monitoring framework, and reporting data on Māori wellbeing and contribution in Tamaki Makaurau.
NGapera Riley
Ngapera is the Deputy CEO of Figure.NZ a technology company set up as a Charity, which pulls NZ's public aggregate data sets together in one place and makes it easy to understand and accessible for everyone, for free. The aim being to democratise data with a view to reducing inequalities through access to data and a knowledge of how to use it, in order to make better decisions for Aotearoa. Formerly the Global Director of the World Class New Zealand Network for Kea, Ngapera has also worked for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in NYC and Los Angeles, The Ministry of Health, The University of Auckland, and works closely with Maori business and education efforts across New Zealand. She currently holds board positions with the Inzone Education Foundation, and Te Ohu Whai Ao Trust connecting Indigenous business efforts globally. Ngapera is passionate about working with young people to help give them opportunities to reach their potential.
Donna Cormack
Donna (Kāti Mamoe, Kai Tahu) is a researcher with joint positions at Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pomare, University of Otago (Wellington), and Te Kupenga Hauora Māori, University of Auckland. She has been involved over a number of years in work on the conceptualisation, collection and classification of ethnicity data in Aotearoa, particularly as it relates to measuring and monitoring Māori health and health inequity. Her research and teaching interests include racism as a determinant of Indigenous health, critical approaches to Māori health and health equity, and data sovereignty.
Our Data, Our Sovereignty, Our Future
He whenua hou, Te Ao Raraunga Te Ao Raraunga, He whenua hou
Home | What we do | Frequently asked questions | News & updates | Join us
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TELL-ALL
Hitler Henchman's Secretary Speaks
Having refused interviews ever since World War II ended, Brunhilde Pomsel—the former secretary of Hitler's propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels—has finally broken her 66-year vow of silence in a tell-all interview with German newspaper Bild. She recalls how Goebbels's children played with her typewriter on Sunday afternoons during the three years that she worked for him, before Goebbels and his wife murdered them with cyanide in Hitler's bunker. “He got away lightly with suicide,” Frau Pomsel said. “He knew he would be condemned to death by the allies.” When the Third Reich collapsed, Pomsel spent five years in Russian prison camps, and wouldn’t learn the details of Goebbels’s suicide and family murder until after the war.
Read it at The Daily Mail
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Happy Birthday Israel
The great Blogger crash of earlier this week delayed my posting of this little greeting to Israel.
I am a big fan of Israel and wish that country all the best. I am sorry to say that I have visited Israel only once, in 1974, and, although, I vowed over the years to return, and tried throughout my Foreign Service career to be assigned there, it never worked out--one of my big regrets.
Israel came into being on May 14, 1948, with all the odds against it. It was at war against an invading and vastly superior enemy within less than 24 hours, and won. It has been in the forefront of the fight against terror and Islamic jihadism ever since. Despite the wars and the terror directed against it, Israel is a thriving democracy with a booming high-tech sector. It is also a close ally of the United States and our friend. We can count on Israel and until the Obama administration, Israel could count on the United States.
Contrast Israel with Pakistan, which came into existence not quite one year before on August 14, 1947, and which, incidentally, voted against creation of the State of Israel during the vote at the UN. For the Muslims, it was OK to have a Muslim homeland in the Indian subcontinent, where Islam was introduced from the outside and via the sword, but not a Jewish one in the birthplace of Judaism. By the way, I can't help but notice that the West Bank only became Occupied Palestine once Israel took it from Jordan. Prior to 1967, the West Bank was just Jordan; now it's Palestine, and the people who used to be Jordanians, are now Palestinians.
Anyhow, Israel is a prosperous and free success; Pakistan is the typical Islamic repressive mess, and getting worse. We have so-called Palestinian refugees after 60 years still being feted and fed by the UN (in large part by the US taxpayer) and supplying a steady stream of bombers and killers. I don't see the same concern for the millions of Hindu, Sikh, Bahai, Zoroastrian, and Christian refugees who fled Pakistan, or for that matter for the Jews and Christians who have had to flee the Muslim world. But, that is the world in which we live.
Happy birthday Israel, and many more in the future.
Posted by DiploMad at 10:54 AM
Kepha May 15, 2011 at 9:15 PM
One reason why a "Palestinian" nation exists is because the Arab states to which the uprooted Arabs of the former British Palestine mandate fled in 1948 have refused to naturalize those people or their offspring, even down to what is now becoming a fourth generation of stateless "refugees".
Take it from an old codger who can remember the 1967 Six-Day War. The non-Jewish, non-Armenian, non-Samaritan, and non-Circassian inhabitants of the land between the Jordan and the Mediterranean were called "Arabs" back then, along with the majority populations of Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, what's now the UAE, Oman, Yemen, Aden, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria,and Morocco. The great political ideal of that quarter of the world was not a separate "Palestinian" nation, but "Arab unity", for which Israel was the great obstacle.
But, now, you tell me, what do you make of Israel taking in several hundreds of thousands of Jews from the Maghreb, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, who arrived with just the clothes on their backs, and making them, their children, grandchildren, and so on into no-questions asked Israelis, while the Arab states to this day refuse to naturalize even the descendants of "an-Nakbar"?
And, it isn't as if all these ex-Iraqi and ex-Maghrebi Israelis were settled from Britain, France, Germany, and Russia between the wars. The Jewish population of Iraq numbered around 150,000-plus back in the 1940's (when there were roughly 800,000 people of all sorts in British mandated Palestine at the same time), and their roots went all the way back to the days of the Assyrian Empire, back in the 7th century B.C. linguistically, their divisions were between Mustaribs, descendants of people who had adopted the Arabic language and culture, and Jewish neo-Aramaic up in Kurdistan. Indeed, Iraq was where some of the biblical prophets were buried, where the Babylonian Talmud was written, and where much of later Jewish culture was worked out. Arabic was not even heard in that country until the 600's A.D.! But, in retaliation for "an-Nakba", the millennia-old Iraqi Jewish community was completely uprooted, until it dwindled to 35 souls in 2008, most of whom have since moved.
In the Maghreb, Jews were present from at least Roman times, if not earlier. There were communities in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria whose home languages were Amazigh dialects rather than the Arabic immposed after ca. 700 A.D. or the Ladino introduced to the cities following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. Again, the Maghrebi Jewish communities that predated the arrival of the Spanish expellees were there long before the Arabs. While I will grant that the Moroccan monarchs have been decent to the remaining Jews in their country, independent Algeria's record is appalling, while as we discuss the matter here, the remnant of Tunisian Jewry is under pressure from the "democratic" Muslim rebels of that land. All of these very ancient Jewish communities have dwindled precipitously, most of their members migrating to Israel (Jews of Moroccan origin are the single largest group among the Israelis, not Russians, Poles, or Germans).
The Jews of Egypt were largely expelled by Nasser, even though this community dates back to the days of Jeremiah the prophet (read the 40's of that biblical book), again, long before Arabic was ever heard in Egypt. Egyptian Jewry's records left in the Genizah of Cairo provided documents so old they testified to a time before Talmudic Judaism was widespread. Egyptian Jewry also gave us the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament, which was the Bible of the early Christians and remains the official Old Testament text for the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church. And think of where Western civilization would be without the tradition of Bible translation which the ancient Jews of Ptolemaic times pioneered! Yet this pre-Arab population was also expelled.
Syria and Libya are other countries with ancient, pre-Arab Jewish histories which are now all but Judenrein. The last several dozen Yemenite Jews, whose roots are also pre-Talmudic as well as pre-Islamic, are also in danger of disappearing, following the much larger part of their once-numerous community which emigrated to Israel both before and after 1948.
So, why is the plight of the post-1948 Palestinian refugees so special that it merits the blanket condemnation of Israel, and merits the refusal of the Arab states to naturalize their own religious and linguistic kin?
While we're at it, how many of us Americans descend from people run out of Old World countries, yet we are no-questions-asked Americans? How many Huguenot-descended South Carolinians or New Yorkers running around tearfully demanding that the US nuke France? How many Na-Dene or Siouan people are there demanding that America punish the Evenks and Yakuts of Siberia for running their ancestors off back in the days of cooperative mammoth-hunting? How many descendants of German '48'ers (1848, that is), are calling for the US to finish the job Eisenhower barely started in 1944? None.
This is an age which has seen a Delhi-born Muslim named Pervez Musharaf sitting down with a Lahore-born Sikh named Manmohan Singh in an attempt to iron out Indo-Pakistani difficulties (both men being children of another refugee crisis of the late 1940's). Lots of Greeks descend from Turkophone Orthodox Christians uprooted in the '20's, while many Turks descend from Hellenophone Muslims from Thessaly or Crete uprooted in the same period.
While we're at it, the Arab street screams wildly about evil, evil, evil America and cheers for Bin Laden because of what happened to the poor, poor, poor Palestinians. yet our fifty-times-daily accursed America has given passport-holding, voting rights, public office-eligible citizenship (and let's not forget property-holding rights, too!) to more Falastin Arab refugees and their offspring than any 10 Arabic-speaking countries exclusive of Jordan, the PA, and Israel itself.
I think that this is why some of us think it is high time that the Arab states get asked to naturalize their "Palestinian" populations (the vast majority of whom are too young to remember anything about the lands between the Jordan and the Med) rather than use them to try to provoke another war.
Fenris Badwulf May 15, 2011 at 9:48 PM
O, Diplomad, you have not addressed the endemic bias against all things Israeli found in academia, and, of course, inculcated in the young minds in their charge. Israel may have its virtues, but in the face of a determined cadre of 'Cong' hard core planted across the fruited plains of the States, what chance does Israel have in looking to the US for friendship, let alone an unbiased neutrality.
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Ambulance driver may face up to 10 years in jail for transporting cannabis
Although cannabis is illegal to consume in Ghana for recreational purposes, the country is one of the most prolific cannabis producers in West Africa
By Emma Spears
Cannabis-related penalties are strict. Per Ghana’s Narcotic Drugs Act, a term of not less than 10 years is recommended if the accused is found guilty. RUTH MCDOWALL/AFP/Getty Images
Canada is not the only country where cannabis and vehicles are a controversial and potentially criminal combination.
An ambulance driver in Ghana, who was arrested nearly two years ago but skipped bail and escaped, has been located and taken back into custody. Sampson Azago, 25, was intercepted and promptly escorted by authorities to a Circuit Court this week.
Teenage son of U.K. police officers kills two after consuming cannabis and driving impaired
Drug-impaired driving on the rise, cannabis-impaired driving mellow: Commission report
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Azago was originally arrested in July 2017, along with alleged accomplice Derrick Eto, 24. Both men were charged with transporting more than 600 of parcels of cannabis (or “wee”) from Vakpo, a town in the rural Volta region of Ghana, to Aflao, a heavily-populated town on the country’s Togolese border.
Police witnesses testified that on July 29, officers acting on a tip pulled over an ambulance—driven by Azago with Eto in the passenger seat—with lights and siren on. They were arrested and taken to court, where both Azago and Eto were granted bail by the presiding judge. Both disappeared shortly afterwards.
Azago was later picked up on a bench warrant and returned to court, and police eventually tracked Eto to another prison. When they reappeared in court before a judge on May 16 of this year, both men were predictably denied bail.
Although cannabis is illegal to consume in Ghana for recreational purposes (a license from the Ministry of Health is required for medical use), the country is one of the most prolific cannabis producers in West Africa. Regardless, cannabis-related penalties are strict. Per Ghana’s Narcotic Drugs Act, a term of not less than 10 years is recommended if the accused is found guilty.
Azago and Eto’s case has been adjourned until May 20.
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‘Long Shot’ pays off big
Lately, it might seem as though every single studio movie is either a nine-figure-budgeted franchise blockbuster or a low-overhead genre movie. And yes, there’s a lot of that kind of stuff out there. But those who have bemoaned the loss of the mid-budget studio film should take solace, for the reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated. Sure, we see FEWER of those movies, but they’re far from over.
“Long Shot” is a perfect example of just that kind of film. A high-concept hybrid of political comedy and juvenilia, it’s a rom-com that tries to be a lot of different things and is largely successful. It’s an unconventional execution of a movie-conventional pairing between Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron, lending a surprising degree of nuance to the standard mixed-attractiveness comic screen pairing.
It’s also an attempt at political satire, an effort to poke fun at the current climate. Government operations and the media both take their share of hits, and while the effort doesn’t land as well as the relationship stuff, it still manages its share of laughs. It’s a movie that is smart and profane, putting forth cleverness and crassness in equal (and often hilarious) measure.
Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen, “The Disaster Artist”) is a journalist working for a progressive Brooklyn publication. He is idealistic and daring, willing to do anything to write the stories that matter to him. Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron, “Tully”) is the Secretary of State, a rising star in the political world whose ambitions transcend even her current lofty position.
When the corporate conglomerate Wembley Media buys Fred’s paper, he takes a principled stand and quits. He winds up in the office of his finance bro college buddy Lance (O’Shea Jackson Jr., “Den of Thieves”), who whisks him away to a fundraising party. Charlotte is in attendance at this same party, working on an environmental deal that she sees as a springboard to a run for the presidency; current President Chambers (Bob Odenkirk, TV’s “Better Call Saul”) – a dim-witted guy whose sole qualification for the job was playing the President on a TV show – won’t be running again due to a desire to make the transition to movies.
As it happens, Fred and Charlotte know each other. See, Charlotte was Fred’s babysitter when she was 16 and he was 12. They reconnect at the party, much to the chagrin of Charlotte’s team of Maggie (June Diane Raphael, TV’s “Grace and Frankie”) and Tom (Ravi Patel, “The Black String”) – Charlotte, seeking ways to make herself funnier and more relatable, hires Fred as a speechwriter.
As she spends time with Fred, remembering the person she used to be, Charlotte is reminded of the passion she once had for the issues. And … other passions arise as well.
But the machinations of government don’t always allow for happiness. Charlotte’s deal is being watered down at every turn as she is forced to make compromises foisted upon her by the likes of the President and billionaire Wembley Media owner Parker Wembley (Andy Serkis, “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle”). She even finds herself considering compromising on Fred, who might not be the ideal mate for someone seeking higher office.
She’s left to choose. Does she quietly concede ground in pursuit of victory? Or does she say to hell with it and risk it all? What matters most?
“Long Shot” is smart in all the ways you want it to be smart and dumb in all the ways you want it to be dumb. The script – written by Dan Stirling and Liz Hannah – gleefully revels in scatological and adolescent humor and embraces pop culture touchstones while also deftly handling the duality baked into its premise. The tone is adapted to both sides – the romantic comedy and the political satire – and while it’s maybe a bit more successful on the rom-com end of things, it works throughout.
Of course, the best screenplay in the world doesn’t mean much without the performers to make it sing. “Long Shot” has a remarkably effective pairing at its center, a duo whose chemistry maybe shouldn’t surprise, but is surprising nevertheless. Rogen is solidly in his wheelhouse as Fred; the foul-mouthed self-deprecating smartass role is one for which he is ideally suited. But while he’s done this before, he definitely feels as though he’s pushing just a bit more, trying a bit harder.
That’s almost certainly because of the blistering pace being set by Charlize Theron, whose performance is a huge part of why this movie works as wonderfully as it does. She is so good at presenting the veneer of supreme self-confidence while also allowing herself to look goofy and vulnerable; few actresses can pull off either place, let alone both. But she does it effortlessly and so thoroughly that it elevates Rogen. And the comedic chemistry between Theron and Rogen is exceptional; they are a delight to watch.
The supporting cast is great – Odenkirk’s pompous TV star President is a particular delight, as are the buoyantly charming Jackson and the nigh-unrecognizable Serkis. Raphael and Patel are low-key excellent, while Alexander Skarsgard has some fun in a couple of scenes as the Canadian prime minister.
Yeah, we might not get as many mid-budget comedies these days, but if what we get is as good as “Long Shot,” it’s tough to complain. Funny, fresh and full of foul language, “Long Shot” deserves your vote.
[4.5 out of 5]
Sunshine and shadows – ‘Midsommar’
Hero’s journey - ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’
They’re a real nowhere band – ‘Yesterday’
More in this category: « The end of an era – ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Home sweet home - ‘The Intruder’ »
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Holiday sales seen rising 4.1 percent
Americans are expected to spend at the highest rate in three years during what’s traditionally the busiest shopping season of the year, according to the nation’s largest retail industry trade group.
Holiday sales seen rising 4.1 percent Americans are expected to spend at the highest rate in three years during what’s traditionally the busiest shopping season of the year, according to the nation’s largest retail industry trade group. Check out this story on thenorthwestern.com: http://oshko.sh/1xndQvO
By Anne D'Innocenzio, Associated Press Published 8:34 p.m. CT Oct. 7, 2014
In this Nov. 28, 2013 file photo, people shop at a Gap factory store at the Citadel Outlets in Los Angeles. Americans are expected to spend at the highest rate in three years during what's traditionally the busiest shopping season of the year, the National Retail Federation said Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. (Photo: AP )
NEW YORK – Americans are expected to spend at the highest rate in three years during what’s traditionally the busiest shopping season of the year, according to the nation’s largest retail industry trade group.
But the spending trends that have become prevalent in the years since the Great Recession are expected to continue into the winter holiday shopping season: Industry watchers say shoppers will spend only if there are big discounts. And there will be a huge divide in spending between the haves and have-nots.
“It goes without saying there still remains some uneasiness and anxiety among consumers when it comes to their purchase decisions,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation. “The lagging economic recovery, though improving, is still top of mind for many Americans.”
Overall, the National Retail Federation said Tuesday that it expects sales during the November and December period to be up 4.1 percent to $616.9 billion, up a percentage point higher than last year. It marks the highest increase since 2011 when the rise was 4.8 percent.
The prediction is an indicator for stores that rely on the last two months of the year, which on average account for nearly 20 percent of annual retail industry sales. The figure also provides some insight into the mindset of consumers, which is important since consumer spending accounts for up to 70 percent of economic activity.
There have been some positive economic news lately that suggests Americans are ready to spend. A surge in hiring last month helped push down the nation’s unemployment rate to a six-year low of 5.9 percent, within short distance of the 5.5 percent that economists believe signals a healthy economy. And the stock market is up 6 percent since the beginning of the year, trading at nearly all-time highs.
But wages aren’t rising, making it hard for the average person to juggle daily living expenses. Meanwhile, the housing market has seen a slowdown partly because investors are pulling away because of higher prices. And many would-be buyers are unable to obtain a mortgage, particularly first-time buyers, because of tight credit.
That has created a divide between the wealthiest shoppers and everyone else. In fact, since the Great Recession, spending by the five percent wealthiest consumers accounts for more than one-third of total spending, according to Moody’s Analytics 2010 research and separate research earlier this year by economists at the St. Louis Federal Reserve and Washington University.
Given the divide, PwC and Strategy& — formerly Booz & Co. — broke out a holiday spending forecast between those who earn less than $50,000 a year and those who earn more than $50,000.
Based on a survey of 2,200 shoppers, they found those who make under $50,000 plan to spend $377 for the holidays, down from $435 last year. But those who make $50,000 or more plans to spend about the same amount, around $978.
“The spending divide among shoppers is widening, creating two distinct groups that we are tracking — survivalists and selectionists,” said Steven Barr of PwC’s U.S. retail and consumer practice.
Overall, he expects holiday spending to dip to $684 per household, from $735 in 2013.
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Five Below torn down after roof collapse in March | Streetwise
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Improved specs: new Google Glass revealed, not meant for consumers
By Tim Biggs
Updated December 29, 2015 — 11.31am first published at 10.12am
A new iteration of Google's slighted Glass wearable — this time featuring a thick, hinged design and more powerful internals — has been revealed in images released by America's Federal Communications Commission.
The details in the FCC release appear to confirm the device is the "Enterprise Edition" of Google Glass, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal to have been quietly distributed to hundreds of people working at Google's Glass at Work partners as long ago as July.
The new Google Glass, believed to be the work-focused Enterprise Edition.
Google is yet to officially recognise the device, and this is the first time images have been released to the public.
Featuring an Intel Atom processor, a larger prism to make for more display real estate and the addition of 5GHz Wi-Fi capability to make streaming video easier, the work-focused Enterprise Edition is also reportedly waterproof and hardened against the bumps and drops it might suffer in an industrial setting.
A view of the Enterprise Edition's internals.
One of the more interesting additions is a hinge that allows the device to sit flat or be pocketed, a feature lacking on the original "Explorer" version of the device. The hinge was first outed in a report on 9to5Google months ago, and is clearly visible in the FCC pictures. The pictures show the device without the metal frame that allowed Glass to sit comfortably across a person's nose, but it's unclear whether the device is meant to be tucked behind one ear or the frame has simply been omitted from the images.
Google's first stab at the wearable — which can connect wirelessly to smartphones and the internet, take pictures, record and stream video and project images onto the wearer's eye — fell flat when the public at large became uncomfortable with the small number of software developers walking around with what could conceivably be surveillance devices strapped to their heads. Wearers were termed "glassholes" by some, and in extreme cases were even assaulted on the streets. It's no wonder the company is treading more carefully this time.
A report from The Information last month claimed that in addition to the Enterprise Edition, Google is working on two versions of the wearable that have no screen at all but rely on bone conduction to transmit audio feedback to the user. It's thought these versions will be targeted to athletes and others in physically demanding professions.
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Tim Biggs
Tim is the editor of The Age and Sydney Morning Herald technology sections.
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Gooch, Bryan N.S.. "Theatre Under the Stars". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 16 December 2013, Historica Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/theatre-under-the-stars-emc. Accessed 19 July 2019.
Gooch, B., Theatre Under the Stars (2013). In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/theatre-under-the-stars-emc
Gooch, Bryan N.S., "Theatre Under the Stars". In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published April 23, 2008; Last Edited December 16, 2013. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/theatre-under-the-stars-emc
Gooch, Bryan N.S.. The Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "Theatre Under the Stars", Last Edited December 16, 2013, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/theatre-under-the-stars-emc
Theatre Under the Stars
Article by Bryan N.S. Gooch
Published Online April 23, 2008
Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS). Vancouver company that produced operettas and musicals 1940-63 at the Malkin Bowl. The name was revived in 1980. The original TUTS was founded under the auspices of the Vancouver Park Board by board superintendent A.S. Wootten, conductor Basil Horsfall and actor E.V.
Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS). Vancouver company that produced operettas and musicals 1940-63 at the Malkin Bowl. The name was revived in 1980. The original TUTS was founded under the auspices of the Vancouver Park Board by board superintendent A.S. Wootten, conductor Basil Horsfall and actor E.V. Young, with advice from Gordon Hilker, to provide entertainment in Stanley Park. In the 1930s attempts had been made by Young and Stanley Bligh to establish outdoor theatre at Brockton Oval, and these ventures set the precedent for TUTS. After TUTS' first season (which opened 6 Aug 1940 and presented The Geisha, the plays A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It, and selections from grand opera), its program was devoted mainly to operettas (The Firefly, Rose Marie, The Red Mill, Naughty Marietta and others). In 1944 the Park Board established the BC Institute of Music and Drama under the direction of Glyndwr Jones to train young performers during the winter months. The institute, whose staff included Basil Horsfall (voice), Barbara Custance and Phyllis Schuldt (piano) and Nicholas Fiore (flute), closed in 1950 shortly after it was renamed the Conservatory of Music, British Columbia.
In 1949, when the Civic Theatre Society was established to take over control from the Park Board, TUTS began producing six- to eight-week summer seasons of such musicals as Finian's Rainbow, Brigadoon, Oklahoma!, Annie Get Your Gun, South Pacific, The King and I, Kismet, Guys and Dolls and Carousel. In 1952 TUTS premiered Dolores Claman's Timber!!. In 24 seasons TUTS presented 104 productions, many, after 1944, also touring in British Columbia. Though established foreign artists often were engaged for leading roles, TUTS employed as well such Canadians as Ernest Adams, Milla Andrew, Donald Bell, Harold Brown, Eleanor Collins, Don Francks, Don Garrard, Robert Goulet, Juliette, Don McManus, Karl Norman, Barney Potts and Betty Phillips. Conductors included Bligh, Horsfall, Lucio Agostini, Beverly Fyfe and Harry Pryce. TUTS' operations were supervised 1940-9 by Hilker, 1949-54 by Hubert S. Banner and 1955-60 by Bill Buckingham. Plagued by bad weather and facing competition from the Vancouver International Festival, TUTS declared bankruptcy in 1963. In its 24 summers, the original TUTS had contributed greatly to the Vancouver scene and assisted significantly in the development of many performers' careers. It was the prototype for Melody Fair in Toronto, Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg and the Forum at Ontario Place in Toronto.
Theatre in the Park
However, the appeal of open-air evening musicals in Stanley Park proved strong enough to merit a revival. From 1969 to 1979 performances were given by a new organization called Theatre in the Park, which opened with Carousel and mounted two productions per year in the main (three in 1971) and co-operated, in the beginning, with local groups (eg, Dunbar Musical Theatre and Richmond Theatre). The focus from the beginning of the new era was on amateur talent working in conjunction with professional and semi-professional personnel. Productions in the 1970s included My Fair Lady, Hello, Dolly!, The Merry Widow, The King and I, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma! and Pajama Game. In 1980 Theatre in the Park re-established the former name Theatre Under The Stars for its Malkin Bowl performances which, up to 1991, included The Mikado, Kiss Me, Kate, South Pacific, Damn Yankees, West Side Story, Brigadoon, Grease and others. A fire in 1982 damaged the Malkin Bowl, and there were no shows in 1983, but the company kept going. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, TUTS continued to specialize in Broadway favourites, but did put on the Canadian-composed Hair (1998) and Anne of Green Gables (2003). The TUTS 2006 season was cancelled due to financial problems, but a successful season was mounted the following year.
Actors and Directors
Directors in the 1970s and 1980s included Otto Lowy, Lorne Scott, Tom Kerr, Michael Berry, Bill Elliott, Shel Piercy, Cliff Cox, Alex McLeod, Ross Laidley, Grace Macdonald, Ray Michael, James Hibbard, Drew Borland, John Brockington and David Newman. Among the musical directors were Beverly Fyfe, Earl Hobson, Jerry McDonald, David Smith and David Fryer. Artists appearing in leading roles included Reg Romero, Bob Ross, Cecilia Smith, John Pozer, Sophie Turko, Betty Phillips, Edgar Hanson, Audrey Glass, Norman Slack, Alex McLeod, John Payne, Rosanne Hopkins, Graeme Andrews, Michael Foster and Joanne Hounsell.
Theatre in the Park, still working under the old TUTS name, continues to defy the weather and to be a vibrant part of Vancouver's summer musical scene.
French-speaking Louisiana and Canada
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Paul Taylor-Mills: ‘It’s hard on tour – there are so many big musicals out there’
Paul Taylor-Mills. Photo: Darren Bell
by Mark Shenton - Mar 25, 2016
Paul Taylor-Mills turns just 28 this year, but the fresh-faced, tanned and trendily dressed producer already has a show that is in contention for the Olivier award this year for best new musical. That show is In the Heights, which he first co-produced at Southwark Playhouse, a venue where he’s got another cult Broadway musical, Sideshow, lined up to receive its British premiere in October, while he’s overseeing a major tour of Peter Quilter’s West End and Broadway success End of the Rainbow.
Those are just some of the theatrical balls he is constantly juggling: he also produces an annual summer season of repertory theatre in Sidmouth and Windsor, plus he’s bringing Peter and the Starcatcher from Broadway to make its British debut at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate this Christmas. And he reveals, exclusively, that he’s joining Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group in an advisory capacity.
Oh, and he’s also running this year’s London Marathon, too. “It certainly helps you retain a sense of perspective, when you’re training in the pouring rain and you’re on mile five and your headphones die and you’ve got to keep going,” he says. In fact, that could well be a metaphor for producing theatre: you’re always lurching from crisis to crisis and having to solve problems as they come up – but keep on going regardless.
He’s part of a vibrant new generation of young theatremakers and producers emerging at the moment – and he has been key to bringing some of them together and giving them opportunities, such as Drew McOnie and Luke Sheppard, the choreographer and director respectively of In the Heights, which he first produced at Southwark Playhouse and is now playing an open-ended run at the King’s Cross Theatre.
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (centre) and cast of In the Heights at the Southwark Playhouse.. Photo: Tristram Kenton
When he first came up with the idea of offering the UK premiere of In the Heights in 2014 at Southwark Playhouse, he was working at the time as an in-house producer during Paul Kerryson’s final year at Curve Theatre in Leicester.
“Drew was doing the original production of Drunk [the first production by his own company] there, and I asked him if he’d want to do In the Heights. He fought me, saying: ‘No, I’m a ballet boy, the world of that show isn’t my world.’ But for some reason, and I’ve never done this before, I locked the door of my office and drilled him and said: ‘These are the reasons you need to do this.’ When he still said no, I said I wouldn’t do it either in that case. He relented, but walked out in a temper. And after the Olivier nominations, he took me aside and said: ‘Thank you for changing my life.’”
Taylor-Mills joined forces with West End producer Tristan Baker – who had originally sought to do a West End replica production of the Broadway original, but came on-board for its fringe premiere of a month-long summer run at Southwark Playhouse. “He said to me: ‘I know nothing of your Off-West End world,’ and I said I knew nothing of his, so we joined forces on the journey and had the best time,” leading to the further life the show is now having, on which they are partners again. Everyone who did the show at Southwark was offered the chance to reprise their roles at King’s Cross if they were available, and he’s proud of the fact that “this is one of the first shows to go from paying people small fees on the fringe to doing it properly, and being eligible for Oliviers [the show has been nominated for four awards this year]”.
Kim Criswell and Evelyn Hoskins in Carrie the Musical at Southwark Playhouse. Photo: Tristram Kenton
“It’s brilliant that our little show that started out at Elephant and Castle is up there with the big boys,” he says.
They also had an offer to move it to the West End’s Playhouse Theatre, and were cautioned against doing so: “I doubt we’d be running a year later if we had, though it was tempting.” He had some powerful advisers to call on.
While doing In the Heights, he was simultaneously producing London’s first major revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton’s The Beautiful Game at the tiny Union Theatre, also in Southwark, where he’d previously cut his producing teeth with shows such as Bare, Steel Pier and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. And it was The Beautiful Game that changed Taylor-Mills’ own life: “On the press night at the Union we had Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ben Elton, Sierra Boggess, Bill Kenwright and Matthew Warchus there – a who’s who in this 50-seater theatre under a railway arch. It has such a power to punch above its weight. Sasha Regan, who runs it, has been so instrumental in my career – without her taking a punt on me in the early days, there’s no way I’d be where I am today.”
Q&A: Paul Taylor-Mills
What was your first non-theatre job? I worked in a fish and chip shop.
What was your first professional theatre job? I did a three-month internship at Salisbury Playhouse when Philip Wilson was artistic director.
What are your next jobs? Sideshow at Southwark Playhouse in October; Peter and the Starcatcher at the Royal and Derngate in December.
What do you wish someone had told you when you were starting out? It’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you only make them once.
Who or what was your biggest influence? Sonia Friedman – I’ve not worked with her, but seeing what a force of nature she is, the quality of her shows which is always second to none, and the sheer volume of them, inspires me.
What’s your best advice for auditions? Be yourself and be as prepared as you can be.
If you hadn’t been a producer, what would you have been? I started off as actor then started directing, so I might be doing that.
Do you have any theatrical superstitions? On opening nights I always get the cast into a big circle to hold hands.
Kenwright came on-board to offer Taylor-Mills a chance to expand his summer rep season at Sidmouth by taking it to the Theatre Royal, Windsor: “It’s the last standing weekly repertory company – we do Noel Coward, Alan Ayckbourn and Francis Durbridge plays, and it’s so much fun. Bill has been super generous, putting us on a guaranteed fee to go to Windsor, and access to all his sets, props and costumes, too.”
Kenwright also placed a pet project with him to revive one of the most notorious musical flops of all time, the 1980s musical Carrie that the Royal Shakespeare Company had staged at Stratford and then for one notorious weekend only on Broadway. “We did that at Southwark, too, and we’re still talking now about what its future life might be.”
But Lloyd Webber has opened an even bigger door to him. After seeing and admiring The Beautiful Game, he invited the company to privately workshop a new version of the show; and has now also brought him in as an advisory producer at the RUG offices on St Martin’s Lane, giving him desk space and allowing him to continue working on his own productions while also supporting the programming and incubation of new work at the St James Theatre in Victoria that Lloyd Webber has recently bought. “It’s a game-changer for me,” says Taylor-Mills – “the glass ceiling has been lifted off me, and we’re going to look at how the St James model works.”
West End’s old boy’s network of producers that used to be led by Lloyd Webber, Cameron Mackintosh, Kenwright, Robert Fox and Michael Codron is definitely embracing newcomers such as Taylor-Mills, but what is also interesting are the age-old lessons that each passes on to the next.
For instance, virtually every producer – and there’s also the likes of Mark Goucher, Kenny Wax, Michael Harrison and Kim Poster as good evidence of this – have cut their teeth as touring producers, taking shows on the road. Taylor-Mills may have begun his producing career on the fringe, but he has also added extensive touring and regional premieres to his portfolio. He does an annual Christmas production of The Miracle of 34th Street – last year also restaging it simultaneously in Dubai – and is currently taking End of the Rainbow, about the final months of Judy Garland’s life, on the road.
Paul Taylor-Mills’ top tips for an aspiring producer
• Always ask for advice – it’s okay to admit defeat, everyone is very receptive and wants to help.
• It’s a lifestyle, so only get into it if you can’t imagine doing anything else.
• Spend at least one day a week doing something completely unrelated to the theatre – you need to keep perspective on what is important. We’re only making theatre, not saving lives.
“The costs of touring are lower than if you’re going to bring a show to the West End, and you have the opportunity to try it out on a variety of different audiences. But the touring market is also completely different. We are talking at the moment about how In the Heights, a show that has so much appeal with trendy London theatregoers, will resonate in the regions. It’s also very hard out there – there are so many big musicals. At the moment we have End of the Rainbow following Jersey Boys, Hairspray and Mary Poppins – a few weeks ago I was in Manchester and I was able to catch Mary Poppins, Cats and Shrek all on the same weekend. What chance does my little show have? People will only be able to afford to see one – especially when tickets for the big musicals can be £70.”
But he’s also undeterred – and sometimes the spotlight isn’t quite so harsh in the regions. He’s offering the UK premiere of the Broadway hit Peter and Starcatcher in Northampton this Christmas: “We want to see what the baby is like, and we don’t want to name the child before it is born. It’s a brand-new production of it. But sometimes the attention you get with a show at Southwark is unbelievable and terrifying – the first preview of Carrie was like a press night. These venues now have the power to dictate interest, and people want to see them straight away. So Northampton feels safer.”
CV: Paul Taylor-Mills
Born: 1987, Birmingham
Training: Bath Spa University; National Youth Theatre
Landmark productions: Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Union Theatre (2011), Steel Pier, Union Theatre (2012), Rent, Greenwich Theatre (2012), Bare, Union Theatre (2013), The Beautiful Game, Union Theatre (2014), In the Heights, Southwark Playhouse (2014), Bat Boy: The Musical, Southwark Playhouse (2015), Carrie the Musical, Southwark Playhouse (2015), Casa Valentina, Southwark Playhouse (2015), In the Heights, King’s Cross Theatre (2016), End of the Rainbow (2016)
In the Heights is booking at the King’s Cross Theatre, London, until October 30. intheheightslondon.com End of the Rainbow is touring the UK until July 9.
Southwark Playhouse
Dillie Keane: Could ‘trigger warnings’ bring the curtain down on Othello?
Luckings: keeping the creative industries on the road
Mark Shenton
Mark Shenton is a theatre critic and journalist who has written for The Stage since 2002
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Blues anthem singer battling MS hopes ride continues as long as possible
Charles Glenn feels it in his joints as he walks through the concrete concourses of Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The staircases make his hips ache in ways they hadn’t until a few years ago. But when he steps out in front of more than 18,000 fans at St. Louis Blues home games, those agonies fade to the shadows, displaced by the task at hand.
“You’re the person who sets the energy. You’re setting the mood and the atmosphere for what’s about to happen,” said Glenn, 64, who has been singing the national anthems at Blues games for 19 years.
His rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is soulful. It has moments when Glenn hits a note with such bluster that it threatens to blow the doors off their hinges. When he reaches the word “free” near the end, he stretches it out as the fans roar, giving the song the zenith it demands before the home crowd adds its own twist.
“The players get excited, the fans get excited,” Glenn said. “And know you’ve done your job if you can feel that energy, hear that ‘home of the BLUUUUUUUUES’ at the end.”
When the energy subsides, Glenn feels those aches again. It has been seven years, going on eight, since Glenn was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease that affects the central nervous system by disrupting the connection between the brain and the rest of the body.
“When you do a sporting event, in an arena or a stadium, there’s a lot of walking, and a lot of walking on concrete,” he said. “Every year it got a little more difficult for me. So this year, I decided there were other things I wanted to do.”
Glenn decided back in January that this would be his final season singing the anthems for the Blues. At the time, St. Louis was a last-place team. He figured he’d sing through their regular-season finale, and that would be that.
Then the Blues won 11 games in a row in February. They found a rookie goalie in Jordan Binnington, who helped save their season. They went from worst in the conference to a playoff spot to postseason series wins over the Winnipeg Jets in six games and the Dallas Stars in seven games.
“And here we are in the [Western Conference] finals, against San Jose. I didn’t see this coming at all,” Glenn said.
The longer the Blues play on in the postseason, the longer Charles Glenn gets to sing the anthem.
Glenn isn’t sure if this run by the Blues, and the impending end of his run as the anthem singer, are somehow cosmically related. Or at least he’s not willing to admit he’s thought as much. “I don’t know. They’ve been playing awfully hard lately. They skate by me and give me a wink, and I’m like ‘OK, OK … I’ll take that,'” he said, laughing.
The unpredictability of life is something Glenn has come to appreciate through the years, from the way he fell into this anthem gig … to getting body-slammed by a man named Meat Loaf.
Around 1984, Glenn was singing with his band in St. Louis when another band walked into the club and heard them. It was the backing band for Meat Loaf, the mountainous singer behind the momentous album “Bat Out of Hell,” which has sold more than 43 million copies since its release in 1977. They heard Glenn and asked if he’d like to open for them the following night.
“But they said, ‘We’re not going to tell him, but you’re going to walk on stage during a song. And then you’re going to sing with him. If he likes you — well, he’s going to love you. But if he hates you, well, he’s going to pick you up and body-slam you. Right on stage.'”
Glenn agreed to the terms, fully aware of the size disparity between himself (“That was 100 pounds ago,” joked Glenn) and the former football player known as Meat Loaf. So as the band did a cover of “Brown Sugar,” by the Rolling Stones, Glenn came out to sing a verse before Meat — his friends call him “Meat” — challenged him to a sing-off.
“He hit a note, and then he asked me to hit a higher note. And let me tell you that he’s a phenomenal singer. So he hits a really, really high note, and the crowd goes crazy. And then I hit a note that’s higher than that, and the crowd goes even more nuts,” Glenn said.
Meat Loaf’s reaction?
“He picked me up and body-slammed me,” he recalled, laughing heartily. “Then, as I’m walking off the stage, he grabs me by the arm and says, ‘C’mon, you’re finishing this night up.’ And after the show, we sat backstage just talking. He was such a sweet man. But yeah, I got body-slammed.”
It wouldn’t be the only time someone attending his club gigs would present him with an exceptional opportunity.
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Jill Hahn, a season-ticket manager for the Blues, would see Glenn’s band at a local jazz club. One day she called him to let him know that the team was holding auditions for a new anthem singer, but that they were invitation-only. So her advice was to head to the arena and just say he was there for auditions, because why else would someone be there were they not invited, right?
Glenn walked up to the arena at around 4 p.m., and that’s exactly how he got into the audition. “We all sat right behind the penalty box. There were about 35 of us. And they start by asking how many of us knew the Canadian national anthem. About 12 of us raised our hands. And they told everyone else to leave,” said Glenn, who had learned “O Canada” for a gig at an insurance convention in Quebec City.
Glenn was the eighth singer to audition that day, and he was convinced he wasn’t getting the gig. His mic cut out five words into “The Star-Spangled Banner,” though he kept on performing. When the mic was repaired, he asked if he should sing the Canadian anthem, and they told him he was done.
Glenn soon found out it wasn’t that he was that bad, but rather that he was that good. He received a call from the Blues two days later asking him to perform at their home opener.
He would go on to perform the anthems for 19 years.
But in 2011, he noticed something was amiss. Glenn was walking inside the arena when he took a nasty fall down a flight of stairs. “I’m clumsy. I know I’m clumsy. But it was unlike me to fall down the steps like that. And I had prior instances of falling. Just losing my balance and falling,” he recalled.
Taking the advice of many concerned people in his life, Glenn went to his doctor, who did some physical tests and suggested that he see a specialist, who did a CAT scan, an MRI and a spinal tap.
“After those tests, the doctor called me and asked me to come in,” said Glenn, whose concern levels spiked when the specialist added, “and bring your wife with you.”
The doctor found six lesions in his head and told Glenn that medication could slow the progress of their growth. He used the words “multiple sclerosis” for the first time and left the Glenns alone to discuss the diagnosis.
“What are we going to do?” Charles asked his wife, Nikki.
“We’re going to keep going. You don’t know anything about it. I don’t know anything about it. But we’re going to fight this together,” she replied.
Glenn worked through the symptoms for the next several years but decided that this season needed to be his last after talking it over with Nikki and his daughter Elizabeth, 32, who was formerly a member of the team’s Blue Crew.
“I had given the Blues 19 years. I thought now was the time to throw in the towel. Not give up, but that part of my life has to stop,” Glenn said.
So he told the Blues he was done, thinking it was obvious that the state of his health necessitated a change. “And they told me, ‘We don’t want you to go,'” he recalled.
“But I told them that I have to.”
Brad Lee is a St. Louis Blues fan who has published “Game Time,” an independent game program, for 24 years. He has seen his share of good times and much more lean times during that span.
“When the team was near the bottom of the standings from 2005 to 2008, hearing Charles was one of the highlights of the game because he always brings emotion to it,” he said. “He is a celebrity of his own right, and we make it a point to be in our seats before the anthem, because it’s a part of the game experience that simply can’t be missed.”
At the team’s regular-season finale, Lee noticed what many noticed about Glenn’s performance: that his silken vocals were overpowered by raw emotion.
“He got a huge ovation before the last regular-season home game. Blues fans knew the team and he would be in the playoffs, but I think fans wanted to say thanks and show him support. And if you listen to the video, his voice breaks on the first line, but he’s professional. He got through it, strong as ever, and then said, ‘I love you St. Louis’ at the end,” Lee said. “We love him, too.”
These outpourings are everywhere, Glenn said. Wherever he goes, there’s inevitably a Blues fan wishing him well. “Everybody has been giving me love. They say they’re praying for me, giving me hugs,” he said.
That includes the Blues themselves.
Forward David Perron, who has played on and off for the Blues since 2007, would run into Glenn in the bowels of the arena when rehabbing from an injury. He’d say hi, give him a pat on the back for encouragement.
After the Blues won Game 7 of their conference semifinals series at home against the Stars, Perron realized that their loss would have meant Glenn’s final performance. And that got him thinking about all the members of the organization, on and off the ice, who have given their all to the team.
Postgame analysis and highlight show airing each night throughout the season from Barry Melrose and Linda Cohn. Watch on ESPN+
“Obviously, in St. Louis, we haven’t won a championship yet,” Perron said. “We don’t always realize how many people invest their life into an organization and don’t always get rewarded.”
Ask Charles Glenn how he feels about the team, and he’s quick to declare “I bleed Blue.” He always will, whether or not he’s singing before their games. But the more they win, the more he sings, until he doesn’t anymore. Then he’ll focus on his health, his family and Voices for the Cure, an event for emerging singers that Glenn has held locally and intends to take on the road, with proceeds benefiting the fight against MS.
But he also has one more responsibility when the singing stops: helping to find his successor for the Blues.
“And I’m going to be a tough judge,” said Glenn, laughing. “I’ll pick ’em up and body-slam ’em.”
http://www.espn.com/espn/rss/news
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Darryl Strawberry writing book
NEW YORK (AP) _ Former baseball slugger Darryl Strawberry, whose achievements on the field often were overshadowed by his struggles with cancer and substance abuse, is writing a memoir, "Straw," that will come out in 2009, publisher Ecco announced Wednesday
According to Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins, Strawberry's book "details his life growing up in Crenshaw, Los Angeles, his rise to baseball superstardom as a Met, Dodger, and Yankee, the high life and low life, his brushes with the law, his triumphant battle over cancer, his religious awakening, and his marriage to the love of his life."
John Strausbaugh, who helped write a book by John Leguizamo, will collaborate with Strawberry on his memoir.
Strawberry, 46, was an eight-time All-Star who hit 335 home runs in 17 seasons and played on World Series championship teams with both the New York Mets and New York Yankees. But he also had a long history of personal problems, including substance abuse, domestic violence and colon cancer.
He recently agreed to pay the Internal Revenue Service more than $430,000 in back taxes, penalties and interest.
In March, the Mets announced they had hired Strawberry as a special instructor and a traveling ambassador, visiting minor league teams and community organizations.
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Home Featured News Tennessee Tech now offers healthcare-focused MBA program
Tennessee Tech now offers healthcare-focused MBA program
By Michelle Price
UCBJ Managing Editor
Healthcare professionals know healthcare, but they don’t always know business. For those looking to advance into business management within the healthcare industry, Tennessee Tech University has developed a program to help bridge that gap.
Tennessee Tech has developed an industry-focused MBA designed specifically for those who are already working in the healthcare industry and are interested in the business and leadership aspect of their organization. This program allows working professionals to network with colleagues while moving through a comprehensive, AACSB-accredited MBA program in a collaborative, cohort manner — all while accommodating full-time employment responsibilities.
Having strong healthcare credentials is not always enough to rise to the top in an organization.
“Healthcare employers are not looking for employees who have more healthcare knowledge. They have healthcare knowledge. They need fundamental business knowledge, delivered to healthcare professionals,” explained Kate Nicewicz, director of graduate programs in the Tennessee Tech University College of Business. “Our goal at Tennessee Tech is to meet the needs of the community, our stakeholders and local industries.
“We want to be seen as a resource, so if we can keep our eyes on the trends across the state, and we have the abilities to adjust our programs and be agile, then that’s what we want to do.”
Thomas Payne, dean of the Tennessee Tech College of Business, has done a lot of work in the past tailoring programs for specific industries. At his last college, he created a similar program that focused on the banking industry. It was very successful and sparked his idea for Tech to create the industry-focused MBA for professionals in healthcare.
“It’s very much a business degree,” explained Payne. “It is not a healthcare administration degree. We do have classes that focus on healthcare: healthcare analytics, healthcare economics and a seminar on healthcare policy, but it is teaching finance, marketing, accounting, economics and management to healthcare people.
“We’re not trying to teach healthcare. We’re teaching business to healthcare people. That’s the concept that I think makes ours more unique and frankly, more valuable than most of the programs out there.”
The program follows a cohort model and is selective, allowing only 20-25 students per cohort. All of the students are working professionals, most without a business degree, and this program gives them a broad base of business knowledge.
Kim Wheeler, an MBA student in Cohort 1 of the program, has two undergraduate degrees from Tennessee Tech and is a senior research manager at HCA. The industry-immersed MBA program fits exactly with her career goals.
“It’s like we are all going through the same classes at the same time and we’re all facing the same troubles of balancing work and life and school,” Wheeler said. “We’ve developed a close relationship among our cohort. There are three other HCA employees in the cohort and until we started the cohort, I didn’t even know who they were. We’ve developed closer working relationships through the cohort.”
Tennessee Tech’s industry-immersed MBA is innovative because it’s mostly online, but students do meet in Nashville once a month.
“Residency weekends start with Friday evening dinner, and on Saturday students meet with professors,” shared Nicewicz. “Saturdays can entail anything from: reviewing and application of concepts, collaboration on projects, bringing in guest speakers, or panel discussions. It’s an opportunity for professors to get creative in how they deliver content.”
The professors definitely get creative with this program. Tom Timmerman and Debbie Ballou are two of the professors working with the current cohort.
Timmerman previously helped the university create one of the first entirely online MBA programs in the nation. He is teaching Organizational Leadership and approaches the industry-focused program in basically the same way as his usual online MBA course. He delivers the same content, same lectures, same tests. The difference is they meet once a month in person and he uses that time to prepare students for examinations.
“I review the material and answer sample questions,” said Timmerman. “I think seeing them once a month, on Saturday, and spending three to four hours with them gives me a connection I don’t have with the online program.
“The advantage of this program is those connections that you don’t get with the online program and the relationships that are harder to develop online, even though it’s only once a month for three months, there are still better and deeper connections with the way we are doing the industry-immersed program.”
Ballou teaches healthcare analytics. She has created a project-based course and is teaching the course in something of a novel way.
Using a dataset provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee with the identifiers removed, the class is doing analytics involving which clients will respond to wellness campaigns, in terms of once they’ve been notified – and they can be notified in a number of ways, through emails, direct mail, etc., or through phone calls – that they have a gap in care that they need to close. This means that they need to go to the doctor and have some test run or procedure performed and whether they actually follow through on that need.
Ballou put the classes into groups of four or three with the MBA student managing undergrads in a technical team. She stressed that as managers of a technical team, they need to understand what their technicians are doing. As a result, they are learning the techniques of data cleaning, explanatory modeling and predictive modeling, which is machine learning. The class is going through all the steps a data scientist would over the course of the semester.
“I think it has worked better than it could ever have worked with the regular completely online MBA because these MBAs know each other so well,” Ballou said. “Because they’ve taken every course together and because I know that every single one of them is some kind of healthcare expert, they can really provide the understanding of the healthcare field to the undergrads that they are lacking.”
Two aspects of the program that make it extremely appealing to working professionals are the flexible pathways to admission and the relatively low cost.
Tennessee Tech gives people credit for their full profile and body of work instead of relying on GMAT or GRE scores, which are no longer required. They look at work experience, undergraduate performance, graduate level performance, and for the industry-immersed program in particular, their statement of purpose and full resume.
“There might be someone who was out of school for 10 years, has a GPA of 3.0, and has a Pharmacy degree, they don’t need a GMAT,” explained Nicewicz. “There is a matrix in place for different levels of performance. For working professionals that is huge.
“It means that somebody who is in their 40s or 50s and doesn’t want to take a standardized exam but has work experience that shows they would be an asset to the program, doesn’t get tripped up on the idea of an admissions exam.”
At $722/credit hour, the entire program is less than $22,000– an affordable number in relation to other graduate degrees.
“This isn’t a healthcare MBA, it’s a traditional MBA,” Nicewicz concluded. “Broader is better. People aren’t staying in the same jobs for 30 years like they used to. If someone works in healthcare administration and then five years later, they don’t work in healthcare, they have a degree that doesn’t say healthcare, and it’s still applicable across the board in every industry.”
“It’s a very intensive rigorous program that is condensed into 18 months,” Payne added. “When students graduate from Tech with an MBA, and through this healthcare program, they are very well equipped to move into management positions and to take their healthcare training and move it up to the next level. That’s a big deal.”
Michelle Price
Michelle Price is the managing editor of the Upper Cumberland Business Journal and can be reached via email. Send an email.
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PRESS COMMUNIQUE
AUDIENCE PROGRAM
UNIVERSITARY DIDACTIC CONTESTS
Rector message
About NDU
University charter
NDU Organigram
C.M.M.O.D.
CJRED
License-Master-Courses
PhD Academic Studies
Scientific manifestations
Education logistics
The IT and Comunication Center
The University Library
Educational Management Department
Psychological assistance
Religious assistance
C.D.S.S.S.
Centre for Defence and Security Strategic Studies
National Defence College
The University was founded in 1889 by general Stefan Falcoianu. It became the sixth staff school in Europe, after those in Berlin, Vienna, Paris, Turin, Brussels, initially under the name of "Superior War School". French, German and Soviet influences were felt along the years in this institution during the educational process.
“LABOR IMPROBUS OMNIA VINCIT” - "Great labour overcomes everything" has been the motto for the education of over 21.000 officers from all categories of armed forces since the founding of NDU until the present day.
The educational process in the National Defence University "Carol I" is complete and complex and is meant to consolidate the scientific instruments and the methodology needed in order to facilitate the use of principles and norms of military action and leadership at the joint, operational and strategic levels in time of peace, crisis and war.
National Defense University "Carol I", important institution of teaching, research and culture, offers many degree programs at several levels and forms of university education: doctoral programs, masters, undergraduate programs, open education majors distance, and other training courses
National Defense University "Carol I" is composed of the following faculties and departments:
The Faculty of Command and Staff (F.C.S.M.)
The Joint Operations, Strategic Studies and Security Department (D.O.I.S.S.S.)
The department for management of the defence resources and education (D.M.M.P.P.D.)
The Crisis Management and Multinational Operations Department (DMCOM)
The Foreign Languages Center (C.L.S.)
The Intelligence for Defence Department (D.I.Ap.)
The Advanced Distributed Learning Department (D.I.D.A.D.)
Regional Department of Defense Resources Management Studies (D.R.E.S.M.A.R.A.)
:: The role of NDU "Carol I"
Training of leaders and experts (military and civilian) in the field of national defense and security.
The elaboration of scientific studies requested by structures with responsibilities in the field of national defense and security (Presidency, Government, Supreme Council for National Defense, Parliament).
:: NDU "Carol I" missions
Training of officers for JOINT and multinational operations;
Training of military and civilian personnel for positions of command at superior levels;
Training of commandants and general staff officers for the command of military operations;
Political and military training of selected personnel;
Master and PhD training in the field of Military Sciences;
Development of postgraduate courses;
Development of scientific research activities;
Elaboration of national defense and security studies;
Documentary, expertise and training support in the field of national defense and security;
Development of cooperation with research and higher education institutions in Romania and abroad;
Designing and developing of teaching logistics.
:: Functional relations
In the Ministry of Defense, the National Defense University "Carol I" is subordinated directly to the Minister of National Defense, but it also has connections with the Ministry of Education and Research and with all other central structures of The Ministry of Defense, such as the general staffs of all categories of forces, the Directorate of Management and Human Resources.
:: International cooperation
During the past years, the activities of international military cooperation organized by the National Defense University "Carol I" have had as a goal the development of relations with similar institutions all over the world in order to accelerate the reform of military education towards a new organizational conception.
After the Revolution of December 1989, there were numerous experience exchanges, participations in international exercises, symposiums, conferences, which gave us the possibility to improve our syllabus and a better mutual understanding, having as a final goal the alignment of higher military training in the National Defense University "Carol I" with similar institutions from countries that are already NATO members.
It is a great honor for us to mention that our institution was visited during the past years by several foreign military and civilian personalities, among which Manfred WORNER and Javier SOLANA, secretary generals of NATO, King HARALD V of Norway, prince Charles, ministers of defense and heads of staff from over 20 countries, commandants of defense universities and academies, members of foreign Parliaments and other foreign military and civilian personalities.
The National Defense University "Carol I" is a full-rights member of PfP Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes, having an active presence in the study groups and workshops of this international organization.
Strategic Impact
Bulletin of the National Defence University "Carol I"
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At a glance: Sierra Leone
Humanitarian situation reports
SMS reporting saves lives in Sierra Leone
© UNICEF Sierra Leone/2016/Mason
Using RapidPro through their mobile phones, health workers like Kabiru Kargbo can quickly report on drugs and medical supplies they receive at their health facilities.
By Harriet Mason
Sierra Leone health workers are now using a SMS reporting platform. The system makes reporting quicker and more transparent, helping the government track healthcare supplies across the country and plan availability for where they are needed most.
PORT LOKO, Sierra Leone, 21 November 2016 - Nurse Kabiru Kargbo knows what to do. As soon as his health facility receives a delivery of supplies he pulls out his mobile phone and gets ready to report. He responds to some basic questions by SMS and sends the information back to the national level. Almost immediately the Ministry of Health and Sanitation knows its supplies have reached their destination.
The supplies – procured by UNICEF with funding from the European Union, the UK Department for International Development (DfID) and USAID – are part of the government’s Free Health Care initiative and will be given out free of charge to children under five and to pregnant and breast-feeding mothers.
Everyone involved wants to make sure the life-saving supplies make it to the 1,200 government-run health facilities across the country. Thanks to USAID support, UNICEF’s open source RapidPro system is being used to track the supplies by mobile phone.
Ahead of the latest distribution, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation together with UNICEF trained health workers from around the country on how to use the platform, which allows reporting on basic mobile phones.
Free health care supplies arrive at the Port Loko Government Hospital in Sierra Leone, one of 1,200 health facilities part of the government health initiative.
“I encourage you to fully utilize the system as it will make your work easier and even increase trust from the donors, government and the communities you serve in,” UNICEF Health Officer Diana Koroma told health staff during one training session.
Every health facility is required to report on the drugs and supplies within 24 hours of receiving them by mobile SMS. In comparison, the previous reporting system could take many days, particularly for those in hard to reach areas of the country. The long paper-based chain of reporting slowed down the response system – making it difficult to get an accurate picture of where supplies had been delivered.
Now, in the capital Freetown, the results are only a click away. “This new technology is making our work much easier by giving us a shorter and more direct chain of reporting,” said Nurse Kabiru. “I simply need to have a charged phone and mobile network – no need for an internet connection or even phone credit.”
A group of pregnant women attend an antenatal session. Under the Free Health Care initiative, pregnant and breast-feeding women, as well as children under five, receive free medical services.
Back at the Port Loko District Government Hospital, the district pharmacist takes note of the newly arrived Free Health Care supplies while a group of pregnant women attend an antenatal session. “The Free Health Care programme has really helped us the women of child bearing age and our little children in Sierra Leone,” said Khadija Koroma, who is eight months pregnant and has been accessing the Free Health Care services for over five months. “Now I don’t have any reason to miss clinic sessions because it is free and I don’t have to worry about money,” she said.
As efforts to improve maternal and child health in the country continue, data collected through the new system will go a long way in helping the government make sure supplies are available throughout the country, especially for those most in need.
UNICEF Photography: Community nutrition interventions
Working with communities to curb malnutrition in Sierra Leone
Making strides to improve maternal health in Sierra Leone
Clubs, books and tape: The low-tech solutions saving children’s lives in Sierra Leone
On the beat with a community health worker in Sierra Leone
A lifeline for mothers and babies in Sierra Leone
Connect: UNICEF Sierra Leone Facebook
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Feb. 28, 2010 / 9:21 PM
NBA: Atlanta 106, Milwaukee 102 (OT)
ATLANTA, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Joe Johnson scored 24 points Sunday, nine of them in overtime, to help the Atlanta Hawks beat Milwaukee 106-102 and snap a six-game Bucks' winning streak.
Josh Smith had 22 points, 15 rebounds and six assists, and Al Horford scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Hawks.
John Salmons scored a season-high 32 points and added eight rebounds, Jerry Stackhouse scored 20, and Andrew Bogut had 14 points, nine rebounds and four blocks for Milwaukee.
The Bucks scored the first five points in overtime on a 3-pointer by Luke Ridnour and a jumper by Salmons but the Hawks put together a 9-0 run to go up 101-97 with 1:14 left in the extra period.
Joe Johnson
John Salmons
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Trump Tower presser proved our president is far worse than a racist
Faced with a mother's grief for a murdered daughter, Donald Trump only thinks about himself.
Trump Tower presser proved our president is far worse than a racist Faced with a mother's grief for a murdered daughter, Donald Trump only thinks about himself. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2x3J1Ss
Gabriel Schoenfeld, Opinion columnist Published 8:28 a.m. ET Aug. 16, 2017 | Updated 2:23 p.m. ET Aug. 16, 2017
From Trump Tower in New York City, President Trump told reporters that both sides were to blame for the violence that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia. USA TODAY
President Trump with Cabinet members on Aug. 15, 2017.(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)
The most tumultuous week of Donald Trump’s presidency began with his threats to unleash “fire and fury” on North Korea and ended with mayhem and murder in Charlottesville, Va. After more than half a year, our national crisis appears to be building toward some sort of climax, a swelling crescendo that was topped off by Trump’s flabbergasting news conference Tuesday afternoon in Trump Tower.
What strikes one first about Trump’s remarks is the absence of rationality, of any attempt to connect means to ends. The normal question one might ask of a politician’s pronouncements is: What was he trying to accomplish, what ball was he seeking to advance toward what goal? Here such a line of inquiry makes no sense. Instead of purpose and positioning and strategy, we were witnessing — and not for the first time — a volcanic eruption, a lava flow of anger.
The explosion should not come entirely as a surprise. After all, the view from the White House these days is bleak. Trump boasts incessantly, as he did at this news conference, of his economic accomplishments: record unemployment and a soaring stock market. Whatever credit he does or does not deserve for those developments is irrelevant. What is highly relevant is special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which has begun digging into Trump’s family finances, where there is dirt aplenty. What is just as relevant are opinion polls, which Trump dwells on obsessively, showing his standing at a record low. The walls are closing in on him.
More: Donald Trump Jr. and the whiff of treason: Morally, he's in deep.
More: Donald Trump's equivocation emboldens alt-right terrorists in Charlottesville and beyond
Charlottesville added combustible ingredients to the dismal picture. Just as Trump has shown an unaccountable unwillingness to criticize Vladimir Putin, he has shown the same unwillingness, not quite so unaccountable, to single out and challenge the hardcore right. We saw the most vivid example of this in the campaign when, following David Duke’s endorsement of his candidacy, he refused to disavow it, affecting falsely not to know who the white supremacist leader was.
Yet in Charlottesville here they were again, the very people he evidently conceives of as a core element of his base, carrying torches, chanting “blood and soil,” adorning themselves with swastikas, running riot and allegedly committing murder. Trump came under enormous pressure to criticize them. And then, when he declined to do so in a full-throated way, pinning blame for the violence instead on “many sides,” he came under intense criticism for being mealy-mouthed. Forty-eight hours later, by the time he succumbed to the pleas of his desperate advisers and agreed to read from the teleprompter the words they told him the nation was waiting to hear, it was too late.
The result, for Trump, was the worst of all worlds. He meant not a syllable of what he had said and was being slammed for it all the same. Republican politicians were now joining Democrats in castigating him. Even worse, a growing list of CEOs of megacompanies were bidding adieu to his vaunted manufacturing council, adding cutting public farewell notes for his maximum embarrassment.
On Tuesday at Trump Tower, we saw all these crosscurrents converge. The result was a rant that made even his advisers visibly cringe. Trump effectively retracted the words he had struggled not to say on Saturday. He showered praise on the fanatical racist losers who invaded Charlottesville.
More: Charlottesville rage: Blacks have better reasons to be angry, 350 years of them
To be sure, some of them were “bad,” he said, using his characteristic infantile vocabulary. But many others were “fine people,” with a perfectly valid permit, “protesting very quietly” against the “the taking down of, to them, a very, very important statue and the renaming of a park from Robert E. Lee to another name.”
Given such ardor in defense of racists, the question naturally arises: Is Donald Trump a racist himself? From the Judge Gonzalo Curiel affair to the Central Park Five to his illegal practices as a New York landlord, there is a wealth of evidence. The question, however, ultimately revolves around an unknowable grasp of what is in his heart. My own view is that Trump might not be a racist and might well be something worse.
Consider that to those injured in the murderous rampage that killed Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Trump tweeted “best regards.” Consider also that at the Trump Tower presser, Trump focused on how Heyer’s grieving mother went on social media and wrote “the nicest things” about him and “thanked me for what I said.”
Who chooses such odd words to say such peculiar things about such sensitive subjects? These utterances suggest a person lacking in empathy, a person incapable of feeling anyone’s pain but his own. They are hardly the only and certainly not the most egregious examples of their kind.
Recall Trump’s cruel mocking of a disabled reporter. Recall Trump’s attacks on Khizr Khan, who had to bury a son who died fighting for our country. Asked by George Stephanopoulos to compare that terrible sacrifice with his own, Trump responded: "I think I've made a lot of sacrifices. ... I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I've had tremendous success.”
Racists are all too human. They are propelled by hatred based upon a set of perverted core beliefs. Trump’s rage over Charlottesville has nothing to do with a particular set of beliefs about race or anything else. And it has nothing to do with hatred. It has everything to do with something else.
As the head of a family business in New York, luxuriating in his inherited millions or billions, Trump could live in a fantasy world of infallibility and invulnerability. In the White House, that fantasy world is repeatedly being punctured. For the first time the entire world is seeing — he himself is seeing — how severely limited he is.
Believing in nothing but his own greatness, concerned with no one but himself and the extensions of himself who are his children, the man we watched boiling over in Trump Tower, the president of the United States, the man who boasts “I’ve had tremendous success,” is a solipsist whose defective self is being inexorably destroyed as it falls under the relentless scrutiny that attends public life in our democracy.
Gabriel Schoenfeld, a member of USA TODAY’s Board of Contributors and the author of Necessary Secrets: National Security, the Media, and the Rule of Law, was a senior adviser to the 2012 Romney for President campaign. Follow him on Twitter: @gabeschoenfeld
You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @USATOpinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2x3J1Ss
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Lewes >
Barcombe >
High Street, Barcombe, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 5BA
Website royaloakbarcombe.co.uk
Royal Oak in Barcombe has a beer garden. The pub serves food, it has an outside area. Royal Oak serves real ale. The pub shows football on TV, it has terrestrial TV. Royal Oak is a member of Cask Marque.
Happening from 14/06/2018 to 15/07/2018 [Expired]
The 2018 World Cup kicks off on Thursday 14th June, and we're all set to welcome you and your friends to enjoy the action. We've got ice cold pitchers of Foster's and Amstel at the ready, so less trips to the bar means more time to watch the match. There really is no better place to…
It's been a long 28 years in the making, but finally, England have reached the semi-final stages of the World Cup! The Lions will take on Croatia at 7pm on Wednesday, so that's plenty time to get home from work and down the pub for kick-off.
Sweden v England
With barely a moment to recover from Tuesday’s historic (not to mention tense) penalty shoot-out victory over Colombia, it’s time to do it all over again. Saturday’s quarter-final against Sweden kicks-off at 3pm, and unless you have a plane ticket to Russia, the pub is simply the only place…
Cooksbridge (1.87 miles)
Plumpton (3.48 miles)
Lewes (3.70 miles)
Anchor Inn (1.13 miles)
Rainbow (1.4 miles)
Cock Inn (1.81 miles)
Old Ship (1.84 miles)
Laughing Fish (2.11 miles)
Pubs & bars in Lewes, BN8
Events in Lewes
Offers in Lewes
News in Lewes
Reviews in Lewes
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Fearing currency changes or capital controls, Greeks have yanked billions from banks and hidden it in flower pots, freezers, and yes, under mattresses
George Vasquez February 24, 2015 Asset Protection Leave a Comment
NEKTARIA STAMOULI And
ATHENS—Athens may be in danger of default, but Greece is awash in cash.
Worry over Greece’s membership in the euro has prompted the withdrawal of more than €20 billion ($23 billion) in recent months, government officials say. Most of the money has remained in Greece, squirreled away in kitchen cabinets, flowerpots and under mattresses.
The outflows began in December in anticipation of elections that brought a leftist coalition to power. The withdrawals have cut the deposit base in Greece to about €145 billion from €164 billion in late November, forcing the European Central Bank to raise the amount of emergency liquidity it extends to Greek banks.
Late Friday, Greek officials were huddled in Brussels trying to break an impasse with Germany and other countries over the terms for further assistance. But with Greece heading into a three-day weekend and rumors spreading of pending capital controls, many deposit holders didn’t want to take a chance.
Nikos, the owner of a small manufacturing business, said Friday that he had taken some cash out for personal use “in case something happens over the weekend.”
It isn’t just well-to-do Greeks who are getting nervous. Everyone from mom-and-pop shop owners to bank employees and the unemployed are hoarding cash, fearful that Greece’s reward for its standoff with Europe will be its old currency, the drachma.
Anastasia, a 29-year-old Athens saleswoman, went to her bank after the January election and withdrew her €10,000 in savings. She said she hid the money all over her house.
“Mattress, flower pots, bags with food in the freezer and other places that I won’t tell you,” she said.
Anastasia—who like Nikos and others interviewed on the subject requested that surnames not be used—said her parents have followed her example.
“They tried to be as creative as they could,” she said.
Many deposit holders have drained their accounts but kept their money in the bank—in safe-deposit boxes.
Yiannis, a 45-year-old physician, said he took all his money out of the bank account and put it into a safe-deposit box in December.
“I was more afraid of the possibility of Greece’s exit from eurozone and a change in currency,” he said.
Yiannis said he is now more confident that the government will reach a deal to keep Greece in the euro. Still, he isn’t ready to redeposit his savings just yet, saying he’ll wait until summer to be absolutely sure.
Greek businesses, meanwhile, are worried about the possibility of capital controls and are keeping as much money as they can outside of the country.
“I ask my customers either to keep the invoices and not pay me yet or to pay me in a foreign bank,” said Nikos, the small business owner.
All of the cash lying about in Greek households has some people worried about the potential for crime.
So far, police haven’t registered an uptick in robberies, but a violent burglary this week in an affluent Athens suburb has put some on edge.
The victim was Giorgos Thomakos, the mayor of Kifissia, an upscale Athens suburb. Burglars broke into his home early Monday, tying up him and his wife. The mayor tried to fight back but was overpowered, people familiar with the matter said. The thieves made off with cash, jewelry and other valuables.
The couple was eventually freed by their children.
The episode was particularly jarring to locals because the neighborhood, home to much of Greece’s elite, is considered particularly safe.
Still, not everyone is worried.
Anastasia, the saleswoman, said she hid her cash well.
“I sleep very calmly at night,” she said. “If someone comes to rob my house and is clever enough to find where I have hidden the money, so be it. I prefer that to the possibility of a devaluation or not being able to withdraw it.”
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Puck Murphy
Puck is an artist specialising in visual effects and interactive sound and light installations. With 20 years of experience in film and television his work spans high end commercials to underground art installations and events. His work has received critical acclaim in the NZ film and advertising industries and recognition from international software developers for his work in interactive art installations.
As a founding member of the Association of Portal Engineers Puck has traveled extensively to other dimensions in search of new forms of existence , frequencies and fun times.
puck.nz
Conrad is an award winning musician from Wellington, NZ. Over the past 20 years he has composed original music for television, film and theatre and has collaborated with various sound and visual artists. Conrad has composed live music for Indian Ink Theatre Company's productions of Krishnan's Dairy and The Pickle King. A few of his film credits include original music for Eagle Vs Shark, Boy ( Best Original Score at the 2010 Qantas Film and Television Awards) and Hunt For The Wilderpeople (dir. Taika Waititi).
Some of Conrad’s work in television includes Skylanders Academy (Activision/Netfix), Cleverman (Sundance, ABC) ,Step Dave (South Pacific Pictures), Rage, Until Proven Innocent, Bloodlines and Catching The Black Widow (TVNZ Sunday Theatre).
Wedde is also a member and multi-instrumentalist in the band The Phoenix Foundation , who won Best Group at The Vodafone NZ Music Awards in 2010. He and the band have toured extensively in NZ and overseas.
https://conradwedde.bandcamp.com/
Fortune Fountain
Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who Knows.
... Make a wish , see how it goes!
All wishes donated to charity.
Fire Tree
Spark from which the flame is born,
Melts the ice and keeps us warm.
Ancestors breathe within the glow,
Stoke the fire before you go.
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Physics veterans bring harmony to different universe
Reformed graduate rock band provokes reflections on how much has changed since the heyday of ‘Spontaneous Emissions’
Nigel Clarke has been making a lot of noise as the new head of Sheffield University’s physics department. Twenty years after he and three fellow physics PhD students last performed, the professor of condensed matter theory picked up his drumsticks again.
This year’s Sheffield annual physics ball witnessed the second coming of the band once embarrassingly called the Spontaneous Emissions. This was rock and roll history in the making - at least according to the lecturer who introduced the band and remembered us from his undergraduate years during our early 1990s heyday.
Two decades on, for me (rhythm guitar and harmonica) and Chris Hawkins (lead guitar and vocals) it was an unexpected return to the academic stage. For Nigel (drums) and John Cockburn, professor of physics at Sheffield (bass guitar and vocals), it was a chance to deliver sound waves of a different kind.
Our universal constant is not the speed of light but the love of music. Luckily for us our timeless set - Motown soul (think the Commitments without brass section) and early Rolling Stones and Beatles - still managed to get the undergraduates off their seats. But the experience also got me reflecting once again on two topics I have mulled over many times before.
The first is whether physics and music have a special link. Albert Einstein played the violin, Richard Feynman played the bongos and TV physicist Brian Cox plays the keyboards. Guitar god Brian May of Queen has a PhD in astronomy - and also bears an uncanny resemblance to Sir Isaac Newton. And it has frequently been observed that physics and music are both about creating order, seeing patterns and working with symbols, resonance, and strings. But, equally, it could be that these famous names are simply outliers, exceptions to the rule.
The other issue that I’ve been reflecting on is the momentous change that higher education has experienced since the Spontaneous Emissions last strutted their stuff. Current students inhabit a different universe to the one we rocked. We survived on a maintenance grant of around £2000 a year. Undergraduate fees still did not exist (and I do worry about the impact the recently raised fees will now have on future generations of PhD students) and the price of a pint in Sheffield was less than a pound.
The binary divide had just come down, as the former polytechnics joined the ranks of universities, and there was already talk of an academic transfer market emerging as star professors got snapped up in the race to maximise rankings in the Research Assessment Exercise. But “electronic mail” had only just been shortened to “email” and, like the internet, had yet to catch-on outside the university sector. And I am absolutely sure that the head of physics department would not have been seen dead playing in a band at the physics ball.
That this is now possible must be a good thing. We may be entering into the brave new world of the “student customer”, but the gaping social divide between academics and students no longer exists as it did in our day.
And, for the record, there is already talk of more band performances to come - and a possible university tour. As Brian May would say: “The show must go on!”
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191 Ballylesson Road, Belfast BT8 8JU
Price Price on Application
Style Detached
EPC Rating F27 /D55
RESIDENTIAL AND AGRICULTURAL ESTATE WITH PRODUCTIVE FARMLAND AND AN ACCESSIBLE SITUATION
Newgrove Estate is an exceptional residential and agricultural estate with amenity extending to about 149 acres (60 hectares) in total. It has a favoured situation, being only 6 miles south of Belfast city centre. The historic, category B listed house occupies a commanding position within the heart of the estate. The front of the house is constructed in a Georgian style and includes well-apportioned principal accommodation.
Adjoining the house is an extensive range of traditional outbuildings. A farmyard lies to the rear of the house.
The agricultural element of the estate is a key feature and comprises productive arable land which has the ability to grow the full range of arable crops.
The River Lagan forms the north western boundary of the estate.
Reception Hall, Dining Room, Drawing Room & Study
7 bedrooms (2 En Suite)
Extensive Range of Service Rooms
Traditional Outbuildings and Farm Buildings
Frontage on to the River Lagan
118 acres of Arable, 14 acres of Pasture and 6 acres of Mixed Woodland
About 149.3 acres (60.4 hectares) in Total
Newgrove House is believed to have been constructed between 1760 and 1779, as an addition to the front of an existing earlier dwelling. It is reported by C E B Brett that the house was formerly the residence of the agent for the Purdysburn Estate, of which Narcissus Batt, a pioneering banker of the time, was the owner. Newgrove House subsequently had numerous owners and was acquired by the present owners' father in 1940 from the Dick family.
Newgrove House occupies a wonderful, elevated position above the River Lagan. The estate has a private situation, created by the mature woods and yet is only six miles from Belfast city centre and four miles from Northern Ireland's third largest city of Lisburn. The M1 is situated four miles to the west and connects Belfast with Dublin.
Both cities offer a desirable range of shopping, educational and cultural facilities. Sprucefield Shopping Centre and Retail Park is 6 miles to the southwest. Lisburn train station (4 miles) provides services to Belfast and Dublin. The port of Belfast is 10 miles to the northeast and provides daily sailings to Scotland and England. Belfast City and Belfast International airports are 10 miles and 18 miles distant, respectively.
The area has plenty of sporting opportunities. Newgrove Estate overlooks Malone Golf Club which lies on the opposite bank of the River Lagan and is widely considered as one the best parkland courses in Ireland. In addition to a selection of golf courses locally, the Championship course of Royal County Down is 25 miles to the south. The estate lies between Lough Neagh and Strangford Lough, both of which offer sailing. For those with equestrian interests, Down Royal Racecourse is 9 miles to the southwest and there is a number of hunts within boxing distance of the estate.
The area is characterised by its rolling productive farmland either side of the Lagan Valley interspersed by impressive country houses arising from the wealth created from local industry.
There are many attractive walks locally, while the Mountains of Mourne (situated at the south east of the country) provide more challenging walks.
Newgrove Estate is being offered for sale as a whole.
Newgrove Estate
Newgrove House is entered through bell-mouthed stone walls with small stone piers. A sweeping driveway is partially lined by mature trees and rises gently to a parking area at the front of the house.
Newgrove House occupies a private, elevated position, with its front having a south-easterly facing aspect. The accommodation is predominantly laid out over two storeys, beneath a pitched slate roof.
A key characteristic of the house is the extent and flexibility of the internal accommodation, with the ability to host large house parties, as well as providing family accommodation. While the house would benefit from renovation, a number of period features, both internally and externally, have been retained.
The house is entered from the front via paved steps and through glazed doors with a radial fanlight above and painted stone surrounds. A broad segmental bow on the western elevation is a feature.
Notable internal features include cornicing, sash windows, hardwood floors, impressive fireplaces, and architraves. There is an Aga range cooker and a wood-burning stove.
A basement provides useful storage.
An enclosed courtyard is situated to the rear and includes a range of stores.
There is a mains water supply, a mains electricity supply and private drainage. The house has oil-fired central heating.
There is a small area of lawns to the front and side of the house.
Situated to the rear of the house is an extensive range of farm buildings, as laid out on the accompanying plans.
They are mostly of traditional construction beneath corrugated roofs. Some of the buildings were at the forefront of agricultural design techniques when constructed; however, the farm buildings at Newgrove are presently used for storage.
Within the farmyard is a former farm worker's, single-storey cottage.
The buildings have a separate access which forks off the main driveway. There is ample hardstanding. Situated at the northeast of the estate is the site of former lock keeper's cottages.
A mill race passes through the northern boundary.
The farmland land is let on a Conacre basis to a number of local farmers. The farm previously carried a dairy herd of 100 milking cows, as well as pigs, chickens and horses. The land is situated within a contiguous block and with a gently undulating topography, rises from about 40 feet above sea level on the River Lagan to about 120 feet above sea level on the southern boundary.
The arable land is generally free-draining and is laid out in fields of a good size and shape for modern agriculture. The depth and quality of the soil make it capable of growing a wide variety of arable crops, which have, in recent years, included potatoes, carrots, cereals and excellent grass swards.
There are three fields of permanent pasture which provide useful grazing.
The land can be classified as follows:
Arable 118
Pasture 14
Woods 6
Roads, yards, buildings, river, etc 11
The woods at Newgrove Estate include some outstanding specimen trees which provide shelter, amenity, timber and privacy. Extending to about 6 acres in total, they are spread throughout the estate and are a key part of the landscape. The woods comprise a variety of mature deciduous species.
Excluded Property
The following are owned by the vendors but are excluded from the sale:
. Gate lodge
2. Middle Cottage
3. The Orchard House
4. About 35 acres of farmland situated on the western boundary.
The vendors will retain the necessary rights of access to each of the above.
Strictly by appointment with the joint selling agents.
Given the hazards of a working estate, we ask you to be as vigilant as possible when making your inspection, for your own personal safety.
Belfast International Airport (www.belfastairport.com)
Belfast City Airport (www.belfastcityairport.com)
The nearest railway station is at Dunmurray. For timetables www.translink.co.uk.
The fitted carpets and curtains in Newgrove House are included in the sale.
Listing and Environmental Designations
Newgrove House and Outbuildings are listed as buildings of architectural and historiquement.
There are no estate employees.
Basic Payment Scheme
There are no Entitlements to the Basic Payment Scheme included in the sale.
Entry and Possession
Entry is by agreement, subject to the Conacre Agreements.
A date may be fixed for best offers and prospective purchasers are asked to
register their interest with the joint selling agents following inspection. The sellers reserve the right to exchange a Contract for the sale of any part of the subjects of sale ahead of a notified closing date and will not be obliged to accept the highest or any offer.
Financial Guarantee
All offers (regardless of the country of residence of the offering party) must be accompanied by a guarantee or suitable form of reference from a bank, which gives the sellers satisfaction that the purchaser has access to the funds required to complete the purchase at the offered price.
Stipulations
Waleaves and Rights of Access
The estate will be sold with the benefit of all existing wayleave rights, including rights of access and rights of way, whether public or private. The purchaser(s) will be held to have satisfied themselves as to the nature of all such rights and others.
Plans, Areas and Schedules
These are based on the Ordnance Survey and are for reference only.
The purchaser shall be deemed to have satisfied himself as to the description of the property and any error or misstatement shall not annul the sale nor entitle either party to compensation in respect thereof.
Lotting
It is intended to offer the property for sale as described, but the seller reserves the right
to divide the property into further lots, or to withdraw the property, or to exclude any property shown in these particulars.
Should there be any discrepancy between these particulars, the General Remarks and
Information, Stipulations and the Contract of Sale, the latter shall prevail.
Savills and Tim Martin and their clients give notice that: .They are not authorised to make or give any representations or warranties in relation to the property either here or elsewhere, either on their own behalf or on behalf of their clients or otherwise. They assume no responsibility for any statement that may be made in these particulars. These particulars do not form part of any offer or contract and must not be relied upon as statements or representations of fact. 2. Any areas, measurements or distances are approximate. The text, photographs and plans are for guidance only and are not necessarily comprehensive. It should not be assumed that the property has all necessary planning, building regulation or other consents and Savills and Tim Martin have not tested any services, equipment or facilities. Purchasers must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise. Ref: 94040BJ - Brochure prepared in June 209 and photographs taken in September 208 and February 209.
Land (Multiple Dwelling)
Development Lands At Ballyhornan Road, Downpatrick, BT30 6RB
For Sale £
Could you please send me more information about: 191 Ballylesson Road, Belfast
191 Ballylesson Road, Belfast
I'd like to arrange a viewing for: 191 Ballylesson Road, Belfast
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A Successful Program of Alternative Civilian Service in Taiwan
In modern times, some governments have proved progressive (and some haven’t)—willing to substitute neutral civilian service for military service. Taiwan instituted such a program in 2000. Kou-Enn Lin, director general of the program, recommends it to other nations during an interview with a Witness representative. Approved applicants to the system are assigned sites such as hospitals, government offices, nursing homes; there are sixteen possible venues. It’s not “very light work,” Kou-Enn makes clear, because the purpose is to substitute for, not exempt from, military service. It is a win-win, he maintains, and he cites figures to indicate a satisfaction rate of 90-97% among the agencies to which applicants are assigned. The greater goals of religious people are to serve, he says. They fit right in and need no discipline; they attack their work with enthusiasm. “At one time we had a situation where there were people with religious conscience in jail and people with little conscience outside of jail. Resolving this contradiction shows our respect for human rights.”
He concludes with: “It’s good to have a system in parallel with regular military service as an alternative. That’s the solution. The results and benefits exceeded what we expected. Human rights, religious suppression; all of these things can be resolved. I really hope other counties will come and draw lessons from our experience.”
See: “A Successful Program of Alternative Civilian Service in Taiwan” JW Broadcasting, August, 11, 2017
From chapter 6 of Dear Mr. Putin – Jehovah’s Witnesses Write Russia
Posted at 03:13 PM in Neutrality | Permalink | Comments (0)
A Class Action Suit in Quebec
“Citing a hierarchy that ‘encourages a culture of silence,’ a Quebec Superior Court judge has authorized a class-action lawsuit for current or former Jehovah’s Witnesses in Quebec who were sexually abused by other members as minors....[The plaintiff] alleges she was repeatedly sexually abused and assaulted by her brother, 13 years older, beginning when she was only 10 months old.”
Do I understand this correctly? One child abuses another within a family, and it is the fault of the congregation elders?
The Canadian judge stated that: “The organization of Jehovah's Witnesses is very hierarchical, led by men, and encourages a culture of silence.”
Take the organization out of the picture for a moment. Are we to imagine that the mom and dad of this family would have otherwise marched their kids straight down to the police station to make sure that proper punishment was meted out?
There is a part of me that thinks what really gets in sticks in the craw of this judge is that Jehovah’s Witnesses are “hierarchical,” as though any other organization is not, and that they are “led by men,” as though anything less than a free-for-all ought to be taboo. Perhaps she even implies that men are inherently evil, so that the greatest travesty of all is to be led by them.
However, says my nemesis: “My guess is that it's not what happened within the family. It was the coverup within the Congregation.”
Well—it is not possible to mishandle what you never attempted to handle in the first place.
The clear implication of rulings such as this is that religious organizations ought not to look into the conduct of its members, for it is only by doing so that they can find themselves in such a spot as this. “Be like the mainline churches,” the ruling says in effect. “Preach to them on Sunday and be done with it. It’s none of your business whether they apply it or not.”
However, the verse Christians feel obligated to follow says that it is their business. “You, the one preaching, “Do not steal,” do you steal? You, the one saying, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery?” (Romans 2:21) If you claim that your teachings improve the overall moral fiber, you must have mechanisms in place to ensure that that is in fact the case, especially if your view of God is that he insists on a “clean” people, as free of misconduct as possible.
Framed in this way, the ruling is a state attempt to regulate religion, and could be argued on that basis.
Plus, such thinking completely ignores the far superior role of prevention of child sexual abuse, in order to zero in exclusively on meting out punishment when it occurs, as though that is the means by which the problem will be solved. How’s that project going, anyhow? Thirty years into the all-out war against child sexual abuse, is it just about snuffed out? Or is it only the tip of the iceberg that has been revealed?
I’ll take the kids, Caleb and Sophia, video any day, for teaching parents how to protect their children. I’ll take the 2017 Regional Conventions any day, in which every Witness in the world was assembled to hear detailed scenarios in which child sexual abuse might take place, so that parents, the obvious first line of defense, can be vigilant. Who else assembles all its members and then trains them so?
***~~~***
“Jehovah’s Witnesses have a serious problem of child sexual abuse in their midst?”
There are two ways of looking at this.
1.) They do not.
2.) They do, but the situation is far worse everywhere else.
One must look no farther than who is being outed as perpetrators. If you want to find deviants in most places, you look no further than the leaders. If you want the same ‘catch’ among Jehovah’s Witnesses, you must broaden your search to include, not just leaders, but everyone. A Jehovah’s Witness leader committing child sexual abuse is rare. Not unheard of, but rare. Elsewhere, it is the pattern.
Okay, if the leaders are not committing the child sexual abuse, are they nonetheless "hiding it?" How do they compare with other groups? It is a little hard to say. Nobody else has ever found any. They looked the other way, taking no interest in looking at wrongdoing within their midst. Thus, when child sexual abuse was found, it was a.) found entirely independent of religious affiliation, and b.) it was found that the leaders themselves were the abusers. How would members fare in comparison? There is no data. Nobody ever bothered to look.
Courts will go where courts will go. Will they take the above into account? Time will tell. There are few organizations with pockets--it doesn’t matter if they are religious or not--that are not being flooded with lawsuits today. In New York State, my own state, the governor has just signed into law a bill greatly lengthening the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse. Out of nowhere has appeared a major sponsor of programming I watch--a legal firm seeking to sign up clients. The ads briefly eclipsed other legal firms of accident litigation running non-stop ads of how “[So and So law firm] got me $3 million dollars, 15 times what the insurance company offered!” Put together, lawyers have become by far the premier sponsors of television. Can a society really endure that way?
Make no mistake. No one is saying that it is wrong to sue for grievances. But one must sometimes ask whether there will be any organized group on earth left standing when the suing is done. Of course, there will be some. Governments can just raise taxes to recoup legal payouts. Businesses can raise prices. But groups like the Boy Scouts, investigating bankruptcy at last report, are out of luck. One wonders how other voluntary organizations will fare.
The typical person congratulates the client who has come into an extraordinary bonanza via lawsuit. Then he opens his insurance premium bill. It calls to mind, as a rough parallel, the statement of Alexander Fraser that democracy can only endure until “the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury.” The world has become a lawyers’ playground, with massive transfers of money flowing in all directions--the barristers netting a third, they being the only consistent beneficiaries.
When the rules of the game change, you can hardly blame the small players for adjusting to accommodate them. There was a time, those my age will remember, when nothing was so crass as for lawyers to advertise. It was against their universal code of conduct, possibly even against the law. It explains the phrase “ambulance chaser”—you actually had to chase an ambulance to sign up a client before another lawyer could. You couldn’t just broadcast to the whole wide world that you were scouring the earth for clients.
Someone dear to me was sued several times with regard to property, in another matter that had a very long statute of limitations. When what proved to be the final lawsuit came in, the person sought to make defense through his insurance lawyer, but that one attempted contact several times and could not get a response from the firm bringing suit. Finally, that firm admitted that they were having a hard time locating their client. Seemingly, they had left no stone unturned in seeking business and had finally found “aggrieved” ones whose cases were so tenuous that they couldn’t even be bothered to show up and make them.
I wonder, too, whether the popular demand for public apologies isn’t largely just a PR event, or even worse, an encouraged legal strategy to secure a clear admission of guilt, thereafter better enabling future lawsuits. Few things are done for the noble ‘window-dressing’ reasons that are given. At any rate, it is worth noting that when the government of Australia apologized for decades of child sexual abuse, and opposers praised that apology to the heavens because they thought they could thereby embarrass Jehovah’s Witnesses, the victims nonetheless rejected it as ‘too little, too late.’ Better than any apology is prevention. Of course, it is good to call in the grief counselors in the aftermath of a school shooting. But it is far better not to need them in the first place.
The situation is a far cry from the Quebec of 70 years ago, during which 400 Jehovah's Witnesses generated 1600 arrests, on charges as minor as peddling without a license but as major as sedition. A key case involving sedition was lost before the Supreme Court of Canada, but was overturned on a rarely-used provision of "rehearing," at which the Court acknowledged that Witness literature and ministry included nothing that incited to violence--a necessary ingredient of sedition--but only contained that which made a powerful faction squirm. The situation is much different today, with altogether different charges, and the game is barely recognizable. But deep within, is the underlying intent not nonetheless the same, cloaked behind a veneer of righteous indignation?
To be added to TrueTom vs the Apostates!
Posted at 01:25 PM in Pedophiles | Permalink | Comments (0)
On Good Works
If I come across someone in the ministry, church person or not, who does some kind of good works - say, running a soup kitchen, I do nothing but say good things about it. It is undeniably a good work, and we are not doing it.
I don’t say anything about painting the Titanic. I don’t say anything about Jesus instructing his disciples to put first the kingdom proclaiming work. I’ll get to those things, but only later. It is a matter of prioritizing and of building connections with the one I am speaking with.
Would Victor (my nemesis) advise helping people? The side he has chosen doesn’t even know how to do it. In the US, there are two political parties. Both say they want to help people. Neither says that they want to hurt them. Yet they incessantly squabble and between them nothing gets done.
Google the one about the Red Cross raising half a billion dollars in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake and then squandering almost all of it:
https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-red-cross-raised-half-a-billion-dollars-for-haiti-and-built-6-homes
How is that world he has chosen doing in its goal to fight injustice and suffering? Does he almost have it snuffed out?
Jehovah’s Witnesses direct their blows where they will do the most good - publicizing what is the permanent solution. He shouldn’t go patronizing them as though he’s found a better way. If anthing, his is the course that comes up short. Our people are not so naive as to think that human rulership will remedy suffering and injustice. If anything, it is the cause of it.
Paul says it. You do good towards all & especially those related to you in the faith. (Galatians 6:10)
Posted at 09:44 AM in Evil and Suffering, Jehovah's Witnesses Ministry | Permalink | Comments (0)
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This story is over 5 years old
The B.C. Government Trusts Nestlé with the Province’s Fresh Water
B.C. hasn’t bothered to update a century-old law that allows multinational corporations like Nestlé to take water without measuring, reporting or paying for it. You’re welcome, billionaires.
by Sarah Berman
Aug 23 2013, 6:26pm
You know what would make that water even more beautiful? If it was being sold in a plastic bottle for a dollar. via Jeff W Booktree on WikiCommons.
Imagine for a moment what it was like making laws happen in the year 1909. Racism was widely encouraged, women weren’t allowed to vote, and law books seemed to have infinite room for shit about duels and general horse etiquette, along with the god-awful phenomenon that was temperance.
Lucky for multi-billion dollar corporations like Nestlé, British Columbia’s laws around drinking water are still stuck in this equestrian-centric, non-alcoholic era. Nestlé Waters Canada (a subsidiary of Nestlé, the multinational food company responsible for everything from Stouffer’s to Smarties) is extracting hundreds of millions of litres of groundwater from Hope, B.C.'s water table without paying a cent, applying for a permit or even consulting with neighbours, and then selling it back to us.
"If you think about it in Olympic-sized swimming pools, which are 2.5 million litres each, Nestlé is taking nearly 107 Olympic swimming pools every year," says WaterWealth campaigner Sheila Muxlow. "It's basically a small lake."
Last week, an investigation revealed B.C. is the only province in Canada that doesn't regulate its groundwater. Other provinces like Ontario and Nova Scotia collect between $3 and $146 per million litres of extracted groundwater, and maintain a formal permitting process. While there's been talk of updating the 104-year-old B.C. Water Act over the last 20 years, progress has been embarrassingly slow.
“The Water Act as we understand it was designed for a completely different time,” says Oliver Brandes, lead researcher of the Water Sustainability Project at the University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies. “You can probably imagine what B.C. looked like to the government of the day: infinite land, infinite forest.”
It's not 1909 anymore, and we know that resources are not infinite. Still, corporations in B.C. aren't required to tell anybody—including surrounding First Nations—how much water they're pumping out of the ground.
“There are some modest rules around drilling and capping water wells, but there are zero rules around how much you withdraw," Brandes says. Muxlow lives in Chilliwack, about 50 km west of Hope, where Nestlé also has a bottling and distribution plant. Over the last decade, she and surrounding communities have seen Nestlé steadily stepping up its production.
“It was not a 24/7 operation before, but now it’s pumping at all hours,” Muxlow says, adding the number of semi-trucks on the winding, mountain road has also risen with Nestlé's expansions.
There are many reasons to dislike the most profitable food and beverage company in the world. Nestlé gets moms at Costco to buy water at a higher markup than gasoline. They've had to recall products in China and Spain due to traces of melamine and horse DNA, respectively. And being a producer of hundreds of chocolate bar brands, they're definitely on the wrong side of America's obesity epidemic.
Despite all that, Nestlé aren't the bad guys in this situation. "They're not violating the law—they're not the criminals here," Muxlow says. So far, Nestlé Waters Canada have been good sports, providing voluntary info about their plant to the B.C. government. Nestlé spokesperson John Challinor says the facilities also comply with Health Canada standards.
The scary part is the B.C. Ministry of Environment actually trusts Nestle and other corporations to volunteer and play fair. “We don’t have any third party science to back the corporation’s statements,” says Muxlow. “A corporation is going to say what’s going to work to perpetuate their business. There's no third-party expertise ensuring lines of accountability.”
Such a cavalier approach to corporations' use of water is already impacting crop returns in Texas. Agricultural companies have been over-pumping the Ogallala aquifer for years, depleting one of America's largest sources of fresh water. Meanwhile in Vermont, politicians smartened up years ago and declared water a public trust. B.C. is aiming to pass a brand new Water Sustainability Act in 2014, which would replace the super-dated Water Act. They've likely been able to drag their feet this long, simply because Canada has so many freshwater resources.
“It clearly has not a priority for decision makers in this province,” says Muxlow. "It's no question that water is abundant in B.C.—we're lucky in that regard ... people who can think globally and are watching what is happening with the world's water resources see that we need to make sure our resources are managed properly."
Canada has the fourth-largest supply of freshwater, behind Russia, Brazil and China. With such old-school rules, Nestléis probably keeping their eye on our brand new lake at the North Pole while the government continues to trust that the corporation will simply just do the right thing.
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Gender differences in intimate partner violence outcomes
Author(s) Caldwell, Jennifer E., Suzanne C. Swan and V. Diane Woodbrown
Title Gender differences in intimate partner violence outcomes
Source Psychology of Violence,2012, Vol 2, No. 1, pp 42-57
Summary This article examines gender differences and similarities in outcomes of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the literature. It was found that both women and men experience negative effects of IPV, but women are more likely than men to experience these effects. Both women and men receive injuries as a result of IPV, but women are more likely to be injured, including non-severe and severe injuries, than men. A few gender studies have found that both genders may experience poor health and most studies find women experiencing PTSD at higher rates than men. The authors propose a conceptual model including contextual factors of power, physical strength and cultural right to power. Within the model, pathways between the effects of IPV, such as fear; poor health, PTSD, and substance abuse, are then explored according to gender. Implications for future research and service delivery are discussed
Keywords Intimate partner violence; gender symmetry; PTSD; health outcomes; power; feminist theory
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Canadian Solar Comments on the Department of Commerce Preliminary Anti-Dumping Determination
GUELPH, Ontario, July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Canadian Solar Inc. (the “Company”, or “Canadian Solar”) (NASDAQ: CSIQ), one of the world’s largest solar power companies, today released this statement on behalf of Thomas Koerner, General Manager of Canadian Solar Inc. Americas division, in response to the United States Department of Commerce’s (“DOC”) preliminary decision made last Friday to impose anti-dumping (“AD”) tariffs of up to 44.18% on certain Taiwanese photovoltaic cell imports.
“We are deeply disappointed by the DOC’s decision, especially in context of the overwhelming damaging impact on the U.S. solar industry,” said Mr. Koerner.
“This preliminary AD announcement will definitely jeopardize what we have worked so hard for and have achieved in the last few years in the U.S. market: solar industry job creation and affordable clean energy – from small residential installations to large utility scale power plants. While we applaud the government’s vocal dedication to sustainable development and job creation via fostering the solar market; the pattern of protectionism directly contradicts these commitments. This decision in favor of one non-competitive PV manufacturer will cost tens and thousands of jobs across the entire U.S. solar industry, which currently employs more than 140,000 local workers,” added Mr. Koerner.
“As a Canadian company with international activities and an international supply chain, we firmly believe in free international trade and a free market economy with no trade barriers. Meanwhile we will continue to honor our commitment to our customers in the U.S. and serve the market with our high quality solar products. By leveraging our global and competitive supply chain we do not expect any significant disruption to our business in U.S.,” concluded Mr. Koerner.
About Canadian Solar Inc.
Founded in 2001 in Ontario, Canada, Canadian Solar is one of the world’s largest and foremost solar power companies. As a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules and provider of solar energy solutions, Canadian Solar has an industry leading and geographically diversified pipeline of utility-scale solar power projects as well as a track record of successful solar deployment boasting over 7 GW of premium quality modules installed in over 70 countries during the past decade. Canadian Solar is committed to providing high-quality solar products and solar energy solutions to customers around the world. For more information about our company, products and projects please visit www.canadiansolar.com.
Safe Harbor/Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements are made under the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by such terms as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include the risks regarding general business and economic conditions and the state of the solar industry; governmental support for the deployment of solar power; future available supplies of solar grade silicon; demand for solar products by consumers and inventory levels of such products in the supply chain; changes in demand from significant customers; changes in demand in our project markets, including Canada, the U.S., Japan and China; changes in customer order patterns; capacity utilization; level of competition; pricing pressure and declines in average selling prices; delays in new product introduction; continued success in technological innovations and delivery of products with the features customers demand; utility-scale project approval process; delays in utility-scale project construction; shortage in supply of materials or capacity requirements; availability of financing; exchange rate fluctuations; trade protectionism in Europe, the U.S. and India; litigation and other risks as described in the Company’s SEC filings, including its annual report on Form 20-F filed on April 28, 2014. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance, or achievements. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All information provided in this press release is as of today’s date, unless otherwise stated, and Canadian Solar undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
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Google to Verify Identity of US Political Ad Buyers
FILE - The Google app is shown on an iPad in Baltimore, March 19, 2018. Google says it will do a better job of verifying the identity of political ad buyers in the U.S., requiring them to provide a government-issued ID and other key information befo
SAN FRANCISCO - Google said Friday in a blog post that it would do a better job of verifying the identity of political ad buyers in the U.S. by requiring a government-issued ID and other key information.
Google will also require ad buyers to disclose who is paying for the ad. Google executive Kent Walker repeated a pledge he made in November to create a library of such ads that will be searchable by anyone. The goal is to have this ready this summer.
Google's blog post comes short of declaring support for the Honest Ads Act, a bill that would impose disclosure requirements on online ads, similar to what's required for television and other media. Facebook and Twitter support that bill.
Google didn't immediately provide details on how the ID verification would work for online ad buys.
Cambridge Analytica Fights Back on Data Scandal
Cambridge Analytica unleashed its counterattack against claims that it misused data from millions of Facebook accounts, saying Tuesday it is the victim of misunderstandings and inaccurate reporting that portrays the company as the evil villain in a James Bond movie. Clarence Mitchell, a high-profile publicist recently hired to represent the company, held Cambridge Analytica's first news conference since allegations surfaced that the Facebook data helped Donald Trump…
WhatsApp Raises EU Minimum Age Ahead of New Data Privacy Law
WhatsApp, the popular messaging service owned by Facebook Inc, is raising its minimum age from 13 to 16 in Europe to help it comply with new data privacy rules coming into force next month. WhatsApp will ask European users to confirm they are at least 16 years old when they are prompted to agree to new terms of service and a privacy policy provided by a new WhatsApp Ireland Ltd entity in the next few weeks. It is not clear how or if the age limit will be checked…
How to Find Out What Facebook, Google Know About You
As Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies in front of Congress about the company's practices this week, Americans are waking up to just how much personal information tech companies have collected about them.Facebook said it will begin notifying 87 million people this week whose information was handed to political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica without their knowledge. Facebook has also instigated several changes to make it easier for users to control their data.
By Michelle Quinn
Zuckerberg: Facebook Deleted Posts Linked to Russian 'Troll Factory'
Facebook, expanding its response to people using the platform improperly, said Tuesday that it had deleted hundreds of Russian accounts and pages associated with a "troll factory" indicted by U.S. prosecutors for fake activist and political posts in the 2016 U.S. election campaign.Facebook said many of the deleted articles and pages came from Russia-based Federal News Agency, known as FAN, and that the social media company's security team had…
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Van Schaick Island was occupied by the Algonquin Indians when Henry Hudson originally arrived in 1609. On September 11, 1665, Captain Goosen G. Van Schaick and Philip Pieterse Schuyler purchased the island for one bushel of wheat. They called it Havers Island. Philip Schuyler transferred his interest in the island to Van Schaick in 1674. Van Schaick died in 1676 and willed the land to his wife from whom it passed to their son, Anthony G. Van Schaick (1655 - 1737). Anthony Van Schaick built Van Schaick Mansion beginning in 1735. Van Schaick Island served as a strategic Revolutionary War camp and it was from this place that Learned's brigade, under the command of Benedict Arnold, went to the aid of Colonel Peter Gansevoort at Fort Schuyler (Stanwick) at what is now Rome, NY.
Van Schaick Island Country Club was founded in 1895. The original golf course was comprised of two holes where the first and sixth holes are currently located. In 1900, the club was incorporated as "The Island Club". Jack Gormley designed the present nine hole layout in 1915. In 1916, the course changed its name to Van Schaick Island Country Club. In 1936, a fire destroyed most of the clubhouse. The clubhouse was rebuilt during the following year to include a new lounge, men's, and ladies locker rooms. In 1965 the club underwent major renovations as a new sprinkler system was installed and a pool was added. In 1988, the original par of 70 was changed to 72 as the first and 14th holes were extended.
Van Schaick Island Country Club has employed many head golf professionals including John Gaucas (1949-1974), Bill Dupuis (1975-1981), Stew Smith (1982-2000), and John Gentile (2001), Luke Scala (2002-2016) and current head golf professional, Bob Kennedy.
Source: A History of Golf in New York's Capital Region
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asmr Mar. 12, 2019
Inside the Rise of the ASMR Commercial
By Zach Schonfeld
Photo: Michelob Ultra.
Nobody watches the Super Bowl for relaxation. But that’s what William Halligan got. It was February 3, and Halligan, a 72-year-old dentist, was watching the game with his wife, nieces, and nephews at his vacation home in California. During a commercial break, the dull roar of the football stadium fell to a hush. There was Zoë Kravitz, perched on a platform in the wilderness, whispering about beer. Halligan found himself lulled into a momentary trance.
“I went, Whoa! What is this? Look at this thing!” says Halligan. “I hit the rewind on our DVR and played it a couple more times.” His family was unimpressed, but Halligan was transfixed.
During the minute-long ad, Kravitz, set against a backdrop of stunning green mountains, lifts a bottle of Michelob Ultra Pure Gold, gently drums her fingernails against the bottle, and pours it into a glass, emphasizing the pleasant fizzing sounds. She raves about how “pure” the beer is, but her voice never rises above a whisper. Halligan’s interest was not in the beer —“I’m almost a teetotaler,” he says — so much as the sensation induced by the whispering. He describes it as a deep relaxation, not unlike the way he feels when using the guided meditation app Headspace.
This, of course, is what internet-savvy viewers would recognize as ASMR, or “autonomous sensory meridian response” — a pleasant, tingly sensation some people experience in the scalp or upper body as a result of quiet sounds or gentle touch. (Some experience it intensely, and others not at all; there seems to be a wide spectrum of response.) While the ASMR obsession has flourished in online spaces for the better part of a decade, the Michelob commercial signifies the latest — and largest — sign yet that advertisers are increasingly eager to capitalize on its popularity in mainstream settings. When VICE convinces Jeff Goldblum to whisper into a microphone for an audience of weirdos, it’s one thing. When Anheuser-Busch, the nation’s largest brewing company, devotes its chance to reach 100 million viewers to a glorified ASMR video, that’s something else.
“It’s a big deal,” says Melinda Lauw, the 26-year-old founder of Whisperlodge, an “ASMR spa” that provides live events for small groups of ASMR enthusiasts (the next event begins in Los Angeles on March 13). “People have been using ASMR to sell things for a while now, but this is really like someone putting millions of dollars to it. Which makes me think, perhaps it really is effective in selling things!”
Indeed, lately, major multinational brands, from Ikea to Renault, are taking a chance on commercials that whisper and tingle instead of shout. In 2018, McDonald’s released a video titled “ASMR with John Goodman,” in which the actor delivers an impassioned monologue about the fresh-beef Quarter Pounder in a close-miked whisper. Ikea’s approach was slower and certainly more relaxing: In the 25-minute video, a woman speaks in soothing tones as she stretches and taps on some of the company’s back-to-school projects. The resulting video makes duvet covers seem surprisingly sensual.
“You always want to be disruptive,” says Liz Taylor, the chief creative officer at FCB Chicago, the marketing agency that conceived the Michelob spot. “The Super Bowl is notoriously one of the loudest [events] — there’s explosions, there’s people screaming, there’s puppies and monkeys and babies. We wanted to be disruptive and thought, Could we turn our ads into experiences? Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could give 110 million people the chills at the same time?”
Chills, tingles — whatever term you use, ASMR “triggers” can come in a variety of aural and tactile forms, from head massages to paper crinkling; whispering is especially popular. On YouTube, it has been a global phenomenon since the early 2010s, with more than 13 million videos now devoted to spreading the tingles. But Halligan had never heard of it before. “It definitely piqued my interest,” he says. After seeing the commercial, he Googled the phrase and started surfing ASMR videos on YouTube. He even put on a heart-rate monitor as a private experiment — and discovered that ASMR videos reduced his heart rate by about 10, and sometimes 15, bpm.
Halligan’s experience indicates how the commercialization of ASMR is bringing a niche phenomenon to the mainstream masses. Veteran ASMR YouTubers are cautiously optimistic. “You don’t want to see it bastardized,” says Ally Maque, a self-described “tingle technician” whose YouTube channel, “ASMRrequests,” boasts more than 500,000 subscribers. “You don’t want to see it exploited just for money. At the same time, I think it’s a good thing to have it represented in a mainstream way in a positive light.”
ASMR is a little like music. Its power is mysterious. It does not affect everyone the same way. It brings millions of people pleasure. And it can be lifted and used by advertisers in ways both tasteful and nefarious.
“Some fans will be dismayed that their band has gone mainstream,” says Craig Richard, a physiologist who has become a leading expert in ASMR research (and who served as an “ASMR consultant” for the Super Bowl ad). “Some fans will love to see their band get attention. I think that’s a good parallel to how people feel about ASMR being commercialized.”
The term “ASMR” dates back to 2010, but it would be another five years before the first ASMR-inspired commercial materialized. In late 2015, it arrived — not with a bang, but with a whisper, a crinkle of plastic, and the pleasant sounds of someone delicately biting into a piece of Dove chocolate. The clip was created by the agency BBDO Beijing on behalf of Dove, and it aired in China in two distinct versions: female and male whisperers, respectively. Both videos contain many of the hallmarks of ASMR YouTube, from the use of plastic sounds for pleasure rather than irritation to the gentle way the speaker seems to address you directly.
At the time, awareness of ASMR was just beginning to spread throughout the larger cultural consciousness. “If this video sends you into ecstasy,” Ad Age reported, “you’re experiencing a phenomenon known as ASMR.”
Other brands followed Dove’s lead. Food sounds became particularly ripe for tingles. In 2016, a Ritz Crackers ad brought an ASMR sensibility to the crunchy sounds of one individual cracker. “Advertisers are realizing that this is becoming a part of our global culture,” says Richard. “There’s been a steady increase in searches for ASMR on Google trends since 2010. It’s not a fad. It’s not a temporary phenomenon. People are genuinely, long-term interested in ASMR.”
But advertisers don’t always know what they’re doing. When Applebee’s released a full-hour video of meat sizzling (that’s it — just the meat) and titled it “[ASMR] One Hour of Soothing Grill Sounds,” it felt like a reach. “If it’s disconnected from a human, then that’s not really ASMR,” says Richard, who founded the website ASMRUniversity.com, which tracks developments in the world of ASMR research. “It doesn’t mean it’s not oddly satisfying and relaxing. But ASMR really needs to have some kind of human component to it.”
Other ads are too jokey. Lauw bristles at the thought of the Grinch’s recent clip. “The Grinch just got really mean and angry at the end, and it wasn’t really ASMR.”
Anything abrasive can kill the mood. In his book, Brain Tingles, Richard suggests that there may be a link between the pleasurability of ASMR and the release of oxytocin when parents bond with their children. Both involve close personal attention and an all-consuming feeling of safety. Commercials strive for a similar effect — except the close attention is emanating from a person shilling a product. “When you see nature documentaries and there is one monkey sitting behind another monkey, grooming him — that’s an affiliative behavior,” Richard says. “The brain regions that are activated in moments like that between animals and humans are similar to the brain regions that are activated during ASMR.”
Fitting, then, that the marketers behind Michelob wanted consumers to associate the beer with a sense of nature and wellness. “When we were trying to introduce this organic beer to the masses, we wanted to find health and wellness trends,” says Taylor. “Some people go for a run, some people meditate, some people zone out to ASMR. It seemed like an amazing fit.” The goal, Taylor says, was to envision people at a Super Bowl party, leaning into the TV and wondering, “What was that?”
Once they hatched the idea, Taylor’s team at FCB began presenting different ways of incorporating ASMR. And they collected data points to bring to the client: 13 million YouTube videos, billions of views for top channels, and so on.
The next step was to present the idea to the Michelob marketing team. “Nobody shut it down,” Taylor says. “Some people were like, ‘I don’t know what this is. I gotta find out more.’” One person was mystified but spent the whole weekend researching ASMR.
“I was casually familiar,” says Azania Andrews, the VP of marketing at Michelob ULTRA. She had seen W magazine’s video series in which celebrities like Cardi B whisper into mics. “We spent a lot of time educating ourselves, understanding its popularity as a trend, before we decided to leverage its tactics.” When asked what ASMR has to do with beer, Andrews liberally drops terms like “macro-brew organic beer,” “brand positioning,” and “experiential marketing.” The idea seems to be that ASMR is pure and soothing and revitalizing, and so is this beer. “It’s something people use for relaxation. To manage stress,” Andrews says. “We thought that it connected in the world where Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold exists.”
By late fall, the ad agency had settled on bringing tingle to millions of Super Bowl viewers. They dove into research. But they needed an expert — an ASMR guru, if you will. They hired Richard, who literally wrote the book on the phenomenon, as an “ASMR consultant.”
During a series of phone and email conversations, Richard explained to the ad team what does and doesn’t constitute ASMR, and how to wield it effectively. “They wanted to understand how to create a genuine ASMR experience,” Richard says. “They didn’t want to just sprinkle in ASMR triggers, and they didn’t want to parody it. They wanted to create something that might actually trigger ASMR in some viewers.” For instance, when Richard heard that the ad was going to be set in a vast nature scene, he advised that nature sounds are not strong ASMR triggers. They can be relaxing, “but that’s not ASMR. Those are sounds mediated by a person.”
Eventually, Kravitz was selected to be that person. Why Kravitz? Who knows. Michelob apparently considered Kravitz a strong embodiment of its brand because she is health-conscious, but also “fun and laid-back.” In an interview with Elle, Kravitz described ASMR as “really interesting” but didn’t have too much to say about it.
The resulting commercial (which remains in circulation on TV and digital) has been received warmly by members of the ASMR community. Andrews notes with pride that it drew Twitter praise from YouTube personality “Gibi ASMR.” Maque, a.k.a. “ASMRrequests,” particularly liked that the ad steered clear of overt sexuality. “Zoë was not dressed in a way that suggests hypersexuality,” Maque says. “ASMR is such an intimate thing that it’s easy for people to associate it with sexuality, which is the furthest thing from what most of us are trying to achieve.” (Yes, ASMR porn is a thing, but ASMR is not inherently sexual — creators are often frustrated by this misconception.)
Understandably, Maque is wary of ASMR being incorporated less artfully. “If I saw it becoming this ugly marketing tool that’s used constantly, that would cheapen what we all do,” she says.
Meanwhile, as commercials embrace ASMR, ASMR is embracing product placement. YouTubers routinely partner with brands by featuring their products in ASMR videos. Lauw wonders when a major brand will, in turn, hire a well-known ASMR creator to star in a commercial instead of a celebrity. “That has not happened so far,” she says.
As for Halligan, that dentist in California? Forget the brands. He is just grateful to have learned about ASMR. In fact, he’s gotten in the habit of watching ASMR videos on YouTube several nights a week to unwind. “It’s fun, curiously relaxing, and interesting,” he says. “It beats going home and having a tequila and beer at the end of the day.”
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the super bowl
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YOU'RE READING What it’s like to be a young black female commercial farmer in SA
What it’s like to be a young black female commercial farmer in SA
By Thobekile Masombuka
Dimakatso Sekhoto is making all the right moves in the agriculture sector. Credit: Supplied
Dimakatso Sekhoto wants to see more young farmers in the industry and she's doing everything in her power to make it happen.
Dimakatso Sekhoto is one of five South Africans being celebrated by Metropolitan for her successes in the agriculture industry. After pursuing a career in finance, Dimakatso left her work in 2011 to help her father with their farm and she has been inspiring and empowering other young farmers ever since.
"My father was working on a farm and he asked me to come join him. So, I was literally just helping him with the finances and that was our commercial farm that he bought with the assistance of the government," she tells us. It's been seven years since she made the decision to farm and she admits that it was quite a shift after completing a BComm in financial accounting to working in agriculture with him.
READ MORE: AT A GLANCE: A study shows that women entrepreneurs could boost South Africa's economy in the billions
"My experience was really around learning because I needed to learn the industry because I obviously didn't know anything about the farm," she explains. She adds that her financial expertise did help her learn her way around the farm. "Because I had the finances, I worked with each division and then tried to understand how it works so that I could add value to that," she says.
Dimakatso says that she had to step in to save their 2000 hectare farm after they faced liquidation. "In that time I had to make plans to see how I could continue working because I was really interested in the industry. So, that's why I joined AFASA [African Farmers' Association of South Africa] a few years ago, trying to get assistance."
Her participation in AFASA brought to her attention the fact that young farmers need more help than they are actually getting. She took it upon herself to volunteer as a member to help out the youth and she was eventually appointed as the chairperson of AFASA Youth.
"A lot of people don't realise that there are so many youngsters already participating in agriculture. I've been in the industry for seven years so all the work that I keep doing, I want to also share with those that I can."
"I've started a few programs in the industry with regards to trying to assist young farmers," she says, and one of these projects is her business, Growth Shoot.
READ MORE: 4 women killing it in the agricultural sector
"The idea behind my business is that I need to make sure that all the support that I get, I can also give it to youngsters either in my area or across the country," Dimakatso says. "It's really around making sure that I can still transfer that access that I get to other farmers who don't have it."
For Dimakatso, many young farmers fall short of their dreams and goals because they don't have the necessary access to resources like finances, training, mentorship, and a solid market.
"Nothing is structured well enough for us young, black farmers to succeed. If you don't have one or a few of these, then you won't be successful," says Dimakatso.
In her work as a farmer, Dimakatso sees a great need in young farmers and she has taken it upon herself to assist them in whatever ways she can. "A lot of people don't realise that there are so many youngsters already participating in agriculture," she says; "I've been in the industry for seven years so all the work that I keep doing, I want to also share with those that I can."
READ MORE: I started growing my own food and it turned into more than just a new business
"Find an organised body so that you can understand where you're going to get your information because that's the first thing you need to do: you need to learn, you need to read, you need to understand what you're getting yourself into."
Like everyone else who is establishing and nurturing their business, Dimakatso has faced some challenges that other young farmers can empathise with.
For many young farmers, government help is very important, and it is unfortunate that, as Dimakatso expresses, the government does not offer enough support to young farmers.
"The challenge is getting the access to the support and also coordinating well enough so that you are able to still go back to your business and focus on it knowing that you have access to all [that you need]," she says. She feels the same way about the industry itself.
"The industry exists - it's successful - but the way things are structured are just not appropriate for someone like me. There's still quite a lot of work we need to do to change a few things."
READ MORE: Meet 5 of South Africa's successful black women in science - and they're under 35
Dimakatso's advice for young people who are a part of or are interested in the farming industry?
Join a community of like-minded people. "Find an organised body so that you can understand where you're going to get your information because that's the first thing you need to do: you need to learn, you need to read, you need to understand what you're getting yourself into," explains Dimakatso. She advises that you join an organisation like AFASA, or if you're getting into poultry, join the the poultry association and so on.
Do your research thoroughly. Read and learn as much as you can about the industry: the markets, the most viable spaces to farm in, the retailers, etc., so that you can start asking the right questions once you start talking to people and getting more information.
Find you niche and run with it. "All of us in society really frown upon the agriculture because we just know farming - the ducks and the tractors and the things that seem uncool to us, yet it's not about that only," Dimakatso says. "I'm a farmer, but I don't work outside, I work in the office. That's my skill: my skill is I run a business and my business is in agriculture."
You don't have to get your hands dirty for you to be a part of this sector, and for Dimakatso it's important to her for people to understand that you can use what skills you have to contribute to the industry in a significant way.
Watch Dimakatso share her story below:
More about farming| agriculture| youth development
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Ek is baie rustig, hou van gesels en lekker ontspan. Hou baie ddarvan om vrouens te bederf, vertroetel en aandag te gee.
Waarvan hou jy en waarvan hou jy nie? Ek is 'n moeilike persoon en weet wat ek in die lewe wil he
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University of Georgia TA: 'Some white people may have to die' for blacks to advance
Irami Osei-Frimpong
Andrew Lawrence
Irami Osei-Frimpong, a University of Georgia teaching assistant and Ph.D. student, who routinely attacks the concept of “whiteness” on social media took it a step further Wednesday when he declared that “some white people may have to die” in order ... more >
By Jessica Chasmar - The Washington Times - Friday, January 18, 2019
A University of Georgia teaching assistant who routinely attacks the concept of “whiteness” on social media took it a step further Wednesday when he declared that “some white people may have to die” in order for black people to advance.
“Some white people may have to die for black communities to be made whole in this struggle to advance to freedom,” UGA philosophy TA and Ph.D. student Irami Osei-Frimpong wrote in a now-deleted comment on the Overheard at UGA Facebook page, Campus Reform reported.
Mr. Osei-Frimpong doubled down on the comment Friday morning on his own Facebook page, writing, “I’m just saying that America is set up to create functional White supremacists, and they have an attachment to it that’s not particularly moral. I wouldn’t be surprised if White people have to die before Black Americans can live in freedom.”
A spokesperson at UGA’s Equal Opportunities Office defended Mr. Osei-Frimpong’s right to express his “personal opinion” in a private capacity, according to an email exchange with alum Andrew Lawrence, obtained by Campus Reform.
Despite receiving considerable backlash on social media for his comments, Mr. Osei-Frimpong continued to attack “whiteness” and the “trolls” who disagree with him on Friday.
“So, the trolls. The obvious thing to do would be to block them. Or I could let them troll themselves out and be an embarrassment to White people,” he wrote on Facebook. “In the spirit of MLK and non-violent direct action, I’m going to go with the latter.”
On Twitter, he wrote, “We have made a national project out of coddling White people about Whiteness, and we are living the consequences.”
Mr. Osei-Frimpong has a long history of attacking “whiteness” and this isn’t the first time he’s suggested that “some white people” might need to be killed in the advance to freedom.
In a 2017 Medium post flagged by Campus Reform, he wrote, “We had to kill some white people to get out of slavery. Maybe if we’d killed more during the 20th century we still wouldn’t talk about racialized voter disenfranchisement and housing, education, and employment discrimination.
“This should not be controversial,” he argued at the time. “Some white people are really bad, and America abetted them reproducing that badness in their white progeny. I’d rather contain them with law enforcement, but US law enforcement isn’t particularly committed to making sure that white people act in accordance with racial justice. If we want racial justice without having to kill them, then all of our educational and media institutions should be preparing white people for the hit they are going to have to take, so that we get racial justice without killing too many of them.”
Mr. Osei-Frimpong wrote the post upon the news that Texas A&M had refused to fire philosophy professor Tommy Curry, who said in a 2012 podcast that “in order to be equal, in order to be liberated, some white people may have to die.”
Mr. Osei-Frimpong, agreeing with Mr. Curry, accused the U.S. of “producing the wrong type of white people” and argued that in order to create racial justice, “we are going to have to take some of [white people’s] s—t.”
“Whether it’s their money, their illusion of safety, or their self-esteem, a lot of the stuff we’ve led white people to believe is inalienably theirs; we are going to have to alienate and redistribute,” he wrote. “And if I know white people — and I do — some of them are going to resent it and fight back with arms. I’d rather not have to kill them, but like Tommy said, ‘In order to be equal, in order to be liberated, some white people may have to die.’”
Andrew Lawrence, a conservative who graduated from UGA last month, posted a video Wednesday of himself confronting Mr. Osei-Frimpong in a classroom setting about his past statements, and now he’s demanding that the university take action against the TA.
In the video, Mr. Lawrence pleads with Mr. Osei-Frimpong to stop generalizing whole groups of people, particularly Southern suburban whites.
“You said that every suburban community in Georgia raises white supremacists,” Mr. Lawrence says in the video. “How can you possibly say that? You don’t know what every white community it Georgia does.”
Mr. Osei-Frimpong went on to argue that the “appearance of niceness” and the concept of “manners” in the South “have a very complicated role in sustaining oppression.”
His statement caused many students in the room to snap their fingers, a form of applause that is deemed less aggressive than clapping.
“There’s nothing brave about coming to a room of people and saying things that they all agree with and that they’re going to snap for when it’s f–-ing wrong,” Mr. Lawrence replies in the video.
The university responded to Mr. Lawrence’s video in a tweet Thursday, saying the exchange took place last fall at a Young Democrats meeting and that the views Mr. Osei-Frimpong expressed in his personal capacity do not reflect the views of the university.
Mr. Lawrence told The Washington Times that the exchange took place in September, but that he held onto the video until now because he was “afraid” of the potential backlash. Now, he wants the university to do what he thinks is right.
“Without a doubt he should be fired,” he said of Mr. Osei-Frimpong. “I do not believe that any individual who has academic influence over students should be saying these things. He’s only a TA, and he’s not a full professor with tenure, so what is the University losing? They’re afraid to take accountability and answer tough questions regarding his distasteful rhetoric, as they should.”
I confronted a University of Georgia course instructor about calling white people terrorists, sociopaths, and saying we were autistic. Here’s a portion of the video. pic.twitter.com/wtnIVc7QNk
— Andrew Lawrence (@YoungGaGOP) January 16, 2019
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The Fix: The road to recovery
By Cat Viglienzoni |
Posted: Thu 7:13 PM, Oct 11, 2018 |
Updated: Fri 9:41 AM, Oct 12, 2018
BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) Earlier this year Vermont officials announced there was no longer a waitlist for drug treatment. That's progress, from a peak in January 2014 when more than 500 people were waiting to get help.
Vermont spends $18 million per year on medication-assisted treatment. That doesn't include the costs of other programs helping people navigate their road to recovery. But there are still areas the state says need work.
"There's something in there. That's why they call it chasing the dragon," said Eric Charbonneau. The self-proclaimed drug addict says he used heroin for about a decade, starting when he was in his late teens. He says he's now 32 and has been in opioid treatment and on methadone for about four years now. "The clinic saved my life. If it wasn't for methadone, I'd still be out getting high."
Jolinda LaClair is the state's director of drug prevention policy. She says other states are now studying Vermont's hub-and-spoke system of treatment after it was nationally-recognized for its success.
Reporter Cat Viglienzoni: Where are we right now in the state with treatment?
Jolinda LaClair: We've come a long ways.
At the nine hubs, some 3,600 people in recovery receive more intensive daily outpatient treatment. All maintenance drugs are prescribed here, but it's the only place you can get methadone.
Those hubs work with some 200-plus spokes -- places like physician's offices or clinics that prescribe maintenance drugs like Suboxone or its generic form, buprenorphine. Thousands of other Vermonters in recovery get their help here. Vermont also has about 140 in-patient beds for residential treatment at private or nonprofit facilities, like Valley Vista or Serenity House, where patients often stay for three weeks or more.
"It depends on the person's needs. Some people need to be in a residential facility for a period of time," LaClair said.
LaClair estimates about 8,000 Vermonters are currently in treatment, but she guesses about 20,000 overall struggle with opioid use. She says the question of how to reach the other 12,000 not in treatment has no easy answer. "We have to think about how do you reach people closer to their homes," she said.
The hubs serving our region are well-distributed geographically, but several counties -- Addison, Lamoille, Bennington, Orange, Grand Isle, and Essex -- don't have one. Windsor doesn't either, but there is a treatment hub in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, just across the river.
And while there is some transportation help, LaClair says there are still gaps. "We need to help people reach their treatment," she said.
That's because the data shows the ones who are in treatment are finding success. Last year, the state surveyed 80 people in treatment about their drug use before and after starting treatment. They reported a 96 percent drop in opioid use, a 92 percent drop in injection drug use, and an 89 percent decrease in emergency room visits.
Reporter Cat Viglienzoni: What does that tell us about our approach?
Jolinda LaClair: It tells us we are spot on. It tells us that when people are ready and go to treatment, there are positive outcomes in a very short period of time.
Positive outcomes that are helped by what she calls "wraparound" treatment. Much of that starts at the recovery centers around the state, where coaches help people navigate through referrals to housing, employment, transportation, or child care. LaClair says expanding that program remains a priority. "The important thing to remember is that the first day of treatment is the first day of recovery. And you need human connection," she said.
A human connection that also helps -- during a relapse. On average, in the first year only 36 percent of people are able to sustain recovery. It takes a year of abstinence before less than half relapse. And after three years or so it gets better.
"There is a greater likelihood that you will not relapse. And if you do, there are people there," LaClair said.
Back at City Hall Park, Charbonneau says he’s seen what happens when people relapse. "I’m like, wow, that was me," he said. "The only message that I can give to any addict or any junkie, or whatever they want to say about us, is you can change yourself, but you have to want to do it for you. You can't do it for your girlfriend, do it for your kids, you have to do it for you, or else it's just not going to work."
LaClair says New Hampshire is also adopting Vermont's hub-and-spoke strategy. She says in the next year the Granite State plans to open nine hubs that will connect with other regional providers for treatment.
New addiction treatment center coming to Bennington
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Special counsel Robert Mueller's hearing could be delayed
Mueller is scheduled to testify before the two committees in open session.
By MARY CLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO, Associated Press |
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats are considering a delay of special counsel Robert Mueller's high-profile hearing next week because of concerns over the short length of the scheduled hearings before two committees.
The House Judiciary and Intelligence committees are considering delaying the July 17 hearing as they negotiate with Mueller's representatives and the Justice Department over the hearing's format, according to two people familiar with the talks. The delay would be in exchange for more time for questioning.
One of the people said the hearing would be delayed a week, to July 24. The people requested anonymity to discuss the private negotiations and because the talks were still fluid.
Mueller is scheduled to testify before the two committees in open session. He had expressed his reluctance to testify, and has said he won't go beyond the report.
A spokesman for the House Judiciary Committee would not confirm the possible delay.
"At this moment we still plan to have our hearing on the 17th and we will let you know if that changes," said Daniel Schwartz, spokesman for House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler.
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Officials hope to change minds amid 'exquisitely contagious' measles outbreak
Clark County, Washington, just across the Columbia River from Portland, is in the middle of a measles outbreak. Washington's governor has declared a state of emergency. At least 58 people have been infected since the outbreak began in January, according to state and local health officials.
Posted By: CNN
Officials in Clark County, Washington, publish a list every day of where people infected with measles have been. Among them: busy spots like Concourse D at Oregon's Portland International Airport on January 7 and the sold-out Portland Trail Blazers' home game four days later. There's also a Costco, a Trader Joe's, numerous schools, day-care centers and churches, a swimming pool and even a trampoline park.
"It is exquisitely contagious," said Dr. Alan Melnick, director of the county health department. "You can be in a room where somebody with measles had left two hours earlier and still get the disease."
Clark County, just across the Columbia River from Portland, is in the middle of a measles outbreak, and Washington's governor has declared a state of emergency. At least 58 people have been infected since the outbreak began in January, according to state and local health officials.
"The thing that keeps me up at night is having a death, you know, a child die from this," Melnick said. Measles kills about 2 of every 1,000 children infected, he said.
Kristen Cheatley discovered that she and her 11-month-old, Steel, were in a doctor's office at the same time as an infected child nearly three weeks ago. Steel is too young to get the measles vaccine. Now, he might be infected and a danger to others. He's stuck at home under quarantine for 21 days while his parents anxiously check for measles symptoms, which start like a bad cold before the telltale rash develops.
Nurses at one medical center are treating and inoculating kids in the parking lot to reduce the risk of contagion in the waiting room.
Measles was eliminated from the United States in 2000. But according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Travelers with measles continue to bring the disease into the US. Measles can spread when it reaches a community in the US where groups of people are unvaccinated."
In 2011, a number of travelers from France brought the virus to this country, according to the CDC. In 2014, nearly 400 people were sickened during a measles outbreak among unvaccinated Amish communities in Ohio. In 2015, one infected overseas visitor to Disneyland in California led to 147 measles cases across the United States. And there is another outbreak ongoing amongst Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn New York, reportedly sparked by a single infected child arriving from Israel.
The CDC claims that the outbreak in the Pacific Northwest began when an infected child from Ukraine came to Clark County over the holidays. And according to Melnick, "we have large unvaccinated populations in Clark County."
As Cheatley said, "for the longest time, I always said, 'well, if they don't want to vaccinate, that's not my problem.' It's become my problem."
Clark County schools have some of the lowest vaccination rates in this country. Before entering kindergarten, kids are supposed to have had two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. But in Clark County last year, fewer than 85% of kindergartners were up to date, well below the roughly 95% vaccination rate required for "herd immunity" to take effect and protect those who are too young or medically unable to be vaccinated.
Vaccination rates in Clark County are low partly because Washington allows parents to opt out of vaccinating their children not only for medical and religious reasons but for "philosophical" and "personal" ones. Lawmakers are debating removing those provisions for the MMR vaccine.
"Hundreds of thousands of people in my community have been involved in this issue and have lent support to this bill," Rep. Paul Harris told the State Assembly last week. He represents Clark County and is sponsoring the legislation.
"They're concerned about our community, its immunity and the community safety."
Bernadette Pajer, co-president of the advocacy group Informed Choice Washington, which opposes mandatory vaccination, told CNN affiliate KOIN, "this bill takes away our freedom and says you have to take this flawed product or your kid can't go to school. That is so wrong,"
Anti-vaccination activists protested outside the State Assembly during a hearing on the bill last week.
"But that is not the majority of the patients who decline," said Dr. Amrita Stark, a Clark County pediatrician. "Many of the patients who decline are from different religious groups. They are actually more conservative. And many of them are in the Russian population that's here, too."
In Portland, the population of emigres from the former Soviet Union is large enough to support five Russian-language radio stations. "I've heard some parents in Portland went to the doctor to get vaccinated, and their kids got 16 shots at a time. And they think that's too much," said Eduard Rusu, who runs a Russian pop station.
Rusu said he had an adverse vaccine reaction five years ago and has not vaccinated his own children, who are 6 and 2. "If you read the fine print, I'm sure somewhere there, it says there is a possible fatal outcome there. Some possible fatal consequences. And that gets you a little worried."
Stark noted, "a lot of people are still afraid, despite all of the evidence to debunk the association with autism."
Andre Dolbinin, the principal of the Slavic Christian Academy in Clark County, which serves the local Russian-speaking community, told CNN affiliate KATU in Portland that he believes his school had one of the first measles cases in the area. He said his staff do not discourage parents from vaccinating. However, some parents believe the vaccination actually causes the measles virus. The school hasn't supplied vaccination data to the state for the past few years. But state records show that at two other former Slavic Christian Academies more than half of students are exempted from the MMR vaccine.
Kaley McClachlan-Burton, who usually works in solid waste management for Clark County, is now working full-time online to monitor mentions of the outbreak on social media and correcting what health officials believe are erroneous rumors. "Like the virus actually being caused by the vaccine," she said. "Something known as 'shedding.' The MMR vaccine does not shed."
Local officials are eager not to blame one specific ethnic group for the current outbreak. Melnick said he may never know who was Clark County's patient zero. He can't say for certain it was a child from Ukraine. But the strain of measles spreading in the Pacific Northwest is the same strain still going around Ukraine, which sickened 50,000 people there last year.
"The virus does not discriminate," Melnick said. "The solution to this is for all us to get vaccinated."
He hopes that fear of the current outbreak -- and accurate information -- will raise vaccination rates. Those rates for January in Clark County were three times the five-year average.
"With this outbreak," Rusu said, "I will definitely think that I need to put it on my schedule soon and get it done!"
New York county takes 'extremely unusual' step to ban unvaccinated minors from public places amid measles outbreak
Amid measles outbreak, New York ends religious exemptions for vaccines
Frozen tuna recalled amid salmonella outbreak
Illinois health department responding to US measles outbreak
Summer camps are requiring children get vaccinated amid measles fears
'Hitler watercolors' fail to sell at auction amid forgery concerns
Reaching young minds before Preschool
Do you practice mindful eating?
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Poland doctor, daughter summit Kilimanjaro to help suffering kids
by: WKBN Staff
Posted: Jul 5, 2018 / 07:23 PM EDT / Updated: Jul 5, 2018 / 07:41 PM EDT
A Poland doctor, in conjunction with the Butterflies of Hope Foundation, took his desire to help children to new heights after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.
Butterflies and Hope Memorial Founder and ONE Health CEO Dr. Ronald Dwinnells and his daughter Abbey made it to the summit of the mountain on June 28 – an elevation of 19,341 feet.
The climb was part of a fundraising effort to help children in the Valley who suffer from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). ACE circumstances can include children who suffer from childhood trauma such as physical, sexual, emotional and verbal abuse. Children who live in dysfunctional households are often described in this group as well.
Climb guides told the group that of all climbers who attempt to summit Kilimanjaro, only 40 percent are successful.
“The climb has been worth doing. If we can help even one child to have a better life through our awareness and fundraising efforts, then I would climb a mountain every single day,” Dwinnells said.
Sponsors were included on a banner that was displayed at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
The Butterflies and Hope Memorial Foundation will be hosting a “virtual” mountain climb fundraiser called “Climbing for Kids.” The community is invited to take part in virtually summiting Mount Kilimanjaro.
Participants will be asked to pay a registration donation to participate in the climb. Those who join the climb will track their daily steps for five days with the goal of reaching 50,000 total steps.
As climbers reach milestones, they will see pictures of what the mountain actually looks like at those elevations. Once participants have reached 50,000 steps, they will have reached the Roof of Africa.
The virtual mountain climb will begin in early August.
Details about the virtual climb will be finalized by July 30. A preview page for the event can be viewed at www.butterfliesand hope.org.
Many Valley students have attended Camp Fitch through school programs and field trips
by Connor Kick, Alexis Walters / Jul 19, 2019
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WYTV) – For many of us, our pets are members of the family and we would do anything to help them. That’s why a local dog daycare is offering pet CPR and first aid certification classes.
The classes are hosted by TLC Doggy Daycare. They decided to hold the classes because of the way dogs have been incorporated into the everyday lives of owners such as going on vacation, trips to the store and even a night out at a brewery.
Former YMCA Camp Fitch director facing child porn charges
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WYTV) – The former executive director of YMCA’s Camp Fitch is facing child pornography charges.
Court documents show that Matthew Poese is charged with having sexually explicit pictures of children on his cell phone, according to a report by WJW Fox 8 in Cleveland.
Local News / 9 mins ago
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The Supreme Court’s decision declaring The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional was a watershed event that may require some same-sex couples to reconsider the financial strategies they currently have in place.
But uncertainties abound. Federal agencies still need to interpret portions of the Supreme Court’s ruling. And, with some states not recognizing same-sex marriages, challenges remain for those looking to update their financial strategies and approaches.
Here’s a brief overview of the post-DOMA ruling.
Legally married same-sex couples are eligible to file joint federal tax returns and may want to consider amending previous years’ returns. Also, they will be eligible for capital-gains treatment accorded to the sale of a home. However, as a married couple, they may also be subject to the “marriage penalty” associated with certain tax treatments and rates.¹
Same-sex spouses are now eligible for some Social Security and Medicare spousal benefits.² Medicaid, on the other hand, is administered by the state, so couples living in a state that doesn't recognize gay marriage may be denied spousal benefits.
Federal Retirement Benefits
For federal government employees with pensions, legal spouses are eligible for survivor benefits regardless of whether the state in which they live recognizes gay marriage.
A surviving spouse in a legal same-sex marriage will be allowed to roll over a deceased spouse’s IRA funds to his or her IRA, preserving its tax-deferred benefits. Spousal IRA contributions will also be permitted.3,4
Qualified Retirement Plans
Same-sex spouses will be able to leave a pension to the surviving spouse. Should a married same-sex couple divorce, a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) would be available to ensure that both spouses receive their share of a qualified retirement plan.5
Estate Strategies
The surviving spouse of a legal same-sex marriage will no longer have to pay federal estate taxes on assets received from the deceased spouse, nor will same-sex spouses be required to pay federal gift taxes when transferring funds to one another.6
Same-sex partners need to take into account the fact that some states still do not recognize same-sex marriage, however.
Same-sex partners should consider:
how property is titled, especially the home, so as to ensure transfer to the surviving partner;
a revocable living trust to pass assets, in order to avoid the transfer being contested by blood relatives;7
a power-of-attorney that allows a partner to manage financial issues if the other partner becomes incapacitated;
listing a partner as primary beneficiary on retirement accounts;
additional life insurance to cover the assets reduced by estate taxes.8
The DOMA ruling represents an ideal time for same-sex couples to revisit their financial strategies to ensure they reflect the changes in the landscape and fulfill their objectives.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2014
Withdrawals from traditional IRAs are taxed as ordinary income and, if taken before age 59½, may be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty. Generally, once you reach age 70½, you must begin taking required minimum distributions.
Several factors will affect the cost and availability of life insurance, including age, health and the type and amount of insurance purchased. Life insurance policies have expenses, including mortality and other charges. If a policy is surrendered prematurely, the policy holder also may pay surrender charges and have income tax implications. You should consider determining whether you are insurable before implementing a strategy involving life insurance. Any guarantees associated with a policy are dependent on the ability of the issuing insurance company to continue making claim payments.
Determining the value of your estate, or for someone who has passed away, can be a complex undertaking.
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Learn why we're the best at what we do and why we're regarded as one of the best in turning good ideas into good business.
The Barbados Youth Business Trust’s entrepreneurship programme is a private sector initiative made possible through a partnership with the voluntary sector and together provides start-up capital, business mentoring, networking, advisory and marketing support services to encourage a new generation of young Barbadian entrepreneurs.
To provide under-served young people with dynamic programmes, focusing on business mentoring, start-up loans, and entrepreneurial skills development.
BYBT Objectives
To be the recognized leader in enabling young men and women with viable business ideas to establish sustainable businesses;
To help young people, develop their self-confidence, fulfill their ambitions and contribute to their community through the medium of self-employment
To extend start-up capital, business mentoring and business development support directly or indirectly to young entrepreneurs
To foster the concept of entrepreneurship amongst the Nation’s youth
To always maintain the trust and confidence of our various stakeholders
To create and maintain a high quality business support system and environment
To strive to create and maintain a complement of professionally competent staff and business mentors.
Barbados Youth Business Trust Structure
The affairs of the Barbados Youth Business Trust are managed by Trustees whose number is not less than three or more than seven. They hold office for an initial period of three years.
The principal role of the Executive Council is to undertake the work of the Trustees between meetings, providing support and guidance to the Manager. It comprises not less than five (5) and not more than nine (9) members with a one-year renewable term.
The Office of the Manager
The Trust’s daily business is administered through the Office of the Manager. It is the center where loan applications are received, processed, disbursed and monitored and where all the various facets of the program are coordinated. It also focuses on ongoing relationships with public and private sector Youth Organizations, Public Relations and Fund Raising and reporting the Trust’s activities to the Board of Trustees.
SOME OF OUR SPONSORS
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Craft Breweries On the Rise and Economic Growth Rising With Them
What once started as a few guys making beer in their home to entertain their family and friends has grown into one of the fastest growing markets in the brewing industry. Much like moonshiners became the leaders of the hard liquor industry, our beloved neighbor with his little brewing set up keyed off a chain reaction, and we’re loving it!
According to The Brewers Association, small craft breweries have seen a 12% rise over the past decade. While that number may sound small, it’s certainly not! With over 150 old and new craft breweries in Florida alone and more opening every year, this growth is outstanding!
How Is This Significant?
While this may sound like it is only good news for the brewing industry itself, this is simply not true. There is a correlation between this growth and something that many have forgotten. Small business. If we take a look at the downturn in small businesses over many decades, we can see a frightening chain of events that is FINALLY seeing a bright side.
Where once there were Mom and Pop stores all over the world, big corporations have bought out, pushed out, or frightened off a large percentage of those small businesses over time. This has, in effect, hurt communities and in some cases, destroyed entire towns. Just look at states such as Nevada, where ghost towns are abundant. This type of result didn’t pop up overnight. It took decades of defeat before those towns finally gave up altogether and wandered off to what looked like better pastures.
The same can be said of the brewing industry, which is now seeing itself headed for a better turn. Although larger companies have held the forefront for decades, small craft breweries have finally begun to set up operations and bring in their fermentation tanks to bring some diversity to the industry as a whole.
Historical Growth as of 2015
One exciting number to report is the astounding 4,269 breweries existing in the U.S. alone as of 2015! That is the largest number recorded in U.S. history and is still growing! The association expects to see these numbers rise over the next decade as well, and has openly stated that this growth is great for the economy.
What’s Beer Got to do with the Economy?
While beer, ale, lager, and other types of alcohol are not what they were referring to, the sales of these items are pretty darn important. Sales bolster the economy at a local level and then upper levels in turn. However, that’s not what is most significant!
When a brewery opens it needs employees. Following me here? Ok, good. Now, look at the national unemployment rate as of 2016. While this rate dropped to 4.6% by November and “sounds” like a pretty small percentage, that is not the case at all. The U.S. hosted a population of nearly 324 million people as of July 2016. That means we had nearly 15 million people without a job!
Back to the brewery opening. In just ONE year, the craft brewing industry provided an additional 6,000 jobs to the public. Now, these are just small breweries, starting out. Imagine the number of jobs that will be created when they add on (if they have not already done so) to the existing operation, open a tap room, a pub, a bottling/canning center, and more! That is a LOT of jobs, which promises to bring down the unemployment rate even more.
What does unemployment have to do with the economy and beer?!
When people have no job, they don’t spend money. It’s that simple. As such, the economy, both local and national, suffers. Smaller businesses begin to feel the pinch first, as their overhead is larger in comparison to big name businesses. This causes a slow chain reaction that cripples the economy and sends corporations into a tizzy when it starts to pinch their pockets as well.
See the connection now? Great. Now you begin to understand why we’re so excited about a 12% growth! If we can manage this in the craft brewery area, imagine where this trend could start next. Perhaps soon, by way of a better economy bolstered by breweries, we might start to see those awesome Mom and Pop stores show up again. We’re certainly looking forward to it, as we love to see communities thrive, one industry at a time.
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Check out the latest articles, blogs and press releases for Carolina Beach to stay informed on all the news and special happenings around the town.
Travel Through Time at Carolina Beach and Kure Beach
Beach communities introduce new generations to old-style, vintage experiences
Carolina Beach, NC – The past and present collide happily at Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, North Carolina, forming a perfect mix of things to see and do that combines new features with historical milestones. From the Carolina Beach Boardwalk to Fort Fisher State Historic Site, several present-day attractions offer visitors a nod to the past. These coastal communities are ideal for groups like multi-generational travelers – there’s plenty to please everyone from grandma and grandpa to the grandkids, and everyone in between.
Here are a few highlights that visitors of all ages won’t want to miss:
Carolina Beach Boardwalk
Then: Captain John Harper built the first boardwalk in 1887 as a walkway on the sand made from boards so visitors could stroll the beach without sinking into the sand. Over the years, the boardwalk was rebuilt and restored numerous times as a result of natural wear and tear.
Now: The vintage icon has since made Budget Travel’s list of America’s Most Awesome Boardwalks and has been featured by CNN, FOX News and USA TODAY. The Carolina Beach Boardwalk was recently renovated to greatly enhance beach access, special needs accommodations and enjoyment of the dune ecosystem. Phase two of the facelift will include the addition of even more amenities for visitors to enjoy, including an arcade, swings, gazebos, cool-off stations, landscaped coves, public art, historical and environmental educational kiosks, picnic facilities and open space for music, art and events.
Fort Fisher
Then: Fort Fisher served as a vital port during the Civil War, allowing blockade runners to supply necessary goods to Confederate armies inland. By 1865, the supply line through Wilmington was the last remaining supply route open to Robert E. Lee’s army. Fort Fisher finally fell after a massive assault in 1865 and the Confederacy was defeated.
Now: Today, visitors can tour the remains of the fort at Fort Fisher State Historic Site – approximately 10 percent of the fort still stands along with a restored palisade fence. A scenic trail leads tourists around the grounds from the visitor center to the rear of the fort. Exhibits line the path, showcasing items recovered from sunken blockade runners.
Carolina Beach Music Festival
Then: Legend has it that shagging and beach music originated at Carolina Beach around 1948 and became widely known by the term “beach music” by 1965. The genre died out in the late 1960s but experienced a revival a decade later and is still going strong today. The first Carolina Beach Music Festival was held in 1985.
Now: Billed as “the biggest and only beach music festival actually held on the beach on the North Carolina coast” and one of the longest running beach music festivals in the United States, the 30th Annual Carolina Beach Music Festival drew several thousand people in June of 2015. The event featured live beach music bands playing everything from the classics to today’s hits.
Kure Beach Fishing Pier
Then: L.C. Kure built the original Kure Beach Fishing Pier in 1923. The pier was rebuilt and restored several times as a result of wear and tear over the years.
Now: The Kure Beach Fishing Pier is now one of the oldest piers on the Atlantic Coast. It remains an iconic symbol of Kure Beach with many families bringing their children and grandchildren to fish off the pier year after year. Visitors can not only fish and buy tackle, bait, and rod and reel combos, but can also stroll the 711 feet of wooden planks, visit the concession stand, play at the arcade and shop the large souvenir area.
Beach Motels
Then: Travelers have been visiting Carolina Beach and Kure Beach long before high-rise condos and hotels were built on the coast. Popular guest accommodations in Kure Beach have their beginning decades ago, like the Beacon House Inn Bed & Breakfast that was originally built as a boarding house in the 1950s, the cozy Palm Air Cottages that were built in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the Moran Motel, a one-story wing building that originated in 1959. With its vintage jade-green and pink-brick color scheme, the Moran Motel has been used in a number of feature films and TV movies. In Carolina Beach, the Joy Lee apartment complex has been enjoyed as a vacation spot since 1945, while the wooden-framed Wanda Inn dates all the way back to 1910.
Now: Although many older-style motels and apartments used to dot the coastline, there are still a few that have held strong. The Beacon House Inn Bed & Breakfast was converted in the mid-1990s into a B&B that still holds its tasteful charm and character thanks to tongue-in-groove original pine board walls, vintage photographs and memorabilia blended with modern amenities. The private, poolside Palm Air Cottages still attract generations of families each year. The Moran Motel continues to thrive as guests now bring their grandchildren and great-grandchildren to delight in its retro-style comfort. There is also a full-service, oceanfront Courtyard by Marriot Carolina Beach and a Hampton Inn and Suites, located adjacent to the Carolina Beach Boardwalk, coming soon.
Carolina Beach offers the best of a North Carolina beach experience from the past with a family-friendly spin for today. Experience a nationally recognized seaside boardwalk, Carolina Beach State Park, one-of-a-kind events, world-class fishing, miles of beautiful beach, and all kinds of people united by their love of good times. There are a lot of beaches in North Carolina, but only one Carolina Beach. For more information, go to VisitCarolinaBeachNC.com or call (800) 641-7082. Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/CarolinaBeachNC and Twitter and Instagram, @CarolinaBeachNC.
Kure Beach offers a naturally beautiful setting in a peaceful, small-town atmosphere. North Carolina’s small wonder lets you relax and reconnect at the kind of naturally beautiful beach you visited as a kid, while also enjoying nearby state attractions like Fort Fisher State Historic Site and the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, an oceanfront park, and a historic pier. For more information, go to VisitKureBeachNC.com or call (800) 631-1460. Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/KureBeachNC and Twitter, @KureBeachNC.
Leah Knepper
French West Vaughan
LKnepper@fwv-us.com
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Tag Archives: agriculture
Feeding Their Wards: Farming at WY State Institutions, 1931
Its been a while since we had a Friday Foodie post, so without further adieu…
It was a big job keeping the inmates at Wyoming’s institutions fed during the lean years of the Great Depression. Nearly every state institution had a farm operation in the 1930s. This allowed them to be nearly self-sufficient. Some even turned a profit on the food and forage they produced. They used the cheap and abundant inmate labor to reduce production costs. The symbiosis benefited the inmates by teaching them a trade and building their confidence and sense of responsibility. These photos and accompanying information come from a state institutional survey photo album complied by the state in 1932. Several copies are on file in the Wyoming State Archives collection.
The Wyoming State Hospital in Evanston was the crown jewel of the productive institutions during the early 1930s. In an effort to provide affordable, quality food for the institution, a dairy herd was established in 1922.
Dairy Barn and herd at the Wyoming State Hospital
(WSA BCR State Institutional Survey Album 47b)
By 1930, this herd of registered Holstein cattle had grown to 41 cows whose anticipated production for the year would top 600,000 pounds of milk (approximately 75,000 gallons.) Not only did this supply the hospital with its entire dairy needs, it provided an income from the sale of surplus dairy goods and animals, which helped to defer other costs. The herd was regarded as one of the best in the Inter-mountain region. One of thier prize bulls was loaned to the University of Wyoming’s Stock Farm at Afton to help improve its Holstein herd.
This 5-year-old Holstein cow in the State Hospital herd was named 1930 Champion C Class Producer of the United States. That year she produced nearly 12 gallons of milk per day!
(WSA BCR State Institutional Survey Album 56a)
In addition to the cattle herd, the State Hospital also kept a large flock of chickens to provide all of the eggs and meat served at the hospital. A large garden plot behind the superintendent’s residence supplied all of the vegetables used by the institution. The grain and hay fed to the animals was produced on the 550 acre farm purchased in 1919.
In 1929-30, the farm produced:
Hay 880 tons
Grain 8879 bushels
Rutabagas 225 tons
Cabbage 61 tons
Potatoes 9,000 bushels
Milk 884, 000 pounds (about 110,500 gallons)
Eggs 10,500 dozen
Meat 117,000 pounds
Flock of White Leghorn chickens in front of Chicken house at the Wyoming State Hospital in 1931. The chicken house behind them was constructed in 1930 to house 1,200 to 1,400 chickens.
All was not roses, though. The pigpens were unfortunately located directly behind the main building. The hospital secured $3,000 in 1931 from the State Legislature to construct new pens and move the swine down wind from the buildings to cut down on the odor permeating the site.
Pig pens at Wyoming State Hospital in 1931. They were to be moved farther away (and up wind) from the main buildings in 1932 because of the stench.
(WSA SOS State Institutional Survey Album 42a)
The Industrial Institute (now called the Boy’s School) in Worland also maintained a productive and lucrative farming operation manned by inmates and was a model of institutional self-sufficiency. The mainstay of the Industrial Institute was its Hereford cattle feed operation. Cattle were purchased on the open market and then fattened for sale in their lots. The institution made a concerted effort to not compete with local farmers in the marketplace. A dairy herd, flock of sheep, hogs, and chickens rounded out the livestock operation at the institution.
Cattle feeding pens at the Wyoming Industrial Institute (now Boys’ School) in 1931. These Hereford steers were fattened at the Institute then sold. Feed lot operation and livestock management was seen as a business/occupational skill for the boys.
Extensive gardens and large fields of sugar beets for livestock forage were also planted and the boys were employed in a small, on-site cannery where they preserved the bounty for use over the winter. This institution in particular saw their farm and livestock operations as tools to teach their wards, boys ages 16-25, life skills and a useful trade.
Back of Main Old Building showing attendant’s garden, Wyoming Industrial Institute, 1931. That year, the institution was able to raise nearly all of the food for their wards and sold the surplus for a staggering $86,700.
All told, sale from the excess products equaled $86,700 for the 1928-1930 biennium, more than $1.1 million dollars today! In fact it was so productive that little more than building funds and partial wages were needed from the State budget to run the entire institution by 1930, amounting to just $54,150 that year. If you account for inflation, that would be approximately $700,000 today.
The Girl’s Industrial Institute (now called the Girl’s School) in Sheridan, was a newcomer to the State, having been establish in 1920. Still, by 1931 almost all of the dairy, chicken and eggs, and many of the vegetables consumed by the 50 girls residing there were produced on site. Much of the hay and grain for the livestock was also raised on site. Like the Boy’s School, the Girl’s School used inmate labor to not only keep costs low but to provide instruction.
This “thoroughly modern” chicken coop built in 1931 at the Girl’s Industrial Institute (now Girls’ School)
(WSA BCR State Institutional Survey Album 109a)
Even the Sheridan County Fish Hatchery boasted a large vegetable garden and pasture.
Barn and garden, Sheridan County Fish Hatchery, 1931
(WSA SOS State Institutional Survey Album 65)
The State Tuberculosis Sanitarium (now the State Retirement Home) in Basin used its crops in a slightly different way. Because their wards were usually unable to work outdoors due to their respiratory condition, they did not have the cheap, abundant labor like the other institutions. No livestock was kept on site as they would have aggravated the delicate systems of the patients. Still, they planted acres of alfalfa and long rows of trees to keep the dust down for their patients.
WY Tuberculosis Sanitarium, 1931
(WSA SOS State Institutional Survey Album 122a)
What about the Wyoming Honor Farm outside of Riverton? Originally called the Penitentiary Farm, the 880-acre parcel was purchased by the Legislature in late spring 1931 and did not become fully functional for a couple of years. The original buildings were little more than shacks and inadequate for occupation, much less security. Most of 1931 was given to building a dormitory and an adequate water system, both completed with inmate labor from the State Penitentiary in Rawlins. They did manage to harvest 40 acres of sugar beets, their only product that first year, with plans to greatly increase production in the following years.
Penitentiary Farm showing on of the original buildings (right) and dormitory under construction (center), Riverton, June 1931
Filed under Friday Foodie, WSA Collection Highlights
Tagged as agriculture, Board of Charities and Reform, cattle, chickens, dairy industry, Garden, livestock, Sheridan County Fish Hatchery, Wyoming Boys School, Wyoming Girl's Industrial Institute, Wyoming Girl's School, Wyoming Honor Farm, Wyoming Industrial Institute, Wyoming Penitentiary Farm, Wyoming State Hospital, Wyoming state institutions, Wyoming State Sanitarium
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Bulldogs Wrap Up Regular Season at Springtime Invitational
Cody Clements (Photo by Nina Lindberg).
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale men's track and field team competed at the Yale Springtime Invitational Sunday, its final meet of the regular season, and now has its sights set on the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships May 4-5. For some of the Bulldogs, today marked the final competition of their 2019 seasons, while the remaining athletes were likely tuning-up for the upcoming championships.
The Bulldogs got things started on the track with a victory in the 4x100m relay, thanks to the efforts of Chris Colbert, Connor Hill, Alex Young and Phil Zuccaro – their time of 42.05 was more than half of a second faster than the runner-up team. Next up was a season-best effort from Zach Capello in the 1500m run, which was his final race as a Bulldog. His time of 4:10.05 is the fastest mark he has recorded since the 2016 season. Fergal Burnett Small followed with a runner-up finish in the 400m dash, with a time of 51.53, his second-fastest of 2019.
The 800m run featured a crew of four Bulldogs: James Lewis, Austin Stoner, Kohl Swift and Alex Whittaker. Swift was the top finisher of the group, placing third with a season best time of 1:56.16; Whittaker and Stoner placed fourth and fifth, respectively with times of 1:59.08 and 1:59.70. Chris Colbert was the sole Bulldog in the 200m dash, setting a new collegiate best of 22.36 and placing third. Closing out the day on the track was Evan Pattinelli in the 5,000m run. After tactically trailing the leaders for the beginning portions of the race, Pattinelli dropped the hammer, successfully gapping the rest of the field for an 11-second victory. His final time of 15:05.38 is a new collegiate best for him.
In the high jump, Spencer O'Neill finished in third place with a mark of 1.85m (6' 0.75"). In his final home meet as a Bulldog, Cody Clements set a new personal record in the long jump, with a distance of 5.87m (19' 3.25"). Andrew Rochon competed in three throwing events, placing third in the shot put, sixth in the discus and fifth in the hammer throw. His day was highlighted by a new personal record mark of 50.73m (166' 5") in the hammer throw. Jack Dunn also competed in the hammer throw, finishing sixth with a mark of 49.17m (161' 4").
Results from today's meet can be found here. The Bulldogs will return to action May 4-5 for the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships at Princeton.
Report by Zachary Capello '19, Yale Sports Publicity
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Home Lifestyle POLO IS A GLOBAL SPORT. BUT IT STARTED HERE
POLO IS A GLOBAL SPORT. BUT IT STARTED HERE
British officers witnessed a local ballgame in India, and it became a pony-powered juggernaut.
In 1859, when Lt. Joseph Sherer, a British military officer posted in colonized India, saw turban-wearing and dhoti-clad local men from the northeast Indian state of Manipur playing a game called sagol kanjai, he was fascinated. In sagol kangjei, also known as pulu, meaning “ball” or “ballgame,” players riding ponies chased a ball and hit it with a stick to score a goal. Sherer took a liking to the game, as did other British soldiers in Silchar, in modern-day Assam state, where they had seen the Manipuri players. Sherer told his colleague, Capt. Robert Stewart, “We must learn the game.” And that’s how a local sport of Manipur, a state the size of New Jersey, became a global juggernaut, and pulu became polo.
Today, the sport is played in at least 70 countries. It featured in four Olympiads between 1900 and 1936, when the event was discontinued. Notably, no Indian polo team ever competed in the Olympic Games. But the sport as we know it may never have come about had Sherer not been assigned to Manipur during his tenure in India.
Sherer and Stewart formed the Silchar Kangjai Club in 1859. But when Sherer moved to Kolkata, then known as Calcutta and the capital of British India, he couldn’t stop thinking about the game. He and Stewart collaborated on turning sagol kangjei into a “proper sport” — i.e., an Anglicized version of what they had seen. So, in 1860, they established the Calcutta Polo Club, the world’s first organization for the (sort of) brand-new sport. In the modified version of sagol kangjei, there were four men per team as opposed to seven, and goal posts were added to the field.
Manipuri polo players.
SOURCE GETTY IMAGES
“Modern polo is a slightly modified version of our sagol kangjei,” says Ranjit Singh Moirangthem, a retired Indian army lieutenant colonel and vice president of the Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association. But rather than rejecting the changes to its homegrown game, Manipur takes pride in polo.
Every year in late November, the association organizes an international polo tournament in which local teams compete against those from other nations. The U.S., U.K., Germany and Morocco all participate. The tournament doesn’t just bring different teams together, though — it also pits different styles of the sport against each other. Manipur’s polo team retains some of the characteristics of the traditional sport. For instance, Manipuri polo players (the team is labeled India B) ride indigenous ponies that are just 11 or 12 hands high, or less than 52 inches tall, while players from the rest of India (known as India A) and from other countries ride horses that are more than 15 hands high. Manipuri ponies are known for both toughness and agility, and are traditionally unshod.
For Manipur, polo has a mythological dimension too. Folklore in the 2.5-million strong state — a former independent kingdom that until the 18th century used its own script — is replete with references to sagol kangjei, and ancient mythological texts such as the Thangmeirol and Kangjeirol refer to the sport. According to legend, Manipur’s god king Kangba invented the game in 14th century B.C., and King Nongda Lairen Pakhangba organized the first match in AD 33. The god of sagol kangjei in Manipur, who also oversees polo, is Marjing, always depicted astride a winged pony. During the Lai Haraoba festival in May, locals celebrate the game by visiting the pony-themed Marjing shrine on the outskirts of Imphal, Manipur’s capital.
Natives of Manipur playing the national game.
From Manipur and then Kolkata, polo spread to other parts of the world. It appeared in Malta in 1868, England in 1869, Ireland in 1870, Argentina in 1872 and Australia in 1874. It reached the U.S. in 1876, after James Gordon Bennett, publisher of the New York Herald, saw the sport in England and returned to New York with a rulebook and the necessary equipment. Today, no Indian player breaks the top 50 on the World Polo Tour’s player rankings. But in Manipur’s yearly tournament, India B, the Manipuri team, were champions in 2017 and 2018.
To be sure, sagol kangjei isn’t the only ancient sport with claims of having contributed to polo. According to the Polo Museum, in Fort Worth, Florida — which calls the equestrian sport “the sport of kings” — a version of polo also existed in Central Asia. More than 100 men played for each team in that version, which, according to the museum, migrated to Persia via nomadic tribes between 600 B.C. and A.D. 100. In Iran, the game soon became a national sport.
But the museum, along with other experts, makes clear that the modern game originated in Manipur, where polo is still king. In the sport’s global fraternity, the credit for its evolution from an ancient hobby to a modern game that has also spawned billion-dollar apparel companies like Ralph Lauren and U.S. Polo invariably goes to Sherer, widely called the Father of Modern Polo. But to locals in Manipur, it is Marjing, the winged-pony god of polo, who spread the game.
Maroosha Muzaffar, OZY AuthorContact Maroosha Muzaffar
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Vietnam: The Museum of War Remnants in HCMC
Posted on August 15, 2018 by Natasha von Geldern
A visit to the Museum of War Remnants in Ho Chi Minh City is not a pleasant holiday experience. I would say it is a must-do when travelling in Vietnam but viewing photograph after photograph of terrified soldiers, even more terrified villagers, and beautiful children tragically deformed as a result of chemical warfare, is far from enjoyable.
It is something I felt compelled to do when I was in Vietnam, maybe because I had some idea that would somehow make me a better person to become vividly aware of the suffering I have been fortunate enough to avoid. It must be acknowledged that it is also partly due to the car-wreck-watching voyeur that is in all of us. This is most easily demonstrated by the brilliant collection of war correspondent photography in the museum and the memorial to the journalists who died trying to get that last up-close action picture.
More than all this, and unexpectedly, my visit to the Museum of War Remnants highlighted a piece of my personal history and prompted an examination of New Zealand’s role in the Vietnam War.
One of the most rewarding features of travel is in trying to gain some insight into the culture of the country you are visiting. This makes the War Remnants Museum a must see on any tourist’s sightseeing list for Vietnam. There is no denying that a significant element of Vietnam’s cultural psyche is shaped by the century of warfare the country has endured. For western visitors, there is also an awareness that some of the wars that have been fought in Vietnam have impacted the history and consciousness of the United States of America, Europe and, therefore, the world.
Not least at this very moment in world history, when public opinion in the US polarises around the war-time and peace-time actions of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. This Purple-Heart-winning Vietnam veteran, turned anti-war protestor, turned politician, seems not to know where to look when faced with accusations that his public opposition to American involvement in Vietnam not only rendered support to the enemy in time of war, but was a cynical use of the plight of soldiers and returned veterans to kick-start his political career.
There is a photograph of Kerry in the War Remnants Museum, which hangs in the “American protestors” section. It shows the 1993 meeting of then Congressman Kerry with the Secretary General of the Vietnamese Communist Party as part of a veterans’ delegation. In the eyes of some Americans, this constitutes recognition by the Vietnamese communists of John Kerry’s contribution to their victory in a war which claimed the lives of so many Americans.
My most vivid memory of the Museum, however, is not a photograph of a public figure. Nor is it the heart-breaking photographs of human suffering. It is one small black and white photograph of a group of white people, including a lady pushing a pram.
As an image it is unremarkable. It expresses no controversy or emotion. It is further diminished by being surrounded by huge anti-war posters from around the world, all broad brushed letters and open-mouthed protest. The photograph has a simple caption: “Anti-war protest march, Myers Park, New Zealand, 1966”.
When I read those words, the room around me reduced to a tiny space with a whoosh like a cinema special effect. Suddenly, I am not in Saigon but in Auckland, listening to my grandfather talk about a protest march, a protest movement, and a family history.
In 1966, when the Myers Park photograph was taken, the anti-war movement was still in its infancy. Things didn’t really kick off until 1968 and it wasn’t until the early seventies, after the Cambodian invasion, that the nationwide protests reached the tens of thousands.
My grandparents were at that march in Auckland. They were there all the way; they painted and carried placards, attended meetings and raised money to assist the North Vietnamese. My grandfather’s brother spoke at the Myers Park demo. The use of loud hailers had been banned by the police and I have a wonderful mental image of my grandfather running around the back of the crowd signalling to his brother that he could be heard.
The Vietnam War has been described as New Zealand’s longest and most controversial military experience of the twentieth century. We got involved primarily for alliance reasons and because the expansion of communism in South-East Asia was considered against our national interest. We had already played our part in the defeat of a communist insurgency in British-ruled Malaysia.
New Zealand surrendered to US pressure and sent combat troops into Vietnam in July 1965. The 161st Battery, RNZA, equipped with L5 pack howitzers, were based at Bien Hoa air base to the north of Saigon, where they came under the operational control of first American and then Australian regiments. The 161st were joined by V Company and W Company in 1967. The official number of service personnel who served in Vietnam is 3890. Of those 37 were killed and 187 wounded.
From the mid-60’s, New Zealanders from universities, trade unions, churches and peace organisations took a stand against the war. The Committee on Vietnam was formed in 1965 and spearheaded the protest movement for the next ten years. My grandfather talks about the in-fighting that beset the Committee, made up as it was of many disparate groups of people protesting out of different motivations. It must have been an amazing time, when people were collectively expressing their outrage about the wrongs happening and trying to change the world.
The New Zealand government was sceptical of the likely success to military intervention in Vietnam and endeavoured to keep our involvement to the minimum necessary to meet the expectations of our allies. Nevertheless, in the face of the strong debate and criticism which exploded here, in public the government steadfastly defended its foreign policy.
The protest movement continued to grow in strength and vehemence. There were silent vigils, hunger strikes, demonstrations, fund-raisers, film festivals and street theatre. Artists created posters and flyers, or donated their work for auction. All with the aim of influencing public opinion and revealing information not presented by government or media.
As is so often the case, the university campuses served as the most important anti-war organising centres. Future national figures marched against the Vietnam war. As in the US, the conflict would have a significant impact on New Zealand’s future foreign policy. The events of those years have had a role to play in shaping our modern political landscape.
My grandparents have spent a lot of their lives engaged in such activism. Energy that most people today would save for making money, spending time with family and having fun. My family has in its possession what must be one of New Zealand’s longest serving peace march banners. It is a little faded but it made a proud appearance at last year’s marches against the war in Iraq. Its message is simple; it states “peace”, in every language they could think of in 1968.
The Holyoake government was able to point to the very public outcry as they politely resisted US pressure to increase troop numbers. Then, as now, the US was sensitive to the support or otherwise of its allies. Sure, it can go ahead and fight by itself anyway but it is not impervious to world opinion. This was particularly so as the Vietnam war ground on towards the 70s and US politicians began to question whether the perceived instability in South East Asia and the Western Pacific was not more stimulated than threatened by the war.
As I completed my visit to the War Remnants Museum, I had to wait for a sudden monsoon downpour to subside before I could leave. Breathing in the smell of hot, wet tarmac, I reflected on the 100 years of almost continual war and mourning that country has endured. Walking back to the guesthouse, braving streets thronged with some of the three million motorbikes of HCMC, I was struck once again by the evidence of a nation rushing headlong to be a rampant consumer society. Every young man is desperate to own the Honda Dream and get the girl.
Vietnam is looking determinedly towards the future and searching after wholeness. Their interpretation of history is one of successful resistance against all foreign aggressors. For now, they are less interested in history or politics so much as economics. In HCMC you only need to witness the swanky shops and hotels of Saigon to know that money is being made.
In New Zealand, as in Vietnam, it is important to uncover the truth of the past in order to move forward in the present. We must acknowledge our history of war, as well as our history of demanding and upholding peace. For me, the visit to the Museum was a moment of personal, national and global history combining. I want to look back and honour the people who lived through that time. Those who fought, believing they were doing their duty. Those who fought against the attempted justification of human suffering.
Someone once said that the best thing about travel is learning to see your own country with new eyes. It is also important to remain open to seeing history with new eyes.
Posted in City Break Travel Ideas, Vietnam | Leave a reply
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