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Dave Pomeroy Online
Greatest Hits Vol.1
Supercool - Daniel Levanti (guitar/vocals) and Jeffrey Marshall (bass and vocals), have created a unique blend of rock, folk, and soul influences into a sound and style that is undeniably "Supercool". Dave Pomeroy produced the record and plays baritone lap steel. Checkout the new mini documentary in the Video Gallery.
Supercool - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Greatest Hits Vol. 1 Reviews
From the Nashville Scene...
CRITIC'S PICK'S - SUPERCOOL CD RELEASE SHOW
Guitarist Daniel Levanti and bassist Jeffrey Marshall formed Supercool after meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, five years ago and played throughout Europe before relocating to Nashville, where Marshall’s family lives, in 2006.
Despite the potentially ironic band name, Supercool aren’t snarky or tongue-in-cheek, preferring straightforward folk- and blues-influenced rock and emotionally direct lyrics. Marshall and Levanti share lead vocal duties, and songs such as “Superstar” make good use of the significant contrast between their voices—Marshall has a rich baritone, while Levanti at times recalls Robert Plant. Marshall, by the way, was born with no arms or hands, and plays bass with his feet while singing, a pretty remarkable accomplishment that should make all of you excuse-makers (“My hands are too small to play guitar,” “I’m too short to play basketball”) cower in the corner.
Still, Supercool prefer not to make a big deal of Marshall’s impressive abilities—they make no reference to it on either their website or MySpace page, preferring to let the music be judged on its own laurels. And any band who names its debut CD Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 deserves props in our book. Supercool’s producer, bassist-to-the-stars David Pomeroy, will join them for this show on what he refers to as “baritone lap steel.” The Rutledge; Supercool also play Grimey’s at 6 p.m. June 15 and The 5 Spot at 8 p.m June 16. —JACK SILVERMAN
Afraid of Me
Rock In My Shoe
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Drug War • Film and Television • On Television • On the Drug War
The Wire and Baltimore
It seems that despite the most temperate reply possible, I’ve been drawn into another absurdist debate about whether The Wire, or Homicide, or perhaps even The Corner is good or bad for Baltimore. This time, the righteous indignation about the tarnish applied to my city’s reputation is from a gentleman named Mike Rowe. A Baltimore native, he is employed elsewhere in this great diaspora of television and he has now assumed the mantle of defender of my city’s reputation.
Mr. Rowe marks his displeasure with our work by reductively describing it as a depiction of “drug dealers” and “pimps” that is sufficient to convince anyone that Baltimore is a mere cesspool, certain and fixed. In this simplicity, he joins, by late count, a few business leaders, several political aspirants and at least two police commissioners in decrying narratives that don’t provide the imagery with which Baltimore wishes to adorn itself.
Having been specifically directed to Mr. Rowe’s remarks and asked for comment by the Baltimore City Paper, here is the sum of my entire response. It is distinct from the writing of any City Paper essayist and it alone represents my position. The City Paper‘s arguments necessarily remain its own; they do not coincide with mine at points. I wrote:
“Speaking for the collective that worked on the narratives in question, we undertook to tell those stories as best we could in the hope that they would be honest and relevant to the whole of our city, to our divided American society and to the fundamental necessity that is our shared future. We even operated with some hope that such storytelling might help lead to redress and reconsideration of certain policies and priorities.
“On a personal level, that’s simply my job. It was my job as a reporter and as an author. It is my job still and I take it seriously.
“Certainly, there are other meaningful uses for narrative and imagery, and civic boosterism is one such laudable purpose. That is the job of others and I understand that they, too, take their labors seriously.
“As a Baltimorean fully vested in the city’s future, I can respect and support such efforts and purposes, even should others demonstrate less understanding and respect for the role of storytelling as a means of offering dissent and opening civic and societal debate.”
Exactly what did I claim here?
1) That our narratives were undertaken in earnest and to an ethical and professional purpose, and that my colleagues and I believe the narratives address fundamental issues and concerns that ought to be addressed. And, oh yeah, we take our role as storytellers seriously.
2) That these are not the only narratives and images that can represent the city, and that civic boosterism or promotion is also a laudable goal undertaken by equally serious and committed people.
3) That as we are Baltimoreans, living here and vested in our collective future, we support efforts to improve the city’s image. Rather than critique Mr. Rowe’s fledgling endeavors in any way — and certainly with less reductive cynicism than his depiction of our own efforts — we find it easy to support and encourage him.
And for this, there are now people with their asses in the air, including Mr. Rowe who has already fired off more verbiage? Really? Is there a cognitive problem here?
Mr. Rowe got a careful, polite reply because he managed to critique our storytelling without, say, the bombast of a city council president who actually used her post to attempt to pass official proclamations against The Wire (What business does any government have sanctioning or opposing narrative?), or a police commissioner who demanded apologies for the narrative (Not enough for him to dislike or critique a story, he instead demands that those who would tell a tale not to his liking actually apologize for doing so?), or a mayor who wanted to be governor and actually attempted to use his administrative authority to alter or prohibit the narrative itself. (Will you change the story or quit the story, or do I keep holding up your film permits?)
Over the years, telling these tales in which we believed proved, at points, a source of direct conflict with city officials who were willing to do far more than merely vent their personal displeasure as critique. In those instances, yes, I felt obliged to defend with some vigor the legitimate right to tell a story that serves interests other than the glorification of Baltimore and its present administrations.
Here, though, I read carefully and understood what Mr. Rowe did and did not argue. And my comments were proportioned to make clear that there was plenty of room for his good efforts on behalf of the city, that such efforts easily obtain my support, and that those efforts did not, in my mind, necessarily conflict with the concurrent responsibility by others to use narrative and imagery to tell hard truths about our city, our nation, and our national priorities and policies. That’s the sum of what went back over the transom.
Too much? If Mr. Rowe can dish out his caricatures about who populates The Wire and Homicide — pimps and dealers and junkies, oh my! — yet finds himself unable to endure the brutalities of the above reply, he boasts a sensitivity that I fear cannot long endure in the town of his birth. After all, the only phrase I offered in critique of Mr. Rowe’s performance, rather than in direct support of his effort on behalf of Baltimore, was to note his apparent lack of understanding for the role of storytelling that doesn’t affirm what those in power wish to have said about just how swell they’ve administered things. For that, you can’t rely on political leaders, or celebrity promotional campaigns, or any deep reservoir of empathy from many of those whose lives are arrayed on the right and profitable side of a status quo. For that, some measure of dissent is required.
Any insult from Mr. Rowe’s remarks may well have been unintended; however, the pimps and dealers and drug addicts that this gentleman so easily and hastily conjured to lament our narratives are, of course, a minority of the characters actually depicted in those stories. But in focusing on those few stereotypes, Mr. Rowe was clearly raising an argument that I find familiar and disturbing: That an undeserving portion of Baltimore has been chronicled at the expense of a Baltimore more deserving of attention, and that the America left behind by deindustrialization, poverty and the depredations of the drug war should just quiet the fuck down while we sell more of the America that has not been so marginalized.
Mr. Rowe, there are literally hundreds of television narratives — sitcoms and reality shows and comic-book dramas and cops-and-robbers affirmations of law and order out there, shows about the America in which human beings are still valued and in which capital still operates to the advantage of the many. By contrast, there was, for a brief time, one little-watched drama on one pay channel that tried to tell a story in that part of the nation where those things are no longer close to fucking true. That story happened to be set in the city of Baltimore; Mr. Rowe now asserts that as far as he is concerned it was one story too many.
I do indeed find that stance offensive, parochial and myopic. Telling only the pretty, affirming stories has a cost, too. Telling tales in which the poor and marginalized — including those who live and work amid an underground economy that is, in fact, the largest employer in Baltimore city — are rendered as human rather than as merely the chow for avenging cops has, at least, some small chance of perhaps slowing the war on the underclass now ongoing in this country. If it is tough work that Mr. Rowe chronicles — and I understand it’s his stock in trade — then the ease with which he throws judgment across the chasm between the two Baltimores has perhaps denied him some fresh material, and some real insight into one of the hardest, most destructive and self-destructive occupations in one of America’s largest growth industries. The drug war doesn’t endure as it has for 60-odd years without people being fed a media diet of contempt for dealers and pimps and addicts in the precise terms that Mr. Rowe feels so comfortable venting. We don’t become the most incarcerative society in the history of mankind without so easily dehumanizing those who are consigned to the parts of our city that Mr. Rowe, the Greater Baltimore Committee and aspiring politicians might struggle to sell as authentic or charming.
Moreover, I hold the audience for our harsher narratives — and indeed for other, warmer storytelling about Baltimore — in much higher regard than Mr. Rowe, apparently. I think viewers are smart enough to understand that these stories represent certain quadrants of my city, but not all of Baltimore, and even more certainly not the whole of the metropolitan area. They are stories about one America, long and purposely ignored and isolated, and while set in Baltimore, they are applicable to East St. Louis or South Chicago or North Philadelphia. Anyone who thinks The Wire is all of Baltimore is as much a fool as anyone who can be shown a crabcake and convinced that the Inner Harbor is all of the city. Pretending otherwise — from either end — is a mug’s game.
My question — and given how regularly I have to deal with this dynamic, I think it a fair one — is simply this: Is it possible for someone to assert on behalf of Baltimore’s charm and worth, while at the same time being grown-up enough to understand that other stories have an altogether different but essential purpose? Is it conceiveable that someone seeking higher office, or credit for civic improvement, or even a paid promoter’s fee might simply do the straight business of asserting for the best of Baltimore, without going to the trouble to pretend that there are not significant problems in this city and every American city that require redress? Is the universe sufficiently vast to contain both the empirical fact that a Faidley’s backfin crabcake is the world’s best and that Baltimore is the fifth most dangerous city in America? Can it be that Brooks Robinson is indeed the superior third baseman to Mike Schmidt, while at the same time credible that as many as half the African-American males under the age of forty in my city are unable to find or are no longer even seeking legitimate, full-time work? Does a walk around the harbor’s growing promenade suggest hope in the city’s planning and execution in a way that the failure to educate most public school graduates to participate in city’s legitimate economy does not? Is it possible to speak well of Baltimore, sincerely, while allowing certain truths to stand?
Not yet, apparently. And for some folks, maybe never.
Robin Riebe says:
I’m a johnny-come-lately fan of the Wire (just having finished season 3) and chanced upon this article while wondering: how closely does the shows depiction of Baltimore match the reality? Thank-you for your thoughts and more than anything the show itself. I’m a midwesterner but was stationed on a Coast Guard harbor tug in Curtis Bay back in 72-73. The things I remember about the city are mostly positive: the waterfront, Sabatino’s, the art museum to name just a few. But there were times when as an out-of-towner driving ignorantly around the city I would end up in neighborhoods (not unlike some of those seen on the show) where I tell you I feared for my safety. But even so, I have a soft spot in my heart for the city and probably always will (except for the Ravens, one my best friends is from Cleveland and when the Browns . . . well you get the picture).
Great post. I’d like to hear more from Mike Rowe on the subject because he seems like a really grounded person despite his cable tv quasi-celebrity. If I had to guess, people get so defensive about the depiction of Baltimore in The Wire because unlike other cities such as New York, this is the portrayal in popular media people most associate with the city. There isn’t a vast public outcry when Law & Order depicts extreme violence and sex crime because it’s just one fictional New York among thousands that contains such deviants.
Baltimore doesn’t have many stories about it that have become as popular as The Wire, so this one that is based more in reality than most television programs draws a lot of heat from people who either have a stake in keeping the image of the city untarnished or don’t encounter or don’t believe that the inner city is like this.
Also, it’s just a tragedy that many don’t accept The Wire as an allegory to the USA as a whole. It’s right there in the first scene of the first episode. C’mon, people.
It seems to me that cities, like people, have their own personalities, pasts and even motivations. I think its fair to look at people from all sides, so why not a city? JFK was a good man, yet a womanizer. Elvis was a tremendous stage artist, yet drug addicted. Gandhi had impeccable humanist views, yet disowned his own son for wanting to be married. Maybe I’m an iconoclast but I think people can be as flawed as they are virtuous. Within this prism, cities carry that same connotation.
I’ve been following this thread but took some time to think of something half way intelligent to say. I haven’t read Mr.Rowe’s original piece that prompted this reply from Mr. Simon but reading through some of the comments, especially from the lady that met Europeans grossed out about Baltimore because of The Wire I couldn’t help but think of how some of my Indian friends and colleagues react to news stories that portray (in their opinion) India in somewhat poor light. I first started observing this a few years ago when Slumdog Millionaire was winning Academy Awards by the handful. The main lament from many of my Indian friends and relatives was how Hollywood was at it again showing how wretched India is. More recently with all the rape stories being reported out of India I see a the same trend. There they are, the media in the West portraying India in a poor light.
Never mind the fact that yes, even though not all Indian kids are swimming around in pools of shit (as shown in one of the scenes), the reality for far too many of them is pretty close. So it is with the rape stories grabbing the world’s attention. Yes, not all Indian men are rapists but as a society we have turned a blind eye to the problem of sexual harassment and sexual assault in India for far too long. I understand the urge to defend something that you are close to or belong to, the urge to show all that is good about it instead of the bad. I work hard to fight stereotypes every day and I am hurt when a woman American colleague, in a meeting refuses to go to India because of what she perceives could happen to her in India. The reality of it is that it happens, and if me having to constantly fight such stereotypes at work or otherwise and having to try to educate people that India is not only about slums and women getting raped, then it is a small price to pay for the awareness as a result.
I guess all this is a long winded way of saying that the perceived “negative publicity” that Baltimore receives as a result of The Wire is a small price to pay for portraying the realities of life for those that don’t have a voice, and to go back to the comment about Europeans or others being grossed out, yes I knew how awesome Johns Hopkins was before I saw The Wire but I didn’t know a whole lot about life for so many in the inner city. Heck, I’m probably not even as smart as say a Mr. Rowe or some of the other commenters here but I can’t quite understand how someone can watch The Wire and not come out with greater empathy and understanding for those that are less fortunate than us, let alone reductively categorizing the show as about “pimps, whores and drug dealers” or whatnot.
I would hazard a guess that the majority of Dirty Jobs fans are glass-half-full types, whereas The Wire aficionados might prefer to say the-water-line-is-clearly-in-the-middle.
I wonder what the mayor of Victorian London thought of “Oliver Twist”?
Nick Moroney says:
So again, can we cut to the quick here? Fanboy this says that; fangirl that says this; how about solid suggestions re. justice and equity in Baltimore? (From a juvenile justice activist)).
What have I spent the last quarter century reporting on or dramatizing? Or are you disinclined to acquire the actual narratives and their underlying arguments and instead asking me to reduce them for you, personally, into a blogpost?
Hey man, your boots are on the ground. Why don’t you tell us?
One practical thing I would like to see is an increase in budget for the summer youth jobs program in Baltimore, and a restoration of the rec centers that have been closed in recent years. That’s just one example of something that I think could and should be done. I mean, any additional investment in job creation or education would probably be good.
Agreed. The recreation centers could be expanded to include counselors knowledgeable about local resources to connect kids and young adults with jobs and training opportunities. City and state government could also prioritize investment in communities and cut spending on warehouse-type facilities housing kids and adults facing challenges.
Funny we landed here. Cast and crew of The Wire and The Corner and HBO left behind a fund of $1.25 million with the Parks & People Foundation for the maintenance of rec programming in inner-city Baltimore. Money donated or raised by the productions themselves over six years of production and after.
Kudos! Hopefully Mr. Rowe’s production will look for similar ways to give back to the community.
Tony Amos says:
Very well spoken, with just enough passion to not irk Rowe, but maybe to open some underused synapses. I’m watching Season 3 of The Wire as I type this, having read it while viewing the end of Season 2. One might applaud your body of within The Corner and The Wire as if we landed satellite upon a moving comet for the first time. Thank you for shining a spotlight and it’s unforgiving truth upon America the forgotten.
TF says:
Mr. Simon: I’m late to the dance having just watched all five seasons in the last 2 weeks. A friend directed me to the show during it’s run but it was too close to my own work and hence not very relaxing or entertaining at the time. I know some the families of whom you wrote, thought I have never met them.
Thankfully, I returned to my friend’s recommendation. From season 1 – 4 I was glued to the series, some of the best cinema (small screen or big) that I have ever watched. Admittedly, Season 5 left me wanting. I thought you and your various storytellers and directors were capable of so much more. But I digress, while I live in Chicago, I see and have seen lives not unlike those you depicted. Having worked in government, I have witnessed the games as you described. Even this morning, I watched a video clip of the Superintendent of police, diminish the claims of a murder victim despite evidence in the form of a request for an order of protection…”she was not afraid” he claimed. His credibility tainted even further by the fact that the shooter, who killed himself, was the son of two Chicago Police officer. I could see Burrell or Rawls delivering the same message, a uniformed deputy standing stoically by with those scrambled eggs on the brim of his perfect adorned hat.
Finally, your small anecdotes about the city council president, the governor and others trying to influence your story do more to affirm that you’re stories may be fictional, but they are more grounded in truth that some can bare.
Thanks for the Wire….great stories, acting, editing, cinema. Regards, TF
Said it before, and I’ll say it again — I think just about any season of any show would suffer in comparison to season 4 of THE WIRE (who can resist those kids?) but I also think season 5 benefits from a re-watch, after you’ve already re-watched the other seasons, of course. I noticed a lot more of the callbacks and references to other seasons that enriched season 5 for me, upon a rewatch, and I better understood the newspaper storyline. I recommend it.
derek seymour nz says:
Season 5 stands up. Just don’t watch it straight after season 4…It’s a hard act to follow. Season 5 has some of my favourite moments of the wire (that’s some spider-man shit, and mcnulty’s phone conversation “you little twist…”)
1st Lt L Diablo says:
All the pieces matters…
To dismiss season 5 is like saying you prefer Melville’s heart to his brain. It’s the gestalt organism that impresses. I’ll never understand anyone who chooses one season over another. All the pieces matter. It’s the most ambitious narrative ever attempted on TV. And it was accomplished because each episode in each season nailed it. Boom.
Mr. Simon:
The Wire is the best series that has ever been on television. Baltimore is exhilarating and sad, like most of our cities and being able to understand and be moved by the issues you presented so beautifully and tragically is receiving a gift. You changed how I think. Thank you.
I have refreshed this page about two dozen times today to see what you have to say on last night’s non-indictment….Please.
You prefer the backfin at Faidley’s to the jumbo lump? I can vividly remember my first jumbo lump – equal parts ecstasy (obviously) and dismay that no other crab cake could ever measure up, and I had only one place in the world I could get a good crabcake.
I certainly like the backfin, but I don’t find them all that much different than crabcakes elsewhere.
Not to miss the important purpose of this article, backfin meat is considered tastier, if not as visually impressive as lump. Think of it as the dark meat where lump is the white.
You are of course correct, if not sagacious.
I’ll give it another shot – maybe splurge and compare side-by-side with the jumbo lump.
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Debate: Israeli settlements
Are settlements justified? Is expansion defensible?
Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured during the 1967 Six-Day War. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank, which is partially under Israeli military administration[1] and partially under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, and in the Golan Heights, which are under Israeli civilian administration.
International bodies, including the United Nations Security Council, the International Court of Justice, the European Union, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and some legal scholars have characterized the settlements as a violation of international law. Israel, the Anti-Defamation League, and other legal scholars disagree with this assessment.
Many US administrations have called on Israel to halt its settlements, and have even called them illegal. In 2009, the Obama administration also called on Israel to halt its settlement construction. Yet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected these calls. Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, for example, was quoted in a May 31st, 2009 article as having said: "I want to make it clear that the current Israeli government will not accept in any way the freezing of legal settlement activity in Judea and Samaria [West Bank.]"[1]
See Israeli settlement for more background.
1. Are settlements justified? Is expansion defensible? |
2. Background and context |
3. Peace process: Do Israeli settlements help or hamper the peace process? | | | |
4. International law: Are settlements lawful under international law? | | | |
5. Rights: Are Israeli settlements consistent with Israeli and Palestinian rights? | | | |
6. Natural expansion: Is the "natural expansion" of settlements justified? | | | |
7. Pro/con sources | | | |
8. External links |
Peace process: Do Israeli settlements help or hamper the peace process?
Israeli settlements do not impede creation of Palestine Elliott Abrams. "The Settlement Freeze Fallacy". The Washington Post. April 8, 2009: "Is current and recent settlement construction creating insurmountable barriers to peace? A simple test shows that it is not. Ten years ago, in the Camp David talks, Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered Yasser Arafat approximately 94 percent of the West Bank, with a land swap to make up half of the 6 percent Israel would keep. According to news reports, just three months ago, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered 93 percent, with a one-to-one land swap. In the end, under the January 2009 offer, Palestinians would have received an area equal to 98 to 98.5 percent of the West Bank (depending on which press report you read), while 10 years ago they were offered 97 percent. Ten years of settlement activity would have resulted in a larger area for the Palestinian state."
Israeli settlements impede creation of Palestinian state Former US president Bill Clinton: "The Israeli people also must understand that . . . the settlement enterprise and building bypass roads in the heart of what they already know will one day be part of a Palestinian state is inconsistent with the Oslo commitment that both sides negotiate a compromise."[2]
Israeli settlements taint negotiations and peace process Condoleezza Rice said in a November 7th, 2008 visit to the West Bank: "Settlement activity, both actions and announcements, is damaging for the atmosphere of negotiations. And the party's actions should be encouraging confidence, not undermining it. And no party should take steps that could prejudice the outcome of negotiations."[3]
General statements against Israeli settlements UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokeswoman Michel Montas: "The secretary-general calls on the government of Israel to halt settlement expansion and reiterates that the fulfillment of Road Map obligations by both parties is an important measure underpinning the political process between them."[4]
International law: Are settlements lawful under international law?
Jewish settlements are not part of any "illegal occupation" Michael Freund. "Israel Has Every Right to Expand Settlements". The Chicago Sun-Times. May 15, 2002: "Israel did not 'occupy' these territories, as the Palestinians and others would have you believe. In the 1967 Six-Day War, Arab armies massed on Israel's narrow borders, vowing to destroy the Jewish state. In a war of self-defense, Israel succeeded in overcoming its enemies, in the process taking control over Judea, Samaria and Gaza. Under international law, territories are considered 'occupied' only when they are taken in an act of aggression - something which clearly does not apply to Israel's case."
Israeli settlements may be unfortunate, but are not illegal. It is one thing to argue that settlements are unfortunate, and even that they make a peace settlement more difficult, but it is entirely another to argue that they are illegal. Many seem to confuse these ideas. They are entirely different and must not be confused. Any international legal case against Israel must solely focus on the relationship of Israel's actions to the strict letter of the law, such as the Geneva conventions.
Israeli-only roads were built to protect against attack David Meir-Levi. "Occupation and settlement: the myth and reality". Front Line Magazine. June 24, 2005: "It is also important to note that the so-called 'apartheid roads' did not exist prior to Arafat's 1994 ascent to power, nor are they apartheid. During the decades from 1967 on, Israelis and Arabs used the same roads, many of which ran as main streets through the towns and villages of the West Bank, bringing in millions of tourist dollars to hitherto impoverished small-town Arab merchants. Only after Arafat began his terror war, and Israelis driving through Arab towns found themselves in mortal danger, did Israel build the 'Israelis only' (not 'Jews only') roads. Rather than take punitive measures against Arab offenders who murdered or injured Israeli motorists (Jewish, Christian, and Moslem), the government decided instead to create this by-pass system so that Israelis could reach WBGS destinations without exposing themselves to terrorist attacks."
Israeli settlements violate international law President Carter, April 1980 interview: “Our position on the settlements is very clear. We do not think they are legal.
Secretary of State Cyrus Vance before House Ctee. on Foreign Affairs, March 21, 1980: "U.S. Policy toward the establishment of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories is unequivocal and has long been a matter of public record. We consider it to be contrary to international law and an impediment to the successful conclusion of the Middle East peace process…Article 49, paragraph 6, of the Fourth Geneva Convention is, in my judgment, and has been in judgment of each of the legal advisors of the State Department for many, many years, to be. . .that [settlements] are illegal and that [the Convention] applies to the territories.”[5]
Israeli settlements are a form of annexation "Land Grab: Israel's Settlement Policy in the West Bank". The Israeli information Center for Human Rights. May 2002: "The Israeli administration has applied most aspects of Israeli law to the settlers and the settlements, thus effectively annexing them to the State of Israel."
Israel uses sham legal tools to justify settlements "Land Grab: Israel's Settlement Policy in the West Bank". The Israeli information Center for Human Rights. May 2002: "Particularly evident is Israel's manipulative use of legal tools in order to give the settlement enterprise an impression of legality. When Jordanian legislation served Israel's goals, Israel adhered to this legislation, arguing that international law obliges it to respect the legislation in effect prior to the occupation; in practice, this legislation was used in a cynical and biased manner. On the other hand, when this legislation interfered with Israel's plans, it was changed in a cavalier manner through military legislation and Israel established new rules to serve its interests."
Israeli-only roads to settlements are unlawful. Israel has built Israeli-only roads to its settlements. This institutionalization of discriminatory policies is unlawful, or at least wrong in a modern democratic society.
Rights: Are Israeli settlements consistent with Israeli and Palestinian rights?
Jews have historical right to return to West Bank Michael Freund. "Israel Has Every Right to Expand Settlements". The Chicago Sun-Times. May 15, 2002: "It was 35 years ago this month that Israel prevailed in the 1967 war, returning to places such as Hebron and Shilo. For two thousand uninterrupted years, Jews had lived in the ancient Jewish quarter of Hebron, near the Tomb of the Patriarchs where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are buried. Only in 1929, when local Arabs massacred them, was the Jewish community forced to flee the city. What could be more historically just than to rebuild the Jewish presence there? [...] Jews have a moral, legal, historical and Biblical right to settle the territories. Israel's settlements matter, then, because they are at the forefront of righting a historical wrong, one in which Jews were previously barred from living in their ancestral homeland due to Arab rejectionism and hatred."
Jews and others have right to live in Palestinian territory Michael Freund. "Israel Has Every Right to Expand Settlements". The Chicago Sun-Times. May 15, 2002: "Indeed, there is something very troubling about the fact that a US Secretary of State would object to the erection of a house based on the religious or ethnic identity of its owner. In the olden days, we had a word for such views - it was called racism. And segregation. [...] To deny people the right to live in a certain area because they are Jews is no different from denying African-Americans or Hispanics or any other ethnic group the right to live where they please. And to suggest that the exercise of that right is somehow an "obstacle to peace" and must be halted is to capitulate to the haters and allow them to dictate who may live where. We can not allow that to happen."
Israelis have equal claim as Palestinians to settle in West Bank Daniel Kaganovich and Michael Butler. "Why We Support Israeli Settlements". Jewish Magazine. March 2004.: "The word 'settlement' itself has acquired negative connotations and when used in the familiar formula 'Israeli settlements on Arab land' automatically concedes the superiority of the Arab claim to the West Bank. We do not concede this claim; neither does the State of Israel."
Settlements create separate/unequal laws for Israelis/Palestinians "Land Grab: Israel's Settlement Policy in the West Bank". The Israeli information Center for Human Rights. May 2002: "This has taken place although in formal terms the West Bank is not part of the State of Israel, and the law in effect there is Jordanian law and military legislation. This annexation has resulted in a regime of legalized separation and discrimination. This regime is based on the existence of two separate legal systems in the same territory, with the rights of individuals being determined by their nationality."
Settlements undercut Palestinian rights to land Stephanie Kuory. "Israeli Settlements Illegal and Getting Worse". The Middle East Research and Information Project. September 24, 2005: "While expanding settlements Israel simultaneously contains Palestinian development. It unlawfully confiscates property, denies Palestinians the right to register their land and restricts Palestinian growth to limited areas, thereby reserving available land for settlement expansion. In order to ensure Israeli citizens have access to their settlements, Palestinians face restrictions on movement, including 600 physical barriers on West Bank roads, and endure long waits at checkpoints."
Settlements violate basic Palestinian human rights "Land Grab: Israel's Settlement Policy in the West Bank". The Israeli information Center for Human Rights. May 2002: "The establishment of the settlements leads to the violation of the rights of the Palestinians as enshrined in international human rights law. Among other violations, the settlements infringe the right to self-determination, equality, property, an adequate standard of living, and freedom of movement."
Israel uses violence to unlawfully back settlements Stephanie Kuory. "Israeli Settlements Illegal and Getting Worse". The Middle East Research and Information Project. September 24, 2005: "Settlements are constructed under Israeli military or private security protection. Israel's Ministry of Defense provides weapons to settlers, which are then used by militants to harass Palestinians into vacating their land. Reports on settler violence by B'Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, document that settlers fear little or no retribution from Israeli law enforcement because of a history of superficial investigations -- only 8 percent of Palestinian complaints are probed -- and light sentencing or pardons for the few settlers ever convicted. The same reports note that Israeli military and police often do not intervene to prevent attacks although they are present at the time."
Natural expansion: Is the "natural expansion" of settlements justified?
Israeli settlements should be able to expand "naturally" The "natural expansion" of Israeli settlements is important to allow. This is a situation in which population growth as well as modest immigration into settlements expands a settlement, modestly. It is instructive to consider what it would mean to "freeze" such "natural expansion". It would almost necessarily mean placing limits on the number of offspring couples could have as well as the number of jews that can immigrate into a settlement. This is practically infeasible. And, for this reason, the "natural expansion" of Israeli settlements should be allowed.
Israel encourages settlements; they are not growing "naturally". "Land Grab: Israel's Settlement Policy in the West Bank". The Israeli information Center for Human Rights. May 2002: "The Israeli governments have implemented a consistent and systematic policy intended to encourage Jewish citizens to migrate to the West Bank. One of the tools used to this end is to grant financial benefits and incentives to citizens - both directly and through the Jewish local authorities. The purpose of this support is to raise the standard of living of these citizens and to encourage migration to the West Bank." It is difficult, therefore, for Israelis to say that the "natural expansion" of settlements is justified and should remain into the future. There is nothing "natural" about the growth of Israeli settlements; it has been directly encouraged by the state. All future requests to allow the "natural growth" of such settlements should, therefore, be met with significant skepticism and doubt.
Pro/con sources
Elliott Abrams. "The Settlement Freeze Fallacy". The Washington Post. April 8, 2009
Michael Freund. "Israel Has Every Right to Expand Settlements". The Chicago Sun-Times. May 15, 2002
Daniel Kaganovich and Michael Butler. "Why We Support Israeli Settlements". Jewish Magazine. March 2004.
"Israel Settlements: Legitimate, Democratically Mandated, Vital to Israel's Security And, Therefore, in U.S. interest". The Center for Security Policy. December 17, 1996
"Diplomatic and Legal Aspects of the Settlement Issue". Institute for Contemporary Affairs. January 19, 2003
Mitchell G. Bard. "Settlements. Myths & Facts Online" Jewish Virtual Library
David Meir-Levi. "Occupation and settlement: the myth and reality". Front Line Magazine. June 24, 2005
Dore Gold. "From 'occupied territories' to 'disputed terrotories'". Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. 16 January 2002
"It's not that simple". National Post. May 27, 2009
Gregory Eow. "Israel Must Give Up the West Bank Settlements". Washington Post Editorial. April 11, 2009
Bernard Koucher. "Israeli settlement expansion can't be justified, French FM says". May 24, 2009
"Clinton: Israel must halt West Bank settlements". Associated Press. May 27, 2009
Stephanie Kuory. "Israeli Settlements Illegal and Getting Worse". The Middle East Research and Information Project. September 24, 2005
"Olmert and Settlements: Lofty Goals Betrayed by Actions on the Ground". Foundation for Middle East Peace. March 20, 2008
"Land Grab: Israel's Settlement Policy in the West Bank". The Israeli information Center for Human Rights. May 2002
"UN chief: Israel should halt settlement expansion"
"Israeli settlements ‘not conducive' to peace, Cannon says". Globe and Mail. May 25, 2009
Matti Friedman. "Israel Rebuffs US call for total settlement freeze". Huffington Post. May 28, 2009
Mark Landler and Isabel Kershner. "Israeli Settlement Growth Must Stop, Clinton Says". New York Times. May 27, 2009
"President Obama tells Israel: stop expanding settlements". Times Online. May 19, 2009
"Biden prods Israel on settlements". CNN. May 5, 2009
"Israeli Settlers Reject Obama Call To Halt Building". Huffington Post. May 19, 2009
Lourdes Garcia-Navarro. "West Bank Settlers Vow To Continue Building". NPR. May 20, 2009
"The Debate over Israeli Settlements Expansion". Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem. April. 17, 2005
"BACKGROUNDER: The Debate About Settlements" Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. June 13, 2007
"Solana says shocked at Israeli settlement growth". Reuters. January 21, 2007
"US-Israeli settlements agreements 'illegal and nonbinding' - Abbas's spokesman". BBC. May 25, 2009
"US-Israeli settlements agreements 'illegal and nonbinding'".
Retrieved from "http://dbp.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_Israeli_settlements"
Categories: Israel | Israeli-Palestinian conflict | Middle East | Conflict | War | International Law | Israeli settlements | Palestinians | Palestine | Human rights
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Imperialism of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Life Under Imperialist Power
Major Conflicts
The Congo Today
Informative and Interesting Videos
Citations/Bibliography
Brief History and Background of the Congo
Today, the Congo is very poor, unstable, and corrupt. There have been various wars and conflicts throughout the history of the Congo. The Congo was first imperialized by King Leopold II of Belgium, whose main motivation for imperialism was the Congo's vast amount of natural resources such as copper, diamonds, and coal. The Belgian Government then gained control of the Congo from 1885-1960, until the Congo gained independence on June 30, 1960. Shortly after Independence was gained, an election was held, granting Joseph Kasavubu the position of President, and Patrice Lumumba the position of Prime Minister. The period of imperialism in the Congo still has a great effect on the country today, even though the country is somewhat different than it was during imperialism. (Sources:Beck, Roger B. "Chapter 27, Section 1." World History: Patterns of Interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2005. 685-86. Print.; "Central Intelligence Agency." CIA. Central Intelligence Agency, 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.; “Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
Country Profile- CIA World Factbook
Long- Term Affects of Imperialism in the Congo
On the Streets in the Congo
As a whole, the Congo today is still very poor and is facing the long- term effects of imperialism. The Congo has a very poor economy, and most of its citizens make a living as farmers. Although it is still a developing country, the Congo does have a large number of natural resources, copper being one of its main primary resources. Since the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, the Congo has had a great amount of ethnic conflict and civil war. One main cause of this is the vast amount of refugees that fled Rwandan during the Rwandan Genocide. Although imperialism ended a long time ago, there is still a lot of fighting and instability in the Congo, especially in the Eastern part where rebel groups are fighting for access to mines. For the most part, this fighting has been financed by income from the illegal extraction of minerals, such as coltan, cassiterite and diamonds. This violence affects the agricultural industry in the Congo, creating a disadvantage for the poor, and reducing their ability to produce goods and trade. The extreme amount of fighting in the Congo has caused almost four million deaths, about 45,000 deaths a month. Even today, there are still many conflicts going on in the Congo from the 32 year rule of Mobutu and the lack of a strong national relationship among groups in the Congo, since independence in 1960. This weak relationship and split among the areas of land in the Congo resulted from the country splitting into various, isolated city- states in the 1970's-80's. This isolation was caused in part by neglect of worn out railroads, which also led to the collapse of communication. Other conflicts included the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, where over 800,00 Tutsis were killed by the extreme Hutu government. In 1996, the Tutsi government invaded the Congo, in order to locate the Hutu army that had crossed the border. Rwanda supported the Congolese rebels and was able to end Mobutu's rule, bringing in Laurent Kabila as President. However, in 1997, President Kabila and Rwanda began to fight, causing a new rebellion. Conflict against Rwanda continued until 2009, when a peace deal was signed between rebel armies and the government, but fighting broke out again later in 2009. About 1,000 people a day are still dying as a result of the conflict, and the number of deaths does not seem to be decreasing. These conflicts show that imperialism is still greatly affecting the people of the Congo, and a peaceful civilization is far from happening at this time. (Sources: Imperialism in Congo. N.p.: n.p., n.d. PDF.; "Insight on Conflict." Insight on Conflict. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.; "Interesting Facts & Information: Tourism, Travel, Culture, Language, Business, People. » Blog Archive » Belgian Congo." Interesting Facts Information Tourism Travel Culture Language Business People RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.)
There has also been a "war against women" and this inequality has caused great unrest in the Congo. Sexual violence and abuse occurs often, and local authorities do little to stop the violence and to persecute those responsible for the crimes. Very often, women are gang raped, even in front of their families and communities. Sometimes, male relatives are even forced at gun point to rape their own close family members. This "war against women" is one of the main reasons why the Congo is known as one of the worst and most neglected humanitarian crisis on Earth. This mistreatment of people shows that imperialism has affected the Congo, and that the mistreatment present during imperialism still resonates with them. Although there is still much unrest in the Congo due to the after affects of imperialism, the Congo is working towards establishing a successful democratic republic. Many Congolese leaders are pushing to move their country towards a more free government, even though a free government is in the distant future for the Congolese people. (Sources: Imperialism in Congo. N.p.: n.p., n.d. PDF.; "Insight on Conflict." Insight on Conflict. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.; "Interesting Facts & Information: Tourism, Travel, Culture, Language, Business, People. » Blog Archive » Belgian Congo." Interesting Facts Information Tourism Travel Culture Language Business People RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.)
How the Country is Today
Congolese Children
Today, the Congo is a poor, corrupt and a developing country. The people are still very prominently feeling the long term effects of European imperialism, and they are aiming towards making the Congo a completely free country. It is one of the least developed countries in the world today when it comes to life expectancy, education, standards of living, maternal mortality, and child mortality. There is still a great amount of violence present in the Congo today, following years of economic and political decline that the country has experienced over the years due to the many wars and conflicts. There has been a vast amount of peace agreements in the eastern part of the country, but violence still continues without a doubt. The country is struggling greatly, as it is unable to provide protection and basic services for its people, that suffer every day from poverty and overall neglect. (Sources:"Central Intelligence Agency." CIA. Central Intelligence Agency, 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.; "Congo, The Democratic Republic of the." Www.findthedata.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.)
Who is the Leader?
President Joseph Kabila
Today, the current president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Joseph Kabila (age 29). After the assassination of his father, Laurent Kabila he was elected president. When he was first put into power, he ended the civil war by negotiating peace agreements with rebel forces. Although the Congo has a large number of natural resources, the country has the second lowest GDP per capita in the world today. President Kabila is working towards fixing this problem and raising the GDP per capita, even though it will take some time considering the circumstances of the country. (Sources:"Central Intelligence Agency." CIA. Central Intelligence Agency, 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.; "Congo, The Democratic Republic of the." Www.findthedata.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.; "Democratic Republic of Congo." Overview. The World Bank Group, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.;Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.)
What type of government do they have?
Currently, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a republic. Right now, their president is Joseph Kabila. Under this republic, there are elections every seven years to elect new leaders. (Source:"Congo, The Democratic Republic of the." Www.findthedata.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.)
What is the economy like?
Today, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has a great potential for wealth, but has been slowly recovering from decades of decline. Systemic corruption, country-wide instability, and conflict that began in the mid-90’s have all drastically reduced national output and government revenue, increased external debt, and resulted in the death of over five million people due to famine, violence, and disease. In 2003, a transitional government (a temporary government set up to prepare for a permanent government) was formed, which began to improve the economic conditions. Long term economic problems are present and include uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of transparency. In 2009, global recession cut economic growth, but it was restored in 2010-12. Currently, their GDP per capita (an estimate of the amount of money an individual spends as a consumer compared to the total population’s spending on products and services as a whole) is the second lowest in the world today at $400 US dollars. Some of their products of agriculture include coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, cotton, cocoa, quinine, cassava (manioc), bananas, plantains, peanuts, root crops, corn, fruits and wood products. (Source: "Central Intelligence Agency." CIA. Central Intelligence Agency, 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
Where does the DRC rank in wealth?
The Congo is generally a poor country, and ranks as one of poorest countries in the world today. With a GDP per capita of only $400 US dollars, the Congo is a struggling nation. It has the lowest GDP per capita out of the 196 countries in the world today. In 2006, it was ranked by Transparency International as number 156 out of 163 countries in the Corruption Perception Index, and tied with Bangladesh, Chad and Sudan. (Source: "Central Intelligence Agency." CIA. Central Intelligence Agency, 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
What are some Human Rights issues?
The Congolese people have faced many human rights issues in the Congo throughout the years. Some major human rights issues present right now in the Congo include sexual- and gender-related violence, the lack of an independent and effective government, torture, unlawful killings, rape, arrests, and detention. Also, extreme and degrading conditions in prison and detention facilities, disappearances, countrywide turmoil and confusion, recruitment of child soldiers, use of civilian labor, child labor, slavery, and lack of workers' rights. These issues cause the Congo to be known as one of the least humanitarian countries in the world. (Source:"Democratic Republic of the Congo." State.gov. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011, 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.)
What are some challenges that the country faces?
Since independence, the Congo has faced a significant amount of challenges as a country. The Second Congo War of 1998 took nearly three million lives. Conflicts still occur in the eastern part of the country, creating unstoppable fighting. The life expectancy is very low at an average of only 54 years of age for both genders, and extreme health issues are present. Some health issues that are present are high levels of maternal, infant, and child mortality, high levels of communicable diseases such as infections, parasites, diarrhea, and respiratory infections. AIDS and malaria are also affecting the Congolese people greatly. As a whole, the country has over one million people living with HIV/AIDS. The prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the Congo is 4.2%. Malaria and malnutrition are killing a vast number of children and adults daily, along with AIDS. Many children go hungry and die daily, as food is scarce and disease is very apparent. In the eastern part of the country fighting and conflict is still apparent, and social and economic aspects of the country remain strained due to this factor. These conflicts have also badly strained the country's infrastructure. Many people are poor, and have little access to markets or goods, forcing them to live day by day. These conflicts have also had a huge impact on the population, resulting in sexual abuse and violence against women. The country has a weak government, and it's leaders are working on decreasing their rate of debt. (Sources:"Central Intelligence Agency." CIA. Central Intelligence Agency, 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.; "Congo, The Democratic Republic of the." www.findthedata.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.; "Democratic Republic of Congo." Overview. The World Bank Group, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.)
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FOLLOW DINOSAUR JR.
Indie-Rock from the 80’s and Early 90’s led by renowned curmudgeon J Mascis.
The origins of Dinosaur Jr. begin with the break-up of hardcore band “Deep Wound” in 1983, whereupon drummer J Mascis and Bassist Lou Barlow formed the embryonic Dinosaur. Shortly afterwards with the arrival of drummer Murph, Mascis switched to Guitar/Vocals. After a period of time developing a local fan base (and releasing an album, 1985’s “Dinosaur”), the Dinosaur Jr. ‘sound’ began to take shape, with the dissonant Neil Young inspired playing of Mascis being brought to the fore at the expense of any lingering hardcore influence.
In 1986, shortly after being forced to add the Jr. to their name by an aged country group, the band signed to the SST label owned by Greg Ginn of Black Flag and issued “You’re Living All Over Me”(1987). The record and the bands frenetic shows began to capture the attention of many underground cognoscenti including Thurston Moore and Lee Renaldo of Sonic Youth. This burgeoning reputation was secured by the seminal 1988 single “Freak Scene” and the accompanying album “Bug” (1988) both of which secured rave reviews and significant amounts of play on college radio.
Despite this success all was not well within the band, tension was building between Barlow and the uncommunicative Mascis, in 1989 Mascis split Dinosaur Jr. only to announce the reformation of the band minus Barlow, who formed Sebadoh with a good deal of success.
Mascis and Murph finished their touring obligations with a number of guest bassists (scoring a further minor hit with their cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”) and took a break for a couple of years. When they returned new bassist in tow (Mike Johnson) the band was fundamentally changed, Mascis now took on many of the recording duties alone. Sire debut “Green Mind” (1991) was a case in hand.
The music business was also changing, with the previously cult underground scene now being brought to prominence, a tour with Nirvana as they themselves were in the process of becoming stars opened many doors for Dinosaur Jr. The groups next album “Where You Been” (1993) emerged as a strong commercial hit, with some reviews declaring Mascis as the ‘Godfather of Indie’ although others felt the group had lost their edge. A similar attitude prevailed on the follow-up “Without a Sound” (the first album without Murph, who had departed to the Lemonheads) although again sales held up well.
Becoming bored of the band Mascis now took a second hiatus to record and tour as a solo act. This would have an effect on the next Dinosaur Jr. album (“Hand It Over”) as when it finally arrived in 1997, Mascis played all the instruments upon it.
This seemed to be the end of Dinosaur Jr. with Mascis dropping the name for his subsequent albums. However as this is being written, Mascis has announced the reformation of the original line-up to play a number of dates a la The Pixies, with new material appearing likely also.
Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
I Bet on Sky
Been There All The Time
Dinosaur / You're Living All Over Me / Bug
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List of Washington Capitals records
Title: List of Washington Capitals records
This is a list of franchise records for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.
4 Goaltending
5 Miscellaneous individual stats
6 Team records
7 NHL records
Most goals in a season: Alexander Ovechkin, 65 (2007–08)
Most goals in a season, rookie: Alexander Ovechkin, 52 (2005–06)
Most goals in a season, defensemen: Kevin Hatcher, 34 (1992–93)
Most goals in a career: Peter Bondra, 472
Most goals in a career, defensemen: Kevin Hatcher, 149
Most powerplay goals in a season: Alexander Ovechkin, 22 (2007–08) & Peter Bondra, 22 (2000–01)
Most powerplay goals in a season, rookie: Alexander Ovechkin, 21 (2005–06)
Most powerplay goals in a season, defensemen: Mike Green, 18 (2008–09)
Most powerplay goals in a career: Peter Bondra, 137
Most powerplay goals in a career, defensemen: Sergei Gonchar, 53
Most shorthanded goals in a season: Peter Bondra, 6 (1994–95) & Mike Gartner, 6 (1986–87)
Most shorthanded goals in a career: Peter Bondra, 32
Most game-winning goals in a season: Peter Bondra, 13 (1997–98)
Most game-winning goals in a career: Peter Bondra, 73
Most assists in a season: Dennis Maruk, 76 (1981–82)
Most assists in a season, rookie: Nicklas Backstrom, 55 (2007–08)
Most assists in a season, defenseman: Scott Stevens, 61 (1988–89)
Most assists in a career: Michal Pivonka, 418
Most assists in a career, defenseman: Calle Johansson, 361
Most points in a season: Dennis Maruk, 136 (1981–82)
Most points in a season, rookie: Alexander Ovechkin, 106 (2005–06)
Most points in a season, defenseman: Larry Murphy, 81 (1986–87)
Most points in a career: Peter Bondra, 825
Most points in a career, defensemen: Calle Johansson, 474
Most games played in a season: Olaf Kölzig, 73 (1999-00)
Most games played in a career: Olaf Kölzig, 711
Most wins in a season: Olaf Kölzig, 41 (1999-00)
Most wins in a season, rookie: Michal Neuvirth, 27 (2010–11)
Most wins in a career: Olaf Kölzig, 301
Most shutouts in a season: Jim Carey, 9 (1995–96)
Most shutouts in a career: Olaf Kölzig, 35
Most losses in a season: Ron Low, 36 (1974–75)
Most losses in a career: Olaf Kölzig, 293
Most ties in a season: Olaf Kölzig, 11 (1999-00)
Most ties in a career: Olaf Kölzig, 63
Most overtime losses in a season: Olaf Kölzig, 11 (2005–06)
Most overtime losses in a career: Olaf Kölzig, 38
Highest save % in a season, minimum 20 games: Olaf Kölzig, .920 (1997–98)
Highest save % in a career, minimum 82 games: Olaf Kölzig, .906
Lowest goals against average in a season, minimum 20 games: Jim Carey, 2.13 (1994–95)
Lowest goals against average in a career, minimum 82 games: Jim Carey, 2.37
Most saves in a season: Olaf Kölzig, 1,794 (1999-00)
Most saves in a career: Olaf Kölzig: 18,013
Most shots against in a season: Olaf Kölzig, 1,987 (2005–06)
Most shots against in a career: Olaf Kölzig, 19,873
Most minutes played in a season: Olaf Kölzig,4,370:50
Most minutes played in a career: Olaf Kölzig, 41,259:36
Miscellaneous individual stats
Most career games played: Calle Johansson, 983
Most seasons in a career: Olaf Kolzig, 16
Most penalty minutes in a season: Alan May, 339 (1989–90)
Most penalty minutes in a career: Dale Hunter, 2003
Most shots in a season: Alexander Ovechkin, 528 (2008–09)
Most shots in a career: Peter Bondra, 3,290
Highest plus minus in a season: Jeff Schultz, +50 (2009–10)
Highest plus minus in a career: Rod Langway, +117
Lowest plus minus in a season: Bill Mikkelson, -82 (1974–75) (NHL record)
Lowest plus minus in a career: Rick Green: -137
(* = The 1994-95 season is excluded from this record, due to the fact the lockout shortened the season to 48 games)
Most points in a season: 121 (2009–10)
Fewest points in a season: 21 (1974–75)
Most wins in a season: 54 (2009–10)
Fewest wins in a season: 8 (1974–75)
Highest winning percentage in a season: .659 (2009-2010)
Lowest winning percentage in a season: .131 (1974–75)
Most regulation losses in a season: 67 (1974–75)
Fewest regulation losses in a season: 15 (2009–10)
Most ties in a season: 18 (1980–81)
Most overtime losses in a season: 14 (2006–07)
Most goals scored in a season: 330 (1991–92)
Fewest goals scored in a season: 181 (1974–75)*
Most goals per game scored in a season: 4.125 (1991–92)
Fewest goals allowed in a season: 194 (1999-00)*
Most goals allowed in a season: 446 (1974–75)
Most penalty minutes in a season: 2204 (1989–90)
Fewest penalty minutes in a season: 994 (1999-00)
Most consecutive wins: 14 (2009–2010)
Most consecutive wins to start the season: 7 (2011–12)
NHL records
Most goals by a left winger in a season: Alexander Ovechkin, 65 (2007–08)
Most consecutive games by a defensemen with a goal: Mike Green, 8 (2008–09)
Lowest plus minus in a season: Bill Mikkelson, -82 (1974–75)
Fewest wins by a team in a season, minimum 70 games played, 8 (1974–75)
Lowest winning percentage by a team in a season, minimum 70 games played, .131 (1974–75)
Records at Rauzulus Street
Based in Washington, D.C.
1974 NHL Expansion Draft
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (Ted Leonsis, chairman)
George McPhee
Adam Oates
Capital Centre
Kettler Capitals Iceplex (practice facility)
Poile
McPhee
McVie
Belisle
B. Murray
T. Murray
Hanlon
Boudreau
Culture/Lore
2011 NHL Winter Classic
Easter Epic
Franchise records of the National Hockey League
Western Conference Eastern Conference
League records: Individual records · Team records
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Saint Sebastian and the Holy Women
French 1826-1898 Moreau's main focus was the illustration of biblical and mythological figures. As a painter of literary ideas rather than visual images, he appealed to the imaginations of some Symbolist writers and artists, who saw him as a precursor to their movement. His father, Louis Jean Marie Moreau, was an architect, who recognized his talent. His mother was Adele Pauline des Moutiers. Moreau studied under François-Édouard Picot and became a friend of Th??odore Chass??riau, whose work strongly influenced his own. Moreau carried on a deeply personal 25-year relationship, possibly romantic, with Adelaide-Alexandrine Dureux, a woman whom he drew several times.[1] His first painting was a Piet?? which is now located in the cathedral at Angoul??me. He showed A Scene from the Song of Songs and The Death of Darius in the Salon of 1853. In 1853 he contributed Athenians with the Minotaur and Moses Putting Off his Sandals within Sight of the Promised Land to the Great Exhibition. Oedipus and the Sphinx, one of his first symbolist paintings, was exhibited at the Salon of 1864. Over his lifetime, he produced over 8,000 paintings, watercolors and drawings, many of which are on display in Paris' Mus??e national Gustave Moreau at 14, rue de la Rochefoucauld (IXe arrondissement). The museum is in his former workshop, and was opened to the public in 1903. Andr?? Breton famously used to "haunt" the museum and regarded Moreau as a precursor to Surrealism. He had become a professor at Paris' École des Beaux-Arts in 1891 and counted among his many students the fauvist painters, Henri Matisse and Georges Rouault. Moreau is buried in Paris' Cimeti??re de Montmartre. In Alan Moore's graphic novel, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it is implied that he was a nephew of Doctor Moreau, and he based a few of his paintings on the Doctor's creations. Related Paintings of Gustave Moreau :. | Thracian Girl Carrying the Head of Orpheus on His Lyre | Sphinx Headdress for a Masked Ball | Sappho | The Martyred St. Sebastian | La jeune cuisiniere |
LIPPI, Fra Filippo
Italian Early Renaissance Painter, ca.1406-1469 Filippo Lippi was born in Florence. He took his vows in 1421 in the monastery S. Maria del Carmine, where Masaccio frescoed the Brancacci Chapel in the church (1426-1427). By 1430 Lippi is mentioned in church documents as "painter." Masaccio's influence, as well as Donatello's, can be seen in Lippi's early works, such as the Tarquinia Madonna of 1437 (National Gallery, Rome) and the Annunciation (S. Lorenzo, Florence) and Barbadori Altar (Louvre, Paris), both begun in 1437/1438. However, the severity of Masaccio and Donatello was mitigated by Lippi, who was instrumental in salvaging from the Gothic past the lyrical expressiveness of a linear mode which Masaccio had all but given up for modeling in chiaroscuro. Toward the middle of the 15th century Lippi's pictures became more finely articulated and his surface design more complex. It is probable that he had a large workshop, and the hand of assistants may be observed in the important fresco decoration started in 1452 in the choir chapel of the Prato Cathedral. After delays and strong protests this commission was finally completed in 1466. The cycle, a highly important monument of Early Renaissance painting, demonstrates Lippi's increasingly more mature style, revealing him to be witty, original, and well versed in all the artistic accomplishments of his time, to which he himself contributed. Through linear perspective Lippi was able to render a convincing illusion of recession and plausible three-dimensional figures. He knew how to express emotions, and he was a keen observer of nature. Lippi painted astonishing portrait likenesses and combined figures and space with an animated surface rhythm, the best example of which can be seen in the Feast of Herod, one of the last scenes in the Prato cycle. During his stay at Prato he was the cause of a scandal (later resolved by papal indulgence): he ran off with a nun, Lucrezia Buti, who bore him two children, one of whom, Filippino Lippi (ca. 1457-1504), was also a painter. In the Prato frescoes as well as in his contemporary panel pictures, such as the Madonna with Two Angels (Uffizi Gallery, Florence), or in the exquisite tondo of the Madonna (Pitti Palace, Florence), Filippo Lippi anticipated later developments in 15th-century painting. In these pictures are to be found the sources of Sandro Botticelli, Lippi's most illustrious pupil. Lippi's innovations extended also to iconography. In his quest for realism he introduced the "bourgeoise" Madonna: the type of contemporary Florentine lady elegantly dressed in the fashion of the time with the hair on her forehead plucked to stress the height of it. He also introduced the subject of the Madonna adoring the Child in the woods (Museum of Berlin, and Uffizi, Florence).
Victor-Jules Genisson
painted Interior of Westminster Abbey in 1851
Constantin Daniel Stahi
(November 14, 1844 - June 18, 1920) was a Romanian painter and gravure artist. In 1862 he entered the National School of Fine Arts from Iaşi where he was taught by Gheorghe Panaiteanu Bardasare and Gheorghe Şiller. He continued his artistic education in Munich where, for seven years, he studied painting, metal gravure and xylography. He painted still life paintings representing small objects that were surrounding him, such as old books, newspapers, religious items, chairs, shoes, plates and especially fruits. Also, he painted many portraits of famous people of his time (for example Gheorghe Asachi, painted in 1881). Many others of his paintings take inspiration from the simple life in the countryside in idyllic compositions and by painting peasants having as models people living in Bavaria and Moldova regions. Beside his artistic career, he was a professor and, later on, the headmaster of the National School of Fine Arts in Iaşi between 1892 and 1902, following Gheorghe Panaiteanu Bardasare. He died in his house on Bărboi street in Iaşi on June 18, 1920 and was interred at Eternitatea Cemetery.
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Salome at the Prison
French 1826-1898 Moreau's main focus was the illustration of biblical and mythological figures. As a painter of literary ideas rather than visual images, he appealed to the imaginations of some Symbolist writers and artists, who saw him as a precursor to their movement. His father, Louis Jean Marie Moreau, was an architect, who recognized his talent. His mother was Adele Pauline des Moutiers. Moreau studied under François-Édouard Picot and became a friend of Th??odore Chass??riau, whose work strongly influenced his own. Moreau carried on a deeply personal 25-year relationship, possibly romantic, with Adelaide-Alexandrine Dureux, a woman whom he drew several times.[1] His first painting was a Piet?? which is now located in the cathedral at Angoul??me. He showed A Scene from the Song of Songs and The Death of Darius in the Salon of 1853. In 1853 he contributed Athenians with the Minotaur and Moses Putting Off his Sandals within Sight of the Promised Land to the Great Exhibition. Oedipus and the Sphinx, one of his first symbolist paintings, was exhibited at the Salon of 1864. Over his lifetime, he produced over 8,000 paintings, watercolors and drawings, many of which are on display in Paris' Mus??e national Gustave Moreau at 14, rue de la Rochefoucauld (IXe arrondissement). The museum is in his former workshop, and was opened to the public in 1903. Andr?? Breton famously used to "haunt" the museum and regarded Moreau as a precursor to Surrealism. He had become a professor at Paris' École des Beaux-Arts in 1891 and counted among his many students the fauvist painters, Henri Matisse and Georges Rouault. Moreau is buried in Paris' Cimeti??re de Montmartre. In Alan Moore's graphic novel, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it is implied that he was a nephew of Doctor Moreau, and he based a few of his paintings on the Doctor's creations. Related Paintings of Gustave Moreau :. | Sphinx Headdress for a Masked Ball | The Young Man and Death | Orpheus | Saint Sebastian and the Holy Women | Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra |
Melchior de Hondecoeter
1635-1695 Dutch Melchior de Hondecoeter Gallery Melchior d'Hondecoeter (c. 1636 ?C April 3, 1695), Dutch animalier painter, was born at Utrecht, and died in Amsterdam. After the start of his career, he painted virtually exclusively bird subjects, usually exotic or game, in a park-like landscapes. Being the grandson of Gillis d'Hondecoeter and son of Gijsbert d'Hondecoeter, as well as nephew of Jan Baptist Weenix, he was brought up by the last to the profession of painting, when his father died. Of Weenix we know that he married Gilles daughter Josina in 1638. Melchior was, therefore, also related to Jan Weenix. The latter told Arnold Houbraken, in his youth Melchior was extremely religious, praying very loud, so his mother and uncle doubted if they would have him trained as a painter. In 1659 he was working in the Hague and became a member of the painters' academy at the Hague. In 1663 Hondecoeter married Susanne Tradel in Amsterdam. While she was captious and having her sisters living in their house, Hondecoeter spent much time in his garden or drinking in the tavern in the Jordaan. On the Lauriergracht, where he used to live, he was surrounded by art dealers and various painters. Later he moved to a house on Prinsengracht. In 1686 he bought a small countryhouse in Vreeland. Hondecoeter died in the house of his daughter Isabel in Warmoesstraat but was buried in Westerkerk near his house. His inventory lists a small gallow, to keep birds in the right position, and several paintings of Frans Snyders. Melchior began his career with a different speciality from that by which he is usually known. Mr de Stuers affirms that he produced sea-pieces. One of his earliest works is a "Tub with Fish," dated 1655, in the gallery of Brunswick. But Melchior soon abandoned fish for fowl. He acquired celebrity as a painter of birds only, which he represented not exclusively, like Johannes Fyt, as the gamekeeper's perquisite after a day's shooting, or stock of a poulterer's shop, but as living beings with passions, joys, fears and quarrels, to which naturalists will tell us that birds are subject. Without the brilliant tone and high finish of Fyt, his Dutch rival's birds are full of action; and, as Burger truly says, "Hondecoeter displays the maternity of the hen with as much tenderness and feeling as Raphael the maternity of Madonnas."
Bernardino Pinturicchio
c.1452-1513.Italian painter. He collaborated with Perugino in 1481-2 in the Sistine Chapel, Rome, and quickly established his reputation as a painter of distinctive and picturesque decorative cycles. His most important commissions included the decoration (1492-4) of the Borgia Apartments in the Vatican Palace, Rome, for Pope Alexander VI and the large fresco cycle (1502-1507/8) in the library of Siena Cathedral, depicting the Life of Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini
Narcisse Berchere
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Michigan approves first electric vehicle charging infrastructure program
CONTACT: Nick Dodge, Byrum & Fisk Communications, (517) 333-1606
Judith Nemes, Environmental Law & Policy Center, (312)-795-3706
Michigan Public Service Commission approves PowerMiDrive initiative to advance charging infrastructure in Michigan
LANSING – Michigan’s first electric vehicle charging infrastructure program, Consumers Energy’s PowerMiDrive initiative, was approved today by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). Charge Up Midwest, a coalition of organizations working to advance electric vehicles throughout the Midwest, worked closely with Consumers Energy and the MPSC as the pilot program was developed, and contributed to the proposed settlement agreement that preceded the MPSC’s order.
“We applaud the Public Service Commission and Consumers Energy for taking this important first step to advance electric vehicles in Michigan and keep our state on the cutting-edge of the rapidly changing mobility sector,” said Charles Griffith, climate and energy program director at the Ecology Center. “This program is the first of its kind in Michigan and will promote buildout of charging infrastructure, which is one of the key challenges facing electric vehicle advancement in Michigan.”
The PowerMiDrive pilot program has been in development for more than two years. Today’s decision at the MPSC is the culmination of a stakeholder workgroup process facilitated by the MPSC. The decision approves the initiation of a $10 million, three-year pilot program to support installations of EV charging infrastructure at homes and residences, multi-unit dwellings, workplaces, and other public locations, as well as fast-chargers along highway corridors. The program will utilize rebates and consumer education to encourage program participation, and encourage “off-peak” charging through the incorporation of time-of-use rates. Today’s decision allocates an additional $2.5 million for the program from what was originally proposed by Consumers Energy.
“We want to make sure that the benefits of electric vehicles are available to everyone, including folks in apartment buildings or anyone that doesn’t own their own garage,” said Mark Nabong, senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Consumers’ new program can help more people access electric cars as a clean, cheaper alternative to gasoline cars.”
Consumers Energy is not the only utility company with proposals to expand electric vehicle charging. DTE Energy currently has a $13 million pilot program for consideration before the MPSC. Michigan’s two major utility companies are taking significant steps to promote EV charging infrastructure in the state, and if DTE Energy’s proposal is approved, Michigan will have the most forward-looking electric vehicle charging program in the Midwest.
“Today’s decision puts Michigan on the road to cleaner air and a smarter grid by improving drivers’ access to our cleanest and cheapest fuel—electricity,” said Joe Halso, associate attorney with the Sierra Club. “We look forward to more work with the Commission, Consumers Energy and stakeholders to implement PowerMIDrive and position Michigan as a leader when it comes to planning for an electric vehicle future.”
“The MPSC’s decision is a major win for Michigan utility customers who will benefit with lower rates because more charging will occur at night,” said Robert Kelter, senior attorney at the Midwest-based Environmental Law & Policy Center.
Charge Up Midwest is a partnership of environmental and clean energy organizations actively working to increase electric vehicle deployment throughout the region in Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio. Visit www.ecocenter.org/charge-midwest to learn more.
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Midwest Energy News: ELPC’s Mandelbaum Discusses Open Door to More Net Metering
Net metering will be available to more electricity customers in Iowa as a result of a decision made on Tuesday by state regulators.
As part of a long-running discussion about distributed generation, the Iowa Utilities Board ruled that the state’s two major utilities – MidAmerican and Alliant Energy – must increase their net metering cap from 500 kilowatts to 1 megawatt. Also, the new tariffs will have to make net metering available to all classes of customers but will change some rules for compensation.
“They’ve left the structure of net metering in place, and focused on how to expand that in a very narrow way that is on the whole positive,” said Josh Mandelbaum, an attorney in Des Moines with the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “They didn’t invite any of the changes you’ve seen in the utility pilot project. They could have, but they kept the pilot projects separate, and to me, that is a positive.”
As part of the board’s distributed-generation docket, the board last October asked MidAmerican and Alliant to submit pilot projects to encourage the development of distributed generation in the state. For the most part, the utilities did the opposite: proposing rate changes that would penalize solar customers.
The new rules regarding net metering will be adopted on a temporary basis. At the end of three years, the board will assess the experiment and decide whether to make the changes permanent. Customers of the two utilities who currently have solar panels can choose to continue in their current net metering arrangement, or can opt to try the new net metering tariff. Those choosing the new tariff may not return to the former tariff.
Any customer installing solar panels after the new tariffs are adopted will be required to operate under the new rules. Under existing rules, net meterers can roll over excess credits indefinitely, to be applied against future bills. There is no option for trading credits for cash.
The new tariffs will institute a yearly true-up. Early in the year, excess credits will be removed from the books, compensated at the avoided-cost rate and the proceeds divided in two: half will go to a utility fund to aid low-income customers, and half will return to the customer.
Although he praised the board’s directive overall, Mandelbaum said the cashout piece “could potentially be losses and gains. I don’t think the cashout is going to make much difference on most projects, but there is some potential for it to impact some projects.”
The ruling will eliminate any incentive a solar customer might have felt to overproduce. The increased cap of 1 megawatt will apply only up to 100 percent of the solar customer’s load. And while the new rules will extend net metering to a couple of groups of customers who are currently excluded, the rules stipulate that each customer’s generation will only offset the energy charge and will not apply to demand or customer charges.
One class that now will gain access is customers who obtain solar power through third-party power-purchase agreements or lease arrangements. After a customer filed a complaint, Alliant changed its policy a year ago to allow third-party customers – generally public and non-profit entities – to net meter. While Alliant extended net metering to that group, MidAmerican did not, according to Mandelbaum. The ruling made yesterday requires that MidAmerican adopt the same standard.
The other class that now will be able to net meter is the large general service category, such as manufacturing plants and wastewater-treatment facilities. Barry Shear, a solar developer in Iowa, went to the utilities board because Alliant’s policy stymied one city’s attempt to install a solar array at its water treatment plant.
Although the new rules will allow large general service customers to net meter, the presence of a large demand fee as part of their bill may continue to interfere with the economics of net metering.
The board’s Tuesday ruling did something else: it seemed to bypass much of the pilot projects that Alliant and MidAmerican submitted in March. Although the board instructed the utilities to devise pilot projects that would experiment with ways to expand rooftop solar, clean-energy supporters in the state mostly viewed the pilots as designed to discourage people from generating their own power. Alliant proposed paying less to solar customers, and MidAmerican suggested imposing a demand charge on them. Both of them, however, also said they wanted to experiment with community solar.
The message in Tuesday’s ruling, as Mandelbaum sees it, was, “You can continue working on community solar projects,” he said, “The rate-design pilots – it essentially rejects those.”
Posted in CLEAN ENERGY, ELPC in the News, Iowa, ISSUES, NEWSROOM, Solar, STATES Tagged Alliant Energy, Energy, Iowa, mandelbaum, MidAmerican, Net Metering, Solar
Brad Klein Talks To Midwest Energy News: Good News For Rural Solar In Minnesota
By Frank Jossi, Midwest Energy News
Minnesota’s rural distributed generation customers won a major victory this week when state regulators halted the practice by cooperatives of applying fixed charges for solar installations.
Regulators ruled June 9 that cooperatives must file requests for small power production tariffs with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, which makes the final determination on those fees. The commission ruled those fees must now be suspended until an investigation is completed.
Rural cooperatives lost their argument that the PUC had no jurisdiction in the matter of fixed charges for solar customers. Co-ops believed their boards would be the final arbiters of those charges.
“It’s a victory for good government and for good process,” said Brad Klein, an attorney for the Environmental Policy & Law Center. “This is an unusually strong statement from commissioners who saw that distributed generation customers don’t have a strong voice on the boards of directors of these co-ops.”
Attorney and Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association development director David Shaffer represented two individuals who had brought complaints against their rural co-ops over the fees. “It was a near perfect decision for us,” he said. “We pretty much got everything we wanted.”
Jim Horan, legal counsel of the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, said the decision “was not unexpected.” MREA had believed ratemaking was more the purview of their boards and not the PUC, but the investigation the commission has ordered will seek to clarity those roles, he said.
The issue of extra fees being added to solar customers’ bills has become common throughout the country and in the Midwest. The rationale has been the fees cover the fixed cost of serving solar customers, but others argue they fail to account for benefits that distributed solar provides for the grid.
“We believe these types of proposals are motivated by a desire to chill and block distributed generation,” Shaffer said.
Last year the Minnesota legislature passed a law allowing co-ops to charge fees for distributed generation customers as long as they were “reasonable” and based on a cost-of-service study.
Since then 14 co-ops have added monthly fees ranging from $13 to $83. “That has chilled the market in coop territories,” he said.
The current case involved complaints about fixed charge fees by customers of Meeker Cooperative Light and Power Association and Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light & Power Association.
The ELPC and Fresh Energy, publisher of Midwest Energy News, filed a separate complaint that, in essence, argued that fixed fees were not appropriately filed and that co-ops shouldn’t be allowed to charge them.
The co-ops were represented by the MREA. The organization had instructed members to use a cost-of-service study approach which emphasized income lost from a solar customer rather than the actual cost of having distributed generation on the grid, Shaffer said.
The methodology used is more like “a lost revenue model,” he said. “It’s not how expensive it is to facilitate someone getting on the grid.”
The co-ops took no benefits of solar into account in their cost-of-service studies, he said. The PUC has accepted a “value of solar” study by the Department of Commerce which reveals solar has a net benefit, and therefore distributed generation customers should pay little or nothing to utilities, Shaffer said.
Before the state law passed last year, co-ops charged solar customers anywhere from $2.65 to $5 a month. The state’s investor owned utilities charge from $5 to $10 a month, Shaffer said.
The PUC opened a docket to look at the fees charged by 14 co-ops, and allowed other co-ops to join in. The commission will look at the fixed charge methodology being used and compare it to the statute, which calls for “fixed costs” to be front and center.
“There’s no inherent right of a utility to collect a certain amount of revenue from a customer,” he said. “We certainly believe customers should pay their fair share of the cost of connecting to the grid.”
Co-ops will have to submit data and allow for people to review it, Klein noted. The benefits of solar will have to be included, too, he said.
MREA’s Horan argues co-ops are “at cost providers” without a revenue component that goes to investors. If the cost of service is $45 a month, that’s what the co-op needs to collect from all customers, not just those with solar, he said.
When MREA developed the methodology, clean energy advocates were consulted, he said. “We didn’t get a lot of specific feedback,” Horan said. “We’d be open to suggestions on other ways to do this.”
The benefit of solar is different for distribution co-ops. The value at this point is no higher than what the coops pay now for energy, Horan said, and because their grids cover great distances and have little density even small amounts of distributed energy can be impactful.
One part of the case remains unclear. Meeker Cooperative argued that the complaint brought by Keith Weber over fixed charges was in “bad faith” and “frivolous.” Had the commission ruled against him, he would have had to pay the utility’s attorney fees.
“We were concerned more broadly that if this was how co-ops would respond to customer complaints they would be afraid to come forward and contest these fees,” Klein said.
Posted in CLEAN ENERGY, ELPC in the News, ISSUES, Minnesota, NEWSROOM, Solar, STATES Tagged Brad Klein, Meeker Cooperative Light and Power Association, Minnesota, Minnesota Rural Electric Associiation, Solar
Herald & Review: Solar Advocates Wary of Nuclear Power Bill
By Dan Petrella, Herald & Review
St. Louis-based StraightUp Solar opened a branch in Bloomington about a year and a half ago as part an effort to grow its business in Illinois.
But the company, which installs solar power systems for residential, commercial and nonprofit customers, is worried that legislation under consideration in the General Assembly would stall the growth of the fledgling industry in the state, said Shannon Fulton, StraightUp Solar’s director of business development and president of the Illinois Solar Energy Association.
Exelon Corp.’s “Next Generation Power Plan” is intended, in part, to save its financially struggling nuclear plants in Clinton and near the Quad-Cities. Exelon has said it will shut down the Clinton Power Station on June 1, 2017, “if adequate legislation is not passed that properly values nuclear power for its economic, environmental and reliability benefits during the spring Illinois legislative session scheduled to end May 31.”
But solar advocates say the bill, which is scheduled for a Senate committee hearing today, would make changes to rate structures for customers of Exelon subsidiary Commonwealth Edison that would undermine the financial viability of their industry.
“Within this bill there are some poison pills that are unprecedented,” said Amy Heart, a senior public policy manager for The Alliance for Solar Choice.
The industry has focused its criticisms on two components of the proposal.
The first is a change in the way customers are charged to cover ComEd’s costs for distributing power. Currently, residential customers of the Northern Illinois utility are charged per kilowatt-hour, but the proposal would shift to a “demand charge,” which would be assessed based on each customer’s peak usage during the month.
“This changes the fundamental way that we interact with our energy,” Heart said, adding that customers’ bills could vary widely from month to month.
For StraightUp Solar and companies like it, that would mean more difficulty estimating whether installing rooftop solar panels would pay off for people in ComEd territory, Fulton said.
“It does infuse uncertainty and variability in our ability to really, truly know what the financial value of solar will be for a customer,” she said.
The proposal has also drawn criticism from Attorney General Lisa Madigan and AARP Illinois, who have expressed concerns about the broader impact on customers’ power bills.
ComEd executive say a majority of customers would actually see a decrease in the electricity distribution charge on their power bills.
That includes more than 70 percent of low-income customers, said Val Jensen, senior vice president of customer operations.
“More people will benefit from this,” he said, adding that the majority of those who do pay more will see an increase of less than $3.
The second issue, perhaps of greater concern to solar companies, is a proposed change to the way customers with solar panels on their roofs are reimbursed for the excess power they generate.
As it stands, they receive credit on their power bills for surplus energy, which is sent out to other customers on the electric grid, at the retail rate a customer would be charged for using that power. The legislation would change this to the lower wholesale rate.
Fulton said the current “net metering” structure helps customers recoup the cost of installing solar systems, which typically runs “well under $10,000” after accounting for state and federal incentives.
“Net metering benefits exist for the entire life of the system,” she said.
Heart said that it wouldn’t be fair for ComEd to turn around and sell solar energy generated on someone’s rooftop to other customers at a profit.
The state needs an in-depth study of these issues before moving forward, she said.
ComEd officials say the changes to net metering are needed to cover the cost of distributing power to solar customers at times when they’re drawing more power than their rooftop panels are producing.
They also argue that their proposal would jump-start the nascent industry by creating new rebates for customers who install solar panels and investing $140 million in the purchase of renewable energy credits from solar developers.
“We are pro-solar,” said Fidel Marquez, senior vice president of governmental and community affairs. “We are pro-energy efficiency.”
Posted in CLEAN ENERGY, ELPC in the News, Illinois, ISSUES, NEWSROOM, Solar, STATES Tagged Illinois Legislature, Nuclear, Solar
EnergyWire: Hope for solar awakening in Chicago runs into utility backlash
Jeffrey Tomich, E&E reporter
Published: Friday, April 8, 2016
Nearly a decade after the Illinois Legislature adopted a provision enabling development of community solar projects, not a single megawatt exists in areas served by investor-owned utilities.
For that reason, Illinois regulators spent more than two years taking a second look at the law. And last fall, they went ahead and approved a rule meant to boost solar development — including projects that could be shared by apartment dwellers and high-rise occupants in Chicago who don’t own a roof for solar panels.
But in Springfield, where lobbyists for the utilities roam the wide Capitol corridors, Chicago-based Commonwealth Edison Co. and St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. have pushed legislators to block the changes, arguing that the rule would create unfair subsidies borne by their customers. For their part, solar advocates warn that if the state’s major electric utilities get their way, it will mean a setback for the state’s nascent solar market.
“The utilities are aggressively trying to kill this,” said Brad Klein, senior attorney with the Chicago-based Environmental Policy & Law Center. “They continue to dig in their heels and oppose anything from getting started.”
The Illinois Commerce Commission’s rule adopted Nov. 12 has support not only from clean energy groups, but also from the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, the Citizens Utility Board, the city of Chicago and others.
On Tuesday, the rule goes before the 12-member Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR). The obscure, bipartisan committee is tasked with ensuring that administrative rules are consistent with legislative intent.
Illinois’ original net-metering law goes back to 2007. The agreements, which allow the owners of small solar systems to receive credits for the excess energy they produce and return to the grid, are essential to the economics of small, customer-owned solar projects. Credits can be carried for months and help offset charges when the systems don’t produce enough energy to meet demand.
The 2007 law included a provision for so-called meter aggregation to enable participation by renters and condo owners to take part in projects and tap the benefits of solar energy in the same way as individual homeowners with rooftop systems.
Community solar — a concept gaining popularity in other Midwestern states like Minnesota, where hundreds of megawatts are being developed — is viewed as an increasingly important option for people in Chicago, where hundreds of thousands of energy consumers don’t own their rooftops.
The concept could also be appealing to cities and counties across the state, many of which have taken advantage of a state law enabling municipalities to pool their electric load and shop for lower electricity prices. Some cities have chosen “green” power programs, but those programs frequently rely on the purchase of renewable energy credits from out-of-state wind farms.
Costs vs. benefits
Illinois initial net-metering law put a cap on total participation in net-metering programs at 1 percent of utility peak load. ComEd agreed to raise the cap to 5 percent of peak load in an effort to win support for a bill it pushed to overhaul how rates are set and paved the way for billions of dollars in spending for grid modernization and smart meters.
Among other benefits, ComEd said the grid investments would help enable more distributed generation.
Years later, however, fewer than 500 customers in ComEd’s northern Illinois service area — a group representing less than one-tenth of a percent of the utility’s peak load — have net-metering agreements.
Renewable energy supporters say among the reasons why solar has yet to take off in Illinois are the barriers prohibiting development of community solar projects.
In its unanimous Nov. 12 order, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) agreed that changes to the net-metering rule were needed. The rule requires utilities to provide “virtual net metering” credits for customers who subscribe to a community solar project developed by other electric suppliers.
It would also require energy suppliers to consider net-metering applications individually and provide written explanations within 30 days if it rejects them.
In approving the change, the commission didn’t buy utility arguments about subsidies. “To essentially ignore these applications based upon a blanket policy of disallowing meter aggregation, without explanation, distorts the purpose of [the law] and is fundamentally unfair to customers,” ICC said.
It is unclear whether meter aggregation increases costs for utility customers, ICC said. What’s more, ICC said, it is unclear whether it “outweighs the potential benefits” of aggregation.
Commissioner Miguel del Valle went further. The pushback from ComEd runs counter to statements by the utility’s chief executive, Anne Pramaggiore, who said consumers should be provided expanded choices and more clean energy solutions.
“Yet ComEd’s position in this docket was to block this clean energy option and customer choice,” del Valle said, according to minutes of the meeting. “The company’s reasons for trying to reject the ability for anyone to participate in these programs are vague, unsupported by any evidence and seem to fundamentally misunderstand the benefits of distributed generation.”
Net metering on trial
A key issue raised by the utilities is who is the appropriate party to approve meter aggregation agreements.
In letters to JCAR, the utilities maintain that changes approved by ICC go too far in giving that power to competing electric suppliers. The utilities say they, the managers of the local delivery grid, should have the final word.
What’s more, ComEd argues that there’s an important distinction between a solar array mounted on the rooftop of a home and a community solar project that serves a multi-unit apartment building and still relies fully on the distribution grid.
“Consequently, there is no reasonable basis to offer such a customer a credit for ‘avoided’ delivery service use,” ComEd said in its letter to the legislative committee.
ComEd said in a statement to EnergyWire yesterday, “We are committed to integrating renewable energy sources, including responsible and equitable solar, into Illinois’ existing energy system.”
The Illinois Competitive Energy Association, which represents alternative electric suppliers, also raised concerns in a letter to JCAR. While the group supports meter aggregation, it has concerns about how the agreements are implemented and filed briefs with the commission supporting the utilities’ position.
Solar advocates, meanwhile, say the utilities’ argument ignores the benefits to the grid, and that net metering for community solar projects should work the same as it does for individual customers. Giving utilities broad discretion to veto projects goes against what lawmakers originally intended, they said.
“They are really trying to put net metering on trial,” Klein said. “That’s not to say we shouldn’t have a broader conversation about net metering. But that’s not the appropriate role for the commission. They’re not there to make new policy.”
The Illinois solar industry believes there’s ample pent-up demand among Illinois customers and solar developers that are waiting to pursue projects once they can take advantage of the state’s net-metering law.
For instance, the city and Cook County were selected by U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative last year for a $1.2 million grant to pursue community solar pilot projects and make community solar available to 30,000 people in the area within the next eight years.
“There are a lot of great pilot sites that are ready to go and move forward,” Klein said. “This new rule could be a vehicle for translating that interest and enthusiasm into some real projects.”
Posted in CLEAN ENERGY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ELPC in the News, Illinois, ISSUES, NEWSROOM, Solar, STATES Tagged Brad Klein, Chicago, E&E, EnergyWire, Illinois, Solar
Press Release: Iowa Electric Co-op Sets Standard for Rural Solar
Contact: Katie Coleman, (312) 795-3710
Solar Shines for Rural Electric Co-Ops
Announcement Sets New Iowa Record for Solar from Rural Electric Co-ops
Iowa’s Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) and its member cooperatives announced a major investment in solar energy today, unveiling plans to build 5.5 megawatts of new solar energy at six locations across its service territory. This will be Iowa’s largest solar project from a rural electric co-op, and it represents a 20% increase in Iowa’s total solar capacity (27 MW as of 2015, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association).
CIPCO is Iowa’s largest cooperative energy provider, serving nearly 300,000 residents and about 12,000 commercial/industrial accounts in its 300-mile territory stretching diagonally across Iowa and touching Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.
The announced projects will be built by Azimuth Energy LLC of St. Louis, MO.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Iowa installed a total of 6 MW of solar energy in 2015. That means this project alone is just shy of that annual total.
“CIPCO has taken a great step forward in providing their members access to solar energy,” said Josh Mandelbaum, Staff Attorney of the Environmental Law & Policy Center in Des Moines. “CIPCO was clear that this effort is just the first phase of the rural electric cooperative’s long-term plan to incorporate solar as an additional pollution-free resource within its energy portfolio.”
Brad Klein, Senior Attorney at the Environmental Law & Policy Center, said the CIPCO announcement sends a strong signal to rural electric cooperatives across the Midwest. “The enormous potential for solar energy in states like Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin is just now beginning to be realized, and rural electric cooperatives, which have strong relationships with their members, have an opportunity to lead the way.”
To learn more about the CIPCO announcement visit: http://www.cipco.net/content/cipco-launches-iowas-largest-utility-based-solar-project
Posted in CLEAN ENERGY, CLIMATE CHANGE, Farm Energy, Iowa, ISSUES, NEWSROOM, Press Releases, Solar, STATES Tagged Azimuth, Brad Klein, CIPCO, Clean Energy, Iowa, Josh Mandelbaum, Rural Energy, SEIA, Solar
Inside Climate News: ELPC’s Brad Klein Speaks on Solar Market’s Tipping Point
By Zahra Hirji, Inside Climate News
How low-income families can get access to affordable solar power is a question communities nationwide are increasingly confronting. New solar policy guidelines released last week begin to deliver answers.
For the first time, a national overview is available via the “Low-Income Solar Policy Guide,” jointly produced by the nonprofit groups GRID Alternatives, Vote Solar and the Center for Social Inclusion. It explains the myriad challenges, benefits and opportunities for low-income families who go solar.
Policymakers, nonprofits, companies and community organizers are all looking for ways to improve solar access, said one of the report’s authors, Sean Garren, a regional manager at Vote Solar. “We pulled together the guide to try to catch this wave of interest and provide them the resources they need to turn it into concrete expanded access in low-income communities,” he said.
But even as solar is expanding and getting cheaper, few options for buying or leasing solar panels are affordable for low-income families, Stan Greschner, vice president of government relations and market development at GRID Alternatives, told InsideClimate News.
“The number one issue is cost,” said Greschner, noting that families don’t have $15,000 to drop on a solar panel investment, or even the smaller deposits needed for leasing or renting panels. They also probably don’t have strong enough credit to qualify them for such programs.
Last year, more than 7 gigawatts of new solar capacity was installed in the United States and experts expect far more solar will come online in 2016. At the same time, solar costs are plunging. For example, the average installed price for residential solar systems dropped 9 percent between 2013 and 2014.
According to the guide, the key is to develop policies and programs that target low-income families living in single-family homes and multi-family homes, as well as renters.
States that are already tackling the access issue include California, Colorado, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. For example, California has a policy to provide solar installations on the roofs of single-family and multi-family homes at no up-front cost to the users.
Meanwhile, Colorado has a program that ensures some low-income families can benefit from receiving solar power—and the related energy savings—from shared community solar arrays.
“Shared renewable energy is a nascent market” said Sara Baldwin Auck, regulatory program director at Interstate Renewable Energy Council. Shared solar is growing rapidly and much more is anticipated, she said, and many states are in the process of passing new policies and programs to take advantage of it. Last week, IREC released their own solar policy guide for low- and moderate- income families focused specifically on shared solar.
All of the programs designed to expand solar access offer customers savings on their electric bills, but some go a step farther—providing solar-related job training and career opportunities. It’s important for many of the participating communities that these programs not be thought of as a handout, said Greschner, who added, “they want it to be part of the community and run by the community.”
“We are … close to a tipping point,” Bradley Klein, senior attorney at the Illinois-based Environmental Law & Policy Center, told InsideClimate News. “As the cost of solar continues to fall, and we have these new models that we are testing and experimenting with and learning from, this is really the point where we can take this to scale and replicate some of these programs at much larger levels.”
Klein also said the report can help counter the attacks, often led by utilities, on pro-solar policies currently taking place in many states. In Nevada, for example, state regulators decided to gradually reduce a major solar credit called net metering, as well as increase rates specifically for solar customers. The regulatory review was prompted by a request by utility NV Energy to change the state’s solar policies.
“We often hear this false narrative about solar, particularly from some utilities, that solar is really only for wealthy people and it’s not available for all,” said Klein.
Moreover, utilities such as those in Nevada are pushing the idea that solar is hurting non-solar customers, especially low-income customers.
“It’s really not the case,” said Klein. “In fact by creating a strong, stable market for solar you provide opportunities for all customers to begin taking more control of their electricity bills, to participate in a clean energy economy, and help create jobs in their communities…. This report is so valuable to counter that false narrative with real information about how solar really provides great opportunities for everybody.”
Posted in CLEAN ENERGY, ELPC in the News, ISSUES, NEWSROOM, Solar Tagged AFFORDabiltiy, Brad Klein, Clean Energy, Net Metering, Renewable Energy, Solar, solar market
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Nepal-China cooperation project helps improve livelihood of villagers
SURKHET
by Zhou Shengping, Shristi Kafle
SURKHET, Nepal, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Forty-six-year-old Lila Ram Acharya, a resident of a small village at Babai valley, around one hour drive from Nepal's western city Nepalgunj, still remembers how hopeless he was as the good man of the house about three years ago.
Born in a poor family, he was a grade-three dropout without a skill, which made him always at an idle end.
His wife Laxmi Jaisi is illiterate and their two sons are studying at schools.
Slender earnings from both the land and in and out work at his homeland were far from being enough to cover all the household expenses.
The pressure to prepare the sons' tuition and support the family forced Acharya to travel to India where he worked for a few months but earned a little.
When one door shuts, another opens. Their fate changed after the Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project (BBDMP), one of Nepal's national pride projects was inaugurated in June, 2015, with an aim to enhance agricultural production by providing year-round irrigation and generating reliable electricity.
For this one of the strategic projects of this Himalayan nation, the contractor, Chinese constructor China Overseas Engineering Group Co. Ltd. has been using tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the first time in Nepal to dig a 12.2-km tunnel which allows surplus water in Bheri river flow into Babai river.
This unprecedented inter-basin water transfer project conceptualized to provide round-the-year irrigation facility to 51,000 hectares of agricultural land of Banke and Bardiya districts. "I am working here as a labor since last two years.
The job is good, so as the income. As compared to the past, life is far better now," Acharya told Xinhua at the construction site.
Among the over 2,100 local people recruited for the project of national significance, Acharya is one of the 600 workers working in the site currently.
Every evening, he boards a company train with 40 minutes ride to reach inside the 12.2 km long tunnel, where he is stationed. The father of two sons works for 12 hours every day inside the tunnel and earns up to Rs. 35,000 (around 350 U.S. dollars) every month including over-time works, which is nearly three times more than the minimum labor wage fixed by the Nepali government that stands at Rs. 13,450 per month.
While Acharya is busy with the project job, his wife 36-years-old Laxmi Jaisi operates a hotel, serving local workers with typical Nepali food rice and curry.
Under help from his husband, Laxmi arranges two meals a day for those constant customers. "It is a good income for us to educate our sons," Laxmi told Xinhua while preparing lunch box at the hotel, adding that life is better than before.
The couple, who got married some 22 years ago, now can afford the living and education costs of their two sons in the nearby cities.
The Chinese contractor also helped them to construct a new concrete house with four rooms in Chepang village, just across the Babai River.
Wisely enough, they rented out two rooms. The rent business is a by-product of this big project that has infused a new life into the village, turning a once almost-deserted nook full of traditional mud houses into a small modern town with concrete buildings, like Acharya's at present.
Saligram Adhikari, Mayor of Basgadhi municipality of Bardiya district, told Xinhua, "The project is linked with villages where people are mostly poor. They have received employment opportunities with good income."
At a time when most of the people in nearby villages were either unemployed or engaged in agriculture in small scale or had moved to the Gulf and Middle East in search of employment opportunities, the Chinese constructed project has provided jobs to over 2,100 locals.
According to the project manager Hu Tianran, the main part of the project is at the final phase. Acharya, however, doesn't worry about losing his job anymore.
He said confidently that he would find another similar job without difficulty in other projects since now he has the skills that he learnt from his Chinese colleagues on the construction site during the past two years.
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uia.org
of World Problems
& Human Potential
Making jokes
Broader:
Hoaxes
Offensive humour
Type Classification:
G: Very Specific strategies
About the Encyclopedia
The Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential is a collaboration between UIA and Mankind 2000, started in 1972. It is the result of an ambitious effort to collect and present information on the problems with which humanity is confronted, as well as the challenges such problems pose to concept formation, values and development strategies. Problems included are those identified in international periodicals but especially in the documents of some 60,000 international non-profit organizations, profiled in the Yearbook of International Organizations.
The Encyclopedia includes problems which such groups choose to perceive and act upon, whether or not their existence is denied by others claiming greater expertise. Indeed such claims and counter-claims figure in many of the problem descriptions in order to reflect the often paralyzing dynamics of international debate. In the light of the interdependence demonstrated among world problems in every sector, emphasis is placed on the need for approaches which are sufficiently complex to encompass the factions, conflicts and rival worldviews that undermine collective initiative towards a promising future.
The Union of International Associations (UIA) is a research institute and documentation centre, based in Brussels. It was established in 1907, by Henri la Fontaine (Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 1913), and Paul Otlet, a founding father of what is now called information science.
Non-profit, apolitical, independent, and non-governmental in nature, the UIA has been a pioneer in the research, monitoring and provision of information on international organizations, international associations and their global challenges since 1907.
www.uia.org
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The Narrative Function of the Song of Moses in the Contexts of Deuteronomy and Genesis-Kings
Lee, Boon-Hui A (2010) The Narrative Function of the Song of Moses in the Contexts of Deuteronomy and Genesis-Kings. PhD thesis, University of Gloucestershire.
Lee, Boon-Hui Andrew.pdf
The Song of Moses is acknowledged to be one of the most difficult texts to interpret within the book of Deuteronomy. Substantial effort has been put in to determine the Song's origin in terms of its dating and reason for composition. But more scholars are now seeing the need to relate the Song to its immediate context. However, the recent contributions to this topic show the need for a closer examination of the Song's narrative function, not only in Deuteronomy but also in its larger context in Genesis-Kings. Understanding the Song's function in this large corpus necessitates the way in which it relates to Deuteronomic themes such as the YHWHIsrael relationship, Torah, worship, and kingship. This thesis examines the theological and hermeneutical function of the Song in Deuteronomy and GenesisKings in their final forms. As a prophetic criticism of Israel, it focuses its audiences' attention on the central command of the Torah, the moral issue of covenant-keeping, and Israel's vocation as witness to the nations, resulting in a theology of history for all nations. With reference to Deuteronomy, the Song expresses the heart of the book. With reference to Genesis-Kings, it gives us a sense of beginning and closure to the history of the people of YHWH in terms of Israel's primeval past and future hope respectively.
Mcconville, Gordon gmcconville@glos.ac.uk http://www.glos.ac.uk/faculties-and-schools/humanities/staff-profiles/pages/s2100900-gordon-mcconville.aspx
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BS The Bible
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PREVIOUS SHORTS
TOBIAS MEINECKE
THE SUPER
award winning short film - based on the graphic novel by WILL EISNER
directed & produced by Tobias Meinecke
Scuggs, the utterly unpleasant super of a Bronx tenement is driven to desperate measures by an innocent-appearing, but manipulative 11 year-old girl.
Based on the graphic novel by American Master WILL EISNER, Meinecke combines larger-than-life characters, borrows from the traditions of melodrama and applies a visual language drived from German Expressionis to create a haunting tale, that won particular favor with New York critics.
The films enjoyed a two week theatrical run at THE FILM FORUM/NY, participated at numerous international festivals, won awards in Tel Aviv and Warsaw, aired on television in Australia and had a theatrical release in Germany and the United States.
digitally remixed and remastered in 2K for re-release
Buy on itunes (coming soon)
More about this film →
short film - introducing Claire Danes (1992)
written & directed by Jeffrey Mueller / produced by Tobias Meinecke & Susannah Lee
An eleven year old girl (DANES) living in rural Pennsylvania turns to her older brother to escape the clutches of their abusive father.
This short film originated in a Masterclass in Directing at Columbia University and was produced by Tobias Meinecke and Susannah Lee as an anthology of shorts, accompanied by a substantial behind the scene documentary about the making of the films and the art of teaching.
It marks the screen debut of the actress Claire Danes, who has gone on to have a world class career in the Cinema and on Television.
After her best friend, Ariel Flavin, appeared in a film made by a graduate student at Columbia University, Danes (11), ”burning to have the experience,“ put herself forward for DREAMS LOVE, a film about child abuse. She auditioned for one of the movie’s Executive Producers, Milos Forman (and got the role).
Danes thought it ”interesting to think about” the rage, loss and bewilderment a girl would feel at being molested by her father. Onscreen, she found an outlet for her own forbidden feelings. ”I loved discovering the camera. It was like a confidant.” she said.
From THE NEW YORKER (VOL 89 Issue 27)
+13478093551contact@etopiaonline.com
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Berliner Wassertisch: The most important steps
In 1999, the Federal State of Berlin was facing the same problems as many other underfinanced cities and regions in Europe. It had debts of around € 34.8 billion. The administration in Berlin had only one solution to this problem: it had to save money and privatize public services. The Maastricht Treaty was cited in justification of this political course of action, as it required EU Member States to “consolidate” their budgets. This policy of privatization, generally known as PPP (Public-Private Partnership), was pushed through against the wishes of the population. Between 1994 and 2007, public property worth € 13.7 billion was sold off in Berlin. Today, Berlin’s debt level amounts to € 62 billion. Policy then was based on the principle of “Private can do everything better”. There was thus no political power left that could give expression to the citizens’ wishes.
Then direct democracy stepped into the gap
2004 - Inspired by the success of the Bolivian people in their fight against water privatization in Cochabamba (Bolivia) in 2000, a group of Attac Berlin started to critically follow up the arguments put forward during the part-privatization of the Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB). The reason:
1999 - Berlin’s Senate had concluded a secret contract with the RWE and Veolia that could not be terminated for at least 30 years. In October 1999, the Berlin Constitutional Court declared that the credit spread of 2% contained in the law was unconstitutional. Nevertheless, the state guaranteed exactly this high profit for the private companies in their secret contract. The part-privatization of BWB took the form of a complicated holding structure in which Veolia and RWE together took over 49.9%, each having equal shares. This was the largest municipal PPP project ever undertaken at that date.
2004 - First sharp rise in Berlin’s water price (15.4%), fierce debates in the city and within the population about the administration’s privatization policy.
2006 - The “Berliner Wassertisch” Berlin Water Table) was initiated at an information event run by Attac Berlin. The Berliners were inspired by the Venezuelan water table groups. The Berliner Wassertisch resolved to campaign for a popular referendum on disclosure of the secret contracts (it was not yet possible at that time to have a referendum on the remunicipalization of BWB - the legal position has since changed).
2007-2008 - 1st stage: Petition for a popular initiative: “No more secret contracts! Berliners want their water back”. In the 6 months up to January 2008, 39,679 Berliners submitted valid signatures. Just 20,000 were actually needed. The Berlin Senate (SPD/Left Party (Die Linke)) attempted to obstruct the process on the grounds of alleged unconstitutionality. 5 representatives of the Berliner Wassertisch lodged an appeal against this decision with the Berlin Constitutional Court on 18.4.2008.
2009 - The judgment of the Constitutional Court of the Federal State of Berlin on 6.10.2009 in favour of the Wassertisch cleared the way to progress the popular initiative to the 2nd stage. The judgment is remarkable. It states that for the public sector, public law continues to take priority, even in the event of partial sale to private bodies, and that civil law, which is generally used to justify the confidentiality of contracts (operational and commercial secrets), is intended primarily for the protection of private individuals. Elsewhere the judges stress several times the special nature of public services as assets that need to be protected. As the supply of drinking water and removal of sewerage are at the very heart of public services, the State may not weasel its way out of the public law by means of contracts framed under civil law.
2010 - The 2nd step of the popular initiative started on 14.6.2010. Of the 320,700 signatures that were submitted, a total of 280,000 were recognized as valid on 27.10.2010. 170,000 votes were needed. This result is rightly recognized as a huge success for direct democracy.
2011 - The crucial hurdle of the 3rd step was successfully cleared: On 13.2.2011, 666,235 Berliners voted in favour of the proposition “Berliners want their water back” and its aim, namely the legal disclosure of all secret contracts. A popular referendum was thus won for the first time ever in Berlin.
2012 - A parliamentary “Special Committee on Water Contracts” was set up on the basis of §3 of the “popular law”. However, after it had been sitting for one year, the governing coalition (SPD/CDU), contrary to reality and seconded by the supposedly objective Parliamentary Scientific Service, confirmed that everything had taken place properly and correctly when the contract was concluded in 1999. The scandalous contract was thus not subjected to judicial scrutiny by the Senate. Rather than reversal of the contract as requested by the Wassertisch, which would have been cheaper, the only option then was an expensive buy-back. The Parliament approved a security of € 1.4 billion for this purpose. The German Federal Cartel Office issued an order against Berliner Wasserbetriebe for improperly excessive drinking water prices. This was confirmed by the Regional Appeal Court on 24.2.14. The Federal Cartel Office thus won over the Berlin Senate, which now has a 100% stake in the running of the water company. Drinking water prices will have to be reduced by around 17% annually. The investigation into sewerage prices has yet to report. Buy-back of RWE’s shares for € 618 million.
2013 - Buy-back of Veolia’s shares for € 590 million. The buy-backs are financed by a 30-year loan obtained at the water customers’ expense. Berliner Wasserbetriebe is thus 100% back in municipal ownership. However, the Berlin Senate intends to continue running BWB as a profit-oriented holding. Berliner Wassertisch is opposed to this. “First remunicipalization - then democratization!”. Draft of a “Berlin water charter” by Berliner Wassertisch as the basis for a transparent, socially fair and environmentally sustainable Berliner Wasserbetriebe with the active participation of Berlin’s population.
29.11.13 - The “Berliner Wasserrat” (Berlin Water Assambly) is established as an open forum for everyone who wishes to become involved in the planning and implementation of this new Berliner Wasserbetriebe under the citizens’ control.
European Water Movement in ESU 2017
17th September 2016: Abolition not suspension of water charges
22 july 2016: Global Day Against Mega Mining
28 June 2016: The human right to water, the citizens demand
5 and 6 December 2015: Climate forum
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Ullambana celebrations are different in different countries around the world. Explore to know about the Ghost Festival celebrations worldwide.
Festivals : Ullambana : Ullambana Around The World
Ullambana Around The World
Ullambana, popularly known as the Ghost Festival, is celebrated by Buddhists in various countries like China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, India and others. As per the Chinese Mahayana tradition, the date of the festival falls on the 15th of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. It is commemorated in honor of one of the Buddha�s disciples, Maudgalyayana who provided salvation to his mother through certain religious merits. Ullambana is a Sanskrit term, which means �hanging upside down�. Also, the Pali equivalent of the word means �merciful disposition�. Hence, the festival conveys everyone to be sympathetic towards the departed souls. Furthermore, the festival is celebrated with variations in different countries. Browse through the lines below to find out the different traditions followed around the world.
Ghost Festival Celebrations Around The World
Malaysia celebrates Ullambana in its own unique fashion that is different from the festival celebrated in other countries. The festival is distinguished by the �concert-like� live performances held throughout Malaysia. Known as �Koh-tai� in Hokkien, the live show is marked by performances by a group of singers, dancers and entertainers on a stage that is set within the residential district. The residents of the residential districts fund the entire performance and the celebrations.
Ullambana is known as Urabon-e, shorter Obon, or simply Bon in Japanese. Existing for over 500 years now, the festival is observed on different dates in different regions. While the eastern part of Japan (Kanto) celebrates Obon from July 13 to 16, the western part (Kansai) celebrates in August. Celebrated across three days, the first day welcomes the festival (Welcoming Obon) while the last day bids adieu to it (Farewell Obon). Although the festival was initially observed to present gifts to the ancestral spirits, it has now become an annual event for presenting gifts to superiors and acquaintances.
People gather in their home towns from the big cities to honor their ancestors. The celebration has become more of a family reunion holiday. They visit their ancestors� graves and clean them. While in the temples and homes, they offer food to the wandering spirits. Homes are decorated with paper lanterns, while they are also placed on the cemeteries. In some parts of Japan, one can also witness lanterns with candles floating down the rivers or sea water, thereby illuminating the path for the spirits. This particular ceremony is known as Toro-nagashi, which also concludes the Ullambana festival.
Known as Tet Trung Nguyen in Vietnamese, the Ullambana festival coincides with Vu Lan, the Vietnamese transliteration for Ullambana. The people of Vietnam look upon this festival as releasing the departed souls from hell. The homeless people are fed and pacified with various food offerings. Birds and fish are also released as part of earning merits for the living. Vu Lan is also considered as Mother�s Day in Vietnam in the present times. People, whose mothers are alive, thank them and offer prayers for their long and healthy life. They also attend services to pray for the deceased mothers.
Ullambana
Ullambana Celebration
Ullambana History
Ullambana Significance
When is Ullambana
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Family. Life.
Alicia Afshar
Brooks Institute
During an argument one night, Maria's ex-husband started beating and choking her. Elizabeth, Maria's daughter, who was 4 years old at the time, walked into the room while her mother was being choked. Maria told her daughter to leave. "He was telling me, 'Oh, it's good that you tell her to go away, because she doesn’t want to see how I'm gonna kill you.' My daughter ran to the woman renting the room next door and said, 'My dad is gonna kill my ma.' Then the lady called the police, and the police came and took him," she says. A hole was left in hte wall where Maria's husband slammed her head, and that was enough evidence for the police to take him away. "People alone cannot change. If they don’t get help, they're going to do the same thing again and again," Maria says. His mother paid his bail the next day, and he was released from jail. A few month later, Maria got back together with her husband because her children cried, saying they missed their dad. She has chosen to let her voice be heard in an effort to prevent innocent women and children from sharing her pain. "When you have hope and when you believe in yourself, life is going to change, and you're going to have a better future," Maria says. This piece explores the question as to why these women return to their abusers, and why we care for those that hurt us.
"People can make you feel like a slave," Maria Perez says as she watches rain go down the gutter. Domestic abuse is a vicious cycle that consumes entire families, generation after generation.
In the past five years, there have been more than 800 aggravated assaults in Ventura County, California; domestic cases make up a large portion of these assaults. Anything can happen behind closed doors. Maria Perez is from Mexico City. She moved to the United States to start a better life with her husband.
Maria's husband, who was abused as a child, physically and verbally abused her for 18 years. She had a daughter with him when she was 20 years old, and a son four years later. Her daughter, Elizabeth, has also found herself in an abusive relationship, which resulted in her quiet and submissive demeanor. Maria's 16-year-old son, Mario, currently lives with her in Ventura, California.
Maria's daughter, Elizabeth, right, became pregnant with her daughter at the age of 16. Two years after having her daughter, she gave birth to her son, Richard. Six months this photograph was taken, Elizabeth's husband kicked her and the children out of the house, forcing them to live in various homeless shelters in Ventura and Santa Barbara, California, until they felt comfortable that Victor would not look for them at Maria's. Elizabeth and the children have since moved back in with Victor despite the recurrence of physical violence. Due to his actions, Victor doesn't enter Maria's house when they visit, so he sits and waits on the porch until they are ready to leave.
Elizabeth's 6-year-old daughter, Mariela, left, keeps to herself to avoid being yelled at by her father. Four-year-old Richard, center, is often aggressive and violent toward his uncle, Mario, right. Richard tugs on Mario's hair and spits in his face, then screams excitedly and runs in circles around his grandmother's table. Victor, who is sitting on the porch, yells, "Shut up Richard! Don't make me come in there." Richard immediately starts crying and hides behind Mario.
Maria divorced her abusive husband in 2009. She stilll has a restraining order against him because they live within a few miles of each other in Ventura, California. Maria sees both her daughter and granddaughter experience domestic abuse. Maria struggles to fight the urge to go back to her new boyfriend. She tries to break up with him every time she sees him, but she continues to pursue it. Maria believes that this abuse is part of her culture, and watches it happen generation after generation.
When Maria was living with her ex-husband, he was very possessive and didn’t let her leave the house alone. Maria is a house cleaner in Santa Barbara, California. When she would get ready in the morning, he would ask who she was putting makeup on for. He often accused her of being unfaithful. They lived in this house with her ex-husband's mother, who was also abused by her husband. Maria's ex-mother-in-law would listen to Maria being beaten in the other room, but never did anything about it. Maria prays before she goes to bed every night in her home in Ventura, California.
During an argument one night, Maria's ex-husband started beating and choking her. Elizabeth, Maria's daughter, who was 4 years old at the time, walked into the room while her mother was being choked. Maria told her daughter to leave. "He was telling me, 'Oh, it's good that you tell her to go away, because she doesn’t want to see how I'm gonna kill you.' My daughter ran to the woman renting the room next door and said, 'My dad is gonna kill my ma.' Then the lady called the police, and the police came and took him," she says. A hole was left in hte wall where Maria's husband slammed her head, and that was enough evidence for the police to take him away. "People alone cannot change. If they don’t get help, they're going to do the same thing again and again," Maria says. His mother paid his bail the next day, and he was released from jail. A few month later, Maria got back together with her husband because her children cried, saying they missed their dad.
Maria is currently dating someone else. He often drinks and becomes physically rough with her. "My new boyfriend did this to me, and I told him that I don’t like it because that reminds me of the way I was living with my ex-husband," Maria syas. She knows that she keeps falling for the same type of man, but doesn't know how to stop it.
"Maybe we get attracted to the same people because we want to help them. But we don’t realize that we need help. Before we help another person, we need to help ourselves," Maria says. She is currently reading a book on codependency, but is too busy with work to attend a support group for women coping with abuse.
Maria has come out stronger and more independent because of the hardships she has experienced, but still doesn't know how to break the cycle. During a walk in the rain, she stops and stands tall in an empty lot on Ventura Avenue in Ventura, California.
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Free agent right-hander Shelby Miller signed
door zhangzk » 19 apr 2019, 04:42
ARLINGTON Kenley Jansen Jersey , Texas (AP) — The Rangers expect Miller to be fully healthy by the start of spring training. The 28-year-old had Tommy John surgery in May 2017 while with Arizona, and he made four only starts last year with the Diamondbacks before going on the disabled list in mid-July with right elbow inflammation. He made one relief appearance at the end of last season.“We see this as a chance to add a relatively young, power pitcher to the staff,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “Healthy now after rehabbing last year, we think Shelby has more in the tank.”Miller, who is from Brownwood, Texas, was the 19th overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2009 MLB draft. He is 37-53 with a 3.83 ERA in 131 games (124 starts) over seven big league seasons with St. Louis, Atlanta and Arizona.With the Rangers, Miller can earn $1.75 million in bonuses based on innings: $100,000 each for 60 and each additional 10 through 100; $150,000 apiece for 110 and each additional 10 through 170, and $200 http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey ,000 for 180. He can earn another $1.25 million in bonuses for days on the active major league roster: $150,000 for 60, $250,000 each for 90 and 120, and $300,000 apiece for 150 and 180.As a rookie with the Cardinals in 2013, Miller was 15-9 with a 3.06 ERA in 31 starts. He was an All-Star with Atlanta in 2015 even though the Braves scored only 2.6 runs per nine innings when he pitched and he finished with a league-high 17 losses. He was 5-5 with a 2.38 ERA his first 18 starts, and 1-12 with a 3.83 ERA his last 15 games.The Rangers also signed outfielder Danny Santana and right-hander Jeanmar Gomez to minor league contracts with invitations to major league spring training.Santana has hit .256 with 13 homers and 100 RBIs in 364 major league games the past five seasons with Minnesota (2014-17) and Atlanta (2017-18). Gomez has appeared in the majors each of the last nine seasons, going 0-2 with a 4.68 ERA in 26 relief appearances with the Chicago White Sox in 2018. The 2018 MLB season will stretch into a Game 163 for four teams, as the NL Central and NL West division titles are still undecided after Sunday's action.While the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies will all take the field on Monday and look to avoid having to play in the NL Wild Card Game, it's not too early to start looking ahead to Tuesday when the postseason begins in earnest.What follows is a breakdown of everything you need to know about how the Wild Card Game and Division Series rounds are formatted.Wild-Card FormatFive teams from each league qualify for the postseason three division winners and then the two teams with the best records who failed to win their division.The division winners automatically advance to the Division Series, where they are joined by the victor of a one-game playoff between the two wild-card teams that essentially serves as a play-in game.The winners of each Wild Card Game match up with the team that had the best record in their league Enrique Hernandez Jersey , so the AL winner will take on the Boston Red Sox, while the NL winner will play whoever winds up winning the NL Central.While we're still waiting on the NL side of things to be sorted out,the American League matchup for the Wild Card Game is already set. The New York Yankees (100-62) will host the Oakland Athletics (97-65) on Wednesday night.Reliever Lou Trivino served as the "opener" for Mike Fiers on Friday, and that's how Oakland could start the Wild Card Game.Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images"We're not ruling anything out," manager Bob Melvin told reporters when asked if Fiers could follow an "opener" in the Wild Card game. "I'm not saying that鈥檚 the route we're going, but we want to make sure to look at every potential avenue."Liam Hendriks has also started eight games this season in the "opener" role and would be a candidate to pitch the first inning ahead of Fiers.Meanwhile, Yankees manager Aaron Boone still needs to choose from the trio of J.A. Happ, Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino for his starter in the winner-take-all game."We had a lot of men on it last night," Boone told reporters of the starter decision. [GM Brian Cashman] and the coaching staff and the support staff really dove into it. We're closer to that decision. I don't have it for you today, but in my mind, I'm getting a lot closer to which way I want to go."As we've already mentioned, the National League side is still up in the air. All we know right now is that the losers of Monday's games will meet on Tuesday in the Wild Card Game.Division-Series FormatThe Divison Series is played under a best-of-five format, with the higher-seeded team hosting Games 1, 2 and 5 Walker Buehler Jersey , if necessary.With two travel days sprinkled into the five-game series, teams often face tough decisions on whether to go with a No. 4 starter or bring back an ace on short rest.In the AL, the Boston Red Sox (108-54) will host the Wild Card Game winner, and the Houston Astros (103-59) will host the Cleveland Indians (91-71).Bleacher Report MLB BR_MLBYankees join the Red Sox and Astros a in clubs, first time 3 teams in the same league have done it in the same season WLXClvKqitAgain, things are still cloudy on the NL side.The NL Central division champ will host the Wild Card Game winner, while the NL West champ will host the Atlanta Braves (90-72) which are the only team to have locked down a division title to this point.We've seen time and again that once you punch your ticket to the postseason, anything can happen in October.The Red Sox and Astros look like the heavy favorites at the onset, but the same was said of the Indians last season, and they failed to advance beyond the Division Series.One thing is for sure: There's plenty more excitement to be had before the 2018season comes to a close.
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All-TIME 100 Gadgets
Five Gadgets Ahead of Their Time
TIME technology editor Peter Ha picks the 100 greatest and most influential gadgets from 1923 to the present
Sharp J-SH04
By Peter HaMonday, Oct. 25, 2010
There isn't much to say about the J-SH04 other than that it was the world's first cell phone with a camera. (It had 110,000 pixels.) The phone was introduced in November 2000 and was available only in Japan. Those in the U.S. had to wait until 2002, when they could take snapshots with the Sanyo SCP-5300. Most if not all cell phones sold in the U.S. today come with a camera.
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By Kayla Webley Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010
Lambert / Getty Images
We do the same things every year: down copious amounts of eggnog; kill a tree and cover it in lights; send fruitcake, cards and cookies to our loved ones; kiss under a leafy branch; hang colorful socks over the fireplace and sing off-key demands for figgy pudding at the top of our lungs. Yes, these are our Christmas traditions. Much of what we today consider holiday perennials have been around for about two centuries. The Christmas tree the king of all traditions is the most obvious, the centerpiece of many a home. While tree worship was common in pagan Europe, the modern Christmas tree originated with German Lutherans in the 17th century and spread to Pennsylvania in the 1820s after they began to immigrate to the United States. When Germany's Prince Albert came to England in 1840 to marry Queen Victoria, he brought the Christmas tree with him. The royal family decorated it with small gifts, toys, candles, candies and fancy cakes, giving rise to the modern ornament. Eight years later, a photograph of the royal tree appeared in a London newspaper, and ownership of the green item became the height of holiday fashion in Europe and America.
(See pictures of crazy Christmas traditions.)
The origin of the fireplace stocking owes more to myth than fact. We know, thanks to Twas the Night Before Christmas, that hanging stockings by the chimney with care dates back at least to the poem's 1823 publication. But the story of how the footwear came to be hung by the fire seemingly is a hazy one. Legend says the original Saint Nicholas, who traveled around bringing gifts and cheer to those in need, came upon a small village one year and heard of a family in need. An impoverished widower, devastated by the passing of his wife, could not afford to provide a dowry for his three daughters. St. Nick knew the man was too prideful to accept money, so he simply dropped some gold coins down the chimney, which landed in the girl's stockings, hung by the fireplace to dry. (Or so the tale goes.) Thus the modern tradition was born, though present-day stockings are commonly stuffed with tiny gifts and candy, not gold.
While today we don hats and mittens and travel door to door wishing our neighbors good cheer in song, caroling originally had little to do with Christmas. The carols of the 12th and 13th centuries were liturgical songs reserved for church processionals. The type of caroling we're more familiar with didn't arrive until England's Victorian era. Many popular seasonal songs "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing!," "The First Noel," and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" were written around that period.
(See the top 10 things you didn't know about the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.)
But let's be honest, caroling takes a back seat to the most important and beloved traditions those involving our stomachs. Most obscurely, there's figgy pudding, which while not eaten much today is always tunefully requested in the second verse of the song "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." In the 16th century, figgy pudding was eaten at the end of the Christmas meal. The dessert, which very simply is a pudding made from figs, can be seen on Bob Cratchit's table in the famous film version A Christmas Carol.
The origins of eggnog in the U.S. are older than the country itself. The first batch was made at Captain John Smith's Jamestown settlement in 1607. It's said the colonists called their mixture "egg and grog," the latter being a then-common term for any drink made with rum. The name was eventually shorened to "egg'n'grog" and later, eggnog. The adult version of the beverage contains milk, sugar, beaten eggs, some kind of liquor (brandy, rum or whiskey are common) and spices such as ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Bottles of the virgin variety are typically available in stores around the holiday season.
Johnny Carson once famously joked, "The worst gift is a fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other." Regularly mocked today, the fruitcake dates back to the 16th century, when it was discovered that fruit could be preserved by soaking it in large solutions of sugar. Since sugar was cheap, it was an effective and affordable way for the colonies to ensure their native plums and cherries would make the journey to Europe without spoiling. By the 19th century people were combining all sorts of candied fruits pineapples, plums, dates, pears, cherries, orange peels and cheap nuts into a cake-like form. In 1913, two of the most famous American bakeries of the time Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas and The Claxton Bakery in Claxton, Georgia began to ship mail order fruitcakes. The cake, along with many other Christmas sweets and desserts, gave rise to the now famous January tradition of trading in sugar gluttony for a gym membership.
Lastly among conventional holiday institutions is the elusive mistletoe. Celtic legend says the plant can bring good luck, heal wounds, increase fertility and ward off evil spirits. While it's hard to say what (if any) truth lies in these legends of yore, at the very least, it provides an excuse to kiss that hot guy or gal pal. The tradition of smooching underneath the mistletoe began in the Victorian era and was once believed to inevitably lead to marriage. But it seems to have lost a little of that power. Now, when someone kisses you it might just mean they've had a few too many sips of holiday punch at a drunken party the most modern, sloppy Christmas tradition of them all.
Watch TIME's video "'Santa Claus Special' Train Comes to Appalachia."
See pictures of Christmas coming to the White House.
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The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
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Home » News » Inside Snowflake Patrol
Inside Snowflake Patrol
An in-depth look at a very cold job
It’s a late December morning during snowmaking season. Snowmaking tower guns line Upper International and blow snow across the top of the mountain at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR). Inside a small wooden building not far from the top of Red Lady Lift, Tucker Roberts has his eyes on a computer screen that, to the untrained eye, looks like a maze of shape and color.
He holds a radio in one hand and, without taking his eyes off the screen, tells snowmakers out in the field what to shut down and what to start up next. The screen tells Roberts and Mark Voegeli, CBMR’s snowmaking and grooming manager, everything they need to know about the status of snowmaking on the mountain: which guns are running, what kind of pressure they’re blasting at and how much energy is being consumed. It also tells them at what point the entire operation will hit peak energy consumption and rates—something they take many measures to avoid.
Roberts is nearing the end of a 12-hour shift that began at midnight, and Voegeli has been working every day since the snowmaking season began in early November. Making snow is a round-the-clock operation that does more than provide early-season snow. It provides a solid base for a full season of skiing, and in dry winters like last year, it helps keep ski areas afloat.
It’s a significant part of the modern-day ski resort, and for two months of the year a snowmaker’s life is “Make snow, sleep, repeat.”
A high risk job
When the weather is right, snowmaking crews are out on the mountain every day, 24 hours a day. Voegeli schedules two shifts: one crew of seven from noon to midnight and a second crew of seven from midnight to noon. During the early season, he might cut that back to one overnight shift, but once the season gets rolling, there’s very little stopping.
Each shift has a foreman and a shift controller who can take turns monitoring the system and calling the shots, but everyone—no matter the role—spends time outside manning the guns and the shovels.
“There’s not a single person excluded from running the shovel for four or five hours—everyone gets those joys,” Voegeli says.
Under ideal conditions, tower guns blow a mixture of water and compressed air that crystallizes and falls to the ground as snow. But the slightest bit of wind changes the game, and being a snowmaker means being a snow shoveler.
“A lot of times the way it works for us is it just so happens the wind will blow in the wrong direction of where we want the snow to be made,” Voegeli says. Take mid-December, for example. A storm system blew in while the team was blowing snow on the lower part of the mountain. The wind blew snow back toward the towers, dumping it right on top of the hydrants.
“We pushed through it and made snow during that whole time and everything turned out just fine, but the West Wall Lift had 15 guns on it and the snowmakers were digging constantly. If you left the guns alone for an hour, you were digging for two hours, it was that bad,” Voegeli says.
Sometimes, if they let the digging go unchecked, the snow can get so bad they have to use a snowcat to dig it out. “We don’t want to get in that situation because we want clear, direct access to all hydrant sites whenever we need it,” Voegeli said.
That means whenever the guns are running, snowmakers are making sure hydrants are clear, equipment is in good working condition, and the quality of the snow is up to par. When one area is complete, they move the equipment to a new section of the mountain and start all over again. Over the course of the season, each of the resort’s 135 snowmaking guns will be moved two to three times.
“Start to finish, it’s a high risk job. The crews are dealing with high-pressure water, they’re dealing with high-pressure air, they’re dealing with ice on guns up high. Things like that we go look for and knock off the guns so it doesn’t hurt us, but it’s around every corner. There’s not really a single element other than sitting in the building monitoring the system that doesn’t have some risk,” Voegeli said.
More than early season snow
It might sound counterintuitive to make snow during a snowstorm—if snow is falling and wind is blowing, why make snow? But snowmaking does more than provide early-season snow. Manmade snow provides a base that lasts longer and maintains quality longer than natural snow.
“The crystal is a little more dense due to its being more of a frozen water droplet that does not transform into a flake,” Voegeli explained.
Perhaps the best example of the manmade snow’s quality is on International, where a thermal patch near the top of the run can cause snow to melt out before the ski season is over. Before CBMR upgraded its snowmaking equipment in 2004, snowmakers didn’t have the ability to make snow on top of the thermal patch.
Late in the season, they had to patch and repair the snow almost nightly. Now that they can make snow the whole way up the run, they have to do maintenance to the run only a few times a season.
Voegeli also has a picture in his office from the winter of 1980/1981 that shows the first snowmaking gun at the resort. It’s a ground gun sitting on Warming House Hill. It was a particularly dry year, and you can see grass on the run. That kind of melt out is a lot easier to avoid with new snowmaking equipment and early snow-making, and it also creates better runs.
“It helps get rid of some of the natural terrain features, making a run what it’s not—making it flat, making it pitch the right way, so it’s not a double, triple, quadruple fall line and making it one fall line straight down,” Voegeli says.
That gives the resort a better product and a new kind of resilience in the face of dry winters. “Last year, the whole state of Colorado was a great example of how snowmaking helped keep the whole state afloat ski-area-wise,” Voegeli said.
A complex operation
CBMR can start making snow at midnight on Halloween, but Voegeli typically waits until early November when warm temperature fluctuations have settled down. Once the snowmakers start, they pump water out of the East River and up to the resort. Chris Corliss, CBMR’s mountain operations manager, explained that a formula developed in partnership with the Forest Service determines how much water the resort can pull from the river.
During dry years, there’s common concern among the public that the resort won’t be able to make snow or will deplete the flow of the river. But the formula dictates a minimum flow in the river.
“We have we never not been able to pump any water,” Corliss said.
The Snowflake Control Center, where Voegeli and Roberts monitor the system by computer, also functions as a booster station. They can boost water at 80 to 200 psi up to whatever pressure they need up to 720 psi to send it up the mountain through a network of hydrants.
In any given year, they typically pump about 80 million gallons of water onto the mountain. By mid-December of this year, they had pumped about 60.5 million gallons of water and, according to Voegeli, that’s right on track.
Many of the upgrades that allow the crew to make snow on International also make snowmaking more efficient. The most energy-intensive and expensive part of the process is blowing compressed air. New tower guns consume only 50 cubic feet per minute, whereas ground guns use 699 cfm.
“In a ground gun, air and water are mixed and 99 percent of the time the air is on full-blast,” Voegeli explained. Snowmakers then vary the amount of water to achieve the quality of snow they want. By contrast, with tower guns they turn on air and water on all the way, and when the temperature is 14 degrees or colder they can reduce the amount of air.
That kind of technology helped CBMR earn the Excellence in Energy Efficiency award from Governor John Hickenlooper and the Governor’s Energy office in 2011—the governor had challenged companies to meet certain energy efficiency standards within five years. CBMR reached them within one.
A lot like family
It’s easy to see that Voegeli takes pride in that kind of recognition and in the hard work of his crew. It’s intense work, but it has a short window and goes a long way toward giving the resort a better product.
“I always tell them that unlike other jobs, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel as soon as you start,” Voegeli says. “Every night, it’s a little bit brighter.”
Voegeli hasn’t had to advertise for crew members in years—the crew recruits friends, or snowmakers from other resorts call Voegeli and ask to spend a year at CBMR. They want to see the high-tech and efficient system first-hand and often, they never leave. Voegeli considers himself fortunate to work with a crew that wants to be there.
It feels a lot like family, he says, making the end of the season bittersweet. There’s always the sweet relief that comes from laying down another solid base, but 10 months seems like a long time to wait before he gets to hang out with the crew.
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What’s in A-League?
Home > A-League > What’s in A-League?
by Ryan Marveggio | 18/10/12 05:51
The other day I was surfing the net and came along a well written article on Fox Sports News by football journalist Guy Hand. Mr Hand explored the issue of whether or not A-League players were good enough for the national team. This is a question many have asked ever since the infamous, harsh but arguably true at the time observation made by then Socceroos coach, Pim Verbeek: stating that training in Europe was better than playing in the A-League.
Since the comment made by Verbeek was five seasons we once again ask if playing in the A-League in season 8 is good enough for a spot in the current national team?
The main point that most national team coaches look for in their selection of players and what our current coach, Holger Osieck, reiterates whenever the team is announced to the public: Players must be playing regular first team football at their clubs in good leagues!
OK so let’s put this into some context and lay some markers.
If we look at Bailey Wright (20), a versatile defender playing regularly week in week out for League One team, Preston North End, who are currently lying in 8th position. He can play left back, a position that has given Australian coaches headaches since the retirement of Scott Chipperfield in 2006, however he has had no contact at all from the national set up. Therefore going by this we can assume that League One is not a high enough standard for Holger.
Another example would be in the Championship with Shane Lowry. A regular in defence for Millwall ever since making his loan move from Aston Villa a permanent one last season. This versatile defender has also yet to be given the chance of getting his first cap. Perhaps the Championship, like League One, is not quite at the standard required?
Now compare this to David Carney (currently without a club) who received his last call up when he was playing in Uzbekistan for Uzbek champions and ACL semi-finalist, Bunyodkor. Actually, there wasn’t that much playing as he had been out of favour with the head coach there for awhile. His selection though suggests that just belonging to a team in the Uzbek league has been deemed worthy enough of a call up.
Socceroo regulars like Matthew Spiranovic, Lucas Neill, Mark Bresciano and co playing in the Middle East after leaving more internationally renowned competitions like the J-League, Turkish league and Serie A, clearly proves that the competitions in this region are still viewed good enough to warrant call ups to the Green and Gold.
Richard Porta has recently moved to the Middle East due to not being considered whilst playing for River Plate and Nacional in Uruguay. Lo and behold Holger has finally taken a look at Porta in a recent match that also featured Nick Carle who left Sydney FC to go on-loan to the Middle East in the hope of getting back in the Socceroo picture, further enhancing the fact that Holger holds these leagues in high esteem.
With most of the above players (with the exception of David Carney) achieving the requirement of regular football the focus is on the perception of the leagues by Holger. This now needs to be clarified not only for the Australian players but also for the Australian public. Are the lower tier English leagues, South American leagues and A-League really that far behind the premier competitions in the Middle East and Uzbekistan?
It’s only fair that those aspiring to play for Australia clearly understand what they need to do and where they need to be to achieve their ultimate dream of playing for their country. Our A-League players in particular need to know whether or not playing in the ever-improving national competition can earn them a shot at representing their country.
The start of season 2012/2013 Hyundai A-League has been something to remember, not only for the arrivals of superstars Del Piero, Heskey and Ono but the return of Socceroos, Richard Garcia and Vince Grella.
Also with the return of Johnny Warren medalist Marcos Flores, a sprinkling of surprise packets such as Jeronimo, and lets not forget last year’s standout players, Thomas Broich and Besart Berisha, the standard of our league on the field has taken another step forward.
Emerging Australian talents such as the technically gifted Tom Rogic and Aaron Mooy, Newcastle flyer Craig Goodwin and consistent youngsters like Melbourne Heart’s Aziz Behich and Mate Dugandzic have given hope to young Aussie players that A-League coaches are willing to give them an opportunity to shine and showcase their talents.
With the standard of our league again taking another step forward in the technical and tactical side of the beautiful game, shouldn’t the above-mentioned young Australian players, as well as the likes of Garcia, if playing well and regularly, warrant a call up alongside players playing in other parts of Asia and in particular, the Middle East?
If the answer is no, then Holger should come out and say so like Verbeek had the courage to do. As it stands, confusion and frustration is growing amongst players and fans of what is considered an acceptable league.
Is training in Uzbekistan really better than playing in the A-League?
return to A-League return home
Ryan Marveggio
Sainsbury Nominated for Young Footballer of the Year Awardnews
Five for Round Threecolumn
The Reds Failing to Hold Onnews
Mariners Wary of New Redsnews
Central Coast Need To End Losing Streaknews
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The Sheriff Joe Arpaio Memorial Prison Reform Thread
Re: The Sheriff Joe Arpaio Memorial Prison Reform Thread
Eric the .5b wrote: ↑
Ellie wrote: ↑
I didn't watch the video because I'm old and cranky and hate videos on the internet, but I'm reminded of how The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo begins with the main guy character going to prison and taking his laptop with him so he can write a book while he's in there. I was boggled at how different Scandinavian prisons must be from American ones.
Have an NYT article on it I read a little while back.
So when you see NYT in print, you read "en wye tee" in your mind? Huh. I always hear the full "New York Times".
Post by Eric the .5b » 14 Apr 2019, 17:13
It's how I was taught to handle abbreviations and a/an.
Long interesting article about Prison Abolitionist Ruth Wilson Gilmore. Really interesting is how she challenges the persistent myths that mass incarceration is driven by private prisons, non-violent drug offenders, and black people, and how those myths distract from the more fundamental question of whether prisons fulfill their putative function of deterring crime and rehabilitating people who commit them.
Gilmore told them that in the unusual event that someone in Spain thinks he is going to solve a problem by killing another person, the response is that the person loses seven years of his life to think about what he has done, and to figure out how to live when released. “What this policy tells me,” she said, “is that where life is precious, life is precious.” Which is to say, she went on, in Spain people have decided that life has enough value that they are not going to behave in a punitive and violent and life-annihilating way toward people who hurt people. “And what this demonstrates is that for people trying to solve their everyday problems, behaving in a violent and life-annihilating way is not a solution.”
St Louis County held a pregnant woman in jail for 39 days for refusing to submit her children to a court-ordered paternity test:
Thurman was being held in contempt of the St. Louis County Family Court, after not submitting her two young children to a court-ordered paternity test requested by her ex-boyfriend, Erwin Rush. She had told a court official that Rush was not the father of her children, and that his request for a test was an attempt to stalk and harass her.
Since Thurman’s case was civil, not criminal, she was not provided with counsel. She did not see a doctor until two weeks after her arrival, according to court documents Thurman filed after her release. During her time in jail, Thurman alleges, jail officials did not provide the limited accommodations typically given to pregnant women, such as an extra mattress and blanket. She says her repeated requests to speak with a caseworker to figure out why she was being held on a civil charge went unfulfilled. And according to her complaint, even when her ex-boyfriend’s attorney repeatedly asked the division clerk of the court to set a hearing before the court commissioner, he refused to do so, incorrectly claiming that hearings must be initiated by jail officials.
I think we can all agree that this scumbag got off easy. Showing contempt for a court that acts contemptibly cannot be tolerated, lest our Great Republic slide into a state of brutal chaos where armed thugs proceed without fear of consequence to kidnap defenseless pregnant women.
So, fathers only have such parental rights as mothers thrust upon them?
Post by Jennifer » 21 Apr 2019, 15:30
Did you read the article? The stalkery ex-boyfriend who demanded the paternity test was NOT the father. I hope you're not suggesting pregnant women (or mothers in general) only have such rights as any of their ex-boyfriends are willing to bestow?
D.A. Ridgely
Location: The Other Side
Post by D.A. Ridgely » 21 Apr 2019, 18:33
Jennifer wrote: ↑
Of course not. We're suggesting they only have such rights as the court is willing to bestow.
I didn't rtfa, but if she was being held in civil contempt, all she had to do was submit her children, who as far as we know may or may not have been his, to be tested. Not trying to make excuses for the treatment she got in the jail, but the only real power courts have in many cases is to force compliance by civil contempt or punish criminal contempt.
D.A. Ridgely wrote: ↑
Not trying to make excuses for the treatment she received in jail, just trying to make excuses for the system that railroaded her there in the first place.
If you say so. Courts require some means of enforcing their orders. As I said, I didn't rtfa and still haven't, but if a court says do X or you go to jail and you don't do X, you go to jail. Civil contempt is supposed to be coercive; that is, its purpose is to compel compliance with lawful orders, so as soon as you comply, you walk. If you tell the judge while court is in session to go fuck himself, you get thrown in jail (or face a fine or both) for criminal contempt because, again, courts have to have some means of maintaining control.
I think a judicial and penal system as well as national defense and a handful of other functions are legitimately governmental and, in turn, legitimately require government. That said, the devil is, as always, in the details. Do courts, just like every other government functionary, occasionally abuse their power? Absolutely. Big time. You want to talk reform, we can talk reform. But courts will always require enforcement power of some sort or else they can't perform their legitimate function of deciding civil disputes that for whatever reason can't or won't be enforced any other way and by presiding over the criminal justice system.
I don't much care whether the court made a good ruling on the merits as to whether there was legal justification to have the woman's children tested for paternity, some disinterested party or institution has to make the call; otherwise, it's blood in the streets, figuratively if not literally. It appears the court did make a ruling and that the woman refused to obey its order. Everything after that is about the treatment she got in jail. Or am I missing something?
Nope, you got it exactly right. Nothing matters except the court's decision because they have the guns to enforce it.
That's not the point and you know it. Come on Hugh. If you're going to play this game, play by the rules.
Post by lunchstealer » 22 Apr 2019, 04:13
Or Ellie will put you in jail for contempt of mod.
Post by Pham Nuwen » 22 Apr 2019, 09:50
I thought we already had cleared this up years ago. We dont hate the player. We hate the game.
Post by Hugh Akston » 18 Jun 2019, 18:33
It's Kristof, so nothing new or remarkable here, but it's a tidy summary of reasons to stop beginning your sentences with "But if we have to have a death penalty..."
One quibble though:
The result of this division is that the court is unlikely to constrain executions significantly. Yet there is some recognition that the system is faulty, and capital punishment is becoming more rare. In 1998, there were 295 death sentences in this country; in 2018, just 42. In California, which has the largest death row, Gov. Gavin Newsom has bravely declared a moratorium on executions.
Narrators voice: It wasn't that brave
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GlassCo Services
Please see the list of services available at GlassCo Australia
GlassCo Australia Pty Ltd – Terms & Conditions of Trade
1.1 "Seller" means GlassCo Australia Pty Ltd, its successors and assigns or any person acting on behalf of and with the authority of GlassCo Australia Pty Ltd.
1.2 "Customer" means the person/s buying the Goods as specified in any invoice, document or order, and if there is more than one Customer is a reference to each Customer jointly and severally.
1.3 "Goods" means all Goods or Services supplied by the Seller to the Customer at the Customer's request from time to time (where the context so permits the terms 'Goods' or 'Services' shall be interchangeable for the other).
1.4 "Price" means the Price payable for the Goods as agreed between the Seller and the Customer in accordance with clause 4 below.
2. Acceptance
2.1 The Customer is taken to have exclusively accepted and is immediately bound, jointly and severally, by these terms and conditions if the Customer places an order for or accepts delivery of the Goods.
2.2 These terms and conditions may only be amended with the Seller's consent in writing and shall prevail to the extent of any inconsistency with any other document or agreement between the Customer and the Seller.
3. Change in Control
3.1 The Customer shall give the Seller not less than fourteen (14) days prior written notice of any proposed change of ownership of the Customer and/or any other change in the Customer's details (including but not limited to, changes in the Customer's name, address, contact phone or fax number/s, or business practice). The Customer shall be liable for any loss incurred by the Seller as a result of the Customer's failure to comply with this clause.
4.1 At the Seller's sole discretion the Price shall be either:
(a) as indicated on any invoice provided by the Seller to the Customer; or
(b) the Seller's quoted price (subject to clause 4.2) which will be valid for the period stated in the quotation or otherwise for a period of thirty (30) days.
4.2 The Seller reserves the right to change the Price if a variation to the Seller's quotation is requested.
4.3 At the Seller's sole discretion a deposit may be required.
4.4 Unless otherwise agreed in writing the Seller reserves the right to apply a minimum charge per order as nominated by the Seller from time to time.
4.5 Time for payment for the Goods being of the essence, the Price will be payable by the Customer on the date/s determined by the Seller, which may be:
(a) the date specified on any invoice or other form as being the date for payment; or
(b) failing any notice to the contrary, the date which is thirty (30) days following the date of any invoice given to the Customer by the Seller.
4.6 Payment may be made by cash, cheque, bank cheque, electronic/on-line banking, credit card (plus a surcharge of up to two (2%) percent of the Price) – American Express and Diners cards are not accepted, or by any other method as agreed to between the Customer and the Seller.
4.7 Unless otherwise stated the Price does not include GST. In addition to the Price the Customer must pay to the Seller an amount equal to any GST the Seller must pay for any supply by the Seller under this or any other agreement for the sale of the Goods. The Customer must pay GST, without deduction or set off of any other amounts, at the same time and on the same basis as the Customer pays the Price. In addition the Customer must pay any other taxes and duties that may be applicable in addition to the Price except where they are expressly included in the Price.
5. Delivery of Goods
5.1 Delivery ("Delivery") of the Goods is taken to occur at the time that:
(a) the Customer or the Customer's nominated carrier takes possession of the Goods at the Seller's address; or
(b) the Seller (or the Seller's nominated carrier) delivers the Goods to the Customer's nominated address even if the Customer is not present at the address.
5.2 At the Seller's sole discretion the cost of delivery is in addition to the Price.
5.3 Delivery of the Goods to a third party nominated by the Customer is deemed to be delivery to the Customer for the purposes of this agreement.
5.4 The Customer must take delivery by receipt or collection of the Goods whenever they are tendered for delivery. In the event that the Customer is unable to take delivery of the Goods as arranged then the Seller shall be entitled to charge a reasonable fee for redelivery and/or storage.
5.5 The Seller may deliver the Goods in separate instalments. Each separate instalment shall be invoiced and paid in accordance with the provisions in these terms and conditions.
5.6 Any time or date given by the Seller to the Customer is an estimate only. The Customer must still accept delivery of the Goods even if late and the Seller will not be liable for any loss or damage incurred by the Customer as a result of the delivery being late.
6. Returnable Equipment
6.1 If pallets, packing cases, or any other containers are returnable, allowance will only be made when they are returned to and received by the Seller in good condition, carriage paid to the works origin. The Customer shall be responsible for the care and safety of returnable equipment whilst on its premises. The cost of replacement or repair of any returnable equipment lost or damaged whilst in the possession of the Customer shall be for the Customer's account.
7. Risk
7.1 Risk of damage to or loss of the Goods passes to the Customer on Delivery and the Customer must insure the Goods on or before Delivery.
7.2 If any of the Goods are damaged or destroyed following delivery but prior to ownership passing to the Customer, the Seller is entitled to receive all insurance proceeds payable for the Goods. The production of these terms and conditions by the Seller is sufficient evidence of the Seller's rights to receive the insurance proceeds without the need for any person dealing with the Seller to make further enquiries.
7.3 If the Customer requests the Seller to leave Goods outside the Seller's premises for collection or to deliver the Goods to an unattended location then such Goods shall be left at the Customer's sole risk.
7.4 Any model or sample of the Goods shown to the Customer is used to illustrate the general type and quality of the Goods only and is not a representation that the Goods will conform to the model or sample.
7.5 Where the Customer has supplied materials for the Seller to complete the Services, the Customer acknowledges that he accepts responsibility for the suitability of purpose, quality and any faults inherent in the materials. The Seller shall not be responsible for any defects in the Services, any loss or damage to the materials (or any part thereof), howsoever arising from the use of materials supplied by the Customer.
8.1 The Seller and the Customer agree that ownership of the Goods shall not pass until:
(a) the Customer has paid the Seller all amounts owing to the Seller; and
(b) the Customer has met all of its other obligations to the Seller.
8.2 Receipt by the Seller of any form of payment other than cash shall not be deemed to be payment until that form of payment has been honoured, cleared or recognised.
8.3 It is further agreed that:
(a) until ownership of the Goods passes to the Customer in accordance with clause 8.1 that the Customer is only a bailee of the Goods and must return the Goods to the Seller on request.
(b) the Customer holds the benefit of the Customer's insurance of the Goods on trust for the Seller and must pay to the Seller the proceeds of any insurance in the event of the Goods being lost, damaged or destroyed.
(c) the Customer must not sell, dispose, or otherwise part with possession of the Goods other than in the ordinary course of business and for market value. If the Customer sells, disposes or parts with possession of the Goods then the Customer must hold the proceeds of any such act on trust for the Seller and must pay or deliver the proceeds to the Seller on demand.
(d) the Customer should not convert or process the Goods or intermix them with other goods but if the Customer does so then the Customer holds the resulting product on trust for the benefit of the Seller and must sell, dispose of or return the resulting product to the Seller as it so directs.
(e) the Customer irrevocably authorises the Seller to enter any premises where the Seller believes the Goods are kept and recover possession of the Goods.(f)the Seller may recover possession of any Goods in transit whether or not delivery has occurred.
(g) the Customer shall not charge or grant an encumbrance over the Goods nor grant nor otherwise give away any interest in the Goods while they remain the property of the Seller.
(h) the Seller may commence proceedings to recover the Price of the Goods sold notwithstanding that ownership of the Goods has not passed to the Customer.
9. Personal Property Securities Act 2009 ("PPSA")
9.1 In this clause financing statement, financing change statement, security agreement, and security interest has the meaning given to it by the PPSA.
9.2 Upon assenting to these terms and conditions in writing the Customer acknowledges and agrees that these terms and conditions constitute a security agreement for the purposes of the PPSA and creates a security interest in all Goods that have previously been supplied and that will be supplied in the future by the Seller to the Customer.
9.3 The Customer undertakes to:
(a) promptly sign any further documents and/or provide any further information (such information to be complete, accurate and up-to-date in all respects) which the Seller may reasonably require to;(i)register a financing statement or financing change statement in relation to a security interest on the Personal Property Securities Register; (ii)register any other document required to be registered by the PPSA; or
(iii) correct a defect in a statement referred to in clause 9.3(a)(i) or 9.3(a)(ii);
(b) indemnify, and upon demand reimburse, the Seller for all expenses incurred in registering a financing statement or financing change statement on the Personal Property Securities Register established by the PPSA or releasing any Goods charged thereby;
(c) not register a financing change statement in respect of a security interest without the prior written consent of the Seller;
(d) not register, or permit to be registered, a financing statement or a financing change statement in relation to the Goods in favour of a third party without the prior written consent of the Seller;
(e) immediately advise the Seller of any material change in its business practices of selling the Goods which would result in a change in the nature of proceeds derived from such sales.
9.4 The Seller and the Customer agree that sections 96, 115 and 125 of the PPSA do not apply to the security agreement created by these terms and conditions.
9.5 The Customer waives their rights to receive notices under sections 95, 118, 121(4), 130, 132(3)(d) and 132(4) of the PPSA.
9.6 The Customer waives their rights as a grantor and/or a debtor under sections 142 and 143 of the PPSA.
9.7 Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Seller, the Customer waives their right to receive a verification statement in accordance with section 157 of the PPSA.
9.8 The Customer must unconditionally ratify any actions taken by the Seller under clauses 9.3 to 9.5.
9.9 Subject to any express provisions to the contrary nothing in these terms and conditions is intended to have the effect of contracting out of any of the provisions of the PPSA.
10. Security and Charge
10.1 In consideration of the Seller agreeing to supply the Goods, the Customer charges all of its rights, title and interest (whether joint or several) in any land, realty or other assets capable of being charged, owned by the Customer either now or in the future, to secure the performance by the Customer of its obligations under these terms and conditions (including, but not limited to, the payment of any money).
10.2 The Customer indemnifies the Seller from and against all the Seller's costs and disbursements including legal costs on a solicitor and own client basis incurred in exercising the Seller's rights under this clause.
10.3 The Customer irrevocably appoints the Seller and each director of the Seller as the Customer's true and lawful attorney/s to perform all necessary acts to give effect to the provisions of this clause 10 including, but not limited to, signing any document on the Customer's behalf.
11. Defects, Warranties and Returns, Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (CCA)
11.1 The Customer must inspect the Goods upon pick-up for chips or scratches and immediately notify the Seller on delivery and must within three (3) days of delivery notify the Seller in writing of any evident defect/damage, shortage in quantity, or failure to comply with the description or quote. The Customer must notify any other alleged defect in the Goods as soon as reasonably possible after any such defect becomes evident. Upon such notification the Customer must allow the Seller to inspect the Goods.
11.2 Under applicable State, Territory and Commonwealth Law (including, without limitation the CCA), certain statutory implied guarantees and warranties (including, without limitation the statutory guarantees under the CCA) may be implied into these terms and conditions (Non-Excluded Guarantees).
11.3 The Seller acknowledges that nothing in these terms and conditions purports to modify or exclude the Non-Excluded Guarantees.
11.4 Except as expressly set out in these terms and conditions or in respect of the Non-Excluded Guarantees, the Seller makes no warranties or other representations under these terms and conditions including but not limited to the quality or suitability of the Goods. The Seller's liability in respect of these warranties is limited to the fullest extent permitted by law.
11.5 If the Customer is a consumer within the meaning of the CCA, the Seller's liability is limited to the extent permitted by section 64A of Schedule 2.
11.6 If the Seller is required to replace the Goods under this clause or the CCA, but is unable to do so, the Seller may refund any money the Customer has paid for the Goods.
11.7 If the Customer is not a consumer within the meaning of the CCA, the Seller's liability for any defect or damage in the Goods is:
(a) limited to the value of any express warranty or warranty card provided to the Customer by the Seller at the Seller's sole discretion;
(b) limited to any warranty to which the Seller is entitled, if the Seller did not manufacture the Goods;
(c) otherwise negated absolutely.
11.8 Subject to this clause 11, returns will only be accepted provided that:
(a) the Customer has complied with the provisions of clause 11.1; and
(b) the Seller has agreed that the Goods are defective; and
(c) the Goods are returned within five (5) days at the Customer's cost (if that cost is not significant); and
(d) the Goods are returned in as close a condition to that in which they were delivered as is possible.
11.9 Notwithstanding clauses 11.1 to 11.8 but subject to the CCA, the Seller shall not be liable for any defect or damage which may be caused or partly caused by or arise as a result of:
(a) the Customer failing to properly maintain or store any Goods;
(b) the Customer using the Goods for any purpose other than that for which they were designed;
(c) the Customer continuing the use of any Goods after any defect became apparent or should have become apparent to a reasonably prudent operator or user;
(d) the Customer failing to follow any instructions or guidelines provided by the Seller;
(e) fair wear and tear, any accident, or act of God.
11.10 The Seller may in its absolute discretion accept non-defective Goods for return in which case the Seller may require the Customer to pay handling fees of up to twenty percent (20%) of the value of the returned Goods plus any freight costs.
11.11 Notwithstanding anything contained in this clause if the Seller is required by a law to accept a return then the Seller will only accept a return on the conditions imposed by that law.
12. Suitability for Applications
12.1 To the extent permitted by law, no condition is made or to be implied, nor is any warranty given, or to be implied as to the life or wear of the Goods supplied or that they will be suitable for any particular purpose, or for use under specific conditions, notwithstanding that such purpose or conditions may be known or made known to the Seller. Whilst the Seller supplies products in accordance with specific manufacturing standards, it is the Customer's responsibility to ensure that the Goods comply with the requirements of the applicable Australian Glazing Standards and codes in terms of particular glazing applications. The Seller reserves the right to sub-contract the production, manufacture or supply of the whole or any part of the Goods or any materials or Services to be supplied.
13. Intellectual Property
13.1 Where the Seller has designed, drawn or developed Goods for the Customer, then the copyright in any designs and drawings and documents shall remain the property of the Seller.
13.2 The Customer warrants that all designs, specifications or instructions given to the Seller will not cause the Seller to infringe any patent, registered design or trademark in the execution of the Customer's order and the Customer agrees to indemnify the Seller against any action taken by a third party against the Seller in respect of any such infringement.
13.3 The Customer agrees that the Seller may (at no cost) use for the purposes of marketing or entry into any competition, any documents, designs, drawings or Goods which the Seller has created for the Customer.
14. Default and Consequences of Default
14.1 Interest on overdue invoices shall accrue daily from the date when payment becomes due, until the date of payment, at a rate of two and a half percent (2.5%) per calendar month (and at the Seller's sole discretion such interest shall compound monthly at such a rate) after as well as before any judgment.
14.2 If the Customer owes the Seller any money the Customer shall indemnify the Seller from and against all costs and disbursements incurred by the Seller in recovering the debt (including but not limited to internal administration fees, legal costs on a solicitor and own client basis, the Seller's collection agency costs, and bank dishonour fees).
14.3 Without prejudice to any other remedies the Seller may have, if at any time the Customer is in breach of any obligation (including those relating to payment) under these terms and conditions the Seller may suspend or terminate the supply of Goods to the Customer. The Seller will not be liable to the Customer for any loss or damage the Customer suffers because the Seller has exercised its rights under this clause.
14.4 Without prejudice to the Seller's other remedies at law the Seller shall be entitled to cancel all or any part of any order of the Customer which remains unfulfilled and all amounts owing to the Seller shall, whether or not due for payment, become immediately payable if:
(a) any money payable to the Seller becomes overdue, or in the Seller's opinion the Customer will be unable to make a payment when it falls due;
(b) the Customer becomes insolvent, convenes a meeting with its creditors or proposes or enters into an arrangement with creditors, or makes an assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or
(c) a receiver, manager, liquidator (provisional or otherwise) or similar person is appointed in respect of the Customer or any asset of the Customer.
15. Cancellation
15.1 The Seller may cancel any contract to which these terms and conditions apply or cancel delivery of Goods at any time before the Goods are delivered by giving written notice to the Customer. On giving such notice the Seller shall repay to the Customer any money paid by the Customer for the Goods. The Seller shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from such cancellation.
15.2 In the event that the Customer cancels delivery of Goods the Customer shall be liable for any and all loss incurred (whether direct or indirect) by the Seller as a direct result of the cancellation (including, but not limited to, any loss of profits).
15.3 Cancellation of orders for Goods made to the Customer's specifications, or for non-stocklist items, will definitely not be accepted once production has commenced, or an order has been placed.
16. Privacy Act 1988
16.1 The Customer agrees for the Seller to obtain from a credit reporting agency a credit report containing personal credit information about the Customer in relation to credit provided by the Seller.
16.2 The Customer agrees that the Seller may exchange information about the Customer with those credit providers either named as trade referees by the Customer or named in a consumer credit report issued by a credit reporting agency for the following purposes:
(a) to assess an application by the Customer; and/or
(b) to notify other credit providers of a default by the Customer; and/or
(c) to exchange information with other credit providers as to the status of this credit account, where the Customer is in default with other credit providers; and/or
(d) to assess the creditworthiness of the Customer.
The Customer understands that the information exchanged can include anything about the Customer's creditworthiness, credit standing, credit history or credit capacity that credit providers are allowed to exchange under the Privacy Act 1988.
16.3 The Customer consents to the Seller being given a consumer credit report to collect overdue payment on commercial credit (Section 18K(1)(h) Privacy Act 1988).
16.4 The Customer agrees that personal credit information provided may be used and retained by the Seller for the following purposes (and for other purposes as shall be agreed between the Customer and Seller or required by law from time to time):
(a) the provision of Goods; and/or
(b) the marketing of Goods by the Seller, its agents or distributors; and/or
(c) analysing, verifying and/or checking the Customer's credit, payment and/or status in relation to the provision of Goods; and/or
(d) processing of any payment instructions, direct debit facilities and/or credit facilities requested by the Customer; and/or
(e) enabling the daily operation of Customer's account and/or the collection of amounts outstanding in the Customer's account in relation to the Goods.
16.5 The Seller may give information about the Customer to a credit reporting agency for the following purposes:
(a) to obtain a consumer credit report about the Customer;
(b) allow the credit reporting agency to create or maintain a credit information file containing information about the Customer.
16.6 The information given to the credit reporting agency may include:
(a) personal particulars (the Customer's name, sex, address,addresses, date of birth, name of employer and driver's licence number);
(b) details concerning the Customer's application for credit or commercial credit and the amount requested;
(c) advice that the Seller is a current credit provider to the Customer;
(d) advice of any overdue accounts, loan repayments, and/or any outstanding monies owing which are overdue by more than sixty (60) days, and for which debt collection action has been started;
(e) that the Customer's overdue accounts, loan repayments and/or any outstanding monies are no longer overdue in respect of any default that has been listed;(f)information that, in the opinion of the Seller, the Customer has committed a serious credit infringement (that is, fraudulently or shown an intention not to comply with the Customer's credit obligations);
(g) advice that cheques drawn by the Customer for one hundred dollars ($100) or more, have been dishonoured more than once;
(h) that credit provided to the Customer by the Seller has been paid or otherwise discharged.
17.1 The failure by the Seller to enforce any provision of these terms and conditions shall not be treated as a waiver of that provision, nor shall it affect the Seller's right to subsequently enforce that provision. If any provision of these terms and conditions shall be invalid, void, illegal or unenforceable the validity, existence, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be affected, prejudiced or impaired.
17.2 These terms and conditions and any contract to which they apply shall be governed by the laws of Victoria in which the Seller has its principal place of business, and are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts in that state.
17.3 Subject to clause 11 the Seller shall be under no liability whatsoever to the Customer for any indirect and/or consequential loss and/or expense (including loss of profit) suffered by the Customer arising out of a breach by the Seller of these terms and conditions (alternatively the Seller's liability shall be limited to damages which under no circumstances shall exceed the Price of the Goods).
17.4 The Customer shall not be entitled to set off against, or deduct from the Price, any sums owed or claimed to be owed to the Customer by the Seller nor to withhold payment of any invoice because part of that invoice is in dispute.
17.5 The Customer agrees that the Seller may amend these terms and conditions at any time. If the Seller makes a change to these terms and conditions, then that change will take effect from the date on which the Seller notifies the Customer of such change. The Customer will be taken to have accepted such changes if the Customer makes a further request for the Seller to provide Goods to the Customer.
17.6 Neither party shall be liable for any default due to any act of God, war, terrorism, strike, lock-out, industrial action, fire, flood, storm or other event beyond the reasonable control of either party.
17.7 The Customer warrants that it has the power to enter into this agreement and has obtained all necessary authorisations to allow it to do so, it is not insolvent and that this agreement creates binding and valid legal obligations on it.
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Home > News > Statement > 40th HRC Session: Oral Statement on People Affected by the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
40th HRC Session: Oral Statement on People Affected by the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
On 04 March 2019, Human Rights Now gave an oral statement at the Human Rights Council’s 40th Session in Geneva on the situation of the people affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster. In the statement, HRN urged the government of Japan to follow the recommendation of relevant UN experts, implement human rights-based policies on housing and health rights of the affected people, including for voluntary evacuees, and relieve the financial pressure on evacuees to return to unsafe areas. HRN further asked the government to take measures to ensure that vulnerable populations, such as children or foreigners, are not illegally or unsafely mobilized into doing decontamination work for the Olympic Games, particularly if it involves false information or misrepresentation.
A video of the statement and its full text is available below.
http://hrn.or.jp/eng/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/VIDEO-HRC-40-session-statement023043.800-023241.000.mp4
Thank you, Mr Vice-President.
Human Rights Now expresses its continuing concern about the failure of the Japanese government to protect the human rights of people affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
As of December 2018, there have been over 273 cases of thyroid cancer among affected children. The lifting of housing support for evacuees also places families under serious financial pressure to return to unsafe areas against their will, subjecting them to health risks.
Moreover, vulnerable people, such as asylum seekers and foreign technical interns have been illegally forced to conduct decontamination work without their informed consent, as the government rushes decontamination for the 2020 Olympic Games. Further, the government designated the path of the 2020 Olympic Games Torch Relay to begin in Fukushima prefecture. In preparation, a local community mobilized children to do clean-up work along the highway.
We have grave concern over these situations which clearly contradict numerous UN recommendations including from the UPR, special rapporteurs, and most recently the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
In 2018 the Special Rapporteur on toxic waste, Baskut Tuncak, reported on children and women of reproductive age returning to areas exceeding a 1 mSv/year and warned that Japan should not compel people to return to unsafe areas. Also, five special rapporteurs issued a joint statement to the government of Japan in 2018 expressing grave concern about the safety of decontamination workers.
Human Rights Now joins these urgent calls and urges the government to take all necessary measures to protect the right to health of affected people. The government must also stop mobilizing vulnerable people such as foreigners and children to do dangerous decontamination work.
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Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > A > Arcosolium
Arcosolium
This word is derived from arcus "arch" and solium, a term sometimes used by Latin writers in the sense of "sarcophagus"; solium porphyretici marmoris (Suet., Ner., 50). The term arcosolium was applied by the primitive Christians to one form of the tombs that exist in the Roman catacombs. Thus, an inscription published by Marchi (Mon. delle arti prim., 85), which may still be seen in the courtyard of the Palazzo Borghese, states that "Aur. Celsus and Aur. Hilaritas have had made for themselves and their friends this arcosolium, with its little wall, in peace." The arcosolium tombs of the catacombs were formed by first excavating in the tufa walls a space similar to an ordinary loculus surmounted by an arch. After this space was cleared an oblong cavity was opened from above downwards into that part of the rock facing the arch; a marble slab placed horizontally over the opening thus made completed the tomb, which in this way became a species of sarcophagus hewn out of the living rock. The horizontal slab closing the tomb was about the height of an ordinary table from the ground. In some instances, as in the "papal crypt" and the crypt of St. Januarius, the front wall of the arcosolium tomb was constructed of masonry. A species of tomb similar in all respects but one to the arcosolium is the so-called sepulchrum a mensâ, or table-tomb; in this a rectangular niche takes the place of the arch. The baldacchino tombs of Sicily and Malta belong also to this class; they consist of a combination of several arcosolia. A more ancient form of the arcosolium than that described consisted of an arched niche, excavated to the level of the floor, in which sarcophagi of marble or terra-cotta containing the remains of the deceased were placed. Arcosolium tombs were much in vogue during the third century in Rome. Many of the later martyrs were interred in them, and there are reasons to suppose that in such instances the horizontal slabs closing the tombs a served as altars on certain occasions. The arcosolia of the Roman cemeteries were usually decorated with symbolic frescoes, the vault of the arch and the lunette being prepared with stucco for this purpose. One of the most interesting examples of an arcosolium adorned in this manner may be seen in the catacomb of Sts. Peter and Marcellinus; in the lunette the miracle of Cana is represented as a symbol of the Eucharist, while on the arch a baptismal scene and a symbol of baptism - always associated with Eucharistic symbols - are depicted on either side of a veiled orans. A second excellent example of a decorated arcosolium, in the Cæmeterium Majus, represents on the arch our Saviour between two praying figures, and in the lunette Mary as an orans (unique in the catacombs), with the child Jesus. (See CATACOMBS.)
KRAUS, Real-Encyklop., I, 89, 90; LECLERCQ in Dict. d'arch. chrét., I.
APA citation. Hassett, M. (1907). Arcosolium. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01699a.htm
MLA citation. Hassett, Maurice. "Arcosolium." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01699a.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Vivek Gilbert John Fernandez. Dedicated to those who created Arcosolium tombs.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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Gordon Jump
WKRP’s Gordon Jump was Mormon?
Gordon Jump was an American actor best known as the clueless radio station manager Arthur “Big Guy” Carlson in the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati. He was also well-known for playing the “Maytag Repairman” in commercials for Maytag brand appliances.
In the 1960s, Jump was converted and baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Subsequently, he acted in several church-produced productions, including playing the Apostle Peter in a 1969 film used as part of the LDS temple ceremonies. He also appeared in the 2002 Mormon-themed comedy The Single Ward.
Friends who knew Jump recall his unwavering commitment to his faith in a profession that doesn’t always support that. Friend Sandy Dietlein said, “once he joined the church, he was truly converted, and that is not an easy thing in the theater business because you are always surrounded by people who have a totally different view of life than you do.”
Jump died in 2003 from pulmonary fibrosis, leading to respiratory failure at his home near Los Angeles, California.
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Raising a glass to Knutsford May Day
It’s full steam ahead at Anderton Boat Lift
Cheshire’s ‘New Breed’ of Entrepreneur
Tatton Park’s farm is a finalist in National Farm Attractions Network
By David | Published on December 17, 2018
More than 30 farm parks, rural attractions and industry suppliers from around the UK have made it through to the finals of the National Farm Attractions Network annual awards – including Cheshire’s Tatton Park.
The farm has a diverse education programme that supports all ages and abilities, delivered by a team of highly skilled staff with expert advice from the farm team – welcoming thousands of visitors annually.
Tatton also operates an informal programme open to the public, with around 25 speciality courses a year for all ages ranging from bee-keeping to learning how to keep cattle.
Richard Powell, NFAN Chairman said: “We are delighted to announce the finalists in the annual awards.
There have been more entries this year and the standard has been exceptionally high which is a tremendous reflection of the quality and range of farm-based attractions around the UK.”
Laura Armitage, Tatton’s learning and visitor services manager said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted for ‘Best in Education’ in the National Farm Attractions Network awards.
This recognition is a real testament to the hard work, passion and enthusiasm of our team, who deliver a range of outstanding learning experiences for over 20,000 children and 1,000 adults each year.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all their hard work and wish every success at the ceremony in January.”
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India Energy Storage Alliance - Electric car market goes zero to 2 million in five years
Electric car market goes zero to 2 million in five years
Location: Live Mint
The number of electric vehicles on the road rocketed to 2 million in 2016 after being virtually non-existent just five years ago, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Registered plug-in and battery-powered vehicles on roads worldwide rose 60% from the year before, according to the Global EV Outlook 2017 report from the Paris-based IEA.
Despite the rapid growth, electric vehicles still represent just 0.2% of total light-duty vehicles.
“China was by far the largest electric car market, accounting for more than 40% of the electric cars sold in the world and more than double the amount sold in the US,” the IEA wrote in the report published on Wednesday.
“It is undeniable that the current electric car market uptake is largely influenced by the policy environment.”
A multi government programme called the Electric Vehicle Initiative on Thursday will set a goal for 30% market share for battery-powered cars, buses, trucks and vans by 2030, according to IEA. The 10 governments in the initiative include China, France, Germany, the UK and the US.
India, which isn’t part of the group, said last month that it plans to sell only electric cars by the end of the next decade. Countries and cities are looking to electric vehicles to help tackle their air pollution problems.
In order to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), the target set by the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change, the world will need 600 million electric vehicles by 2040, according to the IEA.
Source: Live Mint
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Chelsea Groton Bank 5-Star Rated for Longer than 90% of the Industry
Groton, CT – BauerFinancial, Inc., the Nation’s Premier Bank Rating Firm, proudly affirms that Chelsea Groton Bank has once again earned its highest (5-Star) rating for financial strength and stability. Earning a 5-Star rating indicates this bank excels in areas of capital adequacy, profitability, asset quality and much more. Earning and maintaining this top rating for 98 consecutive quarters puts Chelsea Groton Bank in the Top 10% of the banks in the nation. In fact, reaching this milestone gives Chelsea Groton Bank an even higher designation as a “Sustained Superiority Bank”, a title reserved specifically for Top 10%.
“This achievement requires tremendous resilience and fortitude,” observes Karen Dorway, president of BauerFinancial. “We saw a lot of banks that were lacking those qualities that are, unfortunately, no longer around. But community banks like Chelsea Groton Bank have some definite advantages. Its smaller size allows its team to know each customer more intimately, which not only makes every customer a priority, it also improves loan underwriting.”
Chelsea Groton Bank has been making its neighbors its number 1 priority since 1854. Today, after 164 years, it is creating a better banking experience for customers through several conveniently located branches throughout New London County, a loan production office in Hartford County, and online at chelseagroton.com.
About BAUERFINANCIAL, Inc.
BAUERFINANCIAL, Inc., Coral Gables, Florida, the nation’s leading independent bank and credit union rating and research firm, has been reporting on and analyzing the performance of U.S. banks and credit unions since 1983. No institution can pay for or opt out of a BauerFinancial rating. Star-ratings are all available for free at bauerfinancial.com.
About Chelsea Groton Bank
Based in Groton, CT, Chelsea Groton Bank is a full-service mutually owned bank with over $1.1 billion in assets. Chelsea Groton Bank’s products and services include consumer banking, business banking, mortgage and business lending, cash management, financial planning and financial education classes. With 14 branch locations throughout New London County and a Loan Production Office in Hartford County, Chelsea Groton Bank also provides online and mobile banking, 24-hour telephone banking, and nationwide ATM banking for individuals, families and businesses. To learn more, please visit chelseagroton.com. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
Chelsea Groton Bank
Barbara Curto AVP, Marketing Manager
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Home Travel The Best Parks in the USA
The Best Parks in the USA
When compiling a bucket list or just a list for a memorable vacation, there are at least five must-see parks in the United States. Thanks largely to the National Parks Service that was organized in 1916 under President Woodrow Wilson, the United States has an abundance of beautiful parks to visit. Most, but not all, are in the western states. Here’s the list of parks:
Gates of the Arctic
Mammoth Cave
This park covers 747,956 acres in the central eastern part of California near the city of Mariposa. Established in 1890, it’s one of the oldest National Parks. Among the sights to see are Bridal Veil Falls, a 620 foot fall in the southern wall of Yosemite Valley. There’s also the upper and lower Yosemite Falls, which plunge from a hanging valley, and Vernal Falls, which is famous for the rainbows that form in its mist. Rock formations include Half Dome and El Capitan, a great block of pure granite that rises over 3,600 feet from the Merced River.
When it comes to recreation, Yosemite is unmatched in its variety of things to do. The visitor can go hiking, fishing, climbing, horseback riding and swimming. Sports include tennis, golf and skiing.
Found in Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park is on the site of a still active supervolcano. This is why the park is replete with geothermic features like Old Faithful, a geyser that erupts every hour and a half or so. Some types of algae are able to live in or around the steaming hot water of these features and dye the rocks around them a rainbow of colors. This can be seen at a feature like the Minerva Terrace.
Besides these features, Yellowstone, which covers 3,468.4 square miles, holds many forests, lakes, waterfalls and grasslands. The grasslands allow the largest and oldest herd of buffalo in the United States to flourish. The park also has a wealth of flora and fauna, including flowers endemic to the park and other large animals like elk and moose.
As in Yosemite, a visitor can enjoy all manner of recreation like hiking, fishing, camping and horseback riding.
For a change of pace from both Yellowstone and Yosemite, there’s Olympic National Park in Washington state. This unusual park occupies 922,650 acres on the Olympic Peninsula. It’s unusual because at least part of the park is made up of temperate rainforests. These are the Hoh and the Quinault Rainforests. These rainforests have cool winters and mild summers, so instead of tropical palms they’re dominated by firs, spruce, cedar and hemlock. Olympic also has a famous coastline and glaciered mountains, including Mount Olympus and Mount Deception. The park is the best for hiking and backpacking. Sports like snowboarding and skiing predominate during the winter.
Mammoth Cave National Park
For the spelunkers, Mammoth Cave is the place to go. Found in Kentucky, it’s part of the longest cave system in the world and encompasses close to 53,000 acres. The winding cave system is made out of a stable limestone and sandstone and was carved over millions of years by groundwater. Among the fauna that live in the cave are bats, cave fish and cave shrimp, which are blind and pale because of the lack of light.
A visitor can go on one of many guided tours that can last from one to six hours. By the way, the name of the cave system comes from its hugeness and not because any mammoth fossils have ever been found inside.
This is the only national park that’s found entirely in the Arctic Circle. It’s an enormous park that’s larger than the country of Belgium. It might also be the wildest of the national peaks, as none of it is accessible by highway. The visitor has to use an air taxi or has to simply hike in.
Among the sights are rivers, Mount Igikpak, the Endicott Mountains and several wildlife refuges, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Gates of the Arctic is known for its stunning, weathered cliffs, some of which were once part of an ancient seabed.
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Latest Pirates Buzz
Pirates – Cubs Reactions: Happ-Less in Debut
Wednesday, August 05, 2015 / by John Perrotto / / Inside Access, Pittsburgh Pirates / 0 comments
PIRATES – CUBS REACTIONS
By John Perrotto
Photo: David Hague
J.A. Happ’s debut with the Pirates on Tuesday night was pretty, ahem, hapless.
Couldn’t resist.
Happ allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings as the Pirates lost 5-0 to the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. The Pirates acquired the left-hander last Friday from the Seattle Mariners in a trade as right-hander A.J. Burnett went on the disabled list with a flexor strain in his elbow.
“I was anxious to get out there,” Happ said. “I put us in a tough spot.”
He certainly did by walking Jorge Soler in the first inning to force in the game’s first run.
“Obviously you’re trying to be aggressive there,” Happ said. “I just fell behind and then missed on a 3-2 pitch. Obviously want to make him put the ball in play and earn that run and I didn’t do that.”
The Cubs made it 3-0 in the third when Anthony Rizzo doubled and scored on Starlin Castro’s double then David Ross hit an RBI single.
Happ was lifted in the fifth inning after giving up another double to Rizzo and walking Soler again with one out. Castro then greeted reliever Jared Hughes with his second RBI double.
“I made a few mistakes, specifically to Rizzo and Castro and that ended up hurting me,” Happ said.
Happ was asked if he was nervous about making his first start for his new team or being asked to take Burnett’s place in the rotation. The 32-year-old veteran of eight seasons shrugged those questions off.
“I think anything I say would be an excuse,” he said. “Those are all little things and they’ll get better as I get to know the guys and the catchers and what not. It’s about executing and you want to work to be better, and I will be better.
“I’m looking forward to my next start.”
His rough start was a continuation of his recent troubles with the Mariners. He was 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in his last four starts and was rocked seven runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings last Thursday in a loss to the Twins at Minnesota.
“I think I just need to trust my stuff and continue to be aggressive,” Happ said. “Hits are going to happen, runs are going to happen in this game but when they do, I think just continuing to trust my stuff and trust that it plays and works at this level. I think if I kind of have a little bit more of that attitude good things will happen.”
Happ did have six strikeouts, his most since May 9, and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle tried to draw some positives from the outing.
“First and foremost there were some solid sequences throughout the evening,” Hurdle said.
“The overall consistency, we’ve got to get some improvement there.
“You saw a quality pitch just about every at-bat. But overall balls were up. Balls were up over the plate, some deep counts.”
MORE BUZZ
–The Pirates were shut out on four hits by Jake Arrieta and relievers Tommy Hunter and Justin Grimm. Arrieta allowed just two singles in seven innings — to Andrew McCuthen in the fifth inning and Starling Marte in the seventh.
“The cut fastball played well,” Hurdle said. “We couldn’t get the barrel to it outside of Marte and McCutchen in the middle. We weren’t able to get other people involved.
“I think the one point in time we’d seen 90 pitches and only had one hit and we were just rolling into the seventh inning. We couldn’t find a way to connect any dots on him.
–Reliever Arquimedes Caminero pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out six. The rookie has made four scoreless appearances covering 4 2/3 innings after allowing four runs in three innings in his previous two games.
“He’s working in that direction,” Hurdle said when asked if Caminero could return to higher-leverage situations. “This is the fourth solid outing, this one with some very serious length to it.
“A couple sequences where he had to pitch to stay away from keeping them off the plate. He did. He used the breaking balls, he threw it for strikes, he threw it for chase. Another good sign for him, of him heading back in the right direction.”
–Right-handed reliever Rob Scahill, on the disabled list with right forearm tightness since June 26, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Thursday by pitching two innings for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Pirates.
If that goes well, he would join Class AA Altoona sometime next week and make a three-inning appearance then be reevaluated.
John Perrotto
Pirates Insider
John Perrotto is a contributor to Inside Pittsburgh Sports, covering the Pittsburgh Pirates, MLB. John has covered the Pirates for over 20+ seasons and is an exclusive member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
@JPerrotto View All Posts
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Entertainment Music News Video
GOT7 launches mysterious teaser to reveal the title track “ECLIPSE”
Written by Jackie Honorio on May 16, 2019
At 0:00 (KST) May 15, through GOT7‘s official SNS, JYP Entertainment unveiled for the first time the MV teaser that has a part of the melody of the title song “ECLIPSE”. This is the first GOT7’s comeback in 2019.
In this teaser video, on the background where light and darkness intersect, the combination of the delicate sound, brilliant visuals, and the painful gazes of the seven GOT7 members has drawn a lot of attention.
The image of member Yugyeom using hand to cover the light, then the darkness seems to slowly cover the clear blue sky in the video makes the public think of the song’s title “ECLIPSE” and raised curiosity for the full MV version.
The new album “SPINNING TOP” will have 7 songs, including the instrumental version of “ECLIPSE” which is only available on the CD. With each album, members of GOT7 demonstrate their individual musical ability through participating in composing and writing lyrics. This album is also the same as the boys participated in composing and writing lyrics for all the songs, thereby bringing the musical color of each member.
“ECLIPSE” is a song written by JYP President Park Jin Young, along with the participation in composition and lyrics writing of leader JB, who is writing songs under the stage name Defsoul. By the contrast between light and darkness, the song depicts the dark moment when the stable situation and confidence begin to waver, at the same time, expresses the depth of emotion through a trendy tune on the Future Bass background.
GOT7’s new album “SPINNING TOP” is currently available for pre-order on online discs selling sites, while the title song and b-side songs will be released on May 20 via online music sites.
(Video: JYP Official)
Source: OSEN.
ECLIPSE GOT7 SPINNING TOP
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Thought Starters
Mini-Book Brochure Summarizes Book’s Key Themes
This mini-book brochure provides the key ideas in Investment: A History. It also lists the most important events discussed in the book. Click on the link to download the PDF, in a handy, printable format.
Good News for DC Plan Sponsors, But Small Step Forward in Context of History
By Norton Reamer and Jesse Downing
In May, the Department of Labor issued a rule requiring financial professionals managing certain retirement accounts to act as fiduciaries for their clients, ensuring that retirement savings are invested in their clients’ best interests. In their article for Pensions & Investments, the authors of Investment: A History offer a unique perspective on this development based on their study of the history of funded retirement, a relatively recent invention in the grand scheme of financial progress. To view the article, click here.
Ancient History Offers Investors Lessons About Market Volatility
What can tulip sales tell us about the psychology of investment? What investment advice can you find in the Bible and in Shakespeare? And what other lessons can today’s investors glean from history? In a recent article, the authors of Investment: A History discuss how people today can learn from past events, ranging from ancient Greece and Rome to the European Renaissance, and on to the early twentieth century. Click here to read the article on TheStreet.
A Brief History of Life Insurance
To understand the insurance industry today, we must first look to its history. An article on this subject by the authors of Investment: A History appears in the June 2016 issue of Life & Health Advisor Magazine. “Today we consider life insurance part of the bedrock of families’ financial security in the United States,” write Reamer and Downing. “But where did it come from, how did it grow into the industry we know it as today, and what’s next for insurers and insureds?” To find out, click here to read the full article.
This New Fiduciary Rule Is a Baby Step Toward Protecting Dignified Retirement
The Department of Labor announced a new “conflict of interest rule” on April 8 that expands requirements for investment managers to act in the best interests of clients with retirement accounts. Norton Reamer and Jesse Downing explore what this means for investors today, grounding their analysis of this recent development in their extensive research and writing on the history of investment. Click here to read their article on TheStreet.com.
Considering Alternative Assets in This Unpredictable Market? Make Sure You Consider These Questions
By Norton Reamer
Norton recently published an article on The Street, outlining the key questions investors must ask themselves before acting, especially in this period of high market volatility and unprecedented options for investment. Click here to read the full article.
Clarifying Insider Trading: A Societal Obligation
In our blog post for The Hill, we discuss a recent ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit that makes it more difficult to prosecute those who trade on inside information. By adding historical perspective, we hope to provide insights into this current debate. Read the full article here.
For more information, see chapter 5 in our book.
Museum of American Finance / C-SPAN
Authors Norton Reamer and Jesse Downing talked about the major themes of their book at the Museum of American Finance in New York City on February 26, 2016. Their talk was recorded and broadcast on C-SPAN. In the speech, they covered the history of retirement funding, financial wrongdoings, and economic crisis management, among other topics. Click here to watch the speech at C-SPAN.org.
Retirement Changed the World, But Our Approach to Retirement Still Needs to Evolve
Retirement funding has changed the world. Giant pools of capital – now totaling $24 trillion in the U.S. alone – provide a financial cushion for millions of average working people in their “golden years.” Moreover, pensions funds, defined contribution plans, public retirement funds and others invest their capital to earn a return for retirement beneficiaries: that investment program has become an enormous driver of growth for the economy overall.
It wasn’t always so, however, and the story of how modern “retirement” came to be should provide a sobering lesson for those who put off retirement planning and saving – and for politicians eager to tinker with, and even roll back, the modern systems it took such effort to build. Continue Reading →
Worried About Stocks? Smart Investors Do These 3 Things
We believe that history has lessons for investors today. In our book, Investment: A History (Columbia Business School Publishing, Feb. 2016), we explain why diversification has always been so important – and we spoke recently with Heather Long of CNNMoney about why it’s especially crucial in volatile markets like the ones we’re seeing so far this year: http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/19/investing/stocks-market-rebalance/index.html
Avoid These Five Archetypal Investing Mistakes
For thousands of years, investors have been making the same mistakes over and over. True financial literacy should include understanding the history of investment successes and also investing failures. Unfortunately, the recent history of the financial crisis and Great Recession indicate that many investors—even professionals—have not learned those lessons.
Decade after decade, we see markets collapse and fortunes vanish for the same basic reasons. Most of the time the root cause is not some complex technical error. It’s just some new flavor of an archetypal mistake. Continue Reading →
Greater Access Brings Greater Responsibility For Investors
For thousands of years, the only people who qualified as “investors” were wealthy and politically connected landowners. Investment opportunities were few and accessible only to the elite. Yet in the blink of an eye historically speaking, that world has been replaced by one full of investment opportunities for everyone, from stocks and bonds, to mutual funds, life insurance, pension plans, real estate, and many other vehicles.
If people knew their history, they would marvel at the sheer range of investment opportunities now available to them. The idea that investing has become democratic probably feels alien to most people, but investing is extremely democratic today compared to past eras. It is incumbent on the average person to learn enough to be his or her own best advocate in taking advantage of all this newfound opportunity. Continue Reading →
Novel Policy Approaches Reduced Impact of Great Recession and Produced Speedier Recovery
The actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) and U.S. Department of the Treasury following the 2007 – 2008 U.S. stock market crash were, in the end, a brilliant response to a truly frightening financial crisis and incipient major economic collapse. The economic impact of the crisis, while severe, was clearly contained. America experienced the gravest economic setback in 80 years, but one whose duration and magnitude fell far short of the country’s experience in the 1930s.
No other country can claim as brilliant a use of the economic toolkit as what was brought to bear in the United States. The historical record clearly shows the superiority of the response to the Great Recession versus the Great Depression. Every day now, one can look at the world around us and see the efficacy of the novel and successful response by U.S. policymakers, in contrast with less successful methods employed by other governments, particularly in Europe. Continue Reading →
Look Back To Move Forward Successfully
Thinking about how to improve your portfolio next year? Don’t forget the last five thousand.
A healthy understanding of investment history is a true bonus for investors, lay and professional alike, to avoid pitfalls and to be the best advocates for their own financial interests. Ancient history has lessons for all portfolios today, from personal retirement accounts to university endowments.
For thousands of years, the only people who qualified as “investors” were wealthy and politically connected landowners. Yet in the blink of an eye, historically speaking, that world has been replaced by one full of investment opportunities for average people: stocks and bonds, mutual funds, life insurance, pensions and real estate. Continue Reading →
A Conversation With The Authors of Investment: A History
What will readers find in Investment: A History?
The book explains key elements in the long history of investment. Each chapter includes important stories and lessons that are intended to illustrate crucial dimensions of the investment world, as they have developed over the centuries. Our goal is to increase understanding of the investment practices and opportunities of today by understanding the history of investing.
In broad scope, what are the most important findings in the book?
Readers will be surprised to find out how remarkably uncomplicated it is to be a sensible investor, and in that regard we identified four basic investing principles. Continue Reading →
Copyright © 2016 Norton Reamer and Jesse Downing
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REBECCA ENNENDEPUTY DIRECTOR
Rebecca Ennen is a senior fundraiser, communicator, and Jewish justice educator. Since joining our sister organization, JUFJ, in 2010, she has raised a couple million dollars with integrity and idealism for JUFJ and other progressive and Jewish organizations. Rebecca has taught hundreds of people and written extensively about grassroots fundraising, combating racism and anti-Semitism, tzedakah and middle-class philanthropy, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, intermarriage, interfaith families, patrilineal and mixed-heritage Jews, Jewish feminism, and more. She was trained as a facilitator by Jewish Dialogue Group and Encounter. Rebecca serves on the board of the Diverse City Fund and co-chaired the National Havurah Committee summer institute.
Rebecca studied theater and education at Swarthmore College and classical Jewish text at Yeshivat Hadar. She worked as a professional theater artist and community organizer in Philadelphia and was a Fulbright Fellow in Sri Lanka. A proud New Englander, she lives with her partner and child in Petworth, DC, and loves ambitious prayer,
radical Torah, dystopian science fiction, leafy greens, and Dunkin’ Donuts.
Rebecca can be contacted by phone at (202) 408-1423 ext. 3.
JACOB FEINSPAN
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Germanwings Co-pilot researched Suicide Methods and Cockpit Door Security days Leading to the Crash!
By : GOLDEN ICONS
Tag: Andreas Lubitz, Christoph Kumpa, Germanwings
A recent CNN report revealed that Andreas Lubitz, the Germanwings Flight 9525 co-pilot, researched suicide methods and cockpit door security on the Internet a few days before the crash, a German prosecutor said Thursday.
This revelation comes after analysis of a tablet device belonging to the Germanwings co-pilot was performed which according to Dusseldorf prosecutor, Christoph Kumpa showed that on one day Lubitz also “searched for several minutes with search terms relating to cockpit doors and their security measures.”
According to the report, the search history was not deleted and also revealed several searches related to medical treatment, the prosecutor said.
As Investigators try to establish Lubitz’s motivation for deliberately bringing down Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps on March 24, killing all 150 on board, (click here if you missed it), they have since focused on his health, (click here if you missed it), and with new information about the Internet searches performed days leading to the crash, this case continues to point to a strong act of premeditated murder by the co-pilot.
Celebrating Entertainment, Lifestyle, Fashion, and Exclusive Events, Interviews, and Media Coverage in the Diaspora; Just keep logging on www.goldenicons.com to see what’s new ......................FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: twitter@goldenicons....................................................................................................................................................... FACEBOOK: facebook@goldenicons....................................................................................................................................................... YOUTUBE: youtube@goldenicons....................................................................................................................................................... INSTAGRAM: instagram@goldenicons....................................................................................................................................................... To enquire about event coverage, or media coverage, contact us at info@goldenicons.com; ............................................................................................................................................................... You can also check out the most respected and reputable annual Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards by logging onto: goldenicons.com/awards
Video: Paris Hilton talks about how she ‘inspired’ Kim Kardashian’s rise to Fame and Reality TV Success: ”I’m really proud!’
New Study Reveals Moderate Consumption of Red Wine & Grape Juice Helps with Fat Burning!
Germanwings Co-pilot told Flight School in 2009 that He Had suffered a ‘serious episode of severe depression’
, By GOLDEN ICONS
Germanwings Co-pilot to Ex-Girlfriend before Airplane Crash: ‘I’m planning a heinous act that will be remembered forever’
Germanwings Co-pilot that French Prosecutor said Intentionally Crashed the Plane Had Some Form of Illness Hidden from his Employer & Colleagues!
, By Albert L., for Golden Icons
Germanwings Plane Crash: One Black Box Retrieved, Opera Singers Maria Radner & Oleg Bryjak and Their Baby among the Dead!
clerance Iwejun April 3, 2015 at 10:18 am Reply
He and the recent Al Shahab murderers in Kenya are brothers in arms sharing the same hobby. Killing other people due to their internal unhappiness is what motivated them and picking on the innocent people to kill is evil.
Igwe Adola April 3, 2015 at 12:33 pm Reply
He and Boko Haram have signed a pact with the devil called Axis of Evil. Al Qaeda has exited from the pact and now replaced by ISIS.
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Reflections on Wednesday
October 23, 2014 @ 01:36 By: gordon Category: Current affairs, General
My day started off as it often does: stopping off for a muffin and a bottle of juice on the way to work. It was a little nippy this morning so I entered the first building of the three connected buildings in the complex I work in and walked the rest of the way inside instead of walking outside. I arrived at my office and proceeded to go through all of the emails that arrived yesterday (I was off). After a while, I overheard a couple of words from a coworker’s phone conversation — something like “shot at the War Memorial?” — and then a news alert popped up on my phone.
I read the news article in disbelief. At the same time, there was a buzz going through the office as more people found out about it.
I texted a friend who works in one of the buildings not too far from where things were happening and told them to be careful because there were “reports of shots” near there. At that point they’d only heard that, too, but I think they were already being discouraged from going outside because the smokers were getting “jittery” from the prospects of not being able to take a smoke break. This was maybe 20 minutes after the first shots at the war memorial.
Then I saw a raw video clip that showed the officers running through the halls in the Centre Block, culminating in all the shots that were fired just before the shooter was taken out. I think my jaw dropped when I saw that. It was unthinkable that something like that had just happened inside the Centre Block!
Maybe an hour later we were informed over the PA at work that we were locked down. No one could enter or leave the building.
In the roughly 15 years I’ve been a civil servant I’ve never been in a lock down, and that includes September 11th, 2001.
When I told my friend about this, they asked if we’d been told to “stay away from windows”. Whoa.
I spent most of the rest of the day trying to focus on work while listening to the radio and wondering how this would end for everyone. While I did accomplish some things, it’s fair to say that it wasn’t my most productive day in the office. There were emails and more announcements over the PA advising us to stay in the building over the course of the rest of the day.
Eventually, the lockdown was lifted for my building, so I eventually finished what I was doing and left the building, glad to see that the guards and security people weren’t blocking the way out. I listened to the radio on my way home, but at some point I had to turn it off because it wasn’t really giving new information and frankly I felt “saturated”. The tv was on in the pub before trivia this evening and let’s just say that I was glad when someone changed the channel to something else.
Well, if we ratchet up the paranoia, increase security everywhere and restrict access to previously accessible places we will be admitting that the terrorists have won. And that is something that we can’t afford to do. We need to fix the things that went wrong (if we can), but generally avoid giving into the urge to become completely paranoid about everything.
I must admit that I was very happy to read earlier this evening that the Speaker of the House of Commons has issued a statement that included, among other things, a confirmation that the House of Commons will sit as originally scheduled tomorrow morning.
Going forward we mourn Corporal Nathan Cirillo, who was murdered in cold blood when he was standing on honour guard duty at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, keep his family in our thoughts, and be grateful for the brave first responders, police, security guards and people like the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons, Kevin Vickers, who drew his weapon inside the Centre Block and did something horrible but necessary on a sunny Wednesday morning on Parliament Hill. And then we get on with our lives as best we can.
And we do not give the murderer the legacy he was looking for by not mentioning his name in the media, though we do not forget his actions. But we do not let his actions cause us to live in fear or limit our liberties.
We do not let the terrorists win.
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Once Upon a Time Sept 19, 2014 20:42:36 GMT
Post by Horacewimp on Sept 19, 2014 20:42:36 GMT
Let's try to write a story by using a line from a song, song title, album name or any other reference with an ELO/Jeff Lynne connection.
I'll make a start with
High on a Hill in Eldorado......
Timeblue
I wish I was back in 1981...
Post by Timeblue on Sept 19, 2014 20:47:50 GMT
.....when time stood still
"The most outstanding rock group in the world today, my friends,the Electric... Light... Orchestra" TC '78
Post by BSJ on Sept 19, 2014 21:37:13 GMT
... over silent evening air
I was thinking 'bout the lonely nights......
jefflynnenut
Cover Version King
Once Upon a Time Sept 19, 2014 23:50:27 GMT via mobile
Post by jefflynnenut on Sept 19, 2014 23:50:27 GMT
The tenderness the silent tears....
Once Upon a Time Sept 20, 2014 7:53:39 GMT
Post by Horacewimp on Sept 20, 2014 7:53:39 GMT
When Poor boy the Greenwood
Last Edit: Sept 20, 2014 7:55:24 GMT by Horacewimp
on the mission of the sacred heart
Last Edit: Sept 20, 2014 14:29:58 GMT by BSJ
Post by brax on Sept 20, 2014 20:28:07 GMT
..looked at me and said "Who's That?"
confusion - it's such a terrible shame
Then in walked Kuiama..
Post by Timeblue on Sept 21, 2014 9:53:56 GMT
She said "come along with me to a land of make believe"
Once Upon a Time Sept 22, 2014 9:22:52 GMT via mobile BSJ likes this
Post by Chippa on Sept 22, 2014 9:22:52 GMT
and " please turn me over!"
Last Edit: Sept 22, 2014 9:23:38 GMT by Chippa
Do ya Do ya want my love
I wanna show you how to rock and roll
Post by Chippa on Sept 22, 2014 19:45:41 GMT
Sept 22, 2014 17:11:01 GMT BSJ said:
Then she said "you got cold feet".
Last Edit: Sept 22, 2014 19:46:14 GMT by Chippa
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Office Jobs in Val d'Isere
< Europe (non-UK)
< France
Salary Bands
(excl. commission)
Recruitment Agency (1)
Account Manager - Val d'Isere
Matt Walton - Silver Swan Recruitment
Salary band: Any
We are looking for an enthusiastic and entrepreneurial person to be a key member of a global, high-tech ski app venture. The fast-growing company is based in Val d’Isere and is looking for a Concierge to manage the accounts of its key clients. It’s a rare opportunity to join an exciting new company with the potential to be an important partner. Responsibilities You will be responsible for deli...
Other Office Jobs in Val d'Isere
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Public building mishaps - once is accident, twice is coincidence, thrice is systemic government collapse
Media Statement (2)
(Petaling Jaya, Tuesday) : The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was angry yesterday. He ordered an immediate inspection of all government buildings for defects.
He said: “I feel angry. I feel ashamed. What the hell is this? It’s so new and such a thing happened.
“Something must have gone wrong somewhere. We need to know. I can’t be jumping all over the place!”
The Prime Minister was referring to a spate of embarrassing defects in new government offices – the collapse of a ceiling due to a leaky sprinkler system at the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry in Putrajaya on Saturday, the ceiling collapse in a secretary’s room at the world’s largest court complex at the Jalan Duta court complex yesterday and on April 11, the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya had to be closed after water flooded the seven-floor building following a failure in plumbing, turning and evacuating more than 1.000 people.
On March 22, Abdullah reacted in disbelief when what he never expected happened – a landslide in Putrajaya (Precinct 9) only inches away from three 15-storey government apartments, damaging 25 cars and evacuating more than 1,500 people from Blocks A, B and C in Phase 11 of the government housing complex.
The Prime Minister said he was angry and he “can’t be jumping all over the place”. But there were no signs that he was really either.
The disgraceful episode of the ceiling collapse of the multipurpose hall at the ground floor of the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry (MEDC) Building in Putrajaya occurred on Saturday but Abdullah has not angry enough to say anything immediately or for the next 24-36 hours – as he only expressed his anger after the Umno supreme council meeting yesterday. Was Abdullah “advised” by the other Umno leaders to be “angry” over the string of government mishaps?
Yesterday, Abdullah said: “Maintenance is very important. I have said this many times but these people, as long as nothing happens, they don’t care.”
A “third-world culture of maintenance” had been the favourite whipping-boy to explain away government mishaps, but when even new buildings costing more than first-world counterparts break down even before being fully operational, like what happened at the largest court complex in the world in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, the problem must be fundamental and deep-seated.
What we are seeing is the decay and disintegration of a public service delivery system which had rightly prided itself of being world top-class in the first decade of Independence – another sobre reminder of how far behind the country had gone backwards in public service quality and efficieincy.
Of late, more and more government mishaps which had been quite unthinkable and unbelievable seem to have entered into the realm of the possible during the 42-month premiership of Abdullah.
The tag line that “once is accident, twice is coincidence, thrice is enemy action” for completely different circumstances could appropriately be modified to “once is accident, twice is coincidence, thrice is systemic government collapse” in reference to the spate of government mishaps under the Abdullah premiership.
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Trudeau, China, and Human Rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in China, his first trip there since the election last Fall. He has visited before, including a trip with his father, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the year after the Tiananmen Square massacre. The elder Trudeau first trekked around China in the late 1940's as a young man. He made an historic state visit in 1973, leading to a recognition of the communist regime before a number of other Western nations, including the United States. When Pierre returned with two of his sons in 1989 he was aware that while he supported a moderate Chinese government as prime minister, dissidence was readily and brutally crushed.
It will be interesting to see what happens during Justin Trudeau's visit, and beyond. While human rights concerns will be raised, we know that dissidents are imprisoned and the internet is regulated. Christian leaders are carefully monitored and church buildings are regularly closed and destroyed on feeble pretenses. Canada desires a robust trade relationship with China, one of our largest trade partners, and a succession of PMs have been reluctant to push too hard on the subject of rights. Opposition parties tend to speak courageously, until they're in power, then pragmatism takes over.
As we watch the photo ops during this Trudeau visit, let's remember Canadians who are currently held on suspect charges, the dissidents and intellectuals who have disappeared, and beleaguered brothers and sisters in Christ who have uncertain freedom of religious expression.
Posted by David Mundy at 11:33 AM No comments:
Wilderness Balance
Lucas St. Clair, the son of Burt's Bees founder Roxanne Quimby, poses on land proposed for a national park in Penobscot County, Maine, Aug. 4, 2015. President Obama on Wednesday declared a new national monument in Maine on 87,000 acres donated by Ms. Quimby.
When we lived in Sudbury I was a member of Friends of Killarney, a group which supported the goals and aims of the provincial park by that name an hour away. Sometimes a sub-group had meetings in my study at downtown St. Andrew's United Church. We were involved in developing a canoe guide and eventually with a presentation to a provincial environmental consultation called Lands for Life. We were given ten minutes before a travelling panel which considered presentations on the use of Crown Land across the North. I was given the job of cramming our request for a buffer zone around the park which is the smallest and southernmost of wilderness parks in Ontario at just over 100,000 acres. I managed to stay within the ten minutes and our request was ultimately granted, although we waited a while for the outcome. I was the frontman but it was definitely a collaborative effort.
I thought about this when I heard last week that President Obama has created a new national park in Maine to correspond with the one hundred anniversary of national parks in America.
Approximately 87,500 acres of land in Maine's North Woods will be protected under the new designation of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. The land was donated to the government on Tuesday by Roxanne Quimby, the co-founder of Burt's Bees, and officially made a national monument Wednesday after a years-long push full of obstacles and controversy.
Even though Quimby owned the land and it is a generous gift, there are some who have resisted because of the timber value of this land the jobs it could create. Others feel that it is another example of rich folk imposing their will on those who have been there for generations, hunting and fishing. Still others -- Republicans -- are grumpy that Obama just went ahead and did this without the wider approval they wouldn't have granted anyway.
Some of these same issues existed for Killarney when it was established more than fifty years ago. Locals resented the expropriation and restrictions which go with the creation of a park. And the area is now jam-packed with campers from elsewhere all through the summer. Sure, the outfitters and the fish and chip place in the village of Killarney do booming business, but people often feel disenfranchised. We loved Killarney, hiking, paddling, and interior camping there, but rarely visited in the summer when "our" park was far too busy. We were there recently as Ruth paddled with women friends and I walked a couple of trails. It made me homesick.
The balance between protecting wilderness places and respecting those who have lived there over time, including aboriginal peoples is not easy to establish. There is a new park adjacent to Killarney called Point Grondine which has been established by the Wekwimikong First Nation. One day we'll explore this new opportunity.
Any thoughts about this challenging balance? What about our activism as Christians for the protection of wilderness places?
Marilynne Robinson & Peace
Marilynne Robinson is one of President Obama's favourite authors,has hosted her at the White House, and even interviewed her. How cool is that? I'm with Barack on this, although so far Robinson hasn't responded to our invitation for a barbecue. It's her novels that have captured me, although I have read articles where she addresses Christian and philosophical subjects as well. I have a book of her essays in the mountain of "to be read" books by my easy chair.
Robinson is oft-honoured, and last week she became the recipient of the Dayton prize, which is for both literary achievement and peace. Here is The Guardian description of her choice for the Holbrooke achievement award.
Robinson, author of the award-winning Gilead trilogy, which tells the story of the Iowa pastor John Ames, was named by the Dayton literary peace prize as winner of its Richard C Holbrooke distinguished achievement award. Sharon Rab, founder of the Dayton literary peace prize foundation, praised Robinson’s “luminous, deeply moving prose”, which she said “explores the causes of strife in a family, in a community, and in the world, while ultimately demonstrating the universal healing power of reconciliation and love”. “In her fiction and in her essays, Marilynne Robinson is concerned with the issues that define the Dayton literary peace prize: forgiveness, the sacredness of the human creature and delight in being alive and experiencing the natural world,” said Rab.
Presidential hopeful Donald Trump admits that he doesn't read, which sure makes sense from what we've heard. He doesn't admit that he can't read, but I wouldn't be surprised. I'm glad that Obama does, and he gets Robinson's unique wisdom, rooted in faith.
Any other Robinson fans out there?
Earthquakes and Miracles
When an earthquake hit the central Italian town of Amatrice the nuns of the local convent were asleep in their beds. A young man heard cries for help and pulled three of the nuns from the building, perhaps saving their lives.
One of those rescued nuns, Sister Mariana, said that is was a miracle that the man heard them from so far away. I'm grateful that they were rescued, yet several other nuns, along with several visitors, are still buried in the rubble. Why was there a miracle, which would be God's extraordinary intervention, for some of the sisters and not for others? And why have hundreds, including children, had their lives snuffed out? Rather than a benign, loving presence, God would be capricious and unfair. When one person walks away from the plane crash, or the trailer park after the tornado roars through, can he or she claim that a miracle has occurred?
I'm not denying the existence of miracles, either the miracles we read about in scripture, or the possibility for miracles in the present. I am much less certain about their possibility than I once was, and I have come to realize that we are not magically protected from illness, or suffering, or the effects of the natural processes of the planet, including earthquakes.
I do trust that God is the source of our strength in every circumstance in life, even those dark mysteries which are beyond our comprehension in the moment. We can pray for these devastated communities and consider how we might respond with practical compassion.
What do you think about claims of miraculous intervention? Have you every experienced a miracle? What about Sister Mariana's comment?
Posted by David Mundy at 10:27 AM 1 comment:
So, Who is the Oppressor?
I am so angry that armed French police accosted a Muslim woman on a beach and forced her to remove items of clothing, then fined her. A number of municipalities in France have instituted a draconian law prohibiting Muslim women from swimming in what is being called the burkini, a full length swim suit which corresponds with supposed religious requirements for modesty. I say "supposed" because there are Muslim scholars who argue that many of these rules are cultural rather than required by the Quran. Then again, many restrictions in certain expressions of Christianity related to modesty, past and present, have more to do with patriarchy than biblical directives.
The point is that the government is targeting Muslim women in the wake of a series of terrorist attacks which have been perpetrated by Islamic extremists. The irony is that these have been carried out by disaffected men, most of whom were not strongly observant Muslims. The women who are now the subject of this ridiculous law are not terrorists. They want to go for a swim or sit on the beach on a hot summer day, or go to the pool with their kids in clothes which suit their views on modesty. Since when is that a crime worthy of intervention by armed police?
It's crazy that "the powers that be" have deemed that virtually naked women on beaches represent French values but these Muslim women are antithetical to them.
At times I do wonder whether the hijab and other clothing requirements are repressive, yet when I see a cheerful young woman reporter on the evening newscast wearing a headscarf I don't have the impression that she is a poor repressed creature in the thrall of controlling men. And I'm glad that the RCMP will allow women officers to wear the hijab, if they choose.
Preach that Word!
This week the Pew Research Center released the results of a survey of 5,000 people about what would attract them to a new place of worship. For more than eight out of ten --83%-- the top of their list is preaching. “This is what people value in a congregation — a good message, a good homily that resonates with them and gives them guidance,” said Greg Smith, Pew’s associate director for religion research.
I was gratified to read this, because the way we receive information has changed dramatically in the last decade, let alone through the centuries. I know that people respond to music as a powerful aspect of worship, and a warm welcome is essential. In the day-to-day life of a congregation pastoral care matters a great deal. Once again, though, preaching is at the core. United Church studies have discovered the same through the years.
This is both an encouragement and a humbling reminder. I figure I have prepared and preached more than 1600 Sunday sermons through 36+ years of pastoral ministry, along with hundreds of other messages for special liturgical occasions, as well as weddings and funerals and in nursing homes. I do my best to bring my A-game, week in and out, and I've yet to bail on a Sunday morning, with an unscheduled absence. I don't get pastors who claim they don't have time to be well prepared for Sunday morning.
At the moment I am completing my sermon for a week from now because I'm away this Sunday, and I've started on my message for the first week of Creation Time in September. I'm at the church on Sunday mornings by 8:00 AM, preaching to an empty sanctuary so I don't have to rely on my notes too heavily come 10:30. I'll keep up this regimen until I retire.
I can't speak to how folk receive my preaching, and every preacher has fans and detractors. I've said before that I am somewhat bewildered by what individuals do and don't hear, and what they thought they heard that just wasn't there! I don't hoot or holler or point, but I do hope that I touch hearts and minds. All I can do is be as faithful to the texts of scripture, and endeavour to be as creative and current as possible, without being too captivated by the idol of relevance.
I actually enjoy preparing a sermon and the actual proclamation of a message. Even though I'm often my own strongest critic, I consider preaching a privilege. I've changed my style of preaching in a number of ways over the years in the hope that I will be authentic and responsive to the moment I find myself in.
Would you be amongst those eight out of ten who value the sermon highly? Have your expectations for preaching changed over time? Do you enjoy the addition of visual images and even videos at times?
Colouring Outside the Lines
Pastor Steve Shirima, the leader of Jesus Is the Key of Life, a Pentecostal church, explains how his church was painted yellow. The church is deep within the shacks of a slum. RNS photo by Fredrick Nzwili
Not only do some people use their supposed love of God as the justification to hate others, in certain instances Christians perpetrate violence against other Christians, Muslims kill other Muslims. It is enough to cause some to become atheists.
An encouraging story out of Kenya caught my eye because it is about people of faith moving in the other direction. Even though Kenya has significant issues with ethnic sectarian violence, some faith communities are choosing to boldly identify themselves as places where love and acceptance are celebrated:
Colour in Faith encourages expressions of acceptance and tolerance, and reaching out beyond one’s own church, temple, synagogue or mosque. So far two churches — one Anglican and one Pentecostal — and one mosque in Kibera have been painted, out of a planned total of six churches and four mosques that will be primed for the yellow paint. Nationwide, 25 churches, temples and mosques are planning to turn yellow. “The yellow color symbolizes our openness. It indicates that we can work together as people of faith,” said the Rev. Albert Woresha Mzera, of Kibera’s Holy Trinity Anglican.
One Sunday a group of Muslims attended worship at one of the churches as a statement that they are not terrorists.
Here in Canada we don't engage in violence against our religious neighbours but we are inclined toward stereotypes, competition, and even "bearing false witness." It should embarrass us, but it doesn't. Perhaps we need to be looking for a paint sale ourselves.
Quinte Conservation has been reminding area residents that despite some significant rainfall on two days last week there is still a Level 3 Low Water Condition notice for the region. Basically, while my lawn may be green again, and our water barrels were replenished, water levels are not sufficient for the demand. While we are on Belleville city water, drawn from the bay rather than wells and rivers, we have been mindful about water use and redeployment. We use a dishpan so that we can water plants with the grey water and our dehumidifier nourishes the plants as well. And we don't flush as often --nuff said!
The last two days I've listened to reports out of Aberfoyle where a Nestle water bottling plant draws 3.6 million litres of water a day from the aquifer despite the drought conditions in the surrounding area. Nestle pays about $3.75 per million litres to extract the water, which amounts to less than $15 a day, by my math. Does anyone else think this is insane?
I do everything I can to avoid bottled water, and when I'm offered a bottle I often comment that it is against my religion. While I say it with a smile, the person offering it often looks puzzled and sometimes offended. Yet I'm telling the truth, to a degree. Water is a precious gift from the Creator and this insanity of bottling a resource readily available to most Canadians from the tap is a sin, from my perspective. Of course many Native communities would disagree but that's a different story.
When I heard a Nestle's rep speaking as though they provide an important community service with what is really a garbage-producing scam I found myself getting angry. This is about making money from what is a non-replenishable resource in many instances. A lot of aquifers are closed systems, or recharge over millennia. When the water is gone, it's gone.
When I began my ministry in Newfoundland the United Church participated in a boycott of Nestle because it promoted the use of their baby formula in developing nations, with reps actually insinuating that their product was superior to mothers' milk. That boycott was somewhat successful, although we discovered that Nestle was still selling under other brand names, which they owned.
The United Church has already chosen not to supply bottled water at its events and encouraged congregations and individuals to do the same. I wonder if we should be more intentional, not targeting one particular company, since their name is legion, but challenging the industry and those who sell bottled water. We can certainly encourage our membership not to buy bottled water and perhaps we need to be supporting community organizations which are drawing attention to our irresponsible use of water, including essentially giving it away to corporate interests. In the name of Christ, who is Living Water, wouldn't this make sense?
Sixties Scoop
The Tragically Hip concert on Saturday night in nearby Kingston proved to be a Canadian and international love-in, with about a third of the nation watching at some point. This was an occasion when Gord Downie might have benefitted from Autotune, but his message about our obligations to First Nations peoples and the challenge to Prime Minister Trudeau, who was in the crowd, were note-perfect.
"We're in good hands, folks, real good hands. He cares about the people way up North, that we were trained our entire lives to ignore, trained our entire lives to hear not a word of what's going on up there. And what's going on up there ain't good. It's maybe worse than it's ever been, so it's not on the improve. (But) we're going to get it fixed and we got the guy to do it, to start, to help."
Trudeau went on to a cabinet retreat in Sudbury where the issues of the year ahead, which we can hope included relations with aboriginal peoples.
Today a class action suit will be heard in court on behalf of those who were affected by what is called the "sixties scoop," the removal of thousands of aboriginal children by child-welfare workers. Here is the Global News description.
At issue is the apprehension of indigenous children by child-welfare officials, who placed the young wards with non-native families.Speakers said the practice was a deliberate effort to assimilate aboriginal children.
The $1.3-billion class action argues that Canada failed to protect the children’s cultural heritage with devastating consequences to victims. Their lawyers are pressing for summary judgment in the legal battle started in February 2009. The ’60s Scoop depended on a federal-provincial arrangement in which Ontario child welfare services placed as many as 16,000 aboriginal children with non-native families from December 1965 to December 1984.
That's a staggering number of children and 1984 is relatively recently. On one level this has nothing to do with the Residential Schools a destructive system in which a number of Christian denominations, including the United Church, participated. On another level they are closely related. So many of the children who were "educated" in those schools were scarred for life, and raised without benefit of nurturing family structure. Their children suffered as a result, a grim truth acknowledged by many survivors. When those children were "scooped" by child-welfare agencies there was little or no recognition of the systemic causes of the troubled family situations.
We can pray today for a worthwhile outcome for this suit, and not just in terms of the possible monetary settlement. We need to be honest about why this happened, how churches were complicit with governments, and how we might be part of a healing solution.
Lament for the Sturgeon
Last night I walked outside to view the August full moon, which is supposedly known as the Sturgeon Moon. I'm a little suspicious that the moons of each month now have names, such as June's Strawberry Moon. It feels like the emergence of exotic names for weather events. The word though is that the name comes from the time of year when First Nations harvested this largest fish of our fresh waters. The moon was certainly brilliant and fully visible at 1:30 in the morning.
The Ontario map is dotted with names such as Sturgeon Falls, Sturgeon Beach, Sturgeon Point, and Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park. The reality is that these once plentiful prehistoric-looking leviathans are hard to find today. It's probably safe to say that most of us have never seen one. The only occasion I did was on Change Islands off the coast of Newfoundland. A five-footer was caught in a fishing net and was tethered, live, to a dock. Our family, including children who were young at the time, was fascinated.
The bible includes a number of laments for a compromised Creation, as a sign of our broken relationship with God. Our faith is not just "me and Jesus" and how we keep on good terms. Scripture suggests that when any strand of the Web of Creation is snapped, we are all the weaker for it. When we hear about the bleaching of the great living organisms which are coral reefs, or the relentless disappearance of songbirds we should shed tears of contrition and ask how we might repent and be reconciled.
Perhaps the moon invites us to lament the passing of the sturgeon.
Rapturized!
A few weeks ago a world-wide bestselling author of 16 novels with 80 million copies sold died at the age of 90. The Rev. Tim LaHaye, co-authored the "Left Behind" series of apocalyptic, end-time novels which readers may recall I have criticized more than once for creating a biblically unfaithful and false picture of the return of Christ. LaHaye wasn't rapturously transported to heaven, escaping a cataclysmic end to the Earth. He had a stroke, while fetching the morning paper I recall, surrounded in hospital by those who love him. It sounds as though it was a gentle end to a long life, what we would all hope for.
I despise the fear-based, ooga booga nonsense of these novels and all literature and teaching which predicts this sort of apocalypse. Jesus told his followers that they would not know the hour or the day of his coming, and urged them to live compassionately and with love in the here-and-now. I do not expect to be "raptured" but I do know I'm called to be a servant of Christ in each and every day I'm given. This stuff is fantasy avoidance at its worst.
I find it ironic that many of these devotees of End Times stuff are climate change deniers. While they are salivating over the apocalypse, "biblical" floods and fires are devastating regions of the US and these events are increasingly extreme. July was the hottest month for planet Earth in recorded history. There is a crazy presidential candidate for the Denial Party who refuses to pay attention to the scientific evidence. Hullo!
Come to think of it, maybe Jesus should just beam us up...
Somebody Keep our Land?
We learned this morning that Member of Parliament Mauril Belanger has died of ALS. Back-bencher Belanger was in the news a lot in June because of his private members bill to change the words of our national anthem from "in all they sons command" to a gender neutral "in all of us command." Eventually it was passed, despite some dopey opposition in the House. It was a worthwhile endeavour and wonderful that the new words were adopted before Belanger's death. We sang the anthem with the revised words during our Canada Sunday service in late June. I didn't attempt to read lips to ascertain who sang retro!
CBC reporter Terry Milewski penned a piece asking what will be next in terms of alterations to the anthem. At that time the Rogue Tenor anthem fiasco hadn't occurred. Milewski mused about the religious content of the anthem
Unmolested so far, though, in the debate about sons versus us, is the looming God problem. It lurks mainly in the French version of the anthem, about which the ungodly have muttered for years.
The English version, of course, does invoke the Almighty: "God keep our land glorious and free!"
But the French version, which preceded the English one and is not a translation, seems noticeably more militant in its invocation of a crusading Christianity.
"Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!"
Literally, that's "because your arm knows how to carry a sword, it knows how to carry the cross." So we are deep into "Onward, Christian soldiers" territory. We're armed, and we're spreading the gospel of Jesus.
Perhaps, if you'd asked Adolphe-Basile Routhier, the author of the French lyrics, why he excluded other religions that don't revere any cross, he might have replied, "Because it's 1880."
And it was. But look at Canada now.
Milewski then spoke to the religious diversity of the country, not to mention those who would prefer not to mention the protection of a deity in our anthem at all. I have wondered about this myself, as some of you know. The vast majority of Canadians are still deists of some description, with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam representing a lot of us. My experience of Hindus is that they are very tolerant of diverse religious expression. So the anthem will probably be "godly" for a while yet, unless we get overly earnest.
What are your thoughts? In a diverse society has the time come to be deity-free as well as gender neutral, or does the anthem as it exists reflect our society?
Underground Railroad Revisited
I read another worthwhile article on the Underground Railroad on the weekend, this one in the New Yorker magazine. This article served as another reminder that this conduit for slaves from the American South to the north, including Canada, was in some respects a dramatic fabrication. In pre-Civil War 19th century America there were white people who aided fleeing slaves, including Quakers and other committed abolitionists. However, they weren't as prevalent as some historians of the time made them out to be and the supposed Underground Railroad was a much looser enterprise than we've been led to understand.
And it was far more common for freed blacks to assist in the escapes than whites, even though it was much riskier for them. Perhaps the best known was Harriet Tubman, who helped an estimated 300 slaves escape. The plan to put her on the American twenty dollar bill has elicited all sort of racist chatter. Hey, history was written by white folk, so it shouldn't surprise us that they are portrayed in the better light.
I also saw a Toronto Star article about the excavation of the site of a church in Toronto which was founded by escaped slaves from the US.
Without question, however, the most enthralling and historically singular discovery was the British Methodist Episcopal Church (BME), a place of worship established on Chestnut Street in 1848 by five African-Americans who fled slavery and came to Canada via the Underground Railroad. The church evolved into the spiritual, social and political hub of the entrepreneurial black community, whose members lived in the area during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Sadly, this site will now be redeveloped for a new $500 million courthouse with no plans to acknowledge this history.The sites of this church and a synagogue will be obliterated. Justice?
So Much for the Poor
We have friends in Northern Ontario who are American politics junkies and travelled to the States for at least one of the two conventions (Democratic?) which took place over the past few weeks. They love the drama of US presidential elections, although I wonder if they are holding their noses this time around. Canadians have been busy despising Donald Trump and claiming they would vote for Hilary Clinton, as much by default as anything. But other than being aware that Trump hates anyone who isn't white, isn't armed to the teeth, and isn't nominally a Christian, and that Clinton has murky dealings involving an email server, what makes up their party platforms?
Apparently practical concern for the poor isn't a priority for either candidate. An article in the New York Times by Binyamin Appelbaum entitled The Millions of Americans Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Barely Mention: The Poor points out that Hilary stabs Donald for favouring the rich and both make noises about supporting the middle class, but there is essentially nothing in their economic strategies to lift Americans out of poverty. Trump is hideous in his "survival of the fattest" approach but Clinton essentially said boo about the poor in her convention acceptance speech. One observer offered:
“It’s not at all unusual for people running for president not to talk about poverty because the poor are not necessarily the swing voters you’re trying to pick off,” he said. “But I actually think a lot of her proposals would help — she just doesn’t always connect the dots to poverty and low-income workers.”
To be fair, Canadian political leaders gassed on about "hard-working middle class Canadians" during the election last Fall but offered little hope to those living in poverty. The Poverty Roundtable in Belleville had a candidates meeting on poverty and the Conservative candidate let us know that he wasn't going to show up. I encouraged our Bridge St. members to put pressure on him to participate and heard the grumbling for my efforts. Why, I wonder? Jesus was all about the poor and dispossessed, so why wouldn't Christians want to know what the strategy of their party was on poverty? The other candidates did participate but the emphasis kept leaning to the benefits for the middle class.
This year our Bridge St. meal ministries will likely distribute 10,000 meals, and our numbers keep growing. While I'm glad we're meeting a need and proud of our volunteers, this isn't getting to the core of the systemic problems related to poverty in our region and in this country.
What do you think about the silence of politicians on issues of poverty? Is it our responsibility at Christians to hold their feet to the fire?
Tree Hugging & Barkskins
I have written often about the significance of trees in the bible. Early in Genesis we read about a tree of good and evil, and at the conclusion of Revelation we are given a vision of a city adorned with trees. Jesus likely slept beneath the canopy of olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane and he was "nailed upon the tree," a way of speaking of the crucifixion.
Canada is a nation of trees and even larger centres such as Toronto and Montreal and London, Ontario are remarkable for their urban forests.
I have nearly completed Barkskins the historical novel by Annie Proulx, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning The Shipping News. I read The Shipping News on the "bridge" of a saltbox house on Change Islands, Newfoundland, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Barkskins tells the rather grim story of the insatiable hunger for timber in North America and other parts of the planet. While reviews haven't been all that kind, one calling Barkskins a jeremiad soaked in acid rain, it reminds us of the assumption that the forests of this continent were considered inexhaustible and expendable, so wantonly exploited. Living, breathing entities were and still are reduced to a commodity measured in board feet.
On our way through rural New Brunswick a couple of weeks ago we had a close encounter with a road-hogging pulp truck piled with forest plunder. It was a reminder that beyond the "beauty strip" of trees lining highways in a number of provinces there are large clearcuts which in the aftermath become plantations of trees rather than diverse forests.
At 700 or so pages Barkskins requires some literal and figurative heavy lifting, but as a proud tree-hugger I'm glad to have persevered.
Anyone else read it? Are you inclined to wade in?
Beyond Terror
Early this morning Twitter informed me that police in Strathroy, Ontario shot and killed a young aspiring terrorist with an explosive device. He was known to authorities and had been before the courts because of his stated sympathies for ISIS or Daesh. While he was raised as a Christian he claimed to have converted to Islam.
The television and radio news gave us more information of a troubled young man who made threats against GO Transit and the TTC in Toronto, which led police to his door in a quiet neighbourhood in a small town. He detonated one bomb and was killed before he could set off a second.
While this fellow has been described as a "lone wolf" who probably had no actual contact with ISIS, the prospect of terrorism in scary for all of us when we witness what has happened in other countries. We don't really care if he was acting alone, if he had murdered others that knowledge would have provided little comfort.
There is a personal aspect to this in our family. Every work day daughter Jocelyn takes the GO train from Oshawa to Toronto and she passes through Union Station. Daughter Emily takes the TTC to work. And most sobering, son Isaac, who lives in London, drops our precious grandsons at a daycare half a kilometre from the site of the shooting.
As a father and grandfather I find this unsettling and too close to home. At the same time I will live with hope for this country and this planet. I am ashamed of supposed brothers and sisters in Christ in the United States who have allied themselves with the miserable presidential candidate, Donald Trump, a dangerous bigot and xenophobe. Their message of alienation and fear is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ and unfaithful.
I celebrate the diversity of Canada and the freedom of religion. I am encouraged by the positive relationship our congregation has established in this community with the mosque and its members who have become partners in the sponsorship of our Syrian family.
Do terrorists scare me? Of course, although as I look at the face of the young man who died I can only feel that this was a troubled person whose death is a senseless waste.
I don't want to be terrified because God calls me to live a life of courage and hope and love.
I'm back to blogging after three weeks of enjoyable vacationing in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Northern Ontario.
I hauled around two prodigious volumes on our travels, one fiction and the other non-fiction. Van Gogh: The Life is a remarkable biography of the painter who is now one of the best known on the planet, yet only managed to sell one painting near the end of his 37 years. The other is Barkskins by Annie Proulx, which is historical fiction. I'll write about it separately. Together the books add up to about 1600 pages, and I've finished Van Gogh and can see the end with Barkskins.
I was reminded as I read that Vincent, the son of a Dutch pastor, aspired to the ministry himself, although his convoluted sermons and relational tone-deafness meant that he didn't stand a chance for this vocation. He was shunted into situations of less and less responsibility despite his desire and persistence. Even the destitute found Vincent to be an eccentric character and mocked him.
In keeping with his obsessive personality he eventually abandoned this career path, and organized religion as well, often deriding those who were foolish enough to be Christians. While he was critical of the fantasy of the bible he revisited biblical themes and was fascinated by forgiveness and with Christ.
He made attempts to paint a sort of Cosmic Christ surrounded by stars, but his poor draftsmanship with human figures caused him to abandon these efforts. Eventually he settled on the image we know as Starry Night, truly one of his most enduring works.
There it is. Good to be back!
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Back in UK
I am home. The flight was on schedule, arrived at seven and I was home at about eight-fifteen. I got through Customs and Passport Control in record time, too.
It was a good holiday and I'm well browned off!
Don't tell me the Met Office is predicting 7c next week.
Corralejo: XI
Yesterday was spent at El Cotillo beach. We Belmonts generally tan easily, though I have been caught out on this occasion with the old sun and wind. I am minded to buy fresh sun cream and after-sun cream when I arrive at a resort, in future, rather than bringing it in the hand luggage.
Hand luggage regulations permit only 100 ml of liquids in any one bottle at present. The stuff adds to the weight of one's baggage, too.
Well I enjoyed another great meal at The Temple last night. With the old nose-bag neatly affixed, Timothy tucked in to a hearty dinner consisting of slowly-cooked lamb shoulder and vegetables, followed by home-made cheesecake with fruits of the forest.
John's brother Michael joined me and we had a decent chin-wag during our nosh-up. John is driving us both to the airport. Incidentally, Michael had The Temple's sirloin steak, reputedly the best of its kind in the resort.
The chef, Colin, is a veritable master of the culinary taste-buds. I am minded to write a separate article about The Temple later.
Corralejo: X
Timothy Belmont has been lying doggo for the last few days. It has been overcast, though with sunny intervals. Today seems more promising.
Have any readers viewed Julian Fellowes' latest blockbuster, Titanic? What is your verdict? Hit or flop?
I see that Lord Fellowes has been in Belfast, at the brand new Titanic Belfast complex.
Titanic Belfast has cost more than £90m and tells of the building of the liner to her maiden voyage from Southampton and her tragic end.
It is the largest and most expensive tribute to the Titanic in the world and taken three years to build.It will be opened on March 31st by the Province's First Minister, Rt Hon Peter Robinson MLA.
The attraction is expecting 425,000 people to visit in the first year.
Nine galleries chart the story of Titanic. The first starts with life in Belfast in the early 1900s. The next with many interactive and audio-visual affects charts the building of the ship.
Visitors then look at life on board with reconstructions of first, second and third class (steerage) passengers.
Areas also cover the departure from Southampton of Titanic through to the collision with the iceberg.
Trips end with a look at the recent dives to the wreck and the latest pictures from the site two miles below the sea.
Crom Becomes Blandings
A few readers have told me about a new BBC production filming at Crom in County Fermanagh, ancestral seat of the Earls of Erne.
The Victorian mansion has been transformed in recent days, as filming gets under way for the BBC production Blandings, starring Jennifer Saunders and Timothy Spall OBE.
Northern Ireland Screen has collaborated with the Corporation in the production.
The tranquil and picturesque settings of Lough Erne are providing the perfect backdrop for the TV show, based on the work of Sir Pelham G Wodehouse KBE.
Wodehouse wrote several stories about a fictional estate called Blandings Castle.
Timothy Spall plays Clarence, 9th Earl of Emsworth, while Saunders – known for her role in Absolutely Fabulous – will star as his formidable sister, Lady Constance Keeble.
Filming for the series, set in 1929, began on Monday, 26th March, 2012, and is expected to last for the next six weeks.
The manager of Crom Castle, Noel Johnston, said it was an “honour” that producers had selected the location for such a high-profile venture.
He confirmed it was the first time the venue had been used for such a “huge” project, having primarily only played host to numerous weddings in the past.
Mr Johnston said:
“We are delighted that they chose Northern Ireland. For star actors and actresses to come to Crom is an amazing thing. It is a huge boost for Fermanagh. The spin-off from it is going to be huge I would imagine.The whole county is buzzing and loads of people have been cast as extras.”
An open casting day for extras was held in Enniskillen earlier this month.
Mr Johnston said he first became aware of interest in Crom estate last summer. He said:
“We got a phone call asking could the producers come and look at it. They just fell in love with the place. They couldn’t believe it. Nothing was confirmed until January when we received the news that we got it.”
While Crom estate belongs to the National Trust, the Castle itself is the seat of Lord and Lady Erne.
Mr Johnston insisted, despite the obvious disruption, that the Ernes were “more than happy” to facilitate filming on their front doorstep.
Given the recent spell of good weather, he added that the crew and cast – totalling more than 100 people – had chosen perfect timing to begin filming in the Ulster Lakeland.
The cast are also expected to record various scenes at other locations in County Fermanagh.
Speaking ahead of filming, writer Guy Andrews described Blandings Castle as “dysfunction junction, the home of a chaotic family struggling to keep itself in order”.
Blandings is expected to be aired on BBC television in the autumn.
Labels: Country Houses
Corralejo: IX
John, the owner of The Temple restaurant in Corralejo, kindly offered me a lift to the airport when I depart. His brother happens to be travelling back to Belfast on the same flight.
I had their Mexican Fajitas last night, nose-bag firmly affixed, followed closely by their sublime cheesecake which, had I a ruler, must have measured three or four inches in depth.
The buses here are Mercedes-Benz. Passenger seats all have seat-belts and arm-rests.
They are fully automatic, with six gears, air-conditioning and all mod-cons.
Curiously, I wondered why they have a cigarette lighter at the driver's console, given that smoking on the bus is not permitted. Ought they not to be discouraging drivers from smoking?
Returning from El Cotillo to Corralejo, the driver was cruising along at up to 100 kph, whatever that is in mph.
Corralejo: VIII
One of my most loyal readers, Mad Pierre, apprises me that the UK, and Northern Ireland in particular, has been enjoying halcyon conditions for the time of year.
Oh, that it would last till the noble earl returns!
Readers and residents of the Exempt Jurisdiction of the Earldom of Belmont, be urged to make the most of what might prove to be Ulster's "summer".
I jest, by the way. Some of you might be glad to know that it was cool here yesterday evening and everybody wore coats or jumpers.
Labels: Holidays , Humour
Corralejo:VII
Another day at El Cotillo beach, though windy and more sand-blasting. Exfoliation!
I ate again at The Temple last night. The diligence of the staff there is exemplary and there are a mere four of them: John, the proprietor; Peter, the head waiter; Colin, the chef; and an assistant.
I fancied the roast chicken dinner last night. The Deal was a starter and main meal for €10, so I had the ham and cheese quiche slice (I cannot recall what they called it), followed by the chicken, consisting of several slices of chicken breast; a small disc of stuffing; creamed potato; a roast potato; a Yorkshire pudding; rich gravy; and a side dish consisting of peas, carrot slices and cabbage.
Timothy Belmont generally eats whatever he likes, so I will happily partake of Tapas, though I shan't have the likes of mussel, limpet, sea cucumber, oyster, winkle etc. Prawn, lobster, crab and the like are all fine, minus their shells.
The Canarian clocks went forward an hour yesterday, so the sun is rising now.
Corralejo: VI
I jumped onto the local bus today and travelled the forty minute journey - via a few villages - to El Cotillo. First port-of-call was El Goloso, a village patisserie.They happen to have another branch in Puerto del Rosario, too.
Ha! A gorgeous French tart was gazing fondly at me from behind the counter, a spectacle which Timothy Belmont found irresistible.
Thus, with the tart in hand and a freshly-squeezed orange juice, I took a table in this rustic and popular establishment.
The tart - more of a tartlet, really - was diminutive and crammed with four fruits, including grape, strawberry and some star-shaped affair.
Later I strode onwards to the beach and found a sunny, sheltered spot. This was my best day yet. After a fruit lunch, I ambled over to La Concha bar-restaurant, formerly Torino's, where I indulged in a modest refresher, viz. Bacardi and Coke.
This evening I have received an invitation to the first anniversary of the Kactus Cafe in the resort.
Corralejo: V
By Jove, it was windy today. I was well sand-blasted on the beach, to the extent that I got up and left after a while.
A number of establishments in Corralejo are struggling to survive, I am reliably informed, to the extent that one or two are going to cease trading imminently. Castaways, a bar on the sea-front, apparently closes down in April.
I gather the weather back at home is good, is it?
Corralejo: IV+
Whilst exercising the trusty gnashers at The Temple last night, I enquired as to an appropriate establishment where I might meet some convivial female company of a not dissimilar age-group to self (keep rocking, Ronnie Wood!); viz, an agreeable bar of some sort.
I was advised to try The Rogues' Gallery or Robin's Nest. the latter being en route to the temporary Belmont GHQ, so I paid it a visit.
Now this is indeed an unpretentious, cosy enough English pub and, you've guessed it, the publican's name was Robin.
I'd already had my quota of gins for the evening, so I ordered a tonic-water, which Robin duly poured out of a large bottle.
Gazing round the establishment, I noted no ladies of particular note, apart from three silver-haired pensioners enjoying themselves in a corner.
Timothy Belmont, cognizant that he is no spring chicken, is, nonetheless, youthful and vigorous enough when required. Most of the clientele were senior citizens or couples; an ancient version of Chris Rea was churning out the old Numbers on an equally ancient guitar, and crooning for good measure.
Hence, dear readers, you get the picture. No joy for Timothy there. I decided I'd had enough after a while and took my leave.
Corralejo: IV
Fool, Belmont! I decanted what I believed to be Factor 15 or 20 into a 100ml bottle for the hand luggage; and, despite slapping the stuff liberally on the estimable Belmont figure, I have suffered a degree of sun-burn.
I was compelled to buy a bottle of Aftersun yesterday, since the stuff I brought with me was considerably depleted.
Never mind, all is fair and well in the Belmont household. I revisited The Temple last night, feeling an urge to get the trusty gnashers into their well-known slow-cooked lamb shoulder, though another party had eaten the lot; so I donned the nose-bag for the Fillet of Beef Rossini instead.
Methinks I shall stay out of the sun's full glare for a while.
Killynether Dinghy
This is the hand-crafted little boat that Bruce created from hazel coppices at Killynether Wood, a property of the National Trust and a spot I have frequented many times.
Is it a coracle or a curragh? Do tell.
Labels: The National Trust
Corralejo: III+
Timothy Belmont has succumbed to Temptation and is sipping a Bombay Sapphire and tonic at a little cafe-bar with two cheerful young ladies running the joint, friendly service and wi-fi. Wi-fi is not hard to find here, in Corralejo.
I have Joy In The Morning, by PG Wodehouse, with me.
I am endeavouring to stay out of the sun's full glare today, having overdone it a touch yesterday. Ha!
Corralejo: III
Well, dear readers, I lazed on the beautiful grand beach, south of Corralejo, yesterday. It has been breezy and the sea was choppy.
Yesterday evening I walked to the Kactus tapas and cocktail bar, where I was was greeted by the lovely, charming young couple who own it. I had my usual Tanqueray and tonic, served with large ice-cubes, a thick slice of lemon, in a tumbler.
It has been a touch cooler in the evenings, so I wore my striped shirt with a fine woolen v-neck sweater draped over my shoulder.
Corralejo: II
I had a terrific meal at the Temple Restaurant in Corralejo last night: Quail's eggs with Camambert cheese and salad; a very good cod-fish with home-made thick-cut chips.
The proprietor John is originally from Belfast and knows what his diners like. Service is excellent. They were heavily booked last night, though I'd reserved a table, so they greeted me like an old friend, given that I have eaten there before.
Earlier I met the Athlone couple at a beach bar called Waikiki Beach, which, incidentally, had some very pretty waitresses. Ann-Marie told me I didn't look my age! How delightful.
Corralejo: I
At last I have an Internet connection! Amen. Well, readers, Timothy Belmont is far from the madding crowd - or, rather, with another madding corwd - in the Canary Islands.
I arrived yesterday. The weather has been cloudy, though agreeable enough - gives one time to acclimatize, don't you know.
I met a nice cultured couple from Athlone, who happen to have been on the island for a month. We are meeting today at luch-time in an establishment called Waikiki Beach.
I sang for my adoring fans at a Karaoke bar last night (!).
I am away and shall report back later..
Prince Philip at Hillsborough
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh today met one hundred Duke of Edinburgh Award winners at a ceremony in Hillsborough Castle, County Down.
Upon arrival, HRH was greeted by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of County Down, Mrs Fionnuala Cook OBE DL, and went on to meet Mrs Ann Mackie, Sheriff for County Down and Ms Kate Thompson, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Director, Northern Ireland.
In the Drawing Room Prince Philip met Ms Karen Carson, Room Steward,, Mr Edwin Parks, Deputy Room Steward, and Group Marshall Heather Best. HRH had the opportunity to chat with approximately forty Gold Award recipients, their families and friends.
In the Small Dining Room His Royal Highness accepted an invitation to present Operating Authority Licence Certificates to the following organisations: Queen’s University Belfast, Officer Training Corps, Northern Ireland Church Lads and Church Girls’ Brigade, Scout Council for Northern Ireland, the Royal School Armagh and the Probation Board for Northern Ireland.
HRH was invited by Ms Thompson to present gifts of a Certificate and a Photo-book to recently retired DoE office holders Mr Gordon Topping OBE, retired Chairman, Northern Ireland Ambassador Network and Mr Brian Dillon, retired DoE Manager, North Eastern Education and Library Board.
Prior to lunch Prince Philip also met Dr Robson Davison, Chairman, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Northern Ireland Ambassador Network and a number of current and recently retired members of the Ambassador Network and Funders.
Before departure HRH signed the visitors’ book bringing the engagement to a close.
Royal Pageant
ARTIST'S IMPRESSION OF THE ROYAL ROWBARGE, GLORIANA
The Daily Telegraph reports,
It's going to be the biggest royal event on London's river in decades, possibly centuries: on Sunday June 3 more than 1,000 vessels will leave Battersea for the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, a stately progress downriver to Tower Bridge.
Ten groups of boats – including the 88ft rowing barge Gloriana, the "Little Ships" of Dunkirk and the replica Golden Hinde – will be led by music herald barges. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, on the royal barge The Spirit of Chartwell, will be in the third group.
All bridges will close to the public, so spectators will need to decide whether to watch from the north bank or the south, just as they did in medieval times, when the only way of crossing – bar London Bridge – was to be ferried by a waterman.
Londoners of those days would have been used to seeing the royal barge being rowed between Richmond, Westminster and the Tower; the river was a quicker thoroughfare than the appallingly congested streets.
Times have changed. The Queen and Prince Philip are unlikely to see bloated rats and cow carcases floating in the water. Instead of busy wharves, the modern river is lined with open spaces, cafés, bars, restaurants, hotels and galleries.
The excellent Thames Path runs along both banks and half the route can be seen from Victoria and Albert Embankments, both with huge pavements and walls to lean on.
Go, Fatso!
Oh dear, our larger police officers are going to be persecuted. A new review has advised that all police officers (would this apply to Northern Ireland police officers?) should be required to take an annual fitness test; failure resulting in a pay cut.
Those who fail the test three times should be subject to disciplinary procedures and a pay cut.
Chief constables should be able to make any officer redundant as part of budget cuts, ending the prospect of a job for life, the report said.
"... the public will be surprised that after passing a fitness test at the point of entry, except in special units like firearms, physical fitness is not tested again in a 30, 35-year career."
An initial annual test requiring officers to reach level 5:4 on the bleep test should be brought in by September next year, he said.
This is equivalent to an average speed of 8.8kph (5.5mph) for three minutes 35 seconds, he said.
But this should get tougher by September 2018, along similar lines to the test currently used in Northern Ireland.
This includes climbing over walls and pulling bodies and was designed to reflect situations which "police officers do and can become involved in".
Suffice it to say that Timothy Belmont concurs with the findings.
Labels: Humour
In the United Kingdom, the Lord Mayors of London and York have been styled "The Right Honourable" since time immemorial.
Other Lord Mayors are thus styled only when granted this privilege by the sovereign: These are Belfast and Cardiff. The remainder are styled "The Right Worshipful".
Therefore, the Lord Mayor of Armagh is styled "The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Armagh".
The Lord Mayor of Belfast has been accorded the prefix "Right Honourable" because he, or she, is accorded ex officio the rank of baron - not privy counsellor.
This rank was conferred upon the Lord Mayor of Belfast by GEORGE V in March, 1923.
In the Irish Republic the posts of Lord Mayor of Dublin (granted under the kingdom of Ireland) and Lord Mayor of Cork (granted when this city was part of the UK) still exist.
Lord Mayoralty Conferral
The City of Armagh will from now on have a Lord Mayor. Many congratulations indeed.
The conferral has been made by HM The Queen on advice from the Deputy Prime Minister and Lord President of the Privy Council, the Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP.
The award of city status or a Lord Mayoralty is an honour bestowed by the sovereign only on rare occasions.
The decision to award a Lord Mayoralty in Northern Ireland was made in recognition of the significance of every part of the United Kingdom in the Diamond Jubilee year; and reflects the high quality of the bids submitted.
The Deputy Prime Minister said:
“Congratulations to Armagh, Chelmsford, Perth and St Asaph who have been granted these rare honours from a field of exceptional entrants. Across the United Kingdom, I have been moved by the pride and passion which people have shown in putting their nominations forward.”
“The standard of application was very high, and those who missed out should not be downhearted. I hope the competition has given the residents of all of the places which applied a sense of civic pride, of collective ownership and of community spirit.”
Her Majesty will formally confer the Lord Mayoralty by Letters Patent in due course.
The conferral of Lord Mayoralty is purely honorific and bestows no additional powers, functions or funding.
The last civic honours competition was held in 2002 to mark the Golden Jubilee when Preston, Stirling, Newport, Lisburn and Newry were awarded city status and Exeter was awarded a Lord Mayoralty.
The Deramore Oak
The Woodland Trust has published a fascinating article about Belvoir Park at Newtownbreda, Belfast:-
The estate of Belvoir was created in the 1730s, though we know from records of 1625 that there were already trees in these townlands at the time.
The oldest oak so far found in Northern Ireland is at Belvoir, and has been dated to 1642 using dendrochronology, a form of analysis carried out by counting the rings within the tree’s trunk which indicate seasonal growth patterns.
Measurement of trees at Belvoir found 270 trees with a girth of three metres or greater, nearly half of which were oaks.
Belvoir also boasts a stump of around 8.5 metres [28 feet] girth, the remains of the Great Oak or Deramore Oak (a name meaning ‘big oak’), from which Lord Deramore, who owned Belvoir in the late 19th century, is thought to have taken his title.
While this tree is sadly no more, its name has been transferred to another of the park’s mighty trees.
Genetic analysis of the old oaks at Belvoir has shown them to be very like native oaks found in old woods such as Breen, in Co Antrim, suggesting that they are of native stock rather than introduced.
In the woodland and parkland at Belvoir you might catch a glimpse of red squirrels, and it is also a good site for fungi enthusiasts.
The ancient oaks rub shoulders with more recent plantations, and there are also a 12th century Norman motte, a ruined graveyard dating back to at least the 15th century, and the remnants of the former estate buildings.
Contented Lawson
Cordial congratulations and best wishes to Nigel Lawson, who has spoken of his “happy” relationship with an Oxford University academic who is 37 years his junior. I am pleased for him.
Lady Thatcher’s former Chancellor of the Exchequer admitted he was lucky to have met Tina Jennings, a multi-millionaire’s ex-wife, when she attended a lecture he gave on economic policy.
The Rt Hon the Lord Lawson of Blaby PC, 80, told the Evening Standard:
“Yes, she is a lot younger, but she’s, what, 43, with three children, two of them teenagers, so she’s a fully mature person. We live separately, of course. She has her life, her job in Oxford, and two of her children are at school in Oxford – so we live separately. When I have to travel, we often travel together. But we’ve been together for just over a year and, touch wood, I’m a lucky man.”
Portavo Day
I have spent most of the day planting trees at the National Trust's new wood beside Portavo reservoir. Thank heaven it was fine and sunny intervals. There were about seven of us.
We managed to get 1,000 saplings planted today; and we erected two bird-boxes on telegraph poles in the middle of the field.
Portavo House, the new mansion which has been built on the hill amidst dense woodland, is 12,000 square feet in size; its owners, the Tughan family.
It is impossible to see the house from ground level or, at least, from the main Groomsport-Donaghadee Road.
I called at Jollye's for a sack of nyjer seeds on the way home, which set me back £35. That ought to keep my wild goldfinches happy.
UK Tourism
Forget about so-called "Tourism Ireland" nonsense and their squandering of our hard-earned cash. Shame on those politicians in the NI Assembly who support it.
Here is the best television advertising campaign, to encourage us to holiday at home, sponsored by the four tourist boards of the UK.
It begins with Stephen Fry and continues in various parts of the country. The Downton Abbey actress Michelle Dockery is featured at the Giant's Causeway in County Antrim.
The £5m campaign is being led by VisitEngland with the support of the tourist boards of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Fry asks the viewer "Why on earth" anyone would want to go abroad in 2012 while Walters attends a garden party in the Cotswolds.
Despicable Road Humps
The Earldom is being overrun with so-called road humps or ramps. What a confounded nuisance, especially for those of us who drive within the legal limit on urban roads.
The Bureaucrats have deemed it appropriate that our roads be made even worse with these monstrosities, courtesy of gypsies on behalf of the roads disservice.
Who wants them?
Certain politicians and bureaucrats wilfully ruin urban roads with these uneven surfaces (their condition is poor enough, anyway).
Lord Belmont will be amongst the first in the queue at Castle Place to horse-whip the culprits. Let us line them up and treat them to six of the best, each.
Does the European Union have any say in this matter?
Princess Anne in Co Down
Wednesday, 7th March, 2012
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal viewed the SOS Bus and attended a reception for volunteers and sponsors at Hillsborough Castle, County Down. Upon arrival HRH was greeted by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of County Down, Mrs Fionnuala Cook OBE DL.
Later, in the Throne Room of the Castle, Princess Anne met a number of Funders and Suppliers associated with the SOS Bus. HRH also met a number of Team Leaders and Volunteers who staff the SOS Bus on a regular basis.
Mr Stephen Kingon, Chairman, SOS Bus Northern Ireland, said a few words and presented Her Royal Highness with a gift of a specially commissioned piece of Halcyon Days pottery, before inviting HRH to sign the SOS Bus visitors’ book.
Prior to bidding farewell, The Princess Royal also signed the Hillsborough Castle visitors’ book.
The Princess Royal later attended the “Innovation in Practice” Occupational Therapy Conference, Parliament Buildings, Belfast. Upon arrival HRH was greeted by the Speaker, Northern Ireland Assembly, Mr William Hay MLA.
Accompanied by the Speaker and proceeding to the Members’ Dining Room, Princess Anne met Mr Edwin Poots MLA, Health Minister; Naomi Hankinson, Chairman of Council, British Association and College of Occupational Therapists; Julia Scott, Chief Executive, College of Occupational Therapists; Liz McNabney, Chairman, Occupational Therapy Managers’ Forum, Northern Ireland; and Carolyn Maxwell, Chairman of the NI Board of the College of Occupational Therapists.
Moving to the Private Dining Room, HRH was invited by the Speaker to sign the visitors’ book. The Princess Royal then joined the Conference in the Long Gallery and heard Mr Edwin Poots MLA and Mrs Liz McNabney address the Conference before Her Royal Highness addressed the Conference.
Departing for the final engagement, HRH attended the “Project 500: Public Libraries as Science Learning Environments at Holywood Library, County Down. Upon arrival Princess Anne was greeted by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of County Down, Mrs Fionnuala Cook OBE DL.
Moving inside and accompanied by Irene Knox, Chief Executive Libraries NI, HRH met invited guests representing the Queen’s University of Belfast, Sullivan Upper School and Priory Integrated College, Libraries NI Board members and Libraries NI staff.
In the main Library, HRH met Valerie Christie, Children’s Services Manager, Libraries NI; Dr Ruth Jarman, Co-Director Project 500; Dr Joy Alexander, Co-Director, Project 500; and Sue McGrath, Director, Science2Life.
The Princess Royal went on to meet the pupils and teachers of Sullivan Upper School and Priory Integrated College.
Ms Knox thanked Her Royal Highness for visiting Holywood Library, before inviting the pupils Natasha Smith, Priory Integrated College, and Peter Adams, Sullivan Upper School, to present HRH with gifts of two books.
The Princess Royal was invited to sign the visitors’ book, bringing the one day of engagements in Northern Ireland to a close.
Order of the British Empire Service
PICTURES:GEOFF PUGH
Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh led worshippers at a special service of dedication and thanks for the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Around 2,000 people holding the honour filled St Paul's Cathedral, where they made an act of personal dedication led by the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev and Rt Hon Dr Richard Chartres KCVO.
The Queen, who was wearing a full-length red state dress and the sovereign's mantle of the Order of the British Empire, entered the cathedral before the start of the service with Prince Philip using the Dean's Door - with an internal staircase - on the south side rather than the famous West Door.
The Order was founded in 1917 by GEORGE V with the motto For God and the Empire, and has more than 100,000 members throughout the world.
The Order recognises distinguished service to the arts and sciences, public services outside the Civil Service and work with charitable and welfare organisations of all kinds.
Senior public figures with the ranks of Knights and Dames Grand Cross (GBE) took part in a procession at the start of the service, including the Governor of the Bank of England, Professor Sir Mervyn King GBE, former president of the High Court Family Division, the Baroness Butler-Sloss GBE PC and the first Speaker of the House of Lords, the Baroness Hayman GBE PC.
Sir Ronnie Flanagan GBE QPM, former Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, is a Knight Grand Cross of the Order.
Labels: Honours
Princess Royal in NI
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has arrived in the Province for a series of engagements.
Princess Anne's visit began at the Pony Club's national conference at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. HRH has been Royal Patron of the club since 2009.
The Princess Royal was greeted by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast, Sir Nigel Hamilton KCB DL, and later addressed 350 delegates inside the hall.
In Northern Ireland, the Pony Club has eleven branches with 981 members.
HRH listened to a number of presentations - which gave insight into life as a Pony Club member.
Ormiston Planning Permission
The BBC reports that planning permission has been granted to convert Ormiston House into apartments.
Ormiston, a listed 19th century building in east Belfast, cost the assembly £9m in 2001; it went on the market in 2011 with an asking price of just £2.5m.
The granting of planning permission makes a sale much more likely.
The planning permission will allow the house, its gatehouse and mews to be converted into eleven apartments.
In addition a new block of twenty apartments will be built in the grounds.
The planning application is due to be discussed by Belfast City Council's planning committee this week.The assembly bought the property in 2001 from the Police Authority, the predecessor of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
It was purchased with the aim of providing offices to ease space pressure in nearby Parliament Buildings. However, the assembly came up against planning hurdles for the site, and was unable to secure approvals for proposed office use and previous apartment developments.
It has been largely unused but has run up security and maintenance costs of more than £1m.
The property was previously owned by the shipbuilder Sir Edward Harland Bt who remained there until 1887, when it was acquired by his business partner William, later 1st Viscount Pirrie, who later became the chairman of Harland & Wolff.
Shortly after Lord Pirrie's death in 1924, Harland & Wolff came into sole ownership of the property, selling it in 1928 to Campbell College, which held it until the mid-1970s.
Newtownards Visit
I was at Newtownards in County Down today, the first time for quite a few months. I lunched at Knott's, where I tucked in to braised beef with mashed potatoes, carrot and cabbage. I always enjoy lunch there.
Afterwards I ambled past the Georgian town hall (top), erstwhile market-house. It was erected in 1770 by Robert Stewart Esq, later 1st Marquess of Londonderry.
Its designer was Ferdinando Stratford and it was regarded as the finest market-house in Ulster.
Nomadic Walk
SS Nomadic is looking very well indeed today, 4th March, 2012.
The superstructure appears to be complete and the ship has been painted recently.
This is the last White Star Line vessel afloat in the world and is directly linked to RMS Titanic. Built alongside Olympic and Titanic in Belfast, during 1910/11 at Harland & Wolff, she was designed with one purpose in mind: to carry 1st and 2nd class passengers out to the three 'Olympic' class liners, RMS Olympic, Titanic and Britannic.
These huge vessels were too large to moor alongside the dock in Cherbourg, so they laid anchor out in the harbour and passengers were taken out by Nomadic and her smaller sister 'Traffic'. More importantly, some of her interior fixtures and fittings are identical as those on the famous liners and were made and installed by the same craftsmen.
Nomadic served in both World Wars, then returned to her original duties and continued in service until November 1968 when she ferried passengers out to Cunard's Queen Elizabeth for the last time. Bought by a French businessman, she was converted into a floating restaurant and moored just opposite the Eiffel Tower, Paris from the early 1970s until 1999 when she was forced to close due to legislation change by the Paris port authorities.
In January 2006, Nomadic was purchased at auction by the Northern Ireland Department for Social Development, who returned her to Belfast.
At the beginning of August 2009 Nomadic returned to her birthplace at the Hamilton Dock to undergo restoration.
Labels: Walks
Sweet Vengeance
I RECEIVED A JOCULAR EMAIL FROM A GOOD PAL THE OTHER DAY. I AM UNABLE TO RESIST POSTING IT ON THE BLOG
SPARE A THOUGHT for Michael O'Leary, Chief Executive of 'Ryanair'...
Arriving in a hotel in Dublin, he went to the bar and asked for a pint of draught Guinness. The barman nodded and said, "That will be 1 Euro please, Mr. O'Leary."
Somewhat taken aback, O'Leary replied, "That's very cheap," and handed over his money.
"Well, we try to stay ahead of the competition", said the barman. "And we are serving free pints every Wednesday evening from 6 until 8. We have the cheapest beer in Ireland".
"That is remarkable value" Michael comments
"I see you don't seem to have a glass, so you'll probably need one of ours. That will be 3 Euro please."
O'Leary scowled, but paid up. He took his drink and walked towards a seat.
"Ah, you want to sit down?" said the barman. "That'll be an extra 2 Euro. - You could have pre-book the seat, and it would have only cost you 1 Euro. But I think you may to be too big for the seat sir, can I ask you to sit in this frame please"
Michael attempts to sit down but the frame is too small and when he can't squeeze in he complains "Nobody would fit in that little frame".
"I'm afraid if you can't fit in the frame you'll have to pay an extra surcharge of 4.00 Euro for your seat sir".
O'Leary swore to himself, but paid up. "I see that you have brought your laptop with you" added the barman. "And since that wasn't pre-booked either, that will be another 3 Euro."
O'Leary was so annoyed that he walked back to the bar, slammed his drink on the counter, and yelled, "This is ridiculous, I want to speak to the manager".
"Ah, I see you want to use the counter," says the barman, "that will be 2 Euro please."
O'Leary's face was red with rage. "Do you know who I am?"
"Of course I do Mr. O'Leary,"
"I've had enough, What sort of Hotel is this? I come in for a quiet drink and you treat me like this. I insist on speaking to a manager!"
"Here is his E mail address, or if you wish, you can contact him between 9 and 9.10 every morning, Monday to Tuesday at this free phone number. Calls are free, until they are answered, then there is a talking charge of only 10 cent per second"
"I will never use this bar again"
"OK sir, but remember, we are the only hotel in Ireland selling pints for one Euro".
Tree Day
Sometimes I get a feeling that tree roots are beginning to sprout from my fingers. Ha! We got another 750 trees planted today at the National Trust's new wood between Portavo and Orlock. There were between five and eight of us.
Saplings included, oak, ash, rowan, hawthorn and Scots pine.
So far we have planted about 5,000 trees out of the total of 8,000. Not bad, considering our finite numbers and limited resources.
It was really fine today, when the sun shone. I had my usual cheese and onion sandwiches, washed down with château Punjana. Ron, were those more sardines I sniffed? Methinks metamorphosis from homo sapiens to sardine.
Ron and I shared a little joke, as to whether I'd be able to remember all the different species of trees planted.
Five out of five, then?
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Matt Nathanson Hits The Road Making “All Night Noise”
posted by Unknown | Monday, October 24, 2011 | 9:45 AM
Matt Nathanson is more than just a pretty face…but let’s be honest, that pretty face doesn’t hurt at all.
Following up the break-out success of 2007’s Some Mad Hope, Matt’s latest release, Modern Love, has solidified him as the singer/songerwriter-dude who can craft a hit. Digging deeper into his musical influences, Modern Love, hits a whole new level of infectious, catchy, and well-done song craft.
With his hit “Faster” all over the radio, Matt is on the road, crossing the country with his headlining “All Night Noise” tour. His live shows are ridiculous in a good way: wild, energetic, and occasionally hilarious, as he's not necessarily known for his ability to self-censure but always hitting high marks in musicianship and quality performances.
On October 29th, Matt makes a stop in Los Angeles at the famed Wiltern, but before and after that, check the dates below to catch a musical ride with the “All Night Noise” tour.
All Night Noise Tour Dates:
10/21 Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Sound
10/22 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
10/23 Portland, OR @ Music Millennium (In-Store Performance & Signing)
10/23 Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
10/25 Vancouver, BC @ Venue OR Commodore
10/28 Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
10/29 Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern
10/30 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
10/31 Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee
11/2 Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
11/4 Birmingham, AL @ The Backroom @ Workplay
11/5 Nashville, TN @ The Cannery Ballroom
Labels: music, news, tour
Download Black Box Revelation's New EP "Shiver of Joy"
posted by Unknown | Tuesday, October 4, 2011 | 4:42 PM
Ever heard of The Black Box Revelation? Well, you should. A bluesy, garage rock duo who…well, just call them Belgium’s answer to The Black Keys. Such a sound is a lot for only two to bear but Jan Paternoster and Deis Van Dijck make a hell of a noise that's retro yet modern, and prone to making you dance. Thick on riffs and thudding percussion, they’re young guns, but extremely well armed with dark and catchy hooks and occasional stretches in the music where you may think someone’s got Led Zeppelin on the brain.
In advance of hitting your brain with their forthcoming full-length LP, My Perception, the Belgians have just dropped the free EP Shiver of Joy, a sharp and riff-heavy collection of b-sides solid enough to have made the album cut.
Download this puppy right HERE and enjoy this rock solid arrival on the scene. And if you happen to be in Los Angeles this week, you can catch the lads on October 3rd & 4th at Filter Magazine's Culture Collide Festival.
Labels: ep review, free music, music
In The Studio: The Return of Garbage
posted by Unknown | Monday, October 3, 2011 | 3:47 PM
Garbage is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on their fifth studio album and their first in seven years. Shirley Manson (vocals, guitar), Steve Marker (guitars, keyboards), Duke Erikson (guitars, keyboards) and Butch Vig (drums, loops) are recording the album in a basement in the Atwater Village area of Los Angeles, CA, the first to be recorded outside of Madison, WI. The still untitled album is scheduled for release in Spring 2012, and is being produced by Garbage, engineered by Billy Bush, and mixed by Butch Vig and Billy Bush.
"Years-worth of pent-up music came out in some bizarre ways- bleary cell phone memos became real songs, conversations turned into lyrics, and new computer gizmos inspired wicked tangents," said the members of Garbage. "Ghosts came in, had their say. Everyone brought ideas, and everyone fought their corner. At the end of the day it all gets shoved through the four-way brain filter that is Garbage and it ends up sounding like nobody else. Red feathers and black tar."
Even though it's been seven years, there hasn't been a female-fronted band since that has matched their inimitable sound, brashness and energy. Now free of all their corporate obligations, the band has been able to start again with a clean slate on their own terms. They add, "We are making a record filled with the music we love to hear. The new songs have been inspired more by what we haven't been hearing rather than by what we have."
After forming in Madison, WI, Garbage released their self-titled debut album in 1995 and rode a wave of visually arresting, female-fronted alternative rock bands. The album spawned the hit singles "Stupid Girl" and "Only Happy When It Rains" and was certified double platinum in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Their second album, Garbage 2.0, was nominated for two Grammy Awards including Album of the Year and Best Rock Album. 2001's Beautiful Garbage was named one of Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 10 Albums Of The Year. In 2005, Garbage released Bleed Like Me, earning the band it's highest chart position with a No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. In 2007, the band released a retrospective collection called Absolute Garbage. Garbage has sold over 12 million albums worldwide.
Labels: music, new album, news
Goo Goo Dolls Announce New Fall Tour Dates
Having wrapped a three-month summer tour in support of their current album Something For The Rest Of Us, The Goo Goo Dolls have announced that they will continue touring through the fall, launching a new string of dates on October 12th in Milwaukee. Tickets go on-sale this week, so check out www.googoodolls.com/tour for more information.
In other Goos news, the band's blockbuster single "Iris" has soared to No. 1 on the U.K. iTunes chart after being performed by two finalists on the British edition of The X Factor. In addition, the band's Greatest Hits album re-entered the chart at No. 18. "Iris" has been a steady seller in Great Britain since its original release in 1998, enjoying more than 433,000 in sales, and racking up more than 30 million views on YouTube. The song is expected to top the U.K. Singles chart this weekend, which would be its highest chart position ever.
"I love the fact that young artists are inspired to sing this song. It opened a lot of doors for us," says Rzeznik. "To see it hit No. 1 in the U.K. and connect with a growing new audience is cool."
Finally, the band, which is singer-guitarist Johnny Rzeznik, bassist Robby Takac, and drummer Mike Malinin, has just recorded a brand-new song, entitled "The Best Of Me," which will be heard on an upcoming episode of CBS's hit remake of Hawaii Five-O, as well as on a soon-to-be released soundtrack album.
The Goo Goo Dolls upcoming tour dates are as follows. Ryan Star supports on all dates except for those starred.
10/12- Milwaukee, WI, Pabst Theater
10/15- Chicago, IL, Mix Second Chance Homecoming*
10/16- Morgantown, WV, Morgantown Event Center
10/17- Nashville, TN, Ryman Auditorium
10/19- Ithaca, NY, State Theater
10/21- Utica, NY, Stanley Performing Arts Center
10/22- Hampton Beach, NH, Hampton Beach Casino
10/23- Torrington, CT, Warner Theater
10/25- Williamsport, PA, Williamsport Community Arts Center
10/26- Charlottesville, VA, John Paul Jones Arena
10/27- Greensboro, NC, Carolina Theatre
10/29- Lake Charles, LA, L'Auberge du Lac Hotel & Casino*
10/30- Tupelo, MS, BancorpSouth Arena
11/02- Fort Myers, FL, Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
11/04- Gainesville, FL, Gator Growl*
11/05- Melbourne, FL, King Center for the Performing Arts
11/07- Richmond, VA, The National
11/08- Reading, PA, Sovereign Performing Arts Center
11/09- Wilmington, DE, Grand Opera House
11/11- Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theater
11/12- Huntington, NY, The Paramount
11/13- Erie, PA, Warner Theater
Hey Bands! Come Open For Us, Signed Yelle.
posted by Unknown | Monday, September 26, 2011 | 8:48 PM
For all the musicians out there who have ever seen an opening act at a live show and thought they could do better, now is your chance to prove your skills! French electro-popsters, Yelle, is launching a contest to find an opening act for each of their upcoming shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and New York. If you think you have what it takes to share the stage with Yelle, send some music and info about yourself to yelle.contest@gmail.com.
The dance-pop trio also enlisted London-based producer Second Date (a.k.a. Henry Birkbeck) to remix “Comme Un Enfant,” off their latest album Safari Disco Club (V2/Cooperative Music USA/Downtown Records). His production places emphasis on intricate beats, warm bass, poppy vocals and arpeggiating piano - the latter of which has become Second Date's trademark.
Yelle have also released a trailer for the upcoming worldwide Safari Disco Tour;- watch it and get ready to dance the night away in a city near you!
Yelle US Tour Dates:
11/10: Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern
11/12: San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine
12/02: Miami, FL @ Fillmore
12/03: Orlando, FL @ Social
12/04: Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits
12/05: Atlanta, GA @ Loft
12/07: Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
12/08: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
12/09: Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall
12/10: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
UK Soul Ambassadors The New Mastersounds Announce the Breaks from the Border Tour
posted by Unknown | Thursday, September 22, 2011 | 3:15 AM
The ambassadors of the Northern England Soul scene, the New Mastersounds are hitting the road this November in support of their new record Breaks from the Border, their first album recorded on U.S. soil.
The New Mastersounds funk powerhouse includes Eddie Roberts (guitar), Simon Allen (drums), Peter Shand (bass) and Joe Tatton (keys). On tour the set will include cuts from "Breaks from the Border" the seventh studio recording from NMS released August 9th on Tallest Man Records. “Breaks” marks a new era in the bands sonic landscape by topping their unique syncopated grooves with group vocal stylings. This break from convention was met with enthusiasm from fans and critics alike.
Known for their power packed and dance inducing live show the New Mastersounds have been motivating hips to sway and rears ends to shake all over the world. This past year the New Mastersounds played not one, but two sets at Fuji Rock, when they were asked to step in to take Buddy Guy's spot, wowed crowds at the world famous Red Rocks, the North Coast Music Festival, Gathering of the Vibes, Moe.Down, Summer Camp and more.
Oct 29 Honolulu, HI Hallowbaloo Festival
Oct 31 Maui, HI Paia Charley’s
Nov 02 Austin, TX The Parish
Nov 03 Houston, TX House of Blues - Parish
Nov 04 New Orleans, LA Tipitina’s
Nov 08 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
Nov 09 Chattanooga, TN Rhythm n Brews
Nov 10 Savannah, GA Loco’s
Nov 11 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
Nov 12 Live Oak, FL Bear Creek Music Festival
Nov 16 Charlottesville VA Jefferson Theatre
Nov 17 Baltimore, MD Soundstage
Nov 18 New York, NY Highline Ballroom
Nov 19 Philadelphia, PA Blockley Theatre
Nov 20 Boston, MA Royale Theatre
Dec 31 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre w/ Tedeschi Trucks
Jan 01 Deland, FL Bondfire Festival
Jan 08 Boca Raton, FL Revolution
Jan 09 Ft Lauderdale, FL Jamcruise 10
Labels: news, tour
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Add National Dates Supporting New LP "Am I The Enemy"
Three years since their last full album and with nearly 2 million records sold worldwide, Am I The Enemy is the sound of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus in fighting form (available on iTunes). The single "Reap" was the first song written for the new LP - and in the words of frontman Ronnie Winter, "I think it's one of the best, because it pretty much spawned the entire sound for the new record."
"We have always supported various charities like To Write Love on Her Arms and the Take Action tour, which promote awareness against teen suicide and offer peer to peer counseling. 'Don't Lose Hope' is a direct message to those who feel like no one else cares," Winter reveals. "God does, and always has."
Recorded with producer John Feldmann [Goldfinger], the effort explodes with 12 hard-hitting rock tracks released via Collective Sounds.
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Tour Dates
Oct 13 - The White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX
Oct 14 - Trees - Dallas, TX
Oct 15 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
Oct 17 - The Rock - Tucson, AZ
Oct 18 - Martini Ranch - Scottsdale, AZ
Oct 19 - House of Blues - Anaheim, CA
Oct 22 - Oakland Metro Opera House - Oakland, CA
Oct 24 - Wow Hall - Eugene, OR
Oct 25 - The Venue - Boise, ID
Oct 27 - Club Sound - Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 29 - Manny's - Billings, MT
Nov 3 - The Hayloft - Mt Clemens, MI
Nov 6 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA
Nov 8 - The Studio at Webster Hall - New York, NY
Nov 10 - Mr. Smalls Theatre - Milwale, PA
Nov 11 - The Canal Club - Richmond, VA
Nov 12 - Amos South End - Charlotte, NC
Nov 13 - Exit / In - Nashville, TN
Nov 15 - The WorkPlay Theatre - Birmingham, AL
Nov 17 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
Nov 18 - The Varsity Theatre - Baton Rouge, LA
Nov 19 - Floyd's Music Store - Tallahassee, FL
Nov 20 - State Theatre - St Petersburg, FL
Nov 23 - Freebird Live - Jacksonville Beach, FL
Labels: new album, news, tour
Mates of State Climb High on "Mountaintops"
posted by Unknown | Tuesday, September 13, 2011 | 8:00 AM
Mountaintops
Barsuk (2011)
So what do we have here in the new Mates of State offering, Mountaintops?
Honestly, something so confectionary and fun on the ears that I almost can’t stand it, but what do you expect from the seemingly impossibly in love husband-and-wife duo of Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner?
Drums and keyboards surrounded by a shiny gauze of he/she pop harmonies at an almost celestial level? Yes. Complementary is an understatement as only some seriously like-minded individuals can pull this stuff off and make it so you don’t feel the unrestrained urge to hurl. Mountaintops smacks three back-to-back-to-back pop gems that are air on the tongue and light to the visuals: opener “Palamino” goes aerial with its chorus, and at its literal half point grounds itself in Hammel’s percussion, “Maracas” is that thing that should be a pleasure of guilt but then you yell “Fuck that!” because it’s so damned well done, and “Sway” simply does.
Where Mates of State excel is probably where others fail (Matt & Kim); while gleefully earnest throughout, there is no lack of depth and true lyrical poignancy in their indie/pop craft. Because it’s not all sunshine and seashells on Mountaintops; it’s just that Hammel and Gardner are delightful enough to make it feel like so. In "Basement Money", where the struggle of where art meets financial compensation is tackled, the urge to groove is no less present than in "Total Serendipity" which is a crash course in noise-pop (yes, that's brass you hear in the rear); somewhat jangly, but emotionally upwardly mobile. When the mood tempers, some of the human trials and tribulations of married and music making-life are excavated: “Unless I’m Led” has an almost lullaby quality, and the album closer, “Mistakes”, leaves something slightly unsettled in hearing the lyrics “"I need you, but it's not normal if I refuse to be by myself."
All things in Mountaintops compose an album that sounds like a genuine partnership of fun and artful confessional upon their usual sound canvas of harmonies, subtle textures, and pretty pictures are painted. Nothing to rock out to here, folks, but plenty to make the head and heart bob.
Foo Fighters Drop Their Trousers
posted by High Voltage Staff | Monday, August 29, 2011 | 10:58 AM
If you've ever longed to see Dave Grohl's bare ass (or the rest of the Foo Fighters for that matter), your prayers have been answered. The band has posted a new music video this morning entitled "Hot Buns" in which the Foo's play truckstop truckers who proceed to wash off the road... Oh, just watch:
Hot Buns - Foo Fighters
Labels: music video, video
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Arifhodzic Fuad
empty album
Album Created: December, 15th 2014
Last Change: May, 10th 2019
Avdic Damir
11 images, 349 hits
Album Created: May, 23rd 2011
(Bileća 1988.) Secondary School of Applied Arts, completed in 2007 in Sarajevo. That same year he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo,...
Baljic Mirsada
1 image, 111 hits
Album Created: March, 28th 2017
Last Change: February, 22nd 2018
(Capljina 1961.) Prominent independent artist. He is a member of Association of Vi's. Watercolor is her dominant art technique. He lives and works in...
Berber Mersad
3 images, 221 hits
Album Created: January, 26th 2017
Last Change: January, 31st 2019
(Bosanski Petrovac,1940. - Zagreb,2012. ) Bosnian painter. Mersad Berber was one of the greatest painters of his era neoclassicist. He graduated from...
Bilac Miroslav
(Travnik, 1931.- Sarajevo, 2003.) Born in Travnik, where he began painting and theater. He moved to Sarajevo in 1959 and worked as a professional artist...
Bocaric Spiro
1 image, 88 hits
(Budva 1896-1941 Camp Jadovno ( Gospić)) He has studied in Venice at the academy - "The Royal Institute for the Arts". As he perfected the gift of...
Ceif Muhamed
Album Created: February, 23rd 2019
Last Change: February, 23rd 2019
(Sarajevo, 1960) He graduated from the Central Art School and the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo in the class of prof. Nusreta Pašić. He has shown...
Cerkez Sead
Album Created: July, 09th 2010
Last Change: January, 17th 2019
Cesovic Esad
Last Change: March, 07th 2019
(Sjenica, 1963) Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, painting, in 1987 in the class of Prof. Nusret Pašić. He is a member of the Association...
Dragulj Emir
Last Change: October, 26th 2018
( Mravinjac 1939.- Beograd, 2002.) He was one of the most important Bosnian graphic artists. Graduated from the Academy of fine art in Belgrade in 1963.He...
Hozo Irfan
(Sarajevo, 1957) Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo in 1979. Post-graduate studies of graphic art attended at the Academy of Fine Arts...
Kulenovic Hakija
Hasanefendic Seid-Trabzon
(Brcko, 1935) Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in the class of Prof. Kinert. He is a member of the Association of Visual Artists of Croatia...
Hodzic Dzeko
Last Change: July, 19th 2018
(Godijevo, Sandzak, Montenegro,1950) Completed Secondary School of Arts in Pec in 1970. Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo in 1977. Since...
Hozo Dzevad
Last Change: October, 23rd 2018
Jurkic Gabriel
(Livno, 1886- 1974) He studied art in the private school of Čikoš and Crničić, Temporary High School of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb, Academy...
Karisik Husein-Ciba
Last Change: February, 24th 2017
(Sarajevo,1959) Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo
Lah Ljubo
(Sarajevo, 1930.-2010.) Completed the School of Applied Arts in Sarajevo in 1949 and art workshop of Đorđe Andrejević Kun in Belgrade. For...
Lalic Ratko
Last Change: September, 26th 2017
Likar Franjo
(Varaždin, 1928) Completed the School of Applied Arts in Sarajevo in 1951. Spent two years on the study tour in Paris, Italy, Holland. A member of Group...
Ljubovic Ibrahim
Album Created: February, 01st 2017
Last Change: April, 17th 2019
Mazalic Djoko
Mikulic Mario
(Korcula, 1924 - Sarajevo, 1991) A Bosnian-Herzegovinian painter Mikulic is known for portraits in different techniques from realism to expressionism....
Misevic Radenko
Last Change: November, 13th 2017
Misirlic Bekir
Album Created: November, 21st 2018
Last Change: December, 11th 2018
Markicevic Zvonimir
(Sarajevo 1939 Sarajevo 2007.) Finished the School of Applied Arts in Sarajevo in the class of Peter Sain.
Mujezinovic Ismar
Mujezinovic Ismet
(Tuzla, 1907-1984) Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 1929. Specialized in wall painting in Zagreb under the chair of Jozo Kljaković....
Numankadic Edin
(1948. Sarajevo) Completed the Teacher's Academy-Department of Fine Arts in Sarajevo. Studied the history of the Yugoslav literature at the University...
Petrovic Roman
Album Created: November, 23rd 2012
Last Change: July, 31st 2018
Ramic Affan
( Derventa , 1932- Sarajevo, 2015) He graduated from the School of Applied Arts in Sarajevo and the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade 1957th in class Professor...
Rizvic Ismet
Sain Petar
(Mostar, 1885- 1965) Studied lithography in the studio of Rožanski in Zagreb; spent two years at the Institute of Graphics in Vienna; worked in Munich...
(Arilje, 1969) Graduated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo in the class of Prof. Radoslav Tadić. A member of the Association of Visual Artists...
Šeremet Ivo
Soldo Mladen
Stetic Rizah
(Brcko, 1908-1974) Completed the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 1923. He was a principle of the School of Applied Arts in Sarajevo and president of...
Tiješic Petar
(Sarajevo, 1888th - Sarajevo, 1978.) Was a prominent painter. One of the painters of the first generation of artists who attended art school. He studied...
Tikvesa Halil
(Šurmanci, Hercegovina, 1935) Completed Academy of Fine Arts and post-graduate studies in Belgrade. Received multiple awards for his work, including the...
Vasiljevic Milan
(Prijedor 1910.)
Vojnovic Vladimir
National School of Fine Arts completed in Sarajevo, the study continued in Paris and Italy on improving conservation work.
Zec Safet
(Rogatica, 1943) Completed School of Applied Arts in Sarajevo in 1964. Graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade in 1969. Post-graduated in 1972...
Zulfikarpasic Amra
(Sarajevo, 1946) Completed her studies of design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo in 1978, and post-graduated in 2001. Spent 16 years working as...
[ 1 images, 1 pages, 2208 hits]
( Budva 1876-1941. Camp Jadovno ) He has studied in Venice at the academy - "The Royal Institute for the Arts". As he perfected the gift of painting, he had been working on cartoons for the so-called funny sheets or decorating the walls of the cabaret. It was considered for an excellent portrait, a representative of the Venetian School (painting). His portraits were characterized by extraordinary naturalness. On the other hand, his iconography shows his affiliation to Florentine school. In 1897, he settled in Sarajevo where he was engaged in painting. He had an iconographic firm in Sarajevo. For making the portrait he went to Mostar several times. In 1903, Spiro became editor of the new Sarajevo's month-old poetry album Ilustrovani Mali Svet ". From 1897 to 1914 he lived in Sarajevo, and then, until the end of his life in Banja Luka. He was the director of the National Museum in Banja Luka since its founding in 1930 until the Second World War.
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Distinction and difference: the modern community
The modern community was built on the liberal concepts of state and individuals, is nothing more than the concept of homeland and nation, in the sense of love of national symbols.
The concept evolved, philosopher Zigmund Bauman states that “belonging to a community means denying part of our individuality in the name of a structure set up to satisfy our needs for intimacy and the construction of an” identity “, which goes against the very concept of liquid that he developed, would this be a liquidity?
The confusion established is the difference between culture and nation, many people have cultures that go beyond a limited territory, there are people that do not even have territory, and the internet itself is often called “deterritorized”, but remain the distinction and difference.
If instead of using the word difference, in philosophy seen as one that gives importance to the study of the singularity and particularity of each person, and make a small change to the distinction that is the encounter between knowledge and visions of different worlds, we approach more gently to the concept of community, than to ignore identity.
Although one can find difference as the “determination of otherness” (Abagnano’s philosophy dictionary, for example), there will still remain a certain shadow of difference such as inequality, inequity and not the right to distinguish between peoples and cultures.
The philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Jacques Derridá treated the difference also in the sense of deconstruction, albeit with different nuances, in Deleuze’s concept, addressing two aspects of indifference, namely the undifferentiated abyss or “nothing black” and “nothing white “.
And therefore levels of differences are addressed. In the light of Derrida’s philosophy, especially in his works Margins of Philosophy and Gramatology, différance is for this philosopher who, together with deconstruction, constitutes the background of all the his thinking.
Byung Chull-Han, on the contrary, approaches that the critique of modernity is precisely the fact that everything is very similar, states that the current society: “it is the lack of energy of dialogical link. When the dialog disappears from the scene, a theater of affections appears. These are dialogically structured. They imply a denial of the different.” (HAN, 2015: 80).
It is therefore important to affirm the different, and to understand the distinction as part of the culture and the Being itself, however, there is a dialogue, as a French saying goes: “vivre the différance“.
Bauman, Zygmunt, 1925-2017. Community: the search for security in the present world (in Portuguese) / Zygmunt Bauman; Pliny Dentzien translation. – Rio de Janeiro: Jorge Zahar Ed., 2003.
Han, Byung Chull. The salvation of Belo (in portuguese). Lisboa: Relógio d’Água, 2015.
Postado emCognition, Linguagens, Noosfera
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Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Georgia
News From Embassies
MFA Statements
Vakhtang Makharoblishvili
Lasha Darsalia
Alexander Khvtisiashvili
Khatuna Totladze
Mikheil Ninua
Ambassadors at Large
Mission, Values and Principles
Ex-Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
Foreign Policy Strategy
National Security Concept of Georgia
Visa Information for Foreign Citizens
Visa Information for Georgian Citizens
Consular Services and Useful Information
EMBASSIES AND REPRESENTATIONS
Diplomatic Missions and Representations in Georgia
Georgian Missions Abroad
Honorary Consuls of foreign countries in Georgia
The Minister for Foreign and Political Affairs of the Republic of San Marino has paid a visit to Geo
The Minister for Foreign and Political Affairs of the Republic of San Marino has paid a visit to Georgia
On 20 November 2015, Minister for Foreign and Political Affairs of the Republic of San Marino Pasquale Valentini paid his first official visit to Georgia.
Georgian Vice Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili held a meeting with his Sammarinese colleague.
Discussions focused on the ongoing political processes, issues relating to bilateral and multilateral co-operation and prospects for its further development. Special attention was paid to the development of relations in the areas of trade, economy, tourism and finance.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between the foreign ministries of the two countries, which will create a mechanism for regularly holding political consultations in the future.
The sides discussed the situation in Georgia’s occupied territories, the state of affairs in the region and the importance of the international community’s consolidated efforts in terms of strengthening security.
The Minister for Foreign and Political Affairs of San Marino reaffirmed his Government’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Pasquale Valentini will hold meetings with President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Speaker of the Parliament Davit Usupashvili.
As part of his visit to Georgia, the Sammarinese Minister for Foreign and Political Affairs will visit the villages along the occupation line and will get acquainted with the situation on the spot.
Diplomatic Training Centre
Protocol Guide
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
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aqueduct: an artificial channel for conveying water, typically in the form of a bridge supported by tall columns across a valley.
Babylonia: an ancient kingdom in southern Mesopotamia
city-state: a city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state
cuneiform: wedge-shaped characters used in the ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia
edubba: A Sumerian 'house of tablets', a place of learning where archives and literature were stored on clay tablets. A school and repository of knowledge
fertile crescent: a geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates
Gilgamesh: a legendary Sumerian king who was the hero of an epic collection of mythic stories
Hammurabi's Code: The Code of Hammurabi is a well-preserved ancient law code, dating to ca. 1790 BC (middle chronology) in ancient Babylon. It was enacted by the sixth Babylonian king, Hammurabi, and partial copies exist on a human-sized stone stele and various clay tablets
Hanging Gardens of Babylon: a terraced garden at Babylon watered by pumps from the Euphrates; construction attributed to Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BC
Hittites: a member of an ancient people who established an empire in Asia Minor and Syria that flourished from c. 1700 to c. 1200 BC.
irrigation: supplying dry land with water by means of ditches etc
levees: an embankment built to prevent the overflow of a river.
Mesopotamia: the land between the Tigris and Euphrates; site of several ancient civilizations; part of what is now known as Iraq
number system: numeration system: any notation for the representation of numbers
polytheism: the belief in or worship of more than one god
Sargon I: Sargon I reigned as king of the old-Assyrian Kingdom from ca. 1920 BC to 1881 BC. Named after his predecessor Sargon of Akkad.
scribe: a person who copies out documents, esp. one employed to do this before printing was invented.
Sumer: an area in the southern region of Babylonia in present-day Iraq; site of the Sumerian civilization of city-states that flowered during the third millennium BC
The Legend of Gilgamesh: an epic poem from Mesopotamia, it is amongst the earliest surviving works of literature
Tigris and Euphrates: Two main rivers that form the fertile crescent
ziggurat: (in ancient Mesopotamia) a rectangular stepped tower, sometimes surmounted by a temple. Ziggurats are first attested in the late 3rd millennium BC
Mesopotamia Timeline
Ziggurats
The Epic of Gilgamesh Movie
The history of plumbing
Women in Mesopotamia
The Collapse of Mesopotamia
Writing in Cuneiform
Counting in Babylonian
Ancient Mesopotamia Hot List
Ducksters Ancient Mesopotamia
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April 15, 2015 Robert Galvan
Zachary Levi & Nerd Marchine to produce Syfy game show ‘Geeks Who Drink’
Syfy has officially announced today that Zachary Levi will be the host and executive producer of the game show Geeks Who Drink. With the help of his company, The Nerd Machine, it will be based off a popular game with the same name that takes place across 600 bars and 35 states, which will premiere on Syfy July 16, 2015.
There will be a celebrity guest in each episode, acting as a team captain for each of the 2 teams and 2 trivia pros. How will this affect Zachary Levi’s famous NerdHQ which takes place at the same time of San Diego Comic-Con, which is just a 3 minute walk from the convention? Well in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Zachary Levi did say they will definitely promote it one way or another. EW also asked how the show came together. Levi responded with:
“Geeks Who Drink was kind of the pre-eminent pub trivia circuit. There’s a lot of pub trivia one-offs in different cities and states, but Geeks Who Drink was the most well-known franchise, and they had the most organization—centralized quizmasters and quizzes and whatnot. Wired did a piece on them a little while back, and Conde Nast was so intrigued that they wanted to make a television show about it. They brought that to Kinetic [Content, a production company], and Kinetic brought that to me and The Nerd Machine. We made this really great pilot presentation, and Syfy loved it.
But we still needed to the appropriate host. The powers that be said: ‘We really think you’re that guy.’ I’ve always had an interest in hosting stuff. I think it can be a lot of fun. Since this was already my baby anyway, I thought, ‘Why not. I’ll do my best Trebek, and have a beer or two.’ We want to keep the heart of Geeks Who Drink—the pub circuit—very pure. But we’re also trying to translate that to television, and trying to find ways to do that that are very organic.”
Look for more information and details in the coming weeks.
Sources: The Nerd Machine & Entertainment Weekly
Tags Geeks Who DrinkNerdHQSyFythe nerd machineZachary Levi
Robert Galvan 391 posts
For as long as he can remember, Robert asked the questions that others wouldn't about love, life, and death which brought about his interest in the human psyche and moral compass, resulting in an infatuation with comics, zombies, and movies leading to a long standing relationship with his imagination.
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Powerball jackpot now $460M for nation's 10th largest prize
Wednesday, January 3, 2018 12:24 PM EST
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- The estimated Powerball jackpot has climbed to $460 million, making it the nation's 10th largest lottery prize.
Players have until Wednesday night to spend $2 for a chance at the big prize, awarded to anyone matching five white balls drawn from one drum and a red Powerball drawn from another. The odds of winning are one in 292.2 million.
It's the biggest Powerball jackpot since a $758.7 million prize won last August.
The $460 million prize refers to the annuity option, paid over 29 years. The cash prize would be $291 million, which would be trimmed further by taxes.
Lottery players also can vie for another giant prize, as the Mega Millions game now offers a grand prize of $418 million. The next drawing for that game is Friday.
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Two men are accused of conspiring to murder Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir.
Live blog: FBI, DEA thwart terror plot in U.S. involving Iran, officials say
Editor's note: The FBI and the DEA have disrupted a plot involving Iran to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States and commit other attacks, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Two men - one arrested, the other at large - have been charged in connection with the plot, which the Justice Department says was directed by elements of the Iranian government.
The Justice Department says one of the men - Manssor Arbabsiar, a naturalized U.S. citizen holding an Iranian passport - arranged to hire for the assassination someone in Mexico who he thought was an associate of a drug trafficking cartel. The person in Mexico actually was a DEA confidential source who was posing as a cartel associate, the Justice Department says.
Follow below for the latest developments and read the Justice Department complaint (PDF).
[Updated at 8:09 p.m. ET] In their investigation into an alleged plot to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, federal agents interrogated suspect Manssor Arbabsiar for 12 days, a senior counterterrorism official said Tuesday.
Cooperation from Mexican officials played a key role in the investigation, the official said. U.S. authorities arranged with Mexican officials for Arbabsiar to be denied entry into Mexico, the official said.
From there, he was placed on an airplane to New York, where he was taken into custody and quietly taken to a U.S. government facility, the counterterrorism official said. U.S. authorities interviewed him there every day and compiled dozens of intelligence reports.
[Updated at 8:04 p.m. ET] Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss released a statement Tuesday, congratulating the FBI, DEA and other federal agencies involved in the case.
"While I believe our justice system will deal appropriately with the defendant in custody, our government must also deal with the Iranian regime," Chambliss said. "In addition to allegedly sponsoring this plot, Iran has supported and provided weapons for attacks on our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. This has continued far too long with no repercussions."
[Updated at 7:41 p.m. ET] Iran's UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee responded to U.S. accusations that the Iranian government was involved in a murder-for-hire plot Tuesday night, telling CNN's Erin Burnett that the whole thing was "a lie."
“The whole issue is a provocation against Iran," Khazaee said. "We strongly reject this accusation," he said, suggesting that the narrative was a "blatant" ploy by Washington to terrorize the American public.
[Updated at 7:41 p.m. ET] Tom Kean, former chairman of the 9/11 Commission said the alleged plot "surprises me." Speaking to CNN's Erin Burnett, Kean said the plot is "pretty close to an act of war. You don’t go in somebody’s capital to blow somebody up.”
[Updated at 7:07 p.m. ET] New York Rep. Peter King, speaking to CNN’s Erin Burnett, said the alleged Iranian plot should be taken seriously by U.S. officials. “This would have been an act of war [if carried out]. It has raised this relationship, between the United States and Iran, to a very precipitous level,” King said.
“This violates all international norms, it violates all international laws. ... We can’t allow this to go without a strong reaction," King, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee," told CNN.
After saying he would back whatever action the administration might take, King said “we should at least consider a sign of military action. ... something to indicate how seriously we're taking this." He added that U.S. officials should even consider removing Iranian diplomats from the country. “I think everything should be kept on the table.”
[Updated at 6:52 p.m. ET] A spokesman for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that the alleged plot was "a child's story" and "a fabrication."
The Iranian government was awaiting details about the accusations, spokesman Ali Akbar Javanfekr said. He suggested U.S. authorities were attempting to distract American citizens.
"They want to take the public's mind off the serious domestic problems they're facing these days and scare them with fabricated problems outside the country," he said.
[Updated at 6:40 p.m. ET] Mexican immigration officials blocked Manssor Arbabsiar, now accused of plotting to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, from entering Mexico last month, Mexico's foreign ministry said in a statement released Tuesday.
Mexican immigration authorities blocked his entry because of an arrest warrant issued by the United States, the foreign ministry said. U.S. authorities later arrested him in New York, it said.
[Updated at 5:57 p.m. ET] U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon in recent weeks went to Saudi Arabia to brief Saudi King Abdullah on the terror plot, a senior administration official familiar with the terror plot said, according to CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger.
The Saudis were “outraged" not only because of the plot, but because the ambassador is "someone who is close to the king,” the official said.
The Obama administration has specific information tying senior officials in Iran's Quds Force - a special unit of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - the official said. One question, according to the official, is whether the Quds officials were freelancing or got approval from senior officials in the Iranian regime.
The administration intends to “go to other countries and say this is a serious escalation of Iran’s use of political violence,” the official said. “Some may build on their sanctions; some could cut off relations with the IRGC.”
[Updated at 5:37 p.m. ET] Mexico's foreign ministry, explaining why Arbabsiar was denied entry into Mexico on September 28, says Mexican immigration officials blocked him because of an arrest warrant issued by the United States.
U.S. authorities arrested Arbabsiar a day later in New York, where he had flown after being denied entry into Mexico, the U.S. Justice Department has said. The Justice Department says Arbabsiar had intended to go to Mexico to guarantee final payment for an assassination of the Saudi ambassador to the United States. Arbabsiar had arranged to hire someone for the assassination that he thought was a drug cartel associate, but actually was a DEA confidential source, the Justice Department says.
"In strict compliance with domestic and international law, Mexico was able to neutralize a significant risk to Mexico’s national security, while at the same time reinforcing bilateral and reciprocal cooperation with the United States," the Mexican foreign ministry said in a statement released Tuesday. "This operation confirmed that adequate mechanisms and procedures are in place to anticipate and prevent the presence in Mexico of individuals that pose a risk to national security and interests."
[Updated at 5:03 p.m. ET] U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters that the United States "will be consulting with our friends and partners around the world about how we can send a very strong message that this kind of action, which violates international norms, must be ended."
She also said the United States would consult with nations about possibly taking measures to "further isolate (Iran) from the international community."
[Updated at 4:52 p.m. ET] A preliminary hearing has been set for October 25 for Manssor Arbashiar, who is alleged in a federal complaint to be involved in a terror plot to kill the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, according to CNN's Jason Carroll.
The U.S. Justice Department alleges that Arbashiar, a naturalized U.S. citizen who holds an Iranian passport, arranged to hire someone in Mexico he thought was a drug cartel associate to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. That person in Mexico actually was a DEA source posing as a cartel associate, the department says.
Arbashiar, 56, was arrested on September 29 at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, where he flew to after being denied entry into Mexico a day earlier, the Justice Department says. The department says Arbashiar had intended to go to Mexico to guarantee final payment for the assassination.
The Justice Department alleges that the second man who has been charged - Gholam Shakuri, who the department says is an Iran-based member of Iran's Quds Force - and other co-conspirators were aware of and approved of the plan. Shakuri is at large, the department says.
With Shakuri's approval, Arbashiar arranged to wire about $100,000 to a U.S. bank account for the DEA source as a down payment for the assassination, according to the Justice Department. The total price was set at $1.5 million, according to the department.
According to the Justice Department, Arbashiar and the DEA source discussed carrying out the assassination with explosives, possibly by bombing a U.S. restaurant that the Saudi ambassador frequented. When the source told Arbashiar that others - including U.S. senators that visit the restaurant - could be killed, Arbashiar allegedly dismissed those concerns as "no big deal," the department says.
[Updated at 4:42 p.m. ET] The chairman of the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Mike Rogers, released a statement condemning the alleged plot.
"This is dangerous new territory for Iran," Rogers said. "It is the latest in a series of aggressive actions - from their nuclear program to state sponsorship of terrorism, from complicity in killing our soldiers in Iraq to now plotting hostile acts on U.S. soil. This episode underscores the need for concerted international unity to confront Iran.”
[Updated at 4:30 p.m. ET] The Saudi embassy in the U.S. has released the following statement relating to the alleged plot:
"The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia would like to express its appreciation to the responsible agencies of the United States government for preventing a criminal act from taking place. The attempted plot is a despicable violation of international norms, standards and conventions and is not in accord with the principles of humanity."
[Updated at 3:52 p.m. ET] Ali Akbar Javanfekr, a spokesman for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, told CNN he had never heard of those accused in connection with the alleged plot.
“I think the U.S. government is busy fabricating a new scenario and history has shown both the U.S. government and the CIA have a lot of experience in fabricating these scenarios and this is just the latest one,” he said. “I think their goal is to reach the American public. They want to take the public’s mind off the serious domestic problems they’re facing these days and scare them with fabricated problems outside the country.”
Javanfekr says if the Iranian government verifies that these individuals are Iranian citizens, the Iranian government will make every effort to help them.
[Updated at 3:44 p.m. ET] A senior defense official said there has been no change to U.S. military posture in reaction to the terror plot allegedly backed by Iran. The official says American Navy ships in the region have not been re-positioned, and at this point there are no plans to do so.
“The act is already done. One of the people involved is still at large, but the other principal is in custody. So what does changing military posture do?" the official said.
The official says while the Pentagon continues to concentrate on keeping an eye on the Quds Force and Iran’s actions in the region, especially Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf, this incident is “much more of a law-enforcement matter.”
The official was not surprised at the level of cooperation apparently given by the Mexican government to foil the terror plot.
“We’ve got a very good working relationship with the Mexican military in a number of ways, especially counter-narcotics. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are very involved with their Mexican counterparts, and work together in several ways, including training.”
[Updated at 3:42 p.m. ET] Senior U.S. officials tell CNN that the U.S. will impose further sanctions against Iran in the wake of the alleged foiled terror plot.
[Updated at 3:36 p.m. ET] Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert Jordan told CNN that he believes the current ambassador would be a target for Iran because he is a man who can "be counted on to be a collaborative and positive force between the United States and Saudi Arabia."
"It is also an attack on the United States to attack this ambassador," Jordan said, because of the ambassador's relationship with the United States.
Jordan, who said he is a close friend of Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir, said he has impeccable credentials and is a consummate diplomat."
"Its very important to understand that the Saudis and the Iranians believe that they are in a mortal battle for supremacy in the Middle East," he told CNN. "The Saudis view Iran as a threat to their hegemony in the Arab world and Iran has been insinuating itself into many of the struggles in the Middle East that is in the contrary to the Saudi national interest."
It is because of the ambassador's position as well as the struggle in the region that Jordan believes he may have been a target.
"I think he is a target [that] there is credibility to this story," he said. "The Saudis have viewed Iran as a threat."
[Updated at 3:15 p.m. ET] Here's how the alleged plot began according to the Justice Department:
In the spring of 2011 through October 2011, Manssor Arbabsiar and his Iran-based co-conspirators, including Gholam Shakuri of the Quds Force, began plotting the murder of the Saudi Ambassador to the United States.
At one point Arbabsiar "allegedly met on a number of occasions in Mexico with a DEA confidential source who has posed as an associate of a violent international drug trafficking cartel," according to the Justice Department.
In May 2011, Arbabsiar met with the confidential source in Mexico and asked about explosives. There he allegedly expressed a specific interest in attacking an embassy in Saudi Arabia. The informant allegedly said he had knowledge about C-4 explosives. It was in a meeting in June that Arbabsiar allegedly explained to the information that he and his associated in Iran had "discussed discussed a number of violent missions" that included "the murder of the Ambassador."
[Updated at 3:06 p.m. ET] A senior Obama official said the administration won't tolerate the targeting of a diplomat on U.S. shores, CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin reported.
The official said the administration believes the alleged plot is a dangerous escalation by Iran and a flagrant violation of international law. The official said the U.S. will work with other international partners to isolate the government, specifically the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and the Quds force.
The official said overall, the impact of the plot, means that the U.S. will continue to isolate Iran.
The official added that the administration has been talking and coordinating with Saudis and remains in close touch with the Saudi government. They have also been in touch with the ambassador at the center of the plot.
[Updated at 2:55 p.m. ET] CNN's Peter Bergen said that based on his knowledge of the region the Saudi ambassador to the United States may have been targeted because he is a key foreign policy adviser to Saudi King Abdullah.
[Updated at 2:41 p.m. ET] National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor released the following statement regarding the plot:
“The President was first briefed on this issue in June and directed his Administration to provide all necessary support to this investigation. The disruption of this plot is a significant achievement by our intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and the President is enormously grateful for their exceptional work in this instance and countless others.”
[Updated at 2:35 p.m. ET] Attorney General Eric Holder, when asked how Iran would be held "accountable" in an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States, said he expected action from the White House, the State Department and Treasury within the next few hours.
A U.S. official expanded more about how the U.S. might hold Iran accountable. The official told CNN's Elise Labott that there are likely to be more sanctions and the U.S. will be taking this up with to the United Nations Security Council and other members of the international community.
[Updated at 2:32 p.m. ET] One of the suspects, Manssor Arbabsiar, allegedly discussed bombing a restaurant in the United States that the Ambassador frequented, according to the complaint.
The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said Tuesday there had been a "discussion of using explosive devices" to carry out the alleged Iranian-linked terror plot against the Saudi ambassador to the United States.
[Updated at 2:27 p.m. ET] "The criminal complaint unsealed today exposes a deadly plot directed by factions of the Iranian government to assassinate a foreign Ambassador on U.S. soil with explosives,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. “Through the diligent and coordinated efforts of our law enforcement and intelligence agencies, we were able to disrupt this plot before anyone was harmed. We will continue to investigate this matter vigorously and bring those who have violated any laws to justice.”
[Updated at 2:25 p.m. ET] The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York called the alleged Iranian-linked terror plot against the Saudi ambassador to the United States "well-funded and pernicious."
"Details of that murder plot are chilling," Preet Bharara said in a news conference Tuesday.
[Updated at 2:22 p.m. ET] The criminal complaint filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York names Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen holding both Iranian and U.S. passports, and Gholam Shakuri, an Iran-based member of Iran’s Quds Force, which is a special operations unit of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that is said to sponsor and promote terrorist activities abroad, according to the Justice Department.
Arbabsiar was arrested on September 29, 2011, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. He will make his initial appearance on Tuesday before in federal court in Manhattan, the Justice Department said. He allegedly confessed to his participation in the murder plot, according to the Justice Department.
Shakuri remains at large.
The men are charged with the following crimes according to the Justice Department: "conspiracy to murder a foreign official; conspiracy to engage in foreign travel and use of interstate and foreign commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire; conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives); and conspiracy to commit an act of international terrorism transcending national boundaries. Arbabsiar is further charged with an additional count of foreign travel and use of interstate and foreign commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire."
[Updated at 2:19 p.m. ET] FBI Director Robert Mueller said the alleged terror plot involving Iran "reads like the pages of a Hollywood script."
"This case illustrates that we live in a world where borders and boundaries are increasingly irrelevant," Mueller said.
[Updated at 2:14 p.m. ET] An alleged plot - involving Iran - to commit terrorism inside the United States "is a fabrication," Ali Akbar Javanfekr, spokesman for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said Tuesday.
Javanfekr said the Iranian government is awaiting details, but suggested U.S. authorities are attempting to distract American citizens from "domestic problems" by convincing them there is an outside threat.
[Updated at 2:12 p.m. ET] An FBI agent's affidavit obtained by CNN Tuesday accused two men of conspiring to murder Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir.
The complaint alleges that Manssor Arbabsiar and Gholam Shakuri began a plot this past spring to kill Al-Jubeir.
Attorney General Eric Holder said in a news conference that the terror plot was a $1.5 million dollar "murder-for-hire" plan.
Officials also said one of the suspects told an informant that killing civilians, including senators, during the attack was "no problem" and "no big deal."
[Posted at 2:00 p.m. ET] The FBI and the DEA have disrupted a plot involving Iran to commit terrorism inside the United States, a senior U.S. official told CNN.
The official said the alleged plan was directed by elements of the Iranian government and involved a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States.
This story is developing. We'll bring you the latest information as soon as we get it.
Post by: CNN news blog editor Mallory Simon, CNN Senior State Department Producer Elise Labott, CNN's Jason Hanna, Journalist Craig Johnson, The CNN Wire
Filed under: Iran • Saudi Arabia • Terrorism • U.S.
Nuke em til' they glow!
Clearly Act of War-US Congressman.
I guess definitely worth going to war over this,just like World war 1.
hecep
Are you serious? WWI should never have happened. Try reading Guns of August.
Time for Praying Mantis II, this time, its nuclear!
Every morning I wake up a bit older and wiser I realise that the greatest threat to world peace is the US and Israel. This is WMD's all over again
Older, but no wiser. Brent, gullible is written on the ceiling. Look up! There's a good boy! I will spell it out for you in simple words. Iran hates the US & has been chanting "death to the US" since the 70's. Saudi Arabia is our friend. Iran tried to hurt our friend while he was our guest hoping to affect that friendship. Iran recently made threats at the UN speech & has ordered their naval ships to sail off the eastern coast of the US this week. This is not friendly behavior on the part of Iran.
Um, the Saudi guy was the one who was going to be killed. Can you read, or do you think Iranians and Saudi's are the same thing?
This is BS, after all America believed Bin Laden had been killed just because the president said so, who should be surprised? Now they invented a way to link Iran with Mexicos drug cartels so look forward to two additional wars! Im sure the cartels are somehow "involved" with 9/11 and the JFK assassination too...riiiiight.
leecherius
Unless you can personally disprove anything , it's just another rant..
lol, i'm funny. I make no sense. lolololol....
Of course we can link Iran to drug Cartels. His name is Ronald Reagan.
Hey , imagine the unthinkable , this might actually be true..
Sybaris
The wars are winding down. US defense industry needs a new boogeyman
They should nuke Iran like in the show Jericho, LOL.
merlinblack
Yeah....so funny when millions die for what the politicians do...
macho1234
This is going to be their excuse to invade Iran now...
Navyboy2108
lol good ive been traing for it anways we need too
Lets roll
i say we just declare war on iran were buliding up are military again so somethings going down soon =P
this looks eerie similar to a season of 24. wow
Senor Rosby
No, I can't believe the peace loving nation of Iran would do something like this. No way. Can't wait to hear the hawks response. I can hear them now on fox news, "would have been another pearl habor". It's about to hit the fan or not. Could just be a game changer news story. A trump card to be played by Obama administration to distract from negative right wing media protest coverage. Right wing will eat this up.
Loqman El Djazairi
Another garbage that would not stand. Anyone with mucho money can hire someone from any country to do the same. Now i need to see the proof that the Iranian leadership ordered it. I just dont want to do the Iraq and Afganistan wars all over again but this time in Iran..........
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Amanda Knox Murder Trial
Strategic Media Books
strategicmediabooks@gmail.com
www.strategicmediabooks.com
Crime Beat Radio Show
www.artistfirst.com
crimebeat123@yahoo.com
Crime Beat Radio Show’s Upcoming September 29 program to feature Nina Burleigh and her best-selling book on the sensational Amanda knox murder trial
September 2011—After a high profile trial in December 2009 in Perugia, Italy, American Amanda Knox was sentenced to 26 years in jail for the brutal murder of British student Meredith Kercher. Since then, Knox’s lawyers have appealed Knox’s conviction and her case has attracted international attention. Now Amanda Knox is just a few weeks, perhaps days, from learning if her conviction will be overturned.
Crime Beat: Issues, Controversies and Personalities from the Darkside on the Artist First World Radio Network is pleased to announce that on September 29 at 8 pm. EST, noted journalist Nina Burleigh will be a special guest. In the timely program, Ms. Burleigh will discuss her best-selling book, The Fatal Gift of Beauty: The Italian Trials of Amanda Knox, which provides a close up and fascinating look at the Amanda Knox murder conviction and appeal.
In reviewing The Fatal Gift of Beauty, Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and wrote: "[In] this powerful example of narrative non-fiction. Burleigh, who parses how the Knox trial was perhaps tainted, still presents a fair and unbiased portrait of a girl adrift in a foreign legal system and a culture rife with preconceptions about young American women." The Kirkus Reviews praised Fatal Beauty as a “standout among recent true-crime titles.
Ms. Burleigh is also an award-winning author of four books and has been published in the New Yorker, Time, New York and People, among many other publications.
Crime Beat is a weekly hour-long radio program and airs every Thursday from 9 and 10 EST. Beginning with the May 5 program the show moves to the 8pm-9pm EST time slot on the Artist First World radio Network. Crime Beat presents fascinating topics that bring listeners closer to the dynamic underbelly of the world of crime. Guests have included ex-mobsters, undercover law enforcement agents, sports officials, informants, prisoners, drug dealers and investigative journalists, who have provided insights and fresh information about the world’s most fascinating subject: crime.
Crime Beat is hosted by award-winning crime writer Ron Chepesiuk (www.ronchepesiuk.com) and broadcast journalist and freelance writer Willie Hryb.
"Your radio format is great,” write Mark Christopoulus of northern California.
“Crime Beat is over the top, gentlemen! The show is on late in the afternoon out here, and me and my buddies from work get a chance to listen to it over a beer at our favorite watering hole before heading home."
Ivo DeLorenzi of Thunder Bay, Canada, writes: "I love your show... you guys manage to get top-calibre guests every week ... fascinating and remarkable, all rolled into one".
Drug kingpins, entertainers, hit men, corrupt cops and more in: Straight from the Hood
Award winning investigative journalist, documentary film producer and true crime author, Ron Chepesiuk, partners with Scott Wilson, a former New York state corrections officer, in Straight from the Hood: Amazing but True Gangster Tales. The 36 stories are sure to entertain and enlighten true crime aficionados.
Straight from the Hood reveals fascinating facts regarding such international luminaries as Al Capone, Dutch Schultz, Frank Lucas, Frank Matthews and even Denzel Washington.
Recently, I had a chance to talk with the authors:
MS: Ron, you’ve written several Black Gangster books including Black Gangsters of Chicago, Gangsters of Harlem and Sergeant Smack. What drew you to the Black Gangster writing niche?
RC: I had done a book titled Drug Lords, which was about Colombia’s Cali drug Cartel, and I was looking for a subject for my next book. I was watching the film Superfly, one of the so called blaxploitation movies of the 1970s. I really loved those movies, many of which were set in Harlem, and I wanted to know a little more about the background to the movies. But I couldn’t find a book. So I wrote Gangsters of Harlem. This led to Black Gangsters of Chicago because all we read about is Al Capone and The Outfit. I am interested in crime history, and there is lot of history still to be written about black organized crime.
MS: What prompted you to write this book?
SW: Ron Chepesiuk told me about the idea and asked me to be a part of it. I was an admirer of Ron’s work and I thought it would be a great opportunity for me. I’ve always had a fascination with organized crime and the underworld, so it wasn’t hard to be enthusiastic about a project like this. I also thought that I could learn a lot from someone with Ron’s expertise and experience.
MS: How did you decide who to include and who to leave out of your book Straight from the Hood? Was it based on what information was available or other criteria?
SW: We tried our best to include stories that aren’t very well known by the general public. This presented a real challenge, as there is scant information available regarding some of the people and events that we wanted to cover. In those cases we simply had to work with what we had, and lay out the story in the most objective and interesting way possible. We did include a few stories that have a bit of mainstream notoriety, but even then we tried to include details and points of view that are rarely discussed. The popular versions of many crime stories leave out vital details that can drastically affect how the reader/viewer perceives them. Overall, we tried to offer a good balance between the well-known and the obscure.
MS: In your book, you quote a former Cuban heroin dealer talking about Frank Matthews, one of the few drug lords to remain at large for almost 40 years. “He was charismatic, articulate and self-assured. He was certainly the biggest Black gangster of that period, much bigger than Frank Lucas or Nicky Barnes, who have gotten all the attention recently.”
Retired DEA agent Lew Rice had this to say about Frank Matthews, “He’s smart enough to hide and maintain a very low profile, and he went out of his way not to draw attention to himself. That combination will bring you a certain degree of loyalty and anonymity.”
It seems that if you amass the kind of fortune Matthews allegedly has acquired through his drug dealings, he would naturally want to lead a life of excess and flaunt his wealth. Yet to do so would make him an easy mark for the authorities. Do you think he’s alive and leading the high life somewhere?
RC: Well, what happened to Frank Matthews is organized crime’s biggest mystery. He jumped bail in 1974, reportedly with $15 million and has never been seen again. As a U.S. Marshal explained to me, he vanished off the face of the Earth. There hasn’t been one credible citing of him. There are rumors in the Underworld about Matthews getting whacked. Matthews would be 67 today, if alive. So I would think that, if Matthews is alive, he has managed to be disciplined and has kept a low profile.
MS: The chapter titled “Frank Lucas—American Gangster or American Fraud?” stands out from the rest of the book. It carries a none-too-positive judgmental tone, whereas you maintain neutrality—that of mainly recounting history—in the other chapters. What was the purpose of writing the Lucas chapter the way you did?
RC: The chapter is the distillation of my research on one of the bogus stories in organized crime history: the life of Frank Lucas. There is no other way to write a chapter about Lucas because Lucas’s story is so full of holes—that is, unless you are willing to be a stenographer and not a journalist and write a chapter the way Hollywood scripted it. For a fuller picture of Lucas’ life and claims people can go to my book, Sergeant Smack.
MS: In the same chapter on Frank Lucas you describe how Bumpy Johnson’s widow wrote an autobiography calling Lucas a liar and saying that her husband never trusted Lucas. Based on your research, what kind of relationship did Bumpy Johnson and Frank Lucas have?
RC: It was certainly not the kind of relationship portrayed by Lucas. He probably worked for Bumpy but in a very flunky sort of way. I interviewed a couple of police officers from that era who knew Bumpy well. They do not remember Frank Lucas.
MS: Loved the chapter titled “The Charles and Griselda Story: New Jack City Meets Scarface.” In the humble opinion of the interviewer this chapter is worth the price of the book. Where did you find out about this duo?
RC: Thank you for your kind comment. I interviewed Billy Corben, a noted documentary filmmaker who discovered the story and chronicled it in his documentary, Cocaine Cowboys 11. I knew after interviewing Corben that the story was a true one. The story, thanks to Cosby’s promotion, has since become well known.
MS: Charles Cosby spoke of how black gangsters were traditionally locked out of the ranks of other ethnic mafias. Are there some noted exceptions?
RC: I wouldn’t use the words “locked out.” It has been customary for gangsters to stick with their own people—people they know and people they can trust. That’s true whether we are talking about the Italians, the Colombians or the Chinese, or any other ethnic group. So you are not going to see a Dominican at the head of the Triads or an African American in higher echelons of the La Cosa Nostra. But greed is the primary factor in criminality so ethnic groups work with each other.
MS: It’s rather good timing on your part to include some interesting tidbits about Libyan leader, Moammar Khadafi, considering the current state of affairs in Libya, i.e., the rebels seizing control of the country. What do you think readers will learn about Khadafi from reading your book?
RC: They will probably learn that back in the 1980s Khadafi was a very dangerous individual when it came to U.S. interests and he would do anything to get back at the U.S. after it had killed his daughter in a bombing raid of Khadafi’s compound. He was also quite reckless in the sense that he was willing to risk facing the wrath of Uncle Sam to get involved with a street gang from Chicago.
MS: As the first African American to launch a Broadway show, convicted drug kingpin Michael Harris gave Denzel Washington his start on Broadway. Harris went on to put up $1.5 million for the rap label, Death Row Records. Since his attempted murder charge has been recanted, he’s now serving a 28-year sentence in San Quentin for narcotics distribution. It seems his foray into the entertainment business came a little late. Then there was a rapper with the moniker “X-Raided” who incriminated himself through his music. A number of hoods appear to have plenty of talent and then blow it. Any comments?
SW: I think in some cases, the hoods in question are bred in an environment that doesn’t nurture their talents or teach them how to properly apply them in the straight world. They may have been in a situation where a life of crime seemed like a viable career option. Maybe becoming an entertainer or entrepreneur didn’t seem like a realistic life choice. That’s why it’s important to make sure that the same opportunities are available to everyone. When resources and opportunities are exclusive to the rich and powerful, lots of otherwise smart and talented people end up making bad decisions.
MS: You said, “Every criminal thinks they can avoid the mistakes made by others. They think they will be the one that will last and ultimately ride off into the sunset having fooled the authorities. In reality, even the smartest and most cautious crook is only biding his time.” What about Frank Matthews and possibly others?
SW: I think someone like Frank Matthews is the exception to the rule. Remember, the authorities eventually managed to catch up to him as well. He managed to slip through their fingers and escape, but the point is that he almost got caught. That was 38 years ago. Government and Law enforcement agencies are now more technologically advanced and have many more tools at their disposal. They can change laws to suit their needs. Criminals these days are also a lot quicker to inform on their peers. People think that a smart and cunning crook can outsmart the law. I believe that’s a fallacy. Intelligence alone cannot overcome the judicial system. The game is pretty much rigged. The odds are automatically against anyone that decides to make a living by an illegal means.
MS: Dirty cops are fodder for endless movie plots. Dealing with the criminal element exposes police to many opportunities too good to pass up. You point out that “drug dealers can’t go to cops for protection and that makes them ripe for robbery and extortion.” Do you think cops being “on the take” or succumbing to other forms of corruption is increasing due to the prevalence of illegal drugs?
SW: I definitely think that the prevalence of illegal drugs has increased the number of cops who are “on the take.” The Crack Cocaine epidemic spawned an underworld version of yuppie culture. It made a smokable version of cocaine widely available to people who probably could not afford the powder form of the drug. In a sense, that opened up a whole new clientele. It generated a lot of cash for those who were willing to cater to that particular vice.
MS: You devote a chapter to a British guy named Curtis “Cocky” Warren who thought he could outsmart authorities by talking in code and keeping all information in his head. He didn’t partake in any of the usual vices like drinking and doing drugs. And Cocky organized mammoth shipments of cocaine hidden inside lead ingots. How did they finally catch him?
RC: Warren was an example of a gangster who didn’t know when to get out of the drug game and thought he was too smart for his own good. He was too visible and he flaunted his freedom and criminal success in law enforcement’s face. He thought he could just move from England to another country and escape the law. He did not care that the police monitored his calls. He thought he could outsmart Johnny law by simply talking in code. He was smart but not smart enough and allowed law enforcement to build a case against him.
MS: When referring to the era where Miami’s fabled Cocaine Cowboys infested Atlanta around 1986, you stated that it was rare for an out-of-town crew to invade another territory. Apparently, the influx of Blacks who migrated from the North presented a huge source of recruits for moving drugs?
SW: It’s not so easy to move into an established market and simply take it over. The locals who’ve built up and maintained that market likely will not roll over for an invading army. During the crack era, a lot of New York dealers began migrating to other areas of the country as the New York market became oversaturated. When they would relocate to another area and set up shop, they often made the mistake of thinking that the locals weren’t savvy or fearsome enough to fight them off. This lead to a lot of New York dealers getting killed and extorted in places like Washington D.C. Established kingpins in other cities do not take kindly to arrogant transplants trying to take over
MS: You stated further that “no American city was safe from the extreme violence that the crack trade inspired…” and that “their brazen methods provided inspiration for a new generation of hustlers and gang members that hoped to make a reputation for themselves through their willingness to shoot first and ask questions later.” In your opinion, has the drug scene changed markedly in recent years? And what does the current profile of drug trafficking look like in the United States?
SW: The drug trade is no longer as lucrative as it was in the 80’s and 90’s, at least not for the Black organizations. The dynamics of the drug game have changed over the last decade. From what I understand, the Mexican cartels continue to effectively shut Black dealers out of the picture in places like California and Texas. Many of them are not willing sell wholesale amounts of drugs to black organizations. They won’t sell to the competition. This has created a situation out west where a lot of criminals are now turning to robberies and the like in order to make money.
RC: I think the drug trade is much more fragmented. You have so many players today. Practically every ethnic group has become a player in the drug trade. Compare that to the 1960s when in the heroin trade there was mainly the French connection and it was controlled by La Cosa Nostra. The drug trade had reflected the globalization trend and today practically every country in the world is involved. There are also many more illegal drugs today and that has helped to diversify the drug trade.
Mob Speak wishes to thank you guys for a thought-provoking interview. To learn more about Straight from the Hood and its authors, go to www.strategicmediabooks.com.
THE CRIME BEAT RADIO SHOW’S UPCOMING SCHEDULE FEATURES PROGRAMS ON 9-11, D.B. COOPER, HENRY HILL, AMANDA KNOX, THE FBI’S SECRETS, AND MORE
August, 2011— CRIME BEAT: ISSUES, CONTROVERSIES AND PERSONALITIES FROM THE DARKSIDE has been programming since January 28 of this year and is currently averaging 80,000 listeners plus each week, and the figure is growing.
Crime Beat is now pleased to announce its forthcoming schedule for the period from September 8 to October 27, 2011:Topics covered include , 9-11, the FBI, Henry Hill, D.B Cooper, Amanda Knox, Domestic Terrorism, DEA undercover work, Crime documentaries, DEA, among others. Here is the lineup.
September 8—Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan, authors of the Eleventh Day, talk about their 9-11 investigation, including the response of President Bush and the U.S. military that day, and the failure to intercept the hijacked airliners. They also reveal the untruths told afterward by U.S. officials and, as a counterpoint, assess the contentions of the “9/11 truth” movement. See randomhouse.com.
September 15—Geoffrey Gray, author of the best-seller, Skyjack, talks about his best-selling investigation of the D.B. Cooper mystery, one of the most astonishing whodunits in the history of American true crime. One man extorted $200,000 from an airline, then parachuted into the wilds of the Pacific Northwest and into oblivion. See huntfordbcooper.com.
September 22—Rich Gold and Tom Freeman, two documentary film makers look at crime and talk about their gangster documentaries. A fascinating look at legendary bank robber Willie Sutton and drug dealer Lucas Torres.
September 29—Nina Burleigh, author of the best-seller Fatal Gift of Beauty, discusses her mesmerizing literary investigation of the murder, the controversial prosecution, the conviction and twenty-six-year sentence of American Amanda Knox, as well as the machinations of Italian justice, and the underground depravity and clash of cultures in one of central -Italy’s most beloved cities. See ninaburleigh.com.
October 6—Ron Kessler, New York Times best-selling author of The Secrets of the FBI by New York Times, reveals the FBI’s most closely guarded secrets and the secrets of celebrities, politicians, and movie stars uncovered by agents during their investigations. See ronaldkessler.com.
October 13—Henry Hill is the legendary former American mobster, Lucchese crime family associate, and FBI informant whose life was immortalized in the book Wiseguy, written by crime reporter Nicholas Pileggi, and the 1990 Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas, in which Hill was played by Ray Liotta. See goodfellahenry.com.
October 20—In a command performance, Louis Diaz, author of Dancing with the Devil and retired DEA agent, takes us inside some of his biggest undercover operations, including that of Nicky Barnes, the so-called “Mr. Untouchable.” See books.simonandschuster.com.
October 27—Dick Lehr, co-author of the Edgar award winning, Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob talks about the life and legacy of White Bulger and impact of organized crime in Boston.
November 3—Gary Free Director of START, the country’s leading consortium for the study of terrorism and responses to terrorism, provides an assessment of the domestic terrorism threat and discusses other terrorism-related issues. How safe are we? See start.umd.edu.
For more information, go to the Artist First Worldwide Radio Network at www.artistfirst.com. To contact the Crime Beat radio program, e-mail crimebeat123@yahoo.com.
Drug kingpins, entertainers, hit men, corrupt cops...
PRESS RELEASEFor Immediate Release Strategic Me...
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Partnering to Leverage Conservation Funding
The Open Space Authority has recently been recognized and funded for our bold work linking nature based solutions and collaborative conservation to climate resilience and for connecting the protection of agricultural lands from sprawl as a climate-smart planning effort. Learn more about these awards and grants below.
This past November, the Open Space Authority, in partnership with Peninsula Open Space Trust, was awarded a grant to study habitat use among amphibians and reptiles in Coyote Valley. The Coyote Valley Reptile and Amphibian Linkage Study is a nine-month project that will work to understand habitat quality for three threatened reptile and amphibian species of importance in and around Coyote Valley. The study aims to inform efforts to help protect and connect their habitat. The $78,948 award from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Natural Community Conservation Planning Local Assistance Grant program will fund this important research to fill a data gap on where these species are currently located and the potential to link their habitat from the surrounding foothills to the valley floor. There has been a lot of research and work trying to understand mammal movement in Coyote Valley, but little attention has been paid to other types of species, until now.
The Authority, along with partners from the San Francisco Estuary Institute and San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), were awarded $100,000 from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation for the project, "Integrated landscape planning: Nature-based solutions for more resilient cities and rural areas." The project will propose ways to build resilience in a more coordinated, integrated manner across regional urban and rural landscapes in the face of development pressure and a changing climate.
Lastly, on November 27th, California's Department of Conservation and Strategic Growth Council awarded just over $15 million to the Authority and County of Santa Clara through the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALCP) for the purchase of three Agricultural Conservation Easements. The properties, totaling 252 acres, are almost entirely prime farmland or farmland of statewide importance. Funding for SALCP comes from the state’s Cap and Trade Program through California Climate Investments.
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Home > Kolkata Diary > RUINS OF CALCUTTA – Basu Bati
RUINS OF CALCUTTA – Basu Bati
Ruins of Calcutta
by Dibyendu Banerjee - May 18, 2017 May 23, 2017 1
Situated at 65/2 Baghbazar Street, “Basubati”, the palatial mansion of Nandalal Basu and Pashupatinath Basu is an iconic landmark of Calcutta which still stands as the witness of its glorious past.
The Basu family had huge landed property (Zamindari) in Gaya district of Bihar. Mahendra Basu, the eldest son of the family inherited a large property from his uncle at Bagbazar. However, Mahendra could not enjoy his inheritance, as he died early. After his death his brothers, Nandalal Basu and Pashupatinath Basu, constructed the building with their inheritance on a 22-bigha plot, after laying the foundation stone on 19th October, 1876. The responsibility of the design and construction of the building was entrusted to the first qualified Bengali engineer Nilmoni Mitra, who in the meantime had already constructed a number of important buildings in the vicinity.
Basu Bati – Decorated Window
Basu Bati – Pillers with Lion Head
However, Basu Bati was undoubtedly Mitra’s crowning glory. While designing the building , he tried to avoid the prevalent European style of architecture, as far as possible, and opted for a fusion of the traditional Bengali style and the typical Islamic pattern The arches of the building had distinctive Islamic flavor, while prevalence of the Hindu symbol of lotus motifs could be seen in different forms. The south-facing house has a column and beam structure. It has sixteen Doric columns, evidencing European influence, along with iron beams supporting the roof. The crown of the columns resembles lotus petals and below the petals, heads of lions can be seen. Beyond the large entrance door, lies the “Thakur Dalan”, ornamented with wall paintings, and relief works in plaster, where some reflections of Bengali motif are prevalent. The walls of the house were ornamented with motifs and the roofs were painted in golden color. “The Natchghar” (Dance room) and balconies for women were on the first floor. On the level of the first floor, a platform, like a balcony, with ornate wrought iron railings filled the void between the giant pillars and the main wall of the house. The towering porch equally divides the titanic building into two majestic wings.
The Great Houses of Calcutta – Book Cover
Joanne Taylor and Jon Lang in their book, “The Great Houses of Calcutta : Their Antecedents, Precedents, Splendour and Portents”, gave us a vivid description of the interior of the house, and discussed about its architectural design. This book is, however, based on Taylor’s widely acclaimed and award-winning book “The Forgotten Palaces of Calcutta” and her thesis “The Great Houses of Kolkata, 1750-2006”. As per their account, once the house had a rich golden ceiling. The grand hall with twenty four feet high ceiling was decorated with large chandeliers. The dancing room on the second floor was complete with a permanent stage along with the rows of chairs for the honourable guests to observe the performances. The upper level balconies were also equipped with proper sitting arrangements to enable the ladies and the children to watch the show from above. Joanne Taylor also remarked that, though the floor of the room has lost its expensive carpets long back, it looked quite dignified and graceful with embellished armchairs, marble side tables and statues and potted palms. The walls of the room were meticulously decorated with the big oil paintings of the ancestors, fixed in gilt frames. Some of the portraits were painted by the renowned artist Bamapada Mukherjee.
At the earnest request of the religious Nandalal Basu, Sri Ramkrishna Paramahansa and other spiritual and religious persons visited this house on various dates and occasions. It is said that, on his return from Chicago, Swami Vivekananda was given the first civil reception in the courtyard of the premises. Rabindranath Tagore and Rashtraguru Surendranath Banerjee often visited the place to hold public or private meetings in the central courtyard. While Surendranath used to deliver his lectures to the assembled political activists against the partition of Bengal, Rabindranath celebrated a mass “Raksha Bandhan” ceremony here, with Hindus and Muslims, to protest the partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon in 1905. A plaque at the old palatial house proudly indicates the same.
Today the condition of the building may enthrall makers of horror films. Recently, a large chunk of the cornice in the courtyard collapsed. The dilapidated building deserves immediate attention. But, though the property has been declared as a heritage property, no action has been taken so far to restore or renovate the building. A major part of it is occupied by a library, administered by the West Bengal Education Department. Another portion was bought by a realty tycoon Harsh Neotia from the present generation of Basu family. Mr. Neotia has plans to convert the mansion into a heritage hotel. But the matter stands still. The library is yet to be relocated and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation is yet to issue the green signal to the Realtor.
Basu Bati – Direction by KMC
Basu Bati Front Gate
A portion of Basu Bati
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One thought on “RUINS OF CALCUTTA – Basu Bati”
chandan mitra says:
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U.S. Patent No. 9,511,292: Video game competition notifications
Issued December 6, 2016, to Sony Interactive Entertainment America, LLC
U.S. Patent No. 9,511,292 (the ‘292 Patent) describes a method and system for in-game notifications. The notifications will alert a user if a friend has completed a predetermined goal in a video game. The goals can be achievements created by the game’s developers or custom goals created by a group of players. Once a user has finished a goal, the system sends a notification to every friend on the user’s friends list. Users can choose to receive notifications on any device, but certain features may not be compatible with some devices. A key feature described by the ‘292 Patent is the ability for a user to launch the game upon receiving a notification to beat the friend’s achievement. For example, if a user completes a level under five minutes, the notification sent out will encourage the friends to beat the users time by allowing them to launch the game quickly.
Methods and systems are described for automatically sending a popup or other message to another person’s electronic device upon finishing a predetermined goal in a video game. The predetermined goal can be, for example, killing a first boss in under five minutes. The message to the friend can include a link or button enabled such that the friend can begin the game on his device in the same room, mission, scenario, etc. that the first player started out in so that the friend can attempt to duplicate or ‘one up’ the first player’s achievement. Friends who are interested in receiving such messages can be determined from existing social networking sites.
1. A computer-implemented method of challenging another person to a video game, the method comprising: indicating interest in a video game from a client electronic device associated with a first person to a server; sending a custom goal for the video game from the client electronic device associated with the first person to the server; receiving, on a client electronic device associated with a third person, a message from the server, the message indicating, based on a determination of the server, that a second person playing a first instance of the video game has met or exceeded the custom goal in the video game, the message including a selectable element enabled to begin a second instance of the video game for the third person at a specified point of the video game associated with the custom goal; retrieving from an electronic device associated with the second person, a game state condition of the first instance of the video game; and beginning the second instance of the video game using the retrieved game state condition on the client electronic device associated with the third person in response to a selection of the selectable element.
U.S. Patent No. 9,367,543: Game achievements system
Issued June 14, 2016 to Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
Priority Date December 7, 2004
U.S. Patent No. 9,367,543 (the ‘543 Patent) is for all the achievement hunters out there. Consoles with an online mode have the option for players to create a username and profile to give themselves a unique identity in the gaming community. Gaming profiles used to be nothing more than a way for friends to identify each other and did not convey much information about the individual.
The ‘543 Patent solves this by creating a method for providing a game achievements system where games reward players with achievements based on performing certain tasks. Every earned achievement is shown in the player’s gaming profile as a badge or trophy. Achievements helped prolong a game’s life by pushing players to play the game in unusual ways that would not have been encouraged during a normal play through. Players may also receive points based on the number achievements earned, exemplified in Xbox’s gamerscore system. Xbox’s gamerscore interface allows players to compare points and achievements. The points systems fuel friendly competition amongst friends to see who could earn more achievements.
Systems and method for providing a game achievements system where players are rewarded with game achievements based on mastering certain in-game facets of the games they play. Each game achievement may be conveyed in a profile as a badge or trophy, title, description, date, etc. Players may also accumulate points based on game achievements. A display interface may be made available such that a player may see his achievements and total points, as well as those of others.
1. A system comprising: a first computing device having a first processing unit and a first memory device storing first computer executable instructions; and a second computing device having a second processing unit and a second memory device storing second computer executable instructions; wherein the first computer executable instructions, when executed by the first processing unit, cause the first processing unit to: receive inputs from a gamer for populating a gamer profile, the inputs identifying a gamer name of the gamer profile; receive further inputs from the gamer identifying specific other gamers that can receive the gamer profile; provide at least the gamer name of the gamer profile to a remote service on the second computing device that maintains the gamer profile; execute game code of a game; identify occurrences of a plurality of achievements, wherein the occurrences are achieved while the game is being played on the first computing device by the gamer and the occurrences include: an occurrence of a first individual achievement having a first title, wherein the gamer is credited a first number of points for the occurrence of the first individual achievement, and an occurrence of a second individual achievement having a second title, wherein the gamer is credited a second number of points for the occurrence of the second individual achievement, report the occurrence of the first individual achievement to the remote service on the second computing device, wherein the remote service updates the gamer profile to reflect the occurrence of the first individual achievement; and report the occurrence of the second individual achievement to the remote service on the second computing device, wherein the remote service updates the gamer profile to reflect the occurrence of the second individual achievement, and wherein the second computer executable instructions, when executed by the second processing unit, cause the second processing unit to: execute the remote service; obtain the gamer profile at the remote service via communicating with the first computing device; obtain identities of the specific other garners that can receive the gamer profile of the gamer; update the gamer profile to reflect the occurrence of the first individual achievement and the occurrence of the second individual achievement; and selectively provide the updated gamer profile to other computing devices associated with the specific other garners while preventing further computing devices associated with further garners from receiving the updated gamer profile.
U.S. Patent No. 7,628,688: Game apparatus, game control method, recording medium and program
Issued December 8, 2009, to Konami Holding Corp.
Priority Date March 10, 2000
Battling opponents is a quintessential part of gaming, and U.S. Patent No. 7,628,688 (the ‘688 Patent) helps these battles take place. The ‘688 patent describes an image generator used to display both a player and opponent in a state of combat, as well as showing the characters fighting in real time. The patent describes a detector that tracks the distance between a player and opponent. The game will switch normal gameplay and a combat mode based on the distance between players. For example, if a player or opponent enters a certain area (usually within a distance sufficiently close to the opponent), either the opponent or player satisfies a preset condition to initiate a battle. Once the conditions for ending the combat are met (i.e. the player wins or loses), the battle would end and switches back to normal gameplay. The patent describes that the game map has a number of geographic features that influence whether the elements are met for a battle to begin. For example, a character could hide behind a wall close to an opponent and avoid a battle which would otherwise take place. This helps to simulate sneaking around an enemy.
An image data generator of this game apparatus generates, in a combat state, combat image data to display player’s combat elements that executes a combat and opponent’s combat elements fighting with the player’s combat elements on the display unit in real time. This game comprises a distance detector that detects a distance between the player’s combat element and the opponent’s combat element at the time of changing a normal state to the combat state, and displays an initial image at the beginning of the combat state in accordance with the distance therebetween.
1. A game apparatus for executing a war simulation game, comprising: a first generator for generating image data to display a normal state image on a preset display, which includes a map, at least one player’s element, and at least one opponent’s element, both elements being positioned on the map; a first controller for activating the first generator when operation data indicating an operation by a game player is sent to the first controller and controlling the first generator to generate the image data for the normal state image according to the operation data; a second generator for generating image data to display a combat state image on the preset display, which represents that one of the at least one player’s element fights against one of the at least one opponent’s element; a second controller for activating the second generator when the operation data is sent to the second controller and controlling the second generator to generate the image data in real time in response to the operation data, wherein the real time generation of image data is free of a turn-based generation of image data; and a selector for receiving the operation data, determining whether or not the operation data satisfies a preset condition, and sending the operation data to either the first controller or the second controller in accordance with the determination wherein the map of the normal state image comprises a plurality of areas, and each of the both elements is positioned in one of the plurality of areas respectively, wherein the second controller determines, according to the operation data, whether or not an area in which the desired player’s element is positioned is adjacent to an area in which the desired opponent’s element is positioned, and controls the second generator so that the displayed combat state image represents the desired player’s element to fight the desired opponent’s element in short-range circumstance when the area in which the desired player’s element is positioned is adjacent to the area in which the desired opponent’s element is positioned, while the display combat state image represents the desired player’s element to fight the desired opponent’s element in long-range circumstance when the area in which the desired player’s element is positioned is not adjacent to the area in which the desired opponent’s element is positioned, wherein the map comprises a matrix form having a plurality of geographic features that exert an influence upon a result of combat between the at least one player’s element and the at least one opponent’s element, wherein the preset condition is whether the operation data includes an instruction that desired one of the at least one player’s element should fight against desired one of the at least one opponent’s element, wherein the selector sends the operation data to the second controller when the operation data satisfies the preset condition, and wherein the movements of the at least one player’s element and the at least one opponent’s element are influenced by the plurality of geographic features of the map.
U.S. Patent No. 6,231,444: Operating device for game machine
Issued May 15, 2001, to Sony Interactive Entertainment, Inc.
Priority date: October 11, 1996
U.S. Patent No. 6,231,444 (the ‘444 Patent) is the patent that relates Sony’s DualShock controller. The DualShock controller featured two analog sticks and two integrated vibration motors. The ‘444 Patent mainly relates to the two analog sticks and their functionality. Most developers build a game’s control scheme around a dual analog controller. Computers use to dominate the first-person shooter genre because the mouse and keyboard provided better controls to the players. Dual analog sticks made consoles a more viable option for first-person shooters because developers could separate the aim and movement inputs. The aim could be on the left stick and player movement on the right stick. It took a while for developers to maximize the potential of the dual analog, but now every console uses a dual analog controller.
An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body portion of the operating device and first and second grip portions protruding from one side on respective end parts of the main body portion. A first operating unit is mounted on one end of the main body portion and a second operating unit is mounted on the opposite end of the main body portion. The first and second operating units are provided with a plurality of thrusting operators protruding from the upper surface of the main body portion and a plurality of signal input elements actuated by the thrusting operators. A third operating unit and a fourth operating unit are arranged facing each other on the proximal ends of the first and second grip portions. Each of the third and fourth operating units has a rotation member and a plurality of signal input devices actuated by the rotation member. When the first and second grip portions are gripped, the third and fourth operating units can be manipulated by a thumb finger of a hand gripping the first or second grip portion. The operating device further includes vibration imparting mechanism for imparting vibrations to the user’s hands.
1. An operating device for a game machine, comprising: a main body having front and rear sides and upper and lower surfaces; first and second grips protruding at spaced positions from end parts; a first operating unit mounted in said main body adjacent one of said spaced positions, said first operating unit having a plurality of first thrusting operators protruding from said upper surface of said main body and a plurality of signal input elements each for generating a signal when a corresponding one of said first thrusting operators is depressed; a second operating unit mounted in said main body adjacent the other one of said spaced positions, said second operating unit having a plurality of second thrusting operators protruding from said upper surface of said main body and a plurality of signal input elements each for generating a signal when a corresponding one of said second thrusting operators is depressed; and third and fourth operating units arranged on said rear side of said main body, said third operating unit being positioned adjacent said first grip and said fourth operating unit being positioned adjacent said second grip so that said third and fourth operating units confront one another, said third and fourth operating units each having a rotation member and at least one signal input element for generating a signal in response to an operation of said rotation member.
U.S. Patent No. 4,445,187: Video games with voice dialog
Issued April 24, 1984, to Best, Robert M.
U.S. Patent No. 4,445,187 (the ‘187 Patent) describes a video game in which the user can talk to a character in a video game. The ‘187 Patent is a continuation of U.S. Patent No. 4,305,131 (the ‘131 Patent), titled Dialog between TV movies and human viewers. Both patents utilize a hand-held speech-recognition device so the user can interact with the characters on screen. A major difference between the two patents is the ‘187 Patent relates to game characters or cartoon characters whereas the ‘187 only relates to human actors.
The game described in the ‘187 Patent has branching storylines. A player will be presented with an option at a given point in the game. Both possibilities link to different storylines saved in the game data. A player will encounter different dialogue and different scenarios based on which option was chosen. The player makes his choice by giving a verbal answer into the speech-recognition device. The hand-held device would display a menu with prompt words. A player could also ask the game character a question or make a side comment by pressing a button on the hand-held. The system would listen for select words to determine how the game character should respond. The game also allowed for multiplayer, but each player needed a hand-held unit so that they could each receive a different prompt.
A video game system by which human viewers conduct simulated voice conversations with game characters or cartoon characters in a branching story game shown on a television screen. The characters and cartoons reply responsively with lip-sync sound to words input by viewers. Different audio and video frames are generated from data memory and video disc to provide one of several alternative replies or alternative actions at each branch point in the game, depending on which words are selected by the viewer. A menu of prompting words is displayed to inform viewers of what words they can use at each branch point. Viewers can input questions or make other remarks by pressing a button next to one of the displayed sentences which causes a recording of the displayed sentence to be played or speech synthesized in lieu of a viewer speaking it. Viewers can chat with simulated images of famous people, call the plays in a ball game, make executive decisions as a king or general, and participate in simulated adventures with interesting game characters who respond to each viewer’s words and answer back responsively.
1. A video apparatus for simulating a voice conversation between a human viewer of the apparatus and a talking video character, the apparatus comprising: first means for reading video frames from a record carrier means to provide a first video frame sequence associated with a plurality of alternative second video frame sequences; second means for reading video frames from a record carrier means to provide access to at least one of said alternative second video frame sequences before the end of said first video frame sequence; means for displaying said first and second video frame sequences including a simulated image of said talking character accompanied by corresponding voice sounds, thereby providing one side of a simulated voice conversation; means for communicating to said human viewer during said first video frame sequence a plurality of alternative verbal responses corresponding to said alternative second video frame sequences; means for receiving from said human viewer a response signal corresponding to a selected verbal response in said plurality of alternative verbal responses, thereby selecting a corresponding [second] video frame sequence; means for generating voice sounds electronically including words in said selected verbal response, thereby simulating the viewer’s side of the voice conversation; and means for switching at the end of said first video frame sequence between the video frames from said first reading means to the video frames from said second reading means to provide said selected second video frame sequence accompanied by voice sounds corresponding to said selected second video frame sequence, thereby simulating a voice conversation between the talking character and the human viewer.
U.S. Patent No. 8,882,594: Control scheme for real time strategy game
Issued November 11, 2014, to Microsoft Corp.
Priority Date April 5, 2007
Real-time strategy games allow the player to command an army against imposing forces in real time. The player builds his army at the same time his opponent. The classic example of a real-time strategy game is StarCraft. Every movement in a real-time strategy game is crucial because time is a factor; wasteful motion can be the difference between winning and losing. Because time is such a factor, PC has dominated the real-time genre due to the flexibility and quickness of a mouse and keyboard offer. Traditionally, the cursor and screen position moved independently of each other. Early attempts at bringing real-time strategy kept the tradition control scheme, but cursor’s movement speed on a console could not match the quickness of a PC mouse. U.S. Patent No. 8,882,594 (the ‘594 Patent) describes a control scheme for a real-time strategy game on a console that locks the cursor to a fix position in the center of the screen. When the player moves the cursor, the screen position also moves. The cursor always stayed in the center of the screen even if the player tilted the camera. By bolting the cursor to the center and moving the screen position instead, players could move and select units at a quicker pace. Also, the control scheme allowed for players to switch between different units using certain buttons. Microsoft used the ‘594 Patent’s control scheme in the Halo Wars franchise.
A control scheme for a real time strategy game using a game controller includes maintaining a cursor in a known, fixed position of the monitor in a manner so that it appears the game space if moving behind a cursor even during changing viewing positions such as tilting movements. The control scheme further includes other aspects including a technique for selecting units using the game controller and interacting with menus using the game controller.
18. A system comprising: a processor; an input device having a user activated button; a rendering device; and a computer readable storage medium having instructions accessible by the processor and which when executed on the processor conduct a real time strategy game based on user input from the input device, the instructions comprising: operating a plurality of units of a plurality of different unit types in a game space, each of the units taking action in the game space based on corresponding instructions; determining a first user position relative to at least some units in the game space, the first user position being spaced apart from the units and having a parameter indicative of a first tilt with respect to the units; rendering a first view of a portion of the game space on the rendering device based on the first user position, the first view not corresponding to a view as seen by any of the units in the game space, the first view having the first tilt and including a cursor for selecting a unit, the cursor being at a known position relative to an edge of the rendered first view; receiving an indication of activation of the input device and, in response, identifying a set of the units based on the unit types; determining a second user position, with the processor, based on the identified set of the units, the second user position being spaced apart from the units and having a parameter indicative of a second tilt with respect to the units that is different than the first tilt; and for at least some of the execution of the game, rendering a second view of a portion of the game space based on the second user position, the second view having the second tilt and showing the identified set of units, while maintaining the cursor in the known position relative to the edge of the rendered view, the second view not corresponding to a view as seen by any of the units in the game space.
U.S. Patent No. 9,138,648: System and method for dynamically loading game software for smooth game play
“See that mountain over there, you can climb it,” is the open world game’s promise that a player can travel to an object seen in the environment without encountering a load screen, no matter how far the object is from the player. U.S. Patent No. 9,138,648 (the ‘648 Patent) describes a system and method for a video game to load an environment without entering into a load screen. It is impossible for a game to load the entire environment because doing so would require too much computing power, which ultimately would slow down other aspects of the game. Loading the environment in pieces allows for the game to present large environments without sacrificing other elements, but could slow down the game’s pacing or compromise the openness feeling. The ‘648 Patent solves this problem by loading the next environment piece while the player is traveling in the game. Loading boundaries are set so that when a player crosses the boundary, the game begins to load in the next section. The boundary is set to give the game enough time to load correctly. New loading boundaries are set once the player has crossed into the new environment section. The previous section eventually becomes another loading boundary. Using this method for dynamically loading a game creates the illusion that the entire game world is persistent without overloading the system.
A system and method are disclosed for dynamically loading game software for smooth game play. A load boundary associated with a game environment is identified. A position of a character in the game environment is then monitored. Instructions corresponding to a next game environment are loaded into a memory when the character crosses the load boundary, such that game play is not interrupted.
1. A method for dynamically loading game software, the method comprising: generating a display of a current game environment, wherein the current game environment is associated with a plurality of next game environments; determining a load time for each of the plurality of next game environments, wherein the next game environments are not yet displayed; identifying in the current game environment a plurality of different load boundaries that are each associated with loading one or more of the plurality of next game environments, wherein the location of each load boundary in the current game environment is based on the load time of the associated next game environment; identifying that a character has crossed a load boundary in the current game environment associated with one of the plurality of next game environments; determining a direction in which the character has crossed the crossed load boundary; identifying one of the next game environments for loading based on the crossed load boundary and the determined direction in which the character has crossed the load boundary, wherein the next game environment associated with the load boundary is identified for loading when the character is determined to have crossed the load boundary moving in a forward direction toward one of the next game environments associated with the load boundary, and a different next game environment is identified for loading when the character is determined to have crossed the load boundary in a backward direction away from the one of the next game environments associated with the crossed load boundary; and loading instructions corresponding to the identified next game environment into a memory prior to the character entering the identified next game environment, loading of the instructions commencing when the character crosses the load boundary in the current game environment in the determined direction such that game play is not interrupted by loading instructions for display of the identified next game environment when the character enters the identified next game environment.
Worlds Inc. v. Bungie, Inc.
903 F.3d 1237 (Fed Cir. 2018)
Back in September 2018, the Federal Circuit reversed the PTAB decision to invalidate U.S. Patent Nos. 7,945,856, 8,082,501, and 8,145,988 because the board had not adequately considered all real parties in interest during the inter partes reviews. All three patents relate to method and systems for displaying computer-generated avatars in a virtual world. Worlds Inc. owns all three patents. Bungie petitioned the PTAB to institute the IPRs and invalidate the three patents.
This case arises out of another case, Worlds Inc. v. Activision Publishing. In 2012, Worlds asserted a number of patents against Activision claiming games like Call of Duty infringed. At the time, Bungie was not a party to the litigation, but then in 2014, Worlds notified Activision of its intent to add Bungie, claiming the game Destiny also infringed. Bungie filed the petitions for the three IPRs six months after Activision received the notice. It is important to note that between 2012 and 2014 Activision had not filed any IPRs, which means its one-year deadline to file had lapsed. When Bungie filed its petition for IPR proceedings, it did not name Activision as a real party of interest. Worlds argued that Bungie should have named Activision as a real party in interest because of a Developer-Publisher agreement between the two video game companies. The PTAB rejected Worlds’ argument and went on to invalidate the patents. Worlds appealed to the Federal Circuit.
An IPR petition “may be considered only if . . . the petition identifies all real parties in interest.” 35 U.S.C. section 312(a)(2). Identifying real parties in interest becomes important in an IPR proceeding because it can affect whether the petition is subject to a time bar; therefore it is important who has the burden to prove who is a real party in interest. The Federal Circuit clarified that the burden to demonstrate the petition is not time-barred belongs to the petitioner. However, the PTAB may properly take the petition’s assertions regarding real parties in interest at face value until the patent owner can demonstrate some evidence that there may be an unnamed real party in interest. If the patent owner does present evidence of an omission of a real party, then the burden of persuasion requires the petitioner to prove it has satisfied its section 312(a)(2) requirements.
During the IPR proceedings, Worlds did present to the PTAB the Developer-Publisher agreement as evidence that Activision is a real party. In the agreement is a provision that requires legal reviews of a ‘Product’ to be cleared by Activision. Worlds argued that the IPRs constituted a legal review of a product, therefore, Activision would be able to dictate the direction of the proceedings, making it a real party in interest. The PTAB rejected these arguments and instead relied upon Bungie’s assertion that it was solely responsible for the IPRs. In reviewing the PTAB’s decision, the Federal Circuit seemed disturbed by the board’s reliance on Bungie’s assertions and more particularly the board’s refusal to place the burden back on Bungie after the agreement came to light. The Federal Circuit vacated the PTAB’s decision and remanded for reconsideration of the issue of whether Activision was a real party in interest, which would result in the petition being time barred.
This case is still ongoing and we will provide updates when available.
U.S. Patent No. 9,266,022: System to pause a game console whenever an object enters an exclusion zone
Issued February 23, 2016, to David Paul Pasqualone
Priority Date August 21, 2012
U.S. Patent No. 9,266,022 (the ‘022 Patent) describes a method to pause a game due to the player physically entering into a danger zone. Motion control video games often require players to move physically. Physically moving can become a problem when the player does not realize where he/she is in relation to other objects, like the television. It is possible that a player does not realize he/she has moved closer to the television due to being intensely focused on the game. The ‘022 describes a method to warn players before crashing into the television by creating several exclusion zones using a console’s motion sensors. The first zone is a warning zone, so when a player enters into it, a warning is displayed telling the player he/she is getting too close. If the player ignores the warning and enters the second zone, the system pauses the game. The game will resume after a set amount of time or if the player manually resumes.
A system for use in an interactive gaming console system wherein the gaming console system uses a sensor monitor to detect player actions, wherein either the sensor monitor’s motion and proximity sensors or dedicated motion and proximity sensors detect whenever an object enters an exclusion zone, which is the area wherein the object is too close to the sensor monitor. If an object is detected within the exclusion zone, then the game being played by the gaming system is paused at the point of played and resumed after a set or settable time delay or after a manual resume command is issued by user in the usual way. A warning zone can also be defined just beyond the exclusion zone so that a warning signal of appropriate type can be issued to warn a player that the player is approaching the exclusion zone allowing the player to back away from the exclusion zone.
1. An interactive gaming system, for use by at least one player, the interactive gaming system comprising: a gaming control unit running a software routine that runs a game and displays the game being run on an output device, the software routine capable of being paused at a point within the game, and thereafter resumed from the point; a forward direction looking sensor monitor determines motion of an object and a proximity of the object from the sensor monitor in the forward direction, the sensor monitor in communication with the gaming control unit such that the gaming control unit receives input signals gathered from the sensor monitor and uses the input signals to control the software routine such that if the sensor monitor senses that a moving object is in the forward direction and is closer to the sensor monitor than a first threshold distance, the gaming control unit issues a threshold pause and pauses the software routine and wherein the gaming control unit issues a perceptible warning if the sensor monitor senses that a moving object is in the forward direction and at a proximity distance greater than the first threshold distance and less than a second threshold distance; and wherein the first threshold distance is variable and wherein the gaming control unit automatically resumes running of the software routine after a set amount of time has elapsed and the sensor monitor no longer determines that a moving object is closer to the sensor monitor than the first threshold distance in the forward direction and wherein the gaming control unit has an accumulator that calculates the number of times the threshold is exceeded during a set time interval and if the number of times calculates exceeds a threshold number, the software routine pauses the software routine until a set code is communicated to the gaming control unit.
U.S. Patent No. 9,669,291: System and method to facilitate moves in a word game
U.S. Patent No. 9,669,291 describes a system and method for distributing letters in a digital scrabble game. In an analog Scrabble game, a player has to rely on luck when pulling their letters, compared to a digital game where a computer algorithm is selecting the pieces. Each letter has a probability rate based on the number of pieces that letter has in the physical board game. Once probability rates are established, the game then analyzes the digital game board, list of playable words, player skill levels, and relationships of particular letters in word formations. From there, the game adjusts the probability rates of the remaining letters. Changing the rates helps balance the competition between players of different skill levels and ensure that a player can play a word in most situations.
A system and method to facilitate moves in a word game includes a game asset distribution module that adjusts the respective distribution weights of letters in a set of alphabet letters. The letters are distributed to players in a word game with a probability proportional to the distribution weights. The game asset distribution module includes an analysis module to analyze the game board, lists of playable words, player skill levels, and relationships of particular letters in word formations. Accordingly, distribution weights of the letters are adjusted in order to facilitate allocation to the player of those letters which will facilitate word formation, ensure at least a minimum playable word experience, and enhance an overall user experience, even amongst players with significantly different skill levels.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: assigning, via at least one processor, to each alphabet letter a respective distribution weight according to a weighting rule of an online game, wherein each respective distribution weight reflects a frequency the corresponding alphabet letter, to which the respective distribution weight is assigned, is available for a game action in the online game of a game network server system; allocating based on respective assigned distribution weights, for availability in one or more game actions by a particular player, instances of each alphabet letter in a plurality of the alphabet letters; initiating display, to the particular player, of the allocated instances of each alphabet letter in a game interface of the online game; receiving a game action representing completion of a formation of a word, the word based on selection of a subset of the allocated instances of each alphabet letter; determining a losing player being the particular player having a point score in the online game lower than any further player within the online game, wherein each further player has a respective social network connection in a social network server system with the particular player; based on determining the losing player being the particular player: determining a number of remaining instances of the alphabet letters, available for distribution, and yet to be allocated to the losing player, in accordance to the respective distribution weights and the plurality of alphabet letters previously allocated to the losing player; determining the number of the remaining instances of the alphabet letters is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold; comparing a set of played words based on one or more words previously formed in one or more game action selected by the losing player in the online game; determining a prospective word formation, in a subset of the remaining instances of the alphabet letters, matches at least one of the words previously formed; adjusting the respective distribution weight of each letter in the subset of the remaining instances of the alphabet letters, the adjusted respective distribution weight being greater than a prior corresponding distribution weight.
Supercell OY v. GREE, Inc.
PGR2018-00008
Filed November 7, 2017, Decided January 2, 2019
On January 2, 2019, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board issued a final written decision in a post-grant review that invalidated U.S. Patent No. 9,597,594 (the ‘594 Patent) as directed to an abstract idea under 35 U.S.C. § 101. GREE Inc. owns the ‘594 Patent which relates to a method to improve the usability of city building games. Supercell, makers of Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, initiated this post-grant review, along with many others over the last few years.
A post-grant review (PGR) is similar to an inter partes review (IPR), but differs in a few important respects. In IPRs, petitioners are limited to challenges under 35 U.S.C. § 102 (anticipation) and § 103 (obviousness). In PGRs, however, petitioners can also challenge patents under 35 U.S.C. § 101 (patentable subject matter) and § 112 (written description and indefiniteness). But there are some restrictions on what patents are subject to PGR, and when PGRs can be filed. Only patents with filing dates after March 16, 2013 (the date the America Invents Act went into effect) are eligible for PGR. A party can petition for an IPR on any patent regardless of the filing date. More importantly, PGR must be filed within nine months after the patent grant date. This short window for filing a PGR has made IPR the more common method to challenge a patent’s validity.
Supercell asserted the claims in the ‘594 Patent failed to claim patentable subject matter meeting the standards of 35 U.S.C. § 101. Claim 1 of the ‘594 Patent reads:
1. A method for controlling a computer that is provided with a storage unit configured to store game contents arranged within a game space, first positions of the game contents within the game space, and a template defining second positions of one or more of the game contents, and that progresses a game by arranging the game contents within the game space based on a command by a player, the method comprising:
when the template is applied to a predetermined area within the game space based on the command by the player, moving, by the computer, the game contents arranged at the first positions within the game space to the second positions of the game contents defined by the template within the predetermined area. (‘594 Patent, col. 26, line 33 – 46).
The PTAB agreed with Supercell that claims 1, 8, and 10-20 of the ‘594 Patent are direct to abstract ideas and therefore unpatentable. However, the Board found Supercell did not establish that claims 2-7 and 9 failed to claim an inventive concepts beyond an abstract idea, and thus had not been shown to be unpatentable. As a result of the PTAB’s decision, the ‘594 Patent has not been completely cancelled, with some claims invalidated and others surviving.
Currently, GREE is not asserting the ‘594 Patent against Supercell in litigation in the United States. In the initial petition to the PTAB, it states that GREE is asserting the Japanese counterpart of the ‘594 Patent against Supercell in a Tokyo District Court. Supercell has also filed other post-grant reviews against other GREE patents. If there are any further developments, we will provide an update.
U.S. Patent No. 9,005,033: Game movie maker
Issued April 14, 2015, to Sony Interactive Entertainment America, LLC
Priority date April 11, 2008
U.S. Patent No. 9,005,033 (the ‘033 Patent) describes a method for recording the successful completion of a level in a video game. The patent is concerned about how gamers describe their conquests to their friends. The ‘033 Patent addresses the issue by providing players a video archive every time the player completes a level. While a person is playing a video game, the system begins to create an archive. If the player fails to complete the level then the system deletes the archive. A separate video is created for each level completed, but upon the completion of the game, the system will combine all the videos into a single video. The claims in the ‘033 Patent only relate to the creation of videos, and does not claim any method for sharing.
Methods, apparatuses, and techniques for recording a user’s game play experience. The player’s game play can be recorded by recording a player’s commands as the player navigates a game level as well as game data that can include a state of the game and variables, such as random numbers, generated during the game play that were used to control aspects of the game. The recording of the player’s game play can then be reviewed and shared with others.
1. A method for recording a path of completed levels of a game by a player, the method comprising:
determining if the player completed a particular level of the game, wherein the player completes a level of the game when the player makes it through the level, and wherein the game includes a plurality of levels including a start level and an end level;
storing data captured during gameplay of the particular level of the game by the player to a file if it is determined that the player completed the particular level of the game; and
discarding the data captured during the gameplay of the particular level of the game by the player if it is determined that the player did not complete the particular level of the game,
wherein as the player plays through the plurality of levels of the game, the data captured during the gameplay of each completed level is saved to each respective files and when the end level is reached, files for all levels from the start level to the end level is combined into a single video file such that contents of the single video file upon completion of the game comprise data representing a completed path of the gameplay taken through the game from the start level to the end level.
U.S. Patent No. 8,858,330: Music video game with virtual drums
Issued October 14, 2014, to Activision Publishing, Inc.
U.S. Patent No. 8,858,330 (the ‘330 Patent) describes a music rhythm game that uses motions controls without any peripheral equipment. An excellent example of the ‘330 Patent is a game with virtual drums. The game represents the drums on the screen. To play the virtual drums, the user must do the correct controller inputs, which could include motions. A person using the Nintendo Wii might have to swing the Wiimote down for the system to register an input. A drum sound will be played on the television once the system logs the input. The ‘330 Patent is not limited to just motion controls; a player can use traditional controller inputs as well.
A video game maps each of a plurality of outputs to inputs associated with a video game controller. In some embodiments, the plurality of outputs represent the various potential outputs of a drum set. Combinations of video game controller inputs are used to generate the outputs. Video game controller inputs include traditional input devices such as button inputs, as well as input signals generated from positioning and movement of the video game controllers. In some embodiments, a video game console provides a video representation of the outputs generated by input combinations received from the video game controllers.
1. A method of providing audio and video outputs for a video game, comprising: receiving an input signal from a video game controller, the input signal being based on an output of an accelerometer of the video game controller; receiving additional signals from a plurality of additional inputs on the video game controller, the additional signals being based on status of a plurality of buttons of the video game controller, at least one combination of the additional inputs being associated with a predefined sequence of successive audio outputs; selecting one or more audio outputs to output based on the input signal and the additional signals, the one or more audio outputs including the predefined sequence of successive audio outputs; and determining a video output based on the selection of the one or more audio outputs.
Law Review: A History of US Video Game Litigation
Under : Analysis
We’re proud to announce that the Patent Arcade’s own, Ross Dannenberg & Josh Davenport, have published a new law review article on the history of US video game litigation, including analysis of how litigation has changed over the years, what we might expect going forward, and even a case or two that courts might have got wrong:
Top 10 video game cases (US): how video game litigation in the US has evolved since the advent of Pong, by Ross Dannenberg and Josh Davenport
Abstract: Video game litigation in the United States is neither new nor infrequent, and video game developers can learn valuable lessons from cases won, and lost, by others before them. This article examines the evolution of United States intellectual property law from historically narrow roots to classifying video games as an art form deserving broad free speech protection. This article examines seminal cases in a variety of IP areas, including not only copyrights, but also reverse engineering, derivative works, patents, trademarks, rights of publicity, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, contracts, and freedom of speech. These cases explore the factual and legal limits of American jurisprudence in video game law, including how one’s own expression can be limited by the rights of others, permissible and fair use and of others’ IP, and the impact these cases have had in the industry. As video games have leveled up into a multi-billion dollar industry, the law has leveled up, too, and this article is the primer you need to level up with it.
Interactive Entertainment Law Review, vol. 1, iss. 2, Dec. 2018
U.S. Patent No. 8,851,993: Game device, game method, non-transitory storage medium encoded with computer readable program for controlling game device, and game system, allowing for fun in tactics and enhanced zest of game
Issued October 7 2014, to Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Priority Date: June 3, 2011
U.S. Patent No. 8,851,993 (the ‘993 Patent) describes a board game video game where all the players travel along the same path together. Normally, every player in a board game travels an independent route. Each player will roll a dice that determines how far an individual player travels. Depending on the game, the route may have forks in the road where a player can choose which direction to travel. The ‘993 Patent describes a board game where each player travels together. Each player will get to roll dice but the distance traveled will be applied to the group. If the group lands on a special square, then the player who rolled the dice will receive the benefit or determent of the square. Some squares will apply to the group as a whole. Nintendo has used the board game described in the ‘993 Patent in several Mario Party games.
An exemplary embodiment provides a game device. The game device includes an indication acceptance unit for accepting an indication for determining an amount of movement, a movement amount determination unit for determining an amount of movement on the prescribed route, a position updating unit for updating positions of all player characters on the route in accordance with the determined amount of movement, and an event processing unit for executing an event on the player character and the indication acceptance unit includes a normal indication acceptance unit for accepting a normal indication for determining a normal amount of movement and a special indication acceptance unit for accepting a special indication for determining an amount of movement different from normal, which is executed alternative to the normal indication and of which number of permitted times of issuance by the plurality of player characters is limited.
1. A device for playing a game in which a plurality of player characters move on a prescribed route in a game space displayed on a display, comprising: an information processing device including one or more processing units configured to perform functions and operates as: an indication acceptance unit that accepts a movement indication for determining an amount of player character movement on said prescribed route directed to a player character among said plurality of player characters; a movement amount determination unit that determines an amount of player character movement on said prescribed route when said indication acceptance unit accepts the movement indication; a position updating unit that updates positions of said player character for which the movement indication has been accepted and of all other player characters on said prescribed route in accordance with said amount of player character movement determined by said movement amount determination unit; an item acquirement/loss processing unit that performs processing by which player characters acquire or lose a prescribed item in accordance with an update of a position of said player character for which said movement indication has been accepted; an event processing unit that executes an event at least on said player character for which the movement indication has been accepted in accordance with the position to which said player character has been moved; and a win/loss processing unit that performs a win/loss determination in which winning and losing is determined for player characters based on an amount of said prescribed items acquired by each of said plurality of player characters; wherein said indication acceptance unit further operates as: a normal movement indication determiner that accepts a normal movement indication for determining an amount of player character movement of a type that is a normal movement for a player character in the game, wherein said normal movement indication corresponds to a value of a cast shown by using a normal die, and a special movement indication determiner that accepts a special movement indication for determining an amount of player character special movement which is of a type that is different from said type that is a normal movement for a player character in the game, the special movement indication being used as an alternative to said normal movement indication and for which a number of permitted times of usage by each of said plurality of player characters is limited, and wherein said special movement indication corresponds to a value of a cast shown by using a special die different from said normal die.
U.S. Patent No. 8,821,260: System and method for granting in-game bonuses to a user
Issued September 2, 2014, to Kabam Inc.
Priority Date November 6, 2012
U.S. Patent No. 8,821,260 describes a system and method for granting in-game bonuses to a player connected to in-game items or other in-game features. For example, equipping a magic hat will give the player’s character +3 Magic bonus. Often, a player’s character will outgrow an item as their character levels up. The ‘260 Patent allows for players to upgrade an item to enhance the bonus. However, a failed upgrade could break the item which would decrease the bonus.
Disclosed herein is technology for providing in-game bonuses to a user’s in-game persona. The technology involves virtual items that provide quality-based bonuses and level based bonuses. The technology provides systems and methods for upgrading an item’s level and enhancing the item’s quality. If an upgrade or enhancement is unsuccessful, the item may be broken and the quality bonuses and level bonuses may be decreased until the item is repaired.
1. A method, executed on a computer processor, for granting bonuses to a user’s in-game persona, the method comprising: defining an interface that allows a user to place a first virtual item in a first slot within the interface, the virtual item comprising a first quality value and a first level value; receiving input by the user to place the first virtual item in the first slot; establishing, responsive to reception of the input, a set of one or more quality bonuses based on the first quality value; establishing, responsive to reception of the input, a level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses based on the first level value; causing the interface to offer the user the ability to upgrade the first virtual item; assigning a percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded; causing the interface to present an indication of the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded; causing the interface to offer the user the ability to increase the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded by providing a second virtual item; causing the interface to present an indication of the increased percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded in response to the user providing a second virtual item; determining, responsive to an acceptance of the offer, whether the first virtual item is upgraded or broken; increasing the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being upgraded; decreasing each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being broken; and providing each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses to the user’s in-game persona.
Hillside Licensing LLC v. Valve Corp
Filed November 29, 2018, Case No. 2:18-cv-01717-BJR
On November 29, 2018, Hillside Licensing LLC filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Valve Corp. The complaint alleges Valve infringed U.S. Patent No. 7,827,236 (the ‘236 Patent) by offering playable game demos on Steam. The ‘236 Patent generally relates to the transmission of incomplete or corrupted digital media.
Claim 1 of the ‘236 Patent recites:
1. A method of delivering a digital media file comprising the following steps:
(a) dividing a master version of a digital media file into a first series of time frames and a second series of time frames;
(b) delivering the first series of time frames to one or more users without any form of access control, the first series of time frames capable of being used to form a version of the digital media file which is at least one of a group consisting of: incomplete and corrupted; and
(c) delivering the second series of time frames to one or more users, the second series of time frames capable of being used in conjunction with the first series of time frames to form a version of the digital media file which is complete and uncorrupted, in which access to the second series of time frames is only granted to users satisfying defined access control criteria, wherein the second series of time frames is transmitted separately from the first series of time frames in response to a user request. (‘236 patent, col. 5, line 39-59).
According to the complaint, Valve has infringed the ‘236 Patent by offering free game demos which will save the player’s progress so they will not need to restart should the player decide to purchase the full game.
One common defense Valve might look to employ is to argue that the claims are directed to patent-ineligible subject matter. Since the Supreme Court decided Alice, many patents related to software get attacked as directed to abstract ideas under section 101.
We will continue to follow this case and provide updates when available.
McRo v. Namco Bandai Round 2
McRo Inc. v. Namco Bandai et al.
United States District Court for the Central District of California
Issued November 13, 2018, Case No: CV 12-10322-GW(FFMx)
On November 13, 2018, the Central District of California issued a ruling which added another wrinkle to the McRo, Inc. v. Namco Bandai saga. As a quick recap, McRo asserted two patents related to animated lip synchronizing against pretty much the entire the video game industry. The district court initially found the patents to be invalid under 35 U.S.C. 101 as directed to an abstract idea, but the Federal Circuit reversed, finding the patents to be valid. For a more in-depth analysis click here to read our previous post. Now, on remand, the district court has issued summary judgment holding U.S. patent No. 6,611,278 (the ‘278 Patent) invalid under 35 U.S.C. 112 for lack of enablement (§ 112 also covers definiteness of claims). Typically, questions regarding enablement go before a jury, so it is somewhat unusual for a judge to grant a summary judgment based on enablement under § 112.
A patent must describe “the manner and process of making and using, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use [the invention].” 35 U.S.C. 112. According to section 112, a patent is enabled when a person skilled in the art can read the patent and recreate the invention. Section 112 allows for some experimentation if it is merely routine or the patent provides guidance about the direction. See Vasudevan Software, Inc. v. MicroStrategy Inc., 782 F.3d 671, 684 (Fed. Cir. 2015). However, a patent must enable the full scope of the claims. See Auto. Techs. Int’l, Inc. v. BMW of N. Am., Inc., 501 F.3d 1274, 1285 (Fed. Cir. 2007); see also LizardTech, Inc. v. Earth Resource Mapping, Inc., 424 F.3d 1336, 1346 (Fed. Cir. 2005). If a patent claim is written broadly to encompass several methods but the disclosure only mentions one method, then the patent might not be enabled as to the full scope of the claims.
The District Court found the ‘278 Patent was not enabled because the claims were too broad for a person skilled in the art to make and use the full scope of the invention. McRo argued for and was able to secure a broad construction of the ‘278 Patent claims earlier during the litigation, but the broad construction has now worked against them. The district court found that the patent claims were written too broadly for a person of ordinary skill in the art to understand the full scope of the claims. McRo tried to argue that the unmentioned details for implementing the full, broad scope of the claims were well known in the art and already discussed within other prior art, but the district court rejected that argument. McRo also alleged that the ‘278 Patent was enabled because it disclosed a single method. The district court held disclosing a single method was not enough to enable the full scope of the claims of the ’278 Patent. Thus, the district court found the ‘278 Patent invalid because the description of the invention did not enable the full scope of the claims. The court also found the defendants did not infringe the ‘278 Patent since it is invalid.
This case highlights the tightrope that litigants walk when they pursue broad claim construction. While that might help their infringement case, it can come back to haunt their validity defense, as evidenced here.
McRo could appeal the District Court’s ruling to the Federal Circuit. Even if McRo does not appeal, there is still ongoing litigation involving McRo and Square Enix over a different patent. In either situation, we will provide an update when available.
U.S. Patent No. 8,814,687: Multi-player music game
Issued August 26, 2014, to Activision Publishing, Inc.
Priority Date May 5, 2010
U.S. Patent No. 8,814,687 (the ‘687 Patent) describes a method to allow a multiplayer game in Guitar Hero. If a person was already playing a song in the game, the ‘687 Patent allows for a second person to join without interrupting the song. The system would quickly configure the settings and information for the second player while the first player kept play. A player could also leave a session without forcing other players to leave as well. The system removes all the information relating to the player who quit but leaves the remaining player’s information intact.
A video game allows dynamic transitions in the number of players. A player may join other players already playing the game without interrupting the play of the existing players, and a player may cease playing the game without interrupting the play of players who continue playing. The video game uses a method including providing game play for at least one game player including displaying video information based on game program instructions and inputs from a controller. The method also includes determining whether a further player is joining the video game, and if the further player is joining the video game, displaying player specific information associated with the further player to the video information. The method also includes determining whether a player is quitting the video game, and if the player is quitting the video game, removing display of the player specific information associated with the player
1. A method of providing for video game play of a music-based video game, comprising: displaying, for the music-based video game, video of a band performing, the band including musicians whose roles players may perform, with each of the players provided a score; determining whether a further player is joining the video game during a presentation of a music piece based on at least an input signal from a further controller, the further controller not already associated with another game player; if the further player is joining the video game during the music piece, providing game play for the further player without disrupting play of other players, including commanding display of instructive cues for operation of the further controller and commanding display of a score for the further player based on compliance with the instructive cues based on inputs from the further controller; determining whether the further player is quitting the video game during display of the instructive cues for the further player; and if the particular player is quitting the video game, removing display of the instructive cues for the further player.
U.S. Patent No. 3,659,285: Television gaming apparatus and method
Issued April 25, 1972, to Lockheed Sanders Inc.
U.S. Patent No. 3,659,285 (the ‘285 Patent) relates to U.S. Patent No. 3,728,480, titled Television gaming and training apparatus. Both patents are connected to the Magnavox Odyssey, the first commercial home video game console. The ‘285 Patent describes a method for providing visual feedback to the players. The television generates two types of symbols: a “HIT” dot and “HITTING” dot. “HITTING” dots are the players while the “HIT” dot is the ball. The “HITTING” dots move on a vertical axis on the sides of the screen, while the “HIT” dot moves on a horizontal axis in-between the two “HITTING” dots. “HITTING” dots can change the direction of the “HIT” dot by touching the “HIT” dot. The ‘285 Patent describes a type of game that would later be called Pong by Atari. Magnavox would sue Atari for infringement, but the case settled when Magnavox granted Atari a license.
The ‘285 Patent also describes a target shooting game as well. Target symbols are generated and move across the screen like a shooting gallery. Players use a light gun controller to shoot the target symbols. The symbols would reverse direction when hit, but disappear off screen if missed.
Apparatus and methods are herein disclosed for use in conjunction with standard monochrome and color television receivers, for the generation, display and manipulation of symbols upon the screen of the television receivers for the purpose of playing games, training simulation and for engaging in other activities by one or more participants. The invention comprises in one embodiment a control unit, connecting means and in some applications a television screen overlay mask utilized in conjunction with a standard television receiver. The control unit includes the control means, switches and electronic circuitry for the generation, manipulation and control of video signals representing symbols which are to be displayed on the television screen. The symbols are generated by voltage controlled delay of pulses and coincidence gating. The connecting means couples the video signals to the receiver antenna terminals thereby using existing electronic circuits within the receiver to process and display the signals. An overlay mask which may be removably attached to the television screen may determine the nature of the game to be played. Control units may be provided for each of the participants. Alternatively, games may be carried out in conjunction with background and other pictorial information originated in the television receiver by commercial TV, closedcircuit TV or a CATV station.
7. Apparatus for playing handball type games by displaying and manipulating symbols on the screen of a cathode ray tube, comprising: means for generating a first ””hitting”” dot; means for generating a ””second”” hitting dot; means for generating a ””hit”” dot; means for generating a wall symbol; means for changing the vertical position of said first ””hitting”” dot; means for changing the vertical position of said second ””hitting”” dot; means for causing said hit dot to move off-screen away from said wall dot when coincidence is not made between eight of said ””hitting”” dots and said ””hit”” dot; means for changing said off-screen position; means for denoting coincidence between said first ””hitting”” dot and said ””hit”” dot; means for denoting coincidence between said second ””hitting”” dot and said ””hit”” dot; means for causing said ””hit”” dot to change horizontal direction upon coincidence between said ””hit”” dot and either of said ””hitting”” dots; means for denoting coincidence between said ””hit”” dot and said wall symbol; means for causing said ””hit”” dot to change horizontal direction upon coincidence between said ””hit”” dot and said wall symbol; and means for displaying said dots upon the screen of said cathode ray tube.
P.S. Happy Holidays!
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Publication Highlight | Jonathan Browning's GLORIOUS! In Search of China’s New Elites
"Browning's photos – compelling portraits of socialites, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists – slyly and skillfully display a new reality of present-day China." Isaac Stone Fish, Senior Fellow, Center on US-China Relations, Asia Society, New York
WITH MODERN CHINA’S rise to greatness have emerged new kinds of social elite in the country, dramatically different from the political class that has guided the nation since 1949. Young, rich, cosmopolitan and well connected, many are the overseas-educated progeny of families that made their fortunes in the post-reform boom years of the 1980s and 1990s — what is known in popular culture as 'children of the yuan percent'.
Spared the nation’s agonies in the 20th century, these new elites are the pinnacle of a gilded generation. Sometimes the recipients of eye-popping inherited wealth, their extravagant lifestyles have frequently attracted media finger wagging in a country where poverty and thrift were long the norm. Yet for millions of Chinese millennials more attuned to mobile commerce than Marxist ideology, these new rich represent an ideal version of material success to be aspired to and imitated.
Today, as this generation comes of age and makes its mark in business, media and the arts, it bears the responsibility of continuing the country’s extraordinary success story and delivering the so-called ‘China Dream’.
This fascinating series of more than 70 images, taken between 2014 and 2016 by British photographer Jonathan Browning, reveals a cross-section of these new elites; at home and at work, from bankers and art dealers to tech entrepreneurs, fashion designers and property developers.
What emerges is a snapshot of a social class caught in the process of defining itself. In its choice of fashions, its taste in interior design and its social habits, it is a community whose self-image is still a highly variegated mix of traditional Chinese and international designer brands, reconfigured in a country still coming to terms with its status as a 21st-century superpower.
Jonathan Browning is a British press photographer. From 2007 to 2016 he lived in China and contributed to publications such as the Times of London, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Der Spiegel, among others. He lives in the UK.
Publisher: 3030 Press (2018)
Format: Hardcover, dustjacket, 72 colour illustrations, 295 x 220 mm
Pages: 124 pp
Limited Edition of 500 copies
3030press.com
tags: Publication highlight
categories: Special Report, Post-Mao period
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Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl's amazing tale is now Oklahoma City's golden ticket! It's the perfect recipe for a delectable treat: songs from the original film, including "Pure Imagination," "The Candy Man," and "I've Got a Golden Ticket," alongside a toe-tapping and ear-tickling new score from the songwriters of Hairspray.
Willy Wonka is opening his marvelous and mysterious chocolate factory...to a lucky few. That includes Charlie Bucket, whose bland life is about to burst with color and confection beyond his wildest dreams. He and four other golden ticket winners will embark on a mesmerizing joyride through a world of pure imagination. Now's your chance to experience the wonders of Wonka like never before – get ready for Oompa-Loompas, incredible inventions, the great glass elevator, and more, more, more at this everlasting showstopper!
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31-August-2007 20:48 IST
K C Jena takes over as Chairman, Railway Board
Shri K. C. Jena, an officer of 1971 batch of Indian Railway Traffic Service, has taken over as the new Chairman, Railway Board and ex-officio Principal Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Railways, here today. His ascendancy to the Railway Board comes at a time when the Indian Railways is witness to an unprecedented turnaround and is on the throes of an order-of-magnitude change. Prior to this he has been holding the post of Member (Staff), Railway Board since 31st July 2006.
Shri Jena has risen to the highest office in the Indian Railways, after having held important operational management assignments on the South Eastern Railway including that of the Chief Freight Traffic Manager. Known by his dynamic leadership and pro-active approach to challenges, he joined the Railway Board initially as Executive Director (Safety) and then took over as Executive Director (Coaching).
He also served as the Chief Commercial Manager (Passenger Services) and thereafter as Chief Operating Manager, Western Railway. During this tenure, he received the prestigious Zonal Efficiency Shield for Excellency in Operations for the year 2004-05. His stint as Division Railway Manager, Vadodra saw path-breaking initiatives in the field of passenger amenities and in pioneering the concept of Special Purpose Vehicle as the future to modernization and expansion of Indian Raillways.
Shri Jena was elevated to the post of Additional General Manager, Central Railway and thereafter, took over the dual charge of the posts of General Manager, North Central Railway, Allahabad and General Manager, East Central Railway, Hajipur. Later, he continued as General Manager, East Central Railway.
He brings to the office his erudite knowledge and scholarship, imbibed in the course of his study, among others, at the Madras Christian College, Chennai and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He joined the Indian Railway Traffic Service in the year 1971.
Shri Jena traveled extensively, both within and outside the country whereby he could glean the challenges and opportunities for the Indian Railways. He has received training in U.K. on Inter-modal traffic at the University College of Cardiff, on Management Information Systems in Sweden, Germany and the USA and on Management Essentials for High Potential Executives at STERN School of Business, New York, USA.
Shri Jena was elected as the National Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), India, headquartered in U.K. in March 2007. He has been the recipient of the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Sadhbhawana Award for the year 2007 from Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. AKS/HK
( The photograph of Shri Jena ias available on the PIB website i.e. pib.nic.in)
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Pottery Barn releasing a 'Friends' collection so your home can look like Central Perk
Pottery Barn is releasing a special “Friends”-themed collection on July 30.
The infamous apothecary table from the episode “The One with the Apothecary Table” and other “Central Perk-worthy accents” will celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary.
Serena Famalette, a Pottery Barn representative, said that there will be 14 items in the collection, ranging from $13 to $1,099.
Patrick Connolly, a former executive at Pottery Barn’s parent company Williams-Sonoma, once called the apothecary table episode the “gift that keeps on giving,” as “phones light up with catalog requests every time it airs in syndication.”
“Friends” is still one of the most popular shows on Netflix, and the streaming service reportedly paid upwards of $100 million to land the rights to stream it, but it will be leaving the service soon.
The TV studio of WarnerMedia, the parent company of CNN, owns the rights to the show.
By admin@otortal.com| 2019-07-12T14:12:54-07:00 July 12th, 2019|All Categories|
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Indian Act remedy Bill C-3 is flawed
Shelagh Day and Joyce Green
rabble news
Its intent may be to promote gender equity in Indian registration, but Bill C-3 [now before Parliament] does not ensure that women and their descendants will be treated the same as men and their descendants for the purposes of determining Indian status.
Witnesses told the standing committee on Aboriginal affairs this spring that the Conservative government's bill to address sex discrimination is not a remedy they support.
The bill is Ottawa's response to McIvor v. Canada, a 2009 B.C. Court of Appeal ruling that found that Section 6 of the Indian Act violates Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The court gave Ottawa a year to fix the legislation.
Indian status, defined in the Indian Act, is a designation akin to citizenship. It determines which persons of Aboriginal descent are eligible to be treated as Indians by the federal government. It is used to determine eligibility for certain federal programs. In some instances, it is also linked to entitlement to live on reserves and participate in the political and community life of reserves. Although some bands choose to have members who do not have Indian status, most bands make status a precondition of band membership.
The act has a long history of discrimination against women. Until recently, the Indian Act defined an Indian as "a male Indian, the wife of a male Indian or the child of a male Indian." Indian women who married non-Indians were stripped of their status and could not pass Indian status on to their children. Indian men who married non-Indians, passed on their status and band membership to their wives and children, and thus to their grandchildren.
In the early 70s, Jeanette Corbiere Lavell and Yvonne Bedard challenged section 12(1)(b) of the Indian Act for violating the 1960 Canadian Bill of Rights' guarantee of sex equality. They lost at the Supreme Court of Canada in 1973, but Sandra Lovelace went on to challenge Canada for violating the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and won. The U.N. Human Rights Committee found Canada's status provisions deprived women and their children of the fundamental right to enjoy their culture in their communities.
When Canada's new equality guarantees in the Charter came into force 25 years ago, the Mulroney Conservative government moved to amend the status provisions of the Indian Act with Bill C-31. But that fix was incomplete. Bill C-31 retained full Indian status for Indian men, their wives and children but put women and children who had lost status because of sex discrimination in a second-class category rather than giving them full status.
As a result, Indians who never lost their status may confer status to their children and grandchildren, while reinstated Indians have a diminished status -- one that stipulates that they can confer status to their children, but not to their grandchildren.
Under Section 15 of the Charter, Sharon McIvor challenged the sex-based hierarchy in the status registration sections of the Indian Act, not just for treating men and women who married out differently, but for giving preferred treatment to men as transmitters of Indian status, and to descendants of male Indians. McIvor won in the B.C. Supreme Court and the B.C. Court of Appeal in 2007 and 2009 and, as a result, the federal government is required to amend the Indian Act.
The Conservative government maintains Bill C-3 would provide Indian status to 45,000 descendants of Aboriginal women who were previously ineligible. However, McIvor, the Native Women's Association of Canada, and other witnesses at the committee hearings say it will still give women and their descendants an inferior form of Indian status compared to men and their descendants. Known as the second generation cut-off, the cut-off would apply to descendants of women one generation earlier than it applies to male lineage descendants.
In addition, Bill C-3 will still leave out some Aboriginal women and their descendants. For example, grandchildren who trace their Aboriginal descent through the maternal line will continue to be denied status if they were born prior to September 4, 1951. And yet grandchildren who trace their Aboriginal descent through the male line will not.
Further, by proposing only to correct sex discrimination against the grandchildren of women who lost status by marrying out, Bill C-3 would continue to exclude grandchildren who are descended from status Indian women who had children with non-status men in common-law unions. It would also continue the exclusion of female children and grandchildren of status Indian men who partnered with non-status women in common-law unions. Male children and grandchildren of status Indian fathers who co-parented with non-status women in common-law unions will have status.
Having heard all the witnesses, the, opposition parties' members on the standing committee made amendments to the bill to remove sex discrimination from the status registration provisions. The amendments were adopted by the committee. However, on May 11 the Speaker of the House ruled that the amendments were out of order. By some estimates the amendments would include about 200,000 people who have been wrongfully excluded from having Indian status because of sex discrimination.
Aboriginal women in Quebec, lead by Michele Audette and Viviane Michel, are currently on a 500-kilometre walk from Wendake to Parliament Hill. They started on May 4th and their walk will end on June 1. The "AMUN" March, which translates to Great Gathering, is in support of Sharon McIvor who is calling for the removal of all gender discrimination from the Indian Act -- now.
The ball is in the Conservatives' court. Are they willing to end discrimination against all Aboriginal women and their descendants by replacing Bill C-3 with legislation that does the job right? If not, the Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc should vote this flawed bill down, forcing the Conservatives back to the drawing board unless they want to trigger the McIvor decision making the tainted Indian Act provisions "of no force and effect." If the opposition parties support the flawed remedial legislation, then someone will be tasked with spending the next 20 years litigating, almost certainly successful, if time consuming and expensive, claims that the Indian Act still violates the Charter.
Shelagh Day is Chair of the Human Rights Committee, Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA). Joyce Green, Professor of Political Science, University of Regina.
This story first appeared in Herizon magazine.
Fighting for disenfranchised First Nations women
The following is a letter to Canada’s parliamentarians from Lower Nicola Band member Sharon McIvor, who has fought for the rights of aboriginal women for 20 years. She wants MPs to vote against the upcoming Bill C-3, Gender Equity in Indian Registration A
indigenous women
First Nations women
indian act
indian status
aboriginal women
bill c-3
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Artur » List of publications » Modeling the hydrodynamics and mass-transfer phenomena for sedimentary rocks used for Flue Gas Desulfurization. The effect of temperature
Modeling the hydrodynamics and mass-transfer phenomena for sedimentary rocks used for Flue Gas Desulfurization. The effect of temperature
De Blasio, Cataldo
Ahlbeck, Jarl
Westerlund, Tapio
List of Authors: C. De Blasio, J. Ahlbeck and Tapio Westerlund
Place: Amsterdam
Journal: Computer Aided Chemical Engineering
Sedimentary rocks, such as limestone, are widely utilized in Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) processes. The study of the dissolution for solid particles involved in FGD is therefore significant for process design and plant operation. The rate of dissolution affects the cost of makeup and waste disposal. For this reason a method to test different qualities of raw materials can give us a better understanding of the desulfurization performance. One method to test the reactivity takes into account the utilization of diluted strong acids like hydrochloric acid [1]. In the present study the mass transport phenomena involved in batch stirred tank reactors (BSTRs) are modeled in presence of hydrochloric acid and the experiments were taken at different temperatures in order to demonstrate the reliability of the method. The Surface Renewal Time, also called Surface Time of Exposure (TOE), is a quantity describing the life-time of the separation surface between the solid and liquid faces. The method gives an estimation of the temperature effect over the solid particles dissolution in BSTR and can be used to evaluate the reactivity and the diffusivity values of different raw materials.
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CA Issues Update on Sales Tax Exemption for Manufacturing and Research and Development Equipment
Tax Development Apr 12, 2017
California Issues Update on Sales Tax Exemption for Manufacturing and Research and Development Equipment
By John P. Lyon
By Susan T. Bittick
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office has issued an update addressing the utilization of the partial manufacturing exemption that went into effect in 2014. Under the exemption, certain sales of manufacturing or research and development (R&D) equipment are excluded from the state portion of the sales tax rate. The exemption was passed in 2013 as part of the Governor’s Economic Development Initiative (GEDI), which was designed to retain and attract manufacturing and R&D jobs and investment.
The State Board of Equalization (BOE) issued its annual report to the Legislature regarding use of the exemption on March 1, 2017. The BOE reported that an estimated $165 million was claimed in 2016, which was a 6% increase from the prior year. However, current estimates for 2016 are only about one-third the amount projected at the time the exemption was passed into law. The BOE’s report provides options for expanding the use of the exemption for the consideration of the Legislature, which include allowing businesses to qualify more equipment for the exemption, increasing the annual cap on the amount of eligible equipment, and expanding the businesses that are eligible to claim the exemption.
Legislation (AB 600 and SB 600) has been introduced that incorporates the BOE’s recommendations and will bring the incentive program closer to its original revenue-neutral targets. Options include expanding the definition of “useful life,” increasing the amount of the annual cap, extending the sunset date, and expanding the definition of qualified person to include agricultural processors and producers of electric power from alternate sources.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Greg Weston
greg.weston@ryan.com
John P. Lyon
Susan T. Bittick
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Our region mourns the loss of two of our most active members in the tragic terrorist actions on September 11th. Linda Gronlund and Joseph DeLuca were traveling to San Francisco on United Airlines flight 93 when it was hijacked and subsequently crashed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all on board.
Linda was our region's Flag Marshal. She had joined the Sports Car Club of America in June of 1980 while living in Sag Harbor, New York. She quickly became active in SCCA activities at the Bridgehampton Road Race Circuit near her hometown and at other tracks all over the northeast. Linda earned a law degree and worked for several automotive companies over the years. She was on a business trip to the west coast for her employer, BMW North America, when she was killed. Linda and Joe planned to travel and sightsee in northern California after Linda's business purpose had been accomplished.
Joe DeLuca joined our club in January, 1980. He was most recently our region's Board Secretary. Previously, and at various times over the years, Joe had been a Trustee, Assistant Regional Executive, Regional Executive, and newsletter editor. Initially a rallyist, Joe later was also an active participant in Solo II and road racing. He enjoyed driving his Morgan and was the current president of the local Morgan club in New Jersey. Joe was the creator of "The Adventures of Raymond the Cat," a monthly cartoon feature in the Northern New Jersey Region's newsletter, "Pole Position." The cartoon is syndicated in many regional publications across the nation. Joe's cartooning was a spotlighted article in the July 2001 issue of SCCA's national publication, "SportsCar." Joe was on vacation from Pfizer Corporation where he was a systems analyst.
Active members in SCCA know what these two wonderful individuals knew: SCCA membership brings a friendship, a camaraderie, which borders on being family. The Northern New Jersey Region has lost two very special members of our family. The entire SCCA organization feels this loss.
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Investor support from A to Z in a software deal
Consolidation play in Environmental Technology
Lithium – World’s hottest commodity or investment hype
Organisational restructuring of a CIS agribusiness
Help setting up a family fund for a family office
Enabling investment decisions in fast-growing economies
Revamping the business model of a leading CIS agribusiness
Applying start-up thinking in a large corporate to achieve competitive advantage
Shaping the landscape: Energy investments in emerging markets
How incumbent sectors in emerging markets can remain competitive
From Commercial Due Diligence to 100-day plan strategy and execution support
Our client is a leading private equity (PE) fund in Europe. The target is in the energy space and is intended to become the second pillar in a buy-and-build platform. The target has developed energy management software to visualise and analyse electricity consumption for industrial, commercial and public buildings – currently serving over 200 customers globally.
Singular was asked to review the strategy and approach of the business to test its value as an investment. The Singular team first conducted detailed Commercial Due Diligence (CDD). Since the company’s sales growth was below the market growth rate, special attention was given to:
the target’s business model
its ability to retain customers
its sales and marketing channels
synergies with the PE fund’s other portfolio company within the same platform
To get to the heart of the target’s sluggish growth, Singular conducted several interviews with external industry experts and the target’s ten most important customers. Beyond the CDD, we pinpointed five specific value levers to bring the target ahead of the curve within the next three to five years.
Together with the client, our team then discussed how these value levers would be put into action post acquisition to bring the target’s sales growth to at least the market average.
Equipped with this knowledge and path to improvement, the client decided to acquire the target, and brought the same Singular team on board for a 100-day plan project, immediately post-closing.
The objectives for Singular were to:
Develop measures for boosting sales
Break down the measures into actionable, digestible tasks which could be handed over to management for implementation
Translate developed measures into a financial plan which would allow for these levers to be implemented without undercutting a certain profitability threshold
Working side by side with the new CEO and the management team, and discussing all levers in detailed workshops, concrete tasks were defined. For timely implementation of all tasks, the Singular team implemented a project management tool to keep track of all tasks and responsibilities and the status of implementation.
the company was able to substantially increase the number of qualified leads for its sales teams
NINE MONTHS
they recorded the first significant sales increases
TWELVE MONTHS
the company’s EBIT hit a record high only one year after acquisition
EIGHTEEN MONTHS
the company’s sales gap compared to the market had all but disappeared
Supporting the creation of an environmental technology holding – from Commercial Due Diligence to long-term value enhancement
1. Acquiring the nucleus
Our client had made a strategic decision to invest in the environmental technology sector. Specifically, the client was seeking to acquire “German Mittelstand” water and waste water SME players.
Singular was tasked to conduct a bankable Commercial Due Diligence (CDD) on the first relevant target which would – assuming a completed transaction – become the nucleus for the new holding company.
Our team set out to understand the target company’s business model, its market and competitive landscape. Working closely with our client, we developed several business plan scenarios reflecting various value levers we identified in the CDD project. While the target company was doing an outstanding job in terms of engineering and quality, there were obvious gaps in the areas of sales and operations as well as customer service. Furthermore, the company was lacking ambitions to grow and not seriously considering a ramp-up of work floor and production staff – which would have become critical once sales were up.
Based on our report, our client eventually decided to acquire the target company.
2. Executing a buy-and-build strategy for the holding
Not long after the transaction had been completed, our client identified several targets in the same space, but with a different product offering along the value chain.
Over the course of the next months, the same project team was assigned to conduct three further CDD projects with a focus on synergies between the businesses. It turned out that while some synergies could be identified pertaining to procurement, IT and overhead functions, the most important synergies were in sales, marketing and distribution channels.
Overall, there was tremendous potential to build a strong integrated environmental technology platform with a diverse product portfolio and a global distribution network.
All three target companies were eventually acquired as part of the new holding.
3. Initiating value creation
Our team was asked to validate the value creation hypotheses together with the portfolio companies’ management teams, and to ensure a quick and thorough implementation.
As a first step, we conducted a two-day strategy workshop with the portfolio companies’ CEOs to discuss the synergies and – perhaps most importantly – for the CEOs to grow together as one team. After validating our hypotheses and prioritising the most promising ones, we assigned responsibilities for each synergy. We engaged in working sessions with each CEO, defining the required steps to be taken in detail, and supported the responsible CEOs to secure the internal resources required for successful implementation.
4. Accompanying value creation long-term
Due to our project team’s traction and trusted relationships with the client as well as the portfolio companies’ management, we were asked to accompany the implementation process with a lean project set-up for the next 12 months. We then implemented a Project Management Office (PMO) to keep track of all implementation measures, to drive and provide support on specific issues, and to escalate if required.
Lithium – world’s hottest commodity or investment hype?
In the context of 21st-century governments and corporates increasingly looking to renewable alternatives to achieve long-term sustainability, Lithium – the lightest of all metals – is currently regarded as one of the most promising commodities, notably due to battery market fundamentals and its numerous industrial applications. The growth of Lithium demand is unquestionable, and ever increasing (8-12% p.a. till 2020). This is driven by electronic vehicles, mobile electronics and energy storage. In parallel, that rapid growth is facing a limited supply (3-7% p.a. till 2020) and unable to match future demand – an optimal set-up to drive Lithium prices in the short- to mid-term. Singular explores the story of lithium and the exciting investment opportunities it presents:
Climate change and price volatility in the energy markets have made governments, businesses and consumers acutely aware of energy and environmental issues in the 21st century. Businesses have slowly started to accept that 20th century fossil fuels do not make economic sense in the long run and as such, are now actively seeking renewable alternatives. Within the renewables pack, lithium seems to be playing a pivotal role and has been tipped as “one of the world’s hottest commodities” in several recent publications.
But what does this mean for the lithium market from an investor’s perspective?
Any successful investment decision to enter this market requires a sound understanding of the full lithium story. A complete picture needs to be established which covers both the demand and supply dynamics as well as an assessment of the various investment options.
At approximately 35% of total use, lithium-ion batteries are not only the main application for lithium, but they are also the foundation of the lithium hype. The Li-ion batteries segment can itself be divided into three main application areas: electric vehicles, energy storage and portable devices. Owing to favourable legislation and incentives, electric vehicle volumes are expected to surge globally.
Innovative energy storage solutions using batteries are being developed and marketed by companies like Tesla Energy – targeting mass markets, businesses and utilities. Li-ion batteries with their high performance, declining production costs and superior features are well placed to capture most of this anticipated demand. According to our research, substitution of Li-ion batteries by alternative technologies seems to be very unlikely over next five to seven years. The mega-factory projects of Tesla, LG, Foxconn, etc. are indicative of the anticipated increase in lithium demand.
Assuming the growth case for electric vehicles is accurate, the most convincing argument as to why the impact on lithium demand will be huge is the following: a smartphone (of which approximately 2 billion exist today) contains between 2 and 5 grams of pure lithium, while an electric vehicle contains anywhere from 20 000 to 50 000 grams. If one now assumes that, say 25%, of the world’s 1.2 billion cars will be electric vehicles by 2030, this alone would lead to an exponential increase of the lithium demand. In our analyses we have considered many other lithium applications and have concluded that a rather conservative growth estimation for lithium demand is around 10% annually by 2022. In a scenario where the adoption of electric vehicles happens quicker than anticipated, the compound growth rate would be significantly higher.
Lithium is not a scarce metal, its reserves are abundant and spread over the world, especially in South America and Australia. Even sea water contains lithium. The difficulty facing miners is to find lithium rock or brines which contain amounts of lithium that can be extracted in economically viable terms.
Until now, lithium supply has been able to match increasing demand, with current supply dominated by four traditional suppliers. Sustained demand growth and limited supply have driven lithium prices from around $3 000 per ton in 2006 to well over $13 000 today. Sensing opportunity, new market entrants have started extensive exploration and development programmes. We have identified several lithium projects globally which are anywhere between pre-feasibility studies and a few months off reaching their nameplate production capacity. In addition, numerous exploration projects are underway.
While lithium resources are abundant and market participants have realised the growth story, the biggest obstacle is that it takes at least five to ten years from early exploration to reach marketable production. In fact, no project, according to our research, has ever been completed under six years.
Assuming the 16 global projects (including expansion of existing mines) which have already surpassed the earliest stage, all develop according to plan – which is rather unlikely given some overly optimistic plans – and they reach their nameplate production capacity, global lithium supply will increase by approximately 6-8% per annum by 2022. We conclude that it is highly unlikely that newer lithium sources could be developed between now and 2022.
Therefore, even with conservative growth in Li-ion battery demand, future lithium supply is very unlikely to meet growing demand until at least 2022. This widening demand / supply gap is likely to lead to steep price rises.
The number of publicly traded lithium companies is limited, with an even smaller number of companies focusing almost exclusively on lithium. Most of these ‘pure play’ companies have not yet fully developed their projects and hence come with significant operational and financial risks. Many also come with hefty valuations – the lithium hype has caused share prices to soar anywhere between 200-800% over the last two years (for lithium pure plays). There may be more to come: as a hedge against lithium price increases, manufacturers of Li-ion batteries and electric cars are likely to secure supplies by acquiring significant stakes in lithium assets.
From an investor’s perspective the key to success is picking the right lithium stocks. In our analyses we have identified a strong correlation between the development stage of assets (from pre-feasibility to close to nameplate production capacity) and the producer’s valuation per ton of production of lithium (nameplate capacity), as one would expect. However, upon close inspection, some stocks seem to have been at the centre of the lithium hype without a sound justification while for others the best is yet to come.
Companies often overlook the significant intrinsic value that lies in the appropriate design of their organisational structure. Adequately tailoring the structure to suit the company’s size, scope of operations and strategic objectives can generate strong savings, ensure business processes are functioning optimally and guarantee that the right people are in the right place, doing the right things.
The organisational structure, or ‘operating model’ in this context, answers the question of how an agricultural business portfolio is managed along farm clusters and business functions to deliver on the overall group strategy. This split of accountable business units and a broader group strategy is critical to the client’s competitive advantage. The operating model focuses the organisation on the key value drivers and on creating synergy across the portfolio of activities.
We understand that optimally structuring the operating model is of particular importance for agribusinesses in the CIS region, given the nature of the strategic challenges they face. The wide spread of operations and the need for centrally defined practices create a difficult tension to balance. Best practice sharing between highly dissociated farms and clusters is typically quite low, a process which can be significantly enhanced by solid organisational structuring at the group level. Also, the recurrent problem with theft on the field makes effective central control of utmost importance to prevent losses.
Singular helped our client, a leading CIS agribusiness, with a large-scale organisational restructuring to reduce its cost base, enhance decision-making and improve business processes.
The project was conducted over four major phases:
Outlining the strategic boundaries of the operating model, mapping the current situation of the organisation and deriving key learnings from industry benchmarks and interviewing senior management to understand the internal perspective.
Stage 2 involved defining the role of the centre, detailing the key pillars of each major function and identifying the level of centralisation of key functions within the company.
Stage 3 followed the core deliverables of the project, including detailing the new organisational blueprint, drafting job descriptions and defining key business processes.
Finally, stage 4 implemented the updated organisational model with an elaborate and structured transition plan and communication plan.
The major project deliverables produced at the outset of Stage 3 included:
Revised organisational charts based on the newly-defined organisational blueprint
Job descriptions for each new position and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
A detailed breakdown of all major business processes indicating who is accountable, responsible, consulted and informed throughout each process
The exercise was very successful, enabling the company to centralise key decisions, unlock economies of scale, ensure best practice sharing and improve its interface management.
Setting up an investment fund for a family office
A prominent family office approached Singular to support the set-up of a mining fund. They wanted to know where they should invest. The office was overwhelmed by differing expert opinions.
Singular’s Partner for African Operations explains that most funds would have dived into assessing mining assets. Instead, we started by asking “why”. The team questioned: “Why should we invest in mining in Africa? At what stage of the lifecycle? In what commodity?” We looked into the demand side of the commodity market, before hunting for assets.
Singular explored the growing high-tech/clean-tech applications most likely to increase demand for these niche commodities.
A clearer picture emerged from the demand analysis. Assessing which commodities were attractive culminated in a market attractiveness vs. strategic fit matrix for the investor. Niche commodities such as rare earths, manganese zinc, vanadium, and cobalt were prioritised.
Singular’s top concern was getting the fund’s focus and strategy right. Following this, the next step was to set up governance, the operating model and develop a toolkit and processes to handle the large volume of origination needed to find exceptional investments.
Singular’s leadership says: “As a rule of thumb, I want to make sure we always reject 95-98% of the deals we look at.”
There is no such thing as superior access to good deals or superior screening skills. Setting up the tools and processes to handle this large volume of screening is critical for success.
After answering “why”, it was much easier to answer “what”. Having understood why they were investing, Singular assisted the family office in defining their investment focus.
Singular built the fund from scratch, developing the strategy and filling the investment pipeline with over 50 opportunities.
Singular, together with the client, narrowed down the vision and created a successful venture capital fund with a full deal pipeline.
West Africa is on a fast growth track with import substitution in the minerals and metals and industrial goods sectors emerging as a common investment theme. Our client was excited by the opportunity, but we knew several players who were pursuing similar opportunities – and hence wanted to make sure that our client was not following the bandwagon and had a bullet proof business case before proceeding further. Some of the key questions we wanted to answer included:
Is there opportunity for a new player in this market?
What is our client’s unique value proposition to the customer?
How can our client compete effectively without triggering a price war?
Our goal therefore was to validate the business potential, stress test the key assumptions, assess the risks and challenges and assess internal capabilities. Breaking these questions down into a detailed business case enabled us to determine the size of the opportunity as well as take the client through a logical path to arrive at an investment decision.
We validated the business opportunity by looking at three angles:
Analyse the value chain and determine where and how to play
Assess potential in the domestic markets, considering competition from imports and other domestic players
Assess potential in export markets, within West Africa and beyond
This approach allowed us to identify additional revenue streams and target markets which the client could easily tap into and faster market entry options which were not in the original scope of the business plan. At the end of this three-month exercise, the client was able to take an informed investment decision looking at the comprehensive landscape we developed as well as from a group portfolio view. Furthermore, we identified the gaps that the client needed to close to be successful, which paved the path to implementation of the client’s future plans.
One of the largest producers and exporters of crops in the Black Sea region – exporting >2Mtpa of wheat, corn, soya, rapeseed and sunseed from 400kha of farmland – solicited Singular’s advice to transform its business model and increase its service offering to its customer base in order to improve its overall margins.
In 2015, Singular was asked to assist the company in evaluating a number of growth strategies aimed at enhancing value creation. We concluded that transforming its production-based business model to become more service-oriented would be a strong platform for growth. Our recommendation was focused on the hypothesis that increasing the service offering to its customers (farms) would generate value both for the company and its customers.
Singular evaluated the range of services offered by the company to its customers, identified a list of further service areas it could integrate into, and detailed the value potential, risks and requirements of including each new area into the business model. These services included distribution, elevators, barging, origination and blending as well as financial services such as lending, financial derivatives and crop insurance.
Fully-fledged business cases were developed individually for each new service to quantify the profit potential. This included listing challenges and key assumptions, defining pricing and deriving the revenues each service can generate. We also provided an extensive detailing of the costs allocated to each service. The profitability analysis provided a comprehensive view of the EBITDA contribution on a per-service basis. These services were then ranked by attractiveness / profit to produce a prioritised list.
Applying start-up thinking in large corporations to achieve competitive advantage
The South African platinum sector needs urgent attention. South Africa holds 80% of the world’s known platinum reserves. It employs 188 000 people and is an important contributor to tax revenue and GDP. But many mine shafts are closing and jobs are being shed, as the platinum price has plummeted 40% since 2014 to below 1000 USD/oz. Both demand and supply challenges in the platinum market are to blame.
The industry has been affected by violent strikes limiting supply. This would ordinarily have resulted in a price increase, but reduced platinum demand for jewellery and autocatalysts (the two largest applications) has caused a price slump.
In 2014, a leading platinum player trying to keep its mines operating approached Singular to explore a long-term solution to these structural industry challenges.
With jewellery and autocatalyst demand for platinum in retreat, the industry needs a new application to grow. Mining companies are not known for innovation, so how could a mining giant unlock growth at the other end of its value chain? Singular set out to identify new sources of demand by identifying new platinum group metals (PGM) applications and creating a mechanism for platinum leaders to invest in these future sources of platinum demand.
The solution was to create future demand by investing in new PGM applications. Singular has spotted an opportunity as the automotive industry shifts away from petrol and diesel, and electric drive trains are being perceived as a threat to autocatalyst and PGM demand.
Electric drive trains are reliant on batteries and certain leading technologies rely on platinum. Thus, the question became, how can platinum mines support a nascent PGM-based technology to become mainstream? Singular scanned the venture capital market and identified a high-potential technology company that would offer diversification, improved demand and attractive investment returns. The client invested and continues to benefit from the relationship.
While cutting costs is necessary for many mining companies to survive in the short-run, failing to invest in the future could cost companies, and countries like South Africa, even more in terms of missed growth opportunities. Through innovative solutions, a giant mining company can become a champion for green-tech start-ups and invest in a better future for all.
In emerging energy sectors and developing countries, there is a distinct lack of reliable power supply and consistent support for energy needs. In remote locations, including Africa, the Asian sub-continent and islands, access to reliable energy supply comes in the form of expensive and dirty diesel generators. National power grids go down several times a day for several hours at a time.
Considering the current climatic and economical needs to find cleaner and cheaper alternative energy sources, solar energy is an obvious solution. However solar energy is only available during the day. The need to find a storage solution for solar power resulted in a 2015 partnership with Electro Power Systems (EPS).
Singular is helping develop EPS as a leading clean energy storage solution to provide reliable power sources to the telecommunication, commercial real estate and mining space. EPS offers self-contained modular units which convert existing energy into hydrogen gas for later use in a fuel cell component to generate electricity. The EPS solution is already commercialised and has been installed in 18 countries globally in the mission critical telecommunications tower backup industry. Singular will assist EPS in leveraging off their successful technology into larger scale applications and into new industries and geographies.
Nigeria has been noted as an ideal market for EPS. The country is substantially under-electrified due to grid unreliability. Lagos is the largest location of privately-owned diesel generators globally. EPS will leverage off the relatively cheap grid costs and excellent solar radiance of the country to provide autonomous and cheaper electricity solutions on a levelled cost basis.
Singular noticed an energy need and linked it to cutting-edge technology – EPS. Singular and EPS are now partnering to change the world.
The South African government has prioritised beneficiation as a means for creating employment and boosting economic growth.
There are significant challenges, however, to maintaining existing beneficiation capacity. A key example of this is the impending closure of South Africa’s ferroalloy smelting industry. Ferroalloy smelting is an important part of the economic capacity of South Africa, consisting of 13 companies, operating 22 smelting plants in a number of different locations. The industry employs approximately 9 800 people (excluding contractors, suppliers, logistics and local businesses). The industry has a turnover of $US 5.5 billion, with a 95% export rate for output.
The ferroalloy smelting industry has been adversely affected by current economic conditions, electricity reliability and increasing costs in power, labour and transport. The lack of industry competitiveness has forced certain South African companies to go abroad. Four local smelters are currently under business rescue (IFM, Tata KZN, Evraz Highveld Steel and ASA Metals) and with current market conditions, this number could increase. Local companies have made efforts to keep their doors open, with continued efforts to sustain productivity and efficiency, but this may not be enough. Without intervention, South African smelters will continue to be globally uncompetitive.
Singular was approached by a consortium of smelting companies, representing the interests of the ferroalloy producers of South Africa, to provide potential solutions to these challenges. Singular’s study resulted in various medium- and long-term solutions to address South Africa’s competitive challenges, all with the buy-in of stakeholders Eskom and the government.
Firstly, Singular analysed South Africa’s competitive smelting environment to that of its competitors. Reliable power supply turned out to be a key differentiator and a quick win. Bringing together all key stakeholders, power load management synergies were identified and production planning (seasonal and daily) was optimised accordingly.
Secondly, in the longer term, Singular proposes investing in modern smelting technology for South Africa’s many smelters which are still using old and less competitive furnaces. Lower power requirements, higher smelting efficiency, increased production, lower maintenance, lower environmental impact and a safer and healthier working environment will be brought by the appropriate investment in new technologies. These strategic investments would benefit from government-supported funding schemes, making them accessible and economical.
Independent power generation is the third part of the solution. Off-grid power can help lower overall generaltion costs and avoid costly blackouts and load-shedding. Government and the national power regulator should support such independent power production including efficient co-generation technology. There is already some development in this space, however, progress is very slow and needs to be accelerated for the survival of the industry.
Singular is proud to work with individual smelting clients as well as the South African ferroalloy industry as a whole, to find effective business and national industrial policy solutions to maintain the competitiveness of this vital, value-creating South African industry.
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Sean McMullen
Sean McMullen was born in Gippsland, Australia, and lives in Melbourne. As a child, he first discovered science fiction in comics, and began writing science fiction stories for school essays. He went on to read all the science fiction and fantasy in the local municipal library, but after being given a guitar for his fifteenth birthday, spent over a decade singing folk, rock, classical, and early music. He earned his first science fiction money while singing in the Victorian State Opera’s production of the SF operetta The Breasts of Therese.
Sean returned to literary science fiction and fantasy while doing postgraduate studies, editing Yggdrasil, the journal of the Melbourne University Science Fiction Club, and had several amateur stories published. After winning the story competition at a World Science Fiction Convention, he began selling to top ranking magazines such as Analog, Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Omega, and won a string of literary awards over the next decade.
His signature novel, Souls in the Great Machine, was published by Tor in May 2010 and he was runner-up in the 2011 Hugo Awards for his novelette Eight Miles, published in Analog in September 2010. His works span genres and styles ranging from epic fantasy to steampunk, and reach out to audiences of all ages. He has won fifteen Australian and international awards, has had over twenty books and eighty stories published in more than a dozen languages, and has been a guest of honor at many Australian and international conventions.
Sean is credited with helping define Australian genre fiction, jointly writing the first histories of Australian science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and winning awards for all three works. He also contributed to the Encyclopedia of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy, and wrote Shot in Australia, the first history of Australian SF for the screen.
Sean has been a professional Science Fiction and Fantasy writer for more than 33 years, and he also worked at the Bureau of Meteorology in Melbourne for 12 years. In 2014, he decided to become a full-time writer.
His most important works are:
The Warlock’s Child series, Ford Street Press, 2015
The Burning Sea (Book 1)
Dragonfall Mountain (Book 2)
The Iron Claw (Book 3)
Trail by Dragons (Book 4)
Voyage to Morticas (Book 5)
The Guardians (Book 6)
Colours of the Soul, Reanimus Publications, October 2013
Ghosts of Engines Past, October 2013
Changing Yesterday, December 2012
Before the Storm, June 2007
The Moonworlds Saga
Voyage of the Shadowmoon (Book1) Tor, 2002
Glass Dragons (Book 2), Tor, April 2004
Voidfarer (Book 3), Tor, February 2006
The TIme Engine (Book 4) completes the Moonworlds series. Published in 2008
Greatwinter series
Souls in the Great Machine (Book 1), Tor, 1999
The Miocene Arrow (Book 2), Tor, 2000
Eyes of the Calculor (Book3), Tor, 2001
The Centurion’s Empire (Tor, 1998)
Dragonlinks by Paul Collings from a concept by Sean McMullen (Penguin, August 2002)
Mirrorsun Rising (Aphelion, 1995)
Voices in the Light (Aphelion, 1994)
Call to the Edge (Aphelion, 1992)
The Ancient Hero, May 2004
Strange Constellations: A critical history of Australian SF by Dr Russell Blackford, Dr Van Ikin, and Sean McMullen (Greenwood, June 1999)
Read the list of Sean’s short stories. View his LinkedIn profile. Follow him on Facebook. Visit his homepage.
Futurists Board
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Streak broken, Blackhawks regrouping vs. Devils
A seven-game winning streak filled with offense pushed the Chicago Blackhawks into playoff contention in a tight Western Conference race.
It ended against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, and the Blackhawks (23-25-9, 55 points) are curious how they will respond to their first loss in nearly a month. Chicago gets a chance to start another winning streak Thursday night when it hosts the New Jersey Devils.
The Blackhawks were eight points behind the second wild-card spot and owned the fewest points in the Western Conference when their losing streak hit five games with a loss to the New York Rangers on Jan. 17. Then they averaged 5.1 goals in their next seven games to get within four points of the last playoff spot.
The streak finally ended with a 6-3 loss at Boston, where Chicago trailed 3-1 after 20 minutes and 4-1 late in the second before getting within one goal.
"We had a good run, and at some point, it was going to end," Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. "For me, it's more important how we're going to respond.
"Do we continue as when we were playing well, playing sharp, playing hard, playing for the team, excited about the opportunity we have? Or do we kind of shrink? That's the challenge."
While Chicago's winning run ended, Patrick Kane remained on a roll. He recorded an assist on a third-period goal by Erik Gustafsson, keeping a pair of streaks going with a point in 15 straight games and an assist in 14 straight.
During Kane's points streak, he has 11 goals and 21 assists, an average over two points per game. His assists streak tied the Blackhawks record set by Hall of Famer Stan Mikita from Nov. 26-Dec. 25, 1967.
Despite Kane's latest Helper, the Blackhawks will be hoping to rebound from getting outshot 37-26 and allowing their most goals since an 8-5 loss at New Jersey on Jan. 14.
"Nothing's a given," Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith said. "Every team is good. Every two points is going to be a hard-fought two points, and we don't have any place for complacency or anything like that. I mean, look at the standings and look where we're at."
In the last meeting against Chicago, Kyle Palmieri and Blake Coleman scored two goals apiece. But since then, little has gone right for the Devils (21-27-8, 50 points), who enter the game with a double-digit deficit in the Eastern Conference race and the league's second-fewest points.
Since beating Chicago, the Devils are 3-7-1 in their last 11 games, with five losses occurring by more than one goal. New Jersey's latest defeat was an 8-3 result at St. Louis on Tuesday, when it allowed three goals apiece in the first two periods.
"We were disconnected," coach John Hynes said. "We've got to find a way to get more connected for the Chicago game."
Tuesday was the second time the Devils allowed eight goals and the 17th instance they allowed at least five goals. Their only win in those games was the last meeting with Chicago.
"We didn't deserve it right from the start," Devils captain Andy Greene said. "We just weren't there, and I don't know why."
Keith Kinkaid allowed all eight goals, with three of those coming after the puck deflected off the skate of a teammate.
Pavel Zacha, Palmieri and Micro Mueller scored for the Devils, who were outshot 39-23. For Palmieri, it was only his second goal since his two-goal night in the last meeting with the Blackhawks.
The Devils were without Coleman due to an upper-body injury. He is second on the team with 18 goals and is day-to-day.
New Jersey is 5-0-2 in its last seven meetings with the Blackhawks. In their last visit to Chicago on Nov. 12, 2017, the Devils recorded a 7-5 victory after overcoming a 4-1 deficit.
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Stone-fueled Knights visit struggling Ducks
The Vegas Golden Knights were hoping a trade-deadline deal for Ottawa Senators winger Mark Stone would provide just the jolt the team needed to get out of a six-week funk.
Vegas, which had lost three straight games and was just 5-11-1 over a 17-game span prior to the Monday trade, will bring a two-game winning streak into a Friday night road game against the Anaheim Ducks. Or, as the Vegas twitter account reported, the Golden Knights are 2-0-0 in the #StoneAge even though Stone as yet to register a point.
The Golden Knights followed up a physical 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night with a wild 6-5 shootout victory over the visiting Florida Panthers on Thursday night.
Shea Theodore scored the game-winner in the second round of the shootout when he deked Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo and then beat him with a backhand. Golden Knights goalie Malcolm Subban, with the aid of the goal post on a shot by Jonathan Huberdeau, stopped all three Florida tries for his fourth win of the season.
It was an important victory for Vegas. The Golden Knights maintained a six-point lead over Arizona, which has won five straight games, for third place in the Pacific Division. The Coyotes had briefly crept within four points of the Golden Knights earlier in Thursday evening with a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
"A big two points," said Vegas winger Reilly Smith, who scored two goals, including one he shot between his legs. "Shea did a great job icing that, and the same with Subb in the shootout. Those are important points for us."
"I think the perseverance was really good," added Golden Knights defenseman Colin Miller, who scored his first goal since Thanksgiving weekend to snap a 24-game drought. "After the first period (when Vegas trailed 3-1), we came in and said, 'Enough's enough.' We want to have a turning point in the season here where we're stringing some games together, stringing some really good periods together."
Anaheim finds itself in a different type of race down the stretch, trying to avoid finishing in the Pacific Division cellar. The Ducks, who have a three-point lead over the last-place Los Angeles Kings, have lost four straight, including a 4-3 heartbreaker to the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday when Patrick Kane netted the game-winner on an odd-man rush with 16.1 seconds remaining.
"I thought we played a good hockey game," Ducks assistant coach Mark Morrison told NHL.com. "We made some mistakes five or six minutes in the game, but there was definitely more offense from us. More off the rush and more in the offensive zone. We played hard."
Anaheim is 3-10-0 since the All-Star break and was a seller at the trade deadline. The Ducks sent defenseman Brandon Montour to the Buffalo Sabres for a 2019 first-round draft pick and 21-year-old defenseman Brendan Guhle, and they dealt defenseman Michael Del Zotto to the St. Louis Blues for a 2019 sixth-round pick.
This is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the two teams. Vegas won each of the three previous contests, including a 3-2 victory at Anaheim on Jan. 4 in the most recent meeting.
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book review ( a must read)
8:26 am 17 August 2018
The Flying Tigers
The Untold Story of the American Pilots Who Waged a Secret War Against Japan
by Sam Kleiner
Pages : 304 pages
The thrilling story behind the American pilots who were secretly recruited to defend the nation’s desperate Chinese allies before Pearl Harbor and ended up on the front lines of the war against the Japanese in the Pacific
Sam Kleiner’s The Flying Tigers uncovers the hidden story of the group of young American men and women who crossed the Pacific before Pearl Harbor to risk their lives defending China. Led by legendary army pilot Claire Chennault, these men left behind an America still at peace in the summer of 1941 using false identities to travel across the Pacific to a run-down airbase in the jungles of Burma. In the wake of the disaster at Pearl Harbor this motley crew was the first group of Americans to take on the Japanese in combat, shooting down hundreds of Japanese aircraft in the skies over Burma, Thailand, and China. At a time when the Allies were being defeated across the globe, the Flying Tigers’ exploits gave hope to Americans and Chinese alike.
Kleiner takes readers into the cockpits of their iconic shark-nosed P-40 planes—one of the most familiar images of the war—as the Tigers perform nail-biting missions against the Japanese. He profiles the outsize personalities involved in the operation, including Chennault, whose aggressive tactics went against the prevailing wisdom of military strategy; Greg “Pappy” Boyington, the man who would become the nation’s most beloved pilot until he was shot down and became a POW; Emma Foster, one of the nurses in the unit who had a passionate romance with a pilot named John Petach; and Madame Chiang Kai-shek herself, who first brought Chennault to China and who would come to visit these young Americans.
A dramatic story of a covert operation whose very existence would have scandalized an isolationist United States, The Flying Tigers is the unforgettable account of a group of Americans whose heroism changed the world, and who cemented an alliance between the United States and China as both nations fought against seemingly insurmountable odds.
genre: Non fiction
If your in to the flying tigers like i am or just like to read about WW2 then this is a must read . Mr. Kleiner does anazing job of bring to life the story of the Flying Tigers, what they went though , as well as their family , and the people they fight with . Its the type of book that once you start to read you can't put it down or don't want to stop reading , with that said i want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it .
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Biggest conference games in 2019 FCS season
Princeton University football vs. Dartmouth, Princeton, NJ, November 3, 2018.
By CRAIG HALEY
STATS FCS Senior Editor
(STATS) - While wins count the same in the standings during a season, let's face it, some mean a lot more than others.
The most important during the long, winding conference schedule have the biggest impact with deciding titles and postseason bids.
Following is a quick look at the biggest conference games in the FCS this season (plus, a few rivalries that couldn't be ignored). Make no mistake, the list could go on and on with possibilities.
Biggest: Weber State at UC Davis (Oct. 26)It's disappointing this is the only matchup between last year's Big Sky tri-champs (Eastern Washington was the other), but maybe it's a prelude to some meetings in the FCS playoffs.
Three More Big Games: Northern Arizona at Montana State (Sept. 28), Eastern Washington at Montana (Oct. 26) and Montana at Montana State (Nov. 23)
BIG SOUTH
Biggest: Monmouth at Kennesaw State (Nov. 2)
The winner is expected to claim the Big South's automatic playoff bid. Kennesaw State has won the first four meetings in the series by a combined 175-65.
Three More Big Games: North Alabama at Hampton (Oct. 5), Monmouth at Charleston Southern (Oct. 26) and Kennesaw State at Campbell (Nov. 9)
CAA FOOTBALL
Biggest: Towson at James Madison (Oct. 26)
Which conference game isn't big in the CAA? This one features 2018 CAA offensive player of the year Tom Flacco trying to pull an upset at the anticipated preseason favorite.
Three More Big Games: Towson at Maine (Sept. 14), James Madison at Elon (Sept. 28) and New Hampshire at Delaware (Oct. 19)
Biggest: Dartmouth vs. Princeton in New York (Nov. 9)
Apologies to Harvard-Yale, but last year's top teams - Princeton was 10-0 and Dartmouth 9-1 - are squaring off at Yankee Stadium just three days after the 150th anniversary of the first college football game between Princeton and Rutgers.
Three More Big Games: Yale at Dartmouth (Oct. 12), Harvard at Princeton (Oct. 26) and Harvard at Yale (Nov. 23)
MEAC
Biggest: North Carolina A&T at Florida A&M (Oct. 19)
Florida A&M pulled a road win over N.C. A&T last season and could be just as strong as the MEAC power this season. The disclaimer here is Florida A&M is ineligible for the postseason.
Three More Big Games: Howard at North Carolina A&T (Oct. 26), South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman (Oct. 26) and Bethune-Cookman at North Carolina A&T (Nov. 16)
Biggest: North Dakota State at South Dakota State (Oct. 26)
Conference supremacy, the Dakota Marker trophy, a No. 1 national ranking, playoff seeding - it could all be on the line in this monster matchup. SDSU is the only program to beat NDSU more than once since the start of the Bison's first of seven FCS championship seasons in 2011.
Three More Big Games: Northern Iowa at North Dakota State (Oct. 26), Northern Iowa at Illinois State (Nov. 2) and South Dakota State at South Dakota (Nov. 23
Biggest: Central Connecticut State at Duquesne (Nov. 23)
A meeting on the final day of the regular season is appropriate for the two most recent NEC representatives in the playoffs.
Three More Big Games: Central Connecticut State at Sacred Heart (Oct. 5), Duquesne at Sacred Heart (Oct. 19) and Saint Francis at Duquesne (Nov. 2)
Biggest: Southeast Missouri at Jacksonville State (Oct. 19)
A year ago, the Redhawks and 2018 STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award winner Zach Hall handed Jacksonville State its only conference loss in the last five years by a resounding 37-14.
Three More Big Games: Jacksonville State at Austin Peay (Sept. 28), Eastern Kentucky at Southeast Missouri (Nov. 9) and Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State (Nov. 23)
Biggest: Colgate at Georgetown (Nov. 2)
These two teams played for sole possession of first place on the final Saturday of October last year. Will they begin a November to remember with a similar scenario this year?
Three More Big Games: Lehigh at Colgate (Oct. 5), Colgate at Holy Cross (Oct. 26) and Lafayette at Lehigh (Oct. 23)
PIONEER LEAGUE
Biggest: San Diego at Dayton (Oct. 26)
San Diego has won 29 straight PFL games since falling 13-12 at Dayton in 2015. The Toreros will have a new starting quarterback, while Dayton returns Jack Cook, the league's offensive freshman of the year.
Three More Big Games: San Diego at Davidson (Oct. 12), Dayton at Stetson (Oct. 19) and Drake at San Diego (Nov. 2)
Biggest: Furman at Wofford (Nov. 16)
The SoCon title race was crowded last season and these were two of the three champs along with ETSU. They should be the top two picks this preseason, but a lot of jostling in the standings will occur prior to this late-season showdown.
Three More Big Games: Wofford at ETSU (Oct. 5), Western Carolina at The Citadel (Oct. 12) and The Citadel at Chattanooga (Nov. 16)
Biggest: Nicholls at Sam Houston State (Oct. 19)
The Southland was even crazier than the SoCon last year, and this midseason matchup will help shape the race. A defending co-champ is hardly the definition of a "cupcake" for Sam Houston's Homecoming Day.
Three More Big Games: Sam Houston State at McNeese (Sept. 28), Central Arkansas at Nicholls (Oct. 5) and Lamar at Incarnate Word (Oct. 19)
SWAC
Biggest: Southern vs. Grambling State in New Orleans (Nov. 30)
The eight first-round playoff games last Thanksgiving weekend didn't combine to draw the FCS season-high 67,871 who attended the party known as the Bayou Classic. Grambling State holds a 23-22 lead in the game.
Three More Big Games: Grambling State vs. Prairie View A&M in Dallas (Sept. 28), Southern at Alcorn State (Oct. 26) and Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State in Birmingham (Oct. 26)
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At least 6 men's hoops programs to face NCAA allegations
(AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) A key NCAA official says six schools are going to be facing allegations of Level I violations as early as next month, the latest fallout in the college basketball corruption scandal.
Stan Wilcox, vice president for regulatory affairs for the NCAA, tells CBS Sports two high-profile programs will be notified in early July, the others at a later date.
Level I violations can include such punishments as scholarship reductions, postseason bans and show-cause orders against coaches.
NCAA officials said in a statement that it's likely even more schools will be notified of violations.
Wilcox told CBS the new cases will be subject to new NCAA policies approved after recommendations made by a commission led by Condoleezza Rice, a former U.S. secretary of state. Wilcox was in Florida participating as a panelist on NCAA issues at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention.
The FBI announced in September 2017 it had indicted 10 people, including four assistant coaches , for bribery and fraud. Prosecutors said coaches teamed with an executive from an apparel maker and others to trade hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to influence star athletes' choices of schools, shoe sponsors, agents, even tailors in a widespread recruiting scandal that tainted two dozen schools.
The cases concluded last week when Lamont Evans, a former assistant basketball coach at Oklahoma State and the University of South Carolina, was sentenced to three months in prison for accepting bribes to link top players with bribe-paying managers and financial advisers.
Former Adidas executive James Gatto, business manager Christian Dawkins and amateur league director Merl Code were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud last October for funneling recruits to Louisville, Kansas and North Carolina State.
Wilcox said the NCAA waited to act, at the request of the federal government, until the trials wrapped up.
More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25
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LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, petitioner. [Note p75]
298 Mass. 75
Present: RUGG, C.J., PIERCE, FIELD, LUMMUS, & QUA, JJ.
Workmen's Compensation Act, Appeal, Nature of procedure. Equity Pleading and Practice, Appeal. Words, "Notice," "Accident or mistake."
The provisions of G.L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 214, § 28, as to late appeal from decrees in equity are applicable in proceedings under the workmen's compensation act.
Failure to receive notice of the entry of a decree of the Superior Court in proceedings under the workmen's compensation act was "accident or mistake" warranting leave to appeal late under G.L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 214, § 28.
PETITION, filed in this court on January 23, 1937.
S. L. Sabel, for the petitioner.
H. J. O'Sullivan, for the respondent.
RUGG, C.J. This is a petition by the insurer in a proceeding under the workmen's compensation act for leave to claim an appeal late from a decree entered in the Superior Court. The allegations of the petition are that a hearing was held on December 14, 1936; that a decree was entered on December 22, 1936, in the Superior Court ordering the present petitioner, as the insurer, to pay compensation to the employee under the provisions of the workmen's compensation act; that neither the insurer nor its counsel ever
received notice of the entry of such decree; that diligent search of the records and files of the insurer and of its counsel has failed to discover any trace of such notice; and that the insurer did not learn of the entry of the decree until long after the time for claiming an appeal had expired. The facts stated in the petition are verified by affidavit and were not seriously disputed at the bar.
It is provided by G. L. c. 152, § 11, as amended by St. 1932, c. 129, § 1, that in proceedings under the workmen's compensation act the Superior Court shall render a decree "and notify the parties." The word "notify" in this connection commonly imports that notice shall actually reach the parties. This point appears to be sufficiently covered by Sweeney v. Morey & Co. Inc. 279 Mass. 495. Parker v. Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co. 186 Mass. 393. In the absence of any other controlling provision, a notice of this nature may be given by mail. Blair v. Laflin, 127 Mass. 518, 521. Gloucester Mutual Fishing Ins. Co. v. Hall, 210 Mass. 332, 335. Every presumption is that a notice sent by mail will be delivered and received. Tobin v. Taintor, 229 Mass. 174. The employee seasonably received a notice sent to him pursuant to said § 11 by the clerk of the court. The mail is not infallible, however, and in the face of a statement, supported by affidavit, of counsel in open court that the notice has not been received we are not inclined to assume that the notice was actually received by the insurer even though a like notice was received by the employee.
The insurer states that the definite question of law to be raised on the appeal is whether the Superior Court erred in holding that there was sufficient evidence to warrant the finding of the Industrial Accident Board that the employee was not unreasonable in his refusal to undergo an operation to relieve his injury and was therefore entitled to compensation. As this was amplified at the bar, we think, though with some hesitation, that there was a genuine question of law raised. Dondis v. Lash, 277 Mass. 477. Lovell v. Lovell, 276 Mass. 10, 11.
The present petition is brought under G.L. (Ter. Ed.)
c. 214, § 28. It is there provided that "A party who has, by accident or mistake, omitted to claim an appeal from a final decree within the time prescribed therefor may, within one year after the entry of the decree from which he desires to appeal, petition the full court for leave to appeal, which may be granted upon terms." That section relates to equity practice and procedure. The question is whether a proceeding under the workmen's compensation act falls within the scope of that section. It was held in Gould's Case, 215 Mass. 480, 483, that causes in court under the workmen's compensation act "should be treated as equitable rather than legal in nature, procedure and final disposition." That was one of the early cases under the workmen's compensation act. There has been constant adherence since that time to the principle there declared as to the equitable nature of the practice to be followed in court. Therefore the provisions of said § 28 are applicable to the present proceeding and this court has jurisdiction to consider the petition for leave to appeal late.
The circumstance that no notification of the entry of the decree was given to the insurer as required by the statute constituted "accident or mistake" as ground for the omission to claim an appeal within the meaning of those words in G.L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 214, § 28. Wiakowicz v. Hwalek, 273 Mass. 122.
It is ordered that the petitioner has leave to claim its appeal within five days after the filing of this order and opinion. Terms may be reserved until the final disposition of the appeal.
Ordered accordingly.
[Note p75] Printed out of order by direction of the court. -- REPORTER.
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The View from Europe /
Dialogue not ideology required to address the crisis ...
Dialogue not ideology required to address the crisis in Venezuela
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, taking part during an interview with Mexican TV host and journalist Adela Micha, at Venezuela's Military School, in Caracas, Venezuela
By David Jessop
Last Wednesday Juan Guaidó, the President of Venezuela's National Assembly, took an informal oath of office and declared himself the country's interim President. In a choreographed response the United States and a number of other hemispheric countries including Canada, Brazil and Argentina recognised him as such.
The response of other nations was significantly more nuanced, calling instead for a political process that leads to free and credible elections. Russia, China and Turkey however, indicated their support for the Maduro government and objected to external interference in the country's internal affairs.
In contrast, Caribbean nations, including some of those in the Lima Group who voted recently at the OAS not to recognise Nicolas Maduro's second term in office as Venezuela's President, said nothing about Mr Guaidó . Instead they have called for a rapid regional and international dialogue involving all actors to preserve the democratic process.
What happens next is far from certain. Washington's unprecedented decision to recognise an alternative government to the one that holds de facto power has set in train a hard to predict range of outcomes that may turn a humanitarian disaster into geopolitical conflict.
Venezuela's military leadership have declared that they support the existing regime and regard Mr Guaidó proclamation as a "reprehensible event", suggesting that a military-led change of government or fresh elections are unlikely for the present.
Events will therefore demonstrate whether President Trump, his hawkish advisers, or those nations that have recognised Mr Guaidó really have both a well thought through consistent long-term strategy, and a clear-cut exit plan for what they have set in train.
What their sudden change in tactics towards Venezuela is more generally the first manifestation of a much less benign policy towards any nation in the hemisphere that Washington regards as not conforming to Western democratic norms.
Recent comments by senior US figures including the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, the US National Security Adviser John Bolton, and the influence exerted over policy towards the hemisphere by individuals such as the Republican Senator Marco Rubio, set this in context.
In an indication of what might happen next in Venezuela, Senator Rubio, who is widely regarded as the architect or the Trump Administration's ideologically driven approach to Latin America and the Caribbean, has warned of the "swift and decisive" consequences should any harm befall American diplomats in Venezuela.
Although understandably no one has commented publicly on what might happen should Mr Guaidó be harmed in any way, those with long memories will remember the circumstances in Grenada that led in 1983 to a request by Caribbean neighbours to the US to intervene militarily: a precedent that suggests that all parties in Venezuela should proceed with caution.
In a more general indication of what may come next in relation to those Washington sees as its ideological enemies, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, sent a message to Congress on January 16 relating to Cuba. This noted that the Trump administration was only waiving for a period of 45 days from February 1, the legal provision in the 1996 Helms Burton legislation that enables US citizens to take legal action against companies and individuals alleged to be 'trafficking' in assets expropriated in the years following Cuba's revolution.
The language contained in the US Secretary of State's message was particularly striking.
He said that the Administration would "conduct a careful review" of the US's right to act under Title III of the legislation. This was being undertaken, he observed, "in light of the national interests of the United States and efforts to expedite a transition to democracy in Cuba and include factors such as the Cuban regime's brutal oppression of human rights and fundamental freedoms and its indefensible support for increasingly authoritarian and corrupt regimes in Venezuela and Nicaragua".
Then in an indication that Washington expects third nations and their companies to use the 45 days between February 1 and March 17 to reconsider their engagement with Cuba, Mr Pompeo noted: "We ask the international community to intensify efforts to hold the Cuban Government accountable for the 60 years of repression of its people. We encourage anyone doing business in Cuba to reconsider whether they are trafficking in confiscated property and inciting that dictatorship".
In a strongly worded response, Cuba's Foreign Ministry alluded to the wider implications which were subsequently summed up by the country's President, Miguel Díaz-Canel, who described in a Tweet the US decision as having the "objective of subverting and overthrowing the government and imposing a regime to the liking of the US government".
At the very least, if the US President breaks with precedent and ceases to waive Title III, it is likely to prove divisive. This is because the legislation is extraterritorial in its effect. Not only does it enable US registered holders of expropriated assets to seek redress in US courts against foreign companies and persons, it also allows for the exclusion from the US of directors and their families and authorises civil and criminal sanctions.
It is also likely to bring the US into conflict with its allies. For example, during the Obama Administration the EU and many nations elsewhere with US encouragement normalised the deepened their relations with Cuba, encouraging investment and trade and dialogue.
It is now widely expected that other ideologically driven US sanctions on Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba will follow, requiring nations from Jamaica to St Vincent to take more than a partisan view.
None of which should be taken as seeking to minimise the suffering of the Venezuelan people, excuse the incompetence of the Maduro government, or exonerate those nations that continue to argue despite that hunger, chaos and the millions who have departed, that Venezuela is creating an alternative socially just society.
Rather it is to indicate that if the Caribbean is not to become irreconcilably divided it needs to arrive at a common genuinely non-aligned position that accepts that the introduction of ideologically-led policies into the hemisphere will have unpredictable consequences.
David Jessop is a consultant to the Caribbean Council and can be contacted at david.jessop@caribbean-council.org
Previous columns can be found at https://www.caribbean-council.org/research-analysis/ January 25th, 2019
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1601-Conversation as it was by the Social Fireside in the Time of the Tudors
Lighthouse Books for Translation Publishing
Language Disciplines, Literature Science
This book is presented in an Adobe DRM protected format.
Instruction for reading the book in this format.
[Date: 1601.] Conversation, as it was by the Social Fireside, in the Time of the Tudors. or simply 1601 is the title of a short risqué squib by Mark Twain, first published anonymously in 1880, and finally acknowledged by the author in 1906.Mark Twain, pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, , American humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who acquired international fame for his travel narratives, especially The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), and Life on the Mississippi (1883), and for his adventure stories of boyhood, especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885). A gifted raconteur, distinctive humorist, and irascible moralist, he transcended the apparent limitations of his origins to become a popular public figure and one of America’s best and most beloved writers. Samuel Clemens, the sixth child of John Marshall and Jane Lampton Clemens, was born two months prematurely and was in relatively poor health for the first 10 years of his life. His mother tried various allopathic and hydropathic remedies on him during those early years, and his recollections of those instances (along with other memories of his growing up) would eventually find their way into Tom Sawyer and other writings. Because he was sickly, Clemens was often coddled, particularly by his mother, and he developed early the tendency to test her indulgence through mischief, offering only his good nature as bond for the domestic crimes he was apt to commit. When Jane Clemens was in her 80s, Clemens asked her about his poor health in those early years: “I suppose that during that whole time you were uneasy about me?” “Yes, the whole time,” she answered. “Afraid I wouldn’t live?” “No,” she said, “afraid you would.” Insofar as Clemens could be said to have inherited his sense of humour, it would have come from his mother, not his father. John Clemens, by all reports, was a serious man who seldom demonstrated affection. No doubt his temperament was affected by his worries over his financial situation, made all the more distressing by a series of business failures. It was the diminishing fortunes of the Clemens family that led them in 1839 to move 30 miles (50 km) east from Florida, Missouri, to the Mississippi River port town of Hannibal, where there were greater opportunities. John Clemens opened a store and eventually became a justice of the peace, which entitled him to be called “Judge” but not to a great deal more. In the meantime, the debts accumulated. Still, John Clemens believed the Tennessee land he had purchased in the late 1820s (some 70,000 acres [28,000 hectares]) might one day make them wealthy, and this prospect cultivated in the children a dreamy hope. Late in his life, Twain reflected on this promise that became a curse: It put our energies to sleep and made visionaries of us—dreamers and indolent.…It is good to begin life poor; it is good to begin life rich—these are wholesome; but to begin it prospectively rich! The man who has not experienced it cannot imagine the curse of it. Perhaps it was the romantic visionary in him that caused Clemens to recall his youth in Hannibal with such fondness. As he remembered it in “Old Times on the Mississippi” (1875), the village was a “white town drowsing in the sunshine of a summer’s morning,” until the arrival of a riverboat suddenly made it a hive of activity.
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The capsule of the Soyuz TMA-18, with the Russians Aleksandr Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko and Tracy Caldwell-Dyson American aboard, landed without mishap on Saturday in the steppes of Kazakhstan, the Information Center of Flight Control (PPA) of Russia. "The landing went according to schedule. According to early reports, the crew (the Soyuz) are fine," said a spokesman for the PPA, quoted by Interfax news agency reported. The capsule came to earth as scheduled, at 2:23 a.m. (Eastern Time), in a region southeast of the Kazakh city of Arkalyk, where they hoped the rescue teams. Its three crew members remained in space a total of 176 days, one more than anticipated due to a technical failure which forced the delay within 24 hours of its return to Earth. On Friday, a false alarm caused the maneuver to unhook the Soyuz from the ISS to be canceled, the first such incident in the history of exploration of the orbital platform. The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, said one of the alarms indicated the lack of inward Soyuz spacecraft, which was discarded after rigorous review. Source:Terra
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Bucks’ John Henson sinks 2 three-pointers in victory
John Henson of the Bucks, who is not known for is long-range shooting capabilities, is all smiles after hitting a three-pointer to close out the third quarter in a game against the Pacers on Friday. Henson, who had made 1 three-pointer in his first six seasons in the NBA, went 2 of 3 from beyond the arc on the night.(Photo: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports)
John Henson, three-point sniper?
Although the Milwaukee Bucks center has talked about working on his shot from behind the arc in new coach Mike Budenholzer’s system, it was still shocking to see him nail 2 of 3 from long distance in a 118-101 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the first regular-season game at Fiserv Forum on Friday night.
The 6-foot-11 Henson came into the game with exactly one made three-pointer in his six previous seasons.
“That’s kind of the way the offense is,” Henson said. “Our motto is to let it fly. We work on it every day, a lot. Shoot a lot of threes.
“It’s kind of a part of what we need to do to be successful, and I was a part of it tonight.”
BOX SCORE: Bucks 118, Pacers 101
RELATED: The long wait ends with a victory at Fiserv Forum
NBA: Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, statistics
Henson’s first three-pointer beat the shot clock and came off an assist from Eric Bledsoe at the 3:43 mark in the second quarter. The second one came after Malcolm Brogdon found the big man just before the third-quarter buzzer.
“The first one felt good,” Henson said. “The second one definitely felt good.”
Henson held an exaggerated follow-through as a celebration after both makes.
His teammates were suitably impressed.
After getting asked about Henson’s newfound skill, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo looked across the team’s locker room to see Henson getting dressed.
“John, I’m telling (the media) about your three-point shooting,” Antetokounmpo said. “You looked like KD (Kevin Durant) out there.
“I’ve seen a lot of clips from high school, from his days at North Carolina. He was able to shoot the ball real well. He’s getting kind of comfortable shooting the ball. He’s worked really hard this summer, so we want him to shoot the ball. If he’s open, I think he can knock it down.”
Henson also had a small bone to pick with those surprised he could make long-range shots.
“If you guys were really here for the Bucks in summer league when I was a rookie, I was hitting threes,” he said. “Y’all can look that up. It’s not necessarily foreign territory but it’s part of fitting into the system, adapting to new coaching. That’s kind of how you are successful in the league.”
The records show that in the 2012 Las Vegas summer league, Henson was 2 of 4 on three-pointers in four games.
Budenholzer liked Henson’s three-point shooting but he also wanted to highlight the center’s all-around effort. .
“I think John’s ability to impact a game defensively has obviously stood out,” the Bucks coach said. “Getting to know him and appreciating what he brings to the game every day.
“Offensively, just trying to expand his game. Giving him some confidence. Giving him some freedom.
“I felt like both (the three-pointers) were kind of big shots. I think sometimes, when either the opponent or maybe the fans don’t expect it, it just gives you even more momentum when you get a contribution and when you get threes from someone like John.”
Henson also had nine rebounds and three blocks against Indiana.
“He has a knack for passing, playing,” Budenholzer said. “He’s a good basketball player.”
Bucks finding success in funneling opponents to midrange shots
Initial defensive adjustments yielding rewards
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Tag Archives: Every Night is Saturday Night
2017 Gift Guide, Books, CDs, DVDs, Holiday Gift Guide, Movies, Music, Theater, TV
Gift Guide 2017: Petrucelli Picks the Best Celebrity Bios of the Year (Part Two)
The Wall Street Journal named Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars (Henry Holt, $30) one of the best music books of 2017 for a good reason. The book is an elegy for the social concept of the “rock star”. Recent times have seen the death of David Bowie, Prince, Tom Petty and Chuck Berry; with no sign that a new generation of outsized “rock stars” is coming and radical changes still transforming the music industry, it’s time to declare the end of the “rock star” as a social force. Acclaimed music journalist David Hepworth travels through the pre-Internet age of swagger, sexual charisma, self-belief and self-reliance through 40 portraits of musicians from 1955-1995.
Never Look at the Empty Seats (Thomas Nelson, $24.99) We’ll let Charlie Daniels’ friend Dolly Parton review his autobiography for you: “Charlie is so up-front and friendly, we all assume we know everything there is to know about him. Not so. There is so much about Charlie’s life in this book that it would and could make a great movie, or even better, a long-running series . . . very informative and interesting. We all love Charlie, me more than most. Enjoy the book. I did.”
Barthes: A Biography (Polity, $39.95) is based on unpublished material never before examined, and sheds new light on his intellectual positions, his political commitments and his ideas, beliefs and desires. It details the many themes he discussed, the authors he defended, the myths he castigated, the polemics that made him famous and his acute ear for the languages of his day. This biography enables the reader to enter into Barthes’s life and grasp the shape of his existence, and thus understand the kind of writer he became and how he turned literature into life itself.
For much of the 20th century, boxing was one of America’s most popular sports, and the heavyweight champions were household names. In The Boxing Kings: When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring (Rowman & Littlefield, $36), Paul Beston profiles these larger-than-life men who held a central place in American culture. There’s John L. Sullivan, who made the heavyweight championship a commercial property; Jack Johnson, who became the first black man to claim the title; Jack Dempsey, a sporting symbol of the Roaring Twenties; Joe Louis, whose contributions to racial tolerance and social progress transcended even his greatness in the ring; Rocky Marciano, who became an embodiment of the American Dream; Muhammad Ali, who took on the U.S. government and revolutionized professional sports with his showmanship; and Mike Tyson, a hard-punching dynamo who typified the modern celebrity. A knock out! Another tome to make book ends: Mad Dog: The Maurice Vachon Story (ECW, $19,95), that explores Vachon’s career and personal struggles with painstakingly detailed historical research and through both Maurice’s own recollections and those of the people who knew him best.
Cleopatra is one of the most famous women in history—and thanks to Shakespeare, one of the most intriguing personalities in literature. She was lover of Marc Antony, defender of Egypt, and, perhaps most enduringly, a champion of life. Award-winning writer and beloved professor Harold Bloom writes about Cleopatra with wisdom, joy, exuberance and compassion. He also explores his own personal relationship to the character: Just as we encounter one Anna Karenina or Jay Gatsby when we are in high school and college and another when we are adults, Bloom explains his shifting understanding of Cleopatra over the course of his own lifetime. The book becomes an extraordinarily moving argument for literature as a path to and a measure of our own humanity.
Before Washington, before Jefferson, before Franklin or John Adams, there was Richard Henry Lee, the First Founding Father. He was first to call for independence, first to cal for union, and first to call for a bill of rights to protect Americans against government tyranny. A towering figure in America’s Revolutionary War, Lee was as much the “father of our country” as George Washington, for it was Lee who secured the political and diplomatic victories that ensured Washington’s military victories. A stirring, action-packed biography, First Founding Father: Richard Henry Lee and the Call to Independence (Da Capo Press, $28) First Founding Father will startle most Americans with the revelation that many historians have ignored for more than two centuries: Richard Henry Lee, not Thomas Jefferson, was the author of America’s original Declaration of Independence.
In Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 (Rowman & Littlefield, $38), Duane Tudahl pulls back the paisley curtain to reveal the untold story of Prince’s rise from cult favorite to the biggest rock star on the planet. His journey is meticulously documented through detailed accounts of his time secluded behind the doors of the recording studio as well as his days on tour. With unprecedented access to the musicians, singers, and studio engineers who knew Prince best, including members of the Revolution and the Time, Tudahl weaves an intimate saga of an eccentric genius and the people and events who helped shape the groundbreaking music he created. This definitive chronicle of Prince’s creative brilliance during 1983 and 1984 provides a new experience of the Purple Rain album as an integral part of Prince’s life and the lives of those closest to him.
It’s easy to call Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel (Rowman & Littlefield, $22.95) a marvel. Bob Batchelor offers an eye-opening look at this iconic visionary, a man who created (with talented artists) many of history’s most legendary characters. He explores how Lee capitalized on natural talent and hard work to become the editor of Marvel Comics as a teenager. After toiling in the industry for decades, Lee threw caution to the wind and went for broke, co-creating the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and others in a creative flurry that revolutionized comic books for generations of readers. Marvel superheroes became a central part of pop culture, from collecting comics to innovative merchandising, from superhero action figures to the ever-present Spider-Man lunchbox.
How did Rich Little become an a world-famous, world-class impersonator? He quips: “Perhaps my mother was conceived by a Xerox machine!” Little by Little: People I’ve Known and Been (7th Mind Publishing, $24.95) is a witty, fun read; not so much a detailed autobio, but (as Little says) “a humorous glimpse of he people I’ve impersonated and some of the funny stories that happened along the way.”
Chris Matthews’ new book, Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit (Simon & Schuster, $28.99) is a gripping, in-depth, behind-the-scenes portrait of one of the great figures of the American 20th century. Drawing on extensive research and interviews, Matthews pulls back the curtain on the public and private worlds of Robert Francis Kennedy. He shines a light on all the important moments of his life, from his early years and his start in politics to his crucial role as attorney general in his brother’s administration and his tragic run for president. This book brings Bobby Kennedy to life like never before and is destined to become a political classic.
Not many people know Wanda Jackson. They should. Her debut single, “You Can’t Have My Love,” reached the Top 10 while she was still a 16-year-old high school student. She hit the road after graduation, playing package shows with Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley, who gave Wanda his ring and asked her to be “his girl.” With Presley’s encouragement, the Oklahoma native began recording rock music, often releasing singles with country on one side and rock on the other during her decade-and-a-half tenure on Capitol Records. With more than 40 albums to her credit, Wanda has proven to be an enduring and genre-defying legend of American music. She details her life and career in the wonderful In Every Night Is Saturday Night: A Country Girl’s Journey To The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (BMG Books, $24.99). She’s still so loved Elvis Costello wrote the foreword.
In Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell (Sarah Crichton Books, $28), David Yaffe draws on dozens of unprecedented in-person interviews with Mitchell, her childhood friends and a cast of famous characters to reveal the backstory behind the famous songs. From Mitchell’s youth in Canada, her bout with polio at age nine and her early marriage and the child she gave up for adoption, through the love affairs that inspired hits, and up to the present, the bio shows us why Mitchell has so enthralled her listeners, her lovers and her friends. It’s the story of an artist and an era that have left an indelible mark on American music.
Hal Prince is King of Broadway . . . and then some. In his pithy and wildly entertaining Sense of Occasion (Applause, $29.99), the most honored director/producer in the history of the American theater looks back over his 70 (and counting!) year career. The book gives an insider’s recollection of the making of such landmark musicals as West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Evita and The Phantom of the Opera, with Prince’s perceptive comments about his mentor George Abbott and his many celebrated collaborators. He also fairly reflects on the shows that didn’t work, most memorably and painfully Merrily We Roll Along. This thoughtful, complete account of one of the most legendary and long-lived careers in theater history, written by the man who lived it, is an essential work of personal and professional recollection.
In The Grouchy Historian: An Old-Time Lefty Defends Our Constitution Against Right-Wing Hypocrites and Nutjobs (Simon & Schuster $26), Ed Asner leads the charge for liberals to reclaim the Constitution from the right-wingers who use it as their justification for doing whatever terrible thing they want to do, which is usually to comfort the comfortable and afflict the afflicted. It’s about time someone gave them hell and explained that progressives can read, too. Go get ’em Mr. Grant!
The answer is blowin’ in the wind. Or at least in this quartet of books that celebrate and commemorate Bob Dylan. Why Bob Dylan Matters (Dey Street Books, $24.99), Harvard Professor Richard F. Thomas, a world expert on Classical poetry, was initially ridiculed by his colleagues for teaching a course on Bob Dylan alongside his traditional seminars on Homer Virgil, and Ovid. Dylan’s Nobel Prize brought him vindication, and he immediately found himself thrust into the spotlight as a leading academic voice in all matters Dylanological. Today, through his wildly popular Dylan seminar—affectionately dubbed “Dylan 101″—Thomas is introducing a new generation of fans and scholars to the revered bard’s work. This witty, personal volume is a distillation of Thomas’s famous course, and makes a compelling case for moving Dylan out of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and into the pantheon of Classical poets. You’ll never think about Bob Dylan in the same way again. On October 13, 2016, he the Nobel Prize in Literature, recognizing his countless contributions to music and letters over the last 50 years. His acceptance speech is contained in The Nobel Lecture (Simon & Schuster , $16.99), in which Dylan reflects on his life and experience with literature, providing both a rare artistic statement and an intimate look at a uniquely American icon. 100 Songs (Simon & Schuster, $17) is an intimate and carefully curated collection of his most important lyrics that spans from the beginning of his career through the present day. Perfect for students who may be new to Dylan’s work as well as longtime fans, this portable, abridged volume of these singular lyrics explores the depth, breadth and magnitude of one of the world’s most enduring bodies of work. Bob Dylan: The Essential Interviews (Simon & Schuster, $35) features more than two dozen of the most significant and revealing conversations with the singer, gathered in one definitive collection that spans his career from street poet to Nobel Laureate.
In the compelling biography Moscow Nights: The Van Cliburn Story-How One Man and His Piano Transformed the Cold War (Harper, $28), Nigel Cliff recounts how the young pianist’s warm embrace of Russian music kindled an enduring love affair with an entire nation—and sparked optimism that the two antagonistic superpowers could find a route to peaceful co-existence. In contrast to the tensions sparked by the Bay of Pigs debacle and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Cliburn brought classical music to the masses. Elegantly combining the political and the personal, this narrative provides a fresh perspective on the Cold War and its implicit nuclear threat while telling the whole of Van Cliburn’s story for the first time.
Jenifer Lewis bares her soul in The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir (Amistad , $25.99), a touching and poignant—and at times side-splittingly hilarious—memoir of a Midwestern girl with a dream, whose journey took her from poverty to the big screen, and along the way earned her many accolades. In the audaciously honest voice that her fans adore, Lewis describes her transition to Hollywood; when an undiagnosed mental illness stymies her career (culminating in a breakdown while filming The Temptations), her quest for wholeness becomes a harrowing and inspiring tale, including revelations of bipolar disorder and sex addiction.
Hunter Davies, the only ever authorized biographer of the Fab Four, brings together three eminent Beatles experts—Spencer Leigh, Keith Badman and David Bedford to compile an invaluable and essential guide. Divided into four sections—People, Songs, Places and Broadcast & Cinema—The Beatles Book(Ebury Press , $59.95) covers every element of the band’s history and brings every influence that shaped the incredible Beatles phenomenon vividly to life. Hunter and his team have also rated entries to show how important, influential or meaningful that characteristic was in the history of their lives and creations. Illustrated with material from Hunter’s remarkable private collection of personal artifacts and memorabilia, this compendium is an beautiful, insightful and entertaining treasure for any Beatles fan.
Steve McQueen remains the embodiment of cool some three decades after his death. How can that be? Whether on the silver screen, racing a Triumph motorcycle across a California desert, dueling with other racers at Le Mans, or simply hanging with his pals, McQueen exuded an effortless style that belied his rough and tumble past. It’s a trick that ensures he continues to appear in advertising and pop culture all the while embraced by cinema, racing, and motorcycle fans as one of their own. He remains the ultimate guy’s guy. The Life Steve McQueen (Motorbooks, $30) explores and celebrates the memorable aspects of McQueen’s life that, taken as a whole, defined the man and cemented his reputation as a Hollywood rebel and risk taker. Peppered with period photos, illustrations, posters and more, the book surveys the movie roles, racing, personal style, art, and pop culture that all combined to crown the King of Cool and ensure his legacy.
7th Mind PublishingAmistadAnthony DeCurtisBMG BooksBob BatchelorBobby KennedyCabaretCharlie DanielsChris MatthewsChuck BerryCleopatraCompanyDa CapoDavid BowieDavid HepworthDavid YaffeDey Street BooksDolly PartonDuane TudahlEbury PressECWEd AsnerEvery Night is Saturday NightEvery Night Is Saturday Night: A Country Girl's Journey To The Rock & Roll Hall of FameEvitaFiddler on the RoofFolliesHal PrinceHarold BloomHunter DaviesJack JohnsonJenifer LewisJoe LouisJohn L. SullivanJoni MitchellLittle Brown and CompanyLittle by Little: People I've Known and BeenMad Dog: The Maurice Vachon StoryMerrily We Roll AlongMike TysonMoscow Nights: The Van Cliburn Story-How One Man and His Piano Transformed the Cold WarMotorbooksMuhammad AliNever Look at the Empty SeatsNigel CliffPaul BestonPhantom of the OperaPolity BooksPrincePrince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni MitchellRich LittleRichard Henry LeeRobert Francis KennedyRocky MarcianoRoland BarthesRowman & Littlefield PublishersSarah Crichton BooksSense of OccasionSimon & SchusterStan Lee: The Man Behind MarvelSteve McQueenSweeney ToddThe Beatles BookThe Boxing Kings: When American Heavyweights Ruled the RingThe Grouchy Historian: An Old-Time Lefty Defends Our Constitution Against Right-Wing Hypocrites and NutjobsThe Mother of Black Hollywood: A MemoirThe Nobel LectureThomas JeffersonTom PettyUncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock StarsWall Street JournalWanda JacksonWest Side StoryWhy Bob Dylan Matters
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Home » OTHER SPORTS » Successful Week of Dressage, Driving, and Para-Dressage FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 Test Events Conclude
Successful Week of Dressage, Driving, and Para-Dressage FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 Test Events Conclude
Posted on April 24, 2018 by Abdul Rahim in OTHER SPORTS No Comments
Tryon, USA, April 23, 2018: Chester Weber (USA) maintained his hold on the lead through the Cones phase of FEI CAI 2* Four-in-Hand competition as part of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 (WEG) Dressage, Driving, and Para-Dressage Test Events at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), guiding his team to victory after blazing cleanly through the Richard Nicoll (USA)-designed course (WEG 2018 Test Events Conclude).
The all-American podium remained unchanged from day two: Weber landed on 159.38 points after three days, while Misdee Wrigley-Miller (USA) maintained second place after driving Bravour, Beau, Bolino D, and Calipso to a score of 173.34 on a clean run, and James Fairclough (USA) finished in third with Bento V, Citens, Dapper and Zenden on a final penalty score of 180.21.
Weber spoke highly of his day-three team, consisting of Amadeus, Asjemenou, Gouveneur, and Ultra, and explained that he added Gouvenuer into the team after testing potential WEG contender, Reno, in his place for the Marathon phase.
“I drove the Dressage team again, which was my plan from the beginning and they were really nice,” he said. “I have a sort of inexperienced seven-year-old in the group [Gouvenuer], and I wanted to know what I had in him for a Cones leader and he actually did really well. I was really pleased with him.”
As he predicted, the Cones course had the essence of designer Nicoll and suited Weber’s driving style, but remained a true precision test for competing combinations.
“I thought the course was really nice. Richard [Nicoll] always tries to have a little bit of flow to the course, which was good and I thought it was fair in that way. We measure the course typically with a GPS watch, and there’s some margin of error there.
When I measured it was 840 meters and they were saying it was more like a 750 – it was pretty obvious to me we were going to have to go really, really fast. I worked on trying to figure out how to get the time as good as I could, but it was still a big challenge.”
Speaking to the emotional connection he feels to Team USA and what representing the States in the fall would mean, Weber reflected on the shared history of his and teammate Fairclough’s careers, and said, “It means a lot to me to represent the United States.
Ever since I was a young guy starting Driving, I always wanted to have a blazer with a [USA] patch on it and drive on the U.S. team. I think for all of the U.S. Four in-Hand team medals, Jimmy and I have been part of those teams. I think we hope to come here in the fall and try and secure a team medal for the U.S. It would mean a lot to me.”
Wrigley-Miller maintained her podium spot with a speedy round through the Cones phase and complimented the noticeable improvement in harmony for her team this week. “The team is really starting to gel and come together to work as a team and that was really what I noticed.
They were all balanced together. I could really drive more forward, they felt great in my hands, and the obstacles drove so well,” she emphasized. “I just feel like we’ve been a work in progress and we made huge strides yesterday.
I was really pleased with our Marathon, but I went back and watched the videos and thought, ‘I can go faster!’ So, I think the horses and I have good timing going forward.”
Wrigley-Miller was eager to contest the Marathon course this past weekend and had good things to report: “From what I’ve heard, there will not be a lot of change in the obstacles – I think they’re beautifully built, and Richard [Nicoll] does such a great job of flagging them. He asks the right questions of horses and drivers. I think it’s going to be really great.”
While she made adjustments to the team between Dressage and Marathon, her horses remained as consistent as their results, and she used the same pairings for the final two days of competition.
“It was a good course,” she said of the final phase. “It was what I’ve come to expect from Richard – that you drive the lines. It’s Dressage training in Cones. The horses have to be supple and flexible and move forward with nice curves – it was a nice course. It had its little pieces that made us drivers think!”
For Fairclough, this week’s FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 Test Event was his first chance to drive obstacles and Cones since Live Oak International a month ago, and described how the weather at home had really thrown a kink in his ability to train, but had not dampened his competitiveness at TIEC.
“I didn’t spend the winter in Florida, so I went down for Live Oak International three weeks before, and Dressage was okay this week. I was pleased with the horses. It’s a long way to September before the FEI World Equestrian Games.
For the Marathon yesterday, I hadn’t driven a hazard since I was at Live Oak because I went back home and had 13 days out of 27 with snow, so I wasn’t able to train that or Cones. Marathon was very nice. The horses were plenty fit, and I was happy with that.
Cones today surprised me – I thought I’d be able to keep the pace up a little bit more, but I lost a lot of time at 10, 11, and 12. The footing has a [different feel] than grass, so it was difficult to make that time,” he added.
Like Weber and Wrigley-Miller, Fairclough is pleased with his experience at the venue, he said. “I think the facility is fantastic. It’s a work in progress, but it’s really nice when you get to do a Marathon on a golf course.
I guess we got to use some of the hazards that will be used [in September], and the course was technical – tight if you wanted that option in a couple of them. I think the terrain may surprise some Europeans, but the valley where the obstacles are is very nice.”
Fairclough also hopes to return in the fall and emphasized the honor of representing Team USA. He said, “It’s wonderful to represent team USA and to have the Games here.
The few times that we [Weber and I] have had the national anthem played for us, there’s nothing better. But, to be an ambassador for our country is really an honor. It’s a real thrill no matter what, when you do it.”
Perry-Glass Victorious in FEI CDI 3* Grand Prix Special Presented by Adequan®
The FEI Grand Prix podium remained unchanged from Friday’s lineup, as the FEI CDI 3* Grand Prix Special presented by Adequan®, saw Kasey Perry-Glass (USA) dance with partner Goerklintgaards Dublet to an impressive score of 75.830%, taking the victory ahead of Adrienne Lyle (USA) and Horizon who finished in second on a score of 71.660%. Belinda Trussell (CAN) rode her own Tattoo 15 to third place honors with a score of 69.319%.
Perry-Glass and the 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding (Diamond Hit x Ferro) owned by Diane Perry put in a more relaxed effort without losing the energy of Friday’s winning ride. “My test, I felt, was a lot more thought out.
After the Grand Prix, I was just really challenging myself to go in there and focus on what we do in the warm-up and get it in the show ring.
That was my highlight. He’s so talented as it is, that he does everything really well, but I think the passage tour was really good, as well as his changes.”
Regarding “Dublet’s” reaction to the arena after a weekend of acclimation, she continued, “He’s still a spring chicken in there – he didn’t lose any motivation or any kind of spark.
He was actually more relaxed, but with energy. That’s what all of his pre-show training was for, getting his mind really good, the aqua-tread, and all the work we do outside the arena. I feel like it’s really translated to his stamina and how he holds his energy.”
The pair is just coming back into competition after an eight-month break, and while the late start to competition schedule had Perry-Glass feeling uncertain before, she said the payoff was worth it, for both her horse and herself.
“With any athlete, I think you kind of need time to wind down to re-adjust and get your head right. I think for the last three years we’ve just been going and it was a well-needed break for us, for me too, and it just helps him come back stronger.
Yeah, we’re starting our shows a little bit later than everyone else, but I think that he’s showing that he can be right up there with the others and I’m happy we did it. At some points we were questioning whether it was the right thing to do, to wait so long, but for us it really worked.”
Lyle and Elizabeth Juliano’s 2003 Oldenburg mare (Hot Line x Don Schufro) proved their consistency with another second place finish and for Lyle, Horizon’s consistency is especially encouraging to see.
She elaborated, “I was thrilled with her and how reliable she’s getting.
To have a clean test in the third Special she’s ever done in her life – one of them being a national show and with her first CDI not even two months ago, for her to come into a new venue and prove that she can put in clean and consistent performances in this environment is a big deal for her. I’m very proud of her.”
Lyle also had Harmony’s Duval, another young horse, break into Grand Prix competition this weekend, and noted that she’s thrilled to see a long-term relationship with “Duval” truly succeed.
“I’m really happy with him. I’ve had him since before he was saddle broke and we’ve done everything from Training level on up with him, so it was a really fun weekend all around to have such great rides on Horizon and then be able to finally get Duval into the Grand Prix ring after years and years of work,” she said.
Trussell and her own “Tattoo,” a 2003 Westfalen gelding (Tuareg x Ramiro’s Son), also remained consistent to place third on a score of 69.319% despite a bobble in one of the gelding’s usual highlight movements, she explained.
“I think the biggest change I see for him [since Florida] is that he’s getting a lot stronger in his passage work; he’s such an exuberant mover and to be able to access that and put it in the right direction [is improving].
I think that this show I had the best passage work that I’ve had yet in the ring itself. His highlight is his changes and today we had a mistake in the twos, which is not good, because I need those points, but those are also becoming more reliable and consistent, so that feels great.”
As an experienced competitor at FEI World Equestrian Games™, including appearances in Jerez, Spain, Lexington, KY, and most recently in Normandy, France, Trussell described her excitement for the Games to return to North America.
“This venue was just fabulous to come here for the Test Event and to experience it and be a part of this. It was such a great stepping stone for us in preparation for WEG,” she said. “It’s so nice, as a North American athlete, to have this event in North America because we almost always have to go to Europe.
It’s not so far, the horses don’t have to get on an airplane, for family it’s easier to come, and to have this quality of venue in North America is huge. I am so grateful for this facility, grateful for the United States to put this together and it’s wonderful,” she concluded.
Kasey Perry-Glass, Adrienne Lyle, and Belinda Trussell in their presentation ceremony with Dressage Discipline Manager Thomas Baur; Annette Fransen Iacobaeus (SWE), judge at C; and WEG Organizing Committee Member Eric Straus (USA).
The atmosphere was exuberant at the in-gate, especially for the large support wearing red, white and blue – the American entourage was in full force and both Lyle and Perry-Glass expressed gratitude for the strength of the USA contingent.
“We have an incredible support staff from all of USEF,” said Lyle. “They’re absolutely amazing and take care of any question you may have.
You can call them in the middle of the night and they’re here to help you! It really helps to have such great backing, then beyond that, we have an incredible camaraderie between us as teammates,” she continued.
“Laura [Graves] is here watching and cheering on, and we’re all really good friends. We say that all the time, but it’s not just for show – we all are really good friends. It’s really exciting to see everyone be so successful. It only elevates your own riding and your own training when you can be around people like that, and I feel very blessed that we are that way.”
Perry-Glass agreed, “You look down the ranking list, and even people that are not on the ranking list or that are on the B squad, it’s amazing to see that you’re so close to them.” She also noted the importance of this strong team unit as a team sport.
“There’s only one class that’s individual. Growing up in team sports, you have to have that camaraderie and be to be a team player. I think it elevates everyone’s sportsmanship and I think it makes you perform better. Plus, you can lean on them when you have questions or concerns or ideas, and especially in stressful situations.”
FEI CPEDI 3* Freestyles Wrap Up Weekend at Tryon International Equestrian Center
In the CPEDI 3* Grade I Freestyle Test, Roxanne Trunnell (USA) and Kate Shoemaker’s Dolton stayed perfect to finish first with a 73.278%, while Laurietta Oakleaf (USA) rode her own Niekele Fan Busenitz to second receiving a score of 69.311%, and Winona Hartvikson (CAN) and Ultimo, a 2001 gelding (Invasor III x Teodoro) owned by herself and Jane Macdonald, earned third place honors with a 68.556%.
Trunnell, who represented the United States at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games™, as well as at the 2016 Paralympic Games, piloted a newer mount this weekend, and the pair was awarded overall champions of the show after three successful rides for the USA.
The Grade II Freestyle saw Jason Surnoski (CAN) and Phoenix score a 66.878% overtake fellow Canadian Sharon Buffitt and her own Elektra II, who scored 66.233%.
“I was very pleased with Phoenix,” commented Surnoski. “He did everything I asked for and I was just enjoying it. We’ve been working on trying to get him more up in his frame because he tends to kind of come down on me, so all week we’ve been trying to do that. I found that in this test in particular he kept it. I just enjoyed the ride.”
Surnoski began competing in the FEI CPEDI’s two years ago, but has only had this particular ride for six months. “He’s a funny character, He loves attention and he loves his treats – the more treats he gets, the more he begs – and he just enjoys his job. It’s my first CPEDI with him and he’s nineteen, so he passed everything I could ask of him. Now it’s onward and upward.”
“It’s been a very difficult transition because he has a lot of movement when he’s going properly, and I’ve ridden many horses that don’t have that particular movement. This guy has a lot when he’s going well. So, even today I had a little bit of difficulty controlling it with my body, but I think I did a good job considering I bumped up my percentage each test,” added Surnoski.
Having declared for WEG, Surnoski will travel to Ottawa next month to contest another FEI CPEDI competition. With a strong desire to make the team at the forefront of his mind, he concluded, “I love that WEG will be here because it’s close to home. I’m from Toronto, so it’s like a fourteen-hour drive, depending on traffic, so it’s doable, and I’m hoping I can qualify and be here for it!”
The Grade III Freestyle saw a change in top placing, as Lauren Barwick (CAN) and her own Engelbrecht, a 2009 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Vivaldi x Rimini 41) rode to blue and a score of 72.233%.
The Grade IV Freestyle once again awarded Angela Peavy (USA) the victory, earning a score of 72.892% aboard Rebecca Reno’s 2008 Oldenburg mare (Doruto x Don Larino) Royal Dark Chocolate. Grade V Freestyle rider Katie Jackson (USA) rode her new 2003 Oldenburg gelding (De Niro x Welt Hit II) mount Diesel to a score of 70.608%, achieving their third first place honor of the weekend. —- WEG
Sindh Netball team won the Pakistan Day Exhibition Netball Match
Abouelghar Survives Marathon World Battle
UCI to Act on Anti-doping Audit Recommendations
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Salmonic Inspiration: Empowering a scientific message through the visual arts.
"Deep Forest" by Ray Troll. Photo from trollart.com.
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a presentation by salmon lover and artist Ray Troll, the first in the thought-provoking series, “Salmon Dialogues”. Hosted by the Vancouver Aquarium in conjunction with the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF), this series is aimed at discussing various aspects of a creature that has a deep historical, biological, and cultural connection to the British Columbia coast: the Pacific Salmon.
“Fin” artist Ray Troll is a salmon lover. In 1983, Ray moved to Ketchikan, Alaska to help his sister start a seafood store, where he found himself “smack dab in the middle of a fish culture that stretches up and down the coast”. At the time he was just “a guy with a Masters of Fine Arts degree, fresh out of college, who became a fish monger”, one who didn’t know a “humpy from a hole in the ground”. He became a quick study and fell in love with fish. Ray personifies salmon as powerful engines, a species that “touches so many lives and drives the economy in so many ways”. All species of salmon are vital to the aboriginal communities, the commercial and recreational fisheries, and to the surrounding ecosystems they interact with. Ray’s “Deep Forest” (seen above) is a piece of scientific surrealism that captures the transportation of nutrients such as nitrogen through the forest ecosystem. These nutrients are important for increasing growth rates of those forest ecosystem trees and shrubs, which provides instream habitat for migrating and spawning salmon. However, with increasing threats from climate change impacts, ecosystem degradation, and habitat loss, the survival of these salmon species is likewise threatened.
I fear for our planet, and I fear for our finny friends…we need [people] to get the word out.
— Ray Troll
So how does visual art fit into this scientific picture? As Ray explains, “there is a lot of compartmentalizing in the world…science over here, art over there…we must break down these barriers.” This self-proclaimed “lobe-finned Darwinist with a crayon” is inspired by the natural world. It’s with this passion that he created many unique and engulfing pieces of aquatic art, which highlight human-fish cultural interactions, and touch on all senses through combined art and science. These elements also extended into music and writing. Ray was the recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 2011 for the category of Natural Sciences in the field of Science Writing for the development of a co-written piece of work Crusin’ the Eternal Coastline: the Best of the Fossil West from Baja to Barrow.
It was a big step for Ray to start hanging out with scientists, but he quickly learned that “[scientists] want and need people like [Ray], to help get the word out”. His art helps popularize species such as salmon and brings attention to the issues surrounding them. Salmonstock, which is a 3-day festival in August that happens after the fishing season, was co-founded by Ray as a means of “celebrating Wild Alaskan salmon and the people who depend on them, [and the] power we have to protect our resources and our livelihood”. People who attend are also banding together to help stop the proposed Pebble Mine, a project that will be built at the headwaters of Bristol Bay that feeds into many important salmon spawning rivers. Contamination from an open-pit mine could significantly threaten the salmon populations, and in turn the many people who rely on salmon for food and nourishment, a sustainable economy, and a healthy ecosystem.
Ray’s art and contribution to the improvement of scientific understanding is truly inspiring. As an environmental scientist, I do believe that we tussle with the traditional barriers between scientific practices and the public engagement. We want to be able to contribute to positive change in the relationship between the public and our resource use. I have learned a lot from what Ray offered up during his lecture, and I will move forward from here by striving to meld my scientific knowledge in formats that are creative, and that touch on all the senses. I encourage anyone in a variety of disciplines to begin working together to integrate your talents, and communicate your knowledge and views of the world in multitudes of styles to reach every individual.
I’d like to think that artists are the canary in a coal mine, and that we do what we can to raise awareness. But we also help inspire scientists to get the answers for us…
For more information regarding upcoming events and lectures, and for information in the next series of “Salmon Dialogues” please visit the Vancouver Aquarium or Pacific Salmon Foundation websites.
Marina Steffensen is currently pursuing a Master of Resource Management Degree from Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC). She has always been fascinated with the environment, in particular with the ocean’s diverse and fragile ecosystems. At heart, Marina is a field scientist and explorer, taking any excuse to travel and explore new places. She is also an avid scuba diver, photographer, runner, and movie buff.
Making a DifferenceMarina Steffensen February 4, 2014 Vancouver Aquarium, Ray Troll, salmon, art
The Heat Beneath Your Feet: The Toe-Tingling Science of Geothermal Energy
Sketchy Science, Science & The EnvironmentSteve Kux February 5, 2014 geothermal energy, electricity
Educate the North, educate the South, & empower youth.
Making a DifferenceTom Wiercioch February 3, 2014 #YAC2014, North, Arctic, Education, community
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Name : Enrique Prado
Mr. Enrique “Ric” Prado is a twenty five year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency where he served in six overseas posts, including as Chief of Station in a Muslim country. Domestically, he served as Chief of Operations for the DCI’s Counterterrorist Center under Ambassador Cofer Black during the 11 September, 2001 attacks and the subsequent war on terrorism. He also served as the Deputy on the original bin Laden Task Force. Highly decorated, he received the CIA’s Distinguished Career Intelligence …
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Watch Live TV from Portugal
Television in Portugal was introduced in 1956 (test broadcasts) by Radiotelevisão Portuguesa (now named Rádio e Televisão de Portugal), which held the nationwide television monopoly until late 1992. Regular broadcasting was introduced on March 7, 1957. Colour transmissions were introduced on March 10, 1980. Digital terrestrial television (DTT) was introduced at a very late stage when compared to other countries in Europe and with limited channels, and according to the European Audiovisual Observatory it occupies the last place in 34 European countries with the weakest offer on digital terrestrial television.
In such a way that most Portuguese are subscribers of cable (HFC) or IPTV (DSL or FTTH) platforms, in percentages higher than in the rest of Europe and these platforms are well developed with a large number of channels. During the transition from analog to DTT, subscription-based television services experiences a 10% increase and reached 72.5% of homes in 2012. Regional and local television is also limited. Portuguese television is regulated by the Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social (ERC). In 2016, TVI was the ratings leader with 21.5% share while SIC, RTP1 and RTP2 had 17.6%, 13.7% and 2.0%, respectively.
Watch Euronews Portuguese TV Live TV from France
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Watch Television and Radio Portugal Live TV from Portugal
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Welcome To Our Parish
Welcome to the website for the Parish of the Three Patrons, Derry. Our parish is the largest in the diocese of Derry with a population of over 30,000, covering the areas of Pennyburn, Carnhill, Galliagh, Woodbrook and Skeoge .
The three patrons of our parish are Saints Patrick and Brigid, Apostles of Ireland, and St Joseph, husband of Mary and foster-father of the child Jesus. They are represented on our logo by the three figures rowing the boat of faith on the sea of life.
Our Lord said: ‘Come, follow me’. As followers of Jesus, we are – each of us – on a sea journey of faith, hope and love. Each of us has a role to play, a purpose to fulfill. That purpose is the love and service of God, through the love and service of our fellow men and women. In this great enterprise, everyone is valuable and needed and no one is excluded.
None of us is perfect. On the journey of our lives, with all its ups and downs, its joys and its difficulties, we sometimes stumble and fall. But we are Christians, so we get up again and carry on following the Lord, trusting in His love and His mercy.
May we keep the faith St Patrick courageously gave to us. May we hand on the faith to future generations with the kindness and gentleness of St Brigid. May we trust in the goodness of God with the generosity of spirit of St Joseph.
Let us go forward as witnesses for Jesus as a parish community building up the body of Christ with our unique gifts and talents, inspired by the words of St Paul: “There is a variety of gifts, but always the same spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always the same lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them for a good purpose”.
Parish Locations
Pennyburn
Address: Buncrana Road,
Derry, BT48 7QL
St. Brigid's
Carnhill
Address: Carnhill,
Derry, BT48 8HJ
Galliagh
Address: Fairview Road,
Derry, BT48 8NU
Three Patrons
Send Email to: St Brigid'sSend Email to: St Patrick'sSend Email to: St Joseph's
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What Obama said sounds good, but we'll see if he actually does anything about it, or he's just a well-mannered George Bush.
The strange thing is that the Israeli army was supposed to have pulled out of Gaza, yet if Hamas is targetting them, they obviously haven't kept their side of the deal.
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 | 12:06 PM ET Comments340Recommend38
Palestinian relatives of Ismail Al Baryen, 27, a farmer killed by Israeli fire, gather for his funeral in the village of Abasan, east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday. (Eyad Baba/Associated Press)
An Israeli air strike hit the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, hours after an Israeli soldier was killed by a bomb attack on the edge of the Palestinian territory, Hamas officials said.
Tuesday's violence was the worst since a fragile ceasefire was declared more than a week ago.
The Islamic Hamas militant group, which controls Gaza, said one of its members was wounded in the air strike while riding a motorcycle in the southern town of Khan Younis.
Earlier Tuesday, an Israeli soldier was killed and three wounded after militants detonated a bomb targeting an Israeli army patrol near the Kissufim crossing in the central Gaza Strip, Israeli officials said.
Israeli soldiers then crossed the border in search of the attackers. Residents said Israeli tanks and bulldozers were levelling some farmland in the area where the bombing took place.
The death marks Israel's first fatality since Israel began a ceasefire on Jan. 17, followed by a ceasefire by Gaza militants a day later. The truce put an end to a bruising three-week offensive by Israel aimed at halting rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled coastal territory.
Although there was no claim of responsibility for the deadly bombing, Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas leader, said Israel was to blame for continuing to fire into Gaza. Al-Masri said his group had not agreed to a full ceasefire but only to a "lull" in fighting.
In reaction to the death, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak called Tuesday for an urgent meeting of his top defence officers, saying Israel "cannot accept" the attack.
"We will respond, but there is no point in elaborating," Barak said in comments released by his office.
In what appeared to be an unconnected incident a short time after the Israeli death, Palestinian officials said Israeli troops along the border several kilometres away shot and killed a 27-year-old man they identified as a farmer. Two others were wounded.
The Gaza territory is home to 1.4 million people and has been ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas since June 2007.
U.S. envoy to visit region
The Israeli offensive has killed 1,285 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, according to records kept by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. Thirteen Israelis, including three civilians, were also killed during the fighting.
Egypt is trying to work toward a long-term truce to bring quiet to the region.
Israel has demanded an end to Hamas rocket attacks and guarantees that militants will be prevented from smuggling weapons into the coastal territory.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton weighed in on the conflict in her first news conference on Tuesday, saying that Israel has the right to defend itself.
"We support Israel's right to self-defence. The [Palestinian] rocket barrages which are getting closer and closer to populated areas [in Israel] cannot go unanswered," Clinton said, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama vowed to improve dialogue with the Muslim world in an interview aired Tuesday on Arabic television.
He told Al Arabiya that when it comes to Middle East matters "all too often the United States starts by dictating."
Obama's new envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, arrives in the region Wednesday on an eight-day trip.
The president said he felt it important to "get engaged right away" in the Mideast and had directed Mitchell to talk to "all the major parties involved."
"What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating," Obama told the interviewer.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/01/27/gaza-israel.html
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Islam Says People Of Other Faiths Can Go To Heaven
Qur'an 2:62 Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
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allmediascotland...Your key to the media > Broadcasting > Radio Chief Departing to Lead Station Buy-out Negotiations
Radio Chief Departing to Lead Station Buy-out Negotiations
By Administrator in Broadcasting, Media News · July 28, 2011 · No comments
A former managing director of the Scottish division of the company that owns, among others, Real Radio Scotland, is stepping down to lead a possible management buy-out of one of its other stations.
Billy Anderson is to negotiations over a possible purchase of Glasgow-based 96.3 Rock Radio. He is currently Real and Rock Radio brand managing director, following a promotion which then led to Gavin Bruce being appointed last year to succeed him in Scotland.
Says a statement issued by GMG: “After almost ten years with GMG Radio, where he’s played a key role primarily in the development and success of the group’s operations in Scotland and the North East of England, Anderson will leave at the end of August to concentrate on his proposed purchase plan.”
GMG Radio, which was founded 12 years ago, is part of Guardian Media Group. The third-largest commercial radio group in the UK, it owns Smooth Radio and five Real Radio stations, with a combined weekly reach of 5.35 million listeners.
It is understood 96.3 Rock Radio is the first wholly-owned station to be disposed of by the company.
The statement quotes Anderson, as saying: “I’ve had the time of my life at GMG Radio, joining when the group was about to launch its second station, Real Scotland, and I will truly miss the people. But I’m extremely excited about the potential for Rock Radio and will now be able to fully focus on acquiring the station. Once that is complete, I am looking forward to unveiling plans on a unique new way of experiencing and interacting with the greatest genre of music in the world – rock.”
« Johnston Press Unveils Microsoft Exec as New Head
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2 Hours A Week
"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."
This week, Trump ordered Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to review national monuments protected under the Antiquities Act of 1906 for possible resource exploitation (in short, that’s drilling, mining, and logging).
What’s the Antiquities act? Though it may sound like a law that protects old furniture, it is one of our nation's most important conservation tools. And it has been used to safeguard and protect federal lands, sites of cultural and historical importance, and scientific interest. These national monuments are then overseen and cared for by federal agencies.
Though Zinke’s review will be limited to monuments designated since 1996, and those totaling 100,000 acres or more, it sets a startling precedent. In undermining the Antiquities Act, the Trump administration is tearing away the longest-standing piece of legislation protecting our nation’s natural heritage. Monuments protected under this law include the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park, Acadia National Park, and 154 other breathtaking sites, many of which are sacred and historically significant to Native Americans.
Here is a full list of the 24 monuments that will be under review. There is no legislative process or opportunity for public comment on this decision, but never underestimate the power of public outcry!
1. CALL 202-208-3100 TWEET @SecretaryZinke
Ask him to protect our nation’s irreplaceable historic sites for generations to come. It’s senseless to squander our country’s most treasured natural landscapes for the sake of a quick buck.
2. SIGN the National Parks Conservation survey to protect the Antiquities Act.
USE THIS SCRIPT (feel free to ad-lib, of course)
I am calling Secretary Zinke to ask him to stay true to his own saying that "without question, our public lands are America's treasure." Not treasure to be pillaged by gas, oil, and timber industries, but public lands to be enjoyed by all Americans. I understand this review to be a first step by the Trump administration in rollbacks on monuments, and will be carefully following how Secretary Zinke proceeds over the course of the next 4 months.
© 2017 / 2 Hours A Week
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Mudie Coat of Arms / Mudie Family Crest
The surname of MUDIE was a nickname 'the moody' a name given originally to the brave, the bold, the resolute. The name was derived from the Old English word MODIG, meaning courageous. The name was in Scotland at an early date, and Johannes Modi served on an inquest made at Peebles in 1262 and appears to be the first of the name on record there. William Mudy, merchant in Scotland was granted a safe conduct to visit England in the year 1365 with four companions, and two horsemen. Sorlet, rector of Assend, witnessed the charter of Bishop William Mudy to his brother Gilbert Mudy in 1455. Thomas Mwdy and Robert Mwdy appear in Brechin in the year 1450, and John Mwdy held land there in 1499. The use of fixed surnames or descriptive names appears to have commenced in France about the year 1000, and such names were introduced into Scotland through the Normans a little over one hundred years later, although the custom of using them was by no means common for many years afterwards. During the reign of Malcolm Ceannmor (1057-1093) the latter directed his chief subjects, after the custom of other nations, to adopt surnames from their territorial possessions, and there created 'The first erlis that euir was in Scotland'. Early records of the name in England mention Adam Mody who was recorded in the year 1273 in the County of Oxford. Johannes Mody of Yorkshire, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. Most of the European surnames in countries such as England, Scotland and France were formed in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The process had started somewhat earlier and had continued in some places into the 19th century, but the norm is that in the tenth and eleventh centuries people did not have surnames, whereas by the fifteenth century most of the population had acquired a second name. Later instances of the name include Henry Mody and Anne Laurence who were married at St.Mary Aldermary, London in 1605. Thomas Moody and Margaret Scrivenor were married in London in 1621. The name is also spelt Moodey, Moodie and Mudie.
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A Wizard of Earthsea
Waukesha Reads – The Big Read 2015 featured A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. A Wizard of Earthsea is a classic coming-of-age novel and arguably the most widely admired American fantasy novel of the past fifty years. Originally published as a young-adult novel in 1968, Le Guin’s adventure tale is so imaginatively engaging and psychologically profound it captivates readers of all ages.
Ged was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, but once he was called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death’s threshold to restore the balance.
She influenced such Booker Prize winners and other writers as Salman Rushdie and David Mitchell – and notable science fiction and fantasy writers including Neil Gaiman and Iain Banks.[3] She has won the Hugo Award, Nebula Award, Locus Award, and World Fantasy Award, each more than once. In 2014, she was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Le Guin has resided in Portland, Oregon, since 1959.
The Library of America recently published Le Guin’s The Complete Orsinia. From their website:
In a career spanning half a century, Ursula K. Le Guin has produced a body of work that testifies to her abiding faith in the power and art of words. She is perhaps best known for imagining future intergalactic worlds in brilliant books that challenge our ideas of what is natural and inevitable in human relations—and that celebrate courage, endurance, risk-taking, and above all, freedom in the face of the psychological and social forces that lead to authoritarianism and fanaticism. It is less well known that she first developed these themes in the richly imagined historical fiction collected in this volume, which inaugurates the Library of America edition of her works.
Waukesha Reads ~ The Big Read Flash Fiction Contest Winners
Writers were asked to create their own fictional masterpiece based on this year’s theme: It’s a Magical Life.
Here’s the trick – it could only be 1,000 words or less!
Read the winning entries in each division.
Middle School Winner: The Power of Music by Autumn Lee
Middle School Runner-up: A Magical Life by Lauren Elizabeth Fullerton
High School Winner: Mr. Enderman by Hannah Bentley
High School Runner-up: Witches and Killers by Shelby Parker
Adult Winner: Dewy the Dragon by Rachel Blattner
Adult Runner-up: Juiced by Katie Herrmann
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Area students demonstrate for days after election
Lead Story Northeast Edition West Edition
Posted on November 17, 2016 Author Tami Devine, Contributing Writer 343 Views
EAST LOS ANGELES — Seventeen-year-old Destiny Pineda of Garfield High School says that she and the hundreds of students in East L.A. who walked out of class Nov. 14 are not demonstrating against Donald Trump’s election as the 45th president of the United States.
But the protests began shortly after the 70-year-old business tycoon won more than 270 Electoral College votes Nov. 8 and continued into this week. The students carried signs that invoked Trump and his campaign messaging, some reading “Deport Donald Trump,” and “Bridges Not Walls.”
Some students waved Mexican flags as they marched from a number of Eastside high schools, making a stop at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights before heading toward Los Angeles City Hall.
Students spoke through megaphones and chanted “United, we’ll never be divided,” and “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here,” under the glare of the hot sun.
The young protesters were not alone in their demonstrations. Thousands of protesters around the country marched in the streets for nearly a week in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Portland, among other places.
Thousands of students from high schools in the East Los Angeles area converged on Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights and then Los Angeles City Hall Nov. 14, protesting the election of Donald Trump and his plans to begin deporting undocumented residents. (Photo by Tami DeVine)
A handful of students carried signs blaming Hillary Clinton’s loss on Democrats and third parties. A couple of those signs read, “DNC Failed Working People,” and “This still doesn’t absolve third parties, you know…” showing a laundry list of Clinton campaign stumbles including when she called Trump supporters “deplorables.”
The signs also mentioned Green Party candidate Jill Stein by name, and the Clinton Foundation, which remains under FBI investigation.
Those on the president-elect’s team have been keeping a wary eye on both the national protests and the student demonstrations.
Tim Clark, Trump’s California state director, said, “The older these students get, the more they will understand that the election outcome was the best thing that could have happened for their future. They now have a brighter outlook for better jobs, for a government that won’t spend them deeper into debt, and for a safer and more secure America.”
Even though the East L.A. teens out marching were not old enough to vote, Pineda, authorized to speak to reporters as a media leader, said the students have a clear message and it doesn’t include the foul language on some of their signs.
“This protest is not about Trump, he does not deserve that attention,” she said. It’s for the community, to promote unity and solidarity. There will always be a few that do that.
“They do support us, but that’s not what we’re here for,” Pineda said.
She explained that their reasons for walking out included demands that rape be classified as a violent crime, that L.A. County be turned into a sanctuary for minorities and undocumented residents, and that resource centers be built for LGBT and undocumented students in all LAUSD schools.
“Some people in the LGBT community, and black and brown communities are afraid, not just of Trump, but of the system,” Pineda said. “We want everyone to feel safe and not afraid.”
Not everyone is afraid. A large sign at Garfield High School read “Don’t Walk Out, Walk In!” Vice Principal Abraham Casavi referred a reporter to the school district, but when asked about the sign and if there were students on campus, replied that at least 75 percent of the student body was still in class.
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Michelle King released a statement about the student demonstrations, saying many students remained concerned in the week following the presidential election, and wanted their voices to be heard.
“These are important conversations that need to take place,” King said. “We want our students to know they are not alone. However, it is critical that students not allow their sentiments to derail their education or for their actions to place them in danger. Students should limit their activities to non-instructional time and — for their own safety and to follow the law — they should remain on campus.”
She added that the best place to discuss the students’ concerns was in school, and that LAUSD schools were using assemblies, classroom dialogues, speaking activities and restorative justice programs to provide a secure forum for their students.
She also said that the Office of Human Relations, Diversity and Equity had made resources available at lausd.net to support meaningful conversations, and that the safety of students and staff remained their highest priority.
While LAUSD school board President Steve Zimmer said the student protests represented a “hopeful moment,” he also said the young people would face disciplinary action for unexcused absences. “If this is important enough to you to walk out, then you should know that there are going to be consequences for that action, and you should accept those proudly,” he said.
Still, he reassured the young people that the discipline would not impact their path to graduation.
City Councilman Jose Huizar also weighed in on the protests, saying, “There are a lot of discouraged people based on the results of the recent election. I’m saddened about the results, too.”
He added: “We must be part of the voice of reason as we move forward. When things go bad there is an opportunity to learn and rebuild. Retreat and regroup. But there never is a good excuse to become destructive.”
Throughout the week of protests police arrested nearly 450 adults and more than 30 minors. Charges included blocking the Hollywood (101) Freeway, failure to disperse, curfew violations, vandalism of buildings and vehicles, and assault of an officer.
Mayor Eric Garcetti also spoke out about the protests.
“I thought it was beautiful,” he said. “I certainly, probably in an earlier incarnation, would have been out there expressing some of that frustration,” adding that “we have to make sure we don’t break too many laws doing it.”
The mayor also said he would reach out to Donald Trump to congratulate him and begin a conversation on the issues important to Los Angeles.
Tagged City Councilman Jose Huizar, Clinton Foundation, Destiny Pineda, Donald Trump, Garfield High School, Hillary Clinton, Jill Stein, Los Angeles Unified School District, Mariachi Plaza, Mayor Eric Garcetti, school board President Steve Zimmer, Superintendent Michelle King, Vice Principal Abraham Casavi
Lead Story Obituaries West Edition
Memorial planned for longtime educator Judy Burton
Posted on June 2, 2017 Author Jacqueline Fernandez, Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. June 3 for Judy Burton, the founding CEO of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, the largest network of charter schools in the region. The service will be held at the school named in Burton’s honor, Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High School at Read More…
This Week in Black History West Edition
This Week in Black History
Posted on April 27, 2017 Author posted by Wave Staff
April 29, 1992 A jury in Simi Valley acquitted four Los Angeles police officers accused of beating Rodney King in March 1991 after a police pursuit in the San Fernando Valley. The acquittal ignited the Los Angeles Riots. – For more information on black history, arts and culture, visit www.caamuseum.org
Suspect faces manslaughter charge in death of bicyclist
Posted on July 3, 2015 Author Wave Wire Services
HIGHLAND PARK — A 21-year-old man has been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and hit-and-run driving for a crash that killed a bicyclist who was in a marked crosswalk here June 26. Alexis Virto pleaded not guilty in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom June 30 to one felony count each of gross vehicular Read More…
Mama’s Boyz
BILL VAUGHAN’S TASTY CLIPS: NAACP Theatre Awards come to Beverly Hills Nov. 21
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Philosophy of history or historiosophy is an area of philosophy concerning the eventual significance of human history. It examines the origin, goal, pattern, unit, determining factors for the process, and the overall nature of history. Furthermore, it speculates as to a possible teleological end to its development—that is, it asks if there is a design, purpose, directive principle, or finality in the processes of human history.
A philosophy of history begins with a few basic assumptions. First, it determines what is the proper unit for the study of the human past, whether it is the individual subject, polis ("city"), sovereign territory, a civilization, culture, or the whole of the human species. It then inquires whether there are any broad patterns that can be discerned through a study of history, what factors, if any, determine the course of history, and the goal, destination, and driving force of history.
1 Pre-modern View of History
2 Cyclical and linear history
3 The Enlightenment's ideal of progress
3.1 Social evolutionism
3.2 The "Hero" in Historical Studies
4 History and Teleology
5 Michel Foucault's analysis of historical and political discourse
6 History as Propaganda
7 Notable theorists on history
11.1 General Philosophy Sources
Philosophy of history should not be confused with historiography, which is the study of history as an academic discipline concerning the methods and development as a discipline over time. Nor should the philosophy of history be confused with the history of philosophy, which is the study of the development of philosophical ideas through time.
Pre-modern View of History
In the Poetics, Aristotle argued that poetry is superior to history, because poetry speaks of what must or should be true, rather than merely what is true. This reflects early axial concerns (good/bad, right/wrong) over metaphysical concerns for what "is." Accordingly, classical historians felt a duty to ennoble the world. In keeping with philosophy of history, it is clear that their philosophy of value imposed upon their process of writing history—philosophy influenced method and hence product.
Herodotus, considered by some as the first systematic historian, and, later, Plutarch freely invented speeches for their historical figures and chose their historical subjects with an eye toward morally improving the reader, for the purpose of history was to relate moral truths.
In the fourteenth century, Ibn Khaldun, who is considered as one of the forerunners of modern historiography, discussed his philosophy of history and society in detail in his Muqaddimah. His work was a culmination of earlier works by Muslim thinkers in the spheres of ethics, political science, and historiography, such as those of al-Farabi, Ibn Miskawayh, al-Dawwani, and Nasir al-Din al-Tusi.[1]
By the eighteenth century, historians had turned toward a more positivist approach focusing on fact as much as possible, but still with an eye on telling histories that could instruct and improve. Starting with Fustel de Coullanges and Theodor Mommsen, historical studies began to progress towards a more modern scientific form. In the Victorian era, the debate in historiography thus was not so much whether history was intended to improve the reader, but what causes turned history and how historical change could be understood.
Cyclical and linear history
Most ancient cultures held a mythical conception of history and time that was not linear. They believed that history was cyclical with alternating Dark and Golden Ages. Plato called this the Great Year, and other Greeks called it an aeon or eon. In researching this topic, Giorgio de Santillana, the former professor of the history of science at MIT, and author of Hamlet's Mill; An Essay on Myth and the Frame of Time., documented over 200 myths from over 30 ancient cultures that generally tied the rise and fall of history to one precession of the equinox. Examples are the ancient doctrine of eternal return, which existed in Ancient Egypt, the Indian religions, or the Greek Pythagoreans' and the Stoics' conceptions. In The Works and Days, Hesiod described five Ages of Man: the Gold Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age, the Heroic Age, and the Iron Age, which began with the Dorian invasion. Other scholars suggest there were just four ages, corresponding to the four metals, and the Heroic age was a description of the Bronze Age. A four age count would be in line with the Vedic or Hindu ages known as the Kali, Dwapara, Treta and Satya yugas. The Greeks believed that just as mankind went through four stages of character during each rise and fall of history so did government. They considered democracy and monarchy as the healthy regimes of the higher ages; and oligarchy and tyranny as corrupted regimes common to the lower ages.
In the East cyclical theories of history were developed in China (as a theory of dynastic cycle) and in the Islamic world by Ibn Khaldun.
Judaism and Christianity substituted the myth of the Fall of Man from the Garden of Eden to it, which would give the basis for theodicies, which attempts to reconcile the existence of evil in the world with the existence of God creating a global explanation of history with the belief in a Messianic Age. Theodicies claimed that history had a progressive direction leading to an eschatological end, such as the Apocalypse, given by a superior power. Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas or Bossuet in his Discourse On Universal History (1679) formulated such theodicies, but Leibniz, who coined the term, was the most famous philosopher who created a theodicy. Leibniz based his explanation on the principle of sufficient reason, which states that anything that happens, does happen for a specific reason. Thus, what man saw as evil, such as wars, epidemia and natural disasters, was in fact only an effect of his perception; if one adopted God's view, this evil event in fact only took place in the larger divine plan. Hence, theodicies explained the necessity of evil as a relative element which forms part of a larger plan of history. Leibniz's principle of sufficient reason was not, however, a gesture of fatalism. Confronted with the Antique problem of the future contingents, Leibniz invented the theory of "compossible worlds," distinguishing two types of necessity, to cope with the problem of determinism.
During the Renaissance, cyclical conceptions of history would become common, illustrated by the decline of the Roman Empire. Machiavelli's Discourses on Livy (1513-1517) are an example. The notion of Empire contained in itself its ascendance and its decadence, as in Edward Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776), which was placed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum.
Cyclical conceptions were maintained in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by authors such as Oswald Spengler, Nikolay Danilevsky, and Paul Kennedy, who conceived the human past as a series of repetitive rises and falls. Spengler, like Butterfield was writing in reaction to the carnage of the first World War, believed that a civilization enters upon an era of Caesarism after its soul dies. He thought that the soul of the West was dead and Caesarism was about to begin.
The recent development of mathematical models of long-term secular sociodemographic cycles has revived interest in cyclical theories of history[2].
The Enlightenment's ideal of progress
Further information: Age of Enlightenment and Social progress
During the Aufklärung, or Enlightenment, history began to be seen as both linear and irreversible. Condorcet's interpretations of the various "stages of humanity" or Auguste Comte's positivism were one of the most important formulations of such conceptions of history, which trusted social progress. As in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Emile (1762), a treatise on education (or the "art of training men"), the Aufklärung conceived the human species as perfectible: human nature could be infinitely developed through a well-thought pedagogy. In What is Enlightenment? (1784), Kant defined the Aufklärung as the capacity to think by oneself, without referring to an exterior authority, be it a prince or tradition:
Enlightenment is when a person leaves behind a state of immaturity and dependence (Unmündigkeit) for which they themselves were responsible. Immaturity and dependence are the inability to use one's own intellect without the direction of another. One is responsible for this immaturity and dependence, if its cause is not a lack of intelligence or education, but a lack of determination and courage to think without the direction of another. Sapere aude! Dare to know! is therefore the slogan of the Enlightenment.
Kant, What is Enlightenment? (1784)
In a paradoxical way, Kant supported enlightened despotism as a way of leading humanity towards its autonomy. He had conceived the process of history in his short treaty Idea For A Universal History With A Cosmopolitan Purpose (1784). On one hand, enlightened despotism was to lead nations toward their liberation, and progress was thus inscribed in the scheme of history; on the other hand, liberation could only be acquired by a singular gesture, Sapere Aude! Thus, autonomy ultimately relied on the individual's "determination and courage to think without the direction of another."
After Kant, Hegel developed a complex theodicy in the Phenomenology of Spirit (1807), which based its conception of history on dialectics; the negative (wars, etc.) was conceived by Hegel as the driving force of history. Hegel argued that history is a constant process of dialectic conflict, with each thesis encountering an opposing idea or event antithesis. The clash of both was "superated" in the synthesis, a conjunction which conserved the contradiction between thesis and its antithesis while sublating it. As Marx would famously explain afterwards, concretely that meant that if Louis XVI's monarchic rule in France was seen as the thesis, the French Revolution could be seen as its antithesis. However, both were sublated in Napoleon, who reconciled the revolution with the Ancien Régime; he conserved the change. Hegel thought that reason accomplished itself, through this dialectical scheme, in History. Through labor, man transformed nature in order to be able to recognize himself in it; he made it his "home." Thus, reason spiritualized nature. Roads, fields, fences, and all the modern infrastructure in which we live is the result of this spiritualization of nature. Hegel thus explained social progress as the result of the labor of reason in history. However, this dialectical reading of history involved, of course, contradiction, so history was also conceived of as constantly conflicting; Hegel theorized this in his famous dialectic of the lord and the bondsman.
According to Hegel,
One more word about giving instruction as to what the world ought to be. Philosophy in any case always comes on the scene too late to give it... When philosophy paints its gray in gray, then has a shape of life grown old. By philosophy's gray in gray it cannot be rejuvenated but only understood. The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk.
Hegel, Philosophy of Right (1820), "Preface"
Thus, philosophy was to explain Geschichte (history) always late, it is only an interpretation in order to recognize what is rational in the real. Furthermore, according to Hegel, only what is recognized as rational is real. This idealist understanding of philosophy as interpretation was famously challenged by Karl Marx's 11th thesis on Feuerbach (1845), where he states "Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it."
Social evolutionism
Further information: Social evolutionism and Unilineal evolution
Inspired by the Enlightenment's ideal of progress, social evolutionism became a popular conception in the nineteenth century. Auguste Comte's (1798–1857) positivist conception of history, which he divided into the theological stage, the metaphysical stage and the positivist stage, brought upon by modern science, was one of the most influential doctrine of progress. The Whig interpretation of history, as it was later called, associated with scholars of the Victorian and Edwardian eras in Britain, such as Henry Maine or Thomas Macaulay, gives an example of such influence, by looking at human history as progress from savagery and ignorance toward peace, prosperity, and science. Maine described the direction of progress as "from status to contract," from a world in which a child's whole life is pre-determined by the circumstances of his birth, toward one of mobility and choice.
The publication of Darwin's The Origin of Species in 1859 demonstrated human evolution. However, it was quickly transposed from its original biological field to the social field in the form of "social Darwinism" theories. Herbert Spencer, who coined the term "survival of the fittest," or Lewis Henry Morgan in Ancient Society (1877) developed evolutionist theories independent from Darwin's works, which would be later interpreted as social Darwinism. These nineteenth-century unilineal evolution theories claimed that societies start out in a primitive state and gradually become more civilised over time, and equated the culture and technology of Western civilisation with progress.
Ernst Haeckel formulated his recapitulation theory in 1867, which stated that "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny": the individual evolution of each individual reproduces the species' evolution. Hence, a child goes through all the steps from primitive society to modern society. Haeckel did not support Darwin's theory of natural selection introduced in The Origin of Species (1859), rather believing in a Lamarckian inheritance of acquired characteristics.
Progress was not necessarily, however, positive. Arthur Gobineau's An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races (1853-1855) was a decadent description of the evolution of the "Aryan race" which was disappearing through miscegenation. Gobineau's works had a large popularity in the so-called scientific racism theories which developed during the New Imperialism period.
After the first World War, and even before Herbert Butterfield (1900–1979) harshly criticized it, the Whig interpretation had gone out of style. The bloodletting of that conflict had indicted the whole notion of linear progress. Paul Valéry famously said: "We civilizations now know ourselves mortal."
However, the notion itself didn't completely disappear. The End of History and the Last Man (1992) by Francis Fukuyama proposed a similar notion of progress, positing that the worldwide adoption of liberal democracies as the single accredited political system and even modality of human consciousness would represent the "End of History." Fukuyama's work stems from an Kojevian reading of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit (1807).
A key component is that all these issues in social evolution merely serve to support the suggestion that how one considers the nature of history will impact the interpretation and conclusions drawn about history. The critical under-explored question is less about history as content and more about history as process.
The "Hero" in Historical Studies
Further information: The validity of the "hero" in historical studies and Great man theory
After Hegel, who insisted on the role of "great men" in history, with his famous statement about Napoleon, "I saw the Spirit on his horse," Thomas Carlyle argued that history was the biography of a few central individuals, heroes, such as Oliver Cromwell or Frederick the Great, writing that "The history of the world is but the biography of great men." His heroes were political and military figures, the founders or topplers of states. His history of great men, of geniuses good and evil, sought to organize change in the advent of greatness. Explicit defenses of Carlyle's position have been rare in the late twentieth century. Most philosophers of history contend that the motive forces in history can best be described only with a wider lens than the one he used for his portraits. A.C. Danto, for example, wrote of the importance of the individual in history, but extended his definition to include social individuals, defined as "individuals we may provisionally characterize as containing individual human beings amongst their parts. Examples of social individuals might be social classes [...], national groups [...], religious organizations [...], large-scale events [...], large-scale social movements [...], etc." (Danto, "The Historical Individual," 266, in Philosophical Analysis and History, edited by Williman H. Dray, Rainbow-Bridge Book Co., 1966). The Great Man approach to history was most popular with professional historians in the nineteenth century; a popular work of this school is the Encyclopedia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1911) which contains lengthy and detailed biographies about the great men of history. For example to read about (what is known today as) the "Migrations Period," one would consult the biography of Atilla the Hun.
After Marx's conception of a materialist history based on the class struggle, which raised attention for the first time to the importance of social factors such as economics in the unfolding of history, Herbert Spencer wrote "You must admit that the genesis of the great man depends on the long series of complex influences which has produced the race in which he appears, and the social state into which that race has slowly grown....Before he can remake his society, his society must make him."
The Annales School, founded by Lucien Febvre and Marc Bloch, was a major landmark in the shift from a history centered on individual subjects to studies concentrating in geography, economics, demography, and other social forces. Fernand Braudel's studies on the Mediterranean Sea as "hero" of history, Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie's history of climate, etc., were inspired by this School.
Regardless, it is clear that how one thinks about history will to a large degree determine how one will record history—in other words, the philosophy of history will forge the direction for the method of history, which in turn affect history itself.
History and Teleology
For further information: Social progress and Progress (philosophy)
Certain theodicies claim that history has a progressive direction leading to an eschatological end, given by a superior power. However, this transcendent teleological sense can be thought as immanent to human history itself. Hegel probably represents the epitome of a teleological philosophy of history. Hegel's teleology was taken up by Francis Fukuyama in his The End of History and the Last Man, (see Social evolutionism above). Thinkers such as Nietzsche, Foucault, Althusser or Deleuze deny any teleological aspect of history, claiming that it is best characterized by discontinuities, ruptures, and various time-scales, which the Annales School had demonstrated.
Schools of thought influenced by Hegel see history as progressive; they saw, and see progress as the outcome of a dialectic in which factors working in opposite directions are over time reconciled (see above). History was best seen as directed by a Zeitgeist, and traces of the Zeitgeist could be seen by looking backward. Hegel believed that history was moving man toward "civilization.," and some also claim he thought that the Prussian state incarnated the "End of History." In his Lessons on the History of Philosophy, he explains that each epochal philosophy is in a way the whole of philosophy; it is not a subdivision of the Whole but this Whole itself apprehended in a specific modality.
Michel Foucault's analysis of historical and political discourse
The historico-political discourse analyzed by Foucault in Society Must Be Defended (1975-1976) considered truth as the fragile product of a historical struggle, first conceptualized under the name of "race struggle"—however, the meaning of "race" was different from today's biological notion, being closer to the sense of "nation" (distinct from nation-states or "people." Boulainvilliers, for example, was an exponent of nobility rights. He claimed that the French nobility were the racial descendants of the Franks who invaded France (while the Third Estate was descended from the conquered Gauls), and had right to power by virtue of right of conquest. He used this approach to formulate a historical thesis of the course of French political history which was a critique of both the monarchy and the Third Estate. Foucault regarded him as the founder of the historico-political discourse as political weapon.
In Great Britain, this historico-political discourse was used by the bourgeoisie, the people and the aristocracy as a means of struggle against the monarchy—cf. Edward Coke or John Lilburne. In France, Boulainvilliers, Nicolas Fréret, and then Sieyès, Augustin Thierry and Cournot reappropriated this form of discourse. Finally, at the end of the nineteenth century, this discourse was incorporated by racist biologists and eugenicists, who gave it the modern sense of "race" and, even more, transformed this popular discourse into a "state racism" (Nazism). According to Foucault, Marxists also seized this discourse and took it in a different direction, transforming the essentialist notion of "race" into the historical notion of "class struggle," defined by socially structured position: capitalist or proletarian. This displacement of discourse constitutes one of the basis of Foucault's thought that discourse is not tied to the subject, rather the "subject" is a construction of discourse. Moreover, discourse is not the simple ideological and mirror reflexion of an economical infrastructure, but is a product and the battlefield of multiples forces—which may not be reduced to the simple dualist contradiction of two energies.
Foucault shows that what specifies this discourse from the juridical and philosophical discourse is its conception of truth; truth is no longer absolute, it is the product of "race struggle." History itself, which was traditionally the sovereign's science, the legend of his glorious feats, became the discourse of the people, a political stake. The subject is not any more a neutral arbitrate, judge or legislator, as in Solon's or Kant's conceptions. Therefore,—what became—the "historical subject" must search in history's furor, under the "juridical code's dried blood," the multiple contingencies from which a fragile rationality temporarily emerged. This may be, perhaps, compared to the sophist discourse in Ancient Greece. Foucault warns that it has nothing to do with Machiavelli's or Hobbes's discourse on war, for to this popular discourse, the Sovereign is nothing more than "an illusion, an instrument, or, at the best, an enemy. It is {the historico-political discourse} a discourse that beheads the king, anyway that dispenses itself from the sovereign and that denounces it."
History as Propaganda
Some theorists assert that as some manipulate history for their own agendas, that these histories in turn affect history, often so that a certain class or party will retain their power. In his Society must be Defended, Michel Foucault posited that the victors of a social struggle use their political dominance to suppress a defeated adversary's version of historical events in favor of their own propaganda, which may go so far as historical revisionism (see Michel Foucault's analysis of historical and political discourse above). Nations adopting such an approach would likely fashion a "universal" theory of history to support their aims, with a teleological and deterministic philosophy of history used to justify the inevitableness and rightness of their victories (see The Enlightenment's ideal of progress above). Philosopher Paul Ricoeur has written of the use of this approach by totalitarian and Nazi regimes, with such regimes "exercis[ing] a virtual violence upon the diverging tendencies of history" (Ricoeur 1983, 183), and with fanaticism the result. For Ricoeur, rather than a unified, teleological philosophy of history, "We carry on several histories simultaneously, in times whose periods, crises, and pauses do not coincide. We enchain, abandon, and resume several histories, much as a chess player who plays several games at once, renewing now this one, now the another" (Ricoeur 1983, 186). For Ricoeur, Marx's unified view of history may be suspect, but is nevertheless seen as:
the philosophy of history par excellence: not only does it provide a formula for the dialectics of social forces—under the name of historical materialism—but it also sees in the proletarian class the reality which is at once universal and concrete and which, although it be oppressed today, will constitute the unity of history in the future. From this standpoint, the proletarian perspective furnishes both a theoretical meaning of history and a practical goal for history, a principle of explication and a line of action. (Ricoeur 1983, 183)
Walter Benjamin believed that Marxist historians must take a radically different view point from the bourgeois and idealist points of view, in an attempt to create a sort of history from below, which would be able to conceive an alternative conception of history, not based, as in classical historical studies, on the philosophical and juridical discourse of sovereignty—an approach that would invariably adhere to major states (the victors') points of view.
George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four is a fictional account of the manipulation of the historical record for nationalist aims and manipulation of power. In the book, he wrote, "He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future." The creation of a "national story" by way of management of the historical record is at the heart of the debate about history as propaganda. To some degree, all nations are active in the promotion of such "national stories," with ethnicity, nationalism, gender, power, heroic figures, class considerations and important national events and trends all clashing and competing within the narrative.
Notable theorists on history
Dilthey, Wilhelm
Herder, Johann Gottfried
Spengler, Oswald
Toynbee, Arnold
Historical method
↑ H. Mowlana, 2001. "Information in the Arab World," Cooperation South Journal (1).
↑ See, for example, Peter Turchin, Historical Dynamics Why States Rise and Fall. Princeton studies in complexity. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003.
De Santillana, Giorgio, and Hertha von Dechend. Hamlet's Mill; An Essay on Myth and the Frame of Time. Boston: Gambit, 1969.
Dray, William H. Philosophical Analysis and History. New York: Harper & Row, 1966.
Mink, Louis O. “Narrative form as a cognitive instrument.” in The writing of history: Literary form and historical understanding, Robert H. Canary and Henry Kozicki, eds. Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1978. ISBN 0299075702 ISBN 9780299075705
Ricoeur, Paul. Time and Narrative, Volume 1 and 2, University Of Chicago Press, 1990. ISBN 0226713318 ISBN 9780226713311
Ricoeur, Paul. History and Truth. Translated by Kathleen McLaughlin and David Pellauer. Chicago and London: U of Chicago P, 1983.
Jameson, Frederic. The Political Unconscious: Narrative as a Socially Symbolic Act Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1981. ISBN 0801412331 ISBN 9780801412332
Muller, Herbert J. The Uses of the Past, New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1952.
Turchin, Peter. Historical Dynamics Why States Rise and Fall. Princeton studies in complexity. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003. ISBN 0691116695 ISBN 9780691116693
All links retrieved March 25, 2019.
Philosophy of History – Daniel Little, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
IDENTITIES: How Governed, Who Pays?
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Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Paideia Project Online.
Project Gutenberg.
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Primary/Bristol: May Park Primary School
Exyzt, 'The Hide', 2014. Photo: Max McClure. Image courtesy of the artists', Arnolfini and Bristol City Council.
The redevelopment of May Park Primary School is part of Bristol City Council’s Primary/Bristol series of artist commissions for primary schools commissioned as part of the Primary Capital Education Programme. As part of the development London and Paris based organization Exyzt were commissioned by project curators Arnolfini to develop an art work for the school working closely with pupils, teaching staff and Head Teacher Joan O’Hara.
Exyzt
Education, Landscape, Research, Alternative Space, Sculpture, Installation
Nicolas Henninger, Sara Muzio and Fred Keiff are part of Exyzt, a collective founded by five architects, Nicolas Henninger, François Wunschel, Phillipe Rizzotti, Pier Schneider and Gilles Burban, who studied together at Paris La Villette School of Architecture and in 2002 formed a practice around the idea of 'building and living together'. This approach means that Exyzt not only design their projects but also build them, erecting temporary structures and creating social spaces that are programmed in consultation with local user groups. Since their first project in 2003, the collective has slowly grown into a network of like-minded people who come together around certain projects and include a graphic designer, plumber, DJ, photographer, woodworker, electrician, web designer, cook and writer. Exyzt have made installations and interventions in a number of cities including Paris, Venice, London and São Paulo. Sara Muzio, Fred Keiff and Nicolas Henninger have collaborated since 2006, leading on UK based projects for EXYZT.
For their commission at May Park School Exyzt developed a project entitled ‘The Hide’, to be situated in the woodland clearing behind the school. Comprising of a small sculptural building made of timber on concrete foundations, the main element of the structure is based on a ‘zome’ - the repetition of a geometric form (eg triangle or diamond) in double helix pattern, which is based on the golden section and echoes structures found in nature. The zome structure is visible from the inside, however outside ‘The Hide’ will forms a sculptural mass made up of frames which are fixed together along their edges at two points. Over this structure okoume plywood panels were fixed and waterproofed to allow for a final layer in the form of a free form cladding, also made from timber battens, which are fixed over the structure to create a striking design.
The structure allows daylight in at discreet sections enabled by using transparent glass, including sections where children can use the structure as a hide, to look out onto the nearby badger set. The door of the structure is painted in blackboard paint so that it can be used as a signage or as a noticeboard to announce activities taking place in the wood, to be drawn on by the children, or as support for teaching activities. The ‘hide’ is also used by the Forest School for overnight sleepovers.
The work was completed in Spring 2014 and can be accessed by appointment with the school.
This project has been made possible through funding from Bristol City Council as part of the Primary Capital Education Programme.
“We want to build new worlds where fiction is reality and games are new rules for democracy. If space is made by dynamics of exchange, then everybody can be the architects of our world and encourage creativity, reflection and to renew social behaviours.” (EXYZT). Exyzt's manifesto proclaims it as a ‘platform for multidisciplinary creation’ whose aim is to challenge the view of architecture as an independent field of practice. Instead, they embark on experimental living ventures built collectively. The collective conceive and organise each project as a playground in which cultural behaviours and shared stories relate, mix and mingle. Each project strives to involve different constituencies of the local community in a social network that is invited to inhabit a temporary space.
Exyzt typically choose empty sites or buildings in the city, acquiring them temporarily with the permission of the owner and transforming them with simple structures and mobile units that have a DIY aesthetic and are cheap and easy to build. Although Exyzt's projects seem very informal they are heavily curated, by creating links with local inhabitants and specific user groups they design spaces that can be appropriated by them through organising specifc workshops and events. Whilst projects such as the Southwark Lido and the Dalston Mill in London have been extremely popular, Exyzt have so far resisted the temptation to transform these into permanent amenities. It is in fact their temporary nature that seems to be a key component in their success, ensuring that no space is completely appropriated by one dominant user group. Exyzt's working method, and production of temporary reversible architecture informed by theatre and performance, shares many similarities with that of the Berlin based Raumlabor collective.
Sara Muzio
Sara Muzio is an architect and film director who has been working with EXYZT since 2006, when her film La Cancha was showing at the Venice Architecture Biennale at the same time as EXYZT built the Metavilla in the French Pavilion. As part of EXYZT she created the Southwark Lido in 2008, the reUNION Public House in 2012, and The Lake in 2013, all at 100 Union Street in Southwark, London. Having lived, travelled and studied across Europe and Latin America, Sara has a precise sensibility in cross-cultural approaches to cultural, social and economic development, with a particular focus on the metabolism of cities. Sara’s extensive body of research and cultural production – including films, books and large-scale public installations – combines excellence in design and aesthetics with an in-depth understanding of cultural, social and economic exclusion. Sara’s projects contest, re-articulate and counteract different forms of marginalisation in imaginative and compelling ways.
Nicolas Henninger
Nicolas Henninger was born in Alsace in 1975 and graduated as DPLG architect in Paris in 2003. He has lived and worked in London since 2008. He co-founded EXYZT in 2003 to explore other ways of practicing and experimenting architecture. EXYZT's manifesto claims that, “ A community of users actively creating and inhabitating their environment is key to generating a vibrant world”. Since then, Nicolas Henninger has led a numbers of projects with EXYZT in Europe. Amongst them, the Metavilla with Patrick Bouchain for the French Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2006; the Southwark Lido in London, commissioned by the Architecture Foundation for the London Festival of Architecture in 2008; and the Dalston Mill with Agnes Denes, commissioned by the Barbican Gallery part of “Radical Nature” exhibition in 2009.
Fred Keiff
Fred Keiff lives and work in Strasbourg. He's an architect and a sculptor. He has been working in numbers of project with EXYZT since 2005 with a particular interest of developing the architectural relation of the skin to its structure.
Arnolfini is one of Europe’s leading independent, contemporary arts organizations, and is the flagship art centre for the South West of England with 450,000 visitors annually. 2011 is the year of Arnolfini’s 50th anniversary. Since its foundation in 1961, Arnolfini has built an international reputation for commissioning and presenting innovative, experimental work in the visual arts, always with a strong emphasis upon audience engagement. Many thousands of artists and performers have been involved with Arnolfini during this time, often gaining their first opportunity before going on to long-term success, and this wealth of creativity has been appreciated and enjoyed by consistently large audiences. Much of this groundbreaking work would not have been made or shown in Bristol and the South West region without the Arnolfini. Previous major solo exhibitions at Arnolfini have included: Marcel Broodthaers, Bridget Riley, Richard Long and Liam Gillick, as well as more recently Cosima von Bonin in 2011.
May Park Primary School
May Park Primary in is Eastville, Bristol, and welcomes an ethnically diverse intake of pupils – over 30 languages are spoken in the school. In recent years May Park has achieved a Bronze Eco award, and Healthy Schools status under the Department for Education’s scheme. The school works with the Sing Up project, that seeks to apply singing across the curriculum to stimulate learning. May Park is currently expanding, and by 2016 will have capacity for 860 pupils.
Primary Capital Programme (BCC, Skanska, LEP)
The Primary Capital Programme (PCP)
Sea Mills Primary School
Johann Arens: St John's CE VC Primary School
Post Works: Air Balloon Hill Primary School
May Park School
Arnolfini Gallery PCP programme
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Space & Technology
Aerotech News & Review
Home Veterans Fulfilling our nation’s promise: DPAA brings service members home
Fulfilling our nation’s promise: DPAA brings service members home
Army photograph by Staff Sgt. Michael O’Neal
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jack DeMato and Master Sgt. Myung McBride, recovery noncommissioned officers on a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) recovery team, shovel mud during operations in Nghe An province, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Dec. 2, 2018. The team deployed to the area in support of DPAA’s mission to provide the fullest possible accounting of our missing personnel to their families and the nation by searching for the remains of service members lost during the Vietnam War.
A woman sits across from her father as tears begin to stream down her cheeks. She opens a small box and pulls out a photo of her dad in his uniform and inhales deeply — she’s been waiting for this moment her entire life. She exhales.
“This is the first time I’ve ever met him,” she said to the gentleman who escorted her into the private viewing room to see the remains of her father. “Thank you for finally bringing him home.”
“Fulfilling our nation’s promise” is the motto of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, located at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Its mission — “To provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel from past conflicts to their families and the nation.”
“It’s fulfilling a promise to the families, but it’s also fulfilling a promise to everyone who wears a uniform or everyone who has worn a uniform,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Jon C. Kreitz, DPAA deputy director. “If you are killed in action and we can’t just get you out right then and there, we’re going to come looking for you and get you home. That matters to the families and it matters to your buddies that you’re fighting with. In many ways, it’s very uniquely American that we do this to the degree that we do and quite frankly, I am proud of the fact that we don’t leave fallen comrades behind.”
Air Force photograph by Tech. Sgt. Kathrine Dodd
Benjamin Soria, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) lead evidence coordinator, helps U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kenneth Henson secure the remains of U.S. Army Cpl. Albert E. Mills, who went missing in action during the Korean War, during a chain of custody event at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Nov. 9, 2018. Henson is the grand nephew-in-law of Mills and will escort his remains to Dallas. for burial. DPAA conducts global search, recovery and laboratory operations to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.
Though their mission statement is short and sweet, the work that goes into finding those who are unaccounted for is anything but. It can take years of intense research, interviewing witnesses, and digging through archives and historical records before a team even places a foot in any site to begin the strenuous process of recovering remains from a particular location.
Throughout history, Americans have been compelled to bring their loved ones home from a war or conflict, mentioned Kreitz. It was never something that was required, it was just something that was done — until 2011 when the military was tasked by law to seek and bring service members home from all past conflicts dating back to World War II.
Before DPAA was formed in 2015, there were three separate DoD organizations performing different functions of the accounting mission. Occasionally, they worked seamlessly together; however, being separate organizations made working together difficult. In 2015, the Secretary of Defense chose to merge all three organizations into one unified agency, which enabled DoD to increase its capabilities and capacity for the accounting mission.
“The average number of Americans who were being identified each year was less than 50,” Kreitz mentioned. “DPAA now has everything under one roof and one command. We have the historians, the analysts, the investigators, recovery teams, the scientific analysis — it all falls under us in one team, so we can work together.”
The first full year DPAA was operating, they identified 164 Americans. In 2017, there were 201 and in 2018, 206 identifications were made.
Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Apryl Hall
Daniel Rattler has his DNA sample taken during a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Family Member Update in Greensboro, N.C., Nov. 17, 2018. Rattler was a first-time attendee who came to the event to get information about his relative who was lost in the Korean War. DPAA’s mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting of our missing personnel to their families and the nation.
“As a cohesive team, we push ourselves to do better each year,” Kreitz said. “Our goal is to identify at least 350 people a year and we’re going to get there because we have a good team that’s going to get us there.”
There are currently more than 82,000 Americans missing all over the world. Of those, DPAA is focused on the research, investigation, recovery and identification for approximately 34,000 cases the agency believes are possibly recoverable from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, Iraq, and other designated past conflicts.
Of those who are lost, 75 percent are located in the Indo-Pacific region. Ninety percent of DPAA’s missions originate out of Hawaii, making Pacific Air Forces aircraft – like the 15th Wing’s C-17 Globemaster IIIs, based out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam – essential to DPAA’s mission.
“PACAF assets provide us with 90 percent of our military air transport,” Krietz said. “We have a great relationship with them and it’s something we are deeply appreciative of.”
The 600-member DPAA team consists of equal parts military and civilian, and each individual brings a necessary skillset for DPAA to perform its mission globally.
Ida Jones-Dickens holds a collage at her sister’s home in Rocky Mount, N.C., Nov. 15, 2018. Ida’s brother, U.S. Army Pfc. William “Hoover” Jones, was recently identified from remains received by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea earlier this year. DPAA’s mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting of our missing personnel to their families and the nation.
“We have combat medics, explosive ordnance disposal technicians, life support equipment specialists, field communications, forensic photographers, linguists, trained mountaineers, dive teams, forensic anthropologists and archaeologists, and much, much more,” Kreitz said, beaming with pride. “We have such incredibly skilled professionals who work here and they are all passionate and invested in this mission. You can’t help but be passionate about it. It’s such a noble mission.”
DPAA also enlists the help of other service members to perform a Short-term Individual Augmentation Tour, and hundreds of individuals are allocated each year for a single mission. Last year DPAA had roughly 150 teams in 36 different countries, making those who volunteer their time critical to mission success.
“I tell every one of them before they go, ‘when you come back, I’ll meet you at the tarmac and I’ll bet you are going to be tired, and dirty, but you are going to have a big smile on your face because you are coming back from something you are going to remember for the rest of your life as one of the most amazing, greatest missions you have ever done,’” Kreitz smiled. “And I have yet to be disproved of that, and I don’t think I ever will.”
Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Bruch
Dr. Meghan-Tomasita Cosgriff-Hernandez, a forensic anthropologist with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), assists with excavation operations while looking for possible human remains from WWII, March 6, 2019. The mission of DPAA is to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.
Some sites can be easy to get to but others are on the side of a mountain, in the ocean, or in rice fields where a person may stand in knee-deep water all day, every day. A dig site might happen to be near a hotel, but generally they are in remote locations where there isn’t any running water and you can’t shower for 45 days. It’s not a glamorous job but even then, Kreitz said, “Everyone comes back with a huge smile on their face because of what they did. They get the chance to see things that others might only see in a history book.”
Whether they’re hiking up a mountainside with gear on their back and nothing but a harness keeping them from rolling down the side of a cliff, or trekking in pouring rain through the creature-filled jungle, nothing will deter the men and women of DPAA from accomplishing their mission. They are persistent and they persevere through any situation or challenge. Why?
“It’s about bringing more people home to their families,” Kreitz smiled.
Families are being reunited with loved ones who have been lost for decades because of the tireless work of DPAA. They continue to dig through mountains of records in the national archives, or fly thousands of miles to another country in order to speak to a possible witness. They spend months, or even years, at one particular site sifting through dirt, mud, sand, and gravel in order to ensure they don’t miss a detail. The process of locating, recovering, identifying and returning home Americans is a long process, a process in which we will go more in depth in the next article in this series on DPAA.
U.S. service members assigned to a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) recovery team performs excavation operations in Houaphan province, Laos, Feb. 23, 2019. The team deployed to the area in support of DPAA’s mission to provide the fullest possible accounting of our missing personnel to their families and the nation by searching for the remains of service members lost during the Vietnam War.
Navy photograph by PO1 Tyler Thompson
U.S. Navy Divers assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Company ONE-EIGHT embarked aboard USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52), wait on a diving stage during a two-hour decompression stop after diving to 240 feet off the coast of Madang, Papua New Guinea, Dec. 7, 2018. The sailors are completing a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) underwater recovery mission searching for personnel who went missing during WWII. DPAA conducts global search, recovery and laboratory operations to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.
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Headlines – July 18, 2019
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Religious Activities In English: November 1999
Author:Author unknown, Issue: November 1999, Topic: Religion
An English language interdenominational worship service is held once a month normally on the fourth Sunday of every month at 2 pm. at the Tsukuba Gakuen Church near Daiei. The November service is on November 28, and is followed by an informal fellowship time at the Tsukuba Christian Center next door. The Japanese language congregation meets every Sunday morning at 10:30, and the service is translated into English over headphones. There is also a Bible Study in English every Tuesday evening at 8:00 in the Christian Center. For more information or help with transportation, call Tim Boyle at 55-1907.
The Tsukuba Catholic Church has an English mass at 8:00 am every Sunday and the Japanese masses on Saturday night (6 pm) and Sunday morning (10 am) are accompanied by an summary of the message in English. There is even a Spanish mass on the 3rd Sundays at 3 pm. On the last Sunday of the month, there is a coffee social after the English mass. For information, call the church at 36-1723. The Tsuchiura Catholic Church offers an English mass on the last Sunday of each month at 3 pm (tel. 21-1501). There is also a Portuguese mass on the 3rd Saturday at 7 pm.
The Tsukuba Baptist Church offers an English language Bible study before the Japanese service every Sunday from 10 to 11 am. It is located in Inarimae just east of Nishi Odori on the street closest to the meteorological observation tower. Tel. 58-0655.
The Megumi Church in Tsuchiura (489-1 Kami Takatsu) also offers English translation of their 10:30 Japanese service over ear phones. An English Bible class is held every Sunday morning at 9:00. There is also an International Fellowship group that holds a monthly pot luck dinner usually on the third Saturday. For information on that, call Melissa Ishio at 38-1374. For more information, call the church at 22-2244 or e-mail LDN03144[at]niftyserve.or.jp (Also see their Tsuchiura Megumi Church Web Page at http://church-tmc.jp/en/index.html).
The Tokyo International Church, Tsukuba Branch in Amakubo 3-3-5 (across from Tsukuba Univ.) offers a 10:30-noon Chinese (Mandarin) service interpreted into both English and Japanese. There is also an English language Bible study every Sunday evening at 7 pm. For information, call Rev. Huang at 52-6820.
The International Christian Assembly meets every Sunday at their new building in Furuku just off of Tsuchiura-Gakuen Sen east of Tsukuba from 10 for Bible Study and 10:30 for worship. For more information, call Richard Swan at 36-0993.
The Nozomi Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tsuchiura (23-27 Komatsu 3-chome) also offers programs in English, including a worship service Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm and a Bible class on Sunday mornings at 9:30. English Bible information courses are available any time. For more information, call Glen Hieb at 0298-21-3578.
The Tsuchiura Christian Church offers an English message translated into Japanese every Sunday morning at 10:30 am. For information, contact Paul Axton at 56-2167.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Tsukuba ward is located at Higashi 2-21-22 by Higashi Middle School between Doho Park and Tsuchiura Noda Sen. Services are translated into English over headphones. The Sacrament Meeting begins at 10 am followed by Sunday School at 11:10 and Priesthood and Relief Society at 12:00. A Gospel Doctrine class in English is also offered. For more information, contact 52-6548.
The Jewish Community of Japan, invites anyone of the Jewish faith in the Tsukuba area to feel welcome at any of their programs in Tokyo. Sabbath services each Friday at 6:30 pm followed by Sabbath dinner; Kosher Kitchen, Saturday morning, 9:30 am. Contact 3-8-8 Hiroo, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo 150; tel. 03-3400-2559, fax. 03-3400-1827.
<< Tsukuba Professional Japanese Teachers Association | Master Index | Tsukuba Women's University International Film Festival >>
Modified on March 11, 2006, at 05:58 PM Contact Us e
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Mon, 2018-Aug-20 01:12 UTC
With 331,206 views on Sunday, 19 August 2018 our article of the day is Priyanka Chopra.
Priyanka Chopra (pronounced [prɪˈjaːŋkaː ˈtʃoːpɽaː]; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress, singer, film producer, philanthropist, and the winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant. One of India's highest-paid and most popular celebrities, Chopra has received numerous awards, including a National Film Award and Filmfare Awards in five categories. In 2016, the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award. Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world and Forbes listed her among the World's 100 Most Powerful Women in 2017.
Although Chopra initially aspired to study aeronautical engineering, she accepted offers to join the Indian film industry, which came as a result of her pageant wins, making her Bollywood debut in The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003). She played the leading lady in the box-office hits Andaaz (2003) and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and received critical acclaim for her breakout role in the 2004 thriller Aitraaz. In 2006, Chopra established herself as a leading actress of Indian cinema with starring roles in the top-grossing productions Krrish and Don. Following a brief setback, she was praised for playing a troubled model in the drama Fashion (2008), which won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. Chopra subsequently gained wider recognition for portraying a range of characters in the films Kaminey (2009), 7 Khoon Maaf (2011), Barfi! (2012), Mary Kom (2014), and Bajirao Mastani (2015), and featured in the commercially successful sequels Don 2 (2011) and Krrish 3 (2013). From 2015 to 2018, she had a starring role as Alex Parrish on the ABC thriller series Quantico, becoming the first South Asian to headline an American network drama series. Chopra has since appeared in the Hollywood films Baywatch (2017) and A Kid Like Jake (2018).
In addition to her acting career, Chopra is noted for her philanthropic work. She has worked with UNICEF since 2006 and was appointed as the national and global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights in 2010 and 2016, respectively. She promotes various causes such as environment, health and education, and women's rights and is particularly vocal about gender equality and feminism. Despite maintaining privacy, Chopra's off-screen life is the subject of substantial media coverage. As a recording artist, she has released three singles. She is also the founder of the production company Purple Pebble Pictures, which released the acclaimed Marathi comedy-drama Ventilator (2016).
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:12 UTC on Monday, 20 August 2018.
For the full current version of the article, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priyanka_Chopra.
This has been Brian. Thank you for listening to popular Wiki of the Day.
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Greens win second seat with byelection win
The Green Party has a second MP in the House of Commons after a byelection win in Nanaimo-Ladysmith, a riding on Vancouver Island, last night.
Paul Manly will join Elizabeth May as Canada’s second Green Member of Parliament, marking the latest in a string of breakthroughs for the Greens.
Nanaimo-Ladysmith was formerly held by the NDP.
Sheila Malcolmson, who held the riding for the NDP before stepping down to run for MLA in provincial politics, won the federal riding in 2015 with only 33 per cent of the vote; the Liberals and Conservatives tied at about 23 per cent each, and the Greens were fourth at 20 per cent.
On Monday night, Manly’s 37.3 per cent of the vote almost doubled the Green results from 2015, partly at the expense of the NDP, which dropped to around 23 per cent.
While the Conservatives slightly improved their vote, to 25 per cent, the Liberal vote collapsed, falling by more than half to 11 per cent – a fourth-place finish for the Liberals.
Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party won only 3 per cent of the vote in Nanaimo-Ladysmith.
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Finance Programs in Massachusetts
Finance Schools in Massachusetts
State At a Glance
Total Finance Programs:
Online Finance Programs:
Admissions Requirements:
Average Tuition:
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Average Gender Ratio:
46% Men
54% Women
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Massachusetts has 27 colleges that have degree programs in finance. The majority of them are located in or around Boston, but there are some spread out in the rest of the state. Fourteen schools offer Associate's degrees in finance. If you want to pursue a Bachelor's degree in finance, there are 23 options to choose from. Twenty-one schools have Master's programs in finance, and 13 schools have PhD programs in finance.
The three best finance programs in Massachusetts are at Boston College, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Northeastern University. Boston College and Northeastern University are fairly competitive, with acceptance rates of 28% and 31%, respectively.
Tuition in Massachusetts is fairly high, with average tuition for a year being $26,599. However, there are many types of financial aid for finance students. The ALPFA/HCF Scholarship has scholarships for finance students, as does the Surety Association Minority Scholarship. The Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship fund offers scholarships of up to $10,000 for finance students.
With all of the degree programs to choose from, it's important for Massachusetts students to choose the right degree. An Associate's degree in finance will take approximately two years. A Bachelor's degree takes four years, and a Master's degree takes two years of study on top of a Bachelor's degree. A PhD requires both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree, and it takes 4 to 7 additional years of study.
An Associate's degree, such as the one offered at North Shore Community College, involves a few general education classes. Additionally, students take basic finance classes like Math for Business and Finance, Business Ethics, and Personal Finance.
Earning a Bachelor's degree in finance will prepare you for several different careers in finance. Western New England University has a Bachelor's program that offers classes in International Finance, Business Law, Accounting, and Financial Institutions. Other colleges, such as the University of Massachusetts Amherst, have different specializations in finance. They have four different concentrations: Corporate Finance, Financial Analyst, Risk Management, and Alternative Investments. To complete a degree in one of these specialties, students must take courses in Advanced Corporate Finance, Investments, and Bank Management.
A Master's degree in finance, such as the one offered at Suffolk University, is for students who want to advance their career in finance and explore new opportunities. Courses include Economic Analysis for Managers, Investment Analysis, Options and Futures, Financial Policy, and Investment Banking.
Many finance careers in Massachusetts do not have specific licensing requirements. This is particularly true for those who have an Associate's degree and pursue entry-level careers as bookkeepers, financial clerks, and collectors. These jobs are entry-level finance jobs.
However, those who have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in finance may have different licensing requirements for the career of their choice. If you want to work as a stockbroker, life insurance producer, or stockbroker, there are licensing requirements you must abide by.
To be an insurance producer in Massachusetts, you must register with the Division of Insurance. Insurance producers must take a pre-licensing course and then pass the Producer's Exam for Life Insurance. Massachusetts law requires life insurance producers to take 60 hours of continuing education in the first three years of licensure. For every three-year period after that, 45 hours of continuing education must be completed.
Working as a stockbroker in Massachusetts means that you are regulated by the Massachusetts Securities Division. Stockbrokers have to pass the Series 63 or Series 66 exam. They must also pass the Series 6 or 7 exam, depending on the products they sell. The Regulatory Element of continuing education requires a training course to be completed after two years of licensure. After that, the training course must be repeated every three years.
To become an investment advisor in Massachusetts, you must register with the Massachusetts Securities Division. Investment advisors must pass the Series 65 exam; they may also pass the Series 66 and Series 7 exam.
Some of the largest finance employers in Massachusetts are investment firms. Large investment firms in Massachusetts include Ameriprise Financial, Wellington Management Company LLP, State Street Corporation, and the Massachusetts Credit Union League. Other major financial employers in Massachusetts include Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Michael Page, and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.
Average salaries for Bachelor's and Master's degree holders in Massachusetts are considerably higher than the national average. Careers at this level include credit counselors, loan officers, and credit analysts. Average salaries range from $55,950 to $109,980.
Finance professionals with Associate's degrees often work as auditing clerks, financial clerks, and brokerage clerks. Average salaries for these careers range from $28,390 to $47,340.
Search Finance Programs
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iTunes LP of Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
iTunes LP is the closest that digital music can come to satisfying physical music snobs. There's going to be a few of us who will never transfer over and will cry when physical product isn't available for this record or that record, but this is going to satisfy a big chunk of the music snobs out there. Dave Mathews Band's "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" is a great example to what iTunes LP has to offer.
First and foremost is the menu that you get wrapped up in with the LP- it's an immersing experience. The menu and the artwork of this particular LP is fantastic. Dave Matthews drew this stuff himself and it looks fantastic. When you press play on the music it goes through its own visualization. Yeah... pretty much awesome there. When you navigate away from the visualization you stop for a second because the music keeps playing... that's what it's supposed to do! From there you can go through the credits on the album which is kind of cool and you can go through a photo gallery as well as a slideshow of liner notes for each track with different artwork for each track.
On this LP you also get a ton of bonus songs. Live tracks, an acoustic track, all kinds of stuff. You can navigate that stuff using the track list button on the menu. There's also a big selection of video content with this album- including a great video documentary about how the band made the album and wrote the album and a music video for "Funny the Way it Is."
Every year I get obsessed with one record. I have been holding out to get obsessed with a record for something really special. Groogrux is an awesome album but who knew a new type of media was going to be the thing that won me over. Five stars- big five stars for the packaging of Dave Matthews Band's "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" and iTunes LP.
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DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS
VATICAN CITY, 1 JUL 2010 (VIS) - Today, during a private audience with Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Pope authorised the congregation to promulgate the following decrees:
- Blessed Luigi Guanella, Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Charity and of the Institute of the Daughters of Our Lady of Providence (1842-1915).
- Venerable Servant of God Giustino Maria Russolillo, Italian priest, pastor of Pianura and founder of the Society for Divine Vocations (1891-1955).
- Venerable Servant of God Maria Serafina of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (nee Clotilde Micheli), Italian foundress of the Institute of Sisters of the Angels (1849-1911).
- Venerable Servant of God Alfonsa Clerici, Italian religious of Congregation of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of Monza (1860-1930).
- Venerable Servant of God Cecilia Eusepi, Italian member of the Third Order of the Servants of Mary (1910-1928).
- Servant of God Janos Scheffler, bishop of Satu Mare, Romania (1887-1952).
- Servants of God Jose Maria Ruiz Cano, Jesus Anibal Gomez Gomez, Tomas Cordero Cordero and thirteen companions of the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, killed in hatred of the faith during religious persecution in Spain in 1936.
- Servants of God Carmelo Maria Moyano Linares and nine companions of the Order of Carmelites, killed in hatred of the faith during religious persecution in Spain in 1936.
- Servants of God Johannes Prassek and two companions, diocesan priests killed in hatred of the faith at Hamburg, Germany on 10 November 1943.
- Servant of God Marguerite Rutan, professed sister of the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, born in 1736 and killed at Dax, France on 9 April 1794.
HEROIC VIRTUES
- Servant of God Basilio Martinelli, Italian professed priest of the Congregation of the Schools of Charity ("Istituto Cavanis") (1872-1962).
- Servant of God Maria Antonia of St. Joseph (nee Maria Antonia de Paz y Figueroa), Argentinean foundress of the "Beaterio" of Buenos Aires (1730-1799).
- Servant of God Maria (nee Casimira Kaupas), Lithuanian foundress of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Casimir (1880-1940).
- Servant of God Maria Luisa (nee Gertrude Prosperi), Italian abbess of the convent of the Order of St. Benedict of Trevi (1799-1847).
- Servant of God Maria Teresa (nee Maria Carmen Albarracin), Spanish professed religious of the Claretian Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate (1927-1946).
- Servant of God Maria Plautilla (nee Lucia Cavallo), Italian professed religious of the Little Missionary Sisters of Charity (1913-1947).
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Published by VIS - Holy See Press Office - Thursday, July 01, 2010 0 commenti
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JULY
VATICAN CITY, 1 JUL 2010 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for July is: "That in every nation of the world the election of officials may be carried out with justice, transparency and honesty, respecting the free decisions of citizens".
His mission intention is: "That Christians may strive to offer everywhere, but especially in great urban centres, an effective contribution to the promotion of education, justice, solidarity and peace".
BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/ VIS 20100701 (80)
COMMUNIQUE CONCERNING POPE'S AUDIENCE WITH BISHOP MIXA
VATICAN CITY, 1 JUL 2010 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office published the following communique at midday today:
"On 1 July the Holy Father received in audience Bishop Walter Mixa, emeritus of Augsburg, Germany. On 4 May the Pope had accepted the bishop's request to be relieved of his duties as pastor of the diocese of Augsburg and as military ordinary, a decision definitively confirmed during today's audience. Bishop Mixa will retire for a time of silence, meditation and prayer and, following a period of cure and reconciliation will, like other bishops emeritus, be available for pastoral duties, with the agreement of his successor.
"Bishop Mixa highlighted how he had always sought to carry out his episcopal ministry willingly and conscientiously but, with all sincerity, he also recognised that he had made mistakes and committed errors which led to a loss of trust and made his resignation inevitable. He once again requested forgiveness for all his mistakes but also, and rightly, asks that despite those mistakes, all the good he has done not be forgotten.
"The Holy Father expressed the hope that this request for forgiveness will find open ears and open hearts. Following a period of often excessive polemics, the Pope hopes for reconciliation, for a new and reciprocal acceptance in the spirit of mercy of the Lord and in faithful abandonment to His guidance. Above all, the Supreme Pontiff asks his confreres in the episcopal ministry to offer Bishop Mixa, more than in the past, their friendship and closeness, their understanding, and their help to find the right path.
"The Pope asks all the dear faithful of the diocese of Augsburg again to favour mutual communion and to welcome with open hearts the prelate he will appoint as Bishop Mixa's successor. In a time of contrasts and insecurity, the world expects Christians to show harmonious witness on the basis of their encounter with the risen Lord, with which they help one another and the whole of society to find the right path to the future".
OP/ VIS 20100701 (350)
VATICAN CITY, 1 JUL 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Bishop Walter Mixa, emeritus of Augsburg, Germany.
- Pablo Cabrera Gaete, ambassador of Chile, on his farewell visit.
- Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, president emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State.
AP/ VIS 20100701 (60)
VATICAN CITY, 1 JUL 2010 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Kurt Koch of Basel, Switzerland, as president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, he succeeds Cardinal Walter Kasper whose resignation from the same office the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
NA/ VIS 20100701 (60)
DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAIN...
COMMUNIQUE CONCERNING POPE'S AUDIENCE WITH BISHOP ...
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Junior Cody Kelley hit five of the seven 3-pointers he launched in USD's loss to SDSU in Frost Arena Saturday afternoon. Austin Lammers | The Volante
Coyotes can’t close on Jackrabbits, fall 94-89
February 23rd, 2019 Austin Lammers Men's Basketball, Sports comments
In Frost Arena Saturday afternoon, No. 15 South Dakota State saw a revival of the Red Scare.
Down 11 at halftime, SDSU (23-7, 13-2) battled back through the second half to outlast USD (11-16, 5-9) 94-89.
Before Saturday, USD, owning the lowest shooting percentage (43.5) in the Summit League, averaged 33 points in the first half. But the presence of SDSU forwards Mike Daum and Alex Arians forced the Coyotes to step from their comfort zone and launch shots from beyond the arc. To their fortune, those shots fell. USD shot 19 3-pointers in the first half, making 11. Junior Cody Kelley and senior Logan Power together shot 10 and nailed 8.
“USD today was extremely prepared,” said SDSU head coach T.J. Otzelberger. “They had a great plan, the executed, they made shots, they did everything.”
Power’s triad of threes seemingly came out of nowhere, but Kelley said it was no surpise to the Coyotes.
“Logan’s been playing well. He’s an unbelievable practice guy. He’s probably the best practice player I’ve ever seen. He never misses a shot,” he said. “His number was called tonight to step up to the plate, and LoPo did a good job of that.”
Kelley nabbed 16 of his points in the first half and Power tied his season high of 11. The Coyotes departed to the depths of Frost Arena leading 55-44.
However, the Jackrabbits came into the second half hot, using a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to tie the game at 63 at the 13:37 mark.
Five minutes later, sophomore Stanley Umude, who leads USD with 14.7 points per game, picked up his fifth foul and exited the game with seven points and eight rebounds.
The rivals traded blows underneath the basket until a three from junior Trey-Burch Manning gave USD an 83-82 lead with four-and-a-half minutes left.
Swapping leads for the next three minutes, Daum broke the 3,000-point mark with a lay-up to put the Jacks up 86-85 with a minute to go. Daum is the tenth player in NCAA to eclipse 3,000 points.
“I’m not (going to) lie, I looked up at the scoreboard and knew what I had,” Daum said. “I was lost in the moment, though. We needed to score, we got a big stop on defense and our guys stepped up and made the plays that we needed to.”
After a series of free throws, USD found themselves down three with four seconds to go. Logan Power launched a three-quarter pass to Burch-Manning, which was tipped to the sideline. Burch-Manning regained possession to put up a shot, but his foot landed out of bounds and SDSU controlled the ball until the buzzer, winning 94-89.
“As the game went on, we adjusted,” Otzelberger said. “Both teams were going back and forth adjusting personnel, and who’s guarding who, and what are we trying to do. So I felt it was a battle that way.”
Cody Kelley led the Coyotes with a season-high 21 points and four assists, shooting 7-for-10 from the field including 5-of-7 3-pointers. Junior Triston Simpson followed with 19 points and three assists, the only player to play all 40 minutes. Trey Burch-Manning compiled 19 points and four rebounds, and junior Tyler Peterson shot 6-of-7 with 14 points.
Leading all scorers was Mike Daum, who posted 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting, adding seven rebounds. Senior Tevin King scored 22 on 10-15 shooting, leading the Jacks with four assists. Senior Skyler Flatten tallied 18 points and seven rebounds.
USD head coach Todd Lee said the biggest factor in the second half was turnovers, something the Coyotes, averaging just 11 a game, are usually mindful of.
“The difference in the second half was that we had 10 turnovers. We only had four at half,” he said. “State’s a very good defensive team, but they’re not a pressure team, so a lot of those turnovers were our mistakes.”
USD’s shooting percentage in the second half dropped to 44 percent. Worse yet, they only hit 3-of-13 (23 percent) from three, a figure they needed to maintain with an undersized front court.
“When you’re on the road, you gotta knock down shots,” he said. “In a close game when you have open jump shots down the stretch, you have to make them.”
The rivals last met in Vermillion on Jan. 6, where SDSU defeated USD 79-61in a game that was never really close. This game, a closer loss on the road, is testament to the Coyotes’ improvement from November, Kelley said.
“I think this team has been growing all year. Early in the year, we were still finding our identity and finding who we were. Tonight we made big steps in figuring that out.”
The Coyote’s return to Vermillion to play their final two games of the regular season. The first is against North Dakota State on Feb. 28, then North Dakota on March 2.
The 23rd ranked Coyote women play State in Frost arena tomorrow at 1 p.m in a battle that will most likely determine the Summit League’s regular season champion.
Austin Lammers
Austin Lammers is a third-year Media & Journalism student minoring in creative writing. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Volante.
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HomeCity Hall BlogMayor of London calls for artists to light up the River Thames bridges
Mayor of London calls for artists to light up the River Thames bridges
Call for artists to light up 17 River Thames bridges now open
The Mayor is calling on the world’s artists, designers and engineers to come up with ideas to create a permanent light art installation across 17 bridges along the River Thames between Albert Bridge in Chelsea and Tower Bridge.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
This is a really exciting opportunity to create a new, permanent light art installation across the capital’s historic bridges through the heart of London. It will throw a spotlight on the river and its banks – a dazzling, free outdoor art gallery for Londoners and all of our visitors to enjoy, and reminding the world that London continues to be the global leader in innovation, sustainability and artistic creativity.
The Mayor has made protecting and promoting London’s position as a capital of culture one of his priorities. The Illuminated River will be mostly funded by private sources and will encourage new investment, increase use of the river, bridges and riverbanks at night and strengthen partnerships across the public realm between the public and private sector landlords.
It will encourage the expansion of a vibrant night-time economy, something the Mayor is supporting through plans to appoint a Night Czar, to help protect London’s live music venues, clubs and pubs, and the introduction of a 24-hour weekend Tube service on key lines from August.
The shortlisted schemes will be shown in a public exhibition at the end of the year, after which a winner will be announced.
For more information visit www.illuminatedriver.london
Filming in London - July 2019
Our monthly feature telling you what's currently being shot for TV and film across the city.
Creative People: Lois Keidan
Founder and Director of Live Art Development Agency (LADA), Lois Keidan, talks about joys and challenges of her work.
Creative People: John Lewis
John Lewis, Peabody’s Executive Director, Thamesmead talks about the need for cultural Infrastructure in planning.
Supporting young people's creativity
Find out about the Bollo Brook Youth Centre’s ‘Movement Through Arts’ project, supported by the Young Londoners Fund.
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zionism is nobody's friend
reposted by permission of the author:
In a message dated 2/28/2007 3:20:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, wesawthat@gmail.com writes:
hello ms. andreas,
we are writing to you seeking permission to repost your entire article Copyright 2006 Judy Andreas "zionism is nobody's friend" onto our blog located at www.wesawthat.blogspot.com with appropriate credits and links back to your website.
Yes, you have my permission.
By Judy Andreas
http://www.judyandreas.com/
" I have chiefly had men's views confided to me privately. Some of the biggest men in the U.S., in the field of commerce and manufacturing, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it." The New Freedom. Woodrow Wilson, 1913
What was this power to which Wilson referred? Why was it talked about in hushed tones and behind closed doors?
Our public has been and continues to be duped. It is a process which begins early and is unrelenting. It begins in homes and schools. It begins on the radio and television. It begins in the print media. And, ultimately, a Pavlovian reaction occurs; man is no longer a critical thinker. Man has become a machine. I know the process all too well; I was a part of it for more years than I care to admit. And now that I am able to see beyond the curtain, even if only partially, I want nothing more then to alert people to the game that is being played at their expense.
Jews have played an important role in this duping drama and yet, the average Jew remains ignorant of what is transpiring. The average Jew has been effectively brainwashed by cries of anti-Semitism and pictures of the Jewish Holocaust The average Jew lives in a state of fear and anxiety and feels a part of the victim class. No matter how much power is amassed, the average Jew feels one step away from extinction. There is always a threat hanging over his head. Another swastika appears on a Synagogue. Another "suicide bomber" manages to get through the labyrinth of checkpoints in Israel. (if you know anything about the checkpoints, you will find this a bit difficult to believe ) Well placed occurrences keep the average Jew vulnerable to this "power." And what is this power? ZIONISM.
Zionism is a political movement that arose in the latter part of the 1800's. Initially it referred to the effort of certain Jewish people to establish a Jewish nation in the land of Palestine. But that term has changed over the years. Today it applies to those who want to expand the borders of what was already established. It refers to those who think nothing of putting their own interests ahead of the interests of any nation in which they reside. It refers to those who will sacrifice anyone, Jews and Gentiles alike, to realize their goals.
It is a grave mistake to believe that all Jews are supporters of Zionism. There have been many vocal critics as well as some who have, for reasons of fear and intimidation, not been as vocal. I will mention some of these courageous voices and my apologies to those I omit. Anti-Zionist writers such as John Sack, Alfred Lilienthal, Benjamin Freedman, Israel Shamir, Israel Shahack, Norman Finkelstein, Henry Makow, Ralph Schoenman, Lenni Brenner, Victor Ostrovsky, Henry Meyer and Jack Bernstein are only of few of this group. These man have dared to speak out and have, as a result, been forced to suffer vicious attacks from groups like the "Anti-Defamation League" (ADL). Despite its appealing name, this group specializes in slander and defamation.
Author Jack Bernstein stated:
"I am well aware of the tactics YOU, my Zionist brethren, use to quiet anyone who attempts to expose any of your subversive acts. If the person is gentile, you cry "you're anti-Semitic," which is nothing more than a smokescreen to hide your actions. But if a Jew is the person doing the exposing, you resort to other tactics:
First, you ignore the charges, hoping the information will not be given widespread distribution. If the information starts reaching too many people, you ridicule the information and the person giving the information. If that doesn't work, your next step is character assassination. If the author or speaker hasn't been involved in sufficient scandal, you are adept at fabricating a scandal against the person or persons. If none of these are effective, you are known to resort to physical attacks. But NEVER do you try to prove the information wrong. " (from The Life Of An American Jew in Racist-Marxist Israel. By Jack Bernstein, 1984)
Bernstein challenged the ADL to an open debate on television. Not surprisingly, the challenge was declined.
The Neturei Karta is the name given to a group of Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem who refuse to recognize the existence or authority of the so-called "State of Israel" In their literature they write:
"Zionist propagandists are always given to bullying tactics and censorship. It is very helpful in this regard to read former Congressman Findley's book, They Dared to Speak Out. It is the sorry record of the immense resources that the Zionist lobby invested in destroying the careers of politicians all across the United States who had voiced some qualms about this nation's subservience to Israel.
Of course, anti - Zionist Jews of all political and religious orientations have long experienced the lash of the Zionist movement. In 1924, a scholarly Dutch Jew, Dr. Jacob Israel de Hahn, who functioned as a secretary of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (1849 - 1932 ) Chief Rabbi of Palestine, (may their memories be blessed) was murdered as he returned from evening prayers outside Shaarui Zedek hospital in Jerusalem. His crime was that he had been involved in discussions with Arab leaders that offered an alternative to Zionist hegemony. His murderers were members of the Haganah, a Zionist, so - called "defense organization." In fact, Dr. de Hahn may well be described as the first victim of Zionist violence in the Holy Land. Yet, outside of a limited circle of anti - Zionist Jews, this cowardly and cold blooded murder is completely unknown "
http://nkusa.org/AboutUs/Zionism/index.cfm
Our history books are replete with blank pages. There is a virtual media blackout on some of the most prescient occurrences that have led to the untenable situation in today's world.
In the late 1800's, the Zionists schemed to take over Arab Palestine. Most people are not aware that the Jews had not controlled Palestine since the days of the Roman Empire and that the small group of Arab Jews who lived in Palestine got along well with their Muslim hosts and never expressed any desire to overthrow the Ottoman rulers and set up a nation called Israel. This movement came strictly from influential European Zionists.
In 1914, Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Turkish Empire were locked in conflict against England, France and Russia. By 1916, however, the Germans, Austrian Turks appeared to have won the war. Germany made an offer to Britain to end the war. It was an offer that was favorable to Britain, and yet, the British and the international Zionists had different plans. Led by Chiam Weizmann, they used their influence to bring the United States into the war on Britain's side. In exchange, the British would reward the Zionists by taking Palestine from the conquered Ottoman Empire. Once under British control, the Jews of Europe would be encouraged to immigrate to Palestine in huge numbers.
Zionists such as Bernard Baruch, Louis Brandeis, Paul Warburg, Jacob Schiff and others influenced President Woodrow Wilson, a man whose closet contained a few skeletons that he preferred to keep hidden. The press transformed the German Kaiser and his people into bloodthirsty "Huns". In Germany, the Zionists used their power and influence to undermine Germany from within. The result was that the German, Austrian and Ottoman Empires were defeated and their maps were rewritten by the powers at the Treaty of Versailles in 1918.
The Balfour Declaration, which gave the land of Palestine to the Jews, was issued in 1917, one year before Germany surrendered. (The Jewish Virtual Library of the American-Israeli co-operative enterprise.)
For the readers who have dismissed what I have written so far, I ask you to turn your attention to the work of Benjamin Freedman. Freedman was an American millionaire who severed ties with his fellow Zionists years after the war. He went on to dedicate much of his life and fortune, from the Woodbury Soap Company, to exposing the truth about both World Wars and the Zionist grip on America. This is easily verified. Do not let knee jerk reactions close your mind. I know how distressing this is. Growing up Jewish, I have 'walked that walk'. I have felt the sorrow and disbelief. It is important, however, that we begin to write some real history on those blank pages in your school syllabus.
The Balfour Declaration was a letter prepared in March 1916 and issued in November of 1917 by the British statesman Arthur James Balfour, the foreign secretary which expressed the British government's approval of Zionism and "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people."
As a result, Israel was established as an independent state in 1948 in the mandated area.
The German people resented the Zionist role in bringing about their WW 1 defeat as well as the incredibly harsh Treaty of Versailles with its brutal monetary reparations. The German economy was in ruins. The people elected Adolf Hitler in 1932 and the Nazi party soon seized control of the German media, banks and universities away from the influential Zionists who had controlled them.
Zionists called for action against Germany and boycotts were imposed in the UK and USA. On March 24, 1933, "The Daily Express" of England carried the following headline; "Judea Declares War on Germany. Jews of All the World Unite in Action" ( Daily Express (England) March 24, 1933.)
In September of 1939, Germany and Poland went to war over disputed territory that had been taken away from Germany by the Versailles Treaty of 1918. Great Britain and France saw an opportunity to declare war on Germany under the pretext of protecting Poland. They conveniently ignored the fact that Stalin's Soviet Union had invaded Poland too. Germany pleaded with Britain and France (the Allies) to withdraw their war declarations, but the Allies continued their massive military buildup along Germany's frontiers. Germany's neighbors (Belgium, Holland and also Norway) succumbed to Allied political pressure to allow their armies to establish bases in their territories. In the spring of 1940, the war in Western Europe began when Germany launched preemptive invasions of Norway, Holland and Belgium. In the United States, the Zionists applied pressure to Franklin Delano Roosevelt to involve the United States in the war.
The rest is history, if you'll pardon the poor pun. The United States' entry into the war resulted in another crushing defeat for Germany.
A few years after the end of the second World War, the plan to establish the nation of Israel in Palestine materialized. Great Britain, left weakened, were chased from Palestine by Zionist acts of terror. The most notorious terror group was the Irgun, led by Menachem Begin. Later on, Begin would go on to become the Prime Minister of Israel and the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. It kind of leaves you scratching your head, doesn't it?
July 22, 1946, Irgun terrorists, dressed as Arabs, entered the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. They unloaded 225 kilograms of explosives. The Secretariat of the Government of Palestine and the Headquarters of the British Forces in Palestine were housed there. Most of the victims were British but 15 innocent Jews also died. The radical Zionists had no trouble killing their fellow Jews in their attempt to advance their mission.
The Irgun terror gang also targeted Arab civilians in order to frighten them into leaving their homes and villages. The massacre at Deir Yassin, April 9, 1948, was one such occurrence.
Christian Arabs numbering over 254 were dragged from their homes, lined up and shot. Many were old men, women and children.
By 1948, the UN, UK and US had recognized the nation of Israel. One of its first acts was to pass "the law of return", which gave any Jew in the world the right to move to Israel and become a citizen. The land had been stolen from the Arabs in a brutal fashion and the brutality has not stopped.
In the years that have followed, many "false flag" operations have occurred:
1. In 1955, Israeli agents, impersonating Arab terrorists were caught staging a series of bombings against US installations in Egypt. The scandal came to be known as the Lavon affair.
2. In 1967, during a war with the Arabs, Israeli gunboats and fighter jets attacked the USS Liberty, an unarmed US ship. Thirty five American sailors were murdered and 170 were injured. Their excuse was that they mistook the ship for an Egyptian one. However, survivors of the incident have contradicted this.
www.ussliberty.org.
3. In the 1980's, the Israelis once again succeeded in framing enemy Arabs in order to anger the United States. Former Mossad case officer Victor Ostrovsky defected from the Mossad and tried to warn the United States about their evil, murderous nature. He told how the Israelis framed Libya for the bombing of a German night club which framed Libya and caused President Reagan to bomb Libya in 1986, killing the 4 year old daughter of Libyan leader Muamar Qadhafi. Ostrovsky's 1990 book, By Way of Deception revealed how the Mossad recruits Arab agents to carry out their missions. He also stated "Israeli agents are skilled at impersonating Arabs."
It is imperative to emphasize that Zionism is nobody's friend. It is imperative that Jewish people realize that they too have been betrayed by the Zionists who have continued using Judaism to hide behind. In fact, when all the details are carefully examined and carefully considered, the painful reality is that it was ZIONISM which literally sent Europe's Jews into the bowels of the Holocaust.'
A veil of disbelief shrouds many Jewish eyes. This is because the sordid history of Zionism has been so effectively suppressed. The plethora of Holocaust movies and cries of anti-Semitism have left Jewish people with fear and trembling. How many of these people are aware that the Zionists collaborated with the Nazis?
1. According to Lenni Brenner's book Zionism in the Age of Dictators (Ch.7), the Zionist party was the only other political party in Nazi Germany that enjoyed a measure of freedom, and could publish a newspaper. The reason: Zionists and Nazis had a common interest, making German Jews go to Palestine.
http://www.marxists.de/middleast/brenner/ch07.htm
2. "If I knew that it would be possible to save all the children in Germany by bringing them over to England and only half of them by transporting them to Eretz Israel, then I opt for the second alternative." David Ben Gurion informed a meeting of Labor Zionists in Great Britain in 1938 (Brenner, Zionism, p.149)
3. In November 1942, Rabbi Michael Dov-Ber Weismandel, a Jewish activist in Slovakia approached Adolph Eichmann's representative, Dieter Wisliceny: "How much money would be needed for all the European Jews to be saved?" Wisliceny went to Berlin and returned with an answer.
For a mere $2 million they could have all the Jews in Western Europe and the Balkans. Weismandel sent a courier to the World Zionist Organization in Switzerland. His request was refused. The official, Nathan Schwalb sent enough money to save only Weismandel and his cadre. He wrote:
"About the cries coming from your country, we should know that all the Allied nations are spilling much of their blood, and if we do not sacrifice any blood, by what right shall we merit coming before the bargaining table when they divide nations and lands at the war's end? ....for only with blood shall we get the land." (Brenner, Zionism, p.237)
"Why would the Zionist leaders betray the Jews of Europe?" You wonder. After all, the entire rationale for the state of Israel has been that it was intended to be a refuge for Jews facing persecution.
The Zionists, to the contrary, saw any effort to rescue Europe's Jews not as the fulfillment of their political purpose but as a threat to their entire movement. If Europe's Jews were saved, they would wish to go elsewhere and the rescue operation would have nothing to do with the Zionist project of conquering Palestine. Their obsession with colonizing Palestine and overwhelming the Arabs led the Zionist movement to oppose any rescue of the Jews facing death, because the ability to deflect select manpower to Palestine would be impeded.
From 1933 to 1935, the World Zionist Organization turned down two-thirds of all the German Jews who applied for immigration certificates. As late as 1943, while countless Jews in Europe were dying, the U.S. Congress proposed to set up a commission to "study" the problem. Rabbi Stephen Wise, who was the principal American spokesperson for Zionism, came to Washington to testify against the rescue bill because it would divert attention from the colonization of Palestine.
One would have, perhaps, expected the Zionists to understand the meaning of humiliation and the pain of being perpetual refugees. And yet, in place of compassion, the Zionists celebrated the persecution of others, even as they first betrayed the Jews and then degraded them. They selected a victim people of their own on whom to inflict a conquering design. They aligned the surviving Jews with a new genocide against the Palestinian people, cloaking themselves, with savage irony, in the collective shroud of the Holocaust. http://www.marxists.de/middleast/schoenman/ch06.htm
A chilling tale of Zionist crimes against their brethren is known as The Ringworm Children.
4. In 1951, the director general of the Israeli Health Ministry, Dr. Chaim Sheba flew to America and returned with 7 x-ray machines, supplied to him by the American army.
They were to be used in a mass atomic experiment with an entire generation of Sephardi youths to be used as guinea pigs. Every Sephardi child was to be given 35,000 times the maximum dose of x-rays through his head. For doing so, the American government paid the Israeli government 300,000 Israeli liras a year. The entire Health budget was 60,000 liras. The money paid by the Americans is equivalent to billions of dollars today.
To fool the parents of the victims, the children were taken away on "school trips" and their parents were later told the x-rays were a treatment for the scourge of scalpal ringworm. 6,000 of the children died shortly after their doses were given, the many of the rest developed cancers that killed them over time and are still killing them now. While living, the victims suffered from disorders such as epilepsy, amnesia, Alzheimer's disease, chronic headaches and psychosis.
Yes, that is the subject of the documentary in cold terms. It is another matter to see the victims on the screen. ie. To watch the Moroccan lady describe what getting 35,000 times the dose of allowable x-rays in her head feels like.
"I screamed make the headache go away. Make the headache go away. Make the headache go away. But it never went away."
To watch the bearded man walk hunched down the street.
"I'm in my fifties and everyone thinks I'm in my seventies. I have to stoop when I walk so I won't fall over. They took my youth away with those x-rays."
To watch the old lady who administered the doses to thousands of children.
"They brought them in lines. First their heads were shaved and smeared in burning gel.
Then a ball was put between their legs and the children were ordered not to drop it, so they wouldn't move. The children weren't protected over the rest of their bodies. There were no lead vests for them. I was told I was doing good by helping to remove ringworm. If I knew what dangers the children were facing, I would never have cooperated. Never!"
Because the whole body was exposed to the rays, the genetic makeup of the children was often altered, affecting the next generation. We watch the woman with the distorted face explain, "All three of my children have the same cancers my family suffered. Are you going to tell me that's a coincidence?"
Everyone notices that Sephardi women in their fifties today, often have sparse patchy hair, which they try to cover with henna. Most of us assumed it was just a characteristic of Sephardi women. We watch the woman on the screen wearing a baseball-style hat. She places a picture of a lovely young teenager with flowing black hair opposite the lens. "That was me before my treatment. Now look at me." She removes her hat. Even the red henna can't cover the horrifying scarred bald spots.
The majority of the victims were Moroccan because they were the most numerous of the Sephardi immigrants. The generation that was poisoned became the country's perpetual poor and criminal class. It didn't make sense. The Moroccans who fled to France became prosperous and highly educated. The common explanation was that France got the rich, thus smart ones. The real explanation is that every French Moroccan child didn't have his brain cells fried with gamma rays.
The film made it perfectly plain that this operation was no accident. The dangers of x-rays had been known for over forty years. We read the official guidelines for x-ray treatment in 1952.
http://www.rense.com/general67/radd.htm
5. Thermonuclear blackmail of America by Zionist Israel. Yes, it is quite true as revealed in a stunning United States Air Force paper located here: http://www.rense.com/general35/isrnuk.htm
One other purpose of Israeli nuclear weapons, not often stated, but obvious, is their "use" on the United States. America does not want Israel's nuclear profile raised.[144] They have been used in the past to ensure America does not desert Israel under increased Arab, or oil embargo, pressure and have forced the United States to support Israel diplomatically against the Soviet Union. Israel used their existence to guarantee a continuing supply of American conventional weapons, a policy likely to continueThe Counterproliferation Papers Series was established by the USAF Counterproliferation Center to provide information and analysis to U.S. national security policy-makers and USAF officers to assist them in countering the threat posed by adversaries equipped with weapons of mass destruction. Copies of papers in this series are available from the USAF Counterproliferation Center, 325 Chennault Circle, Maxwell AFB AL 36112-6427. The fax number is (334) 953-7538; phone (334) 953-7538.
The internet address for the USAF Counterproliferation Center is:
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/awc-cps.htm
Have you had enough? I have. I am tired of the manipulation. I am tired of watching people fighting; people who should be banding together in a common cause. I am tired of watching Jews and Gentiles being used for the nefarious gains of an extremely dark force. I am tired of watching the targeting and extermination of Muslims. I am tired of watching our rights disappear while the populace falls asleep in front of their televisions. I am tired of hate and dissension. I am tired of helplessness and hopelessness and an immobilized populace. I am tired of watching people throw their hands up in despair.
There are lone voices crying in the wilderness. Are these voices falling upon deaf ears? I urge every person of conscience to speak out. Don't be afraid. We are the many and they are the few. Add your voice to this group until the hushed whispers become a deafening roar.
Are you doubting what I say? Don't take my word, do your own investigation. It's a painful exploration but I truly believe that the balance of this planet hangs on the opening of Jewish eyes. There are many good hearted Jewish people who are being duped along with their Gentile brethren. Much of the world is waking up to the manipulations of the few and it is imperative that Jewish people join them. There is no time to waste. The information is limitless. There is no refuge for Jewish people in Israel. My dear readers, Zionism will not protect you. Zionism will crucify you on a bloody cross of avarice. It is only through a union of Jewish, Christians and Muslims that we will we be able to take back our planet.
Copyright 2006 Judy Andreas
www.judyandreas.com
JUDE10901[-at-]AOL.com
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